She considers herself an orphan, though she knows her parents are probably alive somewhere. Somewhere. She doesn't care. The day they left her was the day they died in her heart. The only two people she wants to see again are her little brothers. OC-based story. May be romance later.
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A/N: Just kidding about the weekly update thing. I'll be updating sporadically until I get into a rhythm. Then I'll be updating weekly. But my sporadic updates are good for you, because new chappie comes sooner. Right? Thx for the reviews, everyone! For questions I PM answers, so check your inbox if you left a question in the reviews. XOXO.
Disclaimer: I only own the lovely Miku.
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chapter two: the hunter exam
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Miku's knapsack is slung over one shoulder.
The orange-haired girl is ready.
She stands in front of the restaurant, looking it up and down. Her green eyes dart between the grand building to its left, then back to the smaller looking restaurant.
They did this on purpose, Miku concludes.
She walks in, recites her lines, is ushered into the back room (which is obviously an elevator of sorts), and is given a number tag.
Number #111.
Not too bad, considering there are a little less than 500 applicants who make it this far every year.
She examines the crowd for Kalluto's white haired brother. He is easily identifiable among the other participants, having a shock of white hair (as opposed to an old man's grey hair or a normal person's hair color).
A chubby old man walks up to her. She greets him politely, but in a detached manner.
"Hello, you must be a rookie!" he says jovially. "My name is Tonpa. Nice to meet you!"
Oh. He probably expects Miku to give her name.
Well, that isn't a problem. It isn't as if she's keeping it a secret.
(Plus, it's not even her true name, but Miku doesn't feel the need to tell him that.)
"Miku. Salutations, Tonpa-san." she greets mildly.
She doesn't trust him. He isn't genuine.
"Miku? Isn't that a girls' name? Oh, I don't mean to be rude or anything."
Idiot. She is a girl.
(Oh, she wants to ask him "Did you just assume my gender?" so badly, but she refrains.)
But with her hair stuffed into a newsboy cap, maybe it doesn't seem so. Plus, who expects a girl to take the Hunter Exams?
Miku can only see about three or four out of the couple hundreds of examinees. How sad.
She is no feminist, but she certainly prefers gender equality over misogyny.
Her overall attire (a plain long sleeved light blue T-shirt and baggy khaki shorts, along with the navy blue cashmere scarf she kept from that rich lady) is gender neutral, as is her voice pitch (which can lead people to draw their own conclusions). Her black cloak is still in her bag. Yes, she puts effort into an androgynous appearance.
She doesn't correct his misconception, and instead shrugs.
When he realizes she isn't going to say anything else, he continues to talk, saying that he's taken the Exam over 35 times (that's not an accomplishment, moron, it means you're inept), and tells her a little bit about the other examinees (which she doesn't mind as much, but he's starting to bother her).
"Tonpa-san, don't you have anything better to do than preying on young boys?" she asks pointedly. She did see Tonpa doing the same thing to Kalluto's white-haired older brother earlier.
"Oh, uh, heh heh, I'll leave you alone then. But here's a drink to commemorate your first Hunter Exam, courtesy of me!" Tonpa rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, and offers her the can.
Miku eyes the can suspiciously (but figures it won't affect her anyway if it's poisoned). She opens it and peers in, sniffing.
Yep. Laxatives.
Whatever. She's thirsty.
When Miku takes a sip, Tonpa appears to be satisfied, and moves on to the next unlucky newbie.
She closes her eyes and continues to drink.
"You do realize that's unsafe to drink, right?"
Miku peeks one eye open. Huh. She didn't expect him, of all people, to approach her.
It was Killua, the brother Kalluto had asked her to watch over. He gestures lazily to the can in her hand.
She finishes off the drink and tosses the can. "I do, yes."
"Then why are you drinking it?" Killua asks curiously.
"Why so inquisitive?" she shoots back.
The white-haired boy shrugs, and at this, she can't help but think of Kalluto. "Name?"
"Before you ask for one, you should give yours first."
Killua sighs, and jerks his thumb to his chest. "I'm Killua."
"Hm... don't feel like giving you my name right now." Miku says nonchalantly, laughing internally when she sees his annoyed expression.
"Tch. Fine. Be that way." he says with a scowl, and Miku knows this will most likely not be the end.
Killua leaves, and Miku notices the number of participants slowly increasing.
Soon, the number of participants climbs to the 400s, and Miku believes the First Phase will soon begin.
The magician is here, too. She watches as he performs his "turn a person's arms to flower petals" trick on an unfortunate participant that had bumped into him. Tonpa told her he is not one to be trifled with (but of course, she already knew that). Number 301 is also a Nen-user. #301 and #44 are both much, much stronger than her. It is best that she avoids them if she can.
#44 is called Hisoka if her memory serves her correctly (it hasn't even been that long, anyway). She remembers he was talking about "unripe little fruits" while she was in hearing range.
He even offered to fight her, but she declined politely, spewing bullshit about how she was "not yet strong enough to be in his presence, much less fight him." But it was true, because she wasn't strong enough. She still isn't.
Miku hopes and prays he doesn't recognize her, but that is highly unlikely. Her most defining feature—her hair—may be covered, but he is sure to recognize her aura.
She spots another boy who seems to be her age as well.
Miku sighs. He's so pure and innocent and earnest and naive (at first glance) and... simple that it makes Miku want to throw up.
He is very unlike her. Or Killua, for that matter.
Or Kalluto, too. And he's younger by a couple years.
Hm. Maybe it's because they're Zoldycks.
She isn't one, but she's kind of sort of being trained by one.
While she herself does go by the motto "don't judge a book by its cover," she can't help but do that. But his mental fortitude and willpower are strong.
A rather strange man named Satotz declares himself to be the examiner of the First Phase, and tells everyone to follow him.
Miku starts to jog lightly, and is dismayed when she sees there isn't an end in sight.
Don't get her wrong, she can run this for hours on end without breaking a sweat, but it's so utterly boring.
Miku watches the boy (she'll call him "Purity" in her head) and Kalluto's brother interact (she really needs to stop labelling him as Kalluto's brother), and decides she wants to talk to someone.
Her victim will be the blonde guy with the girly-looking physique Miku saw Purity with earlier.
"Hi."
The blonde raises an eyebrow. He is slightly confused on why Miku would approach him, but doesn't voice it.
Miku continues. "My name's Miku. What's yours?"
She receives a short answer. "Kurapika."
Miku nods in acquiesce. "That sounds like a nice name. What does it mean?"
Kurapika seems surprised that she asked that, but replies nonetheless. "It means something along 'the glittering light in the darkness', or so I was told."
It is quiet between the two for a moment, before he says something. A question. "How old are you, if you don't mind my asking?"
Miku waves it off. "It's fine. And I'm twelve."
"Just like Gon, huh?" he murmurs.
"Hm?"
Kurapika points to the spiky-haired boy Miku called "Purity" in her head. "So, his name is Gon..."
Gon. Huh. A simple name for a simple boy.
Suddenly, there is another (shirtless) guy next to them.
"Leorio?" Kurapika gives Leorio a dubious glance.
"Who's this squirt?" the said person questions.
"Uh... I'm Miku." she says, introducing herself. Squirt? She's not a squirt.
"Leorio." the man says amidst pants. "Why are there so many kids here?"
"How rude. We're a minority here." Miku sniffs in mock indignation, and Gon and Killua start running beside them.
"Yo! I'm Gon!" the boy pipes up. "Are you twelve too?"
Miku nods. "I'm Miku."
"Ah, so your name is Miku." Killua says, hands behind his head as he runs. "Why did you tell the old man and not me?"
"Oi!" protests Leorio. "I'm from the same generation as all of you! I'm still in my tens!"
"..."
"Uso..."
"No way..."
Miku blinks. Once. Twice. "Okay then." she says. "Whatever you say."
"I'm being serious here!"
"Anyways, I told him because I felt like it." Miku tells Killua, and he scowls again.
"That scowl makes your face look uglier than it already is." she remarks, and he finally gives her a glare.
Gon, ever oblivious (or maybe not), speaks up. "Ne, ne, Killua, Miku! Wanna race up the stairs?"
"Sure, got nothing better to do. You wanna race, Cap Boy?" Killua jeers.
Cap Boy? That was a new one, thinks Miku. "Nah, I'm good." While she can probably keep up with them (probably), she much prefers not to exert herself. Besides, Miku doesn't like attention, and that will probably draw attention.
"Tch. Probably can't keep up."
"I can. Just don't feel like it."
"Hmph."
They begin to speed up, and Leorio mutters something about "kids with too much energy" and Miku snickers.
She separates from them, leaving Leorio and Kurapika to converse.
Soon, the group reaches the end of the tunnel. Miku eyes the man who was too slow and fatigued to reach the end.
Oh well, she thinks. He probably would have died anyway if he actually made it.
Gon and Killua are bickering over who arrived first.
Satotz begins to explain Swindlers' Swamp and Man-Faced Apes, when an actual Man-Faced Ape emerges, pretending to be Satotz.
Miku sighs as Hisoka throws Shu-enforced cards both ways, Satotz being the only who can catch them.
The fakes are dead, and birds swoop down to consume them.
"Che." mumbles Miku. "Is that jester trying to get himself disqualified?"
Not that she minds. If anything, she hopes he does. But that's unlikely. Tonpa told her that he was disqualified last year. He probably is going to restrain himself from lashing out on another examiner, if he wants to pass.
She didn't doubt Satotz before either, but only because she can feel his aura. The ape had no aura.
"Miku-san!" calls Gon. "Do you want to run with us this time?"
"Sure!" Miku replies. "And you don't have to place -san at the end of my name, you know."
"Okay, Miku!" Gon beams, and Miku can't help but think that this kid is a real ray of sunshine. He's too bright for her, though.
Killua scowls (again!), and doesn't look at her. "Why does he have to run with us?" he stage whispers to Gon, pointing at Miku.
Miku rolls her green eyes. "Right here, you know. Next time, have some tact and do it out of earshot."
Killua shrugs. "I didn't really care if you heard or not."
Gon smiles. "Now, now, let's all be friends here! We're all the same age, aren't we? Let's all stick together!"
This kid... Miku shakes her head internally.
"Age doesn't mean automatic friendship, Gon." Killua says, and Miku agrees (though she doesn't say it aloud, lest she give the boy with white hair a big head).
"But we should do it anyway!" Gon insists. "Please, Killua?" And he gives Killua these puppy eyes, all teary and large as saucers. He even adds a pout.
Gon... looks like an actual puppy.
"M-Mou, fine!" Killua exclaims loudly. "Now stop looking at me like that!"
"Like what?" Gon asks innocently. "I'm not doing anything."
Oh ho. This kid is more sly than Miku initially believed.
"You're hopeless..." Killua shakes his head, and continues to run.
Miku starts to fade out of the conversation, staying by the metaphorical sidelines as Gon and Killua make small talk.
She soon moves to the other side of the runners. Gon and Killua don't notice. Kurapika and Leorio seem to be lagging behind, too.
Something latches onto her ankle, though, restricting her movement.
Miku kicks her leg, but it won't budge. She tries again. And uses her other foot to try to get it off, succeeding only in getting that leg caught too.
...She might need to use Nen for this one.
Reluctantly, she tries to use Nen to repel the dark colored tentacle-vine-rope wrapping around her ankle, but it doesn't work.
What is this thing made of?
Her fingers grab hold of the vine-like rope (that probably belongs to a living creature), and she pulls.
But it is to no avail. And it grabs hold of her dominant arm. Miku flails wildly.
"Shit," she curses uncharacteristically. Now she's the one lagging behind.
Ugh, if Kalluto ever hears about this... She can imagine his face. He'd shake his head condescendingly, and Miku wouldn't be able to look him in the eye.
Suddenly, someone blows into her ear, snapping her out of her musings, and she nearly squeals. Nearly.
She does inhale abruptly, though.
God, she wasn't paying attention, was she?
"Need some help there?" A voice says smarmily. She knows who that voice belongs to.
"Killua."
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