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[Y/N] let out a yawn as she kicked another applicant that she didn't bother to remember.
"Thanks for the tag," [Y/N] said to the unconscious woman and walked away. Now, [Y/N] has 5 points and just needs one more to pass this phase.
She leaps on a tree branch and looks around, trying to look for one more applicant. [Y/N] had been on this island for two days, and throughout that time she could sense that someone was following her. [Y/N] knew who this person was.
Riley.
Riley was stalking [Y/N] day and night. He must have gotten his three points and now he just needs [Y/N]'s tag. [Y/N] keeps jumping from tree to tree, trying to throw off Riley as fast as she could.
~~~
Many hours passed by and [Y/N] still hasn't been able to shake Riley off. [Y/N] guessed that he must have a plan by now.
Or he's just being plain stupid.
With a heavy sigh, [Y/N] turned around to face the boy, "You can come out, Riley."
Riley steps out behind a tree, grinning at her, "Well, it looks like I was found."
"Why didn't you make your move sooner? Like the time when I was asleep, you could have used that chance to take my tag away," [Y/N] questioned the boy.
Riley shrugged, "I didn't want to. I guess you wouldn't put much of a fight..." Then he grinned mischievously, "Plus you looked cute when you were sleeping!" He squealed.
[Y/N] felt her face go hot by that statement and hissed at him, "Shut up,"
Riley being Riley, decided to tease her more, "But it's true! You're snoring and your sleeping face looks cute!"
[Y/N] felt her eyebrow twitch and growled, "Will you be quiet?"
Riley pouted, "Alright, alright, I'll stop but..." His face changed to a serious one, "When are you going to draw your blade?"
"What?"
"Well, I took notice that you keep that Sheathed Sword Style to fight against other applicants. So I'm guessing..." A sinister smirk can be seen on his face as he continued, "Are you perhaps scared? Are you scared of using your katana that you specifically brought to this exam?" [Y/N] gritted her teeth, trying her best to remain calm as Riley continued, "Or is it that you don't have the guts to use it?"
Something inside [Y/N] snapped when she heard that. [Y/N]'s eyes flashed multiple shades of blue before going back to their original color. With a battle cry, [Y/N] drew her katana blade and aimed at Riley.
Riley smirked as he pulls out his tarot cards, 'Alright, this is it! It looks like she can't stay calm all the time!' Riley thought with delight.
[Y/N] lunged at him, her sharp katana flying towards him. Riley dodges the katana with ease but was caught off guard when her hands gripped his jewelry then slamming him into a tree.
[Y/N] let out another battle cry as she went for the kill, only for Riley to duck under the blade as he dove in and punched [Y/N] in the stomach.
"Too slow!" Riley mocked.
[Y/N] was about to lunge towards him again until his hands reached out for her neck, squeezing her throat tightly. [Y/N] chocked as she dropped her katana and brought her hands up, gripping onto his hands to loosen the grip.
[Y/N] lifted her arms up, getting them in between Riley's hold. Her elbows forced his elbow back, loosening his grip on her neck. [Y/N] then grabbed Riley's head, loosening his grip further, then head-butting him.
Riley groaned in pain as he holds his head. [Y/N] picks up her katana to end his life once and for all. Riley glared at her as he suddenly disappeared in the last second, making [Y/N] stop in her tracks.
'Where did he go!?'
"[Y/N]!!!" The H/C girl turned around to where the voice came from. Riley appeared out of nowhere and sprung up, his arms drawn back with cards in between his finger. [Y/N] brought up her blade, ready to defend herself against Riley.
Instead of being attacked, [Y/N] felt something lifted her up from the ground and rushes into the trees, leaving a dumbfounded Riley behind.
'That boy...' Riley growled but smirked as he opened his grip, revealing [Y/N]'s tag. 'Heh, you didn't disappoint..'
On the other hand, [Y/N] kept hitting her 'kidnapper's back, screaming, "Let me go! Let me go!"
The kidnapper finally stops as they gently lay her on the ground, [Y/N] looked up and silently gasped.
"Kurapika..?"
The blonde let out a sigh, rubbing his back, muttering, "You hit hard..."
"I'm sorry..."
"It's fine," Kurapika stared at her, [Y/N]'s body was shaking in anger and he finally sees her katana has been drawn.
"You...You used your blade..." Kurapika pointed out.
[Y/N]'s eyes widened for a moment before letting out a weak chuckle, "I...I've done it again..."
"Again?" Kurapika repeated in confusion.
[Y/N] let out a disappointed sigh, "I lost my cool and lost my tag to him...God, I'm pathetic..."
"No, you're not," [Y/N] eyes widened as she stared at the blonde, who knelt in front of her, "You're not pathetic, [Y/N]. We all lose our cool once in a while, even I lost my cool back at the tower. I don't know what Riley said to you but you can't let those words get to you. You've told me before not to let my anger control me, now it's my turn to say that: 'Don't let your anger control.'"
"Kurapika..."
The blonde smiled at her, "I'll stick by your side, no matter what,"
[Y/N] smiled at the boy, "Thank you Kurapika. I really appreciate it," [Y/N] revealed Riley's tag, "I've only got 5 points so far. How about you?"
"I've got nothing yet but my own tag. So I need to find my target." Kurapika replied.
"I'll help you," [Y/N] stood up straight and looked at the boy. "You've helped me a lot, so it's my turn to help you,"
Kurapika stood up beside her, "Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? You're the one who helped me a lot,"
"I did? Since when?" [Y/N] asked with a puzzled expression.
Kurapika could only sweatdrop at her, 'She doesn't know...but, it's fine.'
The two began to walk around the forest, trying to find Tonpa so that Kurapika could get his tag.
"Hold up! I'm gonna kill you!"
Both of them came to a halt as they heard Leorio yelling at someone, and it doesn't take a genius that Leorio had been fooled by none other than Tonpa.
"Should we help?" [Y/N] asked.
Kurapika sighed and nodded, "We should," The two of them hide behind a bush, waiting for the right time to attack.
"Besides, working in teams during the Hunter Exam is common sense!" Just as Kurapika and [Y/N] thought, Leorio got tricked by Tonpa.
Kurapika and [Y/N] nodded, coming out of their hiding spot as Kurapika spoke up, "I agree with the latter, but I can not accept the former."
"Huh?"
Right as Tonpa was about to pass them, [Y/N] swing her sheathed katana right on his head, making him spin around mid-air, and landed on the ground, face planted.
"You shouldn't be tricking people in the first place," [Y/N] glared down at him.
"Kurapika, [Y/N]..."
Kurapika looked at the man with a smile, "Leorio, want to team up with us?"
"Of course. But first..." Leorio cracked his knuckles as he lifted Tonpa up, "I'm going to teach this old man a lesson," And so, Kurapika and [Y/N] watch Leorio start beating Tonpa up into a pulp. Once that was done Leorio then tied him up on a rock with a sign that reads.
"Please do not feed!"
The trio then went after Sommy and his pet monkey. "I'm using the trees!" [Y/N] informed them before she jumped on a tree and started hopping from tree to tree. After hopping from tree to tree she caught up with the man along with Leorio.
"Hey! Return my tag!!"
Sommy laughed mockingly, "If you want it back, catch me!" In a blink of an eye, [Y/N] catches up to them and snatches the monkey.
The man gasped and landed on one of the branches just to see Kurapika has his wooden sword holding under the monkey's neck. They then tied Sommy and the monkey up and throws them onto the same random rock with Tonpa.
"That'll teach him a lesson not to trick anyone," Leorio said putting his tag into his briefcase, "Ok! I retrieved my tag."
"And we have tags #16 and #118 as well," [Y/N] added as she tosses Tonpa's tag to Kurapika and kept Sommy's tag to herself, now having 6 points.
"Kurapika, Tonpa was your target?" Leorio asked before he grinned, "You guys saved me back there."
"No need to thank us. I didn't want Tonpa to notice us so we stayed hidden while you were jumped from behind."
"What?"
"Well, that was because I figured there'd be no point in teaming up with you except [Y/N] if you couldn't withstand that attack. I suppose that you barely qualify." Kurapika stated bluntly.
Leorio simply sweatdropped at him, "You're so full of yourself...Well, I can't deny that it's easier to work as a team. Let's stick together for the remaining four days,"
"Yes,"
"Sure,"
"You got your target's tag. So with your own, that adds up to six points."
"Assuming he doesn't take it back. The #118 tag is only worth one point for either of us."
Leorio looked at [Y/N] and asked, "How about you [Y/N]."
[Y/N] closed her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Mine was stolen by Riley so I've defeated 4 in total, including my target and #188 so I've passed,"
Leorio gawked at her, "That means you defeated 3 contestants on your own!?"
"That's correct," [Y/N] replied shortly.
"Next we need to find your target, #246, Ponzu," Kurapika stated.
"Stay alert, in case we're being followed," Leorio informed the two.
"You shouldn't be talking," [Y/N] shot back.
"Yeah, yeah. You're absolutely right." Leorio said sarcastically. The trio takes another journey through the forest trying to find Leorio's target.
~~~
The trio was carefully sneaking through the forest, making sure they didn't get caught by the other applicants.
Leorio broke the silence by speaking up, "How am I supposed to find Ponzu on an island this big? Isn't wondering around like this a huge waste of energy.
Kurapika, annoyed, retorted, "No more a waste of energy than constantly whining, I would imagine."
"You both have six points already, so you're finished. But if I don't find my target..." [Y/N] came to a halt as her E/C eyes went wide.
"[Y/N]?" Kurapika and Leorio follow her glance and gasped because they spotted Hisoka as if he was waiting for them.
"Hey," He greeted them casually.
"Imagine meeting you here..." Hisoka smirked as Riley came up and stood beside his teacher.
"Yo, [Y/N]."
"Riley!"
Leorio laughed nervously, "I keep running into people I don't want to encounter,"
"You see, I need two more points. Could you give me your tags?" Hisoka asked in a 'polite' manner.
"What was that!? Screw that! I'm gonna-"
"Leorio!" Kurapika cut him off, "You said that you need two additional points which implies that we are not your targets, correct?"
"I'm the one asking questions here. Will you give me your tags or not?" Hisoka asked once more.
"That depends." [Y/N] spoke up, "We currently have six tags. My targets, Kurapika's, Leorio's, and my other 3 tags are only worth a single point to me. Of these only two could be the number of your target, mine, or the tag. Leorio's number is #403 and he was the target of #16. Kurapika's target was #16 and mine is #198 but my tag #406 was stolen by Riley. Each person was assigned a different target so #16, #406, #198, and #403 are out."
"Indeed..." Hisoka took a step forward as the trio took a step back, "Neither of those is my targets, so?"
"That leaves the other three tags. If you're willing to take the tag worth only one point to us and leave, you can have it. But I will not let you have my target's tag, and the same goes for the other three." Then Kurapika and Leorio threw their bags and ready their weapons, "If you insist on taking them by force, you'll have to fight me!"
To the trio's surprise, Hisoka covered his face with a hand and laughed to himself. "Out of curiosity, what is your number?" Hisoka's eyes landed on Kurapika.
"#404," Kurapika answered.
"Very well. You have a deal. I'll only take one tag." [Y/N] reached out one of her point tags and tossed it to Hisoka, who caught it easily.
"Don't worry I'll be standing here for a while." Just as Hisoka promised, he stays there as the trio slowly takes a few steps back before they runoff.
"That was a close one...." Leorio sighed in relief.
Kurapika turned to [Y/N] as he asked in concern, "Are you alright, [Y/N]?"
[Y/N] simply nodded not glancing at them. The two males look at each other with worry looks before they follow her lead.
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