Hunting for a way home - Shalnark x Reader

Chapter 7 - Well, This is about to hurt.

To say some of the others were pissed to see you had beaten everyone by essentially doing nothing was an UNDERSTATEMENT.

When the examiner realized that you had in fact had yourself as a target they just shook their head. In fact it was being discussed if you should even count as a pass for the fourth phase. It didn't matter that you had another badge with you.

Some felt you should only get 4 points but the chairman simply told everyone that you passed. There wasn't a rule anywhere saying that you couldn't have yourself as a target. Simply put I came back with my own, my target's badge, someone else's, and I had survived on the island for 7 days.

On the airship you had pulled Leorio aside. "I should have said something but during the third phase... I might have cut myself.. a bit and had to stitch it up. Can you look at it?"

"YOU DID WHAT!" He immediately pulled you into an empty room and rolled up the sleeve of your shirt that was covering said wound.

To say he wasn't happy with you is an UNDERSTATEMENT as well. "Well fortunately it didn't get infected. I'm not sure how but you should be feeling lucky. Unfortunately it's going to be a bit of an ugly scar."

You shrugged "It doesn't really matter." Being with and training with Killua helped but a part of you couldn't shake the heaviness that hung on your shoulders from the island.

"It looks healed enough for me to take this stitching out though. Sit still." Nodding you closed your eyes at the feeling of him taking scissors and cutting the stitching and pulling it out. "Did something happen out there?" His voice was soft, but you shut your eyes tighter.

"You just seem different.. if you ever want to talk about it-" Opening your eyes you looked at him sharply "I don't want to talk about it." He only continued working on your arm cleaning up around the edges of the wound ignoring the change in tone.

When he was done all he said before walking out the room was "If you ever do need to talk about it, one of us will be here." He left you to be alone, and you just sat there.

You heard an announcement that the chairman wanted to speak with you. Entering the office he had set up you looked over in his direction as he sat peacefully notepad in hand.

"Seems you are faring well. Please come sit down. You see I have a few questions to help satisfy my curiosity." Nodding at him you came and sat across from him.

He was an interesting man and you couldn't help but stare directly at him as he did you. "Why do you wish to become a Hunter?" His head tilted to the side as he asked, observing your reactions.

"I want to see if I can use it and somehow find a way back home." It felt weird being so direct, especially after Leorio's reaction the last time you voiced it out loud.

Mito and Gon understood considering they had been there through all the weird circumstances but people not from the island how could they understand? Home for most was an easy thing to find.

Everyone for the most part knew where they came from and if they didn't at least they could make one for themselves. But you knew where your home was and it wasn't in this world.

"That's very curious." You didn't want to look at him anymore, your attention fell to your hands, you felt like he might ask more about it, push even. "Moving on, to the other applicants who are you keeping a close eye on?"

Looking back you considered "Mhm 44 for negative reasons and 53, 99, 403, 404, and 405 for positive reasons.

I know that's almost all the contestants that passed this last phase.. but everyone had a way of standing out." He nodded, almost smiling. "Quite interesting. And for my last question out of the remaining applicants, who would you least like to fight."