Did you just relay it to him -

You wanted him to hear you, didn't you?

I didn't think you could do that with norm- whatever. Where is he?

And - finding the adjacent classrooms as lively as they should be - he charges out of the school building after his wayward classmate. He should have twigged that it was a witch sooner, people don't just walk out of class and have the teacher treat it like that isn't happening. But he can't have gone far, and Haru can run now.

The bridge is very pretty. It'll be a good last sight. Did he have a good last meal? He doesn't really remember what he ate, actually, but he supposes it doesn't matter. He's never been a big fan of food, but he's an aesthete, he likes pretty things, and the bridge is pretty.

A golden vision apprehends him by the collar. "Not today, pal. Your mood disorder has an appointment with my sharp objects." Bowstring bowstring and he has to tie Yutaka to the bridge in such a way that he can't hang himself and it might take a few of these actually.

"Gold."

"Yeah, it's very shiny." Knots knots knots he needs to look up how to do proper knots but it's not like he needs to untie these, he can just un-exist the string later. "You're not allowed to commit suicide for the next, oh, half an hour, if you're still really into it after that I guess I won't stop you though I hear there are all kinds of steps you can try first."

"...okay."

He's prettier than the bridge. It's a much better last sight. Shiny...

Haru tugs on the knots to make sure Yutaka isn't going anywhere and then with a hand gesture turns his glove-ornament into an egg-shaped bauble, which he waves around till he gets a result he likes, and then he's running that way.

Oh... The pretty thing is gone.

And now he's alone.

Just like he's always been. And always will be.

About twenty minutes later -

- the mood lifts -

- and the strings vanish.

Blink.

Blink blink.

Blink blink blink.

"What the fuck," he says, quietly, to himself, looking around.

He is by himself on this here bridge. School's over there. An indigo figure is roofhopping away; the golden figure, just barely visible, is waving in its direction.

Golden figure his ass? That was Swan Masaharu????? What the fuck?????????

Also why did he almost kill himself what the fuck?????????????????????????????????

ROOFHOPPING WHAT THE FUCK?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

The golden figure Swan Masaharu hops down off the school roof and goes into the school.

WAIT HOLD ON WHAT THE FUCK

He starts sprinting back that way.

By the time he gets back into class, Swan Masaharu is there, sitting in his seat, wearing his school uniform and his wrist brace like nothing ever happened.

The teacher seems inclined to believe that Yutaka just went to the bathroom or something.

He walks robotically to his seat.

He takes his seat.

He leans forward and whispers, "Hey, what the actual fuck."

Not out loud. But this relays through a magical critter so don't say anything super private.

He has to physically tense his muscles not to jump away and shriek.

WHAT THE FUCK HOW ARE YOU IN MY HEAD

I'm not reading your mind, there's a magical creature called Kyubey who can relay telepathic messages and is very generous about doing this. If you don't like telepathy we can talk after school.

(The teacher realizes that the quizzes are duplicates of the one from last week and collects them and moves on with the next lesson.)

Kyūbey? Not Kyūbi?

Wow, holy shit, Iwasaki, out of all the questions to ask first.

It introduced itself by wordless telepathy, perhaps it will sound different to you if it tells you its name directly.

Okay. Okay. Alright. Magical critter. Sure. And telepathy, alright. That may as well happen.

Why how who what huh?

Wow hahahaha he's perhaps still freaking out a bit about how he almost killed himself ten minutes ago? Thinking about it? He maybe just had a near-death experience? A near-suicide experience? That's probably why he's feeling an adrenaline crash oncoming?