Her Picture

Chapter 1: Incessant Thoughts

Author's Note: I don't own Hunter x Hunter, and the concept of my story was inspired by Picture of You by Aril Daine. Also, credits go to otaku_shoujo for the great book cover.

Kurapika's POV

"Well done, Kurapika. Another perfect score! You aren't my best student for nothing." Our math teacher, Mr. Tomori, was all praises as he handed me back my paper, marked with a red 100 at the top.

"Thank you, sir," I said.

"I can never figure out that guy. I bet he studies every waking hour of the day. I don't see him at any parties," a guy a few seats away from me said.

A girl heard the guy who spoke up. "Who cares? He isn't bad to look at. He can tutor me any day."

A friend of hers agreed. "I don't like Math but if he'll teach me, I'm in."

I gave no reaction to anything that had been said and merely kept my exam paper. I was at school to learn. I didn't want to attend parties or flirt with girls; those did not interest me. I had better things to focus on.

/oOo/

"So how does this study maniac attract girls' attention without any effort? You gotta teach me your ways, man." A friend of mine, Haruto, said, nudging me. Among my group of friends, Haruto was the most outgoing.

"If a man that ignores women is their type, that might be worrisome if they were to be in a relationship with that sort of man," I said matter-of-factly.

"Girls like the mysterious type. They think they can make a guy like that open up to them," Ken said. He was just as studious as I am, but he was more of a gamer. If he wasn't studying, he played video games.

"I'm serious though! He really-"

I had tuned out of the conversation at this point and just started looking around the mall we were in. Exams week had just ended and we had nothing to do.

A few steps ahead, I spotted a picture. When it was right in front of me, I picked it up.

It was a picture of a girl with long black hair. She was wearing a purple dress and she was smiling timidly while playing with her fingers. She looked so innocent. She was-

"Oi, Kurapika! How come you stopped walking?"

I looked up from the picture. The guys were standing a few feet away from me.

"It's nothing." I looked around to check if anybody was looking for the picture in my hand.

Once I confirmed that no one nearby was looking around for something, I kept the picture in my backpack. I don't want to let go of it just yet.

The picture intrigued me. I want to know why.

I caught up to them. Haruto saw this as a sign to continue talking. I was only half listening.

/oOo/

It was 8:30pm. I was already in my room, trying to read a book to pass the time.

I only managed ten pages when I put the book down and got the picture out of my backpack.

I studied it, searching for something. I had to find out why I didn't want to let go of it when I was at the mall.

It looked like it was taken from a magazine, but how she posed said otherwise. She didn't have the aura of a model.

I have to admit, she is beautiful....

After some time, I figured out what caught my attention so much.

She had a natural look, with only minimal makeup. Just enough that photographs of her are good for magazines. She didn't look like the type to flirt, attend parties, or have any qualities that I disliked in girls. She didn't look like she spread gossip. She really looked.... innocent.

Basically, she looked like the type of girl that is the complete opposite of my female classmates.

I felt like I wouldn't mind getting to know a girl like that better.

I shook my head. 'All this just from a picture...what am I thinking? This isn't me,' I thought to myself.

I set down the picture and picked up my book, trying to organize my thoughts.

/oOo/

It was already two days after I found the picture, and I thought that I was finally succeeding in getting the girl out of my mind. I was surprised it was even taking me this long.

Until Haruto showed us a magazine at lunch time. "This girl looks cute, don't you guys think?"

I glanced at the page and did a double take.

It was the same girl. She still gave off the natural vibe that I noticed from the first picture I saw of her. "What's her name?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"Lemme see here....Mayumi Nishizawa."

I wanted to ask more but held back. I focused on finishing my food instead.

/oOo/

I entered my room and turned on my laptop, intending to start on my assignment. The teacher had given each of us a topic to do research on.

Instead of typing the topic in the search box, I subconciously typed 'Mayumi Nishizawa' and pressed enter.

I was surprised to see what I had looked up when the search results showed. It didn't deter me from checking out what popped up though.

"Mayumi Nishizawa is a seventeen-year-old model who works in Sapporo, Japan..." I read.

Sapporo? I could take the train.

Seeing that my mind won't be giving up on this anytime soon, I decided to follow it.

I gathered some money that I saved up. It should be enough for me to go there...

I needed to inform my parents that I plan on taking a trip.