Picture: https://pin.it/1Fx7B2R
Or https://twitter.com/mmo_omm938/status/1227810873059594240?s=20 By @mmo_omm938 on Twitter.

Hello and welcome to chapter 3 of "I need you now" :D
(This chapter corresponds to Kou's first appearance )
Title: "Boy you never should have done that."
(I ran out of title ideas lol)

Psychological fact: When someone cries tears of joy, the first teardrop would always come from the right eye.
Tears of pain start from the left.

⚠️Warnings!⚠️
This chapter contains venting about bullying and "The Call of the Void".
Readers discretion is advised.

***
Previously:

"I will do it!" She exclaims with no hesitation in her voice the fierce determination in her eyes makes the spirit startled.
The Mokke start to cheer.

(Timeskip)

"So you got a bad day am I right? And some jerks even dared to attack you?" Hanako demands, healing a wound on Yashiro's arm who was sitting on Hanako's favorite spot. She nods with tears in her eyes, it hurts, a lot.

***

There was an awkward silence as Hanako kept concentrate on healing the wound. A soft green light had made its way towards Yashiro, the color reflecting in her eyes like a mirror. Once it reaches her arm, she felt a gentle touch patting her arm as if it was telling her that everything was going to be okay.
Seconds later, it dissolves as fast as it appeared, taking the wound and pain with it.

Yashiro stares at her now clean arm, there were now no wounds which to feel hurt from but she was still feeling as miserable as ever.
She stares at it for a good minute before shaking a lot and when the ghost reaches his hand to her, she sobs and throws herself at him, locking her hands on the back of his neck and whimpering next to his cheek.

Hanako rubs Yashiro's back with one of his hands, drawing a circle pattern as Yashiro continues to sob on him.
The spirit continues to rub her back while whispering reassuring things.

"Hanako is a spirit, he's already dead. He doesn't have anybody heat but even with this in the head...
He always makes me feel warm and welcome."

Some minutes later, Yashiro calmed down. She straightened her body slowly while wiping the tears left.
"I'm sorry I jumped on you like that Hanako-kun." Yashiro apologizes. "I wasn't thinking when I've done that." The spirit shook his head.
"Nah that's alright, plus I always have room for free hugs!" He smiles. "Thought why did you call me 'Hanako-kun'? I thought it was  'Hanako-san'?" He raises an eyebrow as Yashiro crosses her arms tightly around her chest, glancing everywhere but at Hanako while blushing furiously.

"Well uh... You see I kinda thought that referring you as 'Hanako-san' while we are friends is a bit too formal so yeah!" Yashiro shifts weight from side to side, showing she was embarrassed.
"Friends huh?" Hanako mumbles under his breath with a completely blank expression.
"Is something wrong?" She asks, staring at his amber eyes.
"No, it's just that this felt nostalgic..." Hanako giggles, making Yashiro chuckles as well.

I guess happiness is kind of contagious?

"Um, Hanako-kun?" The human suddenly turns nervous, as she one of her arm crosses her body to hold her other arm.
"Yes, what do you need?" The spirit gave her a smile, as he opens his arms like he was asking her for a hug.
"Can I vent about something?" Her shoulders were tensed up but she still approaches the ghost.
"Of course! That's what friends are for right?" He backs away on the windowsill, sitting down. Yashiro did the same but instead of sitting across him, she sits on the same side of Hanako's.

"Well, there's this thing that is always happening to me." She sighs, as the ghost behind her begins to play with her hair contently.
"Whenever I am on a building or something and that I look under the floor there's always a voice in my head that is telling me to jump or something but the thing is I'm not even suicidal, I want to keep on living." She pauses. "Or there were times where I was in the kitchen making food and I have this voice telling me to try and cut myself. Do you know why these things are happening?" She interrogates, tilting her head towards him as he was breading her hair.

The smaller one nods (I am sorry but I needed to point that out-).
"Yup it's a common thing to feel this way. It's called 'L' appel du Vide' or 'The Call of the Void' in English." He begins, his eyes still focus on Yashiro's hair. "Your brain doesn't have any data when it comes to things like death or self-harm and since the mind is curious it would often ask your body to test it out. Those thoughts are mostly harmless but if someone is diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or any mental illness like this, it is very dangerous." He explains, finishing to tie Yashiro's hair with a proud smile.

Yashiro nods, understanding. "I see... You explain very well things, have you ever thought of becoming a Science Teacher when you were alive?" Hanako flinches.
"Eh?" Hanako blinks rapidly two times with a dumbfounded expression. "Not really, I had other things to take care of when I was still alive." He lowers his head, making it impossible to see his face as it was covered with his bangs and his hat. Yashiro struggles to keep her mouth shut, she wanted to know more about it but it seems disrespectful to just put her nose where it didn't belong.

"Also Hanako-kun... Do you happen to know how to deal with bullies or even just bitter remarks in general?" The human asks, looking away from the ghost. This one seems to be thoughtful before responding.
"Well... Don't give a darn about them!" He shines, while Yashiro gave him an unimpressed gaze.

"How?"
"There's no easy answer to that Yashiro, especially when you've been bullied for this long. I assume it's been like that since you were young am I correct?"
"..." She nods.
"Well instead of crying... You can smile and say 'funk you'!" Yashiro jolts at the cursed word.

"And yet you're the one who told me to not swear, isn't that a bit hypocrite?" Yashiro sighs, she spaces out for a bit before asking another question.

"Were you bullied before Hanako-kun?" The ghost didn't respond, his face was still unreadable and his hands were playing lightly with the end of her hair.
"Hm... Maybe or maybe not." He replies with a grin, he picks up one of Yashiro's strands of hair in his hand as puts it near his nose. "Did you know your hair actually smells really nice~?" Hanako teases her, purposefully making his voice one octave lower than his normal voice.

Yashiro's breath hitches, her cheeks heating up very fast. The spirit actually looks like a Prince Charming, a special one at that. She could already picture his hat being replaced with a crown and a cape being tied around his neck.
Pushing Yashiro's buttons down was an easy thing, that's why Hanako took advantage of it to distract her from the actual conversation. Remembering the time he was alive would not do anything good anyway so why even bother?

"I am just kidding!" He releases her hair with a big smile, a satisfied look in his eyes.
"You're really the worst Hanako-kun!" Yashiro pouts, crossing her arms around her chest. "Now I don't remember what were we talking about!" She puts her fingers on her head, squeezing her eyes shut and rubbing a part of her brain in the hope of bringing a memory back to the surface. But finding none, Yashiro sighs in frustration.

"Why don't you go back to class? It's nearly time for you to go after all." Hanako stares at the clock hooked on the wall, it may have been there for more than 50 years ago but it was still functioning decently. Yashiro follows his gaze.
"Yeah you're right, well see you then Hanako-kun! Thanks for the advice!" The human waves before dashing in the corridor towards her classroom.

***
Timeskip brought to you by... The Hananene gods.

School has ended a few minutes ago and Yashiro was still inside of the school, chatting peacefully with her ghost friend.
They were both on the roof this time because they wanted to change environments for once. Yashiro was sitting on one of the only bent and Hanako was standing somewhere near.

The human began to read the story she found in her magazine out loud, for Hanako to hear. This story was about a princess who was being captured by a demonic spirit, the royalty was apparently living horribly and wish every night for someone to save her from the spirit. One day, a prince who was apparently the childhood friend of the princess exorcises the spirit, he marries the princess and it ends with a "happily ever after" ending.

"Do you actually enjoy these stories?" Hanako interrogates once Yashiro had finished her sentence. "They are a little... cliché don't you think?" Yashiro nods with a sad smile.
"Yes but actually no." She closes the magazine and puts it aside as Hanako gave her a confused stare. "Living horribly and wish every night for someone to save them... It sounds a bit like me don't you think? I always have to count on others because I literally can't do anything on my own." Tears threaten to spill.

Hanako silently approaches Yashiro, he embraces her into a warm hug, of course after yeeting the magazine out of existence because nothing and nobody will make his assistant sad-

That was until a loud crash coming from a few feet away from them echoed, startling the duo who broke the hug.

"I finally found you, you vile fiend!" A male voice came out of the smoke surrounding the origin of it. "I am a third-year in the Kamome Academy middle school section." The smoke slowly starts to fade away, revealing a boy with the neutral school uniform on one knee on the ground. He was holding in his right hand an umbrella.

"That boy came from the sky... It's exactly like in the story!" Yashiro thought with a gasp.
He raises his head with a determined expression.
"Kou Minamoto at your service! Take your memory of me as a souvenir in the afterlife!" He declares with a proud smile as Yashiro eyed him like he just ate a stone in front of her and Hanako had a smile on his face but he was intrigued by the boy.
"The afterlife? I'm already in my 'afterlife' but ok..."

The boy apparently named Kou Minamoto is a tall boy with short, spiky blond hair, light blue eyes, and two protruding canine teeth. His delinquent-like personality and aura make him relatively unpopular.

He wears a black shirt underneath his teal Kamome Gakuen Middle school uniform with brown stripes.
He also sports a cream-and-brown striped tie and a pair of black wrists sweatbands. Kou wears a red traffic-safety amulet as a piercing on his right ear.

"Is he someone you know Hanako-kun? He seems to be able to see you." Yashiro turns her attention to her ghost friend with a blank expression.
"Well we had never met in person, but..." He replies to her, staring at the boy with amusement. "He's from the Minamoto Clan, right? That may be the reason why he can see me."
"Minamoto Clan?" Yashiro repeats with a confused expression. "What is that? A warrior family or something?" She mumbles.

"Well once upon a time, we supernaturals had much stronger powers and we were more... aggressive. We were called "youkai" They were three that were feared above all, some even believed that they were even more powerful than the gods. They were called the three evil youkai of Japan. Also yes this is a ridiculous name." Hanako starts to explain nonchalantly with Yashiro attentively listening to him.

"And one of them was slain by 'Minamoto No Yorimitsu', this guy's ancestor." Hanako gestures towards said person.
"Exactly! I see that you know your stuff huh?" He had a cocky smile on his face like he had already won the battle that didn't even begin. It seems to annoy Hanako deeply but he hides it with a smile.

"My ancestors left a lot of useful exorcist's staff to get rid of supernaturals. I will master them all to protect the civilians against vicious spirits like you!" He declares, taking a step forward towards Hanako while pointing at him.
"And so." He gathers speed. "I'm here to exorcise you!" He jumps high in the air, ready to smash his umbrella square on Hanako's face. The ghost dodges the umbrella and it instead hit his shoulder.

"Exorcise me eh?" Hanako grips onto the tip of the umbrella. "Don't you think it will harder than that?" Kou only snickers.
"Too bad Hanako!" Bright yellow lights that came from the umbrella illuminated the spirit.
"Ngh!" He winces as the light continues to crackles around him, he collapses on the floor as Yashiro worriedly calls out for him.

"This is an anti-evil artifact that has been handed down through my family!" The exorcist pulls out the tissue of the umbrella revealing a staff. "And you touched it with your bare hands!" He mocks, the ghost clutches to his hand on the floor groaning more an annoyance than pain.

"It's over!" The young exorcist jumps high in the air, his weapon directed to Hanako but before he could touch him, a very angry Yashiro slides in between the two boys, screaming a "Stop!" While she's at it. Kou was forced to stop mid-air if he didn't want to collide with the older student.

"Whoa! Don't just jump in front of me like that-" Kou stops in the middle of his scolding, noticing how Yashiro was glaring at him. "Erm... And you are?" The middle student asks awkwardly, Yashiro was still glaring at him but in a softer way now.
"Nene Yashiro, a first-year student in the high school section. I'm Hanako-Kun's assistant and friend!" She was still in a defensive position, ready to slap Minamoto if he dares to try and exorcist her friend.

"And if you do anything mean to him again I am going to get really mad!" It may not seem like it but having radish legs have its advantages: you are capable to sent flying a human with ease or even break someone's skull with them. The point is, daikon legs make really good weapons.
Hanako had his eyes close, still unable to move because of the exorcist thing. Hakujoudai and Kuraijoudai were both poking him discussing too.

"You're dead lol?" Kuraijoudai mocks, if he could he would happily burst out laughing.
"Stop it we have to help him." Hakujoudai sighs while giving him a disappointed look. "That's why Hanako prefers me over you!" Kuraijoudai scoffs, offended.
"Pff! Don't be ridiculous Haku, we both know that his favorite orb is me!" Then a glaring contest between the souls starts to take place.

(These little guys are Hanako's number 1 fanboys-)

"What? But he's evil and diabolical spirit... I have to exorcise him for the sake of our school..." Kou mutters with disbelief.
Why is she defending a supernatural?
"Hanako-kun isn't a bad spirit!" Yashiro exclaims, kind of irritated. "He even helped me!" Flashbacks of every time the mystery number 7 came to help her flashes through her mind.

"Are you going nuts- I mean, you got it all wrong!" Kou grabs both of his senpai's shoulders, declaring this with a solemn voice.
"He's not just a normal supernatural!" He raises his head towards her with a very serious look.
/He began explaining stuff-/

"He used that knife to take someone's life!"

This sentence felt like someone just punched hard her stomach, she freezes completely and her mind begins to go blank, the only thing she could think of was "Hanako-kun... killed someone?". She shakes her head a few seconds later, chasing the thought away.
Why would she doubt her friend? He was there for her every time she needed him the most, she wouldn't just straight up believe a complete stranger!

"You're lying." She states, seeming to convince her that more than the boy in front of her.
Meanwhile, Hanako also froze, unwanted memories flying inside his head. He grits his teeth, balling his fists in anger.
Who was he to talk about what he had done so shamelessly? Who does he think he is by bringing up one of the most traumatic events he had to go through when he was alive nonchalantly?
Hanako felt his blood boiling inside his immortal body, as a red flag blinded all of his morality and good resolutions.

He was going to show this little brat who the boss is.

Since the boy was too busy trying to 'save' his assistant from being deceived by him, he didn't notice Hanako getting up slowly, almost like in trans. By now, the sort of paralysis spell had worn off.

"(...) You're just gonna be another-" The young exorcist, by reflex, let go off Yashiro the second a kitchen knife was pressed against his nape. He raises his eyes to discover Yashiro being wrapped by Hanako's free arm with a shock expression.
"Aww. My secret's out." Even if his voice held an amused tone and he had a smile plastered on his face. His eyes, instead of being the vibrant amber color they were supposed to be, were now pitch black. They held so much hatred, pain, rage, and sorrow that it was terrifying.

You have triggered something you should never have.
You stepped on very dangerous territory.
How foolish of you to search for trouble to the honorable number 7.
You decided to attack the leader when he isn't with his full power? Typical from these brats they called children.
You didn't even try to exterminate the peasants and you're already reaching to the king? Preposterous.
Wow, just wow.
Talking about honorable number 7's crime right in front of him? Unbelievable.
What a dumb-dumb.

(Try to guess who said this lines-)

Kou backed away from the knife at the same time the high school student turns around to look at her friend with a very horrified and concerned glance. But even with her best attempt at making eye contact, she fails. His eyes were hidden by both of his bangs and hat again, he always does this when someone makes him upset and it seems that humans had a very bad habit of constantly reminding him of his past.

"I was hoping to keep it to myself for a while longer..." The ghost lets out an annoyed sigh. "But of course you had to dig your nose where it doesn't belong huh kid?" Hanako gives the boy the most frightening glare someone could receive, his eyes were the same as before, and that makes Yashiro both shocked and worried.
"Hanako-kun what is happening to you?"

"Come here Hakujoudai." Hanako extends his hand, the orb who functions via vocal order, swirl towards his owner as he plops on the spirit's collar. At Hakujoudai's touch, a cape forms around Hanako.
"You're right I did kill a human being." Kuraijoudai was swirling behind his companions.
"But God told me that..." The cape 'glued' to the mystery's arm.
"... If I can fulfill my duty here," The wind made his cape floats as he clutches to his knife.
"He will erase my sin."

"So I can't let you exorcise me, apologies." He returns to his normal state, although still very upset and angry the inside.
Before the boy could retort something, Hanako charges towards him.

The 'fight' was pretty fast, as Kou's ability to manage his staff was low. He was soon defeated on the floor, but of course, if it had ended like that it would be too lame. Hanako's eyes turn into a green color, in the same way, his eyes changed when he was fighting the mermaid.

(Explanation time!
So when Hanako's eyes change colors to match the Hakujoudai's ones for me it's because he lets the soul take over his body. Somewhere in the manga, Aida said that they were humans' souls separated from their bodies I think?
So ye- Sorry if it was confusing, I'm very bad at explaining stuff.)

He smiles in a very sinister way, a murderous aura was radiating from him, filling both humans in terror.
Their bodies are frozen in place.

It was one of the powers Kuraijoudai was able to master, it wasn't at its best ability due to the sealed paper on Hanako but it was still decently effective. This power had the ability to fill Hanako's opponents with fear, snatching their will to live, fight, or any things like this. He had to use this method when a lot of supernaturals had gone berserk, but he was at full power so who knows what happened to them?

The apparition raises the knife in the air, ready to stab the student under it. Said one shut his eyes, still feeling this uneasy sensation.
Somehow, Yashiro was able to move and start running in the boys' direction.

"Hanako-kun-" She extends her hand to him but he surprisingly smacks it.
"Do not interfere here Yashiro-san." It was Hanako's body but it was definitely not his voice. He glances coldly at her before turning around once again as she backs away.

And when she thought he was gonna stab the student, she reopens her eyes to see a smiling Hanako flicking the young one's forehead. "I win!" He took advantage of Kou's shock to snatch his family heirlooms from him.
"Now this thing is too dangerous... I'm sealing it!" He cheerfully glued a sealed paper on the staff, much to Kou's displeasure.
"NOOOOOO! What have you done?!" He did everything in his power to try and remove the sheet, all in vain.

Hanako hums a tune, ignoring royally his complains, instead he approaches him and took his hand who used to hold the anti spirit artifact. As he expected, it was scarred. He grumbles while healing the wound rapidly before floating away behind Yashiro.
"Using power you can't control will only lead to your demise kid." He sighs.
"Nobody asked you!" The exorcist angrily shouts, gripping onto his weapon tightly. "I don't care what happens to me as long as I can protect everyone!"

"Oh, how passionate!" Hanako had flashed a fake smile for at least the twelfth time since this morning. "But don't worry there's no need to rush things. I'm sure you will make a great exorcist one day." He reassured, with a knowing smile.
"One day you will be able to exorcist me easily, I'm looking forward to it." Yashiro at this sentence was even more worried than she was before. Was she seeing sadness in his eyes or was she dreaming?

Kou blinks in confusion, making sure they were talking about the same thing however before he could add something to his speech Hanako punches in his stomach, knocking him out instantly.
Yashiro profits the moment to run to her friend.

"Are you okay?" She asks in a worried voice, she glances at the staff, approaching it and picking it up, searching for a good hiding place.
"Now that we have a chance to we should hide this." Hanako smiles at her with a curious gaze.
"You're concern about me?
Of course, I am! I'm your friend after all!" Hanako's face darkened.
"I see..."

To be continued.
***
So yeah chapter 3 is complete :D
Thank you for having the patience to read this book!
Also, are my sentences too repetitive? I think I repeated myself at least 5 times there-

See you later! 😊👍🌸
-Not Asuka

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