Two Rivers: Beginnings

Confrontation X Zoldycks X Underworld

Kurapika and Leorio sat by a circular table in a café located on the hotel's first floor. They positioned themselves near the window, in the hope that they'd be a little bit calmer than before. But unsurprisingly, it didn't work. The fear, anxiety, and tension that built up after all the debates and the fact that Gon just made an enemy of a famous assassin couldn't exactly be calmed down by a view, after all.

"Where's Gon?" A familiar figure asked as he approached them. Kurapika looked at his pointy bonnet.

"She's in the orientation since she was asleep when we were taking it."

"Ah..." he just responded and the two just stared at him. He gulped in nervousness.

"I'm sorry for my rudeness earlier." He muttered recalling his little outburst in the debate. He questioned Kurapika's qualification out loud because Hisoka was winning yet he withdrew after suspiciously whispering something to Kurapika. But in reality, he was actually just venting his anger of getting qualified when he was not nearly as skilled as everyone else.

"I shouldn't have exploded myself." Kurapika smiled. "Truce?" Pokkle nodded in assent. Moments later, though, Pokkle found a hand resting shamelessly on his shoulders.

"Yow." Hanzo greeted them. "Where's Gon?"

"I already answered that question." Kurapika retorted, knowing Hanzo's monstrous sense of hearing. The ninja grinned widely. "I know, I'm just messing with you."

"Apparently." Kurapika uttered with his eyes closed as he sipped his tea. Hanzo noted the tone of irritation in the blonde's voice.

"Wha- You're still mad about what I did to Gon?"

"Maybe." He answered. Leorio sighed and decided to intervene. He knew very well that if Hanzo said anything even the least bit offending, Kurapika would explode. He saw how Kurapika watched her sleep during those days, and it was obvious how he felt.

"You have to admit, it's not easy to forget. She is our friend, after all." He stated firmly getting Hanzo to look at the ground in guilt.

"Ah... I understand that you hate me. But I would like to tell you guys that I didn't like it myself. I needed to do whatever it took to get a license but I was guilt-ridden for the days that followed. I don't care if you believe me, though. Even if I thought you'd understand."

"I believe you." Kurapika said surprising everyone. "Besides, I don't hate you. I'm probably just mad because she didn't and I thought that I probably should." He muttered, still with his eyes closed and continued to nonchalantly sipped tea. The other guys just shrugged at the white lie.

"What do you plan on doing after this?" Pokkle asked. Apparently Hanzo was returning to his country, Kurapika was going to find a job, while Leorio was going to study to become a doctor.

"So you're going to part ways with Gon?" He asked, hiding his incredulity. Somehow he could not imagine them parting ways.

Kurapika on the other hand, as smart as he was, denied the possibility altogether and was then in a state of shock. But Kurapika being Kurapika, his expression would only reveal a slight surprise. But even with the lack of changes in facial expression, there remained that fact that he was, undeniably, a Kuruta.

"Oi! Kurapika! Are you alright?" Leorio exclaimed, extremely worried... and scared. He had heard of this phenomenon from Gon and Killua but actually seeing those crimson orbs for himself gave him goosebumps. It was the same with the other two. Kurapika immediately noticed the commotion he caused and willed himself to calm down.