Hiii~! It is I, author-san, and I have returned bringing a very long (17k+ worded) chapter for your consumption. I'm not really sure if you guys like longer or shorter chapters, but I had fun writing this and couldn't delete any more scenes to compress the story on this one. It honestly feels like I'm writing a 1hr long k-drama episode nowadays, as opposed to a 24min anime episode like before (lol). And here we are! I hope you enjoy this one!
Disclaimer: HxH is an ongoing manga. Mr. Togashi's just out on hiatus. (I hope he's fine uwu)
Tip: Consider line breaks as commercials since it is a long chapter :)
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCE
Chapter Thirty-Seven
That Day
The silence was something Yuhi could easily compare to a textbook exercise on Science with a time limit. She kept her focus on her floor-sweeping task like she's being watched by Ms. Irisa, making sure that she did the job efficiently, left no dirty spots, and kept the chairs aligned after going through them—within fifteen minutes. She made sure to move in stealth mode as well to keep the noise at a minimum as though she's cleaning benches inside a church while mass is ongoing.
From a third-person's point of view, it seemed perfectly normal. But in reality, Yuhi was purposely forcing it upon herself so that her brain would cancel out thoughts that'd make her feel anxious and awkward around Lykira. Although at the back of her mind, she knew that she could never keep this up for longer than five minutes. And true enough, her prophecy materialized; exceeded her expectations, even. Lykira easily broke the ice after only sweeping through one row of seats. That was the first time they would ever have to talk privately, with just the two of them.
"Mr. Yama's one harsh homeroom teacher, I'd say," she started. "I mean, he just had to make you clean all three classrooms instead of just one. That's so uncool of him."
Yuhi glanced at Lykira, who kept at her task while she spoke, and smiled. In a way, her short-lived meditation kept her zen; she felt relaxed and comfortable about conversing. She nodded agreeably, pleased with herself for calming down, and then cackled slowly, sheepishly, in response to Lykira. She always got these remarks from classmates and random schoolmates who knew of her temporary after-school activity that she already knew what to answer even before Lykira could finish her sentence. "Cleaning is better than failing a class so it's fine with me, honestly!" And I'm the one who sleeps in class so it's just fair…
"That's actually a good point," she regarded, moving forward to the third row of seats. "So, which class do you often fall asleep in?"
Yuhi gently aligned the seats of the fourth row before looking up and meeting Lykira's gaze for a second, both smiling, and continued. She hummed a little while thinking of the question, a bit hesitant to frankly expose such an embarrassing vice. "Well..." she started, smiling shyly as she pulled a chair up to sweep the dirt under it. "Mrs. Malu's, maybe…?"
Lykira giggled. "Understandable. I would too."
Yuhi mimicked her giggles. She remembered the texts Killua would send her about how boring History class was while Mrs. Malu's still in their room. She then casually added, "And Mr. Yama's… sometimes." A random screech then sounded from Lykira's side, making Yuhi jolt straight and look with wide eyes.
Lykira was standing still and staring at her with eyes and lips forming a letter O. She gasped. "During Math? Really?"
Yuhi blinked, heat spreading to her face instantly, shameful. Embarrassing… She nodded and was about to look down and scold herself when Lykira said "Whoa… no way..." Yuhi tilted her head to the right, now slightly confused.
A big grin then crept across Lykira's face, the shortest strands of her bobcut bouncing as she leaned forward and said with such astonishment, "So, you're that student Mr. Yama's been talking about! That's so bold!" She held onto the chair in front of her while gripping her broom tightly. Her big grin then transformed into this pleasant smile that looked accepting of and delighted with Yuhi's answer. "You're very cool, Yuhina," she added while nodding, and then returned to her task.
Yuhi had no idea what just happened. Did Lykira just tell her that sleeping in Yama's class was very cool of her? Why, though? She's so confused, but she couldn't bring herself to ask Lykira as to why she perceived it as that. So she just smiled and carried on with sweeping the floor towards the second row of seats, trying not to smell the awkwardness in the air after not responding with something equally witty. Luckily for her, Lykira's conversation skills were excellent.
"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't do that," Lykira followed through serenely, speaking more casually and mutely. "My brain's, like, programmed to stay awake and alert when it comes to studies. If it shuts down, I'd fail and wouldn't be able to recover, I think." She laughed. Yuhi listened carefully while she did her chore, blinking and taking in Lykira's words intently as though she's listening to a teacher discuss a lesson. "Blame it on childhood training with strict tutors and parents," she continued. Yuhi looked up at her. "It's a good thing, I guess, since I'm getting good grades out of it." Lykira then looked up too, meeting Yuhi's gaze from across the room, nodding in her direction. "You said you sleep during Math, but I heard you still crush it. Now, that's admirable."
Oh, Yuhi mused, immediately smiling sheepishly and shaking her head in awe, gripping the broom with both hands tight so that she wouldn't wave it frantically and nervously in the air. "No, that's..." She honestly had no idea how to respond to that. She couldn't comprehend how that seemed admirable to someone like Lykira.
The latter cackled sweetly. "It's okay, you don't have to say anything. I'm just thinking out loud."
Yuhi could only press her lips shut and bow slowly to apologize for being bad at this small talk they were having. But she felt that she had to say something as Lykira's brief story about childhood training buzzed in her thoughts. She looked up again and smiled at her, hoping that her stutters would spare her that day. "Well, you're, um… you're even more admirable for studying hard and keeping your focus. I'd do the same if I could keep it up."
Lykira blinked, seemingly surprised with the sudden response, and then laughed. "That's… I'd still say you're more admirable in that sense but hey, thanks, Yuhina." She nodded, her air flowery and bright, making Yuhi feel comfortable in sharing laughter with her.
So she stood straight, finding confidence back in her spine, and said, "You can call me Yuhi," recalling and rewriting their first encounter at the National Museum from their camptrip several months ago.
Lykira smiled. "Call me Kira."
Yuhi beamed and nodded, almost bouncing on her toes as the excitement of having a seal of leveled-up acquaintance filled her system. She remembered how she never addressed Lykira using her nickname even though she introduced herself with it, wary that she might sound too casual for her own good. But what was she thinking of Lykira back then? What was she thinking of her several hours ago, anyway? She's such a sweetheart and a kind person after all!
They shared a smile before returning to work on the last row of seats, with Lykira giving her a high-five when they finally finished. She glanced at the clock then, heart jumping as a silver head popped up in her mind upon seeing that it's almost 5 o'clock. She always got excited just thinking of spending time with Killua, even more so that her strange thoughts from earlier had now vanished from her radar.
She walked to the door and stopped just before the exit. "Thank you for helping me today, Kira. It means a lot!" Yuhi said as she bowed, beaming when she stood straight afterwards.
Lykira was back to her desk, fixing her things in her bag and zipping it shut. "Yeah, I had fun! Are you heading back now?"
Yuhi smiled at that, so wide she thought her cheeks would burst, and nodded, Killua's smiling face camping at the back of her mind. Any minute now she'd get a text from him saying 'lets go ramen girl'. Dazed by scenarios from a few minutes into the future, she added, "I still need to wait for Gon and Killua," while glancing at the latter's bag that hung messily on the chair in front of his, and smiling goofily. She quickly masked it by clearing her throat and looking back at Lykira who met her eyes with a ponderous stare. Yuhi absentmindedly let out a faint "Hmm?" before blinking and retreating into a small, wary gaze.
It lasted for a few seconds, until Lykira perked up and leaned her elbows on the chair in front of her. "You wanna wait together?" she asked nicely.
And there it was again, self-consciousness pricking her skin like rose thorns. It felt like a mini roller-coaster of emotions for Yuhi. But she was quick to discount it, disallowing herself to overthink Lykira's actions. It must just be how she behaved normally. Right? So, she picked herself up, got her smile back up, and asked politely, "You're staying until later?"
Lykira nodded and gave her one toothy grin. "Yeah, I'm waiting for them too."
An expectant beam automatically appeared on Yuhi's face—a knee-jerk response to a question with a usually obvious answer—an excited sound escaping her throat to accompany it. But her brain made a split second decision to pause, stop you're doing, hold up, did we hear that right? It took a moment for her to process what Lykira said, for her mind to piece the words together, rewind to recess and to her very peculiar and abnormal dream during Math class.
What she felt during those two seconds of realization was weird and uncomfortable. Her veins were in their normal Yuhi state, but her brain was shuffling flash cards of different emotions for her body to feel. She immediately wanted to ask 'why' but was afraid that she'd sound somewhat mean and unwelcoming. So, she gave herself another second, and another, until a barrage of 2-A boys came thundering from down the hallways and up the stairs 'till they reached the doorway and noise filled the entire room. Yuhi took that chance to get out of her own trance, to get out of her head. She turned to give them a bow in greeting, which was easily returned by Gon in the form of a huge toothy smile and the loudest voice he could ever emit.
"Yuhi's here!" he announced in a megaphone tone as though his classmates had not seen her there before he did.
Yuhi's used to this Gon. There had been a couple of times when he did the same at random places with random people. But that's perhaps the first time she's experiencing it inside 2-A's classroom, with their fellow 2-A friends as her audience, and with her audience being fully aware that she's going out with one of their own. Absent-mindedly, she tightened her grip on her broom, cold sweat oozing little by little from the pores of her palms, chest caving in of an unidentified feeling. Still, she managed to smile, bow, and shyly say, "Hello." Yuhi couldn't make up what they looked like when she paused to give way to a response, but she remembered them turning their heads to the right, in unison, toward the door, where a silver head appeared by its frame, looking adorably surprised by her presence and bloomed because of the volleyball exercise. It was a view that Yuhi couldn't ignore. She had calmed the moment she saw him. She must give him a smile at least, albeit small and weak.
Killua acknowledged it with a tiny wave, expression unchanging as he blinked curiously, seemingly asking Yuhi what's up.
Yuhi slowly lifted her broom at level with her chest, holding it tight like it's a weapon she'd use to defend herself—a weapon that ironically showcased the weakness she'd been trying to hide. When Killua nodded in understanding, Yuhi lowered her arms and meekly looked around to try and see how her audience was reacting. Would they laugh at the circus in her head? Would they murmur banters among themselves? Yuhi had no idea what to expect, but she never perceived them to be this… this… civil and quiet. They just bowed politely in greeting her; some smiled, some just walked right pass, and the next second, Yuhi found herself facing a blank chalkboard, with Killua by the doorway and Gon approaching her from her peripheral view.
"I see you have your trusty broom," the latter spoke as he hopped, pausing with a straight back in front of Yuhi, baby strands of hair noticeably wet with sweat from their roots, smiling pleasantly and comfortably enough for Yuhi to naturally return.
She nodded as cheerily as how she always responded to Gon. "I…" she started, but trailed off, esteem reducing just a tiny bit when Killua appeared by Gon's side. She initially thought of telling them the obvious—that she slept in class and resulted in this punishment—but knew that this didn't need any explanation because they both for sure had realized what's happening as soon as she showed them her weapon of choice. So, instead of saying it, she just shrugged, mustered her courage to laugh a little, awkwardly, and then sigh. This made Gon giggle sweetly and Killua snicker teasingly. When in doubt, just make them laugh, somehow, right?
"Was it Yama's class?" Killua asked, hands relaxing in the pockets of his gym shorts, an eyebrow lifted in jest together with his smirk, lips pressing thereafter to hold his cackles in.
But for some inane reason, an uncalled-for shift tickled her into beaming widely, sunnily, so much so that she had to catch her lower lip with her teeth to calm her smile down. She suddenly wanted to laugh like how she used to whenever she found herself cleaning rooms as punishment for dreaming and daydreaming in class. In retrospect, it was hilarious—even more so because she couldn't believe herself to be overthinking everything the entire time she did it that afternoon. How could she have had those ideas in her head when literally no one but herself was making her feel weird?
She and Killua held onto that sweet, child-like mischief stare for about five seconds before Gon called their attention when he bowed and said, "Thank you for cleaning our classroom, Yuhi," as though he's a boy scout saluting their commander-in-chief. Killua snickered on the side and added in a very informal, "Yeah, thanks," and gave her a small, gentle smile that felt glad and exclusive.
Yuhi breathed in deeply as she returned it, swam in Killua's gaze for a couple more seconds to try and memorize how those seconds made her feel, and then shook her head, turning a heel to her left to gesture toward the girl sitting at the third row of seats. "Kira helped me!" she exclaimed excitedly, confidently, as a way to let the boys and herself know that she had made a friend in this endeavor.
Lykira looked up from her phone when she heard her name, blinking as she gazed to and fro the three of them before finally lifting a palm up for a wave. "'Sup?" she casually asked in such a tone that didn't seem to require an answer.
Gon gave her one anyway. "Thanks for helping Yuhi clean, Kira!"
Lykira's face then suddenly lit up upon hearing that, a sugary smile crept across it. "No biggie!" She looked at Yuhi, who welcomed her gaze with a grateful stare, then turned to Killua, tilting her head a little and brow raising in sassy fashion. She leaned forward, arms crossed, and cleared her throat before saying, "Yeah I did that, I helped Yuhi," while looking at Killua.
Curious, Yuhi was next to tilt her head that time. Lykira spoke as if she purposely chose those words for her receiver to revert with something substantial. It didn't sound strange—just the fact that she said to Killua in such a provoking way. What's up with them?
Lykira then noticed Yuhi's stare, and gave her a little wink before turning to Killua again.
Yuhi almost said 'Huh?' aloud. Is she teasing him? Us? She looked at Killua to search for an answer to her question and found him glaring at Lykira. Yuhi looked back at the latter and noticed that both her eyebrows were raised this time, looking as if they're daring for a response. Yuhi couldn't tell how long that exchange lasted, but it felt like minutes had passed until Gon stepped in with a loud "Ah!" and exclaimed:
"It's almost 5:30!"
That awakened Yuhi from yet another trance. She looked around, finding some of the volleyball boys dispersing and heading out with their bags over their shoulders. When she turned back to their group, Gon was off to his desk and Lykira had returned to her phone. Meanwhile, Killua remained until Yuhi met his gaze, which seemed to have returned to normal, and diminished the gap between them.
"I'll just wash up," he said casually, normally, so much so that hearing his tone made Yuhi think twice if his stare-down with Lykira a few seconds ago had ever happened. "Is ten minutes okay?"
Yuhi felt that her eyes would pop out of their sockets with how wide they were at that time, thoughtful and curious and confused. She nodded, and Killua accompanied her while walking out the door until they reached 2-B's entryway. All the while, she thought of asking some questions, including why he didn't tell her about Lykira waiting on them, if she'd walk home with them that afternoon, or if they have a 2-A thing going on after class. But that might sound mean and unwelcoming, so she just settled with "Did, um, something happen... between you and Kira?" ever so timidly and somehow regretful, not meeting Killua's eyes until she finished asking, while her hand rested on the handle of their classroom's closed door.
Killua sighed and, shaking his head, he just shrugged. "She just likes picking fights with me, I don't know. That always happens but I just ignore her most of the time." He then sneered at the direction of their classroom.
"Oh," the latter mused as she nodded. She was looking at Killua while he spoke, tracing assurance in the veins of his eyes. But she looked away as soon as he stared back again, afraid that he might discover her unprecedented thoughts that she must, she decided, keep as a secret from him and from herself. She took a breath, looked back at him, and then smiled and said, "Okay."
But Killua's expression remained unchanged, waiting, blinking. Then his eyes squinted and eyebrows creased, questioning, when he asked in a tone of voice that sounded almost threatening, "Is she bothering you?"
Yuhi leaned back a little, eyes big and surprised as she shook her head no. No, she does not bother me. At all. Believe me, no. We're fine. "We actually, um..." she stammered as she tried to get back on track, smiling in the process of remembering her pleasant encounter with Lykira that afternoon. "She's very nice," she finally said ploddingly, nodding, beaming. How could she be bothered by anything?
Killua's tensed stare then dissolved into an acknowledging gaze, nodding while he took in what Yuhi just said. Then he inhaled and smiled as he exhaled, easy and pleasant and worry-free. He then hovered his hands in front of her face, fingers spreading as he promised, "Ten minutes."
Yuhi's smile then blossomed unconditionally and naturally. She let out tiny cackles as she nodded, heart swelling of unperturbed glee. It jumped up and down when Killua started snickering with her, and then it melted when he tenderly pinched her right cheek.
"Dumpling," he said teasingly, pinching still.
And Yuhi was aware that he's referring to the chub of her face. She laughed even more, gently pushing Killua toward the direction of 2-A's classroom, intentionally wanting him to not let go. "Gooo!" she said as her smile grew fatter, making a face with him when he retreated by their doorway, and nodding when he mouthed another ten minutes.
How could she bring herself to be bothered by anything at all?
The ten minutes flew by on a whim, and Yuhi spent it returning cleaning materials to their respective homes and fixing school things on her desk and inside her bag to prepare for departure. She had little to no time to spare in spacing out and debriefing herself of what had happened that afternoon. But in a way, she preferred that. She didn't want to ram her brain with unnecessary thoughts anymore—not after how her exchange with Killua made her feel more content and peaceful. She tried to think about that instead; sky was a sole witness to her cherry cheeks and sunny beam as she squirmed alone in her seat with glee.
Killua was quick to return to 2-B's classroom door from the locker room wearing a fresh tracksuit, school bag over his shoulder, hair damp and skin moist from a quick shower, smiling gently yet eagerly as he approached Yuhi to her desk. "Did you time that? Exactly ten minutes, right?" he said proudly as he glided through each row of seats.
For a second, Yuhi thought she's dreaming again with how ethereal he appeared against the reflection of the orange twilight, enchanting sea-blue eyes locked on her like a fantasy; his hands in the pockets of his jacket when he stopped in front of her and gave her the most dreamy stare she could only hope to appear in her imagination before. Plus, he smelled good—flowery and powdery like baby's breath. She had to pinch herself on the arm lightly, which made her snicker and snort at the same time, and nodded in response to his question.
And as though he's used to the random candid antics she unintentionally always showed, Killua just rolled his eyes and shook his head in jest, nodding to invite Yuhi out and home.
Lykira walked home with them, as Yuhi had predicted. It was a pleasant encounter, an amicable exchange of 2-A stories that Yuhi found fairly interesting on their own, that there was no need for her to supply them with stories about how her day went. Lykira was the gem of the group. The way she spoke felt like an illusion that would draw one into her and just listen. She told stories nonstop, about her day, about school, about home—so much so, that just listening to her gave Yuhi an idea of what her background was like, unintentionally answering her quick queries earlier that afternoon while they were cleaning 2-A's room, especially the bit she said about her studies and 'childhood training'.
They parted at the usual spot at the crossroads near the bus stop, with Gon waving goodbye to the three of them to head home, and Lykira excusing herself from the three-man group to visit a shop at the center of town, reducing their little group to two.
While on the walk to the bus stop, Yuhi had this urge to talk about Lykira and ask Killua some questions related to her. But her brain was quick to dissolve them when Killua took her hand and asked her about how her day had been. Yuhi couldn't help but allow her walls to crumble at that, smile everlasting as her heart swelled in awe. She told him as he asked, including the embarrassing bit about sleeping in class, meeting his tender gaze every other second and sensing the amiable air he was breathing out. It led her to leave out the odd things she felt and thought the entire day, in consideration of Killua's good mood—and hers, in effect.
She hopped on the bus with butterflies in her eyes and blossoms on her cheeks, pleased with how her Friday ended, but continually haunted by unspoken thoughts and incomprehensible emotions.
The self-debriefing happened that evening after dinner when it was just her alone in her room, unoccupied by her phone as Killua was busy playing a game he just bought. She tried to ignore the strange things she felt that day and focused on what she heard from Lykira; how she came from a prominent clan who owned a bigshot business in the city, that she had strict parents with high expectations of her, that she felt the pressure of becoming smarter and wiser than an average person so that she'd be worthy of the inheritance of her family.
Yuhi would try to remember all the pictures Lykira had painted in her mind during their walk home that was not, in any way, related to her or to Gon and Killua—anything that could deviate herself from overthinking again. But it still made her brain work all night. Because even though she didn't want to, she couldn't help but think of the similarities between Lykira's and Killua's background. She didn't want to, but she couldn't help but think of how they had so much more in common.
She couldn't help but think of how perfect of a match they seemed… compared to her.
The next day, Yuhi was awakened by a loud thumping noise that felt like gunshots from her subconscious sleep. She jolted up when her chest felt pain and looked around expecting to see her own blood on the floor. The daisies on her beddings were clean and dry, but she found her cheeks wet with salty tears. Grief lingered in her ribs and added weight to her lungs, yet he couldn't recall the dream that made her cry. She tried to think for a second but the loud thumps demanded more of her attention. They came from her door.
"Yuhi, wakey-wakey!" Yellich called from the other side, knocking loudly in an urgent attempt to wake her up.
Yuhi was about to respond with an 'I'm up!' but her hoarse morning voice blocked her throat. She swallowed, and was about to shout a response when she glanced at the clock and moved like a frantic bee. It's already 9:45AM; Saturday activities started at 9AM.
Quickly, she gathered her work clothes and bath paraphernalia and almost tripped heading out her door. When she opened it, she was met by Yellich's big, relieved smile, while her face greeted him with a mix of terror and an ugly expression from a person with a very full bladder. She tried to smile, at least.
"Morning! Are they here?" she said hurriedly, feet ready to sprint to the bathroom without any intent to wait for an answer.
"You look like you slept for a thousand years. You okay?" Yellich asked with snickers hiding in his throat as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Yuhi was about to rush off as she nodded but her brother's grip halted her run. "Roroturo-san's taking care of them for now, don't worry." He then crouched a little and leaned forward, inspecting her face with a curious gaze, and asked, "Are you okay?"
Yuhi paused for a second before realizing that she didn't check herself in the mirror before coming out. She must have looked horrible with tear stains and a swollen face. She's quick to brush it off, shaking her head and smiling. "Yep, I… I think I dreamt of something sad and I cried but I don't remember what it was."
"Oh," Yellich mused, pouting as he stood straight. He gently stroked the top of her head in a comforting manner, smiling earnestly and tenderly. Then he squeezed Yuhi's cheeks with both hands, thumbs wiping away messy stains on her skin, and pulled Yuhi in for a tight bear hug. "It's okay, you're awake now," he said comically yet caringly as he tightened his embrace, making Yuhi giggle under his chest.
She nodded and circled her arms around his waist, towel and clothes in her hands dangling on their sides.
"Okay, then," Yellich began as they pulled away, stepping aside to let Yuhi pass going to the bathroom, winking and giving her a thumbs up. "Don't worry about the two. Take your time."
That encounter with Yellich definitely lifted Yuhi's morning spirits up despite oversleeping and waking up with a heavy heart. She moved fast with birds singing in her head, managed to lessen the swelling of her face with how wide and frequent her smiles had appeared while preparing to go out, and never missed a second being excited about seeing Killua again even though she's late. They're fine, right? Roroturo and Yellich could work their magic on them.
She wore her light yellow fleece sweater to express how sunny she felt that morning, and paired it with her light-washed denim overalls to commemorate the beginning of Spring. Her precious little Daffodil's in season again. It shined against the sunlight when she turned to check herself in the mirror, a smile inevitable as she pressed the pendant on her chest, hoping she could go see them bloom with Killua one of these days.
Killua…
His name's like an espresso shot even though she didn't drink coffee. Her heart jumped with her feet while sprinting down the stairs, stars bright in the morning sky as she lifted her eyes upon descending, and met his gaze. It was instant, the caffeine's effect. It felt like electricity sparking in her veins. Yuhi could never not get over the high of seeing Killua in her home on Saturdays. It still felt surreal. She giggled to herself as she waved at him and beamed at Gon, finding their matching hoodie-shorts-high-top sneakers ensemble adorable. It's team blue and team green once again.
"There she is!" Yuhi heard her brother say; her gaze locked onto Killua's smiling face like a magnet as she approached them, the rest a blur. But she stopped when Yellich shouted, "Okay, let's go!" daydream crashing as she watched him head toward the door with Gon and Killua about to tail behind him.
"Yel, let her eat first!" Roroturo thundered from behind the bar counter, greeting Yuhi a good morning when their eyes met. He quickly slid out to approach her just as Yellich had paused in his tracks. "Rice bowl or pancakes?" he asked, arms spread out wide as though he's ready to catch Yuhi if she decided to jump.
Yellich frantically returned to his seat, bowing apologetically on the way and explaining that he just suddenly got excited about their imminent venture upon seeing her ready.
Meanwhile, Yuhi remained standing, eyes big as they panned from her brother to her guardian. The sound of silverware clattering from the shop's kitchen acted as background music to the 3-second pause before she finally spoke, asking, "What's going on?"
"Eh?" Roroturo spun around, standing tall with his hands on his hips; his inhale whistling through his nostrils as he prepared to speak. "I thought you told her about your plans?" he asked in a snoopy tone.
Yellich, the person in question, rubbed the back of his head and laughed sheepishly, eyes forming half moons as they squinted. He looked at Yuhi. "Yeah, that's what I needed to do when I went up to wake you. I forgot, sorry."
Yuhi blinked, glanced at Gon and Killua who equally looked confused, and returned to her brother with a curious gaze.
Yellich then raised both arms in the air, shaking his hands as if to say ta-da, when he beamed and announced, "We're going out today!"
It wasn't exactly desirable to choose leisure over studies considering that Finals were already up in a couple of weeks. But it's the weekend. And technically, they're not illegally boycotting any class. So without any qualms, Yuhi immediately agreed to spend the day outside and enjoy the fresh Spring breeze. Yellich always loved spontaneous trips, which Yuhi somehow grew very fond of, and Gon and Killua were also always up for any adventure so inviting them out was easy.
They left the ramen shop in high spirits, and Yellich went on nonstop about how excited he was about them meeting his new friend, and hanging out on a Saturday, and spending time with his baby sister.
Since Yellich's new friend came in, he'd been having days off on weekends. Last night, he told them while on the bus going to the center of town, out of boredom, he thought of worthwhile things he could do on Saturdays now that he didn't have to go to work. Then this brilliant idea came to him as soon as he woke up that Saturday morning—that he'd take them to meet him.
"He's really cool, you guys!" he exclaimed as he excitedly hopped off the bus, spinning round in big steps to express how he felt about it. The bus throttled away behind the three kids, gaping at Yellich in wonder. "Good-looking, too. Like me." He winked, then guffawed at his own joke.
Yuhi loved that side of her brother so much. She had to agree, cackling at the sight of Gon laughing and nodding, and Killua making a face and shaking his head in disbelief.
Saturday mornings in Tomo always had a perfect mix of hustle and tranquility. It's easily noticeable with how the people that walked about dressed. Instead of briefcases and school bags, most of them brought shopping bags and small purses, sported casual and more comfortable clothing, and wore smiles instead of wrinkles.
That morning, with the onset of Spring bringing life back into the flora of town, most of the people around seemed to be having rendezvous instead of errands.
Everyone's dressed up and paired in groups of two to five. On one corner, a group of friends were chatting loudly by the shade of an al fresco cafe. Another group of familiar looking students were loitering about the sidewalk as Yuhi and her own group passed by. But the majority of the people hanging around were pairs, couples, housed by the shade of budding Cherry Blossom trees and Elms, sweet laughter and delightful conversations filling the air. The aura felt nice and fresh and new; the breeze still cool yet warm enough to fully take in.
Yuhi did so as they walked along the pavement going to the antique shop, ears focused on her brother's stories whilst eyes observant of the surroundings. She couldn't help but smile seeing happy people together with their favorite persons, gaze shifting to the boy walking beside her as she thought of her favorite person, daydreaming of flower fields and picnic baskets and holding hands under the sun.
They arrived at the antique shop at around 11:40AM, which was when the center of town usually gained foot traffic, and the time when shops and stalls opened for customers on a Saturday. The antique shop normally opens at 12NN sharp on Saturdays. But since Yellich's an employee, he got a free pass for breaking and entering through the front door with a 'CLOSED' signage hanging by its glass finish.
The lights were dim and the end aisles in between the pillars of wooden bookshelves and glass cases leading to the cash register were dark and blurry. The antique shop wasn't exactly large, but the interior design boasted an atmosphere fit for the pre-technology era. Yuhi always thought that it gave off an old fancy mansion vibe when open, but it seemed like a cold, lonely museum section when closed. Entering sent shivers down her spine; as though she'd been transported into a different time.
Meanwhile, her companions seemed to be doing just fine as she looked around. Her brother urged for them to follow. Gon was about to. But Killua stayed by the entrance next to Yuhi.
"Are you even allowed to do this?" he asked suspiciously, arms folding against his chest, an eyebrow arching upward in question.
Yellich took a breath, and was about to answer Killua when a yellow light flickered from behind him. And another, and another, until the entire shop's sprinkled with fluorescence and looked like the normal old and fancy mansion again—well, except for the still of a person with blonde hair standing behind the counter.
"Excuse me. We're still closed. Please come back at twelve."
The person's voice instantly caught Yuhi's attention. It sounded soft and feminine and calm, yet pompous and assertive and boyish all at the same time. She cocked her head to the left to get a good view of the counter that's only about seven meters away from where they were standing, and narrowed her eyes to draw a picture of this suddenly interesting character before them. Blonde, chin-length layered bob hair, small face, soft features, big brown eyes, wearing a brown rustic apron atop a black hoodie.
Is this onii-chan's new friend?
"Hey, it's me!" Yellich waved a hand, smiling brightly and excitedly when he shifted back to the three and dragged Yuhi and Gon by the wrist toward the counter.
Yuhi caught Killua's hand so he could follow suit, eyes turning back ahead to look at the person as they approached—like a puppy curious about what to make of the image in front of her vis-a-vis what she was predisposed to imagine. She blinked as if doing so would alter the person's features to fit her own concept of 'Yellich's new friend'. He seemed like her brother's new friend, but she wondered, Didn't he refer to his friend as a 'he'? He… The person had this charming aura that made him sparkle even while he stood, reserved yet seemingly approachable, pleasant and friendly. He's pretty…
A smile in greeting was almost invisible, but the air had become lighter and calmer. "Hello," the person said with a polite bow, gestures precise and practiced, looking at the three first before shifting back to Yellich. "How may I help you today, Yellich?"
"Nah, just visiting!" Yellich said gleamingly, waving a hand then placing it atop Yuhi's noggin. "It's my first free Saturday in quite a while so I'm just goin' 'round town to enjoy liberty with these three."
This person then turned to them on cue, with Yuhi's subconscious refusing to look away even as their gazes met.
"This is Yuhi, my little sister," Yellich continued, uninterrupted, "And these are Killua and Gon, my sons!"
"Ha!?" Killua instantly protested, so loud he unknowingly knocked Yuhi off her trance while Gon and Yellich laughed in the background.
Yellich easily conceded, hands up in the air in surrender. "Alright, alright. They're my adopted brothers," he said carefully and sincerely, looking at the two with a warm smile on his face.
Gon beamed.
Killua hissed, crossed his arms against his chest and looked away, faint cherries painting his cheeks.
Yuhi smiled. When she looked back up to return to their little introductory activity, she met this person's gaze once more. Oddly surprising, he graced her with a short-lived timid, warm smile, followed by the most courteous introduction she had seen and heard since she met Sejin.
"Pleased to meet you. My name's Kurapika."
It took about two seconds, and an audible gasp and loud "Nice to meet you, Kurapika!" from Gon before Yuhi could proceed to respond with a little bow and her own polite "Hello." Even his name's pretty…
Yellich cackled, and looking at the three and pointing a thumb over his shoulder, he whispered, "Wait, I left some money in my locker. I'll be back."
Kurapika acknowledged Gon's enthusiastic greeting first with another bow, then proceeded to greet them individually.
Yuhi admittedly felt a little shy but thrilled to be meeting this charming person—as though she was talking to a celebrity for some reason. She smiled again after letting her gaze rest on the countertop, aware that he made her blush a little too much. Subconsciously, she took a step to the right close to Killua, where she could feel his sleeve brush against her own, then did a quick glance to check if he noticed. But Killua was looking ahead, toward Kurapika, who was now also looking at him. Staring. Familiarizing? Yuhi quickly scooted to the left to check if Gon was seeing this, confirming it so upon seeing him gape curiously at them. She blinked, and was about to attempt at a small talk when Kurapika did another one of his polite bows and said,
"I never expected to meet a Zoldyck heir in my lifetime. It is an honor."
In a speed of light, while holding her breath, Yuhi shared looks with Gon, who appeared just as surprised, and both turned to Killua.
The latter's eyes were wide, but he didn't seem too fazed about it—as though he's used to it but he just forgot how to react. He looked away for a second, turned to Gon, blinked, looked back at Kurapika, and responded only with an "Oh… How…?". He then narrowed his eyes and examined his face before taking a step back, shielding as he whispered, "Did they send you?"
But Kurapika was nonchalant as he shook his head. "I do not belong to your organization. I just happen to know you."
"Huh," Killua scoffed and buried his hands in his pockets. Yuhi could feel that his guard went up as he took another silent step back and eyed Kurapika for about three seconds. The tension was starting to build up at that time, until Killua nodded and cleared his throat. "You're sharp."
Kurapika blinked blankly.
"But it's not an honor to meet someone with a nasty last name like me," Killua warned, mumbling as he looked away, catching a glimpse of Yuhi's stare, and looked the other way. "I'm just a normal kid here."
Kurapika nodded. "I shall remember that."
Killua might have said it accidentally, but it got Yuhi wondering why he reacted that way when Kurapika expressed that he knew him. Are they trying to catch him? She could ask him later. What's relevant at that moment was the fact that Kurapika recognized him as the Zoldyck heir. That title still stung, but Yuhi was determined to courteously ask how that happened.
However, just then, Yellich re-entered the room from the locker area behind the ceiling-high shelving at the back end of the shop, clasping his hands together as he approached the group sunnily. "Alright, did you have a good talk? I'm getting hungry! What do you want for lunch? Pika-chan, d'you wanna come with?"
Yuhi turned to Killua instead for answers to expected questions. But he was speaking in sign language with Gon, who looked just as confused as Killua. So she just pursed her lips and returned to the ongoing conversation.
"I thought I told you not to call me that," Kurapika meanwhile protested with a silent groan, sighing audibly and crossing his arms against his chest. "I haven't even opened the shop yet. You may leave now please, if you have already fulfilled your visit's purpose."
Yellich snickered and clapped tinily. "The way you talk never fails to amaze me."
Yuhi's eyes were wide, the sudden choice of words to form that sentence stunned her 14-year-old brain. She had to agree.
Kurapika sighed again.
"Well, okay! We'll go on our way now. Just wanted to introduce you to these three," Yellich said as he turned a heel toward the short hallway, which movement signaled the three to stand straight and prepare for an exit.
Kurapika did so as well, dropping his annoyed facade and bowing politely—again. "It was nice meeting you. Have a good day."
The three bowed in return, with Yuhi and Gon bellowing "You too!" in unison with a smile on their face, while Killua nodded and let out a quick "Ja," before they all turned to leave the shop.
The breeze was warmer and there were more people populating the streets as they walked to follow Yellich to his favorite pizza place. Intuitively, while listening to his brother blab to Gon about this meeting, Yuhi wanted to see Killua in broad daylight, just to know if he's feeling fine after that sudden conversation topic with Kurapika. He still looked confused, head tilting left to right as though it's full of questions, lips pursed so much they formed a small letter 'o'. Yuhi found him kind of cute in that angle, making her smile and blush, and remembered how Kurapika made her stomach flutter a bit upon meeting him. He is pretty, but—
The wind caught her hair as Killua caught her stare, time stopping with her heart to capture the moment. Yuhi always felt like a dummy whenever this happened, and whenever she felt like a dummy, she laughed, giggled, or did something unannounced. At that time, however, she froze, because Killua seemed more like the dummy when he suddenly tucked her hair behind her ear and immediately returned to the road with a pink face.
Yuhi's immediate response was to check if Yellich or Gon saw, but both seemed busy talking to even spare a glance. That made her smile. She scooted a little closer to Killua and caught his pinky finger free from his pocket. Yuhi held on as Killua looked at her with wide eyes, softening into a shy smile with every step they took.
—you have my heart.
The pizza place had just opened when they arrived. It smelled of fresh tomato sauce, onions, cheese and toasted dough, scent fuming even from outside of the store. Yellich greeted everyone in white aprons when they entered, an obvious regular of this restaurant on Saturdays. They ordered an 18-inch pepperoni pizza and a family plate of Alfredo pasta, which earned Yuhi another set of noodle girl teases from Killua as she was the one who wanted it more than the pizza.
Meeting Kurapika was the main topic while they waited for the food, with Yellich emphasizing how glad he was that they finally met him, and that he hoped he'd get to hang out with them someday because he's super cool.
"I swear, he knows everything!" he gushed.
Yuhi observed Killua while this topic was on the table, noting how he now seemed nonchalant about it. He was just looking out the window while munching on french fries—
—well, until Gon suddenly thundered, "Yeah, he even knows that Killua's Zoldyck family heir!"
And in that same second, Killua snapped towards Gon.
Yuhi gasped and held her breath there. She instantly turned to Gon, who met her gaze with big eyes, surprised at himself for spilling. Gon cupped his mouth, then looked at Killua, then at Yellich. Yuhi did the same, bracing herself for possible eruptions—especially coming from her brother who knew nothing about Killua's family. All three ended up staring at Yellich in anticipation of how he'd react to that sudden revelation, each giving off a different set of expressions in their anxiousness.
Yellich, on the other hand, looked more surprised with how they gaped at him than with hearing this unprecedented news. "What?" he mumbled curiously, leaning back as if he's dodging bullets from their stare. He blinked and eased up in his seat while they remained silent, cleared his throat and took a french fry. "I told him not to make a fuss about it, but I guess Kurapika's the stubborn type."
Huh…?
They all tilted their heads, expressions varying from confusion to dread to wonder.
Gon was the first to react, letting out a loud, impulsive "Ah!?" out of the blue.
"Wait," Killua immediately followed up to carry the conversation back to land. "You knew?" he asked exasperatedly.
Yellich swallowed his french fry and blinked, eyes wide of innocent wonder as he nodded.
Killua and Gon looked at each other.
Yuhi's heart raced, thoughts that never even entered her mind until that day had started to suddenly barge in and bombard her entire consciousness. If Yellich knew… then what does he think about it? How does he feel about it? Is he absolutely fine with knowing that? Why didn't he tell me? She inhaled and asked slowly, voice tiny, "How?"
Yellich turned to her, confused. Yuhi stared back, equally confused. "I just know?" Yellich blinked, and in asking back he took turns looking at the three, "I mean, who doesn't?"
Yuhi's confusion imploded and then exploded into pure dumbfoundedness.
"Everyone," Killua answered abruptly, calming down a little in his seat. "Well, except for a few teachers," he pointed at Gon, then looked at Yuhi, "and these two."
The latter thought that Killua's look meant that he's suspicious of her sharing this hidden information to her brother. Her pulses hammered at a faster rate as she leaned forward a little, eyebrows curling in pure concern, and shook her head slowly.
"Oh," Yellich mused, "that's funny," slamming his back against his chair, thinking. "Is that why—" He paused and stroked his chin while staring curiously at a spot on the table. Then he laughed as though someone just said the funniest joke in the room. "That's…" He gave them a thumbs up as he sat straight. "Gotcha, I'll remember that."
Killua's eyebrows curled once more in puzzlement.
Yuhi turned again to look at her brother, officially stupefied.
"But how did you know?" Gon echoed, sounding genuinely clueless while he stared at Yellich like he's an abstract piece of art.
Yellich had finally seemed to have loosened his grip from this bewilderment game. He took a deep breath, smiled comfortably when he exhaled, and gave a serene look to each of them before he fixed himself in his seat for a story. "Remember what I told you about how I was washed up on a shore when the plane crashed and someone took care of me and I lived there for years before I finally saved up enough money to find my baby sister?" he asked casually as though that story's the most natural thing to happen to a person. Still, his audience nodded in anticipation. "Well"—he smiled—"guess what?"
A thundering sound emanated from within Yuhi as an intuition suddenly populated her mind to answer her brother. With wide eyes, she turned to Killua and Gon, who looked as if they, too, were thinking of the exact same thing within that millisecond pause. Yuhi gasped.
"Ding!" Yellich stunned the table with an excited slap, leaning in forward and eyeing the three as though he's about to reveal the secrets to his magic tricks. Then he cackled to himself and relaxed again in his seat, nodding. "Yup, that shore's part of Padokea Region," he said, smiling, then looked straight at Killua with bright eyes, "Young Master's domain."
Were ancient people not trying to be witty and funny, or even poetic, whenever they said "it's a small world after all" in each serendipity? Because not once had Yuhi imagined her reality to be cramped into the tiniest world. The way people close to her all knew about Killua's supposed secret not because of her or anyone from Tomo, but because of prior circumstances she knew nothing about, spun in her head like a helicopter's rotor blade flying 50,000 feet above the ground. The sound waves buzzed in ears loud, with flashbacks of absolutely nothing infiltrating her brain, and then went silent as her consciousness opened her eyes to a lady in white apron serving one whole pizza and a big plate of pasta on their table.
"Order's complete?" the lady asked as she stood straight, smiling courteously and tipping her small chef's hat when Yellich nodded and thanked her for the service.
The smell of freshly cooked food snapped Yuhi back into reality, holding on to the edge of the table as she blinked away the dizziness caused by that mystical daydream. She initially checked the boys sitting opposite her and her brother. Gon was looking at Killua while the latter remained stunned, staring at Yellich.
"What are you waiting for? Dig in!" Yellich excitedly ushered, grabbing a slice and immediately taking one big scrumptious bite, never bothered by his frozen companions. He looked around as he chewed, meeting Yuhi's gaze last, sighed, and said, "Okay, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I just never thought that I needed to. I honestly did not think that it's a secret." He then turned to Killua. "In my defense, I never told anyone. Not even Kurapika. I was just showing him pictures we took on my phone then he suddenly started an entire discourse about your family. Not gonna say what he thinks of it."
In his 2-second pause, still, there was silence. So he decided to put down his slice on a plate and adjust his weight in his seat. He cleared his throat, bracing for another statement, but halted when Yuhi rustled on his side.
"And you…?" she asked slowly, hesitantly, unsure of whether it's proper to ask such a thing in front of Killua and Gon. She peeked to check, and found them focused on her, waiting. She swallowed (her pride and whatever aftermath would come with it) and continued, "I mean, I just want to know, I guess, what you…um…think about…it?"
Yellich blinked, eyes wide as he stared into Yuhi's, seemingly processing in his head what she just asked.
Yuhi had hoped that Yellich understood what she intended to find out with that question. Not that her feeling's going to change depending on her brother's answer, but his notion still mattered to her, just as much as Roroturo's. Mercifully, a sense of relief calmed her heart when Yellich finally smiled that smile he always gave her whenever he said something comforting.
"I'm sure you've noticed how I always make sure that you're happy and still okay, right?" he said, placing his palm gently on top of Yuhi's head. He then leaned in to whisper, "And why I fiddled too much with your lovelife at the start. I was trying to get in the way 'cause I didn't trust that kid with my baby sister," which made Yuhi giggle a little. They both did. And leaning back he turned to the two boys, smiled, and locked gazes with Killua.
The latter curled his brows a few seconds in, looking away and back as though he's attempting to hide his face from a watching crowd. "What?" he mumbled, glimpsing at Yuhi and returning to Yellich. "I'm just a normal person here," he repeated.
Yellich's smile broke into a confiding grin, gaze palpably unperturbed as he said, "I know. I trust you."
They're simple words, but coming from her brother, it meant a lot to Yuhi—knowing that they're on the same page and on the same ground. She wouldn't know if she could ever live to be in a conflict with anything or anyone when it came to her relationship with Killua. Love should not be that complicated if it's raw and real, right? She gazed at the boy in front of her with a relieved smile, sweetly meeting her eyes despite his flushed disposition.
Killua cleared his throat and fixed himself upright in his seat, chin up in an attempt to regain his self-esteem. He glanced at Yuhi once more before narrowing his eyes at her brother, and mumbled, threateningly yet adorably, "Just don't call me that again. It sounds weird coming from you."
"Oh, you bet!" Yellich snickered and leaned in forward, reaching out to Killua's cheeks to try and pinch while he teased him as though he's a one-year-old child. "You'll always be the cutest teeny weeny baby cat to me!"
Killua hissed and glared.
Gon and Yuhi laughed.
Satisfied, Yellich leaned back and finally enjoyed his pizza. The three took a slice each as well, with Yuhi scooping a tongs-full of pasta for herself. After a decent moment of slurping and chewing, Gon enthusiastically asked if they could take a picture; food in his mouth when he turned to face his best friend and asked to borrow his cellphone.
"It's not everyday we get to hang out with Yellich like this!" was his honest and earnest reason for asking so.
Killua hoisted the gadget from his pocket without further objection and handed it to Gon. One of the waitresses took the group photos—about five with different funny faces—with the last one being the most candid as it was when Killua teasingly kicked Yuhi's leg under the table, while Gon and Yellich guffawed about the wacky poses they did in front of the camera.
The laughs continued while they scrolled through each of the photos, finding their own antics hilarious. Upon reaching the last one, Gon and Yellich couldn't seem to stop laughing at themselves for how they looked. Meanwhile, Yuhi shared looks with Killua to find out if he's seeing what they looked like in the photo. The shot captured them looking at each other with a certain gaze that resonated comfort. (It wasn't romantic at all; it was Yuhi eyeing Killua for kicking her in the leg, and Killua snickering playfully in return.) It seemed as though they had a single, shared mind. They smiled at each other, then looked the other way with sweet cherries on their cheeks, smiling still.
Yuhi loved the way they both got shy for looking like dummies with a crush sitting an arm's length away. She desired more moments like that with Killua. More of him, and less of the unprecedented thoughts and worries. She inhaled, sighing in awe as she glanced at him again, meeting his eyes and feeling butterflies in her tummy when he smiled. She thought that she could hold onto it for a little while longer. She didn't expect it to dissolve so quickly with a swift nudge in the elbow from Gon showing him something on his phone.
"She sent you a text," Gon told him quietly, brows creased with sudden concern.
Killua's expression then promptly read of disquietude as he wiped his fingers with a paper towel and took the phone in his hand, reading a message on it.
Yuhi blinked and turned to her brother for a quick refuge, but he's busy scrolling through his own phone while eating his pasta. She looked back at the two boys, waiting for them to tell her what's up, or who texted, is it Mito-san? Alluka? Why do they look so worried? "Is everything okay?" she asked.
Killua turned to Gon.
"It's Kira," the latter said, looking at Yuhi with a fretful smile.
It must have been how distraught they both seemed, for Yuhi initially felt the concern populating her mind, impulsively overpowering the agitation that's squeezing her chest. "What happened?" she kindly asked, gaping to and fro Gon and Killua and trying to not overthink about how the latter was blankly staring at the screen of his phone, eyebrows creased, seemingly thoughtful.
"Well," Gon answered slowly, slight hesitancy obvious in his tone despite him smiling assuringly, "she, um, seems like she needs some company today."
Yuhi had then figured it out. Lykira might have sent them a text (she sent it only to Killua), asking if they could hang out that day. That's completely normal. They're friends, after all. But what puzzled her was how they both reacted to it. Something bad must have happened, Yuhi was certain, yet she couldn't wrap her finger around it, especially because Killua had not looked her way since they received the text.
"You can call her over," Yellich suddenly said. They all looked at him. He seemed very sure of inviting her into their mini clique that Saturday, pleasantly smiling, and added, "Only if she wants to, of course. And we still have a few slices of pizza, but we can order more. Should be fun!"
Gon beamed.
Killua finally looked at Yuhi, inquisitive eyes awaiting for how hers would react.
Yuhi just stared back, blinking and thinking, Yes… Yes, we should—guilt roaring in her gut as she swallowed, gave a tiny smile and nodded. Silly Yuhi. Why didn't you think of that first?
"Alright-y!" Yellich exclaimed cheerily, gently placing a hand on Yuhi's nape, warm and safe.
Gon excitedly turned to Killua, asking him to reply to Lykira, or give her a call. Killua made Gon do it himself, with the latter up on his feet when he received a positive response after a quick call. "She's on the bus from the train station," Gon said as he slid out of his seat and pointed a thumb toward the door. "I'll go pick her up at the stop!"
Yuhi sat upright, and was about to volunteer to accompany Gon when Killua moved forward to come out of his space too.
"I'll go with you," he said—as naturally as he always did whenever Gon decided to go somewhere on his own, Yuhi thought. "We'll be back in a sec," he muttered as he gazed at her, not looking away until he got at least a nod as a response.
Yuhi watched as they headed out the door, and through the window as they walked along the pavement, waving a hand at Killua when he looked back at her from the street. She didn't even realize that her smile had disappeared together with the sight of them until after Yellich started a conversation about their studies.
For the next fifteen minutes, Yuhi focused on her brother and told him stories about school, as he did. It's been a while since the last time they talked like that, and Yuhi genuinely enjoyed it; she loved conversations with her brother about any random thing they could think of. But it was weird how anxious she got with every minute Gon and Killua weren't back from the bus stop. She kept glancing at the door, or at the window, searching for traces of raven and silver and ash blonde, waiting impatiently, ruffled.
Yuhi told herself that she was just a little thrilled about hanging out with Lykira outside of school for the first time. But her heart galloped of insane turbulence when they finally arrived. Gon was the first to be in the frame, excited feet immediately hopping toward their table, but Yuhi couldn't get her eyes off the other two following him from behind. Lykira was wearing a flowy, floral dress under a mini denim jacket, with dainty necklaces and bracelets to complement the look, and strappy sandals on her feet. She looked incredibly lovely, and so good next to Killua—like a couple out on a date.
Stop.
Lykira was fast to catch her gaze. She waved a hand and smiled charmingly.
Yuhi was fast to unthink what had just gone past her thoughts and smiled back, head descending from the cloud of daydreams when she noticed Killua smiling warmly at her as well. He fixed himself immediately on his original spot in front of Yuhi while Gon facilitated the introductions between Lykira and Yellich.
"Sorry 'bout that," Killua whispered.
Yuhi's eyes grew wide. Confused and perpetually anxious of what had been happening so far, she tilted her head in question. "Hmm?"
Killua leaned in, close enough for Yuhi to identify his faint, gentle smile, and said, "That wasn't a sec."
What— Yuhi pressed her lips to suppress her upcoming beam, remembering yesterday when Killua kept saying 10 minutes and being extra proud that he actually did come back in time. Funny how he somehow always knew how to make her smile in any given situation.
"Go grab a seat!" Yellich gestured at the empty spaces as Lykira nodded and went for a spot next to Killua. Gon pulled a chair and positioned it in the center aisle of the table, adjacent to Yellich and Lykira.
Yuhi silently cleared her throat to somehow control her jumpy nerves caused by the person in front of her. She managed to sit straight, share another secret glance with Killua, and tried to focus on the main event of the hour.
They all proceeded to continue where they left off in their feast, with Lykira slowly easing up and laughing along while Yellich told stories Yuhi, Killua and Gon had already heard. Eventually, Lykira took over the storytelling, as Yuhi remembered her being one who had plenty, about school and anything she could think of, including her usual banters with Gon and Killua, and shared laughs and teases among themselves. She also mentioned why she needed company that day.
"My date stood me up at the train station. And no, please, don't feel bad about it, it's totally understandable. I mean— Anyway, I really didn't feel like coming home this early and I know you guys hang out on Saturdays so I pushed my luck."
I knew it, something bad happened, Yuhi thought then upon hearing that, and empathized with her in the form of a smile, gratified by the idea that Lykira's go-to destination after that sullen encounter was their little Saturday group. Quickly though, Lykira moved on to another story that upped the lively atmosphere in their circle even more, as she seemed to not want to further dwell on what went down with her supposed date.
They had a pleasant time at the pizza place, Yuhi reckoned. Yellich seemed to enjoy spending time with a new friend, and Gon and Killua were full of energy engaging with every topic put down on the table. Yuhi, too, was having a fun time. Even as she shared only her attention and reactions, she could genuinely admit that she reveled in the moment.
Why was I super anxious earlier anyway? she thought as she watched her company in panorama, panning landing last on Killua who was laughing sweetly at Lykira's story about a mishap during Economics class the other day. It felt nice seeing him happy; wouldn't trade that child-like beam for anything. But she also wished she was the one making him laugh freely and effortlessly like that. She wished she could be as naturally funny and charismatic as Lykira was on a regular basis.
They left the pizza place at around two in the afternoon with nothing else to do. Yellich initially wanted them to visit the flower garden at the neighboring town, but he deemed it too late since it's a one and a half bus ride away from Tomo including traffic, and the place would already close by five. He didn't want to roam around for just less than two hours in a place that he had never been to.
They rode the bus going to the mall instead, where they spent the rest of the afternoon window shopping at the Department Store and going in and out of each stand-alone store that piqued their interests. They ended up buying at least one item from that trip. Yellich got an antique-looking brown bracelet and bought Yuhi daisy clay earrings from the same shop. Gon also bought clay earrings as a casual gift to Mito. Killua bought a few video games to play during Spring break, and a maroon hat that Yuhi said looked good on him.
Lykira was the last in the group to make a purchase, and it's from the last store they visited—this relatively small yet expensive-looking cosmetic shop that screamed the color pink. She politely asked them to wait for her outside as the store could only accommodate a few guests at a time. But she took Yuhi in with her, and the latter felt like she was transported into a different universe upon entering.
It smelled like baby powder and acetone inside. The shelves were neat and organized according to category: nail, hair, face, body. And each row was packed with products of different shapes and sizes. There were bottles that Yuhi could not decipher what and where for. She honestly did not know how these products were used, at the same time she's astounded by the fact that people actually spend money on different kinds of beauty products. That was the first time she entered such a shop, and admittedly, she felt like an alien to her own kind by having absolutely no idea, or even interest, about these things.
"What's your favorite shade?" Lykira asked with a tiny basket in her hand, grabbing a tube of lip tint from the rack that Yuhi was inspecting.
Clueless, the latter asked, "Shade…?"
Lykira smiled and pointed at the row of lip tints with a sticker that read TESTER. "The color."
Yuhi blinked, and realizing how dumb she appeared, she shook her head and smiled sheepishly. "Oh, no, I'm… I don't really…" She didn't know how to explain herself so she just shrugged in the end.
Obviously mildly surprised, Lykira nodded in understanding then tilted her head as she paused, thinking. She examined the display with a pointy finger in the air, then beamed and pulled a tube out of the column labeled as CORAL. She held it up to Yuhi's eye level and looked to and fro the shade in the packaging and her face. "Not too wild but not too subtle. What do you think?"
Yuhi had no idea what was happening at that time. So she just nodded and said, "I think it'll look good on you."
Lykira snickered a little and placed the product in her almost full basket, and headed toward the cashier for payment.
It was only when they were heading out the shop, when Lykira handed her a small paper bag with the shop's logo on it, that Yuhi realized that the lip tint was for her. They had to stop just before the exit, and Lykira almost had to shove the item in her bag because she didn't want to take it at first. "No, it's okay! It must have cost a lot. I don't really know how to use it," was Yuhi's refusal statement.
But Lykira was determined to give it to her, laughing at the sight of Yuhi avoiding touching the paperbag at all costs. "It's just a little gift since you've been so nice to me." When she finally caught Yuhi's hands, the paperbag immediately landed on her palms. A proud and pleased smile spread across Lykira's face as she stood straight. "Please take it," she asked nicely. "You might need it in the future. And it's easy to use. You'll get used to it eventually!"
Yuhi hid her sigh as she stared at the small bag in her hands. It's not as though she didn't want to use one. It's just that she felt shy about receiving such an expensive gift from someone she talked casually with just the day before. Still, she was grateful, resting her case with a smile and a "Thank you, Kira," before hiding it in her bag and rejoining their little group.
They rested in an al fresco cafe and ordered milkshakes before heading back to town, a little tired (Yuhi's feet hurt a little because of the flats she's wearing) yet still full of youthful glow from the walkathon around the mall. An orange and blue twilight had already dominated the sky by the time they arrived back at the center of town, streetlights and shop lights gracing the roads with luminescence as they prepared for the evening.
Lykira was the first one to bid farewell, annoyed by the fact that she had a strict curfew, before smiling brightly and bowing in thanks. "Nice to meet you, Yel, and thank you, Yuhi! I had a load of fun." Straightening up and glancing at everyone, she added, "Thanks for saving my day. Kinda cheesy, but it really means a lot."
Gon and Yellich beamed. Yuhi smiled. Killua shrugged. They said their thanks too, with Yellich adding that it was nice meeting her personally too.
"How will you get home?" the latter asked before letting her go.
"I can walk home. It's fairly near," she answered, jabbing a thumb over her shoulder.
"Oh, hmm," Yellich mused, eyebrows creasing in thought.
Yuhi instantly knew what her brother was thinking. He couldn't let her walk alone along dimming streets. He was probably thinking of how to go about suggesting a plan of action. So Yuhi thought she could help him with it. "Let's walk you home, Kira," she proudly suggested.
But Lykira politely refused, waving a hand in the air and shaking her head. "It's okay, Yuhi," she said, smiling. "Don't worry about it. I'll be fine."
Yuhi pouted at that, looking up at her brother to see if he'll allow it. It still looked like he was thinking. And Yuhi couldn't also let her go on her own just like that after sharing her time with them and giving her a little gift. It's the least she could offer. She was about to insist on it when Killua suddenly spoke.
"We can walk her home, me and Gon," he said firmly, gaze locked onto Yuhi sternly.
The latter couldn't determine what his stare and tone were for, but she looked back at him as her mind juggled the same strange and unprecedented thoughts from yesterday and during lunch. She tried to ignore them as much as she could, blinking profusely as she mentally dodged them to avoid overthinking at that exact moment.
"Killua, I'm fine. No need," Lykira affirmed.
Killua did not let go of Yuhi's stare until after a few seconds. He shifted his gaze at Yellich first, then at Gon, nodding with him. "What Yuhi said,'' he insisted, looking at Lykira this time. "Let's walk you home."
"C'mon, Kira! We insist!" Gon added.
Yellich finally moved upon hearing that, inhaling deeply and smiling when he exhaled. "Sure you'll be fine?" he asked, addressing Killua.
He nodded.
Lykira groaned, but she conceded as she was outnumbered. "Fine," she said sluggishly, "but only because Yuhi said so. Next time, don't even try."
Gon and Yellich laughed and nodded.
Meanwhile Yuhi was still looking at Killua, immensely confused about the sudden turn of events he purposely made happen.
He caught her gaze while Yellich, Gon and Lykira talked about their routes home, eyebrows softening a little when he said, "It's okay. You don't have to walk all the way there and back. Just rest up at home."
Conflicted—that's what Yuhi was feeling at that time. Ugly and unwelcome thoughts remained in her mind, yet Killua sounded too caring and nice for her to feel anything bad. It sounded as though he's insisting on just him and Gon walking Lykira home because he didn't want Yuhi to push herself to the limit that day. Or was it?
She didn't know. She's too tired to think and too shy to ask. She just nodded and reminded him to text her when it's okay, waved a hand and said "See you at school!" as she watched them walk away.
Yellich seemed exhausted as well. Understandable, since he had been talking nonstop probably since that morning when Gon and Killua arrived at the ramen shop. Without saying a word, he placed an arm around Yuhi's shoulders, smiled and nodded when she looked up at him, and gestured toward the bus stop. They walked and traveled in peaceful silence—even slept on the bus—until they got home and told Roroturo about their day over dinner.
It took a while before Killua could send her a message. But she thought she first had to wash up, tuck herself in bed and relax before she could reply. She felt that she needed time to think and flush the unnecessary thoughts out of her brain so that she could respond with an unbiased tone, not guilty of hypocrisy or any friendship-related crimes she's certain she had already committed, however vague and confusing they were. But even as she tried to meditate, this bitter taste still stung in her mouth when she reread his text.
couldnt send this earlier, but we jgh. got invited to dinner by her mom. cant say no. your feet still hurt?
Maybe Yuhi didn't want to admit it at first, or that she kept hiding this feeling from herself so that she wouldn't cause havoc within, afraid that it might transgress into something awfully unlawful. There were questionable moments, moments that she kept telling herself must have been because of circumstances that excluded her from knowing. But Lykira had done nothing but be kind to her, and Killua had never failed in making her feel cared for. Yet even so, here she was, sitting on her bed with cockroaches and flies swarming above her head, unable to kill them by plainly ignoring their presence.
I'm…
She wanted to run to her brother for advice, or just talk to someone about it, really, determined to put a stop to this strange sensation creeping at the back of her neck. Quickly she braced herself to get out of bed and sprint to Yellich's room. If he's already asleep, she'll talk to him tomorrow. But she must check tonight. Just then, someone knocked on her door, and Yuhi instantly knew who it was.
"Still up?" Yellich asked, peeking in a little from the ajar door.
Relief washed over Yuhi, smiling as she nodded. "I was about to go to you," she said while watching her brother pull the swivel chair from her study area and sit comfortably in front of her.
"I know." Yellich smiled and rolled closer. "I mean, it felt like that. You've been acting weird since lunchtime."
Yuhi sighed. She really tried hard to be inconspicuous about it. But she might have appeared to be trying too hard. Killua and Gon might have noticed it too but just didn't say anything. She just hoped that they wouldn't take it the wrong way. "I'm…" she started, fiddling with the phone in her hand and looking down while thinking of how to phrase her words. "I want to ask you something."
Yellich leaned forward. "Anything. Shoot."
"Have…" Yuhi glanced at her brother, smiled a little at the view of him waiting to listen intently, and took one deep breath to ask, "Onii-chan, have you been jealous before?"
Yuhi felt like she's gonna throw up with every second spared not busying herself with schoolwork come Monday. She barely had enough time to sleep the night before, and she couldn't seem to find her drive to go to school and act like a decent Sophomore student. That Monday, she just didn't feel like doing anything at all. Her only wish was to be reborn as a plant in a pot enjoying the sun all day and the stars at night, or a cat that just went about its life roaming around at its own pace and sleeping anywhere rent free. She didn't want to be a silly little human with feelings that day. She couldn't be bothered speaking with fellow humans to express her emotions and talk about them. She didn't want to. But she must.
And she must do it that day.
To spend another waking moment with this fog above her head would be even worse. So she had decided that it must be done that Monday. She must speak with Killua about how she felt. She must tell him the truth so that they could sort things out, and maybe he could even help her overcome this trivial emotional barrier that appeared just out of nowhere.
"Communication is key in any relationship. If that's how you feel about it, tell him. Before it rots in your brain and gives birth to more distasteful things," she remembered her brother say during their talk last Saturday night. And she agreed. Just thinking of jealousy birthing more of its kind in her system made her feel even more disgusted and disappointed in herself. Thus, she must put a stop to it immediately.
Monday, she told herself over the weekend. Monday is the day I tell him.
However, everything's always easier said than done. Her physical state had been affected by her mental state just for the mere thought of doing it. She's nauseous and unmotivated and colorless. It felt like a curse. She didn't want to go through it. She didn't know how to tell him that she's jealous of one of his friends. Even she thought it's self-centered and too possessive. And the second to the last thing she wanted was to be that crazy obsessive greedy girlfriend.
"C'mon, now, don't say that," was Yellich's soft rebuttal when she told him that it felt illegal and bad and mean, and that she didn't like how she was acting and reacting to something as simple as a plain conversation between Killua and Lykira. "What you're feeling right now is okay and valid. You just have to trust yourself to overcome that. You said you really like Lykira and wanted to be friends with her too, right? I think you and Killua just need to talk about it."
Yes. It's easier said than done. Yes, I will. But she'll do it.
Hence, she tried to formulate a foolproof plan to avoid repeating and delaying and further decaying.
During recess? Too short of a time.
Lunch break! The only time she could feel worry-free and safe around her brother and Gon and Killua's company.
After school? There might still be people around since everyone seemed to be catching up on school activities and studies before Finals.
The only chance remaining, and the last one at that, was to talk to him at the bus stop before she rides home. It's the perfect venue. No distractions, not that many schoolmates walking about. It'd be just the two of them talking, and the sound of vehicles on the driveway revving to fill their background music. It should not fail. There's no other way for her to speak to him—if she really wanted to end this jealousy parasite nipping at her brain.
Now, she just had to know what to tell him and how. She wanted to outline her speech like she's preparing for a presentation in front of the class. It must be impeccable, at the same time true to heart.
"Just tell him the truth, and how you feel. Simple."
Yellich meant well. And he's right. But Yuhi did not realize how difficult that was for her until after she gave it some thought. She never even told Killua that she loves him. More so, she couldn't recall Killua telling her directly that he likes her.
On one hand, it's like confessing all over again, yet this time her feelings were wilder and more raw. Every single time she looked at Killua that day, her head spun in blissful tranquility—even more so whenever he looked back and smiled. (How she wished that smile belonged only to her.)
On the other hand, she genuinely wanted to be good friends with Lykira. She really seemed like a good person. And Yuhi felt incredibly bad about having to feel that way whenever she was close to Killua. If she tells Killua about this, it might affect her chance at friendship. Things might get awkward. And the very last thing she wanted was to engage in a silent war and conflict with anyone anywhere, especially at school.
Her internalized tension moved up a level or two with every tick and tock of the clock. She did her best to ignore her thoughts the entire time, acted as normal as she could ever be in front of her friends and to herself, and never once felt the need to run away. It's static.
Until the last period ended with a swift exit from Mr. Eli.
Yuhi's brain instantly switched, and all of the things she had been ignoring came raining down on her like sharp, tiny ice shards piercing her skin. Still, she managed to keep her composure. She must keep her calm and decency. She'll talk to Killua about it casually, like how they always talked, after all. Not a big deal. As soon as she speaks her mind, this ugly thing will disappear.
She let out a confident smile to herself as she hoisted her phone from her pocket. They didn't have volleyball practice that afternoon so they might meet up earlier than usual (and she could finally get this over with ASAP).
[3:45PM]
From: killua! (=^^=)
Message: early out... pironst is sleepy today lol text me when class is over
And just like that, she had switched back to her usual jumpy self every time she read Killua's texts after the last period.
Aware that her smile grew wider, she looked around to check if no one noticed. Good thing everyone's too slumped to stay in school after class, and Sejin was busy reviewing her notes to pay her attention. She sent in her reply, where are you? before fixing her things in her bag and checking her phone again.
here in room, just waiting for gon to come back frm faculty. u good to go?
Maybe she could save the worrying for later and allow herself to enjoy another moment while she can. She thought of coming to him at that time; to mask her nerves with bold moves instead. It's kinda fun, she would admit, pretending to be confident in a very nerve-racking situation. Really, Yuhi did anything that day that would distract her from overthinking. She could do it later at the bus stop.
Without sending in a reply. She wore her bag over her shoulder, said goodbye to Sejin, and hopped happily out of their classroom to go straight to 2-A's. She stopped just right outside of their door, waiting to hear if there were students still inside aside from Killua. But it was quiet even as the door's ajar, pushing Yuhi to immediately grab the handle to slide it open. But she stopped halfway through, body freezing upon hearing a familiar voice speak.
"I just don't know what to do, you know?" the person spoke exasperatedly, sighing afterwards. Yuhi's grip tightened on the handle, her other hand clenching into a fist as her heart galloped of anticipation and acidity. That was Lykira and—
"Just ignore what they say and do what you want."
Killua.
Yuhi swallowed, holding her breath to avoid emitting any noise that would expose her unintentional wicked activity. She's thinking twice whether she should make her presence known at that pristine moment, but she couldn't move. They seemed to be on a serious topic considering how grave their voices sounded. However, that notion, too, so easily dissolved when Yuhi heard Lykira cackle teasingly yet sweetly.
"Dude, just what if?" Lykira said animatedly, as though she just suddenly had a breakthrough she excitedly wanted to share to the world. "Maybe if I try to kiss you, I'll be converted back to normal."
And Yuhi just froze. For how long she stood there shaking because of this indescribable explosion, she was not sure. But one thing's for certain—it was the pinnacle of her emotional agony. The feelings she had been trying to push back had penetrated her reasoning and compelled her limbs to move, move, move. She opened the door, unintentionally slamming it against its frame loudly, and marched towards the teacher's table where Killua sat, completely ignoring two pairs of big cat-eyes staring at her in surprise. She stopped stomping in front of Killua and spun around to face Lykira, who sat on a second-row aisle chair, spread her arms wide and held her chest high as though she's shielding a baby chick from being snatched by a famished eagle.
Lykira sat straight at this surprising show, blinking curiously as she looked to and fro Yuhi and Killua.
Yuhi felt that Lykira was about to say something, and she heard Killua emit a sound from his throat from behind her. She could allow them to talk first and explain what she just heard. But adrenaline fueled her courage fast, making her abruptly express that she's Yuhina, and she's there, standing between the two of them. "I can't let you do that!" she bellowed shakily with her eyes closed, naturally small and high-pitched voice up an octave higher. She paused to catch her breath, then continued when she heard Killua softly mutter a 'Hey…'
"You cannot… do that, Kira…" Yuhi could feel her shoulders shivering of fear, tone of voice lowering as she yielded—her chest heaving of extreme nervousness. She felt like crying and surrendering to panic and regret. But she must follow through. She couldn't allow herself to let things be, like how it was with Mitan several months ago. It's different now. So even with much constraint, stutters and incohesive phrases, she forced herself to talk as nicely yet as firmly as she could. "I have been— No, I mean, I don't know how to say this, but I… I just want to know— Is there— I don't know… if there's something going on between you and Killua. If, you know, if you like him like I do. Um, just please tell me if… there is something, ne. Please… If that's okay with you."
Her mouth tasted like metal after that hideous speech. She exhaled deeply and closed her eyes and swallowed the pride she still had left on her tongue, anticipating the worst news she could possibly hear from either of them. The five-second wait was painful. She didn't know which dominated her receptor more, contrition or disgrace.
"Oh no, Yuhi, I don't… That was a joke," Lykira responded in an almost whisper, and the moment Yuhi opened her eyes, she was looking at her, seemingly aflutter. "A bad joke." She then glanced at Killua first before she shrugged, smiled, and slowly said, "Actually, I... I like girls."
Yuhi blinked immensely. What Lykira said didn't register as fast in her corrupted brain. She didn't know what that meant and how that answered her query. Exasperated, she asked, "What…?" unable to complete the question as her mind began to rationalize Lykira's words. Wait—
Expression unchanging, Lykira did the honor of repeating for Yuhi. "I like girls, Yuhi, like how you like Killua."
And then it hit her, like a bulldozer running her over on an empty street, humiliation beginning to shade her bright red color with black and white. She held her breath for the nth time and retrieved her arms, holding her soft fists against her chest, her strong facade crumbling into pieces. "R-Really!?" Yuhi accidentally shrieked, and was about to apologize for it when Lykira nodded and she ended up gasping and cupping her cheeks instead to hide its monstrosity. "Then, you're not…!" The realization kept coming at her like bazookas straight to her every limb. She froze on her spot once again—this time with a colossal sense of mortification with herself. She couldn't even begin to express how sorry she was to them both, and to herself, so she just let her hands cover her entire face and bell out, "I am so sorry!" Unbelievable. I'm such a dummy!
The next second she felt a hand on her shoulder and opened her eyes to Lykira standing in front of her with an earnest smile. "It's okay." She then looked over at Killua who was still behind Yuhi. She called his name, and seemingly receiving no response, she snapped her fingers.
"Y-Yeah?" Killua responded meekly, clearing his throat.
"You mind if I talk to Yuhi in private, please?"
"Oh, okay." Killua cleared his throat again upon hopping off the table, and mumbled out a "I'll wait outside" before heading out the door and sliding it shut.
All the while, Yuhi did not move. She did not know how to face both Lykira and Killua in this doggone situation. But she managed to calm down a bit when it was just her and Lykira in the room, leaning her buttocks on the teacher's table and burying her face once more in her palms. "I'm so sorry, Kira," she whispered, remorseful. "I didn't mean to corner you like that. It's just that I'm—"
"Afraid that Killua likes me more?" Lykira asked gently.
Yuhi nodded, unable to meet her eyes.
"Okay, here."
Guided by Lykira's grasp, Yuhi sat down on a chair, with the former sitting next to her. Shyly, Yuhi glanced at her, wanting to figure out what might transpire from this sudden talk through her eyes, and somehow felt comfortable enough to be vulnerable because of the gentle smile she's giving her.
"I'll be brief 'cause it still feels weird saying this to other people, but what you heard me say was true. To put it simply, I have liked girls since I was in middle school, I think." Lykira paused, which gave Yuhi time to react. But the latter just listened intently and sincerely. "Just recently, I told my best friend that I like her. It's kinda cliche, actually." Lykira laughed and then sighed. "Told her on Valentine's. Cheesy, right?"
Yuhi blinked and shook her head, suddenly on the edge of her seat listening to this intriguing romantic story. "Not at all," she answered, thinking that she'd probably do the same if she was in her situation.
Lykira let out a tiny smirk and jokingly said, "Killua's right. You're cheesy," making Yuhi's cheeks warm a little. Lykira continued. "Okay, so, I told her, right? She didn't say anything. She just told me to give her some time and went home. After that, all of my girl friends just blocked me out. Won't come near me like I'm a virus or something. I just assumed that this girl I like told them that I like her and I hate her for that but also I cannot hate her." Lykira breathed out and shook her head, frustration evident in her eyes.
Yuhi pressed her lips, brows creasing with pure concern. She could never, in any way, sympathize with Lykira's situation. But she empathized with her. She knew exactly how being ignored by friends and feeling that way toward the person she liked felt.
"Gon and Killua are my closest guy friends in school. I didn't know where else to go and speak with so I told them. I told Gon first, then just recently, I told Killua."
Somehow, the blurred lines inside Yuhi's head were becoming clearer. That's probably the reason why something had changed between the three of them, why they hung out more, talked more, and bickered less. She could not believe how low she went by thinking of Lykira as a rival in love.
"I honestly thought that Killua would make fun of me like he always does!" Lykira playfully rolled her eyes at the door then smiled cheerily at Yuhi—one that she's used to seeing as Lykira's default. "But they've been super nice and super understanding, that I just always want to shower them with attention and time to return the favor."
Her heart swelled the longer Lykira's smile graced her sight. But she returned it with a genuine one of her own, agreeing with every word she said about Gon and Killua. Still, she could never deny her false accusation. She looked at her clasped fingers on the desk and sincerely said, "I'm really sorry, Kira, for thinking wrongly of you. I kept on overthinking and went with what my mind made up."
"No, please, it's partly my fault for not disclosing sooner. I asked Gon and Killua to keep it a secret at all costs. And, wow, they really did!"
Genuinely curious, Yuhi cautiously asked, "if I may ask, your date last Saturday, was it with her?"
Lykira nodded, her smile defeated and dim. "Apparently it's a bet." She then placed a hand atop Yuhi's, looking her in the eyes to say, "I'm sorry too, Yuhi, for giving you the wrong idea, and for saying stuff that bothers you. I should've been more responsible since you're in a relationship with Killua. But I can assure you that whatever thing you notice we joke about, it's mostly just him flexing that he got a girlfriend and I don't." Lykira shook her head as she laughed, with Yuhi engaged in shaking her head in disbelief upon hearing that, whilst blood spread to her cheeks and nose.
"That's so mean," the latter responded joshingly, throat bubbling out giggles as her eyes squinted with her smile.
Lykira shrugged and animatedly threw her hands in the air. "I know, right!? He's unbelievable. I admire you and Gon for putting up with him, seriously."
They both held on to that pleasant moment for a while, sharing sweet laughter in the warm nest of Spring.
A fat needle piercing Yuhi's throat had finally dissolved along with the regretful words she let out in the air that afternoon, and she could now say that she could breathe properly again. Her eyes were bright as she sat upright and faced Lykira, smiling gleefully, warmly. "I'm sure you'll find someone worthy of your love, Kira. I think you're awesome just the way you are, and I really want to be friends with you, if that's okay."
Seemingly taken aback, Lykira blinked a couple of times, eyes wide and said, "Again, Killua's right. You have a way with cheesy words." She then returned that smile and nodded. "I also think you're cool, Yuhi, and yes, of course, let's be friends! I just hope I won't make you feel weird or anything because of… you know…"
Yuhi slightly got confused with what Lykira was referring to, but she then understood. She shook her head reassuringly. "I hope I won't make you feel weird."
Lykira beamed and shook her head in return. "Let's just promise to say it if we both make each other feel weird in any way possible, okay?"
Yuhi nodded.
Lykira held a thumbs up and then stood up. "Well, that was fun!" Lykira said as she moved to the aisle, with Yuhi following and leaning back on the teacher's table—their original position before Killua left the room. It felt immensely different from a few minutes ago, with relief and glee now reigning in her heart.
"Really glad we got to talk, Yuhi. Really sorry it took this long."
"Me too!" But maybe fragments of regret and guilt were still in there, so, meekly, Yuhi repeated, "I'm sorry for earlier," smile shy yet honest.
Lykira shook her head and held a hand on her shoulder before taking a step back, beaming. "Don't think about it anymore. We'll cut it out of the final script and delete it forever." They both laughed. Then Lykira artlessly added, "And don't worry about Killua too much. I know he likes you more than you think," winking at Yuhi and immediately retreating to her desk, not witnessing how the latter's face turned so red and hot that she thought it might explode with her heart.
Killua…
His name echoed in her mind as she thought of how to explain herself to him next; as she thought of telling him she loves him that day instead, or maybe ask him, once and for all, how he felt for her.
Bag over her shoulder, Lykira expressed her leave first, bidding Yuhi goodbye with a wave of the hand and her signature cheeky smile.
Killua appeared in frame as soon as Lykira opened the door, back leaning against the wall opposite their classrooms and arms crossed against his chest before he stood straight and buried his hands in his pockets, gazing directly at Yuhi.
Lykira had to wave her hand in front of his face to catch his attention and tell him that she'll head home first. "Don't worry, I didn't try to steal Yuhi from you!" she jokingly said when Killua asked her what they talked about, glancing at Yuhi and waving goodbye before she disappeared into the staircase going down.
It took a few seconds, of Killua staring at the stairs and Yuhi smiling at the air after Lykira left, until the former finally moved from his spot and let himself in the room, shutting the door behind him. His eyes were at the floor as he approached Yuhi, and stopped about a meter away from her, gaze lifting up slowly and surely to meet hers.
Meanwhile, all Yuhi could think of was how to speak properly amidst the loud drumming sound in her chest. She swallowed when she met Killua's gaze, his blue eyes bashful yet obviously ansty. She knew she had to be the one to speak first. So, timidly, she started, "I'm sorry, Killua," lowering her gaze to the floor in an attempt to bow her head apologetically. When she received no response, she looked back up and tried to smile, at least, but failed halfway.
"Lykira told me… I'm sorry for barging in like that. I didn't mean to, but…" After this, she thought then, after this she could delete the humiliating deed from her brain forever. She took a deep breath, and in exhaling she finally revealed, "I've actually been planning to talk to you later about what's bothering me lately. But I thought of checking in here first while we wait for Gon, and I heard you and Kira talking and then I did that. It wasn't nice, and I'm sorry."
Killua kept his stare the entire time Yuhi talked. When she met his gaze again, she noticed how his features softened a little, yet it didn't erase the concern masking his entire face. He softly asked, "What is it that's been bothering you lately?"
Yuhi avoided his gaze upon hearing that question. She couldn't face him even as she just thought of the answer. Again, she gave the floor her undying attention, and muttered loud enough for Killua to hear, "I've been… jealous… So much that I thought I might lose you if I don't try hard enough... to be someone like Kira." Yuhi initially felt silly about how she felt when it first infiltrated her system. But now that she finally spoke her mind to Killua, the pain felt more raw, the insecurity and feeling small and undeserving. It hurt her chest. She wanted to cry for feeling the way she did. But Killua's hands on her shoulders stopped that sensation from further spreading. Yuhi looked back up at him, curious and surprised.
Killua stared back, and it seemed as though he was to say something, lips parting then pressing, but instead he pulled Yuhi in for an embrace, securing her in position tightly and tenderly.
Yuhi let out a faint oof when she collided against him, heart jumping out of her chest as soon as it touched his. The smell of sun and candy and baby powder were comforting, calming.
"Silly, ramen girl. You don't have to be jealous of that witch, or anyone," Killua mumbled behind her ear, hesitancy too distinct with every word he emitted. "I'm sorry…for not noticing sooner."
Yuhi's eyes were wide as she listened to Killua speak. The sound of his voice so close to her ear was spellbinding; his words golden and soothing. She pouted and shook her head upon hearing what he said last, thinking that she must refute it immediately. Killua didn't have to be sorry for anything. It was all her. But what he said next hit the softest nerve in her core, melting her heart in the most touching way possible.
"But please trust me," he whispered tenderly. "You don't have to be anyone else. Just be ramen girl."
And with that Yuhi nodded. "Okay," she whispered back. "I trust you." She automatically wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face on his shoulder. Eyes closing as his warmth surrounded her being—lovelier, sweeter.
Her nerves had retired to near slumber because of it, three words with his name on it populating her mind. That must be the perfect time to tell him, so she braced herself to talk, inhaling deeply and swallowing to wet her dry throat. She's certain that Killua could feel and hear the pulses in her body hammering loud and crazy. She's almost certain that he could read her mind. He must have already known what she ought to say when she breathed in deeply.
"Hey, um…" Killua suddenly uttered.
Yuhi bit her tongue as soon as he spoke, regretful for being too slow to translate her thoughts into speech. "Hmm?"
Killua rustled a little, and slowly, they let go of the embrace, each taking one bashful step back. They couldn't look each other in the eye for some reason. Until Killua cleared his throat, and it caught Yuhi's gaze for longer than five seconds, saying, "Do you maybe, um, wanna go out...with me...on Sunday?"
Yuhi was trying to forget her missed chance when Killua asked that. It did not register in her brain as fast. But when it did, her heart leapt as her face burned like fire. She smiled sweetly, cheeks blossoming to match the pink on Killua's nose, and nodded.
-Chapter End-
A/N: I wanna know what you guys thinkkkk (yes, I still value and read all reviews, they are important to this story)! What do you think of Yuhi and Killua's dynamic? What do you think about Lykira? About how Yuhi felt? Your thoughts are crucial because we've been building up Lykira's role in the story since the earlier chapters, and I want to know what you think of this turn-around. I very much appreciate and consume reviews on a daily basis~ *hearts*
Shoutout to my lovely friends who left lovely reviews for Chapter 36: Lani0108, NoodlePooh, Marie Yoshina (while rereading this fic lol ty), and a guest reviewer! Y'all are amazing for keeping up with this story even tho it's so old already, and for always letting me know what you think of every chapter. I always, always, always read them whenever I'm unmotivated to write. I've always said this but it's still true: your words give me and this story life. I will cherish you forever. *sending lots of love*
NEXT CHAPTER: Second date! Now where will they go and what will they do this time?
I love you guys so much for reading and reviewing. I hope you stay well and safe and sane. Happy belated Lunar New Year! xx
