"(N/n)!"
(Y/n) blinked at the sudden voice that had disrupted her peace and quiet. No matter how many times, she had told the red-head to stay away from her, he always came back. The girl looked down at her hands and walked away quickly.
She was feeling really uneasy now. The feeling of fear was hard to fight.
It was as if she could throw up anytime and her hands and feet were cold to touch. The guilt of avoiding her friends was suffocating her as well.
'How long has it been since I talked to Teru...? Or Akane...Nene-chan...Kou...'
The feeling was really horrible. It just makes the girl want to break down and cry. She just felt like shunning out everyone she knew, her mother included.
The girl groaned in frustration, 'What happened to me...?'
-----♔♕♔-----
Yashiro's thoughts wandered off as she walked beside Aoi to go back to their classrooms to prepare for their lesson. A certain (h/c) hair girl was already ahead of them, walking alone. She was saddened that her crush had been ignoring her for the past few days. 'Maybe (Y/n)-chan is feeling guilty about that time...!' Yashiro thought to herself, "Yeah...that's the most reasonable answer..."
'Then why hasn't she said anything to her...?'
"What's the most reasonable answer Nene-chan?"
Yashiro jumped at the sudden voice and she looked up to see her best friend staring at her with a look of concern. "N-Nothing..." Aoi stared at the girl and smiled, "How about I tell you a rumor?? Those always make you feel better right?"
Yashiro gave the girl a small smile and nodded.
"It's school mystery No.1 this time. The three clock keepers..."
-----♔♕♔-----
There's a big old clock somewhere in the school.
That clock itself is time itself - The time that flows through the school...if you move the hands of that clock, the school's time is in your commands
But you see...there are three guards watching over this special clock. They are known as the clock keepers who represents, past, present, and future.
If anyone touches the clock without their permission...your soul will be taken by the clock keepers.
-----♔♕♔-----
"There you have it! It's quite popular these days~" Aoi giggled while Yashiro gulped. "Is...Is that so?"
Halfway through the storytelling, she had recalled how Aoi's rumors always come true no matter what. 'Don't' tell me this one will...' Yashiro sweatdropped. Aoi stared at the girl in silence before deciding to speak again.
"Nene-chan..."
Yashiro looked at the indigo-haired girl and raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry...what's up?" Aoi looked around before staring at Yashiro straight in the eye. "Actually I..."
"I..."
A scream interrupted her.
The two rushed forward to see what happened and just when they reached the classroom, they saw Akane rush in. "(N/n)!!"
Everyone gasped and both Yashiro and Aoi finally saw what the others had seen. Their classroom had suddenly turned ancient and right in the middle of everything, lied their (h/c) haired classmate, unconscious. Everything was dusty and the windows were broken...
Akane immediately picked up the unconscious girl and rushed her out of the place. "You'll be fine...she'll be fine..." Yashiro heard Akane mumble to himself as he ran off.
Yashiro shook her head, not now...she has to know what happened to their classroom first.
Yashiro looked around and her eyes widened at the sight of the classroom's potted plant that had grown into a tree. "It was normal this morning...unless..."
The girl's voice trailed off when realisation hit her.
-----♔♕♔-----
"Time jumped forward for everything?"
Yashiro nodded her head and Hanako hummed. "It was normal until the third period! The classroom became all weird when we returned to the classroom..! A-And! (Y/n)-chan was lying in the middle unconscious!"
Hanako glanced up when he heard (Y/n). "Oh?"
"The desks were falling apart...the windows were broken...and everyone's stuff was broken...well, except for mine, Aoi's and (Y/n)-chan's..." Yashiro continued and Hanako shifted his gaze to the window. "Time...Time, hmm?"
Before he could continue, a shout interrupted him.
"HANAKOOO!" Kou skidded to a stop as he slammed open the girl's bathroom. He stomped towards the ghost, ignoring Yashiro's small greeting. He picked up Hanako by the ghost's collar and started shaking him.
"Y-You gotta help!! Satou and Yakoo from my class are-!"
"You mean something happened in your class too, Kou-Kun??" Yashiro questioned and the blonde-haired boy stopped shaking the ghost. "Senpai! Y-Yes! It did. T-They..."
He rubbed away the tears that were forming in his eyes and showed Yashiro his phone that had a picture of two old men standing together. "THEY'VE TURNED INTO OLD MEN!" Kou cried.
Yashiro took his phone and stared at the picture, 'They surprisingly look chill about it...' she sighed and gave back the phone to his owner, "Sensei said it might be a prank. But do you think it is...?" Yashiro asked and Hanako shook his head, "Yup! My suspicion has been confirmed! This is the work of a supernatural!" Hanako replied bluntly while Kou was still at the sides crying for his friends.
"The boundaries are big places. But they aren't a whole lot of supernaturals who can do something like this..."
"Ten to one......one of the eight mysteries are involved in this."
Both Yashiro and Kou looked up immediately, "The eight mysteries..." Yashiro mumbled. She snapped her fingers together, "That reminds me! Aoi told me about this mysterious clock and its clock keepers!" Hanako smiled, "You heard about it! That's great. It'll save us more time."
"School Mystery No.1...the three clock keepers."
"The three of them......each of them has their own power to control time."
The first can turn back time...
The second stops time...
And the third moves time forward.
Both Yashiro and Kou looked at each other, "That means..." they both said at the same time...
Hanako grinned, "From what you've said, it was the third keeper no doubt."
"Alrightt! Let's sock it to him right now!!" Kou cheered and Yashiro nodded enthusiastically, "I'll help! Cause I'm Hanako-Kun's assistant!"
"Ooo" Hanako gasped, "N e ways...Yashiro back to before we got interrupted! What happened to (Y/n)?"
"SOMETHING HAPPENED TO (Y/N)-NEESAN, SENPAI??"
-----♔♕♔-----
"Ow..."
(Y/n) sat up on the bed and looked around at her surroundings. She felt warmth on her hand and looked down to see Teru resting, hands holding hers. Looking at the dark circles under his eyes, she felt a pang of guilt.
Usually, Teru didn't have those as he recharges himself in the afternoon before going out in the night to exorcise supernaturals. But she guessed he rarely had rest due to the fact that she had been making him worry.
'...I'm sorry...'
She slowly reached forward and placed her hand on the boy's hair. She smiled, 'I forgot how fluffy his hair was...' her mind wandered off and she continued ruffling.
"You seem to be having fun (N/n)."
(Y/n) jumped when she heard the voice of her childhood best friend. She retracted her hand instantly but he reached out to stop her. "Wait!" she paused.
"Why...are you avoiding us?" Teru mumbled as he pulled the (h/c) haired girl's hand to his forehead.
"I'm worried...you don't seem to smile anymore. You don't seem to find happiness in the things you used to love to do...what happened (Y/n)..?"
(Y/n) pursed her lips and kept quiet instead of replying. Even though she wants to tell Teru everything, something...was stopping her. Maybe it was her overthinking? Or maybe it was the reality she didn't want to face.
Teru was an exorcist who exorcised evil apparitions.
What about her?
She was just...a sick girl who was given the role of the eighth mystery. It's powers helping her survive.
If he were to know about her attacking Yashiro and his precious little brother...how could their friendship continue?
Teru stared at the girl worriedly. This was new to him as the girl always shares her feelings with him no matter what without fail. "Teru..." he perked up at the girl suddenly speaking to him and leaned further.
"If...If. I was to hurt someone you love. Would you hate me?"
Teru blinked, he shook his head, "Of course not. I know you wouldn't hurt anyone...even if you did. I'm sure you have your reasons..."
"Besides...you're already hurting someone, you know."
(Y/n)'s eyes went wide. 'H-How did he know?!' she looked up, her expression filled with panic and fear but it was soon replaced by surprise when she saw Teru smiling sadly at her.
"You're hurting yourself (N/n). Don't fill your head with these kinds of thoughts, please..! It's not healthy.." Teru mumbled. (Y/n) tried to pull her hand away from Teru but his grip on hers tightened.
If she wasn't so distracted, she would have realised the fact that Teru had just indirectly said he loves her.
"Please..." he pleaded.
(Y/n)'s heart clenched and she looked down at her free hand before taking in a deep breath and grabbing Teru's hand. Mustering up a smile, she nodded.
"I'll try,"
-----♔♕♔-----
Walking out of the infirmary, Teru helped the girl out, happy that she was almost back to how she always was first.
.......
Oh if only he knew she got better at lying
-----♔♕♔-----
ˏˋ•*⁀➷ e n d ⋆
꒰ i hope to see you soon in the next chapter!꒱