[To Live] Revised

Spirit Gathering

Earlier before school starts, Kamome library....

"All of you!" Hanako chirruped. "Listen up!"

A row of Mokke looked up keenly. A lean, lanky man smoked a pipe beside them. He didn't even budge. A petite fox kept grooming herself, flicking her ears.

"Why a meeting this late?"  She finally looked up from her washing.

"I assure you it's an important matter, Yako." Hanako impulsively replied.

"It better be, Number 7." The man huffed a small cloud of smoke.

"Tsuchigomori, it will be!" A Mokke squeaked. "It's about a girl."

The teacher and the fox looked up incredulously.

"I'll take my leave now-"

"I left my boundary for this?"

"Quiet down." Hanako held a knife threateningly, grinning in an eerie manner. "She's not a waste of your time."

Tsuchigomori and Yako knew better than to fight back. They exchanged disgruntled looks and settled back.

"As you can see, a number of our rumors have already been affected." Hanako got up, floating in thought. "When I last visited a certain someone, he was in the broadcasting room..."

Tsuchigomori's eyes slitted with a little interest. "You're telling me that someone has been altering our rumors..."

"....intentionally?" Yako finished in stupor.

"Indeed." Hanako nodded. "I've got a suspect pinned down. Plan A, my original plan, was to break down us 7 Wonders, but then I thought..."

"Whoop, here it comes."  A Mokke whispered in excitement. Tsuchigomori silenced it with a glare.

"....I'll let things remain the way they are!" Hanako finished brightly. "It will be tougher, yes, but I've found an assistant. She's got a powerful sixth sense and will help me a lot."

"And how are we involved with this?" Yako groaned.

"I'm telling you to prepare." Hanako gave her an icy stare. "She may back down from my decision... if so, Plan A."

Yako nodded in understanding, but Tsuchigomori was still curious. "Why do you trust her so much?"

"As a matter of fact," Yako added, suddenly more attentive. "Who is this girl?"

"Ah." Hanako grinned dismissively. "That's something I can't-"

"Y/N L/N!"  A Mokke bursted.

Everyone looked at him in surprise. It took every ounce of willpower in Hanako to not wipe the grin from his face and cower in embarrassment.

"L/N?" Tsuchigomori repeated curiously. "I see why. She's always disappeared during recess and lunch... she's also got her head on the clouds nowadays."

"Y/N?!"  Yako scoffed with a start, holding her chin high. "I see her pass by the stairs all the time. Nearly stumbled into my direction! She's a clutz!"

"Mind you, she's an artistic kid." Tsuchigomori ignored her arrogant gushing. "That's why she always walks up the stairs to the artroom."

"I don't need your opinions, spiderman!"  Yako spat.

Tsuchigomori huffed another plume in irritation, turning to face the kitsune.

"Now, now! Get along, you two!" Hanako wagged a finger warningly, finally overcoming his embarrassment. "The Mokke tells the truth. It is Y/N."

"Hm..." Tsuchigomori looked to the side grimly.

"Pfft, you have an odd taste, Number Seven!" Yako puffed her chest proudly. "She's not as pretty as I am!"

"You're absolutely right." Hanako rolled his eyes. "She's way more prettier than you."

Yako blinked, looking at him incredulously. The Mokke formed a small stack, holding up a sign that proclaimed: "F."

"Anyway," Hanako sighed. He turned away from the bickering kitsune, facing all three Wonders. "We've got to work together to keep the balance in this school.... to keep us from disappearing. But don't dwell on it much."

He crossed his arms, leaning back nonchalantly. "I'm sure she'll accept my offer!"

"Well, then. Best of luck, Number Seven." Yako respectfully dipped her head, but her eyes still flashed with worry. She had begun to ponder on Hanako's words.

'Is Y/N  really more prettier than me?'

"Come now, Number Two!" A Mokke squeaked. "Don't look so down in the dumps! Let's eat some food in my boundary."

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much." Yako flicked her tail in irritation, then hopped away.

The Mokke shrugged and joined his brethren, swaggering out of the room in single file.

Soon, the library was enveloped in a long, quiet silence. Hanako peered up at Tsuchigomori curiously. "What's with the long face?"

The teacher didn't respond for a minute, looking deep in thought. Finally, he settled his steely gaze at the younger Wonder.

"You're using a human to protect us Wonders?"

"What's the problem with that?" Hanako frowned.

"You're endangering the life of a student." Tsuchigomori shook his head.

"I would lay down my life before anything does her harm." Hanako determinedly responded.

The teacher looked at him in surprise. He cocked his head to one side. "Why not appoint a powerful Wonder?"

"She's got spirit," Hanako waved dismissively, looking impatient. "That alone is more trustworthy than any Wonder I know."

Tsuchigomori looked at him with newfound interest. He keenly bent forward, approaching him.

"You've never talked like this before." He suspiciously grumbled. "What makes her so different?"

"She isn't different in any way." Hanako got up from the ladder he had settled on, jumping down. He looked up at Tsuchigomori with a wide smile.

"She's just like me! It's a mutual thing... she helps me, I'll help her."

The teacher's eyes went wide. He looked for any sign of sarcasm in Hanako's voice, but his wide amber eyes were sincere.

He was about to ask another question, when Hanako drifted off. "I need to check on the other apparitions. Farewell!"

Tsuchigomori had no choice but to watch as Hanako stepped out of the door. He patiently waited for it to slam shut fully, before walking towards the row of bookshelves again.

He picked out a certain white book. On the cover, there laid her name.

Y/N L/N. All that she had been through, right at his fingertips.

He knew from the start Hanako was close to the girl. What, perhaps, he didn't know...

Tsuchigomori made no sound as the blood seeped through the pages of her Future. His face was emotionless, but he felt a terrible pang of pity.

He closed the book, one last blood drop tainting a certain word and blotting it out.

Y/N L/N.

Killed by A● •
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