The whisper

,,Hey, is everything okay?,,  unexpectedly, just from nowhere, a quiet, melodic voice filled the bathroom, and Yuuko, who was wiping her tears in one of the stalls all this time since morning, get quite scared. If she remembered right, since she ran out here today, noone has stepped into the girls'bathroom, except herself. 

,,He...hello? Is...anyone out here?,, she squeezed out the question through her lips, her voice shivering with fear. However, after she didn't get any answer for many minutes, she managed to calm down a bit. ,,Well then....I just imagined....,, she muttered to herself, then with a careful move, she slightly opened the stall's door, and peeked out to the bathroom corridor. The bathroom looked actually empty, only the sound of dripping water could be heard from the sinks, and the spring sunshine came through the window. 

Seeing all of this, Yuuko felt that she actually should get herself together, so with shaky legs, she went to one of the sinks to wash her face a little. However, she suddenly noticed something. The door of the third stall was slightly ajar, even if she was sure that it was close, when she came in. The uneasy feeling came back to her again, as she opened the sink, but she tried to not to think too much into it. It was probably just the wind....and not something, wich could actually hurt her. Like those monsters in that manga from last night.....

But when Yuuko turned to look for some clean towel to wipe her face, she saw something, or more likely someone, wich could make her scream loud in that very moment...a boy. Not so far from her, at the corner of the bathroom, a boy stood, not so much older, or taller than Yuuko. He wore an extremely old looking, black gakuran uniform, wich was the same color, as his short, messy hair. His face and neck were covered with several plasters and bandages, like if he had gone through many fights, but this wasn't the only disturbing thing in his presence. His skin was horrifyingly pale, almost flat white, but more likely....transparent..? And if he wouldn't actually stand, but levitating instead.....Yet despite all of this strange things, his brown, amberish eyes were radiating some kind of kindness, and confidence. 

,,Who...who..who are you....?,, stammered Yuuko as she tried to stay calm, yet she felt, that her whole body is shaking, and her heart is pounding so fast, if she was in a race. ,,You....you were the one, who spoke to me...? And more importantly.....what the hell are doing here, anyway??!! This is the girls' bathroom, if you didn't notice!! You....,, Yuuko's face was now not only scared, but deep red, as she shouted, yet the boy just continued the eerie smiling, and Yuuko could swear, that he even giggled a little! 

,,Ah, yeah....sorry for scaring you that badly earlier...!,, the boy finally spoke, his voice was the same melodic and high pitched as the whisper before.  Then, he gently bent before Yuuko as a way to say sorry, and  lifted his right hand towards the girl. ,,And I even didn't introduced myself properly, how messed up.....I'm Hanako. Better known as ,,Hanako-san of the Toilet.,, Yuuko was still a bit shocked, yet she carefully shook the lifted up hand wich was cold as ice. However, when she heard the name, her eyes immediately widened. ,, Wait...are you saying that you're that Hanako-san??!! That..that....g....ghost....?,, Yuuko gulped one, and immediately tried to hide away behind that small towel, wich she used to wipe her face. The boy slowly nodded. 

,,But...this makes no sense!,, Yuuko mumbled from behind the towel, as she carefully started to observe Hanako. ,,From what I heard, and read on Yokaipedia, you're supposed to be a girl who's wearing a red skirt, and has a bobcut hair....but you're obviously not. Do you have any explanation for this...?,, But to her greatest surprise, Hanako stayed silent, bent down his head, and slowly took his hands into his pockets. His gaze turned into some mix of anger, and sadness, and Yuuko could see that little teardrop, wich flowed down on his plastered face. ,,Why....?,, he eventually groaned with a dry, and strained voice, as he was clearly tried to hold back crying. ,,Do you have some kind of problem with it....?,, 

,,No....not at all.....!,, seeing his reaction, Yuuko slowly let down the towel, and her heart immediately shank. She also wanted to point out the thing with his name, but she felt that it wouldn't be a good idea. Hanako looked truly upset. ,,Sorry, I didn't meant to make you cry! And I think a boy Hanako-san is actually really cool, either!,, ,,I didn't cried!,, Hanako gritted his teeth, and quickly wiped his eyes. ,,Crying is for the girls...!,, he grimaced, and stretched a tongue. ,,But....thanks for thinking this.,, 

,,You're welcome!,, Yuuko finally smiled. ,,But can you at least tell me, how did you find me? As I remember, I didn't summon you....you know, knocking on the third stall ,,knock, knock, knock,, and ask, ,,Are you there?,,.....,, ,,Oh, that?,, Hanako grinned, and sat down to the edge of the sinks then stared out on the window. ,,This bathroom is my home, wich means that I'm always here! And when you ran in here this morning, you made a terrible noise by crying for half an hour.....so I just wanted to ask what's the matter, and see, if I can help......you're name is Yuuko, right?,, he pointed to the name tag on Yuuko's sailor uniform. 

,,Oh, yes!,, Yuuko blushed, and nervously lifted up her hands. ,,And sorry for rushing here just like that.... but you know....as you can see....I'm a kitsune!,, she gently swung one with her fluffy tail, and cutely shook her big fox ears. ,,I just moved here, Tokyo a few weeks ago, with my family, and started to go to school here....but the city people are so different....almost every kid in this school looks at me weirdly, or scared of me and they bully me for being.....you know, for being shy....and can't speak in front of others....!,, Yuuko bent down her ears, and nervously started to playing with her tail. ,,Especially that one boy, Yosuke...! He's said to be an exorcist, and he treats me like a total pile of garbage, ever since my first day....last day, he even tried to hit me....and today, I just couldn't take it anymore, so I came here, and cried....!,, 

,,Well, then he's the biggest jerk on earth I guess!,, hearing Yuuko's words, Hanako slowly touched her shoulder, and looked into her blue eyes, wich made Yuuko tremble, and strangely sweat. ,,You're really pretty, Yuuko, and that guy deserves a good beat up for treating you like this!,, he smiled at her with a kind face, then he gently took her hands. And for the first time in her life, Yuuko actually blushed, and not because she was nervous, or hurt. But because this was her very first time, when a boy called her actually beautiful. 

And for moments, they just stood there, in the empty bathroom, hand in hand, under the sunlight. Yet after some minutes....

,,OH MY GOD, MY CLASS!!!,, Yuuko suddenly screamed up, when she heard the faraway ring of the school bell. ,,My first class, I can't believe it....I missed it because of the crying....!,, she quickly let Hanako's hand, with a dark red face, then she clumsily took on her schoolbag from the corner of the stall, where she hid this morning, and rushed to the door. ,,I'm really sorry, Hanako-san....!,, she panted, while looking back to Hanako. ,,...but I think I need to go now....I don't want to get any more trouble, but.....I hope we can meet again sometime....!,, 

,,We definietly can!,, Hanako winked at her, as he slowly floated back to his rumoured stall, and slowly closed the door, and disappeared inside. ,,See you, Yuuko!,, 

,,See you too....Hanako-kun....! murmured Yuuko as she left the bathroom, yet it was only almost heard by herself. With a slight smile, she rushed through the corridor, and even though, she was sure that she'll be punished, she felt herself strangely happy. Ever since her moving to Tokyo, and the bullying of Yosuke, there was something good happening to her: she made a friend. Even if this friend was a ghost boy.