*** Read in white mode for better experience.
"Whatcha doin'?" Hanako asked, resting his head on your shoulder to watched as you took out a small cleaning kit.
"Cleaning," you responded dryly as you pressed the button to expand your staff, carefully wiping it down with a damp cloth. As you stared down at the weapon, Teru's words suddenly came to mind. It had been a week and a half since your encounter with him, but you hadn't been able to forget his words since then.
'I call myself an exorcist, but here I am claiming to be friends with one of the most dangerous apparitions.'
You couldn't help but wonder what your family would think. Were you even worthy of calling yourself an exorcist anymore?
Teru's threat had gotten to you as well. He threatened to exorcise Hanako if you couldn't, and the power radiating off of him made it clear that it was a promise rather than a threat. You knew Hanako wasn't weak either, but the more you thought about it, the more you couldn't help but worry that Hanako wouldn't be strong enough to beat him if they ever faced each other. Your mind kept jumping back and forth from thoughts about your reputation as an exorcist to worrying over Hanako's safety.
"...Y/n...Y/n, you'd better not be ignoring me."
You heard Hanako talking in the background, but what finally snapped you out of your thoughts was the feeling of cold hands cupping your face. Hanako lifted your face so that your faces were inches apart as he squeezed your cheeks together.
"You've been quiet all day," He said with a pout. "Is there something you wanna tell me?"
You sighed, ready to tell him about your encounter with Teru when a shadow looming over the two of you caught your attention.
"That's enough!"
You and Hanako both turned to see a boy standing on the higher part of the rooftop. "Don't you dare harm her evil spirit!"
You and Hanako watched in confusion as he jumped off, landing on the ground with a confident smirk.
"I'm Kou Minamoto, in case they ask you how you were finally sent to the underworld," he said cockily.
You chuckled at his arrogance before looking him up and down. He had blonde hair and blue eyes but what stood out to you was the traffic safety earing on his right ear.
'Where's all the traffic his face is patrolling? Was there a crash in his brain?'
Other than that, you noticed that he was holding a golden staff similar to yours, but by the way that he was holding it, you instantly knew that he didn't know what he was doing.
"Friend of yours?" Hanako asked, turning to look down at you, and you scoffed, turning your attention back to cleaning your staff.
"No way," you replied. "But I do know who he is. He's from the Minamoto clan, but I'm guessing he's only a beginner."
"You should be trembling at the mere mention of my name," said Kou. "And now it's time to do my duty as a member of the Minamoto Clan." With that, he ran at Hanako, and you sat there calmly, waiting until he was just about to land an attack to use your staff to swipe his feet out from under him, making him fall to the ground. You jumped up, stepping on the hand holding the staff to keep it pinned to the ground. You pointed your staff at his neck.
"Definitely a novice," you sighed. "Don't you know you're supposed to observe your surroundings?" Kou stared at you for a moment before his eyes suddenly widened with shock.
"Th-that staff! You're an exorcist too?" He exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Are you protecting him?"
"That's none of your concern," you spat. "Now leave."
To your surprise, Kou glared back at you.
"You know I can't do that." Before you could respond, the blonde grabbed your foot with his other hand, pulling it up off of his arm and making you stumble back. He jumped up and pointed his staff at you.
"And if you really are an exorcist, then you'd either step aside and let me do my job, or you'd help me." You narrowed your eyes.
You knew that if you wanted to, you could take him down in a second, but you commended his bravery because it was clear that he knew that too.
"Alright," you sighed. "And what if I said that if you want to get to Hanako, you'll have to go through me?" The blonde visibly hesitated at first but still stood his ground, making you wonder if he was brave or stupid.
"W-well, what if I said that I'm not afraid to fight a girl!" A blush covered his cheeks as his eyes began to trail down your body. "Even if she is strong... and pretty... and curvy." You growled in annoyance, ready to attack him again before Hanako suddenly spoke up.
"And what if I said that if you so much as lay a finger on her..." You felt him wrap his arms around your waist as he rested his chin on top of yours, pointing his knife at Kou.
"I'll kill you."
Although you couldn't see it, Kou felt a chill run down his spine at the murderous intent in his eyes, and your brow furrowed in confusion when he jumped back and got into a defensive position. You looked up at Hanako.
"Quit playing around. You're scaring him," you said, and Hanako looked down at you innocently.
"I can't let him harm my assistant, can I?"
"Assistant?" Kou repeated, taking Hanako's distracted state to jump up, moving to hit him with his staff, and you noticed that it would be very close to hitting you if it landed. Also seeing it, Hanako was quick to push you away, gasping as the staff hit him right in between his neck and his shoulder, sending a bolt of electricity coursing him.
Kou smirked as the apparition fell to the ground.
"Hanako!" Just as you prepared to attack him, Kou grabbed your hands, holding them to keep them at your sides.
"Listen to me!" He said. "He's a murderer! He's hurt people, and if you stay with him, he might hurt you too!" Your eyes widened at his words, and for once, you found yourself speechless.
"He wouldn't-"
Just as you tried to deny it, Kou glanced at something behind you, and before you knew it, he had pushed you away, and you turned to see Kou just barely dodging Hanako's knife.
Hanako tried to stab him again, but Kou blocked it with his staff.
"I would never hurt her," Hanako growled, eyes glowing red as he stared at the blonde. His eyes held a burning rage and hatred, and if looks could kill, Kou would've been reduced to a pile of ashes in an instant.
Kou swung his staff, but this time Hanako grabbed it, smirking at Kou's shocked expression when the lightning didn't affect him this time.
"But I can't say the same for you," he said, releasing the staff just as Kou pulled back, making him fall to the ground. You gasped as Hanako raised the knife over his head.
"Hanako, don't!" You shouted just as Hanako brought it down, only to stop the knife inches from his face. Kou's eyes widened as Hanako instead flicked his forehead.
"Just kidding," he laughed. "Man, the looks on your faces were priceless."
"You guys are both idiots!" You shouted as they both stood up. You turned to glare at Kou. "Look, Hanako and I made a deal. I came to this school to exorcise him, but we agreed that if he did something to harm another human, then I'd exorcise him, and you're welcome to do the same okay?" Just as Kou opened his mouth to object, you softened your expression a bit. "Please?" At that, Kou's face heated up.
"O-oh, uh, s-sure, I mean i-if it'll make you happy then-" You turned to face Hanako, who stood there silently.
"And you," you said. "Can you try to talk things out before you try to kill someone?" At that, Hanako snorted.
"You're one to talk," he said snickered, and you rolled your eyes before you checked your phone to see it was almost time for you to head to your next class.
"Idiots," you grumbled before grabbing your bag and leaving.
Hanako watched you leave, waiting until you were gone to send Haku-joudai to follow you.
"Hey."
He turned to see Kou glaring at him. "The only reason I'm not going to exorcise you is because she asked me not to. Don't make me regret-" Hanako couldn't help but chuckle, and Kou frowned.
"Something funny?"
"I'm sorry," Hanako laughed, looking up to reveal his eyes that were now glowing red once more.
"It's just that...I was going to say the same thing. The only reason why I didn't kill you is because she asked me not to."
Kou froze in place as Hanako moved to hover in front of him, leaning in to whisper in the blonde's ear. "But if you touch what's mine again, I'll make you wish you were never born."
You walked into the classroom where everyone else was sitting at the desks.
"Y/n, can you come here, please?"
You heard Mr. Ito say, sighed before walking over to the teachers' desk.
"I need you to head to the office," he said, and your brow furrowed in confusion.
"May I ask why?"
"A new first-year student transferred today, and we need you to give him a tour," he explained.
"But, I just got here a few weeks ago-"
"Yes, I'm aware, but..." Mr. Ito trailed off. "The student refuses to go with the person that was originally assigned to give him a tour and insists that you do it instead. He's making quite the commotion." Whoever this kid was, you already didn't want anything to do with him, but you ultimately agreed.
"Akari here would be happy to show you around if you'd just-"
"No! I want Y/n to do it!" You walked into the office to see the blonde boy from before standing there, arms crossed over his chest definitely as a teacher tried to change his mind. When his eyes landed on you, he smiled.
"Oh, hey Y/n," he said casually. "We were just talking about you!"
You wanted to hit your head against the wall.
'Why me?'