A/N: GOOD MORNING. Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed Chapter 30! OKAY, here's something amazing: PLEASE go check my bio because Lani0108 drew Yuhi and I want to share it with y'all; I love it so much! It's super cute (Lani you're awesome iloveyouyouaregreat)! Now, I feel like I need to say this every time I update because I have new readers, yay! Welcome, welcome! It is my pleasure to present to you another chapter of this sappy fic. How have you been? Have you been well? I hope you're well. And I hope you're ready for this chapter because I freaking am. This chapter killed me (in a good way /smashes keyboard from too much fluff/ SO! GOOD! FLUFF! YES!) Let's freaking go! I hope you'll like it, though lol
DISCLAIMER: Killua is Mr. Blushy. And a softy. Yes, it's canon.
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCE
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
A Mecca Of Bonbons
"Ne, ne, Yuhi, Killua, let's go ice skating later, okay?"
It lingered.
How it felt whenever Roroturo rushed up the stairs from the ramen shop at eight o'clock in the morning on a Sunday, waking Yuhi up with his loud, excited voice, telling her to get ready for they will leave at ten; the sound of scurrying footsteps on her timber floor as she got dressed; the smell of Roroturo's after shave in the air and shampoo in her freshly bathed hair—she had probably memorized how energized her nerves became whenever she was summoned for a trip out of town.
"Yeah, but let's go see the candy bazaar at the mall first!"
It felt the same when her brother came into her life. Her dates with Yellich had always been fun and spontaneous, much like her dates with Roroturo, and every single time, she's ecstatic. Perhaps it was because she looked forward to spending time with them outside their home, or because she finds peace watching the road as they passed by in a bus or a train. She wasn't sure, but she knew that she adored going out with her family, and how it always made her feel lingered in her memory—so much so, that it was as though her senses knew how to react to it automatically—
—which is why she was feeling a little strange waking up that morning, because she knew that she was to have a trip out of town, but it was with neither Roroturo nor Yellich.
"Ehhh? Buy what you need first, Killua!"
"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot."
Sure, she went out with Killua a few weeks ago. But that was different. That was between two teenagers who somehow realized that they had a thing for each other and decided to hang out. It wasn't meant to be platonic, at least for her, and it produced a feeling that made her pulses go wild of inane ardor. That Saturday, though, it was a different kind of excitement, something that felt new and fresh and was making her giddy for no apparent reason, making her hop a little with every step as she walked side by side with Gon and Killua, refusing to wipe the smile off her face even for a second.
"Also, you have a bunch of chocolates at home! You still have some left in the fridge and I saw boxes in your room the other day. Mito-san might scold you for ant infestation, ne!"
"I said let's go see. I didn't say let's go buy."
It was Gon's jumpy disposition or his perpetually wide smile and happy eyes; it was Killua's comfortable air or his playful snickers and random teases; or maybe, maybe, maybe it was more than that. Yuhi couldn't explain her happiness, or rather, she forgot how it felt. It came to mind while she listened to them discuss their itinerary for the day while in the bus going to Kyowa. It remained when they hopped off and almost immediately sprinted to the nearby plaza to chase a flock of doves by the water fountain, laughing when the birds flew away just as instantly, and when Gon announced what he wanted them to do that day as they strolled along the park before heading off to the mall.
"But you always end up buying!"
She couldn't remember the last time she went out with friends.
"Tell you what, my end of the bargain's that I'll give you some if I did end up buying. What do you say?"
They stopped in their tracks, with Gon stroking his chin as he thought of it and Killua waiting for what he ought to say with a mischievous look on his face. Yuhi pressed her lips together to hide her wide smile as she shifted her gaze from Gon to Killua. Oh, she knew that he was teasing him; his silent snickers when he glanced at her said it all. On a much normal situation, she would have jokily told the jester to be a little considerate. But with Gon and Killua, she couldn't do it. She secretly loved watching them frolic around. They had been at it since they picked her up at the ramen shop after lunch, and it was Killua who always started the bantering remarks. He's in a good mood, ne!
After the short pause, Gon seemed to have figured it out. He stood straight and slammed his hands on his hips. The honest, puzzled look on his face instantly cracked his best friend up. "That's not even a bargain!" he exclaimed with a stomp of a foot and quizzical eyebrows.
"C'mon, think about it!" Killua mimicked the action, a surge of airy chuckles now escaping his throat.
Yuhi watched Gon huff and search the air for the right response, while Killua waited with what seemed like a playful retort already prepared in his head. Gon was about to lose the game of wits, Yuhi had anticipated, and the thought of him not having to win one yet that day awed her. She sighed and smiled as she internally cheered him on, then shuddered as the cold gust of wind bit into her exposed flesh, instinctively hugging her arms for warmth though she wore one of her thickest beige peacoat. It was a cold afternoon.
Killua took a breath with that impish grin spread widely across his face as he pushed his hands inside his navy-blue parka jacket's pockets. Yuhi turned to him when she felt him move, meeting his eyes for a second before he turned a heel saying, "Let's get in. It's getting cold out here."
Looking to the right, she realized that they were already in front of the mall, a dome-like structure that stood as one of the biggest in Jyopen. Yuhi scanned its lengthy façade, her eyes landing last on Gon, who was already beaming at the sight of it, and giggled. He caught her gaze and they shared a look of excitement, a contest of who could give the widest of the wide grin for two seconds, before rushing to Killua to catch up with him.
Inside was a spectacle. The first thing they saw when they entered was the massive Christmas tree that almost reached the ceiling of the mall's dome, embellished with gold and silver balls of various sizes, and assorted glittered red and green holiday ornaments. Below it was the bazaar strip which featured street food, specialty items, gadgets, and desserts housed inside decorated wooden stands. Holiday-exclusive indoor amusements were scattered throughout the floor—a mini Ferris' Wheel, a bump car park, a ball pit and slides for kids, and the skating rink—restaurants at the perimeter full, the cheerful music of jingle bells and hearty laughter in the background, the warm and happy look on people's faces. The mall usually had these throughout December until the second week of January of the following year. It was a festival, bright, colored and fun, and it felt like Christmas all over again.
The three of them agreed to fulfil that day's mission first before anything else, so they went straight to the electronics center at the second floor. Here, they were greeted by a mini bazaar strip selling gadget accessories, red banners that said 'SALE' everywhere they looked, and a myriad of people—so many that they had to stop in the middle of the floor and look for an escape route.
The first thing that Yuhi thought of upon seeing the horde was that she didn't want to get lost, subsequently eyeing Gon and Killua to make sure that she was still there with them. Killua was beside her, trying to locate a store through the crowd with his eyes while muttering "stupid phone", "this holiday" and "sale" under his breath. Gon was missing. When Yuhi turned, she saw him looking around the mini bazaar like an excited little kid bedazzled by absurd gadgets and cute phone cases.
"Oi, Gon, I'll just—" Killua attempted to announce, hand halfway to pointing at the other side of the floor when he paused and looked around. "Now, where is he?"
Gon was happily talking to the seller of a nearby stand that sold phone cases. Yuhi pointed at him, smiling at the sight of his curiously sparkling brown eyes.
Killua called him. "Gon!"
The addressed instantly looked up when he heard his name; a wide, bright smile was animatedly painted on his face when he took a phone case from the selection and showed it to them. "Look, Killua! It's your favorite candy, Chocorobo-kun!"
Yuhi giggled.
Killua scoffed and snorted, grinning, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks. Yuhi giggled even more when she saw it. "Yeah, I'm gonna head to the store." He pointed to the sea of people. "You comin' or what?"
Laughing as he waived his hands at them, Gon shouted through the noise, "I'll find you there!"
As the exchange between the boys happened, Yuhi had her eyes to and fro the two of them, stopping at Killua when he nodded and shouted back an "Okay!". She inwardly laughed sheepishly. Now, where do I go?
"Wanna look around first too?" Killua asked as he turned to face her. "You can go with Gon if you want. I'll be fast."
Pressing her lips together, she turned to where she last saw Gon. She looked around—left, right, at front—he was nowhere to be found. She blinked and shifted her gaze to where Killua said he would go—in the sea of people. Nope, she did not want to get lost in there. But she figured it'd be better than looking around alone since she couldn't find Gon. For some reason, her choice made her smile and bounce a little when she announced it, "I'll go with you!"
Killua blinked his wide eyes at the sudden movement, scoffing, snorting and grinning right after, as what he did when Gon showed him the Chocorobo phone case. He gently poked her right cheek and swiftly said "Weirdo" before retrieving his hand and turning a heel.
For a second there, she held her breath, feeling blood run up her face and a goofy curve forming in the corners of her lips. Suppressing her wide smile, she immediately followed him, eyes fixed at his silver hair like it's the North Star as they joined the mob.
It's usually during this season that people go out of their way to purchase stuff with their Christmas money. Yuhi began to observe that when she was about seven years old, noticing that Roroturo also always bought her new clothes at this time of the year. But she had no idea—probably couldn't recall—that there were this many people going out to buy gadgets a week after New Year's. Maybe it's because of the sale—
"—Oof—"
She paused in her tracks, subconsciously turning to look for the person she collided with. When she found a middle-aged woman smiling sheepishly towards her direction, she mirrored the look on her face and shared apologies. Turning back ahead, she silently gasped and looked around, heartbeat slowly pulsating at a faster rate. Killua was gone. Oh no! She couldn't find him. Then suddenly, someone grabbed her by the wrist. Her auburn eyes met familiar blue ones for a moment before she was pulled and guided to walk. She gasped again to try and catch her breath; her fast heartbeat never waned, especially when Killua slid his hand from her wrist to her palm and held onto it tightly.
They stepped inside a store with the least number of people, and Yuhi thought of how wise Killua was in his choices since all the other stores were jampacked. Then he told her that it's where he usually bought old videogames, and that they sold mostly vintage gadgets and accessories, something not very much appreciated by a modern teen—hence the scarcity of customers. Yuhi had observed that upon seeing the façade of the store. It also had old toys, action figures and old CDs, reminding her so much of the antique shop where her brother worked part time at. But this one's more compact and had an aisle that only fit a total of three people.
Killua let go of her hand when they reached the counter, pointing out to different games on the shelves and telling her how he beat every single one with a proud smile on his face. Yuhi had no idea what he was talking about since she never played videogames her entire life, but she gave her hundred-percent attention and interest, and slowly she found it amusing. Maybe she could also try playing? She told Killua that after he paused to take a breath, and Yuhi swore his eyes sparkled of cocky anticipation when he heard it.
"One versus one. You and me," he dared.
Yuhi pushed her chin back, confused and suddenly a little nervous. Doing something she had zero experience on against the Killua? A fearsome ordeal! "W-Why? I thought you said they're mostly teamplay?"
A cheeky smile appeared on his face, a smile Yuhi had familiarized herself with that day. "You need to practice if you want to team up with me." It was the smile he gave Gon whenever he teased him. Her auburn eyes grew wide of good-humored betrayal, giving Killua the look, but biting her bottom lip to suppress her giggles. He snickered and gave a nod, his wide grin subsiding into a small dauntless smirk. "I have a console at home. Text me if you wanna come over."
Yuhi finally released her wide smile as she nodded, doing her best to ignore the visionary montage of herself inside Killua's room at the back of her mind.
Moments later, the latter was smiling and greeting a young man behind the counter who he called "Aji". He was in a red apron and wore a baseball hat on his head with the word 'SALE' in white bold letters printed on them. Killua teased him about it, and Aji laughed and made a face, turning to the girl beside him and asking who she was with a playful look on his face.
"Did Gon transform into a girl? Haven't seen you here with anyone but him," Aji said, a tone of mischief in his voice.
"Uh, this is Yuhi. We go to the same school." Killua turned to her. "He's Aji. Don't listen to him."
The girl smiled at Aji to greet him, and to let out the glee that was now overflowing in her chest. Yup, that's me. My name's Yuhi, like what he said.
"Hey, Yuhi," he greeted back, placing an elbow on the counter and leaning forward a bit, eyebrows friskily twitching upward when he asked Killua, "You're dating?"
Yuhi blushed and immediately looked at the boy beside her to hear what he had to say. But he did so too, face twisting as he shunned it away, coughing a little. Aji laughed before finally asking what they were looking for. After clearing his throat, Killua told him that he needed a phone, and Aji disappeared for a while to "get new models that just came in". The two of them stood in silence while waiting—a swift glance towards each other syncing at one point, and Yuhi couldn't tell if it was the condensed room or her pulses banging that made her want to catch her breath.
Aji came back shortly after, bringing with him three boxes with a picture of the phone model on each cover. The first one was a black flip phone, the second was a silver sliding phone, and the last one was the newest model they had, and the most expensive among the three, a touchscreen phone. He enumerated the specifications of each one like the true salesman that he was.
Yuhi was not really into gadgets and she couldn't comprehend what Aji was saying that much. But she was kind of biased on the flip phone since it's what hers looked like, but the touchscreen seemed cool—except for its price tag. She told Killua that when he asked her about what she thought he should get. In the end, he chose the touchscreen phone, which made Yuhi's eyes widen of surprise, wondering where Killua got his Christmas money from.
"GPS is easier to personalize in that one," he noted before following Aji to the cashier for payment.
Yuhi waited for him in her original position and overheard his conversation with the staff while he was being issued with the receipt. Killua was asking if they already had the game he was waiting for, saying that he would also buy it if they did, and she just couldn't help but wonder once more: Where does he get his Christmas money from? Her wallet went past her train of thoughts then. That day, she had enough cash for food, transportation and amusement—it was what's left of her savings from Christmas cash gifts and her daily allowance—but a million times not enough to make a purchase such as this. She then remembered the day before where he paid for their food, their date where he paid for almost everything, and that afternoon where he shouldered her bus fare.
"I'm done," the boy happily announced with a paper bag in hand, eyebrows slowly furrowing when he looked at the girl. "What?"
Yuhi blinked and shook her head after realizing that she was staring at him. "Nothing." She smiled, a question forming in her head. "Is that… an installment?"
"What, this?" Killua lifted the paper bag in question. "Nope, I paid in full. Why?"
Oh. Another question was forming in her head after that, but she couldn't find the right words yet. So instead, she just shook her head again, to also shake the thought of it off her brain, laughing quite sheepishly. Nah, I shouldn't be questioning him about this. "Nothing, I just asked."
Killua was about to say something when Gon came barging in the store with the biggest grin on his face, calling their attention as he approached. He said hello to Aji and the other staff before pulling something out from his dark green parka jacket's pocket and raising it in the air.
"Look what I got!"
Yuhi immediately turned to Killua the moment she saw what Gon had dangling from his hand so that she could take a mental picture of his reaction. True enough, the view was worth the shot. Killua was brimming with surprise, his eyes glistened, and his smile was wide. Yuhi loved it whenever he looked happy like that, and she couldn't help but beam as well.
"A present for your new phone!" Gon gladly placed it on the waiting palm of Killua, looking at him like he was proud to get on his good nerves. "Do you like it?"
"Yeah, cool! It's just like the original!" Killua exclaimed as he observed the small object in his hand. It was a Chocorobo phone charm.
Gon giggled and hoisted another one from his pocket. "And for you, Yuhi! I didn't know what you'd like but it reminded me of you."
Yuhi inwardly squealed as she took it with both hands. Unexpected gifts made her heart flutter. "Thank you so much! I love it!" She truly did, giving Gon the biggest smile she could ever show. It was a little ramen phone charm. She turned to her right to show it to Killua and he acknowledged with a grin.
"You're welcome!" Gon returned her smile with an equally big one of his own. Then he pulled another phone charm from his pocket and presented it to the air. "Look, I got one too!"
It was a little green frog.
The three of them shared one hearty laughter then exited the store after waving goodbye to Aji and the other staff. Yuhi was delicately hanging the charm on her cellphone when Killua showed them what he bought, which he then kept inside his pocket. Yuhi giggled at the sight of the spiky-haired boy inspecting the shiny thing in his hand, eyes wide and mouth forming a small constant 'o' of amazement. Killua's contact chip was already inserted in it but they had not set it up yet. They decided to do that later, because it was time to circumnavigate the mall.
The bazaar at the ground floor was their premiere destination the moment they decided to look around. They browsed through it and made the most out of its purpose and experience, bringing with them big, bright smiles on their faces and free-taste street food in their mouths with every glide. And as though it was their first time visiting a mall after New Year's, their eyes glistened with endless wonder, sharing animated gazes and unpretentious laughter whenever possible—enjoying every moment and every company.
Objects showcased on the tables were like undiscovered jewels. They found knockoffs of bags, shoes and perfume, original CDs, DVDs and cassette tapes, old books, stationery, pens and markers, keychains and phone cases that looked like the phone charms Gon bought for the three of them, and food—lots of food—and none was neglected of their attention. Well, except that they bought nothing—at that side of the bazaar, at least—because Killua was too excited to move along the next set of stalls.
The mecca of confectioneries.
Cakes, cookies, muffins, cupcakes, macaroons, pretzels, candies, chocolates, honey, icing, syrup, sugar—the other side of the bazaar probably had all types of dessert, it's sweet fumes shamelessly flowed into their nostrils and down to their throats, and Killua was there for it. That faint blush Yuhi saw on his cheeks from earlier and that wide childish grin was vigorously painted on his face as he scanned the place with his eager eyes.
A happy little boy! Yuhi thought when the he pointed to a kiosk that boasted an apparently endless supply of candy. Just looking at him made her chest swell of wholehearted felicity. She wanted so much to squeeze him into a tight hug to keep his bliss from escaping. It was a rare sight. Gon appeared to have forgotten his Mito-san warning to his best friend from earlier as well as they joined Killua with equal enthusiasm and watched him buy a bag of pastel-colored chewy candy that looked like worms. He was kind enough to bestow them a palmful before they decided to disperse for a while to look around or buy something that they liked.
Yuhi's teeth was gooey from the candy she was eating but she liked it—so much that the hand that supplied her mouth with it never stopped moving until none was left. She laughed at herself when she realized that she ate all the candy in less than a minute, dusting her palms off the sugary bits and looking around to find a stall that sold good looking budget sweets.
She found a buy-one-take-one store and got two boxes of assorted cookies, each having half a dozen pieces, to take home to Roroturo and Yellich. She also bought supersized blueberry and chocolate fudge muffins in separate boxes, about the size of two large fists, to give to Gon and Killua, giggling in delight as she accepted her change because she felt proud of herself for having to purchase four items for the price of two.
Zipping her sling bag shut and securing a tight hold on the paper bag of sweets, she looked around to find fluffy silver and spiky raven heads among the crowd. And in the process, she noticed something strange. She glanced through, wide eyes zapping from one stall to another in a speed of light. She wanted to take a good look at the design, the shapes, the colors, the theme. Perhaps she was too engrossed in the company of the two boys that she failed to instantly notice. But the display was barefacedly obvious—the silk fabrics, heart-shaped cutouts, the dominant color red. This bazaar was a marketing ply to set the tone to the next worldwide event—Valentine's Day!
A loud, derisive thump sounded from inside her ribcage when she realized that fact, a thump that somehow jeered at her, reminding her that she would not be spending that cheesy episode the same way she had last year, and the years before that. Then as impeccable of a timing as it was, a certain someone from meters away appeared in her line of sight, paper bags in hand and chewing on a sweet snack as he delighted his big blue cat-eyes with the wonders of chocolate. The thump grew stronger, and faster, so fast that she felt as though her chest was caving in. She began to wonder if he knew that this bazaar was meant for a Valentine's Day preparation.
Does he notice, though?
Maybe, but maybe not.
Nonetheless, Yuhi decided that she would just bake extra chocolate chip cookies when that day comes. Killua looked like the type of person who'd appreciate it, and, after all, she would also be giving some to Yellich and Gon. She inhaled and looked around when she realized that she was smiling to herself, a spring in every step as she zealously strode towards the happy little boy's direction. Not a moment later, the three of them were strolling along the mall with a mouthful of sweetmeats—Gon and Killua dug into the muffins Yuhi got for them, while she munched on a box of Chocorobo Killua got for her.
They went inside a huge clothing store next when they finished their snacks, browsing through each section, trying on random hats and scarves, and guffawing at how ridiculous they looked in the mirror with peculiar, overpriced accessories on. Gon told Yuhi that they often visit the department store whenever they go to the mall because he said "Killua likes to check out clothes". Surprising, because she never imagined the boy to be much interested in the way he looked. Then again, maybe he's just fascinated by cool stuff in general and clothing was no exception.
While Yuhi cruised along the rack of overalls and oversized pastel t-shirts with cute prints, she overheard the two boys instigating a contest on who could pull off the best ensemble, and Killua mentioning "ramen girl" when Gon asked who the judge would be. Immediately, she darted towards them, bobbing a little when she reached their side, beaming. Using her phone, they set the timer to two minutes—a minute to grab pieces of clothing, and another minute to put them on.
Yuhi had positioned herself on a bench just outside the fitting room before starting, and she couldn't help but giggle when they sprinted, looking around and sighing of relief when she saw that no one paid attention to their little activity. The salespeople were quite busy attending to grown-up customers and she was glad that they were not yet part of that bunch. Shifting her gaze to check the time on her phone, two incredibly fast entities dashed past her and into the fitting rooms. She turned, and heard two familiar voices joshing from two separate cubicles. She waited patiently, feeling excited about her judging role.
Gon went out first, calling Yuhi's attention and asking her how he looked as he took a 360-degree turn, buoyantly placing his hands on his hips when he faced her again. The theme to his outfit, Yuhi thought, was refreshing and felt like spring—contrary to the dark denim pants and dark green parka jacket he wore that day. He had on straight-cut beige pants that fit him nicely, a pine green sweater vest over a light pastel mint green button-down shirt with its hems and collars exposed, and an emerald green bomber jacket to complete the get-up. Yuhi blinked and widened her eyes as she stared Gon down from head to foot, amazed at how well he could pull off the outfit. He looks so good!
"It's kind of inspired by Killua style!" he exclaimed cheerily, describing his ensemble and holding a peace sign with his fingers with that huge grin plastered on his face.
Yuhi beamed and said, "You look great!"
"Well, if you copied my style then plus points for me."
Upon hearing that voice, the girl straightened her back and leaned sideways in anticipation to Killua's outfit reveal. But it seemed as though she had miscalculated. She had, apparently, overlooked preparing herself for such scenario, because the moment he appeared in her vision, wearing that confident grin on his pretty face and looking like the ultimate boy-next-door, her heart stopped.
Breathless, she inspected Killua's guise carefully—cautiously—so as she would not startle herself even more with his splendor. He wore slim-fit raw denim pants, a light grey cardigan with Aegean-blue lining buttoned over a plain white collared shirt, and a navy-blue peacoat that complemented everything—his hair, his eyes, everything. He looked like a perfect young master of an affluent household—no, a prince, a flawless modern-day prince—and Yuhi could have sworn that her cheeks burned when her gaze landed last on his face. Oh no… He's… Why must he…? She had to catch her breath and stop her hands from cupping her face when Killua smiled. He's so handsome!
"Nice, Killua!" Gon mused as he held two thumbs ups. "As expected!"
Killua gave him a quick wink and a peace sign, taking a step back to examine what Gon had put on together, eyes wide of surprise. "Not so bad yourself!"
They shared amused snickers before straightening up and turning towards the girl who sat on the bench, with their wide grins and fine-looking existence.
"So, Yuhi, what do you think?" Gon happily asked.
But Yuhi remained stunned, staring at the boy with silver hair for two more seconds before her phone beeped loudly, signaling the two-minute mark. She jerked at the sound of it, almost dropping the gadget on the floor had she not carelessly caught it in her shaky, nervous hands. Taking deep breaths was necessary, and blinking immensely, before she decided to turn back to them. She smiled awkwardly and fixed her posture while her heartbeat raced fast towards the moon, unable to lift her eyes at their faces.
Another deep breath.
You got this, Yuhi. Calm down! "Well…hmm…" she hummed to ease her nerves, narrowed eyes trying to focus on comparing their choices and judging fairly. She liked Gon's because it was simple and fresh, but Killua's… Oh boy… Killua himself had already won her heart. She pressed her lips together and inwardly scolded herself for being a bad referee. They both looked nice. I can't decide!
Gon laughed while he waved his hands in the air. "It's okay, Yuhi! Don't stress yourself out." He then jabbed a thumb towards his Killua's direction. "I'd definitely give Killua my vote on this one!"
The latter looked at him, puzzled.
Hearing Gon say that placed Yuhi's senses back to normal. She blinked and stood up, worried that he might think she was partial to them because she had a thing for his best friend. "You both look great!" she said in all seriousness, nodding firmly to affirm her statement. "You really do! It's just that I…" Her voice trailed off, hand retreating to scratch a temple and lips curving into a sheepish smile. "I'm not really good at this, I'm sorry. But I liked both!"
The boys shared a look, a blink and another series of snickers, and Yuhi thought she was about to explode with all the blood in her face. That was embarrassing…
"Thanks!" Gon beamed. "But Killua's amazing, right?" he announced with utmost regard, turning to his best friend and stretching his hands and arms towards him as though he was presenting a magnificent creature. "I mean, look!"
Yuhi inhaled a good amount of air as she did what Gon told her to do—look.
Killua stepped back, completely flabbergasted as he stared at Gon with mortification written all over his face. "W-What!?"
Gon never removed his ecstatic gaze from Yuhi when he asked once more, "Right?". But before the girl could move her head for a nod, Killua already had an arm locked around his neck while he laughed his way out of it. Gon escaped and immediately retreated to the cubicle where his clothes were, giggling and sticking his tongue out at Killua before closing the door. "Let's go to the arcades after this!" he shouted excitedly.
"Yeah, watch me kick your butt!" Killua huffed and opened the door to his cubicle. But before he entered, he shifted his reluctant and bashful gaze towards the auburn-haired girl who stood five feet away.
Yuhi exhaled when she met his eyes, realizing that she had held her breath a little while earlier and thinking that she had to compose herself. She had to give him the compliment he deserved. Come on, be brave! He's perfect. Tell him that! With hot cheeks and pounding pulses, she sternly told him, "You really look great!"
Killua huffed and looked away, mumbling something that Yuhi could not comprehend what before shutting the door behind him.
Another deep sigh escaped the girl's lungs as she allowed her legs to crumble when she sat back down. Finally, she could cup her cheeks and control her rapid heartbeat through breathing exercises—a goofy smile spread widely across her face in the process. Oh, she would definitely keep a supercut of this in her memories and play it over and again in her head.
After a quick restroom break—and Yuhi's endless apologies for having them wait for her because of the long line going in the ladies' powder room—they walked to the escalator for the arcades. Halfway up, they were already hearing the blasting electropop music, and sounds of fake firearms, videogame effects, and white noise of people loitering. The mall's game zone was huge and occupied half of the mall's third floor. It had tons of games, probably more than what Pipedream's arcades had, and it was a blockbuster.
Yuhi looked around when they entered, expecting to see some classmates or schoolmates since it seemed that most of the people inside were their age. But so many faces went past her field of vision and finding familiar ones made her dizzy, so she decided to just follow the two boys. A small smile painted her face when she was reminded of her first date with the one with silver hair, expecting that it would be just as fun.
And it was.
Gon and Killua were hilariously competitive. They tried car racing, mini bowling, basketball, zombie killing machines, and they never failed to bet on who would have the most points. Yuhi won the racecar and basketball games, only because the two were messing around with each other, and she just gave up on the other games for laughing too much at their antics.
She had to admit, though, that they were amazing to watch when teamed up. While shooting off zombie heads with fake rifles, one that she had given up from playing because she kept on dying in the game, they gained a crowd that watched them like they were inside an action film, earning them a grand ovation when they finished with Killua's perfect shot to the head of the final zombie boss. Yuhi couldn't help but beam as she watched them raise their fists in the air and give each other one big high-five.
They bought canned drinks with the tickets they won and walked around to find more interesting games that they could play. Killua eyed the slot machines, but Gon strictly denied him access. Instead, they tried the claw machines, with Killua refusing to leave without getting "one of those weird looking toys" when he finally decided that the candy claw machine was stupid and unfair. After a few tries and countless frustrated groans, Yuhi was carrying with her a small pink piglet plushie that had crooked eyes and an awkward curved line as a smile. She found it adorable, pressing it against her chest for a hug when Killua insisted that she take it.
The time was half past four o'clock when they descended to the ground floor to check the skating rink. Seeing the longest queue that they had probably come across to that day, they decided to have a little break at the nearest fast-food chain so that they could monitor the line. Gon and Killua ordered burgers from the counter, while Yuhi ordered spaghetti, earning her a tease from the silver-haired boy and a new nickname: noodle girl. She laughed heartily at that, realizing that she did like noodles and pasta in general.
Killua almost paid for her food again, but this time Yuhi demanded a no, determined that she could handle herself. And besides, he just bought a new phone; that must have cost him a penny. A slow nod and a shrug were what he responded with. When they found a table, Gon mentioned that Killua had "magic money" so Yuhi need not worry much about that—at which Killua snorted and rolled his eyes, telling his best friend not to remind him about it, and that he only used it for emergency purposes, like buying a new phone. Yuhi opened her mouth to ask what that meant but retracted when she heard Gon say "Open it!", referring to the new gadget in Killua's hand.
As Killua enumerated its complicated specifications, Gon and Yuhi shared looks of confusion and sheepish smiles. They couldn't really comprehend it, and when Killua noticed, he grunted, borrowed Gon's phone for contacts and just proceeded in setting it up in silence, ushering the two to talk for a while as he busied himself.
After taking a big bite from his burger, Gon asked Yuhi how Roroturo and Yellich were doing and if they had plans for the spring and summer breaks. The girl swallowed the spaghetti in her mouth and cheerily told him that her family's doing great, and that they had no plans yet. It was usually in breaks that she helped at the ramen shop because of the surge in the number of customers, considering that students roamed free with their families during those times. But that was when she was an only child; there's a Yellich now, so Yuhi had no idea what to expect. Gon told her that the reason he asked was because Mito plans for them to have a vacation back home, at Whale Island, and because she needed to visit their bar.
"Mito-san is planning to open up a mini bar here as well, but she first wants to check the one she has back home. But we're still not sure when we'll go." Fries in his mouth, Gon almost leaned over the table when he exclaimed, "You should go with us! It'll be fun!"
Yuhi smiled wide from ear to ear. "I'll ask Roroturo-san if I can!" She was beginning to love random bids of adventure with these two.
"Oh," Killua suddenly mused as he stared with wide, amazed eyes at the object in his hand, grabbing Gon's and Yuhi's attention. They leaned in to have a closer look. Killua clicked on something then beamed. "Whoa! Cool!" The two leaned in more. When Gon asked what it was, Killua showed them. The memory's huge and it had lots of pre-downloaded games. He also showed them the vast amount of information he could put in a single contact. Gon noticed an icon next to the names and asked Killua to click it. When he did, they discovered that they could each take a picture of themselves and save it in his contacts. Excited, Gon asked if he could try the camera and Killua, who wanted to find out how well it worked, handed it to him.
Yuhi watched Gon take pictures of random things with wide curious eyes. She, too, was interested. They inspected the photos Gon took, a unison "Ohh!" escaping their throats as he swiped the screen for the manual slideshow. Killua seemed pleased about his purchase, same as Gon, who took more pictures and checked its quality repeatedly. He then discovered that it had a front camera. When Gon turned it on, his eyes sparkled. He took a photo of himself beaming and told Killua to add it in his contact details. Killua snorted and nodded.
"Let's add one to yours, too, Yuhi!" Gon suggested, pitch stepping an octave higher of obvious fascination.
"Oh!" Yuhi sat straight and blinked, turning to her right at Killua as if to ask permission if she could. The boy shrugged. When she looked back ahead, Gon already had the phone placed in front of her face. He smiled behind it and asked Yuhi to do the same. Suddenly conscious of her position, she quickly brushed her hair with her fingers and flexed her shoulders, posing like how she did when her photo was taken for their school ID, before fixing her eyes at the camera lens and smiling with a closed mouth—afraid that bits of spaghetti were stuck between her teeth.
Gon clicked the on-screen shutter, emitting sound. Yuhi exhaled after that, relaxing her shoulders. She was about to ask how it looked when she heard another click. And another. And another one.
Click. Click. Click. Click.
Click.
Click.
A giggle.
Killua noticed. "Hey, what are you—" He attempted to snatch the phone but Gon shunned it away.
Checking what he took before handing it back, Gon announced, "There!"
Killua took it, eyes furrowed, questioning.
A wide triumphant smile was plastered on his face when he proudly said, "Now you won't miss Yuhi so much when you can't see each other!" cackling sweetly at the view of his two flustered friends.
The queue for the skating rink was still too long for them when they stepped out of the fast-food chain. They agreed to walk and look around in that area first, with Killua's new phone in Gon's hands as he took pictures of possibly every object he found interesting.
Yuhi walked with Killua as they followed Gon and talked about him and his new-found mania for a while. He then had asked her how she was that day so far, and she answered him with a sunny smile and a "It's fun! I'm having so much fun!" Pausing and savoring his small smile, she asked, "Are you?"
"Yeah," he said, looking ahead and stretching his arms behind his head, that same smile not leaving his face. "I am."
It was perhaps the overflowing joy that the day has brought her, or the thrill of having them both as company, that her heartstrings were constantly pulled in a melodic fashion. But she knew, that above all else, she was grateful—for the wonderful things that was happening for her and her friends. She took a deep breath and fixed her bright auburn eyes at Killua. "I'm so glad." –of the fact that he, too, was having fun in her presence.
The boy noticed her and turned to look back, dropping his arms to sides. They paused in their tracks as he continued to gaze into her eyes, smile slowly disappearing, but his features remained soft and gentle, giving Yuhi enough courage to stare back. She could be in that place all day, willingly swim in his pretty irises, and she would never wane. The thought of it made her smile even more. Killua returned it when he saw, placing his hands in his pockets.
"Killua, Yuhi, let's take a photo in front of the Christmas tree!"
Both turned to look at where they heard Gon, standing only a few meters away, and saw him waving a hand. They looked at each other for a second and snickered before rushing towards the giant Christmas tree in the middle of the floor.
They took a couple of group pictures using the front camera. Then Gon left their little pack and positioned himself about seven feet away, in front from them, holding the camera phone up and ushering the two of them to smile for a picture. Gon took many shots, too many continuous shots, and the last of them captured an annoyed Killua marching towards him and trying to snatch, again, the gadget from his hand. Gon managed to, again, shun it away while he laughed, handing the phone over to Yuhi and asking if she could take his and his best friend's picture together. The latter happily offered a hand. Seconds later, it was her turn to hold the camera phone up and tell them to smile. She took one, and another, and milliseconds before she clicked the on-screen shutter on the third one, Killua had wrapped an arm around Gon's neck and pinched his cheek hard. Yuhi laughed so much upon seeing what she had captured and laughed even more when Gon started chasing Killua around the Christmas tree for revenge.
She shook her head of awe as she watched them run around like little kids. She was about to take a step forward when she paused, hearing a tiny familiar beep sound. Intuitively, she lifted the phone to check, then, slowly, her smile had vanished, and her eyes grew wide of numb shock, realizing that the gadget in her trembling hand was not hers when she read the notification.
It was a text.
'okay! talk to you later, i love you!'
Gasping, she instantly put the phone down, every pulse in her body throbbing loud and hard against her skin, breathless and mind a blackhole. She missed the sender's name. Should she read again? She couldn't think, but she knew what she was feeling—guilt, turmoil and devastation. But she was resisting the latter, quickly fighting with her heart which seemed to have dissolved inside her chest. No. She scanned around, finding familiar faces. When she saw Killua approaching, a playful grin spread widely across his face as he secured a tight armlock about Gon's neck, she knew she had to compose herself. She took a deep breath and Killua caught her gaze just in time. Stretching her feeble arm out, she silently said, "You have… a message."
Yuhi observed him with thoughtful eyes. He did not seem to notice her suddenly uncharacteristic tone as he casually reached for it and checked. Then, as how Yuhi reacted earlier, his smile slowly dropped. She waited, heart beating to the sound of an atomic bomb.
Jaws clenching, Killua asked, "You read it?" as he lifted his anxious eyes at her.
His reaction made want to close her eyes and wish it away. She swallowed and carefully nodded, knowing that it was wrong for her read someone else's messages. "By accident…" She wanted to apologize, but somehow, she could not say it.
Gon had probably noticed the sudden stiffness in the air caused by the text message in Killua's phone, so he leaned towards it to take a little peak, curious as to who or what that might be. He blinked, then his face lightened up. "Ah!" Beaming, he said, "Alluka-chan!"
Alluka…? She had not heard of that name before. She wanted so much to assume that it was not a girl, but the name and the text instantly disproved the idea. Questions started forming inside Yuhi's empty mind at that time. Does she go to our school? Why does Gon know her? Why doesn't she know her? Is she…? Does he…? It was unthinkable. She could never—would never—accept it. She wanted answers. "Who's Alluka?" She tried to sound as gentle as possible.
But Killua only stared at her, his expression unfaltering, and it was beginning to cut through Yuhi's chest. It was starting to hurt.
It was Gon who responded, though not to her, but to his best friend, with a huff and hands on his hips. "Killua, you didn't tell her?"
The pain was like poison, gradually spreading throughout her body and slowly killing her. She felt numb. What…?
Finally, Killua moved. He blinked and removed his eyes from hers, looking down as though he was thinking. "Not yet."
Yuhi waited. It was all she could do at that moment.
Gon took a deep, audible sigh as he waited for what Killua had to say. After seconds of silence, he nodded once and turned to Yuhi and smiled his widest. "Well, since you now know, Alluka's actually Killua's—"
"Girlfriend," Killua said silently, voice cracking, almost whispering.
Heh—? Yuhi thought she was imagining things. Did she hear it right? She never removed her gaze from him as she waited, still, for him to say something else, anything, other than what she thought she heard him say. Look at me. His eyes; she wanted to see them, wanting to confirm if what his lips uttered coincided with what his eyes conveyed. When he finally lifted them—slightly; only peering from behind his forelocks—Yuhi felt her entire world crashing. What…are you saying…? She wanted to crash along with it, but she was immobile. She couldn't move, she couldn't think, she couldn't say anything, she couldn't breathe.
None was visible in her line of sight at that time other than that painfully perfect silver-haired boy, and all the moments she had with him that played in fast-forward right before her very eyes. When the mental tape had ended, she found her breath, inhaling a good amount of air before letting out a faint "Oh…" She blinked and looked away, concentrating on not looking down for her tears might fall and she would not know how to stop. "I'm sorry… I… didn't know…" She wanted to run away, far, far away from there. Go. Move. Move along. Move on.
"Killua."
Gon's stern tone caught her attention. He was standing straight with his arms crossed against his chest, giving Killua a severe stare. Quite wary and afraid, so, so afraid of what she might see, she reluctantly shifted her gaze towards the latter, seeing his bashful countenance from earlier slowly transforming into one huge impish grin—that familiar grin.
And then, a smug smile. "Gotcha. Now we're even."
Yuhi blinked, trying to put his words in the right places inside her brain. Even? But her heart, oh, it had dropped down her gut, and she could not seem to pull it back up. The cuts were still there. And they stung. "What do you mean?"
"Alluka's my little sister." Another smug smile.
Sister. It echoed in her head—sister—as though she was familiarizing herself with the word. Sister. Similar to how she first did it when her brother revealed his identify to her. Sister. Looking at Gon was necessary. When he beamed and nodded, she blinked again, looking back at Killua with wide eyes. Little sister. Her brain was starting to accept it, and it ushered her to lift the corners of her lips and celebrate the fact that Killua is actually a big brother. But her heart was far from recovering, because when she did smile, her knees felt weak and she collapsed forward, head landing on Killua's shoulder.
"O-Oi—"
"Yuhi, are you okay!?"
It was too much for her nerves—her reading that text, with those three big words, not knowing that it was from his sister; Killua telling her he had a girlfriend after all. She was physically unable to bear it, and the aftermath of what it made her feel manifested when she broke into a smile, something that, perhaps, her heart refused to accept yet. And she was right, she was unable to stop her tears from streaming down her face once it starts. She cried silently, pouring out what had been built up in her chest in her little moment earlier. But inside, she was laughing. She's incredibly happy, so happy because she finally got to know something about Killua's family.
"Oh no! Killua, you made her cry!"
"No, I— Ah— Can we, like, go someplace… Gon!"
"There!"
"C'mon."
An arm wrapped around her shoulder and guided her to walk. Killua. Yuhi followed, face hiding under her hair as she continuously wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. Soon, they stopped, and she wished that her tears would also stop. Gon said that he would get some tissue and Yuhi heard his footsteps sprint away. She opted to break away from Killua's jacket, embarrassed of the fact that she cried in front of him, to him, on him for something that was not even real. But that arm around her shoulder was tough, yet tender as it pushed her back into that same spot she was in before they moved.
Yuhi wanted so much to apologize for reacting the way she did, but she couldn't utter a word, not yet—not when her throat was blocked with endless sniffles. She buried her face more against Killua's shoulder, serving as an anchor while she tried to control her breathing and lessen the whimpers. It somehow worked. She took a breath. "I'm…"—she sniffed—"sor…ry…" She felt dumb for having mixed up her emotions and not knowing how to control them.
"No," Killua hushed her softly and hesitantly reached for the back of her head. Yuhi felt him breathe, then, delicately, he ran his palm against it, stroking it. "I shouldn't have said that," he silently said, almost mumbling, "I'm sorry."
She felt at ease, so comfortable that she wanted to stay longer, and talk more. "You have a sister," she said, making an effort in sounding as enthusiastic about it as her heart was. She heard him smile.
"Yeah, I do."
"That's really"—a sniffle—"amazing. You're an onii-chan." She smiled as Yellich went past her train of thoughts. She wondered how Killua took care of her sister as well. Was he like her brother? Alluka… She must be lucky. Having someone like him as a big brother.
A snicker. "Yeah, guess so."
However, Alluka did not have Killua with her for a long, long time now, and the thought of it baffled Yuhi. It took a while before she had asked, "Do you miss her?" But Killua only took a deep breath, and the conversation was over. She was okay with that. He could tell her more about it whenever he felt ready. She sighed and closed her eyes, feeling every ounce of Killua's hold.
She was aware of everything, the way he touched her hair, the way he talked, the way he was handling her emotional mess, she was noticing every little detail, and her heart was beginning to accept it. Her chest caved as she took deep breaths, but it was not the same painful cuts she felt a little while ago, it was the familiar sensation that spread happy cells throughout her body. And she could now feel her smile forming without the heavy, ugly tears. She stayed there for a while, head resting on her angel's shoulder, until her sniffles had exhausted themselves.
Gon came back with a packet of facial tissue, a bottled water and truckload of concern. He held them for her and waited until she was ready to show her face to them before asking if she was okay.
Lifting her head, she checked the area. They were at the far-end corner of the entrance, completely void of passersby. Yuhi cleared her face before speaking, wiping away the tearstains from her cheeks and neck, and pressed a palm on Killua's left shoulder to check if it was wet. It was, but he told her not to worry about it. She thanked them both, answering Gon's question with a sheepish smile and a ceaseless apology, explaining that she just got carried away by the situation and assuring them that it would never happen again. She thanked them again, and again, and apologized again, and again. She felt like she ruined the gleeful atmosphere they were having earlier.
"Don't be sorry, Yuhi!" Gon said as he waved his hands in the air. "It's totally fine! You can always cry if you want!" He then turned to his best friend, a sharp sigh escaping his nose. "Killua should have told you the truth, ne."
It was true. But she understood why Killua did that, and she thought that it was quick-witted of him. However, she still thought that it was bad. She would let it slide, but it was still bad. He did it on purpose, ne…
"I already said I'm sorry!" Killua exclaimed for the nth time, groaning a little at the end of his sentence and pointing at Gon with an annoyed frown on his face. "Hey, you didn't react like this when it happened to me!"
"That's because you made Yuhi cry!"
Killua was about to do a retort, but he kept it to himself and groaned again. "That's why," he released another groan, "I said I was sorry!"
Gon took one deep breath and instantly returned to his cheerful tone. "So, I guess we're all okay?" he asked, look to and fro the two of them with a wide smile on his face. Yuhi returned the beam and nodded while Killua snorted. Gon merrily bounced. "Great! Skating rink?"
The three of them simultaneously turned their heads towards the large box of ice from a few meters away and was surprised at how the long queue from earlier decreased to zero. They shared looks—two were confused, one was smiling.
"Apparently, the long line is for the sale at the Department Store!" Gon pointed to the large glassed store just right behind the skating rink. They looked. "The skating rink actually has no queue, look!" The two turned to where Gon was then pointing.
Killua ruffled his hair frustratingly as he groaned. "I don't know if I'm annoyed or glad of that information."
"Today's their last day here. Let's go? Let's go? Let's go?"
Yuhi could not help but chuckle and equal Gon's bouncy aura. She nodded. "Let's! Let's! Let's!" It had been a while she skated on ice.
They walked with fast, ecstatic strides towards to the rink, with Gon walking two steps ahead, excited about reaching it immediately. Killua told Yuhi that it's Gon's first time to try a man-made skating rink because there were only frozen ponds and lakes to skate in at Whale Island whenever there was snow. The girl stared at Gon's jumpy back when she heard that, wishing that she had known it sooner. A thought came to mind at that, and turning to the silver-haired boy, she decided that she would not hold back anymore.
"Killua?" she called. When he looked, she let out one sunny smile and said, "I'd like to know more about you too."
The boy blinked of mild surprise the moment Yuhi said that. Then slowly, the corners of his lips lifted into a small gentle smile. "Okay, noodle girl."
-CHAPTER END-
LONG A/N FORGIVE ME: I had so much fun writing this; my hearttttt! I mentally high-fived Gon plenty of times in this chapter. Yes. It is true. Gon has joined our fluff club, ladies. (speaking of hearts, Yuhi had many, many mini heart attacks in this chapter, right? LMAO babygirlimsosorrybutimnotsorry). So, how do you like it so far? Do you think this Saturdate could have happened differently? What do you think of the Alluka reveal? Aaaa I'm really excited about this! Also, which chapter is your favorite so far? Please, let me know you thinkkk. I'll let you in on my thoughts (answers to these questions) in the next chapter! :D
A little trivia about the previous chapter: I mentioned that it's important because it shows how much they've progressed in their 'relationship'. If you have time, read the first half of Chapter 16 (up until Yuhi hops in the bus), and then read Chapter 30 (from the part where Yuhi and Killua were walking to their classrooms from the clinic). It is subtle but you'll see what I mean :3 Oh and in Ch30, remember the first text Yuhi received that morning? It's the Main Four's birth days lol
Replies to guest reviews~
Guest/s: Not sure if you're just one person but THANK YOU for leaving a review! It feels really nice to get reviews considering that I went on hiatus for five years lol I'm glad that this story makes you happy and for sharing your thoughts! Hope you will continue to share them with me in the future chapters as well! See update schedule below :)
NoodlePooh: Not a guest review but your messaging feature is off so imma reply here. Wow, thank you for your kind words it really means a lot. I'm so, so, so glad that you loved their small interaction because so much thought and emotion were poured into those lol I'm glad to be back! I know, this quarantine sucks but I hope you stay safe! Aaaaa I wanted so bad to reply to your questions on the update sched but your PM is off :( anyway, please see update schedule below :)
Jonica77: Jonica hello! Haha! Yuhi's thoughts are really confusing; sometimes I just stop and think if everything that goes on inside her head is described right, and if they sound okay in writing. She has too many emotions and her feelings for Killua are just too much (wonder when she'll realize it lol). I'm really glad that you liked the interaction! I'm so happy /cries/ Thank you!
NEXT CHAPTER: Yuhi has finally let Killua know that she is interested in his life's story, and Killua acknowledges it. Maybe he'll be able to tell her stories about his past now? Possibly also call her by her real name already? Oh, and the Saturdate has not ended yet!
I normally post an update about this story (publish sched, delays, random thoughts, outline excerpts, references) on my Tumblr or Twitter account. So hit me up if you want to ask me stuff about this story or just talk to me (lol). Check my bio for links/usernames. That's all, thank you! Please be safe and review I love you xx
UPDATE SCHEDULE: Weekend; Saturday or Sunday, no specific time, (I might update on a Monday if schedule is hectic) PST. Every two/three weeks.
