A few minutes before Lunch...

Y/N was absolutely confused by Hanako's words. Right after he said them, he had drifted off and disappeared before she could ask a question.

"What's the Confession Tree?" Y/N whispered in a hushed murmur to her purple-haired friend. Aoi perked up.

"The Confession Tree!" She clasped her hands in wonder. "Why? Is someone going to confess to you?"

"What?"  Y/N exclaimed. "No! No way...  my haircut isn't that great!"

"Everyone thinks otherwise!" Aoi stifled a giggle. "Most of the boys gawk at you as if you're a completely different person."

Y/N looked down. "Back to the topic at hand...?"

"Oh! Right!" Aoi laughed. She looked wistfully out of the window, at the huge tree that lay grandly in the middle of the school grounds.

"They say whoever confesses under that tree will have a meaningful and lasting relationship." Aoi pressed her hand to her chest. "If someone asks you out, you better bet they really mean what they're gonna' say!"

Y/N couldn't help but feel her cheeks burn.

"Is that why he asked me out?" Y/N thought, eyes to the floor.

"Holy cow." Aoi's purple eyes went wide. "Somebody did  ask you out!"

'Oh crackers. Did I just say that out loud?'

"N-No!" Y/N stammered hastily, making frantic hand gestures. "That's not t-true! Y-You've heard-"

"Oh, just get on with it!" Aoi laughed, pushing her out of the doorway of the empty classroom. "Accept the lucky guy's confession already!"

●●●

Y/N kept fumbling with the brown paper bag of donuts, the predicament weighing down on her, making it hard to breathe.

Her heart seemed to race faster with every step she took towards the huge tree. Right now, it was deserted. Everyone had gone to eat in the canteen.

Hanako had something to confess. She did, too. Although the paper was light on her pocket, she found it heavy in the heart.

She almost wished that he wouldn't be there; Y/N didn't want to see his reaction to what she had to say.

Of course, that couldn't come to pass. He was already there. Almost like he had been waiting.

"Hey, stutterbug." Hanako slowly turned to face her, a small grin on his face.

She couldn't help but feel the anxiety pulling her down lessen just a little. Hanako had an interesting way of making her relieved whenever she saw him.

"That old nickname?" Y/N shook her head, chuckling good-naturedly. She sat on the grass. Hanako did the same. "You should change it. I haven't stuttered quite as much."

"I can make you stutter," Hanako smirked. "Don't test me."

Y/N puffed her cheeks, letting out a low whistle. She shifted a little to the side, biting her tongue to stop her instinctive stammering.

"Let's not do that."

"C'mon, now." Hanako wrapped his arms from behind her, pulling the startled girl into an embrace.

"Hanako?"

"Mhm?" His voice was muffled as he pressed his face on her shoulder.

"Stop it. You can't make me stammer anymore." Y/N stubbornly lifted her chin high.

"Ah, is that an invitation to try harder?" Hanako let his eyes fall into half-slits.

Y/N closed her eyes, using all of the little dignity she had left to fight her blushing.

"See here, no one is around." Hanako murmured lowly. "No one to see, no one to hear."

'Holy crap! What a pervert!'

"Let's try something fun." He encouraged. Y/N dared to look behind her. His amber eyes had gone devoid of all playfulness. This time, they looked like they were burning with...

Y/N acted on instinct.

WHAM!

Hanako fell back with a start, clutching his face. Y/N had swung her right arm in a warning blow.

"OH MY GOD!"  Y/N instantly got up, taking back her arm. The swing had been stronger than she thought. Hanako had quite literally gone back by almost a meter.

"Heh...." Hanako seethed through his pain, gritting his teeth. He was still holding his face.

"I-I'm so sorry!" Y/N stammered, kneeling by his side. Hanako was trembling all over, making hitched breaths and wheezing noises.

Y/N began to panic. Was he in pain? Had she been too harsh?

But then she realized he wasn't shaking in pain. He didn't need help. He was trying to stop.

Stop from laughing!

"Hanako...?" Y/N croaked out timidly.

"Hah! That hurt like hell!" Hanako finally let go of his face, the pain subsiding.

He shot her a taunting grin. "And you stammered! You really thought I'd get cocky up here, eh?"

Y/N looked away, sulking. "I can never tell...."

"Aww, don't give me that look!" Hanako got up and approached her. "I'm glad you can defend yourself at your fullest now!"

'At my fullest....?'

Then Y/N realized she could've never delivered a blow that hard with a bandaged arm. She slowly looked down at it, holding her breath.

The bandage had come off completely by the velocity of her punch. Beneath it, the skin had healed completely. Y/N gaped.

"See?" Hanako held her arm up, like a trophy he had won. Y/N shifted uncomfortably.

The boy caught her obvious distaste. "What's the matter?"

"A scar..." Y/N shrank away from her own arm, though Hanako still held it. She was right. Where the slash had been, a striking white streak had replaced it.

Hanako frowned, his eyes growing cold. "I don't see any problem with it."

"People will stare..."

"Staring not because of the scar!" Hanako retorted. "Get used to it, Y/N. You're a pretty girl."

Y/N inwardly scoffed in disbelief, although she hid her face. She had been complimented by many guys recently, but Hanako was the only one to make her flustered.

"Anyway!" Hanako let go of her arm gently, giving it a light pat. "Y/N-chan, I have a wish to make!"

Y/N tensed up, still clutching the brown paper bag of donuts. What was Hanako getting at now?

"Go on...?" Y/N timidly replied.

"You've met my brother, Tsukasa." Hanako began. He floated upwards and began to drift slowly towards where a soft breeze was picking up. Y/N followed.

"You've seen what he can do; he can harm without shame. No doubt he would want to do the same to the other Wonders."

Y/N noticed a dark look pass on his face.

She understood. "You're the one who leads all six, right...?"

"Precisely." Hanako nodded. Then, the dark look disappeared, replaced by a small smile. "You've met the Mokke. There are countless other Wonders we need to help and protect. I'm not asking for much."

Y/N stopped by the foot of the tree, Hanako nestling on a branch. Her E/C  eyes were wide.

"'We'?"  She blurted.

Hanako nodded. Y/N couldn't help but notice his expression had gone more serious. Something important was going to happen. She could feel it.

"Of course, I would take all of this alone. But it gets tough... and admittedly, a little lonely."

Y/N felt a pang of sympathy for the pained look in Hanako's eyes. She hastily scrabbled to get her bag of donuts. "Don't be! I baked-"

"Y/N." Hanako had suddenly drifted down from the branch, looking at her intently. "I've found a person to help me. I trust her deeply... I hope she'll lend a hand."

Y/N blinked. She didn't understand why he was looking at her so expectantly.

What was she supposed to say?

"I hope she'll help you!" Y/N chirruped. "You look a little distressed... perhaps these do-"

The bag was knocked from her hands.

Y/N's eyes widened in disbelief as Hanako took her hands in his, suddenly floating much closer than she'd like. Her face began to heat up.

"You're so dense."  Hanako shook his head, though it was in amusement. Y/N didn't understand what he meant.

"Wh-what-"

"I like you, Y/N."

The words were so sudden and swift that Y/N didn't know if she heard it properly. She probably couldn't, anyway. Her mind had gone into mush and her face was burning so bad.

Hanako was the same. A terrible blush was on his cheeks, and he looked away for a long moment.

When he steadied her gaze with him, she saw he was half-begging, half-frightened. Y/N realized he really meant what he did.

'Holy crap.'  Her legs were threatening to give way.

"I trust you." Hanako continued. Y/N could see it was hard for the spirit to speak a word without stammering or turning away in embarrassment. "I want you to help me protect these spirits. I want you..."

Hanako closed his eyes. His blush had worsened. Y/N couldn't blame him; she would feel the same way.

"....I want you as my partner!" Hanako finished, eyes wide open with seriousity. "Help me keep Kamome safe for all of us! Ultimately, I want it to be so safe you can call it your new home."

Y/N was overwhelmed with so much joy and gratitude her answer would've tumbled out of her mouth in an instant.

But something held that back. And she she couldn't turn away from it now. It was her turn to confess.

She slowly unclasped her fingers from Hanako's trembling hands. He peered up nervously, a small glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"I'd love to, Hanako." Y/N murmured.

At once, the spirit's eyes lit up. He opened his mouth to speak, but that came to an end at Y/N's next words.

"I love the offer, but I'll have to say no."