Hunter X Hunter Esther

23) So, How Are Your Parents?

“Even if she grabs the eggs, how is she going to get back up?” Leorio asks. I stare at Menchi, trying to understand something. Suddenly, a small breeze hits my face, and I realize what she’s waiting for. Menchi lets go of the web, she reaches out for the eggs. Grabbing one, she plummets into the ledge. The updraft picks up. And Menchi’s blown to the top.

“That looks like fun,” Killua comments with a grin. Gon and I nod in agreement. Menchi lands in front of us, holding the huge egg. “There, now I just need to boil the egg,” she says. The applicant stares at her as if she’s crazy. “Y-you must be joking. No reasonable person would jump down there!”

Without warning, I jump in headfirst. The others follow soon. “I’ve been waiting for this!” Gon shouts. Menchi tried to say something, but no-one was listening. Grabbing onto the web, we wait. A few people jumped off, plummeting to their death.

“Let’s go!” Leorio shouts. “Not yet,” Gon says. “Why’s that?” Leorio asks. “There’s no wind,” Killua answers. We wait for a bit in silence. “…When’s the next one?” Leorio asks. I stare at the eggs intensely. “…Soon,” I say.

We wait longer. I can feel that the other applicants are waiting for us to say go. A slight rip makes me perk up an ear. The web moves, it seems to be breaking. “The web won’t hold us all!” Kurapika shouts. “Esther, Gon, not yet?” Killua asks. I shake my head for a no. Gon just stares at the eggs, waiting.

The web sinks down even more. Some of the applicants are becoming impatient and are jumping off. At least that’s less weight on here… “It’s gonna snap!” Leorio shouts in a panic. The air rubs my face. Gon and I shout, “Now!”

We let go of the web. I hold out my hands towards the eggs. Grabbing one, we begin to plummet down. The updraft picks up, pushing us to the top. “Yeah!” Gon shouts happily. Landing on the ground, I hold up my egg in victory. We place the eggs into a huge pot and wait for it to boil.

Panting happily, I stare at the eggs. Menchi walks up to me. “Number 406, you know you’ve passed already. You didn’t have to take this part of the exam,” she says. Turning back towards her, I grin happily. “If I have one addiction in life, it’s probably food.”

Turning back to stare at the boiling eggs, I completely missed when she smiled. The sun starts to set, turning the sky into a warm yellowish orange. After a short while, the eggs seem ready. We eat. My eyes sparkle. I eat blissfully, ignoring everything else around me.

“I can see why they are called Dream Eggs,” Kurapika comments. Gon walks up to the applicant who made fun of gourmet hunters. He gives him half of his egg. The applicant takes a bite from the egg, his eyes sparkle. Menchi speaks. “Now you've experienced the joy of discovering something new. We risk our lives for that joy.”

The applicant bows in shame. “I was completely outclassed this year. I'll be back next year!” He says with conviction. “Well, guess it's time to have a move on to the 3rd phase. Everyone, get on the airship,” Menchi points towards the airship. I frown, Killua pats my back.

“You won’t die from throwing up so much,” he says. I glare at him. “You still owe me lunch.” “I'll see you on the ship. I'm going ahead now, see you inside. Bye!” Killua runs away. He better not be avoiding paying for my lunch.

Getting on the ship, I regret ever coming to this exam. Taking out my notebook, I check out the usual stuff again. Everyone gathers inside, waiting for Netero to speak. “Allow me to introduce myself to the remaining 43 applicants. I am Netero, chairman of this year’s hunter exam selection committee.”

“And I am his secretary, Beans,” hey, it’s the green man again. So, his name is Beans.

“Originally, I planned to make my appearance during this exam’s final phase. But as I'm already here…” Netero looks around at the applicants. He smiles. “I'm loving this tension in the air! So, I think I'll stick around for the rest of the trip.”

“We are scheduled to arrive at our destination tomorrow morning at 8 am. You'll find dinner waiting in the dining hall. You are also welcomed to get some rest. In other words, you are free to do as you please until you are contacted,” Beans says.

Killua turns to us, excited. “Alright! Let’s explore the airship!” “Ok!” Gon agrees. I nod. We run off, leaving Leorio and Kurapika behind. My nose picks up the smell of food. We stop near a kitchen. “Ready to break in?” Killua asks. You don’t have to tell me twice. “Ready?” Gon asks. “Go!”

_

“Stay out of the kitchen! Go eat in the dining hall!” The chief kicks us out. We walk away. After making sure they can’t see us, I pull out some meat I stashed in my sleeve. Gon, Killua, and I munch on the meat. Killua runs up to a window. “Wow! Awesome! Look guys!” “Hm? What?” Gon asks.

Looking outside, it’s dark. Lights are being emitted from the city down below. It makes it look brighter than the stars resting upon the sky. I stare down at the city, entranced by its beauty. “Whoa! It's like the ground is covered in jewels!” Gon shouts. “Yeah!” Killua agrees.

We continue to stare outside in silence. I can’t help but wonder if this is something Mother wanted to show me. “Hey, I was wondering…” Gon questions. “Killua, where are your mom and dad?” Killua makes a thinking motion. He shrugs. “Hmm…they're alive. Probably.”

“What do they do?” Gon asks. Killua turns to us, he grins. “They’re assassins,” Gon and I blink in response. “Huh? Both of them?” Gon asks. I tilt my head, waiting for him to answer. Killua laughs. “Hahaha! That's your first reaction? You really are a riot!”

Huh? “People usually just think I'm joking. You both actually took me seriously,” Killua continues to chuckle. “Well, you're telling the truth, right?” Gon says seriously. Killua stops laughing. He looks up at us, surprised. “What makes you think so?”

“Just a hunch,” Gon shrugs. Killua looks back outside.

“That's weird…People only like me because they can't tell if I'm being serious or not. I'm from a family of assassins. And my family has really high hopes for me… But I can't stand it. Who wants to have their life planned for them? When I told them, I wanted to decide my own future, they all snapped! My mother had tears streaming down her face as she told me I had the potential to be a top assassin. Horrible parents, right? We ended up fighting. So, I stabbed my mother in the face, my brother in the side, and ran away from home. I'm sure they're out for blood now. When I become a hunter, I'll start by first capturing my family. I'm sure they're worth some hefty bounties.”

Woah, that’s a lot to take in. Killua turns to me. “So, how are your parents?”