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Before we start, I have fanart to share!
AdDesperate3692 on Reddit was kind enough to draw a picture of Hanako for me!
You can see the original post here. Also, find me on Reddit if you like for lots of TBHK content!
“If you can’t accomplish something in life, you won’t be able to do it in death either.”
That was what Hanako often said. It was a simple rule of the world, after all. But now he was having doubts if that statement was correct. Because he never had managed to get himself a girlfriend when he was alive.
And now, here he was.
“Here” being in the middle of a classroom, bothering Nene when she was technically supposed to be studying. It wasn’t his fault that he didn’t care about grades—it wasn’t like that was something he had to worry about anymore.
“Hanako-kun, I can’t focus,” Nene scribbled furiously in her notebook while he was toying with her hair.
“Oh~” he sang. He rested his head on her shoulder, knowing full well that it would only fluster her further. “So you find my presence distracting, then?”
“Please, I need to do well in this class!” Nene begged. “I’ll come by the bathroom later.”
“Too long,” Hanako declared, hovering by her desk. “In any case, I would be too lonely by myself. And you, Yashiro? You’d be lonely without me, wouldn’t you?” He sealed it with a kiss pressed to her cheek.
Predictably, Nene turned a vibrant red. “You can’t do that in the middle of class!” Her writing was turning a little slanted because her hand was wobbling. “People will think I’m some crazy girl who blushes for no reason!”
“Ah, but you enjoy it,” Hanako purred. He waited for the denial that never came. He knew his assistant too well. “Fine, I promise I won’t talk too much. I’ll even do your hair, deal?”
Nene didn’t write down an answer this time, but gave him a subtle nod.
What came as a surprise to both of them was that Hanako was quite a good hair stylist. There had been some mishaps early on—like the time he had once turned her hair into the Leaning Tower of Daikon.
It had taken a while to win her trust back after that one.
Now, armed with a comb and some elastics that he had snatched from her bag, Hanako went to work. Teasing out the knots carefully, he brushed out her long hair.
While her chubby ankles might have been his favorite physical trait of his girlfriend, her hair came in at a close second. The soft, creamy locks faded seamlessly into a rich teal that curled at the edges. It flowed through his fingers like silk and smelled of fresh strawberries.
Invisible as he may be, Hanako was still lucky that none of her classmates ever turned their way.
A girl’s hair braiding itself would surely be the start of a new rumor.
Expertly twisting multiple portions of hair around his fingers at once, he started work on an elaborate plait. At first, he had began with simple three portion braids. But, with his experience growing, he had branched out into more complex styles. It was his art.
Starting on both side’s of Nene’s head, he braided them together, and wove as he went. Doing her hair had become a rather cathartic ritual. It was nice to do something with his hands that was creative rather than destructive.
Tying the end off with a bright yellow elastic, Hanako observed the finished product with a satisfied nod. He was proud of his skills. “All done!” he announced, bringing the tail to the front so she could see and holding up a mirror.
Nene appreciated her new style.
“A fishtail braid?” she wrote. Really?
“I felt it was fitting,” Hanako chirped.
“Well, it is really pretty, so thank you.” She turned her head slightly to give him a smile.
Hanako tipped his hat. “All in a day’s work, madam.”
The teacher stood from his desk. “I have some files that I need to pick up from the staff room. Please just continue reading from the textbook until I get back.”
He left, shuffling slightly.
The moment the door clicked behind him, all hell broke loose.
Lemon whipped out his phone and began texting at an inhuman speed. Akane dropped down on one knee beside Aoi's desk and proposed to her passionately—only to receive a sugar-coated “no”.
Hanako, no longer having a reason to be discreet, draped himself around Nene’s shoulders like a human shawl. “I’ll be collecting my payment now,” he crooned against her skin as he planted a kiss on her nape.
“Well, it is a fair deal,” Nene whispered.
Even though she liked to pretend to be the model student who had no patience for her boyfriend’s shenanigans in the middle of class, she couldn’t deny that she enjoyed the thrill of secrecy as much as he did.
All the other couples in class had to find secret places to make out. Not them, they could be having fun while the teacher droned on and no one would be any wiser for it.
Well, except for Akane.
But, after the last time he caught them canoodling in the middle of a history lecture, he made a point to always wear his glasses in class.
So, Hanako could exercise the privilege of floating behind his girlfriend’s desk, hugging her from behind as he peppered kisses along the curve of her neck.
Nene shivered happily and quickly muted her giggle. Her reaction only fueled his euphoria. He loved her contented hums and soft gasps, knowing that he was the only one who could put such a satisfied smile on her face. Working his way up to her jawline, she surprised him by turning her head suddenly to catch him on the lips.
The cream-haired girl smirked slightly at his surprised expression. “You shouldn’t get to have all the fun,” she uttered under her breath.
Hanako blinked, then grinned. His cute little daikon had started out so shy, easily flustered by his constant flirting. Now, she gaining confidence, growing bolder—
And he would be lying if he said he wasn’t loving it.
Deciding that it was probably enough kissing for now (that was better spent on the bathroom windowsill during recess), he tightened his hug and buried his face into the soft crook of her neck. Her skin was soft, scented by the lotion she used, and so irresistibly warm.
Temperature was something Hanako had forgotten about since death. Whether it was a blistering summer day or a bitter winter night made no difference to him. For many years, he had accepted that temperature was just something he couldn’t feel anymore.
But Nene’s hands were always warm.
Somehow, that warmth always managed to seep from her skin into his. When they hugged, held hands, kissed, Hanako felt the tingle of heat he hadn’t even realized he had been missing before. It was like being alive. No, it was better than being alive.
It was being with her.
At the same time he realized how warm Nene was, he came to see how cold he was. He had always known that his body held no heat, but it had never bothered him. Now, whenever he was separated from his assistant’s arms, he felt freezing.
That warmth, he needed it, craved it. Only she could keep the frigid darkness from swallowing him whole. He often clung to her like a lifeline, but she really was.
This is nice, Hanako thought as he nuzzled her just below the hairline. Maybe I could stay like this for the rest of class. As long as I don’t bother her, Yashiro probably wouldn’t mind.
It was then that he noticed his assistant was shivering.
It wasn’t the same as the delighted quivers that would dance up her spine when he kissed just the right spot on her neck, it was more constant. Peeling his face out of her hair, he could see goosebumps prickling along her fair arms. “Yashiro, is something wrong?”
“Hm? I’m fine,” Nene replied, still looking content. “I’m just a little bit cold.”
Cold.
Hanako looked at their position. He was practically curled around her like a blanket, except he was doing the opposite of keeping her warm. She probably felt like she was being hugged by an ice sculpture.
Hurriedly snatching his hands away, he avoided her gaze.
Nene’s garnet eyes followed him in worry, “Hanako-kun?” she whispered. “What’s the matter—”
Before the he even got the chance to answer, the teacher returned with his files in hand. Miraculously, the chaotic classroom put itself back together in a matter of seconds. No one would have guessed the sensei had even stepped out.
For Hanako, it gave him an easy excuse to slip out without having to explain himself. Muttering a quick, “see you around the bathroom later” to Nene, he left.
With the teacher now back to droning on, she couldn’t call him back.
~冷たいの手~
Sitting on his usual perch on the windowsill, Hanako was considering his relationship. He had never given much thought to his dynamic with Nene. It was simple: he was clingy, she acted annoyed, but secretly found it endearing. There was never any reason to think about it too deeply.
But he hadn’t considered how selfish he was being. All he had thought about was how much he was enjoying her warmth. It hadn’t even crossed him mind that, while doing so, he was sapping her body heat. She offered him a soft touch, simmering with heat that made him feel alive.
And what could he offer her in return?
Nothing.
Just cold hands that chilled like a bad case of frostbite.
“Hanako-kun?” a sweet voice chimed from the doorway.
“Hiya Yashiro,” Hanako waved, instantly plastering on a smile. “Is class over?”
Nodding, Nene hopped into the windowsill beside him. “Why did you leave so suddenly earlier?”
“Oh, that was nothing,” Hanako lied smoothly. “I thought I sensed something, but it was just a low-level apparition. I scared it off simple enough.”
“I see,” Nene said, easily believing him. “I’m glad that it wasn’t anything serious.”
“Me too,” Hanako agreed. At any other time, he would have pulled his assistant close and kissed those soft, pink lips as if there was no tomorrow. But the image of her shivering kept forcing its way into his mind.
With that, he decided that he needed to limit his physical contact with his girlfriend. If only to make sure that she didn’t end up catching a cold because of him. From the moment he made up his mind, he knew it wouldn’t be easy, but he could handle it, right?
Yeah, he could definitely handle it.
~冷たいの手~
He couldn’t handle it.
Hanako had thought it was going to be easy. After all, he had gone through over fifty years with no physical contact of any kind. Surely, after only spending a few months with one girl, he can’t have gotten so dependent on her touch that he could no function without it?
Apparently, no, he couldn’t function.
It wasn’t like he cut himself off from Nene entirely. First of all, that would probably kill him all over again. His own pathetic self aside, she would notice something that obvious.
So, he had worked out a system of which touches were acceptable and which weren’t. Kisses were okay, as was hand holding, as they both involved minimal skin contact. Hugs and full body embraces were not allowed.
It had been a couple weeks and Hanako thought that his new system was working out quite well. For her own part, Nene didn’t seem to notice any difference. At least, she had never commented on it, so he felt he was in the clear.
That was until one morning, when the bathroom door was forcibly thrown open. Inside stalked Nene who had a look on her face that clearly said that she was in no mood for any type of nonsense.
It must have been serious, seeing as she had come to school early. Nene wasn’t a morning person, she barely made it to class on time every day.
Out of habit, Hanako sat up a little straighter and silently wondered what he could have done to tick his girlfriend off so badly.
Quickly, he ran through a mental list that he kept of things that earned Nene’s punishments (mostly head-butts). He hadn’t made too many perverted comments, or interrupted her studying sessions more than he usually did. He hadn’t even tried peeking up her skirt—
Not since last time when she had slapped him right across the room.
“Hey Yashiro,” Hanako said, instinct telling him to keep his tone submissive.
“Don’t ‘hey Yashiro’ me!” Nene snapped. “What’s been going on with you lately?”
“Um, nothing?” Hanako answered, which was apparently not the reply she was looking for.
“It’s obviously not nothing! The past couple weeks, you’ve been acting strange. Normally, you’re stuck to my back like the dirty little gremlin you are, and now it’s like you’ve just decided that you’re not going to be clingy anymore.”
Hanako almost winced. So, his assistant was a little more observant than he gave her credit for. “You’re the one who always acts annoyed when I’m clinging to you. I thought you’d appreciate more personal space.”
“How thoughtful,” Nene muttered sarcastically. “But you’ve also snuck into my class less than usual. Normally, you’re in there pestering me all day every day, but you’ve only come a few times this week.”
“I was just trying to be considerate of your grades.”
“Since when have you ever cared about my grades?” Nene deadpanned, one eyebrow raised.
Ah, she did have a good point there.
“W-well, I can be thoughtful once in a while,” Hanako found himself stumbling over his defense. “Besides, I haven’t had much time to bother you because I’ve been busy with all my school mystery duties.”
He had thought that was a reasonable excuse, but it only made Nene shoulder’s slump. “You used to tell me about your school mystery duties so that we could do it together,” she mumbled.
Slowly, her hands clenched to fists. “You’re always like this. One day you’re fine and then the next you close yourself off for no reason without ever explaining anything to me. You won’t even touch me anymore!”
Hanako flushed at what she might be implying. “When you put it like that, it’s almost as though you like it when I touch you.”
“I do!” Nene shouted, too caught up to even process her words. “I like it when you touch me!”
A thick silence fell over the bathroom. It was only broken by the muffled cawing of a few crows that were flying past the window.
“Aho! Aho!”
A suggestive grin overtook Hanako’s features. “Yashiro, you naughty little—”
“Don’t even say it,” Nene growled, her face still a very bright shade of mortified red.
“Not saying anything,” Hanako quickly surrendered, raising his palms for emphasis.
The fight seemed to drain out of Nene and she just looked despondent. “I mean though, what’s going on? Is this my fault? Did I do something to make you upset?”
“No!” Hanako almost yelled, because how could even think that it was her fault?
“Then why?” Nene begged.
Any remaining resolve that Hanako had been preserving instantly crumbled. He could handle Nene being cross with him. Not that he enjoyed it, but it was alright. But seeing her hurt because of him …
No, that just went too far.
Sighing, Hanako rubbed his forehead. “I just didn’t want to make you cold.”
“Make me cold?” Nene echoed.
“We both know my hands are freezing.” Hanako looked down at his translucent fingers regretfully. “Whenever I hug you for too long, you end up shivering. So, I thought it would be better if I just stopped.”
Nene stared for a minute longer, before letting out a breath and placing a hand over her chest. “Thank goodness, I thought something was really wrong.” Her eyes softened as she walked over to her boyfriend. “Thanks for thinking of me, but I don’t want you to stay away.”
“It’s not like I want to stay away,” Hanako protested. “But what if you catch a cold?”
“Then I guess I’ll have to bundle up,” Nene said, pausing by the windowsill. “But I’d rather wear a coat than never have you hug me again.” She climbed onto his lap resolutely, as if to solidify her argument.
Hanako wrapped his arms around the girl instinctively, practically melting at the softness and warmth that he had missed so much. When he glanced over at her face leaning into his shoulder, the same contented smile was pulling at her lips as well.
It was in that moment that he realized how stupid he been. All he had thought about was how much Nene meant to him, how much he needed her. It had never occurred to him that she felt the same way about him, that she craved his cold as much as he did her warmth.
That she … needed him too.
It was just so jarring that someone wanted him, the way he was. Hanako would see his beloved assistant skipping into the bathroom every day and have to remind himself that she really did love him back.
For the life of him, he couldn’t comprehend what the girl saw in him.
But he was glad she did.
Nene sighed happily and snuggled closer into his icy arms. “That’s much better. Now, don’t you even think about keeping your pervy hands off me again, understand?”
“Yes ma’am!” Hanako beamed.
~冷たいの手~
The following week, the air conditioning system at the school had broken.
Of all the times for failing motor, the middle of July was probably the worst. To add to the misery, some new parts would have to be ordered from overseas, which meant it would be a while before it was fixed.
The sun was pounding down on the school roof with a relentless vengeance. Opening the widows did no good because the air outside was stifling and stagnant, not a breeze to be found.
All the students were suffering and the teachers weren’t fairing any better. Everyone was slumped at their desks, trying to cool themselves by waving limp paper fans. They’d be lucky not to pass out from heatstroke, much less actually learn any of the lessons being taught.
Everyone was miserable.
Well, all except one person.
Yashiro Nene, from the high school division, was sitting tall at her desk, pen scribbling over her notebook as she jotted down her sensei’s slurred mumbling. Her cheeks didn’t carry a heated flush and there wasn’t even a single glisten of sweat on her forehead.
Everyone glared at her enviously, wondering how she managed to cope with the merciless swelter while looking perfectly comfortable.
What they couldn’t see was that she had a cold body pressed against her back and cold hands holding her.