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《 CHAPTER 15: Hanako's Resolve 》
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Hanako wasn't the type to usually roam around the halls of Kamome Academy during the school day, but for some reason, he wanted to listen to the conversations of the students, and watch how they interacted.
"Hey, Shinomiya-chan, wanna drop by Morinomiya Market when we walk home? I'm kinda craving for takoyaki."
"Sure thing, Hayasaka-chan!"
"Wha— Cut it off, Kamitani! I don't like Inomata that way."
"Hey, hey, did you hear about the news? Apparently, Zen and Shirayuki from Class 2-B are dating now."
"Seriously? I totally saw it coming, good for them."
"You totally missed that time, Kageyama!"
"Hinata, dumbass!"
Hanako continued to walk and listen in to conversations. Yashiro wasn't at school today, she was still sick with the flu, but Hanako made sure to cast a protection seal on her so that no spirit would harm her. Without her around, he really was bored.
Listening to the conversations of the students was one of the things he did to kill time. It was a way for him to know about the situations of the students, and if there were any rumors going on. He also found enjoyment in listening to teenage gossip.
Though he had to admit, he really did want to join in on conversations like this.
He really missed the feeling of normally talking to a friend about how their day went, their problems, and the stories they wanted to share. That was one of the things that he really missed to do, right after dying. While walking with his head in the gutter, Hanako failed to notice Kou and his friends passing by. Kou looked back at Hanako, who continued to walk.
'What happened to him? What's he thinking of right now?' Kou couldn't help but think.
"Hm, Kou? Is something the matter?" Yokoo snapped Kou out of his train of thoughts. The young exorcist looked back at his two friends, who had curious gazes as they looked at him. Kou flashed a fake grin.
"Oh, it was nothing. I thought I saw something, that was all."
But he really was concerned for Hanako, ever since he saw what he did to those spirits in front of the infirmary window.
Hanako ended up going to the rooftop after his walk around the school. Surprisingly, not a lot of people really go up there, so it was usually where Hanako would go to think. Sitting down at his usual seat at the edge of the water tank, he took a deep breath.
"Hurry up, Haruhi!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming. Just be patient, Tamaki."
"So, how was your day so far?"
"It was..."
Hanako watched the couple that sat down at the edge of the rooftop, opening their bentos and having fun. It reminded Hanako of the time when he and Yashiro used to meet up at the school rooftop and do just the same thing. A pain rose in his chest as he began to remember more of Yashiro: her smile, her laugh, her fingers—
Tears started flowing out of Hanako's eyes.
If only he had reconsidered his actions long ago, none of this would've happened. He already knew that his future was going to be better, if only he hadn't tampered with the boundary. Yashiro would be happy and alive, living until she grew old. His brother would also be alive and well, and he wouldn't have gone crazy under the influence of his curse. He would've been just fine without changing fate.
But instead, he was too doubtful to the gods.
He knew he had to take responsibility in a way, and crying to himself was not going to do anything.
'Yashiro's lifespan is something I can still change,' He told himself, 'I may not be able to return Tsukasa to who he was back then, or bring myself back to life., but I can still save Yashiro.'
With that, he wiped the tears that stained his cheek and took a deep breath.
He knew what he had to do.
• • •
It was around mid-August of their fifth year in elementary when Amane realized he liked Yashiro.
It was like any other day to Amane. Since he and Yashiro were in different classes now, he'd usually sit all by himself in his classroom when Yashiro is too busy, caught up in his own thoughts. Usually, it was Yashiro who would go to his classroom to get him, then they'd go up to the rooftop together.
But for some reason, Nene hasn't come to fetch him yet.
'Something's off,' Amane thought, 'She should be here by now.'
He debated on whether or not he should go over next door to check her classroom.
'I mean, I'm not the only friend she has. She probably just is busy.'
With that, Amane decided to just seclude himself from the world and watch a few of his schoolmates do club activities on the grounds. He started to think to himself about what would happen when he and Tsukasa got home.
'Father would have probably left to go to a bar and drink. That gives me some time to be able to clean up the house and be able to do homework with Tsukasa in peace,' He thought to himself, 'But of course, as soon as he gets back around midnight, he'd most definitely start looking for something to beat up.'
Amane closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his stomach. There was a large, pinkish-purple bruise that had formed right on his belly button that no one other than him knows. He got it just a few hours ago when their dad arrived home from the bar and demanded to beat something up. Their mother, who usually was the one getting beat up pretty badly, was at the hospital. She got sick from the beating and was critically ill. So being the older brother, Amane didn't want his happier, carefree, and innocent brother to get hurt. Thus, it was always him who got abused.
Thankfully, he managed to bear the pain for most of the day leading up to lunch.
Though an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach really bothered him.
It was definitely bugging him how Yashiro hadn't come to his classroom yet.
'Ah, I'll just be taking a small peek to see if she's busy or not,' Amane thought as he stood from his seat and brushed his uniform carefully as to not irritate the bruise, 'Nothing special.'
With that, Amane exited his classroom and made his way over to Yashiro's. He took a peek inside and gazed around the room. His eyes and brows were left in distraught when he realized she wasn't inside.
'Where could she be?'
So, Amane began to look around. He checked around the restrooms, club rooms, school grounds, but she was nowhere to be seen. It irritated him.
'Where the hell could she be?'
Suddenly, he heard a girl's voice around the incinerator room, which was an enclosed space around the back of the school that had the incinerator.
"Your hair looks gross, you know," Amane identified the voice to be a male's voice, "It has all the colors of a daikon."
"S—Stop touching my hair!"
Amane froze.
'Yashiro.'
"Oh, you shut up!" The boy shouted, and Amane heard a slap, "You look like a disgusting vegetable that doesn't even taste good."
"With legs like that, no one would love you!"
"Daikon legs! Daikon legs!"
Amane immediately rushed to the incinerator at the back of the school and saw three boys cornering Yashiro. They were most definitely a year level higher and were bullying the girl. That angered Amane.
"I wonder what kind of scream she'd make if we punched her like this—"
The boy rose his fist up in the air and aimed straight for Yashiro's face. Yashiro closed her eyes tightly, awaiting the impact of the strong punch. However, none came. She slowly opened her eyes and gasped when she saw Amane suddenly in front of her, taking the hit to his head. Her eyes widened when she suddenly saw blood trickle down from his nose to his lip.
"Ara, looks like someone came to save you," The boy who punched Amane chuckled darkly, "A little twat you are, huh?"
The boy grabbed Amane from his collar and punched him in the stomach. Amane winced at the pain from both the impact and the bruise and collapsed on the wall right beside Yashiro. the boys began to laugh, but Amane had the last laugh.
"What are you all laughing about?" He giggled to himself, a smirk now on his face. The boys glared at him, pissed. Weakly, Amane pointed behind them to a camera that had taken a video of the whole thing they had just done.
"Take note that there's a CCTV camera right there in that corner behind you," He told them, and the boys turned in horror to see the camera situated there, "Don't get so cocky with yourselves, everything you've done has been videotaped. There's enough evidence for you all to get expelled."
"Why you," The boy clenched his jaw and fists, and his eyes widened in fear, "Let's get out of here already, Toru, Wakatoshi!"
With that, the boys ran far away from them as fast as possible.
Amane felt searing pain all over his body. Blood stained his white collared polo, and the bruise on his stomach wasn't easing up either. Yashiro crawled over to Amane with worry and tears in her eyes.
"Amane... your nose is bleeding!" She exclaimed in horror, but Amane sent her an assuring smile.
"This is nothing, don't worry about it," The smile on his face immediately disappeared and turned into a look of concern, "Are you okay?"
Yashiro bit her lip before tears started spilling from her eyes. Soon, she began to break down and cry.
"No," She suddenly wrapped her arms around Amane and cried on his shoulder, "I was so scared, Amane-kun!"
Amane couldn't help but sigh as he felt warmth hug his whole body. He felt happy and relieved that Yashiro was alright. That was when he realized something important.
'I was cursed in an unfortunate life where I'm literally a curse to those around me. I may not have been able to protect mom from dad, and I might not be able to hold on sooner for Tsukasa,' He thought to himself as he rubbed Yashiro's back to soothe her, 'But no matter what, I simply can't let the gods hurt Yashiro.'
He looked up to see the cloudy skies move to show the bright sun.
'I have to keep her safe, no matter what.' He vowed to himself.
• • •
Tsuchigomori was still distraught over what happened a few days ago. He tried to keep it together whenever he was around Hanako, but he couldn't forget about the plan that they were supposed to execute.
It was complete torture for Hanako and a heartbreaker for Yashiro.
He clenched his jaw and hardened his grip on the pen he was using to grade papers.
'Damn, if only I were stronger, I would be able to protect both Yako and the kids,' He couldn't help but think to himself.
His gaze slowly moved to the woman sleeping on his couch. Yako was softly snoring, her head laid on a pillow, and her whole body occupying the furniture. His eyes softened when he remembered that Yako wouldn't wake up until he did what Tsukasa wanted. His heart pained as he stood in between a huge dilemma.
He loved Yako, but he also loved Amane and the kids.
Sighing to himself, he put down the pen and buried his head in between his arms. He honestly didn't know what to do anymore, and it wasn't like reading what was going to happen in the future would help.
He felt a presence enter his room, and he knew exactly who it was.
"What brings you here, Number Seven?" He rose his head to face the amber eyes of the boy.
Hanako's face was serious, as though he had made up something. It reminded Tsuchigomori of that day Amane declared that he wouldn't go anywhere anymore. Another pang in the heart.
"Tsuchigomori-sensei," Hanako spoke in a soft, yet serious tone of voice, "I've made up my mind."
Tsuchigomori's eyes widened when Hanako suddenly extended his arm and opened his hand. Right there laying on his palm was his yorishiro, wrapped and intact. He knew exactly what this means.
"Are you really sure about this, Number Seventh?" Tsuchigomori looked at Hanako, finding reassurance in his eyes, "Are you sure there isn't any other way?"
Hanako looked away, pained.
"The only other way that I've thought about is changing her future through her book in your library," He turned back to the spider, "Though I don't want you to die either."
Tsuchigomori sighed.
"So, you're really going to do this, huh?" He couldn't help but laugh, "You really haven't changed."
Tsuchigomori took the yorishiro from Hanako's palm.
"Please, sensei," Hanako pleaded, "Please protect Yashiro and the boy. Please make sure they finish high school safe and sound."
Tsuchigomori nodded, "I'll do."
"I made a vow to both myself and her years ago," Hanako smiled, "I'm not one to break promises."
He turned his attention to the risen moon that was in the sky. It was nearing full.
"I have to keep her safe, no matter what."
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So, sorry for skipping on the update yesterday.
But ya'll better be happy there is one today.
So there was a major unplanned blackout in our area, and it is literally pitch black in our area. Thankfully, my mom had data so I kinda asked her to connect me to it. So thank god I was able to finish this.
Anyways, what do you all think about this chapter?
I feel like I'm gonna get a lot of hilarious comments again, but maybe most of you will be crying your tears out?
Well, since there's a power interruption, I guess it wouldn't hurt to start the two unwanted chapters.
Though tbh, 16 and 17 are merely just the first wave of sadness.
I have a lot of angst in-store after realizing Haikyuu is in its final arc in the manga.
Anitwt has definitely gotten to me.
Also, did I put in some anime easter eggs into this chapter?
Yes, yes I did.
See you next week!
Moirae x