"What have you done, Yugi Amane?"
* Brief mentions of Suicide And killing
----------
"This is getting out of hand." Mr. Tsuchigomori stated, taking a puff out of his pipe, smoke filling his lungs, then emitting out into the room of seven people. A girl with blond hair and glasses nodded her head. "I agree, we need to do something about this," She said, mindlessly drawing something in her sketchbook that had every page filled with something artistic. Yako sat on the big round table, scratching the back of her ear. "Well, he is Hanako's brother. So, what should we do about it, Number Seven?" The fox asked, sass evident in her voice as she glanced in Wonder Number Seven's way.
The attention was quickly turned onto the small boy, a hat placed gingerly atop his head. He thought for a moment before speaking. "I. . .I don't know what to do," He said honestly, lacing his fingers together and placing his hands on top of the table, looking down. But not in shame, his facial expressions were nonexistent. The room became silent.
He didn't know?
That isn't helpful at all!
"What do you mean you don't know what to do? Number Three has been murdered and taken over by some pink brat! And it's your brother who's responsible for it! By now he and along with pinky should be exorcized-" Yako blew up at Hanako, shouting and visibly angered. But she was cut off by Hanako's own yells.
"We are not exorcizing him! Or Mitsuba," He said sternly, his hands tightening around each other. His blank stare was replaced with a hard glare towards Yako, who was severely taken aback. Every other apparition was also evidently surprised in Number Seven's breakdown. Number Seven never yells like that.
Hanako sighed. "I see Number One isn't here, same with Number Three. . " He mentioned, observing the round table. Yako scoffed. "Well, of course Number Three isn't here, and Number One never shows up. We all know this." She spoke as if she were the person of power in this situation.
"That's quite enough, Number Two," Number Six scolded, crossing his arms and removing his skull-like mask, placing it on the table in front of himself. "But she isn't wrong. Firstly, we need them to show up. And secondly, we need a plan on dealing with this problem. If we aren't exorcizing Number Three or Number Seven's kin, what are we going to do?" He said with a straight face. That's how Number Six always was, so no one questioned it.
"I propose we all obtain assistance," Hanako suggested, fixing his hat. Yako grimaced. "Excuse me!?" She exclaimed, her cheeks flaring.
"But what about my art time?" Number Four complained.
"With me looking like this, I don't think I'm a very approachable apparition, unlike all of you." Number Six explained calmly.
"I don't have time for a lousy assistant," Number Five said, pushing his glasses up in pettiness.
"Yako, deal with it. Shijima, make time for art, along with an assistant. Shinigami, just try and find someone who'll be your assistant. And Mr. Tsuchigomori, you do have time for one," Hanako said bluntly, addressing everyone's useless complaints. "If we have more access to humans who are involved-other than Nene and M/n-it would make this situation a lot more ideal, we'd find a way to eradicate the problem, without causing injury to anyone." Hanako explained professionally, the complete opposite from his usual self. The rest of the apparitions thought about what Hanako was putting out. Well, they had no choice whether they thought about it or not. Whatever Number Seven says, goes.
Hanako was, in fact, right about this. The more access to the humans they had, the easier this problem would be to get rid of. Plus, with assistant's, work could help to be finished quickly. There were only two cons to this.
One: They would have to make time for them.
Two: If something were to happen to them, they would be responsible and forever live with the fact that it was their fault something bad happened to them.
So was it worth it?
Yes.
But did they all want to do it?
No.
"We need to deal with this problem before it gets too out of hand," Hanako pressed further, getting more into the other Wonder's heads. Tsuchigomori sighed, being the first other than Hanako to speak up. "If this will help with anything, I'm willing to do it," He gave in, placing his pipe down on the wooden table, it clattering softly as it collided with the sturdy surface. Slowly, the rest of them had reluctantly agreed, giving consent for an assistant.
"Can someone get to Number One though? Tell them about it?" Number Four, Shijima, asked, still drawing, a sunflower was starting to bloom on the page, sprouting out of the book in full color and life. No one answered. Nobody could ever get to Number One, not even Hanako. Mr. Tsuchigomori sighed. "I can reach them," He said after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence.
"There, now everyone except for Mitsuba will eventually have a human assistant." Hanako said, smiling from the final resolvement.
"I still don't want to do this." Yako said, shaking her head side to side, resentment for the idea in her tone.
"And yet, you're still going to do it." Hanako responded, it was a command, not a request or suggestion. Yako huffed, she knew she wasn't going to win this battle.
"How will we obtain these assistant's? You may not know this, but none of us other than you, Number Seven, has ever had an assistant," Shinigami said. The question made everyone at the round table turn to Hanako, awaiting an answer.
"You'll just have to figure out a way to find one. The only thing I suggest is to not hurt them physically. It'll never work out. Do whatever you need to get an assistant without inflicting pain," Hanako advised.
"You make it sound easier than it actually is," Tsuchigomori said, skeptical and tired. Hanako didn't have a response this time.
"Maybe I can just draw my own assistant," Number Four mumbled to herself.
"If you did that, other apparitions would most definitely notice. From one apparition to another, it would be easy to see that your 'assistant' is fake." Number Six quickly shot down Number Four's idea, resulting in her pouting, making her mess up on her drawing she was working on. The flower slowly retracted into its page, wilting and eventually dying back into two-dimension.
"I guess the hard way it is. . ." She mumbled, erasing her pencil mistake.
"It isn't going to be easy. But like we all agreed, this problem needs to be solved. It helps a little having two people with easy access to the humans, especially since one of them is like us, an apparition. But Tsukassa, his assistant, and Mitsuba, already know them both by name and face. So, with new people they don't know, it will be easier to end this quicker than originally planned." Hanako stated, standing up with authority. The rest of the school's wonders stood along with Hanako. This conversation was finished.
"By the end of this month, I need everyone to have at least one assistant," Hanako said strictly. Number Four was baffled by this. "Three weeks only?!" She exclaimed. Hanako nodded. "That's your time limit. Get it done." He said, then left the room, leaving the rest of the school wonders to dwell on the new found situation.
Everyone had already left the spacious room. Everyone except for Mr. Tsuchigomori. He continued to stay in the room, thinking to himself.
Was this really a good idea?
Should we do this?
Will this work?
Should I?
Should I tell him?
Tsuchigomori sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He stood up, the chair squeaked against the tile flooring, it was an annoying and unwanted sound.
Tsuchigomori quietly walked out the room, not giving the space another glance as he walked out the door. The teacher walked down the hall, he had to find Hanako. Tsuchigoori had no idea how long it would take him to find the troublesome kid, there was no specific place he'd always be and stay in, it could take hours to find him, but Tsuchigomori didn't have hours, so he needed to find Hanako quickly.
Lady luck must be on Tsuchigomori's side tonight, he was able to find Hanako quickly. The young boy was leaning against a railing, looking up into the sky.
"Beautiful night, isn't it?" Tsuchigomori said, joining Hanako's side. Hanako didn't seem startled by the sudden voice of Mr. Tsuchigomori. Hanako just simply nodded. It was, indeed, a beautiful night. The moon was full, not a single cloud in the sky to cover its glorious blue glow. The stars were exceptionally bright tonight as well, all of them shone just as bright as their neighbors, you could see every single one with the naked eye, or that's how it felt, at least.
"Are you sure this'll work?" Tsuchigomori asked, Hanako knew what he was talking about. Hanako nodded. "It has to," He answered confidently. Tsuchigomori nodded. "Are you sure you can go through with it?" He then asked.
"I have to," Hanako responded, not giving Tsuchigomori a single glance of acknowledgement. Tsuchigomori sighed, he was being difficult. The teacher decided to change the subject. "How are those two?" He asked.
"M/n and Yashiro?" Hanako asked. Tsuchigomori nodded, "Yes, those two, who else?"
"They're fine."
"Are you sure about that?" Tsuchigomori questioned.
"Why? Are you worried about them?" Hanako answered Tsuchigomori with a question.
"Because those two are getting themselves into deep trouble. And that isn't going to change for a long while." Tsuchigomori answered.
"I know."
Tsuchigomori sighed, he wasn't going to let up, was he?
"Do you remember your past?" Tsuchigomori suddenly asked, changing the subject yet again. This time, Hanako looked at him, "Why does that matter to you?" Hanako asked.
"Just answer the question, kid." Tsuchigomori fired back, annoyed. Hanako let out a puff of air. "Yes, I remember." He eventually answered.
"What do you remember?"
"What is this? An interrogation? Why are you asking so many questions?" Hanako asked, confused, he looked away from the sky to fully face Mr. Tsuchigomori. "Did I do something wrong or. . .?"
"It's important, I need you to answer. Tell me everything you remember before your death." Tsuchigomori persisted, crossing his arms across his chest. Hanako didn't answer for a little while, but he did eventually. "I remember what I did, and what happened afterwards." Hanako answered.
"That's quite vague."
"I. . I remember. .Killing. . .him. An-. . And then. .Myself." Hanako answered slowly, clasping his hands around one another, staring down into his coat pocket, the one where his knife resided.
"Nothing else?"
"Nothing else."
Tsuchigomori thought to himself for a moment, so he didn't remember his life. He has no idea what his life was filled with except for that he killed his brother, and then himself. Tsuchigomori made a decision. It was about time he'd tell him about it, or at least ask about it.
"Do you remember M/n?" Hanako was confused by that question, what did Tsuchigomori mean by that?
"What do you mean, do I remember M/n? Of course I remember him, I see him practically every day." Hanako answered, clearly puzzled.
"So you don't remember him before you died?" Tsuchigomori asked, dropping a bombshell. Hanako was taken aback by this. "I never knew him until Nene showed up. What are you talking about?" Tsuchigomori started walking down the hallway. "Follow me." He said curtly.
Although he didn't want to, Hanako trailed behind Mr. Tsuchigomori, confused. After turning corners and walking down hallways, Tuchigomori and Hanako walked into the library. Hanako silently followed Tsuchigomori as he pulled back a book, opening the entrance to the Four O'clock Library. Tsuchigomori walked down the long hallway of black and white books, landing himself on a black one, a record of someone that's passed.
YUGI AMANE
That's what was on the cover of the book. This was Hanako's. Tsuchigomori handed it to Hanako, he reluctantly took the book.
"Read through this. The parts of your past." Mr. Tsuchigomori instructed, then left Hanako alone.
"Wait!" Hanako called out to the teacher, but he was already gone, it was just Hanako. Hanako and his past. Amane and his past. He unwillingly opened the book, starting on the first page.
YUGI AMANE WAS BORN NOVEMBER 25TH, 1955
So that was his birthday? He had totally forgotten. When was the last time he's celebrated his own birthday? Amane didn't know. It was sad that he didn't know. Amane skipped a few pages.
YUGI TSUKASSA WAS BORN NOVEMBER 25TH, 1959
So that was Tsukassa's birthday. Amane wondered if Tsukassa remembered his birthday. Amane skipped another few pages ahead.
YUGI AMANE STARTS SCHOOL AT KAMOME ACADEMY
That's right. That's why he was here, he used to be a student.
SECOND DAY, YUGI AMANE WAS BULLIED
Did this book really have to put that in? Guess so, it was Amane's life, after all. Can't leave anything out.
SECOND DAY, YUGI AMANE WAS PROTECTED FROM BULLIES
Amane didn't remember that.
SECOND DAY, YUGI AMANE MEETS L/N M/N
. . .What?
FOURTH DAY, YUGI AMANE AND L/N M/N BECOME FRIENDS
Is this book lying? What is going on?
TENTH DAY, L/N M/L SAVES YUGI AMANE FROM BULLIES
L/N M/N AIDS YUGI AMANE WITH THE HELP FROM THE SCIENCE TEACHER, TSUCHIGOMORI RYUJIRO
What is going on? Amane didn't remember any of this happening. Who else knows about this? Tsuchigomori? M/n?
HALF WAY THROUGH THE YEAR, YUGI AMANE AND L/N M/N ARE ON A FIRST NAME BASIS
This really happened, didn't it? This was real. This happened. Amane and M/n were true friends, weren't they?
YEAR TWO, YUGI AMANE KILLS YUGI TSUKASSA
Why does Amane have to remember this? The horrors of the past. The horrors of his past. The horrors of his actions. His Hell.
YEAR TWO, YUGI AMANE KILLS L/N M/N IN A FIT OF RAGE
No.
No.
No.
No.
This wasn't happening. This didn't Happen. This never happened in the first place. It was fake.
It was fake.
It was fake.
It was fake.
But it was real.
Oh, so real.
YEAR TWO, YUGI AMANE DIES. CAUSE OF DEATH: SUICIDE
This wasn't real.
It couldn't be.
It can't be.
I shouldn't be.
But it is.
It's real.
All
Of
It
Is
Real.
Why?
Just Why?
ANSWER ME
WHY
JUST WHY
WOULD YOU DO
THIS TO ME
Please.
Answer.
----------
"Some things are better off unanswered."
----------