~Nanners' POV~

"Nanners?" Ze asks in shock, his expression seeming as if I was the last person he expected to come into the shop willingly. I smile and nod before shutting the shop door close behind me and approach the counter where only Ze seems to be working while observing my every move cautiously. Just to be cautious myself, I glance around searching for any person at all from the usual crowd of friends. With Chilled missing, Gassy explained to me that Ze haut went ahead and hired more people to look after the shop including the group of friends I came here with. While I am a bit irritated Ze went along and hired against Chilled's wishes I understand whatever was holding him back from hiring suddenly disappearing does make it tempting, and I can't come up with Avery good reason as to why Chilled was so against it in the first place. In the end it seems clear that Chilled is the main one with something to hide while Ze is more like the guy who was dragged into following along with Chilled against his will. It only irritates me further to know the one who I care about so much more is the one who is actually troubled by some sort of secret he still refuses to tell me. Now that we're kind of technically together I don't really want to risk asking him and him denying me making me angry, or if I ask him he will tell me and I won't like whatever he tells me. I'm hoping whatever it is will be over with soon, and from the lack of disappearing yesterday throughout the night I'm hoping it's already over with.

"Hey Ze, I thought I might visit after we left off... Sort of...." Ze laughs and shakes his head. The bastard must have felt all of his anger pour out when he exposed me in front of Chilled like that. Still, despite the grudge I still hold against him I understand why he would want to tell his best friend of this supposedly terrible thing I did to them, even if I don't understand the severity of the action. I still don't understand why it was such a severe attack towards them, it's just a mascot after all and at this point I don't want to find the other more important one anymore in fear Chilled would just leave me right then and there.

"Did Chilled actually hear?" Ze asks curiously and I nod slowly, a bit wary of how confident his expression is that Chilled had heard it. Maybe Chilled had let him know or something about his situation... I shouldn't start doubting Chilled right now, not now while I feel so light and glad and even more so relieved the awkward tension between Chilled and me has ended. "I see, so what's up with you two now? Finally together?" My silence makes him laugh awkwardly as if he asked the wrong question but I just finally sigh and shake my head, trying to calm his awkwardness.

"We - we are. Ze, what's with you two?" I go right towards the question I've been meaning to ask him since I entered the shop. Ze looks at me for a long time before sighing and glancing over at the clock in the wall, sparking irritation in me. It's as if he's showing he isn't going to tell me anything and he's just wondering for how long I'm going to pester him. Ze notices my irritation and looks directly at me with a clear expression on his face.

"Chilled... Chilled and I have been sort of... I guess you'd say we have a special relationship," Ze mutters and when he notices my obvious disapproval he quickly shakes his head. "No, not like that. It's more like we both have a common goal and it's just Chilled who is more affected by it and I need to help him. If it were up to me I'd tell you about, I'd tell Gassy about it but it's not up to me. It's up to Chilled. Convince him and I'll tell you everything," Ze explains and I immediately feel like I've lost the fight. Asking Chilled is something I've avoided doing and if Ze can't tell me I have no chance to knowing what is up with them. I sigh, listening slightly as the shop door behind me opens and glance over to Gassy and Diction heading inside.

"Sorry guys, I need to head out for the day. I'll see you maybe tomorrow," Ze calls out as he climbs over th encounter an spats Gassy's shoulder while Gassy turns around seeming irritated.

"What do you mean maybe?"

"I don't know, I'll text you later," Ze calls out before heading out the shop seeming to be in a hurry. I stare after him and turn back to Gassy who seems to be eying me carefully only making me more suspicious. Gassy and Diction walk past me and head behind the counter, Diction heading into the back while Gassy looks at the cash register. Somehow I feel a bit strange they just go in and out of the back room so easily nowadays when they were so picky about it in the past. Whatever was back there that they found so important is no longer there I guess, which makes me curious if that other mascot is missing now while the one by the register is still always there I hardly think either Chilled or Ze care so much about this one.

"What was up with you and Ze? I thought you've both been avoiding each other like madmen," Gassy notes while I just sigh and look back towards him. When we meet eyes I feel as if we both know, we're both done with Chilled and Ze running around and trying to hide something so desperately, only relying on each other.

"It's fine, I feel solid with Chilled now anyways," I explain as Gassy raises an eyebrow but just rolls his eyes in the end. Still, there is a slight look in his eyes that tell me he seems troubled, like he's afraid of telling me something. I'm used to him always sharing things with me, anything, so now that I see that clouded look it's really strange for me. Well, if it was really important and dramatic I'm sure he'd tell me in the end. If he hides even the smallest thing he'd seem a bit guilty so I'm not too worried about it right now at least.
"So where is your solid man? Still hiding him from the world?" I roll my eyes but there is a slight sting of guilt in my chest. I was an idiot and I'm aware Chilled probably thinks that it was stupid of me to do such a thing. Gassy stares at me as if he's disappointed in me and he has been disappointed in me for a while, probably because of my stupidity as of lately. I withdraw from the counter and step towards the door to the shop.

"I need to go to work. I'll see you around Gassy-"

"Will you move back in with us?" Gassy suddenly asks and I turn back towards him, confused. He stares at me with some serious eyes, absolutely no joking around evident in his eyes at all.

"W-Why would I need to move back in? I live with Chilled."

"And if something happens between you two?"

"Gassy," I start and hesitate when I see his plain serious expression. Not a single pulse of doubt in his eyes that doubted something were to happen between Chilled and me, and although I hate the lack of trust in our relationship I understand it completely. Relationships these days aren't prone to last forecer as much as we'd like to believe. It's the worried and knowing expression on his face that worries me, that makes me feel as if he knows something as if Chilled will abandon me soon. "Gassy, if that were to happen I can handle myself. You were the one who kicked me out, and I deserved it. Don't go back on it." Gassy doesn't seem to enjoy my response but he's never happy with me anyways. I wave towards him before turning around and leaving the shop, the cold hitting me in the gave the second I leave. Somehow I remember when I had come here I absolutely dreaded the cold, I did not want to come outside at all. Now, I just want Chilled to be my side to provide me with my warmth.

I shake my head, these thoughts of Chilled have been going on repeat ever since I've come into this town and the day I met him. He even knows everything about me, he knows all about my past and he still continues to stay by my side eagerly. Glancing around I search around as if looking for someone but when I find myself uninterested I step forward through the snow and head towards the small store I've been working at for a couple of weeks. The moment I enter I feel myself sigh in relief as the warmth of the heater invites me inside. The woman at the cashier glances over to me and smiles when she sees her replacement is here and hurries to yank her work clothes off and the small name tag before pushing past me. From what the gossipy old women in the store have chatted on about the woman hurries to her boyfriends house everyday after work, only it's a different boyfriend and house every week. I'm not one to judge, it's the lack of advances she makes on me that confuses me. Many normal girls do, I just wonder why someone like her doesn't, although if she did I'd only be bothered more. Elder women around all group around to whisper as the lady has pushed past me and several of them look to me with sympathy for being ignored but I ignore them and pin on the name tag for me, despite everyone already knowing my name. Everyday it's the same thing, a lot of gossip going around and a lack of people actually buying things but just looking around and talking a lot. At times like these I just wish I would have called in sick and just stay at home with Chilled all day long. Glancing down at my phone I notice a text from Chilled and naturally smile at the small message.

Have fun at work

So simple and highly unlikely to actually happen but even so I feel warm just for the fact he had the thought to text me in the first place. I nearly send a message back when items are suddenly dropped in front of me and I sigh before shoving my phone back into my pocket and begin scanning the younger woman's items. Although the woman looks annoyed since it clearly seemed as if I didn't want to be doing this I completely do not care right now. The woman takes her bags and quickly flees leaving me to myself once again in their empty shop. Pulling out my phone this time I just try to call Chilled, seeming to be the easier way and I'd like to hear his voice sooner than later when I return home. The phone rings, only it continues to ring repeatedly without pausing a single time. I sigh and hang up the phone, setting it down on the counter. What could Chilled be doing anyways? He usually picks up right away and answers with that cute voice if his. Worry begins to fill me as I think about the countless amount of ideas he may be at right now. Either someone broke in and murdered him, he's out somewhere momentarily, or he completely went away. The last and first option make me unsettled but I quickly pick up my phone and try to call again, hoping he'd just pick up already.

The moment the time comes to leave work I grab my things, relieved as the next shift walks in and similar to the woman before me, I push past the person up for next shift. My heart seems to be in a frenzy just because of a single person who decided not to answer his phone. He could have just forgotten to charge his phone for all I know and yet I'm making usch a big deal about it. I can't calm down the nervous feelign brewing up in my chest at the constant train of thoughts thinking back on the possibilities I had come up with before. When the house comes into view it doesn't help at all, the dark and abandoned appearance of the house doesn't help at all. Still, I try to collect myself as I approach the door and slowly open the door revealing the dark insides. I breathe carefully, coming up with tons of excuses as to why it's still dark, maybe he's just out for a bit because we ran out of food or something. Even more panicked I enter the house and open the door to Chilled's office, finding every article of clothing that had been on the floor before now missing alogn with half of his closet, plus the suitcase he kept above his clothes. My hand slowly drops from the door knob as I stare at the room, every single sign screaming at me.

I refuse to believe he just got up and left. I hurry over to the living room and sit on the couch silently, sitting in complete silence without turning on the television and leaving myself to complete silence. Several minuted pass. Hours pass. Eventually the sky darkens and lights up again and I've had enough time. I stand up again, stumbling a bit from staying still sitting for such a long amount of time. Slowly I step over to my room and open the closet, the several suit cases full of clothes open widely on the floor. I slowly stuff everything back into their respective suitcase and pick two up while abandoning the last one. Well, I planned to leave weeks ago and now that the only thing tying me down just got up and vanished... I guess I should go now.