"She can't go to Yubabas Sister's place."
Having calmed down, the three of them sat on the grass.
In the Shadows, White Dragon frowned as he watched Chihiro, who was curled up and sobbing, rubbing against Sen Getsusa's arm.
"Her parents ate the offerings and were turned into pigs."
"Mama, Papa, I want Mama and Papa..."
Rub, rub, rub.
Sen Getsusa:... "Since the spell was cast here, we can only follow the rules here. She must stay here; only then is there hope of saving her parents later."
White's way of putting it was somewhat heartless for a little girl. But Sen Getsusa knew there was no other way; after all, the rules of this World were just like that.
"If she goes to Yubabas Sister's place... those two sisters are arch-rivals... even Yubabas Sister can't ignore the rules, right?"
Sen Getsusa was a bit hesitant: "But if she stays here, she has to gain 'existence' by working? Can she... do it?"
The little girl didn't understand what the two were saying; she held Sen Getsusa with both hands and leaned against her.
Although it was currently spring, waves of chill still brushed against her skin, seeping into Chihiro's blood through her pores.
The Bathhouse station has its own rules, and those who come here must obey them.
"Chihiro, listen to me." White Dragon held Chihiro's shoulders, eye to eye. "Listen to me. You must find a job here. Those who don't work will be turned into piglets by Yubaba. If you want to save your parents, you must beg Yubaba to give you a job."
"Yu, Yubaba?" Chihiro looked at White Dragon timidly and gently pulled Sen Getsusa's sleeve, who returned a reassuring look.
White Dragon didn't pay attention to the interaction between the two girls and said heavily: "Yes, she is the Master here."
After saying that, he turned back to look at Sen Getsusa: "Sengetsu-sha, I'm counting on you. I will transmit the route into your mind; please ask Kamaji to take her in."
Sen Getsusa composed herself and waited for White's finger to touch her forehead—a model like a 3D interlaced map appeared in her mind.
The entire Bathhouse was seen through clearly.
Turn right from here, go straight. Remember, avoid the employees who often pass by the corners. Stop here, climb up. That's right, go down the long stairs, pass through the iron door, and you'll reach the boiler room.
Sen Getsusa squinted to digest the information, then spoke after a while: "Let's go, White-kun. You go and lure them away. I'll take her to Kamaji."
White Dragon nodded, stood up, turned the corner, and spoke loudly toward the distance: "I'm back. What are you doing?"
————Sen Getsusa & Chihiro moving...————
"Um..."
"Hmm?" Sen Getsusa held Chihiro's small hand. The two of them hid and dodged all the way; the Bathhouse employees who popped up from time to time kept Chihiro's heart hanging.
"I mean, what is older sister's name?"
"Tsukisa, Sen Getsusa." Sen Getsusa smiled and reached out to pat Chihiro's frizzy head. "That cold guy is called White Dragon."
The two of them passed through the long kitchen. Sen Getsusa pulled Chihiro, avoiding the busy employees—while Chihiro had a conflicted look on her face, Sen Getsusa looked around and reached toward the steaming baskets... She grabbed two meat buns, pulled Chihiro, and ran!
——Extra-large version of gluten-wrapped meat buns.
After being wrapped and steamed, they looked crystal clear.
Sen Getsusa took a bite and stuffed the other meat bun directly into Chihiro's mouth.
"Mph... mph mph mph!"
Chihiro's eyes widened, her cheeks puffed out, and she instinctively bit through the dough skin.
Very chewy! Delicious!
Once bitten open, it was filled with minced meat, and the savory juice immediately overflowed, filling her entire mouth.
"Mph mph, mph mph mph."
Sen Getsusa giggled and covered her mouth, waiting for Chihiro to swallow with difficulty.
The other girl's eyes were round, and it took a while before she spoke, her topic directed straight at White, not mentioning the girl's rude action at all: "He called my name."
After descending a very steep staircase, the two finally arrived near the boiler room.
Sen Getsusa took out a tissue to wipe her hands, then took Chihiro's small hand and carefully cleaned it.
During this, she thought aloud: "White-kun seems to know you. I heard that when you were very young..."
"I... don't remember. I don't remember." Chihiro smacked her lips, still wanting more, and shook her head gently: "When I was very young, there wasn't anyone named White."
Sen Getsusa thought for a moment: "Is that so? Maybe he wasn't a person then."
"Eh?"
Chihiro looked at this charming and elegant older sister with confusion—an inexplicable sense of closeness was slowly growing in the girl's heart.
Sen Getsusa said, "It's nothing. Don't worry too much. Your parents have just been placed under a magic spell. Chihiro, the important thing now is how to survive here."
Sen Getsusa saw that there were still undried tear marks on Chihiro's face. After rubbing them with her dirty hands, her entire face was covered in black smudges.
She helplessly gripped Sen Getsusa's hand and wouldn't let go; a faint trembling could still be felt from her arm.
"Don't worry, your sister is here," Sen Getsusa patted Chihiro's arm.
If it weren't for the fact that the gloves knitted by Yubabas Sister couldn't be transferred, Sen Getsusa would have given them to Chihiro long ago. Regardless, she was someone with a 'job' now, and she didn't belong to the Bathhouse's jurisdiction anyway.
In the boiler room, the scent of charcoal and medicinal herbs wafted toward them.
The old man named Kamaji was busy tending the fire, showing none of the sluggishness associated with old age.
A long, thick beard was piled on his chin, leaving only the upper part of his face visible—and even his eyes were covered by a pair of round black sunglasses.
He had many arms, stoking the fire, grinding medicine, and fetching materials with extreme efficiency; each arm had a clear division of labor.
This reminded Sen Getsusa of a spider.
Chihiro was clearly frightened.
"Don't be afraid." Sen Getsusa held Chihiro close, gently rubbing her head as she led her into the boiler room. "Here, you will slowly meet all sorts of interesting fellows."
"Grandpa Kamaji!" Sen Getsusa didn't hesitate and directly used Haku's name as leverage: "Grandpa Kamaji! Haku has something he wants me to convey to you!"
Kamaji seemed focused on grinding medicine. It was only after Sen Getsusa called out three or four times that he turned his head to look at the two girls at the door.
"Ah... Haku. I know, I know. What is it?"
His aged voice carried a hint of exhaustion. Though he was answering Sen Getsusa, several of his hands didn't stop their continuous work.
"Please find a job for this girl! Just let her work here with you, alright?" Sen Getsusa's hand gently tapped Chihiro behind her back. The girl took the hint and stepped forward.
"My name is Chihiro. Please let me work here!"
Chihiro bowed and looked expectantly at the tirelessly working Kamaji. The clanging furnace continued its rhythmic opening and closing as the old man's sunglass-clad face turned toward her.
He sized Chihiro up from head to toe.
"I don't need help here. I have as much coal as I need. No need, no need." He finally freed one hand to wave the two girls away, then pointed to a row of small black holes in front of them.
Holes?
The two girls walked over hand-in-hand and bent down, only to discover a cluster of small black things.
They were huddled together, their tiny eyes blinking as they stared out at the two of them like stars in the night sky.
Sen Getsusa leaned in a few steps closer and realized they were little coal-like creatures, chirping and hopping around inside the hole.
They were actually quite cute.
"Go find Yubaba. I don't need any more hands here," Kamaji repeated.
Chihiro looked helplessly at Sen Getsusa. Suddenly, a knocking sound came from the other side.
Knock, knock, knock.
At the bottom of the wall, a small square wooden door was pulled open from the outside, and a thin-faced girl squeezed through the small frame with effort.
"Ah, it's Lin," Kamaji greeted without turning his head.
"Time to eat! What, arguing again?" After the thin-faced woman squeezed through the opening with difficulty, she turned around and brought out steaming hot food, her right hand carrying a light brown wooden bucket.
"Come on, come on! Let's eat!"
She handed the food to Kamaji and then squatted in front of the coal sprites.
"Come out now! It's time to eat!" The woman scattered various colors of star-shaped candy from the bucket, throwing handfuls at the entrance of the hole, drawing the coal soot sprites to gather and hop around.
The star-shaped candies and the little coal sprites bounced on the ground together; their chirping sounds made them seem very happy.
"Honestly, don't argue with Grandpa every day. You guys always—AAAAHHH! HUMANS!!"
The girl named Lin turned her head and saw Chihiro and Sen Getsusa standing by the wall, staring at her as if in a daze.
"This is bad!! Upstairs is in an absolute uproar! Yubaba has Haku and the frogs searching everywhere for someone!"
Chihiro was at a loss. Sen Getsusa squeezed her hand and stood in front of her.
"This girl is my granddaughter."
Kamaji, holding dishes and rice with four hands while his feet worked the furnace wheels, said slowly, "She says she wants to work, but I have enough hands here. Trouble you to take her to Yubaba's side; she can handle the rest herself."
Lin immediately refused. "I won't do it! Yubaba would kill me!"
"How about I give you this?"
Kamaji's long arm reached out in front of Lin, spanning four or five meters.
He was holding a small, charred animal by its tail.
"Roasted Newt—it's top-quality stuff." After saying that, he even rotated the charcoal-like roasted newt with his fingers.
Is food really that scarce... Sen Getsusa bent her knees slightly, ready for action.
The thin-faced woman didn't pay attention to her. Though her face was full of dissatisfaction, she drooped her eyes and reluctantly nodded, reaching out to take the blackened, charcoal-grilled newt.
Kamaji added pointedly, "Everyone who works here must sign a contract with Yubaba. You'll have to go try your luck 'on your own'."
Chihiro looked at Kamaji blankly, while Sen Getsusa understood his meaning.
"Hey, Chihiro, you'll have to go up by yourself in a moment. Whatever you do, don't mention me or Mr. Haku. Understand?"
She whispered instructions to the girl clinging to her arm. "You must firmly say you want to work. No matter how she tries to dissuade you, say you want to work. Now, tell me your full name."
Sen Getsusa's gentle caress and whispered instructions took effect. Chihiro's vacant gaze gradually cleared, and she finally made up her mind.
Some paths are destined to be walked alone.
"Don't worry, Sister Yuesha." She gritted her teeth, bowed to Sen Getsusa, and then quietly leaned into her ear: "Thank you so much for your and Mr. Haku's help!"
"Hey! You humans over there, stop whispering. Follow me!" Lin impatiently turned the wooden bucket upside down, dumping a large amount of colored star candies onto the coal soot sprites' heads. The black fellows ate even more joyfully.
Sen Getsusa licked her lips. They looked quite delicious.
"Go on." She smiled and patted the back of Chihiro's hand in encouragement. "Good luck, Chihiro."
This Child, who had never left her parents to go out independently, now had to face the most terrifying witch of the Bathhouse alone.
"You are—" Lin looked at Sen Getsusa and sniffed curiously. "A deity... no, a Yokai?"
Sen Getsusa bowed slightly, smiling without saying a word.
"An Ame-onna... no, a Kusayagie? Doesn't look like it either..." Lin scratched her head. "What kind of Yokai are you? So strange, it's the first time I've seen one."
Sen Getsusa waved goodbye to Chihiro and watched as Lin led her to open the small wooden door. The two of them crawled through awkwardly.
"Hey! Are all humans this rude?" Halfway through crawling, Lin suddenly turned around and poked Chihiro's forehead with her finger. "Thank Grandpa Kamaji!"
Bang!
The girl, who looked up in a hurry, forgot the height of the small wooden door and hit her head on the wooden beam. With a miserable face, she turned around, clutching her head, and gave a deep formal bow to Grandpa Kamaji.
So she noticed already? Sen Getsusa watched Lin's departing figure, slightly surprised. She's a kind-hearted girl.
However, watching the two of them crawl away, Sen Getsusa finally let out a long breath—she was exhausted.
On the other side, as Lin led Chihiro cautiously up the stairs, she kept muttering: "What kind of Yokai could it be... with such a charming face, it must be a Fox Demon, a Fox Demon, a Fox Demon."
"Strange..."
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