Sunset Ghost

Imminent Danger

サンセットゴースト
Sunset Ghost
__________________________第10章
差し迫った危険
__________________________

Kageyama had grabbed his jacket and was about to head out to look for Hinata when Yachi finally returned. The very second she stepped past the threshold of the shop, he was upon her. "Yachi-san, please help!" he begged, gripping her shoulders with utter desperation. He hadn't felt this panicked... well, ever. It was almost similar to the feeling he got when his team was in a tough spot during a game, but magnified by 1000: this was pure, raw fear.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Yachi stammered, utterly perplexed as he clung to her. "P-please try to calm down!"

"You— Earlier t-there was— Hinata is—" He covered his face and took a shaky breath, feeling waves of anxiety washing over him that made it hard to breathe. It was like he was drowning and couldn't kick his way to the surface, doubling over and gripping his head. "I can't— There's no air—"

"Take a deep breath." Madoka suddenly appeared, nudging Yachi aside and taking Kageyama's hands. He jolted as a wave of warmth seemed to wash through him, like the sudden calm that time in the forest shrine. His locked-away air came rushing out in short gasps as he felt his tensed muscles relax, knees nearly giving way from the feeling of immense relief. Madoka's presence was like a shot of morphine: everything slowed down around him and Kageyama was able to think clearly once again.

Madoka held his gaze, eyes calm like the still surface of a lake. "Better? Good. Now tell us what happened."

"Hinata... he's—" Kageyama had to take another deep, steadying breath before he could meet her eyes again. "I don't know what happened, but—" He ran a terribly shaking hand through his hair, feeling his nerves begin to unravel; a sensation he recognized as pure panic. "He's... gone."

The woman was immediately in motion, not wasting another second talking. She pushed past both Kageyama and her daughter to reach for an odd device sitting on the shop's counter and lifted it, fiddling with a dial on the side, resulting in a popping sound as a bluish-green crystal sprung out from the top. Kageyama was too focused on trying to breathe to watch what she was doing. His vision was beginning to cloud around the edges, but he couldn't understand why he was panicking so much. It was just Hinata. Just Hinata...

"Kageyama." Yachi placed a hand on his shoulder, startling so much, he jumped, finding himself staring into her intense brown eyes. "I've been calling your name for a full minute." She frowned worriedly. "We're going out to look for him. Are you well enough to help?"

"I'm— I'm fine!" he snapped, brushing her arm away quickly and turning his back on them both. "I just... need some fresh air. I'll go check the forest." He could feel Yachi and Madoka's worried gazes on his back, but he ignored them and pushed out of the shop, into the cold night air. He walked towards the forest as he had promised, but he wasn't actively aware of where his feet were going. Everything felt numb.

Where could he have disappeared to? And why? Kageyama stuck his hands in his pockets, frowning as his thoughts ran around in his head. He didn't even say anything to me: just... vanished. He gritted his teeth as a spike of anger hit him like a bus. That dumbass! I swear if anything happened to him I'll—

"Oi; tall, dark, and annoying. Over here."

"Hah?" Kageyama turned in the direction of the sound with an agitated growl, caught mid-internal-rant and ready to slap someone. "Who you calling anno— Oh, it's you." He paused to stare at the familiar tall, blond form of the rain spirit, Tsukishima, with trepidation. "What do you want?"