#Nene is the same. Though she's a bit more honest when it comes to her feelings- probably because she's the most comfortable with wxs than-

[donuts4evry1]

ngl I've consumed a fair amount of Ruikasa content by now and I have to say,

While Rui is very forward with his thoughts and opinions, I don't think he's particularly aware of his own emotions. Or at least, it takes him a bit longer to understand what they are and how they make him act (I'm mostly thinking of the Halloween and 2 android stage play events)

So while I can see him being a very cuddly and needy person in a relationship, I think it's equally likely that others would need to physically wrangle those needs out of him. After a while though he'd probably be shamelessly clingy, haha.

[musicalmoritz]

Ok ok I want you to think about swap terukane so like clock keeper Teru x exorcist Akane. And also like Akanes the super super popular school president. Yea so like thoughts/headcanons?? (I always cook up the most insane ideas in the middle of the night and I actually remember this one vaguely!)

Let’s talk about the Terukane swap au!! I’ve seen a few people write and draw for this but I’ve never rly read any of the fics or looked too much into it so I’m entirely making this shit up on my own, Ik this is a popular trope so I apologize if I miss any of the sub tropes that are included with it ;-;

It’s hard for me to separate Teru or Kou from exorcism since the Minamotos were a real life clan, but I don’t think I’d go about this in the “Akane is a Minamoto and Teru is an Aoi” way. I suppose for this au it’s most reasonable to say the Minamotos are a regular family and the Aois are the exorcist clan. That provides another fun question tho, are the Akane girls still kannagi?? Since this is strictly a Terukane swap au I’ll assume they are, though if we wanted to take it further we could swap Aoi with Nene or one of the other characters. It’s easier for me to follow strict guidelines tho so I’m gonna keep it at just Terukane being swapped

That alone changes so much of the story tho, it’s very interesting to me. We’ll say the Minamotos are still a strict/traditional family, so there’s still some pressure on Teru and Kou. Just not to the extent that there is in canon. And assuming their mom still died in due to complications from childbirth, their dad would still be absent and Teru and Kou will still have to grow up too soon by raising Tiara. But things would be significantly easier on them since they’d be taking care of the family together. Teru would learn basic life skills like cooking, which would take a load off of Kou. Then since the work would be split, they’d both have more free time on their hands. If one of them wants to hang out with friends, the other can take over cooking and cleaning for the night. Tho that would lead to numerous sibling arguments, since Teru is the oldest he’d probably push Kou around a bit when they’re younger lol. He’d run that house like the military

I want to say Kou is the one the Clock Keepers threaten him with since Teru is so protective of him, but that wouldn’t rly work since they wouldn’t be at school together during Teru’s first year of junior high. As an oldest sibling, Teru is very protective by nature, so they might be able to choose any random student. Once they have him where they want him, they throw in some threats aimed at his siblings to secure their chances of making a contract. So Teru ends up going down the same self-sacrificial route we see in canon, he becomes a Clock Keeper so that no one else has to do it

Without any siblings, Akane is the soul beholder of the family legacy. Self-sacrifice isn’t even an option for him, he’s the only one who can succeed his parents so he must do it. Then there’s Aoi, his childhood best friend. If Akane were an exorcist and they grew up together, Aoi would find out about supernaturals way sooner. Maybe he tells her himself, because he can no longer carry the burden alone. And he knows she’s a kannagi, that something bad could happen to her someday if he doesn’t keep a close eye on her, so he has to watch her like a hawk. In this au there’s not as many secrets between them, so much is at stake so they have to be transparent with each other. Akane’s honesty inspires Aoi to be more honest with him as well. So the obsession between them, platonic or otherwise, is a lot more mutual. They developed sort of a trauma bond at an early age and now they have to look out for each other

Akane’s popularity comes from his natural inclination to help others. He’s such a kind person, even if he can be aggressive. And without him having to constantly chase Aoi, no one thinks he’s a weirdo. It’s a little odd that he’s so protective of his friend, but he’s so damn nice that everyone just shrugs it off as him being sweet. Teru though? Teru is the weirdo

His family is still strict but without the same expectations placed on him, there’s no need for him to try and excel at everything. No one cares if he’s the best student so he can do whatever he wants. And yeah, he’s pretty, but he’s also loud and annoying. He teases people and gets creepily sadistic at times. This ties into my audhd Minamotos headcanon, without the pressure he’s under in canon, Teru feels less of a need to mask. He still does it to some extent due to societal pressure and all but the only opinion he really cares about are those of his siblings, so he’s content to be himself. He makes a few friends this way too, he’s not exactly popular but the people who get him get him. I’m gonna make him friends with Nene in this au, she appreciates his realness

Because of Akane’s hatred for supernaturals, they don’t get along at first. Teru joins the Student Council to keep a better eye on everyone so he can do better at his job as a Clock Keeper. Kou attending Kamome and getting closer with supernaturals has a lot to do with it. When they first meet, Akane ties Teru up and tries to interrogate him but bcuz this is Less Traumatized Teru it goes way differently than he planned. Teru’s filter is nonexistent so when Akane tries to threaten him he’s just like “oh hello cute boy I like you very much.” But the thing is, Akane can’t tell if Teru is joking or not. He assumes he must be, because there’s no way a School Mystery feels things like love and crushes. Still, Teru is so painfully Just A Regular Dude that Akane is forced to see him differently. Cue the typical Terukane “relationship built on trust” shenanigans. Reluctant partners in crime and what not

I’m not gonna go as far as to say they have a Sakura and Natsuhiko type dynamic but it’s similar. The classic “are you flirting with me?” “have been for the past 10 years, thanks for noticing” meme. Think of it as all of Teru’s jokes about liking Aoi in canon if they were directly aimed at Akane instead. Then the “wait- do you have genuine feelings for Ao-chan?” scene becomes “do you have genuine feelings for me?” or “were you serious this whole time?” Their dynamic changes a lot after that. Akane starts flirting back, and instead of using Aoi to motivate Teru he uses himself. “Help me save her and I might take you up on that offer for a date.” And then they do go on a date, at the school festival right before everything turns to shit

Adding to that, in this au I imagine Aoi and Akane are the ones betrothed in the new timeline. This brings in conflict bcuz let’s say Akane used to have feelings for Aoi but those faded over time, it’s all platonic between them now as opposed to what we see in canon. So he has the opportunity to either be with the girl he used to love, the girl he’s been with all his life, his safety blanket…or go back to the boy who’s stolen his heart. Damn that was cheesy, I’m cooking here

Kako also becomes Teru’s father figure btw bcuz he needs one. And despite his dislike for supernaturals, Teru adores Mirai bcuz she reminds him of Tiara. Found family ftw

Thanks for the ask, I hadn’t thought much abt this au before but now I’ve gotten myself invested

[notgraceful4]

Sakura Nanamine, Nene Yashiro, Yako and Aoi Akane x famous singer reader:

SAKURA NANAMINE:

* She loves to listen to you sing finds it quite comforting to be drinking her tea, reading a book and hearing your voice on the radio

* It’s hard to tell if she likes your singing, though if you don’t ask her directly, but if you look closely she has a little smirk on her face when you sing

* If you invite her she will come to your rehearsal and listen to you practice while studying at the same time

* Will occasionally look up from the books for a little break and to take a glance at you

* Likes to sit back stage and watch your concert from there since it’s more peaceful than being squashed by the crowd

* Since you miss school a lot because of your concerts, if you need it she will tutor you to get you back up to speed

* Also makes you some tea to soothe your voice because she doesn’t want it to get strained and result in you losing it from singing too much.

NENE YASHIRO:

* Loves all the attention she gets from your fans

* It makes her feel special how they compliment her all because she’s dating you

* Though gets a bit insecure sometimes because some of your more toxic fans are envious and make comments about her legs

* You end up having to tell them too back off

* Likes watching your concerts and sitting back stage

* She really likes the sound of your voice

* Nene would literally faint if you dedicated a song for her at one of your concerts

* One of her fantasies would have come true

* Really supportive likes to tell you how you did such a good job out there

* Will give you her notes from school if you need them to catch up

* Will also brag to Hanako how she knows such an amazing and talented person like yourself.

YAKO:

* Loves your voice, but she wouldn’t openly admit it

* The closest to a compliment you get out of her will be

* “It’s not the worst thing I’ve heard”

* Likes the special treatment she gets from your fans since they find her adorable because they think she’s your pet kitsune

* But if any of them get a bit too touchy or if they get a bit too touchy with you she will try too bite off their hand

* You’ll have to hold her back because you don’t want a fan to file a law suit for injuring them

* Gets a bit annoyed sometimes when your too busy practicing and not spending some time with her, (since you can’t bring animals to rehearsal) she’s not going too tell you that though

* Since she doesn’t want to be alone she will make a plushie of you in one of your concert outfits to keep her company while your away, won’t let you sell any though as merchandise if you ask since the plushie is only for her. She might if you hound her enough though

* She also likes to play your songs on the radio sometimes if she still feels a bit lonely when your away from her and, so it feels like she is at rehearsal with you.

AOI AKANE:

* You always come to her when you have a new song idea

* Since she gives her honest opinion on it which you appreciate since most people like to lie to you to get brownie points

* If you ever perform a song for her at your concert she will look unfazed by it since it’s not really a big deal to her since people do things like that for her on the daily. Though deep down she appreciates it a tiny bit more from you when you do it than a random admirer

* This is why you still detonate songs to her because you know she appreciates it somewhere deep down

* Most of your fans are stunned by her beauty, you two are both such a power couple with your amazing singing talents and her stunning looks. Your agent even asked her if shes ever considered modelling once and asks if she’d like a job as one, she declines

* Comes to your rehearsals if you ask her too and will give a round off applause if she really likes a song you just practiced

* But if you don’t want her there she won’t come because she doesn’t want too intrude and get in the way

* If you want at your concerts she will sit backstage to watch you perform

* She might bring Nene along as a treat sometimes since she likes these sorts of things.

[thebeautyoffanfics]

Hm can I get some headcanons for Mitsuba, Kou, and Nene with a best friend who has tourettes (specifically coprolalia) hehehehe :)

(platonic) mitsuba sousuke and gn!reader, (platonic) kou minamoto and gn!reader, (platonic) yashiro nene and gn!reader

a/n: of course!! I don’t personally have tourettes, but I had a period not long ago where I went on a “learning about Tourettes” spree, so! I hope my knowledge is at least somewhat accurate :D If not, I do apologize- I sincerely hope I don’t misrepresent anything! Either way, thank you so much for requesting!! <3

warnings: none <3

word count: 1,608

Mitsuba Sousuke <3

To be completely honest, he was slightly thrown off when he met you. He never met someone with Tourettes, and wasn’t insanely familiar with it- especially coprolalia.

After you explained what it was, he’d nod, unsure what to say. “That’s… something I’ve never heard of.” He told you honestly, resting his head on his hand. Yet, he didn’t think any less of you than he thought of anyone else.

Once the two of you got closer, he thought it was cool to learn more about Tourettes. After a while, he likes to think that he has a pretty decent grasp on it, and feels rather proud of himself.

When the two of you become closer, he occasionally will openly laugh at some of your tics. He doesn’t mean anything rude by it, and will tell you he wasn’t laughing at you. If you brush it off, telling him that it was okay, he’d be a bit more comfortable when you said something particularly funny.

At some point, if he hears you tell someone to fuck off, he’ll snort every time. He’ll look over at you, a hand by his mouth as he says, “You tell them, (Y/N).” Tell him to fuck off, and he pretends to be offended- of course, he isn’t actually hurt, he’s just obliged to act that way. All in his personality, y’know-

On a bad tic day, Mitsuba definitely doesn’t laugh. He genuinely feels bad for you, because, even if you say some admittedly funny things, he knows it isn’t easy. No matter how you tell him it’s fine, and that it’s basically a part of you by now, he knows that doesn’t make it any more ideal.

While he isn’t exactly sure what to do during those days, especially should you have a tic attack, he stays with you throughout it. If anything had upset you, he does his best to comfort you- overall, he sits there with you, not judging you, and making sure that you don’t end up hurting yourself.

Mitsuba is surprisingly patient with you- if you’re struggling to get a sentence out, he sits there, head on his hand, his usual less-than-impressed expression. Despite that, he doesn’t mean any harm, and you’re aware of it.

Genuinely snorts sometimes- especially if you’ve developed a new tic, and he doesn’t quite expect it. Honestly, as I’ve said, he doesn’t mean any harm- and he’ll control himself if he hurts your feelings. It simply catches him off guard sometimes.

BUT, if someone (an ignorant someone, as we are all painfully aware that people can be extremely dense, to say the least) makes a negative or insensitive comment, he’s ready to go off on them, should they be aware that you have Tourettes, and be aware of what it is. So, he will go off- scolding them, calling them rude words, explaining that you can’t help it.

If it’s one of those “stop cussing” comments, especially coming from someone who you’ve already established with that you have Tourettes, he’s the one saying fuck off, right to their face. He’s not going to put up with people like that, and he sincerely hopes you won’t either.

Though he knows that you have Tourettes, he won’t treat you differently because of it. He’ll brush off your obscene outburst, usually with a snicker, continuing the conversation at your own pace. He didn’t befriend you because of it- and he wouldn’t stop being your friend because of it. Overall, Tourettes or not, you’re his friend (Y/N). And that's how he's bound to treat you.

Kou Minamoto <3

I’m sorry, he’s honestly really clueless-

He tries, he tries his absolute best. He supports you, and he listens to you explain what it is, but he’s just a bit thrown off by your tics. He won’t be rude, of course! He just does his best to understand, and doesn’t judge you in the least. He may be clueless, but he’s still a sweetheart <3

When he hears you suddenly blurting curse words out, he sort of assumes it's a normal part of Tourettes. Once you explain that it’s not as common as portrayed- actually, that only about 10% of those with Tourettes have Coprolalia- he’ll raise his eyebrows, his eyes filled with interest.

“Ah, you’re special then! Wait-”

While Mitsuba laughed in the last set of headcanons, it was your turn to laugh- Kou… he tries his best. He never means any harm, and would never do anything he thought would cause harm. That involved some… interesting words of encouragement. Sometimes unnecessary, oftentimes much appreciated.

If you need help on a particularly bad tic day, he’s there for you immediately! Struggling to type? Hand over your phone! Struggling to write? Don’t worry, you can take his notes! He’s your #1 supporter, as he would be for any of his friends- he’d feel rude if he didn’t try to help you when you were struggling.

Feel free to refuse his help, of course! His feelings won’t get hurt, and he’ll just be happy that he offered to help!

Change your mind, and he’ll immediately help you, no worries about refusing it previously- he’s got ya, he’s got ya.

Like Mitsuba, he’s also very patient. Sitting there, his eyes holding the same interest in your words as they would if you were continuing on flawlessly. He’s rather good at ignoring your tics, focusing solely on your intended words.

If someone makes a rude comment, he’ll get defensive- but, he’ll calmly, though a bit cooler than his usual tone, explain to them that you have Tourettes. If they continue to be rude after having him explain that, he’ll be less kind. Kou doesn’t put up with rude people, especially towards his best friend. He’s gonna defend you all day long, if that’s what it takes.

Don’t bother with an “I can defend myself, Kou-” because he’s well aware. He’ll say that he knows you can, but he’s going to defend you no matter what. You’re his friend, and it’s his job to protect you- or in his eyes, it is.

He treats you just the same when you’re having a tic attack. He isn’t exactly sure what to do, so he figures doing the same will work. He may ask if you’re alright, but he typically leaves it at that. Actually- he isn’t entirely sure what a tic attack is until you explain it. Once you explain it, he’ll ask you what he should do when it happens, and he will follow your instructions exactly- whatever they may be.

Overall, he’s Kou Minamoto! (Y/N)’s best friend and #1 supporter and #1 defense!!

Yashiro Nene <3

She had a slight grasp on Tourettes before meeting you, and definitely takes your words, along with some research she does at home, to understand what it is completely! She even looks into Coprolalia once you tell her you have it.

Like the other two, she’ll do her best to treat you normally. She’s well aware that you’re just as human as anyone else in the class, therefore you don’t deserve to be looked at as anything other than. Who cares if you’ve got any sort of disorder? You’re a person, not a circus act, and that’s final.

If you want others to ask questions, or are comfortable with jokes being made about it, that’s 100% your business. Yashiro isn’t going to get defensive if she knows it’s alright with you. In fact, if someone makes an offhand comment, she gives you a certain look, basically asking ���is that alright?”

Depending on your response, her reaction is different. If you don’t mind, she ignores them. If you do mind, she’ll glare at them. Yashiro isn’t the best at harsh words, but she still stands up for you, giving them a piece of her mind.

Yashiro is probably the most casual about it? She’s not quite as protective as Kou, but she isn’t quite as casual as Mitsuba. She’s just… an average, loving friend. Defending you when you need it, and holding the patience and care that you’d expect from, you know, a friend.

She’s a professional at brushing off Hanako’s teasing by this point, so brushing off your outbursts is no effort! Just as she pretends Hanako isn’t there, she’ll pretend your tics aren’t there. She’s patient with you, as the other two are, letting you take your time. She won’t get offended if you interrupt her with a tic, instead letting it happen, then continuing like nothing happened.

Yashiro definitely makes sure to establish that there is no need for you to apologize!! She’ll touch your arm, looking you in the eyes and telling you that you can’t help it, therefore it’s not something you should apologize for! You didn’t mean any harm, and she’s aware that suppressing the tics is either hard, not good for you, or nearly impossible. Especially around her, she doesn’t want you to feel obliged to suppress your tics.

“You’re my friend, (Y/N)! Don’t worry about it, really. It’s not your fault, so don’t apologize.”

Should you have a tic attack, she’ll try to comfort you, making sure that nothing caused it to happen. If something spurred it on, she’ll get you away from whatever it is, while also getting you away from anything you could hit yourself on, should you have tics that involve moving your body. Once it’s over, she’ll make sure you’re alright, doing her best to continue to comfort you. Overall, Yashiro really is a sweetheart. She’s your friend, and glad to be just that- and, as your friend, she’s going to stick up for you, and treat you like any other person should. We love her <33

[pandapupremade]

What Isn’t Seen

WORDS: 1,096

SHIP: Nobunaga Oda (SW) x Ruthe (S/I)

SUMMARY: Ruthe talks about her husband Nobunaga with one of his retainers, Hideyoshi, and how Ruthe acts with said husband.

NOTES: This was inspired by a fanart I found on Pixiv of Oichi doing Nobunaga’s hair. pensive. also Ruthe is a she/they trans man

Reblogs okay and appreciated, but not required!

-----

"Why do you suppose our lord chose you?"

The question came suddenly from Hideyoshi, a retainer of the Oda and a friend to many. Those friends included the person he was addressing with this question; Ruthe, the wife of Nobunaga Oda, the 'lord' he was referring to. The two were the only ones in the room at the moment, as Nobunaga had stepped out for an important affair...Though he hadn't specified the affair's nature, nor its purpose...

Regardless, Ruthe looked up in puzzlement, but in curiosity as well. "I'm sorry?"

"A-ah, do forgive me," Hideyoshi, on the other hand, quickly looked panicked, "I uh...It isn't my place to question Lord Nobunaga...or you, my lady."

Ruthe shook their head. "No, it's okay. I was just surprised...And...I'm not quite sure what you mean."

"A-ah, well...If I have permission to continue..." Ruthe would nod, and the soldier went on. "It's just...You’re so quiet, soft spoken...Quite the opposite of our Lord...it's quite unexpected, isn't it, that you'd be his partner?"

Ruthe gazed at him for a few moments - maybe a couple more than necessary - before they laughed. It was a soft giggle,  but one thing was clear; they were very entertained. "Sorry, sorry...But...You think so?" They hummed at his clear confusion. "I guess you do more often see me in a formal setting..."

"A -a formal setting? My lady, are you implying you're...well...putting on an act? No, I must be reading too far into..."

"A little too far into it, yes...But is it really so shocking? I mean...You and Nene act differently when you're alone, don't you?"

"Erm..." Hideyoshi rubbed the back of his head, "No, uh - Nene is very open no matter the setting...She's uh, sweet though. Wonderful...you know, all the reasons I married her for." While he spoke kindly of her, his eyes practically darted as if his wife was going to show up and tell him off.

"Right...I guess that it's true you're both quite honest," Ruthe murmured. "Still....I suppose I simply don't have that luxury. It's not like I purposely act different, though. I kind of just get nervous in social settings..." They looked at their lap.

"A-ah, so you behave properly in a form of anxiety..." Hideyoshi blinked. "I suppose that is understandable, in a way..." He rubbed the back of his helmeted head. "Though it makes me curious what you're like in Lord Nobunaga's presence..."

Ruthe nodded, and smiled gently. "Admittedly, I'm not an entirely different person or something...I just communicate with him a bit...uniquely."

"How so?"

Ruthe thought for a moment. "Come closer."

Hideyoshi tilted his head, but then did so, leaning in...Ruthe proceeded to yank on his helmet, pulling it over his face. "Gah! L-Lady Ruthe!" He flushed in humiliation, pulling it back up frantically. "What was that for?!"

Ruthe laughed lightly, "Sorry,  sorry...But that was an example. If my husband wore a helmet, I'd do the same to him."

"Suddenly, I understand why he doesn't wear one..." grumbled the retainer, crossing his arms.

Then, both were alerted by a knocking on the sliding door. "A-ah, come in!" Ruthe called, quickly regaining their posture.

"My lady," a servant entered, offering a warm beverage on a wooden tray, "It is terribly cold, so Lord Nobunaga sent to give this to you."

"Hm?" Ruthe blinked, but smiled.  "That was quite kind of him...Thank you." Accepting the cup, they sipped from it carefully.

The servant began to leave,  but Ruthe stopped him. "Um...Where IS our lord at the moment?"

"Ah..." The servant blinked, "Lord Nobunaga? He is currently getting his hair done by Lady Oichi..."

Hideyoshi and Ruthe both paused. The servant awkwardly excused himself,  and then Hideyoshi would cry in despair;  "That's the important affair?!"

Ruthe snorted, though quickly covered their mouth. "Yes, that does sound quite important, doesn't it?" Still, after a moment she would stand. "I suppose I shall go assist Oichi."

"A-assist?"

"Well, my husband's hair is hard to braid at times..."

"You've braided Lord Nobunaga's hair?" Hideyoshi was very much horrified in expression.

"...Not to mention, I imagine Oichi will want to put flowers in it...He'll need to be convinced-"

"Flowers?!" 

"Quite. He likes bellflowers, you know. It's quite cute..."

Hideyoshi stared. Then, he held his head in his hands. "I now understand there is much more to your marriage than anyone sees."

[anzynai]

Hi I saw the fandoms you write for and would like to make a request, if that's ok. Do you think you could make a hanako-kun fic, where nene is feeling sad and hanako and kou try to make her feel better.

Daikon Legs

Nene & Hanako & Kou (Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun)

A/N: hello hello!! another tbhk fic has arrived!! it might be a bit weird tho lmao...ok, not exactly weird but im not good with comforting stuff. AHHH IDK it has come off as a little ehh to me but i really dont know. eh well anyways i hope you enjoy!

summary: when nene is feeling insecure about her legs, it's up to hanako and kou to cheer her up!

word count: 1.3k

---

anyone could tell nene was out of sorts today. her face was noticeably more... blue. her voice was softer, her posture was a bit less neat than usual, and she didn't even put up a fight when hanako told her to clean the bathroom. the boys were getting worried. nene was unpredictable so they had no idea what upset her. hanako ended up ushering kou up to him and slinging an arm around his shoulders.

"any ideas whats wrong with yashiro?" hanako asked, while the exorcist shook his head. hanako sighed, hopelessly. the only way to figure out what was wrong would be to ask her directly. 

"i was actually hoping you'd know..." kou muttered, defeatedly and the two glanced back at her, feeling their hearts ache at such a mournful face. "maybe we should talk to her." kou turned back to the seventh wonder who nodded in agreement.

hanako, not wanting to seem different than how he normally is, floats to her, placing his hands on her shoulder. she stops, staring at him before planting a very obviously forced smile on her face. 

"yashirooooo, what's gotten you so down today?" hanako whined, while kou walked over to them, hoping she'd tell them what was wrong. 

"oh! ah.. hanako, don't worry! i'm okay!" nene spoke too quickly for it to be seen as true, but she wasn't a very good actor either. the smile on her face remained but she still looked very dejected.

"senpai..." kou's tone of voice told them both that he wanted nothing but the honest answer, and nene found herself unable to keep lying to her friends.

"i- i just really wish i didn't have fat ankles! i don't like my legs, why couldn't i have pretty, skinny legs like aoi!" she admitted in one breath as the two boys glanced at each other. they both knew nene felt insecure about her legs often but they never knew how to reassure her that her legs weren't ugly.

so they just stared, contemplating ideas, until a moment later, hanako's face lit up with a hint of mischief and cleverness shown in his eyes. 'follow my lead' hanako mouthed, before looking back at nene.

"dear yashiro, would you mind sitting down on the ground with me?" hanako asked, and both nene and kou tilted their heads, confusion painted on their faces. what a strange request.

despite that, nene obliges and kou sits on the ground as well. nene sits on her knees, though, but hanako asks her to pull them out. the seventh wonder grabs her leg; nene sits still, curious on what he was about to do until she feels a gentle stroke on her thigh.

"eep! hanako!?" she yelps as hanako continues stroking gentle lines down her leg, from her thighs to her ankles, as kou finally understands. the exorcist takes a hold of her other leg, mimicking the same movements as hanako.

by now, nene has dissolved into light giggles, but made no move to escape. a smile makes her way back to her face, to which she covers with her hands. kou gently pushes her hands away.

"you've been looking so upset all day, senpai. we just want to cheer you up!" kou smiles softly, placing his hands back onto her leg, readjusting his grip.

"that's right, yashiro! so come on, let's see that smile!" with that, hanako and kou finally begin their tickle attack. hanako starts wiggling his fingers, lightly scratching her knees. kou is a bit slower, but he starts scratching at her thighs. 

nene begins squirming reflexively as the two boys poke and scratch at her thighs and knees, giggling and squealing. kou and hanako feel their own moods being lifted as they hear her bubbly laughter.

“hahahanakohOHOHo! KOUhohohahaha!” her giggles became slightly more hysterical when kou began poking and squeezing at her thighs. hanako took notice of this, and his grin grew.

“oh, yashiro! are you more ticklish on your thighs?” the seventh wonder teased before moving his hands to her thighs and pinching the skin before nene even had a chance to respond. her laughter grew and she threw her head back, thrashing around wildly. 

“ahahAHAHA w-wahaAIT!” she cackled, while the two acted as if they didn’t hear her. except for kou, who may have lowered her tickling down a notch unconsciously. though, it didn’t exactly help because she was still laughing uncontrollably.  

“your legs aren’t ugly, nene. they may not be as skinny as aoi’s, but they aren’t ugly.” kou attempted to comfort her, though he wasn’t sure if he did well or if she believed him. 

“y-yehehES theheheHEHey a-arehehehehehe!” she denies, struggling to speak through her laughter. kou frowned at this and hanako’s face remained the same as he brought his hands to her sides, squeezing them. he had originally planned the focus to stay on her legs today, but decided she wasn’t ticklish enough there.

“then, i guess we’ll have to tickle you until you believe us! yashiro, you’re really pretty.” hanako quickens his tickly fingers on her sides while kou continues pinching and prodding at her thighs and knees. her face grew redder and redder through the endless teasing that came with it. 

nene had been tickled by the two before, on a day similar to this, so the boys were able the recognize and remember a few of her worst spots. after a few moments of ruthless tickling and nonstop howls, hanako and kou look at each other, the same thought in their mind. they give a nod of confirmation and stop.

nene, who was still laughing, realizes she no longer feels the ticklish sensations as her laughter slows down, finally coming to a stop and giving her a moment to breathe. but before she can get a full breath in, kou is already behind nene, gingerly holding her hands above her head and hanako teasingly wiggles his fingers closer and closer to her underarms. nene gulps, anticipation and nervousness in her smile. 

“h-hanako, w-wait. i’m too tihicklish theREHEHE” before she can finish her sentence, hanako digs in. it was easily her worst spot, giving the biggest reaction hanako and kou had ever seen. it had surprised them (and worried kou a little by how much she was laughing and not.. breathing) the first time they tickled her armpits. last time, they stopped after a few moments of tickling her there, but this time they were waiting for her to admit that her legs were nothing to be insecure about. 

“yashiro, you’re so ticklish here! don’t forget, we’ll stop when you say that your legs aren’t ugly~” hanako reminded her, though doubted she forgot in the first place. she was likely being stubborn but they’d make her admit it eventually. 

just a few moments of hanako scratching and scribbling under her arms had tears streaming down her face with loud, frantic laughter. both knew that she was close to her limit, so they eased the tickling just a bit. 

“OHOHOHOKAYAYAY! MYahHAHA LEHEHEHEGS AREN’T UGLY!” she finally admitted, as hanako finally put a stop to her ticklish torment. kou let go of her arms, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly. 

“are you okay? i hope that didn’t make you feel worse” kou asked, worried that they had gone too far. nene had fallen back, spreading out her arms, almost struggling to catch her breath. 

“no, no! it’s okay! i really do feel better now!” nene reassured them, seeing the worry on their faces. hanako scooted closer to her, and she reflexively raised her arms in defense, but relaxed as she realized the seventh wonder wasn’t going to tickle her again. 

“yashiro, you might not have skinny legs like other girls, but your legs aren’t ugly at all!” hanako tried to say as sincere as he could. he always knew she was insecure about her legs, but always called her daikon legs. kou nodded in agreement. 

“thank you, guys.” nene sat up, realizing that she really did have really caring friends. she flashed them a smile, but it wasn’t the same forced grin she gave earlier. it was different this time. it was genuine.  

*ok so i dont know if them complimenting her legs was creepy or not, it probably was lmao but idk how to have them reassure her and make her feel better about her legs :/

[kermitbread]

putting this here too. it's been a while since I've written anything proper and I've finished this on someone else's computer (I make do lol)

it's also in my AO3 :) ok see ya

Caw, caw, caw.

It was now dusk, the air becoming cooler now that the sun was setting. Everything was silent, from the far away cries of birds up in the sky, to the sound of a swing being pulled back and forth by the children's playground nearby.

The clouds were almost covering the sky, letting the sun illuminate through with a pretty red-orange color. As the wind began to pick up a little, Nene could feel that it was going to get real cold any time soon.

The clackety noise of a bicycle made her turn around. Well, she should have known. Amane always took the same path home as her, and automatically that made them companions everyday.

He pulled the brakes, letting his bike go to a halt. "Didn't I tell you to wait for me, Yashiro?"

"You were busy with Astronomy club, and I didn't wanna bother you." She admitted. Knowing how busy he was ever since he got the position as president of the club, she didn't want to waste too much of his time.

He chuckled, shaking his head as he got off his bike and set it on its stand. "You're never a bother to me, you know."

Nene had to avert her eyes away from him, her grip on her bag's strap tightening. It's times like this that made her feel so… strange. Just being around him would probably make her heart explode, with all the nonsense he would say.

"Hey, Yashiro. Look up over there." Amane's voice guided her back to where he was pointing at. The clouds slightly parted, and she could see the outline of the sun slowly descending downwards.

"The stars are about to come out. I heard there's gonna be a lot out later on when it gets a bit more dark, cuz the clouds won't be in the way for at least a few minutes."

Stars. She didn't know why, but hearing Amane talk about the stars felt comforting, somehow. Seeing his eyes brighten up at the mere mention of them, it was always a welcome sight indeed.

Nene heard him walk up to her side, and unexpectedly take her hand. "Let's go over there a sec!"

"Amane-kun, I'm gonna trip!" She tried to stop the red grazing upon her cheeks, staring at their intertwined hands together.

It was really not fair how he had her feeling this way so much.

He only laughed, proceeding to pull her along to the playground, right towards the swings. Upon reaching the first swing, he let her hand go at last, and she couldn't help but miss the warmth they brought from the chilly air.

"We're not little kids anymore, you know." Nene smiled regardless, sitting on the swing beside him. Amane was known for being the mature one out of him and his brother, but that didn't mean he didn't have a childish side to him.

"Swings are still fun, though. Age doesn't really matter here." Amane grabbed the handles, stepping on the seat of the swing. It wobbled around, worrying Nene.

"You're gonna fall, get down from there."

"Don't worry! I'm used to this." He started swinging back and forth, but Nene couldn't help but remain worried. What if he fell and broke a limb, or even worse—

With one last push, Amane stopped the swing from moving, hopping off, arms up in the air. He turned to Nene with a big smile on his face. "Ta-da!"

"You're lucky you didn't hurt yourself. That was dangerous, Amane-kun."

"You need to relax, Yashiro." He went back to the swing and sat down properly this time, kicking his feet forward a little.

A comfortable silence followed between them. Aside from the sounds of the chain swings going to and fro, and Amane's feet kicking up the dirt below, it was just peace and quiet.

The sun was now near the lower edge, and the stars finally clearly visible right up the darkening sky. Nene looked back at Amane, and was rather taken aback by the sight before her.

He wasn't looking right at her, but he had his eyes up at the stars above. The setting sun illuminated his figure, and it pretty much made him look like some kind of extraterrestrial being.

In a good way, of course.

"Hey." He finally averted his gaze off the sky, turning back to her. "You think there's anything out there that's watching us right now?"

"You mean like aliens?" She asked, and he laughed, as if the question had sounded silly, which it was.

"Something like that, I guess. But have you ever wondered about the possibility that there's something out there, probably light years away?"

Nene hummed, making the swing she was on go back and forth a bit. "Not really. What brought this on, Amane-kun?"

The sun had since long gone, the moon now taking its place up the sky. She couldn't help but notice how Amane's face brightened up at the sight of the moon, and once again it was something that somehow gave her a strange sort of comfort.

She wondered if she did the same to him, in some kind of way.

"I want you to know… that I really really like you, Amane-kun!" The phrase hung around her mouth for so long, all she needed was a little push for it come out.

How would he react, though? Would he accept? Would he just take it for her as one of her jokes? Knowing him, he'd definitely not take it seriously.

Maybe it was best she didn't say that out loud. Not like this, anyway.

"It might seem weird if I tell you." He stopped kicking on the ground, letting the swing gradually come to a stop. Nene shook her head at that.

"I'm sure it won't! You can tell me."

Amane contemplated for a second, the both of them looking at each other intently. Seeing no doubt in her expression, he gave in, turning back to the moon.

"Remember the time we first met? Back in middle school."

Of course she did. It was an important day to remember, after all.

"Yeah." She answered, not really sure where this was going. The nightly air became a bit more chillier, and she rubbed her arm, trying to get herself to stop shivering.

"I found you sitting by that swing you're on, bawling your eyes out." Amane rose both hands to his face, making a mock-crying pose. He had to swivel backwards when Nene tried to shove him off the swing.

She huffed angrily, glaring at how he could only laugh at the whole situation. "For your information, I was suffering a terrible heartbreak that day!"

"Ah, yeah. That jerk of a senpai who turned you down."

"Are you bringing this up just to make fun of me?!" She couldn't see how anything good was coming out of this conversation.

"No, no, it's not like that at all." The teasing tone he had in his voice faded to something more sincere. One by one, the light posts around them lit up as the sky darkened more, and the stars popping up at every corner.

"It's kinda weird, but I was kinda glad you were there that day."

Red eyes blinked owlishly. At her confused expression, Amane let out another light chuckle, leaning himself forward so that his elbows were propped on his legs, head tilted at her.

"I believe there's something out there looking out for you, Yashiro. And I think that's what lead me to meeting you in the first place."

Ah.

Why was her heart beating so fast again?

"L...like a guardian angel? Don't be silly, Amane-kun. You out of all people should know that." Nene waved her hand at him, trying to dismiss his words and the fact her cheeks were beginning to turn red yet again.

He got off the swing, walking towards her and squatting down in front of her so that she could see him face to face. Something tells her he was being serious about this.

"How else would you explain this?"

"Eh… uh… explain what?" It was hard trying to get into eye contact with him without getting flustered about it.

"You, me. An unsuspecting couple of kids. We literally don't match up in terms of how we want to live our life. Yet, here we are." To further prove whatever point he was carrying across, he removed both her hands off the handles of the swing and led them to her lap, their fingers intertwined and all.

Suddenly it didn't feel so cold anymore.

"Something out there cared enough to let our paths cross that day. It knew I'd care enough to stay by your side. Don't you think so?"

She felt frozen on the spot, unable to do anything but watch him, as through the street lights, through the soft shine of the moon, he smiled.

"...yeah. Yeah, I do. I really do." Almost mindlessly she nodded. She had to be careful; she didn't know what she'd do if her heart had bursted from all of this going on.

"To be perfectly honest, I was also happy you came along, Amane-kun." Now her gaze turned shy, preferring to look at the ground below them than right at his eyes.

"You're annoying, you're a perv most of the time, and you never take anything seriously…" She had to grin a little when she could feel Amane grimace at those words, like he had been struck physically.

Finally gathering up her courage, she lifted her head back up, her smile directing to him. "But things probably wouldn't be the same if you hadn't sat there next to me and spoke like my life depended on it."

Here goes nothing.

Nene leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, and if you think about it, they were awfully looking like a princess giving her knight a reward for his duty.

Doesn't sound too bad, to be honest.

"So thank you, for heeding that call. Thank you for being there by my side."

Amane became a little flustered from the sudden act of affection, as he could only sit back up rigidly and nod. He had a silly little smile on his face, though, and that was enough to know what he was currently feeling.

There were so many words he wanted to say to her, so many things he wanted her to know.

"I want you to know—"

"Y-yeah." Was all he could muster out as a reply.

Nene giggled at his unusually shy demeanor, standing up from the swing and picking her bag up to her shoulder. "Well, it's getting dark out now. Let's go!"

To his surprise, she was the one who grabbed onto his hand first, and she was the one who was now dragging him along the path, smiling all the way.

That crooked, goofy grin of his came back, as he just let her lead him far away, never taking his eyes of her.

"—that I really, really like you, Yashiro."

[naughtydaaikon]

Wonderstruck

Title: Wonderstruck 

Also on Ao3!

Fandom: Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun

Rating: T (warnings for some spicy kisses)

Word Count: 9,282 words (funny story, this was supposed to be like 3,000 words HAH.)

Summary: 

Hanako had never specified the time for when she would die. He didn’t seem to know either, other than the fact that it would definitely be this year. What if this is it? She thinks, icy horror stabbing at her heart like the honed blade of a butcher’s knife. What if this was the moment of her death?

Alone…

In an unfamiliar place…

Without Hanako-kun.

Was she going to die without even being able to say goodbye to him? Without even being able to see him one last time? The villagers squabble amongst themselves around her, but their voices seem far away, the sound of her own heart pounding more loudly than a large hand against a drum drowning them out.

----

Nene has some important realizations in the midst of a precarious situation, and Hanako is amazingly stubborn about all of them. (Post Chapter 67 fic).

Notes: So, I’ve taken the plunge and written by own chapter 67 fic. I just couldn’t help myself. This entire arc I’ve been dying for some Hananene development. Okay. Let me be honest, I’ve been dying for a Hananene kiss in an unfamiliar place -- just like Nene described in her idealised love event. So, here I am! I hope that you all enjoy the fic. Please leave a comment on ao3, or here -- or in my inbox if you enjoy the fic! I love talking with other Hananene fans~

----

“It’s one of those famed love events you always get to hear about! At an unfamiliar location! Then, a gentle kiss!”

 ----

Yashiro Nene had always been a dreamer.

It wasn’t uncommon for her to weave all kinds of intricate fantasies, whimsical daydreams in which she was the star of some fantastical romantic plot. The role that she chose for herself was often the same — always the beautiful heroine of her own dashing love story to be whisked off of her feet by some stunning prince who adored both her and her chubby, thick ankles. Heroines in stories always found themselves at the center of a magical adventure, whether that adventure was being spirited away by some powerful evil or experiencing the painfully sweet throes of first love. So, Nene couldn’t be blamed if she often craved a little bit of that for herself, too, right? 

Then, she wonders as she is surrounded by the unnerving masks of indifferent villagers while standing near the ledge of a very tall cliff. Why does it feel like I’m being punished for wanting those things?!

Nene had always been a little too idealistic, easy to mess with, and impulsive. Those were the characteristics that had first drawn her to Hanako-kun’s bathroom in the first place. She had wanted a wish granted — had craved love — at any price. Nene had wanted that affection even if it meant offering a part of herself to an apparition that she hardly knew. She hadn’t thought of the consequences of those actions, not until she was already covered in wet scales and breathing through slitted gills. Still, she likes to think that she hadn’t done anything quite so foolish since that point again! 

Well.

Then again, there was the time that she had nearly gone off to become a fish apparition for the chance at her own harem… and the time that she had gotten tricked by Natushiko-senpai because he was hot… and the time that Nanamine-san and Tsukasa-kun had nearly sent her off to nowhere because Nanamine-san was just a little too beautiful and the cakes she had been given were just a little too good… and…

Okay, but I didn’t do anything like that just now! 

She holds her hands up as the villagers advance all around her. They argue amongst themselves as Nene struggles to figure out just what was happening. Today had to have been the longest she had ever experienced. It was right up there with the time that she had gotten stuck in Shijima-san’s picture world and that really hadn’t been all that long ago. She had simply wanted to spend time with her friends at night during study camp! She would be able to make some good memories with Aoi. Maybe she had even hoped that someone special (who definitely didn’t have Hanako-kun’s face in her fantasies, no sir!)  would ask her out and pull her away from her friends for a little alone time. It was possible that she’d even get her first kiss if she were proactive enough! Though, most importantly, she would be able to distract herself from dwelling her shortened life span for just one night of peace and fun. 

Clearly, that was not going to be the case. Then again, since coming to Kamome Academy, was anything ever just simple?

Instead, Aoi had been kidnapped and was now behaving...strangely. She’d pushed them into the pit that had led them to this strange feudal hamlet that seemed to have been cut out of the fabric of time. It was a place that went against everything that Nene understood about boundaries. Shijima-san’s boundary was like this too. It was almost normal until something sticks out like a sore thumb, something that reverberates within one’s soul that this wasn’t quite right. Like a moon and stars that are far too visible to have been from Kamome’s rooftops in the brightly lit city of Tokyo, or in this case, a small town that was more at home out of the history books that she sometimes perused for friends.

No water that nipped at her heels, soaking her legs and bringing forth scales — no crooked and misshaped atelier that didn’t belong — just a small village filled with people who wore masks of kindness, so twisted by their own fear that they forced young girls to smash their bodies onto the jagged rocks at the bottom of a cliff in what was a vicious mockery of marriage. 

So much for a fun night with friends! 

A night that was supposed to be filled with fun and games with her classmates had quickly dissolved into a nightmare that she wasn’t sure that she could escape. Nothing was ever just normal at Kamome. Even taking classes, the most normal and boring part of being a high school student could quickly shift into something sinister amongst the sturdy halls of the school. She’s been sick with worry for Aoi from the moment that they had ended in this awful place.

It’s not fair! That thought plays on a loop track within her mind just as the mask clad villagers seem to finally realize that she wasn’t actually Sumire-chan. “I’ve been saying all along that I’m not Sumire-chan!” Nene screeches, hands balling into fists in a rage. Why is this happening? It had all happened so fast, and now, it only seemed to be spiraling even further out of control. Her belly aches, legs still weak from when she had been punched. This isn’t a wedding at all!

No, Nene knew weddings — they were beautiful events where two people would be joined in love forever. This… her eyes drift back to the cliff. She can hear the waves of the ocean crashing against the cliff-side and shivers. The wind shrieks, howling as it buffets her body. One wrong step and she might go tumbling over into the frigid waters below. The bride of death. 

This wasn’t love. 

She isn’t sure what this is, but Nene knows that without a shred of a doubt. Sumire-chan…. seemed so happy when she was talking about getting married to Number 6! She couldn’t have known… 

Nene suppresses a shiver, swallowing thickly as her legs wobbled. “What’s with all of this?” Then, they had meant to throw Sumire-chan from this ledge? They had meant to kill Sumire-chan like this? They had manipulated her feelings to lead Sumire-chan to her own death? She thinks of Nene’s sweet, forlorn smile back in the bath. She had thought that she seemed lonely back then, a melancholy permeating her features that Nene hadn’t been able to understand. Tomorrow is a very important day, after all. 

Had she known?

Had she known that the only groom that would embrace her beyond the large arched torii on this cliff was the frigid ocean waters as it swept her into the abyssal dark?

Her face grows indescribably hot, teeth clenching. “You call this a wedding?” Her pulse quickens, fury ballooning inside of her at the injustice of it all. “Don’t tell me you were going to kill--” she’s silenced with the threat of a sharpened bamboo staff being brandished towards her. “Kyaaaaa!” Nene had been met with many dangerous situations while in boundaries, but never anything that ever felt quite this real. The edge of the shaft looks as though it’d make quick work of her if she even so much as tried to struggle any further. One jab of that and… 

She doesn’t want to think about it.

Unease rolls like corrosive sludge in her chest. She hadn’t wanted to think about her own mortality during her study trip. It’d been plaguing her from the moment that she had learned of her fate while in the painted world even though she’d been showing a brave face off to Hanako and Kou. She’d only wanted one day to be a normal teenager, having a fun night with friends, cooking, and playing games without acknowledging the swinging pendulum that inched ever closer over her head. 

What if this was it?

Hanako had never specified the time for when she would die. He didn’t seem to know either, other than the fact that it would definitely be this year. What if this is it? She thinks, icy horror stabbing at her heart like a honed blade of a butcher’s knife. What if this was the moment of her death? 

Alone… 

In an unfamiliar place…

Without Hanako-kun.

Was she going to die without even being able to say goodbye to him? Without even being able to see him one last time? The villagers squabble amongst themselves around her, but their voices seem far away, the sound of her own heart pounding more loudly than a large hand against a drum drowning them out. 

She thinks of Hanako’s kind smile last night as he patted her head sweetly, bidding her goodnight. He’d probably stayed up all night to keep watch. She should’ve insisted that he sleep, but he had taken precautions to keep her safe, once more. He never worried about himself, after all. He viewed himself as nothing more than an afterthought. He was so gentle and she hadn’t even trusted him enough to tell him about Sumire-chan. 

I said I’d protect him, she thinks, blinking back tears, throat burning as a sob builds there. But I just let him take care of me again. I didn’t tell him about Sumire-chan and now I might never see him again!

No, she thinks, raw panic spiking as one of these villagers grab her wrist with a frigid hand. “No! Wait!” She’s pulled back against the person, but they were just too strong. “Stop! Let go!”

The voices of the villagers grow louder, echoing around her into a crescendo of sound that encircles her like a ring of fire. It’s deafening. Her knees feel as though they’re going to give out, palms growing slick with sweaty terror. 

“Well done catching her.”

“Drop her off just like that!”

“Congratulations, Kannagi-sama!”

“Congratulations!”

When had congratulations ever sounded like a eulogy? 

No, no — no! She can’t do anything like this. She can’t run, and even if she did manage to break away from this man, she’s sure that she wouldn’t be able to fight off the crowd. She’s trapped, nothing but a weak high school girl with no special powers besides her own impending death. She’s going to die. They’re going to trap her or make her walk off of that cliff, and Hanako was nowhere to be found. 

Nothing familiar was anywhere to be found.  

If she’s going to die, then she at least wants to see Hanako. At least once. There was still so much that she hadn’t told him or thanked him for. She hadn’t thanked him for agreeing to grant her impossible wish back in the painted world. She hadn’t even managed to thank him for protecting her from the moment that they had fallen into this den of spiders. She hadn’t even told him how she felt about it. Not properly, at least. She’d only whispered that secret to a boy who she had thought was nothing more than a copy in what was just a happy dream. No, she didn’t just like Hanako. This emotion was far greater than that. She can feel it filling up her heart, no -- her entire being like helium. 

Nene knows what this is.

She knows it by the way that she can use at least 50 different colorful adjectives to describe the exact hue of his eyes -- from the way that his smile sends her into near cardiac arrest. She’d grown so used to the unnatural coolness that emanated from his body that she had come to crave it. She felt safe in his arms. It felt right to be with Hanako. As though that was where she’d always belonged. It was almost funny, she was a girl who was always a little too silly -- a little too clumsy and a little too overly romantic to fit in fully with her peers, and yet the affection that she always craved -- that sense of this is where I’m meant to be -- came from the cold embrace of a ghost. 

And the last thing I said to him was good night. 

He… didn’t know that she loved him.

I love him, and the realization is so simple, so natural, that she wonders why she didn’t realize it sooner — and she’d never even get to tell him. It’s not fair! She’d realized that she truly loved a boy and he’d never even get to know? She’d die without even being able to tell him? That was the only thing that she’d ever wanted for as long as she could remember, and knowing that it was all about to be taken from her was just too much to bear. She was already going to die and couldn’t even do the one thing that she’d always wanted? Maybe it was a selfish desire, but it’s choking her, clogging her throat as she screams. 

“No! Hanako-kun!”

The wind howls, cloth fluttering all around her as she is suddenly pulled against the sturdy, cool chest of the person who’s captured her. The mask falls away from his face, revealing hooded eyes as golden as the incandescently lit full moon in the sky and the too-wide, almost feral smile that she never failed to make her heart feel as though she’s just finished running a marathon. Time seems to slow to a snail’s crawl as his hand entwined with hers, just as cool and comforting as it always was. 

“I’m heeeeeeere!~” He drawls, voice airy and cheerful, as though they weren’t caught at the mercy of a violent mob. Her throat tightens, tears of pure relief prickling at the corners of her eyes. Was she… dreaming? Perhaps this was some kind of elaborate hallucination just as she was pushed over the edge?

No —

He feels just as solid and cool as he normally did. A body that emanated no warmth, and yet Hanako himself was nothing but the balm of summer in the way that he made her feel. That was the same. It was really him!

Hanako-kun was here?

Perhaps it’s because he’s dressed in the same manner of the villagers and maybe it’s because the wind is still buffeting the two of them, but Nene is caught up within the magic of the moment. Hanako looks like something out of a storybook or a manga -- a powerful knight protecting a princess. She blinked back tears. He was here! He was okay! “Hanako-kun…?” She whispers, and this feeling that swells in her chest is more intense than the punch to the gut that she had received earlier. It feels as though she’s breathless, eyes still blurry with tears as she looks up at him. Had his smile always been this soft? His eyes, always so bright and filled with kindness — and perhaps… relief? 

He wraps his arms around her tightly then — so tight that it feels as though he doesn’t want to ever release her. There’s a slight tremble in his voice as he murmurs, “Sorry I’m late.” His cheek nuzzles against her throat, and she can almost feel the slight brush of his lips. It’s ticklish, but also so inviting that she almost melts into his arms. Hanako-kun was here. Relief rushes through her. Hanako-kun was here. Everything would be okay, now. She wouldn’t die with him around. Hanako-kun always kept his promises, after all.

She closes her eyes, sagging against him. She isn’t going to die. 

I’m not going to die… She repeats that thought to herself even as her knees buckle as her tension evaporates.

Maybe she’d even get to tell him —

“Sorry, but,” he flings the mask into the face of one of the more vocal villagers. The man cried out in pain as it collided with his skull, knocking him off of his feet from the force of the blow. “--The wedding is canceled!” The arms around her loosen, as one of his hands sliding down around her waist as he uses his other hand to rip the formal clothing off of himself, revealing his normal gakuran attire. Then, he squeezes her tightly, arm pressing her against his side. His cheek brushes against hers, much like a needy feline demanding affection. “I can’t just let some nobody out there take my assistant as a bride, right?” 

He speaks with such conviction, brandishing his knife towards the crowd. He’s still smiling, but the arm around her waist holds her securely.  Nene relaxes against him. If Hanako was here now, nothing could possibly go wrong. He squeezes her in a reassuring way and there’s something possessive about the action, as though he’s the one claiming ownership of her. 

Or -- perhaps, that was wishful thinking on her part. She so badly wants to be claimed by him. Her cheeks grow warm and she can’t help herself from throwing her arms around his shoulders and clinging to him just as tightly as he had done to her earlier. 

He’d saved her again. 

“You’re here, Hanako-kun!” She pulls back, and cups his cheeks, squeezing and stretching them out to make sure that he was really real. “It’s really you!” He laughs outright, then, eyes still focused on the people that were surrounding them. His voice sounds so merry that it’s enough to soothe some of her fear. 

“Yashiro, at least wait until we’re alone before you feel me up,” he teases, smile hardening as some of the villagers close in, finally regaining their bearings after Hanako’s sudden appearance. “We still have an audience of nosy pests here, after all.” He nuzzles her cheek again and she has to struggle to suppress the embarrassing whine that wells up in her throat. “You naughty daikon, you!” Nene flushes indignantly. He was really going to tease her right now? And was now really the time for daikon jokes!? “I’m not feeling you up!” If her voice was any higher at this moment, she’s sure that only dogs and small animals could hear it. 

Though, she can’t deny that there’s a part of her that wants very much to kiss him at this very moment. He just looks so heroic -- almost majestic as he bravely faces off against their enemies. It was at times like this that Hanako seems just as dashing as a prince out of her favorite novels. It didn’t matter that he was shorter than her, or that his cheeks lacked the angled sharpness of the men that she typically preferred. 

He was just Hanako -- the boy who was entirely dedicated to keeping her safe. The boy she loved. Her heart hammers. At least it was getting easier to say now. 

“Retrieve the Kannagi!” One of the villagers shouts loudly. It’s chaos as the angry group attempts to rush them. Weapons are drawn, pointed at them -- all manner of spears, swords, and sharpened bamboo as they jab the weapons towards the pair. “She must not escape!”  Hanako frowns, leaping backward as the crowd continues to approach. They were determined to have their sacrifice one way or another, it seemed. 

They’re trying to push us to the edge of the cliff! Nene realizes, horrified as they draw ever closer to the edge. 

“Yashiro?” Hanako asks, hand gripping even more tightly around her waist as her feet hit the edge of the cliff. “Are you scared?” 

She swallows anxiously, wondering just what kind of question that was. “O-Of course I am!” She tries hard not to look behind her. The rocks at the bottom of the cliff looked so sharp… “B-But, you’re not going to let anything happen to me?” She pauses. “Right?”

The grin that he gives her is more blinding than the sun itself. “Of course not!” He says, voice filled with confidence. “So, there’s no reason for you to be afraid, alright?” He nods as though confirming that simple fact to himself as well. His other arm joins the one tucked around her waist, eyes darting towards the cliff. He looks back at her, his smile growing wide and cat-like as his eyes take on a hooded appearance. 

“You trust me, don’t you?” Nene’s brows furl. Why was he asking her all of these questions all of a sudden? This was beginning to feel all too familiar, even if she couldn’t put her finger on why. 

“Y...Yes?”

“Good.”

The knife in his hand dissipates as though it hadn’t even existed. Why was he putting that away? Wasn’t he going to fight the villagers--

Oh no.

Nononononono.

He wasn’t —  

“H-Hanako-kun--” she says worriedly, “Hey, wait a second — AAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Nene screams wildly as he suddenly scoops her up into his arms, carrying her bridal style before he turns away from the villagers and takes and leaps off of the cliff. It feels as though her heart has leaped into her throat, as though her stomach had just dropped right out of her body. Hanako laughs merrily as the wind pushes against them like an assault. “Look out belooooow!” He calls out. If Nene weren’t currently screaming at the top of her lungs and clinging to him with all of her might, she would’ve wrung his neck. 

Her vision spots, a sort of fog entering her head. It’s as though she’d been thrust into static, white noise crackling in her ears.

Well, she thinks as the last traces of her consciousness begin to fade away. I’ll have time to strangle him later...

Among other things. 

-----

Nene awakes sometime later, groaning as she rolls onto her back. Something soft is cushioning her and she’s wrapped up as though bundled in a blanket. Her clothes are still wet, leaving her shivering as she grabs the edges of the blanket, holding it tighter. She can hear what sounds like dripping water, as though a glass of water has been spilled. There’s a rhythmic beat to the drip, one that is almost calming enough to lull her back to sleep. Her vision blurs as she opens her eyes, sitting up as she rubs the tiredness from her eyes. Wherever she was, it was dark. Only a small amount of light seemed to slither through openings that were in the ceiling or roof of this place. There’s some kind of stone surrounding her, as well. 

Was this… some kind of a cave?

She looks down, discovering that what she wasn’t actually a blanket, but heavy layers of clothing. They resemble the clothing that the villagers had worn. No, not the villagers… Hanako-kun had been wearing this as well when he had rescued her, hadn’t he? 

“You’re awake? Good,” she jolts at the sound of Hanako’s voice. He’s sitting beside her, knees drawn up to his chest. He gives her a small smile, cheek resting against his knees. His hands brush over her bangs. “You know, Yashiro -- it’s probably not normal to pass out like that all of the time. Those fainting spells can’t be good for your heart. Were you just that excited to be in my arms? For shame!” 

In his arms?

She’s puzzled before memories of leaping into the icy water below assault her. She must’ve turned into a fish! She was still drenched and her eyes narrow as she glared at the boy beside her. Jerk! It wasn’t the fainting spells that weren’t good for her heart, it was him! “A little warning would’ve been nice!” She barks back, sitting up fully now. She jabs an accusing finger towards him. “Why are you always throwing me from high places! That’s what’s not good for my heart!” she hits his arm, causing him to wince and rub at the abused skin. She chooses to ignore his innuendo-laden comment. Honestly! Did she have to be in love with such a perverted person?

Her heart flinches.

Right. 

She’d realized that earlier, hadn’t she?

That knowledge makes her grow strangely rigid. She covers a hand over her heart. It was pounding so loudly now that she worries if he can also hear it. Throughout that entire ordeal, she’d been afraid of dying and never seeing Hanako-kun again. She can still feel all of those emotions, taking up space inside of her, threatening to explode. Nene isn’t sure that she’d be able to put the lid on them again. 

Or if she even wanted to.

She’d made a promise to herself earlier, hadn’t she? 

It hangs over her head like a guillotine. Nene’s face grows redder, palms clammier as she sits rigidly. She had made that promise — and now she would need to make good on it. She casts a cautionary glance towards Hanako, who had already slid closer to her. “Hmm? I did give you a warning, didn’t I?” He wraps one of his arms around her, snaking it around her waist as his chin moves to rest on her shoulder. She’d long since grown accustomed to this kind of invasion of space from him. Though, with her earlier revelation in mind, it’s as though she can feel his embrace that much more. 

Even with their bond, Hanako’s body rarely had a solidness to it that seemed real unless he was touching her. He was like the moonlight filtering in through the cracks in a window. If she reaches out to touch him, he’d slip right through the gaps between her fingers fading into nothingness. 

But now? It’s as though every nerve within her body is heavily aware of him. As though she’s realized something, so vital, so crucial that she’s stunned that it’s taken her this long to realize that he’s always been right there. Solid. Firm.

Real. 

She only needs to reach out —

“You didn’t,” it’s an olympic feat to keep her words from jumbling together. It feels like her heart has been replaced by a drum, being struck with violent force. Did he hear it? He had to hear it! It was more like thunder than a heartbeat at this point! 

“You just asked if I trusted you and then flung the both of us off of a cliff, mister!”  She jabs an accusing finger against his chest, making him yelp and flinch back. Good, she had space. Space to think. Space was good. In fact, she scoots her butt a few inches in a different direction, putting even more distance between them. “Speaking of which, where even are we?” She’s sure that her voice is getting squeaky again. Kind of like she’s just breathed in a tank full of helium gas. 

Not good.

He casts a glance towards their left, amber eyes narrowing towards that direction and she sees the shining of sunlight in the distance. “I found a cave along the bank at the bottom of the cliff,” he explains, following her like a needy cat would. Nanamine-san really had been onto something with that comparison. Hanako captures her in his arms again, rubbing his cheek along the exposed clavicle of her throat and she’s sure that at this point, her heartbeat best resembles the rolling thunder of a storm. 

“I think we should stay here until it gets darker. Those people might have given up the chase by that point.”

It was a solid enough plan. The last thing Nene wanted was a fight, but the idea of staying alone with Hanako for that long was doing odd things to her insides. She feels all twisted up, like she’s a rag being rung dry as she sits behind him. Then again, she’d already spent an entire night alone with Hanako on the previous night. All alone in a darkened room, with nothing but the slight, dim lamp of a lantern to illuminate both of them. Come to think of it, that had been pretty intimate, hadn’t it!?

She hadn’t even considered —

“Aren’t you Gon’s lover?”

SKDFSLKDFS;KDFSKFIJS;LEDFSLFSF’S!

“At that point, we can search for Number 6’s Yorishiro,” Hanako continues, oblivious to her internal meltdown. “I’ll make sure that we escape as soon as possible. If I’m not careful you might just nearly end up as someone’s bride again,” his eyes sharpen as he glances at her out of the corner of his eyes, his smile dropping. He pinches her cheek as though to admonish her and Nene winces, releasing a whine of pure mortification. 

“It’s not like I wanted to get married! Everything just happened so fast — and where were you all that time, huh?” She turns in his arms, her annoyance enough to make her momentarily forget all about her dilemma. 

He had been beside her when she had first fallen asleep, only to be gone by morning. She couldn’t imagine that he had left her side after insisting that he’d stay awake in order to keep watch throughout the night. Hanako had been on edge ever since first arriving at this strange place, after all — not that she could blame him. Nothing had gone right since they had arrived. Even Hanako, who was normally as powerful and brave as a dashing knight had been subdued by Sumire-chan earlier. 

Nene can’t remember ever seeing Hanako so quickly bested, not even when he’d been beaten by Yako-san back in her boundary. Even then, that had been temporary. He’d been able to hold his own until she had finally found Yako-san’s yorishiro. 

To her relief — disappointment — she doesn’t know anymore — Hanako releases her, dropping his hands down to his side. He leans his head back against the wall of the cave, staring up at a small slither of light that peaks through an opening in the ceiling of the cave. “Our retainer friend found it prudent to incapacitate me while you took her place,” he’s dropped the teasing tone, voice going flat as his hands ball into fists, filled with tension. He uses one hand to pull the bill of his hat down, obscuring his eyes. “For a moment, I thought I wouldn’t make it in time.”

Large doe eyes widen, “You mean… Sumire-chan knew what was going to happen?” 

Hanako makes a soft sound of affirmation.

No — she’d seemed so genuine when speaking of her love for number 6. She’d wanted to marry him. She didn’t think that kind of emotion could be easily faked. Wait -- hadn’t the villagers said something about that? It was difficult to remember most of what was being said during all of the shouting and confusion, but one thing had stuck out. “To run from your duty… What a failure of a Kannagi you are. 

Duty.

If it was the duty of a Kannagi to literally wed death, then it made sense that a mortal would need to die to be with her betrothed. The villagers had all escorted her to the torii gate, speaking of marriage and showering her in congratulations, but had all grown panicked and angry when she had tried to run. Come to think of it, one of them had mentioned they hadn’t want to use the strange drug that they had poisoned her with. It all aligned in her mind neatly like pieces of a large puzzle being arranged.

“She… tricked me?” Nene asks faintly.

“She tricked us both,” he reaches for her hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “Remember what I said? She’s a retainer. Nothing but a puppet on strings--

“No!” Those words swell in her chest and then burst out of her before she can even stop them. “I — I know Sumire-chan isn’t like that!” 

Sure, it wouldn’t have been the first time that Nene had saw the good within someone who didn’t deserve it. She’s oftentimes naive, easy to trick, and impulsive, ignoring red flags that were waving right in front of her face. Hanako had told her that she was a sucker for hot guys and apparitions and with all of her past experiences, she knows that he’s right about that. 

Still.

She’d seen Sumire’s memories while in that dream-like state. At least, that’s what she thinks those feelings were. Glimpses of a life that had been cut far too short. Of feelings that had been manifested, and yet never fully requited. At least not in the way that Sumire-chan would have wanted. They had to have been her memories, right? It was like whenever she removed the seal of a yorishiro. Nene’s face scrunches up, lips pursed tightly and nose wrinkled as she thinks. Number 6 hadn’t shown a slither of remorse as he watched Sumire march steadily towards death. She tries to imagine what she would feel like in a similar situation -- if the person that she loved -- if Hanako had watched her die without even batting an eyelash.

Pain as sharp as a stab wound to the chest all but knocks the wind out of her. 

She can’t even imagine it. No — she doesn’t want to imagine it.

Those feelings… they couldn’t be just an illusion? She knows…. She just knows that Sumire-chan was no mere puppet. 

Hanako’s fingers cup underneath her chin, lifting her eyes towards his. “There’s no need to defend her,” he admonishes, lips pressing downward in apparent displeasure. His eyes harden. “You were nearly killed because of her. You understand that, right?” His voice has gone flat, like he got when there were all kinds of dark emotions swirling inside of him. She didn’t always understand it, but this was the side of Hanako that always unnerved her. He’s normally so playful, so kind to her that she often forgot that it existed at least until it appeared once more. He holds so many secrets, keeping his emotions bottled up inside of him, displaying them to no one but his own demons. 

It’s only at times like this that Nene truly feels her age. She’s nothing but a silly, 15-year-old teenaged girl. She’s Yashiro Nene — dreamy, reckless, and totally gullible and he’s the honorable Hanako-san of the Toilet. He’d lived a life that was drenched in blood, sin and now walked a solemn path of duty and  atonement in death. It’s always a little hard to wrap her head around. 

It was… frustrating. 

“That’s true,” she mumbles, sighing in a pleased way when he moves his hand up from her chin, cupping her cheek. It’s cool, lacking body heat as usual, but she appreciated the gesture, regardless. “But — I just… don’t think that she’s just a puppet, Hanako. She feels like she’s...real,” and if Number 6 had made her into his yorishiro — a real, breathing person with thoughts and feelings — then she must’ve been important to him? Had he changed his mind? If they had tried to make her take her place, then perhaps they were trying to save Sumire-chan from her fate?

Could she blame her for that?

If she could only be with Hanako-kun at the expense of another person, then…

She isn’t sure what choice she would’ve made.  She didn’t think that she could actually hurt someone knowingly, but also couldn’t be upset with Sumire-chan for her betrayal. There’s an ache in her heart that hasn’t subsided since she’d been drugged. A lonely longing that nearly swallows her heart entirely. 

Sumire-chan’s feelings...

She averts her eyes from Hanako’s oche ones, pulling the decorative haori snuggly around her shoulders and staring down at her knees. 

“She must’ve had her reasons,” Nene says confidently. That had to be it. She’s absolutely sure of it. 

“Yashiro.”

Hanako sounds disappointed, tone morose as he says her name like a parent scolding a child. “The only reason that she feels real is because she is a manifestation of Number 6’s memories,” he explains, though she can tell that there isn’t much patience within him at the moment. “She is a reflection of who he thought she was, but in the end, her will isn’t her own,” ochre eyes harden as his hand falls from her cheek and back to his side. She falls quiet, choosing to listen to him speak.

“He is looking for a kannagi,” he says softly. “To take her place. That’s why he took your friend Aoi in the first place. She’s not actually real. He wants to change that, as ridiculous as that even is,” when Hanako got like this, his words could become as corrosive as acid. 

“Why is it ridiculous?”

“Huh?” Her question clearly catches him off guard as his eyes are drawn back to hers. 

“Why is it ridiculous that he’s trying to find a way to keep the person that he loves by his side?” She asks quietly. She touches her heart; it’s throbbing with an emotion that wasn’t her own, and yet was so familiar. It’s a borrowed emotion, but it’s also her own. She understands Sumire-chan. She can even understand Number 6. “I think he’s being selfish like Yako-san was… and like how I used to be when I first sought you out for a wish, but I don’t think wanting to be with the person you love is ridiculous.” 

Her near-death experience was still too close. She’d been desperate to see Hanako, too. Just to see him one last time. Had that been a selfish wish? 

She’d even made a promise. 

Hanako’s brow furls, “Yashiro… what they’re doing is putting people in danger,” he says, this time taking her shoulders in his hands. He squeezes them, as though pleading with her to understand. “It put you in danger.” 

— And there it was.

Nene blinks, and the answer seems so obvious that she’s surprised that she hadn’t noticed it sooner. “You were afraid that I’d die.”

He nods, sighing as his head drops down, forehead brushing against her shoulder. “I.. thought that I wouldn’t make it to you in time. She had used her spiritual powers on me in the morning so there was nothing that I could do to stop those people when they came to get you. If I’d been any later…” 

If he’d been any later… 

That possibility remains unspoken, even as her chest grows tighter, something itchy forming in her throat. Words are lodged there and when she parts her lips, it’s hard to force her voice through them. “I would have died.”

“You would have died,” he repeats, nodding against her. His forehead is just as cool as the rest of his body. “We still don’t know when your lifespan will run out.”

That was true. 

Then, he lifts his head, smiling in that gentle way that never failed to make her belly throb with yearning. It’s such a kind, sad smile. It was less Hanako and more like Amane, the boy that she had seen in Tsuchigomori-sensei’s memories, though that wasn’t exactly right, either. Hanako was a role that he plays, and he hadn’t been Amane in many years. Or perhaps this smile was the real him? The person beneath the role. The person that Amane had become. 

He’d said before that the dead had no future — that nothing new could happen for those who had died, but… Nene’s not so sure that she believes that. He’d grown — changed, hadn’t he?

“Besides,” he tells her, giving her a playful but light flick on the forehead. “I told you that I’m going to grant your wish for you. You don’t doubt my abilities do you?” He pouts, donning the Hanako-san mask again effortlessly. A flirty gesture of a playful joke from him has always been an effective distractor for her, after all. She’s not sure why, but it makes her kind of angry. He’s rarely truly honest with her, not about his feelings at least. 

Perhaps that is what spurs her on.

She’s not sure where her confidence comes from. It surges in her chest, making her grab the collar of his gakuran as she tugs him forward and all presses her lips against his. 

He releases a startled gasp, even when their teeth clink together. It kind of hurts, honestly. 

I messed up! She thinks, absolutely panicked. Her lips were throbbing from where she had all but headbutted (lipbutted?) him, and she goes rigid against him. Their lips were still mashed together, but neither of them moves an inch. Nene can’t help but think that this was nothing like the books or even her own fantasies. Hanako’s lips were cold, and he was stiller than a block of eyes, his entire body taut with tension. He seems shell shocked, but she can’t exactly blame him.

She’d moved before her brain had even had a chance to catch up with her body, after all. Nene was a lot of things and a quitter wasn’t one of them. I promised, she thinks to herself, steeling her resolve, even if she wants to pull from the badly aimed first kiss and run for the hills. She promised that she would tell him how she felt about him, and she couldn’t continue to have cold feet.

After all, he’d been just as scared as she had been before… right?

He hadn’t wanted to lose her, either.

And if a first kiss ended this pathetically, she thinks that she’d actually drop dead from humiliation. So, she pushes through it, softening her lips so that the kiss became less of an aggressive assault and more of a chaste peck. Come to think of it, his lips were rather soft, weren’t they? They feel nice, inspiring a warm, pleasant feeling in her chest. She pushes closer, lips pressing more firmly against his own and Hanako makes a sound that sounds remarkably like a dying, yowling cat. 

It’s only then that she pulls back, face burning hot from her own boldness. “I’d never doubt you,” she says firmly. “I was just afraid before, back at the wedding. It was really scary but -- and for a second I thought I wouldn’t be able to see you again. That was scarier than when I thought I was doing to die,” she admits in a rush of words. Her heart thrums loudly, and suddenly it feels like the cave has grown excessively hot. She chances a glance at Hanako and nearly gasps herself at what she sees.

He’d been red back when she’d kissed his cheek before, too.  Though now, it was though his skin had been dyed with the color, splotches of color burning across his face. He gapes at her, as though she had grown a second head. It’s like his body has turned to stone. It feels like an eternity before he finally speaks. “Yashiro,” his voice is barely a whisper, trembling the entire time. “What are you doing?”

The answer seems so obvious to her that she almost laughs. Well, she would’ve laughed if she didn’t feel nearly just as faint. She’s sure that her face looks just as comical as his own. Though, his reaction brings her some relief. He’s just as out of his element as she is. “What do you think it means when a girl kisses someone, Hanako-kun?” She wants to sound sophisticated and sure, but her voice is chipmunk high. She’s sure she sounds just like Black Canyon-chan right now. She still can’t quite believe herself, either. She’d kissed him! She kissed Hanako! 

“I --,” he swallows like thick sludge is lodged in his throat. “You shouldn’t--.” he pauses as though trying to collect his thoughts. He tugs at the collar of his gakuran, fidgeting as though ants had crawled into his clothing. “You shouldn’t do things like that. I’ll get the wrong idea.”

Wrong idea? That statement throws her mind for a loop. How would he get the wrong idea from a kiss? She thinks that it’s pretty self-explanatory! Kisses usually only meant one thing, after all. He can’t be this dense, right? She had even told him that she liked him back in the painted world. She’s sure that he knows that, right? 

“W-What’s the wrong idea?” She demands, small hands balling themselves into frustrated fists. “I told you before, right? I like you!” The words are out before she can stop them, but she’s far too annoyed to even care about that right now. Her first kiss and he has the nerve to look like his favorite hamster had just died. 

His two index fingers press together as he fidgets, “I know,” he mumbles, then glances back at her, almost shy. “I just -- it’s probably not a good idea, you know.” She can tell what he must be thinking. He’s dead and she’s...not. Even if her wish is eventually granted, she will eventually need to leave the school and move on from Kamome academy. Her life would go on, and his wouldn’t.

It isn’t much of a future.

Nene had already thought about all of that.  If it wasn’t her shortened lifespan, she’d often spend her nights agonizing over her feelings for the ghost boy. It was love, but a doomed one. A relationship with a supernatural had a time limit, even in the best of cases. 

“There’s so much that you deserve,” he continues, and her breath hitches when he leans forward, lips brushing against her cheek. He hadn’t done anything like that since the incident with the confession tree. Her belly works itself into knots, especially when he wraps an arm around her waist. “I can’t give you any of that. I’m dead, Yashiro. I can only promise to fulfill your wish so that you can live to your 90s and go marry some lame fantasy prince.” He moves his free hand to ruffle her hair, smiling in that frustratingly self-sacrificial way. As though that was that. Like the discussion was over. 

It feels strange to hear him echoing her previous desires. True, before meeting Hanako, all she could dream about was being swept off of her feet by a tall, stunning prince-like boy. All of those wishes feel hollow now, like emptiness gnawing at her heart. 

She still wants love.

It’s just --

“I don’t want any of that unless it’s with you, Hanako-kun.” His eyes grow as wide as saucers, the light filtering from the top of the cave makes the gold within them sparkle like moonstones. He opens his mouth and she knows that he’s going to try to keep fighting her on this. He had so many reasons why this wouldn’t work.

I’m dead, Yashiro.

I can’t take you on dates, Yashiro.

I can’t grow old with you.

I’m bound to Kamome. 

You deserve better than me.

Unfortunately for him -- she doesn’t want to hear any of them. 

Nene surges forward, kissing Hanako again. This time, she sits up onto her knees, invading his space and taking his face into her hands. If she can’t convince him with her words, then perhaps she can convince through action? Nene tilts her head and parts her lips. There, that feels a bit better than just kissing with her mouth squeezed closed. Hanako’s lips are slightly moist. They shiver as she carefully another kiss to the corner of his lips, and then the other.

This didn’t feel as awkward as last time, but Hanako is still far too rigid for her liking. “We can go on dates in the boundaries,” she says as she pulls away. She loops her arms around his shoulders and moves to kneel in between his parted legs. Sometime in between her kissing him again, he’d sprawled back slightly, legs splaying and arms reaching out as though he wants to grab onto something, though he isn’t quite sure what. 

She brushes her lips against his lips again, softer this time as she opens her mouth experimentally. That feels… kind of nice, actually. There are no fireworks, but she begins to feel a slight, almost ticklish feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Even if you can’t grow old with me. I’m sure that we’ll figure something out. I just… I just want to be with you, Hanako-kun,” she draws back and makes direct eye contact this time.

She needs him to understand that.

None of those superficial things mattered to her anymore. It would all feel empty without at least trying to pursue her feelings for him. “And you -- you keep saying that I deserve better. But what about you, Hanako-kun?” He tenses at her words, and she knows that she’s nailed the true crux of the problem. Her eyes soften, and she presses her forehead against his. “Don’t keep saying that I deserve better than you. When I want you — and you — don’t you deserve some happiness, too?”

His eyes squeeze shut, pained. His voice sounds raw, as though he’d cry at any second, “I don’t -- Yashiro. There’s so much you don’t know--” “And I’m telling you that I don’t care!” She yells, cutting him off. It hurts to hear him speaking that way about himself. She knows that he’s killed -- his own brother, no less. But, she’s seen enough of his past self to know that he wouldn’t have taken such drastic action without there being some sort of reason. She didn’t know what that reason was, or if there was any excuse for murder. He’d promised to tell her everything when he was ready to and she was more than prepared to wait for him. 

There’s so much that she doesn’t understand about Hanako.

— But she can’t bring herself to judge him for any of it. 

His expression is one of slack-jawed shock like he can’t quite believe that she exists. She kisses him again, harder this time. She wants him to understand. No — she needs him to understand. Luckily, it’s this kiss where Hanako seems to finally regain some of his brain’s function. Or at least, his body has finally caught up to what was happening. He releases a soft, almost strangled sigh as his hands wrap around her. It’s a tight, almost desperate sort of hug. It’s like he’s never hugged anyone before in his life like he’s starved for her.

He clutches at her back, fingers digging into the fabric of her kimono as he finally returns the kiss. His lips part, mouth opening as he draws her bottom lip into his mouth. Nene whimpers, a thrill of pure heat blossoming in her chest. One of Hanako’s sharper teeth caught on her lips. It drags along the swell of the tender flesh, and while it stings, it also inspires a feeling inside of that that is so sharp that she can’t help but shudder.

What -- is this?

“Yashiro,” Hanako murmurs against her mouth. “Do you really mean all of that?” His question is a probing one. He sounds nervous, excited, and terrified all at once. He changes the angle of the kiss, inclining his head as his tongue swipes along the underside of her lip. If her insides had been jumbled up before, it was as though one thousand tiny butterflies had all been jammed inside of her belly now. She can’t stop the soft whine from escaping from her. He’d -- he’d just spoken, hadn’t he? 

“Y-Yes,” she admits, hands moving from their position up to his hair. She’s not sure why, but it feels right to do that. His hair is soft to the touch, like satin on her fingertips. Nene swipes his hat off of his head in her enthusiasm, and she’s not sure where it falls off to, nor does she care. “I want to be with you, Hanako-kun,” she repeats, feeling as though she is in a haze. Her brain feels like it’s filled with cotton candy or clouds as soft as the ones that had been in Shijima-san’s picture world.

She’d wanted to kiss him then, too.

He groans, this time ducking his head away from her mouth. She wants to protest from the lack of contact. Why had he stopped kissing her? Kissing had just started to feel very nice and she beginning to see what all of the fuss was about —  

He kisses the underside of her jaw and she whines. She wants to cover her mouth. She’s sure that sounded pretty embarrassing, but Hanako doesn’t seem perturbed by the sound at all. If anything, it spurs him on, his lips dragging down from along her jaw as he peppers kisses wherever he can find exposed skin along her throat. The collar of the kimono was high, and he couldn’t get as much access as she would’ve liked. 

Oh.

What is she thinking?!

“Yashiro — Yashiro,” he whispers her name against her skin. His lips part, open-mouthed as he draws the skin of her neck into his mouth. She trembles, goosebumps breaking out along her flesh from the feeling. Now that feels like fireworks. 

She finds herself on her back, Hanako sprawled out on top of her and she’s not quite sure how they ended up in this position. Her heart feels so full -- like it might burst at any moment. Hanako runs his fingers through her hair, combing his fingers through her scalp and it feels so nice that she can’t help but close her eyes and moan. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, but she grabs both of his cheeks, tugging him down to kiss him silent once more. 

“Don’t apologize.” Why would he be sorry for this? For making her feel like this.

For being as close to death as she was, she’d never felt more alive. 

“I just — ,” he struggles with his words. “I want this — I want to be with you, too,” his eyes burn, and as he draws away. No, she thinks breathlessly. I want more. Kiss me more — “I feel like I’m dooming you. If — if we’re together… then can I really grant your wish?” His hands tremble as he moves a hand down to cradle her cheek. “What if I want to keep you all to myself? I just...feel so selfish.”

More. More. More —

She kisses each of his cheeks and then finds herself fumbling with the buttons of his gakuran, if only to gain access to his throat. He sounds so stunned, head falling against her shoulder as he presses his body against her. Did he feel the same way that she did right now? He had been covered in so many bruises in the past when he was alive. She wonders if anyone had ever touched him with the intent of causing joy — and not pain. 

A tornado storms inside of her, feelings too intense for her to even put a name to overwhelming her. She can feel tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. Their situation wasn’t exactly a fair one. Two doors were set before her. Death or life. Both options would take her away from him. Though, when he holds her this way — and says such sweet, honest things, Nene thinks that she’d be alright with dying. At least if it was like this. 

Was this -- how Sumire-chan felt? 

“Then have me,” Nene whispers. “Let’s be together.” 

He chokes on what sounds like a sob, eyes glittering with unshed tears as he smiles down at her. He chuckles.

“So many wishes. How can I keep up with granting all of them?” He uses his fingers to wipe at the tears that had begun to fall freely down her cheeks. He brings one of her hands to his lips, brushing them against the back of her palm. “You’re so needy, Yashiro.” 

“It’s a boyfriend’s job to grant his girlfriend’s needy wishes,” she returns his smile. Then, she kisses him again, opening her mouth he can suckle on the tip of her tongue. She shudders -- yes, this is where she is meant to be. 

“Is that so?” 

“It is,” she affirms, quieting him again.

She isn’t sure how long they were meant to last -- but Nene does know this. 

She’d brave it all for him. 

---- 

The end.

----

[elizabeatrice]

Feeling Blue, Seeing Red (Chapter 69)

Let’s Talk About JSHK Manga #5

Updated: 19/8/2020 (more thoughts)

Bea is back with the lame punny titles~

Warning: !!! MANGA SPOILERS UP TO CHAPTER 69 !!! Duh.

Soooo I opened the raws this morning. Saw the spicy and went 'ohh shoot'. Then some of y'all say that some folks are hating Akane bc of this chap. I proceeded to panic, because fandom war is scary af. So I translated the chap for myself. And I just gotta say:

Aoi, Nene, your boyfriends are idiots. Y'all gonna be punching and headbutting the idiocy out of them for the rest of your lives and I'll be willing to pay for your karate classes.

The teen drama made me laugh so hard ahahahaha I guess this is what you get for hoping sensei will drop a bomb this month lmaoooo.

P.S. Teru you little shit

Man I don’t even know where to begin. This chapter is oozing doraaaaama and I can’t take it seriously no matter how much I try. I remember thinking, “Shoot, this is the ‘I hate you, I hate you too, proceed to make out’ trope in JSHK’s classic ‘oooh serious moment, eh? PSYCHE!’ style,” before bursting into laughter.

I swear I’m not making fun of it.

Because it’s already fun to begin with. Ahahahaha.

I do however, take seriously the long-awaited insight into Aoi’s mind. I hollered in joy, y’all. ‘Cause like ... finally!

(Also like ... ngl the development of Aoi and akaoi in this arc might come into play in my Shrek AU. Pls don’t ask. Yet. That’s not the official AU name I swear I just wanna confuse my readers ahahaha)

Back when chapter 64 came out I wrote something that was supposed to be the first of the Let’s Talk About JSHK Manga series but I ended up not posting it because I wasn’t sure about a bunch of things. Here’s an excerpt from that post, titled ‘Aoi and Her Blues’:

I mean, what did the minions do to her? ‘Remove unnecessary things’. Someone said they removed her inhibitions (I’m terribly sorry I forgot who said this because it’s been so long so I can’t put the link here, but if you know, feel free to send me the link).

But she has to be brainwashed, right?

She remembered enough about Nene. Enough to call her out on her feelings (that she still denies btw lol) and recognize Hanako from Nene’s wonderful description (or because Aoi could see him all this time and never said anything, who knows?).

Most importantly, she remembered Akane.

So apparently they weren’t unnecessary enough to be erased from her memory. Which I’d beg to differ if I were going to make this girl willingly sacrifice herself.

Would she let her best friend fall down into a pit full of giant insects, or let her childhood friend get impaled? I mean this is the same girl that cried when Akane and Yamabuki got together (by accident) and when Nene started talking to herself like a madwoman.

So yeah. Definitely brainwashed. Pretty sure now.

The one thing that bugged me is what she said though.

“I’ve always wanted to go somewhere far away.”

“Nothing will stop me from getting my wish.”

Btw these aren’t accurate word for word I’m just drawing from memory.

Is that a wish forced upon her by the brainwashing, or has Aoi been depressed all this time and ... y’know, therefore thought about ‘going far away’? I’m personally leaning more towards the first, but it still got me thinking.

Remember back in The Clock Keeper arc when she said there was something she wanted to tell Nene?

Can some creepy hands showing up in the gardening club’s album photos really warrant that kind of expression? Is it just me who got disappointed when the thing she wanted to tell Nene ended up being just that?

But if she did have such thoughts, why?

Maybe she was lonely? I mean Nene got so busy with supernatural shenanigans. Akane’s busy with student council stuff (and school wonder stuff). Though I don’t doubt for a second that he’d drop everything for Aoi, but Aoi’s not the kind of person to do that. And to be honest, I feel like so far Aoi hasn’t been shown having genuine interaction with anyone aside from Nene and Yamabuki without the other person being completely enamored by her. And even with Yamabuki that was just in that After School chapter.

So I guess my hunch wasn’t that far off. Still though. Still though. Is she or is she not brainwashed? Because as much as Aoi likes-but hates-but actually kinda likes Akane, I still don’t think she’s the type of person to stab her childhood friend until he’s got a hole through his fucking torso.

Throwing Nene into the bug pit I guess makes more sense if Aoi knew all along that the pit won’t lead anywhere too dangerous, and that Hanako wouldn’t leave Nene’s side. Nene’s perfectly safe with him. Sorta. She did get kidnapped and were about to be sacrificed after all. But heeey Hanako still showed up to save her in the end.

Stabbing Akane like that tho? Even if she knows he wouldn’t die in a boundary especially in his school wonder form? It just doesn’t feel like Aoi, man.

Then again she did say no one really knows her, and that anyone who does would end up being disappointed in her.

I’m really happy to know that she does not, in fact, appreciate all the attention given to her. Comedy framing aside, constantly having some random guy approach you to ask you out presumably every day is ... annoying at best. Kid deserves better.

So ya girl got some extreme trust issues. Strangers, even Akane and Nene, I could understand. But her dad tho? Is something going on in the Akane household? Bruh ....

How long has Aoi not been able to trust anyone enough to let them get close to her? Because if she’s been feeling like that about Nene all this time, Imma be super sad bruh. Nene is one of the most genuine kids ever (perhaps only second to Kou).

I understand that Aoi’s disappointed because Nene’s been keeping secrets, but honestly, who would believe you if you come up to them and say, “Hey so I summoned a toilet ghost and now I’m stuck as his assistant. The rumors about supernaturals are like, totally real, and can endanger everyone in this school for real, too. Also I turn into fish when I come in contact with water.”

Sensible best friends would either a) not believe you, or b) try to get you as far away from supernatural shit as possible ‘cause hello? Ya ain’t Miles Morales ya can’t just blast What’s Up Danger when monster of the week shows up.

Even if Aoi does let it continue, wouldn’t she wanna get involved? Would Nene let her get involved when Tsukasa’s still around? Ya girl got cursed, thrown off the top of a boundary, sent to literally nowhere and everywhere, almost got her body stolen by mirror monsters, kidnapped and taken into a fake world, and now trapped in literal Grim Reaper’s realm. Honestly, who would involve their best friend in this sort of shit?

It just makes me sad to think that all this time Akane and Nene have genuinely cared about her but she didn’t think they were. Aoi, my girl Nene literally threaded hell boundaries and high shallow water to save you!!!

Unrequited platonic love hurts just as much as romantic ones, y’all ....

Speaking of romantic love.

Hey, uh, Akane. For claiming to despise Hanako and calling him a slimy pervert, y’all kinda act the same way with your respective girlfriends when things get a bit heated up, huh? Even the teasing part.

Boy, you’re dumb af. You deserve that.

There it is y’all, it’s official. We got punches for akaoi and headbutts for hananene.

You deserve this too. But Teru’s face here is really annoying, I’ll give you that. Teru you little shit.

At least you’re finally gonna be useful. Let’s just see.

Hmm I guess I have to address the thing now.

Ahem. The thing. The pushing (pulling?) Aoi down, grabbing her neck thing.

Yeah I don’t get it either. Whether it was a creative choice taken in consideration to the actual character’s state or to just pander to the trope that seems to be marketable in Japan or both, I don’t really know.

I do however, have to remind you that none of these kids are in their right mind. One is possibly still recovering from the effects of brainwashing and dealing with not only extreme trust issues and insecurities, but also the sight of a gaping hole on her childhood friend and perhaps crush’s torso, not to mention having to deal with this in the middle of nowhere. The other one is the said person with a gaping hole on his torso, who almost lost his life-long crush, and even got stabbed by her in the first place.

They’re lost. They’re tired. They’re emotional. They’re frustrated. They’re two hormonal teens.

I think Akane thought Aoi wouldn’t listen to him unless he makes her. Which is why he went with exposing her by saying he hated her. Which is still a dumb move in my opinion. But Aoi rightfully got back at him. And honestly I didn’t think he really hurt her. I mean, it’s Akane after all. *shrugs*

The way I see it, the entire thing was a result from not only their current condition but also the uh ... not telling each other how they really feel all this time. Aoi with her issues, Akane with his secrets. They’re a ticking bomb. It’s horrible that they ended up hurting each other because of this (physically and emotionally), but I could see why it went like this. These two are flawed. Most importantly, they’re teenagers. They’re bound to fuck up in this equation.

Heck, I’ve fucked up worse in less endangering situations before.

But heeey once things get cleared between them they fall right back to each other. Sure things aren’t entirely resolved. But they’re gonna be okay. Teru’s there. Should be fine. Probably.

The thing is we as the audience who come into the story with a clear head can easily figure out the best, most sensible way to deal with the characters’ problems. But these problems affect the characters in (physical, physiological, psychological, emotional) ways most of us can’t immediately empathize with, which can make their bad decisions frustrating for us to see. We know it’s wrong. And when these characters have calmed down and healed, they’ll know that it’s wrong, too. If they’re not dicks, that is.

You know how it feels when you’re fighting with someone, and you know the best thing to do is to talk it out, but you just can’t bring yourself to? It makes things worse, right? And you’re frustrated, right? Unfortunately that’s just how humans are.

Even I let my emotions get the best of me when I judged the villagers’ actions back in chapter 68 hahaha (but I still think they’re awful).

It’s just my opinion tho.

And whooo everyone is officially here but Yamabuki (and Sakura and Tsukasa, but they’re bound to show up)! Catch up soon, my citrus child.

Lastly, I have the moral obligation to remind you that if akaoi’s confrontation ended up like this, imagine how hananene’s would be.

I’ll leave you to your deductions.

As always, feel free to discuss. Just ... don’t fight, onegaishimasu.

[magioftheseas]

Burdensome

Summary: Sometimes, Hanako gets annoyed that he's the only one of the group with secrets.

Rating: G

Warning: None, really. I guess implications to Hanako’s vague past?

Notes: I honestly wrote this just to see if I could come up with a simple enough idea that would then be made into a fairly short fic. I’m trying to get more productive in my writing, see, so sometimes I have to resort to methods like that. In fact, I was so fixated on the idea of completing this before the day was over (and I had like, two hours before it did) that I ended up missing the deadline for applying to a zine I wanted to apply to. Now THAT’S burdensome.

***Alternate Ao3 Link***

Commission? Donate?

The world is filled with secrets. He’s known from the beginning that there are a lot of things that are kept from others. Crushes, concerns, dreams, ambitions, motivations—the deepest aspects of a person were often the most hidden.

He knows this well, and yet—

Those two are a bit different.

“Hanako-kun, what’s up?” Yashiro would ask, and the young exorcist would also glance his way. They both had such wide, honest and open gazes. “You’ve been staring for a while.”

“I was thinking,” Hanako says, waving his hand with his usual smile. “You two are way too easygoing.”

“Coming from a spirit!” Minamoto bit back as Yashiro similarly protested.

“I have plenty of worries not in the least thanks to you!”

“That’s not what I mean,” Hanako laughed. “You two are also pretty naïve, aren’t you?”

“And what is that supposed to mean, Hanako?!”

“Yeah, Hanako-kun! What do you mean?!”

What do you think?

Irritation nips at him. His smile twists the slightest bit.

Normal people have secrets. Normal people have baggage that they wouldn’t share with the world. I’ve observed the students here enough to know that hasn’t changed over the decades. You two, on the other hand...

Open books. Both of them. Even with their torn pages.

“Never mind,” Hanako chirps. “I was just thinking.”

“I bet you were,” Minamoto huffed as Yashiro pouted.

“I swear, Hanako-kun. It wouldn’t kill you to be more honest with us sometimes. You’re way too secretive.” She does pause, however. “O-Of course, I only expect you to tell us things when you’re ready.”

“Yeah, what senpai said.”

Even with the verbal agreement, there is a flicker of aggravation in the young exorcist’s eyes. An open book. Hanako already knows what he’s thinking about. It’s obvious. Too obvious. Minamoto Kou was a simple man of simple concerns, after all. He wanted to be respected, but he wanted to protect those around him. His family, friends, Yashiro—and the other Mitsuba.

Even now, Tsukasa lingers between them like blood in the water. They’re both just too afraid to bite because matters could escalate and that wouldn’t be ideal when Yashiro’s always a factor. That—and Minamoto was kind. He and Yashiro were both kind people. There was that, too.

Kindness was often granted as a privilege. It shouldn’t have been such an easy, accessible resource.

It’s cumbersome—how much the two humans that Hanako is closest to just don’t act like normal humans.

Yashiro was tugging at Minamoto’s sleeve, and she sways him into resuming their cleaning. With a sweet and disarming smile, the matter is settled and discarded. It might not ever get brought up again, because these two aren’t the types to hold grudges.

They’re kind. They’re just very, very kind.

How infuriating.

--

“Is there a reason why you’re giving those two attitude all of a sudden?” Tsuchigomori asks him. “You’ve got them complaining to me about you, Honorable Seventh. And y’know—I can’t exactly reprimand you as your teacher anymore.”

“And yet, you’re reprimanding me,” Hanako pointed out, tucked between the curtains. “I assume you do want me to stop.”

“It’s just troublesome behavior,” Tsuchigomori says with an impassive shrug. “Troublesome for them, for you, for me. Rather than just bottling it up, you should just vent.”

“It is annoying,” Yako chirped up in the midst of grooming her tail. “Those brats are going to keep on whining and it’ll soon be troublesome for everyone.”

“Don’t think we asked your opinion, dumb fox,” Tsuchigomori muttered, to which she hissed back.

“It’s hard to nap peacefully when everyone is as gloomy as you!”

“It’s because,” Hanako spoke up. Immediately, Tsuchigomori turns to face him, ever attentive. “I’m frustrated.”

“With what, exactly?” Yako asked, muffled against her tail. “Don’t tell me you’ve gotten bored of them.”

“Oh no, they’re still plenty fun to mess with.” Hanako waved his hand. “However—don’t you think it’s weird? Yashiro and that boy are both so simple. They don’t really have any deep dark secrets.”

“They don’t,” Tsuchigomori confirmed. “As transparent and blatant as they come. Do you feel awkward, then? Like you don’t fit in? You’re already an apparition, Honorable Seventh.”

Even as a human, I wouldn’t have fit in with them. Even acting as a human, I had to distance myself from them.

“Keeping secrets may be natural, but it is a burden you must undertake if decided.” Tsuchigomori inhales, sighing out smoke. “Even so, don’t act out so much.”

“They’re both still bratty garbage humans,” Yako murmured, ever unimpressed. “Tasteless and tactless.”

“I’m sure you’d make tasty udon,” Hanako cheerfully remarked.

Yako snorted, but curled up into an unassuming ball all the same.

“Honorable Seventh.”

That smile on Hanako’s face remained, even when stared down by Tsuchigomori’s stern, knitted glare.

“Do those humans make you feel inferior?”

Yako’s ear twitched, but she mercifully kept any further commentary to herself.

“Maybe a little,” Hanako admitted, laughing. “I get it. I’ll apologize. I’m sorry for the trouble, sensei.”

Tsuchigomori didn’t look remotely reassured or convinced.

Haven’t you prodded a little too much already? I could still squash you like a bug.

Aha. Those thoughts sound like something Tsukasa would say.

Hanako leaves without another word.

--

“You don’t have to say anything.”

Yashiro speaks the second he slinks in. She’s not looking his way but her hands are fisting into her skirt.

“It’s not like I don’t understand—sometimes people have a lot more going on. I get frustrated, too, when I see Aoi able to laugh off guys confessing to her. Aoi’s really carefree. Sometimes I envy her so much that I get upset.”

Hanako blinks, tugging at his collar awkwardly.

“Yashiro...”

“I know!” she exclaims. “So don’t—don’t treat me as if I’m shallow just because I might not have as much going on as you do! I’ll have you know I have plenty going on!” She turns on him, fierce despite her tears. “I-I actually really want to have a bunch of rodents! And I want to have a huge garden! A-And not only to I want to marry a handsome boy—I also think I want kids! A-A boy and a girl! It’s too early but—who knows! Having beautiful children might be really, really fun! I don’t know—but I think about it! One time I dreamed about my own daughter making fun of me for my legs! And I woke up crying!”

She was still crying right now, in fact.

“I’m going to graduate and I still want to be friends with Aoi even though she’s inevitably going to an elite college that I could never dream of attending! I-I also want to make more friends. I-I heard that—once you get to college, people start caring a lot less about their appearances...! But that because everyone’s all matured, they’re still super attractive...!” Yashiro blubbers. “I-I’m gonna graduate, I’m gonna go to college, I’m gonna grow up, I’m gonna get my garden, my rodents, my husband, my children, and, and, and... I’m still going to visit you if I can... Because I don’t want you getting lonely. Even if Tsuchigomori-sensei teaches here forever, I—I’ll worry about you, Hanako-kun.” She sniffles. “I’ll worry...a lot. What if you completely go off the deep end without me and Kou-kun? I’m—so worried!”

“Are you saying I’ll become a villain out of loneliness?” Hanako asked, mildly offended, mildly amused. “I was lonely before I met you for a long time.”

“That might make it worse,” Yashiro mutters. “Losing your friends is awful, even if you were friendless before.”

Friendless. I wasn’t really friendless. That said. That said...

“The fact that you’re so compassionate really does irk me,” he said. “Yashiro—you’re way too kind. Please be careful.”

“Or I’ll be taken advantage of, you mean?” Yashiro’s frown deepened, her cheeks darker. “I’m not helpless, Hanako-kun. I’m not always going to need you to save me. I’ll do my best to manage on my own. As well as I can.”

“I believe you. After all, I have underestimated you in the past.”

“Hanako-kun...” Yashiro huffed and she stomped forward. Raising her hand, she furiously ruffled Hanako’s hair. “You’re so immature! Don’t act like you’re not!”

“H-Hey, Yashiro.”

She knocks off his hat so that she can ruffle him harder.

“Immature! Childish! Bratty! Meanie! Hanako-kun!”

“Y-Yashiro, cut it out!”

Yashiro finally laughs at him. Hanako glares back, but then, after a while, his expression twists.

“Sometimes, it’s so heavy I can’t move. I should be glad you can move about so freely.”

Yashiro shakes her head, smile strained but sympathetic.

“We’re friends, Hanako-kun. If you want me to shoulder the burden with you, all you have to do is ask.”

I won’t. I refuse.

But Yashiro does hug him, and it’s far too easy to fall into her embrace.

She really isn’t one to be underestimated.

“There, there,” Yashiro coos, petting his hair. “There, there. Just let Nene-nee help you.”

Hanako chortled.

“I’m half a century older than you.”

Yashiro chuckles.

“You’re still a child, Hanako-kun.”

Still a child. She really is naïve. As if all I am is a child that desperately needs reassurance and validation. I needed more than that. We both did. But, still. Still, still, still.

Hanako’s lips pressed closely together as he buried his face into her shoulder.

I guess this is still nice.

[cutesuki--bakugou]

Destination Procrastination

Main Pairing: Katsuki Bakugou x Koge Naegi (OC)

Rating: Teen

Words:  2815

Genre: Fluff / Humor

Warnings: Cursing

a/n: @aizawasbedtimestories helped to inspire this wonderfully cute idea, so I just had to do it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Just cute fluffy early-relationship stuff that I live for. 

“What do you mean you need help? Utsuro, you’re a whole year ahead of me, I don’t know what the fuck you’re learning in math!” Bakugou glowered down at Koge as she stood patiently outside of his dorm room door, her entry blocked by her agitated boyfriend. “And you just showed up out of nowhere, what if I had shit to do tonight!” 

“Do you?” The simple and direct question from the petite woman instantly brought heat to Bakugou’s ears. He expected such a response, but what he didn’t expect was for him to want to give in to her request so easily. They had only been dating for a couple of months at this point, and though they had been best friends for most of their young teenage lives, how close he had gotten to her romantically had been a bit staggering. He had thought that it was maybe a little too fast, and though all these feelings were new, he wasn’t necessarily scared of them. Instead, Bakugou knew damn well that if she came inside his room right now, there would be no studying. 

Koge was easily distracted, especially by him. There would be an attempt at first, but it wouldn’t last. No, she’d start rambling on about something pointless, or talk him into turning on a movie of some kind so they could waste their night away. Which, if he was honest, was something that he would enjoy much more than studying math. Trying to use the excuse that he didn’t know what she was learning wouldn’t work, as he had already bragged to her how advanced in the curriculum he was, leaving all those ‘extras’ behind. So sure, he could help her, if he could keep her on track. 

“No, I don’t.” Bakugou responded in the same blunt manner as her question, narrowing his eyes at her as he leaned on the doorframe, hands shoved into his sweatpants pockets. “But still, it’s common courtesy to ask first!” 

Tilting her head casually to the side a bit, Koge hummed softly, rocking back and forth on her feet. “Well, since you have no plans, will you help me study? Please? This shit is really confusing!” With a frustrated huff, Koge glared down at the large textbook in her hands. “I’ve never been good at math…” 

“And what do I get out of it?” 

Shifting her backpack off her shoulders, she presented it to him. “I bring tribute in the form of chips and candy for the all mighty uh… Boom-Boom God.” 

Unable to resist an amused chortle and smirk, Bakugou took the bag from her, starting to open it as he turned to go back into his room. “Enter then, mortal.” Smiling, Koge made her way into the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. 

“You should be nice and want to help me even without incentives, Katsuki.” 

Bakugou gave a click of his tongue as he dug out the snacks, putting two bottles of soda onto the small table next to his bed. “Who said I wouldn’t have? You were the one that brought them.” His attention was pulled down to her as she stopped beside him, placing her hand softly on his back. Knowing that was a silent wish for affection, he released the bag to put an arm around her torso, leaning in to kiss her lips softly. “Are you actually going to focus, though, Utsuro? Or are you going to be distracted the entire time?” 

Tossing her book down onto the bed, Koge hugged him tightly, prompting another kiss from him. “Hmmmm, I dunno, Katsuki. Will you get distracted?” 

“No!” The third and final kiss was rough and playful, before he released her to continue searching the backpack. “You put me to a task, I focus on that shit.” 

Giggling, Koge flopped to sit on the mattress, scooting back until she was leaning up against the wall. “Uh huh, sure.” 

“What, are you challenging me, Utsuro?!” 

“Yes!” Koge smirked, slapping her hand against the cover of her textbook. “Whoever tries to give up first has to buy dinner next--” 

“-- I always buy dinner anyway--!” 

“--Deal?” Koge held out her hand, waiting for him to shake it. With a huff, Bakugou glared at her for a moment before he took her hand, giving it a rough shake that nearly moved her whole body. 

“Fine! Here’s your stupid notebook and pen.” Bakugou tossed them onto her lap once pulling them from the bag, snatching his favorite spicy chips before settling in on the bed beside her. “So what’s the problem?” 

“It’s these equations…” Koge flipped to the correct page in her textbook, pulling it to the side a bit so that it was balancing on both of their thighs. “These are the questions that were given to us for homework, but I can’t figure out what the heck you’re supposed to do to solve these dumb things! I’ve read it over and over. It makes sense for a second, but the instant I try to work on the problems, my brain farts.” 

Bakugou took a moment to read over the problems and the section on how to go about solving them, silent until he had finished the chapter. “These are pretty similar to what we are going through right now, too. Pen--” With a snap of his fingers, Koge placed the pen in his hand and scooted her open notebook towards him, watching him curiously as he began to write out the first problem. 

“Take these sections and split them into four... solving for x each time… Combine them back into two sections….” How easily Bakugou went into calm teacher mode was something he could never really figure out, but if he were honest, he enjoyed it. At least, while he was explaining what the steps were. He knew that the instant anyone showed any confusion after that point, he had a tendency to snap and get frustrated. But, Koge was a decently quick learner, so he hoped his methods were easy for her to understand. “Now you have this number here, and then it’s easy to solve from there. It’s just stripping it down.” 

Giving a confused hum as Bakugou circled the answer he came up with, Koge opened the very back of the textbook to double check. Sure enough, his answer was correct. “Wow Katsuki, you got that so easily! No matter how I tried, I couldn’t find that number.” 

“I know my shit, Utsuro. You came to me for a reason, didn’t you?” Handing her back her pen, he glowered down at her as she merely shrugged. “Excuse me?!” 

“Well sure, I know you’re super smart, but I also have no other friends that could help me. Nene is kind of uh… Math isn't her thing.” 

“You’re calling her stupid.” 

“No! No, I’m not! She’s just… She’s not good for studying with. But you always do a great job teaching me, so of course I come to you for help. The fact that you’re my super cute boyfriend has nothing to do with it.” Kissing his shoulder softly, Koge turned her attention back to her work. 

“Nothing at all?” Bakugou began to much on his chips, watching as she attempted to copy what he had done for the second question. “Not even one percent?” 

“Maybe like… ninety-nine percent. The other one percent is strictly academic.” 

Chuckling, Bakugou held out a chip towards her mouth, which she ate without question. “Whatever, you loser. No, no, you use this number here--” Bakugou tapped on the correct number, leaving a light red powdery smudge from the chips on her notebook paper. “--Shit, my bad. Whatever, that’s not your final homework paper, anyway.” Trying to wipe it away with a swipe of his hand, he only made it worse, which made Koge burst out into giggles as his cheeks flushed. “Fuck!” 

“It’s okay, Katsuki.” Koge wiped away what she could before she continued with the problem. “I’m going to rewrite all of the problems in a prettier format once I get them all figured out.” 

“Tch, you and your aesthetic. Just turn in what you write the first time, it’s such a waste of time to make it all… nice.” 

“Is not! It’s professional and nice to turn in your work so it’s easy for our teachers to understand. And then when I get it back, it’s easy for me to keep it for notes and see what I did, or keep track of corrections that the teacher makes. It’s better than your chicken scratch- ah, hey!” In retaliation to her teasing him, Bakugou gave her pen a flick while she was writing, creating an uneven line across the page. “- Rude!” 

“I do not write in chicken scratch! My handwriting is fine! At least it’s not excessively perfect like yours is. You write slow, like a damn old hag. No, Utsuro, this number here and that section divided to find x!” Bakugou corrected her again, though his frustration both from her teasing and mistakes was already starting to peak. “Turn that fraction into a decimal!” 

“You’d better fraction your attitude, mister, or I’ll be multiplying your serving of whoop-ass.” Koge gave his pointing finger a smack with her pen, ignoring his growl as he took his hand back. 

“That doesn’t even make sense!” 

“Puns don’t have to make sense...”

“Yes, they do.” 

“Shut up.” Mumbling as she tried to focus, Koge placed her book and notepad down on the bed, leaning forward over it with a heavy sigh. “This number… here… and… dang it, what is that squared…?” 

“A square.”

Huffing, Koge glowered at Bakugou over her shoulder, though she only got an annoyed glare back as he stuffed chips into his mouth. “You’re on fire today.” 

“I’m on fire always.” Bakugou held another chip to her mouth, which Koge ate again before focusing on her work. 

“You are,” Koge pulled her hair over one shoulder, finding it annoying how it tickled her back. “Smokin’.” 

A comfortable silence fell between them as Koge continued her work, with Bakugou watching and waiting for any mistake or sign of confusion. Occasionally, he fed her another chip, which she ate without question, and by the time she finished five of the ten required questions, the bag was empty. 

Getting a bit frustrated, Koge groaned out loudly, slumping down and hiding her face in the book. “I hate this…” 

“When’s it due?” Bakugou ran his hand up and down along her back, his focus mostly on his phone. Sighing, Koge stayed in her position, obviously enjoying the rub down. 

“In two days. But I have an essay due on the same day, which I had been focusing on instead for the past week. Second year is hard! Mm, that feels good, a little harder?” She groaned out in satisfaction as Bakugou pressed harder into her skin, massaging her sore muscles. “That’s the good stuff…” 

Bakugou scoffed, feeling a bit of heat rise into his ears as he continued. There were still things that they were getting comfortable with when it came to physical touch, and although boundaries were coming down quicker than expected, things still tended to embarrass him. Surprisingly, they had only recently gotten more into the simple and horrifically sinful act of cuddling. Yes, cuddling, something so sickeningly cutesy that he could never openly admit that it was something he enjoyed. Not only did he like to do it, but it was something that he found himself craving. 

Just laying down and holding Koge was oddly relaxing to him. Stroking her skin or running his fingers through her hair while she rested against him was like silent therapy, giving him a chance to clear his mind and truly rest. They could talk about anything within the privacy of their embrace, to work through emotions or personal problems that they couldn’t share with anyone else. He wanted her in his arms as often as he could, and much to his annoyance, that included right now. But he knew that if he even tried to bring it up, he would lose the bet they had set at the beginning of all this, and he couldn’t let that happen. 

“Giving up already, Utsuro?” He let his hand slide up to her neck, stroking along her hairline with his thumb. 

“No! I only have a few more to do, but I hate it.” 

“Finish.” Reluctantly taking his hand from her skin, he playfully flipped her hair over her head so that it was spread out and uncomfortable. Ignoring it for the moment, Koge whined as she stretched her arms out in front of her, popping stiff joins in her arms and shoulders. Without a word, she shifted up onto her hands and knees, crawling over his legs as she tried to reach for her soda with as little effort as possible. Of course, laziness only made it more difficult, so she was barely able to reach the bottle even as she stretched out as far as she could. 

Her torso hovering over his legs, Bakugou had to lean to the side a bit to avoid her leg, which lifted in an effort to make her more balanced. “Utsuro, you’re such a lazy fuck.” Smirk crossing his lips, he grabbed onto the calf of the leg that was supporting her, giving it a yank backwards. With a squeak, Koge was brought down onto his legs, whining with the impact of his knee to her gut. 

“Ow! Katsuki!” Koge glared up at him as he snickered, barely able to keep hold of her soda bottle that had almost been lost over the edge of the bed. “We aren’t in kindergarten anymore, picking on me isn’t a sign of affection!” 

“Oh, it’s not?” Bakugou gripped onto her thigh right behind her knee, giving it a good squeeze. Koge instantly burst out into laughter, kicking her legs and squirming to try and get away. “I thought that’s what you liked about me, Utsuro!” 

“N-no, I don’t! Ow-- Katsuki-- wait!!” Her laughter became more uncontrollable as his torture moved up to her ribs, her bottle of soda lost to the floor as she tried to push him off instead. Able to twist her body, she settled between his legs on her back, resting her feet against the wall above his shoulders. “Stop, I might kick you in the face!” 

“You’d regret that if you did!” Bakugou finally stopped his tickling as she requested, ignoring her feet as the fell to rest on his shoulders. “You’re getting distracted from your work.” 

“Because of you!” Koge pointed an accusing finger at him. “You attacked me! Ow, don’t bite my ankle! You’re such a piranha!” 

Chuckling, Bakugou gripped both of her ankles, bringing her feet down to rest on his chest instead. “You’re just so bite-able, Utsuro. Like a fucking saltlick.” 

Koge sighed as she wiggled her toes, slipping both of her arms under his legs to squeeze them tighter against her sides. “Only horses light saltlicks, Katsuki. Are you a horse?” 

“Shut up. Do your homework.” Even though he commanded this, his hands traveled up a bit under her sweatpants, simply stroking from her toes to the middle of her shins. Koge smiled, turning her head to kiss the bare skin of his leg softly. 

“But this is so much more fun. I like laying with you like this.” 

“Does that mean you’re giving up?” 

Pouting, Koge hummed softly in thought, glaring at the book and notebook still open beside them. “Then that means I lose if I say yes… I can’t let you win so easily.” Releasing his legs, Koge instead let them rest over her stomach. “But I just don’t want to do it anymore.” 

Taking her feet off his chest, he let her legs fall so they were instead on either side of his hips. “So…?” 

After a moment of contemplation and glaring at the ceiling, Koge let out a heavy groan. “Fine! I quit--wha-!” The instant the words left her mouth, Bakugou grabbed her by the arms. In one swift movement, he pulled her up onto his lap before wrapping his arms around her torso and falling over to the side. Koge was giggling by the time they landed, nuzzling her face into his chest as he squeezed her close. “Ooh, is this what you wanted?” 

“Yes,” Bakugou grumbled as he buried his face in her white hair, his hand sliding up her back to caress her figure to him tightly. It was what he had wanted from the very beginning, to hold her close and let all the days worries fade away for them both. “You punk.” 

“You could have just told me that’s what you wanted, Katsuki. Screw studying, I’d rather cuddle, too.” 

“And that’s why you suck at math.” 

[polar-stars]

I was a little inspired by Kana, to write something for @isshinene as well to make her feel a bit better on her recent anon spams ;w; 

So here, have a small insight into Nene in Star Wars AU (with some? some? IsshiNene? Because c’mon it’s for Asuka. And honestly everything can be canon in Star Wars AU ^^) 

It’s also rather angsty (I hope) but since Asuka tends to like it, I hope it won’t be that much of a problem.

Also I will get to the remaining asks in my inbox relating to the AU as soon as I can ;w; (I’ll get some writing done in my vacations)

Anyways, it’s a bit sloppy and all over the place but I hope you can find at least a little enjoyment in it:

Coruscant. The famous capital of the Galactic Republic and undoubtedly the center of the their world. When arriving in your ship, you were greeted by the imposant sight of the high skyscrapers of the city planet in their competition who could get nearer to the sky. Many ships then began to set their course on some of the most impressive buildings of the enormous city. Like the Opera house for example, or the Senate building or the Jedi Temple. Her home. As far as she heard from the Master who used to train her, she was originally from Naboo. However, as her force-sensitivity was recognised early on, she had been taken from her parents as a baby to learn the ways of the Jedi. And so she had been living on the booming city planet Coruscant for all her life. To others, it tended to sound shocking and frightening, having to think being taken away from their parents but to her it was a necessary step, as she couldn’t allow herself any strong emotional bonds as a Jedi. This was just simply how they operated. They committed their life to the force and the maintaining of peace in the Galaxis. This required a cool head and a full-on dedication to your duty. Jedi Master Nene Kinokuni. From the day her training begun on, she had always been one of the most diligent and hard-working Padawans among her fellow peers. Her precision, attention to detail and willingness to learn could only be rivaled by few and quickly she grew into one of the most talented Jedis the Order ever had, claiming the rang of Master at a rather young age. She earned great respect because of that and more than often her name was brought up to young Padawans to set an example. When she passed through the halls, she felt eyes following her and minds calculating if it would be appropriate to talk to the legend. She sensed that each and everyone of them, was trusting her with their life. Too bad, that they did not sense that she was not much of an reliable protector anymore. Nene was analyzing her fellow Jedis a lot and sometimes she would inspect their talks and their fighting. In all her observations, she noted how more and more Jedis became a lot more brash and recklesss. Focusing more on looking 'cool' than to keep the mind in balance. Nene lost count on how many Jedi customs she had already seen being abandoned. In the beginning she tried to tell herself that this was the fault of the currently ongoing Clone Wars and that it's circumstances where the reasons why some Jedi felt a need to alter their behavior a little. But after taking on a mission directly in the supposed heart of the Republic, her home, that lead her directly into the dark shadows of Coruscant....Nene had truly been able to witness just how much criminal activities and unjust where committed in their very area. Much was broken. And there needed to be a change. And as she was presented to a chance, she grasped it. --- As she left the council meeting today, she knew that it would be their last time together. As she bid her fellow council members goodbye, she knew it would be one forever. With the exception of Master Somei Saito, who shared her views on the Jedi abandoning their customs more and more. As she finally got into the great halls of the temple, she planned to make her way to one of the ships immediately. She had thought long and hard about this and believed it would be the right choice. But even if she did, there was still a part in her that couldn't deny the guilt that was building up in her. Her, the remarkable and heavily respected Jedi Master, would be nothing but a backstabber and traitor by the time this day would end and she knew it. Mentally she shook her head, telling herself to not let the guilt win over her and to keep rational. After all, being emotionless was the way of the Jedi. And change was necessary, even if it meant what it did. She had nearly reached the gate as she suddenly heard a familiar voice behind her, calling her name in such a jolly and happy way. "Nene!" She flinched immediately and for a moment considered just continue on walking. She didn't want to have this confrontation. She didn't want to. Out of sheer politeness, or so she told herself, she turned around in the end to face the brightly, smiling face of her childhood friend and fellow Jedi Council Member, Satoshi Isshiki. His Padawan, Shun Ibusaki, standing a bit farer away with an unreadable expression as always. "Isshiki." She greeted dryly, while her mind was in turmoil, having to look into these shining, blue eyes that had always been near her since birth, that she had often eyed them so darkly but at the same time she always found herself lost in them ever since. "Fantastic" didn't even begin to describe his talents. He was sheer wonder. Within the span of only a few minutes or hours he had mastered tasks that others needed weeks for from the day his training began on. No matter what the subject to learn was, he always exceeded perfectly. He invoked a feeling in her that no Jedi should ever feel for even a second, jealousy. Of course, she always denied it and suppressed it. After all, jealousy was considered a sufficient way to get lost on dark path, which would be a shame for a renowed Jedi like her. But whenever she saw him mastering a skill, she had sharpened over the course of weeks in just a hour, she felt the jealousy burning up. Did she hate him though? No absolutely not. It was possibly straight-up impossible to hate Satoshi Isshiki and his kind smiles, his care for the younger ones, his loyalty and his willpower to do the good deeds. And this rumbled up the emotions, she wasn't even supposed to have, even more. "What do you want?" She spoke, averting his gaze, not wanting to be directly pinned under the stare of a man, close to her, that she had already betrayed mentally. "I wanted to ask if you're not too busy." He responded. Before continuing. "I wanted to ask you if you could assist me in the training of Shun today?" Now she frowned and actually did turn to him. Was he trying to make fun of her? "Why?" She asked. "He's not my Padawan. Also..." Her tone got frosty. "I do not know what I am supposed to teach him that you can't." With that she was about to turn around. But his voice stopped her movement. "What are you talking about?" Again, she met his gaze, still frowning. But in return he looked at her so warmly and so...honest. "Don't talk yourself down like that. I know for a fact that you would make a great teacher. No one has spend as much time in the liberty as you, so your theoretical knowledge and information around the Jedi history and customs is outmatched. I saw you talk to children before and it was evident that you are a caring, patient and understanding person. Exactly what they need." This made her brain freeze for a second, as her eyes only widened and she stared at the man with a more than bewildered expression. He only continued. "Truth to be told, the real reason why I want you to assist me today is that you get a taste of what teaching Padawans is like. I do believe you should get your own one. You would be a fantastic one and a gold-catch for any Padawan considering your status and skills." Nene was at a lost of words. She felt a forbidden blush emerge on her cheeks and her heart furtively accelerating at the praise she had just heard. Suddenly the yells of the suppressed guilt in her got louder and she had to clutch her fist to restrain herself from spilling what was actually going on in her mind right now. Satoshi only continued to look at her expectingly. "Maybe, when you come back we can look at the current Padawans and search one for you." His smile got even brighter, making her heart form a knot. "What do you say?" She couldn't deny that her tongue was aching and that a piercing pain went through her chest when she gave her answer. "Alright, as soon as I come back we can do as you wish. But now I really have to leave." To strengthen her inner turmoil, he laughed. "Nice to hear! I'll be waiting. Have a good flight." Nene nearly choked when saying "Goodbye, Isshiki" in return before turning around to make her way to the ship that would get her to the meeting Azami Nakiri had requested, so that his plans could be finalized at last. And so she left the building she grew up in, knowing that she would never return. 

[musicalmoritz]

hi hi mutual :D

I’m not a huge aoinene shopper (although I do ship it) but! I wanted to ask for your Aoinene hc’s since I have labeled you as the Aoinene expert in my head and I saw you reblog that post we reblogged about the ship hc’s and such!!

convince me into the aoinene lore…. /hj -Bunny

Hiiiiiii mutual!! First of all I’ve said this before but I love being known as the Aoinene Expert™️, so happy that’s my reputation lol

Headcanons are my specialty so I’m glad you asked this!! I will gladly convince you into the Aoinene lore/hj. They’ve been rotting away my brain all day so I’m gonna take this opportunity to ramble abt them and explain how I see the ship

• So as far as canon goes I wouldn’t change either of the canon pairings for them, shipping for me sort of exists in a multiversal vacuum where I can imagine alternatives for who the characters end up with and how they end up with those ppl via fan content

• I do, however, love the idea of them having mutual crushes on each other in canon. I think Nene plays hers off as just admiring Aoi but deep down she feels the same way abt her that she does Teru and Fuji (or maybe a little bit more serious since they’re best friends). And while I think Akane is Aoi’s ultimate soulmate in canon I can see her having feelings for Nene as well, though I think they’d start to fade once Nene began to pull away from her

• As for fanon tho…

• In my head there’s an alternate universe where these two end up together after everything. This usually involves lesbian Aoi bcuz I do adore that headcanon in anything that’s not the actual manga. I like to think they both developed mutual crushes on each other in middle school and Aoi was very internally angsty and aware of her’s whereas Nene was very repressed abt her feelings for girls in general

• They totally have sleepovers every week, on Fridays specifically. They do typical things like watching movies and painting each other’s nails but they’re teenage girls so they’d also probably try to summon demons. And since this is tbhk they’d probably succeed a few times (now I need an au where Nene summons Bloody Mary instead of Hanako)

• Since it’s Aoinene ofc there’s gotta be a moment when Aoi finally opens up to Nene about everything, but I don’t think that would come without difficulty. Lots of avoiding each other and being super distant bcuz neither of them want to be the first to bring it up, then maybe a dramatic fight or two before they come back together on calmer terms and have a long conversation at one of their sleepovers about everything. Whether platonic or romantic that's usually how I envision their resolution

• I think it would also have to come after Aoi's taken some time to work through her mental health problems, she's made progress but she still has a long way to go and that stuff isn't easy to talk about, especially when she knows Nene's view of her will change

• I don't think Nene ever intends to hurt Aoi though, she's more-so negligent and a bit self-centered. And she seems to know something is off with Aoi never talking abt herself but she can't take that further step into understanding WHY she acts the way that she does

• To be honest I see Nene as stressing a lot when she realizes something's going on because she doesn't want to lose their friendship, and I do think she would embrace the real Aoi with open arms if she ever were to meet her

• Then I think they'd have some struggles of adjusting to their new dynamic and figuring out how they work with Aoi being herself + Aoi would instinctively try to pull away a bit, but I think they'd find a way to make it work

• They would constantly be going on dates, wanting to try new places together. They've probably tried every cafe in their town, I could also see them being the type of couple to have each other's orders memorized

• A lot of fics tend to pull them away from their canon love interests in one way or another but not me, Hanako and Akane automatically become wingmen. Those girls are a mess and they need all the advice they can get, even if their makeshift relationship counsellors are far from qualified

• They match their outfits whenever they go out, and they're also 100% the type to do matching Halloween costumes

• Nene has a houseplant in her room that's a gift from Aoi

• Nene calls Aoi every time she has to run errands but doesn't want to do it alone. They end up at the pet store a lot

• Their moms are both convinced they're secretly dating and place bets on when they'll announce it

• They both get easily flustered around each other when they first start dating but in different ways; Nene is a very loud and dramatic type of flustered, very shoujo protagonist core. And Aoi is more the quiet, tsundere genre of flustered

• In the future I picture Nene as a successful writer and Aoi as a flower shop owner and they have a house by the beach. And a hamster, of course

• I also choose to believe they were girlfriends in the Ghost Hotel au before Aoi passed, then they got reunited when Nene arrived at the hotel

• Nene cries very easily and Aoi is a good fake-crier

• Aoi is a little spoon, pass it on

That's all I can think of rn, tysm for your ask! I am going to continue brainrotting over Aoinene for the foreseeable future lmao

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 4/2/19

Ace of the Diamond, Vol. 21 | By Yuri Terajima | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – It’s still the finals of the West Tokyo preliminaries for Koshien, and Seido is still facing off against Inashiro Industrial. Tanba is obviously in trouble, and since what trailing Seido needs is an injection of heart, it’s Eijun to the rescue. His confidence and trust in his team exude from his every pore and it’s this spirit that gets the momentum going in Seido’s favor. It’s so nice to see Eijun doing really well and exhibiting some reliability—after spending so much time with him as a hothead with poor pitching control—and that his grandfather is there to see it. Of course, there’s yet another cliffhanger, as we make it to the bottom of the ninth with two outs to go before the volume ends way too soon. Can Seido manage to hold onto their lead? Tune in next time! – Michelle Smith

A Centaur’s Life, Vol. 16 | By Kei Murayama | Seven Seas – In this volume we get: social justice discussion; historical backstory with violence and slavery; Nozomi dressed like a girl and getting hit on; volleyball fanservice complete with a double-page “swimsuit malfunction” spread; the triplets somehow traveling in time to the past and meeting their big sister as a little kid; Kyouya talking with one of her male classmates who’s pretty good-looking and nice, but she’s not really that into him; How To Centaur For Beginners; a human teacher dealing with her new job at a frog school in a very clear racism allegory; a girl telling her male date—after the date—that she’s gay, and Manami’s Daily Life. All in a day’s work for a series that is anything but predictable. – Sean Gaffney

The Delinquent Housewife!, Vol. 4 | By Nemu Yoko | Vertical Comics – Everyone gets shot down here. Yoshino is too nice to go through with her “revenge,” and gives up on Dai. Dai and Komugi takes longer, and is more problematic, but eventually he gives up on her as well. The best parts of the book deal with Komugi and her mother-in-law, who discovers the truth and has to deal with it, as well as resolving to “train” Komugi as a housewife. As expected, the series ends with Tohru coming home; also as expected, we do not see this homecoming, cutting out just before it happens. This series lived and died on its premise, and I must admit I found Komugi’s struggles as a housewife more interesting than the romantic entanglements. I’m still happy I read it, though. – Sean Gaffney

The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún, Vol. 6 | By Nagabe | Seven Seas – The good news is that Shiva and her teacher actually touch in this book, and nothing untoward happens to her, so his fears were not justified. The bad news is that, of course, he has been distancing himself from her all this time because of that. Oh yes, and also everyone else is still after them, because Shiva’s uniqueness makes her either something to kill or something to experiment on. We also get a bit of teacher’s past as a doctor, though not much, as he doesn’t recall it himself. Throughout the series, it’s been Shiva’s innocent conversation that’s kept me reading, and that’s still true here, in a lighter volume for this series—and given how dark the volume gets, that says something about the series. – Sean Gaffney

Kiss & White Lily for My Dearest Girl, Vol. 8 | By Canno | Yen Press – Yukine and Ayaka crawl towards being a couple, but we’ve got two volumes after this, and it’s clearly the endgame, so it’s only a crawl. As is the case with this series, most of the focuses goes on another couple, Hikari and Nagisa, whose first names just make me think of Strawberry Panic!. They’re both running for student council president, despite living together due to circumstances. (Ayaka is ALSO asked to run, but decides against it.) As is often the case with this series, both Hikari and Nagisa are nicer than the other one thinks they are, and slowly fall in love, though given they’re the volume couple, not AS slowly as our heroines. This is good, but I’m ready for the end. – Sean Gaffney

MachiMaho: I Messed Up and Made the Wrong Person into a Magical Girl!, Vol. 2 | By Souruu | Seven Seas – How long I stay with this series depends on how much it can continue to be ridiculous. It does its best her—I liked the reporter girl who’s dragged along by events, as well as a taste of Kayo’s actual home life and what she’s rebelling against. When there’s a more serious plotline, such as when Nako’s seemingly dead classmate is possessed and Nako has to be convinced to fight against her, it can’t quite ride the cliches as fast, and gets stuck. Kayo is a very entertaining and foul-mouthed main character, though, and despite a high death count this does not seem to be “watch magical girls suffer” like some other series. Mildly recommended. – Sean Gaffney

New Game!, Vol. 5: The Spinoff! | By Shotaro Tokuno | Seven Seas – This is something rare for a 4-koma series like this—a full-volume flashback, that was not serialized, that shows Aoba and Nene in high school, and how Aoba came to work at Eagle Jump straight out of it. We are introduced to two other “regulars” for this volume: Hotaru, a frail art student who is actually better than Aoba, and is going to art college; and their teacher Chinatsu, who is a “Sensei-chan” type who is one of the girls but occasionally dispenses good advice. There’s so much cute 4-koma humor that this could easily be a volume of Hidamari Sketch or GA: Art Design Class instead, but it does show us how Aoba got up the gumption to follow her dream. – Sean Gaffney

Precarious Woman Executive Miss Black General, Vol. 3 | By jin | Seven Seas – I still enjoy laughing as I read this very dumb but very funny title. MVP this time around goes to the evil overlord’s secretary, who I’ve taken to calling Riza Hawkeye because of her general appearance and disposition. She’s attacked by a rival henchwoman, and also accidentally drinks a love potion. Hijinx ensue. As for the General and Braveman, situation much the same. We do get a beach episode, which shows us that even on vacation, everything still descends into chaos. The funniest chapter sees the urban legend Slit-Mouthed Woman attack some little boys… and General, trying to recruit her, instead verbally tearing her apart completely Silly, silly, silly. – Sean Gaffney

That Blue Sky Feeling, Vol. 2 | By Okura and Coma Hashii | Viz Media – I greatly enjoyed the first volume of That Blue Sky Feeling and was very pleased to find the second volume is just as strong if not stronger. The series is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, realistically addressing with compassion some of the challenges faced by gay high school students. A large part of the manga’s effectiveness is due to the exceptionally well done characterizations of its two main leads. Noshiro is an earnest if somewhat naive young man. He has such an incredibly kind heart but in his efforts to help others he still makes the occasional mistake. As for Sanada, it’s wonderful to see him start to open up a little bit more in this volume. But, because of his sadly understandable efforts to protect himself, he hasn’t yet been able to be completely honest with even his closest friends. I look forward to seeing their friendship continue to develop. – Ash Brown

Total Eclipse of the Eternal Heart | By Syundei | Seven Seas – Nearly a hundred years ago, a famous novelist raped and murdered nine boys, all of whom he subsequently wrote about in one of his books. Now, Yamada Omihiko, a teen who writes exactly like that novelist, is classmates with (and on the verge of becoming more-than-friends with) a boy named Hoshino Terumichi, who keeps having a recurring dream about the death of a boy named Tsukimura Shou. It’s not much of a spoiler to say that reincarnation is a factor here. I enjoyed the bulk of the story, though the ending is a little baffling, and much of that is owing to Syundei’s easy-to-read retro-ish artwork. I’ve said previously that her style reminds me of Rumiko Takahashi, but owing to this volume’s theme, I actually got more of a Please Save My Earth vibe, which I’m not complaining about whatsoever. I’m definitely keen to see more of Syundei’s work translated in the future! – Michelle Smith

By: Ash Brown

[cutesuki--bakugou]

Of course!! Thank you so much for requesting it be of them!! I haven’t gotten a chance to write Atsuki just yet, so this was a great opportunity :D I hope you like it! 

“Katsuki, are you sure you’ll be okay?”

Koge eyed her husband with nervous suspicion, his nod doing little to persuade her. “Yes, Utsuro, I’ll be fine.” Bakugou chanced a quick glance up at her, currently working on getting a new t-shirt on his five year old son, who was wiggling about impatiently. “Daddy, let go! I have to get Sissy!”

Bakugou huffed, finally getting one of his arms into the shirt. “Atsuki, I don’t want you to throw your crystals at her in the house. In the training room only, I mean it!”

“It’s okay, Daddy, I’ll take him in there.” Natsuki called from across the room, leaning over the back of the couch as she fiddled with her older brothers hair. “Sorry I got him to throw them here, I didn’t realize they were that strong.”

Once done, Atsuki took off from his fathers grip, darting towards his older sister with terrifying speed. Ignoring them for the moment, Bakugou stood up straight, rubbing his face as he turned his attention back to his wife. Koge smiled up at him, cupping his cheeks gently. “You got this. You can always get Matsuki to help you round them up if you need, or just use your loud ‘dad voice’. At least Natsuki listens to that still.” Bakugou placed a hand over hers, turning his face into her palm to kiss it softly. “I’ll be alright, Utsuro. I can handle two pre-teens and a child.”

“You sure about that? Last time I came home after leaving you here with them, you were on the couch with a pillow over your face and the kitchen looked like a war zone.”

“That’s not going to happen again. Atsuki’s already gotten more control over his quirk, it’ll be fine. Now get out of here, Nene’s probably shitting herself because you’re late.” After sharing a kiss, Koge reluctantly pulled herself away from him, taking a quick moment to stop by the couch and address Matsuki. “Baby, please help your dad with the wild ones today if he asks.” Matsuki looked up from his book, leaning his head back on the couch to smile at his mother. “Sure thing, Mom. I’ll take them to the dungeon.”

“Good boy.” Koge pushed his bangs back before placing a quick kiss on his forehead, starting towards the front door. “Bye, babies,” she called to her children in the training room. “I’ll be back later!”

“Bye Mom!”

“Bye-bye Mommy!”

With that, Bakugou watched his wife as she vanished to the outside world, leaving him with their overly energetic children. Or well, two of them. Matsuki, at twelve, preferred to read his books and work on his art. He was nothing compared to ten year old Natsuki and the five year old Atsuki, who were both hyper and obsessed with becoming powerful. It was made even worse after Atsuki’s quirk manifested, a destructive power that had already ruined much of the house. Still nitroglycerin based like Bakugou’s, Atsuki’s differed in the way that it wasn’t restricted only to his hands. The child could create nitroglycerin crystals from anywhere on his body that exploded upon impact.

Sure, the explosions were minuscule at this point, more like small firecrackers, but the rate at which the child could produce them is what made them so destructive to basic household items. That, and the young boy was edged on by his older sister, who was constantly wanting to see his quirk and help him learn how to control it. Bakugou knew her enthusiasm came from her being quirkless, and if he were honest with himself, he was glad there was no jealousy or resentment between the two.

Stretching, Bakugou started making his way towards the training room, yawning loudly. “What are you reading, squid?” Matsuki glanced up at his father from his book, showing him the title as Bakugou leaned on the back of the couch. “It’s a book about an artist that starts going crazy in his isolation. It’s pretty trippy.” Bakugou nodded, looking over towards the muted television as Matsuki took the book back to himself and continued reading. “Sounds more like something your sister would be into.”

“Well, it’s not really scary, it’s more of a psychological horror, where you have to really get into it and try to differentiate between what is real and an hallucination. I tried to show her some of it and she said that it confused her. She just likes the gore.”

Bakugou gave a small scoff, standing up straight. “She’s a mess. It seems like a good book.”

“Want to read it when I’m done?”

“Sure, kiddo. I need a new book to read. Thanks--” He was cut off by the sound of squealing, Natsuki erupting into laughter from the training room. Knowing that Natsuki laughing was typically never a good thing, he pulled himself away from the couch and headed towards the ruckus. There, he found Atsuki sitting on the floor, a couple of his crystals shoved up his nose with Natsuki sitting beside him in the same state. Sighing, Bakugou made his way over, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Didn’t I tell you not to do that? What if they exploded in your nose, huh?” Bakugou knelt down in front of the young boy, taking the crystals from his nose. Atsuki whined and wiggled, pouting as his father squeezed his nose and bent his head back gently to check for missing crystals up his nasal cavity. Natsuki huffed, removing her own from her nose before her father had a chance to. “Daddy, it’s fine, they aren’t strong enough to do anything bad. And you have to hit them hard anyways.”

She demonstrated this by trying to make them explode by clapping them between her hands, with nothing happening from the impact. “See?” Bakugou glowered at his daughter, snatching those crystals from her as well before standing. “Natsu, you just aren’t hitting them hard enough. Watch.” Bakugou stood back a bit with the crystals in one hand, palm flat and facing up. Bringing the other hand down onto them, they exploded with the impact, making both Atsuki and Natsuki squeak in surprise. His palms being rough and calloused from his own quirk, Bakugou felt no pain, though he did show the children the redness of his skin the explosions caused. “See that? What if you were running around with crystals shoved up your nose and you fell flat on your face? That would be enough.”

Natsuki took her fathers hand, holding it closer to her face to see with a curious crimson gaze. “Wow, no welts or anything. Daddy, your hands are like leather.” Bakugou huffed, narrowing his eyes at his daughter as she completely ignored his point. “Natsu, that’s not what I’m trying to show you. Do not stick these crystals in your nose, in your mouth or ears or anywhere else. Understand?” Natsuki grimaced at Bakugou as she released his hand, reaching up to push some of her wild blonde hair out of her face. “What?! Daddy, where else would they go!?”

“Ew Daddy!” Atsuki mimicked his sister, even though he obviously had no idea what she was talking about. Standing, the child held out his hands, tiny crystals appearing in his palms. “Daddy, daddy, look how many I can make!” Bakugou sighed internally, holding his cupped palms beneath his sons hands to catch the overflow. “Impressive. Don’t make too many, you’ll make yourself tired. Oops, that was a big one.” He watched the larger crystal roll off his fingers and to the floor, glad it didn’t explode when it landed. Bakugou knew that the bigger they were, the more power they had, or at least that’s what he had observed. Still, he was curious to see how strong this particular one was, as it was at least two inches long. Handing the tiny crystals to Natsuki, he picked up the large one and stood.

“Want to test this one out?” He squinted as Natsuki tossed the small crystals up into the air, their size only enough to create soft pops as they landed on the hard wooden floor. “Yes!! Daddy, that one is bigger than others he’s made! We should do it in the new special room!!” Natsuki pointed behind her to a large metal door, one which Bakugou had yet to allow them into. After seeing his sons quirk, he knew that he was going to have to make a safe place for him to train as he got older. So, an explosion safe room was necessary, to protect the rest of the house. All the mirrors in the regular training room had been removed as well, for everyone’s safety. Now, with Atsuki making such large crystals already, Bakugou knew it was going to be time to use the new room.

“Alright squids, let’s go in. There aren’t any windows in there, so it’s dark until I turn on the lights, okay?” Bakugou couldn’t even take a step before both children darted towards the door, with Natsuki tugging at the handle. “Argh, Daddy, it won’t open!!”

“That’s because it’s locked. No one gets to train in here without me or your mother because we have the keys. Got it?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys, though before he made his way over, he turned to call out into the living room. “Matsu, come in here, I want you to see the new room, too.”

Within moments, Matsuki came trotting in, curiosity on his face. “Huh? Oh, the new training room? I… really won’t be using it.” Bakugou nodded, motioning for his son to follow him. “That’s okay, I still want you to see. Besides, look at the size of this crystal your brother made. We should all see how big it is together. It’s important to learn about his quirk as it develops, so we can help him or look out for things that might be dangerous.”

“Oh… Yeah, cool. Sure.”

Although Bakugou couldn’t see his son as he unlocked the door, he could hear the forced enthusiasm and interest. Unlike Natsuki, Matsuki was harboring some resentment towards his little brother already. Not for the fact that he had a more powerful and unique quirk, but because of how differently the child was treated compared to him by everyone outside of his family. His parents, of course, didn’t treat one or the other with any more favoritism. But the public, other children, and even the press were marking Atsuki as a wonder child while still belittling Matsuki for his choice to avoid the hero life. It was something that was highly troubling to both Koge and himself, and he knew that they were going to have to resolve the negative feelings before it got too severe.

For now, Bakugou kept it in the back of his mind, holding open the door as the two younger children ran in. Matsuki walked in normally, and once everyone was inside, Bakugou shut the door behind them, swallowing them in darkness.

“Daddy, it’s dark!”

“Yes, Natsu, I told you it would be.” Bakugou reached over and flipped on the switch, light pouring into the room from the lights on the high ceiling. The siblings ‘oohed and ‘aahed’ at the sight of the room, Atsuki darting around the large open space. “So big! Daddy, this room was for me?”

“It’s for all of us. So we can all train together without having to hold back our quirks. Me, Matsu and you can all make explosions without being scared to hurt the house. Ah, well… You and Matsu can, at least. I probably should hold back.” Bakugou gave a snarky grin at his children as he bounced the crystal in his hand a bit. “If I didn’t hold back I think this place would be ruined in seconds.”

“Okay, Daddy, stop being a show off.” Natsuki snapped at him, hands on her hips as she tapped her foot impatiently. “Let’s see the crystal explode!!” Atsuki bounced eagerly, stopping in front of his father. “Please, please! Daddy, let’s see it!” Bakugou ruffled the child's white hair gently, urging him over next to him. “Alright, you three come stand next to me.” Natsuki stood on his other side, while Matsuki stayed a few feet behind them. After a quick roll of his shoulders, Bakugou threw the crystal towards the wall, though he wasn’t quite ready for the result.

The impact was equivalent to something that Bakugou could consider a mild explosion from his own hands. It was enough to make the two youngest children squeak in surprise, and even a small but quiet ‘shit’ escape Bakugou’s lips. That explosion could easily hurt a person to a small degree, and the fact that it came from a five year old was totally beyond Bakugou’s comprehension.

“Uh… Atsuki. We’ve gotta start training your quirk seriously… That was intense.” 

Atsuki laughed, hands on his hips triumphantly. “Ha! I’m going to have the strongest quirk ever! Daddy, can we do it now? Can we? Please?” He grabbed onto his father’s hand, tugging it eagerly. Bakugou chuckled, squatting down beside him. “Sure, squid. But you have to promise me something.”

“What’s that?”

“You can’t create crystals outside of this room anymore. It’s dangerous. No matter what Natsuki says. Promise?”

Atsuki glanced up at his sister, who was pouting with her arms crossed over her chest. Still, Bakugou knew the urge for him to learn was more powerful than his willingness to listen to his sister. “Yeah, Daddy! I promise, I won’t make them on purpose, but sometimes they still come out on accident.”

“And that’s okay. We’ll figure out how to control them.”

“Yay! Matsu, will you train with us?” Atsuki ran up to his brother, taking his hand. “Sometimes your quirk goes off on it’s own, too! Maybe Daddy can help you!” The child’s uncensored statement quickly brought a dejected look to Matsuki’s face, though it was quickly hidden by a forced smile. Still, Bakugou could easily see the frustration behind his pale blue gaze, even as he spoke so calmly to his younger brother. “You got it, Atsu.”

“You gotta learn too! You want to be a doctor, you have to be careful not to blow people up while cutting them!”

This time, Matsuki gave a genuine laugh, following his brother as he tugged him further into the room. “Ah, that’s true… That would be horrible, wouldn’t it?”

“I can help, too, right Daddy?” Natsuki stole Bakugou’s attention as she nudged him, wide grin on her face. “I swear I won’t put the crystals up my nose.”

Bakugou gave a sharp scoff, ruffling her hair roughly as he chuckled. “Of course you can, Natsu. I’d never leave you out.”

As all three of his children gathered in the middle of the room, chattering excitedly, Bakugou felt a sense of strong adoration for them all. They were all so powerful in their own unique way. Matsuki with his high intelligence and compassion. Natsuki with her strong will and determination. And Atsuki, though he was young, was charismatic with a quirk destined to be powerful enough to take on Bakugou’s legacy. He loved these children with every inch of his being, and though they could drive him insane, he would never want anything to change.

“Ah, Atsuki, we literally just talked about no crystals up the nose! Take them out!”

[polar-stars]

Oh hey...Angst //fingerguns//

So I talked to Kana about this a little bit and the thought just wouldn’t let me off the hook for the remaining day. So uhm...

Okay maybe a little exposition first? 

I basically hold the headcanon that Eizan does have a crush on Nene and I hold that headcanon very firmly -w- But at the same time, I am not completely delusional (even if that is maybe hard to believe) and I know that it’s....very unlikely for the two to become end game and believe me, I’ve come to terms with that pretty long ago. 

However, combined with my headcanon it does create a situation of welp the trope you call “Unrequited Love” and yeaaaaaaaaaah, this is my take on an unrequited love fic (a short one though)

I uhm, I am not very experienced with Angst if I am being honest, but I tried. I even listened to a “Heartbreak Playlist”. Anyways, I can only say from my point of view that this is....the most angsty thing I ever wrote so far. 

And it’s basically me, ripping my own heart out, throwing it down the stairs, picking it up again, throwing it on the street to let it be run over by a fucking car. And setting it on fire afterwards.  

And yup, this is simply my personal self-destruction fic, have fun I guess -w-

-

Eizan Etsuya never had been much into romance. From a young age on, he never really understood what just fascinated everyone so much about the word “love”. He was convinced that his own parents didn’t love each other for even a second in their long marriage. They never kissed, called each other by sweet nicknames, hugged or held hands. Actually the more older he grew, he noticed how his parents preferred to look at completely different persons, usually younger than them, with clearly attracted eyes. But whenever they looked at each other there was nothing but cold void which was the product of a marriage merely based on prestige and family benefit. That’s how it worked in the world he grew up in. There was a reason why such things as pink and flattery fairytales where destined lovers always found their happy end were kept from him. There was a reason why his father kept telling him that “love” will only cost your ruin in the world of business. It made you vulnerable, it made you weak, it was quite simply not something he could allow himself to feel. And yet, despite all the warnings, he fell in love. Hard. And he learned it in the most cruel way that his father was right all along. — It was so unfair. So unfair. So unfair. So unfair. He was supposed to be cold. Vicious. Cruel. Such bullshit like this shouldn’t hit him that hard. But here he was. Feeling like he had been stabbed repeatedly but forced to be standing regardless. His knees were weak and could barely support him. The room was decently heated but he still felt like he broke into ice and fell into the freezing water underneath. And in his chest there was his terribly aching heart, with each and everyone of it’s beats being a piercing pain that was just unbearable. Like every other guest’s his eyes were fixated on the main attraction of the evening. The reason why everyone came at all. The gracefully dancing couple that currently had the dance floor all for themselves. But unlike the others who eyed the perfect synergy and beautiful choreography of the couple as a whole, he only had eyes for the woman in white in the arms of her husband. Although to him she looked gorgeous in everything she put on, the dress certainly made her look like a goddess walking on earth. Her hair, which held the most beautiful shade of green that there was to him, had been handled with care and surely experienced hands braided it into a stunning hairdo. Her natural beauty didn’t require much make up to make her shine regardless and the make up artist defiantly took notice of that. Her lips were curled into a small, happy smile that made his aching heart flutter and her beautiful red eyes were attached to the sparkling blue ones they were supposed to. He saw her expression being frosty and cold so often, but there was none of this in that very moment. Kinokuni Nene. Of all the people he could have fallen for, it had to be her. A girl clearly destined to someone else from the very beginning on. Fate had intertwined them from a young age on and as destiny commanded it, they grew closer and closer like the entire world had always predicted it. From the moment on in which he had felt how his heartbeat got a bit faster as she passed his way somewhere in middle school times, he should have known that it would lead nowhere. And surely he had been in denial about his feelings for a long way. But it was hard not to admire her sheer elegance and refinement. Her precision. Her coldness. Her hidden warmth. Her ambition. Her rare smiles. Her knowledge around various topics. Her snarky comments towards Kuga. Her beautiful, delicate voice. Her firm look when she had turned to him and told him, him alone, that she believed that Central was the right thing for the school. No matter how hard he tried to battle reason back into his mind, when she yawned he wanted to offer her his shoulder to sleep on, when she was freezing he wanted to offer her his jacket and when she rushed past him after he lost her fight against Yukihira, all he wished was to run after her and pull her in his arms. There were times when he thought he might have a chance. Sometimes she would eye Isshiki so coldly, so darkly. She had been ready to sacrifice him to make Azami’s reign possible. Those were the time when he allowed the sheer foolery to take over his brain and make him believe that he might, might, might got to hold her after all. But that’s what it was. Sheer foolery. In the end, destiny of course won over and he was there, alongside all the other students in the hall where the Team Shokugeki took place, as her cold eyes melted and were replaced by such a softness, only dedicated to the man she was dancing with right now. If this was all one of the fairytales that had been shunned from him as kid, then they would be the Princess and the Prince. Overcoming all the tribulation fate put into their way to only make their destined happy end even sweeter. In this story the only role he could possibly take on was that of the monstrous dragon who fell for the beauty of the princess and would be punished by a sword through the heart at the very end of the story for his ridiculous idea that a princess and a dragon could be together. As the dance ended and the couple came to a halt, eyes attached to each other oh so lovingly, he turned away not joining into the claps and cheers from all the others. No one took notice of him anyway. And so as he heard things becoming lively behind him, as the guests now were allowed to rush to the dancefloor as well and cheery music started playing, he sat down far away from all the tumult on some chair in the shadows. He pulled out his mobile phone and did not mind the glaring, cold, blue light that emerged from the screen as he searched for the chat with his father. With a complete void in his eyes he agreed on meeting that one woman, from that one high-ranking family that his father had always told him about. People should know their place in fate after all. He put his phone back into the pocket and closed his eyes for a moment, allowing himself to give himself in to stupid, childish fantasies of a universe where things were different and where it were the dragons who got the princesses in the end.