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After your trip to the Misaki realm, everything seemingly returned to normal.
"NOOOO!!!"
Well, you wouldn't exactly call it normal... But Yashiro's outburst during class wasn't something out of the ordinary, to you at least.
"Huh...?"
Your fellow classmates and teacher, however, are a bit different from you. They looked at the poor girl with curious and confused looks, earning a timid apology afterward.
Ah.., Poor Nene-chan. She must have been daydreaming again.
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"Ah... That was so embarrassing."
You walked beside Yashiro as you helped her out with the garden, today, most of the students are out practicing on how to plant. You defiantly did not like the idea, but helping out Yashiro was your top priority, as her friend and her assistant.
"Don't worry about it too much, I'm sure everyone has forgotten about it already."
You smiled, hoping to lift the solemn girl's spirits a bit. It seemed to work as you felt her would energy brighten a bit.
"It's been a month since we met Hanako-Kun. I don't think a single good thing has happened to me since."
You hummed, taking in Yashiro's words. Slowly drifting into your inner thoughts.
She could be right... There had been plenty of times just this month where she had almost lost her life. Not to mention that she is still cursed by the mermaid scales.
On the other hand, nothing really bad has happened to me... At least I don't think so.
You thought back to what Hanako told you. His words never left your mind, they still gnaw at the back of your mind. Itching to take control.
"You need to be more careful... You've officially become a Sourukonekutā."
It didn't feel like any other warning he had given you, his soul felt much heavier as if it was something greatly serious. But, if that was the case, why wouldn't he tell you?
Doesn't Hanako-Kun trust me...? Does he think I'm too weak to understand?
I honestly can't tell with him, the soul connection I have with him... It- it isn't normal.
"No! There was nothing good about that!"
Yashiro's abrupt outburst yanked you from the depths of your thoughts, the sound of running water and the small water droplets on your cheek left you very confused.
"Nene-chan..."
Yashiro turned towards the sound of your voice, seemingly forgetting that you had been there. You wiped off some of the water droplets from your cheek with your gloved hand, leaving a bit of mud without noticing.
"Ah, S-Sorry! Y/N-Chan..."
"It's alright, is something the matter? You are more lost in your thoughts than usual. "
The cream haired girl huffed and grabbed the elephant-shaped watering can, her face was tinted pink and she was making different types of faces, apparently unaware of doing so.
"Y/N-chan... I can explain-"
"Nene-Chan! What are you making faces for?"
A purple-haired girl walked over to the two of you, smiling brightly as she carried a smile potted plant in her hand. You knew this girl to be Aoi, one of Yashiro's closet friends, you returned her friendly smile.
"Great! Aoi! Y/N! Listen!"
Suddenly, Yashiro grabbed you by the hand and pulled you forward, grabbing hold of Aoi's shoulder with her other hand. She gripped both of you firmly as she dragged you towards the Gardening shed. You and Aoi both shared a look of confusion, surprised looks crossing your faces.
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"That sounds a lot like-"
"He likes you, Nene-chan!"
After a brief explanation of what had been going through Yashiro's mind, Aoi's eyes sparkled at the idea of another boy liking her romance-loving friend. You were also excited about the idea of another boy liking her, the thought of it brought you back to the memories of first meeting her and how much you wanted to help her find a boyfriend.
But the vague descriptions didn't fly over your head too easily, you knew exactly who Yashiro was talking about.
"I knew it! You guys think so too?"
"Kissing you out of the blue can't mean anything else!"
"B-B-But he's not really my type..."
"What is he like?" You asked, wanting to have an undeniable feeling about who this guy was. You didn't want to ask her directly who he was because of the chance that Aoi might be confused or a bit too curious. But if Yashiro's description added up, then you knew that you were right all along.
"Well, Uhm... He doesn't stand out much, he's shorter than me, a-and he's really good at fighting!"
You couldn't help but gush about the idea that Hanako-Kun liked Yashiro. Seeing their unique soul connection, it would be crazy to think that something like this wouldn't happen.
"Eek! That sounds so much like Han-mmph!"
Before you could finish your sentence, a pair of hands quickly covered your mouth, stopping you from stating your revelation.
"D-Don't say his name out loud, Y/N-chan!"
You nodded slightly, bashfully smiling as you mumble a quiet apology.
"That...Definitely isn't your type, is it?"
Not seeming to notice your outburst, Aoi continues the conversation, looking a bit more worried.
"Oh no. What will I do if he c-c-confesses to me?"
Although her words sounded against the idea, she practically beamed in excitement.
"Why not try going out with him? You don't have much experience with guys, Nene-chan."
"You're always fooled by a pretty face."
You looked out the window towards a large tree, some of the leaves were pink. In your opinion, it was a pretty tree, but you hadn't noticed it before.
"He might confess to you under that tree, it looks romantic enough."
You pointed towards the tree from the open window, the other two girls turned to you and looked towards where you were pointing. Aoi's face lit up as she instantly noticed the tree.
"You're right, Y/N-chan. That's the confession tree, rumor is that it was raised by a god of love. If you confess your love to someone under it, you'll become a couple for sure!"
Could it be controlled by another apparition? I'm sensing a weird spiritual aura whenever I look towards that tree.
A fight between two male students under the confession tree catches your interest, they seemed to be practicing for a real confession. But it didn't end well.
"Don't you think there are more couples in our class lately? Most of them got together after a confession under that tree."
You turned the other students in the room, most of them looked closer than normal friends and definitely closer than formal classmates.
Something doesn't really feel right about that tree. But...
"He might ask you to meet him there soon, Nene-chan."
"Y-You're kidding.."
It might crush her dreams if I told her...
Yashiro smiled shyly, taking in her friend's words carefully, she turned to you noticing that you had been quiet for quite some time.
"Y/N-Chan..?"
You hummed and looked towards the girl, masking the worry in your eyes and quickly hiding it with a bright smile.
"I think you should give it a try!"
Yashiro blushed a bit and nodded excitedly. Raising her fist in the air with a triumphed smile.
"R-Right!"
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You decided to give Yashiro and Hanako some time alone, hoping that he could use this chance to ask her to visit him under the confession tree. You stayed back in the classroom and began reading one of your books, but the loud interruption from the front of the classroom wasn't giving you the quiet you desired.
You walked towards the front of the class, curiosity fueling your steps as you looked past the other students. Your eyes widened at the sight and you couldn't help but gasp.
"Y/N, Aoi, Listen! I-"
Yashiro's voice shook you out of your shock and forced you to look away from the two lovestruck students. Aoi stumbled over to Yashiro, shaking as she pointed towards the peculiar event.
"Yamabuki..."
"Stop it, Aoi. Everybody's watching."
You didn't know the two boys for long, despite being in their class. But you quickly took notice of the fact that they weren't acting like this before. It wasn't hard to believe that Aoi had strong feelings towards Yashiro's purple-haired friend.
"What are they doing..?"
Yashiro stood beside you, face blank as she watched along with the other students.
"Ever since you helped me rehearse my confession of love, I've begun to have feelings for you, Yamabuki."
"Me too, Aoi. So..."
"We've decided that we're a couple now!"
The two boys declared their feelings for each other in front of the entire class, which left everyone lost and worried. But something Akane had stated before worried you even more.
Akane said that ever since they practiced a confession under that tree, they've had feelings for each other since...
So my worries were correct... That tree isn't-
"Y/N-chan! Can I speak to you for a moment?"
Without much of a warning, Yashiro pulls you aside, making sure everyone was distracted.
"Nene? Is something wrong?"
"Far from it! Hanako-Kun asked me to meet him under the confession tree today! You were right!"
The cream haired girl smiled happily at the thought of her first confession, she couldn't contain her excitement. You, on the other hand, began to worry more and more that something wasn't right.
"I was going to ask Aoi for advice but you're much more in tune with Hanako-Kun so you must be the best option."
"Advice...?"
You stared at Yashiro with a confused look, then placed a finger on your chin, thinking deeply about what advice you should give her.
"Just be yourself, you're really pretty and cool, I'm sure he likes you for you!"
Yashiro stared at you, her eyes widened and filled with tears, which worried you at first. You reached out to comfort her, but a tight embrace stopped you.
"Y/N!! Do you really mean it?!"
The abrupt hug caught you off guard, but you didn't hesitate to hug her back.
"Of course I do!"
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As the school day came to a close, you briefly wished Yashiro luck and watched her as she descended the hallway, on her way to the confession tree. Eventually, you packed your things and walked down the now empty hallway, humming a tune that you had heard from a song you had recently heard. Your feet guided you towards the old girl's bathroom, now that Hanako and Yashiro were gone you could finally find enough quiet to read your book.
"Ah... finally some peace and quiet."
You seated yourself on the windowsill, taking out your book, you began to read quietly. Everything felt peaceful until the sound of the door slamming open caught your attention.
"SHOW YOURSELF YOU DIRTY APPARIT- Oh, h-hey Y/N-senpai..."
You sighed as you closed your book, knowing that a bit of peace was too much to ask from the universe. You thought that you'd be all alone today, it was your mistake to forget about Kou but at least he wasn't too much of a troublemaker.
"Hello, Kou-Kun. What brings you here?"
The blonde scratched his head bashfully, a bit of red-tinted his cheeks and he adverted his eyes from you.
"Well... I was looking for Hanako-Kun, but he isn't here is he?"
You shake your head and smile, looking out the window behind you. The breeze of the fresh afternoon air blew through your hair, and the sunlight caressed your skin gently. Kou stood next to you, shifting the weight between his feet nervously. He looked as if he wanted to ask you something, but was too afraid to.
"What's on your mind, Kou-Kun?" You asked gently, hoping that your soft demeanor would calm him just a bit.
"Ah! Y-You don't have to answer but... How does it feel to be a Soul Connector? You're not exactly like us exorcists but your nothing like those evil apparitions, it's like your in between."
You thought about his question quietly, letting the silence between you grow longer and longer. Just when it seemed like you weren't going to speak at all, You hummed and turned your back against the window.
"I'm not sure yet... I've had special abilities ever since I was a child, but nothing feels different from before. Even though I just recently found out that I am a soul connector, I still have problems using my powers-- I feel ...useless compared to you guys."
Kou's eyes widened at your statement, his blue eyes reflected the afternoon light and were filled with surprise.
"Y/N-senpai..."
"Ah.. that must have been weird for me to say. Sorr-"
"Not at all!"
The blonde boy smiled at you fondly, then turned his back against the window as well. He looked down at the staff in his hands, the seal that Hanako placed on it not long ago was still fresh and intact,
"I used to feel the same way with my brother. He is so much stronger and cooler than me when it comes to exorcism, sometimes I feel like I can't keep up with him."
"But he helps me! Every time I feel like I can't do it or i just wanna give up, he helps me become better. You're not useless, Y/N-senpai! You're brave, strong, and cute--"
He quickly stops his sentence and hurriedly covering it up with a cough and a nervous chuckle. His weird and quirky behavior couldn't stop you from giggling just a bit, which then turned into a burst of laughter.
H-Hey! Don't laugh! I'm being serious, your not useless and you have a ton of potential. You just need to learn to use it, like me!" Kou smiles triumphed as he points to himself.
You took all of his words into account and smiled confidently. You just needed practice, and with enough of it, you might be able to understand the capabilities of your true power.
'A-And hey, maybe we can practice together sometimes. I-If you want to, of course!"
You chuckled lightly and nodded your head, the idea didn't sound bad at all.
"Thats a great idea!"
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