Demise Game

[HANAMI ENDING] paramour

By the time club was over, you were exhausted.  Don't get it wrong — you truly were happy everything ended the way it did.  It was the best case scenario.  You never thought this would be the outcome, and you were more than just grateful for it.  In stories, sometimes the endings weren't so optimistic and happy...  But this wasn't just some story.  It was your life.

        By some combination of skill, determination, and pure luck...  You all had made it out.

        You hadn't made it two steps outside the classroom before Hanami was flanking your side, hooking her arm into yours.  And as much as you missed her and you loved seeing her alive and well...  You were just tired.  You wanted to take a quick nap before you were roped into helping your mom make dinner tonight.

        Hanami never seemed to care when you were tired, though.

        "Can we talk?"

        Her voice, usually cheery, was somewhat dimmed down.  It was enough for you to pause, glancing over at her to take in her grim expression.

        ". . . Yeah."

        You wondered if this was about her feelings, when she had confessed to you the time you all had defeated her game for the first time.  You weren't sure you were ready with a response yet.  The last few days had passed by so fast...  You hadn't given yourself time to think on your feelings and what they could mean.

        You felt bad, but for now, it might be best to reject Hanami until you were in a better mental headspace.

        Only when the two of you were in a secluded classroom did she speak, and you braced yourself for another confession — and Hanami did confess, but certainly not in the way you were expecting.

        "Shiki and Enoru filled me in a bit on what happened at my house," Hanami told you in a somewhat shaky voice.  "But...  Enoru said he arrived late.  What happened between you and Isora?"

        You hesitated.  You didn't want to relive through that by any means, but no doubt the two had already told her the main parts.  She probably already knew about Isora's attempted murder attempt; but she didn't know about the fight with your doppelganger, or the kiss or Isora's threat towards her.

        Perhaps you should have just shrugged it off, but under the weight of Hanami's gaze, you told her the truth.  All of it.  From the text of her room to your fight with your clone; from Isora's confession to stalking you and his kiss to your fight for survival.  You left out how you had died, but she already knew.

        "Shiki said you were dead for a moment.  You...  You almost died.  Why did you come running to my house?"

        You were taken aback by the tearful question, before you could feel your face soften.  "'Nami...  Why wouldn't I?"  you sighed, scratching the back of your neck.  "Look...  I can't return your earlier confession, but all the same you are extremely special to me.  You were an anchor for me growing up, and I...  I can't imagine a world without you."

        Her eyes had started to tear up, and she let out a watery laugh, hastily wiping at her eyes.  "I don't care about your answer right now," she admitted.  "What I care about is that you're alive.  I was...  I was so scared.  It shouldn't have taken a stupid game for me to tell you my true feelings, but I'll tell you them now: I love you, [Y/n].  And even if you don't feel the same, I will never let go of these feelings." 

        While Hanami's words were heartfelt and filled with emotion, something clawed inside you at her wording, like a faint warning.  Writing it off as exhaustion from the past few days, you ignored it.  Instead, you drew Hanami into your arms, hugging her tightly.  She immediately hugged back with twice as much vigor.