Touching Bond | Hanako-Kun

2

Emiko felt a rush of cold liquid hit her body. Once she opened her eyes, she looked around to see where she was.

"Yashiro, she's awake." Hanako's voice peered through. Emiko raised her eyes, seeing ripples.

"What's going on?" Emiko questioned, bending her body to realize that she's a turquoise fish with emerald eyes. "Why am I a fish?"

"You invested the mermaid's scale," Hanako replied, setting the tank on the table beside him and Nene.

"You're a pretty fish." Nene budded in, looking into the tank.

"Shut up, Nene. How can I get back to normal?" Emiko asked, swimming around her tank in fury.

Suddenly, there were sounds of cracking on the classroom floor beside them. Nene's eyes widened as did Emiko's when desks and chairs were sinking into the wooden floor. A large purple blob sprouted from the pit, looking morphed terribly.

"What is that, Hanako?" Emiko asked through the water.

"She's the mermaid." Hanako pulled out a knife from behind him, preparing to attack.

"What? That's the mermaid?" Nene softly asked as her hands gripped the sides of Emiko's tank. "I'll protect you, Emiko." She leaned forward, using her head as a shield for the top of the tank.

"Let me take my servant!" a low womanly voice choked, Hanako pushing his hand in the way of my view.

"I still have to fulfill their wishes, you will not take them." Hanako flipped his knife in his hand, seeing as the mermaid began to move. All Emiko and Nene could do were stand and wait.

"Give her to me!" the mermaid growled.

Hanako bent his knees, gripping his knife, leaping forward. The mermaid attempted a strike, but Hanako was able to slice her chest from below.

"You managed to strike me." Hanako lifted his body, taking a few steps back towards the two girls. "I will come back!" The mermaid then disappeared in thin air. The classroom phased back to normal as if nothing ever happened.

"Thank you, Hanako," Nene said, pulling herself away from the tank.

"No problem!" He happily grinned at the both of them, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Change me back into a human!" Emiko whined, her fish eyes lowered to the bubbles beneath her.

Hanako chuckled, looking at Emiko's fish self in a sinister way. He pointed towards her while saying, "Humans love ghost stories, but they don't take them seriously until someone gets cursed." Emiko's fish floated to the top of the tank. "I begged you to not eat that scale." Hanako's finger began to tap to each word he said. "You. Did it. Anyway." Emiko sighed as he backed off.

Hanako reached into his pocket, pulling out a blue circular object, the mermaid scale.

"I can make you human again, though there will still be a price." He spoke once more, smirking slightly.

"What's my price?" Emiko asked as he flipped the scale in his hand.

"Well, you know I can't say it until it's done, but I will keep your life as normal as possible. Do you want to risk it?" Hanako smirked, glaring into Emiko's eyes.

"Emiko, do it. You can be human again." Nene whispered, leaning towards the water. Emiko nodded to her demands.

"Please, I'll do anything." Emiko continuously nodded, the water creating ripples from her movements.

"You got it." Hanako's voice was much cheerful. He flipped the scale into his other hand. "It's done. As for how you'll be paying me back-" he paused, placing the scale on his tongue. His large grin made Emiko uneasy. "You'll use your body." Both Emiko and Nene blushed at his words. Hanako swallowed the scale.