A/N: Hello everyone! I hope y'all are well and safe. God bless!Anywho, I just wanted to tell you guys that I'm sorry for the grammar and typographical errors. English was not my first language, and I do hope you could help me. Please do point out errors and I'll see to them once I got the time to.Enjoy!

_

Chapter One – Confusion and Curiosity

_

Exactly seven days ̶ a week ̶ had passed since that day she woke up from her eight-month comatose state (according to Ging). That day, after Ging had told her name and her connection to him, the doctors came bursting through the door of her room. All of them showed expressions of delight and relief, until one of them turned to her brother and furiously demanded why he hadn't informed the medical staffs sooner. He only shrugged his shoulders, nonchalant, before moving to the side to let the doctors inspect her.

She had undergone physical therapy for the few days, they started small, from her fingers to her limbs, her upper body, and on the third day where she was finally told to try and stand.

She looked around the therapy room. She looked up at Ging who gave her a reassuring smile, before she tentatively put her feet on the solid ground and she slowly stood from her wheelchair that Ging was holding to keep it firm as she used it for support. She was successful, and the therapist smiled at her which she gladly returned.

"Now dear, try to walk." The therapist, a woman of her late thirties, calmly instructed to which she obliged. Her first few steps were wobbly; Ging (she noticed) was watching her both in relief and such alertness in case she would fall or stumble on her adjusting muscles.

She had gotten the hang of it quickly, and after an hour, she looked at Ging and asked if she could walk outside.

Ging chanced a look at the therapist who nodded in approval. The kind therapist had left them but not before giving specific instructions not to strain herself too much, and to stop once she felt her legs tire.

So the siblings walked outside the hospital building, touring and gazing around the compound.

"Hey... What was I like?" She had asked, curious at how her brother (well at least he claims to be, even though she could not really remember) had seen her as; Ging smiled fondly at her before telling her how they had both loved roaming around the wilds of Whale Island. He told her stories and she listened attentively.

As it turns out, Whale Island was their homeland where they had spent most of their childhoods, and she wondered what and it looked like.

Her days progressed like that, they would take walks around the compound, sometimes they would find themselves in the middle of the busy streets. They would eat on food courts, diners, or restaurants every time it was needed to eat. He doesn't like the food served on the hospital cafeteria, said it was bland 'like boiled water sprinkled with a spoon of salt' he had commented when he tried the soup, but he made her eat the vegetables and the meats sometimes, stating how she badly needed it. After her first try of outside food, however, she could not help but agree to her brother's sentiment about hospital cafeteria food.

From those days that he had told her stories of their childhoods and his adventures, she somehow had had a grip of his personality.

These last few days he seemed fidgety, like he wanted to do something; based from his stories, she believed he wanted to leave the city. To venture somewhere else, but he can't, not yet at least. He wasn't used to staying in one place for long periods of time, unless of course he had some mission of job to finish.

He wasn't exactly a nomad, per se, but she knew he would prefer places where he has something exciting (or possibly life-threatening) to do.

However, she appreciated his efforts of sticking up with her, of taking care of her (which somehow she believed was a stupid attempt, because heck, Ging absolutely cannot!). There have been many instances where she believed he absolutely forgets there's someone else he's with. Like that one time he went out to buy dinner, but instead of buying for two, he had bought one. He quickly shrugged it off, saying something along the lines that he wasn't hungry, obviously trying to patch up his actions. But Gin had noticed the way his eyes widen upon entering the room and seeing her ̶ obviously, realizing his stupidity. It also didn't help him to hide the fact that he had not so discreetly tried to leave when he thought she was sleeping and he had came back smelling strongly of grilled meat (which was the food he had bought for her dinner) and beer.

The short memory made her conjure up a small smile to graze her features. Despite of all of this, however, she had felt relieved with his company; of course, it was understandable, for he was the only person she knew. But somehow, there's something else beyond that... he's her brother after all.

Today, she's currently sitting on her bed playing with her hair which strikes her as odd; she was always curious about it, but doesn't know who to ask. Whenever Ging would somehow sense that she was about to ask the oddity of her hair, he'd subtly change the topic. Which confuses her to some degree, but she doesn't try to push him.

Her hair reached her mid-back. From her scalp to her neck, just below her ears, it was the same shade as Ging's (a greenish black) and the rest was flaming red. Dyed, she figured that much. She wanted to know why she would do that, she had a feeling that her brother knew, but he avoids the topic whenever it was bubbling to surface.

Her hands then went from her hair to caress her nape. During her times in front of the mirror, she had also noticed a lone stem of rose tattooed at the back of her neck whenever she pulls up her hair; she wanted to know if it held some sort of significance, but likewise, her brother seems to avoid the query.

She also noticed the way he wasn't telling her anything about what happened the last few years and why she was in coma. All of his stories were of their childhood and his past adventures, not a single hint about her last few years. Does she have a job? What was she doing? Why was she in coma? What happened eight months ago? She wanted to ask that. She was itching to ask, to know, but something was holding her back; the way his eyes would flash dangerously, and the anger burning through his orbs whenever she would so much as mention, 'eight months ago'.

Today, though, she wanted to know. She badly wanted to know...so she would take the risk and ask him today. He had presented himself to buy their breakfast, and she anxiously waited for his return.

After a few moments, there was a knock on the door. She furrowed her eyebrows, confused. Ging doesn't need to knock. He would just briskly enter the room. She thought for a moment, and guessed that it could be the doctor or the nurses, so she stood from her bed and walked to answer the it.

She did not expect the person, or rather, the people standing in front of her room. She doesn't know any of them.

One was an old man in white traditional clothes of some martial arts culture and his long white hair was done in a ponytail atop his head and he was caressing his also long white beard; another was a tall man dressed in a formal and pristine purple coat, he had golden-brown blonde hair and was sporting a close-eyed smile that she had an inkling felt utterly false. Lastly, was a stature of a woman who probably only reached her shoulders, minus the bob hat she was wearing, she was also wearing something on her nose (or was it actually like that?) and fake ears to resemble a dog's, her hair was green past her shoulders and her round glasses made her look smart; additionally, she had offered Gin a small polite smile when the latter's eyes landed on the female stranger.

"Uhm...can I help you?" She asked the strange trio, her brow arching in confusion and curiosity, for this people somehow puts her whole self on edge, like she wanted, needed to keep herself always on guard and alert. They were strangers; Gin was entitled to be wary, especially with the lack of memories beyond last week.

"Gin Freecss, I presume?" The question did not sound like a question at all, but rather a blunt statement.

"Uh..." Gin contemplated, wary of the old man's inquiry and the others' looks, "yes, can I help you?" she had asked again.

The old man grinned and Gin noted the way it was supposed to be reassuring but emphasis on 'supposed', it was rather mischievous and it was really pushing her self-preserving nature on edge.

"Why, yes. I was wondering if your brothe..." his words were cut off when suddenly, there was an abrupt surge of presence at the end of the corridor; Gin felt it, and she shivered and gasped for the familiar feeling of... energy, of power, it was heavy, like a raging blow of harsh wind, powerfully threatening and utterly dangerous.

The strangers in front of her somehow gave off the same heavy presence as if to protect themselves; she wasn't too keen to see the slight change within their expressions, but the feel of the power and the pressure was noticeable.

She raised a brow, confused and curious for the umpteenth time this day. It was supposed to be threatening, but she wasn't... threatened.

She was able to stand it all, the weight and pressure of the air around it. She was taking it in, she was consuming it, somehow it made herself feel powerful and she furrowed her brows again, confused and curious still.

"OI! YOU! OLD MAN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

As it turns out, the three new faces were her brother's... workmates... no, acquaintances (maybe? At least that's what her brother said). They said they were members of the Hunter's Association; the old man's the association's chairman, Chairman Netero. Then the other guy was the Vice-chairman and a member of the Zodiacs, and his name's Pariston. Lastly, the woman was called Cheadle, another member of the Zodiacs.

The idea and prospect of what they've called Hunters, made her frown, she was curious, she doesn't know what it means (or at least, maybe, she just can't remember). And when Pariston mentioned that Ging Freecss, her brother, is a two-star hunter and also a member of the Zodiac, her thirst to know and her curiosity had risen into another level.

She was bugging her brother about it, but he was currently preoccupied with angrily glaring at the three other hunters.

"What are you doing here?" He asked again, obviously pissed.

But the chairman replied, teasing and sarcastic, "Why, visiting you, of course." And it sparked a never ending exchange of childish insults.

Gin, after almost half an hour of banters from her brother and the chairman, had learned to finally tune them out of her senses and sat, bored and growing impatient on her hospital bed. Cheadle, thankfully, had noticed her awkwardness so the kind woman swiftly took the plastic bags that Ging had brought from his trip outside the hospital, she handed it to her with a small smile. "I believe that's supposed to be breakfast."

Gin checked the contents and it was, indeed, supposedly their breakfast. There are two boxes of bacon cheese sandwich (that she recognized were sold in the diner a block away from the hospital), she and Ging had discovered the diner during one of their walks and they both loved the simple easy-to-eat foods. She fished out one of the boxes and a bottle of orange juice that she frowned at, but still, she ate her breakfast, successfully ignoring the childish exchanges going on.

She offered the other box and drink to Cheadle but the latter had politely declined, muttering something under the lines of 'Ging might throw a tantrum' which made the female Freecss chuckle.

"I can't believe he's giving you fast food! That man isn't suitable to take care of anyone." Cheadle commented, shaking her head in disbelief and Gin only chuckled.

Whilst eating her breakfast, Gin was still getting utterly annoyed by the banters and bickering between her brother and the chairman. To make it a little bit worse, Pariston (who she had thought to be a sensible man) would join in the exchange. She heard Cheadle sighing almost resignedly which made her turn to look at the woman, who was crossing her arms over her chest and was rolling her eyes possibly after every few breaths.

Trying to save the female Zodiac from the infuriation, Gin cleared her throat and struck up to start some casual conversations. "So, what is a Hunter again?"

Gin was successful in catching Cheadle's attention, which the latter female seemed to be utterly relieved to, and had answered with a small smile.

"Hunters... hmm... how shall I put this?" Cheadle paused genuinely thinking of a way to explain and soothe Gin's curiosity. "You see, the world is huge and there have been so many things that are essentially curious. Things people don't know... the 'unknown'. And hunters are people who are drawn to it, to the mystery, to the adventure, the knowledge. Essentially, Hunters explore these things. Striving to get the unknown, known."

Gin nodded, politely, trying to indulge with the knowledge of hunters, before she could ask another question, Cheadle had spoken again. "That was the essence... the essential thought of being a Hunter, but the changing times may have blurred those lines." Stereotypes, Gin somewhat understood. She and Cheadle had talked about Hunters then, their works, types, privileges, and the strong people ideal.

Her brother may have mentioned that he was a Hunter, but she wasn't so curious then, she thought it was nothing special; and besides, she was too absorbed with his stories back then, just generally awed by his adventures but wasn't yet as curious.

Finally, when the two (Ging and the Chairman) had at least begun being civil with each other, Gin had understood (after a much more civilized conversation) that the three hunters were simply curious about Ging's sister and were offering help. Her brother was silent and she pondered that there have been a serious conversation between him and the Chairman (although she was doubtful because they have been bickering for the past hour, maybe it was pre-discussed before their visit), she just knew that something's bothering her brother, and somehow she had a feeling that it involved her. It made her anxious, the idea of being left in the dark made her feel uneasy, and she didn't like it.

Pariston had made attempts to converse with her. Emphasis on 'attempts' for whenever he would try to talk to her, Ging would shout and warn him about daring to 'corrupt his sister' which made her frown, but soon she had learnt to brush it off after noticing the animosity (somewhat, rivalry...or just plain childish irritation) between him and her brother.

After a few moments, Gin suddenly felt the atmosphere between the chairman and her brother heightening tensely. She snapped her head to their direction only to see both individuals staring (glaring, actually) to each other, their face deadly serious.

"Uh..." she fumbled over the right words to say before despondently deciding with, "are you guys alright?"

The two seemed to snap out of it, the chairman quickly turning to flash an encouraging smile at her and then the pressure was lifted.

"Yes, your brother and I just need to settle things." Netero said before turning to walk out of the room, her brother silently following, a frown still visible on his face.

Curious.

Cheadle quickly turned and engaged her to another conversation which tore Gin's attention away from the two. The former had started to share and tell her stories about her brother's rendezvous through her own point of view. Pariston had joined and they had filled her about how eccentric and insufferable Ging was for the Zodiacs. The stories made her smile, and somehow she felt that she'd known (or she had always known) her brother better.

It wasn't long then, Chaiman Netero, Cheadle, and Pariston have to take their leave, she smiled at all of them and gave a polite wave as an offer of goodbye. Especially, to Cheadle, Gin had liked the woman. She was kind and witty, although at some point, for Gin, the woman was too formal and nerdy. It's not that she doesn't like it; it just somehow made her feel a little... awkward? She wasn't sure, but her guts just didn't settle enough about it. Cheadle has the air of a politician, the very epitome of politics and order, it made it hard for Gin to settle her judgments, but she was kind (but politicians can feign kindness, and she didn't like that thought so she'll shrug it off and stay civil). There's not enough fun and games and adventure, order is boring. Obviously, she was unlike the three men (Chairman, Ging, and surprisingly, Pariston) when it comes to fun.

Lunch then came, again, her brother settled for fast food but she didn't complain; she kind of like it. They ate in silence, but Gin was getting irked by the feel of her brother's presence. It was prickling her skin, frantic and restless. Annoyed, if she wanted to put an emotion to it, it had started since the three hunters left, after his talk with the chairman. It bothered her, and she can't focus on her meal.

So with a sigh, she dropped her utensils; then straightened her back and crossed her arms, almost demandingly, across her chest. Ging seemed to notice her sudden change of attitude and looked up at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What's the problem?" He asked, "Didn't like the food?"

"No, I like the food..." she started before her look turned into a glare, making Ging flinch ̶ unsure what had caused her upset. The female noticed his confusion and she supplied, "but, I can't fucking enjoy it without getting bothered by your tangible agitation!"

It was her brother's turn to glare, "Language." Oh, yes, she had also realized how she had had strange fondness with the curse-word library and her brother obviously did not approve. But that's besides the point now.

She rolled her eyes at him before asking in a much more leveled tone of voice, "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing. Just eat." He said, obviously trying to shove her back to her lunch without answering her inquiry.

Stubborn as she was, she refused to obey him, keeping her curious and irritated glare on him. Chin held up, demanding and defiant. She thought Ging wouldn't budge as he continued to shovel food into his mouth as if nothing was going on, but her prolonged glare made him uncomfortable, of course, who would want someone to keep staring (in this case, glaring) at them while they're eating?

"Fine!" He exclaimed, giving up. "The old man struck me a deal..." he paused seeming to consider something before adding, "an ultimatum, actually. It's annoying, really. Now... Happy?"

She gave him a triumphant smile and nodded, satisfied with his response before returning to her food; her brother did the same.

"What deal?" She decided to ask, mid-chew, striking up casual conversation.

There was a few seconds of silence and Gin was starting to think her brother would not respond until she heard him heave a defeated-sounding sigh.

"For you to work for the Association."

Her brows furrowed in confusion, "Me? Hunter's Association? Why?"

"I don't know." The reply was quick, sounding a little defensive. Gin noticed the subtle way that Ging had avoided her eyes when he spoke, but she didn't push him, she at least knew her brother enough to believe that he will not tell her if he didn't want her to know.

"And if I don't want to?" Although she still had to ask that, genuinely curious. He said it was an ultimatum, and she was curious of what lies at the end if she would reject it. But her brother's response, as it was contradicting to his earlier splutter of feign ignorance, made her frown in confusion

Ging's head had snapped up to look her dead in the eyes, "You have to."