Touching Bond | Hanako-Kun

1

"Why, hello." It was a boy's voice. Emiko slowly turned around from facing the stall, hearing the voice from behind her. "You summoned me?" The boy grinned, clasping his hands behind his back. He wore a black hat with a dark school uniform.

"But you're a boy," Emiko said in disbelief. He nodded, floating just a few inches above the ground.

"Trust me, I'm just as weirded out as you are about that." the boy replied, floating just a few inches higher.

"Who are you?" Nene asked in her usual soft tone.

"I'm Hanako, the 7th wonder. Nice to meet ya." Nene's eyes were still wide as Emiko took one step closer to him, not realizing she is falling into the same habit as before.

'Why is there a ghost boy haunting the girls' bathroom?'

"So, you grant wishes?" Emiko asked, clasping her hands behind her back, seeing his appearance from behind.

"Yes." His body flipped upside down. "Though, depending on the wish, you have to pay a price." Emiko nodded to the terms, Nene finally reaching reality.

"I want a good boyfriend." Emiko leaned forward slightly, getting a little bit closer to the boy.

"That's it?" Emiko nodded in reply. "Ok, how about you?" Hanako spun to face Nene.

"I want Teru to love me."

"You both really like boys." Hanako chuckled, flipping his body back around.

"We love boys!" Emiko blurted, witnessing Hanako lower his feet to the ground.

"Especially the ones that are dreamy and loveable." Nene hugged herself, swinging side to side to hide her outrageous burst of blushes when she feels this way.

"Ok! I have the perfect tool." Hanako reached in his pocket, pulling out a book. "Here!" Nene and Emiko looked down, reading the title.

"No." Both shoved it away, making Hanako frown.

"This says everything about love," Hanako stated, grinning once more. He walked over to the windowsill, sitting on it. Hanako leaned back with his hands and his legs crossed.

"If I use my magic-" he smirked, "then there will be a price to pay. Making a heart do something unnatural has quite the price." Hanako dipped his head low, gripping the rim of his hat. "Are you sure you both are ready for that?"

"Yes." Emiko took a few steps towards him, keeping her hands behind her back. "I'd do anything to have a boyfriend that loves me!" she chanted, getting her face close to Hanako's.

Hanako began to chuckle, lifting his head, lowering his hand.

"Nene, are you ready?" Emiko asked, turning her head.

"Yes!" she blurted, her pink eyes looking determined and her clenched fists raised.

"See, we're ready," Emiko spoke, looking into Hanako's orange eyes.

"Ok! Here!" Hanako stepped off the windowsill, phasing through Emiko, giving her a weird feeling. "Try this on your man." Hanako handed some wooden doll to Nene, her eyes dull in rejection.

Emiko noticed a wisp-looking creature, that was shaded white with red in the middle, come up to her, holding a little bag. Hanako continued talking to Nene about the doll, so Emiko opened the bag, pulling out a blue circular object.

"Hanako, what's this?" Emiko asked, Hanako spinning his head to see the object.

"Hey, don't touch that!" He ran forward, attempting to take it from her, but she threw it in her mouth. "Don't you dare swallow that!" he blurted with a look of worry.

"Why?" Emiko muffled, keeping it in her mouth.

"Is that the tool we need to find our love?" Nene asked, coming closer to us.

"Is it?" Emiko asked, leaning towards Hanako.

"It's a matchmaking thing that-" Emiko instantly swallowed it, but not on purpose. She needed to swallow and the object went straight down her throat. "What are you doing?"

"It was an accident." Emiko shrugged, tossing the bag to Nene, her catching it. "So what is it?"

"It's a mermaid scale. Those who ingest it and hands another to their partner will have an instant bond." Hanako explained, sighing at his defeat. He phased through Emiko to sit on the windowsill once again.

"Wait, Nene, don't ingest!" Emiko blurted, pausing her movements. Nene was about to throw the scale into her mouth. "We don't want to love each other."

"Oh, right. So what do I do?" Nene asked, placing the mermaid scale back in the bag.

"Yea, what will she do?" Emiko turned her head to Hanako, who had a puzzled look on his face.

"You see, this whole thing is new to me." Hanako chuckled to himself, rubbing the back of his neck. Emiko felt weak for some reason, her eyelids drooping from tiredness.

"Nene, he doesn't have anything for us. Let's just go." She nodded to Emiko's words and both started to walk towards the door.

"But, guys," Hanako called out, but no one answered.

Emiko and Nene shut the bathroom door behind them, strolling down the hall. Emiko's eyes continued to close and open, her body somewhat fumbling to the fatigue.

'Why am I so tired?'

She looked at her arms and saw scales appearing from nowhere.

"Nene!" Nene whipped her head, seeing the scales on Emiko's arms. "What's happening?" Emiko began to panic, seeing more appear.

Emiko collapsed to the ground, scales surrounding her body. There was no one nearby in the hallway, so they didn't have to worry about people questioning. Nene knelt and tried to ask what the issue was and how to fix it, but Emiko couldn't speak.