a/n : can u tell i hate bugs yet
can u also tell i love tsuchigomori
can u tell how those two feelings clash
happy reading.
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y/n's pov
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"well? what'll it be?" tsuchigomori tilted your face up to meet his, an evil grin on his face. "going to talk or not? it makes little difference to me."
you swallowed, pulling away.
'god damn it.'
"alright, i'll talk! i'll say it!"
minamoto kun and hanako kun watched from a couple feet away, the latter waving fans in the air with an encouraging cheer.
"my secret is...!"
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let's pause for a second before you embarrass yourself.
as you know, your name is l/n y/n, the utterly confused high school student. in an attempt to learn more about hanako kun, you and minamoto kun infiltrated school mystery no. 5, the four p.m. bookstacks.
so... how did you get here? to find out, let's turn back the clock by ten minutes.
"i can't believe you're not human, tsuchigomori sensei!!" you cried, clutching the chest of your uniform tightly.
"calm down, it's really not that unusual." tsuchigomori had one pair of his arms behind his back, taking a drag from his cigarette. he blew out a ring of smoke before continuing. "there are, in fact, quite a few supernaturals who have chosen to blend in with the humans. we supernaturals need the rumors of us to keep circulating, or we can't stay in the living world. a crucial part of that is spreading our own rumors."
he paused, raising the cigarette to his mouth again.
"well, there are many other reasons too... but mainly, it's convenient. who knows? one of your friends might then out to be something other than human."
"...what if a supernatural uses the power to blend in for evil? wouldn't us humans be in danger?" you asked hesitantly.
"don't sweat it. you'll be fine." hanako kun cut in, striding forward along with yako san at his side. he raised his hand, beaming at the other two supernaturals. "we are the school's seven mysteries!"
"...we supervise all the supernaturals who exist in the school..." tsuchigomori said reluctantly after hanako kun motioned for him to continue.
"...and maintain proper relationships between people and supernaturals." yako san finished with a huff. hanako kun clapped his hands together, obviously pleased at the other two mysteries' cooperation.
"the short version is— we do scare people, but... we're a team of seven friends fighting on the side of justice to keep the peace at school." he pointed at himself. "and i'm the leader!"
"...but there's only three of you?" minamoto kun pointed out.
"and yako san was just attacking students just s little while ago." you added. "doesn't really sound like fighting for justice, if you ask me."
"she's talking about you, stupid fox." tsuchigomori said with a smirk, not looking at the bristling ball of fluff next to him.
"shut up, emo spider. i'm gonna chew you to pieces." she spat in response, drawing her lips back from her fangs.
"...and they're not friends." you whispered to minamoto kun, sweating as yako and tsuchigomori started to bicker. he nodded.
"that's zero outta three!"
"come on, you two..." hanako kun pulled his knife out, staring at the other two supernaturals with a threatening smile. "we're friends."
"yes, sir." yako and tsuchigomori reluctantly replied in unison, their arguing immediately silenced.
'looks like the leader thing was true at least...'
hanako cleared his throat. "like i was saying, we're a team of friends who keep the peace at this school... but apparently, one of us seven is a traitor.
that traitor has tied their fate to a human somehow, and is using that connection to spread rumors altered to suit their own purposes. as a result, the supernaturals at the school are turning savage." hanako kun motioned the the little fox near your feet. "no. 2 was one of the victims."
"the influence of those rumors depends on the strength of the linked supernatural." tsuchigomori cut in. "it is one thing to change the rumors of minor supernaturals with no seat number, but if they're powerful enough to affect one of us seven mysteries..."
he trailed off, taking another long puff off his cigarette.
"whoever's doing it must be a human tied to one of the supernaturals." yako finished, looking up at you. you furrowed your brows.
"you mean there's someone else out there like me..?!"
"that means..! um... what does that mean?" minamoto kun asked, turning to hanako kun.
"one of the seven mysteries and their human helper are causing mischief."
"oh! so we just need to pound 'em, right?!" the little exorcist slammed his fist into his palm.
"well, yeah."
"who would do such a thing, though?" you asked. hanako kun shrugged.
"we don't know. that's what our meeting was about. and then, i had an idea!" the amber eyed boy spun around, extending his arms and motioning at the boundary around you. "we should just get rid of all the seven mysteries for a while!"
"hmm?"
"what?"
after minamoto kun and you voiced your confusion, hanako sighed.
"as i explained to you before... each of the seven mysteries has their own personal boundary, and a divine yorishiro that's the source of their power. when you destroy a yorishiro, it's owner is weakened substantially and they cease to function as a school mystery." he explained. "with no. 2, we had to destroy her yorishiro because she'd gone off the rails... but now i think we should just destroy them all before we have a chance to go berserk. that way we won't actually need to identify the traitor or worry about rogue supernaturals. once that problem's solved, we just have to reappoint the mysteries."
"...that's quite an extreme solution." tsuchigomori muttered.
"there's a scaaaaary exorcist at this school." hanako kun shuddered, looking down. "so it's either this or have him painfully wipe us from existence— entirely. this sounds better, don't you think?"
"and since y/n here has the ability to destroy yorishiros, we can get right to it." hanako kun sidled up behind you, grabbing your hands in his and reaching out towards tsuchigomori. he flipped your palms over, holding them out towards the taller supernatural. "with that... your yorishiro, please?"
tsuchigomori stared at the two of you for a couple heartbeats before scoffing. "...no."
hanako kun frowned, and with a reluctant sigh tsuchigomori looked away.
"...is what i'd like to say. but i'm not a fan of violence." he said, crossing his arms. "and i don't want you ransacking my bookstacks in the name of searching for my yorishiro."
"no." piped up yako, hopping onto the spider supernatural's shoulder. "you're just no good in a fight- be honest."
"be quiet, echinococcus." tsuchigomori spat. the fox on his shoulder bristled in anger, biting his head and drawing blood. you shuddered at her sharp fangs- but they were oh so cute...
"if you insist on taking my yorishiro, i'll give it to you." the fifth mystery hummed, wiping blood from his eye. "on one condition."
"one condition?" the three of you younger students questioned in unison.
"i'm a supernatural who craves knowledge. here, in the four p.m. bookstacks, ive accumulated the entire body of knowledge surrounding this school— past, present and future." tsuchigomori trailed his gaze around the countless books. "i'm proud of this little shrine of mine. if you mean to take my bookstacks from me, even temporarily... you will give me information valuable enough to warrant it."
with that he picked yako up by her scruff and tossed her towards the three of us. you caught the fox in your arms and swallowed nervously, staring up at tsuchigomori's threatening glare.
"what do you mean by information?" you asked hesitantly, scratching behind yako's ear. she was definitely about to bite you, but it was okay.
'pain is temporary, soft fox supernatural is eternal.'
"in other words... you will tell me your personal secrets."
"what?!" you and minamoto kun shouted incredulously.
"i told you— i crave knowledge."
"what if they don't tell you their secrets?" hanako kun asked, running his finger along the dull end of his knife. "will you fight me?"
"...i wouldn't dream of it." tsuchigomori waved a hand dismissively. "i'll still give you the yorishiro, but as payback... i will broadcast their most embarrassing secrets all over the school."
you could feel the blood drain from your face. you already didn't have a good reputation- if some of your darkest secrets got out...? you figured that you'd just die.
"y-y-you can't fool us with that b-b-bluff!" minamoto kun spluttered, pointing an accusatory finger at tsuchigomori.
"oh, is it a bluff?" tsuchigomori asked innocently, pulling a white book out of his jacket. "yes, it was quite fascinating. this book here..."
he turned it so the three of you could read the name written on the spine, and nausea rushed to your stomach.
"that's my...! tsuchigomori sensei, you wouldn't... you couldn't..." you whimpered, burying your burning face in your hands. the supernatural merely chuckled.
"i would. and i could." he tucked the book into his jacket with a hum of satisfaction. "you heard me. so... let's see your best efforts to entertain me, children."
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that's how you got to the actuation you're in now; a trembling student clutching a microphone tightly in their hands and a person they thought they could trust staring at each other.
"my secret is...!" you swallowed, the words catching in your throat. could you pass with saying just one of your less embarrassing secrets? could he tell..?
you made another attempt for sympathy from the teacher.
"tsuchigomori sensei... all that time i spent putting away books for you is about to go to waste. we won't be friends anymore." you warned, staring at the microphone in your hands.
"just get on with it, kid. this is nothing compared to my precious books getting destroyed." tsuchigomori countered, motioning for you to speak. you nodded reluctantly.
"alright... i'm a little scared of- of bugs." you whispered into the microphone. everything was quiet for a moment before tsuchigomori let out a scoff.
"two points."
"two points?!" you spat, tossing the microphone to the side with a huff.
"that's the biggest understatement i've heard this year." the teacher remained calm, even with your angry shout. "you didn't even mention how you start crying at your house if you lose sight of a spider- really offensive, by the way. but really, insects aren't anything to cry over."
"it's not my fault!" you wailed. "they just have... so many legs. and they're so small, and i have such awful nightmares about them..."
"why don't you tell me something interesting?" tsuchigomori cut in, flipping to a page in the book with your name on the spine. "like, i don't know... something about this blond boy you just 'can't seem to get out of your mind?'"
"stop! not another word, i'm begging you!" you pleaded immediately, falling to your knees as you recognized the entry. "that was a bad time in my life, i was looking for projection!!"
hanako kun and minamoto kun stared at your shaking figure in confusion as tsuchigomori continued to speak.
"here, i'll read it for you if you somehow forgot."
"don't do this..."
tsuchigomori cleared his throat.
"ahem." he raised his voice slightly, imitating a slightly younger you. "'journal; i cant believe this, but i've finally fallen in love. watanabe haruto, a boy in my class, has been swarming my thoughts since orientation- i wish he were nicer to me, because i'd love to ask him out. maybe he'll think my curse is cute?' ring a bell?"
"jesus christ, man!" you clutched your chest, wishing you would die on the spot. "i burned that journal!"
"this is the boy that made fun of you all throughout middle school, is it not?" tsuchigomori asked with a devious smirk. you snapped your head up to glare at him.
"i can't believe you."
"whoa." hanako kun snickered behind his hand, while minamoto kun did his best to comfort you.
"hey, it's alright senpai..." he trailed off as you turned to face him, tears of embarrassment pricking your eyes. hanako kun sighed and placed his hand on your head in an almost comforting manner as minamoto kun stood up with an angry huff.
"how dare you do that to her..?! now it's my turn!" the little exorcist shouted as he pointed at his teacher. tsuchigomori merely nodded, flipping through your white book.
"yes, yes, do go on."
"i...! the truth is...!" minamoto kun breathed in deeply, then raised his voice. "those oni masks they wear at setsubun... they scare the heck out of me!"
you could've laughed at the childish fear if not for the fact you were still incapacitated, trembling from having to face how absolutely stupid you were in middle school, holy shit was this a feeling you would have to live with your entire life?
"uh, next please." tsuchigomori deadpanned, uninterested in the blond boy's confession. minamoto kun was not having it though, flinging the microphone away just like you had.
"what?! why!!?"
"oh, it just seemed so incredibly insignificant..." tsuchigomori lazily slumped against webs hanging from his ceiling, yako perched atop his head. "doesn't anyone have any better information? or is it time for the all-school broadcast?"
you and minamoto kun exchanged a determined glance, and you pushed yourself to your feet.
"w-we would never give up!" you insisted, glancing at the blond boy beside you.
"y-yeah, we're just getting started!" the little exorcist added, clenching his fists.
"minamoto kun!"
"senpai!"
"go!" the two of you yelled at once, ready to bombard tsuchigomori with your secrets to protect your dignity.
"i write poetry!"
"i'm bad at classical japanese!"
"i let my cat eat chicken off of my plate!"
"i'm bad at science, too!"
"i cry if i have to order my food in a restaurant!"
"oh, woooooow." tsuchigomori yawned, rolling his eyes. "i super don't caaaaare..."
you slumped against one of the shelves with a sigh, minamoto kun crumpled on the floor a couple feet away.
"it's no use. i've revealed all my secrets i have, but he won't accept any of them..." you rasped out, clutching your head in your hands.
"damn it..." minamoto kun whispered in a shaky voice before turning to glare at the surprisingly silent ghost boy. "hanako! you tell him something!!"
"me?" hanako kun looked genuinely surprised, glancing up from the two mokke he was playing with.
'oh, good idea minamoto kun!' you shot a thumbs up towards the blond boy. 'a secret of hanako kun's will make this all worth it!'
"tsuchigomori." hanako kun placed a finger on his chin, looking over his shoulder at the fifth school mystery. "do you really want to know my secret?"
"...no."
'motherfucker!' you thought at tsuchigomori's reply. 'he's ruining our chance!'
"can't say i do." the supernatural said, gazing at the amber eyed boy with an expression you couldn't quite place. "i know enough already."
"you heard him!" hanako kun chirped, turning to you and minamoto kun. "he doesn't wanna know, so i pass."
after exchanging an exasperated glance, the two of you launched forward. you grabbed one of hanako kun's hands while the little exorcist grabbed the other.
"how can you say that?!" minamoto kun wrapped his arm around hanako kun's shoulders, holding him in place as you grabbed his arms.
"seriously! this isn't fair, stupid! you can't be the only one to get out of it!" you complained, reaching over the ghost boy to grab the microphone you had been forced to spill your secrets into. you passed the microphone to minamoto kun, who held it in front of his face.
"yeah, hanako! it ain't fair!"
"you heard all our secrets, so you have to tell us yours too..." you bent your head to make eye contact with the ghost boy, hoping you looked intimidating.
"yeah, so cough up your weakness already!" minamoto kun jabbed the microphone in his face again, and hanako kun shrugged both of you off.
"aww, man... you two really want to know about me that badly?" he asked, a bead of sweat appearing on his cheek.
you and minamoto kun each took one of his hands, speaking in unison.
"yes!"
shock flickered in hanako kun's eyes for a moment, before he turned away.
"...i... don't really like talking about myself." he confessed, biting his thumb nail. "but okay... just one... okay?"
you snd the little exorcist furiously nodded, hands balled into fists in anticipation, and hanako kun continued in a shaky voice.
"...love..."
"you love what?!" you asked, leaning forward. "come on, you can't mumble it!"
"donuts." he got out sheepishly, glancing at the floor. "i... love donuts."
the five of you stared at each other in silence for a couple heartbeats before hanako kun pulled his hands to his face.
"aaaaaah!" he quietly squeaked into his hands.
"donuts! he said donuts!" youvcried out, pointing at tsuchigomori.
"i'm so embarrassed..." he whispered into his hands as you and minamoto kun let out shouts of glee.
"how d'ya like them donuts!?" minamoto kun exclaimed with a grin, mirroring your actions.
"are you both morons?" the teacher muttered. ignoring him, the two of you turned to hanako kun.
"it wasn't good enough..." minamoto kun murmured.
"tell us details! what kind? what's your favorite?" you whispered, grabbing his hand and swinging his arm gently between you.
"normal..." he responded shyly.
"so plain?"
"what brand?" minamoto kun asked, tipping his head.
"homemade..."
"homemade?!"
"hey, tell you what." you leaned closer to your friend with a smile. "i'll go home and find a recipe, and i'll try to make you some donuts eventually, okay?"
the amber eyed boy nodded sheepishly, smiling as he stared at the two of you.
"isn't that something?" you heard tsuchigomori say behind you.
"isn't what something?" yako asked.
"nothing... just our honorable no. 7. i didn't realize he was capable of making that expression..."
at tsuchigomori's words, hanako kun glanced over his shoulder. he furrowed his brows, a confused look crossing his face.
"...what?"
"it's unexpected. i do know everything about you, after all. your secrets, your future... by now, i assumed you wouldn't be interested in making friends. but, well..." tsuchigomori took a drag from his cigarette, blowing a ring of smoke before continuing. "this might be interesting."
he cleared his throat to get your attention.
"your time is up, whippersnappers!"
"wait, please!" you immediately yelled, scrambling to your feet. "i have crushes on fictional characters!"
"i can't eat hijiki!!"
"never mind, i've had enough." groaned the fifth mystery. "i've learned beyond the shadow of a doubt that neither of you have any secrets worth discussing.
"please, a-anything but a school broadcast..." you whispered, burying your face in hanako kun's shoulder in an attempt to hide your flushed cheeks.
tsuchigomori let out a sudden sharp hiss, exposing his many sharp teeth, and you and minamoto kun flinched back in surprise. he cleared his throat again and covered his mouth before walking towards you. he placed his hands on your heads with a smile.
"i won't."
you looked up at him with teary eyes as he ruffled your hair, grinning down at you two almost fondly.
"tsuchigomori..." you murmured gratefully.
"so we're off the hook?!" minamoto kun exclaimed in relief.
"that was something of a joke." the teacher shrugged. "besides... i did get to see something that piqued my interest."
he stole a glance over his shoulder at the three of you huddled together before grabbing a lantern and walking towards one of the many book shelves. he reached towards the cord of what seemed like a normal lamp, but when he pulled it the bookshelves rumbled and slid open to reveal an entrance to a dark cavern, jewels shining in the depths.
"follow me. i'll take you to my yorishiro."
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a/n : how did you guys like this chapter? i dug into the depths of my soul for inspiration on y/n's secrets okay
anyways if ur reading this far, thank you! i'd appreciate some feedback (for example, are characters not written well enough? is my grammar okay?). i refuse to proofread this chapter as it's 3 am and i have psychology to do in the morning but oh well (they shouldn't be giving a 15 year old psychology classes but i literally signed up for it so ig im not allowed to complain.....)
thank you again, have a nice night!