Bisky sat back down after her earlier outburst, letting out a long breath as she wiped imaginary sweat from her forehead.
"Whew… that was intense," she said lightly.
Yuzuki watched her quietly from across the table, his expression unreadable.
After a moment Bisky tapped the table with a finger. "Anyway, enough about that. I'll book a hotel room for you tonight."
Yuzuki blinked, then shook his head. "No need. I already have money. I can pay for my own hotel."
Bisky leaned back in her chair, studying him with a teasing smile. "Oh? Is that so? Then why don't you buy me a gem while you're at it?"
"A gem?" Yuzuki raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Bisky said matter-of-factly. "A big one. Something shiny."
Yuzuki sighed. "You're joking, right?"
Bisky giggled. "Maybe."
The waiter returned shortly afterward with their food. Two plates of burgers and medium chips were placed neatly in front of them, along with glasses of water.
"Enjoy your meal," the waiter said before stepping away.
Yuzuki picked up his burger and took a bite. Bisky watched him curiously for a moment before doing the same.
For a while the two simply ate in silence.
Eventually Bisky wiped her mouth and said, "By the way, Yuzuki. Give me your contact information."
Yuzuki looked up. "Why?"
"So I can let you know when the Hunter Exams are happening," she replied simply. "Information like that doesn't just float around publicly. If I hear something, I'll contact you immediately."
Yuzuki thought about it for a second before nodding. "Alright. That makes sense."
The two exchanged numbers.
The rest of the meal passed casually, with small talk and the occasional teasing remark from Bisky. When they finished eating, the night outside had already deepened.
Bisky stood up first.
"Well then," she said cheerfully, "I guess this is where we part ways."
Yuzuki stood as well. "Yeah."
Bisky turned and began walking toward the door. "Don't get yourself killed before the Hunter Exam, okay?"
Yuzuki chuckled. "You say that like it's easy. I have a lot of enemies you know."
She waved without turning back.
"See you around, Yuzuki."
And just like that, they went their separate ways.
---
The next morning.
Back at the hotel he had been staying in, steam still lingered in the bathroom as Yuzuki stepped out of the shower, drying his hair with a towel.
The room was quiet.
He tossed the towel over his shoulder and was about to sit down when his phone suddenly rang.
Yuzuki paused.
Then he quickly walked over and grabbed it from the bedside table.
When he looked at the screen, he saw the caller ID.
Bisky
A smile spread across his face.
He answered the call.
"Hello."
On the other end of the line came Bisky's familiar, overly cheerful voice.
"Good morning, Yuzuki!"
Yuzuki leaned back against the wall, chuckling quietly to himself.
'She's really committing to that childish act…'
"Morning, Bisky," he said. "What's up?"
"I have information!" she announced excitedly.
"Oh?"
"The 286th Hunter Exam."
Yuzuki immediately straightened.
"Already?"
"Yes," Bisky replied proudly.
"Tell me."
Bisky cleared her throat theatrically before beginning.
"The gathering point is a ruined lighthouse on a remote island. That's where the candidates arrive."
Yuzuki listened closely.
"When candidates first arrive," she continued, "the building appears completely abandoned. Nothing looks official. Just ruins."
"But at midnight," she added, lowering her voice slightly for dramatic effect, "a hidden elevator activates inside the lighthouse."
"That elevator leads to the actual exam site."
Yuzuki nodded slowly.
"And the examiner?"
"Beans," Bisky said.
Yuzuki blinked. "Beans?"
"Yes," she said. "A small green guy who works for the Hunter Association."
"…Right."
Bisky continued.
"When candidates arrive at the elevator, Beans checks each person's coin."
"Coin?" Yuzuki repeated.
"Yes. But here's the catch."
Her tone became more serious.
"The coin is actually a fake license detector."
Yuzuki frowned slightly.
Bisky explained, "Anyone who stole a coin from another candidate is immediately disqualified."
"Interesting," Yuzuki murmured.
"The Hunter Association randomly throws these coins into circulation," Bisky said. "People who pick them up will notice something unusual."
"There's an invitation engraved on the back."
"And those who are curious enough to investigate further eventually find the exam location."
Yuzuki leaned against the wall, absorbing the information.
"So it's basically a curiosity test."
"Exactly," Bisky said approvingly. "You're catching on fast."
There was a short pause before she added casually,
"Anyway, I already have a coin ready for you."
Yuzuki's eyes widened slightly.
"You do?"
"Of course," Bisky said proudly. "Did you think I'd make you search randomly?"
Yuzuki chuckled.
"Well then… thanks."
Bisky hummed happily.
"Good luck on the exam, Yuzuki."
Yuzuki tilted his head.
"Why are you wishing me luck now?" he asked.
"Huh?"
"You could just do it when I come pick up the coin."
The line suddenly went quiet.
One second passed.
Two.
Three.
Then—
Click.
The call ended.
Yuzuki stared at the phone for a moment.
Then he laughed softly.
"Oh, Bisky…"
---
Later that same day, Yuzuki found himself once again walking through the polished halls of the hotel where he had been staying. The afternoon sun filtered through the tall windows, casting long rectangles of golden light across the marble floor. Staff members passed quietly, their movements practiced and unobtrusive.
He pushed open the glass doors to the diner.
The soft hum of conversation greeted him immediately. The scent of coffee and baked bread lingered in the air. Guests sat scattered across the room, businessmen discussing contracts, couples enjoying late lunches, travelers resting before their next destination.
And sitting at a corner table, swinging her legs casually beneath her chair, was Bisky.
She spotted him almost instantly and raised her hand in a cheerful wave.
"Yuzuki!"
Yuzuki walked over, slipping into the seat across from her.
"Hey," he greeted casually.
Up close, Bisky looked exactly the same as she had before. Pink dress, bright twin ponytails, and an innocent smile that would fool almost anyone.
Almost.
"You came pretty quickly," she said, resting her chin in her hands.
"You told me you had something for me," Yuzuki replied.
"That I did."
Bisky reached into the small purse resting beside her chair and pulled out a coin.
She placed it gently on the table between them.
The metal clinked softly against the polished surface.
"There it is," she said.
Yuzuki picked it up.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary coin. But as he turned it over in his fingers, subtle irregularities became apparent. The weight was slightly off, the metal composition unusual, and the engraving on the back carried a strange, almost deliberate asymmetry.
He narrowed his eyes.
"It does look weird."
Bisky smiled smugly.
"Right?"
He studied the back more closely. The engraving was faint, almost hidden. An invitation carved so delicately that it could easily be overlooked.
"Subtle," he murmured.
"The Hunter Association loves subtle," Bisky said lightly.
Yuzuki slid the coin into his pocket.
"Thanks."
Bisky stood up almost immediately.
"Alright, I'm off."
Yuzuki blinked. "Already?"
She nodded.
"Yep. I'm in a bit of a hurry."
"Hurry for what?"
"Stuff," she said vaguely.
Then she leaned slightly closer and smiled.
"Good luck on the exam, Yuzuki."
Yuzuki looked at her curiously.
"You already said that."
Bisky scoffed.
"Yeah, well… I wanted to say it again."
Before he could question her further, she turned and began walking away.
"See you around!" she called over her shoulder.
And just like that, she disappeared out the diner doors.
Yuzuki stared after her for a moment before shaking his head.
"What a strange person…"
---
A week later.
The sky above the remote island was gray and heavy with ocean mist.
Yuzuki stepped onto the rocky shoreline, the sound of waves crashing faintly behind him. Ahead stood a towering structure of crumbling stone.
The ruined lighthouse.
Its walls were cracked with age, vines creeping up the sides as if nature itself had begun reclaiming it. The windows were shattered, the metal door rusted and half-hanging from its hinges.
From the outside, it truly looked abandoned.
Yuzuki walked inside.
The air was cool and stale. Dust covered the floor in thin layers, disturbed only by the footprints of previous arrivals.
For a moment, the building appeared completely empty.
Then he saw it.
An elevator.
Standing beside it was a small green figure dressed in a suit.
Beans.
The Hunter Association secretary looked exactly like Yuzuki remembered. Round face, bean-shaped head, large glasses perched on his nose.
Beans looked up as Yuzuki approached.
"Oh!" he said politely. "Welcome."
Yuzuki stepped forward.
"Hello."
Beans adjusted his glasses.
"May I see your coin, please?"
Yuzuki reached into his pocket and handed it over.
Beans examined it carefully, turning it between his fingers.
He pressed a small device against it, scanning the metal.
A faint beep sounded.
Beans nodded.
"All clear."
He handed the coin back and stepped aside.
With a soft mechanical hum, the elevator doors slid open.
"Please proceed," Beans said kindly. "And good luck in the exam."
Yuzuki nodded.
"Thank you."
He stepped inside the elevator.
The doors closed.
As the elevator began descending, the mechanism rumbled softly through the shaft.
Yuzuki leaned casually against the wall.
'Beans is actually way cuter in person than in the anime', he thought.
The elevator continued downward for nearly a full minute.
Then—
Ding.
The doors opened.
Yuzuki stepped out.
And immediately froze.
Before him stretched a massive underground port.
The cavern ceiling rose hundreds of meters overhead, illuminated by industrial floodlights mounted along the walls. The air smelled faintly of seawater and machine oil.
Docked at the center of the port was an enormous ship.
Candidates filled the open space around it. Hundreds of them.
Some stood alone, silent and focused. Others talked quietly in small groups. A few stretched or trained while they waited.
Yuzuki walked forward slowly, observing the crowd.
So these are the examinees…
As he looked around, several familiar faces caught his attention.
Near one side stood a tall, muscular man with spiky hair and a serious expression.
Bodoro.
A veteran martial artist who had attempted the exam multiple times.
Nearby was a lean swordsman with sharp eyes.
Hanzo.
A ninja from the hidden village who carried himself with calm confidence.
Another examinee leaned casually against a crate. Tonpa.
The infamous "Rookie Crusher," known for sabotaging first-time candidates every year.
Yuzuki watched the man carefully.
Tonpa wouldn't really give him much trouble. Even if he was not a reincarnate. But he still wanted to avoid that nuisance.
But as he continued scanning the crowd, his gaze suddenly stopped.
Across the port, standing alone beneath a dim light, was a tall man dressed in flamboyant clothing.
His hair was slicked back.
Purple star.
Teardrop mark.
A smile that was both playful and unsettling.
The clown.
And he was staring directly at Yuzuki.
The man tilted his head slightly, lips curling with amusement.
Yuzuki felt a chill run down his spine.
He grimaced.
"Oh no…"
His shoulders slumped slightly.
"Not Hisoka."
---
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