Hisoka was sitting on one of the benches at the back of the room. He tried
to immerse himself in the book that he was reading as the wave of emotions
in the room crashed over him, again and again, leaving him with a throbbing
headache and a heavy breath. He had nearly collapsed the week before, when
there was an escalation of anger, and sadness, and confusion in the midst
of a heated argument between two men up front. It didn't help when the
crowd pressed in all around him, curious to see if he was okay, wreaking
havoc on Hisoka's empathy bombarded brain. He said that he had weak lungs.
Since then, the people in the room had given him some space to breathe,
but it did little to lessen the turmoil of their emotions in Hisoka's
brain.
He had spent nearly two weeks in this same room, listening to the emotions of one specific man who was also up in front. The man had an iron will, and had a certain stubbornness within him. What surprised Hisoka was that the man would not convey his emotions, unlike the rest of the people in the room whose smallest worries resounded clearly in Hisoka's brain.
It was.unnerving.
Rarely had he encountered humans with a closed heart. And even more seldom had he encountered a man with a closed mind. Hisoka had followed this man in and out of the room for the past two weeks, in hopes of catching the man leaving his thoughts and emotions unguarded. But the man never slipped, and his stubbornness was like a shroud over his thoughts and emotions. At first, Hisoka thought that it was the steady noise in the room that hid the man's emotions from him. But there had been times when they were both alone. The man wasn't aware of Hisoka's presence. And there, for the first time in a long time, Hisoka heard something that he had not often heard before.
Silence.
Complete and utter silence. Hisoka was troubled. It wasn't right.
Suddenly, there was an uproar from the front of the room. White lightning streaked across the room in Hisoka's mind and a white arc bashed him over the head, again and again, engulfing him in white hot heat. A film of sweat broke out and the book fell from Hisoka's hand. Blood was pounding in his ears and he screwed his eyes shut. Tears began to form in the corner of his eyes as the commotion was turned up a notch.
The lights in the room went out and Hisoka was engulfed in warmth. Suddenly, everything seemed calmer. Hisoka opened his eyes and saw Tsuzuki's face over his. Tsuzuki smiled and his mouth moved, saying something that he couldn't hear.
The noise in the room was still in his head.
Then he passed out.
He had spent nearly two weeks in this same room, listening to the emotions of one specific man who was also up in front. The man had an iron will, and had a certain stubbornness within him. What surprised Hisoka was that the man would not convey his emotions, unlike the rest of the people in the room whose smallest worries resounded clearly in Hisoka's brain.
It was.unnerving.
Rarely had he encountered humans with a closed heart. And even more seldom had he encountered a man with a closed mind. Hisoka had followed this man in and out of the room for the past two weeks, in hopes of catching the man leaving his thoughts and emotions unguarded. But the man never slipped, and his stubbornness was like a shroud over his thoughts and emotions. At first, Hisoka thought that it was the steady noise in the room that hid the man's emotions from him. But there had been times when they were both alone. The man wasn't aware of Hisoka's presence. And there, for the first time in a long time, Hisoka heard something that he had not often heard before.
Silence.
Complete and utter silence. Hisoka was troubled. It wasn't right.
Suddenly, there was an uproar from the front of the room. White lightning streaked across the room in Hisoka's mind and a white arc bashed him over the head, again and again, engulfing him in white hot heat. A film of sweat broke out and the book fell from Hisoka's hand. Blood was pounding in his ears and he screwed his eyes shut. Tears began to form in the corner of his eyes as the commotion was turned up a notch.
The lights in the room went out and Hisoka was engulfed in warmth. Suddenly, everything seemed calmer. Hisoka opened his eyes and saw Tsuzuki's face over his. Tsuzuki smiled and his mouth moved, saying something that he couldn't hear.
The noise in the room was still in his head.
Then he passed out.