Y/n fiddled with her fingers as she looked at Akane, who held Aoi in his arms. Unlike earlier, his expression was blank as he stared down at the apparition beside the H/c-haired girl.
"... I've heard of you." Akane broke the unsettling silence. "That old school uniform, the seal on your cheek, two tsueshiros."
The boy placed the unconscious girl onto one of the seats. "You must be the Honorable number seven," Akane emphasized as he looked at the boy.
"That's right!" Hanako grinned as he shifted his hat. "I've met the other clock keepers but I don't think I met you before!"
"What business does the leader of the school mysteries have with Aoi?" He took off his coat. "I was interested in learning the answer." He then placed his coat on top of Aoi, covering her body from the cold air.
"But when you put her in danger.. even I lose my cool." Akane walked towards them with his head down and his fists clutched. "So with that being said..."
He grabbed Hanako's collar harshly and brought him up furiously. Akane glared down at the boy, who genuinely looked flabbergasted.
"... May I take a swing at you before we talk?"
He raised his fist, already prepared to give Hanako a big smack.
That was until a certain girl came running to Hanako and pulled him away from the red head.
"Okay, let's calm down for a second, okay?!" Y/n sweat dropped as she glared at Hanako. "Didn't Kou and Nene warn you about this guy earlier?! And yet, you had to do that!"
"I was gonna save her if it failed anyways..."
"... You—!"
Their eyes widened when they heard the loud crash on the stage beside them. Y/n grimaced as she looked at the newly-broken chandelier.
"That looked expensive." She scratched her cheek nervously before looking at Akane. "Should we go somewhere else?"
"Y/n-chan? What happened?" Nene and Kou went towards the girl and looked at Akane in confusion. The two were frozen the whole time while the events were going on.
"Let's just say.. Akane-kun somewhat became the second clock keeper..."
Before Nene or Kou could ask more questions, they all heard the loud chatters from outside the auditorium.
Akane deadpanned. "If they find us here, it'll cause more trouble for Ao-chan..." He sweat dropped. "Fine, we'll take this somewhere else.."
Infirmary..
"I still don't believe it..." Nene covered her mouth as she looked at Akane, still shocked by what Y/n just explained. "You're one of the seven mysteries, Akane-kun?"
"You went too far..." Y/n smacked Hanako's forearm as she and Kou dragged the apparition away from the others. "Y/n-chan's right, Hanako! Couldn't you think of some other way to lure him out?!"
"I was still gonna save her if I was wrong..."
Kou then managed to lock him with his staff. "When did you find out?"
"He knocked me out of Y/n-chan earlier, remember?" Hanako explained, "No normal human could've done that."
"I see.."
"That was really painful too." Y/n rubbed the cheek which Akane slapped a few hours ago. "Hanako-kun was the one in my body yet I was still the one who got the pain..."
"But I had no idea... I thought he was just a normal boy.." Nene recalled the incident from the confession tree. Both Akane and Yamabuki had fallen victims to it.
"Are you really one to talk?" Akane turned around. "Yashiro-san, I can't believe you're a victim just like me."
"Victim?"
"He tricked you into forming a pact or something, right?" Akane pointed at the boy floating behind Y/n. Hanako pointed at himself in confusion.
"Me?"
"That's what happened to me too.." Akane looked down as the memories from the student orientation back at middle school came back. "I learned later that the clock keepers set the whole thing up."
The boy punched the wall, literally causing it to break. Y/n took a step back at she stared at Akane in fear. How much power does this boy have?
"Written by, directed by, and starting themselves?! And I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker, damn it!"
Akane sighed. He turned to see the four trembling in fear after seeing Akane's dark side.
"Then I got this watch." Akane showed off the stopwatch he got from the other time keepers. "That's the gist of it. Up to three times a day, as long as I'm in school, I have the power to stop time."
"But it's only for five minutes at a time. It's not like I can do do much with it.."
Hanako hummed. "And in exchange, you tied your fate to number one and became a supernatural?"
"Yes." Akane nodded. "My contract lasts for six years. Basically until I graduate. As a part of school mystery number one, I get to be the other clock keepers' slave. My appearance does change some, but other than that, I'm just like Yashiro-san."
He raised the stopwatch. "Except for this watch, I'm just a normal human being."
He then faced Nene with a bright smile on his face. "Still, swallowing a mermaid scale on purpose? That's incredible, Yashiro-san." He waved his hand. "Are you a masochist?"
Nene flinched, as if she was being impaled by the words Akane just described her as.
"Senpai..." Kou gave her a thumbs up. "I think it rocks!"
"That doesn't make me happy at all, but thanks.."
"Same here, Akane-kun.. I was thinking why she did that too, but.." Y/n gave Hanako a quick glance before looking back at the red head. "Someone didn't explain the mermaid scale's effects well.."
"Talking about that someone." Akane looked at Hanako. "I hear that your the top mystery in this school, Honorable number seven. And also that your a slimey, perverted brat."
"So what does the slimey, perverted brat want with me?"
"Y/n-chan gave that nickname, didn't she?" Hanako sweat dropped upon hearing the nickname that Akane gave him. The girl beside Hanako shook her head. "If I did, I would be using it by now."
"As for what I want—"
Screams blocked the rest of Hanako's sentence. The five of them looked at the exit of the infirmary out of instinct.
"Hey! Come quick!"
"Somebody! Somebody, help!"
They all rushed outside to see what the fuss was all about. But as soon as they saw what was beyond the students who were crowding the area, they didn't know how to react at all.
"They're all.."
".. Old men and women?!"
Somehow, Akane and Hanako managed to form some sort of alliance even after their little mayhem back at the hallways.
"Because once a person dies, there's no bringing them back!"
Y/n's lip's pursed as she looked at the three students infront of her. She sat on the window sill with Hanako, seeing as there were no more chairs left for her.
"Anything which involves death is—"
The girl couldn't get the feeling off her chest. She couldn't help but feel nervous at the given situation. There were many things to worry about. Like for example, what happens when the third clock keeper touches...
"Y/n-chan?"
"Yeah?"
"Is it just me, or..." Hanako looked at the girl with his brows furrowed. "Do you hear a lot of noise?"
"Now that you mention it..."
"I think I do hear something.."
"It actually sounds like—"
Y/n abruptly stood up as she looked at the candy mix on top of the table. Her eyes were filled with rage as she realized what that sound was.
"You little piece of—" Y/n grabbed the bag and basically dumped its contents to the table. There, they saw the small girl with candies on her hands.
"Stupid heads!"
Y/n stared at the girl blankly as she crumpled her the bag. She then looked at the Mokke which the girl was holding, it seemed fearful for it's life.
"Who are you calling a stupid head?" Y/n was about to grab hold of the girl. Just as she was about to grab one side of the girl's long pigtails, two pairs of hands managed to pull her back.
The girl started bouncing all over the room. Both Nene and Kou started chasing it around as the other three stayed seated on the ground.
"What are you both doing?!" The girl glared at both Hanako and Akane. "She took the candies I was reserving for later! We need to get her now!"
"We will get her!" Hanako yelled at the girl as he stood up. "You stay down there! You already know what's at risk here, Y/n-chan!"
"Eh?! But—!"
"I'm afraid to say this but I agree with number seven." Akane stood up and patted the remaining dusts on him. "I can buy you a liter of candies later, so don't try catching Mirai."
"Kid!" Hanako screamed as they watched Mirai tampering with Kou's time. With everyones' attention being with the boy, Mirai managed to sneak away successfully.
"The little pipsqueak!" The fog cleared up to reveal Minamoto Teru 2.0— I meant, Minamoto Kou, older version. The boy was literally Minamoto Teru in a different font.
"What the heck, Kou-kun looks hot." Y/n covered her mouth in shock as she looked at the boy. Hanako then took her shoulders and made her face him.
"Don't look at him, Y/n-chan!"
"But why?!"
"Wow... He really looks like the student council president.."
"Kou-kun.." Y/n tried to look at the boy, but Hanako prevented her from doing so. "Why won't you let me look at him?!"
"I just don't want you to! Is that a problem?!"
Y/n wiped away a fake tear as she gave Hanako a pat on the shoulder. "It's okay, Hanako-kun.." she then leaned closer. "You're jealous, aren't you?" she whispered, making the boy extremely flustered.
"Please don't flirt infront of us.." Akane gave them a disgusted look before turning away.
"We finally caught you!" Nene cheered as they went out from their hiding spots. Y/n glared at the girl before pointing at her. "This is what you get when you mess with my candy!"
"Did the Mokkes possess you?" Hanako mumbled as he looked at the girl concerned, though she didn't seem to be paying attention to him.
"Nene-chan, you're plan really worked out well." Y/n smiled as Nene nodded proudly. "This was through the secrets I learned from my escape artist hamster."
"Ah, you mean Black Canyon?"
"Yeah!"
"And I can't believe Kou-kun can do this kind of thing!" Y/n looked at Kou, who stood on the table, in admiration. "Kou-kun... He's such a boyfriend material, isn't he, Nene-chan..?"
"Eh..."
"Y/n-chan, don't look at him!" Hanako cried as he pulled the girl away from Kou. The boy's expression broke. "Don't take Y/n-chan away from me!"
Akane then stopped the time of the forcefield, causing a huge clock to appear above them.
"Akane-kun's also so cool.." Y/n pouted as she looked away. "But then again, he's taken."
"Y/n-chan..."
"It took long enough to catch you.. surrender now, Mirai." The girl seemed unbothered as Akane crouched infront of her.
"Aw.. that's too bad... You're gonna capture Mirai, huh?" The girl spoke in third person.
"That's right." Akane carried her. "With your powers over the future, you know how this'll end. So be a good girl and—"
"Okay, just one more."
In a blink of an eye, Mirai was gone from Akane's hands.
Y/n's eyes widened when she saw the girl above her, ready to set her time forward.
"I'll make this girl hotter!"
"Y—"
Hanako looked at the scene in fear as he tried to get Mirai away from her.
"Y/n-chan!"
0 0 : 0 0
"ANYTHING WHICH INCLUDES DEATH IS BAD."
"Huh?" Mirai jumped away as she watched number seven going towards the girl who had fell limp. The boy took the girl in his arms, a look of fear, anger, and sadness mixed on his face.
"Y/n..."
"Y/n-chan?!"
"Y/n—"
Nene and Kou's eyes widened as they looked at the girl. Her eyes were barely open, and they were nothing but blank. The energetic look on her face was replaced with an emotionless one. She looked lifeless.
"Does this mean she has..." Mirai looked at the girl. ".. no more time left..?"
In fact, the girl is lifeless.
"Because of one reason, L/n. And whether you like it or not, this is your FATE."