𝕂𝕦𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕒𝕜𝕖-𝕆𝕟𝕟𝕒: 𝕛𝕙𝕤𝕜

三

『ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 3』

"What did you do to me?!" The younger girl sobbed in confusion, "What does cute mean?! Am I really cute?" She ran up to Yashiro while shoving Hanako away.

"I'm curious! What does it mean to be cute?" Her soft (s/c) hands gripped onto Yashiro's gently as she questioned her. Yashiro slowly took in her appearance carefully as Hanako's left eye twitched in worry. "What makes me cute?" She urged Yashiro to continue talking.

She was nothing like the rumors described her, except for her mouth which is hidden away. She wasn't wearing a coat like those documentaries online, she wasn't a grown woman, she was a child. Looking at their joined hands, she quietly gasped at the golden ring that wrapped around her finger, the symbol of marriage and bond resting on her. Yashiro trembled. . . She's married. . . ? Even though she is a child. . ? She's a ghost. . . Does this mean-!?

"What do you think you're doing Kuchisake-onna? Why are you touching her like that?" Hanako slapped her hand away from Yashiro's and stared down at the shorter girl. Kuchisake-onna frowned and stepped back to create distance between the Seventh School Wonder.

"Who do you think you're talking to Hanako?" She turned to face him while glaring. "This isn't your business. In fact, you're in my territory. What do you think you're doing?"

"You're touching my assistant after all. . . I believe this is my business!" He playfully smiled at her, his amber orbs locking onto her (e/c) colored ones. Yashiro felt the uncomfortable tension being created by the two of them. Kuchisake-onna's eyes narrowed at the ghostly boy, her tongue making a clicking noise behind the fan.

"Is that so? Sorry Hanako-san, she'll be mine." She bluntly replied before holding up her golden shears, "It's a good opportunity to question her about the definition of 'cute'."

Hanako stuck out his tongue as he pulled out his own respective weapon, "Maybe you should use a dictionary then!"

Before the two can run up to each other, Yashiro stepped in between them while spreading her arms out to separate them with her body. "Hanako! What do you think you're doing? She didn't even do anything to me!" The two spirits froze at her raised voice.

"Yashiro-chan, don't you realize that she can't go against her rumors otherwise she'd fade." His smile disintegrated and was replaced by a scowl, "It's pointless to go against that."

Kuchisake-onna trembled and gripped her scissors tightly, she grits her teeth so hard it felt as if it would break under its own strength. That's the rule for all spirits living in this world, either they follow their rumors or vanish entirely. It was nothing new to her, nothing new ever comes her way, it's to be expected of her. Despite this fact, she could feel her heart sinking deeper in her body, controlled hatred that resided in her which will soon bloom near time in the future.

"I know! But we can change those rumors as you told me to for the Mokke! She's a child! She doesn't deserve this Hanako-kun!"

A child. That is what she is. Married at 13 and a perfect wife, in her time people thought it was the norm, but why did this girl look so disgusted? Was it wrong today? Is it? Is it wrong to marry at 13 because of your parents? Kuchisake-onna looked at the first-year student in complete shock. Is she that outdated. . . ? She knew that she was in the wrong timeline, the wrong place, and she shouldn't be at this school. She could go anywhere she wanted because she was not bound to any school legends, she was an entirely different one. She was there on newscasts, on TVs and police alerts, she could go anywhere she wanted, and yet she is here. She is stuck here but she doesn't know why. She wants to know why so badly but cannot see the purpose behind knowing it, what will she do if she does find out? She will still be the same person no?

She wouldn't understand because she never changed.

She felt tears pricking the edges of her eyes while the other duo talked amongst each other. The hatred subsided once again, disappearing and reappearing into her life like a reoccurring nightmare. However, she wasn't met with the same empty feeling, she felt warm.

This girl made her feel warm inside.

Kuchisake-onna started to cry and collapse onto the floor, abandoning her fan and covering her face with the sleeves of her kimono. "Who are you?" She sobbed and wept pathetically in front of the two, "What is this feeling?"

Yashiro's eyes softened and she walked closer to the girl, abandoning Hanako's warning and calls to come back. Even though she felt afraid, she was terrified to the bone, she still continued forward. Her inner heart overwhelms the dangerous feeling she felt towards the girl. She enveloped the spirit in a warm hug, although she is a spirit, Yashiro decided to ignore how she was able to touch her without being bonded. Kuchisake-onna shivered against her skin, overwhelmed by this affection she yearned for.

When was the last time someone hugged her?

When was the last time she felt something so pure reside inside of her? These touches felt different from her husband's.

Yashiro knew even without hearing her story, that she was a child who needed someone.

The Kuchisake-onna knew that she and the girl are different, she's envious of that feeling.