Keep on living dear

Chapter 15

Yashiro forces herself to rush down the halls along with Kou but honestly she feels like she cry again at any moment.
As she ran alongside Kou, she observed him.
His face is pale, he's still and he's completely limp like a rag doll, making her get that sickening feeling in her stomach again.
Yashiro:"Please Hanako kun." She whispers.
Wake up.
Kou:"Over here!" He shouts, bursting into the library.
"Spider sensei!" He calls causing Yako to jump off his shoulder and hide from the scare.
Yashiro:"Tsuchigomori sensei!"
The man closes his book.
Tsuchigomori:"Why are you guys so loud?"
Kou:"Hanako is-!" He comes closer.
"He won't wake up."
Yashiro:"I don't know what happened, he j-just stopped moving." She pants.
Tsuchigomori eyes the apparition anxiously but then relaxes his face and tuts.
"He's fine."
Yashiro:"Eh?"
Tsuchigomori:"Come, put him down here." He points to his chair.
Kou looks at Yashiro hesitantly before nodding.
Tsuchigomori sighs.
Yashiro:"You said he's fine. How could he be fine!?" She moves his hair away from his eyes to get a better look.
Tsuchigomori:"He's tired."
Kou:"Hah!?"
Tsuchigomori:"He's tired I told you. Tch these kids." He scratches his head, muttering to himself.
Yashiro:"B-but I thought ghosts don't sleep!?"
Tsuchigomori:"They don't."
Kou:"Then-!?"
Tsuchigomori:"He's tired himself out from doing too much. He's not exactly sleeping, he's just reenergising."
Yashiro:"Reenergising? I'm confused."
Tsuchigomori sighs.
"No.7 sama is very irresponsible, I'm sure you know that. I suppose you could say it's similar to reverting back to his dead body."
Yashiro wipes her face with her palms.
"Hanako kun, you idiot worrying me like that. Acting like your fine when you aren't." She sniffles.
"Planning a tanabata festival when you're tired. Just what were you even thinking?"
Kou:"Senpai..."

Tsuchigomori:"Knowing him, he probably wanted to have as much fun with you guys as possible."
Yashiro:"Why?"
Tsuchigomori:"Well...you two are precious to the honourable no.7 but he's so childish that he forgets to care for himself too."
Kou:"You're telling me that this has happened before?"
Tsuchigomori:"It hasn't because It shouldn't. But apparitions know it's possible, they've just never experienced it because it's a rarity."
Yashiro:"Hanako kun..."
Tsuchigomori:"I'm telling you the rest of them would lose their minds if they found out this happened." He shakes his head.
"To no.7 sama specifically."
Kou:"Is there anything we could do to help?"
Tsuchigomori:"There isn't." He says bluntly.
Yashiro:"But-" she frowns.
"Is it my fault?"
Tsuchigomori:"Why would you say that?"
Yashiro:"Because, I feel like he keeps having to help me with stuff and perhaps he thinks he needs to keep me happy before I-"
Tsuchigomori pats the two of their heads.
Kou:"Spider sensei?"
Tsuchigomori:"It's not your faults at all-It's his. He could have balanced out what he does wisely and what he decides to do but, he's irrational."
Yashiro:"Oh."
Tsuchigomori:"No need to worry, after tonight he should be back to his annoying self." He takes off Hanako's hat and places it on the table side.
Kou:"Are we allowed to stay here spider sensei?" He questions.
Tsuchigomori:" I suppose but only for a little bit." He dusts off the shelves with a duster.

Kou appears distraught.
If Teru Nii knew that I was caring for an apparition. I wonder what he'd do?
I'm not a true exorcist am I? But Hanako is my friend.
Yashiro carefully caresses his face; it's stone cold-colder than usual.
"I'm sorry." She whispers.

The clock's ticks fill the air while Tsuchigomori rearranges the books on the shelves quietly.
Despite what he had said, the two kids ended up falling asleep anyway on the library's marble floor. One with their head leaning on the chair Hanako is laying on and the other has their head in their knees.
Tsuchigomori huffs.
"It can't be helped."
With two of his many arms, he rests the two on another couch side by side.
Yako:"Gloomy spider, you're too soft on them."
Tsuchigomori:"I told you it can't be helped, they don't seem like the type that'd leave him alone knowing he's in such a state anyway."
Yako:"I would have scolded them."
Tsuchigomori walks up to the apparition again and crouches down to inspect him.
Yako:"What's is it?"
Tsuchigomori:"No it's just, no.7 sama is the leader of us all and is quite powerful however, I still find that I need to protect him just like when he was alive." He puts a cushion under his head.
Yako:"Like a son?"
Tsuchigomori:"Ha, heavens no." He chuckles but his expression softens in response.
...
Yashiro stretches and wakes up to the sound of humming birds. She doesn't waste any time getting up to check on Hanako though. Cautiously, she moves Kou's head off from her shoulder and rushes over to him.
Tsuchigomori:"Oh, you're up?"
Yashiro:"How is he sensei? Will he wake up now?"
Tsuchigomori:"I assume he would."
He rubs Hanako's shoulder.
"No.7 sama."
Yashiro watches hopefully.
Tsuchigomori waits for an answer but after 5 minutes of trying, realises he won't get one.
Yashiro:"Hanako kun..." She holds her chest.
His skin remains ice-cold and white as snow-his eyelids are blue; he pretty much looks like actual death itself.
Tsuchigomori:"Don't stress about it, it appears his exhaustion is worse than I calculated. He'll wake up at some point."
Kou:"Hanako hasn't woken up yet?"
The boy rubs his eyes.
Tsuchigomori:"I'm afraid not."
Yashiro:"Sensei..."
Tsuchigomori:"You guys should go home right? Class will start in 3 hours."
Kou:"I completely forgot about school." He squeezes his arm.
Yashiro:"Sensei can I stay?"
Tsuchigomori:"Priestess, you know you can't skip out on your education."
Yashiro:"How can I think about that now?" She clings onto her dress.
Tsuchigomori:"Come back after school and expect him to be awake." He rests his hand on her head.
"Okay?"

Yashiro:"Mm."
Kou:"We got it spider sensei." He takes Yashiro's hand and they leave.
Yashiro:"Kou kun..."
Kou:"It'll be fine senpai!"
...
Tsuchigomori:"No.7 sama, wake up." He shakes him again.
"You're worrying your friends...and me."
Hanako remains motionless.
Tsuchigomori:"You have incomplete things to do remember?"
Yako:"We can only wait spider face."
Tsuchigomori:"Tch, if only he'd listen to me more often."
Yako:"You already know, don't you? The honourable no.7 is stubborn. Once he makes his mind up, he won't turn back."

Tsuchigomori:"But that's the very thing I hate about him."

Yako:"Cheer up spider face. Your emotions are showing hmph!"

Tsuchigomori:"Are you trying to be considerate?"

Yako:"No I'm not." She sings hopping away.

Tsuchigomori:"Well, since I'm at it, I may as well treat this." He rolls up Hanako's sleeves.

Tsuchigomori:"Tch."