Upon the Grounds Part 2
by: the cat
Disclaimer: Of course they are not mine. Darn.
Warning: Shounen ai. Maybe even yaoi, well not really. Just desiring thoughts and the like.
*****
Why do I even bother to go to school? Kuroro mused, staring numbly at the teacher in front of him. It's not like they have anything to teach him that would be useful. Not to Kuroro. He already knew what was going to happen in his life. He was going to follow in his father's footsteps. Correction, in his foster father's footsteps. His biological father had dropped him in the slums, where a young lawyer had picked him up. Now, the young lawyer was the chief of justice in supreme court.
What he said goes, and who he wants to be president of the country becomes the president of the country.
What he should concentrate on is making good connections, as the heir of the business, and, well, forming a good personality. And having a good time, he reminded himself, smiling at the thought.
Ah, Kurapika, he thought. With him, not only is he having a good time, but he was also making excellent connections. After all, Kurapika was smart, and good looking. He had the makings of what it took to make it in this world. Kuroro was going to make sure that when he went up in this world, he would take Kurapika with him. Kurapika will be his constant companion, his comrade, his friend. It didn't hurt that Kurapika was so beautiful, too. He was perfect. Kurapika was perfect for Kuroro.
Now all he needed to do was to convince Kurapika.
*****
"Come on, meet my aunt and grandmother." Gon insisted, pulling on Killua's shirt.
Killua looked at his feet. Gon and him had just met this morning, but Gon was already treating him like a friend. Sure, Killua had shown Gon around town, around school, but he didn't think he was friendly enough to meet Gon's family. Plus, if he met Gon's family, then he was practically obligated to introduce Gon to his family.
He shuddered at the thought. What would he say to Gon about his family? They were rich, but because of shady things? That his father controlled the black market? What about his mother? She was so obsessed with her looks that her face was in constant bandages. Illumi and Miruki were ... just plain weird. Only Karuto was normal enough to be introduced to Gon.
"Hello? Killua?" Gon looked at him, inquiringly.
"Hmm?" Killua was struck out of his stupor. "What?"
"Will you go with me? Come on, I want to introduce you to my aunt."
Killua sighed, Gon was looking at him, so wide eyed, he now called that the innocent look. "Fine." Killua muttered, looking at the floor.
"Yay!" Gon grinned, "Come on, they'll really like you."
Killua doubted it. The parents he met knew the rumors about his parents, and they disliked and distrusted him right away. Gon's family wasn't even going to be that different. It wasn't that isolated in Gon's province.
Killua was still dragging his feet with a chattering Gon when they reached a small bungalow.
"Aunt Mito! Grandmother!" Gon yelled, "I'm back and with a friend!"
"What's all this noise?" an elderly woman eyed them, her eyes twinkling. She looked at Killua, "And who is this young man you brought with you?"
"This is Killua. He's my new friend." Gon explained, grinning.
Gon's grandmother eyed the quiet boy, "Well, he's not saying much, but that doesn't matter. In no time, Gon will bring out the noisiest in you." she grinned. "Well, come on in. Your aunt is creating a snack. It should be enough for two growing boys."
Gon smiled at Killua, "See? She likes you already."
Killua sighed, "She didn't say that she liked me."
"Wait, what's not to like about you?" the grandmother broke in. "If Gon likes you, then you must be a very honorable person."
"He is!" Gon piped in.
An honorable person? Killua has never been called that. It didn't seem to match him and his lifestyle but with the grinning people around him, he could believe it.
He could see it.
"Gon, didn't I tell you to come straight home from school?" A woman, younger than the grandmother, was looking at the group.
"Killua was just showing me around." Gon explained. He looked at Killua, "This is my aunt Mito."
Aunt Mito smiled at him, "Well, how do you do?"
Killua muttered something unintelligible and stared at the floor.
"Not very polite, huh?" Mito smiled. "Never mind, with a few lectures, you're bound to get some manners."
These people were going to lecture him on the lack of manners? Killua was shocked to say the least. He looked back up and saw the happy faces of Gon's family. He made them happy.
Killua grinned, he already felt comfortable in this small household. "I'll keep that in mind."
*****
Hisoka was bored. Homework was pathetically easy. His card pyramid was already taller than he was.
He stretched in his bed, toppling over the cards. What he needed, he decided, was a little spice in his life.
He scanned his thoughts, should he call up some members of the Genei Ryodan? No, they were starting to bore him. The antics they did, it was getting very predictable. How disappointing of Kuroro, he mused. He expected better of him. Where was the spice of being in a notorious gang?
Should he look for a child to terrorize? He smiled at the memory of his last exploit. The child become afraid of his own shadow. All it took was a little stalking, a little playing. Yes, there was a very good candidate. The one that annoyed Ubogin that morning. What was his name? Gon.
Yes, he smiled. Gon was the perfect type. Principled. It was going to be a pleasure to break him. He was buddy-buddy with Killua, it seemed. Hisoka dared not touch Killua. His family ties were too precious, but he would like to annoy the child.
"I'll have a toy," Hisoka said out loud, "And I'll annoy Killua, too." he grinned. All he had to do was strategize.
He stood up. It was time for a little stakeout. However ...
He stopped. He suddenly remembered something. Kurapika. Yes, that was his name. The one that Kuroro really liked. His old friend, Kuroro had a teenage crush, Hisoka sneered inwardly. How Kuroro would love to know everything about the blonde. And it just so happened that Hisoka knew something about Kurapika. When Kurapika was in first year, Hisoka was particularly interested in him. So pretty, so innocent. Then again, after a few stalkings, Hisoka learned that Kurapika was not he seemed. He was not as innocent as he appeared to be.
"Well, well, well, it seems I have something that Kuroro wants." Hisoka laughed. "I wonder what Kurapika would do to stop me from telling the general public about him. About his past."
It was looking better and better. Now, Hisoka had two possible toys.
He picked up the phone and dialed a number from memory.
"Hello?" It was Kurapika.
"Well, hello. Do you remember me?"
There was a pause, the polite voice grew a cold edge, "Of course, Hisoka. Is there anything I could do for you?"
Hisoka smiled then at the corners the smile drooped. He knew that Kurapika was dangerous. Was doing this really wise? Oh well, too late to back out.
"I was just thinking of old times," Hisoka purred, imagining what Kurapika was thinking.
"How pleasant." Kurapika said in an acid tone. "Then perhaps you remember something specific?"
"Of course. I remembered who you really are."
"Then you know what I can do to you."
It had been years before when Hisoka's blood run cold. It was happening again. It was foolish to try to tempt Kurapika. So foolish and idiotic. Kurapika had the power to eradicate Hisoka. He closed his eyes. He had to play his cards correctly.
"Hisoka? Are you still there? I'm studying you know."
Sure you are, Hisoka thought inwardly. "I'm sorry, Kurapika, but perhaps we could meet somewhere."
"Why?" It was a cold voice. Hisoka's spine shivered. He absolutely loved this feeling, but he hated it too.
"Where we could discuss things in silence." He emphasized the word silence. He knew Kurapika would get the message.
Kurapika's tone changed from coldly polite to threatening. "Hisoka, of course we could, but I'm really busy. Do I need to remind you of that?"
Hisoka knew what Kurapika meant. But he will not back down. Even if he despised this dangerous feeling, he liked it. It was like a moth playing with fire. He would get destroyed, but he would be happily destroyed.
"Some other time?" Hisoka tried to drawl it out, but there was a telltale shiver at the end of of the phrase. It told Kurapika millions of things.
Kurapika paused. Hisoka could just picture the cold stare that only a few has seen. "Perhaps." he answered calmly.
Kurapika dropped the phone.
Hisoka smiled. He talked to Kurapika and he wasn't dead yet. It was a true achievement. Now, on to Gon ... well, he was tired from the conversation. He'll start terrorizing the boy tomorrow.
*****
Leorio's best friend was Kurapika but he could still feel hellishly annoyed with blond.
"You never listen to me." he complained. "You don't need to review for the test anyway."
They had a test today in math. There were still fifteen minutes before class started, and Leorio wanted to use those minutes to relax. However, his super smart best friend was reading his math book.
He knew that all of this was in vain. Kurapika nevered paid attention to him while he was reading. He might as well be talking to a wall.
However, now, Kurapika set down the book. "I'm just worried about the test."
Leorio swallowed his surprise, Kurapika put down a book voluntarily. Well, he wasn't going to look the gift horse in the mouth.
"Okay." he muttered. "What do you have to be worried about? You're the smartest person in class. Well, maybe." he said, glancing to the corner of the room that was populated by the Genei Ryodan. Shalnark was there. He was also buried in his notebook. He was so studious, Leorio practically couldn't believe that he had time to be part of the most notorious gang in school.
Kurapika smiled at him, "I guess. So what's up?" he inquired.
Leorio smiled, it was nice to have Kurapika's attention to himself. "Not much, but I'm incredibly glad that my best friend finally noticed I was alive."
Kurapika smiled, "I guess. I'm pretty lucky to have you around. Or else I would have no social life."
"Without me, you would have NO life." Leorio added. "I'm the only one you hold conversations with that last longer than ten minutes."
"Wait a minute!" Kurapika grinned, "Yesterday, I talked to Kuroro during lunchtime. That was longer than ten minutes."
As if Leorio needed to be reminded. He had thought about nothing else last night. That was all he needed. Now the leader of the Genei Ryodan was interested in his best friend. He was really worried for Kurapika. Kuroro was dangerous, and he seemed to really like Kurapika.
Leorio looked Kurapika in the eye, "Look, I think you should avoid him."
"Why?" a smile appeared on Kurapika's face, "Jealous?" he joked.
Yes, Leorio thought. Kuroro was a handsome guy. Very handsome, plus he was powerful. Leorio was just a ... normal person. "No way!" Leorio blurted out, lying through his teeth. No way could he let Kurapika know, he corrected himself silently. Kurapika was hard to get close with. He wasn't about to distance him by blurting all of his feelings. "I'm ... worried." he muttered, looking at the floor.
Kurapika lifted his head, "Don't worry. I can take care of myself. Besides, Kuroro isn't going to bully me, I think."
No, he wants something else, Leorio sighed. "Sure, just call me when you want to, okay?"
"Of course."
Then, their teacher went in the room, "Come on, class. Settle down. Time to take the test."
There was a collective groan as the students shuffled to their seats.
Leorio glanced at Kurapika. Take care, he silently told him.
*****
It was getting really ridiculous, Shalnark thought as he passed his test paper. He was a certified genius, but he had to go through this. To go through life as a normal adolescent.
He snorted in the hallway, as if they could understand what he felt surrounded by these people. Well, except for the Genei Ryodan, they were the exceptions. Sure, they didn't have a higher IQ, but they had incredible skills and personalities. Especially Kuroro, what an incredible person! He had an aura that commanded people to bow to him.
Shalnark smiled, Kuroro was going to go far, and he would take the Genei Ryodan with him.
The next person to go out the door was, predictably, Kurapika. He was walking leisurely and stopped when he noticed Shalnark watching him.
"Hey." Shalnark nodded. He thought Kurapika was pretty smart, but nothing special. However, he had an aura that demanded the respect and awe of people. The fact that he was very pleasant to look at didn't made him even better.
Shalnark actually liked him. Well, except for one thing. Kuroro. Kuroro liked Kurapika. He didn't tell the Genei Ryodan, but it was obvious. He always ditched them to spend time with Kurapika and his loser friend, Leorio.
Kuroro was the leader and he should be invulnerable, Shalnark frowned. Oh well, Kurapika didn't seem to be the abusive type. He smiled and walked over to Kurapika, "The test was easy, huh?"
Kurapika smiled that pretty smile that made all the girls swoon. No, not all, Shalnark corrected himself. The girls in the Genei Ryodan weren't like the other girls. Especially a certain one...
"It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be." Kurapika admitted.
Shalnark grinned, "Every test isn't as hard as you thought it would be."
"Well, yes." Kurapika smiled at him, "Shalnark, I hope you'll excuse me, but I have to go to my locker."
"Of course." Shalnark nodded. His conversations with Kurapika never get too long or personal. They just talked about class. Kurapika seemed to have a shield that made him shy away from an actual conversation from most people. Not that Shalnark minded. He actually preferred that to the superficial closeness of the masses. "I have to wait for Feitan, anyway." he added, mentioning a member of the Genei Ryodan that was also in their class.
"See you then." Kurapika said, leaving.
Shalnark got his cellphone and started playing to pass the time. People were already filing out of the classroom. They were joking, but not one approached him. Of course, he smiled. His status as a member of the Genei Ryodan scared them. They didn't want to talk to him, in the risk of getting on his bad side. Then things would be really bad.
Finally, Feitan showed.
*****
"Then, Aunt Mito found me fishing!" Gon was telling a story about some childhood happening during lunch.
Killua just nodded.
Actually, Gon wanted Killua to do some talking now. It wasn't fair of him to do all of the talking.
"Hey, Killua? I just realized, I don't know anything about your family except how many siblings." Gon had managed to squeeze that out of him a while ago.
Killua sighed, "My stories are not as interesting as yours."
"That's what you think." Gon interrupted, "You just think it's boring, because it's your life."
Killua looked away, "I just don't want to talk about my family, okay?"
In their short friendship, Gon already knew not to push the issue, "Okay." Gon said, sort of sad. Didn't Killua trust him?
Killua was eyeing and was about to say something when a shadow fell over them.
"Hello, there. This spot looks comfy."
Gon looked up and saw, against the sun, a silhouette of a person. The person knelt down and saw a person with pinkish hair (I don't know how to describe it.) and narrow eyes.
Killua scowled at the person, "Go away."
"That's very rude," the person observed. "I just want to meet your new friend, Killua." he turned to Gon, "Hello, child. My name is Hisoka."
"Hi! I'm Gon." Gon was surprised by the flat, drawling way that Hisoka spoke, but he always tried to be nice to everyone. "What year are you in?"
"I'm in the graduating class. I'm a senior." Hisoka smiled. "You look like a very nice person, I hope we'll get to know each other better."
Gon smiled back, but there was something about Hisoka that was ... sort of mean. He couldn't exactly put his finger on it. But he felt uncomfortable near the senior. He just nodded in response.
"Hisoka, what are you doing here?" Killua growled.
Gon looked at Killua, he trusted his new friend, and he was glad that they seemed to have the same feelings for this Hisoka. They didn't like him.
Hisoka just sneered, "Your father may own a lot of things, but he doesn't own this school. I can go wherever I want." He stood up, "But if you're going to be so rude, I'll leave." He stared at Gon, "I'll be seeing you around."
When he was gone, Killua shook his head at Gon. "Watch out. Hisoka is famous for trying to torture younger people."
"He doesn't seem very nice." Gon observed.
Killua snorted, struggling to control a laugh, "He is not nice. He probably doesn't even know what it means. He's a sadist. He's even part of the Genei Ryodan and you know how mean they are."
"What about Machi and Shizuku?" Gon pointed out the members of their class that were part of the Genei Ryodan. "They're not mean at all."
Killua rolled his eyes, "They just pretend to be nice in class. Last month, some girl copied the hairstyle of Machi. Before the end of the month, the girl moved away."
"Why?" Gon asked, wondering what was going to be the answer.
"Machi was annoyed with the girl, so she beat her up, and tore away her hair. She beat her up so bad, that the girl was declared insane after a while. The family moved away some days after when they realized that the police wouldn't do anything about it. They just declared it an unfortunate incident in today's violent society."
"Th-that's horrible!" Gon's eyes widened. "Why would the police say that?"
"Well, let's just say that Machi is part of the Genei Ryodan. The Genei Ryodan has a lot of influence in politics. The judge that tries to convict Machi would lose his job. The policeman that arrests her would be laid off. The lawyer would be dishonored."
"How?" Gon was shocked.
Killua sneered at the thought, "Kuroro's father is the chief of justice. However, he has a lot of people behind him, pulling the strings that he is actually the chief of everything."
"Wait! What about the president?"
"The president is one of the Kuroro's father's men. Kuroro's father put him there. He controls the votes in this country."
"That's horrible." Gon said, "I thought the people voted ..."
"Well, Kuroro's father tells them who to vote for." Killua shook his head at Gon, "Look, the Genei Ryodan is bad news. Just avoid everyone there."
Gon shuddered, "We have to stop this."
Killua sighed, he knew this would happen. Gon and his principles. "We can't. If we tried, we would be dead." He bit the sandwich and glared at Gon to show that the conversation was over.
Of course, Gon didn't notice it. He was looking over at the entrance of the cafeteria. "Hey, wasn't that person with Ubogin?"
Killua turned and almost choked, "That's Kuroro. You do not want to meet him. He could cheat anyone."
"Who's the person with him? Is he part of the Genei Ryodan, too?"
Killua eyed the blonde beside Kuroro, "No, that's a junior. He's Kurapika. He's pretty famous, too."
"Why?"
"He's a heartthrob. A lot of people think he's pretty." Killua agreed with the people, but he wasn't about to admit it to Gon.
"He is pretty." Gon declared. "What is he doing with Kuroro, if he's so dangerous?"
Killua sighed, "I'm not a huge gossip okay? I don't know everything. I'm not interested, too, if it has something to do with the Genei Ryodan."
Gon nodded, but eyed the couple. There was a gangly guy, with them, but a bit behind, as if he was out of place.
Kurapika really looks nice, he thought. If he likes Kuroro, then, maybe Kuroro isn't as bad as Killua says. Besides, he reasoned, no group could be as bad as Killua described. They even controlled the police! That was impossible, Gon decided. He was just going to prove that to Killua.
Maybe Hisoka will help ... Gon shook his head. Hisoka made him feel bad. If anyone was bad, it was Hisoka. Maybe he should think twice about going against the Genei Ryodan.
However, the noble boy already had a decision before he even realized it.
He and the Genei Ryodan were going to be at odds, especially if they go about bullying people.
*****
Kuroro looked coolly at the masses pouring out of the buildings, glad that class was over.
Where is Kurapika? he wondered lazily. Not that he could talk with him, like they did during lunch, but the sight of him could make Kuroro feel very happy and satisfied. At least for a moment.
He smiled, thinking of lunch. Once again, he had pushed that awful Leorio away and had Kurapika to himself. Well, except that he was sort of following them. Just a few more days and Kurapika wouldn't even speak to Leorio, Kuroro thought wistfully. However, maybe not. Kurapika was a loyal sort of person. He needed to redirect that loyalty to more worthy causes. Like Kuroro.
"What are you thinking about?"
Kuroro calmly looked at the side and saw a tall blonde. The hair wasn't as smooth and silky as Kurapika's, he thought wistfully.
"Hello, Pakunoda." he flatly said. "I wasn't thinking about anything."
Pakunoda looked at him suspiciously, "Never mind. So, are we going to do anything?"
"No, just study." Kuroro said, watching Kurapika walk towards the school gates.
Pakunoda followed his gaze and scowled. "You like Kurapika, don't you?"
Paku, Paku, Paku, Kuroro thought, amused. Her jealousy was so transparent. "If I do or I don't is none of your business," he said, flatly.
Pakunoda flushed like the good follower she was, "Of course. I was just getting bored. The Genei Ryodan doesn't do anything anymore."
Kuroro glared at her, "Life isn't just about political influences, you know. You need to study, to back up the credentials." Of course, he truly didn't care about studying, but he wanted to get Pakunoda off his back.
"Sorry. Of course, I'm studying." Pakunoda stared at the ground.
Kuroro felt a flicker of emotion. It wasn't Pakunoda's fault that he wasn't attracted to her. She was pretty enough, but she was no Kurapika. "Look," he said, in a soft voice, "I just thought we should relax for a while." He smiled what he knew looked like an understanding smile.
"Of course." Pakunoda beamed.
What a stupid girl, Kuroro thought. Some soft words and a smile and she was happy.
Then again, he thought, Kuroro certainly was happy with soft words and the smile of Kurapika.
Never mind, he thought wistfully, his relationship with Kurapika will soon go beyond that. They were going to be at another level, soon.
*****
"I told you the ice cream was great here." Killua said, licking his fingers, since there were some remnants of melted ice cream there.
"It really is!" Gon smiled, swallowing the last of the cone.
"Isn't this a nice scene? Friends eating ice cream."
The two looked up to see Ubogin.
Ubogin smiled at them, but underneath he was seething. He thought that things would be very simple. He would beat up Gon, end of story. However, he was friends with Killua and that made things more complicated.
He could risk a lot when he went against Killua, or specifically, his family. Killua, by himself, was dirt, but with the back up of the Zordicks, he was powerful. Very powerful indeed.
"Go away." Killua said flatly, while Gon was looking at him very suspiciously.
"That's not very polite." Ubogin smiled. Eyeing the two he wondered, to push or not to push. He didn't want to risk anything. Not yet. He wasn't going to forgive Gon, either way.
He glared at them, "I'll leave the two of you with your ice cream."
He eyed Gon, I'll be back for you, he silently told him.
TO BE CONTINUED
How was that? What do you think will happen? *grin* I hope you liked it.
Next chapter, Senritsu and Illumi will appear. Gon and Ubogin will finally have their "conversation". Hisoka's plans for Gon will be more concrete, and Kurapika will still be as mysterious as ever!
Comments and suggestion please!! Please send them to fantastisch_katze@yahoo.com Thanks!
by: the cat
Disclaimer: Of course they are not mine. Darn.
Warning: Shounen ai. Maybe even yaoi, well not really. Just desiring thoughts and the like.
*****
Why do I even bother to go to school? Kuroro mused, staring numbly at the teacher in front of him. It's not like they have anything to teach him that would be useful. Not to Kuroro. He already knew what was going to happen in his life. He was going to follow in his father's footsteps. Correction, in his foster father's footsteps. His biological father had dropped him in the slums, where a young lawyer had picked him up. Now, the young lawyer was the chief of justice in supreme court.
What he said goes, and who he wants to be president of the country becomes the president of the country.
What he should concentrate on is making good connections, as the heir of the business, and, well, forming a good personality. And having a good time, he reminded himself, smiling at the thought.
Ah, Kurapika, he thought. With him, not only is he having a good time, but he was also making excellent connections. After all, Kurapika was smart, and good looking. He had the makings of what it took to make it in this world. Kuroro was going to make sure that when he went up in this world, he would take Kurapika with him. Kurapika will be his constant companion, his comrade, his friend. It didn't hurt that Kurapika was so beautiful, too. He was perfect. Kurapika was perfect for Kuroro.
Now all he needed to do was to convince Kurapika.
*****
"Come on, meet my aunt and grandmother." Gon insisted, pulling on Killua's shirt.
Killua looked at his feet. Gon and him had just met this morning, but Gon was already treating him like a friend. Sure, Killua had shown Gon around town, around school, but he didn't think he was friendly enough to meet Gon's family. Plus, if he met Gon's family, then he was practically obligated to introduce Gon to his family.
He shuddered at the thought. What would he say to Gon about his family? They were rich, but because of shady things? That his father controlled the black market? What about his mother? She was so obsessed with her looks that her face was in constant bandages. Illumi and Miruki were ... just plain weird. Only Karuto was normal enough to be introduced to Gon.
"Hello? Killua?" Gon looked at him, inquiringly.
"Hmm?" Killua was struck out of his stupor. "What?"
"Will you go with me? Come on, I want to introduce you to my aunt."
Killua sighed, Gon was looking at him, so wide eyed, he now called that the innocent look. "Fine." Killua muttered, looking at the floor.
"Yay!" Gon grinned, "Come on, they'll really like you."
Killua doubted it. The parents he met knew the rumors about his parents, and they disliked and distrusted him right away. Gon's family wasn't even going to be that different. It wasn't that isolated in Gon's province.
Killua was still dragging his feet with a chattering Gon when they reached a small bungalow.
"Aunt Mito! Grandmother!" Gon yelled, "I'm back and with a friend!"
"What's all this noise?" an elderly woman eyed them, her eyes twinkling. She looked at Killua, "And who is this young man you brought with you?"
"This is Killua. He's my new friend." Gon explained, grinning.
Gon's grandmother eyed the quiet boy, "Well, he's not saying much, but that doesn't matter. In no time, Gon will bring out the noisiest in you." she grinned. "Well, come on in. Your aunt is creating a snack. It should be enough for two growing boys."
Gon smiled at Killua, "See? She likes you already."
Killua sighed, "She didn't say that she liked me."
"Wait, what's not to like about you?" the grandmother broke in. "If Gon likes you, then you must be a very honorable person."
"He is!" Gon piped in.
An honorable person? Killua has never been called that. It didn't seem to match him and his lifestyle but with the grinning people around him, he could believe it.
He could see it.
"Gon, didn't I tell you to come straight home from school?" A woman, younger than the grandmother, was looking at the group.
"Killua was just showing me around." Gon explained. He looked at Killua, "This is my aunt Mito."
Aunt Mito smiled at him, "Well, how do you do?"
Killua muttered something unintelligible and stared at the floor.
"Not very polite, huh?" Mito smiled. "Never mind, with a few lectures, you're bound to get some manners."
These people were going to lecture him on the lack of manners? Killua was shocked to say the least. He looked back up and saw the happy faces of Gon's family. He made them happy.
Killua grinned, he already felt comfortable in this small household. "I'll keep that in mind."
*****
Hisoka was bored. Homework was pathetically easy. His card pyramid was already taller than he was.
He stretched in his bed, toppling over the cards. What he needed, he decided, was a little spice in his life.
He scanned his thoughts, should he call up some members of the Genei Ryodan? No, they were starting to bore him. The antics they did, it was getting very predictable. How disappointing of Kuroro, he mused. He expected better of him. Where was the spice of being in a notorious gang?
Should he look for a child to terrorize? He smiled at the memory of his last exploit. The child become afraid of his own shadow. All it took was a little stalking, a little playing. Yes, there was a very good candidate. The one that annoyed Ubogin that morning. What was his name? Gon.
Yes, he smiled. Gon was the perfect type. Principled. It was going to be a pleasure to break him. He was buddy-buddy with Killua, it seemed. Hisoka dared not touch Killua. His family ties were too precious, but he would like to annoy the child.
"I'll have a toy," Hisoka said out loud, "And I'll annoy Killua, too." he grinned. All he had to do was strategize.
He stood up. It was time for a little stakeout. However ...
He stopped. He suddenly remembered something. Kurapika. Yes, that was his name. The one that Kuroro really liked. His old friend, Kuroro had a teenage crush, Hisoka sneered inwardly. How Kuroro would love to know everything about the blonde. And it just so happened that Hisoka knew something about Kurapika. When Kurapika was in first year, Hisoka was particularly interested in him. So pretty, so innocent. Then again, after a few stalkings, Hisoka learned that Kurapika was not he seemed. He was not as innocent as he appeared to be.
"Well, well, well, it seems I have something that Kuroro wants." Hisoka laughed. "I wonder what Kurapika would do to stop me from telling the general public about him. About his past."
It was looking better and better. Now, Hisoka had two possible toys.
He picked up the phone and dialed a number from memory.
"Hello?" It was Kurapika.
"Well, hello. Do you remember me?"
There was a pause, the polite voice grew a cold edge, "Of course, Hisoka. Is there anything I could do for you?"
Hisoka smiled then at the corners the smile drooped. He knew that Kurapika was dangerous. Was doing this really wise? Oh well, too late to back out.
"I was just thinking of old times," Hisoka purred, imagining what Kurapika was thinking.
"How pleasant." Kurapika said in an acid tone. "Then perhaps you remember something specific?"
"Of course. I remembered who you really are."
"Then you know what I can do to you."
It had been years before when Hisoka's blood run cold. It was happening again. It was foolish to try to tempt Kurapika. So foolish and idiotic. Kurapika had the power to eradicate Hisoka. He closed his eyes. He had to play his cards correctly.
"Hisoka? Are you still there? I'm studying you know."
Sure you are, Hisoka thought inwardly. "I'm sorry, Kurapika, but perhaps we could meet somewhere."
"Why?" It was a cold voice. Hisoka's spine shivered. He absolutely loved this feeling, but he hated it too.
"Where we could discuss things in silence." He emphasized the word silence. He knew Kurapika would get the message.
Kurapika's tone changed from coldly polite to threatening. "Hisoka, of course we could, but I'm really busy. Do I need to remind you of that?"
Hisoka knew what Kurapika meant. But he will not back down. Even if he despised this dangerous feeling, he liked it. It was like a moth playing with fire. He would get destroyed, but he would be happily destroyed.
"Some other time?" Hisoka tried to drawl it out, but there was a telltale shiver at the end of of the phrase. It told Kurapika millions of things.
Kurapika paused. Hisoka could just picture the cold stare that only a few has seen. "Perhaps." he answered calmly.
Kurapika dropped the phone.
Hisoka smiled. He talked to Kurapika and he wasn't dead yet. It was a true achievement. Now, on to Gon ... well, he was tired from the conversation. He'll start terrorizing the boy tomorrow.
*****
Leorio's best friend was Kurapika but he could still feel hellishly annoyed with blond.
"You never listen to me." he complained. "You don't need to review for the test anyway."
They had a test today in math. There were still fifteen minutes before class started, and Leorio wanted to use those minutes to relax. However, his super smart best friend was reading his math book.
He knew that all of this was in vain. Kurapika nevered paid attention to him while he was reading. He might as well be talking to a wall.
However, now, Kurapika set down the book. "I'm just worried about the test."
Leorio swallowed his surprise, Kurapika put down a book voluntarily. Well, he wasn't going to look the gift horse in the mouth.
"Okay." he muttered. "What do you have to be worried about? You're the smartest person in class. Well, maybe." he said, glancing to the corner of the room that was populated by the Genei Ryodan. Shalnark was there. He was also buried in his notebook. He was so studious, Leorio practically couldn't believe that he had time to be part of the most notorious gang in school.
Kurapika smiled at him, "I guess. So what's up?" he inquired.
Leorio smiled, it was nice to have Kurapika's attention to himself. "Not much, but I'm incredibly glad that my best friend finally noticed I was alive."
Kurapika smiled, "I guess. I'm pretty lucky to have you around. Or else I would have no social life."
"Without me, you would have NO life." Leorio added. "I'm the only one you hold conversations with that last longer than ten minutes."
"Wait a minute!" Kurapika grinned, "Yesterday, I talked to Kuroro during lunchtime. That was longer than ten minutes."
As if Leorio needed to be reminded. He had thought about nothing else last night. That was all he needed. Now the leader of the Genei Ryodan was interested in his best friend. He was really worried for Kurapika. Kuroro was dangerous, and he seemed to really like Kurapika.
Leorio looked Kurapika in the eye, "Look, I think you should avoid him."
"Why?" a smile appeared on Kurapika's face, "Jealous?" he joked.
Yes, Leorio thought. Kuroro was a handsome guy. Very handsome, plus he was powerful. Leorio was just a ... normal person. "No way!" Leorio blurted out, lying through his teeth. No way could he let Kurapika know, he corrected himself silently. Kurapika was hard to get close with. He wasn't about to distance him by blurting all of his feelings. "I'm ... worried." he muttered, looking at the floor.
Kurapika lifted his head, "Don't worry. I can take care of myself. Besides, Kuroro isn't going to bully me, I think."
No, he wants something else, Leorio sighed. "Sure, just call me when you want to, okay?"
"Of course."
Then, their teacher went in the room, "Come on, class. Settle down. Time to take the test."
There was a collective groan as the students shuffled to their seats.
Leorio glanced at Kurapika. Take care, he silently told him.
*****
It was getting really ridiculous, Shalnark thought as he passed his test paper. He was a certified genius, but he had to go through this. To go through life as a normal adolescent.
He snorted in the hallway, as if they could understand what he felt surrounded by these people. Well, except for the Genei Ryodan, they were the exceptions. Sure, they didn't have a higher IQ, but they had incredible skills and personalities. Especially Kuroro, what an incredible person! He had an aura that commanded people to bow to him.
Shalnark smiled, Kuroro was going to go far, and he would take the Genei Ryodan with him.
The next person to go out the door was, predictably, Kurapika. He was walking leisurely and stopped when he noticed Shalnark watching him.
"Hey." Shalnark nodded. He thought Kurapika was pretty smart, but nothing special. However, he had an aura that demanded the respect and awe of people. The fact that he was very pleasant to look at didn't made him even better.
Shalnark actually liked him. Well, except for one thing. Kuroro. Kuroro liked Kurapika. He didn't tell the Genei Ryodan, but it was obvious. He always ditched them to spend time with Kurapika and his loser friend, Leorio.
Kuroro was the leader and he should be invulnerable, Shalnark frowned. Oh well, Kurapika didn't seem to be the abusive type. He smiled and walked over to Kurapika, "The test was easy, huh?"
Kurapika smiled that pretty smile that made all the girls swoon. No, not all, Shalnark corrected himself. The girls in the Genei Ryodan weren't like the other girls. Especially a certain one...
"It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be." Kurapika admitted.
Shalnark grinned, "Every test isn't as hard as you thought it would be."
"Well, yes." Kurapika smiled at him, "Shalnark, I hope you'll excuse me, but I have to go to my locker."
"Of course." Shalnark nodded. His conversations with Kurapika never get too long or personal. They just talked about class. Kurapika seemed to have a shield that made him shy away from an actual conversation from most people. Not that Shalnark minded. He actually preferred that to the superficial closeness of the masses. "I have to wait for Feitan, anyway." he added, mentioning a member of the Genei Ryodan that was also in their class.
"See you then." Kurapika said, leaving.
Shalnark got his cellphone and started playing to pass the time. People were already filing out of the classroom. They were joking, but not one approached him. Of course, he smiled. His status as a member of the Genei Ryodan scared them. They didn't want to talk to him, in the risk of getting on his bad side. Then things would be really bad.
Finally, Feitan showed.
*****
"Then, Aunt Mito found me fishing!" Gon was telling a story about some childhood happening during lunch.
Killua just nodded.
Actually, Gon wanted Killua to do some talking now. It wasn't fair of him to do all of the talking.
"Hey, Killua? I just realized, I don't know anything about your family except how many siblings." Gon had managed to squeeze that out of him a while ago.
Killua sighed, "My stories are not as interesting as yours."
"That's what you think." Gon interrupted, "You just think it's boring, because it's your life."
Killua looked away, "I just don't want to talk about my family, okay?"
In their short friendship, Gon already knew not to push the issue, "Okay." Gon said, sort of sad. Didn't Killua trust him?
Killua was eyeing and was about to say something when a shadow fell over them.
"Hello, there. This spot looks comfy."
Gon looked up and saw, against the sun, a silhouette of a person. The person knelt down and saw a person with pinkish hair (I don't know how to describe it.) and narrow eyes.
Killua scowled at the person, "Go away."
"That's very rude," the person observed. "I just want to meet your new friend, Killua." he turned to Gon, "Hello, child. My name is Hisoka."
"Hi! I'm Gon." Gon was surprised by the flat, drawling way that Hisoka spoke, but he always tried to be nice to everyone. "What year are you in?"
"I'm in the graduating class. I'm a senior." Hisoka smiled. "You look like a very nice person, I hope we'll get to know each other better."
Gon smiled back, but there was something about Hisoka that was ... sort of mean. He couldn't exactly put his finger on it. But he felt uncomfortable near the senior. He just nodded in response.
"Hisoka, what are you doing here?" Killua growled.
Gon looked at Killua, he trusted his new friend, and he was glad that they seemed to have the same feelings for this Hisoka. They didn't like him.
Hisoka just sneered, "Your father may own a lot of things, but he doesn't own this school. I can go wherever I want." He stood up, "But if you're going to be so rude, I'll leave." He stared at Gon, "I'll be seeing you around."
When he was gone, Killua shook his head at Gon. "Watch out. Hisoka is famous for trying to torture younger people."
"He doesn't seem very nice." Gon observed.
Killua snorted, struggling to control a laugh, "He is not nice. He probably doesn't even know what it means. He's a sadist. He's even part of the Genei Ryodan and you know how mean they are."
"What about Machi and Shizuku?" Gon pointed out the members of their class that were part of the Genei Ryodan. "They're not mean at all."
Killua rolled his eyes, "They just pretend to be nice in class. Last month, some girl copied the hairstyle of Machi. Before the end of the month, the girl moved away."
"Why?" Gon asked, wondering what was going to be the answer.
"Machi was annoyed with the girl, so she beat her up, and tore away her hair. She beat her up so bad, that the girl was declared insane after a while. The family moved away some days after when they realized that the police wouldn't do anything about it. They just declared it an unfortunate incident in today's violent society."
"Th-that's horrible!" Gon's eyes widened. "Why would the police say that?"
"Well, let's just say that Machi is part of the Genei Ryodan. The Genei Ryodan has a lot of influence in politics. The judge that tries to convict Machi would lose his job. The policeman that arrests her would be laid off. The lawyer would be dishonored."
"How?" Gon was shocked.
Killua sneered at the thought, "Kuroro's father is the chief of justice. However, he has a lot of people behind him, pulling the strings that he is actually the chief of everything."
"Wait! What about the president?"
"The president is one of the Kuroro's father's men. Kuroro's father put him there. He controls the votes in this country."
"That's horrible." Gon said, "I thought the people voted ..."
"Well, Kuroro's father tells them who to vote for." Killua shook his head at Gon, "Look, the Genei Ryodan is bad news. Just avoid everyone there."
Gon shuddered, "We have to stop this."
Killua sighed, he knew this would happen. Gon and his principles. "We can't. If we tried, we would be dead." He bit the sandwich and glared at Gon to show that the conversation was over.
Of course, Gon didn't notice it. He was looking over at the entrance of the cafeteria. "Hey, wasn't that person with Ubogin?"
Killua turned and almost choked, "That's Kuroro. You do not want to meet him. He could cheat anyone."
"Who's the person with him? Is he part of the Genei Ryodan, too?"
Killua eyed the blonde beside Kuroro, "No, that's a junior. He's Kurapika. He's pretty famous, too."
"Why?"
"He's a heartthrob. A lot of people think he's pretty." Killua agreed with the people, but he wasn't about to admit it to Gon.
"He is pretty." Gon declared. "What is he doing with Kuroro, if he's so dangerous?"
Killua sighed, "I'm not a huge gossip okay? I don't know everything. I'm not interested, too, if it has something to do with the Genei Ryodan."
Gon nodded, but eyed the couple. There was a gangly guy, with them, but a bit behind, as if he was out of place.
Kurapika really looks nice, he thought. If he likes Kuroro, then, maybe Kuroro isn't as bad as Killua says. Besides, he reasoned, no group could be as bad as Killua described. They even controlled the police! That was impossible, Gon decided. He was just going to prove that to Killua.
Maybe Hisoka will help ... Gon shook his head. Hisoka made him feel bad. If anyone was bad, it was Hisoka. Maybe he should think twice about going against the Genei Ryodan.
However, the noble boy already had a decision before he even realized it.
He and the Genei Ryodan were going to be at odds, especially if they go about bullying people.
*****
Kuroro looked coolly at the masses pouring out of the buildings, glad that class was over.
Where is Kurapika? he wondered lazily. Not that he could talk with him, like they did during lunch, but the sight of him could make Kuroro feel very happy and satisfied. At least for a moment.
He smiled, thinking of lunch. Once again, he had pushed that awful Leorio away and had Kurapika to himself. Well, except that he was sort of following them. Just a few more days and Kurapika wouldn't even speak to Leorio, Kuroro thought wistfully. However, maybe not. Kurapika was a loyal sort of person. He needed to redirect that loyalty to more worthy causes. Like Kuroro.
"What are you thinking about?"
Kuroro calmly looked at the side and saw a tall blonde. The hair wasn't as smooth and silky as Kurapika's, he thought wistfully.
"Hello, Pakunoda." he flatly said. "I wasn't thinking about anything."
Pakunoda looked at him suspiciously, "Never mind. So, are we going to do anything?"
"No, just study." Kuroro said, watching Kurapika walk towards the school gates.
Pakunoda followed his gaze and scowled. "You like Kurapika, don't you?"
Paku, Paku, Paku, Kuroro thought, amused. Her jealousy was so transparent. "If I do or I don't is none of your business," he said, flatly.
Pakunoda flushed like the good follower she was, "Of course. I was just getting bored. The Genei Ryodan doesn't do anything anymore."
Kuroro glared at her, "Life isn't just about political influences, you know. You need to study, to back up the credentials." Of course, he truly didn't care about studying, but he wanted to get Pakunoda off his back.
"Sorry. Of course, I'm studying." Pakunoda stared at the ground.
Kuroro felt a flicker of emotion. It wasn't Pakunoda's fault that he wasn't attracted to her. She was pretty enough, but she was no Kurapika. "Look," he said, in a soft voice, "I just thought we should relax for a while." He smiled what he knew looked like an understanding smile.
"Of course." Pakunoda beamed.
What a stupid girl, Kuroro thought. Some soft words and a smile and she was happy.
Then again, he thought, Kuroro certainly was happy with soft words and the smile of Kurapika.
Never mind, he thought wistfully, his relationship with Kurapika will soon go beyond that. They were going to be at another level, soon.
*****
"I told you the ice cream was great here." Killua said, licking his fingers, since there were some remnants of melted ice cream there.
"It really is!" Gon smiled, swallowing the last of the cone.
"Isn't this a nice scene? Friends eating ice cream."
The two looked up to see Ubogin.
Ubogin smiled at them, but underneath he was seething. He thought that things would be very simple. He would beat up Gon, end of story. However, he was friends with Killua and that made things more complicated.
He could risk a lot when he went against Killua, or specifically, his family. Killua, by himself, was dirt, but with the back up of the Zordicks, he was powerful. Very powerful indeed.
"Go away." Killua said flatly, while Gon was looking at him very suspiciously.
"That's not very polite." Ubogin smiled. Eyeing the two he wondered, to push or not to push. He didn't want to risk anything. Not yet. He wasn't going to forgive Gon, either way.
He glared at them, "I'll leave the two of you with your ice cream."
He eyed Gon, I'll be back for you, he silently told him.
TO BE CONTINUED
How was that? What do you think will happen? *grin* I hope you liked it.
Next chapter, Senritsu and Illumi will appear. Gon and Ubogin will finally have their "conversation". Hisoka's plans for Gon will be more concrete, and Kurapika will still be as mysterious as ever!
Comments and suggestion please!! Please send them to fantastisch_katze@yahoo.com Thanks!