Seeing through the Flames (Killua x OC) (Kurapika x OC)

Chapter 4

She had to tell them.

After the announcement was over and as soon as the conversation entered a lull, Ai spoke. "Guys, I have something important to confess to you..." Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at all of them. "...And something to apologize for."

As the five people she had come to consider her friends turned to face her, Ai felt her bladder turning into mush again and her eyebrow twitched.

"Go on," Arla encouraged, smiling as if she already knew what it was about.

"When I first met you guys, there were two things I lied about," Ai said, twiddling her thumbs as she looked down. "And... I consider you my friends, and I feel really bad and I understand if you don't want to associate with me after this because of my lie... So let me introduce myself again!"

Standing upright, Ai looked at them. "Yo yo! My name is Ai! I'm a dolphin kitten with the heart of a puppy and...!"

Shutting her eyes tightly, Ai ripped off her cap, letting her shoulder-length hair fall free. "In truth, I'm a woman, nya!"

A moment of silence or two passed as hope drained itself from Ai. Just as she was about to lose all hope, she heard a voice.

"We already knew that - a long time ago," Leorio said normally.

"Yeah, you're so bad at both lying and disguising. It was obvious from the start... Also, what's with that dolphin-whatever thing?" Killua made a face at that.

"And the fact that was more startling was that you seemed to think you convinced everyone." Arla smiled almost sheepishly.

"It would be even stranger not to know; we understood you probably had your reasons, so we went along with it," Kurapika commented, smiling. "Although the strangest of all was your introduction right now..."

"Not to mention, you smell like a woman and don't feel like a guy at all!" Gon added, grinning.

Looking up teary-eyed, Ai sniffled. "I can't believe it was that obvious... What was the use of all this in the first place... But at least, can I hope then that you guys...don't hate me?"

"Of course, we don't hate you! You're our friend, Shinichi!" Gon's grin widened.

"A weirdo will always be a weirdo. This revelation of yours won't change a thing," Killua responded cheekily.

"Gon, she just said her name isn't Shinichi," Leorio corrected.

"Ah, that's right!" Gon looked like he just realized that. He then sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Oops... I forgot your name already, hehe." Everyone sighed at Gon.

"I'll say it again. I'm a dolphin kitten with the heart of a puppy and my name is Ai, meow," she said, still sniffling, even though her expression had brightened up again.

"You can drop the dolphin part." Kurapika awkwardly laughed.

"I'd just say please get rid of that and the weird meowing," Killua added with his eye twitching in annoyance.

"Never, nya! That's my real identity, after all!"

Everyone sighed as they shook their heads at her.

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"Do you want me to possess you for this battle?" Wonka floated around her as she patted her cap down, arms crossing with an eyebrow raised questioningly.

"No, don't bother with possession," Ai responded quietly as she walked over to the arena. "Just lend me your abilities when I give you the signal."