Chapter Two: The Thrill Seekers
After that, the frustration towards Kisarachan's friends waned. As soon as she had seen them, they had whisked themselves away, Hikari rarely if ever to see them again. No one else found out about what happened, including the teachers. Thanks to Ken's recommendation Hikari and her friends did not go to the police who would have cast suspicion on her as a suspect. She knew he was heading in the right direction to be a detective for sure. His instincts were sharp.
Eventually, the whole situation with Kisara died down. But she was never found. After two weeks, with their search coming up empty, police could not find any clues as to her whereabouts. Or, if she was even still alive.
School returned back to normal, if one could call the atmosphere 'normal.'
Kisara had been quite popular, so when her disappearance became known it brought this strange sense of gossip or news passing through to a whole cult phenomenon experience. Students started spreading rumors of what happened to her.
When Hikari met back up with the others at the computer lab after lunch one day they talked about it.
Some students said Kisara went back to move in with a relative in the middle of the night.
Others said a jilted ex-lover murdered her and covered it up. She had been dating multiple high school guys in the past, and it's not like it was a secret.
And the craziest one that they heard from the rumors was that she had been abducted by a cult and had been involved in some bizarre sacrifice ritual. That last rumor, well, it seemed to be the most popular lately.
Hikari thought about that rumor as she walked home with Takeru, who seemed a bit on edge walking with her.
"Hikarichan," he said, his voice a bit tense. "Are you…mad at me for what I did a few weeks ago?"
Hikarichan glanced back at him, having nearly forgotten all about it what with all the commotion that happened.
"It could have been a lot worse if Kisarachan didn't go missing," she sighed. "Is it wrong of me to even think that?" she asked, the edge of her lips lifting a bit awkwardly.
Takeru also smiled back a bit awkwardly. "Not at all."
Hikarichan put her hand to her lip covering a slight chuckle. She then stopped, the wind slightly blowing, Takeru not knowing she did. He walked a few more steps ahead of her and then turned back her way.
"I know it's not any of my business," she said, strangely calm, "But are girls like Kisarachan you're type?" she asked.
"My type?" Takeru questioned. "You've never asked me about that before Hikarichan," he said. "What brought this on?"
"Ah," she said nodding her head to herself. It hurt sharply as her hand started twitching, raising her arm to her side, wanting to cover it up but held back the pain. Takeru was avoiding answering the question. To her, his friend for all of these years.
"Hikarichan?" he pressed again, his eyes tense, Hikari drawn to him every time he said her name.
She shook her head and turned around. "It's nothing," she said. "Let's forget about it."
"Forget about it?" Takeru asked, Hikari not having the courage to face him right now.
"Hikarichan, I-"
-The bell rang, signaling classes were about to start.
"We better head to class," she said, for once a bit relieved all of the Digidestined somehow got put in separate classes. She wanted to hide her head under her arms for the rest of the day. She cared for Takeru, but over the last month or so she felt so apathetic and so unwell.
"Ok," he said, as Hikari headed the other way.
"Hi-Hikarichan!" he shouted, after she had nearly turned the corner.
She glanced back, Takeru looking a bit haggard, as if his usual chipper self had worn away over time.
"I-"
He swallowed, his fist clenched. "I'm sorry for what happened," he said. "I never apologized to you before, but-"
"-It's all right," she said, her heart lifting slightly seeing him in a guilty state. There was no way a friendship like theirs was that healthy for her to feel that way. "She didn't know what it was about, but she couldn't stand to see him like this either.
"I'll…see you later Takerukun," she said with a slight wave walking away, her footsteps awkward. She could have sworn she could have heard him say Hikarichan one more time, but she had already resolved to commit herself to her desk again and the sweet agonizing melancholy atmosphere she had already gotten used to in her classroom.
When she got there, the teacher lightly scolded her for being late.
She bowed her head slightly apologizing and took her seat.
The droning voice of her instructor washed over her, Hikari thinking about everything that happened the last couple of weeks. She tried listening intently, but with the missing students all the buzz right now about the school, she couldn't help but overhear some conversations talking about it.
A couple girls, one of them with a girl she thought that she had seen Takeru with before talked with two of them in a friendly matter, a couple of them holding out their cell phones. They seemed to have been talking about some online chatroom about the whole missing persons ongoing case.
During a break, Hikarichan, sat there in the nest of her arms wanting a nap, overwhelmed by the strain of the daily grind, and, well, Takeru.
She heard footsteps all around her, and a hand on the back of the small of her back.
"Yagami…san?" the voice asked, a bit firm, but gentle.
She lifted up her head and saw a girl whom she thought she had recognized. She had silky purplish nearly white hair that tied her hair behind her back straight down, hazel eyes, and radiated calm warmth in her demeanor.
She searched for a name, eventually coming to it. She had once known the names of all her classmates, but she had forgotten about some of them.
"Inomisan?" she said unburrowing herself and looking up at her.
"Ah, glad you remember me," she smiled, her smile fading quickly just as it came. "I wanted to talk to you about something," she asked. "But now is not a good time. Can you meet me right after school? By the student garden out back by the fountain?"
Hikari had no problem with it. "Sure," she said. "By the way, I hope you can forgive me, but I heard about what you were talking about. "Did you hear about anything new with the missing students?"
Her smile came back briefly. "Only a little. Apparently, there are some students who want to band together all of these rumors and are making an urban myth about the missing ones."
"That's…kind of sad," Hikari said glancing down. "It's only been a month, and other students are trying to capitalize on the situation," she said, Hikari having a strange sense of déjà vu, remembering when it was about her in middle school and how unpleasant that was.
"You're very kind," Inomisan said, "When the hearts of many right now aren't anything like that."
Hikarichan smiled back to her feeling somewhat of a kin to her.
"Well, I'll see you after school Hikarichan," she said, Hikari resting her head on her arms as the class resumed session amid the clattering of chairs and students returning and adjusting themselves.
When lunch came around Hikarichan met with the others who were all huddled around Miyako typing feverishly on the computer.
"What are you all doing?" she asked approaching them, Miyako gritting her teeth, her eyes scouring the internet, her fingers moving feverishly.
"Research," Ken said putting a finger to his lips. "Kisarasan was not the first girl to have gone missing. She's checking online to see if any new info came out about her, asking all kinds of questions, and- "
"-Did you try looking up Kisarasan, urban myth?" Hikari asked, everyone turning their heads her way.
"Urban myth?" Daisuke questioned. "What's that? Like a new brand of sneakers?"
"No, Daisuke," Iori refuted. "An urban myth is a tale that is weaved from previous experiences regarding strange events. They take on a paranormal element and usually become part of a cult of phenomenon."
"I kind of get it," Daisuke said. "Like that time, when I was in my locker room, and I could have sworn I placed my soccer ball in there, but when I looked it wasn't there at all."
"That's weird, but it's not surprising coming from you," Takeru chimed in. "What Iori is talking about is more like the standard seven urban myths of high school. You know, like how at 4 am the stairwell leading from the gym to the maintenance room upstairs gets an extra step on it, and if you walk on that extra step something bad will happen to you?"
"Ah, or like Hanakosan," Hikari said. "We all know about that one."
"Ah, I get it," Daisuke said. "It's creepy and all but sounds kind of exciting if I had Veemon there. If I got into trouble he would just Digivolve his way to- "
"-Found something!" Miyako grinned excitedly. "Nice Hikarichan!" she said, her tongue sticking out her mouth with her lips around them as if savoring any bits of data she could pick up about the missing students.
"What did you find?" Ken asked.
"A social media video link," she said clicking on it, coming up to a title.
Daisuke put his hand to the screen. "Wait, what?" he said glaring at it. "The Supernatural is Calling You? -From the Thrill Seekers?"
"Hey, get your paws off of it," Miyako growled, Daisuke sticking his tongue back at her.
"It's just a small smudge, you'll be fine. Just use your glasses wiping cloth or something to wipe it off."
"How about I wipe the floor with you instead?" she glared, both of them staring intensely at each other.
"Do we really have the time for this?" Iori asked. "We only have so long for lunch you know."
"Good point Iori," Miyako said whipping her head back around.
She clicked on the video, all of them focused as it played to the end.
The brief pause in the room seemed to last for an eternity, before Hikari herself broke the silence.
"They really are turning the whole missing student's situation into an urban myth," she said incredulously. "What's worse, they're trying to capitalize on it by getting viewers and likes. And they don't plan on stopping there," she said not normally this talkative. "I can't believe they are recruiting others to join them and risk themselves for this."
She felt a hand on her shoulder as Takeru stared down at her and glanced at the others.
"We're coming from a perspective having experienced the darkness," he said. "They may have heard of Digimon and everything, but they don't know the truth of what it means to go through it," he said. "They're just trying to get attention."
"I don't get the problem though," Iori said. "It sounds like it has got a decent following. Ten or so members, right? And if they all go together and stay together, they may just build up the audience and then nothing happens."
"Or they may try to fake something," Ken said. "Either way, what they are doing is not safe."
"Hmm," Daisuke said, a grin spreading over his face. "I know the answer guys!" he said excitedly. "What if we joined them for when they plan on going out? That way we can keep them safe if something happens!"
They all stared his way, a bit dumbfounded.
"Daisuke, that actually…sounds like a good idea, much as I hate to admit it," Miyako confessed her hand on her cheek.
"It's so obvious, but it's so easily overlooked," Ken said. "Well done, Watson."
"Wait, 'Watson'?" Daisuke asked. "Who is- "
"-Forget it," he smiled. "We're not going to let this situation spiral out of control. And if something does happen, we might get a better idea of what happened firsthand."
Everyone's spirit seemed slightly uplifted, but in the back and next to her, Takeru had a frown on his face. He also hadn't lifted his arm off of Hikari's shoulder and almost seemed to grab it.
"I don't think…that's a good idea," he said. "Especially for Hikarichan."
"For me?" She wondered aloud staring up at him, and his charming, but concerning strain in his eyes.
"Yeah."
"I'm sure our Digimon will appear before us when we are in danger," Miyako said. "And I'm her DNA Digivolving partner. I won't let anything happen to her," she said slamming her fist against her chest as if proud of herself.
"Yeah, you worry too much," Daisuke grinned. "What, are you like her helicopter parent buddy?" he chided. "Hikarichan can do whatever she wants you know?"
Takeru lowered his eyes and closed them.
"You all…just don't get it," he sighed. "What do you say Hikarichan?"
She stared into Takeru's unwavering eyes, the same eyes concerned for her all of these years. The same eyes she remembered that had desired to protect her so feverishly, his appearance a bit worn out. But she understood them. Even if they were strangely distant at times, they were still pretty close too.
"Takeru…kun," she said, opening her mouth and then pausing.
"Can we…talk after school?"
His demeanor relaxed a bit, a small smile spreading over his face. "Ok."
The others stared at her; a bit expectant.
"So, what that's it?" Daisuke demanded. "Are you in Hikarichan or are you- "
"-That's enough pestering," Miyako said grabbing him by the ear pulling it, the sound of the bell grabbing their attention.
"No, I want to know!" Daisuke barked as if having waited for it to stop. "It could be my one chance walking with Hikari at night and holding her hand to protect her this time and I- "
"-So that's your motive," Ken half smiled. "I should have known, Watson."
"You should have known already!" Daisuke protested. "I'm like an open book!"
"Yeah," Iori muttered as they all got ready to leave. "Like a coloring book."
After school Hikari made her way to Takeru's class, a bit thrown off as if she had been forgetting something. A few of Takeru's classmates scanned her over as Takeru came out of the room with his arm over his back clutching his school suitcase and typing on his phone with the other. He was pretty good at being one-handed.
Usually, they just happened to see each other afterwards, and Hikari didn't think much of it as she walked inside his class.
A few other girls who had stayed behind seemed to gawk at her behind some cell phones, biting whispers about her filling the back of the room.
She ignored him texting, a small smile on his face.
He glanced down at her, Takeru smiling widely. "Jealous?" he grinned.
Hikari immediately turning her chin up at him and turning to the side.
"Jealous of what?" She smiled back having one upped him. "You probably have a thousand girls phone numbers already. Really, you collect them more than Taichi collects worn out sneakers."
"Ouch Hikari," he snickered. "You win this time," he said as he touched the phone on the back of her head, his tone softening.
"It's just my friend Chizuruchan."
Her smile vanished, but then quickly reappeared again, not so wide this time. "Chizuruchan? I don't think you've ever told me about her. You usually keep this stuff away from me."
"It's not that I try to hide it," he said pocketing his phone. "I trust you because you know who I really am," he said. "Some of my other friends think they know me, and I just go along with it. But I'm not really close to any of them."
"Makes sense," she agreed. "If they only knew you Takerukun they would take off for the hills running."
He grinned back. "I'll take that as a compliment!"
As they left the classroom they made their way into the hallway, laughing, Hikari feeling a weight lift off her chest for at least a little while, Takeru not seeming distant either, but his eyes still look ed depressed through his cheerfulness.
"Hey," she said, "I've been meaning to ask this," she said hesitant, but wanting to take a step forward with how distant they had been lately, "But are you dating that girl?"
Takeru stared at her curious eyes and blinked twice. "Chizuruchan? No," he chuckled as they made their way over to the student garden area, Hikari wondering why she felt like she had been forgetting something.
"You know how I like to write, right? Chizuruchan stops on by sometimes and I help her with posting her art projects."
"Art projects?"
"She's quite the gifted painter," Takeru acknowledged. "You should see some of her work."
He pulled up his phone to her social media profile and showed her.
Hikari glanced through it, impressed by the watercolor designs like smooth vivid dreams swirling around bringing a serene vibrant life to the paintings.
"She's wonderful," Hikari said glancing over at them.
"Ah! Speaking of Chizuruchan," Takeru grinned waiving his hand, as a familiar girl approached them.
"Really Hikarichan," the visage of Inomisan brightened Hikari's eyes as she curtly smiled approaching them, "If you said you had plans with your boyfriend, we could have talked another time?"
Hikari felt the pressure and redness rising to her face as she had to pull her best 'Takeru' impression to keep up appearances. She had to word this delicately or it would all come undone in an instant.
"Oh," she smiled, her face still blushing, "we're not dating," she said. "In fact, he was just telling me about you, right Takerukun?"
A small redness appeared on his face, probably of embarrassment as he laughed a bit. "I know it might look that way Inomisan," Takeru said, Hikari watching his every word, "But you're not the first one to think so."
Hikarichan stared at him. She blinked once, twice, no- three times. Every time it felt like something was breaking like glass as she tried to comprehend all that he was. Wait, did he even answer the question?
Inomisan, now known as Chizuru, smiled pleasantly to the two of them. "If you say so," she acknowledged.
"In fact, maybe it's good you're both here. You both are…Digidestined."
Takeru and Hikari turned towards each other, both of them silently staring agreeing with each other.
"Is something wrong Inomisan?" Hikari paused, "Umm, I mean, can I call you Chizuruchan instead Inomisan?"
"Of course, go ahead Hikarichan," she agreed. "And I'll also talk casually."
"Glad to hear it," Takeru said as if pleased by their newfound kinship.
"What did you need to talk about?"
Chizuru thumbed her fingers together, as if a bit embarrassed. "It's kind of awkward for me to say this," she said, "But I have this friend I met online. She also goes to this school. Well," she swallowed, "She went to this school."
They exchanged glances staring intensely at each other. They knew exactly what she meant.
"What happened Chizuruchan?" Hikari asked.
"Her name was Mitsuhachan. She's been my friend since elementary school. We went through grade school and middle school together. And we were pretty close. She always played with me and confided in me about everything. And she really liked my paintings. She took pictures and set them online and I've sold them too so I wouldn't need to get a part time job and so I could focus on my studies. She was glad to do it. She would drop everything she was doing to help me and to be there for me," she said swallowing, tears starting to leak from her eyes.
"But, one day, I received a message for a commission unexpectedly. A commission that asked me to draw what was most important to me and that if it pleased them, not only would I be paid well, but I would get a scholarship to the Isara Art University. Naturally, I was thrilled."
"Sounds wonderful," Hikari agreed.
"But then, after thinking long and hard I decided to paint Mitsuhachan. When I showed her the painting I did, I thought she would be happy. I thought so from the bottom of my heart."
"But…she didn't like it?" Takeru inquired.
Chizuru nodded her head. "It was more than that. She had been a bit irritable lately, but when I showed it to her, she went off completely unhinged accusing me of using her and only pretending to be her friend so I could make money and that her new friend had been right all about me. She said she would never speak me again or want anything to do with me and to burn my paintings for all I care, and she was done."
"I tried messaging her back pleading with her about the misunderstanding, but she never responded. She disappeared from my life…online…and in person. She…disappeared," she said wiping a single tear from her eye.
"How awful," Hikari said lowering her eyes. She took out some paper napkins and gave them to her.
"Sorry," Chizuru said blowing her nose and sniffing deeply.
"No one has ever seen her or heard from her since. This was over a month ago. She was one of the first that that went missing."
Hikari nodded her head, closing her eyes. "I think I met her once before, a little before that time," she said. "She seemed preoccupied and insistent upon showering you with praise but was a little cross with me when I didn't know who you were," she said.
"Yeah, Hikarichan doesn't go on social media much," Takeru grinned. "Unless it's about trendy sweet shops that sell parfaits," he grinned. "She has a whole list of places she's asked me to take her to."
Hikari stammered, her eyes glancing his way. "That's what you get for me one upping you too many times. You taught me well, you know?"
"Yeah, yeah, the student has surpassed the master and all," he chuckled.
Hikari felt Chizuru glancing at the two of them curiously.
"Are you two…really not dating?" she asked.
Takeru and Hikarichan glanced up at each other smiling even more. "People think that all the time," Takeru said.
"But that still doesn't stop Takeru from being friendly with other girls," Hikari followed up.
"I…see," she said nodding her head. "You both are kind of goofballs. Cute together, but still goofballs."
Hikari chucked slightly but then stopped. "What makes you think Chizuruchan that we can help you? Do you think this has something to do with a Digimon?"
"I can't say for certain," she said. "But what I do know is that I feel...like I'm being watched. Even if no one is there."
Hikari cleared her throat, knowing that feeling too well.
"Are you being stalked? Is someone harassing you?" Takeru asked.
"No. Everyone treats me well. But it's like I feel like I'm…being cornered. Like I'm being positioned somewhere and I'm going to fall int a trap like my back is against the wall. It just doesn't feel…human. That's why I reached out to you. That's why I want your help."
Hikari put her hands to her chest. "It feels like this really could be the work of a Digimon Takerukun," she said.
"What is it that you want us to do?" he asked. "We'll do anything we can."
"Thank you," she said maintaining her composure as best she could. "If I-"she paused, "If I stop acting like myself would you do all you could to get me back to normal?"
"Of course," Hikarichan said. "But why would you- "
"-Because that's what happens to all of the students who go missing," she said. "They're…connected, somehow. And if I find that connection…I might just find Mitsuhachan again."
Takeru and Hikari exchanged pleasantries and walked together to school again the next day. They talked it over concerned about Chizuru and wanting to help her. They had agreed to stay in communication with each other before they left and exchanged contact info. But, the strange thing was she only asked them to tell her if she had 'changed' and to get her back to normal.
The request itself was weird, and perhaps Chizuru was also hiding something she didn't want to bring forward.
When they got to school, a loud commotion echoed through the halls, the familiar voice of Daisuke bringing attention to himself.
They hurried over, his voice in an aggravated state, having approached some other students.
"What do you mean I can't join?!" he barked.
A few students all gathered together stood up against them, one of them rolling his eyes.
"Are you really trying to ruin our club?" he accused, his brown nearly golden eyes flashing in outrage. His hair, slightly spiky on one side that just needed a good comb irritated Hikari, but his loose appearance with a silver chain or two and a loose uniform including unbutton shirts and sleeves really made her think he didn't care for appearances.
"Do you think The Thrill Seekers will grow if we have a well-known Digidestined in the mix of all of this?" he questioned.
Daisuke gritted his teeth, clenching his fist. "Yeah, I do! I could give reassurance or something. They'll probably feel a lot safer!"
"You idiot!" a girl shouted with greenish yellow ochre eyes stomping her foot down in front of him, her short hair similar to only Sora's with brown nearly auburn hair, a kept together uniform like hers, but with neon green socks that brought attention to her tennis shoe kicks in a strange bizarre design like a kindergartner kept messing up his drawing and kept coloring on top of it until it was unrecognizable. "That's exactly the point!"
"What do you mean? You're not making sense!"
"No, you're the one that's not making sense," she growled. She put her hand to her head, annoyed.
"Narukun, I just can't," she said. "This guy is going to give me a migraine. I just can't deal with him," she groaned walking away.
"Daisuke!" Ken called out as he and the others approached them to the side. "What are you doing raising a commotion like this?"
"I think this is common fair for him," Iori retorted.
"Yeah, when is Daisuke not making a mess of things?" Miyako grinned.
Ken approached the two of them, glancing at the situation. "I overheard everything," he said. "I understand you want to join Daisuke, but even though I would rather stop you both, you understand 'why' they are called the thrill seekers, don't you?"
Daisuke relaxed his fist. "I mean, I kind of get it. But still, it would be better if at least one of us were there with our Digimon."
"But Daisuke- "
"-See that's my point," Narukun said scratching his head. "You Digidestined guys are always there to save the day. But if something bad happens what's the thrill in that? I won't be nearly as excited wandering around in the dark knowing I have a safety net like that. Same thing with all our member's either."
Hikari did not want to interfere, but she knew what it was like going missing, and the terror on Takeru and Tailmon's faces when she had disappeared before. If this was anything like that, there was no way she could not say something, but she couldn't find the words.
She stepped forward about ready to say something, but her words would not come out. Images started going through her mind of being followed, creepy silhouettes of things not quite Digimon lurking around the corner seeking to take her away.
"Hikarichan?" Daisuke asked.
"Hey, what's up with her?" Narukun asked.
At that moment Takeru grabbed her hand and stepped in front of her. "Narusan, was it?" Takeru asked.
"Yeah?"
"No one is going to stop you from doing what you want. But I do want to warn you. With everything that's going on right now, what will you do if one of the students in your group go missing?"
"Well, that's why we have signed waivers," he said. "I'm not stupid you know. We all know the risks."
"I see," he said walking closer to him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm guessing you don't know what it means to have the life of someone weigh down on you," he said. "The level of guilt can carry with you for months, even years," he said.
"Yeah? You trying to scare me?"
"No," Takeru replied. "I'm just telling you from experience. Thankfully, the person I care about didn't go missing very long, but it's still traumatizing," he said swallowing. "So, if you can live with that go ahead. But, if you have even the slightest doubt, I would stop," he cautioned.
He glanced back at Hikari nodding his head, Hikari relieved. Plus, she could not believe he said out loud that he cared for her. She did not want to read too much into that, but it reminded her right before she had been taken away of how he said he didn't want to lose her all those years ago.
"Yeah, yeah, we got it," he said brushing his arm off his shoulder. He clicked his tongue. "Honestly, you Digidestined are just annoying like that in your self-righteousness. The thrill seekers mission still does not stop no matter what you tell us," He smirked.
"We live for the thrill of it," he said turning his head back at a few of the other thrill seekers eagerly excited, though a bit younger.
"In that case," Chizuru said brushing her hair back. "Would it be all right if I joined?"
Everyone turned towards her a bit taken aback.
"You? Why?" Narukun questioned. "You don't seem like much of a thrill seeker."
"I'm not," she replied. "But I'm not a Digidestined either. If something actually happens, I can let Hikarichan, Takerukun and the others know and they can come to the rescue if it's a Digimon or something."
Naru folded his arms across his chest, glancing back at Daisuke.
"Sounds like a good idea to me," he grinned. "What do you say?"
Naru glanced back at the other members who glanced at each other, smiled and then came to an agreement.
"It's all right with us," one of them said.
Naru sighed. "All right, deal," he said. "But you better not be playing cry wolf with us girly," he added glancing at Chizuru.
She nodded her head. "Unless I actually see anything, I won't message them."
"Then, go sign up before Friday at our club room," he said. "I'm sure you can find it. And don't get in the way of our fun," he cautioned.
With that he made his way off with the others, everyone else just taking in what happened.
Hikari placed her hands on her chest. "Chizurusan," she said concerned.
Chizuru turned back to her with a softened smile. "I'm sure I'll be ok. If not, you'll have my back, won't you?"
Hikari touched her hand and nodded her head. "Please, tell us if anything happens," she said.
"And we'll be on standby," Takeru added. "Right?" he said glancing back at Ken and Daisuke.
"Better believe it," Daisuke confirmed.
"We'll make sure the others are too," Ken said. "We'll make sure to have our Digimon on standby."
Hikari sighed clasping Chizuru's hands. "Please, be careful Chizuruchan."
She nodded her head. "And maybe…just maybe, if something does happen, I'll be able to find out what happened to Mitsuhachan."
Friday eventually swept through, the night of the evening coming fast upon Hikari and the other Digidestined. Before she left, Hikari met with Chizuru one more time, a sad melancholy look in her eyes. She reassured Hikari she would be ok, but Hikari also recognized the resignation there too. That resignation, that acknowledgment she'll never be able to escape the darkness is probably why she was pulled so far into it. And once you're there, it takes a miracle to get out.
All of the Digidestined decided that day to meet together, Takeru not so reluctantly having them all over at Yamato's. Somehow Takeru had twisted Yamato's arm into making Yakisoba, Yamato a much more determined cook after Takeru had told her of how bad their dad used to burn the food when he stayed there. But now he had his own apartment.
"Got to say," Yamato said dishing up the steaming last dish and handing it to Iori, "It's pretty dark out there," he noticed. "Maybe I just don't understand this generation. Living for thrills is kind of insane," he said putting all the dishes together and setting them in the sink.
"It's because of all the disappearances," Miyako responded. "It's like, I don't know it's making the other students do crazy stupid things."
"Cult phenomena will result in that," Ken agreed. "But when people get caught up in the hype, they don't expect themselves to be casualties."
"Hopefully it won't come to that," Daisuke said chugging down his Yakisoba. "Any word from Chizuruchan Hikarichan?"
She took out her phone and glanced at it. "No, nothing. I've also checked to make sure the phones are not silent for like the 10th time too," she sighed. "I suppose I shouldn't be worried if nothing has happened."
"Not yet anyway," Iori said. "And we're up pretty late. We need to do something to occupy our time, or we might just fall asleep and miss something."
"Hmm," Takeru said, a mischievous smile crossing his face. "Well, I could tell you all about Yamato's original album. Maybe you would like to hear it?"
"Original album? That sounds cool!" Miyako said impressed.
"I'm down," Daisuke agreed.
"Perfect!" Takeru grinned. "Now, where oh where did I- "
"-Oh no you don't!" Yamato growled. "You know that album will never see the light of day- "
"-More like knife of day," Hikari giggled, everyone else also entertained.
Yamato winced. "It was a time before I was any good," he said scratching his head. "It sounds absolutely horrible."
"But I'm sure it's good now, right?" Takeru said winking towards Hikari.
"Yeah," Hikari agreed. "Could you play us one of the songs on your guitar?"
"I would like to hear it too," Iori agreed. "It might just lift our spirits enough till the deadline."
Yamato looked this way and that, everyone encouraging him.
"Tsch, you asked for it," he said grabbing his guitar over by the door snug securely in the bag hanging on the door.
"Yeah!" Takeru cheered. "Why don't you start with Fair Red Infatuation?" Takeru asked.
"Fair Red Infatuation?" Hikari wondered, Takeru smiling like only he could. She knew what he was playing at.
"Ah," she grinned, Miyako glancing at Daisuke, and everyone snickering towards Yamato.
"Takeru, I'm going to kill you!" Yamato snapped running towards him.
"Ah, don't be embarrassed!" Hikari giggled as Yamato chased Takeru around them. "Your face is turning so red I thought you were writing the song about yourself!"
"What's the deal?" Daisuke wondered about them. "So what? He wrote a song about some chick, right?"
"What's that got to do with- "
"-It's not some chick," Yamato countered stopping its chase. "It's Sora."
"Sora, huh?" Daisuke said, his face turning into a grin. "Man, that's some confidence to write about the girl you love!"
Yamato glanced at everyone but then sighed out admitting defeat. "Confidence huh?"
He smiled. "No songs today then. Maybe I'll write a new one someday."
Daisuke grinned even more. "Say, can I borrow your guitar?'
"Why?'
"Because I was thinking if I could write a love song about Hikarichan maybe she'll go out with me."
Yamato glanced at Hikari who blinked twice incredulously. She thought she would die of embarrassment if he ever did something like that.
Miyako laughed heartily. "Come on Hikarichan, let him write a love song about you. Just watch out for that guy," she said glancing at Takeru who himself tried to smile, but he had an incredible eyebrow twitch going on."
"What, you got a problem with it, huh?" Daisuke said, getting in Takeru's face. "At least I'm trying to do some- "
-He paused, everyone stopping as Hikari's phone beeped loudly. They all glanced at each other, Hikari swiping her phone opening it up to see a single message.
She swallowed hard.
"What's it say?" Ken asked, everyone staring at her intensely.
"Everyone's gone," she said, her eyes lighting up. "Chizuru…" she sighed aloud concerned for her.
"We have to go there right away!" Miyako shouted.
"Yeah, let's hurry!" Iori agreed.
Yamato didn't live far away from the meeting point, a park where the Thrill Seekers had determined was the best spot due to the creepy vibe and atmosphere. There was a tunnel that ran to the left side, and trails that spread apart all over, some of them into dense foliage that swallowed up any footsteps that entered.
Sometimes a fog carried itself like a specter, settling its cool hands down around anyone it could get it's hands on, a mystery beneath the street lights, which, at times seemed to flicker in and out in the chilling atmosphere.
But that was enough for poetics.
Hikari clamored over with the others, their feet pounding on the pavement as they ran over guided by streetlights and Iori's flashlight as big as a torch, cutting its way through the darkness even more than Angemon's Heaven's Knuckle attack.
"There!" Ken shouted as they saw a silhouette standing in front of a park bench, Hikari slowly recognizing the girl who could only be Chizuru.
"Chizuruchan!" She shouted, Chizuru standing silently, as if she couldn't hear anything.
"What's wrong?" Takeru asked. "Are you ok?"
Chizuru breathed out slowly, turning towards them, her eyes distant.
"I'm still here," she said, her brittle smile erupting into tears and anguish.
"But where is everyone else?" Miyako asked looking around.
"It's too quiet," Iori cautioned. "I don't think it's safe."
"Well, I'll just scare 'em off," Daisuke growled. "I can take 'em!"
Chizuru sniffed, catching herself before sobbing once more. "They're…gone," she said, the tone in her voice changing.
"What do you mean gone?" Hikari asked. "They couldn't have gotten far."
Chizuru sniffled, but then, strangely, she started to giggle. A haunting, giggle, erupting into full blown laughter.
Daisuke looked like he wanted to say something, but the sheer raucous voice silenced everything around her into an eerie silence.
"Chizuru…chan?" Hikari asked, Chizuru crying and laughing at the same time.
"She took them," she smiled, as if looking past them all.
"Who did?"
"You don't know Hikarichan?" she asked, her eyes staring at her as if they recognized her.
Hikari's throat went dry, her mind instantly wandering back to the girl's voice that told her she didn't need to be angry anymore. That voice felt so familiar, but so fleeting almost as if she had heard it in a dream or a far off nightmare from not so long ago.
"But if they're gone," Takeru said, "Then Chizurusan, why are you still here/"
She grinned, her eyes fading as she looked down. "Because," she said in a ghostly manner, "It wasn't my time. She said I'm not invited yet."
"Invited where?" Hikari asked.
"I don't know," she replied. "No one does," she said cryptically. "You won't know until it's your time. And it was their time this time," she said. "You won't find a trace of them. She took them all. I was the only one spared."
"But why?" Ken asked. "Not to be rude or anything, but why did she spare you?"
"Because I'm not a thrill seeker," she snickered as if her mind was breaking.
"Thrill seeker like them?" Daisuke inquired, but why is it-"
The girl stared at him seriously as well as them all, her face haunting to behold.
"-Because, once she takes you…there's no going back. Once you're gone," she said dementedly, "You're GONE!"