Shalnark has bright yellow hair and is wearing a white shirt. He holds his phone between his neck and shoulder while using both hands to button the top and bottom rows of his shirt.
His clear green eyes widen a bit at the sight of Saiki Kusuo, then quickly shift to inner thoughts.
There are other people in the room. Saiki Kusuo looks toward the window. The curtains are pulled tight, and the half-open closet door just hides that person's body.
That person bends over to search for clothes in the closet, with a tie in his mouth and a suit draped over his arm. As he bends, his waist comes out from behind the door, clearly showing a large spider tattoo on his waist, with a clear "0" in the spider's belly.
"What did the phone call say? Shalnark." Chrollo didn't hear Shalnark keep talking and thought the call was over, so he asked.
"No... Boss, look who came?"
"Hm?" Before Chrollo looks up, his first thought is Hisoka.
He feels the same surprise when he sees the person.
"What wind blew the young master from the Zoldyck family here? And to Meteor City at that."
Saiki Kusuo: ...
He didn't realize it before, but it turns out they are in Meteor City.
In just a few seconds, he already hears from their thoughts that the two are getting ready to go out.
They are heading out to attend the Meteor City elder election meeting.
They are voters, each representing people from two districts in Meteor City.
On top of that, Phinks, dressed like a pharaoh, is already waiting at the door. He is also going as a representative.
Phinks: "Wow, I say those two care too much about their outfits. At the speed we change clothes, we could have been out long ago."
Feitan: "Maybe they are in the bathroom. Wait a bit."
"Oh."
Inside the room.
Saiki Kusuo: [Looks like I came at a bad time. See you next time.]
"Wait, Saiki."
In the time it takes Saiki Kusuo to just look away, Chrollo already has his suit on.
"You came to find me, so it must be something important. Do we need to talk alone?"
[It's nothing big. We don't have to talk.]
"Then we can just have a simple chat. Shalnark, tell Phinks and the others I'll be late." Chrollo reaches out directly to Saiki Kusuo. [Don't just stand there. You can teleport away now.]
Teleportation is whose ability.
Saiki Kusuo raises his hand, touches his arm, and directly teleports them both to Kukuroo Mountain.
Meteor City is such a dangerous place; better not to stay if he can avoid it.
Winter on Kukuroo Mountain has already brought snow, and now as they arrive, light snow falls from a clear sky. The snow piles up white on the leaves, and Saiki Kusuo and Chrollo hide in the shade of the trees.
He just picked a random spot, an empty area midway up Kukuroo Mountain.
"I thought you'd take me somewhere like a coffee shop. Where is this?"
[Kukuroo Mountain.]
So this is what Kukuroo Mountain looks like. That big gate up there is their front door? Chrollo looks around the scenery again and says, "So, what did you want to tell me?"
Saiki Kusuo looks away and stays quiet for a moment. It's really hard to say it out loud. Telling someone he's leaving feels too dramatic, and really, he should only say goodbye to family.
But he already brought the guy here, so Saiki Kusuo sighs.
[I'm leaving, and I probably won't come back. So Alluka asked me to say goodbye to people I know.]
He doesn't know why he mentioned Alluka.
Chrollo puts his hands behind his back. Now fully dressed in his suit, his thinking pose looks even more serious. He says, "Leaving where? Kukuroo Mountain? Where to next? People always take risks. Do you want to cut ties with your family? Why say goodbye to me? The world is big; maybe we'll meet again someday."
[No, we won't meet again.] Saiki Kusuo looks at Chrollo.
Chrollo covers his mouth in thought. Though he doesn't say it, his inner voice already tells Saiki Kusuo.
Chrollo: [Could it be that he's paid a huge price all this time to use those powers, and now he's going to die?]
You're the one dying.
Knowing Saiki Kusuo can hear him, Chrollo's dark eyes blink, looking a bit innocent.
He says, "Since you don't plan to tell me the details, I won't ask. Anyway, it's a forever goodbye, right? I get it."
His reply is short, and he accepts Saiki Kusuo's way of leaving very calmly.
Meteor City has lots of people who leave without saying goodbye. Compared to knowing the end ahead of time, they are more used to waiting for the end to show up.
[Okay, I'll send you back.] Saiki Kusuo finishes one task and reaches out, but Chrollo dodges.
"Hey? That's how you say goodbye?"
What else?
Chrollo's face shows he can't hide his smile. He scratches his hair: "Saiki, you're like a doctor who sees through others all the time but is so simple yourself. How does that mixed personality even happen?"
Not sure if this guy is talking bad about me.
"Or better to say, you think relationships are way too simple. People are complicated creatures. At least respect us."
[Respect? Did I disrespect you?]
"Very arrogant. Since you came to say goodbye on purpose, you should put some effort into it. If I'm right, you still need to say goodbye to the Zoldyck family, right? If not, it wouldn't count as a real leaving, and you wouldn't need to come find me at all."
Why does this guy always guess other stuff.
"Looks like I guessed right."
Tch. I don't show expressions. Do Nen users have extra eyes or something.
The topic turns back, and Chrollo asks: "So, how will you explain your leaving to your family? If I know where you're really going, I can give better advice. Hm... Do I not seem like someone who can keep a secret?"
[You already know too much.] Saiki Kusuo crosses his arms and suddenly thinks, since he knows so much already and has never leaked it.
He looks at Chrollo again and feels it's not impossible to tell him.
...
At the Meteor City elder selection meeting, representatives from each area arrive one after another, but the spider's leader is late.
"Shalnark, do you know where your Chrollo went?" an elder asks.
"Um... He's taking a bit longer to change clothes." Shalnark can only answer like that, while thinking inside, [Boss, boss, you're on the same level as the head elder. The elder election got pushed to today because of the Kurta thing. Why are you late for something like this!]
"That's our boss, so everyone wait a bit longer." The tall Phinks says it steadily beside him.
Then Chrollo arrives late, hands behind his back, smiling: "Sorry, I'm late. Hope I didn't keep everyone waiting too long? We can start now."
Chrollo walks straight to his front-row seat. The elders don't say much, and one bangs a gavel. The meeting starts officially.
Shalnark sends Chrollo a message on his phone: Boss, where did you go?
Chrollo: Giving someone directions? Shh. The meeting has started.
After that, Chrollo puts down his phone and starts seriously considering which candidates can serve as elders. They have been traveling outside all year, coming back here only a few times, with no idea about the candidates. He has to listen carefully to their self-introductions.
...
Kukuroo Mountain, main house.
Everyone at home knows Saiki Kusuo is about to make a wish with Alluka. After he gets home first, they probe him more or less.
But every try gets seen through by Saiki Kusuo's mind reading.
"Kusuo dear~ Long time no see. Did you miss mom?" [What wish will he make? Let mom know!]
[Sorry, the trip was tiring. I'll go back to my room first.]
As he turns, another person blocks him: Tsubone. "Young master, good afternoon. We've prepared afternoon tea, with your favorite devil pudding."
It would be even better if they could make coffee pudding. Does it have to have poison in it.
Tsubone's hurdle is tough. Saiki Kusuo struggles with it for a while.
No going. If he sits there, dad is already ready to sit across from him. Zetsu won't allow no going.
[I don't need it. Let me go back to my room and rest quietly.]
Saiki Kusuo goes back to his room, the standalone house where he lived for over ten years. He will soon have to say goodbye to it.
The house is very clean, especially knowing when he would come back. The room inside and out has been cleaned spotless. Gotoh, this butler has been with him since shortly after his birth. When he thinks of a butler, she's almost the only image in his mind.
"Young master, the hot water in the bathtub is ready for you." [Young master Illumi said to check if young master Kusuo has any wounds. Why is that... Does young master with teleportation ability ever get into situations he can't escape?]
Though this Gotoh was bought off by Illumi many years ago, or really, she's fully Illumi's subordinate.
[I don't need it. Let me go back to my room and rest quietly.]
Saiki Kusuo walks straight back to his room and pushes open the 200-pound door.
But he didn't expect Illumi to be inside the room.
What do they call it when plans can't keep up with changes? This is it.
"Hey, Kusuo." Illumi greets him.
It's scary. Why are the lights off inside?
Saiki Kusuo walks into the room, lets go of his hand, and the door closes on its own.
Illumi speaks.
"I've suspected for a long time that you're a bit like great-grandpa."
What's going on.
"Do you remember your first time leaving home without telling the family, where you went?"
"Small World Tree, that's where you got the thing you're still wearing on your wrist. During that year on Greed Island, you got in touch with the Hunter Association, and now you have a new accessory on your neck."
Both are good things that suppress superpowers.
"I won't ask for details on what these two things do. They're part of your hidden cards, right?" [At nearly two meters away, I feel Nen weakened to some degree. This feeling is new; it must be related to Kusuo's new accessory.]
So the effect range is that big? Why didn't Chrollo react when they just touched earlier.
"Alluka really keeps quiet about your info, but her personality is innocent and easy to trap. I heard from her before that you want to go somewhere, right? That place is..."
Even Saiki Kusuo gets a bit tense.
For the place he's going, he still chose to hide it. If Alluka already told Illumi the result, he would have to explain and reveal too much.
He doesn't want everyone to know he lied to them for so long before he leaves.
It would be a real downer and disappointing.
"Dark Continent, right." Illumi says the result.
1. 2. 3...
Ah, yeah, that's right.
Oh man, who would guess it's another world so easily.
The Dark Continent is like another world to people in the Hunter world.
"It's very dangerous there, but I believe you've learned a lot about it already. The Zoldyck family actually has quite a few Dark Continent files. I wonder if you've seen them." As Illumi speaks, he pulls out a file folder.
Wait, how did this happen? Why is he even prepared to send me off.
Saiki Kusuo takes the file folder. His x-ray vision already shows it's full of info on known creatures from the Dark Continent.
[...If I want to go to the Dark Continent, is it really okay not to stop me? Isn't that a place where humans go and disappear or die right away?]
"Danger and opportunity always go together. No one can stop someone who wants to go. I said it before, right? No matter what choices we make, as long as it doesn't hurt the Zoldyck family's core, the family will quietly allow it without conditions."
Allowing even suicide is too free.
"Kusuo is smart and has teleportation. Before you succeed, who can deny your chances? Actually, before we were sure of this guess, great-grandpa really supported it. He said if he were young, he'd go with you. Too bad he got sick there. If you need it, go talk to him. You can learn a lot of experience... What's wrong? Kusuo."
Saiki Kusuo holds the file folder and lowers his head. Comparing people really makes him feel ashamed. Illumi is strictly a villain too, willing to do extreme things for his own gain. He knew that from the doomsday line times. But for now, he hasn't done any of those bottom-line breaking things from the doomsday line. Yet Saiki Kusuo has always been wary of him.
Especially now, Illumi is thinking fully for him, while he...
[I get it, big brother. I'll go find great-grandpa.]
Even though he doesn't really need this experience, he'll listen well to that old man he's met only a few times but who thinks for him.
"Yes, very good. Did you hear that, great-grandpa?" Illumi suddenly turns his head upward.
Saiki Kusuo's multi-vision sees in one second that there's now a hidden camera up there.
These guys actually put surveillance in his room without a care!?
"To make mom and dad feel at ease, big brother put a camera here on his own. You don't mind, right, Kusuo?"
Does minding now even do anything.
Well, he would have needed to prepare reasons one by one to explain these things. Now Illumi casually revealed them all. Sometimes info from eavesdropping builds more trust than from asking.
Fewer hassles, so he should thank Illumi.
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