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It was graduation day in Kamome Gakuen. The third years were getting ready to graduate as pictures were being taken and everyone was celebrating. Nene held her diploma in her hands as she went to find her friends.
“Daikon-senpai congratulations” Mitsuba said as he handed her a bouquet of flowers.
“Senpai!!!! I’m so glad!!!” Kou cried.
“Ehehe thank you!” Nene laughed as she accepted the flowers from her two underclassmen.
“Nothing for me?” Amane asked as he held his girlfriend’s hand.
It has been 3 years since Nene met Yugi Amane in the high school division but to Nene it felt almost shorter. It was almost 3 summers ago when Amane took her out on a date to watch a movie and since then, they have continued to date. It was awkward in the beginning but they made it work.
“We have nothing to say to a traitor leaving us” Mitsuba pouted.
“Don’t say that. I’m only going to be in a different school from everyone else. I’m still going to be in the neighborhood and will visit the school. We will still be together”
It was Amane’s dream to become an astronaut and visit space. Even with his grades, he able to graduate and get into a college that specialized in aerospace and astronomy. It was different from what everyone else was aiming for but everyone agreed that he should chase his dreams. With a few more years of effort he would definitely make his dream come true.
“AMANE! WE GRADUATED!” a voice shouted as a whirl came crashing onto Amane and he did a double take.
“Tsukasa, you’re a bit heavier now you know”
“But but but”
As the group chatted, they were approached by a different group.
“Nene-chan what are you doing over here?” Aoi asked.
“It’s almost time for the graduates to move towards to the next location” Akane followed up.
“Its fine isn’t it?” Yamabuki added. “This is a day to remember. We should enjoy every moment”
The group continued to chat with the underclassmen giving their congratulations to the upper. Over the years, the group had been inseparable. It was hard to believe that soon they would part with graduation.
Amane looked over at Nene. “Um Yashiro, can you come with me for a little bit” he asked nervously as he slowly pulled his girlfriend away from the rowdy crowd and whispered in her ear.
Nene was confused but followed her boyfriend near the gates of the school. The rest of their friends eyeing them as they left. They stopped by a tree and Amane let go of her hands.
“Amane-kun, what’s wrong?” Nene asked as her boyfriend’s back continued to face her.
“Yashiro…we’ve been together for 3 years and we are going to enter college soon. Our colleges will be different so I won’t be together with you as often as I like. Don’t go looking at other guys during that time” he joked.
“I’m not going to do that!” Yashiro exclaimed.
Amane looked down. “But even so, there’s something I need to tell you. After college…will you…”
He turned around. His embarrassed yet nervous face under the tree almost looked very familiar but before she can recall where she’s seen it, Amane grabbed her by the shoulders.
“I love you, please marry me”
Nene was shocked to say the least. She was so surprised she couldn’t even utter a sound. It was quiet for some time minus the gasps they heard from far away.
“Um Yashiro-san?”
“Yes” she worded slowly. “Yes, I’ll marry you!” she said as she hugged him. Never in her life did she think she’ll get a proposal with her luck in love but everything changed when she met Amane.
“It’s going to be a little while longer until I can provide a ring for you”
“I don’t mind. Let’s spend our lives together” she said.
“Then…until then, please take this” he said as he held something out.
Nene held out her hand and what dropped down was a button. The second button from his uniform to be exact.
Nene blushed as she held out the button tightly to her chest.
~~~~
“Hey don’t push” Yamabuki groaned.
“But I want to see what Amane’s doing!” Tsukasa exclaimed.
“Now’s not the time to bother WAHHH!”
Nene and Amane turned around to see all their friends falling down from another tree nearby.
“Ah…we ruined the moment” Aoi sighed with a hand on her cheek.
“It was Tsukasa’s fault” Mitsuba exclaimed.
“If we were lucky, we could’ve seen them kiss. That will definitely make social media” Yamabuki commented as he held up his phone to snap a picture of the surprised couple.
“Anyways, congratulations Nene-chan!” she said happily as she approached Nene and clasped her hands. “With this you are one step closer to your dream as well”
“It was almost a perfect proposal wasn’t it” Akane said as he patted Amane on the back. “It’s too bad your brother had to ruin it”
“I didn’t do anything right Amane?” Tsukasa innocently claimed as he hugged his brother.
“Tsukasa…”
The group continued to joke around with their comments of “don’t forget to invite me to the wedding” and “The ruined proposal is now going to cost you your marriage”.
“Hmm, it’s a shame Nene-chan’s proposal got ruined. It was her first one too” Aoi pouted.
“Yeah unlike someone who gets proposed to everyday” Yamabuki joked as he jabbed at Akane.
“Um Aoi-chan will you”
“-10 points”
“Why!?”
“Akane-kun, that’s bad in taste. A double proposal only works if it happens at the same time and is planned. Doing it after Nene’s ruined proposal is in bad taste”
Akane cried as the rest of the group laughed in pity.
“I understand Aoi-chan! For you, I will help them make amends” Akane exclaimed. “Yugi-kun! Come here” he said as he dragged him away.
“Eh!?” Amane exclaimed as he was pulled away with Tsukasa and Lemon following them curiously.
“Where are they going?” Nene wondered.
“I think I know” Aoi smiled. Let’s get you ready as well”
“Get ready for what?”
In just a few brief moments, Akane had returned with Amane. Akane had combed Amane’s hair back and added a blazer to his attire.
“Aoi-chan, I have returned with the groom”
“Good job Akane-kun” she said revealing Nene. Aoi had quickly modified Nene’s uniform slightly and added a veil to her hair with the help of flowers their kouhais had given her. Nene held the remaining bouquet in her hands blushing as the group pushed them closer together.
“With this the proposal is complete” Akane said.
“Not bad” Yamabuki said as he readied his camera. “I need to tweet about this” and aimed his camera at the blushing couple.
“How…how does it look” Nene asked nervously.
“You look…nice” Amane blushed.
“Only nice?”
“You look lovely. Too lovely. I don’t know how I’m going to wait all those years to marry you”. He turned away with a large blush.
Nene smiled. “I can’t wait either”.
“I love you Nene” Amane said.
“!! You…you finally called me by my first name” Nene blushed.
Amane picked her up and twirled her with a smile. “And I will continue to call you by that because you are going to be Yugi Nene”
“Let’s be together forever Amane-kun”
“Yes, let’s be together forever”
Hanako stared at the painting of the happy couple. He had just finished defeating another supernatural running amok and restoring balance in the school. Without his assistant it has become harder but he was able to manage.
It’s been almost a year, maybe more, since he had succeeded in keeping his friends in the Number 4's painting. He had lost count exactly how long it has been but it didn’t matter. Yashiro had lived past her life expectancy of a year and that’s all that mattered.
She was alive and happy. Happy with him.
He stared at the painting, at himself.
She was happy with him. She had went on the date with him and became they became a couple. She was wearing the makeshift wedding dress with him as the groom.They were going to get married. The effort of asking her out to the movies was worth it.
But that wasn’t him. That was Yugi Amane.
Yugi Amane, the boy who would soon become an astronaut and had plans on marrying Yashiro Nene. The one who lived with Tsukasa happily, attended classes normally, and had tons of friends. The one who was alive, could leave the school, and could give her everything.
It’s fine. Yashiro likes him. He was Yugi Amane.
But he wasn’t Yugi Amane. At least not anymore. He was Hanako of the Toilet. She liked Yugi Amane. Yugi Amane, the gentleman. Hanako was forgotten. There was no Hanako-kun in her heart...or her memory.
But that was fine. He didn’t care about anyone. There was no future with him but Yugi Amane could give her everything.
“Yashiro...” he muttered as he collapsed onto the floor still staring at the painting.
“Back again Honorable Number 7?” a voice chimed.
Hanako discreetly put on his stoic face and turned to the 4th rumor. The one who made it possible for Yashiro to live on.
“While I am glad that you are actively keeping your patronage, I really wish you would stop visiting the tower when I step away” she said.
“Just making sure you are doing your job” he said as he got up. “As we had agreed, you keep painting and I will keep all the supernaturals at bay in your domain”
Mei secretly glared at Hanako.
“What do you think of the recent events” she said with a smile as she gestured to the painting of the wedding. “I think this turned out pretty well. How would you like the real wedding to go? Should we make it possible to marry in space? I think that will be pretty”
She was taunting him, he knew it but he couldn’t help but glare at her. One false move and she could easily turn Yashiro’s happy life into a sad one. Even if she was alive, it wouldn’t mean anything if she wasn’t happy. Wordlessly, he left her boundary.
“Do come again” he heard her say.
~~~~
Outside number 4’s boundary he was greeted with Number 1 and the boy’s brother. Since the two’s entrapment inside the world of the painting the rest of the world had forgotten about the two except those with power. Teru was not happy to learn what happened to his precious younger brother and had fought to get him back. Hanako had almost lost if it wasn’t for Number 4’s interference. Even the strongest exorcist would not be able to fight against multiple rumors, especially in their domain. Hanako may have a seal but Shijima Mei did not.
Number 1 glared at Hanako with disgust. After multiple loss attempts, sometimes with someone bringing attention to Teru with a shout of “The president is looking for a girlfriend”, Teru had roped the Vice President into this confrontations. Akane had preferred not to be involved with the perverted rumor but with Teru’s threats how Aoi was no longer the same without her best friend he voluntarily started helping Teru in his quest to help to retrieving the two.
“You two are here again?” Hanako said energetically. “Don’t you two get tired?”
“Honorable number 7, please let us through” Akane said. “We will retrieve Yashiro-san and the President's brother.”
“NOPE~” Hanako responded. “No matter how many times you come here the outcome will be the same. “I will not let you two interfere with Number 4’s work”
“Though it’s unfortunate about Yashiro’s life, Aoi-kun will be here to help with that. Why keep everyone in the fake world when he’s willing to help in the real” Teru responded.
The thought of Yashiro coming out of the painting only for fate to work its magic scared him. He wasn’t taking the risk even with Number 1’s help. After all, Number 1 still wasn’t as experienced with his power and was still limited to the school property. Yashiro would never be able to leave the premises.
“Nope. That is unnecessary. Everything has been taken care of”
“So you’re happy with Yashiro-san being with someone not you?” Number 1 interjected.
“This conversation is over” Hanako responded as he pulled out his knife. The three assumed battle position, neither side relenting to back down.
A bang and a scream started the three. “A Monster!” a voice cried.
Hakujoudai told Hanako about what was happening. “Another one?” he muttered as he ran towards the source.
The two student council members followed in case they needed to ensure student safety from the supernatural.
“So you’re happy with Yashiro-san being with someone not you?”
Of course he wasn’t but what else could he do?
“You finally called me by my first name”
In the end, he never called her by her first name...and now....he didn’t have the right to. It was a glimpse of a dream, a dream that can never come true.
The price of borrowing a supernatural’s power meant you will lose something in return and Hanako had paid the price.