Chapter 73: End of the Pause

It is almost the end of June. In front of a certain station.

With a jingle, the right hand, bound by multiple chains, takes out a Mobile Phone to check the time, incoming calls, and emails.

With 15 minutes left until the agreed-upon meeting time, Kurapika decides to wait in front of the station where they are to meet.

However, Kurapika finds himself looking around restlessly, checking his Mobile Phone over and over again.

I have never experienced a hike before, but this might be the most fitting expression for my current state of mind, so I calmly judge it myself.

It is not that I dislike being this excited, but I am embarrassed.

Although I could endure a three-year absence, I want to see Sora so badly; if we meet again, I would starve to death in less than half a year. Well, if you say so, it is impossible not to object.

But I know that the reason for our meeting and conversation today is to bring Killua out of the Zoldyck family and fulfill the promise we made when we parted, so now is not the time for joking.

Today's story is what Sora did not tell me in detail at the time. Information about the Phantom Troupe, with only about two months left until September 1st, Hisoka said.

According to the conditions Sora agreed to for "talking," as a Hunter, I obtained the absolute minimum necessary power, "Nen," to confront the Phantom Troupe.

The reason Sora did not tell me about the existence of "Nen" at the time is that even now, if you have not noticed the existence of "Nen" or have not mastered it, you should give up on participating in the Auction. I understood the meaning.

After understanding, I participated in the Auction on September 1st; even in a direct confrontation with the Brigade, I have confidence that if the opponent is alone, I can compete. Nen Ability power was also obtained.

Kurapika looks at the chains he obtained at the cost of his own life.

I do not regret making this vow.

"The Phantom Troupe's effect cannot be confirmed yet, because the premise is that it will not be used for anything 'other than,' but when you risk your life, your aura is amplified, and the power of other chains increases, so the performance is not entirely unpredictable.

There is one more thing, I have power at the cost of my life.

It is obtained through a vow heavier than the Middle Finger Chain, and if not handled well, it can compete with Sora's eyes.

... So I do not regret it. However, I am worried about how Sora will react when she finds out about this vow.

"Why would you treat your own life so lightly!!"

If it were such a reproach, that is what Izunavi told me when I made the vow.

And even if Izunavi's opponent tore my mouth open, I would not want to say it, but if Sora tells me, I want to Stick to it.

I will not take it lightly.

I do not want to die. I made this vow because I want to live.

If I justify my revenge, use my power lightly, and even sacrifice unrelated people, then I would feel that my parents were benevolent, and the "Kurapika" loved by my close friend the Flame Soldier Sora is already dead, so Kurapika wants to tell her that this is a vow he made to survive, so that he will not make a mistake.

So what I worry about most is not being scolded, but having this vow silently accepted.

If it were Sora, even if I did not say it, she would likely notice my determination, so she would likely just smile silently and accept it.

Just as Sora perceived Kurapika's determination without a word, Kurapika also understands what kind of determination Sora would make if she silently accepted it, and he cannot help but feel a bit uneasy.

If it were that girl who throws herself into that kind of mad devotion, in order not to let Kurapika lose his life in the vow, and in order not to bring unnecessary guilt to Kurapika, she would act secretly, even if it meant dirtying her hands... I can easily imagine it.

No matter how firm you are, the possibility of Kurapika's covenant going wrong is not low.

In the event that the Phantom Troupe discovers the vow, that power will be weakened to a weakness.

Sora absolutely cannot imagine it.

And if she thinks that by taking action herself, the worst possibility will recede, that woman will definitely take action.

No matter how dangerous the things she does are, that broken heart knows but ignores it; she has suffered so much blood and guilt, wounds more painful than death, and even so, she has never stopped her steps and struggles forward.

This is the reason why Kurapika decided not to tell Sora about his power and vow.

Especially the chain on the middle finger, which is still the only other ability vow; no matter what, I will not say it.

If she says: "If my ability is known, it is disadvantageous. I think you will not say it, but I want to reduce this possibility as much as possible." That is the intention.

Conversely, it is more likely that Sora understands that if information is known, Nen Ability becomes fatal, and she will not ask herself anything.

The reason I made this covenant is not only because I wanted the power to capture the enemies I hate.

This is a vow I made because I want to be Together with Sora forever, because I want to live with Sora, and because I do not want to be ashamed of Sora.

I never want to end up hurting and protecting Sora, so I will never tell her.

I have no regrets about this vow.

However, there is only one vow I can think of that would make Sora sad if I did not keep it Hidden.

"... I am an Extreme person."

Thinking of the original vow, my excited mood turned, and I became depressed again, leaning against the Wall behind me, looking up at the sky.

Looking up at the clear sky that heralds the end of the rainy season and the coming of summer, I hope my mood can improve.

I do not want to act elated, but I do not want to act more depressed, so even if I know Sora will find out sooner or later, at least I have enough room to make up for my normal self. I want it back.

Thinking of these things, I do not want to make you sad, I do not want to make you worry. Looking at the blue sky like someone you care about. Fortunately, his sense of helplessness and guilt about his secret flew far away, but at the same time, unfortunately, Kurapika completely lost the room to cover himself up.

"... This happened too."

Muttering to himself while holding his head with his left hand, his right hand took another thing out of his pocket instead of the Mobile Phone.

"... What should I say and when? Damn, why did he have to say that people remember your birthday and celebrate it on the same day, but did you completely forget your own birthday?"

While talking to himself, he glared at the small Wrap that could hardly be called a package and sighed.

Then, without an answer, he stuffed it back into his pocket with a blushing face.

I prepared a birthday gift for Sora, but it was nearly five months late.

＊＊＊

"Sorry, sorry. Kurapika, sorry."

Conversely, in a coffee shop near the station, Sora sat opposite Kurapika, and Kurapika continued to turn away sullenly.

What Sora did was, if someone asked Kurapika if he was lucky or unlucky, he would shout "Unlucky!" with a blushing face.

Sora hugged Kurapika from the front as if she would pounce on him when she met him. Moreover, the hug lasted for a full five minutes.

Meeting again after three years, they held Kurapika's hand as if they had just parted for a few minutes to go to the restroom. This is a kind of luck or happiness.

Even if it was just an ordinary self, it could not make up for itself, worrying about the proposition of how to give Sora a birthday gift now, expressing the joy of Sora's too straightforward reunion. Different feelings, the hug made me feel nervous, so Sora did not notice how strange I was, and most importantly, during that five-minute hug, I said "Let go of me, you idiot!" so I never tried to separate it from myself.

Therefore, Kurapika's current state is not just anger and embarrassment.

Even now, I still feel embarrassed for my honesty in not trying to separate myself from her, even though I told her to leave, so I was just angry, but Sora didn't seem to notice this and gradually started to feel sad for himself. Or, I started to lose my mind in the seat opposite.

"Kurapika, I am truly sorry. Recently, I have come into contact with many people who could not be cured, and seeing you again, I am filled with many emotions.

I am truly sorry, I am reflecting on myself."

"...... Who exactly have you been with for the past five months?"

Sure enough, Kurapika was someone he really wanted to see, so much so that he felt like he wanted to hug him, so he wasn't intentionally misunderstood as Kurapika's true disgust, nor did he want to be frustrated, so I stopped sulking and asked what was bothering me.

Then Sora looked up with his indigo eyes, perhaps because Kurapika finally responded, he was happy, but at the thought of the answer to this question, his eyes went dead.

"...... I don't know why, but a Vice Chairman of the Hunter Association with a temper as bad as Hisoka's set his sights on me, and I don't know why I ended up working with Gon's father. Hisoka is at Heaven's Arena. His goal is Gon, so he doesn't bother me, but I can feel his gaze, it's super scary."

"...... It's a group of people who are very curious about what happened, but in any case, I understand well that you have encountered a lot of trouble."

There are too many things to talk about, and I really want to hear the details of every episode, but I can see from my dead eyes that everyone is traumatic, so Kurapika did this. I decided not to ask anymore.

"Yeah, it would be helpful if you could understand that. Seriously, if it weren't for the comfort of Gon and Killua, I might have lost my appetite due to stress."

"Probably, you two must have had stomach aches from worrying about various things."

"Ahaha, seriously. I will apologize later."

Perhaps because Kurapika responded with her usual slightly harsh joke, she felt relieved, and Sora said with the same happy smile as when they met again in front of the station.

"Even so, I thought you would be able to clear the four major courses by September, but I didn't expect you to finish from 'Departure' until now.

Gon and Killua are already more than enough in the genius realm, but they have already reached the top."

Hearing this, a slight heat rose on his face again, and Kurapika suddenly grabbed the chain on his right hand with his left hand, as if to hide it, and said in a harsh tone, "You are going too far."

In fact, I don't think of myself as a genius. It is less a result of hard work and more a result of tenacity.

Moreover, this is a power born from a Contract, and even knowing Kurapika's determination, Sora would feel sad.

I never thought this would be something worth admiring.

However, when Sora proudly admired, rejoiced, and was praised for Kurapika's achievements as if they were his own, a warm feeling surged in his chest, as if the cultivation of those days had ended.

However, what froze that warmth into cold ice was the oath he himself had made.

I had to make an oath, making the person who made me happy to this extent sad.

"Or rather, do you know if it is a 'thing' that has already been manifested without 'Healing' or a real 'thing'?"

It was precisely because he wanted to change the subject from his own "thoughts" that he brought up this topic, but at the same time, he asked Kurapika an important question.

Kurapika had not yet spoken of his 'nen', but praising him for 'having already completed 'Hatsu'' definitely meant that the chain on his right hand was not a real chain. He realized that it was not, but was manifested in a type of Aura.

It is impossible to find out the opponent's ability just by wearing a simple chain, but the chain is manifested in a type of Aura, and wanting to constantly manifest it to make it look like an ordinary chain is by no means easy. This is why Sora praised him.

Moreover, if it was Sora's ultimate special "eyes" that noticed this, then there would be no problem, but if not, if someone with a certain level of ability could easily see through it, Kurapika's intention was just a breath. I asked because it was nothing but a waste of money.

"Ah, don't worry. With my eyes, as long as I use 'Hard' a little, I can see the 'lines' and 'points' of the manifested thing, but conversely, with the precision of my normal eyes, I cannot see the 'lines'. I only know that the chain is composed of Aura because I cannot see it. Unless the ability added to the thing is activated, you won't know."

This is why the bluff of constantly manifesting and making people think you are a Manipulation System powerhouse is effective. The system compatibility between the Manipulation System and the Incarnation System is not very good, and if the opponent misunderstands the system, they will be caught off guard and it will be profitable."

"...... If you see through it at a glance, you will eventually lose confidence."

It was good to answer according to his meaning, but even answering the part he didn't ask, Kurapika rested his chin on the table and answered in an exasperated tone.

Although surprised, I still felt a little shudder, because my tactics and strategies were so excellent, and I was relieved that I didn't notice my promise, so I took a sip of the coffee brought to me.

After taking a sip of iced coffee, Sora quickly got to the point.

"In a 'just in case' battle, the opponent's information is important."

While making such an introduction, she smiled and said, as if she were as happy and joyful as before.

"I faced two people directly, and my master faced three people."

He began to talk about things he couldn't keep up with, as if saying that if he could help Kurapika, he would be happy.

And Kurapika also felt guilty for being given too much dedication, but even so, this was information he needed to fight with his own strength, without putting any burden on Sora.

I didn't realize that I was trying my best to suppress my true feelings of not liking my own weakness.

Sora smiled while looking at his own heart.

Sora looked at the "dead angle" caused by the "Sword of Law" he had buried for the oath.

＊＊＊

For now, until I find out the names and characteristics of the Phantom Troupe members that Sora and his master betrayed, as well as their abilities, how on earth did you get involved with them, and how did you survive healthily? As the plot progressed, the angle of Kurapika's neck dropped, and he finally struck a pose of the Root and muttered to himself.

"...... I didn't expect that one day I would sympathize with the Brigade."

"After all, I didn't want to do what I wanted to do."

Responding to Kurapika's honest comment, the person who made such a comment smiled and drank coffee.

As Sora said, I didn't want to sympathize with the enemy I hated and sought revenge on the most, but I couldn't digest my own subtle feelings. If I could, I would rather sympathize, but this was about half a year after the dispute between the Phantom Troupe and Sora. This is my honest opinion of the ending.

"But when I tried to talk to you again, I didn't have much information about the opponent's abilities."

As expected of Kurapika's overly complex mood, Sora looked at the atmosphere and apologized repeatedly, so Kurapika barely cheered up and answered.

"No, don't worry. Sora's master took on three people alone, didn't she? It's best to clean up before the opponent activates his ability. Fortunately, I didn't need to understand. That is a question."

I revealed as much information as possible about the Phantom Troupe members that Sora and Biscuit met, but the information about the three members Biscuit met, Machi, Pakunoda, and Feitan, was vague because Sora only heard about it from Biscuit. Most importantly, Kurapika's data. As he said, to make up for the disadvantage in numbers, Biscuit did not let go of Feitan, who was judged to have the highest combat ability, with the highest priority, so the abilities of the three were almost unknown.

At most, it was a woman named Machi, who turned her Aura into something like a rope, and it seems Pakunoda did almost nothing.

As Kurapika himself said, the best way is to make one person unable to fight quickly, and I can't complain about anything.

"And it's also fortunate that the person who got the most information was the Leader."

Kurapika glared at Sora as if blaming him, saying he was lucky.

Leaking information wouldn't do that much damage, but he was as angry as Biscuit at the time because of talking about "Immediate Death", but Sora said the same as Biscuit, "Put yourself in a more important place than Kurapika. I talked to you about the priority of targeting you," and he didn't answer.

Just as Kurapika remained silent so that Sora would know that his oath would not be sad, Sora always said: "Because the other party was too much for me, I was a bit strange and got carried away." He didn't lie like I did, but he didn't tell the truth, just messing around.

Even more so than Kurapika, this deception was humble and natural.

In fact, Kurapika just made a face, as if saying to Sora's clown, "This guy is really...".

Kurapika must have felt that there wasn't enough time to recount every one of Sora's mistakes, so Kurapika sighed again and set the rest of the story aside. The Phantom Troupe Spider returned to the topic.

"……The Leader's ability is 'Copy', 'Borrow', or 'Steal'."

"Yeah, most likely the final 'Steal'? Especially 'Copy'; it's highly probable that my final blow wasn't just a light orb, but that the 'book' itself was caught in a chain reaction. It's expensive, but the book itself is safe."

Resting his chin on his hand, Sora analyzed the ability of the man named Chrollo, the leader of the Phantom Troupe, and when he voiced his deduced hypothesis, he affirmed it and added a sentence.

Considering only the abilities Sora mentioned, Chrollo, like Kurapika, is a Materialization type, and Sora's ability to "materialize phantom beasts from shadows" had already been killed, so there was no need for caution. If that ability really was Chrollo's own, many problems would arise.

The three possibilities of "Copy", "Borrow", and "Steal" are hypotheses to solve the problem.

Originally, that man named Chrollo seemed to have materialized a book that looked like a thick inventory, but if it were the ability Sora described, materializing this book would be meaningless.

Even though Sora killed his ability and completely nullified it, he was only surprised, not panicked.

Considering this, there is no doubt that Chrollo possesses multiple abilities at the very least.

Otherwise, even if his ability were killed, upon seeing something rare, he would only be ecstatic.

However, judging from the ability Sora killed, it is no longer the realm of a genius, but a monster with multiple abilities, powerful enough not to be harmed even when killed.

Or rather, even if Chrollo is such a monster, Nen Ability is largely influenced by a person's state of mind, so in many cases, Nen Ability represents a person's intense feelings toward things.

Therefore, even an ability that doesn't hurt to lose is the result of years of Cultivation and one's own feelings; to lose it, the normal reaction is shock or anger.

Multiple abilities. Abilities without a mind.

Besides that, if you have a book like a materialized inventory, then it is reasonable to think that Chrollo's own ability is the "materialized book", while the other abilities are "not Chrollo's".

Chrollo's own ability is likely to copy, borrow, or steal other people's abilities, store them in the book, and draw them out at will.

In this case, even if my ability was killed and the reaction was weak, the capacity memory explains the reason.

And if it is a copy, even if it is copied, it is "one's own ability", so when Sora hit what Sora called the "dead point", Chrollo himself or the starting point of the ability would have been a "real" chain reaction; it would have died naturally, but there was no damage, so it is highly likely that he borrowed or stole someone else's ability, rather than a copy ability.

If it is borrowing or stealing someone else's ability, then the book is not the starting point of his ability, but merely a warehouse for his abilities; there must be a person who possesses the ability.

Furthermore, if you consider the established theory that "Nen Ability is strongly influenced by the person who has the ability" and his profession, then Chrollo's ability is "stealing others' abilities".

If it is an ability he "stole" rather than copied or borrowed, that is the worst-case scenario, so Kurapika frowned in disgust and asked Sora.

"……Sora. With those eyes, you should be able to 'forget', right?"

When she didn't know about "Nen", in a farewell conversation, she said she had previously attended an auction for Yorknew works, and she said this piece was "breaking the curse of the item for a reason".

At that time, I listened in that sense. I don't know if it was because of Sora or not, but I remembered that the secret arts regarding curses were neither fiction nor fantasy, but things that normally exist in this world, so I didn't want to ask in detail. I didn't expect it.

However, while creating a Nen Ability that can be cast on a target with one's own "Emission", "if there is a Nen that can be cast on another person, can the Nen already cast be removed by someone else, or by the ability user's own Nen?" Isn't there something that can be disabled? And isn't Sora's 'work' like that?"

And when I asked Izunavi, Kurapika's thought was a bingo, but I knew the ability called "enemy" was much rarer than Kurapika imagined, and it wasn't exactly annihilation. Sora's recent non-standard and crazy behavior gave me another headache.

When I asked about the "forgiveness" learned in this situation, Sora showed his usual good intuition and jumped straight to answering the question Kurapika really wanted to ask.

"……If it is a copy or borrowed ability, you might be able to do something about it because it is a state where you exert 'closeness' on another person, but if it is stolen, the 'closeness' might not be on the person who stole it. I have to do something about Chrollo, so it's a difficult spot."

However, even if he stole his own ability, or the other two, it is definitely not something that is easy to copy or steal the other party's ability, so I don't think you have to consider the possibility of your ability being stolen during the battle.

Or rather, if he could easily take it, he would definitely try to take my 'Deadly'."

Sora told Kurapika while recalling their interaction in battle a few months ago.

Kurapika now wanted to kneel down and preach, but as a result, he was already captivated by Sora's eyes, and even when revealed, he didn't try to steal this information, because that action had turned into useful information when fighting Chrollo, so I gave up complaining and replied, "Yes."

"For now, is that all the information I can think of?

Is there anything you want to ask me later?"

After finishing the remaining iced coffee, Sora stared into the air as if confirming the memories in his mind, asking if there was anything he had forgotten to say.

Kurapika thought for a moment and replied, "No, that's it for now." Sora's expression brightened instantly.

"Then, the tragic story ends here. Kurapika, what are you going to do next? If you have time, come see Gon and Killua! We will all be very happy."

Although he showed such excitement, despite that, he thought, "This is not a topic worth getting excited about." Kurapika lowered his head unconsciously because he was happy to have received it.

Looking forward to Sora's smile, I was so happy that I almost said "Oh, right" in an instant.

Kurapika himself wanted to enjoy a moment of rest with Sora, but Kurapika swallowed his true feelings, lowered his head, and covered his flushed face to answer.

"……Sorry. I'm going to the agency tomorrow, so I can't spend too much time."

"……Oh, I see. That's right. There are less than two months left until the auction, so it's a question of whether there will be a place to hire me."

The reason I covered my face while speaking changed, because I couldn't hide my shame, and I was sure it was to hide the true feelings that appeared in my expression.

I want to be with her more; I want to see my dear friends Gon and Killua.

But to be honest, I still envy the time Gon and Killua spent with Sora at Heaven's Arena.

I don't want to flatter a Human Body Collector who takes pleasure in their own kin.

Even without any purpose, even without any meaning, I want to spend leisure time with Sora like the month four years ago; this is a too precious daily life.

When Kurapika hid the path he decided to take and told him, Sora didn't blame Kurapika, nor did he even say "sorry", but quietly agreed.

I know this is Sora's way of caring, so as not to make Kurapika feel guilty.

However, Kurapika's selfish child's true feelings dealt a terrible blow.

(If you say "I want to be with you", I will be abandoned by everything)

I know well that this does not satisfy Sora's wishes, but just using Sora as an excuse to throw everything away is the lowest form of shirking responsibility.

Because Sora would never say such things, a foolish wish arose in his heart.

Kurapika stifled this foolish desire, thinking about how much he could be forgiven, how much he could forgive himself, and how much he could become a "hope" that could inspire him rather than being "selfish".

I am wondering how far I can hope for Sora.

"Kurapika"

However, this thought was interrupted without any conclusion.

Kurapika was startled by Sora, who suddenly left his seat and walked from across the road to the seat beside him.

After giving Kurapika a slightly comical smile, she reached out both hands to stroke him.

Something was hanging on Kurapika's left ear.

"I'll give this to you. Two months... no, it's been almost three months."

It was a familiar feeling. I had been wearing it until about half a year ago, so after returning, there was a period where it felt very uncomfortable.

"Happy 17th birthday, Kurapika."

This time, Sora did not "borrow" it, and it wasn't even a souvenir for his sister; it was given to Kurapika as a "blessing."

Earrings with small sky-blue jewels.

Sora took out the other earring from his right ear and said to the stunned Kurapika.

"Hmm? Maybe you forgot? You said you would give me a proper birthday gift when we met next time."

Honestly, I had forgotten. Or more accurately, at first, Kurapika had sent me a congratulatory email on the day of the event, a photo of a Somei Yoshino cherry blossom tree, which arrived later. The photo and a message were more than enough as a gift.

However, looking back, he must have remembered writing something like that in his first email. Not knowing what to do or what kind of face to make, Kurapika just blurted out what came to his mind.

"... You really don't care about yourself, yet you only remember others."

"Because it's you, not anyone else."

Kurapika's words were met with a response from Sora; Sora pursed his lips and reached out his hand again.

Kurapika, being answered like this as usual, or seeing Sora wanting to put the earring on his right ear by hand in the same way, felt embarrassed and angrily said, "What are you doing!?"

"No, the best part of this kind of gift is for the giver to put it on the other person, right?"

"Get the other person's consent before you do that!!"

Kurapika shouted at Sora, while Sora laughed at the usually shy Kurapika in an amusing and affectionate way.

Although I felt angry at being teased, I hated that I couldn't resist.

"... By the way, what kind of jewelry is this?"

"I thought you'd say that, and it's a Stone you can buy at a local energy stone shop. Without a doubt, it's a Jewel, but the purity is high and the polishing is rough, so from my perspective, look, it's not a Jewel, it's just a beautiful Stone. It's just a type of Magic, so it's really just an 'Amulet'."

To hide his embarrassment, Kurapika looked at the earring Sora gave him and asked about it, but at the same time, this was a unique gift from a Jewel magician.

Kurapika looked at the earring "intently," it was just slightly dim, almost in a state of "shadow," but there was definitely Aura in the blue Jewel hanging from the clasp.

However, if you look at Sora beside you casually while in a "Hard" state, you would find that her waist pouch is full of powerful Aura, which could explode at any moment. I discovered that the earring was also filled with Magic Aura; however, whether it was true comfort or not, this aura seemed to be only to the extent of being integrated into the Amulet.

Kurapika didn't know what was wrong with it at all; it was a small and beautiful Jewel, but to Sora, whose eye for jewels was much better than a pathetic jeweler, it was "better than imitation glass beads." Only.

Even so, Kurapika still felt that this Stone was too beautiful.

That was because the color of the Stone was very similar to Sora's eyes, the eyes that saw the remains of his kin that day.

It was a Stone the color of the blue sky.

"It is an Amazonite. Also known as the 'Hope Stone'."

Sora spoke to Kurapika, and Kurapika just stared at the Stone, neither pushing it back nor putting it on his other ear.

Why did I choose this Stone as Kurapika's birthday gift?

"The word for the Jewel is 'calm heart'."

As the name suggests, it is a Stone that plays a powerful role in the mental aspect, balancing thoughts to make them positive, and giving you the strength to pursue your dreams and goals.

Well, although I am a Jewel magician, I don't really believe in the effects of energy stones because I am a Jewel magician.

"... Sorry, I'm too reckless, and blood easily rushes to my head."

His reaction to Sora's words was simple, not sarcastic or cynical.

I was truly happy that he cared about the bad habits I knew but couldn't correct, while at the same time, I felt sorry from the bottom of my heart.

I was truly sorry, and I also hated myself for worrying her and being unable to return anything.

"Hmm, is it a bit different?"

However, Sora denied Kurapika's self-deprecation and self-loathing.

He said he didn't give it to him for that reason.

She said, wrapping her hands around Kurapika's hand that was holding the earring.

"—I hope Kurapika can be happy."

What I want.

"Kurapika, please don't give up on being happy, and I hope you don't feel guilty for being happy."

What wish did you make, what did you pray for, and what did you entrust to this Stone, the "Hope Stone"?

"No matter how much you give up, don't give up on being happy."

I hope the fact that someone wishes, hopes, and prays for Kurapika to be happy can alleviate your guilt.

The light of happiness will shine on Kurapika's life path... no matter how much I am hurt, no matter how many times I regret, no matter how many times I cry until my tears run dry... I hope everything will be precious, and everything will be rewarded with happiness."

Sora once again put his "wish" into the Stone and gave it to him.

"May Kurapika be happy."

That shape of "happiness" was right before my eyes, enough to make me want to cry.

It wasn't because he was worried about Kurapika, nor was it because he wanted to do something about Kurapika's bad habits, but that what was given was purely for the sake of happiness; this was the painful truth, and Kurapika lowered his head again.

"... You really are an idiot."

I hid the tears that were about to fall, but my voice trembled, and I knew I couldn't hide it at all.

However, I told you.

"Even if you don't want to go that far, I will make it happen."

I want to be that kind of person from the bottom of my heart, rather than pushing the responsibility onto someone who wants to throw everything away.

I want to be happy.

If that is what Sora wants, then that is even better.

Sora is not obedient to Kurapika, but even so, he feels no guilt or sense of responsibility; he is just a 17-year-old boy with a stubborn streak.

"Yeah, I'm a miraculous idiot anyway... so you shouldn't worry about an idiot like this. That's just stupid."

"Big idiot."

While wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes with his fist, Kurapika continued to call him an idiot, then pulled something out of his pocket and pointed it at Sora.

"... If you don't have to worry, you can just accept it."

Sora suddenly took the package—which could be called a small paper bag—that she had suddenly shoved into his hands, his eyes wide, naturally not understanding why she asked that.

"Hm? Yeah, it's fine, but why? Or rather, what is this?"

The package was small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, and the contents were light and soft. I trust that Kurapika wouldn't give me anything particularly strange, but in Sora's eyes, everything is meaningless, so when I asked in confusion, Kurapika seemed to pout her lips as if pouting, adding to the mystery of Sora's words.

Kurapika glared at Sora, who had no idea what he had given him, tears still in his eyes, and muttered to himself.

"... The same as you."

"Yes?"

Kurapika said to Sora, who didn't understand what he was talking about, that he was half-hearted, but 90% of the time.

"Do you remember Valentine's Day? That's an event we didn't have, and even if you went out of your way to make and distribute candy, you might have forgotten your own birthday two days ago!"

"So just take it now! I gave it to you without you even asking, so shut up and accept it!!"

As I said, on Valentine's Day in Sora's world, Gon, Leorio, and the others were eating the chocolate cake Sora made while chatting about the holiday and festivals; that was two days ago. "I forgot," Kurapika snapped, his voice barely disturbing those around him.

Kurapika's sharpness made Sora blink, but when he started to convince himself, "Hm?"

"... I see. Kurapika, happy birthday to me."

"... If possible, I would like to celebrate it properly on that day."

Fortunately, the package Kurapika gave him was not rejected due to strange hesitation; Sora carefully held it in his arms and smiled happily, and Kurapika also directed his anger further away. I don't like it, but I still can't. I won't say "Happy Birthday" properly in a day like Sora does, so I'm a bit sarcastic.

If I had known, I could have just said the greeting even if I couldn't prepare a gift, but I still turned my thoughts to the person I wanted to bless no matter what.

However, although Kurapika scolded him for his outburst, he was still smiling very happily.

"Ahaha... well, thank you. Kurapika."

"I thought turning 20 wouldn't be anything special, and honestly, I forgot everything..."

Five months ago, Sora said the same thing to the angry Kurapika: "Why didn't you tell me sooner, or at least tell me on that day!?"

He laughed while holding the thing Kurapika had handed him when he was angry.

"I completely forgot how happy I was that someone celebrated my birthday."

"Thank you, Kurapika. Thank you for congratulating me. And for reminding me."

When I met Kurapika in front of the station and hugged him, when the story about the Brigade ended, I laughed as if I couldn't help but be happy, but my heart still tightened and trembled even more. For a moment, Kurapika looked away while admiring the smile on her face, hiding her flushed face.

Faced with this reaction, Sora smiled as usual and asked, "Can I open it?"

While answering, I moved my face away from Sora to the window on the opposite side, looking at Sora through the window glass.

To be honest, Kurapika didn't know what to give Sora to make him happy.

When we first met four months ago, and even after we met again during the Hunter Exam, Sora had always taken good care of himself and others, and I really didn't want anything.

I thought that even if there was nothing she wanted, as long as I gave her what she wanted, even if it was something that would only cause trouble for ordinary people, as long as it was interesting, this woman wouldn't care, so I usually gave her the most things. She seemed happy, but it didn't help at all.

Or rather, if I gave it to someone with such a wide range of "likes" and they weren't happy, I would be very shocked and think about running away.

When it comes to practical items, the first thing that comes to mind is jewelry, but Kurapika doesn't know the quality of jewelry.

Plus, not knowing the value of gemstones, it seems that high-quality "gemstones" and high-quality "gemstones used for Gem Magic" are two different things, so what kind of gemstone is Sora looking for? Kurapika wouldn't have been able to figure it out if I had asked him directly.

By the way, Gem Magic is basically one-time use; if you release the charged Mana, it will shatter and disappear like weathering. As expected, Kurapika's personal feeling is that he wants it to last as long as possible, so he found various excuses in his heart to refuse it.

Even without finding such excuses, he believed that Sora would not throw away gifts from others, even if it was a high-quality Stone used for magic, but it would be too embarrassing, so he decided not to look at it.

That's how I narrowed down the options and chose it.

To make him happy, I struggled for several days, and although I didn't expect much from him, I still consulted Izunavi (the result was just being told "Explosion," which was useless) and fought with shame. However, I visited several women's clothing stores and chose it, but I had no confidence that it would satisfy me.

After all, it wasn't chosen by me because I thought "Sora might be happy."

The reason Kurapika chose it was because he thought, "If Sora is happy with this..."

Looking at the gift, which was completely different from Sora's gift, filled with selfish thoughts, Sora's reflection was cast on the glass...

"—Hm?"

At first, I made a confused sound.

Then, his face was dyed red so that it could be seen in the reflection on the glass, not in a mirror.

Kurapika's eyes widened at this reaction.

However, although Kurapika's confusion was cute, Sora was even more confused.

His face turned red.

The expression on Kurapika's face when he said "young and cute" to Sora on the airship on the night of their reunion was the same.

Looking at the gift Kurapika sent, Sora played with the tips of his hair... his long ponytail, and laughed.

He appeared very embarrassed, and although he lowered his eyebrows in distress as if to say he didn't know what to do, he laughed happily enough that Kurapika wanted to keep looking at him even if he couldn't.

Looking at Sora's reflection, Kurapika regretted his cowardice.

Kurapika's selfish thoughts and wishful smiles were enough to make him regret not looking at Sora in the first place, but instead looking away.

There was Kurapika, who was completely fascinated by such a smile, and Sora's reflection in his eyes.

Realizing that Kurapika was staring at him through the glass, Sora's face turned even redder, and he covered his face with both hands.

"What, why are you looking at me!? Hey, please... don't look at me now... you must be making a strange face... I have no face left to show people... I'm sorry. Hand."

"Don't be silly, cute."

Kurapika returned to the face of Sora, who had turned away at this moment; Sora was a bit embarrassed, not even knowing what there was to be embarrassed about, and said with a straight face.

Completely unconscious, the words in his heart turned into a direct voice with zero time difference.

Fortunately, Sora, who was embarrassed to the extreme, seemed unable to hear the overly honest intent behind Kurapika's words and laid directly on the table, completely covering his face.

Although he had hidden it, Sora still said as much.

"... Mm, Kurapika... thank you... I am truly happy."

Although I didn't hear it, I still couldn't help but react to my own true feelings and Sora's reaction.

But in truth, I hadn't expected to receive such a reaction.

However, in her own words, she said it happily.

In the photo taken two months after that sentence, he is doing exactly what he said.

That is why I thought, if only I could decorate his hair.

Something Sora treasures so much, only such thoughts.

The Red Ribbon embroidered with gold thread was nothing more than Kurapika's "selfishness."

Nothing more than Kurapika's selfishness.

Even so, Sora was too embarrassed to even lift his head, yet he still held the ribbon so preciously as he lay there talking.

"... Kurapika... because Mana exists within hair... because Mana is especially prone to residing in a woman's hair, witches... female Magicians generally grow their hair long."

"Why don't you grow your hair out?"

While giving him the hair accessory, not understanding why I had suddenly brought up this topic, I tilted my head and brought my face close to the lying Sora.

"... So, for a Magician, a hair accessory... is a type of garment.

... Mm, if it wasn't intentionally made into a formal dress, then I know what it is... but, it still possesses the Mana of life itself, and in an emergency, it might become a lifeline. Yes... that is why..."

At the moment I finally figured out why this topic had been brought up, Sora moved his head, revealing the face he had been hiding a little.

His face was still quite red, his brows drooping as if he were at a loss.

I couldn't see his mouth. Sora said, looking at Kurapika, his eyes shining with a soft light; just by looking at her eyes, one knew she was smiling.

"... That is why I will treasure it for my whole life."

"!?..................!!"

Once again, I was about to say, "Don't be silly, cute one," and this time, I screamed with almost all my might.

But more importantly, I am glad you are always so happy, and I am glad Sora's heart is filled with the girlishness, cuteness, and love that I rarely show and was not even aware of. However, I did not have to suddenly let out a soul-shattering cry in this situation.

It was fortunate for Kurapika, but to Sora, who was currently in a state of multifaceted imbalance, Kurapika, who suddenly frowned and fell silent, seemed to be pulled back by the weight of his words. Coming back to his senses, this time with a face that looked like he was about to cry, I began to apologize, "Hm?"

Kurapika panicked and corrected Sora, "No, no! I didn't pull it! I wish I could take care of you like that!"

But once Sora calmed down, he calmed down, and now Kurapika was the one fidgeting.

"I want to see Sora with long hair." Conversely, Kurapika fell into a terribly unbearable mood and said self-deprecatingly, "... Though it's nothing special, it's a cheap, off-the-shelf product."

"You know the value of a gift isn't its price, right?

It's more than enough for me, and I'm happy.... Yes, I'm truly happy. Do I look good? Or is it too cute? I was worried, but I'm truly happy and I like it."

"I especially like this color. The combination of gold and deep red... it's just like Kurapika, so I'm truly happy."

She said she was happy that the "color" of the ribbon she gave her was "like Kurapika."

"What's wrong, Kurapika!?" Kurapika begged the anxious Sora, "... It's fine, please leave me alone for a while." Accepting the request.

Kurapika was unable to lift his head for a moment, even though he felt sad for the worried and confused Sora.

... The ribbon gifted by Kurapika had an identical embroidery design, just a different color.

I think the deep blue and dark blue ribbon embroidered with silver thread suits Sora's eyes and hair better.

The reason the gold thread and deep red ribbon were chosen was entirely due to Kurapika's selfishness and desire for monopoly, not the reason I chose the hair accessory as a gift.

Kurapika chose a color combination that reminded him of himself as a gift, was told he was too naively "happy," completely self-destructed, and clenched his fists.

The clenched fists felt painful, and I remembered that I was still clutching the earrings Sora had given me.

At the same time, I remembered Sora's words.

Thinking of this, Kurapika stood up and put the earrings in his hand onto his right ear, saying, perhaps afraid that his self-destruction would cause him to rush forward.

"Sora. Lend me that ribbon."

Sora tilted his head to look at Kurapika's slightly pouting face, who knew he hadn't recovered from that still-flushed face.

To Sora, Kurapika continued, with 10% revenge and 90% desire for retaliation.

"Isn't it a true pleasure to give such a gift to the person receiving it?"

I could have been rejected.

Kurapika was satisfied to be able to see the face he had shown Sora when he was "cute" on the airship, not in a mirror, but from the front.

However, Sora turned his eyes away with a red face, handed the ribbon she had been clutching tightly to Kurapika, and sat down with his back to her.

"... Mm... then... please."

Sora turned around, took off the hair tie from his ponytail, and let his hair down.

Seeing the pure white hair hanging down his back, Kurapika thought slightly, "That was a mistake."

He said he wanted to see Sora with long hair.

Sora's ponytail looked good on him.

However, although shorter than it is now, Sora in the photo with the Yoshino cherry blossoms was truly too beautiful.

While thinking that it was a mistake that he hadn't had the chance to see Sora with his hair down, Kurapika decided in his heart that he had developed the habit of keeping his hair tied tightly.

Once the auction ends, in some form, once I reach a conclusion regarding the Spider, this time I will make a very humble plan and speak it honestly.

... I have found the "hope" that motivates my future.

"... Don't count on my minions."

"Fine. Whatever. If that's what you want."

Sora, whose nape was still flushed red, retorted that if he did not set up a line of defense regarding the quality of his hair, he would be unable to move his hands due to happiness.

I pray, I hope, I hope that such daily life can continue even after the auction ends.

And in this daily life, face her directly this time and say it honestly.

"I want to see Sora with his hair hanging down."