Nene, Hanako and I sat on the rooftop on a polka-dotted blanket, looking over the cream-haired girl's shoulder at some kind of romance book.
"I wish a hot guy would fall out of the sky for me that way..." She closed her eyes. Oh, great. She's in one of her fantasizing moments again. Honestly, I do the same with the characters I simp for..
"..Seriously?" Hanako asked. "No, not seriously. I know the difference between reality and fiction, thank you."'
"Hm? Really? Remember in junior high when you-" I stared, before she slapped her hand over my mouth. "Okaay, that's enough! Nobody needs to hear about that!" She yells over my protests.
"Anyways, I'm working as an assistant to a ghost, so yeah, sometimes I wonder about those kinda of experiences." She laughed nervously as I pulled her hand off my mouth.
"What experiences?" The boy asked.
"So many. But like in this movie, for example..."
"A gorgeous young girl is held captive by an evil spirit. And just when she starts to lose hope, a man falls from the sky and rescues her! He skillfully strips the evil spirit from his powers. Then he and the girl fall in love." She sighs dreamily.
"Was I just exorcised in that daydream?"
"And that's why I rarely have movie nights with you anymore. You're only into this kind of stuff and you're too much of a pussy to watch horror with me." I crossed my arms, remembering the last time we watched one of my suggestions. "It's weird. You like horror stories, but the movies?"
"You have a dangerous mind." The ghost takes away the book that she was holding in her hands. "What's more, dreams like that are useless." He squeezes Nene's cheeks with his hand. "You've still got me here, after all!" He leans into her face.
Why do I feel jealous?
.
.
.
Oh, no, I'm in love with a pervy ghost boy, aren't I...
Eh, it's probably like a fictional crush or something. I just find him physically attractive, that's all... and personality wise. It's like those things when I start simping for someone and then I cry in my pillow and throw it across the room because they can't be real and actually go out with me.
BUT HANAKO IS REAL IN THIS UNIVERSE, WHICH MEANS I HAVE A CHANCE?!?!
Nope, give up, he's never dating you. Besides, I'm pretty sure that he likes Ney. It's okay! It's just like a fictional crush!
"Uh... [l/n]? You've been spacing out for quiiite a bit there." Hanako waved his hands in front of my face.
"Hmm? Oh, my bad!" I fix my hair, my [e/c] eyes looking over at him.
"THAT'S ENOUGH! DON'T YOU DARE HARM THEM, YOU EVIL SPIRIT!" I look up to see someone that looks awfully similar to Nene's crush pointing an umbrella thing at Hanako. Wait a second, does that mean that-
The blonde jumps off the roof and lands like the way I landed when I got hit by the Mermaid. "I'm from Kamome Academy Junior High, third year."
OH, SHIT I THINK HE'S AN EXORCIST?? EXORCISTS CAN SEE GHOSTS, RIGHT? THAT ALSO EXPLAINS WHY HE'S TALKNG LIKE THAT!
I reached for a knife in my jacket, as Nene's eyes lit up with sparkles. Aw, geez.
"I'm Kou Minamoto! In case they ask you how you were finally sent to the underworld!" He grins, pointing to himself with his thumb. "HahHAHAAHAHAHAHA-"
"Booring. Did you get that line from a Hallmark card?" I ask, wagging my finger at him.
"I see... THE SPIRIT PLACED YOU UNDER A CURSE! DON'T WORRY, I'LL SAVE YOU!"
"Hey, you're an exorcist, aren't you?" I tilted my head.
"Yes! I'm from the Minamoto clan, and all apparitions should b-"
"Woah, you would be super strong... if having a one-track mind was a power."
The blonde was in a state of shock while Hanako explained this situation. "Back when the night skies were deeper, and darker than they are now, apparitions were called youkai... And we were much more powerful than we are today. That was, until those youkais were dispelled by a brilliant exorcist named Minamoto no Yorimitsu. He was an ancestor of this kid."
Okay, wait. So this guy was here to exorcise Hanako. He's probably the younger brother of that other Minamoto. Which probably means Nene's crush is also a part of the Minamoto clan. Oh, my. Hanako better start running!
"So, you know your stuff, huh?" He recovered. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised. You should be trembling at the very mention of my name!" The exorcist pointed the end of his umbrella at the ghost. "And now, it's a duty as a member of the Minamoto clan. Hope you're ready." He bent his legs. "HANAKO!" He leaped at him, raising the... umbrella? Well, it's probably not even an umbrella. Maybe some magic exorcist weapon or something. That's okay! There's no way an amateur like this could take down one of the Seven-
"HANAKO?!"
He fell onto the ground, seemingly.. paralyzed by something.
"Oh, how embarrassing for you. Oh well!"
..You've got to be kidding me. Why did I expect more? I internally sighed.
"Hanako, no!" Nene ran towards him as Kou pulled a weapon out of the umbrella thing. "This is Raiteijou, an exorcism tool passed down in our family for generations! It's a sacred staff of blah blah blah blah..." My brain decided that this was one of the people that I'm going to filter out when they're talking.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" A certain daikon-legs yelled, shielding the ghost on the floor. "Are you kidding me?! You're supposed to warn someone before you butt in!" The frustrated boy yelled, pointing his finger at Nene. After taking a look at her, he faltered. "Oh well, it's fine.."
Sniff sniff. Do I smell... a crush?
"So, who are y- AAAAAA!" He yelps as he raised his tool to block me from cutting his head off. "What the hell are you doing?!"
"Sheesh, people like you annoy the hell out of me. To be fair, I kinda felt the same way. Buuut, not all spirits are evil. Let's see how good you are at fighting, Mr. Exorcist of the Minamoto Clan!" I yelled, pointing at him. "NOW COME AT ME! THIS IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN!" I attempted to take stabs at him as he managed to block most of them with his Rajitsomething.
"Are you insane?! I'm trying to save you! He's not just some friendly ghost in your storybook!" He yells. "Hanako the Bathroom Ghost is a super psychotic, crazy-evil spirit that my grandmother tried so hard to seal away!" He exclaimed. "You ever notice how he carries a chef's knife around? It means he used it as a weapon when he was alive! He murdered someone, come on!"
"Oh, then I assume that carrying a knife around makes me evil?" I whine, sounding annoyed. "Honestly, that's just offensive, you know. You're making this game boring. You're no fun anymore." I duck as he swung the staff at me.
"B-But I know him. That's not true." Nene jumps in.
"I'm not surprised he's lying to you! I know what he is, please believe me!"
"And? Who cares if he committed murder?"
...He miight be a murderer, but I'm probably also going to be one at some point... Plus, he'll be my murderer soon, so back off. What? He's cute.
I duck and manage to get him at knifepoint. Somehow.
"YOU'VE DEFINETLY BEEN CURSED! YOU CAN'T TRUST HIM!". Just then, I feel a hand on my shoulder and another on my arm, lowering it. Oh, cool. He isn't paralyzed anymore.
"Ahahaha... cat's out of the bag now."
He leaps back, his blue eyes widening in shock.
"Talk about rude. What if I wasn't ready to share with my new friends just yet?" Hanako sighs, holding his knife. I step back and stand next to Nene. "ROOUUUND ONE! FIGHT! WHO'LL WIN? WHO'LL LOOSE? FIND OUT ON THIIIIS GAME!" I cheer.
"Come, Haku-joudai." The orb that he sent to spy on me circled around his arm. "Yes, I have killed someone, it's true. But I've asked for forgiveness." He somehow pulled out a cape out of thin air. How fun.
Oh, cool, so he did kill someone. Eh, who gives a shit?
"And, God told me that if I could fulfil this role..." His cape somehow blew away a bunch of dust. This was really entertaining to watch. "...my sins would be absolved. Which means I can't let myself be exorcised today. Sorry." He pointed his weapon at the younger boy.
"I have no idea what you're talking about!"
The ghost ended up levitating a few meters off the ground and landed on the fence. He then proceeded to dodge every attack that was thrown at him. "Stop making this hard, dammit!" Kou yelled.
"Doesn't your hand hurt with you holding it like that?" Hanako asked, grabbing onto it.
Then the other boy proceeded to do that zappy thing that he did last time. As if that would work again. "Hahaha! Maybe this time you'll learn! Is it that hard to believe no one wants you around?"
Yeah, long story short, it failed and then he proceeded to play around with him with his knife.
"Hiyah!"
"Take this!
The ghost boy grabbed the thing. "Give it to me and I'll let you go."
"Do people fall for that..?"
"WELL IT WON'T WORK ON ME!"
"Oh. Worth a shot!" He laughed, 'gently' pushing Kou aside.
Hanako then grabbed the R-weapon and looked like he was about to stab the guy. My first time watching someone commit murder! Yay! Also, in that lighting, his amber eyes looked green. I just wanted to share that.
"Boop!" Aw, man. That's no fun. "Looks like I win!"
"Yay Hanako!" I cheer. "Victory Royale!"
"There. It can't hurt anyone anymore." And so, the exorcist's tool had been sealed.
Anyways, to make a long story short, Hanako punched Kou in the stomach and declared himself the winner.
"Is he okay?!" Nene ran towards the boy on the ground.
"Huh. Is he dead?" I glanced at him.
"Yes to the first, no to the second. He's just not one to give up easily, so he's exhausted from the fight. He'll be up soon."
"What about this staff?" She asked, holding it up. "Should we hide it now that he's out in case he tries to use it again?"
"Are you honestly worried about this?" The ghost asked, seemingly amused. "And you. I didn't know you would kill for me. I'm quite flattered, actually!" He teased, pointing at me.
"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?! I don't wanna lose my friend!"
"What? I would kill for Ney too."
"I see. You two know the truth. But you're willing to be friends with a murderer."
"..Well..."
"Yeah, I am. Remember my wish before it was changed! I'm still working on that, you know." I held his hands in mine. "Yeah, sure, I totally get that it wouldn't be anything to be proud of. I mean, I don't really care. But whatever. It's sometimes necessary and even desirable. And y'know, I do stuff that's desirable. You probably won't agree with me though, but please don't dismiss it, okay?" I said, my eyes lighting up.
"So y'know, if I do end up going through with the plan..."
"We can be murderers together, whether you think that's good or bad!"
"..I-"
"Is someone flustered?" I asked, poking his face.
"..Shut up." He sighed. "Anyways, that boy's going to be fine, whether I like it or not. Even if he does wake up and try to exorcise me, he's not that skilled, yet. But at least it'll be entertaining."
"I'll remember to bring popcorn! Ney, you like caramel, right?" I ask.
"However, something even more exciting could be coming our way soon." The ghost said as he turned his back.
"I'll be looking forwards to it! I hope this game won't bore me!" I cheered.
word count: 1951