𝕂𝕦𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕒𝕜𝕖-𝕆𝕟𝕟𝕒: 𝕛𝕙𝕤𝕜

三十四

『ꜱᴜꜱᴘɪᴄɪᴏɴꜱ: ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 34』

Tsuchigomori clicked his tongue at your response. It wasn't something he was expecting at all, he was hoping for a little intel regarding your past. Although, some information is better than none at all. Based on what Hanako told him regarding you, your personality doesn't match your past self, granted, Hanako held back on certain topics, but given that you are a spirit it's most likely that you're here for a reason. You're too simple, too innocent, too much good within this world of wrong. How did you survive this entire time as the Kuchisake-onna? The murdering spirit that has haunted Japan for several decades. You must have killed people in order to stay relevant.

He squinted closely to stare into your eyes, there is something deep inside of you that is a lot more malicious than you were. If you looked hard enough into your orbs, you would notice the small dark spot that tainted parts of it and disappear the next second. Hanako noticed his intense gaze and followed his trail towards your eyes. You smiled at Hanako when you caught him staring at you, causing him to flare up in embarrassment.

Tsuchigomori rolled his eyes and focused on the children who were focused on interrogating you and Hanako. "Well, isn't that something." He let out a puff of smoke from his mouth, "just our Honorable Number 7. I didn't realize he was capable of making that expression."

"What?" Hanako replied. "It's unexpected."

Tsuchigomori stared down at the shorter boy that was squatting on the floor, "I do know everything about you, after all. Your secrets and your future. By now I'd assume you wouldn't be interested in making friends. But. . . well. That might be interesting."

He grabbed onto the smaller children with his extra limbs, "your time is up, whipper-snappers!" The duo started to panic intensely, fearing that all of their secrets would be broadcasted to the entire school. As they stuttered to tell their other secrets, Tsuchigomori stopped them, "never mind, I've had enough. I've learned beyond the shadow of a doubt that neither of you has any secrets worth discussing."

"P-Please. . . Anything but the broadcast." Yashiro and Kou trembled. Tsuchigomori cleared his throat before making a scary face to frighten them, Yako being on his shoulders and intimidating the same face as him.

Patting them on the heads, Tsuchigomori looked down at his students, "I won't. That was something of a joke. Besides. . ." He walked closer towards the bookshelves and pulled on the string that was attached to a lantern, ". . . I finally got to talk to someone who piqued my interest."

The place started to rumble and shake, similar to an earthquake after he pulled on the string. The bookshelves slowly opened to reveal a path and a shining end. "I'll take you to my yorishiro." Tsuchigomori smoked one more time as he held onto the lantern to guide them to the treasure. "Follow me."

"Then we're off to destroy Tsuchigomori's yorishiro! Lets gooo!" Hanako cheered, pumping his fists up in excitement while Kou shared the same expression.

"Hold it." Tsuchigomori grabbed everyone but Yashiro's clothing and held them up, stopping them from their yorishiro raid. He dropped all of you away from the doorway as he pointed to Yashiro, "you guys are staying right here. The only one allowed past this point is the Kannagi girl who's going to destroy the yorishiro."

"Kannagi?" Yashiro asked.

"It means you're my assistant!" Hanako drifted over to her and draped his arms over her shoulders.

Kou tightened his hold on his staff, "gimmie me a break spider face! I can't let senpai go alone! It's too dangerous!" He argued before being muffled by Tsuchigomori's hand.

"Well? What do you say Honorable Number 7? Or can't you trust me?" Hanako looked down at Yashiro and Tsuchigomori, uncertain of his decisions to let Yashiro go by herself. Although he and Tsuchigomori were close, it doesn't mean that he might reveal some personal information regarding his past.

". . . Alright." He reluctantly released Yashiro from his hold, pushing her forward, "Yashiro. . . Well, see you." He tugged on Kou to push him behind him.

"Take good care of my assistant. . . Tsuchigomori-sensei." The spider spirit turned towards Hanako's cold gaze before the door closed on him.

You watched as Yashiro was taken away towards Tsuchigomori's yorishiro in silence. You felt Hanako brush over your finger and gently toying with your ring. You had nothing else to do but stay in silence waiting for Yashiro's return. Although you felt like you could trust Tsuchigomori, something about him doesn't fit quite right with you.

Or was it because you didn't fit with these people?

Time and time again, you've faced many hardships that led to dead ends to your goal. You leaned your head on Hanako's shoulder, waiting for the clock to slowly tick by. You couldn't shake off the jitters you get around Minamoto Teru, furthermore, you couldn't remember anything that happened before your encounter with him in the infirmary. Everything was a mess in your head, it was blurry and it went by so quickly. You could only remember the sound of his sword being swung and Hanako's frightened expression. You grit your teeth, remembering very well what could have happened to you at that time. You couldn't involve Hanako or Yashiro with your problems like this, things would be extremely messy if they decided to go against your will to protect them. Although they were fluent in the wishes you wanted to make, they had very inhumane ways of achieving such a dream. Unbeknownst to you, the dark patches in your eyes grew in size and shrunk, however, Hanako noticed the change.

He rested his head against yours as you both leaned up against a pillar together. Hanako could remember when you shoved him to the ground, shielding him from Teru as he stuck you over and over again. Your voice changed when you talked to him, it sounded different. . . It was a higher-pitched sound when you jumped on the exorcist in excitement, but deeper when you looked down at him in annoyance. He squeezed your hand and rubbed this fingers across the back of it, feeling content with the way you felt against his skin.

"Don't get in my way."

He couldn't shake off those memories. There was some sort of connection between you and this another person within you. You mentioned that you weren't able to remember everything in your past, there has to be a reason for it. . . And that reason is something he needs to uncover for himself. He brushed away the strands that were dropping down on your cheeks.

'Red camellias huh?' He smiled at your little secret. 'You're the flame in my heart too.' 

A/n:

I might be taking some time into writing another story: Fault, which follows the story of a mute and war veteran adapting to modern life in Haikyuu with Oikawa Tooru. It's an emotional journey as he teaches the main character how to live. It is a crossover with Violet Evergarden.