A/N: HELLO, IT'S ME. It's been years (hiatus x hiatus, am I right?), but I'm back! Will be updating this regularly starting now, so please stay tuned! Shout out to everyone who've stayed with me since 2012, to new readers and to those who wait for the next chapter of this cheesy fic. I want to apologize for the long hiatus and thank you for the support. I love you so much uwu Will give you an update on what I plan to do with this story in my A/N below. For now, here's chapter 29, at last!
Disclaimer: Gon and Killua are Togashi's brainchildren
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCE
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Secrets Out!
Yuhi was frozen in her spot, not so sure about whether she should be glad that Gon and Killua have finally met her brother or be worried about how they might react after learning that she has one. There was a strange aura in the room that made her stomach feel like it had butterflies in them. It made her feel as though she should be nervous of the situation.
Yellich laughed. "What's with that funny face?"
Yuhi blushed of embarrassment and adjusted the muscles in her face, instantly looking at Killua and Gon to check of they saw how weird her face might have looked. But they were staring at Yellich. Gon's eyes were wide. Killua was squinting, eyebrows creased. Uh oh… Yuhi mimicked Gon's expression as she turned her gaze back to her brother.
Yellich moved, taking slow strides towards her. "We've been waiting for you to come home!" he exclaimed with a cheeky face, open arms and that same cookie in his mouth. Yuhi knew her brother was up to something just by looking at him. And she could have sworn that he winked at her once. "Where have you been!? I've missed you!" When he reached her, Yellich placed both his hands on Yuhi's shoulders then paused. He looked at her for a while, released a rather toothy grin, and threw himself at her for a hug.
"Who's this dude!?" Killua jolted from the couch, eyes ablaze, pointing a tough finger at Yellich, annoyed and visibly fuming. It looked as if someone pissed him off by just plain existing. "Who let him in?"
Yuhi was quick to wave her frantic hands in the air as her brother retreated from the tight hug. Oh, she knew what Killua meant by his reactions, and she knew that it was strange for Killua to see some random guy inside her house giving her a hug in front of his face, and her not pulling away from it. "Don't be mistaken!" she sputtered, her voice high-pitched and a little shaky. The butterflies! "He's my—"
"Boyfriend! I'm her boyfriend."
. . .
Eh!?
It was as though the film had stopped moving at that moment. An awkward pause of what felt like spanned for over a minute entered the room and made itself at home. No, it was two minutes. No, an eternity. Yuhi thought she had stopped breathing after that, grateful for whoever sneezed from the ramen shop below and broke the silence. She and Gon then let out a loud and exasperated "What!?" in unison, eyes so wide Yuhi swore she felt hers were about to pop out of its sockets. She wanted to scream Onii-chan! but did not know if she should. She was so confused, dumbfounded, bamboozled. She looked at her brother.
Yellich had this mischievous grin on his face as he watched them drown in surprise. She widened her eyes even more as she stared him down, as if to say Why did you have to say that in front of Killua!
Killua…
Oh no! She sharply gasped, allowing her eyes to wander towards Killua's direction, mentally picking out the right words to say to him, where she should start, how she should start.
Killua was standing straight, eyes on the floor; face a blur behind his silver locks. When she noticed that his fists were clenched to his sides, Yuhi's heartbeat was all over the place. What do I say!
"Ha…" Killua muttered under his breath.
Yuhi noticed that his shoulders were shaking.
"Ha…ha…"
Ha?
"Hahahahahahaha!" he snapped his head up, pointing at them and laughing hysterically. "You…" He laughed some more, and Yuhi was about to reveal that it was a joke after all but noticed that Killua did not look like he found it funny. His laugh sounded strange and dreadful. For a second Yuhi imagined a scary movie featuring a devil and his prey—Killua the devil, Yellich being his prey. She gulped. Then he stopped, face instantly returned to its annoyed state, and stormed to the door where Yuhi was standing still. "Gon!" He huffed and stomped his feet in every step. "I'm going home!"
It was impulse. "No!" Yuhi exclaimed, blocking the door with her arms that spread as wide as she could go. Then realizing that she shouted at Killua, she took a breath, and shouted "Please, don't!" The situation made vocal cords rise two octaves higher, and her nerves made her roar. But she let it go. She could not let Killua leave just like that.
Unfazed and still annoyed, the boy stopped in front of her, shooting her shards of icy glare, eyebrows creased, and lips pursed. He was clearly waiting for her to say something. But Yuhi did not think it through. She went absolutely blank. What… do I say…!
After a vile moment of silence, Yellich's triumphant sigh was the only audible sound in the room. He let out a little airy chuckle. "I was kidding, I was kidding!" He waved a hand in the air and smiled apologetically.
Killua aimed his eyes at him, firing glares. "Who are you anyway?"
"Sorry, Yuhi," Gon interjected from behind the couch, scratching his nape. "We just came in a few minutes before you." He pointed at Yellich. "He led us here after talking to Roroturo-san but we never really got to talk, that's why Killua's asking. Sorry if he's reacting this way."
"Gon!"
"Sorry!"
"Well," Yellich clapped, beaming, "I'm also sorry if I surprised you in any way. I was just trying to leave an impression! How can Yuhi have a boyfriend when she clearly has someone else that she likes?"
It suddenly felt hot in the room but Yuhi's muscles felt as though they were iced. She has not moved since she blocked the door.
"My name's Yellich. You can call me Yel. I'm Yuhi's big brother!"
That was not how Yuhi imagined telling Gon and Killua about her brother. It was supposed to be over a nice meal where she would have invited the two to join, where she would carefully open a topic about her family, and then mention that she has a brother. She would have said nice things about him to them at first, build up his character because she wanted to express how amazing her brother is. She dreamt of that day, when she would be able to finally convey her highest respect and love for Yellich to Gon, especially to Killua. However, that may not be how her brother wanted it. His jest could go overboard sometimes, but Yuhi knew that it's one of her Yellich's admirable traits, so she let it slide. She's just glad that she did not have to keep him a secret anymore.
After the nerve-racking revelation, a sigh of relief escape Yuhi's lungs, as though a huge fishbone has finally been extracted from her throat and she could breathe properly again. However, looking at Killua and Gon's faces, she started to feel anxious about whether they will believe that she had a brother. She never told them about it anyway; never mentioned anything related to it.
Luckily for her, Gon easily acknowledged the fact, a huge smile spread across his face as his leaned forward from the couch with his big bright brown eyes, taking a good look at Yellich and gasping of amazed bewilderment. If it weren't for Gon's initial reaction, Yuhi was certain that Killua would never relax. He was skeptical about it—in a funny way, Yuhi thought—because he looked like a little child whose lollipop got stolen, and he couldn't do anything but sulk. Yuhi believed that Gon was that lollipop, because the moment Yellich opened the topic about his relationship with Yuhi, his eyes and ears were glued to him, and it was too obvious that it annoyed Killua even more. She observed him that time, inwardly giggling because she now knew very well how upset Killua becomes whenever Gon did something they did not mutually agree on. At one point, as they sat on the couch waiting for dinner, while Gon was busy listening to Yellich's story, he turned to Yuhi with the same leery look on his face. He looked so irritated his cheeks flushed. She found it kind of cute.
"He's really your brother?" he asked, gesturing over his shoulder where Yellich was—at the far end of couch next to Gon, who was sitting next to Killua. Gon had his back at his best friend, giving Yellich his full attention.
She sat next to Killua and watched as he swayed when Gon suddenly hit him with his back while laughing at something her brother said. Killua frustratingly closed his eyes and inhaled a good amount of air. He sneered. Yuhi pressed her lips and slowly nodded, mouthing 'I'm sorry' as she let out a small smile. "Are you mad?" she asked silently then, avoiding attention from the noisy boys. She still worried that he might be vexed at her for hiding it from him.
"About what? You having a brother?"
Yuhi nodded.
Killua shrugged, the look on his face unchanging. He grimaced at the air each time Gon bumped his back on him. "Not really," he answered as he turned his face to the wriggly kid beside him, ready to pounce. Then he paused halfway, thought about it, glanced at her with a look on his face that made Yuhi feel like someone hurt him and mumbled, "I would be if he's someone else."
Yuhi blinked. "What?" she asked. But she heard him, alright, clear as day.
"Nothing," he mumbled again before looking away and playfully grabbing Gon's arms.
A giddy feeling emanated from within her at that moment. It was so strong she wanted to laugh. Killua was annoyed about her brother because of how he introduced himself earlier. Yellich did leave an impression. She wanted to hold his hand so bad when she saw how pink the tip of his exposed ear was.
The stories continued over dinner with Roroturo. Yellich seemed to be enjoying himself talking about his adventures. His eyes would gleam whenever Gon expressed his excitement over his story, and then would let out a mischievous grin whenever Roroturo jokingly said 'Don't believe in everything that he says!'. Yuhi knew that her brother loved it, and it warmed her heart.
Gon asked plenty of things about travelling that when answered made his eyes twinkle as though he was looking at a shining gem of adventure. They shared and exchanged stories that seemed remarkable, and Gon always mentioned Killua in all of them. He even exposed—accidentally or not—his best friend's recent obsession with cellphones and waiting, with vague concern and unsent text messages, making Yuhi go crimson and Killua smack Gon in the head.
Killua still looked annoyed about Yellich's dramatic reveal. At first, he was not engaging in conversations. But Yellich kept teasing him about his reaction earlier that night, and Killua had no other choice but to defend himself by exclaiming that he should have answered his question properly in the first place, and then they would go on and on about who is right. They argued like that throughout dinner but stopped when Roroturo served desserts. They both loved sweets.
Yuhi had found out that Gon and Killua purposely came by the ramen shop to see her, and to have ramen on this cold winter day. She couldn't believe that they were in her house to visit her, and seeing them all together in their dining table made her heart thump loud and hard. It felt as though the butterflies in her stomach were slowly dissipating, as though they were freed, and all she could feel that night was warmth and… love.
It was around half past seven in the evening when they finished eating. Gon and Killua thanked Roroturo before he disappeared into the kitchen with Yellich to do the dishes. Yuhi volunteered to do it, but Roroturo insisted that she stayed with her guests.
"You're brother's amazing, Yuhi!" Gon mused as he fixed himself on the couch beside Killua. Yuhi was serving tea. They ate too much. Gon recalled that Yellich was the boy Lykira knew and waived at in the gym. "I still can't believe how I didn't even notice him with you at school!" he told Yuhi before turning to his best friend. "Right, Killua?"
Killua almost laughed. "Yeah, weird," he answered casually as he concentrated on pouring honey in his tea. Too much honey, Yuhi reckoned. She pressed her lips to try and suppress her smile.
Gon poked Killua's left cheek. "Yeah, Killua was kind of jealous, ne?" He laughed so loud it sounded as though he was proud of a successfully delivered gag. It was the running joke that night and hearing it several times already, Yuhi couldn't help but laugh with him, watching Killua's face turn red as he stepped on Gon's foot and shout a "That's stupid!" in his face.
"Anyway, Yuhi!" Gon turned to her, face blooming from the hearty laugh. Yuhi looked back, trying to equal Gon's pleasant air. "How's Sejin? Will she come to school tomorrow?"
Yuhi blinked, feeling the muscles in her face drop to a frown the moment she heard Sejin's name. "Well, I haven't seen her since Monday. But her mom says that she's fine." She thought about what Sejin's mom told her earlier that night and couldn't help but sigh.
While at dinner, Roroturo asked her about her day and asked more about why Sejin did not go to class. She told them about that one morning inside Mr. Chango's office when he broke the news about Mrs. Akimiro's leave and how Sejin reacted to it, mentioning that she had no idea what had happened, and why Sejin suddenly skipped class the next day. Gon expressed his concern as soon as he heard it, and Yuhi appreciated it so much because it seemed as though she was the only one in class who was concerned about Sejin. No one asked how Sejin was doing in class that day. She told them that over dinner, hearing words of reassurance from Roroturo and Yellich, and a look of concern from Killua and Gon. She worried about her friend. She couldn't stop thinking about Sejin after narrating the story that Killua, who was sitting opposite her at the dinner table, had noticed that she spaced out and would lightly kick her leg.
She didn't elaborate much on the topic after that, which was perhaps why Gon asked about it. He was curious. She bet he was thinking about it over dinner too.
"Did you ask her why?"
It was Killua who asked that time, looking at her sternly. Yuhi pursed her lips and slowly shook her head. "I couldn't. She's…" She thought about why she never did. "I feel like it's a complicated topic to talk about. So," her voice trailed off, "I didn't."
"That's really weird!" Gon then audibly sighed as he leaned his back against the couch, eyes at the ceiling and fingers in his hair. Yuhi and Killua both turned to him, and he ruffled his hair even more. "I can't figure it out! Why would she run away because of news like that?" He sighed again. Yuhi heard Killua smile in the background. He really was thinking about it. "Anyway, I hope she's okay." Gon sat up straight and gave Yuhi a reassuring smile, "Let's just ask her tomorrow!"
Yuhi stared into Gon's eyes for a while and then looked at Killua, whose comfortable smile made her knees weak. She could not help but smile back as she nodded.
After a few sips of tea and countless teases Gon threw at Killua about being jealous and about not being able to see Yuhi since class started, the boys were off home. Yuhi wanted to walk with them to the bus stop, but Gon insisted she stayed at home since it was late, Killua adding that it was too cold outside. She watched as they walked away from the doorway of the ramen shop, feeling heat emanate from her cheeks when Killua looked at her from over his shoulder—a small smile on his face. She waited for them to disappear before she went inside. She was so happy, but she couldn't stop thinking about Sejin.
"Okay, class, do not forget your homework: page 89, exercises E and F. Please study hard. Finals is coming soon. Goodbye."
As soon as Mr. Yama left the room, Yuhi let herself collapse on her desk, groaning out her exasperation. She took out her phone and read Killua's text message sent about an hour ago: "math sucks". She idly smiled and replied: "I know :(".
Their lessons were getting harder and harder by the day with new topics and daily assignments to prepare them with for finals. She exhaled, reminding herself not to forget about her homework as she did the night before. She only remembered that they had one that morning when Sejin thanked her for bringing it to her house. Yuhi never took a break after that, finishing the five problem-solving questions seconds before Yama came to class. Then it felt as though she had held her breath all throughout his period.
Yuhi glanced at Sejin, beyond glad that she had come to school that day. When she greeted her first thing in the morning, Sejin responded in her most normal tone, and Yuhi felt a sense of relief. But she still intended to talk to her. Yuhi thought about it the night before—she was going to ask her to walk home together after school.
"Man, Mr. Yama's beating us up already, to think that it's only the third day of school since the break!"
Yuhi sighed again when she heard Suno say this, hearing the chair in front her being pulled out and sat on. He was about to start a conversation with her and her seatmates. It was the afternoon break time, and everyone was loitering about. Yuhi tried to listen to them amidst the white noise of students talking in the background, her head nestled flatly on her desk, eyelids slowly dropping, thinking of talking to Sejin maybe after Suno had retreated to his seat. He was talking about the summer break and how they only had three months of school before they accelerate as Juniors.
"We have more than enough time before the finals. It's still so far away!"
She lazily shifted her gaze to the wall clock to check how much time she still had left for a nap, observed her seatmate's nonchalant expression, and then closed her eyes, setting her mind to boot back up after 20 minutes for the last subject of the day—language.
After what felt like a second into her sleep, she sat straight up and instantly turned to Sejin when her dream reenacted her seatmate's reaction on Mrs. Akimiro's leave. Suno was done talking to them and Sejin was quietly reading a book.
"Ne, Sejin, are you alright?" Yuhi asked, checking on her. She asked this each time she had a chance that day to compensate for not being able to talk to her about what happened because of schoolwork.
Sejin pushed the bridge of her glasses and nodded. "Thank you for asking," she answered calmly as she turned a page.
The latter was okay with that. She did not want to get ahead of Sejin and overthink her situation after saying that she's fine each time Yuhi asked. She was going to wait for the new teacher to come in class and observe. She turned to the clock, surprised that she had slept for the entire 20-minute spare time. Then she heard Sejin shut her book and the silence that filled the air after that. She automatically sat properly and faced the chalkboard.
"Hello, class," a tall man with jet-black hair and a thin, rectangular pair of eyeglasses announced behind the teacher's table. He had a bland black and white ensemble, but his sharp, dark green eyes that scanned the entire room gave Yuhi goosebumps. "My name's Eli Chango. Nice to meet you all." He bowed.
Yuhi blinked at the name while she joined the class in saying "Nice to meet you too." She heard murmurs from her classmates wondering about it too. Then she turned to Sejin to see how she was reacting, but to her surprise, Sejin looked indifferent—almost uninterested—of this new teacher of theirs. It confused her even more.
Eli Chango let out a tiny chuckle as he fixed his glasses on his face. His voice was deep, and his air was prim. Yuhi thought that he gave out the impression of a successful businessperson just by looking at him. It intimidated her a little. "You might be wondering why I have the same last name as your principal." He had a little, almost invisible, smile on his face as he talked. He paused, instigating suspense. Then he smiled. "We're brothers by blood."
Oh, Yuhi thought, shifting her gaze again to Sejin to see how she would react to it. Nothing.
A unison "Ohhh" echoed in the room, a few murmurs, and then silence. Everyone waited for the next thing he had to say. He then jokingly added, "even though he looks like my father. But don't tell him that." Everyone laughed. Yuhi found it kind of comical, but she couldn't laugh. She was trying to put the puzzle pieces together in her head.
Their first language class with their new teacher, Mr. Eli, as how he suggested they address him, made Yuhi feel like it was first day of school. Eli briefly talked about his life, education and teaching career. He mentioned that it was his goal to earn two PhDs in literature and communication, and he had been studying and teaching at the same time abroad for eight years in order to achieve that. He just came back to the country six months ago to help schools with their curriculum, and their principal, Mr. Chango, contracted him as a temporary language teacher while Mrs. Akimiro's on leave. There was no doubt about that PhD in communication, Yuhi thought at that time. He sure knew how to say the right words. The class loved him.
After his little speech, he asked each of them their names and to tell a little something about themselves. Yuhi noticed that Eli only reacted and said "Good" after Sejin introduced herself. Then she noticed Sejin's hands clenched into tight fists after that.
Class was dismissed early. Good words about their new teacher resonated in the air as they fixed their stuff, ready to head home. However, Yuhi was waiting for Sejin to say something out of it as she would normally do. But not a word escaped her lips while Yuhi watched her place things inside her bag.
"Sejin," she softly called.
"Yes?"
"Do you want to walk home together?"
Even though Yuhi had no idea what was going on with her seatmate, she knew that she needed a friend that day. She kept Gon's words in her head the whole day, and she wanted to push through with it—ask her what happened, see if she could be of any help. Sejin usually rejected Yuhi each time she invites her to walk home, and the latter was so used to it that she expected a turndown. But to her surprise and delight, Sejin consented.
As their class president usually stayed inside the classroom until all their classmates had gone home after being dismissed, Yuhi waited patiently in her seat, delighting her eyes with the view of the afternoon sky. It was clear, tinted with yellow and a hint of orange as the sun neared the horizon. It was a good day. January weather was always unpredictable in Tomo, after all; sunshine today, snowfall tomorrow. Yuhi smiled to herself as she recalled last night's snow, then she sighed. Killua and her only saw each other twice in the hallway during breaks, and Yuhi could but only return the smile he gave her as he walked past with a group of 2-A boys. She thought about texting him again as she stared at the snow that rested on a branch of a tree, but she held back when she remembered that he was yet to reply to her. It was only 3:55 in the afternoon, five minutes earlier that the actual dismissal time. He might still be in class.
"You ready?" Sejin asked, bag in hand.
Yuhi shoved her phone inside her bag, smiled and nodded. "Yup! Let's go!"
Exiting the room and walking past 2-A's, Yuhi routinely glanced through their window from the hallway to catch a glimpse of him. She was right. They were still in class. She saw Killua carving something on his desk and Gon's furrowed eyebrows next to him.
Walking with Sejin was something that happened only twice since their first year in highschool. The first one was when they had a class activity near Sejin's home that lasted until dismissal. The second one was when Yuhi went with her to buy some supplies for a project. During those times, Yuhi was not given a chance to talk about personal stuff with her friend; it was always about school. But Yuhi did not want to push it that third time. She was there to be of comfort, if Sejin would allow, and she savored the silence between them as they walked out of the campus.
From the gates of school, their paths going home were of the opposite direction. Yuhi intended to walk Sejin home that day, but she didn't tell her that. So she just followed Sejin's shadow and waited if the latter would tell her to go home. But Sejin was quiet, thoughtful. She was looking ahead at something and at nothing.
Yuhi took a breath as she felt the cool breeze of winter air on her cheeks. The sun was bright, but it was cold. She rubbed her arms and looked around the neighborhood. That part of town was quiet and peaceful; little noise represented by birds chirping and trees moving. She saw students younger than them and adults in business attires and leather bags walking home from school and work. Cars barely passed by. Yuhi could easily count in one hand the times she had strolled this street, but she was glad of the fact that Sejin, Gon and Killua lived in this part of town. It had a serene ambiance to it, giving peace of mind and of senses.
She looked at Sejin as she thought of Killua and Gon. She had the urge to tell her that the two lived near their apartment. But Yuhi suppressed it, wanting to let Sejin feel that she was there for her and not because of the boys.
After passing by a few blocks, Sejin then paused in her tracks, shifting her gaze to her left. Yuhi quickly followed what Sejin was looking at with her eyes. It was a tiny park—no, a playground. Kids were playing at the monkey bars, seesaws and swings; their moms and dads watching them from the benches. Yuhi did not notice that Sejin was walking to one empty bench until she saw her come into frame. She followed and sat next to her.
A loud sigh was what Yuhi heard Sejin emit as she fixed herself on the bench. She looked ahead, again at nothing and at something, and told the wind, "He's my father."
His cellphone had become his ultimate confidant lately. As soon as teachers dismiss class, not wasting a second of his time, he quickly grabs his phone from his pocket and checks his messages. It was a rush, a nice and pleasant feeling, as though he knew that the truckload of chocolate he ordered will arrive at his doorstep, and he was excited to check if it already came. That Wednesday was no different. As soon as Economics was over, he hoisted the gadget from his pants pocket and as soon as he saw the notification, he cleared his throat and took a breath, stopping his facial muscles from forming a smile. He didn't want anyone to notice.
"dismissed. going home yet?" Send.
"I think my brain is going to explode!"
Killua finally found a reason to release the laughter he was trying to hold in when he heard Gon say that; and because he found it funny. He looked at him, laughing even more when he saw him sitting sluggishly and staring at the ceiling. He pressed a finger on Gon's forehead. "Then don't think about it!" he suggested, watching Gon blink and try to bite his finger off. He smugly dodged the attack.
Gon blinked again. "Is that how you do it?"
"Sometimes."
"You're amazing, Killua. Do you know that?"
"…Shut up."
Gon laughed and stood straight, slapping his cheeks as if to wake himself up. "Yosh! I'll go to the restroom real quick, ne?" He turned a heel and ran to the door while shouting "Don't leave without me!"
Killua couldn't help but shake his head. It's always you who leave without me, idiot. He looked around the room and found that half of his classmates had gone home already; the other half talking in groups and fixing their things. He turned his gaze towards the window to check the weather. It was a good day. The sun was out all day. It's cold but tolerable. He shrugged and stretched his arms behind his head. Too bad, he thought, mind strolling towards the the wall that divided rooms 2-A and 2-B, knowing that the ramen girl might have left with her friend already. But he's okay with it. He felt good that day.
Admittedly, though, he was feeling under the weather during the past two days. He couldn't understand it. They still communicated through text, but somehow, he wanted what they had during the winter break enacted in school. Or maybe it was because he kept seeing the ramen girl with the pink-haired dude in unusual situations, unaware that he was her brother.
It was stupid. Killua wanted to know why she never told him about it. Then again, he never asked. They never talked about those kinds of stuff anyway. He didn't want to serve a topic that he avoided. But his initial reaction when they announced it was that it was stupid—because when he saw Yellich inside the ramen shop he instantly wanted to punch his face. What is he doing here? Who is he? Where's ramen girl? Why are they hanging out and getting off the bus together? Why is he here? It was stupid, because he was so furious that even after learning that he was her brother, he still felt betrayed. No, he thought to himself the night before when he retreated to his bed, he wasn't jealous. Killua never gets jealous of other guys, he told himself. He's just annoyed of the fact that he didn't know what was going on between them.
It was a good thing, at least for him, that the ramen girl was fine about how he reacted. Last night as he laid in bed with the lights off and his eyes flickering from the gadget he held to his face, she asked him how he thought of her brother; did he like him; was he okay about it. He thought about it for a while, still feeling that ugly prick on his chest when the pictures of when he saw them together appeared in his head. He wanted to be honest with her, but he was not sure if she'll like it. So instead he asked, 'do I have to?' and he was answered with a 'hahaha it's okay if you don't. i'm just glad that you finally know :)'. He felt the same—glad that he was her brother—because lord knows what he would have done if he hadn't found out about it sooner. He made a face at that thought of it, turning to the door of their classroom the soonest he saw Gon from his peripheral view. Gon was frowning as he approached Killua, which made the latter's eyebrows crease.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Gon took his bag and frowned even more. "I was hoping to see Yuhi and Sejin so that we can join them walk home. Sejin lives near our house, you know!"
Killua snorted and smiled. He knew how uneasy Gon felt about friends having problems. He's just too concerned about everybody, even the ones he met only once. Sejin was someone they only knew because she was 2-B's class president and ramen girl's friend, at least for him, but Gon was truly worried about her. He kept thinking about it and kept telling Killua that he was thinking about it. Pulling up his bag and throwing it over his shoulder, he told Gon, "Let ramen girl handle it. Maybe she would want it that way for now." It was to reassure him, and because he knew that the girl had something ironed out on her own. He turned a heel and they walked out of the room.
Gon pushed his lower lip into a pout and thought about it. After a while, he took a breath and nodded, asking Killua if he could ask Yuhi about it later and if he could stop calling her ramen girl and just say her name.
Yuhi tried to catch all the puzzle pieces that suddenly splattered around in her head to form itself into a one whole picture: Sejin's reaction when Mr. Chango mentioned a new language teacher, the fact that Sejin's related to Mr. Chango by blood because he was her dad's brother, Mr. Eli confirming that Mr. Chango was his brother, the way Mr. Eli reacted when Sejin spoke in class to introduce herself, the way Sejin responded with clenched fists—it all made sense to Yuhi now. But she had questions. Are they not in good terms? What happened to them? Why is Sejin so angry? Why don't they have the same last name? She blinked and waited patiently for what Sejin was to say next.
Silence ensued for a while, with Sejin's nonchalant gaze gracing the road and the people that passed by. She then took a breath and started, "When I was seven, he decided to fly halfway across the world to fulfill his dreams, leaving my mom to care for me and my brothers who she was still pregnant with at that time," Sejin talked slowly but firmly, unmoving. "I remember hearing them discuss it over dinner. He wanted to take us with him, but we didn't have enough money to move that far away from here."
Yuhi watched her perform her monologue as the cold gust of wind blew her raven hair and revealed her pale face. A beautiful statue was what Yuhi saw at that time, a cold beautiful statue. She shifted her gaze to her friend's hands, wanting to hold them, wanting to transmit heat back into her heart.
"But mom was supportive; she truly wanted him to do what he wanted. She even reassured him that everything will turn out okay in the end." Sejin paused, taking a breath. "But she was not okay. She cried almost every night. She was so tired. She works as a nurse at the local hospital and her shifts were unpredictable, and she has three kids."
It must have been tough for Sejin's mom to raise all her kids by herself and attend to her work at the same time, Yuhi thought. She bet she couldn't just quit her job because she had to have enough money for their food and school. The wind blew past them again, feeling the frost bite her cheeks. But even without the wind, Yuhi felt the cold in Sejin's voice.
"A year after he left, mom wanted him back, even for just a few months. She wanted him to see us grow up in person. She wanted him to spend time with us. She missed him so much. I knew because she never ceased to tell me that," she continued. "I also missed him then. I was always so excited whenever I got the chance to talk to him over the phone. I remember waiting for him to tell me when he's coming home. But he never did. The next few months, he barely called, and when he did, he was always in a rush. Schoolwork, he would say. Work, he would say. Mom eventually got tired of it. Then the calls ended."
There was a long pause, and Yuhi watched as Sejin followed a butterfly with her expressionless eyes. She was trying to read a hint of emotion in her face. But there was none. Sejin talked about it as casually as how she talked about the weather. But the way she spoke the words felt like daggers for Yuhi. They were sharp and raw.
"I was almost ten when mom told me that he might never come home. But I didn't feel a single thing. I never cried. I never looked for him. I accepted it, but I hated him for doing this to mom. I was so disappointed in him." Sejin let out a sharp exhale, forcing the words out of her gritting teeth. "I hated him for making her cry every night. She supported him and worked hard for us only to be left alone to fend for three children. He disregarded the fact that he had a family. He's selfish, and I hated him for that." She then kicked the dirt with her right heel, letting out another sigh. Yuhi felt her chest hurt as Sejin's words echoed in her skull. It sounded resolute, yet incredibly painful. "That's why I couldn't accept the fact that he's Mrs. Akimiro's substitute teacher." Sejin continued, her voice dimming down to her normal tone. She then fixed her gaze towards Yuhi for the first time since they started talking, her features soft, calm. One corner of her lips curled up a little. "I apologize if I made you worry."
Just then, Yuhi threw her arms around her friend, mentally trying to squeeze away the hatred in her heart. Yuhi now understood why Sejin was this strong-willed, and why she was this independent at such a young age. But she couldn't—didn't—want to allow abhorrence to cloud her heart. She wanted Sejin to feel that she's loved at that very moment.
"I'm sorry," Yuhi she said in a tiny voice behind Sejin's ear, tears filling up her eyes. "I'm sorry for not noticing sooner. I'm sorry for letting you be." That was how Yuhi felt since witnessing Sejin walk out of Mr. Chango's office that afternoon. It was what she had been thinking about since then. She felt bad about not being able to talk to Sejin about it. She felt bad about not asking her enough if she was okay, and not being able to say the words she needed to hear. She felt bad about not being a friend that Sejin needed all this time. Yuhi told her that, hearing Sejin let out a smile and feeling her palm on her head. She slowly pulled away from the embrace and looked at her friend's dazzling jade eyes.
Sejin had this tender look on her face that calmed Yuhi's nerves. "It's okay. I am also at fault for not telling you sooner, making you worry. I'm sorry, and thank you." Sejin gently pulled her hand from Yuhi's head and smiled, and it was the kind that made Yuhi's heart flutter. It was a rare sight. "You're just the friend I needed, Yuhi."
Yuhi sniffed and wiped tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. "Sejin… thank you for telling me." She was so glad, but still so worried. She looked back at Sejin with concern painting her face. Yuhi had asked if she has talked to Mr. Eli since he came back, to which Sejin responded with a single nod. Her father, Mr. Eli, had been trying to connect with them. Her brothers spent time with him after school. Sejin, on the other hand, barely talked to him. She only saw him whenever she came to pick up her brothers. Her mom was not ready to see him, but Sejin assured Yuhi that she was doing good. She seemed happier and she figured it was better that way.
At that moment, Yuhi wanted to tell Sejin that she should maybe try to forgive her father, and not nurture the hatred that has been conceived in her heart. But she didn't want to get ahead of her friend's emotions. Yuhi knew that she should respect how Sejin felt that time. She smiled at that thought, sitting straight and placing a hand on Sejin's shoulder. "I'm here for you if you need someone to talk to." Her smile transformed into a huge beam, hoping that it would light up Sejin's melancholic air. "I'm just one tap on the shoulder away, ne!"
Sejin returned it as she expressed her gratitude. Both giggled, then it turned into a hearty laughter. Yuhi noticed the change in Sejin's aura at that, heart swelling of glee. She'll be alright.
"Sejin."
A familiar voice then sounded from behind them, saying Sejin's name with pleasant firmness. Both turned to check who it was, and Yuhi's heart skipped a beat. She blinked, as if to double check if she had seen it correctly. He had this stern look on his face as he gazed into Sejin's eyes Yuhi almost didn't believe that it was him.
"…Gon?" Sejin was equally surprised. Her eyes were wide.
Yuhi then turned towards the boy who was standing about two steps behind him, hands in his pockets, face read of surrender as he averted his gaze from Gon to look at her. He pursed his lips and sighed, shrugging and shaking his head slowly. He then mouthed some words but Yuhi could only decipher the 'I tried'.
"It's going to be okay," Gon said, his voice low and serious. Yuhi looked at Sejin to see how she would react to Gon's sudden appearance. But Sejin never moved. Gon took a step closer, not removing his honey brown eyes from Sejin's jade ones. "Eli-san, he's your dad, right? And he left you, right?"
Yuhi was suddenly alarmed. She fidgeted in her seat, anticipating what Sejin might say or feel, albeit also thinking of how Gon knew about it. Were they here all along? Did he hear everything?
"I'm sure he has his reasons. But don't worry about him. Don't think about it," Gon continued, unfaltering. "If he's starting to get into your head, think of your mom and your brothers, and your friends who stayed with you." Yuhi then noticed how Gon's features slowly softened. When he blinked, he was back to his usual gleeful mien, letting out a small smile and placing a hand on his chest. "You can't let it get in here. Okay?"
Amazed—that was what Yuhi felt when she heard Gon's words. He said the things that she wanted to express, and voiced them perfectly, without reservation, without hesitation. Somehow, she envied him, but still feared how Sejin might react to it. The latter, however, only blinked and nodded slowly as Gon held a peace sign with his fingers. Sejin glowed in Yuhi eyes at that time. She watched her blink and remove her gaze from Gon to look at the grass, then at Yuhi. The latter could only shrug. She had no idea what just happened.
"You scared them, you idiot!" Killua finally walked to Gon, punching an arm.
"Ehhh!? Did I?" Gon shrieked as he rubbed the muscle Killua's fist hit. He looked at Sejin, at Yuhi, at Killua, then back at Sejin with his big brown eyes, as though he was the one surprised by the three's presence. They stared back at him; until Killua planted another fist on his right arm and he let out a guilty laugh. "Sorry if I scared you."
Yuhi was about to tell him that it's okay when she heard Sejin laugh again. It was the same hearty laughter she shared with her friend a little while earlier, but it was louder this time and happier. Yuhi couldn't help but giggle at the view. Sejin sparkled.
"It's okay," Sejin reassured Gon, her smiling face blooming. She stood up to face them properly. "You heard us?" she asked nicely, to which Gon nodded. He apologized for eavesdropping, saying that he and Killua were on their way home when they saw the two of them talking. He wanted to make their presence known but the conversation was too serious Gon decided to just listen, thinking that they had noticed them. Killua made a face and let out a sigh at that. Yuhi snickered.
"I honestly couldn't help it," Gon almost mumbled, his guilty smile not leaving his face. "After Yuhi told us what happened I was worried about you!" He exclaimed the words as though it were the most normal thing to say to someone who barely knew him.
Sejin then looked at Yuhi. Yuhi wanted to explain, but Sejin's gaze was not that of the questioning one. It was that of the astonished kind, as though every word that came out of Gon's lips stunned her in a good way. Her eyebrows never furrowed even once. "Well, I…" she turned back to Gon, "I apologize for making you worry." She bowed her head a little, always polite.
"You don't have to apologize." Gon shook his head, waving his hands. "Because it's okay! It's okay if you feel that way towards your dad. It's completely understandable. We're just worried because we didn't know!" He beamed.
Yuhi watched Sejin blink and Killua smile as they looked at Gon. That was the first time she heard the boy speak like that. It was as though he had an absolute grasp of what Sejin was feeling and experiencing at that moment. He knew what to say and how to say it. Yuhi, on the other hand, was speechless. She felt a little ashamed that she couldn't properly voice out what she wanted to say to her friend. But she was thankful that Gon was there. His empathy was beyond compare, and it was admirable. She looked at their little pack, overwhelmed of the fact that they were all so admirable. She wondered how they do it. She wanted to get to know them more. She wanted to learn from them.
"Yosh!" Gon then stretched and stood straight, hands on hips. "Since we're all here, let's go to our house!" He looked at Sejin, "We have lots of games so it'll be fun!" then at Yuhi, "Mito-san will be glad to see you too, Yuhi! You can also hang out in Killua's room if you wa— Ow!"
A smack. "Idiot!"
"We can go to my place," Sejin suggested. Yuhi silently heaved a sigh to calm her suddenly frantic nerves. "It's only a few blocks away from here. I insist. It's my way of thanking you for looking after me." She then looked at Yuhi, as if to assure her that she was okay. Yuhi smiled and nodded.
"Won't that be a bother?" It was Killua who asked that time.
Sejin shook her head. "My mom's off duty today and she kept sending me messages to ask if I am okay. She knows about the substitute teacher, and I think she'll be glad to have company over today. She needs it more than I do."
Gon turned to Killua. Killua shrugged. Then Gon smiled at Sejin. "Okay!"
After a nod and a phone call, they were off. Gon could not stop talking to Sejin about Mr. Eli, how he found his credentials amazing, the fact that Sejin looked exactly like him but nothing like Mr. Chango, and even asked her about her family. Yuhi observed her friend as Gon spoke, watching out for red flags through her facial expression. But Sejin seemed to not mind Gon's energy at all.
"Don't worry about Gon."
Yuhi blinked and looked to her right where Killua was. He walked with his hands behind his head, looking at Gon with confident regard. She shifted her gaze towards Gon as if to know how Killua saw him from his point of view.
"He knows what he's doing."
Yuhi then nodded slowly, realizing that she should trust Gon. She still wondered why and how he was doing it, but she shook the thoughts away. The most important thing was that Sejin's okay and happy. Yuhi smiled to herself, hearing a faint "You're weird" from Killua. Her heart skipped beats after that. She, too, was happy.
The trip to Sejin's home was short but fulfilling. Elena, Sejin's mom, welcomed them with motherly warmth, kissing Sejin on the forehead and calling Yuhi, Killua and Gon "cutiepies" when they arrived at her doorstep, ushering them immediately to the living room where they were greeted by two extra large boxes of pizza, a bucket of fried chicken and bottomless orange juice. Gon was the first one to express his gratitude and apologies for coming over unannounced, but Elena gently brushed Gon's words away by saying that she loved having friends over.
"It's a celebration!" she exclaimed while opening the first box of pizza, its savory smell fumed all over the room. "This is the first time Sejin invited friends from school!"
They ate in front of the TV with Elena, conversing over what happened at school that day. Elena told them her version of Sejin's story while Yuhi chomped on her third slice of pizza, glancing over at Killua who scoffed and grinned when he met her gaze. Elena's story was nothing like Sejin's version. Not a bad tone escaped her lips as she spoke. It was as though she and Eli were never separated. She talked slowly, savored every adoring phrase and elaborated every pleasant event with such tenderness and ardor. Yuhi would have never believed that they haven't been together for so long if she hadn't been told about it hours before. She felt the loved Sejin's mom had for her dad, and she felt her heart sink in the middle of it all. How could two people who loved each other so much bring themselves to let go of one another?
"But it will come to a point where you'll just stop, not stop loving and caring, but stop forcing something to happen. Everything feels magical until you start to realize what you truly want for yourself." Elena had a longing smile as she ended her story. She then looked at Sejin and touched her cheek. "You dad and I never succeeded at being each other's partners, but we managed to bring out the best in us in our own way. And that's okay, because we will never stop being your parents."
Yuhi glanced at Killua when she heard this and the thought of them not talking and cutting ties pained her. She couldn't understand what Elena meant by what she said, but she stored her words in her heart for when she would be mature enough to comprehend perhaps. Then she waited for Gon who seemed to be thinking after that, wishing that he would ask the same thing she was thinking. Instead, he opened the story about his family, revealing that his dad, too, had left him for his aunt's care. At that Yuhi glanced once again at Killua who quietly chewed on his pizza while listening to Gon, realizing that she was yet to know about what Killua's family was like.
That night, as she stared at the flicking insertion point of a blank message, she thought about how to ask the boy about his family. They were having a pleasant conversation about the weekend, lessons, food, and studying together for finals. It was nice and she didn't want it to end. But the thought of asking him would never leave her mind. She lifted her eyes at Killua's last reply for the tenth time.
"haha yeah it sucks"
A chance. She took a breath and typed in her reply.
"killua?"
"ramen girl?"
"can i ask you something?"
"anything but math"
"i hope it's okay and won't sound a little off hehe…"
"whats that?"
Another deep breath.
"can you tell me the story of why you left home?"
-Chapter End-
Long A/N coming your way: Writing this chapter felt so painful but so, so good; painful because it's been 5 years since I wrote the last one and good because I've finally written a chapter again. Really sorry for the long wait! I had to reread all chapters and completely revise the working Chapter 29 from 2015. This chapter is super fresh out of the oven that is my brain. So I'd really, really, really, really appreciate your reviews! Please let me know what you think of this, and what you think about the plot so far. I've missed you so much let me hear your voices through the computer screen lol xx
Anyway, like I said at the top A/N, will let you in on what I plan to do to this. I will update on a regular basis, perhaps latest would be in every 3 weeks because I have work (sighs). Also, I plan to rewrite everything from Chapter 1-28, but I won't change the plot. I'll simply correct errors and how some scenes and dialogues were written. Because this story has potential. I don't really remember what I was thinking when I started this in 2013 (and I was still a teenager), but I sure know that this is a good story. And I want to present something nice to new/existing readers. I won't be ending this fic soon; it might take a while before I can. So I thank you for keeping up with me until now. I really appreciate it. I wouldn't have decided to return to writing if it weren't for your reviews. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. And please be safe in this pandemic.
NEXT CHAPTER: Will Yuhi finally find out about Killua's history? Why did he run away from home? Why haven't they talked about it? Will Killua finally call ramen girl by her real name?
Please let me know your thoughts and your little plot bunnies after this chapter. I want to read them all!
Watch HxH if you are in quarantine ;) Will wait for your reviews while I plot the next chapter. Thank youuuu!
