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In hindsight, if you knew what exactly taking a job in NGL was going to lead to, you may have thought twice about it. Still, the pay was wonderful, it was a good deed, and most importantly, you had your reputation — and pride — as a hunter.
The job was supposed to be simple. Infiltrate the Neo-Green Life Autonomous State, seek out the Underground Network, and stop the production of the drug D². You had taken on far more difficult jobs in the past, so you agreed to take this one, not at all appreciating how the leader was taking advantage of a community dead-set on remaining as eco-friendly as they were.
You just sort of wished somebody had told you about the Chimera Ant infestation going on in this country.
Wiping off a splatter of blue blood from your cheek, you stepped over the corpse of what you could assume was a panther Chimera Ant. Or what remained of it, after being on the receiving end of your hatsu.
It had taken a while to find the lair of Gyro — if the ants were anything to go by, your job here may already be done. That did pose another problem, though. Even though the Chimera Ant infestation wasn't your problem, and certainly not your duty, they posed a real threat. At the very least, you needed to alert the Association about what was going on in NGL so they could send out the qualified hunters and prepare accordingly.
Might as well confirm Gyro was dead, though.
Taking a step towards the entrance of the cave, a voice called out to you, stopping you in your tracks.
"I wouldn't go that way. It's too dangerous."
It was a voice you were familiar with, and you turned around, already feeling hostility creep up your throat. Upon seeing your face, hazel eyes widened in recognition.
"It's you."
Two kids were with the man that you knew well, both looking lost and out-of-place. "Kite, you know them?"
You scowled. "He better, considering he almost made me lose the Hunter Exam."
"It wasn't a teamwork exercise." He clearly wasn't here to argue with you. Looking over a the Chimera Ants you had already taken care of, he thought for a moment. "Although, if you want to go in, I'd suggest teaming up now."
What was he, a jokester now?
A part of you wanted to tell him to screw off. You could handle this yourself.
Another part of you fully recognized that he wouldn't listen. Besides, if you remembered correctly, he was a hunter that specialized in wildlife exploration and restoration, meaning he had a much better understanding of what was going on here than you were. Good terms or not, you'd like to get all the information you could.
Tutting, you stepped to the side, as if you were allowing them to pass.
"Well? Lead the way, then."
Gyro was dead, and Kite was right. While you were confident that you could have taken on all four ants in the building, it was certainly a lot easier with him and the kids he was babysitting.
Sitting around the campfire as you soaked in the information that Kite gave you, you couldn't help but sigh. "This is way above my level of expertise. Wouldn't it be wise to request back-up? If the queen gives birth to any of the Royal Guards or even the king..."
From what Kite had said, it would be disastrous.
"You're a hunter too, right? You took the exam with Kite?"
This came from Gon, one of the kids that had been tagging along with Kite. At the reminder of your Hunter Exam, your mood soured, shooting a glare at Kite. The taller hunter looked completely unaffected.
"A blacklist hunter," you turned your attention back to the two kids. "And yeah. One of the phases we had to go through a labyrinth, which is where I met this," you jerked your head towards Kite, "guy. Who then, after I solved a puzzle, proceeded to leave me behind and nearly get flattened by a rolling boulder."
Kite didn't look at all apologetic, once more reminding you that it wasn't a teamwork exercise. Still, a bit of humility would have helped your mood.
"But you passed in the end, right?"
You nodded at Gon's question. "Yeah. I guess that's what counts..."
The subject was then consequently changed, Gon moving on to tell you about how his own exam went, where he had met Killua (the other kid). The teen spoke with a level of enthusiasm you admired, and soon it was about time to call it quits for the night, you offering first watch for the group.
You had thought everybody else was asleep as you sat a ways away, fully alert. You had sensed the approaching presence, but didn't acknowledge him until he sat down next to you silently. You allowed yourself to glance at him out of the corner of your eyes. He didn't look at all sleepy; he was probably awake the entire time.
". . . Are you really so upset about what happened at the exam?"
You mulled over it, not bothering to look over at him. "I think, if it were anybody else, I might have just brushed it off," you admitted.
"Huh? Why not me, then?"
An answer you had, but still felt a bit embarrassed to admit. "I . . ." Well, you were both adults, and it had been years now. Might as well fess up. "I thought you were really cool, and admired you. How you handled the first phase, not injuring a single animal... Nobody else seemed to care." You kept facing forward, drawing your knees in as you rested your chin on the tops of them, arms wrapped around your legs. "I knew, if I were to team up with anybody in the exam for whatever reason, I wanted it to be you."
Kite stayed quiet at the admission of your admiration, and you finally sneaked another peek at him. He was staring ahead thoughtfully, but as if he could sense your gaze, he turned to look at you.
". . . I didn't leave you behind intentionally."
"Huh?"
"I thought you were right behind me when I let go of the door. In fact, I carried on a conversation thinking you were following me, only to turn around and see you weren't there."
"Huh?!"
The worst part is, you could imagine the exact scenario of Kite probably telling you to be careful or surmising where to go next, only to turn and see that nobody was there. It was a bit comical, if it weren't for the fact that you had spent years of feeling spiteful towards the white-haired male, only to realize it was a misunderstanding.
Kite continued. "I figured you could make it out yourself. I saw how you took down a guy twice your size in a previous phase, so I just continued on."
You were the first to break eye contact, looking away in slight embarrassment at both how he had been watching your squabble with one of the other examinees and how he actually believed you would pass, too. And he said it so stoically, so matter-of-factly to boot! Pride swelled in you at the nonchalant praise.
". . . Thanks." You weren't sure how else to respond to his words. "Sorry for misunderstanding."
"I never really said or did anything to clear up the situation or make you think otherwise."
Neither of you said anything outwardly, but you knew that it was all water under the bridge, now. With that cleared up, you really had no other reason to feel anger towards the guy, although he was still far from in your good graces. You'd have to judge his character a bit more to really decide if you liked him or not. Sure, he was cute, you had thought that the day you first encountered him, but still.
"You know," you started, slyly glancing at him from your peripherals again, "I was originally going to head out tomorrow to report the completion of my job, but I don't mind staying around to help. Things are getting interesting here, after all."
You could have sworn you saw Kite's mouth quirk upwards in a smile, although it was hard to tell when you weren't looking at him head-on. He finally looked away from you, seeming slightly amused.
"We could use all the help we can get. But I won't be able to watch after you."
"As you've seen, I can handle myself just fine."
"I know."
The two of you fell silent, but only for a moment as Kite contemplated your offer. ". . . We'd... I'd... Be glad to have you with us."
Ouch! Kite used appreciation! It was super effective!
Turning to fully face him, you held your hand out for him to shake, smiling fully. He stared at your hand for a moment, as if unsure on what to do. "Let's start over, then. I'm [Y/n], and I'm glad to be on board with this expedition."
Once more, Kite's lips turned upwards, and he gripped your hand, firm and warm. "Kite. It's nice to meet you, [Y/n]."
A couple shakes and you both let go, although your hand still tingled from where he gripped it. You missed that warmth already.
Growing cheekier, a little bolder, you stretched your legs out in front of you, arms above your head. "I guess this makes us friends, then!" you declared to Kite's surprise.
"What?"
"And as such, once this is over, we have to do the obligatory coffee date and photo booth to commemorate our friendship!"
". . . That sounds like a date."
Your grin grew as you met his gaze head on. "I'll let you decide on what it is, but you absolutely cannot get out of the photo booth! I know a cute purikura place in Zaban City!"
Kite shook his head, seeming more exasperated as he stood up to probably get some sleep before his watch came around. "I look forward to it, then."
You watched as he went back to the campfire, taking his beret off and lying down before you turned your gaze outward once more, scanning your surroundings. Despite the attentiveness, though, your mind wandered to the conversation, and more importantly, the very faint pink that had dusted Kite's cheeks before he left.
You know... He's kind of cute when he smiles.