Recess...

"So how do you summon Hanako-san?"

Y/N returned Osane's curious smile with an eager one. "Here! It's really simple!"

Osane was amused by her determination; Y/N had even specifically gone to Sukora's third floor and found the third bathroom stall.

Y/N knocked on the cubicle's door, chanting: "Hanako-san, Hanako-san, Hanako-san... are you there?"

And then, out of instinct, Y/N looked up. She despised how she still had a sense of hope, as if Hanako would arrive.

Osane patiently stood with arms behind her back.

Y/N sighed sadly, glancing at her waiting friend. She turned away, then shrugged. "He would come out by then. It's as simple as that."

Osane nodded thoughtfully, about to hook an arm around Y/N's. "C'mon, it's nearly the end of recess! We should be going!"

But Y/N had her eyes fixated on the stall.

There was a hand that had grasped the edge of the stall door, and she thought she could hear a faint voice calling...

"I'm here."

'Hanako-kun...?'

"Y/N-chan?" Osane looked at her worriedly.

"You go ahead!" Y/N forced a smile, slinking away from her. "I need to use the bathroom."

Osane looked at her suspiciously, but nodded anyway. The brunette wandered off.

Y/N lost the smile on her face, her heart now racing and searching for the one person she had hoped for ever since day one:

Hanako.

She took a step closer to the stall. The hand slipped off, and the door creaked open. She shuffled forward cautiously.

The door gave way.

Y/N's eyes widened in relief at first when she saw the black hair, amber eyes-

"Hana-"

-black patch.

The apparition sneered. "Nope!"

Y/N reared up, her summer Taekwando sessions flooding through.

Soon, Tsukasa found himself knocked across the bathroom floor.

"WHAT THE HECK?!" He scowled, clutching his grazed cheek.

Y/N's eyes had darkened, and she wanted to put all her experience on her long-gone assailant.

Tsukasa tried to get up, but Y/N had kicked him in the side.

"Listen, Y/N!" The boy snapped, recoiling in pain. "I can-"

Y/N punched him in the chest. His kakujoudai whipped out.

"STOP THAT FOOLISH-"

She bowled him over, tackling him to the ground.

"OW!" Tsukasa cried.

"What are you doing here?" Y/N's voice was steady and cold. She had learned how to fear the apparition and how to take him down.

"Chill out, you oaf..."

Y/N pressed her knee tighter to his chest. Tsukasa gasped for air, but managed to pull out his knife.

Y/N pushed the hilt down, staring him down with a furious glare.

Tsukasa looked back up with wide eyes. "Please don't hurt me!"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"I have a deal!" Tsukasa choked. "I can take you back to Amane!"

Y/N's burning stare faded, replaced with stunned grief. But as soon as she saw Tsukasa melt with relief at her weakening grip, she tightened it again.

"I'm not being fooled by you!" Y/N hissed determinedly. "I won't ever-"

"Y/N-chan?"

Y/N's eyes lit up. "Mokke?!"

"Y/N-chan!" A pink bunny hopped over to her. "Let Tsukasa go. He means the truth!"

Y/N doubtfully tilted her head at it, but as soon as she heard Tsukasa coughing and hacking, she decided to follow.

"Finally!" Tsukasa gulped for air, glaring at Y/N, but she was distracted with fretting over the overjoyed Mokke.

"Look at you!" Y/N chirruped with delight, patting its soft head. The Mokke closed its eyes with content. "Still as cute as ever!"

"Well?" Tsukasa grumbled. "Do you want to see Amane or not?"

Y/N tensed up, but the Mokke had hopped by Tsukasa's feet, glancing at her encouragingly.

'It'll be fine.' She willed herself on.

Tsukasa's smile slowly returned to his face. He nodded, turning on his heel and walking out of the bathroom.

"Follow me!"

She looked at him doubtfully, but the longing to see her toilet ghost again was too much to bare. She got to her feet and followed them, wondering how on earth they were able to get to Sukora.

'Aren't they bound to Kamome...?'

Tsukasa disappeared into another flight of corridors. Y/N tried to follow him, until she bumped into Osane.

"Oh, hey! Y/N!" Miku cheerily greeted again.

Y/N bit her lip, nearly grazing it out of frustration.'I don't have time for this!'

"We have a project coming up..." Osane twiddled her fingers.

"...would you prefer a red or blue color scheme?"

Y/N was hopping in such a state of exasperation she didn't bother to take the question seriously.

"Red!"

"Thank you!" Osane nodded with a bright smile then scooted off again.

Y/N let out a sigh of relief and dashed after Tsukasa through a flight of stairs.

Finally, they arrived at a familiar bathroom; the one Osane had introduced as Aka Manto's.

She carefully trodded after Tsukasa as he stepped into his bathroom stall.

"Here?" Y/N muttered suspiciously. "Isn't this someone's bounda-"

"I know!" Tsukasa cut in, half-impatient, half-cheery. "And Aka Manto's got something real cool in here!"

And then, to Y/N's horror, he opened the stall and disappeared. She quickly raced after him, peeking into the stall herself.

Where a toilet should've been, a large split in the air took place.

Y/N couldn't believe her eyes; it was like something out of a video game. A human-sized gash which opened up into a void that glowed an eerie, dim red.

As the Mokke's ear disappeared into the split, she decided it was her turn. She took deep breaths, counting to three.

She jumped.

●●●

'Where am I?'

'What happened?'

'What am I doing?'

Y/N's mind was a mess. She was clinging unto something tightly, as she was feeling incredibly dizzy.

"Y/N?" A voice called out.

'Hanako?' Y/N slowly looked up, clearing her blurry vision.

Tsukasa looked back down at her, a concerned frown pressed on his lips.

Her eyes widened as she realized how long she must have been holding the idiot. She hastily pushed him off, untangling herself from his arms.

"Sheesh!" Tsukasa laughed. "That scared of me, are you?"

"Shut up!" Y/N stayed close to the Mokke, who was bouncing at her heels.

A bemused smirk was plastered on his face. "You know, no matter how much you fight, you're still as soft as a rabbit."

Y/N scooped up the Mokke in her arms, ignoring his teasing.

"So where are we?" She pressed.

"The Rift!" Tsukasa bowed pompously. "A portal that leads to many other portals!

There are only three in the world.... they have staircases that allow you to enter different boundaries all over the world!"

Y/N tilted her head in confusion, then looked around her. Her jaw nearly dropped from the sight:

A flight of thousands of staircases in an almost intergalactic atmosphere, some leading to doors that - if she looked closer at those ajar - led to faded outlines of what looked like...

'...boundaries?!'

There was the garden Osane had mentioned No. 5 resided in. There was the faded entrance to the sewing room, where 12 PM Sewing Girl should be working.

"Cool, isn't it?" Tsukasa spoke the words for her, a smug grin on his face. Y/N stiffened at how close he suddenly was to her face.

"Y-yeah...." Y/N babbled hastily. 'Crap! I stammered!'

Tsukasa fondly pinched her on the cheek, followed by her angry protests. He lolloped away into a flight of staircases.

"Stay close to me!"

"Uh, no."

Y/N watched as he disappeared to a flight of staircases. She hastily tailed after him.

The floating stairs suddenly ended in a sheer drop. Y/N's E/C eyes widened in horror.

However, someone caught her before she could fall. Y/N looked up at Tsukasa's taunting expression.

"Were you listening?"

Y/N furrowed her brows crossly, pulling away from his grip. He had pressed up too close for her liking twice now.

She continued to follow Tsukasa down a flight of stairs. The Mokke looked as disapproving as Y/N.

"What is he tryna' do? Hit on you?" It mumbled darkly.

"I don't know." Y/N shrugged.

"No way! I'm telling Hanako-san!" It spat.

They continued trekking, until finally, Tsukasa stopped by a particular staircase.

"Well, here we are!"

"This...?" Y/N stared at the end of the staircase; a large, intimidating torii gate guarded it.

"Don't believe me?" Tsukasa sniffed. "Come on, then. Let's enter."

Y/N tilted her head, following after him into the boundary.

As she crossed the torii gate, she gasped at the sensation; it was like bursting out of a pool of cold water.

Y/N shivered as she stepped out into the other side. Tsukasa took notice of this and went up to approach her, but she and the Mokke shot him such hostile glares he backed out.

"Where are we?" Y/N breathlessly looked around; everywhere, what seemed to be piles of junk was scattered. There were also some eerie-looking dolls, along with lanterns casting long shadows across the boundary.

"The Misaki Stairs." Tsukasa smiled.

"And Hanako...?" Y/N trailed off.

"Use your ears!" The Mokke's own two pricked up alertly.

Y/N obeyed, straining to pick up any sound. She hid behind a pillar for good measure.

Her eyes widened; she could hear footsteps, fast and rapid.

Someone was running.

Towards her.

Along with that, a familiar voice yelled.

"WHY IS IT STILL CHASING US?"

'Kou!'

"I DON'T KNOW, TAKE IT OFF GUARD!"

Y/N's heart raced at the second voice. 'Hanako!'

She instantly stepped out of the pillar with a bright smile. "Hello, you two!"

"Y/N?" Kou yelled, eyes wide with disbelief, but he was overjoyed.

Y/N waited for Hanako's response, but the boys were distracted by another sound.

Y/N's blood ran cold. She heard it, too.

It sounded like snipping. But oddly loud.

"KOU, LOOK AT THAT!" Hanako berated in exasperation. "DO YOU WANT TO TURN INTO A DOLL?"

The instinct to kick flared in Y/N with a jolt. She dashed to the two boys, preparing to deliver a blow-

She skittered to a stop.

What they were fighting was not human. It was...

'...a pair of scissors?!'

Y/N stared at it in amazement and terror, not realizing it was opening its blades to slice her-

"KOU!" Hanako yelled.

She was thrown to the ground, and rolled over at least twice. She coughed, shutting her eyes tight as she collected dust.

Hanako had tackled her. Y/N's eyes widened; he had pinned her down without looking to see who it was.

"What did I tell you about avoiding the blades?!" His eyes were glaring at the giant scissors as he blocked it with his knife, parrying it out of the way.

"Kou, I need you to listen to me to-"

Hanako finally turned down, his glare dropping to surprise. "Y/N?!"

"Hey!" Y/N waved with an awkward grin.

"Hey." Hanako responded faintly.

"My job is done." Tsukasa tipped his hat, smiling in satisfaction and turning away. He disappeared into yet another cloud.

Finally, Kou himself jumped into the scene, shouting urgently. "Hey you two lovebirds! We still have Misaki-"

The scissors nipped at him furiously.

"AGH! She wants to kill me!"

Hanako blinked, as if snapped out of a trance. He hastily scrabbled off of her, along the way pulling Y/N up.

"Well, then! Let's stop it! Kou, hold it back for a few moments, alright?"

"A FEW MOMENTS?"

"Trust me!" Hanako called over his shoulder, ushering Y/N out of harm's way.

He led her to the edge of a steep ravine, where a treacherous waterfall roared nearby.

"Y/N!" Hanako gripped her by the shoulders, looking at her with so much delight that Y/N blushed.

"How did you get here?"

"Long story..." Y/N mumbled sheepishly.

Hanako hummed, then reached into his pocket.

Y/N peered over curiously. He had drawn open a pouch and took out a piece from it.

"What's that?" Y/N inquired in wonder as Hanako held it up.

It was circular and flat, shimmering in the dim red light. It was white and transculent like a small candy.

"Eat it." Hanako gave her a small smile, pressing it gently to her palm.

Y/N looked at him curiously. "Why?"

"Trust me!" Hanako winked. "It'll keep us together again."

Y/N turned red, scarfing down the odd candy to hide that fact. Hanako did the same, eating a piece of the weird food.

After that was done, the spirit spoke up again.

"Good!" Hanako clapped his hands. He gave her a tight embrace, whispering in her ear:

"Find Yako's yorishiro... the pair of scissors. Destroy it."

'Huh?!'

The hug ended as quick as it happened. Soon, she felt Hanako give her a great push.

Y/N's eyes widened in horror, lips parting in a silent scream.

"Goodbye, Y/N!" Hanako waved cheerily, his frame getting smaller and smaller as she fell further and further down.

"WHAT THE FUUUUUUU-"

●●●

Y/N's E/C eyes opened with a start. They were alert and wide, looking for any sign of danger.

But the atmosphere was tranquil. She could no longer hear the snipping of the scissors or the roar of the waterfall. Overhead, she could see the rustling leaves of a hanging branch. A breeze flew by, but no birds sang.

It was quiet. Almost too quiet.

Y/N got on her feet, and it was only then that the cold hit her like a harsh slap on the face.

She let out a shuddering gasp and looked down at her uniform.

"It's drenched!"  She exclaimed to no one in particular.

She was aware of how still everything was. As peaceful as the garden around her is, she could not shake off the feeling that something was watching her.

Y/N furrowed her brows, running around to get past the cold. She cupped her face, letting out a yell for the first person she could think of:

"KOU!"

No one replied. She tried other names.

"YASHIRO!"

"TSUKASA!"

"MOKKE!"

When no one answered, Y/N stifled a sigh, finally arriving at his name.

"Hanako!" She called out, half-grumbling. "Is this funny to you? Is it a sight to see?!"

It was still quiet. Y/N tensed. Something was definitely wrong...

The sudden snapping of those huge scissors confirmed her suspicions.

She held her breath, scrambling behind a pillar, eyes wide.

"Y/N? Is that you?" A depectively soothing voice called out.

Despite her looming fears, Y/N dared to take a peek.

What appeared to be a maiden in a white, billowing kimono was striding in through the garden. Her blonde hair was tied up in braided bun.

She held back a gasp. The Wonder was certainly very pretty.

"Come out!" She continued, the giant scissors snipping by her side dangerously. Her tone was gentle, but her cold green eyes betrayed it.

It was only then that Y/N's eye caught a small wooden house, with what seemed to contain...

'A pair of scissors!'

There was a funny white paper on it, too. With the symbol for "seal."

'Do I have to peel that off?'

"Found you."

Y/N forced her terror down, slowly turning to look to the right.

There stood the maiden, smiling. But it was one of no friendly emotion. It was one that a predator would give before eating its prey.

She instantly dropped down as the scissors slashed at where she had just been. The maiden huffed in disdain.

"You know, Y/N, I've heard a lot about you."

Y/N slipped out of the pillar. The lady stepped out and followed pursuit.

"Number 7 has stirred a great deal because of you." She continued sourly. "Come closer, now! Aren't we friends? Haven't I introduced myself?"

Y/N looked at her in confusion, then spotted her hair clip.

They looked like two ears. One that belonged to a particular fox...

'No way.... she is Yako?'

"I honestly don't understand why he'd tail after a dunce like you!" Yako continued, laughing coldly. The scissors snapped. Y/N kept shuffling backwards, but she knew she was getting closer to the scissors.

"After my yorishiro, are you?" Yako deadpanned, making Y/N's heart stop.

Her fingers were on the scissors, but she guessed it was too late. Yako was too swift and smart.

'Okay, then. I'll draw myself to your level.'

"Clumsy and shy!" Yako sneered, now charging at her with full force.

"You're useless!"

Y/N held her breath. Just when she reached her spot, she took a huge leap.

Yako watched, dumbfounded, as she soared above her.

Y/N rolled to the ground; not exactly graceful, but it was better than a painful thud. The Wonder looked at her incredulously.

"Ridiculous!" She laughed, reaching into the wooden house. "Leaving when the goal was right in front of your-"

Her green eyes went wide.

"Yes?" Y/N slowly unfurled from her pained knot, revealing the scissors she had snatched.

"No!"  Yako cried.

She held it up, her fingers on the seal.

"I'm sorry I don't meet your standards, Yako..." Y/N stared down the nonplussed maiden.

"But eitherway, Hanako is my friend. This is for him."

Before Yako could let out so much as a scream, Y/N peeled out the seal.

The whole world seemed to shatter around her. Y/N's eyes went wide as the scissors lunged at her for the last time.

'Yep. I'm going to die! Thanks, Hanako-kun!'

Her legs were giving away, and her vision was getting blurry.

Something knocked into her, and she thought she could hear an anxious voice, but it sounded faint and distant.

Y/N slowly closed her eyes.

●●●

And now, she was in a bed.

Y/N could feel it. It must be in the infirmary; she recognized the soft pillows and linen of the sheets.

'Kamome's infirmary.'

A wave of relief washed over her. She was back!

Not only that... someone was holding her hand. Y/N tensed up, and she rolled over, knowing who it was.

"Go away, Tsukasa."

"Tsukasa?"

Y/N's tired, half-lidded eyes went wide. She turned around.

Hanako looked back at her with an anxious expression.

"Are you okay?" He immediately pressed.

Y/N nearly laughed. She had been pushed off a waterfall, tailed after by scissors, and nearly died.

"Oh yes, very fine!"

Hanako snorted, but it wasn't out of contempt. His eyes shone with amusement. "Still as fiesty as ever?"

"I don't plan on changing..."

He laughed; Y/N nearly tore up. It was almost too good to be true. She was smiling and bickering with Hanako again; something she thought she'd left behind forever.

"Look at you, though!" He grinned brightly. "The Mokke told me you've learned martial arts."

"Yes!" Excitement was flooding in Y/N's voice now; she had longed to speak to Hanako for so long, and prove that she was not as feeble as she was before. "So watch out, you pervert!"

Hanako rolled his eyes, then leaned in, nestling his face in the crook of her neck.

"Who are you calling a pervert?"

"Pervert!"  She repeated boldly, though it took every inch of willpower to not stammer.

He sighed softly, and Y/N thought he would pull away, but he never did.

"What we ate." He continued quietly. "That's a mermaid scale. If you're here again, I don't want to lose you for a second time as well."

Y/N decided to let her blush take over. It was hopeless to fight.

"So I'm bound to you... again?"

"Precisely. Consider it a reward for that yorishiro."

Y/N let out a small laugh. "It sounds more like punishment, if I'll have to put up with your ordeals!"

Hanako pressed closer. Y/N stopped her taunting.

"Oh yes?" He challenged, his voice a tone lower. "So what do you want?"

Y/N shrugged him off, chuckling nervously. "Let me sleep, Hanako..."

"Really? It's been three months!" He pouted. "I want to talk! Especially  about how you got here!"

"The Mokke." Y/N answered sleepily, eyes already half-slits.

Hanako sighed, not wanting to bother her. Y/N was right. He had asked much from her and she deserved a well-earned rest.

Outside the bed's curtain, Kou and Yashiro were waiting anxiously, along with a pink-haired ghost Hanako had not seen before.

"You can check on her now!" He smiled brightly, feeling better after speaking with Y/N. He turned to the new boy. "And who are you?"

"Mitsuba. Y/N's friend." The newcomer replied. Something about his casual tone, as if he were very close to her, rubbed Hanako the wrong way.

"We thought you'd never come out!" Yashiro chuckled. She walked up to the bed, followed by Kou and Mitsuba.

The blonde had been too anxious to ask questions. Hanako shot one last doubtful look at Mitsuba, before wandering out of the infirmary, where the Mokke waited.

"Well look at that!" One sneered.

"Someone looks jelly..."

"I'm not!" Hanako forced a smile as he nudged them aside. They bounced after him anyway.

"Rightfully so, Hanako." A Mokke continued, looking deadly serious. "Tsukasa's getting a little cozy with her."

"What?"

It was harder and harder for Hanako to keep his grin as the Mokke filled him in with Y/N's origin; right from the moment she had beated Tsukasa up, to the introduction of the Rift, to the staircases, and finally, to the Misaki Stairs.

"So Tsukasa is the one who helped her here?"

All the Mokke nodded solemnly. The spirit's expression darkened. "He wouldn't do something that kind. Something's not right."

"Maybe Tsukasa is in love with her?" A Mokke suggested as a light joke.

Even though it came out teasingly, Hanako looked at the Mokke anxiously as if the words meant a lot to him.

"Is that true?"

"Holy crap!" It shuffled backwards. "Calm down, I'm only kiddin'!"

Hanako rolled his eyes, continuing his grim, absent walking. The Mokke were more delighted than ever.

"JEALOUS!"

"AYYIEEEEE!"

"Tsukasa, you've got a big storm coming!"

"What if she is  in danger?" Hanako suddenly whirled to a stop. The Mokke crashed into eachother.

They let out disgruntled noises, which he didn't pay attention to. They answered anyway.

"All the more reason to keep her close to you."

"I bound her to me." Hanako confessed doubtfully.

"Not enough!"  One-eye snapped, practically bursting with impatience. Hanako was taken aback.

"We know you love her, Hanako! Is that all you can give?"

"What more can I give?" He pretended to sound bored to fight down his embarrassment.

"You know what I mean." The Mokke muttered. Hanako was too afraid to say he didn't actually know.

And then, to his surprise, the Mokke began to drag him. Their bodies, as soft and squishy as they were, weren't so kind when a cluster of them hauled him away.

"Where are you taking me?!"

"If we can't get some sense through that thick skull of yours-" the Mokke prodded his forehead. Hanako grumbled. "-we'll let the others do it!"

His eyes went wide in panic. Another  spirit gathering?

"Oh no-"

"OH YES!"