𝕂𝕦𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕒𝕜𝕖-𝕆𝕟𝕟𝕒: 𝕛𝕙𝕤𝕜

三十三

『ʀᴇᴅ ᴄᴀᴍᴇʟʟɪᴀꜱ: ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 33』

". . . Let's see your best efforts to entertain me. . . Children!" Tsuchigomori stuck out his tongue menacingly but strangely awkward. Your lips pressed against each other at the sight of him.

In Yashiro's mind, she was picturing her within a boxing ring against Tsuchigomori in a street fighter set. This man was no doubt intimidating to the core, her legs were shaking as she held the microphone up to her lips. "Here goes!" Yashiro announced.

"My secret. . . When I was in middle school. . . I kept an exchange diary with an imaginary boyfriend!" She had small tears in her eyes as she shouted into the microphone her deepest secret. Hanako whistled at the confession and smirked at her.

"Three points." Tsuchigomori turned his head and held up a sign to emphasize the lack of surprise he had.

Yashiro choked on her own saliva, "why only three?!"

"First, I already knew that. Second, nobody cares. And third—You're lying." Yashiro jolted at the accusation and sweated bullets. Tsuchigomori pulled up Yashiro's book and flipped through the pages, "you said you did this when you were in middle school? But in fact, you're still exchanging a diary with yourself."

"And the 'boyfriend' in question is his big brother." Tsuchigomori pointed at Kou with his long, spidery fingers. Kou's eyes widened at the spotlight and stared at the radish girl in confusion. Yashiro collapsed to the floor in defeat and shock, praying to all the gods to be reborn in another life. You looked down at the girl in awkward confusion, unsure about how to feel about this.

"Senpai, you're keeping an exchange diary with my big bro?" Kou casually asked, clearly oblivious to how dangerously wrong the situation was.

"Stop! Please not another word!" She panicked and quickly told him to close his mouth.

Tsuchigomori cleared his throat and spoke into a microphone, in your mind, you didn't understand how any of these objects were appearing but shook off such thoughts. "Month o. . . Day x. . . Senpai, you were so dreamy standing up on stage, giving your speech at the school assembly! But you shouldn't stare at me so much! Our relationship is supposed to be a secret!" He spoke in a high pitched voice, clearly imitating Yashiro.

"Aside from the fact that there was a student assembly, it's pure fantasy," Tsuchigomori added.

"Whoa." You and Hanako gave her a blank stare in shock. Yashiro looked at you in shock, she never wanted you to find out about her obsession with pretty boys like this! While Hanako comforted the poor girl, Kou walked up to the microphone and announced that he would be going next.

"Those oni masks they wear at Setsubun—They scare the heck out of me!" Kou held up his pointer fingers against his head to act as horns as he gave a scary smile. You raised your eyebrow at this statement. In your personal opinion, you didn't find the masks too scary, but it was eerie to stare at one for long periods of time. Setsubun might have started during the Nara period, and you were from the Edo Period, not that this information was really significant but it made you feel even older than you thought.

"Next please." Tsuchigomori scoffed and waved his hand to dismiss him.

"Why?!"

"Oh, it just seemed so incredibly insignificant." You stifled a laugh from his straightforward response.

Tsuchigomori balanced himself on the strings that were hanging from the ceiling, laying on top of them like a makeshift hammock, "doesn't anyone have better information? Or is it time for the all-school broadcast?" He narrowed his eyes towards you, his orbs gleaming with mischief and curiosity that is hungry for information. You shivered underneath his unnerving stare.

Yashiro and Kou whispered to each other about their next moves and cheered each other on, trying not to back down on grabbing Tsuchigomori's yorishiro. You and Hanako stood next to each other, playing and tugging on the strings that the Mokke had on them. You felt Hanako squishing your cheeks playfully and smiled. While the other two continued to spout different secrets about themselves, all of them were rejected by No. 5 for being too boring.

"I've revealed all the secrets I have, but he won't accept any of them. . . " Yashiro wrapped her arms around herself, trying to shield herself from the shame that was drowning her. Kou was on the floor in dejection, shouting out 'curses!' in response to Tsuchigomori's picky attitude towards their secrets.

"Hanako! Jiyuu-san! You tell him something?" You both turned to the young boy in interest.

"Us?" You both spoke at the same time.

'A secret of Jiyuu-chan and Hanako-kun. . . Is this. . . No, it definitely is. This is my chance to learn about them!' Yashiro thought as she laid on the floor.

"Tsuchigomori. . . Do you really wanna know my secret?" Hanako turned his head towards him, his pointer finger against his chin as he smirked at the older man.

". . . No" He bluntly responded. "Can't say I do." The two made eye contact with each other before he broke it off to stare at you.

"However. . . There is one person I'm dying to hear from." He mischievously grinned at you.

"Why is that?" You fiddled with your hands underneath his gaze. "Why me?"

"Why? Shouldn't that be obvious." Tsuchigomori carefully stepped towards you and lifted your chin up with his finger, "you're not a student here, so you don't have a book I could read."

"You shouldn't be touching something that doesn't belong to you Tsuchigomori." Hanako pulled you towards his chest protectively, "it's her choice in the end, but we would totally love to have your yorishiro."

Tsuchigomori sighed under his breath, "you're being awfully protective of her." Hanako 'hmphed' towards his statement and started to rub the top of your head as a form of comfort.

"Well! If he doesn't want to know about me I'm passing! But Jiyuu-chan can tell him if she wants!" Hanako smiled and held onto you tightly.

Yashiro and Kou tugged on his clothes and locked him in a headlock while she gently held onto you, "that's no fair Hanako-kun! You can't be the one getting out of it!" Yashiro squeezed your arm as Kou nodded.

"Yeah! Totally not cool! Jiyuu-senpai should say something too!"

"Ehh?" You puffed out your cheeks. Hanako twisted his body to face the young duo.

"You want to know about us that badly?" You both asked.

Suddenly, Kou and Yashiro grabbed onto both of your hands and held them close, "yes!" They eagerly responded.

"I. . . Don't really like talking about myself. . . But okay. Let's see. . . Just one okay?" Hanako mumbled and almost bit the tip of his thumb in nervousness, ". . . love. . . "

'Love?' You tilted your head in curiosity.

"Donuts. . ." Hanako's face started to heat up as he repeated himself clearer, "I love donuts."

'What are donuts. . . ?' You internally panicked at your lack of knowledge. Sure, you've seen a bunch of snacks around the school and maybe some students talked about getting some after school or for breakfast. . . But what are donuts? 'Is it like mochi. . . ? I wonder what it tastes like. . . '

"Your turn Jiyuu-chan!" Yashiro urged you with her puppy dog eyes.

"M-Me?" You scratched your cheek. "I guess I could say one too!"

Everyone looked at you with anticipation, all their eyes were perfectly on you as you tapped your fingers together.

"I like red camellias!" You gleefully smiled.

"Why is that?" Kou asked.

You shyly blushed and looked up confidently, "it means 'you're the flame in my heart!'"