A/N: To those who have read my post on Facebook about how I only made writer's block a lazy excuse for being so lazy, that was a terrible joke. I truly had, I think, nothing to write about. I didn't know what to write next. Is it even normal for me to even think that this story has nowhere to go, no solid foundation to keep the plot going? Yes, that was what I went through concerning TOC. But lo, I finally came back to my senses and realized that this has been going on for far too long already. If you know what I mean. :D

A little trivia to make up the previous week: All numbers in here (except the time, maybe some), have equal meanings in my real life.

Doki/Ba-dump/Thump = sound of a heartbeat
Asdfjdkhfgdjkfdokidokidoki = sound of a raging heartbeat XD

Disclaimer: Gon owns Killua.


TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCE

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Good Trip? Bad Trip?

Chatting noises from different parts of the campus' open lot upped with every step of our auburn-haired protagonist as she neared the gates of school. The day was young, too young darkness still covered the sky and the moon still lit the streets—dawn, about four o'clock in the morning, but Yuhi was wide awake, walking without any signs lethargy. She was supposed to still be sleeping at that time, especially because she slept at 12:30 in the morning that day thinking about exciting things she would be able to do for the anticipated school event—well, their year level's event—the cultural camp trip.

"Gooood morning, guys!" a high-pitched tone emanated from the girl's throat as she jumped towards a group of girls, greeting them with a wide sunny grin.

"And here comes the noisy one," one of her classmates teased, smirking as she turned around to face the girl. "It's a great that you're here already, Yuhi. You'll save these people's lives!"

The addressed cocked her head to the right as she laughed. "Eh? How come?"

"Just look at them. They're dead sleepy. You'll be able to snap them awake, right?"

Yuhi looked at the girls around the circle and noticed how everyone was yawning, slapping their cheeks lightly to stay awake. She laughed heartily, clapping her hands loud near their faces. "Ne!" That ought to snap their eyes wide. "Why are you so sleepy? Aren't we supposed to be wide-awake? Come on! It's the school trip day!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together as she bounced lightly.

The girls grimaced and each gave a tired laugh. They all looked rather sleepy. One yawned. "You're the only one who gets excited about everything, Yuhina!"

"Riiight. It's 4:30 AM! Like, you never feel sleepy in things like this, you know."

Yuhi scratched her cheek. "Yeah, it's really weird, ne? But being excited takes a whole lot of toll on me. I actually lack sleep right now."

"And you still manage to be all noisy like that!"

The auburn-haired girl paused, and realizing how true her classmate defined her sleeping habits she laughed aloud together with them. "Where are the others? Are they assembling already?"

"Nope. But I think we will assemble any minute now. Sejin's summoned by Mr. Yama few seconds ago. The others are scattered everywhere but I think some are waiting by the canteen."

Nodding, Yuhi stepped forth. "I'll just go around and look for the others, ne? I'll also go search for Sejin to ask." After stating her sentence, she jogged away. "Ja!"

"Yeah, be sure to wake them up too, Yuhi!"

The girl giggled as she turned around, walking slowly as she approached the building to take a good 180-degrees-look at the school grounds. The students were scattered all over, feasting themselves with chatting and laughing while Yuhi saw others just sitting by one spot, waiting for the arrival of their other classmates. 2-A students dominated the lot. She barely saw a 2-C, guessing that they would come a little later. Her classmates were there, spotted sitting on the grass court waiting for the others, some were standing by the flagpole, and some were just loitering along the pathway. She stopped by to greet them, then went on ahead to look for her seatmate, clutching her heavy bag-pack half her size as she walked.

It was an annual school extra-curricular activity, exclusive for second year students, with them going on a trip to historical places and towns that preserved the cultural heritage of the region. It was a compulsory activity for the subject History, which in Tomo Academy terms were took up in the second year of high school: 2-A, 2-B, and 2-C. It was some kind of an immersion endeavour, thus they should stay on the road for three long days and do activities related to the subject. The students have been talking about it since the beginning of the school year as incoming sophomores, and although they hated the teacher so much, they wanted to go. It may be a whole lot of fun compared to reading Mrs. Malu's History bible for an hour.

"Wow, Yuhi, you're a little late," a male classmate noted after the girl greeted them as she reached the canteen. A group of 2-B students were sitting by the staircase when she arrived.

Yuhi smiled sheepishly. "Yes, I had to double check everything before I go; make sure I won't forget something." She then looked around. "Have you seen Sejin anywhere?"

He nodded. "She's in the principal's office with other presidents and advisers," he answered jabbing a thumb towards the door next to the canteen. "I think we'll leave any minute now."

The girl grinned. "Great! Are the others here already? Have you seen them?"

The door they were pointing at then suddenly opened, revealing Mr. Chango, three students and three teachers. One of them was Sejin. Yuhi beamed and waited for the principal to disperse them before she sprinted towards her. She greeted them all with a warm smile.

"Can you call the others upstairs?" Sejin replied after a sigh when Yuhi insisted she would help. "We'll be leaving in 15 minutes. I'll handle the class in the lot. Taro will be helping me here. And Reina will be in charge of the lists." She looked around, spotting a tall brown-haired boy with eyeglasses and a red-haired girl approaching them. They were Taro and Reina, Sejin's vice president and secretariat.

Yuhi nodded.

"Please tell them we'll be assembling in the courts now." The raven-haired president pushed the bridge of her glasses and waited for her two officers to get to where they were. When they did, Yuhi greeted them a good morning, which was immediately returned. "Thank you, Yuhi," Sejin said, looking at the auburn-haired girl.

The latter stood straight and saluted. "Yes, ma'am!"

"Is Yuhi assigned for something?" Taro, a tall and slim chocolate brown-haired boy wearing circular eyeglasses asked, looking at Yuhi with a small smile on his face. He was a quiet one, but with an extremely teasing attitude. He's incredibly intelligent as well, but a little lazy. Teachers often pair him up with Yuhi for sleeping in class, but with different circumstances. Taro sleeps on purpose. He was friends with Jinop, Suno, and the rest of the boys, electing him as vice president with an ulterior motive.

"Yep! I'm just gonna call some of our classmates upstairs! Who are those students, by the way?" Yuhi said, turning to the other girl, Reina.

Reina was an average 16 year-old girl with short red hair and deep lavender-coloured eyes. She was one of the eldest in class and secretary, always there whenever Sejin needed her—although Reina was the type of person who would rather hang out than finish a task assigned to her. Sejin was a little alarmed by this in the very beginning, but she got used to it especially because Reina did secretary work efficiently. "Well, I think Jinop's group's upstairs," she answered as she referred to her clipboard. She turned to Sejin. "I checked the attendance based on who I saw came in, pres. We're twenty-seven out of thirty-four right now."

Sejin took the clipboard to check.

Yuhi nodded. "Thanks! I'll just go and call them." She waved a hand, opting to turn around.

"Wait, Yuhi, you're going upstairs alone?" Taro asked, smiling with disbelief. He looked at Yuhi then at their president.

Sejin shrugged. "She insisted on it, and I need you to call the others from down here so we can work double time, and so we can check easily before they use the megaphone to announce the assembly."

Taro snorted, then turning his gaze back at Yuhi he snickered. "Are you suuuuure, Yuhina? You might see something really scary up there. Like, a floating white cloth, or a dark shadow that walks without a head," he teased.

Reina chuckled and elbowed the boy. "Yeah, that's pretty stupid, Taro, really."

The latter sneered as he looked at Reina. "Then you go up there alone, Rei. Come on, I dare you."

Yuhi laughed.

"Guys, we need to be assembled right away so please, save the jokes and dares for later, okay?" Sejin interrupted, looking at her officers with her usual authoritative look, pushing the bridge of her glasses with her index finger.

Taro and Reina each pointed at each other. Yuhi chuckled a little more. Sejin raised an eyebrow then turned her gaze at Yuhi. When the latter saw her seatmate's eyes, she immediately ceased laughing and began coughing, nodding and waving to her friends before going up the stairs.

The auburn-haired girl instantly figured that by 'Jinop's group', Reina meant it was Jinop, Ren, Maru and Suno who were up the stairs at that time. The lights were off and it was still dawn so it was dark. She wondered what they could be up to at 4:30 in the morning.

Yuhi climbed up the stairs two steps at a time. Reaching the second floor hallway, she paused for a second. The corridors were dark. Only the fluorescent lights from outside the window from each end of the hall lit the way. However Yuhi still walked towards their room, humming to herself a little. She was not afraid of the dark. Or was she? Maybe a little. Only a little. She did her best not to think about what their vice president had said and continued striding towards their classroom.

She started walking silently, covering her mouth with both of her hands to hide her laughter when she heard snickers from the dark hallway ahead. Yuhi knew she was not alone. She had a feeling that Jinop would try to startle her by appearing in front of her face, pretending to be a ghost. Chuckling to herself, she fixed her posture and opened the door when she reached it. For a moment she held her breath and thought of seeing a 'floating white cloth' or a 'dark shadow without a head' or her classmates jumping towards her in a frightening way. But the room was empty and it made Yuhi inwardly laughed at herself for being scared for a second. She sighed of relief, shrugging as she gazed around the room. They've probably gone downstairs alre—

"Gwraaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"

"Yaaaaaahh!" Yuhi jumped and screamed when a loud growl sounded from behind her and when she felt a hand squeezing her heck. Covering her mouth, she turned around, her face reading of terror and her hands shaking cold, only to find Suno, Maru, Ren and Jinop laughing so loud and hard they wiped tears from the corners of their eyes. Like hair from her arms and neck calmed down, her goosebumps disappeared, slapping her palm against her forehead and chuckling a little. She playfully punched Jinop in the arm. "That wasn't funny!" she exclaimed, laughing.

"Hahahaha! Ah, maaaan! You should've seen your face!" Jinop said in between chuckles. He turned to his friends. "Did you see her face?"

"T'was so funny, man! Haha!" Ren replied as he pushed Maru in the face for laughing hard.

Suno placed a hand on Yuhi's shoulders. "Yeah, I'm sorry, Yuhi. We seriously thought that Sejin's gonna ask Taro to come up instead."

Yuhi shook her head in disbelief. "And you still did your prank when you saw it was me, ne!"

"But it was funny, right?" Jinop sang, throwing an arm around Yuhi's neck. "You still laughed, don't deny it."

It was true. Yuhi could not seem to get mad at them perhaps even in the most horrifying moments. She always found them funny. "Right, fine." She nodded and smiled. "But don't you do that to anyone again," she commanded, initiating a step.

Jinop removed his hands from around the girl and they started walking along the hallway towards the staircase. "If it were Sejin, we'd probably do that too," he joked.

Yuhi looked at him and giggled.

Suno laughed. "That's if you won't get scared of her first!"

They all shared a good amount of laughter while they headed for the stairs. But all paused in their tracks when they turned their gazes at one corner of the end of the hallway, eyes wide with general curiosity—and fright.

"Did you see that?" Maru asked, whispering.

"Maybe it's just a reflection," Ren whispered back.

"Idiot! A reflection doesn't have an exact shape!" Suno exclaimed silently, hitting Maru and Ren in the head.

Maru stood straight. "Hey, why'd you have to hit me!?"

Jinop hushed them. "Let's get closer and see what it is."

And so they did, tiptoeing slowly to refrain from making a sound towards the corner that lead to the men's locker room. Yuhi followed suit, thinking of voicing out her say to the… white something they saw move from the window towards the corner. But she also considered the fact that the entity they saw was something that cannot be explained by Science. Perhaps. Maybe. Maybe not.

"I saw it go here," Ren said when they were halfway there, pointing at the dark corner.

Jinop nodded. "Come on."

Together they neared the corner, halting to decide who would check the locker room first. The boys pointed at each other. Jinop insisted that Maru should do it. Maru pointed at Ren, saying that he should check first to confirm his theory of it being only a reflection. Ren pointed at Suno because, he said, he was the braver one. Jinop hit Ren in the head then, asking him whether he was implying that the rest of them were a bunch of chicken-heads. Suno answered Jinop's question by saying that it was true. And they all questioned each other's masculinity.

Yuhi found it funny and thought she needed to volunteer to check, but she could not get in their conversation. She peeked though and saw one or two locker room lights open from the farther part. She sighed and scratched her arm lightly as she returned to the bickering boys. "A-Ano…"

"You can't even touch seaweed!"

"That's because seaweeds are sticky and slippery and gross, you dimwit! It's like touching poop!"

"What the heck? You've touched poop!"

"Idiot! I didn't say that!"

The auburn-haired girl could not help but scratch her temple that time as she smiled sheepishly. "I think we'd better head downstairs now, ne." But no one listened to her. "It may just be a student. You know, maybe he just—"

"Oh?"

All paused when they heard an alienated voice and turned towards the corner slowly, eyes wide, ready act as though they were not scared stiff. There they saw a human-like figure standing in the dark. They gulped, blinking to outline his whole persona. His white hair seemed to have made everything about him appear colourless. The boys had their eyes at his locks first. But the auburn-haired girl's gaze was shot directly at his sea blue eyes.

It had been a month since the exams, and in that span of time they had been busy preparing for this three-day out-of-school activity. With that, teachers immediately rushed in their own classes so that they would not be left cramming by the end of the school year, chasing lessons because of the lack of time—and day. Also in that span of time, there had been no Killua at all, at least any confusing and heart-pounding moment with the boy. And Mitan also had not said a word about him since. Yuhi felt that Mitan was thinking about what to do with her emotions and Yuhi respected that. It had been a month since she saw Killua eye-to-eye and immediately she realized how she longed for his gaze.

She absent-mindedly let out a smile of awe.

I've missed you, Killua.

But immediately she snapped back to earth.

Wait—

Killua!?

What are the chances again, right?

And as though the boy read her mind, he looked at her. Yuhi blushed. His eyes grew wide, surprised. "…Ram—"

"See? I told you it's just a student!" Yuhi cut him off instantly, tensing, exclaiming her sentence as she raised a finger in the air, and turning to her friends with a huge smile on her face. No, they should not know Killua's address to her. They would ask.

The four boys blinked and stood straight, coughing as they tried to pull off a straight face—well, at least Jinop, Maru, and Ren. Suno was normal, snorting and snickering because of his three friends' acts.

"Well," Jinop started. "That's what I think too but someone here made a side comment." He smiled at them then glared at Maru.

The latter made a face. "What?"

Ren laughed, so did Suno, and eventually Yuhi.

The girl gazed around, landing last on Killua's face. He looked back at her, eyes wide, surprise, curious, and perhaps confused as well. Yuhi pursed her lips and cleared her throat as she looked down. Her heart started racing. Taking a deep breath, she looked back at the boy with a shy smile on her face. "S-sorry, it's because we saw something white go here and we got curious." She laughed sheepishly.

Killua raised an eyebrow, smirking a little. "You mean my hair?"

Adjfkvdklfjeifkljfndokidokidokidoki.

Yuhi went inwardly ballistic and she did not know why. Her face burned gravely. Her nerves were making her wriggle. Killua's smirking face was enough to make her want to lose her mind. Why must he look so, so coooooool? Instead she pursed her lips and nodded. "Y-Yes…"

"Yeah, sorry about that." Suno suddenly spoke up, raising a hand in the air and smiling apologetically while the other three teased each other.

Killua looked at him and shrugged. Then his eyebrows creased. He looked Yuhi, then back at Suno, then at Yuhi, then at the boys, then back at Yuhi.

The girl's eyes grew wide when she realized what Killua's looks meant. Ah, yes, she was together with four boys in the dark corridors of school. She had to explain herself to Killua. It was like indirectly saying there was no one else but him in her crazy teenage fantasy.

Killua blinked. "What are—"

"I shut the lights! Let's go, Killua." Gon arrived, noticing the people around instantly. He beamed, seeing Jinop first. "Oh! Hey guys!" Then he noticed Yuhi, hidden a little by the presence of his best friend. "Yuhi!" He waved a hand.

The auburn-haired girl beamed immediately and returned the wave. Gon's arrival relieved her. Talking to him about why they were there might be a whole lot easier. However, obvious teases from the pack behind were starting. They were snickering already, secretly elbowing Yuhi from behind. The girl tried to ignore them, but she found them funny—because her true crush was there in front of their faces, but she was being paired and teased with the best friend—so the whole time she was smiling. Gon talked to the boys though, for he knew them well.

Gon explained what that they only went to the locker room to get their P.E. gear. Yuhi explained theirs, secretly glancing at Killua to see his reaction.

Then after a few, the squeaking speakers announced that all students should line up and assemble properly. Gon then exclaimed how excited he was about the trip as they walked fast down the stairs and towards the open lot, stating his plans of adventure with his 'best friend in the world'—to which Killua smiled and laughed a little about, throwing an arm over his friend's neck as he sneered. Yuhi laughed with Gon and blushed whenever she met Killua's gaze. And turning to her friends with her red face made them obviously tease her even more.

They arrived in line just in time for the teachers to start letting students inside the bus. Gon and Killua sprinted off first—their class' bus a few feet away from 2-B's—with the former saying 'See you!' and the latter muttering a 'Ja!'. Yuhi was left to be teased by the four boys about Gon while they walked towards their area, stopping only because they were the last in line and Sejin was there waiting for them. Yuhi apologized sincerely and promised to explain why they lagged behind when she looked over at 2-A's lot.


Arriving late with Jinop, Ren, Maru and Suno, Yuhi had her place inside the bus at the very back, sitting together with the boys. She was okay with it though, requesting soon if they would let her sit next to the windows instead. It was a nice and comfortable position. Being at the very back let her see what her classmates were doing. After about fifteen minutes of throttling, everyone was fast asleep. Well, Jinop and the rest of his friends were awake until another fifteen minutes had passed.

Yuhi, however, could not spare a second away from the view outside. It would be a waste to miss out on the places they would pass by. Sejin was awake too. She was in the seat in front of Yuhi. But after witnessing the sunrise, Yuhi heard her yawn and insisted she rested for a bit. Sejin told her she should sleep on the road too, because apparently it would take them approximately 6 hours before they could arrive at the first venue, and the road they would pass by for the next 3 hours would not be worth the tiresome journey.

The auburn-haired girl assured their president that she should after a while perhaps, because she did not at all feel sleepy. Yuhi saw Sejin bury her back against the soft cushion of the bus seat and smiled. Sejin fell asleep after about five minutes. It was then that Yuhi remembered that she brought her phone with her for the trip—her cell-phone she never used because she thought she never had to, but she had to at that time because she would be three days and two nights out without her guardian. Roroturo insisted on it, telling her to send her a message every now and then. And so she did, informing her guardian that they were on the road. Yuhi giggled when she read her guardian's reply. It had a smiley in it.

Putting her flip-phone back inside her bag, the girl took out her notes and checked the places they would go. The first one's the world famous National Museum of the country of Jyopen. That was the six hours away drive Sejin was talking about. Yuhi looked out the window and pictured out in her head the amazing things she would learn and see in that place when they arrived. She also thought of the next venue and the main place they ought to go concerning the immersion activity. Mrs. Malu said the place was blooming history and culture. It was the whole point of the camp trip, for them to be able to appreciate the rich background of the country.

Yuhi, personally, could not believe it. It was like a crazy, twisted plot to a story she was in so she and her unrequited love can have time together.

She giggled at that thought as she looked out the window.

Watching the fast-forwarding scenery made the auburn-haired girl's eyes flutter. She yawned and opted to put her notebook back in her bag. A picture stopped her though. The drawing from her exam paper peeked through from one of the pages. She had cut it out and placed it in her notes because she thought it too pretty. She still could not figure out who would draw her a little portrait. That white-haired boy was still in her head and she did not know why. A smile paved its way across her face as she buried her back against her seat. She closed her eyes, absent-mindedly letting out another giggle.

Wouldn't that be nice?

Then she inwardly scolded herself about it before dozing off.


The six hours passed with the students sleeping throughout half of it, but the moment all woke up, the bus was a complete turmoil. The teachers' powers were not enough to calm the excitement in the air—and because the pupils were out of school bounds altogether that day, that was why.

The minute she woke up, Yuhi spent the next hours gazing out the window where tall infrastructures and establishments stood smugly erect. The wide, asphalt road were filled with different kinds of people walking fast on pedestrian lanes and sidewalks as though all had something to be busy for. The number was massive. They were like ants in Yuhi's point of view, but she was amazed by the unfamiliar scenery of cars and professional looking people, tall sparkly building with glass windows and famous, fancy restaurants and stores that scattered round, nonetheless. It was the first time she saw in flesh the country's capital city.

The location they ought to go first was Jyopen's National Museum of Cultural Heritage—the largest in the land. Mrs. Malu told them that the building hosted almost all of the historical materials documented in journals and in books, they would see there the things they have learned in class, and that the museum was a century-old bricked establishment on its own.

Yuhi was ecstatic about that, but she knew her seatmate was the most excited of them all. Even though Sejin complained a lot about the things she needed to pay for concerning the trip, and the lessons they would miss and the classes it would hit, Yuhi knew Sejin loved artefacts and old interesting materials she had read in their textbooks—and history in general. Sejin just would not show any signs of excitement in her face. But glancing at her looking out the window since they arrived in the city, Yuhi knew she was.

The rest of her classmates though—she'd laugh at them—were obviously ecstatic. Their facial expressions were too predictable. She heard some girls talking about what they planned to do while on the trip and some boys were talking about how they planned to spend the three days out of town. The auburn-haired girl even heard her seatmates for the bus ride, Jinop, Ren, Maru and Suno, plot their 'ghost hunting' gig when they arrive at the cultural heritage site, as Jinop heard rumours and learned scary legends in that place from his grandparents. Yuhi could not help but giggle while eavesdropping on their conversation, remembering how careful they were when they saw the 'white thing' earlier in the corridors. She giggled when Killua's face appeared in her head.

When the bus made a turn, the view of the huge, old museum was in sight. Yuhi's face lightened up when she saw the building a few meters away and turned to their president. "Sejin, is that the museum?" she asked, shifting her gaze back at the momentous establishment.

"Yes, I believe so," Sejin answered silently, savouring the view.

The rest of the class perhaps heard what their president confirmed and some from the left side of the bus rushed to the windows to the right to catch a first glimpse at the historical museum. All then made unison "Uwaaa!" when the bus neared it. It made a round trip, showing the students the side view of the building, until it entered the huge gates at the back and parked there. Everyone then rushed to their seats to prepare their things.

"First stop, children," Mr. Yama announced, standing at the aisle of the bus next to the driver. "Prepare your things. No food and drinks are allowed inside. You can take your phone or cameras if you want, just don't be noisy. Keep your voice down and always stay in line. If you want to go to the restroom, you can forward it to me or to Sejin. I don't want any of you playing around inside the museum. If one of you gets lost, the trip will immediately be postponed and we'll be sent back to the school. Please remember that this is an educational trip, not a vacation. You should take notes. Are we clear?"

Everyone then answered "Yes, sir!" as they put on their small bags and stood up to go outside.

Yama then nodded and pushed the bridge of his glasses. "Alright, we'll go out row by row. No pushing, and once you've stepped out, stay in line. We'll get in shortly after." He then stepped out of the bus first, followed by the students seated in the first row of the bus. The first five rows properly obeyed the teacher's orders, but the boys that followed just could not help but jump and push each other. They could not wait to step out. The girls laughed at them though, earning them a look from their adviser.

Our auburn-haired protagonist stepped out of the bus last, bouncing excitedly as she went to some friends to chat. Unlike what Yama wanted, the students were not in line yet—as usual—and were scattered around the lot. Yuhi took the time to take in the view. The museum walls surrounded their buses. It seemed as though they were within the courtyard of an old Victorian castle—a huge Victorian castle. The walls were bricked and were crawling with mosses in all the right and perfect places. The belfries were high and pointed; the windows were large and tinted with colour like cellophane, resembling abstract art.

The students savoured the view with their smiling eyes and 'o'-forming mouths as they voiced out a silent "Woooow" in unison. Yuhi absent-mindedly giggled and clasped her hands together of extreme excitement. Had she not done that she was afraid she would bounce all over the place like an uncontrollable spring.

Looking around she saw her schoolmates giving equal optimism as her class—although some were already goofing around and some were yawning and acting like they did not give a damn about the trip at all. Yuhi shrugged at that and thought Oh, I'm sure they're excited too as she smiled. Her perimeter check then paused when her gaze landed on the distinct snow-white hair of her ever so good-looking angel that never failed in making her heart flutter. He was talking to some friends—including Gon—perhaps about the same thing she heard her male classmates talked about. Yuhi absently smiled as she watched Killua grin playfully wide when Gon exclaimed something, raising his arm in the air.

Why must you look sooooo cute when you smile?

From a distance, she saw her black-haired classmate secretly looking at the same direction. It was Mitan, and she looked away with her cheeks flaming, her hands clasped lovingly together against her chest. Yuhi giggled when she saw that. But her own smile slowly faded when she saw a female student of 2-A pinching the white-haired boy's cheeks and laughing right after as though she was teasing him. When Yuhi turned her gaze to her angel, he was… blushing. He's blushing…?

Wow, yes, what a major heartache.

That was happening quite a lot lately—in the past couple of weeks—with the same student. She was Lykira Okinawa, a friendly, cheeky girl with short ash blonde hair and with huge hazel gold, pretty cat-like eyes. Of course, Yuhi knew her. Lykira was one of the top students in school—very intelligent. Teachers often talk about her in class, saying how she could boldly declare she had not studied a lesson but still get the answers right with plain analysis and common sense. But Yuhi did not know the girl personally. Lykira seemed to be one of those who had a very strong personality and Yuhi was so sure her nerves would get ahead of her if ever she had given a chance to talk to the girl.

She had been seeing her walk home with Gon and Killua since the exam results were out, and in those times, the auburn-haired girl learned how to finally, sort of, stay away because, you know, she did not want to interfere or something like that. She worried about her friend though, hoping that Mitan would not take it to heart if ever she saw them like that too.

That reminded her. She immediately turned her gaze back at her black-haired friend, exhaling of relief when she saw her walking towards a group of students standing to the right. It seemed as though Mitan did not see that action between Killua and Lykira. Mitan would be so, so sad. She actually slightly felt the same. But no, of course, she was affected deeply, she did not want to fully admit it.

"Yuhi, get in line."

The addressed snapped out of her thoughts and looked for the familiar voice who called her. It was Yama standing in front of a properly lined class of 2-B, where all eyes were at her, some giggling and silently teasing. Yuhi's face instantly coloured as she nervously rushed to the far end of the line while bowing continuously, hoping that no one saw her looking over at 2-A's area.

"I saw that."

"Huh?" Yuhi's heart skipped a beat when she heard a direct whisper from the raven-haired girl who was suddenly behind her. She turned around. It was Sejin. She smiled nervously. "What…?"

Sejin nodded towards 2-A's. "Is that the reason why—"

"Alright. So, is everybody here?" Mr. Yama suddenly called out and all answered with a unison "Yes!" Sejin was summoned to help their teacher check the attendance before proceeding. She complied after a silently annoyed groan. The lines then were separated into two, with one line for the boys and the other for the girls. Yama announced that the line should be as it was the moment they enter and the moment they step out of the museum. "We will have a 'buddy system', children. All throughout the tour, when you are allowed to disperse and look around, you will always have to go with your 'buddy'. Your buddies then will be the person standing next to you."

The announcement surprised the students greatly. They immediately looked at their 'buddies' to check if it was someone they could be comfortable with. But of course, a majority was not, because each pair will basically be composed of a boy and a girl. Their faces were mounted with disbelief.

Mr. Yama was sure he was to receive an awful blow of complaints from his students, but before they could shout in front of his face, he explained the system accordingly. "Mr. Chango and the rest of the 2nd year curriculum faculty have all agreed to come up with this decision. No man is an island, right? This is necessary so that we would be able to locate every one of you easily. You can be with your group of friends but do not ever stay away from you buddies, alright?"

The students all nodded slowly and looked at their partners again. Some were excited because they ended up with their friends, some went shy because they have a crush or secret love on the other, but a majority looked back at their adviser with a sharp face, instantly filling the air with complains.

Our auburn-haired protagonist though was laughing, as well as her 'buddy' for the day. It was Ren, one of Jinop's accomplices in teasing her, but also one of her good friends. They were laughing because Maru and Jinop had the loud, power-driven ladies as their buddies. Yuhi then turned to her buddy and raised a fist in the air. "Yoooosh, Ren! Let's have fun!"

The latter did the same and clashed his fist against Yuhi's. "Yeah, maaan!"

The noise continued with Yama calming everyone down.

"Hey, what about me!?" a voice from the back exclaimed.

Yuhi and Ren turned around and found Suno stupidly pointing at himself looking disbelieved.

"Let's move now, children. Don't fall out of the line. Remember my reminders. We are about to get in one of the largest establishments in the country so if you looked around too much, there's a huge chance that you're going to get lost so please, keep an eye on the pack, keep an eye on your belongings, and keep an eye on your buddy." After Mr. Yama's announcement, all then started walking towards the entrance from the back door of the museum.

Yuhi and Ren then snickered as they followed the line, looking at Suno who had no buddy.

The latter turned away. "No. I know, I don't have a buddy. Go! Leave without me. I'm better off—"

"Get your hopes up, Suno." Sejin suddenly entered the conversation and stood beside Suno. She looked at him. "I'm your buddy."

Suno smiled widely. "I knew it! Sejin's my life saver! I knew I could count on you, Sejin, I really do."

The latter rolled her eyes and crossed her arms against her chest. "Please, I know you don't want someone like me as your buddy."

Suno laughed and exclaimed "What are you saying!? Of course I—"

Sejin shot him a look.

Yuhi and Ren snickered again as they walked.

Suno cleared his throat and zipped his mouth.


The interior of the museum was an absolute revelation. The floors were made of marble tiles of enormous proportions, with the golden lights of the huge crystal chandeliers that hovered above reflecting perfectly on the surface. The ceilings were coated with acrylic duplication of the clear blue sky. The walls were tall and brown that shined perhaps because of the impeccable care and attention given by the administrators; the borders gold. The windows were narrow and high, each stretching at least six feet apart. A few meters away from the colossal revolving doors of the main lobby was the fancy reception desk made up of glass and black granite, where five tall smiling women sat receiving guests. Displayed all over the first floor were small rostrums that hosted tiny relics such as necklaces, pendants, stones, each secured with boxes of clear glass. Everything looked glossy and polished in bronze, gold, and varnished oak and red carpets.

The students' eyes sparkled with the sight of the real-life fortress. It may look as though all of them would want to immediately run to every corner and just feel the touch of each with their curious little fingertips. But before all could do that, a smiling tall lady with the same uniform as the ones at the reception desk greeted them with a, well, smile. The uniform was this tight black coat tucked in a tight pencil-cut skirt with a blue and white silky scarf wrapped around her long neck, her hair tied in a tight bun, and she wore these black high-heeled shoes with pointy ends. She looked like the most professional of all the ladies inside the museum and students reckoned her name was Maria Estela—and was the supervisor of the tour guides inside the institution. Soon after the briefing, she introduced three ladies with the same look, saying that they were the ones who were assigned to be their guides per class.

Each pack then dispersed in different routes but all started up the grand staircase covered with printed carpet of blue, brown, yellow and red. Yuhi felt a little saddened about the fact that they would be going on separate ways—2-A and 2-B will not be touring together—she won't be able to see her angel that much. The auburn-haired girl actually looked forward to the trip a little because of Killua. But of course, knowing the girl, Yuhi would not want to think solely of that. She was excited because the event was to be exciting. Spending time savouring the view of the white-haired boy was only a bonus—a super splendid bonus. That was why she immediately pulled out a smile and shrugged as they carried on their way—even though she caught a glimpse of Killua being the 'buddy' of Lykira.

The tour went on with them walking past an artefact display, pausing in front of it, tour guides starting a speech about what it was, where it came from, how it got there, why it was preserved, and then moving on to the next display or chamber. It seemed boring, as some students were yawning while the tour guides spoke, and that only a select few were interested enough to listen and actually ask tons of questions about the narration—which led to another long speech about the item. But, like the high school students they were, all suddenly woke when the tour guides finished with all the necessary explaining and gave them time to explore the entire museum. Of course, with the repetitive guidelines of the advisers, the students disbanded without leaving their 'buddies'.

Yuhi was one excited girl. She was suppressing her jumps and bounces. "Ren! Ren! Where should we go first?" She checked her wristwatch. They were only given thirty minutes before the assembly. Smiling widely, she returned to her buddy.

Ren shared an equal enthusiasm. Though he thought about it first, he immediately pointed to the left when Yuhi asked. "Let's go see the Wax Chamber! I saw some sculpture that looked like Mrs. Malu in there!" He then laughed purely hard.

The girl laughed with him and agreed to go to the Wax Chamber where life-sized prominent people in Jyopen's history stood carved from wax. They went in a little earlier but it felt as though they only scanned through the entire room. The two then hopped towards the left hallway. "Go! Go!"

After the Wax Chamber, Ren and Yuhi went through the displays on the opposite hallway, up the third floor where the said remains of the soldiers that fought in the wars lie peaceably, and then scanned through the displays they did not go through in the fourth floor.

The last section of the museum that Ren and Yuhi went in was back in the second floor, where miniature carvings of the establishment and people of the old Jyopen were displayed. It was called the Midnight Chamber. Yuhi loved it the most; because of the pleasant tranquil feel it gave her the moment she stepped in.

The Midnight Chamber was a closed room covered in darkness. The pathway where people could walk around was a like a bridge, a metal bridge that hovered over the tiny sculptures and figurines that portrayed Jyopen people's way of living several decades before. It was where the bungalows were still made up of wood and large stones, where the only form of transportation were the old train and plain carriages powered by donkeys, where men and women still wore 18th century clothes and had old-looking hairstyles. It looked pretty. The whole idea of the name of the chamber came into light in that dark room, because the whole concept of the design depicted the festive old Jyopen during the night-time.

Yuhi's eyes sparkled as she looked at the whole design below with pure amazement. The tiny yellow bulbs from the tiny light posts lit the streets flawlessly and incandescently. The halogen illuminations from the corners of the landscape hit the statuettes in all the right places. It reflected upon the light-auburn eyes of our protagonist. She moved slowly about the metal bridge, holding onto the railing as she painstakingly gazed at every object that seemed to give her a drastic amount of interest and curiosity. The people inside and her 'buddy' Ren seemed to have left her conscious at that moment. Yuhi's gaze shifted slowly from a group of small-sculpted people to the lanterns that floated in the air. There were many, and they were constructed in an artistic fashion—spirally, glowing perfectly with the diamonds that acted as stars in the walls of the entire chamber.

"This is so pretty," Yuhi said to herself, her smile curving with her eyes. I wonder what they are celebrating. As she thought of all the previous "lessons" in their History class with Mrs. Malu that talked about the old Jyopen and floating lanterns, she continued to stride up along the metal bridge—slowly, because she did not want to leave yet. Then her hand that slid through the railings suddenly hit another. She paused and narrowed her eyes to look at it—because it was dark and it was difficult to look at things other than the monument below—and instantly snapped her head up to apologize.

She saw white. She froze. Her heart raced. She stared, stared into the sapphire eyes that glowed like crystals because of the beams of the soothing colour of the yellow bulbs that radiated below. Yuhi blinked as she watched the yellow and brown ripple into the sea of blue, before something snapped inside of her and woke her up instantly. Perhaps it was the call she was hearing at the exit. Yuhi looked out and saw Ren waving a hand at her while calling her. When she returned her gaze to white-haired boy, he looked down. Yuhi followed where his eyes went, then retrieved her hand immediately when she realized that Killua was looking at their, somewhat, linked flesh, hiding her arms behind her back. Blood rushed to her face immensely. She was about to bow and apologize and sprint away but a sudden voice halted her again.

"Oh, hello!"

Yuhi tried to focus her eyes, and realized that it was Lykira who greeted her. She could not say a word.

Lykira smiled widely before turning to the boy beside her. "Killua, do you know her?"

The auburn-haired girl held her breath while she waited for the boy's answer.

The latter blinked and shrugged, throwing his arms behind his head. "Yeah." A pause. "She's Gon's friend."

Gon's friend.

Ba-dump.

What…?

"Really? Gon sure has lots of friends!" Lykira chuckled, and she nicely held her hand to the auburn-haired girl. "I'm Lykira! You can call me Kira."

The girl forced a smile—although she did not want it forced. She reached for it and tried to smile purely. She suddenly felt sad, so, so sad. "I'm Y-Yuhi!"

"Nice to meet you, Yuhi!"

"Nice to meet you too!" But that was not the perfect time to chat, so Yuhi immediately cut the conversation. She would love to talk more, but she was afraid her emotions would get the best of her. "Well, I have to go now! My buddy's looking for me." She chuckled.

"Who's your buddy?" Killua suddenly asked.

Ba-dump.

Yuhi took a deep breath before pointing and waving at Ren at the far back, avoiding eye contact with the white-haired boy. The two 2-A students turned around to take a look. Lykira greeted Ren with a wave and Killua with only a look. When Yuhi heard the boy inhaling for a speech, she immediately went ahead of him. "I guess I'll go on ahead! Nice to meet you!" She turned to Lykira and smiled at her, and then turning to her angel she only bowed. She then sprinted off. "See you around!"

It was a good thing the place was dark, at least then they would not see the colour of her face. Yuhi just hoped the salty water that started to build up in her eyes would not fall any time soon. Though she wondered why she wanted to cry. Was it because Killua only referred to her as Gon's friend? Or was it because she wanted him to say more—like, she's ramen girl, or she's hallway girl, or she's Yuhi? Yuhi suddenly opened up to a fact.

An unequivocal heartbreak.

Coming from the love of her life.

The love of her life.


The whole pack then went back into the buses to go to the nearest park for lunch. After which, they were to spend another two hours on the road to head to the historical town of Gassho Zukuri where they would spend the next two nights and three days learning the culture of the old Jyopen.

Yuhi could not seem to return to her previous excited mood. She kept quiet throughout the trip—thinking, and contemplating her amotions. She thought she had gotten over her major drama concerning her feelings towards the white-haired boy. However, apparently, it seemed to have grown stronger.

Oh, the heart of a young teenage girl.

-CHAPTER END-


Aaaaas usual, reviews will be extremely appreciated by the greedy sensitive authoress who feels lonely whenever she sees no new reviews from ze readers. Hihi. Thank you to all who reviewed, fave-d and followed this story! I will surely work hard in giving you fluff because I know that's what you want. XD

Replies to guests~

Mai: Maaaaiii! You plot predictions are... Here have some cookies. We might need to talk about this. Hahaha! That's for me to know and for you to find out. *evil smile* But awesome guesses though! I love how you keep figuring out things about his fic. XD Thank you, thank you, thank you for supporting them! And please do keep on doodling. :D

Madin456: I am calling FFn authorities right now. Haha, kidding! Glad you liked it! And yes, talking to your crush can be hard sometimes. Sejin is... Well, I wanted to describe how embarrassed she felt because of the fact that she tripped by blushing but... XD An entire army of Killuas would be so adorably noisy. Haha! Thanks for reviewing again and I hope you continue to reviewwwww~

2102032: Hahahaha! *evil cat grin too* Thank you so much! I honeslty hope Killua would just like her already, ya know. XD Belated happy Halloween candies from Yuhi!

Guest: Wow, wow, wow, reallyyyyyy? Thank you so mucccchhh! I am so, so glad you appreciate my descriptions and writing style. It makes me want to fly. XD Thank you so much and I hope you review in the next chapters as well. ^^

NEXT CHAPTER: Something made Yuhi realize the answers to her personal queries, maybe even solve them herself. However, there are still a lot to consider. Why must the world of teenage love seem so complicated?

I will be at school or at home doing a thesis proposal, munching on a pack of cookies, waiting for your precious reviews for inspiration. Yuhi eats reviews in the middle of the night. Feed her, people. Haha! Review, pips! Thank youu!