Chapter Text
"This isn't good!" Yashiro froze as she looked up and saw who she'd thought was Hanako and turned out to be none other than his brother, Tsukasa, who dumped a large bucket of water on her.
You watched from around the corner, staring at them with narrowed eyes. To your surprise, Yashiro turned into a fish the moment she was drenched, though you'd at first wondered if she'd just disappeared until you saw Tsukasa pick her up by the tail.
"What do you want with me?!" she queaked.
"You know. . .I want a tasty treat!" he announced, then, eyes narrowing a bit, he opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue, as if about to eat her.
Your first instinct was to dash out and grab him, but you fought that urge and instead watched as Yashiro apparently fainted, making Tsukasa blink.
"I think she's dead," he mumbled in a voice too nonchalant for your liking. As he spoke, he dumped her into a fish bowl that Natsuhiko was holding.
"She obviously just passed out," he murmured.
"Passed out to death."
The moment they were out of sight, you were about to pelt after them, but before you had the chance, a hand landed on your shoulder.
"Hey." (Spiderman Miles Morales fans, where y'all at? XD)
Turning, you were face to face with-dare you even say it-
"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"
You inwardly grimaced and gave him a smile as genuine as the one he was wearing now. "Teru-nii," you mumbled, suppressing the urge to fidget. "No where important, I was just going to see my friend, Yashiro."
"Ahh." He patted your shoulder and rubbed your head, much to your annoyance. "I see."
You puffed out your cheeks, irritated, and closed one of your eyes. "Teru-nii," you whined, but he ignored it.
"Go on then." He pat your back a couple times, indicating that you could go.
As you dashed away, he called, "And be safe!"
"Fuck off," you muttered under your breath, even though you'd waited to say it until you knew for sure you were too far away for him to hear.
You found yourself in a large and dinning-like room that you didn't bother trying to observe due to there being so much to see. Instead, you waited behind the closed greenish-blue curtains in front of the cushioned reddish-brown seat just below the windowsill against the wall. You kept your legs folded on the cushion to prevent anyone from seeing you and closed all gaps so you were completely hidden, then waited.
And waited.
Waited some more.
You were so bored, you nearly fell asleep, until you heard soft groaning and a voice speak up from the other side of the curtain.
"So you're awake."
"Uh?"
That voice. . .You recognized it from the way it sounded so. . .bland, stoic even. She had the most monotone one you'd ever heard-in the school, that is. But still. . .you couldn't be a hundred percent certain it was her, and you couldn't risk leaking behind the curtain without being seen, so you silently listened in hopes of hearing more clues that would confirm your suspicions.
"I asked those two to treat you as gently as possible. . ." the monotone girl contined softly, seemingly almost exasperated, "but naturally, they ignored my request."
"Huh? Wait, I know you! We met at the library." Has girl's voice suddenly rose in shock. There was a thud, then, "YOU'RE HANAKO'S GIRLFRIEND!"
. . .What?
". . .That's not-"
"NO WAY! YOU'RE DATING AMANE? AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME??!!"
If you weren't so worried about what would happen next, you would've laughed at Tsukasa's enthusiastic reaction.
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT FOR A SECOND, TELL ME IT'S NOT TRUEEEEE!"
The amusement only increased at Natsuhiko's shriek of despair, and you imagined him on his knees as he pulls at her dress with tears in his wide, imploring eyes.
There was groaning and screaming and begging for reasons it should be all a false statement, and a moment later, there was a smack, then the deadpanning voice mumbled, "I'm not dating him."
"Understood, ma'am," Tsukasa and Natsuhiko chorused. "Sorry."
A moment later, the girl murmured, "Let's start over. I'm please to meet you, Nene Yashiro. Apologies for the late introduction. My name is Sakura Nanamine."
So you were right after all.
"And I'm currently a third year," Sakura added. "Just like you, I'm a bound human. In order to obtain a wish, I'm consented to enter an operation service."
"You're actually the same as me?" You pictured Nene tilting her head in wonder.
"That's correct, I've been bound to this boy for some time. He may act childish, but he's surprisingly dependable."
"So then what about Natsuhiko?" In your mind, Nene tilted her head to the other side, like a lost puppy.
"Oh." Samuel sounded ever so slightly surprise at the mention of his name, as if she'd forgotten he even existed. "I just pretend he's not here."
You suppressed laughter at that.
"What's up?" Natsuhiko purred as you imagined Nene turning her curious gaze on him.
"Huh. Gotcha."
"Honestly, I've wanted to speak with you for quite a while now. After all, we're both in the same exceedingly rare position. Surely the two of us can be friends. . .Right?"
There was a pause, then. . .
You spent the next half-hour listening to Yashiro and Sakura complain about Hanako. At this point, you were just there for entertainment.
"Yeah, totally," Yashiro sobbed, agreeing with whatever Sakura had said. You'd begun to tune them out altogether.
After some more tuning out, Tsukasa's voice dropped to a low tone as he called to Sakura. So low, you felt like whatever was happening next would be something important.
"This isn't easy on either of us."
Sakura's voice, which was already always so consistent in being dull and lulling, suddenly dropped even further, and apprehension crawled down your back , making you lean forward a bit to listen more intensely.
"Huh?" Poor Nene sounded so confused, so ignorant to the danger coming ahead. . .
"As long as we're bound to our masters, we can't deny their orders, even if we'd like to."
"Yeah, that's how it goes! It's funny. Whenever I try to say no to Hanako, he threatens to turn me into a fish!"
"I know how you feel."
"Is it the same for you?"
"Yeah. It's just the same."
There was an ominous feeling that came from her. You didn't like where this was going.
"So I'm sure you see why I have to do this."
". . .Huh?"
The room instantly became darker and morphed around you until you flopped to the floor with a soft thud. You instantly slid into the shadows so they didn't see you when they looked in your direction.
You watched as Yashiro was locked into a monstrous green-and-red chair and shrieked, "Hey! What the heck's going on with this freaky chair?! Lemme go, c'mon!"
"Please believe me when I tell you that this was never what I wanted. I'd like nothing more than to release you. But I have no choice. . .Except to do as I've been told."
"Amane and I are pretty much polar opposites," Truman's chimed in cheerfully. "I guess you could also call us rivals? Arche nemesis, maybe? Eh, who cares. . .The point is. . ." He gave a smile. "I need you to disappear for me."
"The room's filling with some weird liquid!" Nene gasped. "Are you trying to drown me?!"
"I'm truly sorry." Sakura bowed her head slightly, though her expression of kidded eyes and pursed lips looked far more cold than apologetic to you. "But I'm glad we at least got the chance to talk, y'know. Farewell."
"Bye bye!" Tsukasa waved at her eagerly
"Wait!" Nene cried. "You can't do this!"
You stuck to the shadows once more as you slid towards them and out the door just in time to hear both Yashiro and Natsuhiko shout "DON'T LEAVE ME!!!", telling you that they'd locked Natsuhiko in there, too.
As the door closed, Sakura and Tsukasa turned and stood face to face with you.
"Oh." Tsukasa blinked. "Hello."
You grit your teeth and whipped out your staff. "Did you really think you'd get away with this?" you hissed, all the venom and rage at them dripping in your tone as you flashed them a glare through the shadow cased over you eyes by the way you bowed your head, and they seemed to glow in the black that encased them with a threatening stare.
Sakura took a step back and Tsukasa's eyes widened, both looking caught off guard, though Tsukasa's annoying little grin didn't falter.
"Whatever could you mean. . ." he murmured, floating towards you until he was only an inch away. ". . .(Y/n) Minamoto?"