The poor pink-haired boy was not ready to die, much less disappear from existence.

"Amane!" Tsukasa yells with happiness, "How many years has it been? 50... 60... Oh, right! We just saw each other on the roof the other day!"

Amane says nothing as he pushes his brother against a wall. "Why... Why would you do this...?"

I could ask the same...

Tsukasa puts his finger on his lips and thinks.

"Hmm... I guess I like the way people look when they stop holding it in."

He's still as psychopathic as ever... Isn't he... I clench my fists. It's about time I break those two apart.

Slowly, I walk towards Kou, who is on his knees in front of the lifeless body of a ghost.

While those two are distracted talking to each other, I can deal with Kou and Mitsuba.

I walk in front of the body, sit down and pray. As soon the body turned to dust and started disappearing, Kou noticed me and jolted up.

"YOU!"

"Yes...? Don't worry I was asleep when I heard Mitsuba scream... I never planned all this to happen... I- that was a different future. Was I wrong?"

After I said that, Kou let his guard down and starts shedding tears

""

I feel like a bullet went through my chest as my stomach sinks down, but before I could react, Hanako appeared behind him and in front of me. My brother's face had the same reaction, but darker.

I suppose Tsukasa disappeared since Hanako is freely speaking behind him.

"Kid... death is the end. You can become a spirit and wander the near shore... but that's not a continuation of life."

He told the truth. Becoming a spirit is not a continuation of life. For me and many others, it is merely to atone my sins.

I couldn't bear to watch. I already cried too much today when I finished banana fish.

While they were busy talking to each other, I just slowly backed away and went back to the music room where I saw Teru-nii.

Putting on a playful expression, I greet him, raising one of my hands.

"Yo, Teru-nii, what's up?"

"Where were you?"

"Just walking around school, why?"

Teru's cold, stern face relaxes, "Whew, I thought you got caught or something."

This slightly takes me aback. Is this cruel boy really just a worried friend? "Aww, were you worried about me?"

"No, I was just wondering. Bye." He goes back to his cold self and walks out of the room. I guess I was wrong...

"Mhm, suree... BYEE!"

"Is this a boundary? Why are there so many doors...?"

Hanako kun's voice came out of an old radio telling me the basics of what I needed to do.

Natsuhiko-senpai tried opening a bunch of doors but ended up being taken by one of the creatures from the doors. His death shall not be in vain.

'I have to find the door! For Natsuhiko-senpai and I!'

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: [5pm bell]

───────⚪───────────

◄◄⠀▐▐ ⠀►►⠀⠀ ⠀ 1:17 / 3:48 ⠀ ───○ 🔊⠀ ᴴᴰ ⚙ ❐ ⊏⊐

"Wait, I heard that tune before...!" screaming out, desperately trying to find which door it was coming from.

It was easy to find. With the help of the Mokkes I ended up back in school,

"it is now 5:30pm, will the children playing outside please carefully make your way back home I repeat..."

I let out a big sigh of relief. "I DID IT! It's the evening announcement! I knew I'd heard that music before..."

Turning around, I see a younger version of Hanako-kun and a girl about his age hugging him tight, but I couldn't see her face. Her back is facing me and her arms are wrapped around him. They both have the same colored hair.

But it can't be Hanako-kun... Can it? I start trying to recall all the students in the elementary I remember.

"Who...?" Asks Hanako-kun, looking at me with light luminating his eyes, as if he recognises me.

"Hanako-kun..." I look at him up and down to see bruises and injuries all over his body.

The girl turns her head and body slightly to look at me but is still holding the boy. Although her brown hair is covering her face, it seems very familiar...

"Hanako-kun, are you hurt?" Seeing all the blood coming out of his arms, I couldn't help but ask.

The girl hugging him just tightens her grip, and pushes herself and Hanako away quickly as if I were a threat.

'They're ignoring my words...'

She sobs quietly while the small boy tries to reassure her with worry in his eyes, breaking apart their hug. It was no use as he starts to slightly cry too.

'Is something going on...?' I kneel down, 'Maybe as their senior, I can help them...'

"I'm sorry Amane... I couldn't protect you..." The girl says, looking at him with her eyes. What she didn't realise is that two keychains slipped out of her skirt pocket.

One was the yin-yang and the other was a piano.

'Protect... Protect him from what? Did something happen...?' After a sudden thought comes into my head I cover my mouth.

'Perhaps she is... HANAKO'S GIRLFRIEND-?'

Reaching out to them with caution and the question still in my mind, Hanako-kun urgently tried reaching out for the keychains like an old lady losing her glasses, but the other girl pulled him back from his shoulders protectively.

"" Hakujodai's started surrounding me before I could pick the keychains up.

Wait-! I still have to-

"AHH!" The bathroom door opens and tosses me out of the stall as Hanako catched me, saying "Nice catch!."

Pulling me in, he changed my clothes and I was back to my usual clothes.

"Welcome home, Yashiro." He looks at me with a heartwarming smile.

"Ah, I'm home...! Hey, Hanako-kun... can I ask you a question?"

"Sure!"

"...Did you have a girlfriend when you were alive?"

He becomes a blushing mess as he asks what made me think of it.

For some reason, I couldn't tell him the real reason. Instead I told him that It was just a random thought.