I flinched as another frigid gust of wind blew against me. Why did I have to meet up with him today of all days? I thought bitterly.

Many people were still wandering the streets of YorkNew City, even on such a horrid day, with their scarves flapping wildly with each gust of wind.

The next wind came unexpectedly, taking my hat right off my head. I whirled around and tried to grab it, but my fingers passed through air. "Dang it!"

I was about to turn around when a figure appeared in front of me. I yelped.

"Oh, did I scare you, Aiko? I apologize." I looked up to see a teenage boy barely older than me smiling sheepishly. "Is this yours?" He was holding my hat in an offering manner. It was Pairo, my friend who I hadn't seen since December. At least that gets meeting up with him out of the way...

"Pairo, there you are!" I exclaimed. "How did you…?" I thought aloud as I gazed at his defining feature. Where his eyes would be was a white bandage wrapped around his head like a blindfold.

"Oh." Pairo said, running his fingers along the bandage. "I didn't see it, of course. It landed on my face."

I took the hat from him. "You're a lifesaver, Pairo, even accidentally. Now, let's get out of the cold and go catch up! You've gotta tell me about the Exam, right?"

"Right." He said, smiling. "I was looking for your apartment, but I got a bit lost. I must've forgotten my way around town."

"Ohh, poor baby." I teased.

"It's alright, I'll remember it eventually." Pairo replied, either ignoring my sarcasm or just not catching it. It was kind of hard to tell with him. With the simple way he talked, he could go from idiot to genius in a second, or just blur the line between the two.

As I led him down the sidewalk, I took in our considerable height difference. You almost couldn't tell that he was the slightly crippled little boy that had showed up on my neighbor's doorstep seven years ago.

Finally, we showed up at my apartment. I headed up the steps and unlocked the door. After stepping inside and turning on the light, I turned towards Pairo. "Uh...do you remember the way around in here? I don't want you running into anything."

Pairo smiled. "I'll be alright. It's not like I'll be snooping anyway."

We headed into the living room and sat across from each other.

I decided to start the conversation. "So, how did the Exam go?"

Pairo pulled out a brand new Hunter License. "I passed, of course!"

"That's great, Pairo! I knew you would! So, what kind of Hunter do you want to be, after you master Nen?"

Pairo's expression immediately became serious, with the absence of his eyes not changing how his stare bore into mine.

"You should know that, Aiko, better than anyone. I'm going to become a Blacklist Hunter and hunt down the Phantom Troupe. That's a promise that I will never break."