Chapter 37 – The Generous Tonpa (Part 2)
"Yelling like that just wastes stamina—and it's annoying," Kurapika said calmly, his expression unchanging. "Besides, the exam never said we couldn't bring personal items."
Since the start of the Hunter Exam, he had been tightly wound. Leorio's shouting wasn't helping his nerves at all.
"This guy too, huh…" Leorio gritted his teeth, feeling betrayed. Nobody was on his side!
"Relax, Kurapika," Osren said softly. His tone was even, almost soothing, and for some reason, it instantly settled everyone's mood.
"…Understood," Kurapika murmured, closing his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, his lake-green irises had regained their calm.
Leorio also seemed to deflate a little, the fiery temper giving way to reluctant peace.
Tonpa, ever the opportunist, seized the moment. "You're all newcomers, right? I'm sure there's a lot you don't know. Maybe I could—"
He never got to finish.
Killua's sharp teal eyes flicked toward him, just once. The look alone was enough to shut Tonpa up completely. No words, no movement—just silence.
That's the kind of intimidation only a Zoldyck could exude.
Gliding effortlessly on his skateboard, Killua pulled up beside Osren and Gon.
"What is it?" Gon asked, noticing Killua's gaze lingering on him.
"You were the one asking my name earlier?" Killua said.
"Yeah! But it's fine if you didn't wanna answer," Gon replied cheerfully. "I'm Gon, twelve years old. This is Osren—he's twelve too."
Osren smiled warmly and gave Killua a small nod. He didn't plan on "clinging to the protagonist's thigh," but there was also no reason to antagonize one of the most dangerous prodigies in the series. A little goodwill went a long way.
"Twelve, huh?" Killua repeated softly. He was the same age… yet he'd never met anyone quite like these two.
With a fluid motion, Killua crouched, flipped backward, and caught his skateboard in one hand as he landed lightly on his feet. The movement was effortless—like gravity didn't apply to him.
"Eh? You're not using it anymore?" Gon asked, genuinely puzzled.
Killua shrugged. "Got bored."
Then he looked over at Leorio, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. "Hey, old man—how old are you?"
There was no helping it. Surrounded by a bunch of bright-eyed kids, Leorio really stood out.
"I'm just like you guys—teenage years!" Leorio declared, puffing his chest out as if volume would make it more believable.
"Liar!" came the chorus from everyone—Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and even Osren.
Their faces all carried the same expression: "Come on, man. You're not fooling anyone."
Even Gon, the most honest of them all, couldn't let that slide. If Leorio had said he was thirty, no one would have blinked. But "teenage"? Standing next to Gon, Osren, and Killua? Not a chance.
"Even Gon? That's too much…" Leorio looked crushed, like a wilted flower in the desert. The betrayal was almost visible on his face.
Osren, watching the scene unfold, finally decided to step in. "I believe Leorio's telling the truth," he said with a straight face.
"Huh?"
Everyone turned to him in surprise.
"Judging by how he acts—charging into fights, losing his temper over every little thing—saying he's thirty would be giving him too much credit," Osren continued smoothly. "Clearly, he's just… immature."
"…So in other words," he added with a grin, "he's not old. Life just aged him early."
There was a beat of silence—then—
"Pfft—HAHAHAHAHA!"
Even Kurapika cracked a rare smile. Gon and Killua burst into laughter, while Tonpa slapped Leorio's shoulder like an overfriendly uncle.
"Yeah, Leorio! Life cheated you, man!"
Leorio hung his head in defeat, but at least everyone believed him now… sort of. He sighed, muttering something about "being surrounded by brats."
Osren just smiled to himself. The atmosphere had lightened, the tension gone.
Sometimes, keeping the team together didn't require power—just the right joke at the right time.
Before long, the tunnel ahead split into a forked path.
"Who is that guy anyway?" Gon asked, watching Killua glide effortlessly ahead of them. "He looks about my age."
"What's it to you?" Leorio grumbled. "You act like this is recess instead of an exam. Try being nervous for once."
He was still sulking about everyone laughing at his "teenage" claim earlier.
"That kid's dangerous," Tonpa added darkly.
That one sharp glance Killua had given him earlier was still burned into his mind. Just thinking about it sent a chill down his spine.
"What's so hard about finding out?" Osren said casually. "Hey—up front! We all introduced ourselves already. Isn't it about time you did too?"
Killua slowed his pace, glancing back over his shoulder. After a brief pause, he jogged back to run alongside Gon and Osren.
"…Killua. I'm twelve," he said at last, his tone soft, uncertain.
It was almost awkward—the kind of hesitation that came from never having done something so… normal.
He'd been trained to kill, not to make introductions.
After all, no assassin starts a mission with, "Hi, I'm Killua Zoldyck, age twelve."
That image alone was too surreal to picture.
"Twelve, same as us? That's awesome!" Gon's face lit up, his excitement bubbling over.
"Nice to meet you, Killua," Osren greeted politely, flashing an easy smile.
He wasn't trying to curry favor, but there was no reason to be hostile either. Better to build bridges early—with this particular main character, it was a wise investment.
Killua nodded slightly, tilting his head in acknowledgment before running quietly beside them.
Every so often, his sharp eyes drifted toward Osren.
Even though Osren was keeping pace, his sweating forehead and heavier breathing betrayed how much effort it took to stay steady.
"Gon, give me some candy," Osren said finally.
They had been running for over three hours now. Even with prior training, his endurance was near its limit. It was time for a sugar boost.
"Got it!" Gon replied, instantly rummaging through his backpack and handing him a handful of brightly wrapped candies.
Osren unwrapped one, popped it into his mouth, and thought silently,
Come on, body… give me some face here. Just hang in there a little longer.
Imported candy was expensive, but worth every cent. Within moments, a bit of lightness returned to his step.
"Leorio, Kurapika—you guys want some?" Osren offered.
Leorio waved him off, dripping sweat and panting hard. He was clearly close to his limit.
Kurapika shook his head, his breathing still controlled, expression calm and focused. He was faring better than both of them, pacing himself with quiet discipline.
And then there was Gon—radiating endless energy, as if fatigue was a foreign concept.
If enthusiasm were an energy source, he could probably power a small city.
"Killua," Osren said, turning toward him with a grin. "Have a couple too. Imported—pretty good stuff."
He didn't wait for a reply, simply tossed a few candies into Killua's hand mid-run.
Killua caught them easily, blinking in surprise. No one had ever just… handed him candy before.
For a brief moment, his expression softened—almost imperceptibly—but it was there.
Maybe, just maybe, this strange group wasn't so bad after all.