Chapter 9: A Promise And A Confession Fulfilled
I
“Hana Yurizuka,” Rin began as she narrowed her eyes towards the documents that she had been holding in her hands. “Sixteen years old. Didn’t do anything particularly ambitious in her life, simply went with the flow and accepted whatever came to her. Father was divorced from her mother, though her mother would keep his laundry out to pretend that he was still there. Found a person who accepted her for who she was, named Misaki Hiraga. Took her own life by jumping off the school building.”

Rin peered over the documents that she had been reading and narrowed her eyes towards Hana. “What do you have to say for yourself? You left behind a mother who truly loved you and would’ve supported your relationship with another girl on your wedding day.”

“It was out of impulse, really,” Hana said softly as she gazed at the ground. “But Misaki was my first love, you see. I loved her, all of her. I loved the way that she played the piano, I loved the way that she smiled, and I loved listening to every little thing that she had to say. There might have been another girl if I’ve lived, though Misaki was very special to me. Very special. I couldn’t bear to think of living a life without her.”

“Normally,” Rin explained as she tapped her fingernail against the clipboard that she carried. “I would have sent you to the void by now. though I’ve made arrangements with the Head Shinigami and he agreed to listen to Kotone’s proposal. So you’ve lucked out this time, Hana, for getting a hearing, though you’re not out of the frying pan yet. There are still some things that I need to question you about and I will still cast my judgment according to the answers that you give me. Is that clear?”

“Yes Ma’am,” Hana said while she folded her hands in front of her.

“There is one thing that Kotone must do before we proceed any further,” Rin said. “And that is to sign a binding contract. Kotone Takada, you will uphold your end of the bargain by being available whenever the shinigami need your aid, and you will now have ties to the spiritual world. It will be your responsibility as well.”

Rin handed Kotone a document. She read over its contents with a discerning eye. It was everything as Rin had said.

“Before you sign, may I ask you a question?”

“You may,” Kotone said.

“You don’t want to deal with the paranormal any more than necessary. Is that correct?”

“I don’t want to, that is correct.”

“Signing this contract will bind you to us completely,” Rin pointed out as she adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose. “However, you can refuse to sign and still go back to a normal life, you know.”

Kotone paused. It was true that Kotone hoped that she wouldn’t have to deal with anymore of the paranormal after she helped with Hana. If she didn’t sign the document, then she wouldn’t have to deal with Hana or Ayano anymore, and she would be left in peace to live the life that she always wanted. However, if she forsook Hana and chose to live a normal life without helping her friend, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to bear living with herself any further.

“It wouldn’t be back for normal to me,” Kotone said. She took out a pen and began writing out her name on the document. The handwriting glowed, indicating that a binding contract had been made, before the document disappeared in a golden light.

Once the contract had been signed, Hana cried tears of joys and tried to embrace Kotone—forgetting that she would simply phase right through her. However, Kotone didn’t mind, and she returned an air hug towards Hana and smiled towards her, happy that Hana could finally be reunited with her lover.

“I’m happy for you, Hana,” Kotone said.

“Thank you so much for everything, Kotone,” Hana said in response as she wiped away ectoplasm tears. “You’ve done so much for me, I don’t know how to repay you.”

“There’s no need. Your happiness is enough for me.”

“I won’t ever forget you,” Hana said as she smiled back towards Kotone. “Even if I go on to reincarnate, I’m sure that somewhere, deep inside my heart, I will know everything that you’ve done for me, and I will be forever grateful for it.”

Rin cleared her throat, and that gathered the attention of Kotone, Hana, and Ayano. She looked awkward for a moment, before saying, “I know that I haven’t exactly been the easiest person to deal with, though to make up for all the trouble that I’ve given you, I’m sure that you would like to see Misaki one last time before you go on to reincarnate?”

Hana smiled and nodded. “Yes, I would like that, very much, Miss Rin.”

“Very well,” Rin said while returning a small smile back. “I’ll escort you to the room where Misaki is. Though to give you a forewarning, she doesn’t have her memories of her past life.”

Hana shook her head. “It’s all right. Just seeing her is enough, even if she doesn’t remember. I just…wanted to see her one last time, is all. And I wanted to tell her that I love her.”

“All right,” Rin said, before gesturing for all three girls to follow her from the courtroom back to a connecting hallway that led to a waiting room of sorts. When they entered inside, the first thing they saw was a beautiful pink-haired girl with violet eyes staring off into the distance, as though she were half-remembering something. Kotone remembered that Rin said that Misaki lost her memories of her previous life and found it a little sad, though she supposed this was still a major payoff indeed for Hana, after the long separation they suffered.
Hana hovered close to Misaki, reaching out to touch her hand, though of course her hand phased right through. Misaki appeared startled at the sudden contact, before she looked towards Hana and said, “You look familiar. I should remember something about you, but I just can’t put the pieces together. I can’t even remember my own name.”

“You are Misaki Hiraga,” Hana explained. “You were a wonderful piano player and you’ve given me acceptance and let me know a love that I never would have known otherwise. I’m Hana Yurizuka. We first met in the piano room at school while you were playing Clair de Lune. Do you remember that?”

Misaki furrowed her brow, before saying, “I vaguely recall Claire de Lune. Such a melancholy song, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s by Claude Debussy,” Hana said, encouraged by Misaki’s faint recall of music, at least. “You played the piano in your own special way. You would improvise some parts and make it sound really good.”

Misaki folded her hands in her lap and said, “I always loved good music. I think Clair de Lune was my favorite piece to play.”

“It was the very first song that I heard you play,” Hana said softly. “And then you composed a piano piece just for me. I still remember it—it goes somewhat like this.”

Then Hana continued to hum the tune that Misaki played for her a long time ago, and Misaki listened to her, enraptured by the song. She stared on in wonder, and when Hana was finished, Misaki said in wonder, “I made that song up? All by myself?”

“That you did,” Hana said with a smile. “And it was the most beautiful song that I ever heard.”

“I see,” Misaki said as she continued to stare at Hana intently, as though she were trying to remember something. “I’m pretty sure that I’ve met you somewhere in my past life. I remember your face clearly.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Hana said encouragingly. “You helped me get out of my shell and become more confident in myself. We told each other a lot of things about one another.”

“I remember…” Misaki said as she continued to frown as she started to recollect the pieces together. “My mother. She didn’t like the way I played. Because I wouldn’t play the piano like she wanted to.”

“Yes, your mother was like that,” Hana said. “She didn’t recognize your talent. Though you still played the piano anyway, because you loved and cherished it.”

“I’m sure that it’s something like that,” Misaki said with a little more confidence, before saying, “Hana Yurizuka. Yes, I’m sure it’s coming to me now. I remember that you were a shy little thing that avoided eye contact with anyone. Though I was certain if you got more confidence in yourself, you would be the most beautiful flower that blossomed among the school.”

Hana blushed at this, but continued on. “Yes, I was that shy girl that came into the piano room that one day on our fateful encounter.”

“You were a very dear friend to me,” Misaki said as she smiled and began to look at Hana with an adoring gaze in her eyes. “Thank you for coming to see me, Hana. This is a strange place to be in, in the afterlife, but I feel comforted knowing that you’re here with me.”

“Yes,” Hana said. “And I wanted to tell you something…something very important.”

Misaki cocked her head to the side, before saying, “What is it that you wanted to tell me?”

“That I love you,” Hana said simply, and there seemed to be a glow towards her pallid complexion when she spoke around Misaki. “That you’re my first and only love. I would traverse several lifetimes with you, in this one and the others after that, and I’m sure that there will forever be an imprint of you on my heart. Misaki Hiraga, I love you with all my heart. And it’s all right if you don’t return my affections, because I know that I’ve loved and what it’s like to be in love. That’s a wonderful feeling I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.”

Misaki gave Hana a a beautiful smile right then, before she said very gently. “I love you too, Hana Yurizuka. The more I got to know you, the more that I talked with you, the more in love with you I’ve felt. I dedicated that piano piece to you to convey all the feelings that I’ve had towards you.”

“By the way,” Hana said as she gestured towards Kotone and Ayano. “These two are the ones that made it possible for me to see you again. Their names are Kotone Takada and Ayano Natsume. I’m grateful to them for all the help that they’ve given me.”

Misaki looked towards Kotone and Ayano, rising up and bowing towards them as she said, “Thank you so much, I’m in your debt for letting me see Hana again.”

“Don’t mention it,” Kotone said. “We just wanted Hana to be happy again and give her a second chance.”

Misaki and Hana then turned to look at one another with loving gazes, both of them leaning forward and about to kiss one another when

Rin cleared her throat and said, “Don’t you think it’s about time that you go on to reincarnate to your next lives?”

Misaki and Hana both looked startled, before the two girls laughed in sync with one another.

Hana then said, “I’m sure that I’ll see you again in the next lifetime, Misaki.”

“And I share the same sentiments,” Misaki said as she then turned towards Rin and bowed. “Very well. Show us to our next lives then.”

“Of course,” Rin said, before turning towards Kotone and Ayano. “I’m sure you’re happy with the way things turned out, yes? Remember your promise.”

Kotone nodded. “ I will. I keep my promises.”

“Good,” Rin said. “Make sure you uphold that statement. Now, it’s time for me to guide these two souls into the next life. It’s best that you return back to your own world.”

“We were just about ready to do that,” Ayano said as she already created a Portal that showed the wonderful familiarity of the normal life that Kotone used to live, before she got involved in the supernatural and the shinigami. “Right, Kotone-san?”

“Right,” Kotone said, and as they departed and waved their goodbyes to everyone, Kotone and Ayano stepped into the portal and were right in Ayano’s home, in her room. Once the portal closed, Kotone then felt her mind reel from the momentum of everything that just occurred.

“That was quite an adventure, wasn’t it?” Ayano stated as she began to make her way to the kitchen from her room. “Do you want a nice cup of calming tea? I find it a soothing beverage after a hard day of work.”

“Yes please,” Kotone said, and then Ayano made her way to the kitchen and made some tea and snacks for the two of them. Once Ayano returned, she set the tea and plates on a small table that was in the middle of Ayano’s room. Kotone took a steaming mug of tea and took a delicate sip of it. It was peppermint bark leaf tea, which wasn’t too bad, according to her taste.

“You’ve proved yourself worthy as my Catalyst,” Ayano stated as she took a delicate sip of tea herself from the other mug that she provided. “I look forward to working with you again in the future, Kotone-san.”

“No way,” Kotone said. “I’m not this Catalyst or person with great powers like you think that I am, Ayano.”

“In time you will acknowledge it,” Ayano said simply as she took another sip of tea. “Even after all this time working hard to reunite a ghost with her lover and prevent her from being sent to the void, you still insist that you’re not the Catalyst that I’ve been looking for. I’ve been searching all this time, you know, and my intuition is never wrong. You are the Catalyst that will bring about great change to the world.”

“Whatever,” Kotone said. “After all that’s happened, I just want a good long nap. No talk about the supernatural or this Catalyst nonsense. I just want to be left in peace.”

“The supernatural doesn’t spare you time,” Ayano said with a mysterious smile on her face. “And I have a feeling that there is another great trial that is in store for you, Kotone-san.”

“Hm? What did you say?”

“Nothing,” Ayano said with that same mysterious smile as she took another sip of her tea. “Nothing at all.”