Chapter 127

Chapter 127
Chapter Cover
Chapter 127
Name	Back In Time
Japanese	時間遡行
Rōmaji	Jikan sokō
Information
Volume	Volume 25
GFantasy Issue	Issue #7 (2025)
Release Date	June 17, 2025
Arc	Alteration Arc
Featuring Characters
Cover Character(s)	Aoi Akane
Chapter Navigation
Previous	⇦ Chapter 126
Next	Chapter 128 ⇨

Back In Time (時間遡行, Jikan sokō^?) is the one hundred and twenty-seventh chapter of Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun by AidaIro.

It features an iteration of Aoi Akane from an alternate New Present timeline approaching a despaired Yashiro Nene, and then giving her the means to fix the entire mess once and for all, which actually meant Nene going back into November 25, 1959, the Yugi Twins' Fourth Birthday.

Summary

Part 1: The Clock Keeper Of The Present And The Desperate Girl

The chapter begins where the previous left off, with Aoi Akane in his Clock Keeper form standing in front of Yashiro Nene. He asks her if she's alright, but just as Nene is about to respond, he berates her, asking her what she is doing in the past; he also suggest her to stop using the Sand Clock because, while it may seem capable of solving any problems its users may have, in reality, it's just a "piece of trash" that baits its users with the promise of going back in time, only to manipulate them so that it can warp the present to its own whims.

Upon hearing his words, Nene asks him what she should have done, as he had entrusted her with his Automaton Clock and the Clock Keepers' Yorishiro; as she begin to cry, she vents, claiming that she couldn't do anything right and listing the names of those who had fallen due to her failure - Minamoto Kou, Mitsuba Sousuke, Minamoto Teru and Akane Aoi - only to break down further. At this, Akane breaths a sigh and admits that he felt bad about that and felt that it was the only choice, but, since Nene isn't a Clock Keeper, it was too much of a task. He then tells her that he is sorry and reassures her that, despite everything that happened, her efforts weren't for nothing.

Hearing him say this, Nene looks up, tears still in her eyes, asking Akane what he means. Akane reveals that the time they are right now is the first day of the School Festival and recounts what will happen in his timeline:

• First, Kou and Mitsuba will go to the Red House, and that will not change.
• Next, Minamoto Teru will find out that Kou is in the Red House and both he and Akane will go there to.
• Akane tells Nene that a version of herself and Akane Aoi will already be at the Red House. Nene asks Akane why, and he answers that she and Aoi had conspired together to manipulate both Akane and Teru into leaving the Red House.
• This will result in the alternate Nene's sacrifice, as she and both Teru and Akane will trade places as the survivor of the Red House encounter.

Upon hearing this, Nene is obviously shocked that she had sacrificed herself in the Red House in that particular timeline and therefore asks Akane what he's talking about. The boy Akane explains that this future he just told her, the same that Nene is about to live out, is also the same future where he comes from, and that he's now about to fix the mess that was created, revealing himself to not be the same Akane that she knew in the New Present. While Nene remains speechless, Akane tells her that they have to go to the Big Clock in The Sealed Auditorium to undo the changes there.

Part 2: The Sacrifice of the Alternate Yashiro Nene

When inside the Big Clock, Nene tells Akane that they still haven't find out what had happened to cause the timeline to change into the New Present, but Akane corrects her, saying he does. He explains that, when she saved him from the Red House, she told him:

“	Akane-kun, I met grown-up Hanako-kun again. And now I'm sure, the change Kako-san made, was on Hanako-kun's Fourth Birthday. It had to be!	”
— Yashiro Nene's final words to Aoi Akane before sacrificing herself to the Red House.

Nene reflectes on her alternate-self's words, noting that she had mentioned "Hanako"'s fourth birthday. When she remembers that Aoi was there too, she quickly asks what had happened to her, to which Akane answers that she also didn't make it as well. After a moment of silence where both think about their loss, Akane announces that it's time to go to the past.

Part 3: The Plan to fix the New Present's Mess

Akane suddenly points at Nene and say that it's all gonna be her, which shocks Nene and prompts her to ask why. To that question, Akane explains that, even if they managed to change the world back to normal, if the incident at the School Festival happened again, then it would just be the start of another identical cycle yet again; in order to prevent that, Akane decided to have Nene jump back to a different time to stop the Clock Keepers while he will prevent the incident, which Nene concludes that it makes sense.

With that in mind, Akane tell Nene that her destination is the Red House, on November 25, 1959, the fourth birthday of the Yugi twins. In that time, either Kako or Mirai will make some interference that will cause the New Present to be formed, so, from there, she has to stop the both of them. If all that is done, then both Nene and Akane should be able to go back to the Present wherr they came from. Nene realizes that Akane is giving her another big task yet again, and she wonders if it's really possible for her to beat either Kako or Mirai due to their time manipulation powers, additionally remembering how they were all arrested and put on trial some time ago.

As Nene wonders what would happen if she fails, Akane notices her downcast look. He asks her if she's nervous, to which she answers affirmatively. She then admits that she's not sure if she can do it since, after all, she tried changing things countless times already. At first, Akane just stares at her, but then states that, knowing who she is, she will do just fine. Nene wonders what he meant by that, so Akane tells her:

“	I wouldn't have said this before, but I was really underestimating you. I thought you were lovesick and brainless, and never learned from your mistakes. I always wondered why Ao-chan would pick someone like you as her best friend. But...We've been through a lot now, and you are DEFINITELY lovesick and brainless. But I've learned that you're kind, and have the guts to be strong when it counts. That kindness is something I don't have. On Amane Yugi's Fourth Birthday...If anyone is going to tamper with Honorable No.7's past, I can't think of a better person for the job.	”
— An alternate Aoi Akane telling the New Present Yashiro Nene what he thinks of her in all the time he knew her. While he was talking to another variant of Nene, he was also talking about her original iteration's actions as well. Chapter 127.

Akane then teases Nene by telling her that she wants to see her "Dear No.7" again, which she admits it's true.

Part 4: Time Travel, but it's not the DeLorean or the TARDIS or whatever device Skynet or John Connor had

Akane quickly activates the Big Clock. Nene sees all its gears activating; she voices her surprise in seeing that it actually started moving, to which Akane responds that the Big Clock requires the Clock Keeper's power to be charged. He also confesses that the reason why he gave Nene his Automaton Clock and the Yorishiro was because he hoped that both Kako and Mirai would have been willing to help her even if he wasn't there personally, only to realize that they're more stubborn than he thought. With that, he apologies to Nene once again.

Akane initiates a countdown, which surprises Nene, as she still has a lot of questions to ask. At the count of "1", a clock symbol appears on the floor with Nene at the center and, soon enough, the clock begins to pull Nene away, making her float and ascend into it. As she is being pulled away, she tells Akane that she will see him in the old world again, the one where they will all be together. She then pulls out arm and clenches her hands into a fist, clearly wanting a fistbump from Akane. He looks on and eventually gives her a fistbump as well, recommending her to stay safe and wishing her the best of luck. He then takes out the Yorishiro, places it near his lips and departs.

As Nene approaches the Clock and is dropped where the Red House is, she reminisces to herself:

“	This time, I will stop the Clock Keepers for sure! I'll change our old world back to the way it was!	”
— Yashiro Nene's words of determination as she is transported to the location of the Red House.

She then ends up seemingly landing feet first in the grass.

Part 5: Year: Operation Stop the Clock Keepers begins!

Nene turns around and find the Red House looming in front of her. She mutters an "ow" because of the harsh landing, only to hear another voice letting out a much more painful grumble. Looking below her, she is shocked to realize she fell on top of a middle school boy, who bears a striking reseblance to either Amane or Tsukasa.

Events

• Akane tells Nene to stop using the Hourglass
• Akane tells Nene that her efforts weren't all for nothing
• He marks that they are on the first day of the School Festival
• He starts taking about an Altered New Present where another version of Nene died
• We see a flashforward of Nene and Akane Aoi's sacrifice at the Red House while Akane and Minamoto Teru survive
• Nene, confused of what Akane is saying, asks what he's talking about
• Akane tells Nene that he's talking about the future she was about to live out and says that together they are going to the Big Clock and fix the New Present
• Nene asks how they are going to be able to do that since they still don't know what Kako and Mirai changed
• Akane says that they do know, and tells Nene that she told him
• The change was made on Hanako/Yugi Amane and Yugi Tsukasa's 4th birthday
• Nene remembers what Yugi Amane said a few chapters ago
• She asks what happened to the Aoi of the Altered New Present
• Akane tells that she didn't make either
• He tells Nene that she's going alone in the past, shocking Nene
• Akane states that he has to jump back to a different time to prevent the School Festival Disaster from happening again and thus having to repeat that whole cycle
• He tells Nene that her destination is the Red House, on November 25, 1959; where Kako and Mirai are causing interference and she has to stop them to restore the Original Timeline
• Nene, confused on why he chose her, remembers the trial of the Clock Keepers
• Akane asks if she's nervous and she agrees
• Nene says that she doesn't know if she will be able to do it all on her own, since she's still traumatized by the recent events
• Akane tells Nene that she'll do fine, and starts saying that he wouldn't have said that before since he firstly thought she was lovesick, brainless and that she never learned from her mistakes
• But with all the things they've been through, he says that she's really lovesick and brainless, but he also says that she's kind and that she has the guts to be strong when it counts
• He says that on Hanako/Yugi Amane's 4th birtday, if anyone is going to tamper with his past, he can't think of a better person than Nene for the job
• Nene, dazed by Akane saying nice things to her, marks that it's weird
• Akane says that it's a pep talk and asks Nene if she wants to see "her dear No.7"
• Nene agrees
• Akane sends Nene to the past
• Nene is now at the Red House, on November 25, 1959
• As she realizes where she is, she notices surprised that she fell on younger boy, who's either a middle school Amane or Tsukasa.

Characters in order of appearance

Initial New Present Characters

• Yashiro Nene (Initial New Present)
• Aoi Akane (Initial New Present) (Flashback)
• Minamoto Kou (Initial New Present) (Mentioned)
• Mitsuba Sousuke (Initial New Present) (Mentioned)
• Minamoto Teru (Initial New Present) (Mentioned)
• Akane Aoi (Initial New Present) (Mentioned)
• Yugi Amane (Initial New Present) (Mentioned)

Altered New Present Characters

• Aoi Akane (Altered New Present) (Appears on Cover, Future Instance)
• Minamoto Kou (Altered New Present) (Flashforward)
• Mitsuba Sousuke (Altered New Present) (Flashforward)
• Minamoto Teru (Altered New Present) (Flashforward)
• Yashiro Nene (Altered New Present) (Flashforward)
• Akane Aoi (Altered New Present) (Flashforward)

Others

• Hanako (Mentioned And Flashback)
• Kako (Mentioned And Flashback)
• Mirai (Mentioned And Flashback)
• Nakahara (Flashback)
• Yashiro Nene (Original Timeline) (Flashback)
• Minamoto Teru (Original Timeline) (Flashback)
• Fuji Suzuto (Original Timeline) (Flashback)
• Akane Aoi (Original Timeline) (Flashback)
• Aoi Akane (Original Timeline) (Flashback)
• Yugi Amane (Star Festival) (Cameo)

Trivia

• Due to Aida-San's hospitalization on June 11, 2025, there was no Release Notice illustration that was made to announce the release, though Aida promises to publish it at a later time.
  • Due to this, Chapter 127 is the second chapter in the overall manga series to not have a Release Notice, the first being Chapter 57.

Aida-san's illustration that she made while hospitalized

• The New Present is revealed to have become somewhat fractured into multiple instances of itself thanks to Yashiro Nene's abuse of the Sand Clock' power, as the New Present timeline where the Clock Keeper Aoi Akane that appeared to Nene came from is actually different from the initial New Present, as in there, Yashiro Nene and Akane Aoi had sacrificed themselves to the Red House while pushing Akane and Minamoto Teru away instead of only Nene surviving the ordeal inside the Red House, as what had happened in the initial New Present.
  • With this tidbit, it is obvious that the branch from the Original Timeline that is the New Present was itself the source of further branches in the timeline. In short, it's possible that there is a multiverse in this series now.
  • Nene seems to believe this in the following chapter when she implied that the Altered New Present where the Akane who helped her came from, was created "by my countless failures" with the Sand Clock, thus seemingly confirming that it's indeed the case.
• Not including the Original Timeline variants of both Minamoto Kou and Mitsuba Sousuke speaking to their New Present selves (As they are either ghosts or figments of their memories), the Initial New Present Nene and the Altered New Present Aoi Akane's interaction marks the first time two characters from different timelines interact with one another.