𝔅𝔯𝔲𝔰π”₯ 𝔴𝔦𝔱π”₯ π”‘π”’π”žπ”±π”₯

Hanako sent me back here a while ago but, I wonder what he's doing.
Well I guess that's fine.
Perhaps she should have been rebellious and went running around on her own but that'd be testing her luck. After all, she's already been taking risks with her visits to Kou and her countless requests.


Hanako:"No.8, what are you doing?"


"I was looking around since I'll probably never get the chance. Actually-"
She hesitates.
"Is Minamoto kun...okay?"


Hanako:"Since when did you guys get so close?"


"Close? I wouldn't say-"
But before she could finish, her teeth grit and she puts her hand near her heart.
Please not yet.
Please not yet.


Hanako:"No.8?


"Please not yet!"
She shouts, tears building up in the corner of her eyes and within less than a few seconds, they're trickling down her face in rivulets.


"I don't want to die. Not yet. I haven't said bye to mother and father. What should I do? What should I do!?"
Her legs give way and he kneels down as she writhes in pain, her face getting paler by the second.


Hanako:"I can't prevent your death."


"Why?"
She whimpers, shutting her eyes tight as if she could make it go away simply by not seeing.
Why is my fate to turn out like this?
Why are these so unexpected?


Hanako:"But-"
Opening her eyes shakily and still overtaken with blurred vision, she makes out the face that leans towards her before their lips meet and her cries begin to subside. Trying to pull away for air, he holds her chin so she doesn't move-she'll have to endure it.
...
There goes my second one.


Mother and father would definitely have flipped.
I wasn't allowed to date, far less for kissing. It wasn't anything like they were just being stubborn, they were just worried about my health and being taken advantage of because of it.


It was almost overbearing.
...
Their lips disconnect, her trying to catch her breath as he sits back. Her face is red once again.
It's not like I could even be mad.


Hanako:"I know it's not your time-at least not yet."


He glances behind him without much expression at his counterparts, who had entered unnoticed, trying to clearly pretend they hadn't seen anything.
He stands, adjusting his cape and properly turning towards them.


Hanako:"The commotion is over. All of you can take your leave and return to your duties-I'll soon join afterwards."


Sakura nods once in agreement, the others following and though there are a few whispers, you can equally hear her scoldings coming along with them.
...
Yashiro rubs at her eyes, still a bit tearful, the apparition closing the door and sitting back down in front of her, a sigh of either relief or annoyance leaving his lips.


Hanako:"Again, don't do that-you'll make your eyes itch."


She watches him awkwardly, unsure why he decided to stay or as if she were expecting him to say something else.
Mustering up the courage, she quietly says 'thank you' and 'sorry.'


It wasn't as if he asked for an apology, however, she felt as if he may be bothered knowing his counterparts had seen him perform a healing ritual especially without knowing what it was for.


After a short while, he talks again and she almost gasps but she doesn't.


"Hanako kun, you mean I could-"


Hanako:"I'll change my mind if you don't ask me already."


"Then...your parents? What were your parents like?"
She asks attentively, crawling to sit next to him, him quite surprised at how interested she was and their closeness.
Finally, she'd know something more.


Hanako:"Normal, I guess."


"Aww come on. That's a very boring response."


Hanako:"Aww come on? Your own parents would be shocked to see you talking like that. Ojousama."


"Please expand."


Hanako:"Then fine-I didn't particularly like them."


"Eh, why? Then what would you have said in response to when they said they loved-"


Hanako:"They said nothing of the sort. The only thing I could remember from such a topic is being trapped in the closet for a couple days during the holidays, or being beat over every little thing."


"Hanako..."


Hanako:"Of course, I probably was foolish so I guess it made sense but, I didn't understand why they chose to keep kids they clearly didn't want."


"No, it doesn't."
She says quietly, looking down at the floor.
"I'm sorry."


Hanako:"The human way of thinking is stupid. I wouldn't understand such a thing called love so even if they said it, I wouldn't know what to say in return. I think I must've liked the moon though."


"But...Tsukasa. You love your brother, right?"


Hanako:"I don't know."


"Then, when you were alive did you two have a relationship?"


Hanako:"We never talked until we were dead."


"That couldn't be..."


Hanako:"But, we would play games in the closet that we made up. The only times we must've heard each other's voices were when we were crying or sometimes, he'd laugh. Laugh at me-I don't know why, it wasn't like I did anything funny."


She eyes him as he hides his upper arms.


"Ah..."


Hanako:"Then one day I killed him and then myself."


"It was him? I've heard you say it before but...why?"


Hanako:"To escape."


"Oh...sorry. It was probably hard talking about something like that. I shouldn't have asked."


Hanako:"Don't be daft, that was over 50 years ago. It makes me laugh thinking about it now especially since I learnt more of what was normal from what wasn't as someone dead."


"That's hard to believe."


Hanako:"Well kind of. Your parents seem to have wanted you from what I hear. I saw in your memories that they'd go like this."
He pats her head.
"That's where I learnt it. I saw that they'd do it when you looked sad."


She frowns, her eyes tearing up again.


Hanako:"Now you've 'seen' the past me and how weak I was, have you lost all your respect that it's bought you to tears?"
He asks before flinching as she takes of his hat and puts both hands on his head.


Hanako:"What are you-?"
...
The last time she tried it, he seemed confused.
The last time he did it was when she was afraid of the thought of dying and, the last time she saw it, he was doing it to Tsukasa when he was grieving over his confiscated pendant...though discreetly.


...


Ruffling his hair, she continues to sniffle.


"Yosh yosh."


He doesn't recoil but stays still, appearing perplexed as she'd have expected but she doesn't care.
She takes her hands back slowly, still watching him pitifully, prior to wiping his face with the back of her palms.


"Sorry, I acted as if I had it off worse in the past. I also should not have pressured you to tell me about yours. I'm sorry."
Bowing, he gets up quickly, hiding his face with his hat.


Hanako:"It is quite warm."


"Ghosts don't sweat to my knowledge. You're freezing."


Hanako:"Then-"


"Hanako kun, there's nothing wrong with crying."


He tenses his shoulders at those words.


Hanako:"I must be on my way. Forget anything you saw today because It doesn't change anything. I hold onto the fact that I could punish you, I could also kill that shounen if I wanted to."


Closing the door behind him, she puts her finger up to her lips.


I wanted to ask about why he hates exorcists too but I suppose it's self explanatory?
No.
There must be another reason.


"And he forgot to leave me locked up today."

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