When Shindou opened his eyes, he saw the worried faces of his mother and father, who were bent over him. When they gained eye contact, his father heaved a relieved sigh and his mother burst into tears. Before Shindou could grasp the situation, he was pulled in a bone-crushing hug.

"We thought we lost you," she sobbed in his ear and he felt how his cheeks became wet from her tears. When she pulled back, she looked sternly at him, tears still running down her cheeks. "Don't ever do that again, you hear? It's much too dangerous in the Misty Woods!" And with that she pulled him back against her chest.

"You've been gone for an entire day," is father said once his mother had let go of him. "What happened in there?"

Shindou thought about what he should tell. If he said that Tenma, Shinsuke and he followed Tsurugi into the forest, those three might get into even more trouble. Throughout the years, they had always stood up for each other again and again and he didn't want them to be blamed. That's why he decided to tell from the moment those strange things occurred in the forest. "Well, we heard drumming and a laugh and all kinds of strange sounds," he started. "And then we started running, but I hurt my ankle and couldn't go on. After that..." he hesitated. Should he tell his parents about his meeting with Kiriyoshi? It wouldn't be good if rumors started spreading, neither for himself nor for his parents and their shop. On the other hand, they were his parents and he didn't like to lie to them. After casting one look on his mother's tear-stained face, he made a decision. "I don't know," he mumbled, unable to look his parents in the eye. "At some point I passed out and I woke up here."

His parents exhaled in sync, showing how relieved they were to hear that their son hadn't encountered the frightful sorcerer. It made Shindou feel even more guilty, but he kept his composure. It was better if they thought that nothing was wrong. And if Kiriyoshi indeed did something to him when he was unconscious, well... he just hoped that he could handle it.

His parents had treated his ankle - the cloth that Kiriyoshi had wrapped around it had vanished - and concluded that it wasn't broken. It was severely twisted and they didn't allow their son to leave the bed for one week, even though Shindou said he felt alright. His friends weren't allowed to see him, that was his parents' punishment. Shindou knew it was only a light punishment, considering how much he made them worry, but during his isolation, he wished that he could at least talk to someone for a while. Keeping his secret meeting a secret proved to be harder every minute and he wished he could tell someone, so that he wouldn't have to carry it all by himself.

After a week, his parents agreed to let him help out in the shop again, but only gave him light tasks to do. He saw his friends again - which immediately delayed his work since they kept on asking questions about what happened and apologizing for leaving him there. When he caught a disapproving glance from his father, Shindou hurriedly told the others that they could talk after the work of today was done. They played soccer together almost every day when they were done, and they could talk then.

His parents explicitly told Shindou to do the things at his own pace, for he shouldn't strain his injured ankle. But because he did everything much slower than usual, he had more time to think. He didn't exactly know why, but he had the feeling that there was something off about what happened in the enchanted forest. Something... something...

"-dou-kun? Shindou-kun!" With a jerk his thoughts came back to reality and he bowed apologetically towards the customer he was helping.

"Gomenasai, Kino-san, I spaced out."

Kino Aki, owner of the only inn in Raimon, smiled kindly at him. "I said I wanted to buy some flower. Here, you can put it in this," she said while handing him a leather pouch that was a little bigger than his hand. It was also possible to eat in Aki's restaurant, which is why she needed a lot of ingredients. Once a month, Shindou's father traveled with a pushcart to a bigger town that was about a day away to buy some things at the market. Aki wasn't married and couldn't afford to close her inn for two entire days, so she gave Shindou's father some money to buy some things for her.

"It's quite unusual to see you get your orders yourself, Kino-san," Shindou smiled friendly as he scooped some flower into the pouch and tied it. He placed the full pouch on the left scale of a balance and filled the right scale with iron cones that were as big as his middle finger. The scales were even after he had placed the sixth cone on the right one and he closed his eyes for a second to think. Six cones equalled twenty-four copper coins.

"I sent Tenma this morning, but he forgot it," Aki smiled as she handed over the money. "He is such a scatter-brain. But more importantly, how are you doing, Shindou-kun?"

"I'm fine," Shindou replied, immediately feeling the lump in his throat return. That happened every time he thought of Kiriyoshi and the secret that he still hadn't told anyone. "My leg doesn't hurt as much as before, but I still can't walk properly."

"That's great to hear," Aki sighed as she took the pouch from him. "We were all so worried about you when you didn't come back. I'm relieved that you're fine."

The lump grew bigger. "Thank you," he brought out as the woman left the shop. He sighed and hobbled towards the broom. That was an easy task that would allow him to think a little. As he sweeped the broom over the floor, he replayed the encounter in his mind.

He had done that many times over the past week, but it still didn't make sense. He was certain that he heard Kiriyoshi speak to him when he was unconscious. "Don't come back, that's the best for both of us." That was what Kiriyoshi had said, there was no mistaking it. But why was it better for the sorcerer that he, Shindou, didn't go back into the forest? Was Kiriyoshi afraid that Shindou would interrupt a ritual if he went back? But the Misty Woods were so great, the chances that he would do that were nihil. But what else could it be?

Apart from that, his return was a little fishy as well. When he woke up in his own room last week, he couldn't be more relieved, just like the people around him. But after he had thought it through, it was a little strange. Every day since his return, he checked his body to see if he didn't grow a tail or cat ears or a beak or something strange like that, but nothing happened. He didn't feel sick either and apart from his ankle, he was perfectly fine. If Kiriyoshi had cursed him, why hadn't it taken effect yet? And if Kiriyoshi hadn't cursed him, then what had happened? Why would an evil sorcerer take Shindou in, treat his injured ankle and then let him get back without doing something... evil to him? It just didn't make sense!

Maybe he was rescued? Maybe someone found him and got him out of there before Kiriyoshi noticed. But who in their right mind would endanger himself by randomly strolling through the haunted woods? And how would such a person even find the cottage? Wouldn't Kiriyoshi have noticed if someone came into the woods? Besides, if someone had rescued him, that person would've stayed around and asked for a reward of some kind.

So the option of an anonymous hero was practically ruled out, and neither did he believe that he had crawled out of there by himself. He remembered being tied to the bed he had been laying on and until a few days ago, he could barely move his right foot. Getting loose and outrunning a mighty sorcerer had definitely been impossible in his state.

That left only one option, but that was almost too absurd to think about. Maybe... maybe Kiriyoshi had only treated his ankle and then brought him back? Shindou shook his head. Kiriyoshi was the sole embodiment of evil. All the stories said so. Besides, he could use magic. That were the most frightening people on earth: the ones with enough power to bestow evil upon the people around them. With a slight feeling of nausea, Shindou remembered a rather detailed description of what Kiriyoshi had done to the king hundreds of years ago. There was no way that such a cruel sorcerer would do something just for Shindou's sake.

Still, it seemed like the only possible explanation. Or was he still missing something? His head began to throb slightly. Then he was startled by a hand that suddenly pulled the broom out of his hands. He gave a puzzled look to the owner of the hand - who turned out to be his gently smiling mother. "I think this spot is clean now, Takuto," she laughed as she ruffled his hair in a motherly way. A slight blush covered Shindou's cheeks when he realized he had been sweeping the same place for the past ten minutes. "I think your father and I can handle it from here on, so go to your friends."

"Are you sure?" he asked as she took the broom from his hands. After she nodded, he went to the back and changed into some older clothes. It was a waste to dirty his neat clothes while playing, after all. He took his ball and went to the field just outside the village. It was a big field where people from Raimon stalled their cattle. During winter, the cattle stayed in the stables and the field was used by children to play. However, even in summer there was more than enough room for the youngsters to play their favourite game: soccer. Since everyone had to help their families, they often played on irregular times, but that didn't matter to them.

When he arrived at the field, he saw that no one was there yet. That wasn't so strange, for he was rather early. He sat down in the grass and enjoyed the afternoon sun for a while. But soon, his mind drifted back to Kiriyoshi. He cast a look at the dark trees and the white swirls of mist that drifted between them. Was Kiriyoshi there? Was he looking at Shindou? Keeping an eye on him? He suppressed a shiver and forced himself to think of nicer things. The scent of freshly baked bread, his parents, his friends, soccer...

It didn't work. No matter what he thought about, there was always one thing or another that led him back to the evil sorcerer. Why is that? he thought. Don't tell me... did he curse me after all? Does he need something from me and is that why he keeps haunting my thoughts? Shindou shook his head wildly. Now he was really getting paranoid. How would such a curse help Kiriyoshi? And furthermore, there was nothing that Shindou could give him. Nothing that the sorcerer couldn't acquire by himself, at least.

"Captain!" tho voices yelled in sync, startling Shindou from his thoughts. He turned around and saw Tenma, Shinsuke and Hikaru running towards him, Sangoku and Tsurugi following behind at a slower pace.

"Hello everybody," he smiled.

"Shindou, how are you doing now? Are you really going to play already?" Sangoku asked after casting a look at Shindou's bandaged ankle.

Shindou smiled in return and shook his head. "I don't think that's a wise thing to do, so I'm just here to watch. But I'm glad my parents finally let me out."

"You shouldn't complain, Shindou-san," Tsurugi said. "You were only grounded for one week, I have to wait another week before my parents allow me to go out again. Today's an exception, since they figured I wanted to make sure you're okay."

"So you used me as an excuse to buy your own freedom?" Shindou said indignantly, though the big smile on his face told everyone that he wasn't offended at all. Oh, how he had missed these familiar, friendly arguments and talks with his friends.

Graduately, more and more boys and girls entered the field as their parents dismissed them from their daily jobs. After listening to Shindou's story for a while, they took a ball - about five or six people had brought one with them - and started playing. Shindou sat back and watched them. Soon, however, his eyes drifted from his friends to the ominous forest that was only one hundred and fifty metres away.

Usually, as soon as one adult went to the field to call their children to the dinnertable, most of the other children called it a day as well. Besides, since Raimon was such a small village and most adults worked together, dinner was pretty much served at the same time at every house.

So as the youngsters started going back to their respective houses, Shindou called his three closest friends - Tenma, Shinsuke and Tsurugi - over. "Can you wait a little longer? I've got something really important to tell you."

Yes, he had made a decision when he watched his friends play. He knew he should keep it to himself, but he was afraid that he would explode if he didn't tell anyone. And what better choices than his friends?

"Well, you see, my father's not gonna be happy if I'm late for dinner... I'm still grounded, you know..." Tsurugi spoke hesitantly as he glanced at the backs of his retrieving peers.

"It's important," Shindou insisted.

For a second it seemed like Tsurugi was going to leave, but then he sighed and sat down opposite his senior. "It better be." Tenma and Shinsuke sat down at his sides and the three boys looked at Shindou in expectation.

"A-about, you know... what happened last week," the brunette started unsurely. "Wait, first you have to promise that you'll tell no one about this. And I mean absolutely no one, okay?" Tsurugi remained collected, while the other two eagerly nodded. It was still obvious to Shindou that they were all getting curious as to what he was going to say. He cleared his throat. "Well, as I was going to say. When I was in the Misty Woods... s-something happened..."

"Something?" Tenma inquired, tilting his head slightly.

Shindou nodded and avoided looking them in the eye. "Actually... I-I met someone in there."

Me: I hope you enjoyed le quatrième chapitre du Socier dans les bois, mon amis! (Holy crap, I haven't written or spoken French in years, but I believe that was actually understandable. If anyone's French, please tell me! :D) The original chapter became really, really long, so I split it in half. That means that the next chapter is almost done, so I'll probably post it in a few days. After that, I promise to work on my other stories (the ones that I haven't updated in a long, long time have the biggest priority, of course!).

Shindou: Don't forget to ask about the movie, Att-chan.

Me: That's right. Did. Anyone. Else. Watch. The latest Inazuma Eleven movie (Choujigen Dream Match) and fangirl during the entire match? If so, HIGH FIVE, SISTAH!

Kirino: *appears in a puff of smoke* Reviews are very much appreciated. *disappears again*

Me: *looking like I got a heart attack* Why did I ever teach him that trick?!