Scared?

-Phobia 15-

Hopefully, those rumors tormenting Risu are just rumors.

*sigh*

I walk towards the bathroom with my bags.
I take a long well-deserved shower, washing my entire body and my hair. The shower took a while since I was muddy.

After I'm done, I put a whole set of fresh clothes that look nice, I make sure that I look good before leaving the bathroom.

As I leave I kinda expected to see everyone but... Surith is the only one here.

, "Surith, where did the other ones go?"

Surith was looking at his phone while sitting on the sofa, he turns to look at me but doesn't say anything right away.

, "Surith?"
Surith, "The other ones left to see if Risu was okay, they aren't gonna eat with us. They said that for breakfast they might come, but that is if Risu is willing to come."

, "Is that so... Well, are you also gonna take a shower?"
Surith, "Yes, wait for me."
, "Mn."

As Surith gets up to go to the bathroom, he suddenly stops and turns to look at me with a shocked face. I started smirking, he realized.

Surith, "You..."
Surith has a small smile, my smirk widens more and a giggle.

, "Go, take a shower. I'll be waiting for you."
Surith, "Mn."

Surith enters the bathroom leaving me alone.
I go back to the thought that Risu isn't feeling good emotionally and the others aren't coming with us to eat...hopefully they don't starve. Risu should see how nice they all are, they are all worried.

I continue in my thoughts that I didn't realize a while has passed until I hear a door open and I snapped out of thought.

Surith, "Are you okay?"
Surith said with a slightly worried look.

, "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go eat, do you have any suggestions on what should I try?"
Surith, "I have a few."

I open the door for Surith, and we go to one of the restaurants in the hotel.

We sit at a table somewhat near far away from where a group of people is sitting, there aren't many monsters around but there are still a few.

Surith tells me some of the food that he's heard it's good and some that he has tried. They didn't seem so bad, especially it smells good.

After we ordered, we talked a bit about that interview Surith had, apparently he says that even though it happened a few years ago he still get things about it that embarrass him, his family who had watched him still bring it up, its more his uncle who does this in his own interview and so it never disappears. Surith was blushing a bit after he was done saying all of this.

, "So this is why... okay. I won't bring it up anymore if it embarrasses you."
Surith, "The most you can do is forget about it completely."
, "...Sorry, no can do, it's engraved on my memory now."
Surith, "..."
, "But like I said I- !"

A loud banging noise startled me and other ones. We turn to look at where the noise came from and... a trotting centaur- Wait Gio?!

He seems to be looking around and when he spotted us he came trotting towards us, he seemed panicked.

, "What happene-"

Gio was trying to tell us but he keeps saying gibberish.

, "Surith, can you read his head and understand what he is saying?"
Surith, "It's hard to understand him, the words in his head are in a jumble. I don't understand very well what his saying but he keeps saying Risu."

Risu!?

, "Risu... what happened with Risu!? Gio calm down, we can't understand what you are trying to say."

I heard two hurried steps coming towards us, it was Cleo and Leo and they also seemed panicked.

Surith gets up from the chair turning towards them before he can ask what is happening Cleo speaks up.

Cleo, "Something happened to Risu."
Surith, "I get that but what happened to him exactly?"

Surith seems to be getting impatient. I'm starting to get panicked.

Leo, "He's-"
Cleo, "He's gone!"
Gio, "He's gone!"
Cleo and Gio said at the same time, they seem more panicked after-

WAIT RISU IS GONE!?

I get up from my chair in a hurry.

, "What do you mean gone!? How did he just disappear!?"

Gio, "I don't know! I just went back into our room to ask if he needed anything and he wasn't there anymore! All his things are in our room but he isn't!"

I started panicking too, we didn't see him at all while coming here. HOW DOES HE JUST DISAPPEAR!?

Surith, "Everyone calm down, we'll look around for him. He might still be around here somewhere. We'll split up. You three will go alone."

Surith turns to walk towards me and holds me by my shoulders. I'm shaking.

Surith, "You will come with me. Go!"

Gio just hurries off the door into a random hallway, while Cleo and Leo go over to where Risu might have gone off to.

Surith pays and he drags me away in a random direction while Cleo and Leo, go opposite of us, I saw Gio talk to a lady by the reception.

Why did Risu just run off? What is going on inside his head to just run off like that, leaving without a trace, he's making everyone more worried!