• Ging •
"Hey kiddo."
Akari looked up to see Ging leaning against a tree. "So we meet again." She laughed. "I must say, it was hard to find you, but alas, I did not give up hope."
Ging smirked. "Small correction. I let you find me."
Akari rolled her eyes. "Please." She pretended to be offended by placing her hand on her chest and creating an exaggerated offended expression.
Ging chuckled. "If I didn't want you to find me, you wouldn't be able to."
"Everyone has their vices, and yours just happens to draw you to this place around this time of year."
Ging gulped. He had not expected that. "Ahh, you're very observant."
"I'm not five."
Ging placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know. You've definitely grown into a fine, young lady. Your father would be proud of you."
He considered asking her how Gon was doing but thought otherwise. It didn't appear that the young Hunter had made the connection between him and Gon yet. Eventually he'd like her to know, but it didn't seem like now was the right time, not to mention she would be wondering how he knew that she and Gon met.
She was here for something. Her eyes showed concern, and he wondered what was bothering her.
"So," she began. "This will be a wild explanation. I don't know if you will approve of the whole arrangement, but I'm not here for advice. I'm here for some information on my father."
Ging watched the conflicting emotions run across Akari's face. He motioned for her to continue.
"I may or may not have agreed to a sketchy business relationship, and the 'good' is exhange of information. This client, so to speak, is a contract killer. They were hired to kill an individual named Cliff. The only person I know that is associated with that name is Dad." Akari paused and looked up at Ging after realizing she'd been looking at the ground the whole time. "How is Dad the target if he's dead? Who is using his name?"
Ging was alarmed at the mention of his old friend's name. Akari was right. Her father was the only one associated with that name. "I will have to get in touch with my connections to find that out. I don't know of anyone else with that name either."
"When the contract killer talked to their contract provider, they said that it was impossible for this 'Cliff' to be dead because they had seen him. My description of Dad and the provider's description of 'Cliff' did not match, so I know it's not Dad. I'm mad that anyone would use his name and be prominent enough to be hunted. It feels like a huge slap in the face."
Ging thought about everything Akari just said. This was serious, considering the confidential nature of Cliff's previous position as a Hunter. "I don't know what to tell you other than advise you to watch your back. If this imposter chose that name deliberately, you may be in danger yourself. It's better to be safe than sorry." Ging paused. "Wait, did the contract killer tell you anything else?"
Akari nodded. "Yes. This 'Cliff' guy is apparently super dangerous due to his advanced use of nen."
"I see." Ging sighed. "Well, I'll look into it. Stick around for a couple of days, and I'll get back with you on my findings."
"Thank you, Ging. I'm thankful to have you in my life."
"Sure." Ging walked away, knowing he couldn't contain his joy after hearing those words. He didn't want Akari to know they affected him. He wasn't the best replacement of a father for the young adult, but he tried his best to watch over her.
He wondered who "Cliff" was. Was it a mere coincidence that someone chose that name, or was someone after Cliff's previous secret discoveries?
• Illumi •
As soon as Illumi completed his phone call with his father and Milluki, Akari had abruptly shot up out of her chair, mumbling about talking to one of her most reliable sources.
Illumi didn't bat an eye. After all, he was working with a Crime Hunter, whose job was to investigate all kinds of crimes. It was a requirement to establish reliable sources in order to get her job done.
He wondered who her source was. Normally, he'd find the source, get rid of the middle man, and proceed to set up a relationship with the source. It was always under the guise of being entrusted by the dead to take over for them. This allowed him to be more efficient.
"Ahh, whatever." He didn't want to break the conditions Akari had set. If he wanted this to work out, he couldn't kill her. Not only that, he had other missions in mind, and he could use her for those, too. A dead source couldn't be a reliable source.
• Kurapika •
Kurapika looked down at his watch.
9:07. Weird.
Akari didn't strike him as the type of person to arrive late. She likely would have tried to communicate something to him. He decided to wait until 9:15, just in case.
When Akari still hadn't shown up by 9:15, Kurapika started to feel worried. Not only did their conversation get interrupted yesterday, but Akari didn't even show up this morning. What was going on?
Just then, a waitress walked up to the table. "Are you Kurapika?"
"Yes, I am." Kurapika gave his full attention to the waitress.
"Someone named Akari just called and asked us to let you know she wouldn't be able to meet with you. She said she had an emergency to tend to." The waitress waited for some kind of confirmation from Kurapika showing he got the message.
"Oh." Kurapika looked away. "Thanks, I guess." His shoulders slumped.
"Mmmhmm."
The waitress walked away, leaving Kurapika wondering what the heck was going on. Something didn't feel right. Was Akari okay? Was there anything he could do to help her?
He recalled the morning before when she had walked into the cafe looking somewhat disheveled and very distraught. He wasn't one to meddle in personal affairs, but the poor girl seemed like she could use intervention. If only he could find her.
• Akari •
Ging sure is taking his sweet time, Akari thought. It had been three days since she spoke with him.
Ging was a reliable source in terms of information, but his reliability sunk when it came to keeping his word. Didn't he say to wait for a couple of days? Akari wouldn't be able to stay in the city much longer. She needed to return soon, especially after leaving Kurapika so abruptly. He would definitely have questions.
While she was still thinking about this, she received a message from an unknown number.
Unknown: Hey, I was able to get your number from someone at the library. Is everything okay?
Akari: Sorry, who is this?
Unknown: I'm so sorry. That should've been the first thing I should've mentioned 🤦♂️ This is Kurapika.
Akari: All's good. Sorry to leave you like that. Something came up the night before, and I had to leave town.
Unknown: No worries. Just wondering if you're okay. Let me know when it would be a good time to meet again. No rush though.
Akari: I will. Thank you 😊
Unknown: 👍
Akari breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Kurapika wasn't mad at her but rather worried for her safety. What a relief!
An internal battle ensued. Should she continue to wait for Ging or go home? If she left now, Ging could potentially have a difficult time relaying information to her. If she waited, she would be wasting time.
"Ah, screw this." Akari packed her belongings and made sure she wasn't leaving anything behind in the hotel room. She checked out of her hotel room, which Ging had graciously paid for. It was acts like these that reminded her of her dad. She missed him so much.
Akari decided to visit an old cafe, one that she and her dad would frequent during his missions near this city. She just wanted to drink some tea in peace.
• Ging •
Ging rushed to the hotel where Akari was staying. He had learned a few details that needed to be shared with her as soon as possible. He stopped at the front desk and asked for her room number.
The hotel attendant checked, then looked up at the requestor. "I'm sorry, sir. It seems she just checked out about an hour ago."
What? I asked her to wait! Ging was a bit mad now. Where could she have gone? The information he had for her was of utmost importance.
He began to think of all the places Akari could be at, since this city was basically her second home. Ging, Cliff, and Akari had spent so many days stationed here. He considered her hobbies and favorite things. She liked tea, visiting art galleries, and site seeing. She also loved reading and writing, which led her to spend so much time at the local libraries and cafes.
Cafes. That's right! The one by the riverbank was her favorite. Ging figured he would take a moment to confirm whether she was there.
And she was.
She was so engrossed in her novel that she didn't notice when Ging sat down before her. "Akari."
"Hmm?" Akari glanced above her book. Ging's sudden arrival startled her. "Oh, Ging! I was just about to leave today since you hadn't gotten back to me yet."
"I figured." He took a sip out of Akari's teacup. "Listen, I found out who Cliff is."
"No way! Already?!"
"Yeah, but you're not gonna like it. I don't know who your business friend is, but I'd say you just got yourself into a deeper mess."
Akari seemed conflicted. It seemed she didn't know if she wanted the information after all. "I see," she sighed. "Go ahead."
"First things first. This Cliff...is a she." He paused, taking in Akari's astonishment. "And she happens to be your missing mother."
➖