You lowered your head as you entered the gates of the school, the urge to turn and leave becoming stronger with each step. You entered the school and stopped at the staircase, wondering if you should go up and see Hanako.
Just as you turned to head to class, you felt something hard collide with you, making you stumble back a bit.
"Ow..."
You looked down to see Kou sitting on the ground, rubbing his head before looking up at you, and your eyes widened when you noticed the tears streaks on his cheeks. "Kou?" You extended your hand towards him as you tried to soften your voice. "Are you okay?" Tears filled the blonde's eyes, and you gasped when instead of taking your hand, he jumped up, wrapping his arms around you and burying his face in your chest. "It's Teru," He muttered. "He-he's missing..." Your blood ran cold as Sakura's words came to mind, further making you believe that Hanako was behind this. "Hey," you said softly, and Kou looked at you. "Don't look so worried. We both know that Teru's really strong s-so I doubt anything bad could've happened to him." Kou nodded slowly, and you gave him a reassuring smile. "Now, there's no reason to cry. He's probably in some boundary defeating some evil apparition as we speak." Kou's eyes lit up at the thought. "You're right! What was I thinking?" He asked. "I should go find him!" He rushed off, and you sighed, part of you being happy that you made him feel better, but another part of you feeling bad about lying to him.
You had to figure out what was really going on.
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You knocked on the door to the bathroom before entering.
"Hanako?" You called, walking further inside and closing the door behind you. "Hanako, I know you're here."
"What is it?"
You turned to see Hanako standing in front of the door, his head down as he refused to look you in the eye. "I...I need to ask you something," you said, and Hanako stayed silent. "Tell me the truth. Did you break our agreement?" You noticed Hanako tense slightly. "I...when Tsukasa took me, he told me that you killed Teru and a boy named Yuki...and then erased my memories of them. Is that true?" Hanako stood there. "I'm so sorry, Y/n," he said, taking slow steps toward you, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into his chest. "I wasn't able to protect you from Tsukasa before, but I can fix it...I can get it right this time." "Hanako, answer my-" Your eyes widened when you felt his grip on you tighten, preventing you from pulling away. "Everything will be alright. Just relax," he whispered, pressing his index finger, middle finger, and thumb on your forehead. You stared at him in confusion when nothing happened. Hanako let out a shaky gasp as his eyes landed on the glowing protection charm on your cheek, which prevented him from erasing your memories.
"Hanako?" You questioned, but he stayed silent, his breathing becoming more ragged and his body beginning to tremble. As much as he tried to control himself, the more he stared at that mark, the angrier he got. If you were listening closely, you might've been able to hear his sanity finally snap, and before he knew it, he was seeing red. Before you could react, he shoved you against the wall, pinning your wrists above your head with one hand. "Where did that come from?" He asked, already knowing the answer but not wanting to believe it. You stared at him in fearful confusion. "What are you talking about?" "That protection mark on your cheek," he growled. "Where did it come from?" You felt your heart hammering against your ribcage as he stared at you, but your eyes widened when you finally realized why Tsukasa had kissed you.
