Scarlet Memories

Disclaimer: I do not own HxH

Reminiscence 02 – Shocking proposal

He is wearing that mask again. That mask of indifference that he always displays to everyone. But Senritsu cannot be fooled by such mask. She can hear it; the sounds that Kurapika's heart emanates.

They are currently on a hotel in the northern country with the objective of attending the coming mid-year auction that will be held in that country. Senrutsu was walking on one hallway of the hotel when she saw Kurapika walking out from the elevator. She was about to greet him, but Kurapika continued on his way, passing Senritsu by without even a word of greeting, as if hurrying on something. With a worried expression on her face, Senritsu looked at Kurapika's retreating back before following him.

"Oh! Kurapika!" It was Basho. "The boss is looking for you," he said upon seeing the current leader of Nostrade's body guards and somewhat the manager of Nostrade's business.

"I'll see him later," Kurapika answered without stopping.

Basho looked at Senritsu with 'what's with him?' look on his eyes. Senritsu sighed upon seeing the man's gaze and looked back at the corner where Kurapika disappeared.

Sadness... hatred... and confusion… those were the sound that Senritsu had heard from Kurapika's heart. It makes her sad and anxious, but she cannot do anything. Kurapika is just too stubborn. He doesn't even tried bothering about the people on his surroundings who are trying to give an effort to help him, or to even bother about his own health.

Lately these weeks, Kurapika has been always making himself busy, either on his work for the Nostrade, or on other activities that is unknown to her. No, it's not totally unknown to her. She knew a part of it. It was about collecting the scarlet eyes. What she doesn't know is how Kurapika works on the matter. There is another thing which made Senritsu even more worried. Kurapika is preparing for the upcoming battle against Genei Ryodan. As Kurapika told her before, that somehow, he knows that one day, the spider head will be freed from his chain. Senritsu perfectly remembers the conversation they had that day.

Flashback

It was when Senritsu noticed Kurapika at the veranda of the Nostrade mansion talking to someone at the phone.

"Thanks for notifying me," he said to the person over the phone as he ended the call. *(ova 3-3)

"Kurapika," She called as she walked closer to him, while Kurapika turned to face her. "The boss is looking for you, he wants to have a talk with you," she informed him.

They walked to the mansions hallway, passing Neon's room and arrived in front of their boss' office. Kurapika entered the room, but Senritsu chose to stay outside and waited for Kurapika. A few minutes later, Kurapika got out from the room and walked toward his own room.

"The person on the phone a while ago," Senritsu brought the topic as she followed Kurapika, "is it your friend?"

"Yes. It was Killua," he answered as they continued walking. "I know a day will come," Kurapika suddenly said, "that I will have to fight him."

Senritsu doesn't have to ask who he is talking about; she heard most of the conversation anyway. It was about the probability that the spiders will find someone with the ability to remove one's nen that are used against other people.

"Do you really have to fight him, Kurapika?" Senritsu asked in concern. "And I don't think it's not just him, but all of them, the whole gang of spiders. It's dangerous," she said, worried.

"I know," was the only thing he said.

End of flashback

Senritsu can't help but sigh at the memory. Every passing day, she is becoming more and more worried as Kurapika is becoming more and more determined to take revenge for his clan. 'What can I do help him?' she asked herself sadly.

000

Kurapika continued walking the hallway as he turned to one corner and entered the comfort room. He closed the door behind him and headed in front of the mirror, looking at his reflection.

If he doesn't wear his contacts back there, while he was walking at the hotel lobby, Senritsu and Basho would have seen his eyes, burning scarlet.

"Ravens' wings," he murmured. "What are they?" he asked himself, still looking on the mirror, seeing the blank look on his face. The conversation he had accidentally overheard while he was on his (so-called) mission (that is retrieving the scarlet eyes), worries him a lot.

It's been almost a year since the York Shin auction had occurred and another auction will be held in the mid-year somewhere in the north. As Kurapika made some advance research for their coming visit on the county, he found out that a mafia citizen of the said country is keeping a pair of scarlet eyes. Not wanting to wait for the auction to be finished and getting to the point of looking for the new owner (that is only a waste of time, he thought), Kurapika decided to retrieve the scarlet eyes as soon as possible.

Flashback

The night was cool with the soft wind that giving him a refreshing sensation as he jumps from one building to another, wearing his disguise (a black turtleneck long sleeve, a dark blue pants, a shade, a black wig and a black hat). As he arrived in front of a certain mansion, he hid himself in the dark, making an observation to the mansion.

Kurapika cannot help, but sigh as he observed the mansion in front of him. No matter how he terms his activities as a mere retrieval, what he is doing now is still called… thievery. Right, stealing became one of Kurapika's new professions right after they returned from York Shin. He had no other choice anyway. He would not be able to collect all of the scarlet eyes just by winning them on an auction.

Now Kurapika has become an expert on the matter due to the fact that he had been training for it: sneaking inside a mansion without being noticed, moving smoothly at every corner while pinning something at the cameras (so then when you looked at the control room, it is as if nothing is happening), even the security lock where the scarlet eyes are kept… he can easily open them.

After taking the scarlet eyes, Kurapika immediately exited the volt and relocked it. As he was running the corridors of the mansion, voices of two men from a nearby room reached his ears. When the voices' words become more audible, a certain word made him stops on his trail.

"A Kuruta, you say," he heard the voice.

"Yes, it is," another voice said. "You're the only one I told about this."

"If your information is true, then I know a group that we can use for that."

"Tell me so we can make a deal."

"The Ravens' Wings, do you remember them?"

"Ah! Yes, they are the group that we used five years ago to infiltrate the Kuruta tribe."

Upon hearing those words, Kurapika's eyes widened and blazed in scarlet behind his contact lenses. Kurapika shook his head to clear his mind. He's still on the middle of a mission and he needs to get outside immediately.

Kurapika resumed form running through the corridors of the mansion, removing the pins from the cameras. Upon getting himself out of the mansion, he ran to the street and started jumping from one building to another, heading to an apartment that he has temporarily rented to safe keep the scarlet eyes on his hands and to change his outfit. After that, he immediately returned to the Nostrade's hotel.

End of flashback

Sighing at the memory, Kurapika closed his eyes to calm himself. It's already past 9 in the evening and he was just gone for about an hour. What could be the boss needs him from?

000

Facing the glass door leading to the veranda of his room, Light Nostrade has been looking outside and contemplating on something when three soft knocks was heard from the door.

"Enter," he said as he turned to face his guest.

Kurapika entered the room upon hearing his boss and closed the door behind him.

"You are looking for me?" he asked.

"Yes," Light answered. "I had been actually thinking for a proposal."

"What is it?"

Light cleared his voice before stating his proposal. "I am thinking," he paused, "if you would accept an engagement of marriage with my daughter."

"Me-marriage?" Kurapika asked, taken aback by his boss' statement. He shook his head lightly to remove the shock. "Are you serious about that?" he added.

"As I told you earlier, I had been thinking about it. I just thought, ever since Neon lost her ability to predict, you have been helping me to recover. Look Kurapika, if you accept my proposal, you will become my heir. That would be a better opportunity for you that being a mere employee. Isn't it?" Light explained.

Kurapika is silent for a while, looking at the floor. "I can't," he said afterward as he looked at his boss again. "I can't accept it."

"I will give you time to consider. Just think about it," Light encouraged his trusted advisor. "You might change your mind afterward."

"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" Kurapika asked blankly.

"That's all"

"If you'll excuse me then."

Light nodded his head and Kurapika bowed to his boss before leaving.

Upon exiting the room of his boss, Kurapika headed to his room immediately. He sighed.

'If you accept my proposal, you will become my heir. That would be a better opportunity for you that being a mere 't it?' his boss' voice echoed in his mind.

It is true that becoming the Nostrade's heir is indeed a better opportunity for him. He will gain a lot of advantages like, a stronger power in term of control over the Nostrade's business.

'But it's not right,' he thought. If he would accept the engagement, what about Neon then? Will she be happy about her father's decision?

Right, Kurapika is more concerned about others happiness. If it is his own happiness, then it doesn't matter. But more importantly, completing his mission of retrieving all the scarlet eyes and to avenge his clan is his priority. Other than that, there are still a lot of things to think about and he cannot let the others to be involved in his own problems.

'I have to do something,' he thought. Now that he is being targeted by the mafia, he has to be extra careful.

00000

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