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Netero had called the applicants individually for some skewed interview. Kamine's head was still scrambled and cloudy from her experience with Killua— she couldn't even remember what she had said to him... all she remembered was her vision.
Killua's cold and emotionless glare looked over Boduro's still fresh corpse, his manipulative older brother gleaming with pride at the boy's accomplishments. Kamine winced as she tried to erased the vision from her mind.
It was quite useless for Netero to interview the female. She was too nervous to speak, she simply sat there and stared at him as he pressed questions into her. Although he seemed to be harmless, his aura read anything but that.
Of course she had answers; she had a lot of people she wouldn't want to fight, Killua and Gon were obvious. But she also wouldn't want another run in with the young master, Illumi as well the sadistic jester who has taken an unusual liking to her. But she couldn't determine why the chairman was asking her such questions, and therefore she couldn't bring herself to speak in front of the man.
She was sure he just marked whatever, which was fine in the end. This was the final phase so she didn't really need to graduate with a license to stay with Killua, she would just forfeit any match that was paired against the four of them.
She was stopped when she ran bumped into much a larger man. She couldn't help the shocked expression on her face as she recognized the man.
"Hm?" The man looked down at the distraught girl as her lips trembled, "Oh excuse me child, I did not wish to get in your way." He politely apologized as he headed towards the interview room.
"Boduro." Kamine said without thinking as the man turned around, she winced as he glanced down at her.
"Sir..." She added, nervous she didn't address the man who was so much older than her with a proper title. His expression seemed to have softened after that, he probably recognized how nervous she was.
That only made her feel even more guilty, this polite man was inching closer to death every step he took. She didn't know where or when Killua were to kill the man but she knew it would've been soon.
She had to warn him, "You should leave." She muttered as the man looked at her curiously, "Oh. Don't worry child, I was already heading towards the interview room. I assure you I won't be late." Boduro explained, misinterpreting the female's cautionary statement.
"No. I mean leave the exam. You should forfeit, try again next year." Kamine stated as the man grew frustrated at the female's words.
"I have trained adequately enough for this exam, I assure you I have the potential to pass." Boduro reassured proudly as the girl grew frustrated, if the man wanted to die so badly she should've just left him alone— yet her guilty conscious wouldn't let her.
"What you have the potential for... is death." Kamine sharpened her gaze as the man grew frustrated at the young girl. "If you stay here you will die. If you value your life then you should leave this exam and try again next year." Kamine warned as the man sighed.
"Listen kid, if anyone has the potential to die in this exam it would be little kids like you who stumbled here by chance. I won't deny that you're talented, but it's far to early for children like you to be involved in such dangerous circumstances." Boduro snapped, he grew more agitated with every passing moment. Kamine retreated after that, clearly the prideful old man wouldn't listen to a word she had to say. He didn't take her words seriously due to her age.
She merely turned around as he entered the interview room.
"Oh well." She mumbled to no one in particular as she marched through the desolate hallway, "I can't say I didn't warn him." She gave the door one last final look as she turned away. She was a fool to think she could save that man's life, her predictions always come true, one way or another.
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It was only a few hours before the interviews concluded and the examinees arrived at a hotel run by the hunter association. The chairman explained the bracket as Kamine suddenly realized the purpose of the man's interview. Kamine bit her nail, she should've written down her responses if she was too nervous to speak.
She glanced at Boduro, who was just a few applicants down from her, he didn't meet her gaze but she knew he noticed. It was unnerving for the female, not knowing where or when the man would die made her increasingly anxious. She furrowed her brows as she fell deep in concentration, she wanted to tell Killua not to kill the man yet she didn't know why he would have to; perhaps they would be opponents. It also didn't help that the distance between the two of them only seemed to grow after the events of a few hours prior.
She couldn't bring herself to meet Killua's eyes but she knew the feeling was mutual, Killua hadn't even glanced in her direction all day. Gon frowned as he glanced between the two of them. "Is something wrong Kamine?" The curious boy inquired, poking the girl on the shoulder as she snapped out of her thoughts. She looked at the boy wearily before shaking her head. He frowned, "Okay... if you say so." The boy didn't seem convinced as he looked forward.
"Don't worry though, we'll have a fair fight." Gon reassured as Kamine glanced at the boy in confusion. It was then she recognized that the chairman had already revealed the bracket placings. The order was for her and Gon to fight first, and whoever lost would move on to fight Hanzo.
"Hey! Why do numbers 405 and 100 have six chances to pass?!" A fiery ginger complained, he was a short man by the name of Pokkle.
"Hm...simply put, it's because those two performed the best out of all the applicants during the exam." Netero explained as a series of complaints issued from the crowd. Kamine wasn't concerned, it didn't matter where she was placed for she didn't care about receiving a license anyway, all she was required to do was stay by Killua's side. If she was placed against someone she didn't want to fight, or found the fight too much of a hassle to win, she would just forfeit.
"Applicant number 405 and 100, please make your way over to the ring." An announcer assured the two as the blackette female simply followed. She noticed the concerned gazes from both Kurapika and Leorio— both of them seemed worried over who would come out victorious. Kamine sighed as tried to overlook their veneer of concern for the female, she knew that the two of them were rooting for Gon, although how could she blame them?
It didn't matter anyways, she couldn't bring herself to fight the bubbling blackette boy. She would forfeit the moment the match started, giving the optimistic child his well-deserved victory.
"Alright. Mr. Gon and Miss. Kamine, you may start after the countdown." The examiner explained as the two nodded. Gon began to stretch as he beamed with excitement.
"Let's do our best okay?" Gon shot the female a warm smile, she couldn't return his enthusiasm. Gon was so pure-hearted, and coincidentally she too had developed quite the soft spot for the young adventurer.
She sighed as the gazed at the boy, she understood how much he wanted to be a hunter... she couldn't take that for him.
"On your mark..." The announcer called, Gon stopped his stretching as he looked up at the female.
"Get set..." Kamine had placed a hand on her hip as she gave the boy an adoring smile, his mouth went slightly agape in shock as he stared at the female.
"You wouldn't..." Gon mumbled so quietly it was barely audible even to himself, as the announcer finished.
"Begin!" He beckoned as the female began to raise her hand. Gon winced before shooting up his hand, interrupting the girl as she stared at him in shock, "I forfeit!" Gon declared loudly as the girl stopped in her tracks. Kamine blinked, she wasn't even sure she had heard the boy right herself.
"What?! Gon? Why?!" Leorio gasped as he stared at the boy. Gon gave Kamine a deep frown as he pointed an accusing finger at the female.
"I don't want to win by some cheap surrender! I'd rather forfeit than get my Hunter's license that way!" Gon accused the girl as she grew flustered at his words, "If you weren't going to fight me to begin with you should've just said so!" He pouted as he glared as the girl who just stared at him in bewilderment.
"Kamine... were you honestly going to forfeit?" Kurapika gasped as she gave a small nod. "I... have no interest... in getting a hunter's license." Kamine explained feebly as she refused to meet the boy's eyes, "And I-..." She frowned as she stumbled over her words, everyone's eyes were on her. It was making her increasingly anxious. "I couldn't bring myself to fight you Gon." She admitted before finally gathering the courage to look the boy in his eyes.
Expecting to see rage, she was shocked when the boy's hazelnut hues glistened in admiration and relief. "That's okay because truthfully I didn't want to fight you either Kamine!" Gon admitted with a cheerful smile as she softened as he optimism. "Not only do I not want to fight my friends but I know how strong you are! We trained all night trying to get that ball from Mr. Netero— that's why I knew how much stronger and smarter you were than me!" Gon rubbed his head bashfully as Kamine grew baffled at his words.
Her heart gave an usual flutter as she grew incredibly shy at the male's words, "You think we're...friends?" Kamine mumbled, it appeared she had grown fixated on just that part of his speech and tuned out the rest.
"Well yeah? Isn't that obvious?" Gon furrowed his brows, genuinely confused at the female's bewilderment. She twirled with her braid as she grew incredibly shy. Her happiness was cut short to two pairs of menacing eyes drilling holes into her spine.
Both of the Zoldyck brothers were glaring at her with eyes of animosity as she winced. What was she thinking?! A butler like her didn't have the right to make friends!
She frowned as she finally made eye contact with the boy who had been avoiding her all day; Killua's eyes were green with envy and rage. But of course he would be upset, Kamine was supposed to be helping him become friends with Gon, not the other way around. She failed to help Killua earn favor with Gon but instead usurped the role as friend herself, she was sure Killua would get rid of her after such a disastrous failure.
She had to amend the situation. She wish it didn't have to come such extreme measures, but if she had to choose between being beside Killua as his butler or being friends with Gon... well the choice was obvious, "I'm sorry Gon." She sighed as she concealed her immense dissatisfaction, "I appreciate the gesture, but I'm not in a position where I can be friends with you." She tried her best to let the boy down softly. She couldn't even look at the boy as she imagined his ears drooping like a puppy at her statement.
She merely stepped off to the side, ignoring the weird looks she received from both Leorio and Kurapika.
Her heart ached and she wished so desperately she could apologize and say it was all a lie and that she wanted to be friends with the juniper boy, but she had to keep her position. Killua was her entire world, she'd do anything to retain her position as his butler if it meant she could have a place beside the albino boy.
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Killua chest burned with envy as he watched the duo's exchange. As frustrating as it was that Kamine had become friends with Gon before him, what had agitated him more was the adorably- bashful smile she adorned after the fact.
He had never seen the emotionlessly girl show even a fraction of the joy she showcased after a few days of meeting Gon. He couldn't blame her however, Gon's light was infectious, it was impossible not to be blinded by his relentless optimism. He on the other hand, all he had to offer was a world a darkness and selfishness, Kamine could never be happy with him.
He was shocked when Kamine rejected the boy's friendship, the encounter had only furthered the boy's determination to release her. She was a slave to the contract that bound the two of them, because of it she couldn't pursue happiness being friends with Gon.
She deserved to be happy, he realized.
He simply watched as the female distanced herself from Gon, taking a position a comfortable distance away from everyone but significantly closer to him. He couldn't help the tinge of delight he felt at the female's action, it was like she outwardly chose him over Gon— although Killua knew it was just because she was serving him. His heart skipped in pleasure as he hated how selfish he was being.
Kamine was suffering but all he could focus on was himself.
Kamine was right, he was a monster after all.
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-* notes *-
#55 - Gon was really confused when Kamine said the two of them couldn't be friends. He wasn't sad however because he could tell that deep down she was lying and wanted to be friends too.
#56 - Gon would've forfeited the match regardless of whether or not Kamine did in the end because he wouldn't have the heart to fight the soft-spoken female.
#57 - While Kamine was correct in assuming that Illumi's glare at her was a malicious one, she did not know that Killua's jealousy was directed at Gon rather than at herself.
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