Y/N stealthily slunk from tree to tree, her red coat billowing behind her. However, the dense foliage of the undergrowth hid her well.
Too bad there weren't enough trees around; stealth was her greatest strength, and Hanako wanted to fight in the open.
She shrank lower in the few trees of Sukora's football field, watching Hanako carefully as he trodded on the grass. He looked way more intimidating with a cape, she thought. It flew menacingly in the wind, and his knife glinted in the sunlight.
'I keep staring at him.' Y/N realized with a jolt.
She shook her head, whipping out her own knife. Pinpointing where she'd take a blow, she leapt down, triumphantly smiling when she realized she would hit him.
But then Hanako whipped around.
Y/N gasped as she was suddenly tackled to the grass with a harsh blow. It sent a great rack of pain through her body.
'This is way more rougher!' Y/N seethed anxiously, gritting her teeth to contain the pain. 'Earlier, his training wasn't as harsh!'
"Oh? You're staring?" Hanako taunted with a snarky grin, pinning her down. Y/N stiffled a laugh at his voice ; it was a tone lower for the dramatic effect of an enemy's.
"Go easy on me!" She pleaded, breaking out of character. Hanako watched in amusement as she tried to squirm out of his grip.
"'Go easy on me'?" He leaned down to meet her eye-to-eye. Y/N shivered a little at the change of voice; it was not only low, but husky.
'It's just his voice. Don't let his voice take an effect on you! What the heck, Y/N?!'
Suddenly, an idea came to mind. Surprise was Hanako's greatest element. She would use it, too.
Y/N loosened up, forcing herself to go limp. She threw her head to the side as if she were dead.
She held her breath as Hanako's grip on her suddenly slackened.
"Y/N?" He asked, suspicious.
She did not move. Hanako began to shift uneasily on top of her, voice lifting in anxiety.
"Y/N? Was I too rough?"
'He actually thinks I'm hurt?!' Y/N nearly snorted, but she kept her amusement. Now was the time to attack.
Catching the Kamome Wonder off guard, she sprung to her legs, bowling him over.
Hanako's eyes widened at the jarring shift of position. Y/N had tackled him firmly on the grass, knee on his chest.
He reacted instantly with the hilt of his knife on her neck, but Aka Manto was quicker. She pushed it down with her own knife.
Y/N stared him down with a victorious smirk. Hanako showed no sign of frustration; only great delight.
"Good..." He coughed weakly, forcing a grin through his pain.
She realized she was still on top of him. Y/N awkwardly shuffled away, floating off.
Hanako let out a little sigh of relief, getting up. To be polite, the Sukora Wonder scrambled away to get his hat.
He looked to the side in embarrassment as she gingerly placed it on his head. Y/N looked up expectantly.
"Well?" She gushed. "Was my fighting okay?"
"Awesome!" Hanako bursted, looking giddy. It was like the pain he had felt before never happened.
"You tackled me well. We should fight in the open more."
"Thanks! Do you want me to do it again?"
Hanako turned red.
"Tackle me? Well uh.... I mean, it's not a bad feeling-"
"No!" Y/N looked at him incredulously. "Do you want to fight in the open again?"
Hanako inwardly cursed.
He took a look at her for a while. Y/N looked tired and battered after hours of training, but her eyes were still thirsty for battle.
But even he was growing exhausted. He shook his head apologetically.
"I'm tired. Don't you have anything else you need help with?"
Y/N seemed to brighten up at this, but just as she was about to speak, she turned away shamefully.
"Y/N?" Hanako piped up curiously.
"Well!" She awkwardly grinned. "I know this sounds silly, but you're a leading Wonder too, right? Can you lend me a hand on..."
● ● ●
"....leadership?" A black-haired boy scoffed.
Hanako stood straight and confident in front of Y/N, who tried to hide her face with her coat.
"Ha!" The 3rd Wonder of Sukora cackled harshly. "Aka Manto? Her leadership's just fine, but I don't trust her when it comes to protection!"
"Why not, Tamuri?" Y/N couldn't help but pipe up.
Tamuri was also known as the Nun's Daughter, famed among the other Wonders for his sharp words and barbed tongue. Y/N thought he was just salty because people kept mistaking him for a girl.
"You can't even lay a knife on anybody." He snorted contemptuously, turning to Y/N. "Not even a fly!"
"I'm working on it." She murmured darkly.
"Working on what?" He sneered. "Becoming the weakest Aka Manto I have yet to see?"
Y/N was obviously hurt, but would not back down on her dignity. However, Hanako stepped in, knife to Tamuri's face.
"If you have anything mean to say to her," His voice was steely and cold. "Say it to me. I can take it."
The 3rd Wonder backed up nervously, looking up at Hanako's pissed-off expression.
"Who the heck are you?"
"Someone with manners." Hanako drew his knife away, shooting Tamuri a harsh glare. "If I catch you talking like that again..."
"Make me." He snapped irritably.
Hanako turned to face him, clearly about to take the challenge, when Y/N stepped in.
"That's enough you two airheads!" She faked a cheery tone. "C'mon, Kamome Wonder!"
Hanako had no choice but to follow Y/N as she trodded off sulkily. He ignored Tamuri's victorious smirk as they walked off to a hollow of trees.
The sky was darkening above them, and there was a chilly breeze flowing by. Both Hanako's cape and Y/N's coat flowed gently in the wind.
She hopped unto a branch, looking dejected. It was difficult for Hanako to contain the urge to hug her, for fear he might get whooped in the ass.
"Don't mind him." Was all he could say, but he would have done so much more.
"It's fine!" Y/N waved dismissively, forcing a grin. Hanako surpressed a frown.
He slowly crept unto the branch with her. To his relief, Y/N did not punch him.
"Don't let his words get to you." He continued gently. "Leadership isn't a shoe I fit in perfectly, either."
"Are you really Tsukasa's brother?"
Hanako rose a brow as Y/N suspiciously peered him over, narrowing her eyes.
"What makes you say that?" He backed off nevously as she pressed in on him.
Y/N stayed silent for a moment, before breaking off to a shrug.
"You guys are so different. You're so... nice."
Hanako loosened up a bit, a smug expression on his face.
"Hell yeah I am. I can give a lot more than just lessons, you know?"
Y/N rolled her eyes, hopping off to climb another branch. Hanako's eyes widened.
"Wait! Where are you going?!"
"Any place away from you."
"I thought you said I'm nice!"
"Careful."
She said this word as Hanako slipped a little from trying to grasp a branch to chase her. Y/N stifled a laugh.
"Don't fall down now!"
Hanako gripped the tree trunk nervously, before jumping up to meet her on the second branch.
"I didn't fall!" He breathed.
"Right you didn't." Y/N nodded approvingly. "You know you can just float, right?"
"Why aren't you floating?"
Y/N paused for a moment, before smiling snarkily.
"It ruins the fun."
"Ah," Hanako's expression loosened up to a sultry one.
"I suppose so. I'm still falling and I don't mind the feeling."
It took Y/N a full minute to process what he said, before she pulled away from the smirking Wonder and jumped away.
"Hey!" Hanako called out, letting out a laugh. He got to his feet as well.
"Don't speak to me like that."
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I'm not falling!"
"Yes you did." Y/N narrowed her eyes in a hostile glare at him. "You fell from a tree called stupid and hit every branch on the way down."
Hanako was sent in a stunned, hurt silence, before letting out a pout of mock sadness.
"If I'm so stupid, why did you ask me for help?"
"Shut up!"
● ● ●
By the time they reached the highest branch that overlooked all of Sukora, the sun had fallen and moonrise had just begun.
"Woah." Hanako's eyes were as wide as the fullmoon.
Y/N grinned, finally allowing herself to float comfortably.
Hanako decide to stay nestled on the branch. He had grown fond of it and was really proud he climbed his first tree.
"A sight to see, right? It's my favorite spot!"
"It is beautiful." Hanako agreed, feeling overwhelmed with a sense of longing. The last time the fullmoon had shown, he was under the Confession Tree, back at Kamome, and Y/N...
He shook his head, letting out a small sigh.
Y/N floated down to face him.
"Hey! Are you okay?"
"Oh!" Hanako jumped a little, nearly tumbling to the branch below. Y/N chuckled.
"Don't worry about me." He readjusted his hat with dignity.
"Uh-huh." Y/N replied, nonplussed. "Then why do you look so sad?"
"Am not."
"Am!"
"Am not!"
"AM!"
Hanako gripped the trunk of the tree, nearly bursting out his long-felt agony over Y/N's lost memory.
"Fine! I'm not alright! Y/N, why can't you just-"
He stopped as soon as he saw her frightened expression. It was only then he realized he had pinned her to the trunk with his arms.
He swallowed a lump in his throat. Nothing would bring her back, no matter how much he wanted to.
"Sorry..." He whispered hoarsely, finally falling into a tired, frail crouch.
Rather than explode into anger and irritation like how she would, Y/N's eyes softened.
This person had helped her, but he couldn't seem to help himself.
She awkwardly patted his back as he streaked an arm over his face, making faint whimpers and sniffs.
"Is this..." Y/N started slowly, recalling her memory. "...about L/N?"
Hanako paused for a moment through his few tears, taking a deep breath in.
"Yeah." His breath was shaky and shuddering. "My assistant."
Y/N's eyes brimmed with understanding. Mitsuba was like an assistant to her, and they had both grown close. Hanako must be really sad to lose this person.
"What was she like?"
"I might tear up again if I describe her!" He forced a bemused grin through his tears.
Y/N smiled sadly.
"I'm sorry... but hey, I have advice!"
Hanako turned to her questioningly.
"And that would be...?"
"Why don't you forget her and be happy?" Y/N tilted her head. That was what she did to Tsukasa, whenever he didn't help her or comfort her when she most needed it.
"Rather than remember and be sad?"
"Ah..." Hanako forced a weak grin, before shaking his head dismally. "I can't do that, even if I tried."
Y/N inched closer.
"Why not?"
"She's a great pain now, yes." He looked up wistfully to the stars. "But she was my happiness before. Can I really give that up?"
Y/N stayed silent, stumped. She never looked it that way before.
By now, she had run out of things to say, and only one question tumbled out of her mouth:
"I want to help you look for her. Can't you please describe L/N?"
Hanako looked at her thoughtfully, before shaking his head again.
"It won't change anything."
Y/N tensed up. She could see disappointment and longing in his eyes as he affixed her with a sad smile. Something just didn't add up.
'He's holding something back.' Y/N furrowed her brows.
'He's hiding something from me.'
● ● ●
Mitsuba let out a girlish scream as Y/N bursted into her bathroom.
She had excused herself from Hanako, giving him space and time to mourn; when she tried to pry her mind for any memory of the mysterious L/N, it began to get fuzzy until her head hurt.
"Mitsuba!" She called. The pink-haired boy scrambled to his feet instantly to meet her.
"Yeah, yeah! What's the matter Little Red Riding Hood?"
"I'm getting to the bottom of this." Y/N clenched her hand in a determined fist, heading for the Rift. "I am going to find out what Hanako is hiding!"
"Woah!" He rushed up to her with a scowl. "Slow down. We're finding out what from who?"
"Kamome." Y/N said simply, turning to him before jumping into the Rift.
"I'm going to Kamome, his school, to look for the answer."
She was about to step in, when she glanced uneasily behind her again. Her voice was soft with shyness.
"Uhm.... will you join me?"
Mitsuba let out a small sigh.
"Of course I'm not..."
Y/N felt a little hurt, before Mitsuba rushed to her side, catching her off guard.
"Of course I'm not letting you explore alone!"
● ● ●
Quick A/N
Happy April Fools! I didn't have the heart to prank you all since my bird has sadly passed away.
These 5 chapters are dedicated to Mango. True to her name, she's the sweetest companion I could ever ask for.
She has been in my family for 4 years. I'm sorry I couldn't find her seeds because of quarantine (all the pet stores nearby shut down) and she had to die of starvation.
I'm not smiling because of someone's prank, but because she was held down by sickness and has been set free from it forever.
Fly high with all the millet you could ever want, Mango... and thank you guys, for the comments and the fanart. It made my day. Thank you so much! TwT