A/N: Hi! It's me again. Sorry for the long interval. Life has been giving me lemons lately and I'm still trying to make lemonade out of it all. How are you? Hope you all are safe and sound. Thank you to everyone who read the previous chapter and to all who have been keeping up with me on this fic. Really, really, really appreciate it. Thank you also for the lovely reviews! They keep me going. I honestly don't know how I'm going to continue this if not for your reviews. So, thank you. So much. For your time. As always. I forgot to celebrate breaching 30 chapters so let's celebrate today! I'm so happy that we've come this far, thank you so much for your love and support for Yuhi and the gang!
Also, this story will turn 7y/o on July 7th *cries*, so I'm going to do something special that day (PST). I'll mention some details about this in my (long) footnote A/N. For now, here's Chapter 32! Hope you enjoy this one. :)
Doki = sound of a heartbeat
Disclaimer: Togashi is an excellent writer.
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
100%
A faint squeaking sound echoed inside the almost empty ladies' room when Yuhi twisted the faucet lever to turn it off, lightly whisking her hands and drying them off with tissue paper. Turning from the trash bin and towards the door, she glanced at herself in the mirror, paused and pursed her lips to suppress an urgent snicker breaking free from her ribs.
It was funny how surprised she always gets whenever she caught herself smiling again.
Perhaps it was because she was reminded once more of how she almost swam through the ice the second she stepped on it with rented skates on her feet, gagging as she struggled to get back up with the help of Gon's concerned hands. Perhaps it was because despite embarrassing herself in front of the two and witnessing Killua have the time of his life teasing her, she never wanted to hide. She even found it funny, and she felt comfortable, so, so at ease, that it was as though she could do anything without the need for a lookout, without the need for sanction. The sense of liberation washed over her as she glided, meekly, through the ice and felt the cool vapor tickle her pores.
She felt amazing.
Gon and Killua were amazing.
The last time Yuhi skated was when she was nine at Pipedream, and she was doing well back then. She even remembered practicing small turns and calling Roroturo's attention from the bleachers to show him. Though after that, she never really went out for recreational activities. But in her mind, she still knew how to skate, yet her legs seemed to have forgotten it. Gon and Killua; they were patient and heartwarmingly encouraging. When she managed to stand straight again, they waited for her to slide her feet forward, with Gon cheering her on and Killua giving her the warmest grin. When she finally did, they all raised their fists in the air and shouted a triumphant "Yeah!".
After that, her jaws locked into a bright, sunny smile, with her auburn eyes glistening wide at the sight of the two boys who showed her their awesome flips and spins, and squinting of laughter whenever they held little friendly contests on who did it better. But Yuhi figured the best thing about it—about the entire trip—was the tranquil comfort she felt in their presence.
She had never been so carefree outside of her home.
The smile she held on her face grew wider as she felt her heart accept that feeling over and again. It was wonderful, and for the first time in a long while, she wanted something for herself to have—a kind of friendship that she would treasure for all her life. She felt so lucky, so blessed, and just so darn happy.
A giggle escaped her throat instead as she recalled how she felt. Immediately she pressed her lips together and looked around to check if anyone saw her comical antic. Seeing only the cleaner replenishing tissue and a lady who just entered, she went back to her reflection, inwardly scolding herself with a shake of the head when she realized how scruffy she looked and fixed herself quickly. It was getting late.
Gon and Killua were waiting for her by the huge Christmas tree, eyes fixed on the gadget the latter held in his hand. Yuhi's instant smile grew and her heart raced whenever they came into view, and it always made her want to run to them straight away. She was about to but halted when she bumped into someone who came out of the men's restroom, adjacent to where she stood. They must have gone out at the same time, so Yuhi turned to him to apologize for not looking before rushing out. But, again, she paused—rather, she hesitated, awestruck of his grandeur.
He was a tall, lean man with pale skin and long black hair. Yuhi had no idea why his air suddenly made her speechless, because he seemed normal and had a pleasant, although impassive, face. But his eyes were striking, as though they were a black hole of an abyss where she was being pulled into. She had to blink and avoid it, smiling sheepishly and muttering her apologies. She ushered him to go first but he did the same. So, after a reluctant bow, she sprinted out of the hallway and back into the bright dome of the mall, shrugging continuously and smiling to herself to get rid of the weird tingling sensation that suddenly crawled against her skin.
Gon and Killua were laughing at something on the phone when she reached them. Yuhi saw what it was from where she stood. It was a candid photo of Gon halfway through taking a bite from a huge piece of meat during dinner a little while ago. They had been laughing at it since Killua took the shot, and seeing it again triggered hearty cackles to come out of Yuhi's lungs.
Killua was the first one to notice her. "Oh?" he mused, eyes growing wide and lips forming into that tireless cheeky grin that seemed to be the favorite of his that day, and teasingly said, "You finally fixed your hair."
"Yes, I did!" Yuhi chuckled, trying her best to ignore the fact that Killua noticed how messy her hair had been the entire time.
He grinned some more.
Doki doki.
Gon laughed and grabbed the bag of groceries that sat by his feet—groceries Mito had asked them to buy. "Let's go?" he asked, facing the exit.
Yuhi nodded with a smile. Killua followed.
The stories they told each other while walking to the bus stop and while inside the bus were endless. Yuhi found it quite funny how eager they were about sharing every fun bit of their little trip as though they did not spend any of it together.
Sweet, hearty cackles of three teenagers resonated inside the busy bus faring back to Tomo as they recollected hilarious scenes of that day's episode. The boy with the spiky hair never waned in expressing how thrilled he was of the manmade skating rink, emphasizing the difference of how it felt compared to when he skated in frozen lakes and ponds at Whale Island, and reminding Yuhi of his invitation to his homeland when they go back.
Yuhi adored Gon's excitement of the wonders of the outdoors. It was as though she was listening to a child talk about his first ever experience of travelling out of town and playing inside a mall. Killua, on the other hand, hinted several times that he had strolled around the city before coming to Whale Island. Whenever Gon mentioned something they did that was new to him, Killua would swiftly say that he had tried it, personally—once or twice—and Yuhi would desire to know more. However, Killua quickly changed the subject each time or ushered Gon to continue his stories.
Yuhi was certain that she would eventually be bummed about Killua unknowingly denying her access to information about him. But instead, her eagerness and interest grew more and more by the minute. She was enthused by him, greatly. She wanted to get to know him so much.
The topic of "Alluka" had become her trump card, a key to his persona, and she liked how it was now out in the open, something that they could freely talk about. It was a refreshing information to behold, and Gon seemed equally enthusiastic of the fact that she now knew that Killua had a sister.
Gon talked about Alluka over dinner, describing what she looked like and what her personality was like based on his conversations with her. Yuhi then found out that Gon had yet to meet her in person but talked to her over the phone and would see her over a videocall. When he paused to let Killua talk, he only said "Well, she's almost fourteen" and "She's probably at home 'cause she can't leave the house", which Yuhi got wondering again what his family was like. She attempted to ask, but her interest promptly shifted when Killua showed her a picture of Alluka that he kept in his wallet.
How cute! was the first thing Yuhi thought of the second she saw the half-body picture of a girl with long, layered black hair and full bangs, smiling cheerily while she held an ice cream cone in one hand, the other hand waving at the camera. She told Killua that, bouncing a little in her seat, and received a proud smile from the latter as a response, running his fingers through his hair and joking that "Well, she's born after me, so…"
Yuhi was suddenly reminded of her brother with what Killua said and it made her laugh. Then she paused when she noticed his silver hair; Alluka's hair color was black. She then inspected the photo with a delicate touch and wide eyes, repeatedly looking at the face in the paper and the one who owned it, trying to find resemblances. Well, Yuhi thought then, eyebrows furrowing, they kind of look alike. Slowly, her lips formed into a small smile, which grew wider and wider as she lifted her eyes to lock onto Killua's, staring at them as though they were a painting that hung on a museum's wall. It took Killua about five seconds before he blinked and looked away, muttering a ruffled "W-What?" under his breath. Yuhi beamed and declared her discovery that they had the same eye color, and that she found it cute. Gon seconded her then with an excited nod, expressing how pretty he always thought of his best friend's eyes.
"Like the sea!" Gon exclaimed.
Yuhi eagerly nodded in agreement, soft cackles escaping her throat as her heart skipped beats at the view of Killua's sea blue eyes in her head. She turned to him to see them in person and giggled even more when she saw how red his face had become.
It was almost ten o'clock when they reached Yuhi's stop. Killua hopped off with her, waving a hand at Gon whose wide smile never wavered even as the bus throttled away with him in it. Yuhi lingered at where it disappeared into, sighing at the afterthought of Gon pouting because he couldn't stay with his friends for a little longer. If Mito didn't give him a call earlier that night, he would have. A long sigh escaped Yuhi's lungs. She, too, wanted to stay a little longer. She didn't want the day to end.
As flashbacks played fast in her head, she perked up and gave Killua one sunny smile. "Today was fun!" she noted—possibly for the third time that evening alone, but he didn't seem to mind.
He looked back at her pleasantly and nodded, faint smoke escaping his lips as he exhaled. "Yeah," he said, tucking his hands in his jacket's pockets, small smile subtly transforming into a jester's smirk. "You're fun to watch. Tripping and all."
Yuhi's heart dance gleefully at the sight of him looking comfortable and blissful like that—so much so, that she thought her silly, clumsy self was something she could be proud of, because she was making him smile with it. She couldn't help but let out the overflowing felicity with a giggle, nodding in regard. "Well, you're welcome!"
The cool winter wind then howled and nipped her cheeks, and it signaled them to head towards the ramen shop for heat. Yuhi blew warm breaths on her palms and cupped her face with them repeatedly as they walked. The night was getting colder by the minute. It froze her skin, but her chest was warm. She wanted to know if Killua felt the same.
"What a day, huh?" she started, eyes on the sidewalk, inwardly counting the number of lampposts they would have to pass by before they reach the ramen shop. There were seven more. "I still can't believe that you have a little sister." Her hands were cupped to her cheeks when she looked at him, and she felt them warm up in an instant. Killua walked with an easy and amiable air. It made her heart skip beats and playfully say, "Killua onii-chan."
Killua snickered at the air and said, "I swear, that sounds so weird when you say it," before looking at her with affable disbelief.
Yuhi knew that. Killua told her the same thing when she called him onii-chan while they skated together fast, and he let her hold on to his jacket. "It's cute!" she exclaimed, giggling. It was meant as a tease, but she liked the sound of it so much she wanted to say it over and over. The fact that Killua's a big brother instantly became her most favorite thing about him.
"You're not gonna let that go, are you?" he asked with a grin.
"Nope!"
Killua rolled his eyes as he looked away, faking a scoff.
Yuhi had to take a breath to compose herself. She found him too charming with his cheeks a little flushed—whether it was because of the weather or because of what she said, she didn't heed. "I guess I just never imagined you having a sibling." She then looked up at the lampposts and sighed. Six more. "It's pretty exciting, you see, knowing something new about you."
"Well," he cleared his throat, "you're not the only one with family secrets."
Yuhi nodded. "I know that now," she said with a cackle, inhaling a good amount of air as her heart twirled to the soothing sound of the wind. She breathed into her palms and cupped her cheeks again with them, contemplating on whether she should ask about Killua's family that night. Would it sound weird? She honestly did not know how to start.
"Noodle girl."
Her thoughts vanished when she heard him call her that again, turning to him and trying to give him a menacing glare—at which she failed because she knew that she was smiling anyway. Killua was smirking when he glanced at her. He was not done with the bantering remarks that day. "Noodles are great, ne!" she retorted, laughing and lightly planting a small fist on his arm.
"Whoa, that was by far the best ramen girl speech I have ever heard," he teased, looking at her again with wide eyes and that same impish grin plastered on his face the entire day.
Yuhi spread her arms a little and curtsied. "I, thank you." They both laughed, and as she returned to the sidewalk, seeing the ramen shop's sign just a few meters away, she sighed once more, cupping her cheeks to hide her pout. Her heart badly wished that they would never run out of lampposts to pass by.
Five more.
"Can I ask you something?"
For some reason, she felt that Killua was about to rag her again since he had been at it for quite a while now. So, she braced herself, massaging her brain for the perfect quick-witted rebuttal before answering, "What's that?"
A pause.
Yuhi looked to inquire what was keeping him but he was looking away. All she could see were his eyelashes fanning as he blinked and that faint smoke from his lips as he exhaled. She cocked her head to the left to get a good glimpse of what he was hiding.
Killua managed to glance at her before shunning his gaze to look at the road. "I'm just wondering." He blinked and glanced again. "What would you do if I didn't ask you to hang out?" he mumbled silently, but it was slow and careful enough for Yuhi to decipher.
She turned ahead, wide eyes blinking, lips pursing. Her eyebrows creased a little, thoughtful. She did not see that question coming so she had to rearrange the words she had in her brain. Killua had asked her what she would have done if he reacted negatively to her confession, and she had to respond to it. Perhaps it was an important thing for him to know, Yuhi reckoned, because he looked and sounded cautious in asking it was as though he had been thinking about it for a while.
The answer, however, was not appearing in her train of thoughts. She didn't know. She just went with her gut feeling that time after all.
So, she recalled that night and imagined herself back in the situation, but with Killua looking at her straight in the face and saying nothing, expressing nothing. In her imagery, she had asked him to say something, but he just stood there, not moving a muscle. Then she imagined him walking away, or telling her to get out of his life, and she felt a prick in her chest—a prick that deflated her heart. "I would…" she shifted her gaze back at Killua and met his waiting blue eyes. "I wouldn't know what to do."
They stared at each other for a while, pausing in their tracks directly under a lamppost. Yuhi took a mental note of her count—four more—but that was unimportant now. Killua wallowed in her eyes in a way that she had not seen before—or maybe it was just dark and the streetlights drew unfamiliar shadows on his irises—and whatever it was, he was making her feel as though she should be touching his face. But she suddenly tensed when it came to mind that they were now talking about that night when she told him that she liked him. Her heart raced as the cool wind blustered around their ankles. "Why," she breathed out, "do you ask?"
The boy blinked at the end of Yuhi's question, instantly looking away and running a hand over his nape. "Nothing," he mumbled. "It's just that," —a glance— "don't you think it's weird?" he turned a heel and they walked again, unhurriedly—surely.
Yuhi looked up to think once more, trying to figure out in her head what Killua meant by that. When she decided that she couldn't answer his question, she asked, "What is?"
Another glance and a subtle groan.
She had the urge to look at him when she heard that sound and convinced herself that it wasn't for her, and figured she's right, because he didn't look annoyed. But she noticed how the faint red hue on his cheeks were now of a deeper shade compared to a minute ago. He also kept glancing and mumbling sentences between his lips. Maybe he was struggling to put his thoughts into words, Yuhi thought then, so she patiently waited, not averting her gaze from a small blemish on his nose.
"I mean, I'm not really…" his voice trailed off, then recovered, "Don't you feel weird that I asked to hang out?"
Her heartbeat was beginning to pulsate at a faster rate with every question Killua was throwing at her. She could be thinking about what to answer first, but she was more eager to find out why he was asking these things. Quickly, carefully, she answered, "No. Why would I feel weird? Do you feel weird?"
Killua shrugged, holding his shoulders up for two seconds before letting it fall. He glanced again before shaking his head and mumbling, "I just never asked a girl to hang out before. Don't really know if it's okay or whatever."
Yuhi thought that holding her breath was necessary as she watched Killua catch her gaze for seconds before giving the night sky his attention, bashful, the color on his pale face now a perfect shade of pink. Her chest caved in; heartstrings musically being pulled by the tiny Killuas she stored in her heart, fingers itching to touch his skin.
"In any case," he exhaled and relaxed, as though he, too, was holding his breath the entire time, "if you don't find it weird, then I guess it's fine."
Yuhi paused in her tracks, aware that a streetlight hovered above them, but she lost count of it in her head. She took a breath. "I never really planned on telling you that night." When Killua turned to face her, she found the courage to continue. "I was still thinking about it. No, actually," —she looked down and fiddled with the string of the paper bag she had in her hands— "I was thinking of not telling you anymore. But seeing you that day, that night, I just… It felt like my heart would explode."
She then stopped, lifting her clasped hands and pressing them against her chest. She felt her lips transform into a smile and accept that truth in her heart—that she had broken down her walls for Killua, and that he chose to see right through it. At that point, the latter was giving her a look of utter surprise—his eyes wide, blinking, lips slightly apart, eyebrows unsure which line to make—and Yuhi adored it. She adored how his nose crinkled a little when he sniffed after her sentence, how his irises twinkled in the dark, how his cheeks burned a palette darker.
Killua's initial response was to step back, leaning away a little as he blurted out, "W-Why are you telling me this all of a sudden?" But he never looked aggravated despite himself, and it made Yuhi a tad braver.
She looked down to try and hide her giggles. She didn't find him funny, yet her sappy emotions had started a wildfire in her veins, tickling her. "I want to let you know how I feel about it." She pressed her lips that desperately wanted to widen her smile. "You talking to me after I told you that I…like you was more than enough. It made me so happy." Inhaling a good amount of air was necessary before looking back at him, for Yuhi knew that Killua would take her breath away the instant she does. She basked in his stunned gaze for a while; still couldn't believe herself to be awake each time she looked at him and saw that he always returned it. "You asking me to hang out was more than I could ask for. In whatever way you want to spend it is okay with me." Finally, she released that smile and prepared her heart for what she wanted to say next—what she wanted to let him know. "I'm happy to just be with you, Killua."
The clock ticked for seconds as they stood in the middle of an empty street, gaze fixed at each other's eyes as though they beheld the world's wonders. In those seconds, Killua had not responded with anything but a bat of the eyelids. Words seemed to have escaped him, and it was beginning to make Yuhi feel uneasy of her position. Was it too much? Was it right to tell him that at this point? Did she even answer his questions? She wanted to ask but was afraid of what and how he might react. Instead, she broke the gaze and stared at her booths, trying to hide the change in her expression with her hair.
Does he feel the same?
She sighed and rubbed her palms together before cupping her cheeks with them again. "Sorry if that sounded weird," she muttered, more to herself than to Killua.
After an eon of silence, the latter finally spoke. "It's, uh…" But his voice trailed off again, so Yuhi took the opportunity to return to him, catching his gaze for a second before he looked away. She waited, again, for his words. "You don't have to be sorry for anything. I mean, it's not weird." Killua glanced, hesitantly, and for a second there Yuhi noticed that the tint on his pale face was becoming more vivid amidst the black and white opulence of the night. And as the second became two, and three, and four, the blush on his skin became more and more arresting, and Yuhi was starting to think that Killua might be cold because it had also spread to his nose. She stared at it for a while before she felt his gaze at her and lifted her eyes to lock onto his.
Killua seemed uncertain of what to do, but his creased eyebrows and wide eyes convinced Yuhi that he was determined to say something. He swallowed to wet his dry throat, cleared it, and uttered, "I feel the same," too abruptly—as though it was a sin for him to express such a thing—but nonetheless, he continued, speaking to a pebble on the pavement, "kinda relieved that you agreed to hang out 'cause I… I wouldn't know what to think if you didn't."
Yuhi had always daydreamed about telling Killua what was in her heart. For countless of times, she had practiced confessing to him in her head; it had always been her who let him know about how she fancied him. But the picture of Killua looking her in the eyes and expressing what he thought about anything relating to her emotions never came to mind. Perhaps it was because she never wanted herself to expect something from him—a safety net for her fragile heart. So, in that moment, when she heard every syllable from Killua's lips, she was bewitched. His magic had rendered her speechless and made her heartbeat fast, and fast and faster.
Although stunned, Yuhi wanted to respond with something that would convey how wild her pulses hammered against her skin. She wanted to let him know how strongly she felt for him. Thus, she searched for dialogues inside her brain, but all she could find in there were his words and his voice. But seeing his face coloring even more immediately after speaking triggered her arms to move. And without second-guessing, she reached out for his cheeks and cupped them with both hands, pressing her warm palms gently on their icy flesh, stroking lightly with her thumbs.
Killua flinched at the sudden touch. But he relaxed after a while, exhaling deeply through his nose without removing his gaze from her face. "…what?" he whispered with prudence in his tone.
Yuhi didn't realize that she was breathing heavily because of her fast beating heart until after he spoke. But she let it be. She didn't want to think about anything at that moment. She only wanted to look at him and let her emotions flow through her veins like paper boats on a still and tranquil river. And she wanted to transmit those paper boats in his heart through her fingertips. "Your face," she said, "is cold."
Killua blinked, his wide eyes unchanging. "Oh."
And I… I want to be the one to warm them up, she thought, sensing her own face warm at how real it felt. She knew what she wanted to tell him then and again. "Thank you, Killua, for recognizing me." She smiled, and it felt so good. "I'm really glad that we get to hang out."
It was as though time stood still as Yuhi felt her pulses bang loud and hard against Killua's burning cheeks. It was the only thing she was hearing that time, and she badly wanted him to listen to it too. But Killua was thoughtful—rather, flabbergasted, flushed; blood rinsing the bridge of his nose in an instant. After a second or two, unable to turn his head away, he broke the gaze, timid pupils looking to the right to avoid any eye contact. "You're so cheesy," he muttered under his breath.
And Yuhi couldn't anymore resist the urge to free the glee in her chest. She cackled softly as she retrieved her hands, finding the boy's reaction to every mawkish declaration too adorable for her tiny heart to contain.
Seeing her laugh from the corners of his eyes made him smile so wide he had to snort and scoff to die it down a little, poking Yuhi's right cheek in the process and calling her "Weirdo noodle girl". Yuhi laughed even more, but she stopped when the wind howled angrily under their toes. Killua cleared his throat. "It's getting cold out here," he said, jabbing a thumb toward the ramen shop.
Yuhi nodded in agreement and followed where his shadow led them. It was cold out, but she didn't care. She figured that she could be in any place and in any weather, and she'd be okay with it—as long as she's with Killua.
The ramen shop was only a few feet away from where they stood a little while ago, and when they reached the front porch, without even a millisecond after they faced each other for goodbyes, the door had burst open and revealed Yellich, gawking at his sister with a face that read a look of utter concern. He instantly pulled her in a tight embrace—so tight Yuhi felt as though she was being wringed dry—and stroked the back of her head while recurrently chanting apologies and asking if she was okay. Yuhi had no idea what went through her brother's mind, but then she understood when she heard him hum sad sobs from his throat. She laughed sheepishly and assured him that she was fine, with the cheeriest tone of voice she could muster—at which Yellich pulled away, without removing his hands from her shoulders, to stare at her face, pouting and looking as though he was about to cry.
"I'm so sorry!" he bawled, sniffing. "Will you ever, ever, ever forgive your big brother?" He frowned even more.
Killua had then cleared his throat to make his presence known. His eyebrows were creased as he stared at Yellich, obviously confused, and warily said, "Um, I'm still here?" while pointing to his chin.
Yellich blinked as he shifted his gaze at him. And before Yuhi could turn to see how Killua was reacting, her brother had already squeezed him into a hug. She instantly covered her mouth with her hand to suppress her snickers. Killua tried to pull away but to no avail. Yellich was determined not to let go until after he had said, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Killua, for taking care of my baby sister while I'm gone! I'm so bad. I'm so bad," while rubbing his cheek against his forehead. When he decided that Killua had squirmed enough under his hold, he pulled away, keeping his hands on his shoulders while he stared at his face.
Killua was severely flushed. He tried to mask it by rubbing his nose with the back of his hand. But he was equally confused, and baffled, and a little annoyed, so he gave Yuhi one puzzled look before glowering at Yellich. "What?" he asked when he noticed that the staring game was becoming too long.
The frown on Yellich's face was then replaced with a bright beam, followed by subtle laughter, and then a, "You are adorable, do you know that?"
Killua didn't know how far he could crease his eyebrows, but he sure wanted to find out that night.
There was a long pause, and in this pause Yuhi's eyes darted to and fro the two boys in front of her, waiting for what her brother ought to say next—albeit also thinking that he might just be teasing him after all.
Yellich's beam grew wide. "You are cute."
.
"You're amazing."
..
"You melt my heart."
…
Mortified—that was how Yuhi would describe Killua's face after Yellich spoke—and incredibly flustered, rattled. He looked as if he had seen a ghost, but instead of frightening him, it was giving him chocolates; the pink hue on his cheeks darkened after every sentence her brother uttered. Killua then finally decided to shrug Yellich's hands off his shoulders, looking away and groaning in the process.
When Yellich laughed, Yuhi stressed an "Onii-chan" with a stomp of a foot. He glanced at her with a cheeky smile and retrieved his hands, holding them up in the air of surrender and saying, "Okay, Mr. Blushy," in between chuckles. He apologized immediately after and insisted they erase it from their memories. Before Killua could protest, he thanked him again, seriously and sincerely this time, for his efforts the previous day when he couldn't be there for his sister. "Really, you're awesome, and Gon, too!" he commended.
At that, Killua's furrowed eyebrows flexed and his long frown dissolved into a thin line, wide eyes blinking as he scratched a temple. He responded with a silent "It's nothing" while glancing at Yuhi, whose wide smile made him clear his throat and look the other way.
Yellich's snickers broke the short pause, coughing out a "Mr. Blushy" before ushering them to step inside for some hot chocolate. Killua shot him a glare for a moment before sighing and politely refusing the offer, reminding Yuhi that Mito told him over the phone not to stay out too late. Yuhi nodded, giggling a little when she remembered the story they told her earlier—how they had to climb up a tree to break in their rooms because Mito had locked all the doors when they stayed out past the curfew she set. Yellich pouted and shrugged in defeat, smiling at Killua and giving Yuhi a pat in the head as he turned a heel. But before he could enter the ramen shop, Killua had already said goodbye, and Yuhi was left to watch him disappear from her sight.
She went in the ramen shop with Yellich, taking one deep breath as she let her mind wander through snippets of what happened that night, making her smile and shrug in delight. She bounced a little on her toes, excitedly turning to her brother as they approached the kitchen and giving him a goofy smile when she saw that he wore one on his face for her. She missed him so much, and she told him that.
Yellich pushed his bottom lip and wrapped an arm around Yuhi, pulling her in for a semi-hug. He shared the same sentiment, adding that he got her some concert souvenirs and bought her over-the-counter multivitamins.
Yuhi's heart swelled at that; her bliss unending. She wanted to see Roroturo so that her day would finally be complete, but he was in the restroom when they reached the shop's kitchen. She fixed her stuff on a chair and leaned against the table, taking out her phone to send Gon and Killua a quick text.
"thank you again for today! it was so fun! :)))))"
"Your happiness gives me so much joy."
Soft cackles escaped Yuhi's throat when she heard her brother say that from beside her. She lowered her phone and looked at him, smiling. Words were not enough to describe what she was feeling that day and night. It was just pure gladness and gratitude.
Yellich seemed to have read her, though, for he nodded, laughing sweetly, and rested a light hand on Yuhi's head. "Does he still make you feel mushy?"
She nodded.
"Tell me if he tries something weird on you, okay? Something that would make you feel uneasy and uncomfortable. Okay?"
Yuhi knew well what that meant, so she nodded again—firmly this time.
His smile grew wider by the second as he stared into her gleeful eyes, then it transformed into a ludicrous beam. "You know, I was about to leave you two by the porch so that you'd have some alone time before Killua leaves." Yellich paused, observing how his sister's expression changed into a curious one. He looked around to check if there were people near, then he leaned in close to her ear, whispering, "Did you kiss yet?"
Yuhi instantly leaned away and shook her head multiple times, heart stopping as she watched Yellich guffaw the loudest of the loud. "Onii-chan!" she whispered sharply, looking around to spot a buff man wearing an apron. Roroturo might just wonder what Yellich was laughing about and she definitely did not want to talk about whether she and Killua had already…
Doki.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Yellich heaved, sitting upright and taking a breath. He looked at her again, grinning, and Yuhi swore that her brother was preparing to say something that would make her want to hide that instant—so, she held her breath. Yellich looked around once more and whispered, "Do you want to, though?"
In her head, she had melted into a puddle.
The following school week went by on a whim, and Yuhi spent every hour it wide awake. Tardiness seemed to have escaped her vocabulary as well. She figured Roroturo's strict curfew was working for her—sleep at ten in the evening, wake up at six in the morning—in that she was getting a solid 8-hour sleep, leaving her mind and body energized for the rest of the day. The stringent air of the teachers added to it too—with Finals coming up and all, they had been ruling class after class with an iron fist and bombarding students with recitation sessions.
There had been no free in-class second where Yuhi could look out the window and let her mind wander off to her wonderland. They were tiny soldiers preparing for battle, a battle that their teachers were making sure that they would win. The date was set for Finals, as announced by Yama on Monday—April 10th and 11th.
It was also on Monday, exactly the moment she entered the room, that her classmates showered her with questions about her incident the previous week at P.E., asking if she was now okay and why she collapsed. Yuhi was grateful for their concern, bearing the blanket answer of "I'm okay now, thank you!" and "I just didn't get enough sleep, that's all. But I'm really okay now!" question after question. They never asked after Yuhi responds, but they sure did give her more than enough playful smiles for witnessing Gon's involvement in her situation—at which she responded with a sheepish smile and adding that Killua helped her too, hoping they would regard their efforts fairly. Her classmates, however, remained fixated on the idea of a Gon-Yuhi despite her constant appeal that the aid came from both boys.
By lunchtime, she had exhausted all questions and teases, then discovering that the class had found out about Eli and Sejin. Apparently, during History class, while blabbing about whatever appeared in her mind about the school, Mrs. Malu accidentally revealed, aside from Mr. Eli and Mr. Chango being brothers, that "Even though Eli is Sejin's father, you should still say hello to him outside of school". Sejin hated what happened and loathed Mrs. Malu more for initiating a question-and-answer portion wherein she's the only contestant.
Yuhi had then asked if Sejin was okay, which the latter answered with a nod and a sigh, saying that she planned to announce it in class in the first place, as she wanted the information to come directly from her. Unfortunately, what happened was the opposite. Because of this, Sejin was in an all-week-bad-mood mode, but Yuhi respected that. She had witnessed it countless of times after all, and she knew well enough that it was Sejin's way of dealing with something. What she thought she could do for her, on the other hand, was think of a good surprise, or a present. Sejin's birthday was in less than two weeks.
She told Killua about this while they were texting Tuesday night, expressing her excitement over thinking of what to give her closest friend. Then she remembered to ask:
"when's your birthday, by the way? :)"
"july 7. how bout you?"
"june 1st! you'd be 16 by then right?"
"yeah, dont remind me"
"I'd be 15! you could pass as my big brother! hahaha jk"
"hahah noooo"
"killua onii-chan! :)))))"
He supplied her with gift suggestions that Yuhi thought were a little off-brand, replying only with "hahaha" or "hahahaha" at all of them. Killua, admitting his weakness in gift-giving, eventually sought Gon's help, and they all agreed to shop for a present in the coming weekend.
Yuhi was getting used to her and Killua's dynamics at school. Although every moment remained heart-pounding—Killua walking past her in the hallways, in the lawns of campus, seeing her in the gym—him giving her a wide, easy smile at all times was growing on her. They had always been like this ever since he began regarding her as hallway girl; well, except for the times they purposely ignored each other. But at present, it felt different, because she knew that his smiles meant something now, and because he always approached her with vigor in his air, as though he was excited to see her even just for ten seconds. Yuhi figured it was because of the candy supply he had at home, or that he, too, was getting an 8-hour sleep everyday since he and Gon joined Roroturo's curfew challenge. Nonetheless, Yuhi found it adorable, and every single time she saw him waving a hand at her from afar her heart danced to a lively flute solo, and her bones would melt.
Her classmates did not seem to notice it, because Killua was always with Gon and Gon also smiled and waved animatedly to her; that's the time when they would react with silent whistles and teasing hums. Yuhi still found it funny, but she was starting to think about telling them that her heart belonged to the other boy, and he was aware of it already. Then again, would he want that? Would he want people to know what she was sharing with him? She could ask him, but she let it be. She didn't want to result with overthinking and overanalyzing the kind of relationship that they were having. What she wanted to devote her time to were her lessons.
Yuhi boned up that week. She felt like a true student working hard to earn good grades and she liked how body was reacting to it. She just had to keep it up for the next three months. Her ultimate goal was to stay in Section B as a Junior. Section A would be great too, but she loved the company of her Section B classmates so much she wanted them all to still be in the same classroom next schoolyear. She hoped for it, although she still expected that some would excel to Section A, she wanted to keep her grades at par with Section B standards. That meant that she had to pass all subjects with an average score. She was doing well at most of them, but she must knuckle down on Economics, History, P.E. and a little bit on Science.
That weekend, she met with Gon and Killua at the center of town to buy Sejin a present. They browsed through the flea market and bookshops, listing down their options on Killua's phone—a secondhand hard-bound pop-up book on world history, an international award-winning novel about racism and feminism, a traveler's journal, a fountain pen. It was lunchtime when they finished going in and out of shops, retreating to the antique shop where Yellich worked to visit him. The four of them had lunch together at a nearby fast-food chain that sold all sorts of chicken meals. Yellich paid for their food, inviting them back to the antique shop to check if there was something there that would pique them into buying for Sejin.
They did find something—a diary of a sixteen-year-old girl from the first world war. Its brown leather cover had faded over time, but the beadings embossed from it were all still intact. Yuhi browsed the delicate pages with tactful hands, with Gon and Killua looking over her shoulder with wide, curious eyes, careful not to rip one out from its fragile spine. Despite the stained papers, the handwriting was surprisingly readable. They scanned the first few paragraphs that talked about the writer's soldier of a father, and right there and then, Yuhi knew that they found the perfect gift for Sejin. Her brother wrapped it up for her at the counter while the three of them chipped in their share.
While waiting for the receipt, Killua found a videogame pack on the shelf behind the counter. Yellich reached for it and handed Killua when he asked, quite eagerly.
"I've been looking for this for ages!" he exclaimed then as he took it with both hands.
Yuhi leaned in to take a look. The cover was nothing special. It just read of the title of the game: Greed Island.
"Ne, what kind of game is that?" Gon asked, wide eyes scanning the item in Killua's hands.
"It's a super hard card game. Limited edition. They only sold like a hundred copies and it's buy-and-sell at crazy prices after that. It's old but we have an old JoyStation console too so that should be able to read this," Killua explained, turning to Yellich with an excited smile on his face. "For how much are you selling this?"
Yellich smiled back and gestured for them to flip it to check its price tag. When Killua did, he almost dropped it on the floor. Yuhi and Gon bellowed a unison "Ah!?"
It was worth more than all their yearly tuition fees combined.
Killua chanted light curses under his breath as he deposited the game on the counter, saying how he expected it to cost more than the original price but not that heckin' expensive.
They went on their way after that, with Yellich reminding Gon and Killua to take care of his baby sister while they were out. Finding nothing else to do the moment they exited the antique shop, they all decided to head to Yuhi's home to hang out for a while. They flopped on the couch, watched a parody film while munching on some snacks and orange juice, then talked about anything under the sun when it finished. The last topic of the day was about school and Finals, plotting schedules on when they could study together. Gon expressed his excitement about the whole idea, volunteering to also join the archery classes with Killua after school. They agreed to start next week. Math classes with Yuhi would start next weekend and every Saturday after that—under the condition that they would be having it inside the ramen shop's kitchen with full adult supervision, when Roroturo overheard them talking about it from the stairs.
Yuhi was one excited kid that Monday with Killua teaching her archery at the back of her mind throughout classes, that when the bell rang after the last period, she scrambled through her things for her phone to send a text. To her absolute delight, Killua had already sent her one.
"ramen girl! u ready?"
Her heart raced just by thinking about it.
"yes! meet you at the gym in 3min :)))"
Sejin was aware of their little tutor gig and she couldn't help but shake her head at the sight of her seatmate silently squealing into her phone. "Are you sure you'll be able to concentrate?"
Yuhi's smile was wide from ear to ear when she stood and turned to her, nodding. "I can do it!" she giggled. "Gon will be there. It'll be fine! Are you sure you don't want to go?" She pulled her bag and wore it over her shoulder.
Another shake of the head. "I don't need a tutorial on archery. And I still need to pick up my brothers. Just say hello to them for me."
"Sure!" Yuhi nodded, thinking about tomorrow and the present that the three of them had bought for her. She felt even more excited. "Take care on the way home, Sejin!" she exclaimed as she waved a hand rushing out of the room.
Unfortunately, all pieces of archery equipment were unavailable that day. Gon told her the moment she met them outside of the gym, panting from her run, that they tried to reason out with varsities, but they insisted on their strict training schedule.
"We can only borrow on Wednesdays and Thursdays," Killua said, annoyed, hissing at the gym entrance beside him. "Sucks."
Gon frowned, his honey brown eyes shifting from Killua to Yuhi.
The latter pouted. She was looking forward to it the entire day. But after a sigh, she recovered, straightening her back and smiling cheerily. "Wednesdays and Thursdays, it is!"
Gon instantly mimicked her action. "Okay!"
They both snickered and waited for Killua's frustration to dissolve. After a groan and a sigh, he finally smiled and nodded. They stayed in school and jumped up and down the bleachers with a carton of apple juice hanging on straws between their lips, watching the varsities and club members go about their after-school outdoor activities from the corners of their eyes. When the sun had boasted a golden canvass in the sky, they decided to go home.
The next day Yuhi was brimming with sunshine as she entered the school grounds with Yellich, gripping the string of a mint paper bag in her hands. She almost ran to her seat the moment she stepped inside their classroom; bright eyes instantly fixed on the raven-haired girl with glasses, quietly reading a book on her desk. Without wasting a single second, after setting her things aside and exchanged good mornings with Sejin, she presented her with the paper bag, beaming and greeting her a "Happy, happy, happy birthday!"
Sejin then lifted her face and stared at the bag for too long Yuhi had to take her hands and positioned them to hold it. That time, their classmates had built a human fortress around Sejin, smiling and greeting her a happy birthday to. Sejin pushed the bridge of her glasses and blinked a couple of times before letting out that small smile that Yuhi adored, first to her then to their classmates. She thanked them all, eyes landing last on Yuhi, smile growing wider. "Thank you. You didn't have to give me something."
The students had dispersed again then, and Yuhi retreated to her seat. "But we really wanted to!"
Sejin cocked her head slightly to the right. "We?"
Just then, the class went quiet. Both turned their heads to the door, expecting to see Mr. Pironst walking to the teacher's desk. But to their surprise, spikes and silver met their stares—the former beaming, the latter smiling warmly. Yuhi's heart skipped a beat when she caught Killua's gaze.
"Happy birthday, Sejin!" Gon exclaimed at the top of his lungs.
"Happy birthday," Killua seconded from beside him.
Yuhi couldn't help but shrug of delight as she watched her seatmate's eyes grow wide, blush spreading across her face fast.
Sejin immediately stood and lightly bowed her head. "Thank you for your greetings," she acknowledged.
Gon's smile was as bright as the morning sun. "I hope you like it!" he said, holding a thumbs up before waving a big hand at them. "Okay, we have to go now, Mrs. Malu's really early these days. See you! Bye, Yuhi, see you!"
"See you!" Yuhi waved back, eyes transforming into thin lines from her wide smile when Killua waved a hand at her. She turned to Sejin who then fixed herself on her chair, pushing the bridge of her glasses. Her nose crinkled when she saw that the pink tint remained on her cheeks. Sejin looked at her. Yuhi blinked and cupped her own cheeks with her hands, elbows resting on her desk. "We wanted to give you something," she repeated.
Sejin breathed out that warm smile again as she shook her head, shooting her another polite "Thank you" before proceeding to unlocking the staple wires that clamped the paper bag shut. When she took the content of it out, she absentmindedly let out a tiny gasp, her eyes sparkling as the smile that she wore on her colored face grew more and more genuine and loose. Sejin loved it, and she told Yuhi that, squeezing her hand and thanking her once more.
Yuhi could but only reply with an awed grin, sighing tenderly at the sight of her friend's authentic gratitude and lovely smiles. Then she flinched, surprised, sitting upright and staring at the small piece of crumpled paper that hit her in the forehead and now resting on her desk. She looked around to try and find out who threw it at her. Maru, from the second row of near the door, was the only one looking her way so she stared at him, blinking, as though asking through mental telepathy if he was the perp. His eyes then shifted from her face to the paper on her desk, nodding at it. Yuhi immediately understood that it came from him. She took and smoothed it down. It was a note.
Yuhinanana! You free breaktime? Wanna talk to you about something. It's kind of a secret so don't tell anybody, ok? Please nod if you agree hehe! ~Maru~
Yuhi hummed to herself after reading it. She turned to Sejin to check if she saw it too, but she was now submerged in the antique diary. When she looked at Maru, he had his hands pressed together in a plea, bowing her head repeatedly. Yuhi found him funny, especially when he held a fist up in triumph after she nodded.
The minute Mr. Pironst stepped out of the room, Yuhi immediately shared looks with Maru. He nodded and stood up. Yuhi did the same, hoisting her phone from her skirt's pocket before stepping forward. Killua had sent her five texts during class.
[8:24 AM] "malu's boooring"
[8:31 AM] "dont you ever look at your phone while in class? i mean, pironst wont even notice you. cmon, try it lol"
[8:36 AM] "i want to sleep in class but gon keeps glaring at me"
[8:45 AM] "haha i almost got caught"
[8:48 AM] "let's go breaktime?"
She pressed her lips together to hide her snickers, biting her lower lip as she typed in her reply.
"killua! don't text while in class you will get caught :((( mrs. malu confiscates phones ne!"
He replied just as fast.
"but i didnt get caught haha gon says the same thing now im suspicious"
Yuhi was typing in her message when she received another one from him.
"anyway breaktime! let's go?"
An instant pout formed on her lips. Killua had been asking her to go with them on breaks since the previous week, and that was the first time she would have to turn him down. She lifted her eyes to spot Maru. He was waiting for her by the door. She smiled sheepishly and gestured for him to wait for a second.
"i'm sorry, I can't :'( maru asked me to go with him today. i think he needs help with something. but I'm free this afternoon break :D"
"he can go with us if he wants"
Yuhi took a breath and finally walked towards the door, slowly, while typing on her phone in an input-delete scheme.
"sorry! but i think he wants to talk about something personal. afternoon break? :)"
She had reached Maru when she clicked send, immediately placing her phone back in her pocket when she noticed that he was looking at her, a sheepish smile on his face. Yuhi scratched her nape and bowed lightly, apologetically.
"Really sorry about this." He laughed; raspy tone shaky. "Are you busy?"
Yuhi shook her head no and gave him a reassuring smile, standing straight and gesturing towards the stairs before looking back up at him. Maru was one tall fellow. "Let's go?"
"Mm!"
They bought fish crackers and juice from the canteen before finding an empty bench at the far end of the campus open grounds, near the gym and outdoor bleachers, where they had a 180-degree view of the open lot, talking about school while they walked, and nothing for ten seconds after they had sat down. Yuhi waited for what Maru wanted to tell her, delighting herself with the fresh smell of grass and the touch of the cool wind that caressed her senses. She locked her right ankle under her left, swaying them back and forth without touching the ground. She thought of checking her phone for a while, but she didn't want to give the impression that she was being impatient.
"Okay," Maru started after taking a breath, brown eyes fixed ahead at the group of boys in soccer uniform. Yuhi turned to her left for him, then she looked at his hands that were balled into loose fists on his thighs. She looked at his face. He seemed thoughtful and tensed. "Okay, first, I want to ask you something."
Yuhi blinked. "Sure. What's that?"
Maru took another breath. "Have you ever, like… liked someone?"
Oh. Skipping a heartbeat after seeing a smiling Killua inside her head, her eyes grew wide. She nodded slowly. "Um… Yes," she answered carefully, raking her brain for words that she could use should Maru decided to ask who it was.
"Okay." He nodded and sighed sharply of relief, as though he made the right decision of asking the correct person such a question. "It's weird, right? This feeling. Like, it feels like my organs will pop." Reluctantly, he turned his gaze at Yuhi. "Do you…like someone now?"
Yuhi took a breath. Yes! her heart screamed. Yes! Please know that it's Killua! She cleared the block in her throat and slowly, again, she nodded. "Y-Yes."
And again, Maru nodded. "Okay, so, I have this thing," he said while shifting his weight in seat, sitting upright and deciding to talk to the grass. "It's kinda cheesy, so don't tell anybody, okay?" Yuhi nodded, listening to him with wide eyes. Maru didn't turn to look at how she responded but he continued anyway. "I was planning on telling you, like, a week before Valentine's, but I can't wait that long. The boys know. They suggested I talk to you now." He paused.
With what Maru said so far, Yuhi could no longer bear the suspense. So, in that pause, she urged, "What is it that you want to tell me, Maru?"
Maru took one long breath before looking at Yuhi in the eyes, in all seriousness of his bashful air, and spurted in a shrill whisper, "I'm in love with Mitan."
It took a moment for Yuhi to process what Maru had said. She blinked, unable to make up how she should respond to that vocally, but her mind squealed of merriment, her heart raced fast of excitement.
A deep sigh of emotional release escaped Maru's lungs and he finally relaxed, smiling while rubbing the flesh in his jaw. "Well, that was weird," he noted, laughing sheepishly. "But anyway, I'm planning on telling her how I feel on Valentine's. Well, we've been planning. We just need one more accomplice and…" He sat straight and spread his long arms wide. "tan-tarararan! Yuhinanana won the draft pick!"
And as though she did win a prize, Yuhi happily clapped her hands and squealed a "Yaaay!" They both laughed, and Yuhi did not realize how wide her smile was until after they did. "This is so exciting! I was wondering why you're asking me if I like someone!"
Maru took a fish cracker from his pack and shot it in his mouth. "That's because I want to confirm if you still like Gon." Yuhi was about to tell him the truth when he immediately followed up with, "No, no, I'm kidding! I guess I just wanted to know if you understand my situation, like, the reason why I'm making such a big deal out of it."
Yuhi nodded in support of his sentiment. I absolutely understand you, my friend. "Though I never got any hints," she said. "Do you hang out a lot?"
He nodded. "Yup, pretty much. We walk home together every day. Her house is just three doors away from mine. I liked her since middle school." He laughed. "Kinda weird 'cause we were twelve."
She giggled at his amorous expressions, chest swelling of awe. Then she sat straight and looked at him with determined guise. "Do you want to tell me all about it?" When Maru consented, Yuhi was all ears, and she had no idea how refreshing it was to hear a boy talk about his years-long feelings to someone that he liked.
They had five more minutes left to spare before P.E. by the time they returned to their classroom. Sejin was still engrossed in her book, and Yuhi had anticipated it, so she bought her a carton of juice and placed it quietly on the free space on her desk—at which the latter looked up and smiled. Yuhi returned it and fixed herself on her chair, looking out the window and giggling lightly as she recalled what Maru confessed. They—herself, Maru, Jinop, Suno, Ren and Taro—were to meet next week to discuss their plans. Her gaze then shifted from a leaf of a tree to the black-haired girl at the first row, sighing and smiling to herself as she thought, Someone's secretly in love with you after all, Mimi-chan.
Sensing her own heart beating loud as the boy she liked went past her train of thoughts, Yuhi's hand glided through her pocket, pulling out her phone and reading Killua's reply to the text she had sent before she went out with Maru. There were two from him. And one from Yellich. She read Killua's messages first.
[9:03 AM] "oh. okay then, see you afternoon break"
[9:10 AM] "your brother took my last cookie"
For some reason, Yuhi found that last message cute. She pursed her lips to keep a snicker from escaping. Thinking about her brother and Killua interacting melted her heart. Before replying, she decided to read Yellich's message next. She thought that it might be related to the cookie incident, and she was right.
"Please tell killua that I'll love him forever and thanks for the cookie hahahahahaha"
Yuhi could not suppress her laughter anymore. She planted her elbows on her desk and covered her face with her palms, body shaking as though she was being tickled nonstop. And her heart was laughing with her; her brain was laughing with her. All her senses were in sync with her gaiety and she never wanted it to ever end.
-CHAPTER END-
LONG FOOTNOTE A/N: As promised, here are my answers to the questions I asked in the last chapter. I always double check this story's pacing. And so far, although I super love the fluff, I think I need to put in more mental conflict and anxiety-inducing situations because of the two consecutive chapters of fluff (lol). The Saturdate; I had to outline that entire chapter first because I couldn't think, so that's final. And the Alluka reveal, gosh I'm so excited for it. I hope you are too! Oh, and my favorite chapter/s (so far) would probably be Ch26 ^^ And Ch23; Killua's POV yeah!
Replies to guests~
NoodlePooh: Thank you for being the first one to review and a few hours after I published the chap as well! You're awesome! Thank you for waiting for this and for being excited! I will be revealing that soon. Soon. Soon. Soonest.
Mai: OMG Mai, is that really you!? I've missed you so much you have no idea how excited thrilled I was when I saw your review in my email. Ahhhhh, thank you for giving this another chance AND for leaving your thoughts in the reviews. I'm glad that you liked the new chapters! Also, yes, you are correct! The archery scene happened in Yuhi's dream, but it wasn't in Ch1 (I honestly forgot which chapter it was lol). Thank you so much for reading despite your busy sched! Hope you stay safe as well! *chocolates*
Oookay! So, ToC's birthday is on July 7th (as well as Killua's), and I plan to publish snippets of what I have saved on my ToC draft word file. I will publish it here, on this site and as part of this story's binder. But I will also delete it to give way to the real Chapter 33. Anyway, I will include notes and reminders for it when I publish. Hope you stay tuned because it will contain scenes that didn't make the cut (and I mean cheesy filler scenes). Let's do this! See you on July 7th!
Now that's out of the way, let me know your thoughts again on this chapter :) I really want to read what you have to say (and to also know how many people still wait for this ;-;). To be honest, I was super excited about publishing Ch31 but it had the least number of reviews and it made me a little sad haha But thank you to those who took the time and effort to write in their reviews! You know who you are and I love you. Hope you leave a review again! :D
NEXT CHAPTER: Yuhi's a little busy.
I really want to know what you think about each chapter after reading. Tell me what I have to do and where I need to improve on. I ask reviews so that I can take notes of the good and bad and improve on my writing as I go along. Thank you and please stay safe in this difficult time. Hope this fic makes you smile!
