Every morning Miu spends about half an hour jogging around her complex and then straight on to the convenience store. It figures the one day she decides to stray from that routine, it's the same day something else unusual would happen.

That morning, Miu had woken up feeling restless. She figured she needed a change of scene; she thought it wouldn't be too much of a risk to diverge from her route and make a turn into the park. It wasn't much of a park; everything in her complex is all but dilapidated. Fortunately, the most bare essentials manage to work. From the outside, Miu's building in particular appears deserted, which was half true. Miu is the only tenant left now.

It's certainly not much to look at; regardless, it's home and it's the only one Miu has ever known. She supposes she'll have to leave eventually, but there isn't any reason to go. There's a roof over her head and a convenient way to make money to provide for herself. It's enough and Miu feels secure in what little she had going for her there.

At least, that was how Miu felt until that morning. Everything made sense until she felt this pull dragging her feet from the beaten path, just a little ways away, but enough to stray. Miu had forgotten all about it by the time Hisoka had showed up in her store.

"How did he do that?"

Miu stared accusingly at the little bell, innocently hanging over the door. Every day since, Miu listened for the chime and it came as it always had. Despite Mr. Weiss' scoffing and eye rolls, Miu went so far as to examine the string and the door, just to make sure nothing was amiss. Hisoka did say he was a magician.

"It feels like a trick, that's for sure."

"Hey, shut up and get to work!"

"I am working!"

Mr. Weiss poked his head further outside of his office. "I don't see working, I see a crazy lady talking to herself. Go sweep the floor or something, stock the shelves; you can have one sided conversations on your own time."

Miu rolled her eyes just as the door slammed shut. The little office wasn't much, but it was hardly easy to hear muttering on the other side. Then again, maybe Miu really is just that predictable. At any rate, she doesn't have much else to do, so Miu grabs their badly battered broom and begins to swipe under the shelves for dust bunnies. She can do this much; Miu hates to admit it, but she does feel she owes Mr. Weiss a debt. A small one good for a favor or two anyway.

Mr. Weiss hadn't pushed Miu for details since that day. The medical examiners and the cops barely even questioned her; after all, what did it matter if some trouble makers got what was coming to them? Still, Miu couldn't believe how quickly people seemed to get over how gruesome the scene was; it reminded her of something out of a horror movie. Those men had been slaughtered and left in a heap like trash. If Miu wasn't on edge before, she was now.

On her morning runs, Miu finds herself constantly looking over her shoulder and listening for any strange noises, any sign of something not quite right. She's been waiting for the same feeling she had that morning.

"It was more than restlessness...it was dread. I felt suffocated. I wanted to escape...but why? There's nothing to run from."

The gentle chime of a bell rouses Miu from her thoughts. She breathes in and tries to bring herself back to reality; she still has a job to do. It was useless thinking about what had happened. It wasn't like Hisoka had done anything to threaten her. Chances are, Miu would never actually see him again.

"Good morning." Miu's smile falls from her face. The smile aimed at her was considerably less sincere. How Miu had missed it before, she didn't know.

"Good morning, Miu Morine. Long time no see."

Hisoka walks past her, not seeming to notice or care about the sudden tension in Miu's face and posture when he moves toward her.

"Did you celebrate the new year coming in? Or did you sleep through all the festivities?" Hisoka idly thumbs through a newspaper that was actually from a day before. "Haven't you restocked today's? Not the best start to the new year."

Miu almost dropped her broom. "Hisoka? What are you doing here? You-the cops, they-"

"Are you referring to that little scuffle from the other month?" Hisoka licks his thumb, leafing past the front page news to the.

"Scuffle? You-!" Miu put a hand to her mouth to look over at Mr. Weiss' office before lowering her voice. "More like slaughter; the cops do still come by every now and then. What if someone calls them or they see you here?"

Hisoka chuckles; he's reading the comics. "Why on earth would they do a thing like that?"

"Because you killed five people!"

Hisoka looked up from the page he was on. "Oh that. No worries, I'm a Hunter. The authorities have no authority over my actions. Well, in most cases anyway."

Miu's mouth hung open. "A Hunter? You?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"I thought you were a magician."

Hisoka's smile is almost fond. "I am. I think most people dabble in several hobbies."

Miu stands there silently for a second, not sure how to respond. She had heard of Hunters in passing, but she had never actually met one. Hisoka definitely wasn't what she thought of when picturing a Hunter.

"I'm surprised."

Miu watches like a hawk as Hisoka folds the paper under his arm and finds herself still half lost in thought as he begins to walk down the aisle. His sharp eyes scan the shelves high and low, searching while he speaks.

"What's surprising?"

"You."

"Me?" Miu balks. "You're kidding."

"Nope. You see, I figured you wouldn't sense me today, yet you did before." Hisoka plucks a package of assorted nuts off the display. "Are these buy one get one free?"

"Um, no.".

"Ah, well. What would you recommend?"

"I...like cookies."

"Boring, but I suppose it'll do." Hisoka picks out a small bag of chocolate chip cookies. "You have a limited selection here."

Miu wants to tell Hisoka if he feels that way, he could just go to another store, but right now she has more pressing things to address.

"Wait a second, what did you mean by 'I sensed you'?" Miu walks beside Hisoka trying to match his pace and keep her voice lowered in case Mr. Weiss hears her.

"Before, while you were running. Your form could use some work by the way; your stamina is impressive though, especially for someone of your size."

"Where?"

"Where what?"

"Where were you?"

"Around. It's not a crime to go for a walk, is it?"

But Hisoka couldn't have been there; Miu's almost certain. For one, she's almost positive she would have caught sight of him from miles away, and there was the fact it would have been hard for anyone to hide from her sight.

There's no trees or even other buildings that close by Miu's; for much of the surrounding area, it's flat, dead grass and concrete and junk. There was simply no place for someone to hide where Miu wouldn't have seen them automatically.

"I wouldn't try those if I were you. Anyway, how did you get in here before without ringing the bell?"

Hisoka looks away from the display of stale donuts. "Pardon?"

"You walked in here before without setting off that bell." Miu pointed to said chime above the door. "How did you do that? And how did you...kill those guys?"

"It wasn't hard."

"That's not what I meant." Miu's slight fear was fading with irritation. "Why did you even kill them?"

"They started it." Hisoka replied as if the matter was settled. "Can you ring me up? I really must be on my way."

Miu feels a bit weird turning her back to get to the register, but realizes she might just be paranoid. Hisoka hasn't done anything to her; he's been downright pleasant, if a bit condescending. It didn't seem like he was planning to hurt her. All Hisoka was doing was shopping for snacks and making small talk.

"That's what's so unsettling...how could he do that and then just act like...like nothing happened?" Miu charged the register with Hisoka's cookies and paper. "Is that normal for Hunters?"

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Oh sorry." Miu rips the receipt out and holds it toward Hisoka for him to take.

"I take it you're not used to having customers."

Miu smiled sheepishly. "Not exactly. We do get people coming in. Just a bit few and far inbetween...though more and more people who could afford our prices seem to move every day. Most businesses that started here have moved on too."

"Doesn't sound promising to stay put." Hisoka commented. "You're still so young and full of potential. Really." he ignores Miu's chuckle. "On that note, you don't seem so keen to stick around."

"What makes you say that?"

"You don't mean to tell me you actually enjoy living in such a boring, ugly place."

"Geez, okay, I get it." Miu pouts. "But who cares? I have what I need, there's no point leaving."

"No point? What a silly thing to say. But you are just an ignorant, silly thing yourself. It's not like you would know what else is out there..." Hisoka cocks his head and stares into Miu's somewhat miffed glare. "Do you have no sense of adventure? Not a tiny bit of curiosity?"

"I'm doing fine."

"I can't imagine anyone finding satisfaction staying put in one place their whole lives, let alone a place like this. The world is vast. Maybe it's high time you spread your wings and explored it."

Miu looked at Hisoka pointedly. She can't tell whether he's dispensing serious advice or just mocking her. Maybe it was both. Or neither. Whatever his intentions, Miu wishes Hisoka would get a move on already to wherever he came from. She's beginning to feel that unsettling sort of anxiety again. It's almost as if her instincts were anticipating something about to happen before Miu herself even knew it.

Luckily, Hisoka seemed to understand Miu wasn't in the mood for more chatter and patronizing summations of her life choices. He thanked her for the receipt and bid her farewell. Miu watched him saunter toward the door, half transfixed on seeing whether the bell would ring and half on Hisoka himself. No matter whether he meant her any harm, Miu couldn't shake her wariness.

"Like what you see?"

"No!"

When Hisoka decided to pause and glance over his shoulder, Miu stiffened up immediately. She felt a bit flustered at being caught staring and for her outburst, but the corners of Hisoka's lips quirked in a crooked sort of half grin.

"You're being cautious, aren't you? I can't say you're careless, Miu Morine. Or boring."

There it was again. That strange little glint. What really made Miu start was his eyes. For all the smiling Hisoka did, Miu had noticed that they never seemed to reach his eyes. They're chilling, but Miu can't bring herself to not look. To do that would somehow be worse than backing down from the challenge Hisoka's direct stares that Miu can't shake off. The low, lofty voice is unnervingly stern when Hisoka decides to pose his final question for the day.

"Have you honestly never wondered if there was more to you than you think?"