It was in no time before Itsuki captured another pig and started grilling. This time Itsuki was careful not to burn the pig. She stared at the grilling meat, not even daring to blink. She cannot afford failing the Hunter exam just because she couldn't get the heating right. She continues to stare at the pork.
At last, her efforts did not go to waste as she successfully finished the dish, not burning it. She happily skipped to Menchi and Buhara, confidence oozing out of her.
Buhara wolfed the pig without a second thought, whereas Menchi didn't even bother to taste it.
"Way too dry. Why can't anybody make a dish that's actually edible?" Menchi exclaimed in frustration.
Itsuki walked away with her head hung low.
Next up was Killua, Fail.
Gon, Fail.
Leorio, big fail.
And then Kurapika was up, bringing up an appetising looking pork sandwich. It looked very promising.
The four watched nervously as Menchi took a bite. To their disappointment, Menchi immediately spat it out.
"The appearance is important, but at least put some effort to the taste as well! You're just as bad as #403"
Kurapika walked away mindlessly, a face of pure denial. "I'm on the same level as Leorio..." Kurapika muttered, devastated.
Killua patted him on the back, " you have my sympathy.
"It's settled, non of you pass the second phase!" Menchi announced.
The crowd of applicants exploded with anger, throwing the worst of insults at the two examiner,
"We're here to be hunters! Not chefs!" They protested.
Suddenly, an airship loomed over the crowd. And with a gust of wind, a man came crashing down from the airship.
It was an old man with a thick beard and a pair of stretched earlobes, wearing a traditional white kimono.
It was the 12th chairman of the Hunter association, Isaac Netero.
"Sir," Menchi greeted.
"I knew this would happen Menchi," the man sighed. "You're too harsh on them."
"I apologise for my unthoughtful action." Menchi bowed her head.
"I say, how about restarting the second phase," the chairman ordered rather than asked.
"Of course sir," Menchi responded as she drifted to thoughts. " Sir, would you mind if you give us a lift to Split Mountain?"
"I see, get the applicants on."
—
The ride did not last for very long before they arrived at split mountain.
The remaining 72 applicants unboarded the airship.
"So what are we doing at a cliff?" Gon pondered.
"A cliff?!" Itsuki popped head out of the airship. " Lions, it is!" Itsuki exclaimed excitedly as she jumped out of the airship and sprinted towards the cliff, with a leap in the air, she dived down the cliff.
The crowd stared after her, dumbfounded. Did a little girl just commuted suicide?
"W-was that Itsuki t-that just j-jumped off?!" Leorio stuttered as he began to panicked.
"Calm down Leorio, she's alright." Kurapika said nonchalantly.
"HOW CAN SHE! SHE JUST JUMPED-"
"We'll explain to you later, just calm down." Killua interrupted.
Menchi then rushed to the little group, " your friend just jumped off the-"
"She's alright." Kurapika repeated.
Menchi gave him a skeptical look but didn't push further.
"Everybody listen up! The second phase will be taking place here, at the split mountain. You will be tested on cooking boiled eggs, and the cliff here is where you are going to get your ingredients from. From around 100 feet below, lives the specie spider eagles and their nest of eggs. Your job will be collecting the eggs and successfully coming back up from the occasional gust of wind that blows up." Menchi finished. Just as she was about to give a demonstration, a small head appeared behind the edge of the cliff. Itsuki effortlessly hurled herself up, carrying two gigantic eggs in her left arm.
"Guys, look what I've found!" Itsuki said as she held up the eggs. "There's loads down there!"
Menchi looked at her, stunned. "How did you get those eggs?"
Itsuki tilted her head, "I climbed down."
"100 feet down in less than a minute?!" Menchi questioned unbelievably.
"Yeah?" Itsuki shrugged, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
And then, the next thing they knew, Gon jumped off, followed by a herd of other applicants.
"Wait- I haven't finished explaining!" Menchi hollered after them.
Itsuki giggled at Gon's eagerness.
Soon enough, they were blown back up, each holding an egg.
The ones that was too afraid to jump down, could only watch longingly as the successors enjoys their boiled eggs.
"This is so good!" Gon spoke through his stuffed mouth.
"This tastes 100 times better than a regular egg!" Leorio added.
"Itsuki, are you not going to try this?" Gon asked.
"Well... truth is, I've never tried anything else except herbs and plants, I'm a bit afraid of eating other things." Itsuki answered truthfully.
"You're missing out." Killua stated."Why don't you try some, if you don't like then you could always spit it out."
He managed to persuade Itsuki. In fact she has always been curious of what other foods tasted like, she just never really had the chance.
She looked at the egg in front of her, closed her eyes, and bit into the egg.
She froze.
She took another bite. Then another.
It was absolutely delicious.
It was not like anything she had ever tasted before. The abundant flavours exploded into her mouth, wrapping her tongue in the most addicting way. It was truly amazing, blissful, and to think that she has only discovered this sort of food now was just upsetting. Killua was right, she has been missing out.
She devoured the rest of the egg in seconds, however she was not satisfied. She once again dived down the cliff.
This time, Itsuki brought up a dozen of eggs.
"Woah there, did you bring the whole family up?" Killua commented as Itsuki lifted herself back up.
"Pretty much," Itsuki answered as she put the eggs down. "Now... would this be enough..."
—
YOU ARE READING
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗿 (Killua x oc)
Fanfiction[ The re-write of this book is now out, which can be found on my page.] He fell 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 for her... Far, far away from civilization, lived a secluded group of beings A group that lives on the dangerous face of a cliff. A group that runs a disti...
