It started with an old tv 📺 (reborn in hxh)

The x First x Applicant

A few moments of silence passed before the two men burst out laughing. "You want to take the Hunter Exam, kid?" Two asked between fits of laughter. I glared at him. "Sorry, but I don't think you'd even get past the First Phase," One agreed. "Well, I'm already here, so I might as well. I can take the Hunter Exam if I want to. I... I have to," I insisted.

They exchanged looks. "That's alright with you, right?" I asked Mr. Beans. He contemplated it. "Well... we can't force you to go to headquarters. And the only requirement for participating is to show up."
"No way, you're actually gonna let her take it?"
"That's a death wish!"

I frowned. Just how difficult was this Hunter Exam? It was for hunters, right? Like people in camo with rifles, cabins, and fake deer heads as decorations? (In that case, we should be outside in the mountains or something. It's not like there were deer trotting around underground.) I also found it annoying how they kept calling me a kid. I'd given them my fake name already.

Anyway, the real reason I was taking it was because I had to find out why it sounded so familiar. This was more than just a feeling. It was like deja vu slapped me in the face. There's just something peculiar about the numbered pins, the phrase "Hunter Exam," and those phases they mentioned. And... there was this weird instinct telling me to take it, something I couldn't quite explain.

"Here you go, Miss Aki," The Lima Bean said. "Huh?" I blinked and looked down, snapping out of my trance. He was holding out another badge. Oh yeah... these must represent the order of the applicants. I pinned the badge to my shirt- Wait a second, I fell asleep in a tank top and sweatpants. What's with this outfit?!

My comfy pajamas had been replaced with a large ribbed rosy sweater. Beneath it, I had on jean shorts, black socks, and chunky black shoes. Boots?

I stared at the clothing that definitely wasn't mine, hesitantly touching the fabric. Where did I get these from? And more importantly... who dressed me?! I looked down again. Yep. I wasn't hallucinating. The ground was closer. And I looked... smaller. And more child-like. Please don't tell me...

"Lim- I mean, Mr. Beans, do you have a mirror? Or a phone? Or- or anything?" I asked desperately. "Uh- well, yes." He rummaged around his pockets and pulled out a sleek black phone. He handed it over to me after switching on the camera. My hands were shaking as I clicked the flip button to see my face.

I stared at the screen for a few moments. "Miss Aki, are you... okay?" Lima Bean asked. "You don't look well. Maybe you shouldn't take the exam after all," One said. I smiled weakly and returned the phone. "I'm fine, thanks." Only I wasn't. I wasn't Evly Mouri anymore. I was a completely different person... aside from my mind.

My hair had gone from chocolate-brown to midnight-black, and it flowed halfway down my back in two low pigtails. My eyes had changed too- I had heterochromia. My left eye was a coppery caramel color, and my right eye was bright blue, like a sapphire. This body was cute, like a doll, even though it wasn't mine. Most importantly, I had gone from 17 to around 12 years old, which meant that I was completely flat-chested again. Oh, the misery. I have to go through puberty again.

My mind wandered to the colors of my eyes. These colors... they remind me of something. It's like this whole place is Nostalgia Land or something. I was pretty sure it was related to all this hunter stuff. I gritted my teeth. Why can't I remember? It's obviously important to this situation!

"Hey, it's Aki, right?" One asked. I glanced up at him. Not to mention... my height has been pitifully reduced. This sucks. "Yeah?" I asked. He took his badge off, handing it to me. "I know it doesn't really matter, but since you were here first, you should have this instead." Oh, he's not that bad after all. "You don't mind?" I asked. "Yeah, it's not a big deal. It just feels right."
"Thanks, One." I took off my own pin, attaching the number one badge to my shirt instead. He sweatdropped. "Did you just call me by my badge number? I have a name, you know."

"Hey, Garo, catch," Two said, tossing "Garo" his badge. In turn, I gave Two my number three badge. This is like a passing game. Now, I had the first badge, Garo had the second, and the other guy had the third one.

"Your name is Garo?" I asked. "Yeah. That guy over there is Silas, my brother- don't mind that face of his, it usually scares off kids."
"It does not!"

I laughed as the two began to bicker, running my fingers along the ridges of the badge. Wait, won't this thing draw unwanted attention to me, since it's the very first one? I sighed in my head. Oh well. It's too late to give it back. I'll just give this Hunter Exam my best shot.

-

Anyway, I know a few things now. My name is Aki. I'm a completely different person on the outside. I'm applicant number one. I'm here to take the Hunter Exam in order to spark my memory... and somehow find a way home.