note: this route episode does not intervene with the actual plot. what happens in the luca route didn't happen in the main story.

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⛥┊オカルトクラブ ˎˊ˗

┊₍✞︎₎ ..⃗. ꒰ ⁰¹· the yellow charm ꒱ ⛥ೄ ･ﾟˊˎ

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✞︎ "siblings?"

"none. i'm an only child."

"oooh must be nice."

"kinda. it feels lonely sometimes too. how about you?"

"i have an older and a younger brother."

"it must be nice."

"kinda. i mean, they're great!"

"favorite snacks?"

"cheddar cheese pringles!!"

"i haven't tasted that one yet..."

"are you kidding?! i have a lot of stocks at home! i should bring you one! oh oh! or maybe we should have extra stock in the club room!"

y/n giggled when she saw how luca got giddier. "it doesn't seem a bad idea!"

"what about you, what's your favorite food?"

the two adorable babies are now playing a game of ice breaker. luca noticed how silent and boring the atmosphere was, so he knew he just had to do something.

they've been going like this for a while now.

"we should go grocery for a bit." luca said. "are you hungry? we can eat on our way!"

"grocery?" y/n blinked. is that a good idea?

"what are you shopping for?" y/n asked. "and to answer your question, we can grab food on our way to the station."

"speaking of the station..." luca then asked where y/n's home station was. turns out he and vox have the same home station as y/n.

"nice! at our station, there's a good sweet potato food vendor nearby. you should try it." luca said.

"shall we have that for dinner then?"

luca gasped. "POOOOG! LET'S GOOO!"

"let's gooo!" y/n said, imitating the same energy luca radiates. wow that's kinda hard.

the two of them went to the nearest grocery store. y/n just followed wherever luca led her with his big cart.

"so these are cheese pringles." y/n said while holding one.

"yes!" luca said. "let me just..."

"ah-!" y/n yelled but immediately held her mouth. "w-why did you open it?! we haven't paid for it!" y/n whisper-yelled.

"huh? oh! mysta said it's fine. his mother said so, as long as we don't damage the bar code and pay for it at the counter." luca said and took a piece, hovering it on y/n's mouth. "say aaaaah."

"if we get into trouble..." y/n mumbled.

but looking at luca's face, she doubts they'll both get into trouble. just look at that adorable handsome look. who could even resist that?

is it really possible for a man to be handsome and cute at the same time?

y/n shrugged and opened her mouth to get a taste of luca's favorite crisp.

"it's good." y/n said, surprised.

"isn't it?" luca said with the widest grin.

the man just has the most beautiful smile y/n has ever seen.

he should advertise a toothpaste with that grin. she thought.

the two of you bought a few more snacks before paying at the counter. and luca was right, the cashier lady wasn't mad about the opened product. huh.

luca insisted to carry the grocery. it wasn't heavy and wasn't a lot either. he also paid for everything too.

"next stop, station!" luca said, punching the air.

y/n secretly glanced at the man. huh.

her stealing glances continued for 5 minutes straight. she wouldn't dare ruin the blond's mood but...

"you've been staring, y/n. is there something wrong?" luca asked without even looking at you.

"how..." did he know? was i too obvious?

"do you have something to ask?"

y/n nodded. coincidentally, they stopped walking at the park. luca invited y/n by the swings so they sat at both.

"about earlier, when you were receiving the charm's ability." y/n started. "was it painful?"

"huh?"

"you were crying underwater so i..." y/n almost whispered while fiddling with her fingers.

"ah that..." luca chuckled. "i guess fear just got ahead of me."

"don't get me wrong! i'm not afraid of anything! i'm fearless!" luca proudly said. "but... a lot of things have happened... and i'm not really a fan of this... spirits thing."

"i'm fine now! don't worry! receiving the ability wasn't really painful. because i am a mean, big, and evil-!" luca paused.

oops. he slowly glanced at y/n who was just smiling at him.

"yeah... i'm not a big fan of the spirits supernatural thingy. but it sounds fun, so i'm still in." luca confessed.

"i see..." y/n said with a small smile. "thank you... for facing your fears."

"you're welcome! after all, it's for you and for the club." luca said while looking up. "we all made a promise that we'll take care of you, you know? you're our first-ever friend."

"first-ever friend..?"

"huh? did i say that?" luca asked, confused.

oh god vox and ike are gonna kill me- calm down, luca, act natural, act natural...

y/n shook her head and looked up as well.

"some parts of your body glowed earlier." y/n said. "there was a glowing mark on your chest, on your arm, on your neck, and your side."

luca was frozen. he gulped in nervousness.

he knew he was not good at lying. what should he say?

"you guys..." y/n slowly glanced at luca. "you're not from this world, are you?"

y/n stood up with a shadow over her eyes. "you guys came elsewhere, just like the senpais." she whispered, towering luca who was just sitting helplessly.

"y-y/n..." luca whispered. "y/n y-you're scaring me."

the lady blinked, returning her to her senses.

"ah! i'm sorry!" y/n cried. "i-i didn't mean to do that- and to pry- i didn't- gah! i'm so sorry!"

"w-wait! don't cry!" luca panicked when y/n fell onto her knees with her tears trickling down her cheeks.

"i was just fascinated and curious of what glowed on your body. there's a possibility that you had a tattoo during your past life, or you came from the other world like my senpais." y/n said and sniffed. "you guys were acting so weird too, you're also not surprised when i told you about the charms! you guys are weird!"

luca blinked.

"ah! y/n you're so rude!" luca cried with tears as well.

"n-no-! i didn't mean to-" y/n cried as well.

the two cry babies cried and whined in the park. the passersby couldn't help but turn their heads at the two, but luca and y/n couldn't help it either but just cry their hearts out.

the tears just went out. y/n was missing her seniors so much that she scared her new friend. she thought they all could be somehow connected, but they weren't. they'll never be. and she feels so guilty scaring luca.

and luca was crying because he made y/n cry, the others are gonna kill him. also, he almost said their secret to her, which is another reason to cry about.

the two of them stopped wailing when y/n's phone suddenly rang.

it was ike, calling.

"w-wait, let's cry later." y/n said and picked up the call. "hello?"

luca sniffed. "who's that?"

[y/n? i forgot to tell you that i inserted the book i borrowed back into your bag- wait. why are you sniffing? are you crying?]

"n-no." y/n denied and wiped her nose.

[weren't you with luca?! what happened?! did luca make you cry?!]

"ike-!" luca called.

[luca!!]

"y/nnnn!" the blond cried more after he heard ike yelling his name.

"noooo don't cryyyy!" y/n cried.

[*sighs* should i pick you two up?]

"no... no need." you sniffed while rubbing your eyes.

[whatever made you and luca cry, everything's going to be alright, okay? don't tire yourselves any longer and go home. take a good rest. we're all tired today, especially you, y/n.]

y/n stood up and hummed in reply to what ike said.

[can you give the phone to luca, please?]

y/n obliged. what a good girl.

"ikeeee..." luca whined.

[luca. i don't know what made you cry, but i have a feeling that you only cried because you saw y/n crying. *sighs* take care of y/n well, will you? take her home immediately and don't stay out too late in the cold.]

"ike..."

[remember how y/n had a nosebleed earlier? she's really tired right now, luca. please bring her back home or i will.]

luca's eyebrows creased. he just watched y/n walk away while staring from afar.

"you're so concerned of y/n. we'll be fine."

[she's the president, luca. and she's our friend. of course i'd be concerned. to add that you're the one walking her home- you two look so prone to harm.]

"you're too overprotective of us." luca said and stood up. "we'll be fine," he added.

[...okay. i'm trusting you with the president.]

[and the secret, luca. don't slip.]

"here's the phone, y/n." luca said after ending the call and walking to y/n. "wait. are you still crying?"

luca almost jumped in surprise from his position when y/n suddenly held his arm.

he then felt it. bang! a loud one-second vibration in his chest. it was painful and too sudden that he almost forgot to breathe. it also felt like his heart skipped a beat.

"ah!" he exclaimed when a bright white light flashed in his eyes. he rubbed them like a child before opening his eyelids.

"y/n? what was that?" luca asked, even though nothing changed much. "and are you still crying? i-"

"it's not me." y/n said and glanced at luca.

only for the man to shiver at the look on y/n face.

"it's not me." y/n said with a dark face.

luca gulped.

"look." y/n said and pointed the birds in the air. they were all frozen. the passersby were also frozen- everything was frozen. like the time was stopped by y/n-

the time was stopped by y/n.

"i'm sorry for making you cry." y/n apologized first. "let us take care of this first before we head home."

luca immediately understood his assignment and nodded. "roger, president."

y/n may not have mysta's ability, but just by listening to the soft cries of the nearby spirit, she was able to locate where it is.

"she's crying..." luca mumbled.

he said he wasn't a fan of spirits. y/n said as she watches luca kneeling in front of the child spirit while gently calling her. maybe he likes kids?

"hey... are you lost?" luca asked. "why are you crying hmm? look at big brother."

the child slowly lifted her head. her tears were running down her cheeks like no tomorrow.

"i can't find my mom and dad..." she whispered. "me and dad are supposed to visit her in the hospital after giving birth to my brother... now i'm lost..."

"y/n... what do we do..?" luca asked, looking up at the lady.

y/n just stared at the kid who stared back at her.

she then smiled. "isn't it hot behind the trees? how about we go out to the park and wait for dad?" y/n asked.

the child nodded and stood up. luca tried helping her but his arms just went through her body.

"are you really with your dad? what's your name?" luca asked.

"i'm mira. and yes, big sister is right. i'm with my dad but i got lost." mira said.

luca offered the seat on the swing, which the child sat on.

"spirits who died with each other would immediately make a bond with their souls. it's like a ribbon that destiny ties on them, connecting them to each other." y/n said. "a case like this where the other party leaves the other one alone is actually pretty normal..."

"it would be great if selen-senpai is with us. it was her ability to detect the lengths and whereabouts of the ribbon's both ends," y/n whispered.

luca kept the child company by telling her childish stories. he was a bit bothered by y/n's silence and the serious atmosphere in between them, but he couldn't do anything. he couldn't say anything. maybe he was a scaredy-cat after all.

"mira!"

"ah! dad!!" mira exclaimed and ran to her father

"i'm sorry for leaving you, sweetie. i was searching for your mom and little brother, and i already found them!" mira's father happily said. "let's see, were there people who helped my mira-"

but mira's father immediately painted fear on his face after seeing y/n. his hold on his daughter tightened with his lips trembling.

"n-no... w-we don't want to go yet..." he whispered. "i know your friends... t-they..."

"and you..."

luca saw how abnormally the man's eyes widened in utmost horror.

"you... you were the one with the ability to k-!"

"why are you still staying here, then?" luca asked.

mira's father thought he was being sarcastic until he saw luca.

"we... we wanted to congratulate her..." he said. "i just wanted us to be whole again... even for just a short time..."

y/n sighed inaudibly. spirits and their requests... she thought while biting her lower lip.

"i can only help you if you promise to leave after your request." y/n said while looking at the ground to avoid everyone's eyes. "i-i can't help without..."

without sending you back...

"i know. i've seen you work." the man said and sighed. "we promise to leave after this request."

"y/n!" luca called and held y/n's hands, causing her to look up.

"i know what to do!" luca said and whispered something at y/n's ear.

at first i really thought of ike. he was the one compatible for this case. luca thought. he could let the man and his daughter possess someone so they can all live happily again.

but i remembered my ability. it was no joke either.

"luca..."

y/n then nodded. "i will ask you to lead us the way to your wife." she said before she held luca.

luca felt that same pang in his chest again, and saw the flashing of light in his eyes. when he looked back at the skies, the birds were flying again, and the people are moving.

and the spirits look much like real people now, compared to before!

"this way." the man said and walked with his daughter.

luca peeked at y/n before asking her another question when he saw blood dripping down her nose.

"ah! y/n!"

maybe ike was right. i couldn't take care of the president myself. luca thought while biting his lower lip. she's already tired enough, so why did we even insist-!

"let's not waste time. let's go luca." y/n said with a soft smile. she has wiped the blood off her nose now too.

"a-are you still not tired..?" luca asked.

y/n shook her head. "i'm fine."

the two of them followed the man until they all saw a woman walking by the sidewalk while pushing a stroller with a baby boy inside.

"that's her..." he whispered.

y/n could feel her head ringing, but she still ignored it and held luca's hand.

"ah-! when will be the last time-?" luca complained when another pang and flashing of lights happened. "it hurts..." he mumbled.

y/n faced him in panic. "i-i'm so sorry! i've never given you a heads-up..."

her sad face caught the blond off guard. "no! it's fine! we're fine! i'm fine!" she's so cute when she's sad too?!

"now do your worst." y/n said and gave luca the way to the father and daughter.

"h-how do i use the ability?" luca said and placed his palms on top of the two's heads.

"trust yourself." y/n whispered. "you'll know the way."

luca closed his eyes before their bodies glowed. y/n saw it again, the same marks that glowed brighter in luca's body underwater. she couldn't help but assume that there really is something more behind luca and his friends.

not that she's planning to pry. she would never.

while luca does his thing, y/n went to the lady and her son before touching them, allowing them to move from being frozen with time.

"honey!"

"e-eh?!"

"mama!!"

the man and her daughter ran to the lady, but they couldn't touch her. it was the best the two could do for now.

they were crying. finally, after all these years... they could finally see and talk to each other again.

"b-but you guys are dead..."

"the yellow charm. a charm which holds the ability to give a mortal a chance to see a spirit." y/n said from afar.

"i believe it is one of the scariest abilities a charm could ever have." she mumbled and sighed. "to see a spirit... it will open the mortal to the fact that these supernatural occurrences exist," she whispered.

y/n stared at luca's grinning face.

but i guess it would be fine. y/n said, relieved by the fact that it wasn't just anyone holding that ability, but luca himself.

the two of them watched the family being together once again, with mira playing with her little brother, and her dad being all lovey-dovey with her mom while time was frozen.

"time's up." y/n said and coughed, covering her mouth.

"i see..." the man whispered.

"please rest in peace, my love. mira." the lady whispered. "always take care of us."

"bye-bye, mama! bye-bye, baby brother!" mira happily said while waving her hands. "bye-bye, big brother! bye-bye, big sister!" she also bid to the two students.

the lady glanced at them with a thankful smile. she then mouthed a thank you, making y/n and luca smile as well.

they all watched the man and her daughter walking away, hand in hand, as their bodies slowly turned into sparkling specks of dust and flew in the wind to join the invisible stars.

y/n coughed and held luca's hand again. "we're going back." she warned, but with a gentle tone.

luca nodded and closed his eyes. the pang and the flashing happened again, and luca couldn't explain the painless pain he has experienced tonight, four times in a row.

"please take care of me, luca kaneshiro." y/n said before coughing again with her hand on her mouth

luca's eyes glistened. "i-i will try my best!" he exclaimed with full determination.

y/n giggled before they continued walking back to the station. she then held her hand out and wiped the blood on it with her handkerchief.

the yellow charm

the cries that blanketed fear

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┊⛥ ..⃗. ꒰ ⁰¹· end ꒱ ･ﾟˊˎ

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