+ really long and depressing

"Hey! Jisatsu!"

"YAKO NEE-SAN!"

"There's a summer festival happening soon. Let's go together! Shijima and Sumire can't make it since they're busy... So it'll just be the two of us! I'll get a beautiful kimono for you!" Yako nee-san seems rather excited for this event.

It wouldn't hurt to go with her and have some fun for once... Right?

"Haha, sure, but how do we get outside the school?"

"Simple! We don't."

What?

"...Eh...?"

"Yeah! This is a special festival. It's for supernaturals and supernaturals only!"

That sounds interesting. I can already picture ourselves having fun. "I would love to go! I can get my own kimono though..."

"Oh, please! I would love to get one for you, so meet me at my boundary on the day."

"Thank you, Yako nee-chan! See you soon!"

I waved goodbye to the second school mystery and suddenly found myself facing none other than the president of the student council.

"So I see that you will be attending the abnormal festival."

"TERU? When did you show up at my boundary and how?"

"I listened to the song you always play on the piano."

Not bad for a living boy.

"Ah, nice, so that's how you got in... wanna follow me to the festival?"

"I would love to, but I have to take care of my little sister that day since Kou won't be home." I can't tell if he's actually interested or not.

"What a shame, I wanted to see you in a kimono."

---------

"YAKO NEE-SANNN!"

"Jisatsu!"

"You look beautiful today!" And I'm not lying, she actually looks inhumanly beautiful any day. To add on to that, today she's wearing a fancy kimono.

"Why, thank you! Let's go we need to get Yashiro too since I got a kimono for her too"

"AH! Okay, let's go!"

---------

"I'm sorry boys, but wait here while I borrow Yashiro for a while."

"Yashiro can wear this, and Jisatsu can wear this!" As I take my clothes off, the keychains I left in my pocket fall out. Letting out a small 'Oh!', Yashiro picked them up hands them to me.

"Here, Jisatsu."

"Thanks, Yashiro!" I say. I can't lose these things.

"It's really precious to me. I used to play the piano when I was younger and was really good at it. I got some prize money by winning contests till I was 6. This yin-yang keychain is from the two people I cherish most. Did you know that the white part represents good while the black represents evil? If you put them together, it's perfectly balanced!"

"Woah... that's so cool! ...Why does it feel like I've seen the keychains before?"

"You two look mesmerizing!"

"Thank you Yako nee-san!" We both smile at each other and talk about all kinds of things before walking in front of the boys.

"Say something!" Yako nee-san sreams out while hitting Kou's head. I guess it's my time to let them be. Then I start wandering around.

"This place looks so fun!" I run from place to place in awe. There's bright lights and stalls everywhere I look.

"It won't be as fun when you're looking for all the tags..." Yako nee-san appears behind me.

I stop wandering around, but still repeatedly move my legs excitedly, "What about we look for the tags together?!"

"That sounds fun! But I'm telling you, it's not as easy as it sounds."

---------

Huh?

I noticed I was on the floor. I rub my head and look around me.

It looks like I'm still here at the festival...

"Are you okay?"

I look up to see a small boy in front of me, reaching out his hand and eating a candy apple in the other.

This boy... I feel like I've seen him before? And it seems like he's in elementary school?

"Yeah, I'm fine-"

...No, I'm not fine at all! I suddenly panic and become aware of what is happening.

"W-WHERE AM I? WHERE IS EVERYBODY?"

I was at the festival with Hanako and Kou... I try to recall, and then I got hit by a bull...

WHY WOULD GETTING HIT BY A BULL CAUSE THIS? I'M ALL ALONE WITH A ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BOY IN AN UNKNOWN PLACE!

I step forward to expect water, but instead hear a loud thump. No water? Then this isn't the boundary?

"In fact, all the booths seem different too..." Not realising it, I start talking to myself and look around.

Remembering the boy, I ask him slightly embarrassed, "Umm... Could I ask you something? What's today's date?"

"Today?" His large gold orbs position from me to a poster on a pole. He then points at it. "There."

Trying not to lose myself, I read the poster.

"The star festival poster..."

"THAT'S THE SHOWA ERA!" Forget about not losing myself. I've been brought back in time again?

I've gone back at least 50 years... WHY?!

I start to lose hope and plummet to the floor. "How... How do I get back...?"

"Onee-san, are you lost?" The innocent boy looks at her pitifully, "There's a lost children's centre somewhere near the bamboo tree. Should I take you there?"

He... He's so cute...

"I'm going there right now to hang this." He continues, putting up a red tag.

A red tag...

Just as Hanako-kun said... if I hang all 5 tags, my wish would come true, and the only one I'm missing is red...

If I hang all 5 on the tree and write "I wish to go back", could it return me back to the present?!

"That tag..." Quickly, I get my hands on the boy and put on my most deceiving face, "How about you give it to me...?"

"Eh-?"

"That... red tag... I would... really appreciate it..." Scaring the boy further, I get more eager, "So... please? I'll do anything..."

"H-Hee..." Suddenly, out of fear, the boy reaches out the tag in the air so that I cannot reach it. Having my eyes glued on the tag, I try to snatch it away from him.

That led to a game of tag. Until finally, letting my poor eagerness out, I yell, "Pleaseee! I need that taggg!"

"DE... DEMON!" Maybe I scared the boy a bit too much...?

"WHY DO YOU EVEN NEED THE TAG SO BAD?"

"It's just that... Without it, I..." I stop.

What am I supposed to say? He'll be even more confused if I tell him the truth.

"B...Ba..."

"Back?"

Should I tell the truth...? Maybe I should lie...?

If I didn't need to go back... I would wish for this. Then it'll be neither lie or truth.

"BOYFRIEND!"

He gives me a confused expression.

"W-WITHOUT THAT TAG... I WON'T BE ABLE TO GET A BOYFRIEND... EVER!" I give him finger guns as I shout it out embarrassed.

---------

"Here, for you, onee-san." The little boy hands me a drink

"Ah... Thank you..."

"Don't worry about it. You seemed... Kind of pitiful." He gives an extreme look of pity.

"Is it really okay? I'm the older one after all."

"It's fine, It's fine!" he takes a sip from his drink, "I think onee-san confessed 100 times to someone you liked, and got rejected 100 times."

"And on top of that, got tricked into losing everything you have."

"So now all you can do is bet on help from higher power. That's why you're getting tags."

None of this is true! His assumptions hit me right in the heart. Do I really look that bad and pitiful?!

But how else should I explain my need for the tag...

"Oh... Yeah, you're right..." I say rather reluctantly, clutching onto my paining chest.

"But you can't have my tag, so instead I'll share this with you!" He opens the boxes of food he had bought.

If you don't want my tag... What did you make that assumption for... I sweatdrop, thanking him for the food. He sure brought a lot.

"By the way..." He looks at me while sipping his noodles and looks downwards.

"Your ankles are really swollen, onee-san."

"

"You just seem so pitiful, so-"

"And tricking a girl is so mean-! That jerk-" He continues, ignoring my comments

"If it were me, I would be way nicer."

...

"...Huh...?"

He would way nicer... than that guy...

Hanako-kun...

"By the way, what's your name?"

"Me?" He smiles,

H...

"HANAKO-KUN?!" I unconsciously shout out.

"No, I'm Amane-kun..." He gives me an expression as if saying 'who's Hanako-kun?'

"Oh! Right, sorry!" I bring myself back to earth. He wouldn't know Hanako-kun. It's his past self after all...

Past self...

"AMANE!"

The loud voice shocks me as I jerk my head around. A girl who looks almost identical to Amane runs towards us. She has the same brown hair and gold eyes. They also seem to be a similar height.

"(Y/N)!" Amane puts his food down and stands up to walk towards the girl.

Least expecting it, the girl hit Amane on his cheek.

"H-Hey-" I start, but they don't seem to notice I'm here.

"AMANE YUGI! DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT! I'VE BEEN LOOKING ALL AROUND THE PLACE TO FIND YOU HANGING OUT WITH A GIRL? I THOUGHT I LOST YOU!"

She seems more like a mom than someone his age...

"Sorry, (Y/N)..."

"Where's Tsukasa?!"

"He went to do his own thing 3 hours ago... He gets pretty violent when you try to stop him..."

The girl named (Y/N) only sighs.

"Tsukasa... I just hope he doesn't get into trouble..."

After a long pause, they turn to look at me.

"Doesn't she look to old for you to be datin-"

"TH-THIS IS ONEE-SAN! SHE CAME TO ME TO FIND A BOYFRIEND WITH MY TAGS!" He screams, flustered.

He could have just left the boyfriend part out...

"My... I'm Yashiro Nene-!" I shout, embarrassed at my introduction. "Could I call you two... Amane-kun and (Y/N)-chan?"

Amane enthusiastically shouts "Yeah!" as (Y/N) tilts her head with a frown. I'll take that as a 'yes'. She doesn't seem like the type to trust people easily.

"Oh! I don't think I've introduced you to (Y/N)!" He says, pushing the angry girl towards me. She lets out a small 'hmph' and crosses her arms. I would say she's rather cute.

"This is (Y/N) Yugi!" Amane introduces the girl for her with a smile, "She's in the same class as me, and she's my sister!"

Hanako-kun had a sister? This takes me aback. I thought he only had Tsukasa-kun...

This makes me realise how less I know about Hanako-kun. It was only just recently I found out his real name..

But the thing that kept me thinking...

If both Hanako-kun and Tsukasa-kun are apparitions in our school...

What about her?

"I'm glad I found you both!" He continues, "Eating alone at a festival is pretty lonely... "

"Idiot! I was the one who found you!" (Y/N) playfully hits him on his head. They both laugh afterwards.

"Ah..." I start laughing at their close relationship. I wonder what their relationship with Tsukasa-kun is...

They were related to Tsukasa...

I glance at them both and notice something white on Amane's face. Without thinking, I get my napkin and start cleaning his cheek.

He's got some rice...

"Hold still a second..."

"I-It's fine! I'm not a little kid!"

(Y/N) breaks into a laugh. "That's what you get for eating so much!"

Looking at Amane, who is red of embarrassment, I quickly apologise.

"Umm..."

"Huh?"

"Onee-san..." The boy stands up in front of me and looks down. "Here... You still want this, right?"

He hands out the red tag.

"A-Amane, are you sure?" His sister looks at his brother worryingly.

I feel a sense of happiness... Although... I can't do this to Hanako-kun...

He was the boy who died at the age of 13.

The boy who longed to go to the moon.

But... How else am I meant to get back?

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: the saddest thing

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

"Yes, I do want it... Are... Are you giving it to me?"

"Yeah..." He starts walking towards the moonlight.

"Actually... The truth is, I was going to write that I wish to become an astronaut."

"Astronaut..."

"Yeah, travel up to the sky, and see the moon and stars up close!"

His face darkens.

And then he smiles again, looking straight at my eyes.

"But I was able to eat dinner with you, onee-san! And actually..." Amane leans in close and whispers into my ear.

"You're kinda my type..." He whispers to me with confidence, "So I wanted to give it to you!"

I stand there, stunned. What am I supposed to think? What am I supposed to say?

"Amane! Yashiro nee-san! The fireworks!"

The happy boy whips his head around and stares at the sky in awe.

"Wow- These fireworks are huge!" He then looks at me and points at the lights, "Look, onee-san! (Y/N)! It's so pretty!"

I only let out a 'wow'. It's true...

"It really is..." I stare further into the lights. "It's like a dream..."

Maybe I'm... Really dreaming since I got hit by that bull?

If these fireworks...

and me being here...

is all a dream...

If that's the case... I would be glad if this is all a dream.

"..."

"Amane-kun..."

I get out all my tags and put them in front of his face.

If I give him these tags...

"I want you to have these! All of them!"

If I give him these tags...

"E-Eh?"

If I give him these tags...

"W-wow! Onee-san, how many do you have?!"

(Y/N) peeks into the conversation. "Woah! Yashiro nee-san, aren't those all the cards?!"

"Write all your wishes here!"

I grab onto the boy's hands.

"And hang them from a big branch of bamboo!"

"So please use them, Amane-kun. In return... for buyingw me all those food and drinks earlier."

A large smile takes over the boy's face. It looks as bright as the moon.

"Thank you! But.. Is it okay..."

"Hm?"

(Y/N) gives me a grave expression. "Never having a boyfriend for your whole life."

"AH-!"

What should I do... Other than these tags... I have no way of going back...

"Amane! Yashiro nee-san! The cow procession!"

Cow...

"That's it!"

"Huh? What is?" The siblings both ask at the same time.

"Amane-kun, (Y/N)-chan, I have to go!"

"Eh-?" (Y/N) looks shocked and Amane stares into my eyes.

"Are you leaving for good?"

"Yeah... But..."

I kiss his forehead.

"A good luck charm. So you can become an astronaut."

"I'll always be rooting for you. Both (Y/N)-chan and I. Right, (Y/N)-chan?"

"Right!" She cheers, hugging her blushing brother.

Hanako-kun...

Hanako-kun is a spirit who grants people's wishes...

It might not be to become an astronaut anymore...

But whatever it is...

---------

"Amane!"

"(Y/N)!"

"What did you write on your tags?"

"I... I want to meet Yashiro onee-san again with you...!" He said with the brightest smile (Y/N) ever saw. Soon enough, she was smiling too, secretly hoping those two would end up together.

"Good morning, Yashiro!"

"Senpai! Are you okay?"

"Kou-kun... Where am I?"

"We're at the bamboo tree. We moved you here while you were passed out."

"Ah... AHH! HANAKO-KUN!"

"Eh-?"

"YOU HAD A SISTER?"