We tend to do crazy things in drastic measures.
Luna couldn't keep her eyes from staring at a plain golden card with nothing on it except a hunter logo embossed on one of its edge, with a constant grin on her face. It would seem to be an ordinary piece of paper yet it holds a deeper value to her –the first accomplishment she got on her own. There was still an ounce of doubt lingering on her thoughts, refusing to believe that she managed to win over the first hurdle of her mission for real, but the very ticket made it possible; that she was lucky enough to advance in the next step. The very thought of it lit a fire on her chest, burning with fervent desire for the fulfillment of her goal.
Without any slightest care where she heading, she trailed the path towards the busy streets while following the same direction the crowd flows, ever since she set foot in the city where the Hunter Exam will be held –or at least that's what she been told. Too distracted by the bargains galore offered by the city, she soon found herself separated from the nine other examinees that departed the ship. Luna was quite sure that they've been travelling the same street over an hour ago until they decided to go on their separate ways undetected and before she knew it, she was left alone. She could only guess that no one would have wanted a girl tailing behind their back only to slow them down all the way to the exam. Come to think of it, being separated maybe the best thing that could happen right now, at least, in some way, she's far from any potential threat, but the worst thing was she's lost in an unfamiliar ground without the slightest clue what to do.
Good thing she remembered the envelope that Zeke gave yesterday. Hopeful, she reached down to the pockets of her dress and found the crumpled paper. Zeke had not disappointed her; inside was a map showing the exact location of where she wanted to be. Luna delicately unfolded the entirety of the map only to find another piece of paper hidden between the pleats. Curious, she took the paper out to get a better view.
For what she thought was a mere paper turned out to be picture of someone vital for her mission. A boy with spiky black hair unlike any other –not that she met a lot of boys, but there was something with his carefree smile, glowing up to the depths of the hazel brown eyes he bear, that captivated her. Before it could occur to her, she was already smiling too.
But the smile only lasted a while. Her eyes grew wide upon realizing who he was –an enemy.
"Ging's son." she muttered despitefully.
The hatred that was supposedly locked away for her to have a clear mind, was already threatening to explode in her chest. It was irrational, though she couldn't blame herself after what she and her family had been through. Just a slightest provocation could be deadly.
What right does he have to smile like that?
Luna scowled. More than anger, she envied him; thinking that he was able to live his life to the fullest while she suffered. So before she could tear the whole picture apart, it would be best to hide it away from her plain sight for now. This way, she could restrain herself from doing things she will regret later. Luna knew that the longer she looked at his happy face the more she craved to end his life right away. But the boy was not her mission, it was his father; he will serve only as a mere bait to catch the big mean fish. She needed him alive and she intended to keep him alive until she could kill his father right before his eyes.
The boy will help her to fulfill her mission but in order to do that she must get close to him and the very thought of it made her wonder, just now, how –in the life of her, was it going to be possible. The idea of getting close to the boy had never occurred to her until now. Is it really possible to fool an enemy to be your friend? It sounded most absurd to her the more she think of it. But she knew it doesn't matter if it was impossible, she had to make it possible. Which leads her to the question –how?
Luna realized that her worst fear had come to life –socializing. She hasn't engaged in making friends before; she didn't even know what friends are for to begin with. Cooped up in a lonely mansion all her life, she was deprived of many things including close companions to talk random things with. If she was successful to get the boy's attention it would be her first time to have someone she could label as friends but the thought of it displeased her knowing that her very first friend will be her enemy.
Being natural towards other people was not her forte that opening a conversation was real struggle for her. Not only is that she's socially inept but she's also...a girl.
"Boys don't like girls," she muttered as she frustratingly chewed her lower lip. She read about in some book that boys are the complete opposite of girls. They behave and act differently and tend to like things far similar from girls would've liked that's why she concluded, her, being a girl could lessen the chances to get closer to the boy.
Squirming, she resisted the urge to pull her hair out of frustrations; last thing she ever wanted at the moment was to look like a deranged girl standing alone in the pavement in front of the public. Besides it was too early to start fretting about the things she can't control instead of focusing more on what she could do. Convinced, she started scheming...
Souka.
What if she could accidentally bump into him and start a conversation and before she could realize they're both taking the exam together –simple.
Luna's face lit up. The idea was not that bad. Actually she thought it sounded too easy, it would be a smooth way to get close to the boy. Normally, it could be that simple but the thing was, she is Luna and there was nothing simple with that. Besides she had no idea what the boy might be like, chances are, he could be as bad as his father or just another jerk. So causing trouble on their first meeting should be avoided.
Luna needed better plan that provides a much safer approach.
Souka.
What if she could pretend like a lost helpless girl that needed protecting?
It would appear from the stories she read that boys like to save girls that are in trouble. It could work to her advantage, especially if he was dumb enough to fall on her pretenses. Luna frowned. She bet he's not that dumb. Furthermore, she couldn't even convince herself on her acting skills; much less she could fool the boy. So it's a big no for the damsel in distress.
Souka.
What if she could just approach the boy with a big smile; her smile always does the trick –to her grandpa at least.
Luna practiced her smile, grinning awkwardly over the window glass of a store. She cringed, realizing how creepy she looked. Yes, a big smile was all she needed to send him off running, considering he didn't even know her at the first place.
Out of ideas, she let out an exasperated sigh.
"This is impossible."
She never thought that thinking could be so exhausting. Her brain cells felt overused, thus, she couldn't come up a better plan anymore –it's not that any of her plans could actually be at help.
How I am supposed to be friends with a boy who I know nothing about?
Things would be easier, if only I were a boy.
As if it was faith's work, she suddenly bumped into a boy running along in the streets. He appeared to be chasing another boy about his age as they play catch. Luna would've been mad if they didn't apologize right away, but the sight of those two carefree boys who seemed to be very close to each other gave her the craziest idea.
Luna's eyes shifted on the glass window of a clothing store in front of her where a mannequin of a boy was on display. Her figure reflecting on the glass appeared to be wearing the trendy clothes that the mannequin was on and the strange thing was she actually liked what she's seeing.
"If only I were a boy."
A mischievous grin spread wide across Luna's lips, fascinated with the crazy idea she had come up with.
Luna, without any second thought, entered the store and looked for someone who could tend to her needs. A lady with a fancy hair and well-sculpted eyebrows soon approached her. She was dressed like any other saleswoman in the store though she seemed to be like those women with painted eyes and lips that appeared in the pages of a magazine, Luna once saw.
"How can I help you little girl?" she chanted dynamically and Luna could only stare in awe.
"A-ano...I want to be a boy. Can you help me with that?" Luna responded, staring innocently at the saleswoman.
"Eh?" the lady's lashes batted a couple of times before her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
The lady's gaze made Luna felt uneasy. She finally realized how weird her request might have sounded. By the looks she's getting, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if the woman would take her as a fool. On her defense, people tend to do crazy things in drastic measure; it just happens that some are crazier than others. Though Luna didn't care less of what anyone would think of her, she's growing desperate by the minute and there's not much of a choice left either.
"I know what you're up to little girl." The lady twitched a perfect brow.
Luna gulped. She was about to explain herself when the lady squealed on the top of her lungs, very much in unladylike manner. Her eyes were sparkling, as if it was possible, as she leaned too close to Luna.
"Crossdressing?! Of course you must be a model! Kawaii!"
Luna could only blink. None of the words that the lady said made sense to her. Though seeing it as an opportunity to get what she wanted, Luna decided to play along.
"You're a model, right?" The lady asked again and the fascination on her voice was still evident.
Luna only nodded unknowingly.
"I knew it!" She said triumphantly. "Rest assure little girl, you've come to the right place. I know exactly what you need and by the time you leave this store you'll be the coolest boy there is!" Both of her arms stretched wide, showing the display of pile of boy apparels available.
Luna flinched, completely weirded out. The saleslady's genuine intention sounded comforting but the chills down her stomach made her wondering if she made the right decision to come to this store. Though it was too late for her to escape the probability of trying all those clothes on as the lady excitedly dragged her inside the changing room and started dressing her up.
For what Luna thought was forever, she finally managed to escape the four tight corners of the changing room, exhausted and barely breathing. She lost count on how many dresses she had tried on just to satisfy the lady's stringent taste. Nonetheless she couldn't be more thankful for helping her to find the perfect disguise as she finally saw a reflection of a boy staring back at her upon looking at the mirror. Luna couldn't imagine that it would turn out this good, she barely recognized herself over the baggy hoodie that she find very comfortable, alongside faded denims cropped just below the knees and a pair of running shoes. Her hair was securely tucked inside a bonnet, with strands of her bangs standing out. Everything fall into place, making her a convincing boy and all there's left to do was act like one.
Luna left the store with utmost gratitude. Due to the little detour, she was left behind schedule and her chances to make it in time to the actual exam were at risk. Luna had a difficulty in reading map since it was her first time to navigate and what made it even worse was her disguise that was giving her a hard time to move around.
Along the way, she kept reminding herself to act like a boy as she figured out the map but then again she don't know first thing about boys to start with. The first boy she knew was her butler who behaves much like a queen with overflowing etiquette, more than she could ever be. Luna sighed in distress. Great, her first genius plan had already backfired before it could even put to action.
Though what really disturbed her were the looks she was getting. Few of the females were giving her playful smiles while others were obviously talking about her, she could tell by the intense stares pointed directly at her. Luna could feel her cheeks burning by the overwhelming attention drawn into her and she could only wonder in dread, if they could see through her actions. If that's the case then her disguise was for nothing. But she knew there's no turning back now, she had spent too much time to come up with this plan, and it will take more to come up with a new one. Neck crooked down, she ignored everyone and buried her nose to the map instead.
After long hours of being lost, Luna finally reached her destination. Of all the places around this big city, what she's been looking for the whole time was a small tavern. She doubted for a while but convinced afterwards that Zeke's map wouldn't lie so she entered the establishment that look like an ordinary steakhouse with considerable amount of costumers.
Frowning, she scanned the place and found nothing that resembles Hunter Exam inside. Luna speculated that maybe she entered the wrong place. Disappointed, she was about to take her leave when a particular lady entering the shop, caught her attention. She has a sea green hair and wearing a weird big yellow hat with white flaps. A sweet smile soon appeared on her lips as Luna met her forest green eyes. For unknown reason, Luna decided to observe the lady as she approached the man in the bar and handed something over to him. It was exactly like the golden card –the one that Luna got. The lady was also rooting to be a Hunter, meaning another competition for Luna. But thanks to her, Luna would have never figure out what to do.
The old man in the counter soon took her into a private room at the back after examining the card and a minute or less he came back alone. The moment the old man was available, Luna gave her card and after inspecting it he also led her to the exact same room.
As expected the lady was there; she was patiently sitting with her arm crossed to her chest. Once again, the lady greeted her with a smile and Luna chose to rather lower her head politely. Cautious, Luna secured few distance away from the lady and sat across her. There she sat quietly, eyes fixated on her fidgeting fingers under the table. There was a complete silence between the two of them when suddenly the room started to descend like an elevator going down.
"Hi, I'm Ponzu." The lady across her suddenly spoke and reached her hand out to Luna. Her voice was as sweet as the smile she had that suited her blithesome personality well.
Luna, not expecting Ponzu to engage her in conversation, only blinked naively. She was rather wondering if the lady does ever getting tired of smiling all the time.
Ponzu pouted. "Okay, I understand." she nodded, thinking that maybe the boy was being suspicious of her. "But can I, at least, know your name?" she added.
Luna's eyes stretched wide, realizing that she was rude to the lady. How could she zone out in times like this? "I'm truly sorry. I-I didn't mean to be rude." she bowed her head in full apology, unconsciously looking at Ponzu in doe-eyed.
For a moment, Ponzu was taken aback before she giggled in delight. "You know what kid; you're too cute for a boy." Ponzu leaned to the table and eyed the boy with interest, "Actually, you're even prettier than most of the girls I know."
Luna flinched and immediately averted her gaze. She was internally scolding herself for being careless. "I-I'm not cute, nor pretty for that matter." she mumbled, looking away.
"No need to be ashamed about it. Pretty faces are rare." Ponzu said, still in glee.
Luna could only blush.
"Could you now tell me your name? Or else I might have no choice but to start calling you Pretty face." Ponzu teased.
Luna immediately straightened up.
"I'm Lu─..." she halted for a brief moment, apprehending that she was about to disclose her true identity.
I can't tell her my name is Luna –that's a girl's name.
"Lu?" Ponzu's brow furrowed.
Luna nodded too quickly. "Lu...Lux"
"My name is Lux." she said, more confident than before.
Ponzu beamed a smile, totally convinced, "Then nice to meet you Lux."
Luna heaved a sigh; relieved that she managed to deceive the lady. For a moment there, she was hesitating to use that name, though given that she didn't have much choice and it's not like she know a lot of name for boys, she was forced to use her father's name.
"I admit I like you Lux." Ponzu said, sweetness never left her face. "You reminded me of an adorable little brother."
Like she was triggered, the warmth in her eyes suddenly turned into a dead icy threat as her smile that was constantly there had faded into a thin slit of lips.
"But if you get in my way, I won't hesitate to get rid of you."
Luna remained silent for a while. For some unexplained reason, she somehow understood what Ponzu meant. The threat was obvious but rather to take it as a sign of imminent danger and hostility, Luna felt like it was an advice for her to take the exam seriously. Maybe it's because of the sincerity reflecting on those green eyes that gave her the comforting feels.
"Then expect that I would do the same"
Ponzu only grinned knowingly.
By that, the elevator door finally opened. On the other side was an underground tunnel –dark and algid, almost filled with people aspiring to be a Hunter. The tension across the room created chills in the air, enough indication for Luna that she was about to enter a hostile place. Stares like daggers, burning through her skull welcomed her as she set foot on the tunnel ground.
Luna felt her body trembling.
Though she knew it was far from fear; it was excitement, building on her chest as somewhere inside her mind she could hear adventure calling. Luna could never imagine that from the four corners of their basement, she would make it to the world and to be officially part of something this big.
So this is the real deal?
The true Hunter Exam starts here and she finally made it –she's part of it.
Luna's eyes glistened in excitement.
This is where all it begin.
Time to execute my plan and capture the boy's heart!
AN:
Hey,.... I don't know if you noticed but I've been deleting old comments lately. Please do bear in mind that if your previous comments has been deleted it doesn't mean that I find it offending or things like that. I do it, for the sake of the new readers. Some comments from the unedited version of this book may confuse new readers so I'm removing them in the comment section. And please do know that I love to read your comments, I read all of them, they are my motivation, my driving force to continue writing so please don't hesitate to let me know your opinions. I like to connect to my readers as much as possible. If I could, I wanted to be friends with you all.