A/N: Aight, so I'm back with a chapter! (I was finally able to organize the flow of this book so *hopefully* ill be able to update frequently) I made my brother watch hxh btw, and he said it's now his favourite anime so ig mission accomplished.

Love ya guys, enjoy the chapter! We'll be exploring Gon's POV today and introducing a few minor things :))

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Gon loved people. He loved talking to them, caring for them, sharing his valuables with them. He had no trouble making friends, his whole life revolved around the simplest of conversations and lively memories of even strangers!

So when the opportunity arose, school, he knew he just had to go. There, he would meet all sorts of people and the best part of it all was that everybody's around his age! He can now talk about his interests, listen to shared and relatable stories of others, and participate in clubs and extracurriculars. It was all so exciting! And even though on the first day he was a bit nervous and overwhelmed by the huge building and hundreds of students, he was determined to make it his best day yet.

And so it was.

There were so many things that happened on that day. But if someone were to ask him what his favourite part of it was, he would say it was meeting Killua. For numerous reasons.

"Gon! Go take a shower before you come down," his aunt called from downstairs, snapping the boy awake. He hadn't realized he was still in bed until she said his name, which was weird because he was usually awake and outside around this hour. Maybe stressful late-night homework from school had finally taken a toll on him.

Quickly getting up and grabbing some clothes from his drawer that he didn't normally wear, he obeyed his aunt's demands and rushed into the bathroom to get ready.

Apparently, the school had some set of rules when it came to dress-code. But the most important part of that was his favourite pair of shorts weren't allowed, and he learned that on the first day when the principal stared at him incredulously. Thankfully, she was understanding as it was his first day and 'he wasn't from here', so she didn't make him go home and change. It was what she would've done if she saw someone else wearing something like that. So he had received lots of weird stares from the students on that day and along with his unfamiliar face, one would assume he was a complete alien.

For anybody else, this would've been a nightmare; to be stared at for your looks and 'new student' status wasn't particularly fun. But Gon didn't mind the extra attention he got. In fact, he actually liked it, whether it was good or bad intentions. And since he could tell just by looking at someone's eyes if those intentions were ill, he'd simply stray far away, if that were the case.

Finishing his quick morning shower, Gon quickly draped a towel over his hair and let it dry before slipping into a clean t-shirt and tracker shorts that reached his knees. Even if he couldn't wear his favourite shorts to school anymore, that didn't mean he wouldn't wear any shorts. He also had a few nice green/black tees lying around and some joggers if needed.

Gon picked up his brush and gel to style his hair in its usual state (which, luckily, was allowed. He was afraid they'll deem it was unsophisticated like his shorts.) And with the final touches done to his hair, he greeted the day with a smile and hurriedly rushed downstairs to eat.

"There you are, now eat your pancakes. I'm afraid they'll get cold," aunt Mito sighed and motioned the boy to his plate to which he gleefully devoured in less than two minutes.

"Ah, sorry! It took a while to dry my hair, so I think I'll just start showering after school," Gon mumbled between bites.

"Not a chance," washing the dishes, she carried the clean plates to the counter to where the cups were sitting. "You're taking a shower before and after school, just like when you used to go out to the forest. I don't want any dirt or germs getting in here."

Gon grumbled to himself but didn't argue, still invested in his pancakes. Aunt Mito cooked amazingly, maybe he could get Killua to come here and try it for himself, he'd probably like it.

"Hey aunt Mito," Gon said as the woman hummed in response, her back facing him as she washed the dishes. "Will she be okay?"

His aunt froze, not expecting the sudden question. But quickly regaining her composure, she sighed and closed the tap water.

"Grandmother is doing fine Gon, you don't need to worry," she turned around and smiled at the boy, hoping to assure him that he had nothing to fret about.

"I know, I know... I'm just concerned, that's all," he sighed and leaned against his chair, deep in thought. Aunt Mito walked over and patted the boy's head. She knew that no matter how much she said, he would still worry. The boy was like that, too caring for his own good. She just hoped that it wouldn't lead to something bad in his daily life.

"Well, I'm sure she'll feel much better after hearing you do well in school and making friends," changing the topic, Gon scratched his head nervously, knowing where this was heading to.

"Um, well, classes are a bit tougher than I expected... but it's okay, I'll make sure my marks are good, I promise!" he explained desperately, now worried that his aunt might not let him go out anymore. She sure was annoyed at him yesterday for starting his homework late.

"You better keep up that promise, I expect to see at least a few B's," she warned with a grin and sat down, her chin resting on her hand. "Did you make any new friends?"

The boy shared the same grin and nodded, eager to talk about his experience so far. "Yeah! I met a ton of people and they're all so nice! There's this group that I started talking to and they were very welcoming funny. And then there's this cool guy, Kurapika was his name, I think. He helped me get used to the school and all that," Gon rambled and then broke into a warm smile. "There's also someone that I want to introduce you to!"

"Oh? And what about them makes you this excited to talk?" the woman raised an eyebrow, noticing how Gon seemed to brighten at the thought of introducing a friend.

"Well... he's really strong and super cool! We had so much fun talking and hanging out yesterday, he even showed me his secret spot, one behind the walls of the school! How cool is that?! He has a weird family though, from what I've heard, and he can come off as cold and not very social.. but at the end, I love hanging out with him," Gon smiled again, leaning against his chair.

"He does seem interesting Gon, but just be careful of who you befriend," Mito warned as she got up, walking to the other side of the room to look for something. "I don't want you friending troublemakers or people who will hurt you, alright?"

"Don't worry, aunt Mito! Killua is nice and I know he would never hurt me. In fact, he was the one who helped me out on the first day," he assured her.

"I'll take your word for it. And Killua, hmm. That's an uncommon name, isn't it?" the woman pondered, still in search of something tucked in the drawers. "I think I'm interested in getting to know your friend, Gon."

"Best friend," the boy corrected with a giggle before looking over his aunt's back. "By the way, what are you searching for?"

"Ah, well, I was thinking that you might need this during school..." Gon got up and walked over to where his aunt was sitting, finally pulling out what seemed to be a small rectangular box. "Communication is important around here, after all."

The boy took the gift that was handed over to him and carefully opened the lid, sensing that whatever was inside was a bit heavy and probably fragile. And he was correct. "A phone?"

"Yes! I thought it would be a good idea if I can call you before and after school while I'm away at the hospital or to tell me you're staying over at a friend's house. We can fill out the contact information today after school if you'd like."

The boy smiled and jumped to give his aunt a hug. "Thank you, aunt Mito! I really wanna open it though, can't we do it now?"

"Oh, I don't know, won't you be late for class?" the woman murmured, looking over at the clock.

"Not if I sprint there," Gon countered and gave a pleading look, to which his aunt obliged.

"Fine, I guess you can take it to school today if the setup is quick..." the confirmation was all Gon needed as he eagerly opened his new phone before getting comfortable on the floor and waiting for it to load. His aunt gave another tired sigh but smiled upon seeing the boy so happy. It was nice seeing him not have to worry about the problems around him, and she wanted to keep it that way.

"Okay, it's on!" he declared and began tapping, reading the manual quickly. "I think I'll start by making a new email... hey, aunt Mito? I can make phone calls, right? Or do I need to subscribe to some cell service company?"

"Don't worry about that, I already dealt with the chip beforehand so you can actually call right now," the woman nodded and watched as the boy worked through the technology before remembering that he still had school! Looking at the clock again, Gon was taken aback by how much time had passed and let out a small squeak.

"I'm almost done but I'm going to be very late if I stay, I'll go now!" the spikey-haired boy called out and grabbed his backpack, slipping into his favourite boots and opening the front door to leave. "Thanks again, aunt Mito! I'm going to ask all of my friends for their phone numbers today at school."

"Okay, but don't give it out to everyone! Only those you trust-" she yelled back, hoping Gon had heard her as he ran out with a final wave, clearly realizing how late he was.

The woman shook her head with a smile. "Have a good day at school, Gon."

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Gon quickly jogged up the stairs leading to the doorway of the school. It was really crowded and noisy, and the boy wondered if the front of the school really was the best choice to wait for his bestfriend. They did agree to meet here, but the other boy seemed nowhere to be found. Gon knew he would be able to recognize his friend by the fluffy white hair on his head, and the same could be said to him if Killua were looking for him, despite the abnormal sums of students piling up.

Luckily, the bell rang and the numbers slowly decreased, making it now easier for Gon to scan his surroundings. The white-haired boy still wasn't present, and he began to wonder if Killua had actually gone inside already. Maybe he had forgotten? That was a possibility.

But Gon had already made up his mind; he was going to wait. He was late anyway, it wouldn't matter if he arrived now or later by a few minutes. The boy hoped his teacher would be nice enough not to call his aunt about this...

Growing bored, the spikey-haired boy took out his new phone and was pleased to find it ready to respond. Filling out a few more slots and signing up for an account, Gon grinned excitedly. This was his first phone, so his reaction to the applications and new features was understandable.

Approximately 10 minutes had passed after the bell rang when the boy heard a familiar voice call his name.

"Gon!" Killua ran over to him as the boy took his eyes off the screen and smiled happily at the student who finally decided to show up.

"Killua! Why were you late? Class started a while ago," Gon exclaimed as the two hurriedly walked into the building, their shoes squeaking against the newly cleaned floor.

"Nevermind that, why did you wait? You should've gone to class already, now we're both late," Killua pointed out with a frown.

"Ah, I know," the boy sheepishly scratched his hair. "But you said we'd meet each other tomorrow by the front doors."

"Idiot, you shouldn't trust every promise made to you," the assassin scoffed and stopped in front of his locker, throwing in his backpack and taking out his binder.

"Still, I think it was worth waiting," Gon grinned and the other boy looked away with a sigh.

"Whatever, let's just get back to class before we get a scolding," Killua said as the other nodded and followed him, forgetting the class number he was supposed to be in. It was a good thing his best friend was in his class!

But upon reaching the designated room, they were surprised to see the door locked with a note posted on it.

Today's Class In The Library

We'll Meet There!

"The library?" Gon thought to himself as Killua decided to answer the boy's inner questions.

"Yeah, we go there a lot, especially for new projects or assignments. That woman loves having class there than our own classroom, I think it's because it's always stuffy or something," he explained. "Anyways, follow me. You haven't been to the library yet, right?"

"I wonder if it's huge, like, really big, the type of place to get lost in," Gon wondered, imagining how it would look like while Killua couldn't help but laugh.

"You bet it is, there's probably a doorway by the bookshelves that'll lead you to a different dimension as well," the white-haired boy added with a grin, having fun with the endless ideas. Leave it up to Gon to make the library sound like a wild amusement park.

"Hey, now you're just making fun of me!" he accused him with a frown, crossing his arms. Killua found himself smiling at the childish display and without realizing what he was doing, patted the boy's head.

"I'm not. In a school like this, anything's possible," he said and before Gon could question what the boy meant by that, Killua rushed over and opened the glass doors to the library, Gon quickly following behind. He took a second to admire the long shelves situated side by side, carefully aligned like a row of dominoes. Gon felt himself get dizzy just by the huge sight of books neatly tucked in the shelves with their barcodes plastered on the spine, serving its purpose in the library.

"Wow, it really is big," Gon beamed before snapping out of it and racing after his friend who had started walking ahead of him.

"You like reading, Gon?" the white-haired boy suddenly asked, using it as more of a conversation starter but also mildly curious to what the other had to say.

"Sorta," the boy answered with a smile, still distracted by the vastness of the place. "I mean, I'm not really the type to sit down to read, but I love listening to all sorts of stories if someone's storytelling. Even better if it's based on something that actually happened."

"Let me guess, anything that involves adventure and curiosity leading to disaster catches your interest?" Killua pointed out with a grin.

"You know me too well," Gon laughed. "But what about you?"

Before the other had the chance to say anything, both boys spotted their class seated at the nook of the library, students already placed in groups.

"We're here." Killua was thankful for their arrival, as he didn't have an idea of how he could answer the boy. He didn't read, or participate in any hobbies in the first place.

'It's not like I have the time for it anyways,' he thought to himself as his friend looked over to him, oblivious to what he was thinking about.

Without another word, as the place had grown quieter in their current section, the two boys walked over to join their class. And their teacher was not impressed.

"Gon Freecss and Killua Zoldyck, you are both late," pulling them over, she began to scold the boys in a softer tone, as to not distract the readers and other students working on their school work.

"You missed the whole explanation of our project, which might I say, is worth a chunk on your report cards. I hope I won't have to see you guys make the same entrance again."

The two boys nodded with a short 'yes' before getting dismissed. Since their teacher had to give another lecture on their project, she had told them to meet with her after to discuss what the both of them will be working on.

Gon took a seat at an empty table with his friend as he tried to pay attention to what his teacher was saying. Keyword tried; he kept getting distracted by the still unfamiliar place with all the students he had yet to befriend. He smiled at every person who walked by, resisting the urge to get up and talk to them. Gon was never the listener type, and he certainly didn't like sitting in one place for too long. His legs were definitely starting to get jittery.

"Hey, Killua?" Gon whispered to his friend who also seemed to have lost interest in the teacher's talking, instead, spacing out and staring at the corner of the room.

"Yeah?"

"When does this class end?" he asked as the other boy sighed.

"In 45 minutes," Killua shortly responded with a sour look as Gon nodded.

"Okay... huh?! That means only 6 minutes passed!" the boy exclaimed in horror only to be met with a bunch of 'shhh's from the quiet readers and a displeased teacher.

"Gon, please sit down. You shouldn't be causing more necessary ruckus than you already have after coming in late," she pointed out with a glare as the boy reluctantly sat down, not even noticing that he was standing in the first place.

The boy sighed, why did it seem that the clocks in the school moved slower than usual? Could it be special clocks designed specifically to be hung up in school?

"Idiot, keep your voice down," Killua hissed, pulling the boy's sleeve. "And by the way, it's been 11 minutes, not 6. Do your math right."

"Heh, sorry," the boy apologized and for the next few minutes, he focused on containing his energy that threatened to burst out and destroy whatever peace was present in the library. Thankfully, Killua was there to stop him a few times from socializing with the nearby students.

When the teacher had finally finished talking, she signaled the two boys to come over. Gon and Killua got up and stretched a bit, glad to be able to stand again. Gon noticed that apparently, he wasn't the only one who despised sitting on a chair for too long.

"Well, I think you now have a good summary of what this project is about, after hearing me answer some of your classmates' questions." The woman raised an eyebrow, hoping they were actually listening and not daydreaming.

Fortunately, Gon and Killua nodded, showing they understood. "Good, and since you two are the only ones who aren't in a group of 3, I guess you both can be partners," the teacher stopped with an unsure expression in her eyes. "I hope, however, that you two do work on it."

"You can count on us, Miss! We'll make sure our project is the best," Gon grinned as the teacher blinked at the liveliness of the boy over hearing that they were doing a boring school project. She then looked over at Killua, waiting for a response from him as well.

"What he said," the boy said with a simple nod as the teacher sighed, probably out of relief, and smiled.

"Good to hear, I look forward to seeing what you boys will come up with." At that, the teacher left to talk to the students that needed her help, and Killua pulled his friend over to the side.

"I presume you know what the project is about?" he asked hopefully, praying that Gon listened to at least half of what she said.

"Of course I do! We come up with an inquiry question and then give possible answers."

"Good, and the rest...?"

Gon stopped for a second.

"The rest- We present it in a creative way, don't we?"

Killua smiled a bit, now a bit too hopeful. "You read the rubric, right?"

"Rubric? There's no rubric..." the boy picked up the printed paper to show nothing else was on the page when he realized that it was double-sided. "Oh-"

Killua sighed and crossed his arms. They were definitely going to run into some problems.

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"Finally! I'm so glad to finally get out of class," Gon skipped to the cafeteria as Killua quickly followed him.

"What's got you so hyped up?" Sure, the boy was always full of energy and thrilled at the prospect of leaving cramped places, but he was practically radiating sunlight as he passed the doors.

Gon stopped and turned to face his confused friend with a grin.

"I got a phone," the boy took out the device to prove it, and Killua stopped himself from giggling.

"It looks like a gigantic bug," he chose to comment on the shape and the other boy nodded, eagerly turning on his phone.

"Yeah, it does! But check this out," Gon leaned close to show the screen while the boy blinked, surprisingly not feeling uncomfortable with the boy's closeness like he was with everyone else. Dismissing the confusing thoughts, he brought his focus back to the phone. "I can now add everybody's number and call and text whoever I want. There're also new features on this thing! Cool, right?"

"Yeah it is, but don't tell me you're planning on getting the whole schools' numbers," the white-haired boy inquired, knowing full well what the other was thinking.

"Why would you think that?!" the boy shot out, almost defensively as he crossed his arms. "Of course I'm not going to ask for the whole school's number, I don't know that many people... yet. But I do want yours!" Gon smiled enthusiastically and held out his phone.

However, Killua only scratched his arm and gave an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Gon. But I actually don't have a phone..." the boy replied and panicked after seeing his friend's crestfallen expression after the words left his mouth. "B-but I'm getting a new one, soon!"

"No Killua, it's okay if you don't have one!" Gon went back to smiling again."I was just really excited to be able to text you but I understand if you can't, it's not your fault."

Killua sighed. Now how was he supposed to decline such an offer? He really needed to get a phone, preferably today.

"I was actually planning on getting a new phone anyway, you just reminded me," he grinned, hoping the other wouldn't be able to see through his lie. And thankfully, he didn't, because Gon's face brightened more than before and nodded joyfully.

"That's great! Let's get some food then and head outside."

And soon enough the two had gotten their lunches and gone outdoors where a quiet scenery was waiting for them. Gon immediately took off, Killua yelling at him from behind to wait as the two raced to the forest, each determined to be the winner.

"Hey, Killua?"

"Mm?" The teen's voice was muffled, as he was busy stuffing his favourite chocolatey snack. Good thing the vending machines had been refilled.

"You should come over to my house!" Gon suggested excitedly and that made the other choke on his food.

"What?! Are you being serious?" Killua exclaimed at the absurd idea. He was unsure of how to feel about Gon's proposal, wondering whether to feel ecstatic or upset (the latter for the possibilities of things going wrong) But one thing he needed to know, was what was the boy even thinking?

"Mhm! We could work on the project there if the library is too boring. Oh, and we can also have a sleepover! If you're comfortable with it, of course. But I think that aunt Mito will only allow that during weekends... when's the project due anyway? I think that next Friday is good for us, right? We'll spend the rest of the time in the library this week and just get the research done so that we-"

"Woah, hold it! Who said I'm coming?" the boy interrupted the other's rambling but upon noticing the hostile wording in his exclamation, Killua quickly continued. "I... I haven't been to a sleepover before and I don't think I could..."

"Is it because of your parents? That's okay, I understand!-"

"No! I mean, I doubt my parents would care if I'm away for a few days or something but, is it really okay to come? Does your aunt approve of me just entering your house, while you guys just finished unpacking?"

"Don't worry about it! She was actually the one to suggest the idea, she said she'd like to meet you," Gon smiled, glad that the problem wasn't with his parents.

However, that made Killua only more nervous. What he'd said was only an excuse, his real problem was himself. He'd never been to anyone's house, let alone a friend's house. And if he had, it was mostly for the sake of his missions. (And this visit was definitely not for the purpose of assassinating someone)

So he doubted Gon's aunt will be letting an assassin into her house. If the boy had told her about him, which he hoped she did, there was no way she would allow the both of them to be friends, and that was completely understandable. But from what Gon had said about his aunt, it seems that she doesn't know anything yet. And it was only a matter of time before-

"Killua? Are you okay?" the spikey-haired boy asked, concerned over his friend's silence.

"Uh, yeah. I'd like to meet her too... but, I just don't think-"

"Aunt Mito always makes batches of cookies when bringing over guests," Gon added with a mischievous look on his face as Killua immediately perked up at the new piece of information, his previous hesitant expression disappearing.

"Do you think 4 pm could work?"

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A/N: Yup, things are definitely going slow here. Do you think it's going too fast or too slow though? Cause sometimes you guys might be able to see something I'm not seeing. But do keep in mind that unexpected things are going to be occurring-

Nevermind I'm not spoiling anything :D Guess we'll just have to wait and see, right everyone?

Published July 13, 2021