"The purpose column states… 'rice,' and that's all." The suited staff member at the counter window froze, application form still in hand. "[surprised]Huh? That's not allowed?" "[serious]No. It is not." Fleeks Gon crossed his arms and fell into thought. This was a room in the Hunter Association branch office in Yorknew City. The walls were covered with bulletin boards and notices. Three service windows lined up in a row. So many people were queued up that you couldn't even count them all—the place was a complete mess. That's what you'd expect from a branch in a city of roughly ten million people, one of the world's premier commercial hubs. Gon was a twelve-year-old boy wearing a red cap. Short black hair and deep brown eyes. At 170 centimeters tall, he wore a green tank top and shorts. In this cramped office, he alone carried the atmosphere of mountain air. Spread out on the table before him was a Hunter Association facility usage application form. Three A4 pages. Packed with tiny kanji characters. No furigana. (Why is Hunter Association paperwork always so difficult?) Gon stared at the application again. "Purpose." "Number of users." "Duration of use." "Applicant's license number"—all difficult terms. But he'd written it all carefully, character by character. He'd gotten his Hunter License a year ago. The pass rate was 0.001%, and the exam was only held once a year. With that credential, you could travel anywhere in the world, and you could use the Association's facilities for free—that's what he'd been told. No reason not to use it. The reason was simple. He wanted to eat with everyone. That was all. "[gentle]Um… so, how should I write it?" "[serious]Please describe the specific content of the training or recuperation purpose." "[serious]Specific content…" Gon picked up his pen and thought again. He stared at the ceiling for about five seconds. Then, slowly, he wrote. 〈Training to become closer while eating rice〉 When he brought it back to the window, the staff member froze again, form in hand. This time they stayed frozen a bit longer. "[serious]…The purpose is unclear." "[surprised]What!? Again!?" Gon went back to the bench for his third attempt. This time he tried mimicking the staff member's phrasing exactly. He'd caught a glimpse of sample applications posted at the window and picked up words that sounded right. 〈Joint recuperation training to strengthen coordination between Hunters and deepen mutual understanding (primary activities: shared meals, outdoor activities)〉 He didn't really understand what it meant himself. But it sounded right. He brought it to the window. The staff member read the application. Their eyebrows moved slightly. They paused again. "[serious]…Well. This is acceptable." A stamp came down on the documents with a soft *thunk*. "[excited]Yes!" Gon's face lit up instantly. The staff member looked slightly conflicted. --- As Gon headed to the counter to pick up the key, a small elderly man appeared from the lobby. Around sixty-two years old. Salt-and-pepper hair, a sun-tanned face etched with fine wrinkles. His gait had a sturdy quality—the bearing of someone who'd once thrown their body into their work. His name was Joban Pailey. He was the manager of Lodge Palma and a former D-rank Hunter. "[serious]You must be Gon. This year's usage application?" "[excited]Yes! Thank you for having me!" Joban pulled out a small notebook. "[serious]Then, there are several things I'd like to confirm with you." Gon straightened his posture. For some reason, he braced himself. "[serious]If you put a hole in the wall, the compensation is 1.2 million jenny." Gon's mouth twitched slightly. "[serious]Indoor use of Nen abilities is prohibited. The lodge has been completely destroyed three times in the past." Three times completely destroyed. "[serious]Damage to electrical equipment is 500,000 jenny. Burst water pipes are 800,000 jenny. If you melt the BBQ grill, that's 300,000 jenny." Gon's smile gradually faded. With each item read, his facial muscles twitched. (You can melt a grill?) "[serious]The other users so far—" "[gentle]Um…" Gon opened his mouth, looking a bit reluctant. "[gentle]The members who are coming… they're kind of special people." Joban narrowed his eyes. "[serious]When Hunters come, something usually breaks." He closed the notebook with a soft snap. "[serious]I'm counting on you." For just a moment, Gon pictured the faces of the members who were supposed to come. An assassin from the Zoldyck family. The leader of the Phantom Troupe. A battle-crazed magician. …It'll be fine. They're all good people. "[excited]It'll be fine! They're all good people!" Joban said nothing. He simply nodded slowly. His eyes said "I see," but his expression made it clear he didn't believe it at all. --- When Gon left the Association branch, the autumn afternoon air rushed in. Yorknew City was as lively as ever. High-rise buildings stretched toward the sky, and people poured endlessly from subway exits. Market vendors calling out, car engines, music drifting from somewhere. All of it mixed together into one big wave of sound. Gon sat on a bench in front of the branch. He pulled his phone from his pocket. First, Killua. He sent the lodge information and schedule. After a short wait, a reply came. 〈Wait, Chrollo's coming too?〉 Gon tilted his head. What was wrong with that? 〈Everyone's good people, so it'll be fine!〉 A few seconds passed, then a reply came back. 〈…That line is literally my biggest concern about my friend group〉 Gon laughed a little. That was so like Killua. Next, he sent a message to Kurapika. Same content—just the schedule and location. The reply that came back was one word. 〈Understood〉 …That's it? (Kurapika really does text like that, huh?) Gon tilted his head slightly, then moved on to the next contact. When he sent it to Leorio, the reply came back unusually fast. 〈Cooking duty? Then I'll go all out and make something amazing!!〉 There were lots of emojis. (I wonder if Leorio can actually cook…) Gon felt a little worried. But it'd probably be fine. …Probably. Next, he sent one to Chairman Netero. He thought maybe he'd be busy, but it came back instantly. 〈I'm in!〉 Simple. Gon's face brightened immediately. He was genuinely happy the Chairman was coming. As he continued sending messages, Gon paused for a moment. (I haven't contacted Illumi…) Killua's older brother. They'd met before. But for some reason, he hesitated to add his name to the contact list. Well, he'd already told Killua the schedule, so if Illumi wanted to come, he could ask. That's all it was. Gon set his phone on his lap. The sky was already turning toward evening. Orange light filtered through the gaps between Yorknew City's high-rises. The wind was a bit cold. It's autumn, he thought. Lodge Palma in the Kraena Hills. A recuperation facility about forty minutes by car from Yorknew City. According to the materials, it was nestled in the middle of a forest mixing conifers and broadleaf trees, with a river running behind it. (A river, huh. I wonder if I can catch fish.) Gon smiled happily. "[excited]Alright. All set!" He stood up and stretched. Tomorrow they'd all meet at Yorknew City Central Station. He was already excited to see what everyone's faces would look like. Cooking together, playing games, eating. Why was something so simple so exciting? Gon put his phone away and started walking home. --- The scene changes. A dimly lit room. No windows. Only one lamp on. A man sat in a chair, staring at his phone screen. Long red hair. A face like makeup. The corner of his mouth slowly rose. Information displayed on the screen. 〈Tomorrow, gathering in Yorknew City. Lodge Palma, two nights and three days〉 Not a message from Gon. Gon hadn't contacted him. But the information had arrived anyway. The man didn't seem particularly concerned about where it came from. Hisoka closed his phone with a soft snap. "[laughing]Sounds fun ♠" He said it softly to the empty room. That was all. He didn't contact anyone, didn't prepare anything. Just smiled, looking pleased. That smile was somehow unsettling. --- Meanwhile, Gon walked on, unaware of any of this. Yorknew City at dusk. Building shadows stretched long, creating complex patterns on the ground. Gon's eyes suddenly caught on a street vendor. Roasted chestnuts. They smelled good. He checked his wallet and bought a bag. They were warm and fluffy. (Everyone's coming tomorrow.) Killua, Kurapika, Leorio, Chairman Netero. And Chrollo was coming too. Bisky said she'd come. Morel too. He knew it wasn't normal. But for Gon, they were all "people I know." Enemy or ally—Gon wasn't very good at making those distinctions. He'd met them. He'd talked to them. That was enough. (They're all good people, so it'll definitely be fine.) He bit into a chestnut. It was sweet. The sky gradually shifted from orange to purple. Yorknew City's night was just beginning. But Gon walked toward the station, thinking about tomorrow. His steps were just a little bit lighter.