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“All supernaturals are evil. All supernaturals are dangerous and must be exterminated.”
Those were the words that Teru had repeated to his little brother ever since they were kids. Kou had always looked up to his elder brother, wanting nothing more than to be just like him. So, he had no reason do doubt the saying. If Teru thought that supernaturals were bad then they must be.
No further questioning was needed.
Because, naturally, his brother knew better.
So, when Kou finally got his chance to take out a real apparition by exorcising the leader of the seven wonders, he was absolutely thrilled. Though he had never met Hanako-san of the bathroom, he could only imagine what kind of horrible, cold-hearted murderer he must be.
That was why meeting Hanako for real has been so jarring.
He sure didn’t look like a monster, or act like one either. If anything, he seemed like a teenage boy—well, the ghost of a teenage boy, anyhow. During their brief battle, he could have killed Kou if he had really wanted to, but he chose to spare him, which was definitely not what you would expect a cold-hearted murderer to do.
In the days since, Kou had met other supernaturals that skulked around the school. Some of them, like the Mokke, were troublemakers but none really seemed to have the intent to cause actual harm to anyone.
Even No. 2 wasn’t fully at fault for the harm she had caused.
They didn’t seem to be evil, and they certainly didn’t deserve to be violently ejected from existence. They were just going about their business, making places for themselves in the world, just like everyone else was.
To get rid of them just for existing … it felt wrong.
But this created a dangerous contradiction.
Because Teru had very specifically told Kou that all supernaturals were evil, no exceptions. Did this mean that his big brother was wrong? No, that just couldn’t be possible. Teru was a brilliant prodigy of an exorcist, he obviously wasn’t mistaken.
And … if Teru wasn’t wrong then that meant Kou was.
Normally, he would have accepted his brother’s words without any protest, but now it felt different. It wasn’t just his pride at stake, it was his morals as well. If he sent an innocent soul to a horrible fate, he didn’t think he’d ever be able to forgive himself.
Teru had just given him the job to finish off Hanako, or else he would do it himself. Kou wasn’t sure what to do. In all honesty, he didn’t know the ghost that well. From what he had seen so far, he wasn’t really inclined to like Hanako. He was a creep and a pervert who lived in the girls’ toilets, of all places, and didn’t seem to take anything seriously. Still, was that enough to warrant his exorcism?
Being a mild nuisance wasn’t a crime.
Kou had decided that there was only one way he could satisfy his big brother without tearing into his conscience: he would have to find out more about the seventh mystery. That would effectively solve both problems. If he could find solid proof that Hanako was a good person, he could use that to convince Teru. And if he saw that Hanako really was a bad person, he could exorcise him without guilt.
The perfect solution.
This very important reason was why he was skulking around the side of the school instead of sitting in class. Usually, Kou wouldn’t have resorted to such drastic measures, but Teru had put him on a time limit, so he needed to find answers as quickly as possible.
When he saw Hanako with a heavy-looking sack slung over his shoulder, Kou couldn’t help but feel a bit suspicious.
This could be proof that Hanako was evil after all.
Kou sidled farther into the bushes, letting the leaves obscure him, and waited. He waited for the satisfaction and relief to bubble up that his brother might end up being right after all…
But no such relief came.
Instead, conflict tore at the teen’s conscious.
Why should he feel conflicted over Hanako anyway? Regardless of how innocently he acted, the boy was a murderer—that was the most basic kind of sin there was. Only a monster would kill another person.
Right?
But … what if it had been an accident? Or self-defense? Would the sin still carry the same weight? Either way, the result was the same, so maybe that meant circumstances didn’t matter?
But that didn’t feel right either.
Kou rubbed his temples, feeling an unfamiliar headache blooming. He wasn’t used to thinking this deeply.
I guess I never had to consider stuff like this before, he mused. I just believed whatever Teru-nii told me…
Kou shook himself out of his thoughts and went back to spying on Hanako, only to find that the ghost boy was gone. “What the—he was there a second ago!”
“Whatcha doin’?” a cheerful voice sang in his ear.
Kou nearly jumped out of his skin and had to lean against the wall, clutching his chest where his heart still pounded frantically. “Dammit Hanako, you can’t just sneak up on people like that! I’m not dead like you, I can still have a heart attack!”
“Well, it’d serve you right for skipping class and sneaking around like a stalker,” Hanako declared. “So, what are you doing out here anyway?”
Kou’s gaze dropped to the ground—he couldn’t admit his true intentions here!
Something unreadable flickered across Hanako’s face and he grinned. “Ah, I see,” he said, with a certain sort of deliberateness. “You were checking up on me to make sure I wasn’t getting myself into any troublesome mischief, right?”
“T-that’s right!” Kou said quickly, latching onto the easy excuse. “I don’t trust you one bit, so I’m keeping a close eye on you, plunger-pants!”
Hanako pouted slightly. “Can we let go of the toilet-related nicknames already?” he whined.
“Hey, you brought this on yourself when you took up residence in a girl’s restroom of all places, pervert.”
“Touché.”
The two ended up sitting by the fence—well away from any windows where someone might catch Kou for skipping class. The young exorcist took the opportunity to observe Hanako as he played with the Mokke. Noticing the other boy’s gaze, the ghost turned with a cheery smile.
One thing Kou had always thought was odd about Hanako was his smile. Half the time, it felt as though there was something off about it. It was hard to pinpoint what exactly was unnatural, other than a it just looked a little too wide. The corners of his mouth always turned up at such an angle that the movement looked stiff.
Actually, it looked a little painful.
“So, are you satisfied that I’m not up to no good?” Hanako asked.
“Not yet,” Kou replied. “I need to see what you’re lugging around in that sack of yours.”
“Sure, go ahead,” Hanako offered. “You might even find something you like.”
“There’d better not be anything dirty in here,” Kou muttered to himself, eye twitching. He opened the sack to find a random assortment of items, some of which he recognized as belonging to his friends.
“Stolen goods?” he deadpanned.
Hanako put his palms up in a gesture of innocence. “I can explain. You see, even though Yashiro changed the rumor, the Mokke still haven’t been able to throw off their thieving habits and they still take stuff now and then.”
“Stealings is fun!” one Mokke said.
“Once you starts, you can’t stop!” piped up another.
“You guys really are nothing but trouble, aren’t you?” Kou sighed, taking one of the rabbit-like supernaturals and stretching its cheeks.
Hanako chuckled. “Cut them some slack, it’s in their nature. Anyway, every week or so I gather up all the stuff they’ve stolen and return it to the owners.”
“Really?” Kou asked. “That’s … nice of you.”
You don’t have to sound so shocked,” Hanako retorted. “Besides, I am in charge of the school, so I need to keep things in order.”
Kou nodded wordlessly. Maybe it wasn’t much, but this had to be some sort of proof that Hanako was a good ghost. He was willingly helping other people even though he wasn’t exactly required to.
This probably wouldn’t be enough to convince Teru, though.
“Actually, I’m really glad that you showed up!” Hanako piped up suddenly, snapping Kou out of his thoughts. “You see, there’s still one thing that I haven’t managed to get back yet. It’s up there.”
He pointed to the bell tower.
The young exorcist squinted and could just make out the glittering of something lodged beneath the window.
“We worked-ed so hards to get it ups there,” one Mokke whimpered. “Buts now we is too scared to gets it down.”
“Which is where you come in!” Hanako said brightly. “So, will you help me?”
“Sure,” Kou shrugged. “But why do you need my help? Can’t you just fly up there yourself?”
“If only,” Hanako mourned. “I can’t float more than a few meters off the ground. But now I’ve got backup, so let’s go kid!”
He pumped his fist enthusiastically.
Kou sighed.
“It is so weird to be called that by someone who’s shorter than me.”
~地縛少年~
Both boys made their way up to the top of the bell tower which offered quite a pleasant view of the school grounds.
Hanako climbed onto the windowsill, swinging his legs over the side. “Alrighty, so you just have to hold my ankles while I go down and get it.”
“Why do I have to hold you?”
“Well, would you rather be the one dangling out of a three story window?” Hanako questioned dryly.
Kou considered this. “Okay, I’ll hold you.” He took a firm grip on the ghost’s ankles, shivering at his cold skin.
“Tally ho!” Hanako shouted happily, letting himself fall out the window.
Kou planted his feet, but wasn’t all that worried. After all, this guy was a ghost, how heavy could he—
The young exorcist was nearly yanked out the window.
He quickly readjusted his grip, the muscles along his arm tautening from the unexpected strain. “W-what the hell?!” he grunted. “You’re a ghost, why are you so heavy?!”
“Rude!” Hanako shouted up to him, hanging upside down. “Honestly, kid, did no one ever teach you not to comment on other peoples’ weight? Anyway, I need you to lower me a little, and go to the right.”
Complying as best as he could, Kou could see his knuckles starting to turn white.
“I really am sorry to put you through this, shounen,” Hanako said unexpectedly, sounding like he actually meant it.
Though, the weight of sincerity was a little hard to discern when the other party was dangling like a rabbit from a hunter’s trap.
“Yeah sure, just hurry up,” Kou grunted. “I mean it, you’re heavy.”
That statement was true—just not as true as it should have been.
The other’s weight had been unexpected, and it was certainly difficult to keep a hold of him in this position while he kept swaying precariously. But he wasn’t heavy. At least, not as heavy as a normal boy his age, regardless of how small and skinny he looked.
Kou tried not to think about. It was probably a ghost thing. Yeah, some supernatural explanation that didn’t require any deeper thought on his part.
“Almost there … can you lower me a bit?” Hanako asked. “I can’t reach it.”
“I’m barely holding you here,” Kou huffed, his fingers starting to feel numb. “Just forget about it already. Whatever it is, I’m sure it doesn’t matter.”
“I think it is,” Hanako countered. “I mean, I don’t know for sure, but it just looks important to somebody.”
Suddenly, a harsh gust of wind blew past. The small object was thrown into the air. Gasping, Hanako pushed off the building with one arm, reaching out the other to close his fist around it.
The wind had been bad enough, but the ghost’s sudden movement had been enough to finally break Kou’s grip.
It almost seemed to happen in slow motion.
One second, he was holding on with all he had—the next, the ghost’s ankles were sliding out of his hands. Wide amber eyes stared back up at him, not seeming to register what had happened yet.
“Take my hand!” Kou shouted, leaning out the window and reaching out desperately. Their fingers brushed, but it wasn’t enough.
Hanako fell. Not like a weightless ghost, a dead leaf drifting lazily down on a light breeze.
He fell. Like a human.
Kou couldn’t see him anymore but, a couple seconds later, he heard a sickening thud. The thud of a flesh-and-bones body colliding with solid concrete. He stumbled down the stairs, almost toppling more than once, bumping into the wall as he tripped over his own feet.
Relax, the logical part of his brain whispered. He’s a ghost, it’s not like he can die twice.
Somehow, it wasn’t reassuring.
When he threw open the door, a dark figure was sprawled on the pavement next to the grass. “Hanako!” Kou hurriedly knelt beside the other boy. “Are you okay?”
The ghost didn’t move, eyes closed as if unconscious, no breath stirring his lips (though that was technically normal).
“Oi.” Kou grabbed his shoulders, shaking him gently, trying to ignore the sharp bones that dug into his palms. “C’mon, wake up!”
Up close, Hanako seemed so much … younger. His pale face was still softened with lingering puppy fat that didn’t seem to match the rest of his scrawny frame. Likely, he had been younger than Kou when he …
The exorcist shook his head, he shouldn’t be thinking of the seventh mystery as a human—he wasn’t anymore. He was a dangerous creature.
Then Hanako bolted up with a gasp, one hand clutching where his beating heart should have been. “Oh wow,” he breathed. “That was so scary, I thought I was gonna die!”
Kou blinked one, twice. “But … you’re already dead,” he said, worry falling into deadpan.
Hanako cocked his head as though he had actually forgotten about that. “Oh yeah.”
Both boys stared at each other for a minute before they burst out laughing.
It took a second for Kou to realize … they were laughing. Together. A human and a supernatural.
“So, did you find what you were looking for?” Kou asked, catching his breath. “It better be worth all that.”
“You tell me,” Hanako chirped, holding out his hand. “It is yours, after all.” In the ghost’s translucent palm was a small earring with a traffic safety charm.
Actually, it was a very familiar one.
“Hey, my earring!” Kou exclaimed, grabbing it. His other hand shot up to his ear, feeling only the empty piercing.
“I think the Mokke took it earlier,” Hanako explained.
Kou reattached the accessory, then paused. Wait, this was the thing he was working so hard to get back. What he thought looked so important? This has to be proof that he is a good guy!
After all, you didn’t go to so much trouble for someone else (who had recently tried to erase you from existence!), if you weren’t a decent person. So, getting rid of him would definitely be the wrong choice.
With that decided, Kou stood up and offered Hanako his hand. “Alright, I’ve made up my mind. I’m not going to exorcise you after all.”
“You’re not?” Hanako asked, taking the hand and allowing himself to be pulled to his feet, confusion written on his features. “I thought all supernaturals were nothing but trouble. You said it yourself: I’ve killed someone, I’m a murderer.”
Kou scratched his cheek, embarrassed. “Yeah well, I might have jumped the gun a little there. I’m sure you had a good reason for doing what you did.”
“I see,” Hanako murmured, his smile fading as his voice took on a strange, distant tone. “So then … does that mean murder is justified so long as the killer has a good reason?”
“N-no! I mean—it could be, argh!” Kou tugged at his hair in frustration. Why was this so difficult? Why couldn’t there be a neat line between right and wrong, like Teru always said there was? “What I’m trying to say—”
He didn’t get to finish because a hand roughly shoved him and he overbalanced.
“Hey!” he began to protest—then froze at the bite of cold metal against his throat.
Hanako was pinning him down now, knife held against the younger’s neck. It took a second for the exorcist to realize that it was the blunt end, not the sharpened edge. Still, it was pressing his windpipe enough to restrict breathing.
“H-Hanako, what are you doing?!” Kou rasped, struggling in the iron grip that held him down.
But Hanako didn’t respond.
His eyes were dull and glazed, staring at the concrete to the left of Kou’s head, looking but not seeing. No, it was more like he was looking at something else—something many years and miles away, locked in a memory.
He can’t even hear me … Kou realized. It’s like he doesn’t even know where we are anymore.
“What if I killed your right now?” the ghost whispered. “And what if I had a good reason for doing it? Would that be okay? Would you … still forgive me?”
Kou felt the blade at his throat tremble.
Bracing his back, he shoved off from the ground, dislodging the smaller boy. Grabbing his thin shoulders once more, Kou shook him. “I don’t know what gotten into you—but you need to snap out of it!”
Hanako blinked, clarity slowly returning his expression, like a fog lifting. “Shounen …” he mumbled, seeming to get his bearings. Then his gaze tracked to their position, eventually landing on his still drawn knife.
He immediately dropped the weapon, scooting back. “I-I’m sorry,” he stammered. “I didn’t mean to—”
But he didn’t get the chance to finish.
Suddenly, the ghost stiffened as his body crackled with bright yellow electricity. He choked and crumpled.
What’s happening? Kou thought. I’m not doing this and there’s only one other person around here who can. So that means …
Teru was standing a little ways off, sword drawn and eyes shadowed. “Seems I arrived just in time. I knew it was a mistake, leaving this to you.”
“Nii-chan.” Kou quickly stood, attempting to diffuse the situation. “Listen, everything is under control, you don’t have to get involved. I can handle it.”
“Really?” Teru questioned with a raised eyebrow. “And can you explain why you were being threatened with a blade to your neck?”
Kou avoided his brother’s gaze. “That … was just a little misunderstanding. Please, just let me handle this.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Teru stalked closer. “You have a good heart, Kou. Too good. I knew you would just end up taking pity on these monsters rather than exterminate them as you’re supposed to. I gave you a chance to exorcise the seventh wonder, but you haven’t managed to do it. So, I will have to take over the job myself. You’re officially dismissed form this case, so kindly step aside.”
Kou didn’t move. “Wait, please just me a chance—there was something wrong with him just now.”
“Yes, that he still exists,” Teru scoffed. “Now step aside and let me finish this.”
Something kept Kou glued to the ground, planted in front of the still recovering ghost. “I won’t,” he said evenly while his thoughts raced. What am I doing? Why am I defending him?
“Then that’s unfortunate,” Teru sighed, unlatching his bracelet and looping it evenly around his brother like a lasso. “Now, I’ll deal with you, filthy spirit.”
Hanako stiffened, stumbling to pick up his knife again. His movements were disconnected, sluggish. Whatever episode he had clearly left a lasting effect; he wasn’t fully there.
Eyeing the blade, Teru cringed, lip curling in disgust. “You are by far my least favorite kind of supernatural. As if it’s not bad enough that you exist, you’re nothing but the vile shadow of a murderer. Why is it you still fight?”
Hanako didn’t give an obvious response, but his grip on the handle of his knife began to shake. “Haku Joudai—”
But a lightning cage erupted around them, the white orbs bouncing uselessly off.
Teru didn’t waste any time. Lighting was whipping around his body in wild tendrils. Quick as a flash, he was already behind the ghost, cutting into his arm, just below the shoulder.
Bright red blood splattered the grass.
Struggling against the sacred beads, Kou froze with shock. Supernaturals weren’t human, they weren’t even alive. They shouldn’t be able to physically hurt, or to feel pain, they shouldn’t be able to bleed.
But the proof to the contrary was glistening wetly on the ground, soaking into the dark material of Hanako’s sleeve. For the briefest moment, his face twisted with pain before he composed it once more.
Trapped by his brother’s sacred beads, Kou was a helpless spectator to it all. He struggled and thrashed, but to no avail. I have to get out of this and stop them. I know Hanako’s strong, but Teru-nii is stronger than most adults. If I don’t do something fast, he’ll be exorcised.
But … was that really a bad thing?
The whole reason Kou had been put on his first exorcist mission was the eliminate the seventh mystery once and for all. He was the evil spirit of a murderer, not someone to be protected. A couple days spent with the ghost couldn’t outweigh the many years of lectures by his family.
It’s better if I just don’t get involved, Kou thought. Who am I to oppose Teru-nii? If he thinks Hanako is evil, then he must be right. He’s never been wrong before.
Kou was sure he was making the correct decision to stay out of it. After all, he had been idolizing his big brother for as long as he could remember. He couldn’t wait to start training so that he could be just like him.
Except that maybe his view of his brother had been wrong all this time.
Whenever Teru was fighting a supernatural, he showed absolutely no mercy. But then he would turn back to his little brother wearing a cheerful smile. Kou had always assumed he wore that same smile when he was fighting as well, but he was wrong.
Teru was smiling, but it was anything but cheerful. His lips were pulled upwards sadistically as he attacked. He knocked the knife out of his opponent’s hand with a deft swipe. But, instead of going for the killing blow, he waited for Hanako to stumble back to his knees to reach for his weapon—
Before a sword skewered his hand.
Blood spurted from the wound, which immediately charred black with lightning. Teru smirked.
He was drawing out the fight, lengthening the torture.
Is this what Nii-chan has been like this whole time? Kou wondered. If that’s the case then … is this really who I want to be when I get older? Just like him?
Stop doubting, his thoughts spoke back. Your big brother knows what he’s doing. He’s the genius of the family, everyone says so. All you know how to do is stay at home with your little sister and play housewife. You should stay out of this. Teru is only doing what he’s been doing for years before you ever came into the picture.
“I guess that’s right,” Kou murmured aloud. “I’m just an idiot. I should just stay out of this.”
He wasn’t strong or smart. He knew that, and Teru knew it too. That was why he had chosen to trap his brother in spirit beads—which were only intended for low-level supernaturals. The fact that Teru seemed to think so little of him stung.
It stung even worse that it was true.
It seemed the fight was already over anyway.
Of course it was. There wasn’t a supernatural in the world that stood a chance against Teru’s skill—they didn’t call him a prodigy for nothing. It had been born of natural talent and honed through years of experience.
The exorcist had the ghost backed against a wall. The latter had since lost his knife and was bleeding from multiple wounds, translucent body still twitching with the remnants of lightning.
“It’s over,” Teru announced, his sword hovering over the spirit’s chest. “There is one thing I’d like to know before I send you back to the far shore, though. Why is it that you fight so desperately? You have taken human life, so why do you still cling pathetically to existence? Don’t you think it’s time you disappear and finally atone?”
Hanako’s head was bowed. He had lost his hat in the fight and his choppy black hair fell over his face. His shoulders were shaking as he started to laugh. It was a dry, hollow sound and, when he looked up, Kou was shocked to see a thick stream of tears pouring down his cheeks.
“You living people are all the same,” he whispered. “You just assume that dying, disappearing, is the best way to atone for something.”
“If you disappeared, the world would be better off,” Teru said calmly. “It is the most fitting punishment—and you should accept it.”
“I already know that!” Hanako snapped back with a ferocity Kou had never seen before. “Everyone would be better off if I disappeared—but I can’t. Not until I fix what I broke.”
Kou stared. Fix? Was Hanako talking about the person he killed? But the dead couldn’t come back to life, so what could he be referring to?
But he does help us. He protects the whole school, even though they don’t even know he exists. Could that … all be his way of fixing things?
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Teru scoffed. “Stop making excuses to save yourself. The only way to atone for the death of another is to wipe out your own existence. Stop trying to run away from your punishment.”
“I wish you were right!” Hanako shouted. “If atoning were that easy, then I wouldn’t have to be here. But I am, because my life wasn’t worth anything. You’re telling me that I’m running from my punishment? I’d love to disappear, but that would be running away. It would just release me from my responsibility.
“Don’t you get it? I’m already living my punishment! MY PUNISHMENT IS EVERY SINGLE DAY I’M STUCK HERE!”
A heavy silence hung over the three boys, broken only by Hanako’s ragged breathing as he choked on suppressed sobs.
Kou had never really considered the idea before, but was it possible that the ghost felt guilty for the life he had taken? Was the reason he had become the seventh mystery just so he could atone for his actions?
Hanako’s been dead for decades, Kou realized. Has he been working all this time to fix his mistakes? If that’s the case then … hasn’t he suffered enough? He said himself that he doesn’t even want to be here, but this is the only way he can makes things right.
Maybe … we should just leave him to it.
It seemed that Teru didn’t share his brother’s train of thought. “Ah, so you have unfinished business. Well, I’m afraid that’s none of my concern.” He lunged forwards.
Hanako just managed to dodge to the sword, though it cut a glancing blow to his side. Hissing, he scrambled for his knife, laying a little ways off.
This time, the katana impaled his shoulder.
“Don’t think your getting away that easily,” Teru chided, shocking the ghost with another round of lighting. He roughly used his foot to flip the boy around, easily pinning him down with a heel grinding into his chest. This time, he drove his blade into his stomach.
Hanako screamed.
It couldn’t be described as the cry of a dying soul—but one that had already fallen, and was now being torn to shreds. His body convulsed under the crackling bolts that pierced deeper and deeper into his spirit.
If Kou had still been debating whether or not he should intervene, that was enough to make up his mind. He couldn’t let this go on. Maybe he wasn’t as smart as his brother, but he wasn’t stupid either. Living or dead, no creature should have to suffer life this.
It wasn’t right.
That settles it, Kou thought, pulling every once of strength from his soul and grabbing the string of beads once more. This time, he poured the strength of his own conviction into his spiritual energy—
And the beads snapped.
Teru didn’t notice, he was casually removing his sword from the ghost’s now prone body. He sniffed disdainfully at the blood that coated the blade and flicked his wrist, shaking off the worst of it.
Hanako tried to push himself up, but quickly slumped back against the wall. He coughed and retched, choking up more scarlet fluid.
“Well, I think I’ve drawn this out long enough,” Teru mused. “I hope this pain will give you some sense of consequences for the existence of creatures like you. You can disappear now.” He brought down his sword in a graceful arc—
Only to have the tip half mere centimeters away from the target’s chest.
No had seen him coming (likely because no one thought about him). But, in one fluid motion, Kou stepped in between the two just as Teru struck. He caught the blade with his bare hand, gritting his teeth as the razor edge cut into his palm. Not letting up, he reached out his other hand and shoved Hanako back, out of danger.
“Stand down,” he growled, the pain adding a sharp bite to his tone. “Because I won’t.”
“K-kid,” Hanako muttered in shock. “Wha …”
Teru looked equally dumbfounded. “How did you escape?” he asked, gaze tracking down his brother’s hand. “You’re bleeding.”
The surprise followed by gentle concern made him bristle. Kou pushed the sword aside, ignoring the blood that slicked his palm and dripped between his fingers. “Stop treating me like I’m an idiot!”
Wow, it felt good to say that out loud.
“You can’t just exorcise him for no reason!”
Teru pursed his lips, then sighed deeply. “I understand if you don’t have the nerve to do this yourself, but please stay out of my way. I have a reason. All supernaturals are dangerous and must be exterminated, that’s what I taught you.”
“So I just have to sit about and accept everything you tell me?” Kou shot back. “What if I don’t believe that?”
“It’s not a matter of whether you believe it or not,” Teru said, almost like a mantra. “All supernaturals must be eliminated.”
“But why do we have to eliminate them?” Kou protested, still keeping himself between his brother and Hanako, who hadn’t moved. “Look, I’m not going to walk in and pretend that I know better than you. But I think that you’ve been exterminating supernaturals for so long that you don’t see them as other beings with emotions, beings that can feel pain. They don’t deserve to be treated like rabid animals.”
“Of course they do,” the student body president said. “They are nothing more than demons. Stop sympathizing with them. We can’t allow them to exist; they’re dangerous.”
“A lot of things in the world are dangerous,” Kou countered. “Does that mean we have to go around exterminating all of them? Supernaturals might not be human, but they have just as much right to exist as we do.”
“Stand down,” Teru ordered sternly. “Step away from that thing this instant. I know you probably feel bad for these creatures, but you need to grow up. I take responsibility for allowing you to be put into this position when you clearly weren’t ready for it. You’re in way over your head so just do as I say.”
“I’m sick of you treating me like a little kid!” Kou yelled. “You want me to follow everything you say like a sheep. But I can’t accept something I don’t think is right.”
Neither brother broke the stare.
“Okay, say I humor you,” Teru reasoned after a moment. “By your logic, we might as well just give up being exorcists and let the ghosts run wild. Is that what you want?”
“Not at all.” Kou shook his head, brow furrowing in a frown. This kind of deep thinking was difficult, it was something he had never attempted before. But he didn’t want to go back to the way it was before.
He couldn’t go back to being ignorant.
“If a supernatural poses a real threat to the living, then I would have no problem exorcising them. But I’m not going to exorcise anyone until they’ve proved themselves a threat, which is why I won’t exorcise Hanako, and I won’t let you exorcise him either.”
“You seem rather confident that No. 7 won’t be posing any threat to the students here. He’s already committed murder before, he could do it again.”
Kou risked a glance at the ghost still hidden in his shadow. “I don’t know him well,” he admitted. “I don’t know who that person was, or why he killed them—so all I can do is judge the person I know right now. But I can’t decide whether he’s good or bad in just a few days. I need more time.”
“And what if he hurts someone while you’re making up your mind?” Teru questioned.
“Maybe I’ll punch someone tomorrow,” Kou shrugged. “Wanna throw me in detention right now, just in case?”
“This isn’t a joke, Kou.”
“Then I’ll keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t do anything bad—but I won’t exorcise him if he hasn’t done anything wrong.”
Teru tilted his head, tapping his forefinger thoughtfully on the hilt of his katana. “Very well then.”
“I know you probably don’t trust me,” Kou began, not yet registering the words. “But I promise—wait, what?
Sheathing his sword, Teru shook his head. “I still think this is a terrible idea. Supernaturals can’t be trusted. But, I don’t want you to hate me for this, so I’ll trust you for now.”
“R-really?” Kou stammered, not daring believing it. His brother was trusting him?
“Hai,” Teru confirmed, walking away just as the school bell rang. “But this is your only chance. If he hurts anyone on your watch, then I will eliminate him and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
The finality of his words left no room for second chances.
“Right.” Kou looked down at his fist, blood sticky and congealing with blood. There was so much he still didn’t know, the line between right and wrong so much more blurry than he ever would have imagined.
But he had made the right choice today.
That much, at least, he knew.
Then he remembered Hanako.
Kou frowned to himself as he bent to retrieve the other boy’s hat. He just heard me give a big speech about believing in him and stuff. I shouldn’t let him think that he’s gonna get off easily with me.
“Alright then,” Kou said aloud, trying to sound stern and forceful. He strode up to the ghost, plopping his hat back on his disheveled hair. “I might have talked big to Teru-nii, but I don’t trust you one bit, so if you put a toe out of line—I’ll exorcise you myself!”
Hanako ducked his head, wiping at his nose with a ragged sleeve.
Kou knelt beside him. “H-hey, are you still crying?” he asked awkwardly. Just the idea that a supernatural could cry was a novelty to him
After a moment, Hanako hunched his shoulders, then looked up with a wide grin that stretched from ear to ear like an overstrung tightrope. “Haha, you’re still pretty green, shounen. Or else you wouldn’t have fallen for that.”
He reached his stabbed hand into his pocket to pull out a bottle of fake tears. Implying that his show of waterworks had been just that—a show.
Kou stared blankly.
The bottle was very obviously full—the plastic seal on the cap hadn’t even been broken. And anyone with a smidgeon of common sense knew that you couldn’t apply eye drops while in the middle of a violent confrontation.
Seriously? Kou thought in irritation. Teru-nii and Hanako too. Why does everyone think I’m stupid?!
He opened his mouth to call out the blatant lie—and paused.
Hanako’s eyes were puffy and red-rimmed: the kind of symptoms that couldn’t be fabricated by fake tears. His smile wobbled around the edges, hanging on by a thread.
Well … maybe I can cut him some slack, just this once, Kou decided.
“Fake tears!” he gasped with false indignation.
“Haha,” the ghost chuckled.
(The faint relief in his laugh told Kou he made the right decision).
“Well, since I’m technically your babysitter now, it would be better if we got along. If you pull any funny business, it’s going to be on my shoulders and Teru-nii would probably revoke my staff permanently. So, you need to behave yourself because, if you don’t, I’ll have no choice but to exorcise you myself. Got that?”
Kou stood and extended his injured hand to the ghost in an offering.
“I wish I could say something along the lines of ‘I look forward to it’ but—”
Hanako grabbed the other’s boy’s wrist and effortlessly flipped him, pinning to the ground with one arm behind his back. “Like I said, you’re still pretty green and you’re way too early in your career to be exorcising supernaturals like me.”
“I guess that’s the thanks I get for stopping my brother,” Kou grunted, struggling with no avail in the ghost’s iron grip. “I should have just let him exorcise you.”
“It’d be irresponsible of me to encourage bad behavior,” Hanako replied, weightlessly sitting on the human’s back. “Honestly kid, I thought you were smarter than that. What if you got the timing wrong and that sword slit your wrist instead of your hand?”
Kou let his cheek flop onto the pavement in resignation. Why did everyone always want to lecture him like a child?
Then he felt something soft wrap around his wounded hand.
Craning his neck upwards, he realized that Hanako was bandaging the deep cut he had received with a small rag of cloth. “Hey, what are you—”
“And you got hurt. I can wrap this up for now to help with the bleeding, but you need to clean it when you get home. It could get infected.”
“Says the guy who got impaled several times,” Kou grumbled.
“You can still die, kid. Don’t forget that.”
Kou didn’t answer that.
“You need to be more careful,” Hanako scolded, standing up. “I told you that you would become a great exorcist one day. But, if you keep taking risks, you’ll get yourself killed before that happens. You should know better than to gamble your life for someone who’s already dead.”
There was something different about his tone. Less light and joking, more … stern? But almost gentle.
Kou stood as well, flexing his hand experimentally. The bandages were snug, but not too tight. “I couldn’t just let him get rid of you. I do want to be a great exorcist one day, but I don’t want to let myself become like my brother, I want to be an exorcist who does what’s right.”
“‘An exorcist who does what’s right,’” Hanako mused. “So who would be right in this situation? Me? Your brother? Neither of us?”
“It’s not that simple,” Kou admitted, scratching the back of his head. “I don’t think you guys are exactly ‘wrong’ but I think you’re a bit too blunt when it comes to the way to define it. You both assume that everything has to be right or wrong based on preconceptions or the rules.
“Like, just saying something is right or wrong by default and not thinking about anything else feels shallow. The world isn’t all cut and dry, but I think that’s okay. It just means we have to decide for ourselves where to draw the line.”
Man, this was so much more difficult than just listening to whatever Teru told him.
But the world wasn’t all good or all bad—and maybe that was okay too.
Hanako shoved his hands in his pockets, expression amused. “You’re a strange person, kid. But, you’re a good one. Honestly, the world could use more people like you.”
Kou wondered if this meant he was earning the ghost’s respect.
Then Hanako began walking away and the young exorcist chewed his lip. What were they exactly? They were no longer enemies—for now, at least. So were they just acquaintances? Rivals, perhaps?
Maybe the seventh mister wasn’t a good guy—but Kou couldn’t see him as a bad one anymore. Bad people didn’t cry like that, or talk with such an aching wistfulness.
Maybe they were supernatural and exorcist, slated to be adversaries.
But, as he had just pointed out, the world wasn’t all cut and dry.
“Hanako!” Kou called and the other boy paused, not turning around. “I’m putting my trust in you for now, but I’m going to figure out who you are exactly and what your motives are. When that happens, I might have to exorcise you. But we’re kind of working together now so …”
Hanako turned around, not smiling nor frowning. The lack of expression was a little unnerving.
Not letting himself lose momentum, Kou offered his hand once more. “I mean … we should be able to get along.”
It took a few seconds too long, but Hanako eventually grasped the other boy’s hand. “Yeah, I guess if would be easier if we got along.”
Kou’s wound had bled through the makeshift bandage and mixed with the congealing blood from Hanako’s impaled hand.
The exorcist couldn’t help but chuckle when he noticed. “Hey look, we’re blood brothers now.”
When Hanako didn’t laugh, he assumed the joke had fallen flat, but the ghost was staring at their hands, eyes going glassy again.
Feeling a little bolder, Kou went out on a limb. “I don’t know if you’re a good guy or not. But, until I figure that out … do you think we could be friends?”
Hanako quickly pulled his hand back, dragging the brim of his cap down well over his eyes. For a moment, Kou wondered if he had overstepped, if that limb was just too thin and rickety to climb on
But then he heard a voice; so soft he almost missed it.
“Yeah … I’d like that.”