A/N: This chapter is inspired by two sources:
1. Hunter × Hunter Vol. 33 pg. 116 (or Chapter 346: Options pg. 10 if you read online)
2. (Note: My Hero Academia manga spoiler ahead. This note is very skippable): Pro Heroes Arc/dubbed as 'Endeavor Redemption Arc.'
I'm no professional writer, but I don't need to be one to know how important character development is. It is one of the most important things I learned from Togashi-sensei; at a tender age I realized that the beauty of a plot depends on how the character changes as the story goes by. It's one of the traits Japanese story makers have that I want to acquire: to learn how to make real, multi-dimensional characters, particularly catalyst characters and relatable villains. This may sound like belittling the works from my own country but stories here, particularly TV series are too... tepid for my liking because they usually feature weak, gullible protagonists and plain old bad, selfish villains. But they are 'saleable' to most viewers so *shrugs*. I mentioned this 'coz I heard that the MHA's mangaka, Hirokoshi-sensei, is getting criticized for trying to redeem Endeavor's character, a heartless and bastard No. 2 hero and a bad father to Shouto Todoroki. Some hates the redemption process 'coz people believe he doesn't deserve it for what he did to his family. But Hirokoshi-sensei didn't seem to be fazed by this— because he writes what he wants to write, no fucks given.
Please take this from me: writing is HARD. Very hard, especially when you're getting near that climax, the do-or-die moment, and I'm stuck with that part while writing this part of the story. I forgot most parts that I had conceptualized years earlier and I'm scared that I won't get to satisfactorily depict it the way I want, but just like Hirokoshi-sensei, I want to go on thus I was inspired to work on this chapter.
I apologize for ranting again. It's not that I want to fangirl over MHA here, but I just want brag about another good story maker who reminded me that I should always write from the heart.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HXH.
BETA: None.
Chapter 24: A Job Post.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Nostrad's looks of hopelessness at the loss of his daughter's fortune-telling ability as well as the burning thirst to regain the stature of the Nostrad family as they parted ways were still fresh in Kurapika's mind.
Bad luck after bad luck came to the Nostrad's household when they returned to their home from York Shin. They lost Tocino, Baise, Ivlenkov, Dalzollene and after a confirmation, even Squala after their encounter against Genei Ryodan, and the scarlet eyes worth 2.9 billion went missing as his beheaded body was reported to them along with the abandoned car. This put Neon Nostrad into a very terrible mood, but Light Nostrad lost all the colours on his face when his daughter said that she couldn't write prophecies anymore.
According to the police reports and witnesses' testimonies, after staging those weird acts of decapitating Squala and shooting each other with a gun on the head without dying, the suspects fled the scene as if nothing happened and without taking anything from the victim and the car. No one dared to approach the crime scene as well until the police arrived, and nothing was missing from the car but the eyes.
Days later, they heard from the Community that the York Shin auction management was flooded with complaints that their purchased items from the auction magically disappeared from their possession a day after acquiring them. Kurapika noticed that the purchasers' accounted time of their items' disappearance played around the same time of Squala's death, thus it could be concluded that the same fate happened to the scarlet eyes.
As it turned out, the York Shin auction was a big fraud and what more, they couldn't refund the 2.9 billion as it was stealthily taken by the bastards as well. This confirmed Kurapika's fear that his brethren's eyes had fallen into Ryodan's hands again.
Things came from worse to worst as the Nostrad's piling debt (both father and daughter were lavish spenders) began to earn interest and income from their existing business establishments couldn't even cover them up. One by one, their properties were repossessed by the banks until only their five-star hotel in York Shin (the one where they stayed at during the Ryodan fiasco) and the mansion where they currently lived remained.
Zenji's blabber about Light Nostrad being a former gang leader seemed to be true: his former boss didn't seem to be that proficient in handling businesses and he was mainly taking his financial support from his daughter's ability.
There came in Lurix Dmitri who was Nostrad's colleague back from his gang days and later helped him out with his remaining assets. One way or another, Nostrad managed to get back on his feet and regained a bit from the proceeds of his hotel. This was when Kurapika found out that Dmitri was collecting the Kuruta eyes as well, and Dmitri happened to be in search for new guard. One thing led to another: Dmitri offered him a job which he intended to grab. Nostrad couldn't turn down Kurapika's decision to transfer to Dmitri due to his gratitude to the man so he had no choice but to let him go.
He hadn't heard much about the Nostrads after that; he was busy at Dmitri's plus his dilemma about Kuroro kept him occupied, and Nostrad didn't contact him at all since the day he left their house. Looking back, he could clearly remember the look on Nostrad's eyes as Kurapika handed him his resignation. After their exchanges of thank you and good luck, Nostrad swore that he would definitely be back on the game and asked him if he would still like to work under him when that time came. Kurapika replied it would be his pleasure, not wholeheartedly meaning it. Unless they hold onto the scarlet eyes again then there was no reason for him to work for them, so that phone call from Nostrad didn't baffle him that much and even lent him a tiny ray of hope.
Kurapika tried to ask what the agenda of their meeting was, but Nostrad refused to give him any hint, saying it would be better to be told personally. Kurapika chose to accept the invitation despite still being distressed by his encounter with Kuroro, and they agreed to meet in the restaurant at Nostrad's hotel.
The place was just around thirty minutes away from where Kurapika had been. The restaurant was located at the fiftieth floor of the hotel and showcased the dazzling night view of York Shin on its glass walls. Nostrad was already there when Kurapika arrived, sitting by the glass wall and sipping on a cup of coffee.
"Good evening, sir," Kurapika greeted with a bow.
Nostrad nodded in response and beckoned him to take the seat opposite to him. "Have a seat."
"It has been a while," Kurapika began as he sat down.
"It certainly is; been busy nowadays. I've been going in and out of the town for business. I've just attended an important conference here in York Shin and since Dmitri lives just around here, I decided to contact you. I hope this is not a bad timing," indeed, Nostrad looked tired and perhaps sleep deprived, but at least he didn't look in despair unlike before when the disappearance of his daughter's ability hadn't sunk in to him. "Anyway, how are you doing?"
"I am fine, thank you," Kurapika curtly answered as he was sure this invitation wasn't just for an idle chat. "How about you, sir?"
"Finally have gotten over the loss of Neon's power, though still clueless of how it all happened. The matter is now tucked away and Neon doesn't think about it that much anymore. She does try to do it from time to time, though."
"I see," Kurapika gave him a small smile. "I know that I have mentioned this to you before, but I believe that her fortune-telling ability is likely to be her nen ability," Nostrad was familiar with the word nen but had a scarce knowledge about it.
"Yes," Nostrad nodded. "And you have a conclusion that it might have been forcibly sealed, cancelled, removed or stolen."
"Yes, sir," Kurapika affirmed. When he asked Neon about the person who accompanied her when she sneaked into the York Shin auction, she reluctantly confessed and gave him Kuroro Lucifer's name which surprised Kurapika and instantly made him realize that the man stole her nen. She said that all they did together was drive through the entrance using Lucifer's pass and chat over some drinks before going to the auction room. She also provided Lucifer a sample of her prophecy as a thank you gift in helping her to get inside the building. She lost consciousness as they got off from the elevator, which she couldn't understand why because she wasn't feeling unwell at all.
From these, Kurapika wisely assumed that Kuroro's ability to steal the nen ability from his victim required tricky methods that might include a demonstration of the ability in front of him, information of how the targeted ability worked and other requirements like physical contact. Also, it was possible that his victim should be kept alive— because he could have easily killed Neon after he stole her nen should he desired, but he didn't. He couldn't tell if the stolen ability could be returned to the owner but knowing Kuroro, he surely wouldn't do something like that. It seemed like Kuroro knew a lot more twists and turns in the laws of nen than Kurapika did, making him unnervingly dangerous even more.
Kurapika chose not to reveal to the father and daughter that he knew who Kuroro Lucifer was, not wanting them to go after the man who had death clinging to him on a regular basis. He was nullified to use nen anyway; he certainly wouldn't return the ability even if he could or wanted to.
"And it is unlikely to return to her," Nostrad continued frustratingly.
"Depending on what the culprit did to her, yes. Nen is a vast and very intricate form of human energy that should be mastered can create multitude of extraordinary powers. Your daughter must be special, maybe she was a Specialist, since she developed her nen without going through training, but we have to admit that this had become a disadvantage as she hadn't got to grow her powers to the fullest. She may not be cut to be a combative type but maybe if she honed her nen, she might have learned to detect lurking threats or at least discern if someone around her bore ill-intentions but then again, it is our duty as her guards to do that, which we failed to do properly," Kurapika hung his head low for an apologetic bow.
"I have gotten over at pointing fingers, too," Nostrad dismissively waved a hand. "And you have a point, anyway. I should have had her train to learn how to defend herself, or at least taught her not to go with strangers. I am her father. I shouldn't have taken her safety and will for granted like that. Anyway, it's now all in the past. Enough of a doting father's rants. How about you? Is Dmitri giving you a hard time? You look rather pale."
"Dmitri-san is a very considerate boss," Kurapika issued a lie. Was his distress that obvious? "I am just a bit tired, that is all."
"Oh, that's good," Nostrad awkwardly nodded, seemingly couldn't think of any topic to keep the idle conversation going before getting straight to the point.
Kurapika did him the favour and cut to the chase.
"I apologize if this sounds hasty, but may I know why you wanted to have a word with me?"
Nostrad signalled for the waitress. "Before that, let's get you something to drink first."
"A cup of coffee, please," Kurapika said to the waitress and she shortly poured him a cup of black coffee before leaving.
Nostrad then sat up straight and gave Kurapika a very serious look. "How do you find your body guarding duties with Dmitri in general?"
Slightly hesitant, Kurapika responded. "I cannot divulge information, but I will admit that it is a tad bit harder than watching over your daughter."
"I figured as much, he's a lot richer than us after all. Did he give you a good position? Knowing your capabilities, he must have seen you as someone very reliable."
"You are giving me too much credit, sir."
"I only speak the truth; I've seen your overall performance and I'll confess that letting you go was a big loss on my side. I mean, you're doing very good at your body guarding task but your potentials as an effective leader really stand out, to think that you are still young," Nostrad went on as if giving Kurapika an evaluation. Kurapika remained silent.
"You are smart, strong and charming enough to lead people around you. Actually, you're one of the reasons why I had an idea for a new business venture. You see, I've been thinking of starting a bodyguard agency."
Kurapika momentarily stilled and repressed the widening of his eyes as a surge of hope slowly warmed him up from the inside out.
"Do you mean to offer me a job as one of the deployed guards of the agency, a recruitment of sort, sir?"
"No, definitely not. That'll be an utter waste of your good qualities. Yes, I want to recruit you but not as one of the guards. I want you to be their leader. I want you to assist me in managing my new company, Kurapika.
Kurapika's eyes practically lit up at that, something that hadn't happened for the past months.
"I am in need of someone reliable to manage and lead people, to give strategic commands, train and screen personnel and create one of the best security detail agency out there.
"I have enough connections and fund to start, a bit of source where to get manpower, and I found a suitable headquarters. All I need now is a capable right hand, someone I can heavily rely on, and I can't think of anyone but you," Nostrad finished with a stress on the last word while determinedly peering at Kurapika.
"Of course we'll negotiate about your salary increase first; it won't be an easy job and you deserve it. You'll have commissions once we gain more clients and receive good feedbacks. I'm willing to give out more perks should the business boom. What do you say?"
Kurapika lingered his gaze on the man who thinly smiled at him, eyes glinting with hope. He couldn't help but pause and ponder the words he heard with great concentration.
His heart leaped in anticipation and everything in his mind, even Kuroro, fleetingly slipped away. There it was; a golden opportunity to get closer to his goal to get the Kuruta eyes, more effective that sticking around Dmitri and morally appropriate than dealing with Kuroro, even much better than that offer to be a second-in-command in the Community, being graciously offered to him. Kurapika had never thought that this kind of chance would come to him in such a good timing and just as easily. It was like fate was telling him that things weren't as bad as they seem to be. That it wasn't a dead end, and everything would be alright sooner or later.
This offered job post was a wild card that would substantially change the flow of the game and which he had to play carefully. Kurapika could hardly contain his relief— but before anything else, he had to put the chess pieces in their places first.
He would start with avoiding the revelation incident that he had with Dmitri. Kurapika returned the smile and said, "I am honoured to have your trust, sir. I am very grateful for the offer and I am more than happy to work under you once again but... there are things that you ought to know about me first, as well as terms that I have to set before saying yes."
"I see," Nostrad's expression surreptitiously turned sour. "State your conditions, then."
"As you already know," Kurapika breathed in. "I am a hunter. I am in search for a particular item that is mostly sold in underground auctions such as the York Shin auction, and Miss Neon happened to be a fan of that item. It is the main reason why I chose to apply to work for you."
"I see you have an ulterior motive," Nostrad started to give Kurapika suspicious looks. "What is that body part, then?"
"The Kuruta eyes."
"Oh, those scarlet eyes?" Nostrad asked. "What are those eyes to you?"
Nostrad visibly paused and held his breath as Kurapika purposely altered his eyes to be scarlet for him to see. Kurapika held his head high, looking at Nostrad with pride.
"They are the stolen eyes from my fallen clansmen."
"Whoa," Nostrad backed off a bit, taken aback and looking scared but unlike Dmitri, his look held no obscene fascination towards his eyes. This eased Kurapika.
"I am the last surviving member of the Kuruta clan," Kurapika continued to explain as he turned his eyes back to normal. "I am looking for my brethren's eyes to bring them back where they belong."
"Okay," recovering from his mild shock, Nostrad straightened up on his seat. "I didn't expect someone survived from that clan. To think that you are a living artifact and you dared to mingle with the Community, you sure are gutsy."
"Now that you found the truth about me, are you still willing to hire me?" He met his former boss eye to eye.
"Wait. I'm still surprised and a bit confused. If you intend to collect those scarlet eyes and worked for us, if we got to buy a pair of those from the auction, how did you plan to take it from my daughter?"
"Please do not worry. I have never planned to cause harm to anyone. All I wanted are the eyes; should you have acquired a pair, I am willing to heed to your demands as long as it was reasonable. But since that pair we purchased at York Shin disappeared and your daughter does not have any Kuruta eyes in possession now, I have no reason to pursue you. If you agree not to tip off my identity to the Community, I will swear my loyalty and allegiance to you family. I can feel that I have better chances of retrieving the eyes of my clan by working with you again, just like how you trust my skills to manage your prospect business venture. If you would agree with my terms, I will do my best to live up your expectations and help you out with all I can."
"Let me..." Nostrad indecisively paused. "... Hear your conditions first."
"I will take up your offer of salary increase and commission, but I also want to work as a bodyguard to anyone should the client possess the eyes or associated with any lead to them. I would like you to allow me to apply as a guard to anyone who owns a pair, no objections raised, anytime I deem I need to."
"... That sounds like it'll disrupt our daily operation."
"I can assure that it can be worked out. I certainly can still monitor movements in the headquarters as well as give orders even if I'm away. I will train someone to be in my place whenever I have to leave. I have an ability that resembles a lie detector which can detect if any of the bodyguard applicants is trying to deceive us or hiding something. I am confident to promise you that things will be in order whether I'm in the headquarters or not."
Nostrad heaved a breath. "What else?"
"Please convince Miss Neon to refrain from purchasing the Kuruta eyes. I do not intend to reveal her my secret as to avoid dangerous inconveniences as well."
"I want her to stop buying those weird stuffs to be honest. She had learned to control herself but I think it won't be easy to stop her from buying them since she likes them very much. I'll try my best to convince her."
"For my last request, I would like you to allow me to conduct investigations in regards with my search for the eyes. This is somehow related to my first request: it entails travelling to various places, tracking down persons of interest, staking out and whatnot that are related to my search. Again, please be assured that this will not affect my work. I will see to it that I will be back to the headquarters once my mission is done, and I am willing to work overtime to ensure that nothing will be overlooked," Kurapika bowed down. "Not only I promise to improve the company's profit: I will prioritize keeping you and Miss Neon safe. Please, sir. If you will just give me a chance, I am ready to prove myself."
There was a nasty pause, Nostrad was sparing his a very serious look.
"Reasonable demands so far," he heard Nostrad muttered. "I am worried, though; won't your eyes bring us trouble and attention from the Community?"
"I have managed to keep it a secret to the Mafia realm so far, but I am proud of my origin. Many people know about my eyes, even fellow batch mates from the Hunter Exam as well as Dmitri-san but none dared to try and harm me. And if someone does try," Kurapika lingered a stony gaze at Nostrad," then I'll have more opportunity to show you what I'm capable of."
Nostrad stared at him for a good while, seemingly deep in thoughts and consideration.
"You somehow remind me of myself when I was young," Nostrad spoke a moment later. "But unlike this old man, you are solely relying on yourself and your very own skills to reach the top. Such determination... I can feel that you're prepared to go against all odds to get what you want. I am curious of how far that determination of yours can bring you. Alright," Nostrad nodded to himself and deliberated his decision. "I still want you in my team."
At that, Kurapika let out a very relieved sigh. "Thank you so much, sir. I will do my best."
"But what are you going to do with Dmitri? I don't want him to think that I sort of pirated you from him."
"You do not need to worry about that at all," Kurapika was sure Dmitri wanted him out of his house soon anyway. "I am sure he will understand. I will hand my resignation to him as soon as I can."
"Are you still with Senritsu now?"
"Yes, sir."
"Will you... er... ask her if she wants to work for me again, too? I think she is very vital to be a part of us with her hearing ability. I'm not forcing it, this is just an offer. I'll understand if she decline since Dmitri might be a more generous boss than I am given the predicament we've just gone through."
"Leave it to me, sir," Kurapika absently grinned. He did want to work with Senritsu, too. "I will sure tell her."
"Okay," Nostrad returned the smile, genuinely looking satisfied with their talk. "I will be making a contract to give my conditions which you can peruse when you report back to me. I expect you to update me as soon as possible, and I'll leave Dmitri to you. I don't really want to have a bad blood with him.
"Certainly, sir."
Nostrad lent him a hand. "Thanks for hearing me out, Kurapika. We'll see again next time."
"Kurapika took it and gave a small shake. "It is my pleasure, Nostrad-san."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
P. S.: I will admit that I didn't expect Kurapika to have a monopolizing prowess that had him canonically become the Nostrad family boss. He's smart and tactical, we all know that, but I never perceived him to be that gutsy and get that far in wrapping Nostrad around his fingers. Meaning, it's just Togashi-san mind-fucking us all like the usual. This chapter was hard to write; I know the part where Kura transferred to Dmitri from Nostrad was OOC and unrealistic but please just turn a blind eye on it this just one time. Thanks. *sighs*
To the reviewers from the Lofter page, thank you! I'm happy to see that most of the readers understand what I'm trying to convey. Yes, 'Kuroro becoming clear and honest with himself and Kurapika no longer shouldering everything all by himself' according to 周玥辰is exactly what I've been rooting to depict, thank god somebody get to point it out.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter!