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《 CHAPTER 5: Donuts 》
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Yashiro noticed that Hanako was acting even more differently than how he was just a few days ago.
Whenever she'd talk to him or ask him about something, he'd reply with short answers and hums while he spaces out into his own cloud of thought. She knew that something was bothering him so much that he'd space out like that. It was just like with Amane when they were kids, though she'd usually get the answer almost immediately.
Hanako was different though, he was harder to approach.
Whatever the reason why he keeps spacing out, Yashiro wanted to cheer him up.
"But what can I do to cheer him up?" Yashiro thought for a moment, her chin resting on her palms with her elbows as support. She continued to stare at the small bonsai plant that sat on the drawer in the side, thinking about Aoi couldn't help but make a confused face.
"Cheer who up?" She gasped, "Nene-chan, are you hiding a secret boyfriend from me?"
Yashiro spaced out of her thought as soon as her best friend threw the question at her. Her eyes widened and almost immediately, she shook her hands. She had almost forgotten that Aoi was there eating lunch with her at the gardening clubroom.
"No!" Yashiro exclaimed, "It's my cousin! He's... well... been out of it for the past few days, and I wanted to cheer him up."
"Oh, I see," Aoi stopped teasing the girl and took a bite of her mackerel, "Have you tried asking what was wrong?"
Nene nodded. There were a few times that she asked him what was wrong, but he simply just brushed it off and told her not to worry about it. When she tried to push him to say it, he'd immediately deflect the topic and she would follow.
"I have but he's told me what was bothering him so much."
Aoi hummed, "Then how about giving something to cheer him up? Although you don't exactly know what happened, I'm sure a gift might be able to make him smile a bit."
Nene's mood brightened as soon as she heard the girl's suggestion. It was worth a shot, she could give him a gift that could possibly cheer him up. Just like how she cheered Kou up with the cupcakes she gave to him when he felt down about Mitsuba.
"That's such a great idea," Yashiro beamed with joy, grasping her friend's hands, her eyes wide with joy, "Thank you so much, Aoi-chan!"
Aoi was a bit overwhelmed with how happy her friend was, though she didn't stop herself from sending a small smile to her friend, "No problem at all, Nene-chan!"
"That's right," Nene remembered something, putting her pointing finger below her lip and above her cheek, "Akane-kun told me the same advice once."
The ravenette began to blush.
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During Cooking Class, Yashiro made donuts along with the class.
She worked extra hard to make them taste good. They were for Hanako, to cheer him up. She planned on giving it to him after class when she heads to the bathroom for her rendezvous bathroom cleaning.
She had them in a bag right now, and she began to make her way to the bathroom. Humming a tune, she excitedly walked to Number Seven's domain. She opened the door, a wide smile on her face.
"Hanako! Are you in here?" There was no response. Yashiro pouted, a bit disappointed that he wasn't there.
Nene left the bathroom, wondering where he could've gone. She thought about a few places, before settling on the second Science Prep Room: Tsuchigomori's place.
It was on the second floor of the same building, so Yashiro arrived in front of the door to the room pretty quickly. She knocked on the door three times, and an audible voice inside the room told her to come in.
"Good afternoon, Tsuchigomori-sensei," Yashiro formally greeted the supernatural, who was checking a few papers on his desk. He looked up at her, removing the smoke pipe on his mouth and puffing out smoke clouds.
"Oh, it's you," He said, looking at her with a small smile on his face, "What can I do for you, kid?"
"Well, I was wondering if you had any idea where Hanako-kun is?" She asked him, the bag of donuts hidden behind her back. Tsuchigomori shrugged.
"Honorable Number Seven was here just a while ago, bumming around. Probably, ten minutes ago before you arrived he left." Nene sulked, she just missed him.
"Though," Tsuchigomori added, "Eccinococus told me she just saw him at the practice garden."
Yashiro was a bit surprised, at the place where she has her club activities?
"I see, thanks for your help, sensei!"
She bid her goodbye to the sensei, who just nodded, before leaving the room. She proceeded to go out of the school and to the place where she has her club activities, looking around to find if he was around.
"Oh, it's the girl with fat ankles." Kodama, the former Confession Tree rumor, spoke from his pot. Yashiro faced him with a cute smile on her face.
"The next time you call me that, it's herbicide for you," She threatened, scaring the plant, "Anyways, have you seen Hanako-kun?"
"Honorable Number Seven? Well, yes. He was just idling about over there a little while ago, though he returned back to the school just a few moments ago. He was muttering about needing some air." The girl slouched a bit, sulking once more. She just missed him, again.
Yashiro's mind thought for a moment on where could Hanako possibly be right now. Her thoughts pondered on what the tree sapling had just told her, and her mind drifted to the school rooftop.
After all, it was where Amane would usually go.
Bidding her goodbye to the tree, she rushed to the school rooftop and saw the boy sitting at the edge of the school tank, staring blankly into the distance. Yashiro smiled, she found him.
She climbed the ladder and slowly walked to the edge where he sat and sat next to him. Hanako didn't even turn to look at her or even notice her as he was too busy in his own cloud of thoughts.
"Hanako-kun," She called him, and the ghost immediately jumped.
"Y-Yashiro!" He yelled out, shocked to see the girl suddenly beside him, "I-I didn't notice you there. How long were you sitting beside me?"
"Oh, I just sat down. I've been looking all over for you, you know." She told him, a small smile on her face. Hanako felt a bit guilty, he could only imagine the number of places she went to before she got to where he was now. He sent an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry," He told her, before noticing that she was holding something behind her, "What're you hiding there?"
"Oh, this?" She showed him a small bag for treats, "This is for you, to cheer you up. Open it!"
Hanako wondered what it was. He gracefully took it from her hand and untied the string that sealed it. Smelling a familiar scent, he hurried to open the bag.
Hanako gasped, a large grin beginning to form on his face, "You made donuts? Thank you so much! You really didn't have to."
"We made them during Cooking Class, and I thought of giving some to you since you seemed bothered about something. Is something the matter, Hanako-kun?"
Hanako looked away from her, his smile dropping. He continued to watch the clouds in the sky, taking a deep breath, "I guess... There's something that's been worrying me."
"What would that be?"
"Well... It's nothing! Don't worry about it."
He flashed a grin at her, which Yashiro knew was fake. Ever since she overlooked all of Amane's grins, she vowed that she wasn't going to fall for any more fake grins.
She pouted, "You're faking that grin of yours."
Nene scooted closer to Hanako and bent to meet his glowing amber eyes. Hanako was a bit surprised by her actions, then she started to talk.
"Hanako-kun," Almost instinctively, she placed her hands on both cheeks of the ghost and made him look at her, "Please, if there's anything bothering you, tell me."
It was as though time stopped for a moment. Hanako couldn't take his eyes off the magenta eyes that stared right back at him. He felt captivated at how comforting it was looking back at Yashiro.
He'd forgotten how pretty her eyes were.
"I..." He muttered, "I'm worried about your fate. I've been looking into what I can do, and I somewhat found something promising,"
Yashiro's eyes gleamed with joy, "That's great! But, why are you so troubled? Isn't it supposed to be a good thing?"
"Yashiro..." He softly muttered, facing her with a pained look. He couldn't tell her the solution to everything, at least not yet.
Suddenly, a black shadow appeared behind the girl. Hanako stared at it with fear, realizing who it was. He was scared.
"You two are getting a bit too touchy with each other," The shadow pouted, "I don't like that."
The black shadow grabbed Nene from her shoulder and hips, putting his index and middle finger on her forehead. In an instant, the girl fell unconscious. He laughed, watching Hanako reach out for the girl with his mortified expression. Unknowingly, he dropped the bag of donuts Yashiro had given him, and all of its contents spilled out in an instant.
"See you, Amane," He told him, a smug smile on his face, pulling Yashiro into the black miasma and disappearing into the air.
Hanako was left speechless, alone in the rooftop with donuts scattered around him.
It all happened too fast.