"Dorurumon! Shoutmon! Cutemon! ...please someone answer me…" He had been out searching with Wizardmon for most of the evening, but all their searching had turned up empty.
"It's getting late, we should head back. We can search more tomorrow mornin'." Wizardmon gently grabbed Taiki's shoulder and steered him back towards the cave.
"I can't believe I got lost again."
"Again? This happened before?" Wizardmon released his hold on the brunette's shoulder, in favor of hearing him out.
"Unfortunately. There is another human... who, well... separated me from my friends. We've been a bit at odds with each other. Just before I found your cave, I met up with him and retrieved a couple of my friends, but I lost sight of them while we were heading back to my camp."
"This other human... is he your enemy?"
"Yes...and no." Taiki looked away and couldn't help but blush as he thought of Kiriha. The blonde was aggravating and hard to understand but he wasn't a bad person, maybe. The elder Digimon watched him in interest.
"Your reaction puzzles me. Are you unsure of your standings with 'im?
"Standings...? Maybe... but more like... I'm unsure of his motives. One second, he's taunting me and messing with my feelings... and the next, he's so gentle... and kind... and a little sad."
"Hm... sounds to me like he's tryin' to gain yer affection."
"Affection?" As he repeated the word, his voice rose an octave, almost sounding like a squeak; immediately, Taiki's face exploded into a tomato red and he looked away embarrassed. 'Did I just do that!?'
Unable to hold back, Wizardmon exploded in laughter. Taiki fidgeted nervously and continued to stare intently at the ground. It took Wizardmon a couple of minutes to mellow down and all the laughing set him off into a coughing attack.
"Wizardmon! Are you okay?" The brunette stepped back to rub the Digimon's back, hoping to ease the coughing fit.
"I haven't laughed in a while now. Taiki, you are a very entertaining boy, I can see why this other human likes you so much." Taiki was left speechless. He didn't think he could get any redder. The conversation about finding his friends had escalated in the most unexpected direction. "But I must ask... how do you feel about your fellow human?"
Another pin pointing question; Taiki scratched his arm nervously and fumbled for words to say. "W-well... he used to be a jerk... but now he's a little kinder..."
"That doesn't explain how you feel."
"Um..." Taiki could swear it was over 100`F outside; he was breaking out in a cold-sweat and he felt his gut tightening. "I think I...li...lik...like him." His words came out jumbled and sluggish, causing the elder Digimon to worry.
"Are you feeling okay?" Wizardmon asked. Taiki began to sway unsteadily and he teetered on his feet, feeling light headed. "Oi' Taiki..." Falling forwards, Taiki collapsed on the ground. "TAIKI!"
