A Rustic Sojourn

Chapter 2

Killua's POV

The loud rumble of my stomach brought me to consciousness. I felt much better than I did yesterday—slowly, I tried to sit up, finding that I was able to execute the move relatively painlessly. My bandages, too, were significantly less bloody. After sitting upright, I looked around the room, noticing a small tray on the bedside table with a hardboiled egg, a bowl of miso soup, and an apricot, along with a folded note. Lifting the tray onto my lap, I unfolded the note.

Hey there!

Sorry about breakfast, it's probably all cold now—I didn't know when you would wake up, and I didn't want to disturb you, so I just left it here. Hopefully it hasn't been too long, I made this around 6:30. Anyways, I'm probably out on the ranch if you need anything. Take it easy, I'll be back around noon to make lunch.

- Y/n

I glanced at the clock, which said that it was currently 9:00 in the morning. It hadn't been too long since y/n left the food, so I helped myself. Despite being cold, it was still quite delicious and a good meal to get back into the flow of eating after being in a semi-fasting state. I drank some water from the pitcher left on the nightstand and sat still. No could do—I was far too antsy to sit still and wait for three hours waiting for y/n to return. 

With that, I slowly rotated my legs off the bed, and cautiously stood. I noticed I was wearing unfamiliar sweatpants, slightly too small, and no shirt. I doubted she would have anything in her room that fit, but perhaps she would have a shirt from wherever she got these sweatpants. I hesitantly stepped forward, and upon success, I continued towards the door. I stepped into the hallway, noticing a bathroom right across from the bedroom door. The motion of standing up and walking reminded me of nature's urges, and I hurried forward to relieve myself.

After washing my hands and drying them on an embroidered hand towel, I continued down the hallway, noticing first a dining room with large windows lining two walls to my right. In the middle of the room was a slightly large table, covered with a layer of dust. To my right and slightly further down I spotted a reasonably sized kitchen, with an island in the middle. There was a large window above the sink, illuminating the room. Straight ahead, right next to the kitchen, was a very small living room, with nothing but a small couch and TV. The main feature of the room was the large glass door leading outside, next to which I spotted my boots, cleaned and dried. I slipped them on and slid open the door, stepping outside.

The fresh spring air hit me like a line of cocaine—the clarity, sweet fragrance, and warmth instantly invigorated me as I inhaled deeply. The environment was truly stunning—the garden was overflowing with growth and blooming flowers. A small stone path, lined by ferns, led from the front door to join a wider dirt path some distance away. To my right was a wide lawn, a small wooden structure at the other end. The forest acted as a fence, a stark contrast with the light lawn and garden. The woods were tall and imposing, but the gentle breeze rustling the leaves and lichen softened their impression. The light filtered weakly through the canopy of leaves, keeping the forest shady and cool.

I walked down the stony path onto the dirt road, following it leftwards. On my left, beyond the house, was a large vegetable garden with a greenhouse. I couldn't see anyone there, so I continued down the dusty path.

The sound of clucking grew louder as I reached a large enclosure of chickens, which all rushed towards the gate as soon as I approached. Unfortunately, I couldn't see any humans among the chickens, so I continued on my way.

Further down the road, I heard the bleats of goats. I approached the wood and wire fence of the goat enclosure, a few goats trotting over and bleating, pressing their faces through the fence. Y/n must have noticed their departure, as I saw her emerge from a structure.