ghostgirl

A7

[This is a re-published chapter.]

Her head was blank, only aching with the persistent ringing in her ears.

Whatever pain she was supposed to be experiencing, her brain translated as numbness. Reniku's body was still as can be, and cold. She was freezing. She felt like she'd been there on her hospital bed for weeks. That was when she jolted up.

How long had she been there?

She looked around. Her vision was still foggy, and she couldn't see further than a metre or two. Her ankles and joints snapped like they'd suddenly been awakened, and she felt weak. Reniku grunted a little, and realised her voice was raspy.

"Reniku," a voice called out, and the ringing in Reniku's ears slowly started to fade. Who was it? It was definitely someone Reniku recognised.

"Reniku," the voice said again, but louder this time. Reniku said whatever name that came to her mind first. "Gon..."

"No, not Gon. He's coming here, though. After he's done with the exam," the voice said. Reniku's memories were a blur, and it felt like millenia ago that she went unconscious in the exam. She tried to lift a hand, only to find that it's been bandaged excessively like the rest of her limbs and abdomen. The bandages were sticking to her skin, and it was itchy.

"How long have I...been here?" Reniku asked, not used to speaking with such a dry, rough throat.

"A few weeks."

At first, Reniku's mind was still blank from having just woken up, and initially it seemed as normal as blinking. And then, as realisation hit, her eyes widened as an ounce of panic slammed into her so hard that she jerked as if it was a real force. What...a few weeks...

What happened to her dream of becoming a hunter with Gon? Meeting new friends? Had she always been this weak?

"You were stuck in a coma."

Reniku turned to face the person she'd been talking to. It was the raven-haired applicant who helped her slice a snake in half. "How ya feeling? A little confused, aren't ya?"

"The Hunter Exam..." Reniku started to place her angry eyes with mixed feelings of rage, sadness and despair.

"I wanted to become a hunter...like Gon..." Suddenly, the sadness was amplified and Reniku could not find something to calm it down.

"There's always next year, Princess," the girl said, "and the year after that. And the year after. And after. You just got unlucky, like me. There's always a next time."

"You...too?" She could not help but force herself to contain her negative feelings. She's not the only one.

"Yeah," she folded her arms, one on top of the other, resting them on Reniku's hospital bed. "I couldn't find it."

"Why're you here with me?"

"Cus you saved me back there," she smiled at Reniku, "I'd be selfish to leave you."

Though she was disheartened at the fact that she failed after passing only the first stage, she could not help but smile at the immense relief that engulfed her after knowing she wasn't alone. This girl was having the same sadness and anger.

"Tell me your name," Reniku said.

"Aster." Aster smiled again.

"That's a nice name."

"Don't tell anyone, though," She pointed out, "it's something I'm keeping from some people. I owe you big time, so I'm trusting that you won't tell anyone. And, don't say it, unless it's just us two, or you're in grave danger."

"Got it," Reniku laid back down on her bed, and scanned the room. The only interesting thing that caught her eye was her bedside table. "Is your name some sort of spell?"

"Well, it's used to summon me."

"Hmm."

"..."

"What's this?" Reniku asked, signalling to the bedside table. Beside an old wired telephone and a vase of flowers, a little object rested there.

"Oh, it's a phone. It's something Gon requested that you have, so that you two can talk when you're awake."

"Oh, thanks," Reniku held it after Aster placed it in her palm, and fidgeted with it. "Uh, how do I use this thing?"

-

"Aster, now that we've failed the exam, is there anything to do in this one year?"

"Hmm...dunno. Train and upgrade your skills, maybe?"

"..." Reniku wondered how they would go about doing that. "Where would you train?"

"I have no idea. Maybe I'll follow ya. Where'd you go?"

To the secret garden. "Uh, maybe we should hunt around for places to train."

"Yeah, of course," Aster said as she stood up, and walked to the door. "I'm gonna look for a computer with internet to search for places to train. Ya gonna be okay by yourself?"

"C-Comput...Int...net?" Reniku mumbled as she watched Aster laugh. "I'll just be gone for a few minutes. Be good!"

"Right," Reniku replied and heard the door shut. She sighed and opened her phone screen. A phone. This tiny object, which could somehow, with no connections, call people.

She scrolled around and found some contacts. Gon, Aster, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio's contacts were added. She wished she could call her mother. After a bad day and learning that she didn't pass the test, she just wanted to be alone with her mother forever. Where she'd be safe and sound, in a quiet place she can cry with no restraint.

She was soon lulling back to sleep when she heard a knock on her door. "Reniku?" a male-ish voice called out, and she sat up. "Uh, come in?"

The door opened, and she realised the person was the doctor. He was good looking, with red hair, and he looked 20-ish, like he just graduated university. He cleared his throat, and put his clipboard on her side table. "I'm gonna do a little check-up. Can you raise your hand straight up?"

Reniku followed his instructions as he assessed Reniku's state of movement and pressed on her neck to make sure she had a good heartbeat. The entire time, she remained quiet while he gave his instruction and responded with "Okay, good!" or "Alright." after she performed his desired action.

When the assessment was about to end, the door opened again, and Aster strolled into the room. "Yo, doc."

"Hello," the doctor replied, "so- Reniku, tell me, where'd you get all these injuries and coma?"

Reniku looked at Aster for confirmation, in case what happened was supposed to be kept a secret, like her name, but Aster nodded and spread her hand outwards like she wanted Reniku to carry on. And so, Reniku did.

"Wow...the famous Hunter Exam, huh?" the doctor said with much curiosity while checking the machine strapped to Reniku's arm, showing her heartbeat and oxygen levels. "Aren't you two too young?"

"Twelve year-olds have passed before," Aster mentioned. "It's not a surprise that we're taking it, actually."

"Wait, you're twelve?" Reniku implored, excited that they were the same age. "Of course!" Aster chuckled.

The doctor laughed along. "It seems like you two have gotten quite friendly. But now that you've dropped out, what do you plan to do?"

Reniku looked at Aster again. When she gave the go, Reniku told the doctor about their plans to train.

"Do you know what to train on, though?" The doctor asked. "It seems like you two went in blindly with just your skills, but not..."

"Not what?" Aster folded her arms and leaned in to provoke the doctor. "Tell us."

The doctor stopped whatever he was doing. "Do you know how to use Nen?"

「終わり」

Word count: 1225

Completed: 30/6/2022

Last edited: -