Chapter 7

The Misaki Stairs Part 4 (ミサキ　の) is the seventh chapter of Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun by AidaIro.

Summary
Nene introduces herself and the plot so far, up until the point where Hanako pushed her off the edge.

She wakes up to find herself lying on the ground between a small shrine and a torii gate beside a stone staircase. The Mokke, who had been laying flowers around her, scatter at her awakening. Nene realises that she had turned into a fish while falling and landed here. Guessing that this is the deepest part, Nene hurries to search for the yorishiro, but trips over a desk near the torii gate. The desk falls over and its drawer opens, causing papers to scatter all over the staircase, including a book labelled "Secret" and "Do Not Read".

Finding it clearly suspicious, Nene opens it anyway to find a poorly-written entry about scaring students, with corrections and comments from the teacher, signed Misaki. The next page Nene picks up says that Misaki cut the writer's hair. Nene then finds an old photograph of a man she guesses to be "Misaki-sensei", surrounded by children as well as a fox statue on a pedestal, in front of a shrine similar to where she'd woken up. The accompanying entry has much better writing, and describes taking a photo with Misaki and the other children.

In the next entry, the writer has received the scissors used to cut her hair from Misaki, and says that she will place it in the shrine and treasure it. However, a later entry says that the writer made dolls since Misaki didn't come today, without any comments from Misaki below. After more entries about Misaki's continued absence, the writer then talks about a rumour that a teacher died from falling down the stairs in an accident, and wonders what death is like, deciding to ask Misaki the next time they meet. It's followed by many blank pages, and finally an entry: since Misaki may not come anymore, the speaker decides to create Misaki.

At this moment, Yako descends the stairs behind Nene, wielding the scissors. Yako confirms that she wrote those entries, and that she had merely borrowed Misaki's name to assemble his body. Nene is rendered immobile by the small dolls, and says that Misaki wouldn't be happy with what Yako has done. Yako appears to laugh, but then ferociously kicks Nene, replying that she's well aware that Misaki would scold her if he knew. Even so, she wants to get scolded by Misaki again, and will do anything for that sake.

Nene calls for Hanako's help as Yako attacks with the scissors, and a hakujoudai suddenly knocks the scissors aside. The other hakujoudai then floats out of Nene's dress pocket and towards Hanako as he appears. However, he looks badly worn and collapses as Nene runs over. Hanako says that he might die, but dismisses it as a joke before whispering to Nene. He tells her that the yorishiro should be something of utmost value to Yako, and that Nene only needs to peel away the seal on it.

Yako interrupts and attacks again, but Hanako halts the scissors and binds Yako with rope while Nene runs towards the shrine. Yako tries to stop Nene with the dolls, as she cannot build Misaki without the yorishiro, and says that she's always been doing this for Misaki's sake. However, Nene likens Yako to her previous self, pointing out that Yako is really doing this for her own sake rather than Misaki's. Nene then steps and jumps over the dolls (to Hanako and Yako's shock). The rope around Yako loosens, as Nene pulls the seal off the yorishiro: the scissors from Misaki, which had been kept in the shrine. Hanako is now able to use his cape, and appears in front of Nene before Yako can attack. Hanako stabs Yako with his knife, removing her seat in the Seven Mysteries as the scissors and surrounding scenery crumble away.

Nene then sees Yako's memory from taking the group photo with Misaki and the other children at the shrine. Misaki tells everyone to smile, then includes the fox statue by the torii gate as well, whose spirit is revealed to be a much younger Yako.

Nene then wakes up to find herself back in the school. Hanako shows her that Kou has turned completely into a small doll, then picks Yako up in the form of a small fox – an Inari fox statue, the true identity of the Misaki Stairs. Yako refuses to apologise (despite Hanako threatening to turn her into kitsune udon), but tells Nene that Aoi and the rest will be back to normal by the morning, now that she has lost most of her powers. Nene then gives Yako the photograph, saying that she has not forgiven Yako for what she did, but apologises for destroying something important to Yako as well. However, Yako bites Nene's hand when she touches her, and finally tells them her name before running away.

Exhausted, Nene stumbles into a wall. Hanako kisses her on the cheek, saying that it's a reward and a good luck charm to cheer her up.

In the ensuing ruckus, the black origami swan flies out of Nene's pocket and back to Natsuhiko, who returns with it to Sakura. Sakura hits Natsuhiko with a book for being noisy, then welcomes the swan back as it morphs into a kokujoudai. Sakura says that she's glad that things went well.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Yashiro Nene
 * Akane Aoi (cameo)
 * Nagisa (cameo)
 * Hanako
 * Minamoto Kou
 * Yako
 * Mokke
 * Misaki
 * Hyuuga Natsuhiko
 * Nanamine Sakura