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When the group of three arrived at Kamome, all in one piece, at first all Nene felt was a rush of relief, which was extinguished swiftly by the realization she didn't know anything about Akane and Aoi's whereabouts. The last she'd seen her friends, Akane had been standing at the edge of the pit as she fell, and Aoi...
"It would be wise to wait until tomorrow to meet Number 6," Hanako interrupted when she began to ask. "Less supernatural activity in the morning," he added, but it sounded more like a guess to Nene's ears.
Akane-kun wouldn't let anything happen to her. They'll be fine, she convinced herself, and nodded as if to solidify it into a fact.
After the blur of talking, and finding a place for Sumire to stay for the night, he took her hand with such an intensity she nearly jumped. The look in Hanako's eyes, that said, "Come with me," didn't correlate with how she found herself ending up on the school roof, sitting together in silence.
City lights, street lamps, cars- so much light and sound and activity drowned out the sky, and very few stars were visible, but Nene was able to find Orion's belt from the swath of space, and the handle of the small dipper.
Her efforts were applauded at first, Hanako reaching up to guide her hand to the correct location. But as quiet as he had seemed before, it was even more obvious when he didn't utter a word or try to sneak in comments between her sentences. Nene nudged his knee with her own, feet dangling off the roof's edge, and it prompted him to inhale deeply.
"Hey, Yashiro?"
"Mhm?”
"What if I wasn't here in the morning?"
Her spine stiffened, and fear flooded her eyes when she turned to him "Hanako-kun, wh-"
He made a decision.
"It's just a hypothetical situation. But you know, when your lifespan's fixed, I might not be around anymore."
"Oh," she released her breath. "Though, it's kind of a strange question."
"Like I said, hypothetical."
"Let's see..." she leaned back on the roof, the summer breeze shifting her hair. "Well, I'd want to thank you."
"Me? What for?"
"I guess...even though you're always making me clean, and teasing about my ankles-" He laughed, and it brought a smile to her face, "-You've saved me so many times. And I know you're kind, and good...Hanako-kun, are you just asking for compliments?"
"Please, continue," he urged, earning himself a shove in the arm.
"Geez..." Nene rolled her eyes. "Then, what would your answer be? Hypothetically, of course."
Eyes trained on the sky, he set his hat aside and lay next to her. Using the warmth of her hand as an anchor, he responded, "I don't know."
I'd say sorry. That you were the best thing to happen to me. That I didn't expect to love you.
Hanako was not known for his honesty, after all.
"You should at least tell me 'you're welcome'!" Nene chided lightly.
I'd say I love you, too.
"Hanako-kun, is everything okay?"
He offered up a reassuring smile. "It really is too bad about the stars. Not even Antares is out tonight."
Then you'd smile, and...
...and I'd kiss you, just once. If that would be okay.
"Antares..." she repeated. "Yeah, it is."
"Yashiro-"
"Yashiro, you should go get some sleep. It's pretty late."
"Ah, you're right." She stood up slowly, lingering to brush off her clothes. Hanako waved, part of his face obscured from view. Even so, as she climbed down the ladder and left him sitting there, Nene felt his gaze on her back. She turned.
"Hanako-kun-"
"I'll see you tomorrow."