"What the hell...?" I ask myself, feeling confused, "That's not possible, someone had to be there...I was summoned...hmm..."

Still, on my knees, I sat there & pondered for a few minutes.

Should I go outside to see if there was a mistake? Should I keep making my rounds? Should I just wander the school until I meet face-to-face with them?

A billion questions raced through my mind as I tried to pinpoint what exactly I should do. But, all it did was cause me great irritation.

My eye twitched as I grumpily threw myself up, "FINE! I'll go search."

I start stomping down the stairs, huffing to myself with my arms crossed, "There has to be someone. There is NEVER a mistake in my sixth sense...ugh. Guess I should transform."

With the swipe of my hand, I was back into my fox form. Shaking & fluffing out my fur, I head down the rest of the steps, heading towards the garden to start rounds to find this person who seemed to be messing with me.

As I pranced my little feet on the flooring, reaching closer & closer to the glass door - a figure could be seen not too far away from me. I hesitantly went closer, questioning if this was the person who had summoned me.

They were leaning in the doorway leading to the school garden. Their hands were in their pockets, their head hung low. I couldn't see their eyes nor their face, due to their black school cap hiding their features.

But...no kids at the school wear a black school cap?

As I approached closer, I could see they were wearing what seemed to be an old boys' uniform. So, it must be a boy who's a student - but, they can't be from this school...can they? His uniform was a black long-sleeved shirt with yellow buttons lining down the front, red along the hem. His black slacks were held up with a black & silver buckle belt, & black shoes.

It was a uniform all right - but why so old-looking? I had never seen someone here wear something this so old-fashioned. I needed answers...

What was with this boy...

Was he the one who summoned me?

I slowly approached him, sitting in front of his feet. I looked up to see his face, which didn't seem to work. I stared at him perplexed, waiting for him to say something or do anything at all.

He just stood there, leaning against the doorframe, silent as a mouse.

I felt this weird familiarity sit between us, the longer we soaked in this silence. As the slow minutes passed, the more uncomfortable I got with this weird sense of "familiarity".

Getting pushed out of my thoughts, something caught my eye. Staring back at the strange & unmoved schoolboy, something moved near him. I focused on it, trying to figure out what was moving around him. From behind his back, two white wisps swirled out to the side of him.

My eyes widened a little, as he finally raised his head.

He revealed his amber eyes, as they flicked with sass & amusement, matching his small grin. On his right cheek was a white seal with red lettering on it. I looked at him, not expecting such...an attractive boy to be staring back at me.

Grabbing the brim of his black cap, he tipped it up a little. The medallion on the front of it shone in the shitty school lighting. I looked at him up & down, finally finding the words to speak up:

"Who are you?"

He can't be a...no. Don't. Tell. Me...

"Why, hello there, eighth wonder." he greeted smoothly, un-propping himself from the wall. Pulling his hands out of his pants pockets, he looked down at me with his signature small smile, "You may be wondering, but I'm the one who summoned you."

"No shit. Who exactly are you?" I asked annoyed, ignoring his way-to-friendly greeting.

He blankly blinked, "Wow eighth wonder, is that how you greet all who summon you? That's not a way to make friends."

I stared at him, ready to start fuming. Who did this guy think he is? He's already on my nerves!

"One, I'm not here to make friends. Two, that isn't how I greet people, you're the lowly exception! Three, who. Are. You."

The boy laughed, "Oh, right. You must not remember who I am."

Before I could speak another word, he was floating in front of me, his wisps on each side of him.

He gently tipped his hat ever so slightly, "I'm Hanako the bathroom ghost. The seventh of the eighth wonders. It's a pleasure to meet you again, Rouge."

I stared at my accomplice in shock.

Oh. God.

Not again.

~

When I first became a wonder of the Kamome - I was needed in apparition meetings. & me being the naive & helpless girl I was, I went to them & tried to help to contribute to the school. It all went well, besides me being frightened off my ass seeing ghosts & all...you know, being new to this & all...the whole being dead thing to be exact. I saw plenty of new faces, & learned many new words I was told never to repeat - thanks Tsuchigomori - & met a boy seeming around my age.

Hanako.

But, I guess this is all a story for another time...

~

I must've been staring at toilet-boy for too long because he started to giggle:

"What? Cat got your tongue?" Hanako giggled, his wisps floating around him, "Or well, I guess in this case, fox."

Snapping out of it, I ignore his awful joke, "What do you want seventh wonder."

He rolled his eyes, his feet hitting the ground, "No need to be formal. What happened to us being friends?"

I scrunched my nose, "I don't have friends."

Hanako put a hand over his heart & acted offended, "Oh well, that just hurts! ...but I mean, I guess it has been a while. You never visit, never come to meetings, & never let me visit!"

"I wonder why." I deadpanned.

He pouted, floating overhead of me, "Oh, come on. Cheer up Rouge, it's just me."

I took the minute to be kind & not bite his head off, & luckily hide the two emotions I was greatly hiding, "Again, what brings you here? I have a job to be doing, & so do you."

Hanako tapped his finger on his chin, "Oh right! Well, actually, you don't. You've been relieved from your duties today."

I snapped at him again, losing patience, "& who says!"

"Me."

"You have no right seven. Just go back to your bathroom. Don't you have toilets to clean or something?!"

Without another word or response, I swivel on my heel & turn around from the floating boy. I was fuming mad, infuriated about seeing Hanako after what has seemed like years.

Who did he think he is? Telling me when & when I can't do my job: I'm a wonder just as much as him! I run my boundary just like him, there's NO WAY he controls me.

Fuming through the roof, steam coming off my head like a cartoon character, I was caught off guard by his wisp swirling around my body. I stopped in my tracks, as a cold shiver went down my body. Hanako was now standing in front of me yet again. He looked at me dead in the eyes playfully, a smile still plastered to his obnoxious face.

"What do you want toilet-breath!" I snapped, my snout crinkling again at the sight of him.

Well...I'm not very much disgusted by him. He's cute. It's just, he likes to step on each & every single one of my nerves...scratch them, he strangles them to death.

Hanako's amber eyes flicked with ambition, "Well, number eight, as the seventh of the eighth wonders, seeming you were added later on to the wonders - I am still the leader of all the wonders. I rule every wonder of the school, & need to make sure they're all in line. Because when a wonder is not in line, it messes with the boundaries..."

I stare into his eyes in surprise, as Hanako smirked & continued, "...& when wonders are out of line, it's my job to take care of them. Meaning, they get in line or I revoke their number. Forever."

"When did this happen?" I snorted, "The last meeting I went to, none of this was a thing."

He laughed, "No no...it has always been a thing. Ever since I became an apparition at this school - I've maintained & controlled the wonders. Even when we added you to the seven wonders, making it eight. You Rouge, are just a bad listener."

Trying to brush past my embarrassment, I change the subject, "So, why does this even involve me?"

I sat down, curling my tails over my paws, as he began to speak:

"You number eight, went out of line." Hanako stated, all playfulness leaving his face, "I heard & witnessed what damage your rumor created today."

"It was one death of a girl. Big deal." I said, no empathy in my voice.

He stared daggers into me now, "We've discussed this many times between all the wonders; we don't murder the students. Because that's how we cause trouble with the exorcists hidden in the school. You know the Minamoto clan has multiple offspring going here, keeping an ear out for us."

I rolled my mismatched eyes, "Well, I wasn't out of line. You should've heard what she did. Besides, how am I supposed to know that we have exorcists in the school?"

"I did Rouge, she bullied the poor girl. You could've solved this issue a better way like you usually do...the girl didn't deserve to lose her life over this."

"& who says you get to determine that! It's not like you had to deal with shit like this!"

The room was silent after my snapping, but I continued, "Besides, Akari seemed like she was happy with the job. I don't see what else she'd want me to do than end her."

"Miss Akari was watched over today by another few wonders, & they can beg to differ. Besides the paleness in her face, & the fear etched into her eyes, she cried & cried the whole day. I don't see that as getting the job done. Poor girl will have to see a therapist after this."

"Mhmm. That's not what I picked up when she had summoned me."

After my salty & heartless commentation, that I thought helped me make my point somehow, Hanako bent down, & picked me up from my neck scruff.

I flailed trying to get out of his grasp, but of course, it was no use. He was bigger than me right now, & transforming would be useless. & besides - he was stronger than me, more than I probably knew. He was the leader of all the wonders for a reason after all.

Hanako stared at me, seriousness washed all over his face. The innocent playful & bashfulness that was once there disappeared in his eyes, & was replaced with an absent & hollow look, "I'm giving you a warning: number eight. Watch what your rumors entail, or I'm going to have to revoke your number."

I gulped, staring dead straight into Hanako's eyes. The color in them seemed to drain a little, the amber fading & black overcasting it. He looked...scary to me for once. Instead of the sassy & perverted young ghost I usually see him as, I saw a heartless murderer in those dark eyes. A cold shiver shot up my back.

"You got that?"

Looking away from him, not meeting his eyes, I mutter, "Yeah, yeah...loud & clear."

Hanako gently sets me on the ground, & pats me on the head, "Good girl! I knew you could get it through your thick skull!"

"I can & will bite you, toliet-breath."

Hanako waved his hand at me, giggling, "You know you love me Rouge~"

I felt a subconscious blush, instantly making me mad. His demeanor completely changed...this boy is so freaky sometimes. He continued to blabber on & on:

"Why don't you transform out of your fox form? I wanna give you a hug~"

I instantly got flustered, causing him to giggle & smirk.

"Shut up you pervert, you'll never see me out of this form ever again."

He put his hand over his heart, as he floated in front of me, "Ouchie! My feelings hurt! I'm not some sort of perv you know! I miss my friend!"

I roll my eyes, not believing him for one second. He will always forever be a perv in my eyes: that's all he's ever been - but I guess, what do you expect out of a 16-year old apparition? & besides: me having a friend? Very unlikely.

Hanako calls his wisps to be closer to each side of him. He continued to talk, disrupting my brooding train of thoughts, "Well, as much as I love our bantering, I need to get back to my boundary. I have some other business I need to finish. So, with that being said..."

"...yeah yeah, don't go doing my job & blah blah. I'm not five." I snorted.

Hanako smiled, his eyes brightening up, "That too. But, I was going to say, I would love to do this again. But, I hope on better terms."

I scoffed, "Like friends?"

"Or lovers..." he purred.

"As if, pervert."

Hanako shrugged & gave a grin, "You never know! I've been told I'm charismatic."

"Well, apparently not recently. Being dead in all."

He laughed, saluting with two fingers on his head, "I'll see you around Rouge."

I sat down, flicking my tail back & forth, watching him float towards the stairs that Lila had fallen down. I watched him float all the way up to the second level, until him & his wisp friends were out of sight.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. I finally felt the air clear up a little bit as I finally transform back into my ghost-human form. Laying my hands on my lower back, I stretched it out - a yawn escaping my lips.

I rest each of my hands on the opposite forearm, my arms & hands fully being covered from my kimono sleeves. I puffed my cheeks out, my eyebrows knitting together, pouting.

I walked back to the school garden, muttering to myself, "Telling me how to do & not do my job. Seven has no understanding of what I had to deal with, still have to deal with, & these poor people like Akari being picked on..."

As I was about to step out into the gardens, my sixth sense kicked in. I backed up in surprise, to peer out the window. A wicked smile arose to my face, as I watched another underclassman girl inspecting the tree.

Without a second thought of what Hanako had ordered me:

I got down on my knees, & listened to her - ready to create another rumor.