Strands of H/C hair fell to the ground. Y/N was startled; she didn't expect the knife to make such a clean cut.

"Y/N?!" Hanako rushed to her, but stopped midway once she put down the knife.

"There." Y/N looked up to the sky, E/C eyes soft with content. "Much better."

"What is?!"

"I think I've fulfilled the wish." Y/N pressed the knife to her chest, looking up at him hopefully. "Does it really have to be a physical death?"

Hanako still didn't understand her point. He tilted his head. "What are you talking about?"

"If you think about it, you killed me." Y/N smiled calmly, eyes wistful. "You've changed me so much I'm not even the same person anymore."

Hanako finally understood. His legs felt weak from relief, but his mind was still reeling from the panic he had experienced before.

"Hanako-kun?" Y/N squeaked nervously as he rushed up to her, nearly tripping because of how shaky his legs were.

With a start, he collapsed unto her arms, pulling her into the tightest hug Y/N had ever felt. The girl's eyes widened, stunned.

She was always the one giving him an embrace. Hanako was always awkward when it came to them.

He buried his face in her neck, his body pressed close to hers. Y/N could feel him tremble just a little in her steady grip. Y/N instantly grew worried.

"W-what's the matter? I didn't fulfill it right?!"

Hanako stayed quiet, closing his eyes. Y/N's heart dropped. "Are you going to disap-"

"Don't do that." Hanako cut in, his eyes shining with a luster of relief and ferocity. "Don't ever scare me again."

Y/N slowly put down the knife. "I'm sorry."

He stayed quiet.

Y/N slowly wrapped her own arms around Hanako, who still looked stunned and offput. She tried to give him the knife. His arms stayed locked around her waist.

"W-Will you disappear...?" Y/N croaked out nervously.

Hanako gave the faintest shake of a head. He still stayed quiet.

"Why are you so sad? " Y/N whispered gently, her pulse finally relaxing by his response. "We fulfilled the wish. We're going to live."

Hanako finally found his voice, though it was still dry and weak.

"I thought I was going to lose someone again."

Y/N's eyes widened. 'Again?'

She didn't understand, but she could tell that 'someone' must've been precious to him. Y/N allowed Hanako to hug her even tighter than before.

●●●

Yesterday, Hanako killed her.

"Woah, you look different!"

"Y/N... you're pretty."

"You look beautiful with that hair!"

Y/N swallowed a lump of emotions down her throat, trying her best not to break down and cry for the 100th time.

"Thank you, everyone." She replied.

Her H/C hair wasn't as long as it was before. But it was bouncy and light and made it easier to breathe. She thought shorter hair would be a bad idea; turned out she was wrong.

To others, it looked like a simple haircut. To her, it was a major shift in who she was - in her wellbeing as a person.

Letting go. That's what he had helped her with.

What Hanako helped her with.

Perhaps the slash of his knife didn't exactly give her a proper haircut, but judging from everyones' stunned faces and compliments, she think it should do.

She didn't mind the words thrown at her new hair. All of them saying, "Y/N, you look different!" or somewhere along those lines. Of course, she was grateful, but that's not what mattered the most.

"Y/N, you've changed."

That's what she took to heart. That's what made her beam a radiant smile, which people would call "something not in her character."

Hanako killed her. She was a different person now... maybe not better, but she was improving!

With his help, she finally grew out of her shell. She was beginning to muster the courage to tell the principal about her mother.

Hanako was right, but wrong. He didn't end a part of her. He ended her depressing self as a whole to make her who she is now. Who would've known it would only take a week to change so drastically?

"Sayonara", to that feeble and weak Y/N! Like the shafts of H/C strands that were slashed from her hair, she has been cut off and forgotten.

She wanted to be more confident and strong; this is how she would thank Hanako.

Y/N owed him everything. Speaking of which...

"Hello, Y/N!"

There he was! She had asked him to leave her alone, but... she supposed he was too excited. His eyes were pinned with joy.

"Hi, Hanako-kun..."

"Aww, what's with the long face?" He grinned, eyes slitted. "You get to live! You're plan was really clever, you know?"

'I'm happy to see him, but... his cheeriness is kind of overwhelming.' Y/N tried to smile wider.

Hanako wasn't the type to get over these things quickly. He was pretty shaken when she had used the knife; even if it was only to cut hair. She couldn't help it. This short hair was a  reminder for killing her old self and trying to be a new, better person.

"Uh-huh..." Y/N trailed off, not really sure what to say. She perked up when she saw Kou and Yashiro eating at a table.

"Oh! Hanako-kun, do you mind if I-"

"Yes."

A shiver went down her spine. His voice suddenly went dangerously low.

His cold look disappeared as quickly as it came, replaced by a wide smile.

"I mean! I just want to spend time with you. 'Want to get to know you more, you know?"

Y/N's heart was still racing from how scary he had just looked earlier. It didn't help that his eyes seemed to burn with a warning look.

It was more than an invitation to stay. It was almost like he was demanding for her to.

"O-Okay I guess...?"

Hanako wrapped an arm over her shoulders, gracing her with a warm grin. "Let's hang out for the rest of the day!"

'Weird. Earlier, he promised he would leave me alone. He really is acting different.'

Not only his personality had changed. He donned a new patch, too. It was black... kinda' looked cool.

●●●

Three days later...

The one-eyed Mokke held up an uno reverse card.

"YES! TAKE THAT, YA FRICKS!"

All the Mokke groaned in frustration, shuffling through their cards. They all looked at Hanako expectantly.

He didn't react. He was fumbling his Uno cards, staring misty-eyed out the girls' bathroom's window.

"Someone invading your mind?" One Mokke poked him in the side.

Hanako jumped, scattering his cards.

"Woah, easy!" Another squeaked.

"You're so jumpy!"

"What's gotten into you?"

"Sorry..." Hanako readjusted his hat tursely, looking to the side.

The pink bunnies rose one ear in suspicion. They peeked out the window themselves.

Below, spread out in the garden, were Kou, Yashiro, and Y/N, laughing away as they tended the garden.

"Hey!" Kou yelled, his voice muffled by the distance. "What the hell is this?"

He held up a bloodied gauze that looked rather old.

Y/N turned red. "A-Allow me to explain-"

Despite there being three people, Hanako only had his eyes on one person.

"Ah." A Mokke sighed dramatically. "Young love."

Hanako ignored it.

Another gently placed a stolen camera on his lap. He turned to the bunny questioningly.

"If you really can't take your eyes off of her, take a picture." It offered generously.

Just like Y/N babbling in embarrassment down below, Hanako blushed. "I'll pass..."

"Why don't ya just open up?" A Mokke yawned boredly. "About your feelings."

"Not true!" Hanako exclaimed, aggravated.  "I don't have feelings! You're all wrong!"

The one-eyed Mokke held up an uno reverse card.

Hanako furrowed his brows, crossed his arms, and went back to being quiet.

"Hanako-san." A Mokke called out.

He didn't move.

"Hanako-san!"

"Haaaaanakoooo-"

"7th Wonder!"

"KEEP QUIET!"  Hanako pulled away from the window, glaring down at all of them.

The Mokke's ears drooped.

"He's in a bad mood..."

"What happened...?"

A Mokke's ears pricked up in horror. "You didn't fulfill the wish properly?!"

"We did." He sighed, trying to feel a little better at the notion... but it didn't.

"What's the matter, then?"

Hanako fidgeted uneasily. "I don't want to talk about it."

"What is it?!" A Mokke yowled.

"Tell us!"

"Tell me why!"

"Heartache?!"

"She hasn't approached me for three days straight." Hanako finally blurted. A worried look was stricken on his face.

All the Mokke instantly dropped their cards.

"Are you kidding  me?!"

"OUTRAGEOUS!"

"UNFATHOMABLE!"

Hanako shifted uneasily. Now everyone looked just as worried as him.

"Why don't ya approach her?" One piped up.

"Maybe she's moved on." Hanako shrugged. He tried to look like he accepted it, but his eyes were glazed over with pain. "Her wish is granted, anyway. She should forget about me by now, when she's starting to become genuinely happy."

"You're wrong." A Mokke cut in, huffing. "She was genuinely happy from the start when she got to know you."

The spirit looked away bashfully, changing the topic. "What's her progress...?"

"Like you said, she doesn't want to be visited during classes!"

"She's faring well! Focusing great!"

Hanako nodded, relieved to hear that Y/N was at least doing well on her academics. "How is she during lunch? Recess?"

"Gone." A Mokke sniffed.

"Disappeared."

"Not with Kou or Yashiro."

"Wow, you guys are blind."  The one-eyed Mokke clucked. "Last time I saw her, she was entering the broadcasting room!"

Hanako and the other Mokkes tensed up at the words, all staring at him intently.

"Wh-what's the matter?" One-eye squeaked nervously.

"Broadcasting room?"  Hanako repeated grimly.

It bobbed its head up and down.

"Well, then." Hanako sighed, slowly getting up. The Mokke looked up at him in surprise.

"Where are you heading?!"

Hanako looked at them one last time from the doorway, smiling widely.

"To pay my brother a visit."