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And the forest was truly magical tonight. The tense feeling of fear only added to the sensation. Standing next to Yukiko, Nao could not help but to hear some of her mumbling. Something about marrying a youkai, as a result of Satogis "goofing around". Nao was not very amused by the thought, it was childish fantasies - making her bridle at the suggestion.
She removed a leaf from her shoulder, who'd probably got stuck when she was running, and then started "combing" her strawberrie blond hair with her long slender fingers. In the background Sanae and Yuki was talking about this "anime and manga thing". Nao was completely clueless and therefor not paying attention, anything not including school, scientific facts, sports and nature - was unknown territory and childish in her eyes. But noticing Yukis blush made her understand about the sensitivity in the subject - so she decided to remain quiet about it. Let them play.
The group seemed to agree to start their "dare/quest" to find the abandoned village. Walking through the darkness, passing tree after tree. Nao kept close to Sanae and Yukiko, continuing her conversation with Yuki. "You are so welcome! My grandmother would love to have you over. She would bury you in stories about youkai tho since she is really just this walking lexicon knowing everything about them" Nao smiled letting her eyes wander from Yuki to Sanae. "We should have a girls night sometime. Talking about our youkai adventure" her voice was slightly amused but a bit dry when mentioning the word youkai.
They kept walking, and Nao really hoped they followed the correct path. It was Sanae and Nao who had most experience of the forest. Nao from her jogging and simply just "hanging out in the nature" and Sanae from her interests in bugs and insects. Nao's grandmother had also an idea where the abandoned village was. Even if she'd refused to tell the teens, Nao remembered clues and descriptions about directions and whereabouts of the youkai village's location from many of her grandmothers stories. So after a lot of research and exchanging ideas with Sanae - they had a pretty good idea about where to go. Still - it felt like a wild goose chase. Looking for something who might not even be there.
"Sanae have you been here before?" Nao asked out of the blue, but still moving her feet forward. They where really just walking around in the blind. But they still kept going - further and further in to the thickest part of the forest.
This was when Nao noticed Kyosuke sneaking up on Satogi to steal the flashlight. Nao held her breath, not because she was bothered by the bullying and terrible behavior from Kyo - she was used to it. But because the flashlight was everything that kept her calm at the moment. And to see it in the hands of a troublemaker instead of happy and harmless Satogi made her worried. Especially when the current "leader" Kyo decided to dodge a low tree branch and disappear from her sight. The light was gone. The light! And who knew what would happen if they split up. Sure, there was no such thing as youkai. But wandering around in the forest all night, lost, was not a good thing. There was wild animals alright (Nao knew that especially Sanae was scared of aggressive animals from an adventure they shared as kids where Nao had to save Sanae from a crazy raccon)... And it was not just the animals that worried Nao right now, the temperature could drop pretty drastic during the early morning hours...
Luckely, Nao was not afraid to follow the daredevil. Quick as a cobra, she pursued him, dodging the branch who happen to scratch her chin slightly in the movement. Then she went after him, with only one thing in mind - the flashlight. Sure, he wanted to play some silly prank on them. Scare them or something - she got that. But now was not the time. And both of them where athletic. Kyo was without doubt the stronger of the two, but Nao was faster. So she reached out - getting ahold of his hoodie to stop him. "And where do you think you're going? Ditch us out and then scare us to death?" she took the flashlight from his hand, letting the light explore the sorrounding before meeting Kyos gace with her furious big "deer" eyes.
"Can you think of anyone else, except yourself, for once?!" She snapped. Nao did not mean it... really.. It was just because SHE was scared. His mother Chihiro-san had told Nao about Kyo's sister, and she figured he was probably thinking about her alot.. Even so - she could not help her sharp comments sometimes... not when it came to Kyo. And especially when she was uncomfortable with the dark, something she did not feel to mention to him.
"Geeeh Kyo, what if we got split up?..." just as the words left her lips, she noticed the silence who'd devoured them. Looking around in panic she could not see Sanaes red hair bow or hear the sound of Yukis red heartshaped earrings swinging to her movements. Even Satogi was nowhere to be seen... Had they really gotten split up?...