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I strolled through the blimp, no clear destination in mind. My legs ached from all the activities we had to participate in so far; I was glad to have been given this short break while we flew to the site of the final stage.
I heard footsteps from up ahead. I looked up to see Gon walking in my direction. We locked eyes and I noticed his pupils fill with excitement as he jogged over to me. "(Y/N)!"
I smiled at the shorter boy, "Hey Gon, I was just taking a walk." He grinned and told me how he was on his way to his room to rest before we landed. He deserved it after successfully steal Hisoka's tag. I knew he could do it, I never once doubted it but I chose not to ask him about how he managed to even though I was curious. "Yeah, I'll see you."
He nodded and continued jogging away before he halted suddenly and turned to me again. "Kurapika is up ahead, he's by himself now so you should go talk to him!" Gon left in a flash after those words. I suppose I could go see Kurpika. I hadn't spoken to him in a while.
And surely enough, after walking a little more I saw him standing there, leaning against a railing as he stared down at the city below. I joined him, keeping a small distance between us. "Hey, Kurapika. We're on our way to the final stage. Wow, it feels so odd knowing that we're close to the end of the exam." I giggled as I stared through the window at the glistening body of water.
The boy nodded, "Yeah. I just spoke to Gon too that I'm glad we all made it this far." I studied each of his features carefully as he spoke. It was nice standing with Kurapika. Sure, the other three were also pleasant to be with but the atmosphere was always more calm when I was with this particular blonde.
I turned my eyes back to the view. "This scenery reminds me of a book I've read," I told him, "It's beautiful." I added, suddenly choosing not to bore him with the details of the book.
He only chuckled at my statement. "Do you really like to read that much?" I looked at him as if he asked me if I loved nature, or hot cocoa in the winter. "Don't get me wrong," he said. "I like to read too. But I don't tell just anyone." How odd, I thought.
I asked him why he didn't tell anyone. He replied saying he didn't know, which was just his way of asking for more time before answering. "People who read are hiders. They hide who they are. People who don't hide always like who they are."
"Do you hide?"
"Sometimes. Don't you?"
"Do I? I suppose." And then I found myself stumbling into a question I would never have asked otherwise. "Do you hide from me?"
"No, not from you. Or maybe, yes, a bit."
"Fair enough." I shrugged my shoulders with a small smile. There were things I hid from him too so it was understandable "Maybe someday we can reach a point where we don't need to hide anything from one another."
He nodded. "Yeah. Maybe."
~
The last stage could have had so many outcomes, the possibilities were endless. It could have gone any way but I never would have guessed for it to turn our the way it did.
It was just so sudden and unexpected to all of us when we stood there, staring in horror at the scene before us. Killua covered in blood. Bodoro laying lifelessly on the ground. The words Illumi spoke to Killua still lingering in our minds.
All of the events unraveled so fast that before I knew it I was standing alongside Gon, Kurapika and Leorio, promising Illumi that we were going to save Killua. The only information we managed to get out of the emotionless needle man was that Killua had likely gone back to his home in Kukuru mountain.
After bidding farewell to Hanzo, Polkko and the examiners, the four of us ventured to find a computer where we could surf the web for the location of the mountain. We found the address of our destination pretty easily and immediately booked tickets.
I was glad that we were all going together for Killua. I knew how much Gon meant to him from the conversation we had during the fourth phase and it was heartbreaking to see Killua being told by his brother that he wasn't allowed friends. Illumi was wrong. Killua deserved friends. He deserved to be happy. And I was ready to do everything in my power to ensure that he was.
"(Y/N)." I was suddenly pulled out of my trance by a masculine voice. I finally pulled my gaze away from my knees and looked towards Leorio who sat opposite from me. "You've been silent since we got on the train. Are you okay?"
I smiled at the young man, "I'm fine. Thank you, Leorio." I turned my head towards the window, staring at all the trees we passed. "I'm just a little worried about Killua."
"He'll be fine." Said Kurapika. I looked at the boy beside me and pursed my lips. Leorio and Gon continued their conversation with one another, I overheard them mention something about the last stage. Which reminded me, "The scar on your cheek, does it hurt?" I asked Kurapika.
He looked surprised for a moment, probably because it was the first time I had brought it up since he had received it from the clown. I never found out what Hisoka actually said to Kurapika during their fight, the opportunity to ask never came up back then. "It doesn't hurt." Kurapika traced the small cut with his fingers. He appeared oddly touched by my insignificant question.
I didn't have anything left to say to him so instead I gave my attention back to the conversation between Leorio and Gon. Kurapika joined in too. We talked for the remaining duration of the journey, after we got off the train we joined a tourist group who were on their way to the Zoldyck mansion.
~
I finally understood why Illumi revealed the location so easily. He wasn't worried about us getting inside at all since he was positive that we wouldn't be able to. And I knew he was right to make that assumption after I learned how hard it was to even open the doors.
Fortunately, with the training that the security guard gave us, we were able to get through the doors. Everything about Kukuru mountain made me on edge, especially the interraction with Killua's mother. The only bearable part was when we were speaking with the butler while we awaited the arrival of our albino. It was a pretty dreadful journey, to say the least, but I was glad that in the end we managed to get our friend back.
Dragging my feet across the stone floor of the city, I let out a sigh. I finally gave my attention back to the conversation at hand; the other four were discussing what Hisoka said to Kurapika about meeting in York New on a particular date.
"September first? That's the first day of the world's biggest auction!" Leorio announced.
"It's possible the Spiders will be there," Kurapika said. "That's all Hisoka told me." With an exhale, the blonde continued, "Well, I'm gonna leave you here. We were able to see Killua again and my break is over. I have to save money to join the auction sale. From now on, I'm going to look seriously for some work... as a Hunter."
I was a little upset upon realising that we all had to bid our farewells to one another, even though we planned to regroup in a few months, I knew I was going to miss them. Leorio announced that he was going to go home too in order to focus on his studies. "Where are you gonna go, (Y/N)?" He asked me, pushing his glasses farther up the bridge of his nose.
"Me? I'm going back to my village. I want to see how my sister is doing." The boys nodded understandingly. We were all about to part ways before I stopped them. "Wait, guys. Let's take a picture." I smiled as I lifted the camera that I never once distanced myself from.
Killua groaned, throwing his hear back. "Gwahhh, do we have to!?"
Gon nudged his friend with a smile, "C'mon, Killua, it'll be a nice memory!" Said boy complied almost instantly after his friend insisted. We all grouped tightly together as I lifted the camera and took a picture. It was cute.
And that brought an end to our little journey, well, until September at least. Killua and Gon left in a taxi together, Leori got into one by himself while Kurapika and I decided to share one to save money. We both were going to the same airport after all because unlike the other three boys the places where we were going to go were both somewhat far.
I sat next to him in the back seat. Kurapika stared out of the window in silence. I wondered what went on in that head of his, what was he thinking.
We got out of the taxi as we walked into the airport. I looked at him from the corner of my eye and thought back to our conversation on the blimp. People who read are hiders. People who don't hide always like who they are. "Do you like who you are, Kurapika?" The worlds almost fell out of my mouth.
Kurapika stopped walking and looked at me in surprise, I was also shocked in myself for asking such a sudden question. He lifted his eyebrows as if to question why I had asked something so random. "You said so yourself back at the blimp," I explained. "People who don't hide always like who they are. So do you? Don't you like yourself?"
The Kurta chuckled and then he did something which I would never expect from him in a million years: he ruffled my hair. That was the first time he touched me. "You're still thinking about that? Don't contemplate too much on the things I say." He was hiding.
I didn't pry any further. Maybe because I knew that he had no intention of talking to me about something so personal, but mainly because this was where we had to part ways because of the different planes we had to take. I clutched my ticked in my hands and exhaled slowly. "I'll see you then, Kurapika."
The Kurta offered an affectionate smile, "Yes. Until we meet again, (Y/N)." He opened his mouth as if to say more but closed it immediately after. I only returned a smile to him. We turned our backs to one other and left to either side of the building where our own flights awaited us.
It felt strange, sitting in the seat by myself. I wasn't with Killua, Gon, Leorio or Kurapika for once. The feeling of being lonesome once again entered me as I stared out of the plane window. All I wanted was to go home and tell my sister of the friends I had made and the trials of the exam. I especially couldn't wait to tell her about the boy who was a hider.
~
As you can see, I tried to get through this ordeal quickly. I want to get to the YorkNew arc soon. The next chapter will be about the Reader visiting her home and how she learned Nen. I'm sorry if this story is boring, I'm trying. Thank you.