Chapter 3

Outside on the upper deck, Kuroro reserves a table for three beneath the canopy. After enduring the stifling cabins of the ship for the past month, dining outside feels pleasant for a change. The fine restaurant he brought the children is located on the precipice of the Black Whale, overlooking the endless expanse of the ocean while they enjoy their breakfast.

Kuroro peers down at the boy sitting in his lap. "Is it good?"

Sol beams up at him, as if this is the best thing he has eaten in a while. His white neckerchief has been stained different colors from his fruit macedonia. "Yummy!"

It's fortunate that Sol has been behaving so far. When he refused to sit by himself on a high chair, he allowed himself to be held by Kuroro. While holding Sol with one arm, Kuroro nurses a single cup of morning coffee with his other hand.

"Papa," Sol beckons, holding out a slice of honeydew to him. "Ahh—"

"Are you sharing?" Kuroro asks with an amused smile. Sol nods expectantly, letting him take a bite of the piece being offered. A rich sweetness fills Kuroro's mouth, making him appreciate that the restaurant's dishes suit their tastes. "It's good."

Determined to continue feeding him, Sol offers Kuroro another piece of fruit from his plate.

"I'm fine." Kuroro raises his cup of coffee to show that's already satisfied. "I'm full just by watching you, so don't worry about me and finish your breakfast."

"'kay!" Sol says, redirecting the fruit into his own mouth.

His cheeks look so full and round, that they would burst if Kuroro touched them. The urge to capture this moment compels him to steal a secret photo of Sol on his phone, so that he can share it with his Spiders later. He can imagine their uproar of seeing a baby with his features—only those features contain a happiness and innocence that Kuroro has never known.

While Sol continues eating well, Kuroro notices his daughter's silence. Laid out on the table are decadent breakfast sweets that he assumed the children would enjoy, but Runa has yet to make progress with her meal. From what he remembers, she refused to eat anything last night as well.

"Do you not like the food?"

Runa's gaze has been burning into her breakfast as if it's something offensive. After staring at her plate for a long while, she raises her gaze to meet Kuroro's eyes. Sunlight dapples her hair, making it appear white-gold in the light.

"It's fine," Runa answers simply. She lifts her fork and carves it into a strawberry tart, her mannerisms practiced and elegant for someone her age.

"Could it be," Kuroro begins to say, a quiet smile on his lips, "you want to sit on my lap too?"

Runa looks offended at the very idea. Her brows draw together and her lips press into an unamused frown, bearing an uncanny resemblance to her other father. "No thanks. I'm not a baby, Papa."

Both she and Kurapika seem to react the same way to being teased. A wider smile pulls at his lips, but Kuroro suppresses it.

After watching Runa continue to stab at her pastry instead of consuming it, Kuroro plucks a strawberry from her plate.

"Papa!" Runa says, raising her voice for the first time.

Kuroro brings the strawberry closer to his lips. "If you aren't going to eat it, I will."

"You just said you were full," Runa answers in annoyance.

"Bad Papa," Sol scolds him, making Kuroro laugh unexpectedly.

"Then," Kuroro says, "why don't you tell me what's on your mind?"

Kuroro studies her expression, and his assessment reflects in her own eyes. He feels mild astonishment at her enquiring gaze, when there's no mistaking who she inherited it from.

Runa sets down her utensils on the table. "You're being nice to us," she reveals, bringing him a moment of pause. "Well, I thought you were, until you decided to steal what's mine."

Kuroro places the strawberry back on her plate. Her choice of vocabulary amuses him. "Is being nice a bad thing?"

"Not really," Runa tells him. "But you're only being nice because there's something you want from us."

It's true.

Kuroro has never cared for children before, beyond assessing their potential to serve as his Spiders. Somehow, he has been entrusted with both of them.

"I'm only interested in you two." Kuroro casually sips at his coffee. "Isn't it natural to be curious after suddenly learning that I have two children?"

Runa doesn't seem convinced with his answer. She stares at him in search of something, but finally eats her pastry when Kuroro looks interested in her food again.

Throughout the morning, Kuroro doesn't fail to notice the attention they attract. They become the focus of a group of fashionable ladies enjoying breakfast nearby, presumably foreign dignitaries and wives of renowned politicians. While stealing shy glances at him, they whisper excitedly to their peers. The moment their eyes meet, one woman waves at them. Sol waves back with his small hand, earning a barely-contained squeal of excitement.

Runa appears annoyed with the attention, because her cheeks puff up the same way that Sol did when they first met, when he thought that Kuroro wouldn't hold him.

"Do you enjoy the attention?" Runa asks with a frown, and he doesn't miss the accusation in her voice. "Or do you just lack self-awareness?"

Kuroro blinks. "Hm?"

"Papa wears his wedding ring all the time, but he still gets hit on when he's with us."

With a child in his arms and another beside him, Kuroro certainly looks like a single father. Just as Runa seems to have expected, one woman approaches their table.

Though her features are obscured by the shadows cast by the wide brim of her sunhat and sunglasses, Kuroro can hear the excitement in her voice. As she introduces herself as a mother of two, Kuroro indulges her politely in conversation and allows her to greet the children.

"Her coloring's so unique," the woman comments, fawning over Runa. "Is it all natural?"

Runa stiffens when the woman's hand slides through the ends of her silver hair. Some strands catch onto the small crevices of her diamond bracelet.

"Miss, you're making her uncomfortable," Kuroro says with a light frown. "That's rather rude of you to say."

Embarrassment colors her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. She's a beautiful girl."

"It's quite alright—"

"Oh my!"

Sol's orange juice spills over the white tablecloth, onto the woman's expensive sundress.

Kuroro grabs some napkins to help her clean up. "It's my turn to apologize."

"No, no," the woman insists. "It's just an accident."

As she excuses herself to the ladies' room in embarrassment, Kuroro makes sure to slip the leather wallet from her bag. Under the measured blankness of Runa's gaze, she gives away nothing that suggests suspicion. Surely, she gets that from him.

"Did you catch that?" Kuroro asks in mild amusement.

"If Daddy didn't see it," Runa says absently, "then it didn't happen."

Kuroro smiles, satisfied with her answer. After all, he agreed to Kurapika's conditions that he wouldn't participate in thievery with these two around. "Good girl."

But there's something that Runa can't ignore. "Sol!"

Sol blinks at the mention of his name instead of his nickname. The woman's diamond bracelet glints around his small hand, the tiny gems shimmering beneath the sunlight. Clearly Kuroro isn't the only one who is guilty.

He sweeps Sol up by the arms so that they're facing each other. Ruining the woman's dress and stealing her jewelry are too much to be coincidences. Perhaps this was his retribution against the woman for making Runa feel uncomfortable, but Sol only smiles with his bright innocence.

"My little thief," Kuroro calls him, and Sol laughs.

After Runa's insistence on returning the woman's belongings, they spend time strolling around the shopping area on the first deck. They pass by designer boutiques and upscale restaurants, only coming to a stop when Sol points at one store.

"Papa, papa—"

"Do you want to go inside?" Kuroro asks.

Sol is already ahead of him. He waddles inside the flower shop, leading the way for him and Runa.

The bell chimes over Kuroro's head as he passes through the entrance, and the shopkeeper turns towards them with a welcoming smile. A massive collection of exotic flowers and plants surround them, their heavy fragrances saturating the air. He idly glances around as Sol and Runa occupy themselves with the flower arrangements and plush dolls.

Sol grabs a light yellow teddy bear from the shelves, nearly as large as him.

Kuroro steadies him from behind when he's about to fall over from the weight. "Do you want it?"

Sol makes a thoughtful sound, but places the teddy bear back.

The shopkeeper leaves the space behind the counter to meet them directly. "Looking for a present for your spouse?"

"For the kids," Kuroro corrects her.

She kneels down in order to meet Runa at eye level. "Is there anything you're looking for in particular?"

"Something bright and beautiful," Runa explains, searching the shop until her gaze lands on something that Sol is also staring at in awe. "Like…"

Individual sunflowers are displayed before where Sol is standing. Each one is bundled in brown paper and adorned with a bright ribbon, suitable for gifting to someone.

The shopkeeper hands a carefully wrapped sunflower to Sol, who cradles the bundle in his arms despite it being as tall as he is. But his attention has also found the crimson heart-shaped aluminum balloons alongside the flowers, carrying the message I love you in white cursive lettering.

She smiles knowingly at him. "The balloon, too?"

"Uh-huh," Sol answers sweetly.

She takes one balloon by its metallic ribbon and gives it to Sol. "Will that be all?"

"I believe so," Kuroro answers, after Runa hasn't found anything else she wanted. He helps Sol carry the sunflower, allowing him to hold onto the balloon by himself, and meets the shopkeeper at the counter to pay for everything Sol has chosen.

"It's okay if you don't have enough money," Runa says, searching through her Hello Kitty messenger bag. "Daddy gave me some earlier, so I can pay."

Kuroro has a moment of confoundment. "What makes you think I don't have money?"

Kuroro is undoubtedly one of the most affluent men aboard this ship, when his wealth and valuables rival that of the Kakin princes. He may not bear the name of the Hui Guo Rou monarchy, but there's a reason that the underworld calls him the king of thieves.

"Because you took us out to eat earlier," Runa points out. Confusion is apparent in her bright crimson eyes. "How can you have that much money if you don't have a job?"

"Of course I have a job," Kuroro says with a frown. "I—"

Kill, steal, and steal some more.

There shouldn't be any reason why he would withhold this information from her at this age. Or perhaps she's aware but doesn't consider what he does as a real profession. But what kind of life is he leading in the future if his daughter is doubting his ability to pay for a mere balloon and flowers?

"Do you know what I'm doing in the future?" Kuroro asks instead.

"You told my teacher at school that you're a stay-at-home dad," Runa reveals after a moment of contemplation. She looks up at him with an expression of both pity and reassurance. "Don't worry, Papa. Daddy earns a lot of money working as a bodyguard, so he'll take good care of you in the future."

Kuroro presses his lips together in a humorless smile. He can't fathom a future where Kurapika is supporting him of all things. "I see. That's good to know."

He dismisses Runa's concern and insists that he can pay for everything. But as he removes his wallet from his coat, Sol suddenly rushes out the door, appearing to chase after the balloon.

"It's alright, Papa," Runa calls out, immediately taking after him. "I'll go get him."

For a baby who has such short legs, Sol is quick at running.

Among the throng of guests in the shopping center, Runa sees the familiar heart-shaped balloon floating above their heads. As she pushes through the crowd, she finds Sol at the edge of the mezzanine, standing on his toes and reaching for the balloon—but it appears that he isn't alone.

A man is holding onto Sol's balloon, dressed as an entertainer with a loose white blouse and flamboyant pantaloons. A large frilled collar encircles his neck and a glittering masquerade mask conceals the upper half of his face. The rest of his exposed skin is embellished with face paint. He's oddly reminiscent of a character from a movie they're forbidden to watch at home. Penny-something?

"Does this belong to you?"

"My little brother lost his balloon," Runa explains while approaching them. It seems odd that the balloon would travel this far. "Can we have it back?"

"Alright," the man answers with a smile. He crouches down as if to hand the balloon over, only to withhold it from Sol again. "I'll give this back to you if you can tell me something."

Runa answers with a questioning stare. She extends an arm to keep Sol close behind her, sensing a strange uneasiness from this man. Thin golden eyes behind his ornate mask flicker across her features before moving on to observe Sol.

"You two remind me of someone," the man tells them, an eccentric glint in his golden gaze. "Who's your father?"

Sol's face brightens at the mention of their parents. "Papa?"

"Sol!" Runa scolds him, reminded of how they're never supposed to speak to strangers.

The man urges him on with a smile. "What's his name?"

Sol tilts his head in a display of innocence. "Dada?"

The man's lips flatten into a thin, humorless line. "His name."

Fortunately, Sol is at the age where the names of his parents are simply Papa and Dada. There's no way he can remember Quwrof Wrlccywrlfh, let alone pronounce it.

"PAPA?" Sol repeats, louder this time, as if raising his voice will get his point across.

Relief floods Runa at the knowledge that Sol will not reveal anything of importance to him. She has nothing else to say to this strange man.

"We can just buy a new balloon," Runa says, holding her little brother by the hand. "Let's go back, Sol."

Just as Runa tries to turn on her heel, her shoes prevent her from moving. Summoning all her strength to lift one foot, she notices something similar to bubblegum attached to their soles.

"Sticky," Sol cries out. He tries to move his feet, his eyes welling up with tears of frustration, because there's nothing he dislikes more than being restrained. "—icky!"

Despite the panic rising in her chest, Runa maintains her calm demeanor. "Let us go."

The man lowers himself on one knee. He holds up one slender finger, which appears to be manipulating the string of bubblegum aura attached to their feet. "And if I don't want to?"

"I'll scream," Runa threatens, because they're in a populated area where they won't go unnoticed. There isn't enough time to contact Kurapika, but at least Kuroro is in their vicinity. The man's enigmatic golden eyes curve with his treacherous smile, and the cold sensation of dread seeps into her heart when he looks from her to Sol. "If you touch him, I swear I'll kill you."

"What a scary girl," the man says with feigned apprehension. "Now where have I seen those eyes before?"

Although Runa prepares herself for the worst possible situation, no physical altercation arises.

"Well then." The man rises to his feet, returning the balloon to Sol's small hand. "It's time for me to leave, so I'll give this back to you."

The aura at their feet suddenly dissipates, and Runa regains her mobility. Sol loses his balance and falls back on his behind. And when they look up again, the man is gone.

"Kids? Did something happen?"

Behind them, Kuroro is standing there with the sunflower bouquet in his arms. His voice and sudden appearance make Runa let out a shaky breath of relief.

Sol's lower lip wobbles, as if willing himself not to cry. "Papa—"

He rushes over to Kuroro, stretching out his arms and asking him to carry him. Faint confusion flickers through Kuroro's eyes as he picks Sol up. His arms cling onto Kuroro's neck, a desperation in his embrace.

Runa opens her mouth to answer and stills. She recalls the man's features carefully. She thinks about his unsettling golden eyes that seemed to recognize them from another place and time. The star and teardrop painted on his pale face. And most importantly, the strange bubblegum Nen that stretched from his sharp fingertips, rendering them unable to move and belying a dangerous strength.

"Papa," Runa says, looking up at Kuroro gravely, "I think we met Hisoka."

Notes:

As promised, I'm updating all my time travel fics so I'll also update Ceratonia in the near future. I'm still working on the sequel to Milkvetch so maybe I can share that later in the year.

I've been writing about the kurokura children for over four years now and I always enjoy doing so. I'm looking forward to sharing more about them in the future. They're likely both Nen geniuses so Runa has some experience with it, which is why she could see Hisoka's aura.

Kuroro doesn't know this yet, but Sol wanted to buy the balloon and flowers as a present for Kurapika. It will be so awkward for Kurapika when the kids tell him that Kuroro bought the I love you balloon for him.

I think that the next chapter will involve the Spiders meeting the kids. Let me know if there's anything else you would like to see.

Please leave a comment! I would love to know what you think about this chapter.

You can also find me on Twitter (ryuuseigai) or Tumblr (seiyuna).