Jibaku shounen Hanako-kun - ANIME/MANGA

Hi guys!

So some of you may already know my writing style, some may not - Those who are new, please know that I am not a professional writer, but I try and make sense of things the best I can.
I know some of it might seem too plain and boring as I haven't been practicing enough, or reading actual novels and books to get some kind of idea on how to better my work here.

Nonetheless, I hope that there is something that catches your interest and I urge you to give the story a go if you're interested in wholesome friendship, the supernatural, some romance and adventure stories.
The story is rater M for violent content in the future, tragic human relationships, abuse, rough language and death.

As most of you might know, not all categories are presented on the Fanfiction page when looking for stories.
Now I don't think it's my job to go around and make sure that new updated categories exist, so it's a shame for the site.

Over all it will be an easy going story, but it is still directed towards more mature readers as it reflects real issues/problems that people encounter and struggle with.

I do not own the original plot/story or characters, this is simply a work of fiction and my own take on Jibaku shounen Hanako-kun
All credit for the original plot goes to the original creator - Iro Aida

'' So calm..'' Was all I was able to think for the past hour ever since coming out here into the rural part of the province.

My life isn't exactly packed with stressful events, but one thing that life has given me, is a very stressful mind.

I wasn't brought up with a lot of kindness and attention, I always wanted to prove myself better, because I still have self worth as a person, but it's proven to be harder as I got older. I simply couldn't help but feel empty, emotional at the same time, and depressed when it came down to basic decisions regarding my own emotions or work.

My problems only got bigger after my family had arranged a marriage that I didn't even know I had to go through. I even thought of it as a joke at first, I kind of still do.

We haven't even been struggling with money, so I absolutely don't understand their reason for doing this.

My parents aren't old fashioned, we don't come from a tradition rich family, nor are we part of some cult that would push us to do these things. We're just a simple family, living an average life.. so why. Why was I put up for this marriage?

They haven't told me anything other than saying it's for my own good, and that I'm a decent person who surely will do good with such a plan - That they want me to have a happy life with a suitable husband by my side. - ''so I wouldn't need to worry about things too much.''

You'd think that I'm old or for failing in relationships, right?
Whereas I'm no longer a young teenager, I don't think to myself to be old as I'm only twenty years old.

And I may not have had lasting relationships simply because the person I always ended up with confessed to me and I simply wanted to see if, maybe, I can develop a good relationship with them. I liked certain aspects of them, of course, but I know I didn't fully love them or fancy them as much as they did me, I suppose. Our goals didn't match a lot of the times, and honestly, I felt like the man in the relationship by having to do everything.. Wait never mind, I felt like the mom in the relationship.

I guess that's next level dating, or maybe it's just my bad luck for finding lazy people to date.

But then again, relationships aren't important to me to begin with. And it's not like I hate them. I simply think it's not a necessary thing to have because you can still have a happy life even if you don't have someone besides you on a romantic spectrum.

If I happen to find someone, good for me, if I don't, then nothing will really change.

I never had a big attachment for people to begin with, as I was partially neglected as a kid and was never able to develop a proper relationship with my parents.
To be very honest, I don't even know their job positioning by name, I just know they work in the medical field and that's that. They never made me feel curious of them to begin with. I just always had that feeling to never ask - I couldn't explain it, but I didn't want to hear about them.

If you think I hate them, I don't, but I think I have a large gap compared to everyone else when it comes down to forming proper, healthy human relationships.

I have friends, and they are very dear to me, but I can't seem to feel certain things because of my poor attitude. But I don't take these things for granted, I know their important, believe me I do. Some things are just missing for me and that's pretty much it.

Did my parents simply think that I will neglect myself and they wanted to make sure I have someone by my side? - Would they care that much? It sounds bullshit.

I don't know.

I tried asking them directly, but all I got was that they want to make sure I'm happy and well off.

I haven't even gotten my first job yet, and I already have to think about marriage?

I don't even know who the person is supposed to be. I don't know how arranged marriages even work.

I'd say that most people would be furious to find this out, but I simply can't bring myself to feel angry, I'm more confused than anything, maybe even just sad that they'd think of something like this.

I know I don't have a lot of motivation and thrive for life, but that shouldn't make me that untrustworthy.

I'm not some kind of problem child who can't manage, I've actually done more than better, even for myself, in university. I haven't fallen below any number in my classes, and I actually did great in certain fields. I only left one class because I got too ambitious with my picks and I simply had no time to attend because my main field was falling short.

I looked at my phone vibrate. '' A message from mom..''

I scanned through it and read parts of her conversation without really paying much attention to the details. She had put some information regarding my fiance, she seemed happy about what she was talking about.

I really couldn't bring myself to care.

I closed my screen and looked at the bright blue sky above me. The weather was seemingly always great here. I only saw one rainy day, and it was still wonderful - no wind, not a lot of humidity and it wasn't cold.

After moving here I thought I would be able to get a brand new start, but with this new situation, I don't know what to look forward to.

I absolutely don't want to end up as someones housewife. I'm not cut out for scrubbing and feeding someone on a daily basis. Nor do I care about having a family. Especially not with some random guy. Of course I know there's more to it than just that, but that's the general idea I get. It might be better than what I imagine it to be, but that's just not the kind of life I want.

I don't think, that someone I don't even know, should be stuck with me. Since chances are, I won't feel comfortable or trusting of them.

I have nothing to be passionate about in this life I was given, so I'm sure who ever I'd end up with would just become bored and would only stay with me because of the marriage.

I'm not heartless enough to have someone go through with that, nor would I be interested to try it. ''I think.. I really need to talk to my parents about this.. Maybe they know I won't say anything against them. But this just isn't right. I'm allowed to reject this, aren't I?''

I pocketed my phone in my small bag which had essential items in it, and looked at the small map I had snatched along from one of the convenient stores close by.

It listed some parks, hotels, important shrines along with one of their cemetery, bigger malls, restaurants, and certain study facilities.

I'd say compared to where I used to live, this town was much larger in space, as it wasn't packed in with all kinds of useless buildings. But it was obviously a small place.

Since I didn't know the area at all, I figured having a map around would be better than putting my faith in an electronic map that could bug out and possibly not have all the roads mapped out.

I knew they were doing remodeling work around town, so better get something that was more useful to the public at the moment.

I scanned over the list of places and saw a small bus route going around and out of the town. After the road exited the town, it only showed bigger stations and nothing in between.

But I can see from the map that there are some building structures marked, just not named.

''Mh, why not.'' I commented to myself.

The day was still starting, so I figured with all this time, I'd go on an adventure and take a look around the area. I was still a little drowsy from sleeping so little, but I just couldn't manage to fall asleep, so I figured maybe a walk would fix things.

The air was still a little chilly as it was only nine in the morning, and yes I usually sleep late and wake up late. Mornings just aren't my thing really.

But with moving here I was having difficulty adjusting to a different place. And now with these sudden news, I just couldn't get my mind off of things.

I felt trapped and wanted to go somewhere to clear my mind. As sleep deprived as I felt, I still loved early mornings for it's fresh air, lesser people, and the soft rays of the sun.

I followed the road on the map for ten minutes, walking in a slow pace, observing the parks and buildings before getting to said bus stop that tours out of the town.

There weren't many people waiting for a transportation, so I figured that there wasn't much on the way. Maybe a few houses here and there.

I guess some family homes as I saw a couple of older ladies with a few stuffed stroller bags, filled with maybe food goods they bought from the store and market. Everyone was minding their own business and being mindful of the quiet nature around the area.

I didn't really observe much, no details regarding the people, nor the name of the bus stop. I was mostly used to going by how the area looked and not by remembering the names. I was really bad with that.

Not long after waiting for a couple of minutes the bus arrived, going over the small bridge and crosswalk, before stopping to let us on.

Everyone quietly greeted the driver and showed them some kind of cards. I figured that maybe because they were at a certain age, they had a free pass in an area around here. ''Must be a local thing.''

I waited in line and approached the driver after the ladies moved on with their luggage.

'' Mornin' , miss, where are you off to?'' The bus driver seemed like a nice man, greeted me warmly and looked at me for an answer.

'' Uhm, I'm new around here.. so I just want to take a small ride around the area. I don't really have a destination but I won't go too far. How much would that make the ticket?'' I asked, a little awkward as I didn't know the bus ticket system here.

'' Ah! A new face, I see! Welcome, welcome. Well since you asked so nicely, let's make a deal. I drop you off when you want to go off and you just pay then, okay? As long as you have a few coins on you, you should be good to go. Unless you want to reach the other major station then it will go for a bit higher than just some pocket change. How about that?'' The kind man explained to me with a smile on his face before inclining his hand towards the passenger seats behind him.

My eyes lit up a little bit, not having expected such a generous gesture.

'' U-uhm.. if it's not a problem, I shall come up front if I find a place I can go off at.''

'' Of course, of course! Hehe, not a problem. Just make yourself comfortable and enjoy the ride, okay? You seem a little dense, I've seen your kind before - big city I assume?'' He grinned and started the bus, closed the door and took off.

'' Uhm.. yea. Certain things made me move here so I'm curious to see the place. How would you know I come from a bigger place?'' I made sure to hold on to a post so I wouldn't stagger and fall while I was conversing.

The bus driver listened to me while he kept his eyes on the road. '' Oh? Oh, well the way you speak, miss. It's a little stiff and uneasy. You see the smaller the town the more you feel like you're in a family, right? Well as much as I can see, you big city folk don't really have that trust going around with all those strangers. Ah, don't get me wrong, nothing bad about it, of course. It just seems a little lonely, don't you think?'' He looked at me from the corner of his eye, smiling softly before looking out of his side window, making sure he can turn, and proceeded to go down a bigger road.

I smiled back, before nodding.

I decided not to sit too far, after all. '' It's true.. Not much communication with others. It's still safe, but you wouldn't do that really.. I guess with how busy people are, you wouldn't want to bother them.''

'' Yea? I guess that's true, everyone has a busy life.'' He scratched the back of his head and turned the wheel ever so slightly as we continued to move without any stops.
''But it's sad, once you get older and think about it. One thing to treasure in life are people, and you can only live once. Don't give that up, okay, miss? It may be a small place, but do see that there's more to it, everyone is lovely here and we're always willing to help. Do hope you feel at home soon! There's nothing more refreshing than seeing new faces and getting to help them get a head start. Partially why I'm still on this job, to be honest- hehe! You never know who you're going to meet.'' He grinned and talked energetically.

His energy levels sure were off the roof, but I understood where he was coming from. I smiled and listened to him speak to me so openly, a little envious of him for being so energetic and happy with a complete stranger.

'' I'm sure I will enjoy this place from now on. You have proven that to me already.'' I said, a little shy, but honest.

He huffed a grin and got all giddy in his chair, shaking his head. '' See this is what I love seeing! Good honest people joining in and making life worth living! Stay as long as you want, miss. The community isn't going anywhere!'' He looked prideful of what he said, and you could tell he enjoyed what he was doing.

I never expected to have such an open conversation, and honestly, it kind of washed all my worry and doubt away about moving somewhere new.

We had idle chit chat about him asking where I came from, my career, family. Just idle things which I gave brief answers to. I know he didn't mean any harm by asking, but it still felt odd.. answering all of his questions.

Of course I was being careful not to give any personal info, just basic things.

.

.

'' Wait, wait, you mean to tell me you're twenty? Ahhahaa! Miss, I took you for an eight grader. Well, I won't be messing with our promise since you already got on the bus, but technically an adult ticket would be more pricier than that of a students. But ahhh, you really can't trust young people nowadays! Got to ask the age, ask the age!''

'' Hm, I guess that would be an issue if you charged someone the wrong ticket, that's for sure. But it's not a problem, I will pay for the adult fee, I have some cash on me. I get mistaken like that all the time so I should have asked more precisely.''

'' Oh no-no-no, don't worry about the ticket. That was all my bad for assuming. See this is how you swindle yourself out of money at times! But really it's no problem, it's school holidays so there's plenty of students going around all the time. The money will come in either way!'' He laughed at his own mistake and slowed the bus down as we we're approaching an area with a few houses.

'' Mh.. I'll keep to our promise for now, but next time I will have my money ready. I wouldn't want to have that on my guilty conscious.'' I smiled and looked out of the window observing the buildings.

One building in particular stood out in the distance. A gorgeous, old looking architecture that peaked my curiosity with it's style. It must have been built quite a long time ago, based on it's design.

'' Ah, mister, what exactly is up ahead.. over there?''

'' Hm? Ehm.. there. Oh! That's the old school facility that ran out of business a long time ago. Truly a pity really. It was in a nice spot and there were plenty of students that attended. It's why this bus route exists really, people used this to get here specifically. A friend of mine attended it way back. Tragic how it shut down so fast because of that accident.'' He huffed in and sighed.

'' Accident?'' I asked, leaning a little against the glass to see the now abandoned house better.

'' Yea, there was some kind of gas explosion, or so they say, and a lot of kids died during that day. They have no real evidence so nothing has really come out of it. It's really a strange one. None of the student's bodies were ever found, even though it had been an explosion. Those poor families must have been destroyed by this. And because nothing came to light, even after they tried to reopen the school, it simply wasn't doing great. Parents were worried that the old building was too dangerous so they started attending their kids in other places. Soon it simply couldn't run as a studying institute anymore, and they were forced to close. Most parents also upped a bunch of rumors about the school for bad reputation, saying that the school was haunted and that they did nothing to secure their students. Probably because none of the families ever got to properly bury their children. And saying how the students always shared these ghost stories. But that's just kids, of course kids are going to play around.''

The driver gave me a brief story of what happened, and it's not that I haven't hear these stories before, it simply felt covered up because nobody knew the answers. Most people in charge wouldn't have the money to do more investigating if there's no evidence left behind. Nobody will work for free, after all.

I glanced out and stood from my seat, approaching the driver, '' I think I'll go pay a visit to that school. If it's okay to walk in the area?''

'' Ehh, you want to go there? I don't think the building is all too safe so I don't recommend going inside, okay? It hasn't been attended to in many years and I think it's sealed off anyway. Most people call the place cursed because of the accident, so stay safe, okay?''

'' Of course, I don't plan on trespassing or anything, I'm just going to walk around. I quite like old things so I'm fascinated by the story even if it has a terrible background.''

The driver turned down a smaller road and soon came to a stop at this spot with over grown grass on the side of the road, and a scratched out bus stop sign. Guessing this is where the students got off before.

'' Also the main road is where you can get back to the city from, so you gotta walk from here to there, okay? This road is only open to drive by, but the route has long been changed, so no transportation will come here.''

As I was counting through my spare money, I glanced back at where we came from and handed him our promised fare for the ride.

'' It's alright, I'm used to walking, and I quite prefer it. Thank you again so much, it was really nice to get to know you, mister.'' I gave a small modest head bow with a smile.

'' The name's Ukyo! Don't stay out for too long now. Most family homes are empty around here so nobody really comes here, okay?'' He waved me off the bus as I nodded to him and waved back.

He started the bus and did a small U-turn before driving off, leaving me there to observe the surroundings.

The building I was so eager to see, was hiding behind unattended trees and bushes that we're growing with a mind of their own. So I had to actually walk up to the gate before I could see the whole thing clearly.

When I got closer, I noticed that the entire school area was actually huge, and there was more than just this old building, there was an even more gorgeous looking building in the back with painted glass windows and wonderfully designed doors.

I couldn't pinpoint when the thing was built, but it must have been during the time when the country got small amounts of western influence in. It wasn't a Japanese building for sure, yet it wasn't new enough to have a standard 'modern' design to it.

Since the buildings were separated, I figured I wasn't going to be in any danger if I just looked around outside. I had no desire to go in because I thought that it would still be trespassing on a government owned property and that would simply mean trouble for me.

I pushed open the squeaky gate, which was actually quite difficult because parts of it had fully rusted from the hinges. Nevertheless, I managed to press myself through and I continued to walk towards the premises while dusting off some cobweb and dust from my shirt.

My eyes wandered from one building to the other, looking at the poor state the it was in.

I guess they had remodeled it at one point after the accident, because I saw no sign of it being ruined from any side.

'' Now on to the treat.'' I spoke under my breath after having walked around the back and front of the main building.

I kept the older building for last and strolled through the middle pass to go over to the main doors.

I examined the facade, the windows, the frames, the locks, everything. It was amazing how it was built and how they had designed it, it looked magnificent for anyone who appreciated old architecture. Not to mention it was really peaceful here.. but I couldn't shake the feeling of something prickling inside. '' I guess I feel tired - I should have brought a snack with me. I didn't really eat before leaving.''

Pondering to myself, about how stupid it was to go on a longer walk than intended, without food, I scanned through my small bag and found a chocolate bar, but nothing really filling. I didn't even remember how that got in there or when I had bought it.

Maybe for a test I had some time ago, and never actually ate it.

'' It could have been some money instead..'' I commented silently before walking off.

I took in the fresh air, listened to the surrounding area with birds chirping and crickets singing their songs.

'' Is this what people call cursed?'' I couldn't help but feel relaxed instead of scared. But I expected people to have their own reason to fear things.

Would I hate this place as well, if it was me who lost a family member or a friend?

I guess not knowing really is a bliss sometimes. I couldn't imagine the anguish those people must have felt.

I decided to take a stroll around the building and walked enough to turn on the corner.

'' ! .. Wha-!'' I was blinded for a second and staggered backwards.

A random flash of white light hit my eyes just as I had turned the corner, and I felt as if something passed through me. My heart was racing and I wasn't sure what just happened. '' What was that.. a reflected light from somewhere?'' I tried scanning the building, to see if maybe a window had been open. But it didn't make much sense when I looked up and saw that this side of the building was in the shadows.

I looked back, and infront of me. There was nothing so I thought that maybe the sleep was really hitting me now.

I stood there for a few seconds and took out the chocolate from my bag. '' Maybe I need some sugar in my brain..'' I wondered to myself out loud as I opened the pack and bit a small piece, letting the chocolate melt in my mouth and continued my stroll.

There were two larger windows in the middle here,which were partially left open. Without wanting to intrude too much or touch anything, for safety reasons, I decided to peek in from the small open space.

There wasn't much to see.

Most things we're covered in plastic and large sheets, as if covering the place like when people move out for a longer period of time so things don't get dusty.

Other than this window, it looked like the house was sealed up just fine, so it didn't seem to have a lot of wildlife growing inside, and no animal could really get in, aside from small birds, bugs and maybe cats and rodents.

The long hall that I saw right before me, was quite bright thanks to the morning sun that was shining in from the front windows.

I could see a small row of shoe lockers up ahead, furniture pieces I couldn't make out, multiple doors, and interesting ornamented items on the walls.

I sighed and took a few steps back to observe the windows again.

'' Even though it was left behind.. someone still made sure that it stays clean. But has no one really come here?''

I wondered if the locals we're really that scared of this place, that nobody was willing to set their foot here and do something about the building.

It wasn't uncommon to find abandoned buildings that ran out of business, as in most cases people didn't have the funds to remove them unless there was something else being built. And if this wasn't a privately owned land, nobody was going to do anything about it. It was in a small place, and it didn't seem to really get in anyone's way.

''I wonder if there's a reason why the school was built here..'' a random thought passed me.

As I saw it, there were plenty of other houses around the area, but they were all left behind, or maybe the people simply didn't want to live close to this place anymore, businesses ran out and people wanted an easier way to live.

Staying here would have been time consuming, after all, since there's a lively town right close by.

''I guess I can understand.. you'd want to stop living with something that only terrorizes your mind and brings you fear.'' I ran my fingers over the stained red glass and wiped some of the dust off, bringing out the brightness of the tone.

It was such a warm colour, it shined like polished rubies.

I scanned the area once again, this time noticing someone walk off from the distance, only seeing their legs and the end of their shirt as they turned on the corner of the old school building.

My eyes perked up and I blinked a few times. ''That was a kid just now wasn't it? Are they playing in this area.. Maybe I scared them.''

I didn't think twice that children maybe liked playing in abandoned places, as long as they didn't cause any trouble. I used to do that all the time with my friends.

Play tag, or hide and seek in places like this because there we're plenty of hiding opportunities, and there was nobody around to disturb, in case your games got a little loud and energetic.

I didn't really feel good about following this kid. But what if they were maybe homeless and staying in a place like this..

I always over thought about things, but you never might know.

These kind of buildings were usually occupied by homeless people because they're away from the society and nobody would come here.

''But if it's a kid..''

If it was indeed someone who had maybe run away from home, or abandoned.. ''But in this small community?''

I shook my head and took a deep breath- '' Don't think too much..,'' I whispered to myself.

I decided it wouldn't hurt to go check if it was just some kids playing in the area, or if someone was actually living in a poor state.

I walked off to where I had seen the kid go to, and came to face a really over grown home garden. The area at the back was large enough with all kinds of luscious trees, benches, a small road and even a greenhouse.

Before anything else, I noticed a small cat sneaking into one of the bushes up ahead. But I heard no kids.

Maybe it wasn't someone playing in the area after all. ''I don't want to think ill... maybe they are homeless and I'm just scaring them by being here..''

I wouldn't trust all people to be safe around, even if it was just a kid. They could come down as mentally unstable and fear others. They could attack me simply because of that.

'' Uhm.. hello?'' I called out softly. '' I'm not going to do anything bad.. I just came exploring and found this place. So please don't be scared, I'm not here to cause trouble.''

I knew saying this won't win anyone's trust, but I didn't want to come off as some quiet stalker who would seem dangerous. If they were indeed scared and hiding from me, or if they were just playing, I wanted them to understand that I'm not here to disturb them.

For now, I heard no sound or reply. Maybe they were still uncertain of my intentions. That's what I'd assume if I was a kid and saw a stranger in a deserted place, especially if I was alone.

The small cat I had seen before suddenly appeared before my feet and I got a little startle, not noticing it walking towards me.

'' Wh-.. how did you get here..'' I crouched down, looking at the cat with bright golden eyes. I didn't pet it as I knew that most cats didn't want to be touched and it was most likely just coming over to inspect and flock it's territory to me.

I glanced at the cat for a second before averting my eyes over to the garden, taking a small bite of my chocolate and sitting down on the grass.

The cat was observing my movements, it's tail swinging from left to right, slowly. It didn't seem to be scared of me so I directed my eyes back to it and lazily extended my hand from my lap, inviting it over for a sniff.

The cat looked else where, turning to lick it's back and seeming uninterested in me all of a sudden. ''So you've become comfortable.. but you're not sure.''

I voiced out a small sound to get it's attention back at me, still having my hand extended. It looked at me again, before making it seem as it was paying attention to the birds around us.

It was clearly interested but uncertain if it should approach.

''I guess it's a little intimidated by my presence.. I suppose I can't pet you yet,'' I mentally cried to myself as I wanted to pet the adorable lil creature, but I wasn't going to make it scared of me so I slowly shifted my legs, before standing up again.

I dusted off some dry leaves and dirt before taking a small circle around the cat, making sure it understood that I was respecting it's personal space and minded my own business.

The small garden I saw from a distance before, had all kinds of vegetables growing further away in a small field.

There were also berry bushes, strawberries and other berry like things I wasn't exactly familiar with.

Before I could move closer I heard some rustling in the bushes. I stopped in my track and looked around.

Nobody.

I looked back.

The cat was also gone.

'' ..You sure move like a ninja.'' I commented before looking back at the garden and noticing something black behind the bushes.

It moved a little, and thought it was a bird or something, before I saw it move more and understood that it was hair. ''That kid..?''

I guess since they weren't trying to really hide themselves, and I should have been fairly visible to them from here, that it was okay to assume that they weren't all that scared of me?

'' Uhm.. I meant what I said before.. I'm not here to cause trouble.'' I repeated some lines again, seeing that the kid wasn't trying to hide or sneak away even though I was quite close to them.

They didn't move, and I didn't see their face, but I thought I heard them hum and nod their head a little to my comment.

I put my chocolate away and proceeded to follow the narrow path towards the fields where the boy was crouching down at.

'' Are you here by yourself? I'm sorry if I frightened you before..''

When I had the kid in my vision, I saw them weeding out the field, making sure the crops got plenty of sunlight.

He shook his head, but still didn't answer.

I decided not to go too close and let him have his safe space.

It was a younger boy with short black hair. He was wearing a white shirt and some black pants. It looked pretty average, so it didn't seem to me as if he was homeless, maybe just keeping his own little world to himself.

'' Mm.. have you been attending to this place by yourself?'' I asked, trying to make it less awkward. '' It looks really nice here, and calm.''

The boy said nothing, and continued his work, he nodded back.

'' Are you here often?'' I asked, taking an interest to all the bushes and small crops I could see around the place.

I glanced back and he nodded again.

'' Is that black cat your friend? I'm sorry if I scared him.'' I asked, looking at him from time to time.

He didn't react, but I wasn't exactly sure which part of my questions he was even answering, so I wasn't sure what to make of his behavior.

At most I wanted to understand if I was a threat to him and if I was freaking him out. But maybe he was just a shy kid and wanted to seem brave.

'' Do you live close by? Not many people come here.. I take it?'' I wanted to know if he was still okay, and not maybe just a run away from home or something.

He didn't really move after that. He simply looked at the vegetables and decided to stand up.

Now that I saw him better, he wasn't actually all that small. Maybe a highschooler? I wasn't sure since most kids we're taller than me nowadays anyway. But we we're practically the same height.

He turned around enough for me to see part of his face. He had bright eyes, but he didn't show any emotion to me. ''Agh.. maybe I'm over staying my visit.. and he's annoyed.''

'' Uhm.. I won't be disturbing you then, it looks like you have a lot of work going on here. You've taken good care of them so I wouldn't want to waste your time.'' I gave a small bow and a faint smile, not wanting him to think that I was prying or intruding.

I wasn't sure if he was angry with me for being here, or sad because of different reasons.

He cocked his head a little to the side, peering at me for a good while before lifting his arm to point at the building.

I wasn't really sure what he was trying to tell me with that. I glanced at the building and back at him.

A jolt went through my body and a bad idea popped in my head.

'' You.. don't tell me you live here?'' I asked, a little uncertain. Not wanting to assume things or seem rude.

He didn't really change his expression but gave a small nod.

I was rushed over with guilt and suddenly understood the big picture.

Him being quiet, distant, growing crops, and maybe how the building looked kind of decent from the inside. This poor kid.. ''Police! I should call the police!''

A bit of worry was written over my face, but I didn't want to make it seem as if I was pitting him or anything, most people hated that, especially young boys. Who would want to be looked down upon, especially with how he was trying to manage right now.

I balled my fist and furrowed my brows.

He must have some means to manage, he has decent clothes and doesn't seem to be out of shape or hungry. I didn't understand how a young person would come to live here, though.

'' Uhm.. are you by yourself? Do you need any help? .. I don't have much, but I can come by and help you with your work, even if it's just a little..'' I tried offering something that didn't seem like I'm trying to push my way into his life, but I wanted to make sure he wasn't someone with poor health and having some abusive family situation which made him come here and live like this, away from people. And if his situation was really bad, then notifying the police might just make things worse for him, he might be put under someones care that might not be a good person.

'' .. not alone,'' he replied quietly. ''Friends... ,'' he answered back with one word, looking at the building, and back at me.

I felt a little relieved, knowing he had someone to rely on. Still, I wasn't sure of his current state, but it seemed that he wasn't all that beat up about life. Maybe just a random situation put him here?

What kind of adult would I be if I left a struggling young person in an abandoned building and did nothing about it, I would much rather die than walk away and ignoring such a situation all together.

I know it's never safe to approach these things, there could be all kinds of things going on with the kid. They might not be safe, and I might not be safe after butting my nose in.

But it would haunt me forever if I ignored it, even if it was a little risky.

Still, I felt that he was a little off in some kind way. The way he spoke clearly showed that he either didn't trust me, or that he had problems of his own for not wanting or wasn't able to speak.

I looked at him with a more relaxed expression, '' ..are they here now? Your friends.''

He nodded, took a second, but started moving towards the building.

There were two large doors at the back of the facility as well as the front, just that these didn't have large stained glass windows, but small wooden engravings on it with a small window in the middle.

He easily opened the door, which creaked a little, but it didn't seem to be out of shape.

He glanced at me for a moment, seeing if I was going to move, before heading inside himself and leaving the door open.

I didn't think that the doors would even be unlocked as this entire place seemed to be closed off to the general public, but I guess what ever situations they were in, they managed to lock pick the door and make this place their home, for now.

I was a little uncertain in following him, thinking that what if this was some kind of gang hideout and I would be human trafficked. With the kid just being bait for people to take pity on and such.

I patted my own cheeks to get those gloomy thoughts out of my head. ''Stupid, if there was this kind of gang around, I'm sure the town people would know about it. The bus driver would have warned me that there would be such things happening and to be wary of this place all together.''

I tried my best not to get intimidated by my own thoughts. I had to man up right now.

I approached the door and peeked inside, scanning the area before stepping inside and closing the door after me.

It was a lot more colder here than outside, but maybe that was because the sun had yet to warm the place up. As much as I could see, the entire thing was made of wood on the inside, and the facade was of stone on the outside. So it probably took a while to get warm, I didn't think there to be any heating in this place.

I just hoped that these people haven't been living here for long.. or during winter.

It didn't look like the building had been poorly treated, it hadn't been robbed of it's furniture, nor had it been vandalized by young people. It all looked nice and clean - no molding, no broken parts, furniture was in place..

The boy was waiting for me on the corner of the staircase, looked at me to follow him as he pointed up the stairs.

I didn't waste time and approached the staircase myself, deciding that I would leave the discovering part of this place for later, if I was allowed to look around.

The lighting inside was soft and a little dark at the same time. There was no electricity here obviously, so it only had natural light through the coloured glass windows.

I followed up the stairs, and while I didn't notice it earlier, it finally occurred to me that the boy was really good at walking silently.

''Maybe I'm the one being disrespectful and dragging my feet like an elephant..'' I commented to myself as I tried being more mindful of my steps and not walk like an ape.

We finally arrived on the third floor and the space here was a little bit more smaller than the corridors down stairs, most likely because those halls were designed for normal classrooms, and this space had other kind of extra rooms.

We passed certain doors. One which had Infirmary written on it, and another which said Teachers office on it.

The young boy stopped at a door which had a tag Book club written on it, and proceeded to turn the doorknob and push the door open.

The room was quite spacious inside with plenty of sunlight coming in. It had a really warm feel to it.

There were numerous bookshelves and closets around. A small dark red sofa which you could see being used, and a candle which had seen some days.

The boy waited for me to come inside as he made himself comfortable and proceeded to scan over a bookshelf.

As much as I saw, this place was probably most used in the building. It was tidy and had no covers over the shelves or decorations.

He cautiously approached me with a book, holding it infront of him for me to take.

'' Oh.. thank you. What is this?'' I scanned the cover and it had no title. It had a very crafted looking image to it with just one letter on it and nothing else. The first page also had nothing, but seemed to be just for padding as it was from a softer, tougher material.

I flipped the page and was faced with a small drawing of two kids. It wasn't exactly realistic, but you could see that who ever drew this knew their way around art.

One kid looked awfully like the one I just met, and the other boy seemed a little younger with lighter hair. The paper looked to be quite old, so I was wondering if maybe this was hand crafted and was put together by some cheap materials.

'' Friend..'' He commented quietly while having his eyes on the picture.

A cold lump formed in my throat when I heard this. And I suddenly started doubting what I had assumed this entire time.

Could this kid be in a much sadder situation..

With this hand drawn image, him taking me to his '' friends''. I couldn't understand what he was trying to tell me.. but I knew it was something very sad.

I flipped through some pages, reading small lines most people would write in journals that they would gift to someone as a memoir.

*

''Today was packed, wasn't it? Who would have thought that Mine-chan, of all people, would become the class president. It's a good thing we decided to ask the teacher to get home earlier, we managed to have a good picknick and play plenty of games!''

Next page*

''Hey, did you hear! One of those little traitors brought some weird candy. I'm never going to trust them again! I have to investigate and give them a piece of my mind! Or else I'm going to make up a really bad rumor and have them beg for mercy! HAHA''

Next page*

''Tomorrow is going to be a great day. Fufufu~ AH, But I won't spoil anything! You'll have to see for yourself!''

*

I idly read through more of these little entries and flipped to the end of the book, scanning it and seeing a bunch of names listen on it. Maybe it was like a class diary, for people to sum up certain events throughout the years. Along with the entries there were silly little doodles and drawings which made the whole thing more cuter all together.

I ran my finger along the page, reading the names, not knowing any of the people listed here.

Not that I would know anyone who lived here, but maybe there we're some popular names anyone would recognize, but nothing.

I came faced with some kind of number and date, it looked odd. I wasn't sure if this was when the book was created, or if this was the time when these entries were made. ''2010.. This is like.. twenty year ago.. or so?''

I flipped back some pages, looking for any other date, but nobody really put anything on any of the pages. You wouldn't understand when these things were written. I stopped on a page that had a neatly written poem, or something of the sort at least.

*

''When you're alone, or troubled. Ask what to see, ask what you want. He'll be there to lend you a hand. Just knock three times, is all it takes. Knock, and say his name. One, two..three. Hanako-san, Hanako-san, are you there?''

*

I found the poem odd and figured that who ever constructed this didn't' have much skill in making lines, but maybe it was like a charm? I wasn't sure. I know that kids have wild imaginations so maybe they just made up certain stories while they were studying here.

I scanned over the room to hand the book back, and noticed that the boy was gone. The room was simply empty and I didn't even know when he had left.

'' Uhm.. sorry.. I'll just.. leave it here.'' I put it on the small table next to the sofa and scanned around the room, feeling an oddly empty feeling. ''No really.. where did he suddenly go.. maybe I'm more tired than I think.''

I took a few steps around the room scanning the bookshelves and furniture, walked back to the door and peeked out to the corridor, feeling a little odd by being here by myself.

I saw him sitting on the window sill, glancing outside. The window was partially opened, letting in a warm soft breeze. ''Why did he randomly..''

The way he behaved and did things weirded me out more than just a little, it's as if he was in his own little world with no regard to anything happening around him.

''! ... He couldn't be on drugs, now could he?'' I thought to myself, but tried to ignore the idea as this kid only looked to be around fifteen or so - But maybe..

I wasn't sure if it was the lighting, but he looked so.. gentle and soft somehow, but in an odd way.

I rubbed my eyes and felt a little drowsy. ''I should have eaten after all..''

I looked at him, he didn't move for a while, but just seemed to be zoning out with an empty expression. I slowly walk to where he was, making sure I didn't startle him and wondered if he was tired of me snooping around. As much as I could gather, he wasn't in a good spot with life.

He looked down at me from where he was sitting, '' tiried..?'' He asked, slowly and quietly, I figured he must have seen me rub my eyes and be drowsy.

'' Uhm.. eh, just a little sleepy. It's nothing, really.'' I laughed a little nervously. But figured that maybe washing my face would make it better, so I decided to ask if I was able to use the bathroom anywhere.

'' Does the water work still? Is there a bathroom near by?''

He blinked a few times, as if registering what I was trying to ask, slowly lifted his hand and directed me towards a door at the end of the corridor.

I took the opportunity to walk there and admire the little place along with the cute window, small mirrors and perfectly clean sinks.

''Does he actually live here.. He doesn't seem to be a kid who doesn't know his way around household chores.. but.. There should be dust everywhere, but he clearly uses the restrooms.. and that room..it feels like he's been here for a while now.''

I turned on the water and noticed that it was normal clean water, no rusting or odd odor. I guess the piping had been redone or kept clean, otherwise such an old building wouldn't last with no actual use or life inside.

It didn't seem as if it would go warm any time soon, but you can't hope for too much, I suppose. So I simply let my palms fill up with cold water and used that to freshen up.

It did kick some energy in and I wiped off the excess water with my hands. When I looked back in the mirror, my eyes looked quite red and tired from the lack of sleep.

''Ugh.. maybe I should go home soon.. but I feel wrong just leaving without knowing anything about this place and that kid. What if there's something wrong.. I should notify the police, but I can't just say I found a kid in an abandoned building without any other information. They'll probably look around, but if he were to hide from them then they would come back and tell me how I wasted their time and broke into a building without permission..'' I cried to myself as I would probably have to pay a fine for trespassing on private property.

I couldn't just turn the kid in without knowing what's going on. I didn't want to risk him being put in a more difficult situation.

I turned around, '' ! Holy m-'' and hit my back against the sink as the kid was standing right behind me, holding out a small hand towel.

My heart raced because of him suddenly appearing behind me without a sound. I bent forward, rubbing my back that had just hit the hard stone sink. '' ah-ouch... mn.. you startled me. I must be too tired or you're really good at moving around without a sound.'' I commented, making it sound like a cool ability.

But now, along with my tired eyes, I also had a handicapped back.

He just tilted his head to the side, as if questioning my comment and I simply coughed away my awkwardness and took the towel.

'' T-thank you..'' I dried off my face and looked at the towel, it was clean and didn't seem like it had been sitting around for long, or even used, to be honest. It actually felt brand new. So my guess was that this kid managed to have essential items with him. He was just living here, for some reason.

I scanned him a little bit more. His clothes were clean. His haircut was a little out of fashion but it was kept neat. He didn't look to be malnourished, didn't look to have any abuse mark on him either. Sure he was a little on the small side, but that could have just been the way he was.

I wasn't one to comment about that as many people didn't take me seriously because I looked too young, and would always have to keep my ID around in case anything were to happen.

The only thing that creeped me out a little, was how empty this kid looked. He still hadn't shown any expressions, he barely talked.. There was literally no life in his eyes.

I guess I understood that.

I shook my head - I couldn't put my own situation in his stead and assume things.

He has his own reasons and I shouldn't judge him for his appearance. For fucks sake, the kid doesn't even have a home.

'' Uhm, I'm sorry for suddenly appearing in your home like this.. I guess I was just worried and wanted to make sure you were doing alright..'' I paused for a moment, not really certain where I was going with this, because no matter what I said, no matter the concern I showed, none of it seemed to faze him.

'' My name's Ayo.'' I held out my hand to him, expecting a shake out of politeness, but it was never returned.

'' Ehh-.. am I being too forward .. ehmm.'' My expression saddened a little bit, but I figured I was hoping for too much. I only just met the kid like twenty minutes ago, I couldn't expect him to be all friendly with me, especially if he has trust issues. ''But would he reveal himself and show me around.. if he didn't trust me a little bit?''

I didn't know what he wanted and what kind of help he was expecting of me, if he was even in need of help, that is.

If he was showing me around, means he wanted someone to know about him, right?

He opened his mouth, almost as if wanting to say something, '' I'm .. my name..,'' but forced his look away from me, almost seeming down for some reason. He didn't finish what he was saying, and looked cornered and stressed for some reason.

'' A-ah.. it's okay! I wasn't thinking, it would obviously be a little too weird to suddenly speak to a random stranger. You don't need to force yourself.'' I smiled and withdrew my hand to not pressure him too much. He obviously didn't want to get to know me or tell me his name. He must of still felt scared or uncertain about something, so I wasn't going to push it.

And it's not like he really had any need to return the gesture. He already had probably gone against his will and just wanted me to stop bothering him.

'' Jaa- .. I think I have over stayed my visit. Thank you though, for letting me take a look around.'' I cut my sentence short, unsure if I should continue. He was still facing away from me with a small distance, leaning against the restroom door.

'' Be an adult.. Ayo!'' I pressed my teeth together to get myself to speak.

''To be honest! I still feel a little uneasy to leave you here like this.. and I don't know your situation, but if you do need help with something, then I'm more than happy to lend a hand. Even if it's managing that garden with you, I know it must be difficult by yourself. I can come by another day, if it's okay with you?''

I wasn't sure if this was a good idea, I was clearly not welcome and he seemed as if he wanted me to leave. But I had to make sure that he saw someone he could count on for rainy days, if he needed anything.

There was silence for quite some time, and at this point I could clearly hear the birds chirping outside. His expression never changed as he kept a distant look towards the window.

'' Khm.. then maybe I'll visit again some other day. I'll bring some snacks along then.'' I gave a smile, but it kind of faded quickly as my eyes dropped. I slowly turned and dragged my feet towards the doorway before hearing a small murmur behind me.

I stopped to listen and turned back to see him still facing the window, but was now leaning against the window frame.

'' S-sorry..?'' I asked, making sure I heard him, or maybe something else.

'' Game..'' He spoke quietly.

'' Uhm.. sorry, what? G..game? .. Do you want to play something?'' I asked, being unsure of his request.

'' Un..'' He nodded, giving a faint reply and turned around. He pointed at the last stall door, proceeded to point at his eyes before hiding them behind his hands, then turning to knock slowly on the restroom door and looking back at me. '' Ask..''

I had a clear visible questionable look on my face, '' Uhm... I don't think I'm aware of this game.. can you teach me?'' I took two steps back in to the restroom, glancing briefly at the closed door he was standing next to and back at him.

'' Book.. ask..'' he tried to explain very slowly and in a little timid way.

'' Ahm.. eeh.. the book.. you gave me before? Uhm...'' I tried to recall with my sleepy brain and tried to remember what I read. '' Is it okay if I go read it again? My head doesn't seem to want to cooperate with me.'' I excused myself as he didn't seem to have anything against me going back and grabbing the book.

I guess they had come up with a game which I simply wasn't aware of.

It didn't seem like he was asking me to play hide and seek with him, but it also didn't look like he was able to explain what he wanted me to do.

I sighed, thinking myself to be crazy, but what else could I do right now. He was uncertain of things, but you can tell he wanted someone around. As much as I saw.. his friends were gone, and he only had a memory of them. It was so heartbreaking to think about that I simply couldn't ignore his request if he just wanted to play a small game. He was just a kid, after all. No matter how mistrusting he was of others, anyone would want to connect a little, especially if he had been away from his friends and family like this.

I came back with the small book and flipped some pages, but wasn't sure what to look for.

'' Uhm .. let's see.. a game...game..'' I tried reading through the lines, but nothing seemed to describe a game.

'' Mm.. I'm not sure I'm reading the right things.'' I felt a little flustered.

The only things I found we're these diary-like-entries and random information that I couldn't understand.

He simply looked at the book and showed number two and three with his fingers.

I flipped the pages and came back to the same poem on page twenty three.

'' Uhm.. let's see.. You want me to.. ask what it says here, after knocking? Facing the door..with my eyes closed?'' I asked over, recalling what he had shown me before. He simply nodded while staring at me.

I wasn't sure what this was. I wasn't really up to date with group games nowadays.

I mentally shook my head and didn't think much of it.

'' I guess.. just fill me in on the rules while we play, ne? I haven't played in a long time.'' I smiled, resting the book on the window sill and expected him to do his part as he took a few steps behind me while I turned to the restroom door.

'' So.. let's see.'' I proceeded to knock on the door and closed my eyes. So far I didn't hear him run off, or any other noise really, so I guessed that he was waiting if I was actually gonna do it or not.

'' Hanako-san, Hakano-san.. are you there?'' I didn't feel any change after a while, nor did I hear anything around me, so I figured it was okay for me to open my eyes and see what I had to do.

As I did this, my vision didn't register much at first, but when I was finally able to focus on why everything seemed so dark, I was met with two pairs of bright golden eyes. I got so freaked out because they were right in front of my face, yet I felt nothing and my senses we're simply telling me to back away.

You know reflexively when you want to push someone away, you know it's a bad idea but you do it anyway because you can't stop your body from doing so. Well, my hands weren't met with anything, even when my reflexes wanted to push against this random entity right in front of me. My hands whisked through thin air and I lost my balance because of that.

My own reaction scared me more as I screamed and stumbled backwards, falling and then everything went black. The only thing I recall was feeling immense pain at the back of my head and I lost consciousness.

*Chirp..-*

*Chirp, chirp, chirp.*

Low sounds and bird songs echoed through my mind. A gentle whisper passed me every now and then, but it was all too foggy around me to register much. After a while the bird songs got louder and I was able to register reality, waking up in a really uncomfortable position.

I blinked a few times, trying to stabilize my vision and finally noticed that I was laying on the bathroom floor. '' What in the..''

I slowly balanced my hand to support me up, but was met with a throbbing headache as I sat up.

My reflexes told me to touch the back of my head and brought my hand back to see a small red stain on my fingers. '' Eh... .a- Am I bleeding!?'' I touched the spot again and winced at the pain that I now felt.

I clicked my tongue and tried to recall what happened.

Without getting any rest, I jolted up straight when I noticed a black mass sitting on the window sill. It wasn't the best thing to do as my head was met with a blast of pain from moving so fast and I could only suffocate my own breath at the it while holding my head.

''Whoa! You're up.. Wait don't move, you're bleeding pretty badly.'' The voice commented worryingly as he turned his head, noticing me awake and moving around.

I didn't get a good look at him, but something about him felt familiar.

'' W-who are you?!'' I asked in a worried and startled voice, not being able to look up as my head was killing me. Everything was alarming, because I had no idea what was happening.

He looked at me, cocking his head in different ways before jumping off the sill he sat on, ever so quietly, and came over to me. '' Mmmm.. you must have hit your head pretty badly. You've been out for hours, y'know?'' He commented in a sweet low voice that I could have sworn I heard somewhere.

'' Have you forgotten me already?'' He said with a fain smile on his lips as I was finally able to look at him properly.

I blinked and widened my eyes as I recognized his features.

'' Y-you.. '' I grimaced and thought to myself for a second. '' You're.. more talkative ..'' I couldn't understand his change in character. Even if I was out for a while, this wouldn't explain his sudden change in personality.

'' Oh.. Right, I almost forgot. As a thanks for helping me, I'll let you in on a little privilege!" He commented, before searching through his pockets, looking as if he himself was unsure of what should be there. '' AHA! Ookay, here you go!'' He presented me with a small confetti in his palm.

I looked at it, puzzled, wondering if this was some sort of joke, for reasons unknown to me.

''.. This is?'' I asked, blinking at the said confetti in his hand.

'' A gift, a gift! It tastes great y'know~ It's really good for you too, you need sugar!'' He smiled wide, sliding his hand closer to me.

To me it looked like a guy trying to bribe a small child and I kindly got up, took a step back towards the door while eyeing him. '' Uhm, I'm okay.'' I answered, being alarmed by his offer of random candy which he dug up from his pocket.

'' Ehhhh! Why do you look at me with such distrusting eyes! You said you'd help me and here I am giving you a gift with the kindness of my heart!'' He whined a little, making this whole thing sound a little too dramatic.

I was more amazed at his change in character and how odd everything was at the moment.

'' I-I'm not thinking you're not trustworthy! It's just fishy and I know better than to accept candy from strangers!'' I explained hurriedly, pouting a little at his random tantrum myself.

He snorted and giggled a lil, gleeing at me before taunting, '' pfff, what are you, five?'' He laughed to himself before proposing the candy again. '' C'moon, it's not going to hurt you. Here, I promise!'' He crossed his heart and took another piece of candy himself, to prove that it's safe to eat.

He licked his lips clean and offered the candy to me, a little bit too close to my face this time.

''L-like I said! This is all too fishy. I'm sure you can do a better job than making it seem as if you're offering me drugs!'' I moved my head back, still trying to avoid his strange and out of character offering.

While his body was leaned in as he was fiercely trying to offer me his candy, he blinked and started laughing from the bottom of his heart. It didn't seem like he'd stop any time soon and while this went on, I could of sworn something changed with his appearance.

I found myself directing my gaze on the ground and noticed that his feet were literally off the ground.

*Red alert*

My eyes went as wide as they could and I backed away and out to the corridor, quietly.

When he finally took a breather, he was easily floating and holding his feet up in a sitting position. '' Ah, it sure feels better to be free. But no re- WAIT COME BACK!'' He yelled after me when he noticed me sprinting down the hall for my life and down the stairs.

I could hear his voice behind me as I tried to move my feet as fast as I could. ''No, no, no, no!''

''I SAID WAIT!~ H-hooold up! It's dangerous! The steps ther-!'' A loud yelp and a thud could be heard as I ended up tripping on a step and fell on the on the second floor ground on my side, sliding a little.

''Argh!..'' I held my foot and took a deep breath as I wasn't really sure what had gone wrong there.

There was silence for a while.

I opened my eyes and tried to back away but was met with a wall, and the boy standing right infront of me.
''N-..!'' I didn't have any words come out of my mouth. I was sure of what I saw before.

'' Sigh, this is why I tried to warn you.'' He looked at me, a little guilty. '' Listen.. there's no reason to-'' He tried to approach me and reached his hand out, which to I flinched and pressed my back against the wall, rising my shoulder in a defensive matter.

He stopped his movement, dropping his expression, taking a moment to think.

He didn't take his eyes away from mine, but I could see him looking more serious, yet gentle at the same time. '' ..I'm sorry. I'm not going to do anything bad, so please don't be scared..I'm not here to cause trouble.'' He softly murmured those words which came back to me as what I had said previously when I was trying to assure the kid that I wasn't someone evil.

I still stared at him as if I, myself, had gone mad. '' It.. was you.. after all. H-how. Y-y-y-you're..''

I hadn't come to understand anything that had happened after waking up, and now I was met with something that I never expected to see in my life.

He looked me in the eye and waited for me to calm down a little bit. '' I was, well.. still am, technically, just a haunting memory of this place.'' He tried to explain slowly.

I clearly looked scared and confused. He himself looked troubled, probably not knowing what to tell me.

'' ..I'm Hanako.. The one you called for.'' He said slowly, lifting his hand to me.

My eyes shifted from looking at both of his eyes, his clothes, his appearance, his hand, everything. My heart was pounding from fear, the unknown, and something alike excitement.

I could literally feel my teeth clatter in my mouth before pressing them together, I gulped.

I held out my hand to him, but just like before, a flash of memory before I passed out, my hand went straight through his presence.

I immediately retracted my hand away from him, holding it against me, as if it had gotten hurt.

I know there was nothing to be scared of, physically, but my mind was not taking in the information, so I was scared.

He smiled sadly, guessing that changing my mind of anything will be difficult. '' You're not going crazy, y'know..'' He softly looked at me while telling me this. '' And you're not delusional.. okay? Sadly, you're not dreaming either.''

He rested his hands on his knees while taking a seat on the ground before me.

'' Wh..what are you?'' I asked a little shaky, my voice didn't want to come out, but my curiosity still tried to push me to talk. I was scared beyond what I ever had felt, but I didn't exactly feel threatened or in danger, it was myself that made everything uncertain.

Hanako huffed a soft smile, '' Like I said, you're not going crazy. But if you think that you can accept what I will tell you as the truth, then to be honest, if would make me quite happy.'' He looked at me innocently in a pleading manner.
'' I can imagine you already know what I am.. so you want me to confirm it. Yes, I am a ghost, I exist.. and yet not at the same time. Even for a ghost, I'm technically not really here.'' His eyes wandered around the corridor, as if trying to avoid talking.

'' My presence was sealed away, kind of like a curse. And I need a living person to help me regain my form.. What you saw before was a faint memory of myself.. I needed help, and you offered it, so I trusted that you wanted to help me, out of good will. Otherwise..''

'' .. otherwise?'' I managed to speak out.

'' Well! Let's just say I would have probably turned into an evil spirit and taken your soul to hell with me, ha-haah aha-!'' He brushed that off with a laugh, as if it wasn't anything to worry about.

I turned my head, looking at him as if he was the mad one now, and tried to make sure that I wasn't hallucinating. '' A-haa...''

'' W-wait don't look at me like that! I'm really not evil! I even tried to offer you my most prized sweets!'' He whined as he was wiping a fake tear from his eye.

'' That's still fishy!'' I commented loudly, ''.. nobody in their right mind would take that offer!''

He looked shocked, '' eh, why not!?''

I frowned and looked at him as if he was an idiot.

'' Because it looks suspicious! What are you, an old man offering candy to little kids?''

He pouted and frowned back, '' .. -not that old..-mumble mumble-''

I blinked and sighed, looking at him more properly this time. It was faint, but I could see the faint lines of the staircase behind him. ''He really is...''

I got scared at that thought, because I had no idea what to make of this whole situation, neither on how I was supposed to accept it. But even if I was seeing things, he really didn't seem to be aggressive or dangerous.

He was still pouting at me.

I lowered my gaze.

All of a sudden I felt sad, and looked back up.

Without saying anything, I slowly reached out my hand towards him. His expression turned softer as my hand made contact with his shoulder, but my fingers slid right through him as if it was thin air.

I stared at the spot where my hand was hovering, and felt an odd sensation while feeling.. nothing. It just felt like a slight cold mist during dusk, and it didn't particularly leave a good feeling as I retracted my hand.

'' You really.. I'm not crazy, am I?'' I asked softly.

He gave me a smile and looked away. '' I am.. as you see me.''

'' ..Hanako..-san..'' I voiced out his name slowly.

He looked at me and had an empty expression. The same kind when I saw him before, an idle look on his face.. it didn't particularly look like he was enjoying any of this, maybe his own position?

If I really wasn't going crazy.. and there really was a persons spirit right infront of me.. His presence before was a memory, you say? He looked sad.

'' How long have you been like this.. what I saw before..''

'' I'm not really sure .. All I know is that I was locked away, only with faint existence based off of my memories from before, it's how I managed to idly go around and keep myself alive so to speak.. I wasn't allowed to rest. That was my punishment to hold.''

With a little bit of chit chat, I could feel myself becoming more calm. I guess my mind was coming in terms of what I was speaking to, and I tried hard to convince myself that I wasn't crazy.

'' I guess ..even ghosts have different things that people aren't aware of. I thought once you're ..dead.. you're dead.''

'' ... Ma~ That's the general idea.. not everyone becomes a ghost. You don't exactly have everyone's spirit walk on the face of the Earth ever since from ancient times. That would become a little too over populated, even for the Spirit realm.'' He joked about the last part with a faint smile on his face.

I huffed a smile myself, '' I guess that makes sense..''
'' But.. people aren't supposed to be seeing spirits.. now are they?'' I asked, because otherwise seeing ghosts would just be a normal thing if that was the case.

He hummed and thought to himself.

'' Well, while it wasn't all that common even in ancient times, I can say for certain that peoples spirituality has dropped quite a bit. There's less regard for the dead now than let's say a hundred years ago. It is true that certain blood lines have a special connection to certain supernatural events. But because traditions change, so do people. That is only one factor, of course. The reason why most of us ghosts still linger, is because of stories. As long as those stories stay alive, so do the spirits. Haven't you thought what would happen to all those empty shrines that people stop visiting?''

'' Uhm.. it makes sense that.. if things die down.. so would the said spirit?''

'' Exactly. Well.. not that it's all that bad. Most Gods were created in the need of peoples dire situations and wishes. Like during war times people would pray for good health, safety and prosperity. Once those times were over, those Gods providing that hope, were no longer needed so they disappeared, having fulfilled their purpose to the people who kept them alive with wishes and prayers.''

Before I knew it, I ended up talking to this young boy called Hanako about basic supernatural things which had never occurred to me in my every day life.

What I didn't know, was that not all things needed a reason to happen, but as much as I had heard, in the Spirit realm, fate was something that was strongly valued, but discarded by the living. Because when you're alive, you think you're your own God, and you can change your future to your liking. Maybe it's the case for some of the more stubborn people out there, but not for everyone.

People don't like the idea of being controlled, but once you're dead, there is nothing else for you.

You are tied to what you sow in life, be it good or bad.

That is something I will slowly start understanding through out this encounter.