#there is some hinted HanaNene but it's pretty vague

[magioftheseas]

Good Friends

Summary: A good friend is one who listens. A good girl is one who keeps her mouth shut. She wants to be good, so she’ll listen. She’ll be quiet. She won’t press, won’t pry. She will wait. Things are easier that way.

Rating: G

Warning: None, really. It is angsty tho.

Notes: So I’m gonna try and post some short Hanako-kun fics today for, uh, reasons. This is the first one. Some good ol’ Aoi-chan angsting. Gayngsting. Something like that. I feel like she could be a really interesting character but unfortunately I don’t have the highest faith it’ll shake out that way in the manga. But I’m pretty alright with this!

***Alternate Ao3 Link***

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A good friend is one who listens. A good girl is one who keeps her mouth shut. She wants to be good, so she’ll listen. She’ll be quiet. She won’t press, won’t pry. Things are easier that way.

Just the slightest utter can rile up Akane. Even when she wants to say that he’s fine the way he is, he’ll confess, she’ll refuse, and the ugly cycle begins anew. At some point, she just stopped. When he truly opens up to her, she’ll listen. When he decides the kind of person he wants to be, she’ll be there to support him.

A good person is one others aspire to be, but they shouldn’t rile others up to the point where they destroy themselves in hopes of emulating them. Goodness is difficult. Friendship is difficult.

There are times where Aoi thinks she shouldn’t even bother. She’s tired, frankly, of admiring looks and of people crumbling while she sits atop her pedestal. Sometimes, she thinks about swimming the ocean between the near shore and the far shore. Wouldn’t that be easier?

But if she did that, she thought, who would be there to hold Nene when she cries?

Girls are difficult. Being a good girl is an agonizing process. Even when she behaves, she’s the subject of resentment. Nene, too, she thinks, must resent her.

“He said I had ugly daikon legs, Aoi!” Nene wailed. “Even though I—I tried so hard to be a feminine girl! It wouldn’t have worked because of my legs!”

“He didn’t deserve you,” Aoi murmurs, running her fingers through her friend’s hair. “Nene, you worked really hard. Anyone would be lucky to have you.”

“I just wish I could do something about my legs,” she mourned, burying her face further into Aoi’s lap. “I wish they could be more like yours.”

“Nene-chan.” She knows she should only listen. Should keep quiet. That trying to say anything often imploded. But Nene is another girl. Nene is not Akane. Nene must resent her a little. At the very least, there’s no way Nene can love her. “I love you the way you are. I think you’re wonderful.”

Nene sniffles, clinging to her tighter and trembling.

“I-I love you too, Aoi.”

But, of course it’s not the same kind of love. Not that Aoi would correct her. Never.

She knows how painful the burden of being the object of unwanted affection is. It’s better, easier, that they’re friends. To both be girls is a blessing and a curse.

She can hold Nene close and shamefully indulge herself considerably. Nene will accept her—to an extent. She can be happy with that.

It’s still easier than everything else, she thinks.

It’s easier than being an object, be it of affection, admiration, or resentment. Nene sees her as a friend and treats her appropriately—isn’t that such a wonderful thing? She hasn’t really had a normal friendship in such a long time.

She adores their friendship. She adores Nene. She adores, adores, adores her.

But let’s not burden her with that. Stay quiet. Good friends listen.

She listens as Nene continues to sniffle until she’s worn out, limp against Aoi and resting passively as Aoi pets her hair and dotes upon her. This affection—is okay. Girls need validation, after all, even from other girls. Nene wants to be loved, and even if Aoi’s love isn’t an option, she’s all too happy to accept the affections of a best friend.

This works.

Friendship works.

Even as her traitorous heart may yearn for more, this is more than fine, Aoi thinks.

It’s fine—until it’s not so fine anymore.

--

A good friend listens.

She knew about Hanako-san of the bathroom fairly early on. She told Nene about it, after all. Nene had been in awe, eyes wide and mouth agape like the cutest little koi fish.

“But be careful,” Aoi would then say, wiggling her fingers. “Hanako-san demands payment for granting wishes! And they can be as steep as—your very sooooul!”

And Nene would squeal with delight as Aoi tickled her. She would laugh and laugh as Aoi held her close, humming happily and contently.

“I still think it’d be nice,” Nene would murmur. “Having a wish granted.”

“It’s just a rumor,” Aoi had said. “I don’t think I know anyone who actually succeeded in summoning Hanako-san.”

Nene made a thoughtful noise. Aoi squeezed her tighter.

A good friend listens—you mustn’t press her. Wait until she’s ready. Wait, wait, wait.

“Do you think—Hanako-san really can grant any wish?”

Aoi wants to scream. Instead, she shrugs.

A good friend listens.

“I would assume so—that’d be pretty cool if it could happen, huh? But, it’s just a rumor.”

A good friend listens.

“Just a rumor,” Nene murmurs, too soft to be certain.

Wait until she’s ready.

She hadn’t worried. Nene would open up to her eventually. They were friends. Best friends. Nene had her, and she’d never need anything else. Aoi was fine with that. She was fine.

But how—how could she have imagined that Nene would succeed in summoning Hanako-san?

Why?

Why, why, why?!

--

The truth is that she, Aoi Akane, object of affection, admiration, and resentment—is also a coward.

“Hanako-san.”

She knocks.

“Hanako-san, Hanako-san, Hanako-san.”

She keeps her gaze on the ground, even when her ears perk at the sound.

“You summoned me?”

Hanako-san—was a boy. A boy who was shorter than Nene, had big eyes and a largely unremarkable appearance, and apparently was good at fighting.

“Just kidding,” Hanako then said as Aoi stood there, unmoving and not reacting to his voice. “Of course you wouldn’t be able to see me.”

She doesn’t look at him, keeping her gaze forlornly locked on her feet. She’s good at acting. She’s good at being quiet. At listening. She’s a good girl. A good friend. She’s just not a good person.

“Yoshimura Mika.”

The name slips out, and she hears Hanako-san make a sound of curiosity.

“Tanaka Reika. Samara Ai. Kuroki Sawako. Nakamura Yuko. Yoshimura Mika.” Aoi blinks. “They all tried and failed to summon Hanako-san. Just in the past two years. Obviously, Hanako-san isn’t real.”

“Hurtful,” Hanako had said. “It’s not my fault they couldn’t see me.”

“Hanako-san’s not real,” Aoi insisted to the floor. “Granting wishes is impossible, anyway. What am I doing?”

“What are you doing, Akane Aoi-san?”

She’s good at acting. So she doesn’t react to that, either.

“Nene-chan wouldn’t be able to summon her either,” she went on, gripping her hair. “Obviously not. Obviously not.”

“Are you here for Yashiro?” Hanako-san asks her. She refuses to answer. A good girl stays quiet. A good girl doesn’t prod, pry—and she especially doesn’t expose herself for a dubious gaze. “Are you worried about her?”

Aoi sighed. She bows before the door.

“Sorry for bothering you, Hanako-san. If you’re really there. Goodbye.”

“Bye-bye!”

She doesn’t quicken her pace as she leaves—but she feels his stair boring into her back even after she shuts the door behind her.

--

A good friend listens.

Nene obviously will never tell her about Hanako-san. Nene will squirm and fluster and wring her fingers over him, and she will never confide in Aoi.

Wait until she’s ready.

Lately, Nene’s been sensitive about water. She seems to hate getting wet. She almost seems afraid of the sprinklers.

Wait, wait, wait.

“Oh no, no, no, is it going to rain?” Nene mourns at the gray sky. She looks ready to cry frustrated tears.

“You didn’t forget your umbrella, did you, Nene-chan?” Aoi asks her cheerfully. “If you want, you can have mine.”

“A-Aoi!” Nene wails. “But what will you use?!”

“Akane-kun’s, I guess?” Aoi laughs, even when the smile falls from Nene’s face. “Just worry about keeping yourself dry, Nene-chan.”

She takes Nene’s hands and squeezes.

She does notice—there’s the slightest hint of a damp scale on Nene’s thumb where she had been anxiously picking at and biting her nail. There’s specks of blood. The slight sheen of saliva. Her Nene could be so scatter-brained.

“Thank you, Aoi,” Nene murmurs. “I—really appreciate it.”

This is fine. It’s fine.

Thunder rumbles in the distance. There’s a flash of lightning. Nene yelps, yanks herself away, and runs inside. Aoi, giggling, follows after her. There are a few drops of rain that land on her head, and Nene is still fretting.

“I-I didn’t even notice I started bleeding!”

“Please be more careful, Nene-chan,” Aoi says, and Nene—Nene jumps. Nene looks afraid. Nene flees. Her sweet best friend—would rather run away than tell her anything. Aoi doesn’t let her smile falter at this fact.

It hurts. It hurts.

The thunder is booming. The lightning is crackling. It’s quite the storm. She hopes that their garden is okay. She’ll have to convince Akane and Yamabuki, maybe, to go put a tarp on. She wouldn’t mind doing it herself—but Akane would throw a fit if he saw. He’ll be much happier if he’s asked.

Just like Nene will be much happier if she doesn’t ask.

It hurts so much.

“Oh,” Aoi murmurs, because her face feels damp. “Oh no.”

Just like Nene, she needs to escape.

[sunlightinourheadlights]

Hanako of the Opera Predictions

As soon as I finished watching the livestream of Phantom of the Opera on Youtube I find that Aidairo has gifted us with Hanako of the Opera. This is 10000/10 the quarantine content I am here for. My two favorite things mashed into one. Legit screamed when I saw it. With that said, here are my predictions for who’s who. 

The Novice Songstress - Nene (confirmed) meaning she is the Christine in this version. She is adorable, can totally see why Phantom would kill for her tbh. 

The Phantom - I think we can pretty safely say that Hanako is the phantom. I mean, it’s called Hanako of the Opera. Also one of the tweets say Nene’s singing is getting better every night like someone is teaching her (just like in the musical), which of course Hanako would be teaching his Daikon gf. Hanako is phantom confirmed. 

The Popular Singer - so instinct would say the popular singer would be Aoi, BUT knowing the phantom show, the popular singer is prideful and arrogant so I’m guessing the singer will actually either be Yako or Mitsuba. 

Patron - by Patron I wonder if they’re referring to Rauol, Christine’s eventual fiance who was in the crowd the first night. If that’s the case I think the patron would be played by Kou since there is a bit of the love triangle aspect with Kou/Nene/Hanako in the show. 

Ballerina - Aoi would be the ballerina. In the show Christine was best friends was a dancer Meg, so I think this would sum up the Nene/Aoi dynamic very well.

Assistant Manager - Akane is my best guess for assistant manager just based on his personality

Manager - Tsuchigomori? Or maybe Natsuhiko. I’m really not too sure about this one. 

Ballet Teacher - Probably Sakura would fit the ballet teacher’s mysterious vibe the best. My runner-up guess would be Yako. 

Tenor singer - Teru? The description is so vague I don’t know the exact counterpart to the musical so really anyone could fill this role. Could also be Kou or Mitsuba.  

Alright those are my predictions, feel free to disagree with me and share why. I’m just beyond excited we’re gonna get a bunch of phantom themed character cards. Maybe some Phantom AU Hananene? I am also mildly concerned Aidairo is foreshadowing/hinting at something tragic for Hananene by putting them in the roles of Phantom and Christine... but maybe I’m reading too deep into this. 

Anyway, big thanks to alltheaidairo for translating the game into English!