Glass Girl [KilluaxReader]

Backstories

(Y/N) POV - 3305 words
We've been running for two hours and still we're still nowhere near the end of the tunnel. Satotz has remained at a steady pace for most of the time, even so, many applicants have already dropped out. It just goes to show they can't handle the Hunter Exam. Korako and I remain unwinded and unimpressed. My eyes close as I tilt my head to the ceiling, trusting my companion not to let me run into anyone. I sigh and say to him, opening my eyes, "This is boring. I can't believe they call this challenging. I bet you agree with me, I could fall asleep like this."
The boy from earlier who annoyed Tonpa, Nicholas, runs up near Satotz, muttering something about statistics. He wears a pleased look on his face. The man with the briefcase is huffing and puffing, clearly out of breath and struggling. I shake my head in disappointment. Killua's right in front of me, riding on his skateboard. I almost laugh at the action.
I'm not the only one who notices, though. Suit yells at him, "Hey! How about you show a little respect for the Exam."
"What do you mean?" Killua responds. I honestly can't tell if he's joking. I settle for listening to my childhood friend from the shadows.
"I mean quite using a damn skateboard. That's cheating."
"How's that?" Killua must be joking, he sounds like he's taunting him. Actually, he very well could be serious, or at least sounding like it to piss off Suit. I swear, this kid. Again, I barely hold in a laugh.
"How? This is an endurance test, that's how!" He replies, angrily. The green-haired kid chimes in, not even pretending he wasn't listening.
"No it's not."
They both turn to him, wearing puzzled expressions. Killua remains silent while Suit continues his loud rant, "Huh? What are you babbling about now, Gon?"
His name's Gon, then. Not really useful information, but information nonetheless. He explains, "The examiner guy only said we had to follow him."
"Hey, who's side are you on, anyway?" Suit still hasn't calmed down, despite being proven wrong. I, for one, was not aware there were sides to this conversation. Well, every conversation has two sides unless you're talking to yourself or a figment of your imagination or– I look at Korako. I'm going to stop this train of thought right here.
Killua completely ignores Suit, who to his credit doesn't react besides making a noise of confusion, and slows his skateboard down until he's just in front of Gon.
"Hey, how old are you?" he asks.
"Twelve years old."
He's Killua and my age. What a coincidence. Killua seems to have taken a liking to this boy, I'm glad he's found a friend. I get the sense he hasn't had one in a while, it's not easy to have friends in our profession. He respects Gon, especially after he defended Killua.
"I think I'm going to run for a while," he says after performing a cool trick, jumping off his skateboard and catching it in his hand. Gon's in awe of his skill, who wouldn't be?
More time passes in relative silence. I notice Nicholas lagging behind everyone else. He was at the front before I passed him, when his breathing had become labored. It seems his confidence has been shattered. This is the Hunter Exam, calculations won't do anything, here. A scream echoes, the voice clearly Nicholas'. I sigh, almost completely convinced Tonpa has something to do with it. One less opponent against me, I suppose. I kind of liked the kid, though. I never spoke to him, but he annoyed Tonpa so he's granted a win in my book.

Nothing else happens for a while, until Suit begins struggling at the back of the group. He slows to a walk so quickly I nearly run into him. I yelp as Korako and I jump out of the way, continuing after throwing a withering look over my shoulder. He drops his briefcase just before I move, nearly tripping me again.
The sound of footsteps behind me greatly decreases. I spare a glance, Gon and Killua have paused to wait for their friend. I face forward until there's a loud shout, "DAMN IT ALL!!"
I look over my shoulder, Suit's running at me with a speed I didn't know he was capable of reaching. Still slow, but a lot faster than earlier. I let him pass me, holding my breath as the breeze he creates ruffles my dress and Korako's fur. I shake my head. He's exerting too much effort on this, it's almost comical. Killua and Gon are behind me now, I hear their footsteps catching up with the rest of the group. I'm suddenly self-conscious, so much so I nearly slow and let them pass me. Nearly, then I realize how ridiculous I'm being. There's no reason for me to be nervous about someone behind me. Sure, I'm paranoid, but this is the Hunter Exam. No one would risk anything, especially this early on.
The tunnel slopes upward, endless amounts of stairs stretch into the unknown. We hit 80-kilometers just as we reach the base of the stairs. Satotz chooses this moment to speed up once more. He prances like a deer up the stairs as though they're nothing. They really aren't anything, and I find it funny to listen to the other applicants murmur in disbelief. Surprise sows the seeds of doubt in their minds. They doubt he's even human. He's a Hunter, he's a completely different breed, you'd think they'd know.
I hear Killua behind me, attempting to spice things up for him and Gon, "Hey, I've got an idea. Let's race to the finish, see who's faster."
I smile as Gon agrees. I'm going to give them a surprise, I decide. After, I'll confront Killua–in a covert way, of course–about whether or not he remembers me. I whisper to Korako, "You wanna race, too?"
He jumps up and down in happiness, excited we're finally doing something remotely challenging. I already know he's going to give me a run for my money, "Let's start a little after, give us something to brag about later."
He huffs in disappointment, but ultimately listens to me. I pat his head, grateful for his obedience. I slow slightly, listening to Suit and Blonde's conversation.
"Are you okay, Leorio?" Blonde asks, out of breath.
"Never been better. If I forget how stupid I look, it's a whole lot easier," Suit—Leorio replies. I have to hand it to him, he's not wrong. Then, in the middle of running, Blonde removes his tunic and folds it neatly in his bag, catching up to his friend. Keeping pace with the both of them, I speed up as well.
Blonde begins speaking to Leorio, nearly shouting. It's easy to overhear their entire conversation. If they talk about something private, they better realize they're talking to the whole tunnel. Or maybe not, everyone seems too focused on themselves to notice or care. Rookie mistake. Listening to others rather than yourself is the best way to gather information, listen when they don't think anyone's listening.
"Save your breath, Kurapika. You're going to need it," Leorio says. Blonde's name is Kurapika, good to know, if not especially useful in this situation. They start talking about why they want to be Hunters. Kurapika doesn't believe Leorio's just in it for the money. He give all sorts of perfectly valid evidence, but Leorio denies it all. It seems like he's trying too hard. Kurapika even offers his own story in exchange.
He's the last survivor of the Kurta clan, massacred for their eyes, a true treasure of the world. Targets of the Phantom Troupe. It's truly a terrible way to go. I can hear the guilt in Leorio's voice as he once again denies Kurapika his own story. Then, an outburst, "If I had money, my friend would still be alive!"
"Was he ill?"
Leorio provides his own backstory, a sickly kid and the underprivileged both prominent. Everyone seems to have their own sob story, and I'm no exception. What a depressing time we live in. I've had enough of listening to their back-and-forth. It's kind of cute, if you look at it through a distorted glass while you're really really drunk.
I smile at my own thoughts, speeding up until I'm right behind Gon and Killua again. I manage to catch a bit of their conversation about Gon's motivation for being a Hunter. Apparently his father left to become a Hunter, leaving his Aunt Mito to raise him. Damn, these people will give their life stories to anyone who even looks like they want to ask. Killua's silent for a long time, and I move on, convinced he's not going to say anything else.
"Okay, NOW!" I shout to Korako. We both lower ourselves lower to the ground before exploding into motion. We move faster than anyone—except for maybe Killua—can track, outpacing everyone easily. We reach Satotz within seconds, leaving everyone unaware we've even moved. I slow, "Sir, I understand the directions are to follow you, but I think it's important to take initiative when you need to change some things in order to get a job done better."
"How do you mean?"
"If there's a hostage situation, for example, you'd rather save everyone and break a couple rules than follow all the rules and enact a preventable tragedy, correct?"
"That's correct. What, exactly, are you asking, miss?"
"May Korako and I pass you and head to the exit early? We won't emerge from the tunnel without you, if it makes it better."
He sighs, "I probably shouldn't be doing this, after all, this is an Exam. However, if I'm being completely honest, I trust your words."
"Trust is a dangerous, and powerful, thing to command."
He only nods and says, "You have my permission."
I thank him, nodding to Korako who'd slowed with me. We burst into our top speeds and I laugh in exhilaration. Finally we can be free. The only thing I can see is Korako running with all his power as the walls of the tunnel pass us by. I split off to the right and him to the right, running up the walls and on the ceiling. Korako, as always, doesn't disappoint, mimicking me perfectly. We meet on the flip side, running along the middle of the ceiling, upside-down. I do a flip, landing gracefully back on the ground, Korako for once being at a loss.
"I've got you there, my friend," I taunt. He snarls, copying my moves with perfection. He lands and lifts his head in the air, proud, "You've done amazingly, little one."
The wind tears my words away from me, clawing at my hair and clothes. The tunnel ends all too soon, and I stop, only slightly out of breath. It's a feeling I haven't felt in so long. Korako is a little more tired, but still energized. We've only gotten more energy from racing, if anything. Unfortunately, we can't leave the tunnel.
I'm tempted to step outside, but I realize something. If I finish first, it'll draw attention to myself, something every assassin is taught not to do. It makes our jobs so much more difficult, unless you need an alibi, of course. I lean my back against the wall, Korako recharging what little energy he lost by laying at my feet.