II: No Longer That Person

"Waah? The Hunter Exam?" I looked over to Gon who had intent written all over his face.

He nodded, showing me the flyer for what seemed like the twentieth time.

"You really are serious about finding this coward of a father, aren't you?" I said with a sigh.

He giggled. "Hey! My father isn't a coward, he's just... a loser," he said with a grin.

"Gon, a coward and a loser are pretty much synonyms. No beating the fact that your father's a wimp, no matter how strong he is."

"I know, I know, I just think... I just think that he's waiting for me. Like he knows I'm going to be looking for him, and he's awaiting my arrival," Gon looked down.

I reached my hand up, and in a swift motion brought it down to Gon's back, smiling ferociously.

"When you meet him, make sure to kick his ass for me"

Gon looked up with a bright twinkling in his eyes, and suddenly the light that I had always searched for appeared in front of me – Gon's smile.

"Yeah! ...Oi, that hurt, by the way," he said, rubbing his back over his shoulder and pouting.

It was my turn to smile. I turned towards Gon.

"Oi, what are you doin-"

I pulled him towards me and hugged him as strong as I could, despite the awkward noises he was making in the background. I shut those out for now. I needed to hold him.

On the days when Gon was sick and couldn't come to school, I was so lost. Gon was really the only person I had, and he was the first person to ever accept me – No one else bothered to even make contact with me. Gon was my navigator, he was my role model – Gon was everything to me.

Flashback Start

"Class, this is Reina. She'll be joining us from now on." Ms. Otoba introduced me.

Hushed murmurs spread throughout the classroom.

"What's with those scars?"

"Woah, her face is so serious. Uwaaa- she's scary!"

"Maybe she has a contract with the devil? Better stay away."

I shuffled towards the two empty seats that were placed next to each other. I chose the seat next to the window.

I don't even know if I'm ready for school yet... Just play it safe.

I sighed to myself.

The classroom door burst open, and a sweating boy made his entrance.

"I'm sorry, Mito-san wouldn't let me leave until I finished my vegetables, and I missed my bus!" he exclaimed, one hand on his knee and the other wiping the sweat from his forehead.

He is interesting. His black hair stood straight up, as if it was defying gravity itself, with the tips edged in green. His eyebrows were arched with a permanent determined and curious look. His bright brown eyes scanned the room, before landing on the seat next to me.

"Guess that's my seat! By the way, I'm Gon! Gon Freecss!" he said, with a thumbs up. He then hurried to his seat.

Not even halfway through class, Gon turned to me. Nervousness pulsed through my entire body, and my heart felt like it couldn't fit in the small space it was granted.

"Hey."

Flashback End.

That day, Gon's voice rang out to me. It was like the light being turned on in the dark, enveloping everything in it's presence. Gon was a light that was hard to miss.

Now he would be leaving and I don't know if he'd even ever come back.

"Reina?" Gon said over my shoulder.

"Please... Gon, come back alive. Kick the shit out of that sorry excuse for a Hunter Exam," I said, burying my head in the crook of his neck.

I could feel the shifting of Gon's jaw as he smiled, and in an instant his hands were wrapped around me too, surrounding me in his aroma.

"I promise, Reina. I'll be back."

I kicked my legs onto the desk that Gon would often do his homework on- or rather, pretend to do his homework as he imagined every possibility and experience of meeting his father.

Gon invited me into his home after realizing that I was living alone. I used the excuse of my parents kicking me out. I feel bad for lying to him, but he's too pure and innocent to learn about my past yet.

My mind began to over think and my heart began to race.

The Hunter Exam was long over. Gon should be back by now.

I sighed and swung my feet down, looking at the floor.

Don't lose hope. You know Gon. The Hunter Exam is barely an obstacle for him.

I know this... but if I lose Gon, I've lost myself.

Come to think of it, I've always relied on Gon. Whether he realized it or not, Gon was my barrier from the troubles I would've been forced to face alone up until now.

Flashback Start

"Hey, Reina," a girl with long brown hair and green eyes looked at me, her smile full of poison and her eyes revealing mischief.

"Hello."

"Is it true that you're not from Earth? I've heard that you aren't human. It's kind of evident, though. You don't exactly act human, so why don't you go back to whatever creepy planet you came from?"

Many giggles rang throughout the classroom. The back of my eyes stung.

However, before I could react, Gon's fist pounded the desk and he stood up, fury taking over his bright, innocent eyes.

"If you dare talk to Reina again like that, or even look at her the wrong way, you'll be sorry, Elizabeth," Gon said with a tone I didn't recognize. Was this really Gon? "Now get away from her."

The girl, named Elizabeth, was so shocked that her mouth hung open for countless seconds. She hurriedly turned around and rushed to her seat.

The entirety of the class looked at Gon with surprise. This wasn't the Gon they knew, the kid who always had a bright smile and carefree attitude. The children then turned to me with a look of pure hatred.

"She's poisoned Gon... poor kid."

"Told you to stay away!"

I looked at Gon with my eyebrows raised, and he sat back down.

His innocent grin returned.

Flashback End.

I let my head hang down, and my hands came up to my face. Once the shaking of my shoulders started, I knew it wasn't going to end.

Gon... please, Gon. Remember your promise. Come back, I need you.

Author here!

PLEASE TAKE A SECOND TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS POLL CONCERNING THIS STORY: fanfiction , net / topic / 156698 / 117076851 / 1 / Poll

(Poll can be accessed on my profile more easily! Otherwise, switch the comma to a period and remove the spaces - Sorry about that!)

Before you get the wrong idea, like thinking I'd kill off Gon, remember that Gon left to find Killua at his mansion after the Hunter Exam. In my story, Gon doesn't come back for an extra week in the time it takes to find and rescue Killua.

Chapters won't stay short for long, it's only the beginning. :)

P.S. Yes, I did a time skip! Would've been boring without a Gon, wouldn't it have? I'm not really the filler type of person, I know it isn't satisfying enough. [The time skip is the length of the Hunter Exam]

P.P.S The many flashbacks help you get an understanding of Gon and Reina's relationship.

READER QUESTION: Do you like the name Reina? Do you think it suits the main character? And how do you feel about Gon's outburst? Feel like it seems... Gon-ish?

Cheers!