Hello there! Have you been well? I'm so sorry for a late update, but today I was visiting my relatives (the distance between us is about 200 kilometers) so that's why I had no time to write. When I got home I sat down and wrote this... I know it's short and not so good, but... Geez, I'm sorry! Wow, so exhausted!

Well, enough of this chatting and let's get started!

Chapter 6: Hide and seek

Black rabbit's P.O.V.

He was rapidly breathing, just like he was scared of something. Covering his mouth and looking extremely pale he started crying and saying „Stop it" again and again.

What was happening? What should I do?! How can I help him?! I was just screaming his name and begging that he would calm down and listen to us.

„Izayoi-san! Please, calm down! What's wrong?!" I tried to speak with him. But it was futile, the boy just cried and plead and looked so terrified. What was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to comfort him!

„Izayoi-kun! Get hold of yourself!" Asuka-san was desperately shaking with him, helplessness seen in her eyes.

„Izayoi! Can you hear us?! Everything is alright, calm down!" This concerned voice belonged to Yo-san. She was clearly startled by the sight at a the teen in such a shape.

That strong, undefeatable and cheeky boy who never showed any sign of weakness was now trembling, whining and panting. That blond was looking so vulnerable and scared that it torn my heart apart.

Izayoi-san stood up all of sudden and staggered toward a wall.

„Izayoi-san!" Jin screamed as he saw what the boy intended to do.

„Wait! Izayoi-san" but it was too late. The teen has already jumped down from a window and disappeared somewhere in forest.

Under normal circumstances I wouldn't be worried about him jumping from a third floor but now it was different. That boy was wavering, he was as pale as sheet and looked near to fainting.

„I'm going after him!" I declared and ran after him.

Asuka's P.O.V.

Sakamaki Izayoi, for god's sake, what's wrong with you?! Making us so, so worried and anxious and then running away! Into deep forest! And not to say that it is already dark!

This was the only thing in my mind. I couldn't help it and constantly cursed. In his present condition it was too dangerous to be wandering around this wild place. Do you want to kill yourself?!

I was running together with Yo-san, hoping that we would catch up with Izayoi-kun. Black rabbit got ahead thanks to her super speed, but that didn't mean that finding that boy would be easier. It was pitch dark and impossible to see further than two meters around myself even with two lamps.

„Where could he go?" Yo-san questioned.

„I'd like to know that too" I admitted. This was the first time I didn't know what to do... Yeah, I knew that I had to find that stupid pervert but how? Where? It was easier said than done.

„We should split up" I suggested. Wow, it's just like today at festival. That time we just wanted to have fun and told Black rabbit that we would go and find him, but actually didn't. But this time I was serious.

„But isn't it dangerous?" it seemed like she was afraid. „Will you be alright alone?"

„I'll be careful" I assured her and then headed in a different way. „And you too. I don't want to have two friends missing"

„Neither do I" she smiled. „Good luck" and started looking for that idiot. I was still standing there and thinking... where?!

"Geez, Izayoi-kun!" I cursed, this was at least the twentieth time I did it.

Running to a unknown place, I searched around me and called his name. But the only thing I heard was the reverberation of my own voice. He was nowhere to find, it was like he disappeared from the face of the earth, but that was a nonsense. I just had to look for him more, I was sure that this guy would be able to hide even in the tiniest slot.

Sight... What could have happened? He was just fine back then and suddenly? He turned into a frightened child, he actually cried and whined. I was so shocked that I even forgot to breath and just stared at him. What made him like that? I still couldn't comprehend what happened but decided to think about it later and focus on my present purpose.

Well then, the play of hide and seek is starting. Don't you worry, Sakamaki Izayoi-kun, we will definitely bring you back and kick that pathetic side out of you, because that painful expression just... doesn't suit you at all.

Yo's P.O.V.

„Did you see a blond boy about this height?" I held my hand a little higher than myself.

„No, miss" the birds said in synchrony.

I sighed... I have already asked fox, two deers and birds, but none of them had an answer to my question: Where is Izayoi?

„Please look for him. If you find someone who would seem like the person I'm searching for, please let me know" I asked them for help.

„Understood, Ma'am!" I smiled ouf of relief that they will help me, all the animals here were so nice and obedient.

I continued on walking, looking around with a lamp providing a gentle light.

„Izayoi-san?" I called out loudly hoping he will answer. Nothing... Just a horrible darkness swallowing anyone who dared to defy it accompanied by mysterious yet calm silence. Calm silence... such a wierd combination.

„Miss, this is impossible" Calico declared. I knew that the cat was right, but I couldn't give up. Not when Izayoi is somewhere there, alone and so vulnerable. Not yet!

„We have to find him" I commanded and ran deeper into forest.

I disappointed him, I ignored the fact that something was wrong at the festival. That allergy crap... It didn't explain why he was shivering so much! It didn't! I was just so insensitive to overlook he was suffering even back then... I just ignored it...

I'm sorry, Izayoi! I'm so sorry! I should have known, I should have made him say what was troubling him. I should have helped you! If only I wasn't so stupid and blind! I could have prevent this from happening!

„It's my fault" I blamed myself and stared at the headphones in my hands. He said they were precious to him and I automatically took them. „Only mine..."

„It's not, miss" Calico tried to comfort me.

„It is. I was the first one to notice his change of behaviour but did nothing! It-"

„It isn't!" this time, he shouted loud enough to make me wake up from this self-pity.

The only think I had to think of right now was finding the blond. My only goal was bringing him back and making sure that nothing like this would ever happen again. Never. I started wondering about one think while blindly running: Where? Where are you?!

Black rabbit's P.O.V.

Where? Where?!

This was the only think in my head. I searched the forest from above but saw nothing. It was too dark to see anything so I had no choice but to walk.

"I-ZA-YO-I-SAN!" I screamed and scanned everything around me. unfortunately, the only think I heard was chirping of crickets.

I started to be hopeless, I have looked for him more than twenty minutes and still found no one. What if something happened to him? What if something or someone attacked him? For the first time I was afraid that he would not be able to protect himself even with that supernatural power.

"Izayoi-san! Please, answer!" I continued on hollering. I knew it was no good but I just couldn't help it. I was falling into despair. The more I tried to find him, the more I started to sink... deeper and deeper.

"Izayoi-san! Please... Please! I'm so worried about you! I'm so agonized! I don't know what to do! I can't understand anything, I'm so confused!" I started crying... "I-I don't know what happened or what startled you so much nor why you ran away! I don't, I really don't so..." I sobbed and then shouted as powerfully as possible: "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

But no one responded... I was all alone in this dark and endless forest with no hope left. It seemed that even this silence was laughing at this pathetic me. It seemed that this forest didn't want to help me, like it enjoyed my hopelessness. Why were they so cruel?

"Black rabbit... is a bad child, right? To make *sob* Izayoi-san go through something like this" I whimpered and painfully smiled. "But you know? I didn't intent to do anything bad." The hot tears were blurring my sight. "Black rabbit was just trying to help, she didn't know that this would happen"

I sat down and covered my eyes in hands. Quietly, I whined... I begged that a miracle would happen and he would answer. But that would happen only in fairy tales, right? There was no guarantee for Happy end in this world...

right?

Yo's P.O.V.

I used my gift to ask all the animal in the forest about Izayoi, I would bet my both of my arms that I really spoke with every single animal with eyes here.

The good think was that some of them saw him, the bad one was that they couldn't remember where. Really, this frustrated me...

I even sent Calico to look for the boy, but he still haven't returned yet. His eyes were very useful now so I partly believed that Calico would be able to find Izayoi.

I started losing hope, how long was it... half an hour? Maybe even more... But I couldn't just stop. I mustn't! I have already sworn that I will bring him safe and sound, even if it would take forever, I could not abandon a friend.

"M-MISS! I FOUND HIM!" It was Calico, he was running faster than I have ever seen. But wait... what did he just say?!

"Calico?! You found him?! Where? Where is he! Lead me!" I commanded as my brain understood those words.

Izayoi... I'm going!

I rushed, tripped more than three times, but immediately stood up and continued. He was somewhere there! I just had to run toward him!

Finally, Calico stopped and I looked around myself. It was an empty place with many huge rocks and one wooden plant there.

„I-Izayoi?" I called the boy sitting under a big tree. He was shaking, eyes closed and ears covered. But even thought he hid his face between legs, I could see those drops trickling down from his eyes.

Tears

I slowly walked toward him, carefully so that he wouldn't be startled. Now I was standing right before him, hearing those whines and cries: „D-don't speak...! Disappear! I don't want to remember! I don't want to!"

It seemed like he hasn't noticed me yet so I bend down and before I knew it, I held him in a close embrace. I felt it... every breath he took was so heavy. He seemed so fragile, I was scared that he would fall apart if I would loosen my arms even a little. Something inside me screamed that I had to protect him, he was so frightened and lost.

„It's alright" I whispered to his ears and smiled. „It's alright"

He was still in that panicking state but at least he didn't mumble anymore. I held him closer, hoping it will make the boy stop trembling.

"Calico, call the others. I will take care of him" I declared and then focused on a weeping teen. I took those headphones in my hands and put them on his ears.

"They calm me down" wasn't it?

And that's when he started to fall silent. Slowly, his cries stopped and even that trembling was gone. As I held him between my arms tenderly, I noticed that his breath had gone to normal too, even slower. And then I looked at his face.

Those tears were no more falling down, but the eyes remained closed. He fell asleep.

I sat next to him and leaned his head on my shoulder and waited. I looked at him once more anf thought that this time, I will protect him.

Asuka's P.O.V.

Calico cat has found me and Black rabbit and now was leading us toward Izayoi-kun. Finally, finally he was found!

We were running about ten minutes and then stopped all of sudden. I realized it: We are here.

A girl and boy sitting under a tree drew my attention. It was Yo-san and Izayoi-kun. The boy was sleeping, he looked so innocent, like a child, and I noticed something sparkling on his cheeks. Weren't those... tears?

It didn't matter anymore. We found him. He was safe. That was all that mattered.

The game is cleared, Izayoi-kun

We won