Chapter 15 - Heavier Plate

448 25 39
                                    

A chilly breeze sent shivers down my spine as I sat in a cushiony chair on the balcony of the hotel room. I was wrapped in a fluffy blanket as I held a mug of hazelnut coffee. It was only nine when I had woken up, Kurapika still snoozing away at the other end of the bed.

I took another sip of the coffee and closed my eyes, trying to fathom what had happened the night before.

I remembered beating Feitan in a fight. I could tell that even though Machi was more analytical and less prone to getting caught up in rage, Feitan had the upper hand when it came to combat. This meant that although Machi hadn't passed out, it was clear she opted out of fighting me the moment I exhibited my ability. Then, I was confronted by Chrollo. He asked me to join the Phantom Troupe. I was asked to join the Phantom Troupe. The revelation made me flutter my eyes open and furrow my brows.

Chrollo recognized my strength. He wants me to join the troupe. Who knows if he'll come after me just to make me join him? He'll eventually find out that I'm not actually someone by the name of 'Chantelle'. He'll find out I'm a (L/n). He definitely will want to recruit me then. My biggest fear, though, was that he would find out about Kurapika, that he would find out the person who sat in front of him during the performance was no other than the 'Chain User'. They will never stop hunting him once they figure out his location.

This is all my fault. I shouldn't have walked up to them in that disguise and asked them to leave. Obviously, they were going to sense my aura. I guess I didn't really understand how strong I was until last night. But now, because of that decision, I'm going to be hunted just so they can recruit me. And if they do find me, what do I do? I don't want to join them. If I say no, will they kill me? Will they go after Kurapika afterward? It's endless. And it's all because of me. Why didn't I place the satellite from far away? Why did I decide to be so bold? Why—

"Good morning."

I turned to see Kurapika standing in the doorway, rubbing his eyes. His hair was messy as it swooped down, covering part of his face. He wore a black t-shirt and grey sweatpants that clung to his hips.

The sight of him and the sound of his voice pulled me out of my suffocating thoughts.

"Good morning, Kurapika." I greeted him. He ran his fingers through his locks in an attempt to fix them before taking a seat in the other chair on the balcony.

"So... can I know what happened last night now?"

He faced me. "Do you feel better?"

"Yes."

"Okay," he turned back and watched the sky, which was starting to turn grey. "You passed out and I entered the room and took you back to the hotel. Leorio, Gon, and Killua departed. And that's it."

"That's...it? You just went in there and picked me up and the troupe did nothing?"

"Yes. You injured both of your opponents, so they weren't in any kind of position to fight me. If Chrollo let you go that easily, he is probably going to continue trying to recruit you," he said gently.

"Okay, but they didn't recognize you?"

"No."

Something feels... off.

I nodded and narrowed my eyes at the sky as light raindrops began to fall down. I got back onto my feet and made my way back inside, followed by Kurapika. Once the balcony door was closed, I changed in the bedroom as Kurapika went into the kitchen. I came out to the living area once I was dressed and had brushed my hair and teeth.

I plummeted onto the sofa to continue my thinking as Kurapika turned on the coffee maker and pulled a mug from the cabinet.

The only reason Chrollo is here in Glam Gas Land is that he expected Kurapika to come here. He somehow didn't recognize Kurapika last night, which is actually quite astonishing. The troupe isn't associating any from the audience with the 'Chain User'. Will they stay here and continue searching for any clues? Am I their newest priority?

Runaway | Kurapika x Reader Where stories live. Discover now