Kurapikaxreader | 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝐼𝑁 𝑂𝐹 𝑆𝑃𝐴𝑅𝑅𝑂𝑊𝑆

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

"Woah, that was awesome!" Gon cried, visibly impressed.

"I'm Killua."

"My name's Gon!"

Gon grinned at the boy and he returned the expression.

Suddenly, Gon felt something was off and turned around.

Leorio was on all fours, panting like a defeated dog. He looked up to see Gon, who had a face that denoted how determined he was to not leave him behind.

Leorio swallowed and his face was like a condensed soda can. Everything in his line of vision was blurred and he struggled to find a reason to rise from his hands and knees and continue running down what felt like a backward conveyor belt. He was hot and sweaty, his expensive suit making his skin underneath feel like a pungent canopy.

He looked up and saw Gon and Killua.

Childhood... friends, he thought.

He tore off his shirt, leaving his tie on.

"Gahhhh, fuck this!" he squawked, pounding on the ground with one hand. "I'm becoming a Hunter no matter what!"

He ran past Gon and Killua, leaving a streak of body odor in the air, much to Killua's revulsion. Gon whipped the fishing pole he carried around into the air and plucked Leorio's abandoned suitcase from the ground.

"Woah, that was cool!" Killua said, grinning.

"Thanks!"

"Can I try that sometime?"

"Only if I can try your skateboard!"

The two new friends ran straight towards the crowd.

With a newfound sense of determination, Leorio sprinted to catch up to Kurapika and Y/n.

They had been chatting when Leorio appeared behind them.

"You good, Leorio?" Y/n inquired.

"Yeah! If I forgot how stupid I look, I know I can do it! It's a good thing you were smart enough to get rid of your coat since the very beginning, Y/n," he said, prancing away.

Kurapika liked the idea.

"I should do the same," he said, removing his traditional-style tabard off his shoulders and burying it away into his cloth bag.

Y/n turned away, veering her eyes into the ceiling.

"Let's run with Leorio," Kurapika said with a smile.

"Huh? Oh sure."

Y/n ran between Kurapika and Leorio, looking to Kurapika as he began the conversation.

"Can I ask something?" Kurapika asked Leorio as they bounced up and down from their running.

"You're not in it for the money are you, I mean, not truly?"

Y/n's blinked in surprise at Kurapika's question to Leorio. She had never thought to ask Leorio anything of the sort, even when she noticed he probably had some unresolved grief.

"You may be as dull as a brick," he said, to Leorio's short-lived outrage. "But even though I haven't known you long you're nothing like the people who are after only money... I don't believe it."

"Yeah, I am. Why's that so surprising to you, Kurapika? Money can buy anything- even people and lives."

"Leorio I swear if you're desecrating the name of the Kurta Clan again-"

"Why do you say that, Leorio?" Y/n said, narrowing her striking eyes, intent with intrigue.

"Oh because it's true! Because of it, I couldn't save my friend!" He looked away, realizing he'd let his miserable past show. His eyes focused on his fingertips as they raised steadily in an attempt to distract himself from his pain.

So that's it... Kurapika thought.

"Were they sick, Leorio?" Y/n asked gently.

"It wasn't even a terminal disease... he didn't have enough money for the operation he needed."

He chuckled bitterly, head hanging low.

"I wanted to save him... Can you believe that? I actually thought I could save him, that I could become a doctor and actually save him! I was going to tell his parents it was at no cost to them! I was stupid."

"Know it wasn't your fault, Leorio. I can tell you have a genuine and generous heart," she said, brows furrowing sympathetically. "I'm sure your friend would be happy to see you now."

"And it wasn't stupid to believe that you could help others. I imagine you'd be an excellent doctor," Kurapika added.

They both smiled affectionately at him.

Their faces radiated in a collaborated joy as their eyes gleamed like twin jewels in the grimness of the tunnel. His eyes shifted between them as he blushed.

"Would you both quit looking at me like that?" He said, looking away. "Your little innocent faces are making me nervous."

Kurapika and Y/n eyed each other and both grinned, as usual, Kurapika's smile a little more reserved than Y/n's.

Gon and Killua ran past them laughing. Gon bumped Y/n in a hurry.

"Gon?" Y/n bid.

Gon turned in a jump as Killua adjusted his speed to run backwards up the stairs alongside Gon.

"Hey, Y/n!" he said, waving both arms in the air.

She extended her fingers in a wave and Kurapika grinned at him.

"Hey Gon, uh-thanks," Leorio said, pointing to his suitcase.

Killua wanted to ask Gon just what it was the annoying businessman had to with the girl monk and the tribesman.

"Guys this is Killua, we're racing to the top!" He said pointing up the stairs they had all been running up for some while.

"Hello, Killua."

"Hey, Killua!"

"At least now you're running, kid."

"No mercy!" Killua shouted as he sped up the stairs before Gon turned to do the same.

"No fair!" He cried.

Y/n could finally see a light the size of a needle's eye in the far distance.

An exit.

"Finally," she said with bright eyes. "A change of scenery, a new exam phase!"

Kurapika chuckled.

"That's right, I wonder what it is we'll encounter next. We will have to be prepared."

Leorio huffed, a little envious of Kurapika's ability to stay collected during such a laborious journey.

"Well, I just can't wait to finally get out of this hell mine."

Y/n looked at him, seeing his face covered in perspiration and a single forgotten tear half-wiped from his cheek. She retained what Leorio had told Kurapika and herself.

With a tender smile, Y/n reached out and offered a simple thumbs-up.

"We made it."

✨Did You Know?✨

In the first phase of the Exam, the rookie Hunters ran around 13 miles per hour, almost humanly impossible!

(PS. Bring comfortable shoes if you plan on taking on the Hunter Exam...)

(PPS. Also, remember to stay cautious of the charming magician leaking with bloodlust...)