'Wait a minute. Speaking of that can. Where did he get it anyway? Is there a vending machine nearby?'

She kept looking around, but she still couldn't find any.

'Nah, whatever. I don't really care about it anyway. Better go for a walk.'

She stood up, dragging her legs to walk around the room. The participants who came to the room were still increasing one by one, each with their special skills and big guts to pass this Hunter Exam in an instant. The atmosphere was getting tenser and tenser.

"The Hunter Exam isn't easy, you know."

Mami looked left, and there, she could spot a not-too-tall and fat man, smiling at her. At first, she was a little bit unsure whether to asnwer him or not, but she ended up answering him- and in a friendly way.

"How did you know-" she stopped. "-Mister?"

"I'm Tonpa. Well, this is my 35th time participating in this," he said; confidentially.

"Ah- the 35th.." She smiled, and then her expression changed instantly. "WAIT. 35th?!"

"Yeah! By the way, this is for you! See you around!"

'You'll fail, brat.' he muttered devilishly.

He offered a can of orange juice to her, and she gladly accepted it. Then, he left.

"Thanks!"

She put the orange juice in her bag.

'Better save this for later.'

Suddenly, the bell rang, and everyone looked at the source of the bell.

A wall in front of them lifted up, and revealing a tall figure of a mustached-man.

"All of the participants, please assemble. The Hunter Exam is going to start. I'm Satotz, and I'll be your examiner for Phase One. Follow me."

'So, this is it, huh? I won't lose!' she thought, and smiled.

...

2 hours had passed.

Mami was still running leisurely behind a man with a suit, bringing a suitcase. And beside a spiky and black-haired boy. She brushed her gaze to the boy beside her, from top to toe. The boy beside her was probably in the same age with her.

'He looked tired,' she thought, staring at the man in front of her.

The boy beside her peeked at her, and asked for her name with a friendly manner.

"Hello! I'm Gon, and I'm 12 years old! How about you?"

Mami parted her lips, was going to answer him, but her attention was distracted by Leorio, who was still running in front of her.

"Hey! Wait up, kid!" Leorio yelled to a boy beside him, and a vein popped up on his forehead.

"Hmm? What?" The boy glanced at Leorio with a bored face.

"You should show the Hunter Exam some respect!"

The boy kept silent for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you using a skateboard? That's cheating!" yelled Leorio, while pointing at the skateboard that boy was riding on.

He looked at his own skateboard, and then looked at Leorio. "Why?"

"This is an endurance test!"

"No, it's not!" said Gon.

The silver-haired boy looked back, and saw Gon, and Mami, but he pretended that she didn't see her.

"Gon, what are you saying?!"

"The examiner only told us to follow him," replied Gon while still running.

Leorio looked at Gon with a pissed face.

"Whose side are you on, eh?!"

Killua slowed his pace, until he was beside Gon. He looked at Gon front top to toe, and then asked for his age.

"Ne, how old are you?"

"I'm 12 years old."

"Hmmm," he replied shortly. 'He's on the same age as me.'

He hopped off from her skateboard, and caught it with his right hand. "Guess I'll run, too."

"Oooh! Cool!" Gon's eyes widened in amazement.

"I'm Killua," he glanced at Gon, not showing any expression.

"I'm Gon!" he smiled.

'Be invisible, Mami. Be invisible. Make sure you won't get noticed by that annoying boy,' Mami muttered softly to herself while averting her gaze to another way.

But, well, Killua noticed her existence from the very start.

Killua smirked michievously, and looked at her. "Soooo, we met again, airhead."

'I. Hate. This,' she thought, but she responded anyway.

"Eh? You knew each other?" asked Gon, while looking at the two of them alternately.

Killua and Mami replied at the same time, and with the same answer. A not really.

"What do you want, can-thrower?" she replied without even looking at him, not wanting to see his face.

"I stated my name very clear just now. My name is not can-thrower," he put on a bored face, again.

"I won't stop calling you it before you stop calling me airhead," she replied, closing both of her eyes.

"I thought you are just an ordinary girl who can't even run too far. I misjudged you," said Killua again.

Leorio, who was still running behind them, was having a hard time. He couldn't even breathe properly, and his body was drenched in sweat. 'Damn it,' he thought. 'Making a fool out of me...'

And, without the three realizing, Leorio was going slower, and slower, so slow until he stopped running, and everyone were so far in front of him.

Mami was the first to notice, she ran back to Leorio's place, and asked him about his condition.

"A-are you okay?"

"I'm perfectly fine.. Don't worry about me," he said, still breathing heavily.

The two also stopped, and stared at him.

"Screw it.." He said. "I'M GONNA BE A HUNTER!"

Then, Leorio ran so fast until he passed the three. Gon smiled, and took his suitcase with his fishing rod skillfully. Killua grins in amazement.

"Hey, wanna race to see who finishes first?" Killua asked to the two.

"Sure. The loser has to buy dinner," replied Gon happily.

The two looked at Mami, waiting for her answer. Mami looked at them back and said,

"I don't see any problem with that. Why not?"