#this is aimed at Tsukasa Yugi

[fairytaling]

toilet-bound hanako-kun halloween icons (㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ)

[tsutsumi-kurose]

some thoughts about the yugi twins and trust, recently

I have been reeling over this display of trust hanako shows tsukasa in 108 since it came out…

like, he barely even thinks here!! nene is in immediate danger, so what does he do to keep her safe? he throws her to tsukasa. he throws her without confirming a plan, knowing and trusting that tsukasa will catch her. he designates tsukasa as a safe place for nene to land (at least comparably) without hesitation. there's so!!!! much trust in this moment, no deliberation, just pure trust in tsukasa like it's the most natural thing in the world!! for all the attitude hanako gives him this chapter and for all the history between them, there's still trust all the way through, at the foundation of their relationship and right there at the surface, ready in waiting for when it's needed.

i've also been thinking a lot about this moment in 110:

for... similar but also different reasons? tsukasa looks right at hanako in that top panel. if tsukasa was wiping the floor with akane (quite literally... rip sorry akane) while he was in clock keeper form in his own boundary, i think it's very unlikely tsukasa couldn't have dodged hanako when he was handcuffed, drained of power, and tsukasa was looking right at him the whole time. tsukasa didn't move out of the way even though he could have!! he let hanako come at him with his knife, and he let hanako pin his wrist to the ground. he has questions, but he doesn't block any move hanako makes toward him. whatever hananko is about to do to him, he trusts it.

or at least, he’s fine with it, for the moment. of course... with tsukasa, that doesn't necessarily mean he trusts hanako not to hurt him... it could just be that he'd let hanako do whatever he wanted to him, whether it hurts tsukasa or not. which raises the question of whether that's a form of trust or a form of love in which trust isn't required. does tsukasa trust hanako's decision making? does he trust him not to hurt him? or does he love him so much that he'd rather hanako do whatever he wants no matter what? does tsukasa trust hanako the way hanako trusts him, or will he simply accept any form of attention hanako gives him, even if it's hanako coming at him with a knife?

will we get to see, soon, tsukasa's trust in hanako tested?

[thelunarfairy]

if the new chapter begins with the yugi twins what will be like how will hanako's feelings reach and most importantly will tsukasa fight him to complete his goal??????? Any theories 😞

Um… fight, I don't know if I would use that word, I would say try to push away. Just like Hanako could probably try to trap Tsukasa somewhere so he can stop what he's trying to do.

Hanako aimed at Tsukasa's sleeve, he doesn't intend to hurt him. Tsukasa never hurt Hanako (as far as we saw), so I don't know if they would actually fight, or just try to push each other away.

Probably this moment of Hanako's feelings will be cut off, or it will change to Mitsuba, or Tsukasa will just smile after hearing from Amane that he hates him.

But I think it will alternate between Mitsuba and the twins, I think Mitsuba will create a new yorishiro, so Tsukasa won't disappear now. We still have to consider Hanako or Teru running away with Nene, in short, many possibilities.

[musicalmoritz]

Hm is it even good to like Tsukasa? Or ship him?

Why am I getting so many controversial asks today😭 No hate to you ofc, I just think it’s funny. I’ve talked abt SA/incest, problematic ships, and now I’m about to talk abt the ethics of liking villain characters. I guess I should thank you guys bcuz I did say I liked talking abt more complex subjects…

Yes it is completely fine to like Tsukasa, I’m surprised I even have to say this. People have about a million reasons for liking villain characters, watch any interview of an actor playing an evil role and you’ll see them passionately talk about how fun it is. Tsukasa is not a real person and therefore none of his crimes are real, he hasn’t hurt anybody and he is incapable of ever causing any real harm because he does not exist. A person’s taste in fictional characters should never be used as an indication of their real life morals, the only people who think otherwise are people who actively engage in fandoms and have therefore lost touch of the way normal people consume fictional content (aka people like me but I try to stay grounded in reality)

Personally I love characters that are morally reprehensible. Even with characters that are morally good, I tend to be fascinated by their flaws (ex: Kou and Nene). I like Tsukasa because he causes conflict, which gives the story a plot. If he weren’t there things wouldn’t be as interesting. He’s actually my favorite Yugi twin, he’s very entertaining to read about. I love how he just does shit to mess with people, he’s so creepy (affectionate). Characters that do really bad things are fun to analyze, they help us conceptualize certain behaviors without glorifying any real life perpetrators of those crimes. The majority of the time, there is more to characters than their worst behaviors, and fans may like them for other reasons as well

As for the shipping, no there’s nothing wrong with shipping Tsukasa with other characters. I know the fandom as a whole disagrees with this but those takes lack a lot of nuance. What if people are shipping him with characters he hasn’t hurt??? Or shipping him in AUs where he’s more chill??? Also keep in mind that the rhetoric of “mentally ill people shouldn’t date because they’ll hurt someone” is used to oppress mentally ill individuals irl, particularly people with personality disorders. Everyone is capable of growing and changing if they choose to do so

Even if you think it’s problematic to ship Tsukasa, it’s weird to assume everyone who does so is a terrible person. It’s even weirder to assume that simply liking him makes you a bad person

Idk sorry I’m getting so heated about this, none of this is aimed at you specifically. This is just a really important issue to me, it disturbs me to see so many people conflating fictional killers/abusers to human beings. It is the peak of chronically online behavior and I hope to see it dead in a ditch someday. Unfortunately I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon…

[2n2n]

ch 108

WEWWWWWW!!!!!!!! amazing times.

ghoul.... mmm... you look amazing honey

distractions

what is it with aida-sensei wwwww... if it's not Mokke running all around playing sillay little games in the BG it's a detail like this... well I love it very much

It's good to see Akane indict the Clockkeepers in some sense. The real threat indeed...

here we go AGAIN~

poor little songbird~~

it's the captive princesses ... Nene-chan.... I really adore you... you are pure of heart... you have to absorb and appreciate your scenery and role, don't you... it suits you. Unfortunately, even despite your intentions to do this secretly while he sleeps for some self-indulgent reason, I don't think Tsukasa can perceive your fetish, as he is too innocent. Now, you need to show it to Amane....

so kind of you to try to free you both at once, Nene-chan.... you really warmed up to him, didn't you?

N-Nene-chan animal theater.... I love when Aida-sensei does this so much!!!!!!

whore drawing...

but.. I really love to get to see a listless Tsukasa. I've been waiting forever... it's very cute that fatigue makes him depressive and unmotivated! I like that he's not trying at all and just laying down... Tsukasa strikes me as ah, not tolerant of bad stimuli...? the kind of boy who needs to keep his shirt untucked and his suspenders loose to the point of falling off... who can't tolerate a movie theater longterm. It's a charm point, part of this childishness... if he's bored, he just leaves ... if he's tired, he just lays down...

I'm so fascinated that his Tsueshiro are rendered inert, now. I couldn't imagine-- not when the general time power itself couldn't effect him like it did Amane... and, since Amane's Tsueshiro is operating perfectly normally, this means what happens to one doesn't touch the other...

Th-thank you for having beliefs like this, Nene-chan.... please, please think about how they are twins. It makes their minds special, doesn't it? Surely.

another instance to add to the list of 'Tsukasa having a surprising amount of faith in Nene-chan"! WELL-PLACED FAITH !!!! she's amazing isn't she....! this chapter....!

meanwhile.... a wrecking ball smashes into our minds...

what an incredibly intense bit of lore for the Yugi. I love how Tsukasa approaches 'facts'-- with a practical sense, without seeming morose or mired in what could seem a grim absolute. It's just like his delivery of, "Amane hates me" as his younger self.... Tsukasa doesn't lie to himself, doesn't pull away from what is true, but neither does he express resentment, or any expectation or wish for it to be any different. Amane is Amane. Tsukasa knows Amane. I really don't think Tsukasa imagines ... change ... in their dynamic, as much as Amane also struggles avidly with the idea of having anything 'new' as a ghost. I'm sure that is why Tsukasa is seemingly aiming for Amane to rip him asunder again....

He can't seem to be sad about what he doesn't have, because he just doesn't fathom having it in the first place. I... think that's, the purpose of, Nene-chan... to make Tsukasa consider what he doesn't have, or what could be had. Despite being the wish agent, I don't think Tsukasa wishes for much. I think Nene-chan does that for Amane too, of course... I think she's meant to give both the Yugi an impetus for seeing more. For wishing.

whatever part of Tsukasa may have mouthed Amane's name despite his own belief, he does seem to feel something profound....

you're acting tsun and fussy at a time like this.....

I hope Amane heard their entire exchange ... I imagine he would feel quite stubborn and fussy about what Tsukasa's so easily declared as a fact about him. I wonder how he feels about it.... "never come when called by you?"

I am sure every single second, feeling his weight accounted for and bared by Amane's body, is dreamlike. I doubt he can believe what he's feeling! For real.. Amane's arm! Carrying you! In equal measure to carrying Nene-chan!! THERE COULDN'T BE A BETTER MORE IDEAL PANEL FOR EXPRESSING AMANE'S LOVE FOR THE TWO--!!! these little GOONS!! also, this panel kind of gives you lewd thoughts

I'm sure.... if Amane showed up, Tsukasa expected Nene-chan to be plucked from his hands, and to continue to watch them pivot away to safety, while he falls down into the dark pit.. left to his own devices to figure out how to get out. He had to get out of Amane's boundary by himself, didn't he? and Tsukasa wouldn't be sad about it….! Really. It would be Amane being Amane, to him. He expects it, and it's fine. He loves Amane, anyway. He'd die for an Amane who he believes hates him. That's the kind of person Tsukasa is.

a moment to appreciate Tsukasa releasing his own hold on the edge of the cage, to catch Nene-chan...

A wonderful display. I don't think he thinks twice about it.... not a choice to plummet himself to oblivion, but an instinct. That's just like him, isn't it....?

I'll talk a little more about cages, crying for help, beseeching, at the end... because I have a few more thoughts about it!

ughhh save your princesses ♥♥♥♥ I can't believe you've threaded Tsukasa's bound arms around your neck.... ♥♥♥ God do I wish I could see it second by second....

you're making all my dreams come truuuueee Amaneeeeeehhhhh ♥♥♥♥ all three...!!! your two precious things....!!! ohhhhh our heroooo ♥♥♥♥ dashing in his cape.........

y-you remove Nene-chan's shackles but not Tsukasa's .......

if that is how you want me, master... wwwww

goobie woobie oobie baby Nene-chan in Hanako's arms. Hanako experiencing a new lolicon emotion. Ohhhhhhhhh sweet darling preciousness.... it's not so bad to experience a little bit of pain for such an incredible pleasure, right??

oh all this build up and sweating and shaking to say absolutely nothing in response is so incredibly Amane. She loves you just the way you are, thankfully.... we all do.....

I like DBS's TL of Tsu here better than the MangaUP actually AHAH... mangaUP did "good for you." which I think in ENGLISH carries a bitter connotation that I genuinely do not think Tsukasa has lol. He just talks in a naturally simple way lol.

god. Amane you'd love to get away with doing things with no commentary but unfortunately you have a funny little bug of a brother who is obsessed with you.... what an. amazing and perfect Yugi interaction. Amane obviously being pissy. extremely. Tsukasa keying into it. Amane lying blatantly but stubbornly doubling down anyway. Tsukasa continuing to ask like a little pest. Oouuuh. Boyce... brothers....

ohhh Tsu-chan... you can't... imagine.... the kinds of feelings... Amane has about that kiss... okay... he can't begin t o .. articulate ... any of it at all ... I'm sure he would honestly like it to be as simple as 'mad' ....

personally I enjoy that this makes it obvious it wasn't really Tsukasa's intention ... but I think it's cute to him Amane is still thinking about it despite all the circumstances and events lol.... I actually think Amane is being very charitable and maybe the best big brother he can manage to be here ............ I would give him a treat if I could ... not gonna yell at Tsukasa.... not gonna lash out rn.... contain it....

now I would like to say something funny lol. Tsukasa's line here is actually incredibly ambiguous:

he doesn't actually make reference to Nene-chan, it's like " Amane kiss also?" in that casually threadbare way JP can be ... it means the fujoshi are free to interpret "he's pointing to himself, is he referring to Amane kissing him?" playfully aahahahaa... I'm sad its hard to preserve that kind of ambiguous way of phrasing something!!! it's sad that kind of "wait what did he mean" funny discussion can't happen here, mangaUP also just had him directly refer to kissing Nene-chan.... I'm SUUUUURE it's 'meant that way' but, like, I love when coach lets the girlies play....!!!! they are loving this panel.... its way funnier vague .... Amane ? kiss ? too ? wwwww

AN AMAZING EVENT!!!!

LOVE to see Amane THROWING Nene-chan into Tsukasa's arms, Tsukasa dutifully catching her carefully, Amane trusting he will catch her...!!!! Well I have to say it... it's been funny watching the fandom predict a lot of animosity and hatred in all directions that just isn't there ahahaha. All these expectations for Amane to punch and maim Tsukasa in jealous rage, and instead, you have him relying on his brother to help protect her, and trying to graciously handle the situation. The Yugi... they always surprise you by how familiar they really are...

I'm in love with every time Amane seamlessly commands Tsukasa by saying his name... ♥♥♥ look at him, being such a useful otouto even though Amane hasn't granted him the use of his arms back, and the spell making him fatigued... ♥♥♥ even with a ball and chain on his ankle, Tsukasa can run for Nene-chan...!!

I don't have many profound feelings about Teru and Akane lol, they are just very funny to me-- ultimately neither's alliance is truly with one another, despite that I do believe Akane is one of the only people Teru is his true self around. A complicated closeness which is easily broken .... Akane would kill Teru for Aoi, Teru would kill Akane for his little siblings, these are things I think of as fact. It's such a tenuous bond and, they are mutually aware ... but kind of, struggle with betrayal and reliance and trust and dependence on one another's skills and support. I like how KILL TRAIN Teru is here lol. He's got plenty pent up concerning Akane ... unlike Kou, I think Teru is much more capable of "when push comes to shove..." and suspending empathy or compassion ... even if he could later hold remorse. Crazy Minamoto conditioning and such ...

Interested in the greater machinations and Akane's vagueries, but I don't have thoughts about them. Happy to wait for more (:

stupid ... uke .....

--pomf-- ooo get humped idiot

A FEW EXTRA THOUGHTS ...! pertaining to.... Tsukasa's ominous statement, that Amane would not come if he called... that he "never has before"

what a tantalizing thing to say. When, at what point in time? It conjures the image of a Tsukasa pleading for Amane-- something I'm sure many of us, can't even imagine. I haven't thought of a begging Tsukasa, wanting to be saved. He is so typically 'fine' where he is, even if that circumstance is unpleasant.... even at age 4. In a normal situation, it's hard to imagine Tsukasa calling for help from Amane ... and it's hard to imagine Amane, that sweet older brother, not simply sheltering him. He's sweet to Tsukasa, at 4. He's happy to read to him, and tries to put on a calm front for him while so ill, so as not to worry him. Amane cared about Tsukasa, of course! He's even charmed by the Tsukasa absorbed in katanuki for hours at 8. Wouldn't that Amane come running if called? .... but would that Tsukasa cry out for him .... ?

So.....

when, how? The only Tsukasa we've seen a glimpse of post-ghosting is the coffin boy, who appears quite inert and dead. He certainly can't call for Amane. The Tsukasa at the start of this series, struggled to even get used to moving at all. Is there a stage we don't know about?

How much could Tsukasa call him with no answer, until he ultimately concludes it simply will never be replied to? Why would he think that it is specifically himself Amane won't respond to? Only doing something once or twice, wouldn't create conviction like that. In order to say something like, "this person never ____", you would think there would be extraneous circumstances that proved ... beyond a shadow of doubt ... that it simply is the way things are. Tsukasa is so shocked to see Amane appear, and save him ... that belief has to be rooted in something Tsukasa took to heart.

Perhaps something happened when they were alive .... we really don't know what that final year was like.

Whatever the case... Amane does love Tsukasa-- unlike Tsukasa, we have the benefit of knowing this completely! In our hearts! There are circumstances where, because Amane loves you, and wants to protect you, he ignores your cries....

I wonder when, why, how... Amane wouldn't come when Tsukasa finally called. I wonder why Tsukasa would call for him ....

Honestly, if Amane didn't love Tsukasa, the possibilities wouldn't be so scary. They are much more haunting, knowing how much he loves his little brother. I can't wait to learn more about Amane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want to see the Tsukasa pleading for his brother!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wonder how hopeless we have had to get .... !

[nanabansama]

Astrology Fun

Did you know that the Yugi Twins share the star sign of Sagittarius? They were born on November 25th, 1955, as revealed in Ch. 78.

While I'm not one for Astrology, I like some of the stories written about the constellation Sagittarius. And I remembered something a bit amusing from one of the tales.

You might remember that the Yugi Twins are also associated with the constellation Scorpius, and it's brightest star, Antares.

The most well-known example is in the Picture Perfect arc, when Amane seems to relate himself and Tsukasa to Antares.

But in addition, within the Night on the Galactic Railroad AU, Tsukasa is represented as the constellation of Scorpius itself.

You can see he has a scorpion's tail, and a red flame representing the red giant, Antares. Hanako lacks these in the same AU.

Now, while they're both associated with both Sagittarius AND Scorpius, I will be going forward with this by saying Amane is Sagittarius, and Tsukasa is Scorpius.

Here is where things get fun. And maybe a bit morbid.

In the night sky, Scorpius and Sagittarius are positioned right next to each other. In certain tales, for various reasons and through various different circumstances, it's said that Sagittarius is hunting Scorpius, with it's bow and arrow aimed at it's heart (Antares).

And what did Amane do? Do you remember what Amane did? Do you remember what Amane did, after he turned 13? Do you remember what he did to his little brother, Tsukasa??? DO YOU???

DO YOU REMEMBER???

... well, I thought it was kind of funny. What about you? Do you have any interesting stories to share about Sagittarius and Scorpius, or maybe some of the other constellations? I'm all ears. ☆

[magioftheseas]

Tsukasa Yugi Ficlets #1

For @tsukasa-week

Day 1: Friendship/Family/Fluff

I’m kinda rushing this so please forgive me for the quality. Similar to the Ryouko ficlets, I’ll combine these into one story later so there might be recurring plot elements and stuff.

“Amane is...cool! Kind! Reliable! Cool! Good! Amane is very, very good!”

“I see. Tsukasa-kun really loves his brother, huh?”

“Yes! Yes, yes, yes!”

“Do you want what’s best for him?”

“...yes?”

“You want to make him happy, yes?”

“Yes!”

“Then...”

--

“Mitsubaaa, I’m back!”

“Welcome back...wait! I didn’t invite you in!”

Despite that, no matter what he did, Tsukasa couldn’t be deterred. If he pushed, Tsukasa would push back. He couldn’t exactly refuse either, because Tsukasa didn’t listen. Tsukasa did what he want, all others be damned. Tsukasa was the worst friend anyone could ever ask for.

Case in point, Tsukasa has already made himself cozy atop Mitsuba’s bed. He’s laying on his stomach, kicking his feet and giggling as Mitsuba can only watch on in exasperation.

“What do you even mean by you’re back,” Mitsuba griped quietly. “It’s not as though you live here, Tsukasa-kun.”

“But you live here,” Tsukasa pointed out as if that made any amount of sense. “And you always welcome me back!”

So it’s my fault! That’s what you’re saying! You’re seriously blaming a cute guy like me for your own pushiness! Horrible! Horrible! Tsukasa-kun, you’re horrible!

...he could throw a temper tantrum like that. But with Tsukasa, such would be unwise. Mitsuba could only suck in his lips, bite back complaints, and just move on.

“Did you get into a fight with your brother again?” he just asks instead. Even though he knows the answer already.

“I just wanted to see you, Mitsuba.”

“Mm...” He wants to smile, but he wants to cry, too. It’s such a complicated feeling to have when Tsukasa is like this. “I guess I wanted to see you, too.”

“Yay!”

Cheerful like this. Smiling like this. One could be forgiven if they mistook Tsukasa for a perfectly normal child. Mitsuba knows differently, but—

He’s lonely. Because he’s lonely, he’s willing to play along with Tsukasa’s games. No matter how unsettling or scary. Or how...this. Whatever this is.

“Mitsuba’s lonely,” Tsukasa hums. “So, so lonely. How sad for Mitsuba!”

“You’re here,” Mitsuba pointed out irritably, but he pulls out his camera. “I took a bunch of pictures. You’ll look at them with me, right?”

“Yes! Yes, yes!” Tsukasa had to fumble a bit to get in the desired sitting position. It’d be amusing if not for the circumstances. Despite that... “Show me! Show me!”

Tsukasa was cheerful and smiling as always. Like nothing was wrong—or more like nothing could ever go wrong.

He still hasn’t told me what happened, exactly. But...

“Don’t move around so much! I don’t want to get touched!”

“I’m not gonna touch you, Mitsuba!”

He says that, and there’s still a brush of contact. Mitsuba shudders like death itself had laid a hand on him.

“It was an accident,” Tsukasa sighs. “Don’t be such a baby, Mitsuba.”

Ugh. You’re the worst.

Despite that.

He holds up the camera so that Tsukasa can see. He only skips to the next picture when Tsukasa nudges him with that chilling touch.

I’m glad you’re still here.

“Ah! Amane!” Tsukasa can still look so happy. “Look, it’s Amane!”

“I wasn’t aiming for him,” Mitsuba grumbled. “He just ended up in the background.”

“Amane, Amane!”

Surely he knows what people are saying now.

“Aw, Amane... Amane isn’t smiling at all?”

“How can you tell when it’s the back of his head?”

“He’s not smiling, Mitsuba! That’s sad! That’s so, so sad!”

“You...really care about him, don’t you?”

“Of course!”

Not even a second of hesitation. Surely he knows what people are saying. Does that mean it’s all lies? Even so...

Mitsuba can’t bring himself to ask. For now, he just wants to enjoy this moment with one of his only friends.

Just let me have this.

[teardroplet]

A Picture Perfect Ending

A Picture Perfect Ending

Hello! I recently fell in love with this beautiful artwork by the awesome @kiri1205 and I was just so inspired to write a fanfiction on it. I haven’t done one in a while but now was a good time since I had inspiration. If you’re going to read it, I recommend don’t look at the beautiful picture until afterwards or spoiler.

Warning: I wanted to finish this fast so I didn’t get a chance to really give a good look at it. Will edit on AO3 version another day.

Summary: It was a picture perfect ending. Nene was graduating and getting married to Amane. But Hanako....

An alternate ending to the Picture Perfect Arc

Read on AO3: A Picture Perfect Ending

Read on FF.Net: Coming soon

It was graduation day in Kamome Gakuen. The third years were getting ready to graduate as pictures were being taken and everyone was celebrating. Nene held her diploma in her hands as she went to find her friends.

“Daikon-senpai congratulations” Mitsuba said as he handed her a bouquet of flowers.

“Senpai!!!! I’m so glad!!!” Kou cried.

“Ehehe thank you!” Nene laughed as she accepted the flowers from her two underclassmen.

“Nothing for me?” Amane asked as he held his girlfriend’s hand.

It has been 3 years since Nene met Yugi Amane in the high school division but to Nene it felt almost shorter. It was almost 3 summers ago when Amane took her out on a date to watch a movie and since then, they have continued to date. It was awkward in the beginning but they made it work.

“We have nothing to say to a traitor leaving us” Mitsuba pouted.

“Don’t say that. I’m only going to be in a different school from everyone else. I’m still going to be in the neighborhood and will visit the school. We will still be together”

It was Amane’s dream to become an astronaut and visit space. Even with his grades, he able to graduate and get into a college that specialized in aerospace and astronomy. It was different from what everyone else was aiming for but everyone agreed that he should chase his dreams. With a few more years of effort he would definitely make his dream come true.

“AMANE! WE GRADUATED!” a voice shouted as a whirl came crashing onto Amane and he did a double take.

“Tsukasa, you’re a bit heavier now you know”

“But but but”

As the group chatted, they were approached by a different group.

“Nene-chan what are you doing over here?” Aoi asked.

“It’s almost time for the graduates to move towards to the next location” Akane followed up.

“Its fine isn’t it?” Yamabuki added. “This is a day to remember. We should enjoy every moment”

The group continued to chat with the underclassmen giving their congratulations to the upper. Over the years, the group had been inseparable. It was hard to believe that soon they would part with graduation.

Amane looked over at Nene. “Um Yashiro, can you come with me for a little bit” he asked nervously as he slowly pulled his girlfriend away from the rowdy crowd and whispered in her ear.

Nene was confused but followed her boyfriend near the gates of the school. The rest of their friends eyeing them as they left. They stopped by a tree and Amane let go of her hands.

“Amane-kun, what’s wrong?” Nene asked as her boyfriend’s back continued to face her.

“Yashiro…we’ve been together for 3 years and we are going to enter college soon. Our colleges will be different so I won’t be together with you as often as I like. Don’t go looking at other guys during that time” he joked.

“I’m not going to do that!” Yashiro exclaimed.

Amane looked down. “But even so, there’s something I need to tell you. After college…will you…”

He turned around. His embarrassed yet nervous face under the tree almost looked very familiar but before she can recall where she’s seen it, Amane grabbed her by the shoulders.

“I love you, please marry me”

Nene was shocked to say the least. She was so surprised she couldn’t even utter a sound. It was quiet for some time minus the gasps they heard from far away.

“Um Yashiro-san?”

“Yes” she worded slowly. “Yes, I’ll marry you!” she said as she hugged him. Never in her life did she think she’ll get a proposal with her luck in love but everything changed when she met Amane.

“It’s going to be a little while longer until I can provide a ring for you”

“I don’t mind. Let’s spend our lives together” she said.

“Then…until then, please take this” he said as he held something out.

Nene held out her hand and what dropped down was a button. The second button from his uniform to be exact.

Nene blushed as she held out the button tightly to her chest.

~~~~

“Hey don’t push” Yamabuki groaned.

“But I want to see what Amane’s doing!” Tsukasa exclaimed.

“Now’s not the time to bother WAHHH!”

Nene and Amane turned around to see all their friends falling down from another tree nearby.

“Ah…we ruined the moment” Aoi sighed with a hand on her cheek.

“It was Tsukasa’s fault” Mitsuba exclaimed.

“If we were lucky, we could’ve seen them kiss. That will definitely make social media” Yamabuki commented as he held up his phone to snap a picture of the surprised couple.

“Anyways, congratulations Nene-chan!” she said happily as she approached Nene and clasped her hands. “With this you are one step closer to your dream as well”

“It was almost a perfect proposal wasn’t it” Akane said as he patted Amane on the back. “It’s too bad your brother had to ruin it”

“I didn’t do anything right Amane?” Tsukasa innocently claimed as he hugged his brother.

“Tsukasa…”

The group continued to joke around with their comments of “don’t forget to invite me to the wedding” and “The ruined proposal is now going to cost you your marriage”.

“Hmm, it’s a shame Nene-chan’s proposal got ruined. It was her first one too” Aoi pouted.

“Yeah unlike someone who gets proposed to everyday” Yamabuki joked as he jabbed at Akane.

“Um Aoi-chan will you”

“-10 points”

“Why!?”

“Akane-kun, that’s bad in taste. A double proposal only works if it happens at the same time and is planned. Doing it after Nene’s ruined proposal is in bad taste”

Akane cried as the rest of the group laughed in pity.

“I understand Aoi-chan! For you, I will help them make amends” Akane exclaimed. “Yugi-kun! Come here” he said as he dragged him away.

“Eh!?” Amane exclaimed as he was pulled away with Tsukasa and Lemon following them curiously.

“Where are they going?” Nene wondered. “I think I know” Aoi smiled. Let’s get you ready as well”

“Get ready for what?”

In just a few brief moments, Akane had returned with Amane. Akane had combed Amane’s hair back and added a blazer to his attire.

“Aoi-chan, I have returned with the groom”

“Good job Akane-kun” she said revealing Nene. Aoi had quickly modified Nene’s uniform slightly and added a veil to her hair with the help of flowers their kouhais had given her. Nene held the remaining bouquet in her hands blushing as the group pushed them closer together.

“With this the proposal is complete” Akane said.

“Not bad” Yamabuki said as he readied his camera. “I need to tweet about this” and aimed his camera at the blushing couple.

“How…how does it look” Nene asked nervously.

“You look…nice” Amane blushed.

“Only nice?”

“You look lovely. Too lovely. I don’t know how I’m going to wait all those years to marry you”. He turned away with a large blush.

Nene smiled. “I can’t wait either”.

“I love you Nene” Amane said.

“!! You…you finally called me by my first name” Nene blushed.

Amane picked her up and twirled her with a smile. “And I will continue to call you by that because you are going to be Yugi Nene”

“Let’s be together forever Amane-kun”

“Yes, let’s be together forever”

________

Hanako stared at the painting of the happy couple. He had just finished defeating another supernatural running amok and restoring balance in the school. Without his assistant it has become harder but he was able to manage.

It’s been almost a year, maybe more, since he had succeeded in keeping his friends in the Number 4's painting. He had lost count exactly how long it has been but it didn’t matter. Yashiro had lived past her life expectancy of a year and that’s all that mattered.

She was alive and happy. Happy with him.

He stared at the painting, at himself.

She was happy with him. She had went on the date with him and became they became a couple. She was wearing the makeshift wedding dress with him as the groom.They were going to get married. The effort of asking her out to the movies was worth it.

But that wasn’t him. That was Yugi Amane.

Yugi Amane, the boy who would soon become an astronaut and had plans on marrying Yashiro Nene. The one who lived with Tsukasa happily, attended classes normally, and had tons of friends. The one who was alive, could leave the school, and could give her everything.

It’s fine. Yashiro likes him. He was Yugi Amane.

But he wasn’t Yugi Amane. At least not anymore. He was Hanako of the Toilet. She liked Yugi Amane. Yugi Amane, the gentleman. Hanako was forgotten. There was no Hanako-kun in her heart...or her memory.

But that was fine. He didn’t care about anyone. There was no future with him but Yugi Amane could give her everything.

“Yashiro...” he muttered as he collapsed onto the floor still staring at the painting.

“Back again Honorable Number 7?” a voice chimed.

Hanako discreetly put on his stoic face and turned to the 4th rumor. The one who made it possible for Yashiro to live on.

“While I am glad that you are actively keeping your patronage, I really wish you would stop visiting the tower when I step away” she said.

“Just making sure you are doing your job” he said as he got up. “As we had agreed, you keep painting and I will keep all the supernaturals at bay in your domain”

Mei secretly glared at Hanako.

“What do you think of the recent events” she said with a smile as she gestured to the painting of the wedding. “I think this turned out pretty well. How would you like the real wedding to go? Should we make it possible to marry in space? I think that will be pretty”

She was taunting him, he knew it but he couldn’t help but glare at her. One false move and she could easily turn Yashiro’s happy life into a sad one. Even if she was alive, it wouldn’t mean anything if she wasn’t happy. Wordlessly, he left her boundary.

“Do come again” he heard her say.

~~~~

Outside number 4’s boundary he was greeted with Number 1 and the boy’s brother. Since the two’s entrapment inside the world of the painting the rest of the world had forgotten about the two except those with power. Teru was not happy to learn what happened to his precious younger brother and had fought to get him back. Hanako had almost lost if it wasn’t for Number 4’s interference. Even the strongest exorcist would not be able to fight against multiple rumors, especially in their domain. Hanako may have a seal but Shijima Mei did not.

Number 1 glared at Hanako with disgust. After multiple loss attempts, sometimes with someone bringing attention to Teru with a shout of “The president is looking for a girlfriend”, Teru had roped the Vice President into this confrontations. Akane had preferred not to be involved with the perverted rumor but with Teru’s threats how Aoi was no longer the same without her best friend he voluntarily started helping Teru in his quest to help to retrieving the two.

“You two are here again?” Hanako said energetically. “Don’t you two get tired?”

“Honorable number 7, please let us through” Akane said. “We will retrieve Yashiro-san and the President's brother.”

“NOPE~” Hanako responded. “No matter how many times you come here the outcome will be the same. “I will not let you two interfere with Number 4’s work”

“Though it’s unfortunate about Yashiro’s life, Aoi-kun will be here to help with that. Why keep everyone in the fake world when he’s willing to help in the real” Teru responded.

The thought of Yashiro coming out of the painting only for fate to work its magic scared him. He wasn’t taking the risk even with Number 1’s help. After all, Number 1 still wasn’t as experienced with his power and was still limited to the school property. Yashiro would never be able to leave the premises.

“Nope. That is unnecessary. Everything has been taken care of”

“So you’re happy with Yashiro-san being with someone not you?” Number 1 interjected.

“This conversation is over” Hanako responded as he pulled out his knife. The three assumed battle position, neither side relenting to back down.

A bang and a scream started the three. “A Monster!” a voice cried.

Hakujoudai told Hanako about what was happening. “Another one?” he muttered as he ran towards the source.

The two student council members followed in case they needed to ensure student safety from the supernatural.

“So you’re happy with Yashiro-san being with someone not you?”

Of course he wasn’t but what else could he do?

“You finally called me by my first name”

In the end, he never called her by her first name...and now....he didn’t have the right to. It was a glimpse of a dream, a dream that can never come true.

The price of borrowing a supernatural’s power meant you will lose something in return and Hanako had paid the price.

[2n2n]

ch99 LETS GO WOO--!!! this ruled I love it here at the aidairo!! Man I feel like I have such pretty tame expectations of things often as I don't expect 100% of a work to be to my taste and interests, but I get blown out of the water every single twist and turn.... HOO HOO HOO HOO *running around in a circle*

couldn't be off to a better start.. I feel like Aida loves to draw these first person PoV Tsukasa is leaning down to talk to you direct eye contact panels... and I luv to see them (: babygirllll

Ah... a lovely, shining example of Tsukasa's ability to peer through people... he struggles always, to understand when, and why, people don't act upon their honest desires. Why not do something, if you want to do it? Why not stop doing something, if you hate it?

He looks so strikingly like Amane here, it's incredible. A rare Tsukasa with semi-lidded eyes, a more shadowed expression, so his pupils are cast in the amount of shadow we see in Amane's (at least, thats what I see it as!)... situationally the Yugi's eyes resemble one another's purely due to lighting conditions, since their eyes only look different 'cuz of how they hold their gazes on things... Tsukasa's natural wide stare... I just love when we get to see him pulled closer to Amane's sortof glance...

Cutting to the point... ugh. LOVE it. Love Tsukasa's interest in intentions and emotions. The truth of you... LOVE IT. Love Mitsuba really looking so crazy... love him being RIGHT!!! You just HATE that you crave it and it's so delicious to you.... mmmm. Ah its a perfect Tsukasa situation ♥

anyway, I LOVE this setting, what an absolutely scary and atmospheric space to be in, the goddamn tech and sump and whatall backend of the aquarium.... pipes and tubs and gauges and tubs. Really claustrophobic and perfectly 'trapped'. Feels so yabai. yabai yabai. Perfect little box they're sunken into....

sorry, incredibly funny mitsuba oogie boogies into a pile of bugs. Extremely laughed out loud.

love this irrational moment of jealousy lol. Why can't you just be grateful someone out there kept Mitsuba together </3 stupid caveman.... </3

a perfect reveal... couldn't be a more 'oh... oh, gosh' moment... as this all is, it felt like, "how incredibly crazy to go TO the Minamoto household-- if Teru had bolted out the house and not Kou, Mitsuba would simply be kerplooded...." how miserable that Mitsuba aimed for that outcome. Was relying on it. What an interesting feeling, to see Kou, instead, and have to shift gears... the monumental suicidal vibes of the outings... and frankly I love Mitsuba's impatience and fussiness in light of that... it reminds me of suicidal Rasphard Ambrose from AidaIro's old VN ahaha, telling the tsundere neige "comfort me better." lol. Good on you Mitsuba.. you need to boss and bully Kou right now, it is your right...

could not be a more perfect situation to test Kou. agog at how artfully wonderful. Hey bitch who wants to be an exorcist soooo bad, I'll give you something to exorcise..... ooo how about you think about your dang profession critically for a moment!

I love the 'beat' where Mitsuba tries to read, judge, very carefully, Kou's response. He doesn't trust him to really understand this request. He's not willing to endure humiliation about this! None of Kou's idiocy. Either willing to 'help' or not.

Freakin' reminds me of Rasphard too, with the 'joking' after saying things that belie the real intent, deflecting fast...!

Kou's response... wuh, lol.

SO funny that Kou is experiencing this epiphany selfishly, processing it almost as a kind of rejection! You lied to me </3 Extremely AidaIro actually.... (well, again reminds me of how Estelio in Narisokonai Snow White takes his twin brother's suicide as a kind of abandonment/rejection of him... and I have a theory that Amane and Tsukasa, and the shinjuu, also may tie into an emotion like that-- that perhaps Tsukasa attempted to kill himself to alter fate, but Amane perceived it as Tsukasa 'leaving' him, and killed them both to stay together....). Its funny that Kou was so fussy and shitty the whole time, but, he's mad to learn you had an ulterior motive and weren't engaged in the same earnest way. The sweetness of the day's been overwritten by this hidden agenda. He feels betrayed-- but it's not really the time for that, now is it? It's not a very sweet reaction to Mitsuba's confession of being self-destructive.

I really didn't know it mattered so much to Kou that it be an authentic experience, and that this taints it. Really funny its his priority, emotionally, here ... it's genuinely interesting though. He's a very childish/immature person, so this being his reaction fits well.

detour, Mitsuba looks really nice with his hair unpinned and disheveled! My favorite look for him thus far. Nice and raggedy... I don't really like his groomed up look, this messy one's much better....

he handles all conflicts with screaming, bullying and bullrushing </3 as expected of Kou.... but I like how awful this all is

really freaking visceral! fighting fuckin hard! Lol, 'I said no!" ... love the claustrophobic setting coming home to roost. Mitsuba's wobbling, haggard, weak, amputated form up against Kou's real wild gorilla tactics. It's so dreadful lol! Grabbing him by the god damn ankle! Slamming him to the ground!

we here at the Aidairo love to make panels that look like this lol.... you know all I'm thinking about is that shinjuu and how lit its gonna be!! feel like this sorta stuff is 1/10th of what the shinjuu will be....

like a caveman. blunt brute strength, force, aggression... it makes Tsukasa feel graceful and friendly.

insulting his very reasons for being ~suicidal.... you suck sooo bad Kou! Screaming and throttling and berating for being stupid, 'so what'ing his reasons for feeling dehumanized and self-hating, HOO you wonder why Mitsuba tells you nothing? Its just like in Picture Perfect... just hollaring like an ape defensively. But this time it's so incredibly horrible it's more interesting than ever. So obliquely a defensive emotion, brought on by insecurity (you don't rely on me), jealousy (you rely on Tsukasa, you talk to Tsukasa), betrayal (you intentionally mislead me). Taking out his anger and frustration on Mitsuba! Its a panic response, but it speaks to Kou's handle on his impulses.

absolutely incredibly reveal ♥ VORE MANGA VORE MANGA VORE MANGA!!!!!!!! GET BIT, KOU!!!

What a PERFECT thing to saddle Kou with-- a kaii that is his friend, that is DANGEROUS. That is a DANGER TO HUMAN BEINGS. Its time to learn some sympathy for complicated beings and situations, the very sorts of things your job exists to exterminate!! But it's also crazy human-centric, that Kou just can't understand the problem up until here. As if killing/eating kaii is no problem and easy-- like, geez, Kou, eating live bugs or mice or something would be ENOUGH to make someone horrified and feel like a monster, plucking apart bloody bodies and digging through viscera in excess would make most people mindbroken after long enough! Never mind the sheer amount and the inhuman sensations of desire and need for it going on here, the deep satisfaction and the grotesque nature feeling like its destroying Mitsuba's entire self-image.

WELL, ANYWAY, KOU BEING AN INCONSIDERATE ASSHOLE ASIDE, what a wonderful moment. I find it funny that Kou really needs his own personal little buddy kaii to learn any kind of sympathy for the struggles of being something 'dangerous'. The Minamoto family take it upon themselves to determine 'dangerous' and exterminate it. It's effectively like the friend of a cop revealing they hold criminal intent, lol.... time to see how much destructive possibility YOU will tolerate, how about ;) Nene-chan will put up with quite a lot ♥ is it so simple to determine when someone's 'too far gone' ♥? Mitsuba is trying to tell you he is.... ♥ he's scared of himself.... ahhh its so delicious ♥ decadent situation to put Kou into. We need to put the Minamoto dogma thru tests! YOSH

jealous that Tsukasa gets access to what he doesn't </3 extremely funny of Kou, and EXACTLY what I wanted to see revealed. All his spite and aggression towards Tsukasa has layers! Ugh, so petty it's funny and delicious. Hoo hoo hoo!

boohoo </3 you think I'm weak </3 you trust Tsukasa more than me </3 you run to him in danger </3 or maybe its that Tsukasa chases down Mitsuba, has knowledge of what he needs, is willing to do a fat lot of work to assist him, explain things gently and calmly and honestly, while all you ever do is forget he exists, until he shows up in front of you :)? Why wasn't he your first priority after the severence? You want Mitsuba to do all the legwork? You distractible oaf....

after all that though, I'm glad Kou WASN'T rewarded for the screaming beast tactics! I'm glad that shit got him bitten!! I'm glad that CRYING and whining gets him much farther! I swear to GOD, Mitsuba isn't even so sure you LIKE him! He's really receptive to this...!! But, really, who is ever crying to Mitsuba? Tsukasa, Natsuhiko, Sakura, Nene, Hanako? Who is begging him for attention, who is crying for him? Nobody....! Mitsuba is always sinking fast into a 'victim' schtick and crying and whining, desperate for attention himself... seeing this, its like-- ah!-- it would be so ideal if someone else could be more pathetic than him....

after all that fuss, I love this for Kou's delayed, final 'crash' response.... his immediate response to it all is just a frenzied high of anger/aggression/violence... I like that finally voicing the root insecurity/inferiority complex (all Kou is composed of....) and upset that Mitsuba relies on Tsukasa (how does it feel to always hear that name from his mouth, time and time again, after a crisis like the Picture Perfect, Severance?), instantly renders him so inert. I like the pathetic crossed legs here lol.

boy. and I think Hanako is childish with his feelings about Nene-chan. If Hanako is a true blue 13-year-old-boy in his emotional expression and fussiness, Kou is like a freaking 5 year old. Sheesh. He really. Has the lowest maturity. This is the rawest, most vulnerable Kou we've seen!!! He's REALLY been coddled and never challenged for his life! His brother REALLY sheltered him but GOOD. Kou's an absolute mess! It's interesting the extent of it. I mean I'm always here to tell you Kou is The Dumbest One Here, but, awoof. Well I'm satisfied by it all. Its best when things are so extreme (: He makes Mitsuba feel so worldly and respectable lol.... Kou, you kid.... child.. big baby.

I'm glad Mitsuba can see past the defensive stuff easily at this point... Kou really can't let it go.

I've never really known how the Mitsuba and Kou dynamic could go anywhere-- two tsundere really don't make a match to me, and in every interaction, in the past, they really felt at a standstill with one another's stubbornness, and compulsive rudeness. Both of them don't express vulnerability in a productive way. They both leap to insults and yelling. It often feels like no headway occurs. But I like to see Mitsuba have to interact with someone emotionally wrought over him, even jealous and feeling robbed of a moment/opportunities of closeness. It's really what Mitsuba needs... he needs to see he has an effect on anybody, it's his entire complex. Seeing it all laid out like this, I can see how a guy with an inferiority complex (Kou) and a guy with an attention deficit (Mitsuba) could be interesting and ultimately feed one another, if ONE of them could just take the hit of being vulnerable first. Mitsuba's just so massively socially neglected and feels insignificant. Kou feels insignificant, too. Mitsuba feels nobody seeks him out, or wants him, while Kou also feels nobody seeks him out as someone to rely on. It's pretty fascinating to have one person have such a wealth of attention/coddling, but no sense of value despite it (Kou), and another person with a dearth of attention, with no sense of value due to it (Mitsuba).

I mean, in defense of Kou, Teru has been lying to him so profusely for his entire life, he may as well not know him at all. It's not a meaningfully intimate relationship, despite being his most dominant presense in his mind. It's majorly built on performances and facades on Teru's part, and then Kou meets Teru's undercurrent of pain and suffering with an utter 0 perception stat. Rather than being trusted with being an exorcist, Kou really oughta beg for Teru to trust him with his trauma and the weight of it ... I think Teru tried to in that conversation and, maybe he will continue to. I think Teru realizes how badly he's set up his and Kou's relationship to fail... fail brocon

ahhhhhh all really exciting stuff. I really prefer a Kou chapter like this to the sword-fightan shounen-hero-catchphrase-spoutan ones (: his extremely stunted emotions are an intrigue. Such a busted little idiot. And, I really like how Mitsuba took the first shot with being vulnerable. Proud of him. It's a bit sad Kou met it with a sense of rejection, because it's so beautiful Mitsuba would try to trust Kou point blank with euhrrrr euthanizing him. That really is, in Mitsuba's mind, in this state, begging Kou to help him. It's trusting Kou with his entire existence. It's hoping Kou will be able to understand his pain. Kou,, doesn't,,,, emphatically so, but at least he got somewhere by the end of it all :B and you know. He shouldn't give up yada yada.

Wonder if we'll pop over to a B plot or stick here....

[2n2n]

do you think m1tsuk0u will ever actually work out?

I'm not sure what "work out" means .... I think they will continue to have an arc that directly involves the other, and I think that arc will ultimately have a thesis/point of resolution of some kind, pertaining to their complexes. They are involved with one another for a reason. The answer to their problems must be each other, or they wouldn't be here.

If you're asking more like, "will they reach stability/comfort with each other?" I have no idea, really! Their dynamic is very odd to me-- it's very confrontational from the get-go, and there is no aspect of the dynamic which aims to repair or work on that? I don't know if Kou is eventually meant to learn how to be tender, or express himself earnestly ... because unlike HanaNene, nobody is actively working the other down in that manner. Though moments of crushing honesty are par the course for JSHK, happened for Akane/Aoi, Sumire/Hakubo, so, surely we'll hear one or the other say something true....

The situation between them is about "trust"; Mitsuba has never really trusted anyone (he is so reluctant towards everyone and everything), and Kou is never trusted with anything (too immature, too useless). Their arc will surely eventually have them trusting each other, crucially!

If you're asking more like "will they form a traditional romantic relationship" I have honest to God no idea, I am out of touch with modern shounen or what's possible in a gfantasy story... from my own history (I am 30 now & I read a lot of shounen en mass at like, 15) I'd be like, "it's not really that kind of manga", I would not expect a shounen I'm reading to suddenly have maintext boy kissing boy relationship 100+ch in. I would expect it to stay alluded to and teased but always left up to interpretation.

For instance. I think the Yugi are entirely, a real thing, I think Amane was in love with his brother. But I THINK the extent of that 'romance' will always be under the ambiguity of familial love (I mean, I think that's WHY they're family...), and the metaphor of murder/consumption, the act of sublimation of becoming a yorishiro, and I really don't think it is a "kiss and confess" situation so to speak (and yet, it's important Amane confront his feelings towards his brother! It's important Nene-chan figure out those feelings, to understand Hanako!). There will always be metaphors and abstraction, probably, but those metaphors and abstraction Will Be Canon. I like the poetics of such things anyway, and I don't really care about conventional things ... and with Sumire/Hakubo's consumption being very vividly a symbol of indulgence/consummation/'taking', the language is already set-up for the Yugi. Eat someone, make them yours. Mitsuba and Kou have also touched on consumption, where does that climax? Kou eats Mitsuba in the Ghost Hotel AU. What does that mean? I have no idea. Lol.

I think one will have a better time thinking in terms of "the story will inevitably and absolutely always feature these two, who are important to one another's psyche" and not waiting on things as head-of-a-pin specific as like, relationships coming to pass. When I see modern fandomers gunning for canon dating or kissing, they seem constantly miserable or angry ... ? but the foreign fandoms are doing what I've always done, and, they are just hollaring about whatever insane shit is happening in canon and engaging in analyzing the meaning and symbols present in those actions. I do not see AmaTsu's hinging on "I hope they kiss", rather they memetically repeat lines in canon like "let's do it right." or obsessively discuss the details of the shinjuu, like, "Amane doesn't seem like the biting type, so do you think he licked or sucked on Tsukasa's heart after killing him?" and the satisfaction and passion in those conversations is unbearable, its like the sun burning brightly. And this to me is shipping on the level the manga wants you to, engaging with its text, what it values, what it wants you to think about.