✪ Boundaries || HanaNene ✪

C H A P T E R T W O

"You think I don't know that?" She heard Hanako tell the older supernatural, "I need to think of another way to change her fate, but how?"

The curator of the 4 PM Boockstacks sighed.

"It's either you break the border and enter the boundary again, or you rewrite it in her book."

"Honorable Seventh," Nene heard the voice of Yako also inside the room, "You have to think about this. If you abandon your duty, the gods--"

"I know, number two, I'm not an idiot to not realize that," The leader of the wonders heaved a sigh, "I just don't want Nene to die."

That was the first time she heard Hanako say her given name. It sounded so natural coming out from his mouth like he's said it so many times in the past.

Nene decided not to knock on the door, and instead proceeded to walk away. It was wrong of her to keep eavesdropping in their conversation. It was very obvious that she wasn't supposed to hear it, and although she wanted to listen more, did she really want to anger the school wonders?

Did she really want to hear people talk about her nearing death?

In all honesty, she felt sad and not contented with the given news. She was disappointed that her life was going end sooner than she imagined, she always thought she'd actually fall in love, get married, have children, and eventually grow old. Unfortunately, some people die younger than they think.

Deep in thought, she began walking from the old school building to the new school building. She thought about her upcoming death, and how Hanako and Kou were trying their best to look for a way to change that.

She didn't want to be a burden to any of them anymore. All that she really wanted was to live her life to the fullest before everything came crashing down.

All of a sudden, Yashiro's head started spinning and pressure started pressing on her temples. It got to the point that she couldn't walk straight anymore. She began stumbling on her feet, and her legs started to get weak. 

She couldn't take any more pain. She fainted on the floor of the old school building.

•  •  •

Nene woke up in a dark place.

There was nothing but black that she saw. The world she was in was empty, like nowhere but there really was nothing. She didn't know how she ended up there, but from what she can recall, she fainted after her head started hurting.

Slowly, she sat up, looking around to see if there was anything that she could do to end this dream. I mean, it was a dream, right?

"You're awake." A voice called out from behind. Nene turned to see a black apparition. It had a wide grin on its face, and it had no eyes, ears, or nose. The human felt uneasy just by looking at the apparition's grin.

"U-Um... D-Do you know how I can wake up from this dream? I really need to head home." Nene asked the apparition politely, an uneasy smile on her face.

She didn't know why she was so afraid. She was trembling; her hands were shaking. What about the apparition made her so afraid?

The apparition laughed at her polite question. Nene stiffened.

"Do you realize that you're talking to the being that will end up killing you in less than a year?" It laughed, while Nene just sat there trying to process the information.

Just who, or what is this thing in front of her?

"Who are you?"

It flashed a grin to her, a grin that sent shivers down her spine.

"I am the curse bestowed upon that ghost soul you're close with, and I've been tasked to make his life a miserable hell after he broke the boundary," It told her, "I've been watching you ever since you made a pact with that school wonder. You've been mingling with the far shore for far too long, and I'm afraid the boundary would break if you continue to mingle with the dead."

The apparition sent a creepy grin at her, "You've violated one of the rules between the living and the dead. Therefore, you'll end up dying soon." It let out an evil laugh.

Nene's heart pounded harder than ever. So, she was going to die because she maintained her relationship with Hanako?

Suddenly, the world she was in started shattering. The apparition smiled.

"Looks like you're waking up," It laughed for the last time, before breaking as well.

The next time she blinked, she woke up in the real world.