𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕒𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕙: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕖𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕝

𝟜: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕙 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕃𝕚𝕤𝕥

Nene had somehow fallen asleep. The last thing she remembered was Hanako. He'd picked her up, bridal-style, and then . . . nothing.

When Nene sat up, she saw that she was in someone's bedroom. Even though she was alone, she couldn't help but flush.

What if I didn't escape with Hanako-kun? What if this is Tsukasa's--

She cut off the thought before it could completely resonate. She needed to stay calm.

"H-Hanako-kun?" Nene called, looking around the room. It was all in shades of black and white. A desk was pushed against one wall.

Standing, Nene walked over to it. A piece of paper was the first thing that caught her attention. It was a list of pros and cons.

Cons:

~She could turn you down

~You could lose her

~She could run straight to Tsukasa

Pros:

~She'll finally know

~You won't have to lie anymore

~She could say yes

A flash of white interrupted her vision. "H-Haku-joudai?" Nene squeaked. The Haku-joudai flicked, and the paper went up in flames, leaving a smoking pile of ashes. She stumbled back a step before running into someone. The someone pulled her into an asunaro hug.

"How much did you see?" Hanako breathed into her ear. Nene blushed, aware of their incredibly close proximity.

"N-nothing!" Nene was pretty sure that she knew what the paper was talking about, and Nene knew it was best to lie.

Hanako sighed in relief. "Okay." He believed her lie. Hanako released her and Nene turned around to face him.

Hanako looked incredibly worried. "We need to talk." He took her hand and led her to the black bed. It didn't help Nene's blush or heartbeat. "What did Tsukasa have you remember? I need to know everything."

"Like, everything-everything?" Hanako nodded. Nene blushed. "I-I mean, do you really need to--"

"Yes, Yashiro, I need to know everything that happened." Hanako's expression turned deadly serious. Nene nodded.

She told him everything, all the way from the start, when she first woke up in the Broadcasting Room. When Nene described the kisses she shared with Tsukasa, Hanako's expression changed.

It was pure rage. But there was also . . . fear. And despair. Nene felt a little like crying, and a little like blushing.

"So . . . yeah." Nene nodded. "That's everything. And, um, random question, but where are we?"

"My boundary. You didn't think it was just the bathroom, was it?" Hanako asked. Nene shook her head. "But, specifically, we're in my bedroom."

Nene's blush deepened and her eyes widened. "W-what--"

"Oh, you are a Dirty Daikon, hmm?" Hanako grinned and leaned over her. Nene slowly flattened herself into the bed. They continued this for a minute.

The white door swung open. Both apparition and human stared at it.

"Did I interrupt something?" Tsuchigomori asked, leaning against the doorframe. Nene realized that Hanako was now leaning over her, pinning her to the bed.

They both blushed. That surprised Nene, since Hanako seemed unflusterable. But, here he was, blushing just as hard as Nene.

Hanako quickly moved off his assistant and towards the door. "N-no, of course not. What do you need, No. 5?"

"I know that this is your boundary, but I'm going to need you to make a few . . . changes."

"Changes like what?" Hanako asked, frowning. His blush was beginning to fade, unlike Nene's.

"The Mokke shouldn't be allowed to enter as pleased. They're driving me to the brink of insanity." Tsuchigomori complained. Hanako didn't notice how his assistant had stood.

"Alright, fine. I'll deal with it later. Now," he began to close the door. "If you'll excuse me, I have something to get back to." He shut the door and spun around. "Oh, Yashiro-- Yashiro?"

His assistant was gone.

A/N:

I reread TRATR recently because I wanted to make sure that this story filled in all the plot holes (i.e. the golden arrow). And . . . wow. It's super angsty! I haven't read it in forever. I didn't realize it was so sad. 

Oh! Fun fact: Tsukasa wasn't in this chapter. XD It's called The Rat and The Radish, but a chapter is missing The Rat. 

Stay safe and healthy!

~~ Author-chan ~~