Breaking The Chains (Kurapika x Reader)

Why Cooking?

Y/n's POV

I'm not the worst cook out there, but I'm also no where near being the best. My cooking ability isn't what concerns me, though. When I was on my own, I learned how to make easy meals. Then when Izunavi started to train me, he would cook for both of us after training. I had wanted to learn how to make foods other than just instant ramen, scrambled eggs, and sandwiches. Although, the sandwiches I made were superior to any of my other crafts. Whenever he was cooking I would be standing next to him in the kitchen observantly watching everything he did. Maybe I was being a bit obvious because one day he turned around and pointed his wooden spoon at me.

"Do you want to learn how to cook, or are you planning my murder?"

"I'm just watching what you do. Do you have an issue with that?"

"Yes, I do have an issue with that. If you wanted to learn you just had to ask. Come over here...."

He taught me how to cook simple meals, and whenever I would mess up he would scold me, but help me fix my mistake nonetheless. He taught me how to measure how much ingredient to use, and how to know if something has cooked enough or not. I was surprised he knew how to cook so well, but I guess he's been living on his own for a while too.

Even though he taught me how to cook, I'm still worried about one thing. When he first started to teach me I know he was being patient because whenever I felt like he was judging me, I would inevitably mess up somehow. Eventually I felt comfortable and calm enough to cook with him, but now I'll be working around people I just met. If I don't cook to the liking of the examiners then the chances of me going through to the next phase aren't looking good. If I fail this part if the Exam there's no hope that I move on to the next phase. Suddenly a strange feeling washes over me.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Center yourself.

Almost as if my own body was giving me commands, I breathed in and out like it instructed me to do. I stood there and calmly listened to the examiner tell us that we had to serve him a meal with pork as the main ingredient. They showed us the many cooking areas prepared for us and then told us we could choose any species of pig from Visca Forest. I felt myself become calm again. Instead of focusing on the thoughts in my mind, I focused on every sensation my body felt. I focused on my beating heart. I focused on the sensation of the cool wind meeting my skin. I focused on the slight discomfort my now bandaged wounds caused me. I focused on the feeling of my lungs expanding as new air was drawn into them. I felt oddly at peace. I looked towards the others and steadied my thoughts. When the examiners released us so we could find our main ingredient, I ran alongside Gon because he could probably find a pig faster than the rest of us.

We were all trying to find any type of pig when Gon slid down a small hill while signing for us to be quiet. Well Leorio slipped but aside from that, we all slid down the hill to see many large pigs eating plants. Those things must be as tall as three Kurapikas! We surround the giant pigs and I go towards one hoping to find a way to kill it without being too violent. As I'm trying to kill the pig, I look up and see Gon swing his fishing rod towards the pig's snout. I hear a loud pop and suddenly the pig is unconscious.

"Guys! Their snout is there weak spot!"

I wish he hadn't said it so loud, but the information was useful regardless. I grabbed my combat tomahawk and hit the pig's snout with the blunt side and enough force to incapacitate a grown man. The pig stood as if it were going to charge at me, but instead collapsed to the floor. I looked around and saw everyone dragging their now dead pigs back, so I followed suit.