SOUR CANDY | killua z. ✔

31 | quiver

"Oh," said Killua. He looked confused.

Mai suddenly shot up. "Wait! What was that thing he did? I missed it!"

With no idea what the 'thing' was, Sen cupped her hands around her mouth. "ONIISAN! DO THAT THING AGAIN, MAI MISSED IT!"

Kotaro waved their way in acknowledgment. 

Some spectators turned to stare at her. The commentator sputtered at the interruption. She smiled.

"Do you guys always train like this?" Killua asked.

Sen, thinking of a retort, realized he wasn't being sarcastic. The lack of Killua's usual snark was concerning, but the look on his face was even more so. His expression was painted with vague disinterest, but something else was there too, hidden by the dim lighting.

What are you thinking about?

"Yeah," Sen replied eventually. "But usually he gets us food first so we don't have to sit and starve."

Just like that unknown secret about her brother (which still confused her), she had to remind herself that what went on in Killua's head wasn't her business.

Sen and Killua could talk later. They would talk later, because he agreed to it and she was a pushy shit. 

Right now, she was there for her siblings.

"I saw a donburi place earlier," said Mai. "They were having a dinner special."

Sen groaned, hiding her face. "Shut up. Don't talk to me about food. I hate you."

"The chicken on the oyakodon looked really crispy."

"I will kill you," Sen threatened, stomach growling.

Mai laughed.

Sen was aware of Killua's odd, unreadable gaze on her, then on Mai, and on Kotaro down in the ring. Like a holy trinity.

▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁

Kotaro got bored halfway through the fight. He tried to hold out for the sake of his sisters' education, he really did. But Kotaro wasn't known for his saintly patience.

He got the rest of the ten points in minutes.

Afterward, Sen and Mai swarmed him like a pair of tiny, pretty vultures.

"I'm Inoue Kotaro and I'm good at everything," Sen mocked, punching his shoulder. It kind of hurt.

"Tell me about blocking again," Mai demanded.

He needed a shower and thirteen hours of sleep. 

"Let me collect the prize money first, then we go back to the hotel and talk. Sound good?" Kotaro asked, holding back a yawn.

Mai nodded. Sen shifted.

"What?" He looked at her.

Sen did a lot of shifting these days. Like a tectonic plate.

"Um," Sen started hesitantly. "Can... can I hang out with Killua for a little while?"