"Hanako... you couldn't possibly be suggesting what I think you are, are you?" Did she think getting swallowed again would help you some how? "I think most people would be scared at the prospect of taking an acid bath."
"N-no. That's not what I meant," Hanako shakes her head. "That would be far too dangerous. I think... hold still for a second." She stands up from her desk and walks around to your other side. You don't move as she had requested. "I need you to turn around in a moment when I tap your shoulder, OK?"
"O-ok." You weren't sure what she was doing, but you were certainly curious. Sure enough, a few seconds later you felt a light tap and quickly spun around. What you saw terrified you. A wet, dark, gasping pit surrounded by sharp boulders and guarded by a massive serpent. You yelped out in fear and fell backwards, hitting the floor shoulders first.
"Ah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Hanako cries out. "Are you hurt?"
You reopened your eyes to see her standing over you, looking like she was about to cry. You were not happy with her little trick but you quickly suppressed those thoughts at the idea making her feel worse. "Ugh, yeah I'll be OK. You... startled me."
"I'm sorry." She looks away as she apologizes. "I... I just had to test something, and I was right. You can't even look at someone's mouth without getting scared, can you."
You had been trying to not think about it but given the new data, that did seem to be the case. "I... I guess that might be it. So what... I ask Shizune to let me clean her teeth until it stops freaking me out?"
She shakes her head again. "I don't think so. You need someone you can feel safe with. Maybe a nurse, or caretaker."
Your folks were on the other side of the country so that was a no go. Plus there was something unappealing of the idea about doing something like that with one of them. The only nurse you'd met so far didn't really rub you the right way either. Plus he might not be on board with such an unusual treatment plan. This school was for dealing with physical problems, not mental. Someone you trusted huh? "H-Hanako? Are you sure about all this?"
She sunk back a little, "I'm... I... I don't know. I know... being afraid of things doesn't help though. If... you let your fear control you..." She pauses for several seconds. But you think you understand. Her fear has probably effected her as much as her scarring. The difference is that one can be cured, but it wouldn't be easy.
"I understand. Thank you Hanako."
She seems surprised by you praise as she snaps out of her thoughts. She blushes, "Y-you're welcome."
"Would you, help me do this?"
"W-what do you mean?" She asks, visibly tensing up a little.
"Would you... I'm sorry this is so weird to say... let me use your mouth?"
"WHAT?!" She shrieks. An oddly shocked reaction to what was really her idea. "M-m-m-me? W-w-why?"
"Well, the people you suggested don't really work for me, you came up with the idea so you might know best how we should do this, you already know more about the situation than anyone else, and... well... I'm still new here and you are my only friend."
"Friend?" You barely heard her repeat that part to herself. Her face turned even redder than before.
"The only other option is the Student Council. You don't want me to deal with them again do you?" You teased. Her mind was clearly racing as she squirmed in her seat. If the situation wasn't so awkward it might be kind of funny. "Please Hanako, I need your help. You're the only one here I can trust here. I need your help."
With that she seems to calm down, but she still hides behind her flowing hair when she finally answers, "O-ok."
"Thanks," was really the only reply you could think of. You knew this school would be a bit different, but this was not a turn you were expecting.
"How.. do we do this? Do I need to lift you up like before?" Hanako asks, still trying to get her thoughts together.
"No, not now at least. I don't have any control over my shrinking. It just happens."
"Oh," she replies, a hint of relief in her voice.
"Yeah, I usually only get a few moments warning before-" Your explanation was cut off by that old tingling sensation. "Well speak of the devil."
"What?" Hanako asks, not realizing what you meant.
"I feel it coming on, a shrinking episode. I guess this is good timing for once in my life," You chuckle.
Hanako was less amused by this revelation. "Eh! You're shrinking?! What do I do? Does it hurt?"
"Relax. Just keep an eye on me so you don't lose track of me, I have know idea how small I'm going to get." Hanako looks at you as intently as she can, all while still looking worried. You could easily grab you medicine, but she was right. You needed to do this for your own good. When the tingling stopped, you had shrunk...
"N-no. That's not what I meant," Hanako shakes her head. "That would be far too dangerous. I think... hold still for a second." She stands up from her desk and walks around to your other side. You don't move as she had requested. "I need you to turn around in a moment when I tap your shoulder, OK?"
"O-ok." You weren't sure what she was doing, but you were certainly curious. Sure enough, a few seconds later you felt a light tap and quickly spun around. What you saw terrified you. A wet, dark, gasping pit surrounded by sharp boulders and guarded by a massive serpent. You yelped out in fear and fell backwards, hitting the floor shoulders first.
"Ah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Hanako cries out. "Are you hurt?"
You reopened your eyes to see her standing over you, looking like she was about to cry. You were not happy with her little trick but you quickly suppressed those thoughts at the idea making her feel worse. "Ugh, yeah I'll be OK. You... startled me."
"I'm sorry." She looks away as she apologizes. "I... I just had to test something, and I was right. You can't even look at someone's mouth without getting scared, can you."
You had been trying to not think about it but given the new data, that did seem to be the case. "I... I guess that might be it. So what... I ask Shizune to let me clean her teeth until it stops freaking me out?"
She shakes her head again. "I don't think so. You need someone you can feel safe with. Maybe a nurse, or caretaker."
Your folks were on the other side of the country so that was a no go. Plus there was something unappealing of the idea about doing something like that with one of them. The only nurse you'd met so far didn't really rub you the right way either. Plus he might not be on board with such an unusual treatment plan. This school was for dealing with physical problems, not mental. Someone you trusted huh? "H-Hanako? Are you sure about all this?"
She sunk back a little, "I'm... I... I don't know. I know... being afraid of things doesn't help though. If... you let your fear control you..." She pauses for several seconds. But you think you understand. Her fear has probably effected her as much as her scarring. The difference is that one can be cured, but it wouldn't be easy.
"I understand. Thank you Hanako."
She seems surprised by you praise as she snaps out of her thoughts. She blushes, "Y-you're welcome."
"Would you, help me do this?"
"W-what do you mean?" She asks, visibly tensing up a little.
"Would you... I'm sorry this is so weird to say... let me use your mouth?"
"WHAT?!" She shrieks. An oddly shocked reaction to what was really her idea. "M-m-m-me? W-w-why?"
"Well, the people you suggested don't really work for me, you came up with the idea so you might know best how we should do this, you already know more about the situation than anyone else, and... well... I'm still new here and you are my only friend."
"Friend?" You barely heard her repeat that part to herself. Her face turned even redder than before.
"The only other option is the Student Council. You don't want me to deal with them again do you?" You teased. Her mind was clearly racing as she squirmed in her seat. If the situation wasn't so awkward it might be kind of funny. "Please Hanako, I need your help. You're the only one here I can trust here. I need your help."
With that she seems to calm down, but she still hides behind her flowing hair when she finally answers, "O-ok."
"Thanks," was really the only reply you could think of. You knew this school would be a bit different, but this was not a turn you were expecting.
"How.. do we do this? Do I need to lift you up like before?" Hanako asks, still trying to get her thoughts together.
"No, not now at least. I don't have any control over my shrinking. It just happens."
"Oh," she replies, a hint of relief in her voice.
"Yeah, I usually only get a few moments warning before-" Your explanation was cut off by that old tingling sensation. "Well speak of the devil."
"What?" Hanako asks, not realizing what you meant.
"I feel it coming on, a shrinking episode. I guess this is good timing for once in my life," You chuckle.
Hanako was less amused by this revelation. "Eh! You're shrinking?! What do I do? Does it hurt?"
"Relax. Just keep an eye on me so you don't lose track of me, I have know idea how small I'm going to get." Hanako looks at you as intently as she can, all while still looking worried. You could easily grab you medicine, but she was right. You needed to do this for your own good. When the tingling stopped, you had shrunk...
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February 17
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