===== Chapter 28   [ Part 4 ] ====

6:00 P.M.

"Come here, kitty-kitty. Come here. Please—" Laced in your exasperated voice is the tone of desperation. As you enter the cafeteria again for the last time, your eyes still cannot catch a glimpse of any furball.

Instead, you are left with a sight of an empty room. The little hope that you have within you is finally extinguished— you feel sad and terribly disappointed.

Looking over your shoulder, you see the brown-haired owner in a dejected state too. His green eyes averted to the ground; you can hear him murmur, endlessly blaming himself for this dreadful situation.

"It's my fault. It's my fault," he quietly— shakily— repeats to himself, "he wouldn't have gone missing if I stayed." His body slightly trembles as if he's so close to crying.

You know it was his fault in a way, but his crestfallen stance urged you to smoothen the emotional burden he currently carries within.

"Hey. Don't completely blame yourself. Some of it is my fault too. If I hadn't left the table too, then this wouldn't have happened."

Chaos shakes his head. "No..."

"Chaos..."

You unconsciously reach out your hand to him— wanting to comfort him from his sadness and guilt— but you are stopped midway when two large hands suddenly caged yours within its warm palm.

Your body jolts as you are caught surprised at the skin contact, eventually realizing that it was your boyfriend Alessio who had stopped the attempt.

The black-haired man was so quiet for awhile now that you almost forgot that he was waiting for you to finish your search.

You blink your eyes, looking at your hand that is being carefully grasped by him. His silver eyes intently gazing at yours, but he never says anything. He just appears expressionless.

Your heart beat quickens.

Somehow you start to get uncomfortable from his silence. Was he mad? Did you do something wrong? You start to question your past actions. A few minutes of wondering; something finally dawns onto you.

Stupid me; Chaos is gynophobic!

I almost triggered him...

You mentally scold yourself; the uneasily feeling you felt earlier immediately disintegrating.

Letting a small, grateful smile grace your features, you raise your other hand and tenderly place it on top of his. Alessio looks at you; the cold gaze faltering into gentleness.

In all honesty, his actions were the result of jealousy and anger, you see. It wasn't because he was being considerate to his insignificant subordinate.

He was disappointed to see you spare your time to someone else— even reaching a hand out despite the fact that person in question made you also blame yourself for his irresponsibilities.

His queen doesn't deserve to be treated like this. Alessio clasps your hand tighter, denying your claims to which you, of course, shake your head.

"Alessio." You sigh.

"We all know that you made Chaos watch over me. And since that was his job, he had no choice but to follow after me, making him leave the cat all alone."

"It's partly my fault too," you emphasize, taking your hands away from him, as you shut your boyfriend down with a stern look that kind of says 'this topic conversation is over.'

Chaos tries to refute your statement, but you seem to sense his intentions.

Before he can even say anything, you immediately direct that same look toward him. Being the new target of those gaze, the brown haired man freezes.

His emerald green eyes simultaneously widening. It takes you a second before you realize your mistake again; you soften your gaze.

Again, Alessio doesn't like that.

He instantly moves, positioning himself just before your eyes as he does not let Chaos take your attention anymore longer.

Putting his hands in both of your arms, he looks at you so earnestly. In front of you, he gets a proper look of his sweet girlfriend.

Your face that has always looked so beautiful to him contains a distinct feeling of exhaustion and melancholy. His stone heart that only beats for her seems to crumble in silent anguish; he completely detests his queen looking so sad in front of him.

So he, of course, doesn't hesitate to do something about that.

"I'll look for the cat," he frankly says, greatly influenced by his emotions at that moment. As he said those words, his silver-ish orbs appear to glint from the artificial lights hanging on the ceiling.

Your eyes widen.

"Huh?!"

"I'll look for the cat and won't stop until I do. So please—" He pulls her in an embrace; her confused face suddenly pressing on his hard chest. "...don't be sad," he whispers.

Wha—

You blink your eyes. You are speechless for the first few seconds. Touched. It almost makes you slightly cry because he's just so sweet. But even if he did make that offer, you're not certain that he'll manage to succeed finding Snow when you guys already did your best scouting the whole area.

"Alessio, there's little to no chance—"

"Shh," he shushes you in a very soft voice.

While he might have interrupted you in your statement mid-way, you never felt offended.

He just sounds so comforting and so assuring as he speaks to you. "Those words, my Queen... when I said those words, I clearly mean it."

The light in his silver eyes dim; he squeezes her more in his arms. His dead expression settles on his acquaintance beside them. "No matter what, I'll do anything to retrieve that cat for you."

"... so rest easy now, okay?"

As he has been hugging you so tight, you just nod in that position of yours. You then embrace him back, savoring his gestures of concern and affections. The corners of your eyes are slightly teary. You're just so so happy to have him by your side.

In the sidelines, Chaos mutely watches them.

The hand that he has been hiding earlier is concealed once again. The warm sensation is distantly recalled by the palm. This feeling...

Does his Boss feel this too when he embraces her?