𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟐𝟔 | 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐀

Everyday Pleasures

GARO could feel his muscles aching and his breathing turn ragged, his pride tearing down the longer he faced (Y/N)'s rather monstrous strength. Currently, he, (Y/N), Hisoka, and Illumi were in one of the training rooms on the 200th floor, many other fighters not so discreetly watching the supposed sparring match when it was so one-sided. The two had begun facing each other while Hisoka and Illumi stood off to the side with an unknown emotion residing in their eyes.

Surprise then flickered over their expression when (Y/N) surprisingly used her Nen to shrink away the edges of her cloak until just her head and face were hidden. Now, all could take in her muscular, lean body wearing a short-sleeved uwagi and loose fitting black pants that fell to her ankles. Then, they took in the bandages wrapping up her arms to disappear under her uwagi, suggesting her entire upper torso was covered in bandages. Because of the bandages tightly wound around her breasts, all still thought she was a male.

The fight then started.

However, it didn't take a genius to sense the power difference between the two since (Y/N) practically radiated experience, something that sharpened the ability which mattered most.

Garo attacked first.

Again and again, he attacked.

Always, she had been able to block every single one of his attacks with minimal effort before giving them back to him twice as hard.

It was brutal.

In fact, Garo felt like he was dying.

"I'm disappointed, Garo," (Y/N) shook her head as she stood over him, the man so bruised and bloodied she wondered if she had taken things too far. "You have boundless potential, yet you squander it by being endlessly overconfident. It will only delay your progress and make you that much more easier to kill if this were a real fight."

"But—" he tried to interject, but he fell silent when she held up her hand.

"I am not saying this cannot be worked on," she continued, her piercing gaze even through the shadow of her hood making small chills run down his arms. "I'm giving you the problem, so you need to fix it. Why I agreed to spar with you at all when you asked was because of that. It would be... embarrassing for you to lose as easily as you did to me during our match."

Garo flinched at that.

"Hah!" Hisoka laughed harshly, dragging the twos' attention toward him.

Immediately, Garo tensed under Hisoka's rather predatory and cold gaze as he approached, flinching when he flicked out a playing card to set it on his jaw, slowly sliding the item down until it was just under his chin where if he wasn't careful, his throat could be sliced. (Y/N) frowned at that, finding Hisoka's actions childish.

"Hisoka... do not be impulsive," she uttered, keeping her gaze sharp.

"Oh, my dear... I'm all about impulsive decisions," he chuckled as he licked his lips, eyeing the small trace of blood that had trickled from the cut his card made on Garo. "Besides... looking at him, he does have potential. But, not enough that tempts me, and that makes him worthless in my eyes."

(Y/N) merely sighed.

"Now... what is truly tempting at the moment?" Hisoka continued as he then sauntered up to her, eyeing her up and down. "How you've revealed your body only now. Why? It seems so... random. Of course, I'm not much aggrieved since I believe it makes us that much closer."

"To spar, I cannot have any hindrances, that is all," she proclaimed. "During the Hunter Exam and my previous fights, I had no reason to truly fight. Therefore, I didn't need to make adjustments."

"Aw, that's no fun."

"I realize that."

"Oh, do you know?" Hisoka's eyes flashed.

"Your eyes give away so many things, Hisoka," she pointed out his rather lust-clouded windows that very much peered into his soul, showcasing his unkempt desire.

The stare off that happened between (Y/N) and Hisoka was then interrupted when Garo unexpectedly took a hold of the magician's arm to twist it behind his back before pressing his foot into his back to force him to the floor. His expression was a mask of stone, though his true emotions were betrayed by the subtlety of his disgust for Hisoka flickering in his gaze.

"Stop making things difficult for (L/N)," Garo ordered Hisoka, further ripping his arm behind his back. "Or have your arm broken."

"Fine, fine," Hisoka simpered, looking more amused than scared as he stood up after Garo had released him, glancing towards (Y/N). "What a fun toy you have here, (L/N). But, why don't you get rid of him already? He looks as if he's about to drop dead any second now, so what use is he?"

"You fucking clown," Garo growled as he grabbed the front of Hisoka's shirt.

As the two men argued, Garo increasingly close to punching Hisoka, (Y/N) being the only one standing in between them, Illumi silently watched the whole ordeal, something pricking at the base of his skull. However, the emotion was still so foreign to him. It was only natural, since in Illumi's family, he couldn't have such trivial feelings.

Yet, there he was.

With these feelings.

Envious feelings.

It was disgusting.

Of course, his stony facade gave away nothing as his eyes stayed pinned to the one person ensuing the thoughts that coursed through his mind, thoughts that he didn't entirely dislike, however thoughts that he couldn't bring himself to accept. Silently, he slipped out of the room, unaware of (Y/N)'s gaze that tracked him as he did so. Walking the hallways of the Arena, his black hair flowing behind him, he made no plan as to where he was going, only knowing that he had to listen to the part of himself that he had followed for so long. Immediately sensing a presence behind him, he whirled around, a knife pointed at the throat of his stalker.

"You're on edge," (Y/N) observed as she let her finger slide over the edge of the blade.

"What are you doing here?" Illumi interrogated, flicking his eyes to the wall as he sheathed the weapon, continuing to stalk forwards, (Y/N) following him. "Weren't you making sure Hisoka doesn't kill your... pupil?"

"Garo isn't my pupil, I just don't think he should die from his overconfidence," she stated evenly. "As for why I'm here and not there... I made sure they wouldn't kill each other." The subtle threatening tone was enough to make Illumi's eyes flare with excitement as she continued, "Besides, I can easily read people that some might find hard to read. Just like you."

"And..." Illumi uttered, watching her from the corner of his eye. "What are you reading from me?"

"Mostly confusion," (Y/N) mused as she glanced up to meet his gaze. "It's something only a man raised to not feel like you would ironically feel. Interesting, isn't it?"

"Perhaps," he murmured, glancing away. "Perhaps, indeed, (L/N)..."

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To be continued...