From Me To You, My Beloved

Eight (Hananene)

Everything was going as planned.

Hanako had thought it over a million times; sacrifice Aoi so Yashiro can live, Akane and Teru will probably exorcise him after, but that's fine. It didn't bother him one bit, he didn't particularly care about those three, after all.

Yashiro will live and that is all that matters.

But Minamoto Teru has other plans, it seems.

"If that future ever comes to pass, then I will kill Yashiro-san myself."

He's bluffing, Hanako thinks to himself in a panic. There's no way he'd do that, Yashiro is one of the students he's supposed to protect so he wouldn't.

Right?

He tries to rationalize in his brain, but the fear that gripped his soul begs to differ. The words that was spoken against his ear carried no trace of hesitation. And even now, the exorcist before him is cold and cruel, piercing eyes filled with nothing but contempt.

Minamoto Teru isn't bluffing.

And Hanako has never hated someone quite as much.

Teru has always been unbearable, but Hanako liked to think that his aggression is only directed towards them supernaturals. Heck, he even trusted the exorcist enough when it came to Yashiro's safety. He is a strong exorcist after all, and Hanako always thought that his morals were in line.

His judgement was wrong, however. Because where he favors Yashiro above anything, the older exorcist seems to like Aoi more. And that won't do.

Minamoto Teru is dangerous, Hanako finally concludes. He can't be trusted with anything tied to Yashiro.

Hanako grits his teeth as the exorcist pulls out the sword from his wrist, and he screams in agony as the weapon is plunged deep into his arm. Teru's feet is firmly planted on his back, no intention of letting him go anywhere.

Ah, he'd long decided that though, right? He won't go anywhere anymore. This is what he wanted, right?

'Hanako-kun!'

So why does his soul fill up with so much regret?

His hand reaches out in front of him absently, trembling as electricity suddenly courses through his body.

What is he reaching for? The stars? Astronomy? The moon?

Things he'd long forsaken?

His assistant?

Yashiro?

"Now, Honorable No. 7," Teru starts, cruelly mocking, Hanako trembles. "It's time for you to disappear."

Selfish as it might, Hanako wished to the gods that he could see those ruby eyes once more.

Just a glance, a glimpse, anything.

The clash of metal against metal resounded, and then he was running.

----

The gods, did in fact, heard his wish.

The train was long out of sight, and Hanako still isn't sure if he's dreaming or not.

Because there was a warm hand holding his wrist, pulling him along as they sprinted. In front of him, a girl panted heavily, stubbornly persevering through her exhaustion.

And that girl is Yashiro Nene.

His headstrong, constantly daydreaming, magnet of supernaturals, radish-legged assistant is in front of him.

Yashiro is here.

It takes a full minute for that thought to finally sink in his brain.

And when it does, he calls out her name, panic leaking through his voice. "Yashiro!?" But she doesn't listen, hand firm around his wrist, no intention of letting him go anywhere else.