Chapter 78

The Red House Part 3 (い の) is the seventy-eighth chapter of Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun by AidaIro.

Summary
Picking off from the last chapter, Kou is demanding that Tsukasa tell him what his wish is, too. He says that if what Tsukasa says is true, in that people who come to the Red House have a wish they want granted, then Tsukasa being here must mean that he also has a wish he wants granted.

A flashback to Tsukasa's past begins, where he's rummaging in the garden outside of the Red House. He's pulling cosmos out of the ground, and places them next to groups of other items he's collected. The other collected items are a toy car, the skeleton of a small mammal, cicada shells, bottlecaps, and roly-polies. He says they're all "Amane's favorite things."

Finding a stray cat, Tsukasa takes it and the rest of the stuff he gathered into the house. He walks in on his mother talking to a visiting doctor, and waits outside of the room with the cat while she talks to him.

The doctor says that despite her and her child's great efforts to try and improve her child's naturally weak circulatory system, there's nothing they can do for him with modern medicine. Tsukasa's mother interjects, and asks the doctor if he'll never get better. Tsukasa looks shocked at her question, and it cuts to a frame of Amane, sick in bed and wheezing. The doctor doesn't answer her question and says that she should make sure he doesn't exercise or play with his brother, but even then Amane might not have more than a month left.

Flash-forward to November 25th, 1959. An older man is taking a picture of Tsukasa and Amane, who is confirmed to be their father. Their mother gives them their presents, which are two near-identical teddy bears. She then asks if they're hungry, and confirms that she's prepared donuts.

At the dinner table, Amane and Tsukasa's mother and father congratulate them on their fourth birthday. The dining table is full of many foods, including a giant buttercream cake with four candles on it and plain home-made donuts.

After an eating montage, their mother comments that she is thankful, and she didn't know what was going to happen to Amane for a while there. Their father says that the doctor also called it a miracle.

They ask if Amane is completely healed, and Amane makes a show of pumping his arms and confirms that he doesn't feel any pain. He says that he can do so many things that he couldn't before, like going to the pool, playing in the garden, and going on adventures. He's asked where he wants to go, and Amane says he'd like to go to foreign countries and space. Tsukasa is eating a donut, and turns to stare at Amane.

Shouting his name, Tsukasa leaps from his chair and tackles Amane. From their tall chairs, they topple onto the ground, with Tsukasa falling on top of him. Their parents ask if they're okay, and Amane confirms they're fine. He asks Tsukasa what that was all about, and Tsukasa asks him if he feels better. Amane once again confirms that he's feeling better.

Clinging to Amane's shirt, Tsukasa asks Amane if he loves him. Amane silently stares back for a moment, before beginning to pet Tsukasa's head. He then pulls Tsukasa's cheeks, and laughs as Tsukasa makes a wry face. Still laughing, he answers Tsukasa:

"Isn't that obvious!?"

Tsukasa, cheeks squeezed, reflects on his words. After a moment, he breaks out into a big smile and says, "I see!"

Their father chides them for rough-housing during their meal, and leads them away. As they leave, a door of the house creaks open, and Tsukasa hears a voice calling out to him. "Tsuuukasa-kun."

Tsukasa leaves to follow the voice, doors creaking open for him and leading him further into the house. He arrives in a room full of toys with a deep hole in the center, which is where the voice calling him is coming from. Once he's in the room, it tells Tsukasa that it has granted his wish, and asks him if he remembers their promise. Tsukasa confirms, and it tells him to offer a sacrifice of equivalent exchange.

Since Amane has gotten better, Tsukasa accepts. As he dangles his legs over the edge of the hole, Amane's voice can be heard calling through the hallways. He asks where Tsukasa has gone, and if he's playing hide-and-seek. Tsukasa smiles, and going unheard, he says goodbye to Amane.

Amane enters the toy-filled room, and finds neither Tsukasa nor the hole inside of it.

Coming back to the present, Kou looks confused, and Tsukasa begins to speak again. He tells Kou that his wish has already been granted, and that's why he can't leave this house anymore.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Minamoto Kou
 * Yugi Tsukasa (small)
 * Yugi's Mother
 * Unnamed Doctor
 * Yugi Amane (small)
 * Yugi's Father

Events

 * Amane and Tsukasa turned four years old.
 * On the twin's birthday, Tsukasa willingly fell into a hole as a sacrifice to strengthen Amane's weak body.