“Are you sure that they're here?” Kuroko asked, arm hooked around Osana's.

The group stared at the towering house in front of them. It was eerily quiet in the neighbourhood where Ayano lives, the same as her house; the blinds were down and they can't sense even a slight presence inside. Budo craned his neck through the iron gate, peering around to see if there were other entrance that they can access.

“No, but there's nothing wrong in finding out.” Budo says, his eyes switching to the other house next to the ones they're standing before them.

He scanned the abandoned house, or what he assumed as an abandoned house seeing that there were cracks on the windows, faded and moldy white colored brick walls and dusty transparent tarpaulins flapping violently from the air blowing. His eyes shift up the dead tree standing at the side of the house, and he followed the branch to find it outstretched towards a window to Ayano's house.

Bingo.

“Yeah there's nothing wrong,” Shin sarcastically comments, rolling his eyes. “I mean, it's not that we're trespassing or anything.”

Budo scoffs. “Shut up.” Walking to the other property.

The rest followed Budo, their heads hung the same as Taro had ever since the morning, which sparked up a lot of confusion around the group knowing that Taro is mostly the talkative one in the group. Budo holds on to the rusted gate, the smell of strong iron filling his nose, and leisurely pushed it forward with an ear piercing sound of rusted metal hinges opening.

All of them stepped through, their eyes studying the area; dead tree trunks and leaves scattered around the property and moss already forming on the cobble path leading to the front door. Budo holds on a branch closer to his reach, testing its sturdiness for a moment, then spring up to reach for another branch and all the way up until he makes it in front of a window. He sat on the thick branch, letting his feet dangle below him while he looks towards his friends.

“I'm not going inside alone.”

Shin shoved Taro forward. “Go with him.”

“Why me?” Taro frowned at him, eyes switching between Budo and Shin.

“I know few defensive moves, I'll guard the girls while you both are inside.”

Taro rolled his eyes at him before proceeding to follow Budo up the tree doing the same as he did. Both of them crawling across the branch, Budo pressed his palms on the window and attempt push it up which surprised him that the window was unlocked. They slipped through the window and looked around the organised room of what they guessed to be Ayano's with her pictures hanging on the walls giving it away.

“Look around and try to find something that would help us know their whereabouts.” Budo instructs, going over the desk drawers and yank it open one by one.

Taro's body slouched, if there was something to be searched it was him, but he wouldn't tell Budo that. He quietly trudge around the room, mindlessly eyeing the room pretending to follow Budo's request. His eyes set upon the kept bed and instantly knew you were ones was here before, your familiar pair of clothes that were neatly folded is on the side of the bed untouched, making a slight movement of confusion in Taro's expression.

The room has never been touched.

“Have you found something?” Budo's voice interrupt Taro's thoughts.

“Nothing.” The boy mumbled quietly, his eyes meeting Budo's expecting face.

Just then they heard the front door of the house downstairs open. (“Shit.” Someone cursed.) Both of them looked at each other with wide eyes. They hurried towards the window, squeezing their bodies through that they almost thought it turned smaller at the state of panic of being caught because it felt harder than what they did before. With Budo being the last out, he hopped off the window and landed safely on the branch while Taro was trying to balance himself. They hear a loud crack, their bodies freezing on their spot.

“Guys, quickly!” They slowly turn their heads, afraid of even slight movement that would cause the branch to break, anr they see the three crouching beside a bush to hide. “Ayano's mom just came back.” Kuroko yelled with a hushed voice.

Budo nodded at her and shift his head towards Taro, who had his back in front of him. “You move first —but be careful.”

Taro moves one if his foot and slowly slide them forward, doing it to the other one and repeatedly to carefully reach the other end of the branch to save them the weight. It didn't seem go according to plan when they both hear anothet snap coming from the branch, their expressions turned alarmed. Budo's head shoot towards the stone windowsill that was closer to them from the abandoned house beside the tree.

With another snap the branch had tilt downwards, their bodies wriggling as they lose their balance, fortunately for them they quickly stabilised themselves. Budo's head shoot towards the window of the abandoned house closer to them covered with an old plywood, old enough that they could easily go through it.

“Taro.” He called, gaining the attention of the boy. He jot his head at the window's direction, making Taro nod in understanding. “When I say go, jump.” He told him, both buckling their knees ready for the leap.

“Go!”

Just as the branch finally breaks and fall they have both charged through the wood landing inside with heap of dust blowing outside the window. Then a figure emerged out an opening door inside Ayano's room, her dark hair flowing past her shoulders. She scanned the room and immediately found the window open and approached it, popping her head through and look outside, confused. Her head tilt, she could've sworn that her daughter never leave her window open. With that she pulled the panel down and locked the window.

Inside the abandoned house, Taro and Budo coughed wildly, their throats tickling with dust that they had breathed in when they broke through the old wood. Budo groaned in pain, turning on his back and stared at the cracked ceiling while he tries to catch his breathing. He hear light shuffles beside him from his friend standing up and it took him a moment before raising up on his feet.

“Taro? Budo?” His attention went quickly out the window and he peered and down to see his other friends waiting from below, gazing up at him worryingly. The three released a sigh of relief. “Are you two alright?” Osana asked.

Budo nods. “Fine. We'll be down there in a moment.”

Pulling his head back inside, he turns his head and noticed Taro's stiff figure. “Taro?” He called warily, slowly making his way beside Taro.

The closer he gets to Taro an awful sight slowly unravels, infront of him that made the back of his hair stand and made Taro stand unmoving. Above three small -already dimming- lights, plastered on the entire wall were your pictures, all took in different place and time; there were blurry ones that can easily perceive you weren't aware being taken. On the very center, inside a thick circle were different pictures of all the people that you have associated with, including were pictures of all of your friends.

And the most horrible thing of all that is the picture of Sakura and Dadaiyama already crossed off.

“What the actual fuck.” Taro mumbled under his breath, his eyes unblinking at the sight.

In Budo's peripheral vision, he sees something messily piled at the side of the room as if ready to be discarded. He drag his feet closer and bend one of his knees down to study it. Budo's eyes squint, glaring at the crumpled picture of Taro.

“Wh— whats that?” Taro asked with a wavering voice, standing behind Budo to see what he found. “Is that...me?”

Budo studied the pile of photos and briefly switched his gaze back to your pictures on the wall. Eyes furrowed. “She liked you before.” He presumes. “Then moved on to Y/N.”

Taro remained silent.

“We need to find them, fast.” Budo stands up, looking around the room thinking there should be more. “Y/N needs to know what kind of a sick obsession Ayano has.”

He searched the room, starting from the stack of photos to the notes and pictures pinned on the walls, hoping he might find some clues somewhere or anywhere you and Ayano would be. At the edge of his vision he noticed Taro's lazy movements and quietness, now it piqued him.

“What's wrong with you?” Budo inquires, pausing his ministration to stare at his friend.

Taro's head shift back, taken aback from the question. “Nothing, why'd you ask?” He says, averting his eyes from Budo. Which was a bad move since Budo knew his friends well, by their habits or actions, and in Taro's case he was certain Taro was hiding something.

“Don't lie,” Budo crossed his arms against his chest “Now what're you hiding, Taro?”

“Nothing —There's,” Taro stutters. “Just nothing.”

“Spit it out Taro!” Budo yelled, marching towards Taro and grabbed him from the collar. He stared at him intently, thinking all the possibilities of what Taro was hiding.

As if wire sparked in Budo's mind as Taro's eyes avoides his stare, his mind recalled last nights encounter with Ayano when Taro gave you his things and it took him longer than what he was supposed to do.

“You...know where they are, do you?”

Unedited.

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