THE MOON AND THE SUN . . .

"I'm bound to you, aren't I? In the end, that's all that matters. No matter how far are souls are, we'll always be in each other's hearts. That's what being bounded means, Hanako-kun." Yashiro smiled, eyes gleaming so bright that Hanako didn't doubt the sun can't compete; the rays she gave off almost blinded him, as if he was Icarus ( then again, if it's Yashiro, he'd gladly burn just to be close to her ). Goddesses and ethereal beings would've envied her beauty, no doubt.

"Yashiro . . ." He barely managed to utter out, raptured in the moment.

"I want . . ." Yashiro paused, racking her brain for the best words to explain exactly what she wanted, so Hanako could understand. He needed to understand how Yashiro feels. Only Hanako can understand how Yashiro feels. "I want to live longer. I want to make my friends happy. I want to be happy with—" Yashiro started to feel her eyes warm when Hanako looked up at her in awe—"I want to be happy with you."

Hanako stared at Yashiro for a few moments, a frown now on his face. There was an unreadable emotion that passed by his eyes Yashiro couldn't quite get a hold of. Then he smiled. "You want to live longer? Isn't that a bit selfish?" He said light-heartedly, not meaning to hurt Yashiro's feelings in any way. "Fine," Hanako sighed, and chuckled, stretching his hand out for Yashiro to reach, "I'll grant your wish."

Yashiro gasped when Hanako made himself float, feet way above ground, yet their hands were still intertwined together, almost like it was glued. Yashiro swore she got deja vu from when Hanako bounded her soul to hers. That moment that completely changed her life—she wondered what would've happened if she never knocked on his door on that very day. "What are you—"

"I'll prove to you that I can," Hanako told her, resting his forehead on Yashiro's, fondness in his eyes that made Yashiro feel weak. "After all, I'm a supernatural who grants wishes for the living." He pulled away, suddenly far from her reach; you could only see so much from him ( like the moon that's before you during every evening, it's so close and big, so bright and golden, yet it's so far from your reach that you can't just reach out and touch it ) "Right?"

"Hanako-kun." Yashiro lifted her chin and lightly tightened her grip on his calloused hands, eyes gleaming with so much determination that Hanako almost gave in right then and there. She possessed something—perhaps a magnet? Hanako wondered why he's so attracted that looking away would hurt him. "I love you, Hanako-kun, to the moon and back!"

- - -

Please read the next chapter ^^