Chapter Text
Gon's life was rather normal. Dry, boring, an everyday that he repeated over an over again for twelve years: one that he didn't like much but he wouldn't complain about. He had no parents, and really, not much of a family, but he had a nice aunt. He was a great student, he got along with the kids at his school fairly well too, and he was healthy. He didn't really know what to ask for, he didn't know what made him need those weekly appointments with a psychiatrist, he had most things people wanted. It's just that he was so, so bored. There was nothing in his life that made him want. Want to wake up, want go to school, want grow older... Want to anything.
That is, until one day, he met a girl named Retz. Retz gave new dynamics to his life. She moved in from another country, and immediately became his dearest friend. Retz was funny, and interesting, she always had something to say.
She took him out on weekends, she taught him how to do very peculiar things that he'd never thought of trying, initiated him to numerous shared hobbies that he would've never experimented otherwise. She loved to gossip, she loved fashion, she loved design. She liked to dress Gon up of her clothes and her brother's, or go try on outfits form diverse stores, and she spoiled him of her money. In the summer and mostly every holiday other than familiar celebrations, she took him on vacation with her, and that for the two first years of their friendship. Gon always tried to return the favor but he wasn't even nearly as rich as her, and even tho he always ended up feeling somewhat guilty for spending her money, he indulged.
Her brother - and caretaker - often very busy, Retz spent most of her afternoons with Gon in his backyard. They'd start their homework, do something else and forget to finish it. She'd stay the night, they wouldn't sleep until morning, when they realized they would be up in an hour or two, then they'd fall asleep in class. The next day, Gon would get grounded by Mito for upsetting his teachers and not doing his homework. Retz's brother, on the other hand, really couldn't care less. Punishments for her stayed at school: she often made fun of Gon for it.
In the weekend, they liked to go to her house. Mito didn't know that more often than not they were left without surveillance - she hadn't asked and therefore, Gon wasn't lying to her. They'd play games until they were falling apart from exhaustion and watch horror movies that had the both of them not sleeping the night, both very sensitive to these things, but both lovers of the thrill.
When they were apart she'd often call him to tell him about stupid things. Even when Gon had to call her, he didn't, because he knew she'd do it eventually - he just had to wait.
Retz was basically there everyday, everywhere, always. And it was great.
Overall, Gon felt like he had a reason to get up all over again, and that reason happened to be Retz. He knew she shared that feeling with him - they shared mostly everything, from clothes to thoughts. She was like a sister.
Everything changed drastically one day, one Saturday by the beginning of summer holidays, when Gon received a call from Retz in the early morning. It wasn't an uncommon event. She often called him in the morning to tell him what she'd do of her day and perhaps plan a meeting. What was strange tho, was that she was in tears.
That day, Retz had to announce her departure from the country. It had been almost three years since the two best friends met. They were now fourteen, reaching fifteen soon enough. In that time span, the longest they'd spent without seeing each other had been a week, when Retz left to a grand grand aunt's funeral with her brother. And now, Retz was leaving the continent, forever. They weren't even given the time to meet up again and share goodbyes.
Retz's brother was a business man. His sister's integrity and happiness was never the priority, and profit came first, from afar, in his list. Moving was a rather usual and recurring event in Retz's life, Gon was aware of it from the very start. She'd been ripped apart from her very first friends when she was three, thrown into a school where she'd never made any. A new one, by the time she was four, where people loved her for a self she wasn't, and again, when she was six, one where people disliked her for her truth. When Retz arrived Whale Island at the age of twelve, she'd already moved about eight times. It was only a matter of time until the next instance came.
They both knew it would happen again, eventually, but they'd decided to close their eyes on it.
Now, entering highschool and stolen of one of the persons he most loved, Gon was lost. His psychiatrist had said he was making a lot of progress. Gon owed it solely to Retz's listening ear and relating words, sweet advices. He went downhill again.
What most scared him, tho, was Retz. She more than he really had nobody, and unlike Gon, she was not followed or helped by any sort of mental health institute. Left on her own device and without him to hold her up, Gon was scared of what would befall to her.
The first times had been tough for the both of them, but eventually, they pushed through. They gained a new rythme each on their own. Retz ended up in the same situation as Gon school wise. She got along with people just well enough to be comfortable. That's about it.
Gon thought he would loose his friend from this horrible, forced separation. Mito had been testimony of his pain; she'd been his shoulder to cry on throughout the process. He was in despair. He knew very well that, asides from his company, he had nothing to offer, and now, even that he couldn't give. Why would Retz still want him as a friend, when she could perfectly replace him? And yet, two years after their separation and four years into their friendship, he and Retz were closer than ever before.
Sixteen years old Gon was sitting crosslegged on his bed, applying cream to his dry face, when the house's landline phone started to ring in the corridor. There was a chance it was Mito calling, to see if he would answer. He looked at the time, it was ten PM. He was supposed to sleep, and therefore he shouldn't pick up. She could be testing him, she'd done similar things before out of mistrust. Therefore, he probably should just go to sleep. However, on the other hand, there was a chance it could be Retz, who might have broken her phone again. She had his landline number written down, not his mobile. He couldn't really know which of the two options was right if not by answering the phone and taking the risk.
After a short second of silence, he shrugged. He'd been punished time and time again for chatting with Retz far past the time he was supposed to get to bed. One more now wouldn't change much.
"Broke your phone again?" He asked, and his first answer was an awkward giggle. He smiled.
"Didn't break it." She contradicted. "I just don't really know where I left it."