"a" = Talking
'a' = Thoughts
___________________________________

__________________ ׂׂૢ
┊ ⋆ ┊   .   ┊   ┊
┊    ┊⋆     ┊   .
┊    ┊       ⋆˚              
✧. ┊         
⋆ ★
┆    ┆ ◌┆ .    ⊹ ┆       ☽
┆ ⁺✧     ┆           ┆
┆      ⊹  ☽           ✮
┆    .                         ✧
ღ              ⁺       ◌

School Mystery No 5
The 4pm Bookstacks

In this school's library

There's a
special storeroom
that you can
only enter at
4pm

The room is
full of books
with people's names

Each of these books
contains a record
of that person's life
at this school

What they did here

What they're going
to do here

Past, Present, and Future

It's all written
in the book

There are three kinds
of books
at the bookstacks

White, black and red

The white ones have
the record of people
who are alive

The black ones
are records of
people who have died

But the red books...

are the ones you
should never,
ever read

──┅┅┄┄*ೃ:.✧✲ﾟ*｡⋆─── ⋆✩⋆

"A meeting?"

"Yep! At 4pm. Can you join us?" Hanako asked the Tsukuyomi

"Okay I'll be there" she agreed "Where will the meeting be held at?"

"Where else at 4pm?"

'Ah' "Alright then, I might be a bit late. See you then" 'The 4pm bookstacks'

─┅┅┄┄*ೃ:.✧✲ﾟ*｡⋆─── ⋆✩⋆

'The 4pm bookstacks...' walking towards the library 'It's been awhile since I went there'

Arriving at the library she conjured a butterfly revealing a door and opening it. The first thing she saw was Tsuchigomori-sensei holding Yashiro and Kou, dangling them

"These books have turned red. You read entries from the future didn't you?" pointing towards the red book "Entitled brats"

'This brings me back to our first meeting' remembering the first time he caught her reading the future entry

"Now then..." snatching a butterfly that was fluttering towards him and eating it "How are you planning to make this up for me?"

*Sigh* "He ate one of my butterflies again..." Haru muttered

"No bullying" Hanako poked him catching his attention

"I know, I know, O honorable number 7. I was just kidding" letting them go, dropping them "I won't lay a hand on the boss's guests"

"Uh, hey Hanako, Haru-nee, what's he...?"

"Oh, you haven't been introduced!"

"School mystery number 5 - The 4pm Bookstacks. He's the curator, Tsuchigomori-sensei" she introduced to the two

"You kids play nice, okay?" Hanako continued her

──┅┅┄┄*ೃ:.✧✲ﾟ*｡⋆─── ⋆✩⋆

"School mystery number 5... I can't believe one of our teachers isn't human..."

"It's really not that unusual" he replied hanging on his webs like a hammock while reading a  book "There are, In fact, quite a few supernaturals who have chosen to blend in with humans. We, supernaturals need rumors of us to keep circulating, or we can't stay near the shore. The crucial part of that is spreading our own rumors."

"... And, well, there are other reasons too. But the main thing is it's convenient. Who knows? that one of your friends might turned out to be something other than human"

"But... doesn't that mean we're in danger...?"

"Don't worry you'll be fine. We'll make sure no one gets hurt"

"We are the school's seven mysteries!!" Hanako piped up

"... we supervise all the supernaturals that exist in the school..." no.5 continued

"...And maintain proper relations between people and supernaturals" No.2 finished

"Well the short version is... We do scare people but we're a team of seven friends fighting on the side of justice to keep peace at the school. Not to mention we also have the Tsukuyomi with us! I'll make things easier. And I'm the leader!"

"But there's only four of you"

"And Yako-san was attacking students awhile ago..."

"Also, Nee-chan has restrictions doesn't she? Is that alright for her?"

"She's talking about you stupid fox"

"Shut up emo spider, I'm gonna chew you into pieces"

"...And you're not friends..." watching the two bicker

"Come on you two... We're friends" No.7 pointing his knife at them

"Yes, sir"

'Well the leader thing is true' 

"Like I was saying we're a team of friend who keep the peace at this school... But apparently one of us is a traitor"

"That traitor somehow tied their fate to a human somehow... and is using that connection to spread rumors altered to suit their own purposed" Haru started explaining "As the result, supernaturals at the school are turning savage. No.2 was one of the victims"

"The rumors spread by a supernatural who is bound to a human are more effective the stronger that supernatural is" No.5 explaining further "It was one thing to change the rumor of a supernatural with no seat... but if they're powerful enough to effect the seven mysteries..."

"Whoever's doing it... must be a human tied to one of the seven mysteries"

"You mean there's someone out there who's like me...?!" Yashiro exclaimed

"That means...!! What does that mean?" Kou turned to ask

"It means, one of the seven mysteries and their human helper are causing mischief" Haru answered the boy 

"So we just need to pound 'em right!!?"

"Well yeah"

"But who would do such a thing...?" 

"We don't know. That's what our meeting is about." he answer the girl "And then I had an idea!"

"We should just get rid of all the seven mysteries for awhile!"

"Hmm..?"

"Huh?"

'Here we go again' the Tsukuyomi sighed

"As I explained to you before, each of the seven mysteries has their own boundary and a divine yorishiro that's the source of their power. When you destroy the yorishiro, the owner's power weaken substantially and they cease to function as a school mystery. 

With number 2, we had to destroyed her yorishiro because she's gone off the rails... but now I think we should destroy them all before we all go berserk. That way we don't have to actually identify the traitor or worry about rogue supernaturals."

"One the problem is solved, we just have to reappoint the mysteries" he concluded

"...That's quite an extreme solution"

"There's a scaaaarry exorcist at this school" he shivered at the memory "So it's either this or have him wipe us from existence entirely. This sounds better don't you think?"

'Did Teru try to exorcise him?' she raised a brow at the mention of her lover 'It would explain his bad mood that day'

"And since Yashiro here has the ability to destroy yorishiros, we can get right to it"

"Tsuchigomori!"

"Yorishiro please" opening Nene's hand as if to receive it

"No"

'Did he really think it would be that easy?'

"... is what I would say" he continued, surprising the girl a bit "But I'm not a fan of violence. And I don't want you ransacking my bookstacks in the name of finding my yorishiro" dangling on his webs once again

"No, you're just no good in a fight" Yako retorted

"Be quiet, Echinococcus"

"If you insist taking my Yorishiro, I'll give it to you... but in one condition"

"One condition?" the three said

'Knew it'

──┅┅┄┄*ೃ:.✧✲ﾟ*｡⋆─── ⋆✩⋆

'How did this happen...?' the 2nd year wonder with the mess she got into

So apparently his condition is to tell him their personal secrets but if they don't he'll still give them his yorishiro but he will broadcast their most embarrassing secrets all over the school

And so here we are we're having a secret-spilling marathon

"Here goes!" Yashiro preparing saying her secret "My secret... back in middle school... I KEPT AN EXCHANGE DIARY WITH AN IMAGINARY BOYFRIEND!!"

'Didn't Risa had one of those too?' recalling discovering her childhood friend's secret book back in middle school as well

"Three points"

"Why only three?!"

"First, I already knew that. Second, nobody cares. Lastly... you're lying"

"L-LYING?! I AM NOT-!"

"Oh, aren't you? You said you did this in middle school? But in fact you're still exchanging a diary with yourself" flipping through the pages of her book

"And the 'boyfriend' in question is his big brother" gesturing Kou while giving Haru a knowing look

"Eh?"

"What?!"

"Huh"

"AAAAAAHH"

"Senpai, you're keeping an exchange diary with my big bro?"

'That's not what he meant, Kou...'

"STOP PLEASE, NOT ANOTHER WORD!!" already embarrassed with it

"Month O Day X...

Senpai you were so dreamy on stage, giving your speech at the school assembly!

But you really shouldn't stare at me too much

Our relationship is suppose to be a secret!"

"Aside the fact there was a school assembly, it was pure fantasy right?"

"Nene-chan..." doesn't really know how to react on her fantasy 'A bit ironic that Teru sometimes do that in the hallway or at class' she thought sweat dropping

Tuning out of the conversation she wondered 'Do I also have to participate in this? I hope not'

"Hanako! Haru-senpai! You tell him something!" Cutting her out of her thoughts

"huh?"

"Me?"

'I guess I have no choice' already preparing to give herself up

"Uummm.... then" she thought of it a bit "Tsuchigomori-sensei..." a bit hesitant to tell him

"I WAS THE ONE WHO POISONED YOU THAT TIME!" not looking at him at the eye

The room was quite everyone was staring at the girl speechless. She tried to poison him? No, to be more specific she actually tried to poison someone??

"So it WAS you eh?" grabbing her head with his hand tightening his hold by time

"I'm sorry okay! It was an accident! There was a mistake when I was cooking and I just noticed after you excused yourself that time!" frantically explaining starting to feel the pain by his hold

"YOU BRAT! I HAD FOOD POISONING FOR A WEEK!! JUST WHAT DID YOU MADE A MISTAKE IN?!"

"Well to be fair, it doesn't even make sense for a supernatural to get food poisoning in the first place!" Somehow started bickering with him

"You fail since you poisoned me" letting go her head then hitting it once

"Ow..." Rubbing her head

'Who would've thought that Haru-senpai has this side of her'
Watching her upperclassmen

"It's rare for you to make a mistake in cooking nee-chan" Kou exclaimed have had eaten her cooking many times

"Hahaha... It's a long story..."

At the end they somehow managed to pursue No.5 to give them his yorishiro after number seven's confession for his love for donuts

'Is it because no.7 reaction I wonder~' she thought 'I always had a feeling he had a soft spot for him'

'Then again... he was his former student...'

Revealing a door that leads to his yorishiro "Follow me, I'll take you to my Yorishiro"

"The off we go to destroy Tsuchigomori's yorishiro! Let's goooo!!"

"Yeah! Let's go!"

"Hold it" grabbing the two boys and tossing them aside

"You all stay right here. The only one who is allowed to pass this point is the kannagi girl who's gonna destroy the yorishiro" pointing at Yashiro

"Kannagi?"

"It means you're my assistant" Hanako answering the girl

"GIVE ME A BREAK SPIDERFACE! I CAN'T LET SENPAI GO ALONE! IT'S TOO DANGEROUS!"

"MRRPHMPH" Covering his mouth to shut him up "Well? What do you say honourable number seven? Or can't you trust me?"

The apparition stared at him "All right" he said

"Yashiro" pushing the girl to the curator "Well, see you"

"Take good care of my assistant" looking at him "Tsuchigomori-sensei"

"It's been awhile since I went in there" the guardian remarked after the door closed

"Eh? You've been there nee-chan?"

"Mn, one of the task as the Tsukuyomi is handling the security of the school including the seven mysteries boundary and their yorishiro"

"Come to think of it... Can't you also destroy yorishiros, Haru-nee?"

She looked at the boy "Nope, I'm aware of every single location of each of the seven mysteries yorishiro but I'm not allowed to tell nor touch it"

"EH?! You know where every single yorishiro is, nee-chan?!"

"Of course, unlike Nene-chan who is bound to Hanako, I'm bounded to the school"

"So I'm aware of a lot of things going around but I can't easily tell things" 'It's frustrating honestly'

"Well... It seems there's nothing else. I'll be going now" heading towards the exit "I know you guys will manage" waving them goodbye

Once she step outside, she mumbled "I wonder... How will they react, if the traitor isn't even apart of the seven mysteries"

──┅┅┄┄*ೃ:.✧✲ﾟ*｡⋆─── ⋆✩⋆
__________________ ׂׂૢ extra clip
┊ ⋆ ┊   .   ┊   ┊
┊    ┊⋆     ┊   .
┊    ┊       ⋆˚              
✧. ┊         
⋆ ★

She looked at the black book in front of her hesitating to open it

Watching the girl hesitating "You know I wouldn't mind if you read that book right?" Tsuchigomori exclaimed

"I know..." Her eyes looked lost in thought to the name on the black book in front of her

"Mitsuba Sousuke"

Author's note
I finally finished ch 5 this one is the longest so far and I even gave up writing a few scenes :v

If anyone is curious about the food poisoning thing😂 I might make a extra chapter about it next time
Thanks for reading (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡
- Mel