Chapter 8 - Organ Pipes

                                    

                                          
"Ah Mizuki-chan..." Nene mumbles.
                          
"Hm? Is something wrong Nene-chan?" Mizuki tilts her head.
                          
"Uh, could it be..." Nene has a crisis as Hanako pops up in front of her. "EEK!"
                          
"Ghosts?" Mizuki grabs Hanako by the back of his collar and yanks him down.
                          
"Can you see ghosts?" Nene asks.
                          
"I mean, I can see whoever this is, so I'm guessing yes," Mizuki drops Hanako and he lands with a thud.
                          
"Ow..." Hanako mumbles.
                          
"Oh yeah, speaking of which," Nene pipes up. "Mizuki-chan are you an exorcist?"
                          
"Hm?" 
                          
"You have... the trinket... that Minamoto-senpai has," Nene points at the string of beads on her wrist.
                          
"Oh these?" She unclasps the beads and they wrap around Hanako.
                          
"O-OI!"
                          
"Minamoto-kun said to keep it on me in case I get attacked," She smiles. "I exorcise spirits sometimes too so he wants me to stay safe,"
                          
"But I thought... you were cousins with Aoi?"
                          
"Oh, it's a secret but... I'm actually engaged to Teru," Mizuki mumbles sheepishly.
                          
"E-ENGAGED!?" Nene's soul leaves her body and Mizuki panics.
                          
"N-Nene-chan?!" She catches the girl and releases Hanako from the beads.
                          
"Oh look, there goes her hopes and dreams," Hanako snickers.
                          
"I think I killed her..." Mizuki mumbles.
                          
-✩-

                          
"You told the girl about our engagement...?" Teru asks. Mizuki's lounging in the student council room with her fiancé.
                          
"Yeah," Mizuki sighs. "She was asking about the bracelet,"
                          
"You told her that I gave it to you but you didn't tell her that you could've ended Hanako in a snap?"Teru raises a brow at the girl.
                          
"... I still feel like the poor girl wouldn't be able to take it," Mizuki mumbles. "Ah, but what's Akane-kun doing on the... floor...?"
                          
"Thank you Mizuki-chan," 
                          
"Don't go calling my fiancée chan so carelessly," Teru tightens the beads and Mizuki releases the boy.
                          
"Oh come on! If Aoi-chan actually ends up with Akane-kun here then you two will be cousins!" Mizuki waves her hands and hands Teru his beads.
                          
"Yeah... not happening," Teru grimaces.
                          
"Right back at you president," Akane scowls.  
                          
Mizuki sighs and takes a candy from a mokke. It had been less than a day after leaving the painting and she was already stuck here...
                          
-✩-

                          
"Hm," Okizari tosses her sword twice. "A bit heavy..."
                          
Obon was approaching. She needed an efficient weapon that wasn't just her usual spear. Her scythe would work but only when the stars and moon were out. Her sword wasn't sharp enough and her fans could only be used as close combat. She needed a staff, or like... a trident. 
                          
"Where would I get a trident though..." Okizari stares at her weapons. She did need a trident huh? Or maybe she should get a gun...
                          
"Number four~" Okizari sings.
                          
"I can't bring items to life Okizari-san, we've been over this," Shijima sighs. "If you need weapons then you'll need to find someone to craft one for you,"