Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun (地縛少年花子くん)

"Toilet-bound Hanako-kun"

Hanako-san said,

"I was just thinking I wanted a human assistant."

And, a week later, I was...

"Girls' Bathroom"

"Girls' Bathroom" Hanako-san, Hanako-san,

please let me go home for today!

Nope!

...being forced to clean bathrooms.

Please! Just for today!

Nope. I've got an important job for you once you're done.

I need you to hurry up and finish cleaning.

No way.

This is the prime of my life!

Youth is short!

And I finally got my big chance!

What chance?

Fuji-kun, the coolest guy in my class, asked me out!

After school... are you free?

And a second date, too!

A rendezvous in the classroom after school.

A date?!

What are you going to do? Naughty stuff?

You really want to know? I suppose I'll have to tell you.

We're going to organize student council paperwork in an empty classroom.

And Fuji-kun is going to leave right away, even though he invited me...

He's so shy.

What are you planning to rendezvous with, Yashiro?

It's fine! I may be just a convenient woman now, but I'll work my way up!

You're certainly optimistic.

I'm pretty sure he's just using you, though.

Come on, stay with me.

I'll treat you a lot better

than that guy will.

If my choices are cleaning bathrooms with you or sorting papers alone,

I prefer the papers.

"Shock"

Fine.

I guess you miss breathing through your gills.

Come, Haku-joudai. Let's go buy fish food.

Yay! I love cleaning bathrooms.

"English Listening"

"English Listening" The Apollo Project was originally a project to bring a manned spacecraft onto the moon.

The Apollo Project was originally a project to bring a manned spacecraft onto the moon.

More toilet cleaning today...

I don't want to go.

I don't really believe things will work out with Fuji-kun.

Still, Hanako-san is the one who's just using me.

He even set a guard to watch me.

Well, I guess this was all my fault to begin with,

so I have to put up with it.

But I don't want to go!

"Ugh" But I don't want to go!

Yashiro-san!

Please read from the textbook starting on page 37.

Y-Yessir!

Huh?

It's gone! But it was just here.

No way?!

Yashiro-san?

"Apparition 2: Yousei-san"

Hey, have you heard?

Oh, I can't find it anywhere!

Could that mean...

...that "Yousei-san" took it?

Aoi.

Who's Yousei-san?

You haven't heard? It's a rumor that's going around.

"Yousei-san"

Have you ever lost something you were sure you'd been careful with,

or found something missing from its usual place just when you needed it?

That must be the work of Yousei-san.

But you must never look at Yousei-san.

If you do...

It will take your life, too.

Or so they say! It's just a rumor, though.

Oh, that's all.

Huh?

But lately...

Hey, has anyone seen my lunch?

Did you lose it?

--...a lot of people really have been losing things.

--Oh no! The sports towel Senpai lent me is gone! --...a lot of people really have been losing things.

Who took my Hanitarou?!

--What's Hanitarou? --A haniwa.

So, maybe Yousei-san really does exist.

No way.

Hey, we've got a problem!

The locker doors are gone!

Who would do this?

Don't tell me...

"Sploosh"

"Sploosh" --Huh? --Oh no, Nene-chan!

Something suddenly knocked my hand. Sorry.

Oh, it's fine, don't...

N-Nene-chan!

Th-That was a close one!

It would be awful if anyone saw these.

I tried to get away from people and ended up at the old building.

Hey, what are you doing?

I-I should leave.

But I've got to do something about these scales first.

I need something to wipe with.

Oh!

A clean towel! Yes!

I feel bad for whoever dropped it, but I'll just borrow it and...

A lunchbox? Wasn't someone just looking for one?

Huh? That figure...

Umm, could this be Hanitarou?

Oh! That's mine!

And my broach, too!

Thank goodness.

I just don't feel right without this.

You...

O-Oh no...

You. Saw. Us.

But you must never look at Yousei-san.

If you do...

Scatter them, Haku-joudai!

You're a sucker for handsome guys and apparitions, huh, Yashiro.

Humans die so easily.

You know?

Hanako-san.

I needed him to save me again.

Ow!

Huh?

What are these?

They're Mokke.

Currently known as "Yousei-san."

They're apparitions who have lived with humans since ancient times,

committing minor thefts and pranks.

They look a lot different than before.

They're cute.

Stop.

Mokke cluster together like that and shapeshift when they attack something.

They normally aren't aggressive and don't attack humans, but...

We did not want to kill either.

But our story changed.

We could not help it.

Their "story"?

They mean rumors.

"Rumors"

"Rumors" Most apparitions can't go against the rumors about them.

"Rumors" Rumors humans spread get exaggerated and change over time.

"Rumors" No matter what they become, apparitions have to act accordingly.

"Rumors" Apparitions who don't match their rumors will eventually vanish from the living world.

Apparitions who don't match their rumors will eventually vanish from the living world.

Vanish...

Want one?

Yashiro,

would you change the rumors about the Mokke for me?

Change the rumors?

Yes.

I'm one of the Seven Wonders of this school.

I have a duty to monitor all apparitions in the school

and to maintain order between humans and apparitions.

I can't ignore murderous apparitions.

I have to eliminate them.

But...

...a human like you, Yashiro,

can change the rumors and save them.

Please.

Sorry about earlier.

Have a candy.

We have lived happily here for centuries.

We want to stay here.

Have a candy.

I know I'm asking you, Yashiro, but you were almost killed.

I won't force you if you don't--

I'll do it!

I'll change the rumors for you!

Hurrah!

You don't mind?

Nope. Seeing all the little Mokke reminds me...

...of White Inferno.

I'm sorry, what?

White Inferno! My old hamster.

"White Inferno" "Died at age 2 years 3 months" White Inferno! My old hamster.

"White Inferno" "Died at age 2 years 3 months" That's some name.

Plus, I was scared before,

but you saved me, Hanako-san.

You saved me from the mermaid, too.

Thank you, Hanako-san.

Oh, just wondering,

but is this the "important job" you wanted to ask me about once I was done cleaning?

I'd originally planned to wait a little longer.

I knew it!

Does that mean I can graduate from cleaning bathrooms?!

Not a chance.

--Oh... --Huh?

Do you hate it that much?

Not many girls are crazy about cleaning bathrooms.

That's too bad.

I look forward to it.

Doing something together after school.

Making small talk.

It's kind of like having a friend.

It's, I don't know... nostalgic.

Hanako-kun.

I'll call you Hanako-kun.