The next time she saw Chihiro was the following afternoon.
In the flower field on the right side of the Bathhouse, flowers and plants taller than a person formed walls, dotted with nameless blossoms. Sen Getsusa and Haku had arranged to meet here to wait for Chihiro.
Sen Getsusa leaned against the flower wall, her shirt unbuttoned by a few buttons, with a few strands of black hair resting quietly inside.
The girl was closing her eyes, lightly sniffing the fragrance of flowers coming from all directions.
Every time she did this, she felt as if she had returned to her mother's embrace, as if she were in another World: a place with mountains surrounded by year-round mist, winding valleys, and deafening waterfalls.
By day, towering and majestic spires greeted the Sun, glorious and magnificent; by evening, the quiet and peaceful valleys embraced the Moonlight, mysterious and cool.
Pine, beech, and oak trees grew in groves on the high slopes, standing guard like loyal sentries. A clear icy spring flowed past; taking a handful to drink, it felt cold and sweet in the mouth.
Looking up, her mother would be standing on the other side of the stream, looking at her with gentle and affectionate eyes.
That feeling of being loved transcended time and space.
Even though she had never met her.
Haku arrived in a hurry, his footsteps interrupting Sen Getsusa's dozing dream.
He rounded the flower wall looking travel-worn. It seemed he had just returned from somewhere. Before he could even say hello, he bowed solemnly to Sen Getsusa. "Getsusa, thank you."
Sen Getsusa slowly opened her eyes, tucked her hair behind her ear, and looked curious. "Thank me for what?"
Haku lowered his head and walked to her side, saying deeply, "Thank you for helping Chihiro yesterday. If you hadn't been there, things would probably have been a mess. But because of this, even you have offended Yuba..."
At this point, he suddenly choked up. "Right, you had already offended her..."
Sen Getsusa rolled her eyes. "You're being incredibly gentle, Haku-kun. What exactly is your relationship with that Child Chihiro..."
I smell the sweet scent of dog food.
"First of all," he raised one finger, "compared to my age, both of you ladies are considered children."
Then, he raised a second finger. "Secondly, you're not much older than Chihiro, so don't talk in that old person's tone, Sengetsu-sha..."
Except when he was being serious, it was hard to imagine Haku was hundreds or even thousands of years old, because from his appearance, he looked like a beautiful young man no matter how you looked at him.
It was just that Sen Getsusa felt he looked a bit lonely.
"How did we meet? Ha, I don't even remember myself..." There was sadness in Haku's words, his eyelashes drooping. He had forgotten everything—who he was, who Chihiro was. Only this name, only this name was still remembered.
"Hmm?"
"Mr. Bai, Sister Yuesha, I'm here!"
Sen Getsusa pursed her lips and ended the topic.
She straightened up from the grass wall, put on a smile, and welcomed the running Chihiro.
"Hey there, Chihiro is much more adjusted today."
Haku also smiled. "You did it."
"Here." Once Chihiro came to a stop, Sen Getsusa reached into the grass wall and pulled out a package. "This is some food I made at Yubabas Sister's house. Give it a try."
"Eh?"
Chihiro's eyes sparkled. "How did Sister Yuesha know? I'm starving to death."
Sen Getsusa pointed to her eyes. "I saw it, of course. I paid special attention yesterday; the food was just too awful. That meat dumpling from last time, was that actually for the guests? Where does Yubaba spend all the money she makes?"
After a pause, Sen Getsusa answered her own question. "Well, right. In any case, it's certainly not spent on the employees."
Chihiro walked over with a giggle and squeezed Sen Getsusa's hand.
The three of them carefully opened the package and spread it on the grass. There were layers of food boxes, and some even had crushed ice to keep them fresh.
Handing out chopsticks, the three sat on the ground.
Like Haku, Chihiro was also wearing a coarse Jinbe. The light pink was so old it had faded to white; one could tell at a glance it was old clothing that had been worn countless times.
She held a large rice ball, took a small bite, then picked up a slice of tender sashimi and placed it on top. She sniffed it and took a big, satisfying bite, looking full of energy.
"It's... it's delicious!"
Chihiro's mouth was full and satisfied, but unconsciously, tears mixed in, tasting bitter on the tip of her tongue.
The two of them watched Chihiro as she ate and cried, not knowing what to say.
Quietly, Sen Getsusa had already filled Chihiro's small plate with food. "What are your plans?"
Haku knew Sen Getsusa was asking him. He put down his cup. "Sengetsu-sha cannot be exposed. Yubabas Sister and Yubaba are already sworn enemies. If you intervene openly, I think Yubaba will be even less willing to let Chihiro and her parents leave."
Sen Getsusa understood this as well, which was why she hadn't risked accompanying Chihiro up there yesterday.
"We'll just have to find another opportunity. Once a 'contract' is signed, things must be done according to the rules. As for your parents..." Haku pointed to the food in front of the three of them. "Eat up. I'll take you to see them once you're finished."
A minute after Haku finished speaking, Chihiro reported that she was full, only to have Sen Getsusa press her head down and make her eat a bunch of other things.
After packing up, the two girls followed Haku around to the back of the Bathhouse: a secluded, long shed—just like the pigsties commonly seen in everyday life.
Except, the pigs inside had clearly been transformed from something else.
Haku led the two girls to a certain enclosure. While the other pens had several or even dozens of pigs huddled together, this one only contained two fat-headed pigs eating until their snouts were covered in grease.
"Are these... my father and Mother?" Chihiro clutched Haku's sleeve in disbelief.
Haku nodded and took a step back.
"Father... Mother?" She slowly stepped forward, gripping the rusted iron bars.
"It can't be..."
The girl's words caught in her throat as she pounded on the bars, creating a low, humming vibration. Despite being only a few meters away, the pigs slept soundly, completely unaffected.
Chihiro looked at the two pigs in despair, turned back to look at Sen Getsusa and Haku, then turned back and murmured, "No, it's impossible! Did Mom and Dad really turn into pigs?"
Haku pointed to the other pigs. "These are all individuals who didn't work or who trespassed into Yubaba's territory without permission. They were all turned into pigs. Your parents, however, are like this because they ate the offerings."
Sen Getsusa suddenly remembered what Yubabas Sister had said.
This place was actually a giant shrine that provided services to the gods. Those who didn't listen or work would be turned into pigs.
"Dad..."
"Mom..."
Chihiro clung to the fence, her tears falling into the mud.
"Don't run off! Wait for me here!"
"I'll come save you! You have to wait for me!" Chihiro shouted heart-wrenchingly at her parents, "Whatever you do, don't eat too much!! You'll be killed!!"
Wiping her eyes as she cried, she gritted her teeth and pushed past the two of them, running outside without looking back.
The two left behind looked at each other.
"Let's go."
Haku remained expressionless, but Sen Getsusa looked at the other pigs with curiosity, sighing in admiration, "The witch's magic is truly miraculous."
magic?
Haku was startled by Sen Getsusa's words. "Don't even think about it!"
He even reached out to hold her, lowering his head to speak seriously, "Whatever you do, don't become a witch's apprentice! You cannot learn their magic—none of it!"
"It will be very troublesome!"
"There's no turning back!"
"Remember what I said! Whatever you do, don't!"
Although he was being a bit repetitive, Sen Getsusa kept nodding with an 'I understand and thank you' expression. "Yubabas Sister said the same thing, though she never told me the reason."
Haku shook his head. "Witches are a very special kind of 'man-god,' and to learn magic from them, you must become their apprentice, which is a form of inheritance. But the price is too high."
Sen Getsusa smiled gently. "I understand. Thank you."
She rubbed her slender fingers together, slowly putting her hand into her pocket to grip something.
Then, she turned her head to look at the hand on her shoulder, frowning slightly. "Could you take your hand off me now, Haku-kun?"
"Eh?"
The shoulder of her light-colored shirt was wrinkled from his grip, and the girl's delicate collarbone was faintly visible.
"Sorry! Sengetsu-sha." Haku quickly withdrew his hand and apologized to her.
Haku believed it was perfectly normal for a girl to dislike being touched by a strange male, even if it was just on the shoulder.
He had just gotten a bit too excited when he heard the word magic.
Bang—Clang—
Of course, if you bow while backing away, there's a high probability you'll trip or look like a fool.
You can try it if you don't believe it... "By the way, Sister Yuesha, how did you get here?"
Chihiro had been feeling very down after seeing her parents. She suddenly remembered how she had entered this World and turned to ask Sen Getsusa over Haku's shoulder, "Did you also come through that tunnel?"
The three of them were currently walking toward the Bathhouse. Haku's expression had returned to normal, his calm face showing no trace of the embarrassment from a moment ago.
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