~Y/n pov~

Nene charged into the bathroom, startling me and Amane.

Tsukasa was busy right now but he had stopped by earlier.

The dual haired girl started explaining all of these weird things that were happening.

"It's almost like..." she trailed off.

"Time skipped forward?" Amane asked.

"The plant was big and everything was destroyed."

"Time huh?" I mumbled.

Kou barged into the bathroom, just like Nene did earlier.

"Does no one knock around here?" I asked.

The boy froze upon seeing me. Oh yeah he didn't know I was a ghost...

"Oh yeah, I'm a ghost." I told him.

He stared at me blankly for a few seconds before yelling, "Don't act so casually about it!"

"Did something happen Kou?" Nene asked him.

That seemed to snap him out of it.

"Yeah..." he grabbed Amane by the collar and started shaking him, "You gotta help! Satou and Yokoo from my class they're....they've turned into old me!"

Kou cried out as he started explaining what happened.

"Is this one of the mysteries doing?" I asked Amane.

He thought for a few seconds before nodding, "It's probably the clock keepers. There are three of them and each of them all have their own power to control time."

Amane started to explain, "The first can turn back time. The second can stop time. And the third moves forward time."

"Then, let's go!" Nene exclaimed.

Kou nodded in agreement.

~*~

As we wandered along searching for them, Amane told us that the second clock keeper was hiding within the school as a student.

(Aoi Akane. The sixteenth student, hiding somewhere inside the school...)

"Oh, so we're looking for this person?" Kou asked, "But, how do we find them?"

"Don't worry." Amane beamed, wrapping his arms around me tightly, "I have an idea of who it is."

I stayed silent. I wonder who it is...someone I know?

We stopped in front of a classroom door.

"Is he in there?" I asked Amane.

He nodded, "Yup."

That was fast...

"My class?" Nene asked.

We all spun around, startled as the window smashed.

"Nene! I thought you were in the old building. What's up?" Aoi asked.

Jumping in surprise, I turned to see Aoi looking at Nene expectantly, waiting for a response.

I was in ghost form so she couldn't see me.

"Sorry, Yashiro." Amane muttered before possessing her.

Huh...I didn't know we could do that.

He pinned Aoi against the wall, "You're not hiding anything from me are you?"

"What's going on?" Akane shrieked, arriving at the scene.

Nene's spirit was floating a bit away from her body.

Amane continued to demand Aoi tell him what she's hiding.

Nene was floating around in a panic, as Kou just stared, shocked at the whole situation.

"Then...maybe I'll just just have to seal your lips instead~"

He neared Nene's lips closer to Aoi's.

Before they could meet, Akane grabbed Nene's body by the collar and pulled her away from Aoi.

We all quickly ran off.

"Oi, Hanako! Give Yashiro her body back!" Kou demanded.

Akane was crouched down, muttering to himself.

Akane suddenly stood up and walked towards Nene, "What exactly were you doing back there...Yashiro?"

He slammed a baseball bat right next to her head and it made a dent in the wall.

The dual haired girl yelped, "N-nothing."

"I was just uh you know..." Amane started coming up with excuses before insulting Aoi, "And she's pretty flat actually."

Akane slapped Nene's around the face.

Amane yelped as he got pushed out of Nene's body and Nene had control of her body again.

The ghost boy came back to my side, leaning on me slightly.

Akane offered to help us with the mission of finding out Aoi's secret.

~*~

We followed her around for a while but she did nothing suspicious.

Amane decided it would be a good idea to attack her, then she would be forced to reveal her secret.

"Aoi." Akane yelled.

The next thing I knew, a figure in a black cloak was holding Aoi in their arms.

The hood fell down and the person turned towards us.

It was...Akane.

"We finally found you." Amane stated.

I looked up and realised the chandelier was stuck in midair.

"So your power is so stop time?" I asked him.

"I've heard of you...that old school uniform. You must be the 'Honourable No. 7'." He turned his attention to me, "So you're a ghost too?"

"That's right." Amane beamed, "I've met the other clock keepers before but I've never met you."

"What business does the leader of the school mysteries have with Aoi? I was interested in learning the answer...but when you put her in danger....even I lose my cool. So, with that said...may I take a swing at you before we talk?" Akane glared down at Amane.

He pulled his fist back and went to punch Amane.

I stood in front of Amane to stop him and Nene jumped in front of me.

"Stop!" Nene yelled.

"Yashiro?" Akane asked in shock, "What are you doing?"

She huffed, "I could ask you the same thing! Anyway, just calm down."

The chandelier suddenly fell down.

I jumped out of the way, pushing Amane down with me.

Amane wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into his side, he was looking at the fallen chandelier in shock.

Luckily, Nene had managed to get out of the way too.

Akane pulled out a pocket watch, "Ran outta time. Darn it!"

We heard voices at the door.

"If we stay here we'll cause trouble for Aoi." Akane stated, "Fine. We'll take this somewhere else then."

~*~

Akane placed Aoi in a bed in the infirmary and placed a wet rag on her hand.

"When did you figure it out?" Kou asked Amane.

"When he knocked me out of Yashiro earlier. No normal human could've done that."

Kou nodded, "Oh, I see."

"But I had no idea..." Nene trailed off, "I thought he was just a normal boy."

"You're one to talk." Akane commented, "Yashiro....I can't believe you became a victim just like me."

"Victim?"

"He tricked you into forming a pack or something, right?" Akane pointed an accusing finger at Amane, "That's what happened to me too."

He then told us the story of how he became one of the clock keepers.

"I have the power to stop time.. but it's only five times a day so it's not like it's that useful. My contract lasts six years, basically until I graduate."

Nene told him how she became bound to Amane and Akane laughed.

"Still...swallowing a mermaid scale on purpose? That's amazing Yashiro." Akane cheered, "Are you a masochist?"

Nene crouched down and sulked.

Kou knelt beside her and gently patted her back to comfort her.

"I hear you're the top mystery at this school." Akane said to Amane, "I also heard that you're a slimy, perverted bastard. So what does the slimy, perverted bastard want with me?"

Amane stared at him blankly for a few minutes before his face dropped.

He clung to me with tears building up in his eyes. Though, I could tell they were fake.

"That's a little harsh..." Amane pouted.

I gently patted his head and he nuzzled his head into it.

"Someone help!" We heard a yell.

Kou and Nene quickly ran out.

"C'mon Amane."

He just shook his head and wrapped his arms around me tightly.

I sighed and just walked out with him clinging to me.

Everyone in the hallway had turned old.

Akane ran out, "There you are!"

I turned my attention to the girl he was chasing.

She looked like a child. The girl giggled and ran off.

Amane jumped off me and held his knife to Akane's neck.

"So you're the ones behind this series of disturbances.."

"Yes we are." Akane responded, "Mirai got away."

"Mirai?" Nene asked.

"Yeah, she's the clock keeper who controls the future. Apparently, she doesn't have a name is I just call her Mirai because it means future."

"So she's the one who controls the future?" I asked.

He nodded, "Mirai can move forward the time of anything she touches. We usually make her wear gloves so she doesn't touch anything. The old man is meant to keep her leaving the boundary."

"Old man?"

"He's the other clock keeper."

"Well, we both want to catch Mirai so let's teach up." Amane smiled, holding his hand out to Akane.

Akane just stared at him.

"Akane, so you hate supernaturals?" Nene asked him.

The boy in question smiled, "Of course I hate them! I despise them! In fact, I think it's weird you're friends with them."

He guestured to me and Amane.

"Hanako isn't bad. Although he's a bit slimy." Nene laughed.

"Yep, definitely slimy." Kou agreed.

Amane pouted, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

"N/n! They're being mean."

"Let's just focus on catching Mirai, okay?"

Akane nodded, "Okay."

~*~

"So, how do you use your power Akane?" Nene asked curiously.

"I save it for emergencies, so I almost never use it in my daily life. Instead, if I go a whole day without incident, I can use it for fifteen minutes all at once." He explained.

"Fifteen minutes? What do you do with it?"

"I stop Aoi's time."

Nene froze, "Don't tell me you do something to her..."

"I just stare at her the whole fifteen minutes."

We all slowly backed away from him.

~*~

"Can we use your power to freeze her, Akane?" Nene asked.

"That's it!" Kou agreed.

"No." Akane shook his head, "It won't work... Mirai is immune to my time freeze and you saw how fast she was.."

"What about turning everyone back to normal?" I asked him.

He hummed, "The old man can sort that out."

I looked over to see Amane sat away from us on the windowsill, hugging his knees.

While Akane was ranting about Mirai getting to Aoi, I went over and sat next to him.

"Hey, are you okay?"

He looked up at me with glassy eyes, "It's something I probably should've told you before, but I need to tell you this is private. I'll tell you later."

I reluctantly nodded, wrapping my arm around his shoulders.

He leant into me, sending me a small smile.

Amane turned to the rest of the group, "Do you hear a lot of noise, or is it just me?"

I paused to listen, "Yeah... where's it coming from?"

Everyone else went quiet to listen before quickly agreeing.

Simultaneously, they all turn to look at a packet of sweets.

A few Mokke were surrounding it and there stood Mirai, chomping down the sweets.

She grinned when she noticed the attention, "Stupid heads."

Mirai quickly darted off.

Akane tried to catch her but she kept dodging and running around the room.

Eventually, it seemed like everyone was trying to catch her.

"She's getting away." Akane yelled as she ran out the door.

Kou quickly grabbed her, "Don't underestimate me school mystery. You got me last time but now I know all your trick..."

The boy cut himself off and gasped in surprise as the girl whacked his over the head and escaped his hold.

Mirai turned Kou into an adult before running away.

I saw Nene's cheeks go red for a split second.

"What happened to me?" Kou screamed, looking down at his hands.

"He looks just like Teru." Akane deadpanned.

Nene ran after Mirai yelling, "Wait for me! Come back and turn me into a beautiful women with sexy legs."

"Nene." I yelled after her as she disappeared from sight.

~*~

Nene was sobbing on the ground because she couldn't find Mirai.

Kou knelt down beside her, "You're cute enough just the way you are."

The girl looked up at him and her faced started turning red, getting redder by the second.

"Make sure Mirai doesn't touch Nene, no matter what." Amane told me and Kou.

My eyes widened in shock as I managed to connect the dots.

Does that mean she doesn't have long to live?

"Amane, are you saying..."

He nodded, "I'm sorry for not telling you earlier."

~*~

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2057 words

A/n I feel like there are barely any chapters in my book compared to others but maybe it's cuz my chapters are long.