Velleitie

7: Unchanging

The music played across the school, even reaching the old building where Hanako decided to stroll around the halls. He was all too familiar with the repetitive melody, somewhat surprised it never changed. I suppose it was left as an old mark from the schools early years.

Subconsciously, the spirit hummed to the tune. The faint flicker of white passed his vision. He smiled.

"Hey there, buddy." He lightly tapped the will-o-wisp as its tail moved in a soothing way. It's other companion slowly trailed, silently pleading to get the wonder's attention too. It took some time to get used to them always sticking around him, but eventually he became fond of them, considering them as his little friends. The will-o-wisps company really soothed him whenever he felt unease. 

Right now, the deep churning feeling that was bubbling in his stomach was very unsettling. Can he really blame himself, though? For a very long time, he's been searching for answers and now he was going to get it directly from the person he wanted to see the most. It felt so unreal.

He could still recall the conversation that was held a few days prior.

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"So," the disgruntled girl started, a stoic expression plastered on her face as she tried to hide the nervousness she was feeling. "We're having a mock interrogation now?"

A few minutes after Nene left, the ones who remained participated in a staring contest. Really, the radish girl was the only one mediating the amount of tension both spirits let off and now that she's gone, who knows what will happen. Not something that Hanakao was looking up to, if he was honest. 

That very moment all acts were pushed aside, and despite no one admitting it, they were dying inside.

"You and I, both, know that confrontation is the devils incarnate—" "You don't say." Hanako flinched from the tone that Isui gave him. It honestly wrecked him just standing in the same room as her. What was that word people usually use when they get nervous? Anxiety driven. That's it; poor Hanako was having anxiety.

"Isui, I just," the stare he got was undeniably a message for him to choose his words carefully. How a spirit drained of more than half her energy still managed to threaten him just by looking was forever a mystery to him. With the suffocating atmosphere and the overwhelming feelings, Hanako crushed under the pressure. 

"Dammit, Isui! What do you want me to say?" The boy's sudden burst caught Isui off guard as she stiffened. She could clearly see the hurt he was going through, so she fell completely silent. "Do you know how hard it is for me just to see you here, right now?! You suddenly vanished all those years ago and just when I finally come to accept the fact that you've moved on, you pop up out of nowhere and act like nothing happened!

"How am I supposed to act?" The spectre inclined to move forward, nervously tugging on the hem of his sleeves, there were no tears spilling but the pain that he wore was obviousè. "I thought that… I- that you're mad at me. That you hate me because of what I did. Is that it? Is that why you left? Do you regret being friends with me?"

With a jolt, Isui stood up, causing the chair to drag itself on the floor. The loud screech of metal against cement echoed through the empty classroom. From the window, the sun had already been fully engulfed by the horizon, casting shadows that set itself free in the chilly evening. The night was often enjoyable, peaceful and serene, yet right now it was tense.

"How long have you been here and who knows about this?" Hanako asked, his voice lowered and almost a whisper.

"Almost a year." Isui mumbled, looking at anything else but him. "Only you, No. 4 and 5 know about this."