A Promise is A Promise
By: Rei Tomiyama
Disclaimer: All rights to this Japanese animation belong to Mr. Togashi. I am merely using their names for my amusement.
AN: I'm sorry if you think Killua might be a bit out-of-character (OOC). After all, I'm not really very acquainted with HxH.
Killua: And he/she (I don't know Rei's gender myself) made me blabber too much…
Chapter Six-Skateboard Competitions
I hadn't gotten much sleep anyway, but I woke up at 6:00 AM to take a bath. This time my clothes were what I wore during the Hunter Exam, a long sleeved maroon tee shirt, and a short sleeved violet tee shirt over it, my blue shorts and my sneakers. Once again, I got my bag, carried Gon and rode on my skateboard to school. I brought Gon to the Registar's Office. I used my skateboard until I was inside the classroom, then carried it carefully and tucked it at a corner of my bag.
This time, PE was the subject I enjoyed most. You see, I had suggested jokingly to my teacher, "Sir, why don't we study skateboarding? It's more fun than just playing basketball or soccer." It so happened that the teacher decided to take up my silly suggestion and teach us the basics of using a skateboard, so I really had fun. After teaching us, we had several races using the skateboard. Since I had brought my skateboard along, that was what I used.
"Okay, Zordick, Watson, you're up." The teacher said while we were in the gym. Watson, a big, muscular guy had been the best person at using the skateboard in 7th grade before me, but when I came, he became only second best because all the people were raving about my skills. That's why Watson wanted to prove that he was the best skateboarder and not I, Killua Zordick. Besides, to him I was only a small obstacle in his way. I'll easily lose this race. Or so he thought.
The teacher said, "Ready, 1, 2, 3, and go!" Watson and I were neck to neck, even from the start. Watson had the advantage because he could apply more force, but my advantage was being more agile than he was. I was able to surpass him, but he abruptly hit my skateboard so I fell. I got mad, and with even more vigor I flipped the skateboard over. My years of training are not going to be in vain, I thought. I raced forward and caught up with him again, and this time I was prepared for his attack. At the last second, I jumped into the air, dodging his attack. I did two somersaults in the air, and then I landed perfectly on my skateboard, earning cheers from the girls.
We were almost to the finish line, but it was a hairpin. I had seen it coming, but he hadn't. I curved my body along with the skateboard, while he ended up crashing on the floor because he hadn't prepared for the last turn.
"And the victor is Killua Zordick!" The teacher exclaimed. Almost all the students clapped enthusiastically at me, but Watson's friends glared at me. Watson was even angrier than before. He gritted his teeth and told me that it was only a coincidence that I won. He proposed a rematch, and I accepted. It would be done tomorrow, during lunch break.
After school, I visited Gon again and told him all about my adventures especially about the skateboard match tomorrow. This time though, nobody interrupted me and no one listened to my conversations. I experienced no trouble and went home directly.
After putting Gon on his bed and changing my clothes into a green tank top, blue polo and pajamas, I slept. This time I dreamed of the skateboard event. I had seen the hairpin, he hadn't. That's why I was able to prepare for the crucial moment. That's why I won and he lost. I was able to analyze in my dream that mistake he had committed which had enabled me to win the race.
When 6:00 came, I found myself lying on the floor, but then, that was natural. As I recall when Gon and I were in the same room, I had unconsciously put my leg near his face, causing him to almost bite it, if I had not kicked him to the floor. I had not even been aware of it until Gon had woken up due to his falling on the floor. Afterwards, he had woken me up too, and told me he was hearing something, which I didn't. I told him it was the wind, but he wasn't convinced. Then we both heard a peculiar noise. It was when the 4th part of the Hunter Exam had started.
I did a few flips around the room to make sure nothing was wrong, then I went to the bathroom to take a bath. Then I dressed in a navy blue shirt and violet shorts, wore my sneakers, and grabbed my skateboard. This time I didn't bring Gon, so I got the apartment key, locked the door and got out.
When I reached the school, rumors were again flying about in the classrooms. "Hey, did you know that the 7th grader named Zordick defeated the 7th graders' best skateboarder, Watson?" One 8th grader asked his friend.
"Not only that, I also heard that it was because of the hairpin. Watson crashed, while Zordick didn't. That's why he got mad at Zordick and told him they'd have a rematch today." The friend reported back.
"Really? That's cool! I'm sure I'll be watching when an exchange student beats the school's best!" The 8th grader exclaimed. I walked past them and went to my classroom, but I could still hear them whispering, "He really looks scary, doesn't he? It was said that he came from a family of killers. Is it true? Well, he doesn't look the part, but his eyes are so cold, like those of a murderer."
"That's probably just some crap somebody decided to tell us. However, I did hear some teachers talking about a student who was a child assassin. I'll try to find out more later." And with that they separated and went to their own classrooms.
This was beginning to bother me. Gon never talked about my past, and he didn't try to pressure me into saying something either. He was satisfied enough to know the real me. In return, I had shown him sides that I didn't even know which existed. That was the way it went. Besides, he told me about his life, which revolved around his relatives and his friends. That was enough to us. It was simply the thought of sharing one's life with another's, such as in Gon's and my case, that had made our friendship extraordinary.
When I walked inside the classroom, though they had stopped and looked at me for a moment, they began to whisper again. If I strained my ears a little, I could hear the words, "Zordick… victory… Watson… rematch… lunch break…"
Was that all they ever talked about? Were schools really like this? If so, I truly wished I hadn't gone here. But then it was necessary. It was my fault, though. I was an illiterate when it came to writing letters, which I would have to do constantly now that Gon was away from home.
Well, that's their problem now, not mine. The day passed in a haze, and finally it was lunch break. I saw smirks on the 8th graders' faces, and expectant ones on the 7th and 6th graders' faces. I just shrugged and thought, Oh well, what will happen, will happen. Then I waited for Watson to state the rules. Then I looked around the crowd and sweat dropped. Why are there so many girls here? Never mind them. Just concentrate on the race.(AN: I personally think that he'll never notice that because he's never around girls.) Finally, Watson said, "Okay, the rules are to race from this corridor to the cafeteria and performing at least one fancy trick. These guys here, will be the judges." He then motioned to a group of guys I hadn't seen before. They stepped forward and told all the people at the same time, "We will be the judges. Not to worry, we shan't be biased."
Contented with that, the people all waited at the finish line. One 8th grader declared, "Prepare your skateboards, ready, set, and go!" With that signal we were off. We were at the same pace, and nobody could determine who was leading. To set more distance between us, I increased my speed. Then I saw him perform a trick. He put his palm on the skateboard and raised himself. Many people clapped enthusiastically.
Not wanting to be outdone, I said, "Anybody have a handkerchief there?"
One girl tossed me her handkerchief, and while riding, I tied the handkerchief to my eyes, then jumped and turned four somersaults to catch up with the skateboard, and landed exactly where I was before. Then I tugged off the handkerchief and tossed it again to the crowd while saying, "Thank you!"
Then applause followed again, but this time catcalls and whistles accompanied it. The rest cheered loudly, but I couldn't decipher exactly what they were saying.
Watson's P.O.V.
I'm sure that little brat won't be able to do anything fancier than what I just did. It's a sure sign. Besides, it would be so humiliating to lose to a transfer student when I've mastered skateboarding since 2nd grade.
What the…? Why that little show-off! Tying a handkerchief to his eyes and turning four somersaults then landing perfectly? Is he insane? If something went wrong, his foot would probably be in a cast later. But then, that'll be an advantage for me.
It's so noisy. So many more people are cheering on him. Why is it? I've stayed longer. I've trained harder than he has. Then why, why am I losing again? It isn't fair that he should easily be able to charm the audience with his daring tricks.
Killua's P.O.V.
Hmmmm… now what trick to do? I've never attempted this anyway; I only did these kinds of things when I needed to evade obstacles. I really never did this for fun and competition. But then, my whole world is turning upside down now, so it's perfectly natural now to do this.
I looked at Watson, and realized he was trying another trick. He had asked for hurdles to be set on the corridor, and now he was jumping frequently because the hurdles were closely put together. Then he came to the end, and he jumped and landed on his hands riding on the skateboard. Watson's endurance and sense of rhythm once again awed everybody.
Okay, basically it's a cliffhanger… sorry. I just had to cut it off for the next part to be more exciting. And sorry about the trick part. It might sound impossible to do four consecutive somersaults, but I personally think it possible. Besides, this is just animation, right?
And the hairpin thing, I couldn't think of anything at the time, pardon me. Please read and review this story, whether you want to praise me for my work or insult my style. It doesn't matter. Just happy that you paid attention to it.
Oh, and if you don't like my side story, or sequel, "I Am…" please just inform me. If you do like it, well, wait for this fic's Chapter Eight. Then you'll understand my second fic's meaning.
As for my other story, you can check it out under "Scarlet Visions". It's just a one-shot, though. All about Kurapika.
-Rei
By: Rei Tomiyama
Disclaimer: All rights to this Japanese animation belong to Mr. Togashi. I am merely using their names for my amusement.
AN: I'm sorry if you think Killua might be a bit out-of-character (OOC). After all, I'm not really very acquainted with HxH.
Killua: And he/she (I don't know Rei's gender myself) made me blabber too much…
Chapter Six-Skateboard Competitions
I hadn't gotten much sleep anyway, but I woke up at 6:00 AM to take a bath. This time my clothes were what I wore during the Hunter Exam, a long sleeved maroon tee shirt, and a short sleeved violet tee shirt over it, my blue shorts and my sneakers. Once again, I got my bag, carried Gon and rode on my skateboard to school. I brought Gon to the Registar's Office. I used my skateboard until I was inside the classroom, then carried it carefully and tucked it at a corner of my bag.
This time, PE was the subject I enjoyed most. You see, I had suggested jokingly to my teacher, "Sir, why don't we study skateboarding? It's more fun than just playing basketball or soccer." It so happened that the teacher decided to take up my silly suggestion and teach us the basics of using a skateboard, so I really had fun. After teaching us, we had several races using the skateboard. Since I had brought my skateboard along, that was what I used.
"Okay, Zordick, Watson, you're up." The teacher said while we were in the gym. Watson, a big, muscular guy had been the best person at using the skateboard in 7th grade before me, but when I came, he became only second best because all the people were raving about my skills. That's why Watson wanted to prove that he was the best skateboarder and not I, Killua Zordick. Besides, to him I was only a small obstacle in his way. I'll easily lose this race. Or so he thought.
The teacher said, "Ready, 1, 2, 3, and go!" Watson and I were neck to neck, even from the start. Watson had the advantage because he could apply more force, but my advantage was being more agile than he was. I was able to surpass him, but he abruptly hit my skateboard so I fell. I got mad, and with even more vigor I flipped the skateboard over. My years of training are not going to be in vain, I thought. I raced forward and caught up with him again, and this time I was prepared for his attack. At the last second, I jumped into the air, dodging his attack. I did two somersaults in the air, and then I landed perfectly on my skateboard, earning cheers from the girls.
We were almost to the finish line, but it was a hairpin. I had seen it coming, but he hadn't. I curved my body along with the skateboard, while he ended up crashing on the floor because he hadn't prepared for the last turn.
"And the victor is Killua Zordick!" The teacher exclaimed. Almost all the students clapped enthusiastically at me, but Watson's friends glared at me. Watson was even angrier than before. He gritted his teeth and told me that it was only a coincidence that I won. He proposed a rematch, and I accepted. It would be done tomorrow, during lunch break.
After school, I visited Gon again and told him all about my adventures especially about the skateboard match tomorrow. This time though, nobody interrupted me and no one listened to my conversations. I experienced no trouble and went home directly.
After putting Gon on his bed and changing my clothes into a green tank top, blue polo and pajamas, I slept. This time I dreamed of the skateboard event. I had seen the hairpin, he hadn't. That's why I was able to prepare for the crucial moment. That's why I won and he lost. I was able to analyze in my dream that mistake he had committed which had enabled me to win the race.
When 6:00 came, I found myself lying on the floor, but then, that was natural. As I recall when Gon and I were in the same room, I had unconsciously put my leg near his face, causing him to almost bite it, if I had not kicked him to the floor. I had not even been aware of it until Gon had woken up due to his falling on the floor. Afterwards, he had woken me up too, and told me he was hearing something, which I didn't. I told him it was the wind, but he wasn't convinced. Then we both heard a peculiar noise. It was when the 4th part of the Hunter Exam had started.
I did a few flips around the room to make sure nothing was wrong, then I went to the bathroom to take a bath. Then I dressed in a navy blue shirt and violet shorts, wore my sneakers, and grabbed my skateboard. This time I didn't bring Gon, so I got the apartment key, locked the door and got out.
When I reached the school, rumors were again flying about in the classrooms. "Hey, did you know that the 7th grader named Zordick defeated the 7th graders' best skateboarder, Watson?" One 8th grader asked his friend.
"Not only that, I also heard that it was because of the hairpin. Watson crashed, while Zordick didn't. That's why he got mad at Zordick and told him they'd have a rematch today." The friend reported back.
"Really? That's cool! I'm sure I'll be watching when an exchange student beats the school's best!" The 8th grader exclaimed. I walked past them and went to my classroom, but I could still hear them whispering, "He really looks scary, doesn't he? It was said that he came from a family of killers. Is it true? Well, he doesn't look the part, but his eyes are so cold, like those of a murderer."
"That's probably just some crap somebody decided to tell us. However, I did hear some teachers talking about a student who was a child assassin. I'll try to find out more later." And with that they separated and went to their own classrooms.
This was beginning to bother me. Gon never talked about my past, and he didn't try to pressure me into saying something either. He was satisfied enough to know the real me. In return, I had shown him sides that I didn't even know which existed. That was the way it went. Besides, he told me about his life, which revolved around his relatives and his friends. That was enough to us. It was simply the thought of sharing one's life with another's, such as in Gon's and my case, that had made our friendship extraordinary.
When I walked inside the classroom, though they had stopped and looked at me for a moment, they began to whisper again. If I strained my ears a little, I could hear the words, "Zordick… victory… Watson… rematch… lunch break…"
Was that all they ever talked about? Were schools really like this? If so, I truly wished I hadn't gone here. But then it was necessary. It was my fault, though. I was an illiterate when it came to writing letters, which I would have to do constantly now that Gon was away from home.
Well, that's their problem now, not mine. The day passed in a haze, and finally it was lunch break. I saw smirks on the 8th graders' faces, and expectant ones on the 7th and 6th graders' faces. I just shrugged and thought, Oh well, what will happen, will happen. Then I waited for Watson to state the rules. Then I looked around the crowd and sweat dropped. Why are there so many girls here? Never mind them. Just concentrate on the race.(AN: I personally think that he'll never notice that because he's never around girls.) Finally, Watson said, "Okay, the rules are to race from this corridor to the cafeteria and performing at least one fancy trick. These guys here, will be the judges." He then motioned to a group of guys I hadn't seen before. They stepped forward and told all the people at the same time, "We will be the judges. Not to worry, we shan't be biased."
Contented with that, the people all waited at the finish line. One 8th grader declared, "Prepare your skateboards, ready, set, and go!" With that signal we were off. We were at the same pace, and nobody could determine who was leading. To set more distance between us, I increased my speed. Then I saw him perform a trick. He put his palm on the skateboard and raised himself. Many people clapped enthusiastically.
Not wanting to be outdone, I said, "Anybody have a handkerchief there?"
One girl tossed me her handkerchief, and while riding, I tied the handkerchief to my eyes, then jumped and turned four somersaults to catch up with the skateboard, and landed exactly where I was before. Then I tugged off the handkerchief and tossed it again to the crowd while saying, "Thank you!"
Then applause followed again, but this time catcalls and whistles accompanied it. The rest cheered loudly, but I couldn't decipher exactly what they were saying.
Watson's P.O.V.
I'm sure that little brat won't be able to do anything fancier than what I just did. It's a sure sign. Besides, it would be so humiliating to lose to a transfer student when I've mastered skateboarding since 2nd grade.
What the…? Why that little show-off! Tying a handkerchief to his eyes and turning four somersaults then landing perfectly? Is he insane? If something went wrong, his foot would probably be in a cast later. But then, that'll be an advantage for me.
It's so noisy. So many more people are cheering on him. Why is it? I've stayed longer. I've trained harder than he has. Then why, why am I losing again? It isn't fair that he should easily be able to charm the audience with his daring tricks.
Killua's P.O.V.
Hmmmm… now what trick to do? I've never attempted this anyway; I only did these kinds of things when I needed to evade obstacles. I really never did this for fun and competition. But then, my whole world is turning upside down now, so it's perfectly natural now to do this.
I looked at Watson, and realized he was trying another trick. He had asked for hurdles to be set on the corridor, and now he was jumping frequently because the hurdles were closely put together. Then he came to the end, and he jumped and landed on his hands riding on the skateboard. Watson's endurance and sense of rhythm once again awed everybody.
Okay, basically it's a cliffhanger… sorry. I just had to cut it off for the next part to be more exciting. And sorry about the trick part. It might sound impossible to do four consecutive somersaults, but I personally think it possible. Besides, this is just animation, right?
And the hairpin thing, I couldn't think of anything at the time, pardon me. Please read and review this story, whether you want to praise me for my work or insult my style. It doesn't matter. Just happy that you paid attention to it.
Oh, and if you don't like my side story, or sequel, "I Am…" please just inform me. If you do like it, well, wait for this fic's Chapter Eight. Then you'll understand my second fic's meaning.
As for my other story, you can check it out under "Scarlet Visions". It's just a one-shot, though. All about Kurapika.
-Rei