The kitchen refrigerator. Last night's noise from the kitchen had left Fleeks Gon with an uneasy feeling. The morning at Crena Ridge was cold again. Outside the window, the maple leaves glowed orange in the morning sun. Third day of the retreat. The final day's morning. Paradinight Leorio was the first to enter the kitchen of Lodge Palma. They opened the large refrigerator door. They stopped. They opened the second refrigerator. They stopped again. "[surprised]……Huh?" Leorio shouted toward the hallway. "[angry]Hey!! Everything in the refrigerator is gone!!!" That scream woke the entire lodge. Fleeks Gon jumped up and ran to the kitchen. Zoldyck Killua came out into the hallway with a sleepy face. Biscuit half-rose from the sofa. Kurapika quietly opened the door and stepped out. Chairman Netero poked their head into the kitchen entrance. Hisoka appeared with a yawn. Chrollo stood in the hallway holding a book. Illumi came to the front of the kitchen with an expressionless face. Moraou appeared last, moving with slightly slower steps. Everyone opened the refrigerators one after another. No bread. No meat. No vegetables. No eggs. No seasonings—nothing. Absolutely nothing. "[angry]Why is everything gone?!" "[serious]Someone ate it" "[serious]Who ate it?" Leorio looked around at everyone. "[angry]Be honest. Whoever ate it, raise your hand" No one raised their hand. "[sarcastic]I was satisfying my hunger with something other than food, you see ♦" They said it with a bright smile. Everyone took a step back from Hisoka. Each person began thinking about what that "something else" might be, and everyone's face went rigid. "[cold]I was reading last night. I did not approach the kitchen" They stated it flatly without looking up from the book. It didn't sound like they were lying. That's what made it scariest, Killua thought. "[angry]I would never eat something like that! That much would make me fat!" Their tone was sharp. Apparently people changed when it came to body shape. Chairman Netero smiled gently. "[gentle]I was meditating in the garden from four in the morning. I was hungry, but it's my habit not to eat before moving" They said it with a carefree smile. Illumi opened their mouth, still expressionless. "[cold]I intended to protect only Killua's portion. I did not touch anything else" Killua looked at their brother's face. "[serious]That's scary in a different way, so stop" "[cold]Why" "[serious]I don't know how to answer that" Kurapika said nothing. They simply observed everyone's faces quietly, one by one in order. Fleeks Gon suddenly realized something. Everyone had said something. Only one person hadn't said anything yet. "[serious]……What about you, Moraou?" Everyone looked at Moraou. Moraou Maccarnage slightly hunched their massive frame and dropped their gaze to the floor. The large man who had gone through countless hellish situations as a sea hunter couldn't seem to raise their eyes. Leorio stared at Moraou with a look that said "You could at least say you didn't eat it." Several seconds passed. "[sad]……I ate it" The voice was low. "[serious]I was hungry" That was all. A moment of silence. "[angry]Why did you eat everything?!" They exploded. Their voice echoed down the hallway. If the lodge manager Joba had heard it, they might have come to check "You didn't use Nen ability, right?" "[angry]The meat! The eggs! Even the bread! The seasonings too!! Did you eat it all by yourself?!" Biscuit sighed deeply. A tired sigh. Kurapika looked at Moraou with cold eyes for a second, then looked away. That alone was enough to convey what Kurapika was thinking. Moraou tried to apologize but didn't know which direction to face, and began wandering around the kitchen. Their massive frame moved in circles. They wanted to apologize to someone, but there were too many angry faces to look at any of them. The sight was somehow comical, and Killua put a hand to their forehead saying "Honestly……" In that moment, a thought crossed Killua's mind and they stopped moving. The candy stash. The portion submerged in the Sepina River should be safe. But what about the portion on the shelf? Killua ran to their room at full speed. Footsteps thundered down the hallway. Three seconds later, they returned. "[serious]The river portion is safe" No one was listening, but they looked relieved. Killua's seriousness about it was funny in a different way, and Chairman Netero laughed quietly. --- After that, the lodge scattered. Leorio moved to the living room while continuing to say something to Moraou. Biscuit returned to the sofa. Kurapika walked quietly down the hallway. Chrollo returned to their chair while opening the book. Hisoka went out to the wood deck. Illumi returned to their room with an expressionless face. Chairman Netero entered the kitchen, opened the now-empty refrigerator once more, and closed it. Only Fleeks Gon remained in the kitchen. Gon stood in front of the kitchen window, looking outside. The autumn Crena Ridge was visible. The maple leaves were red, the morning sun was bright, and the sky was blue. The scenery they had thought beautiful yesterday and the day before felt a little distant today. Gon recalled the group they had gathered. Hisoka came. Chrollo came. Illumi was here. Moraou was here. Leorio and Kurapika came too. Biscuit and the Chairman as well. So many people were at this retreat. But now everyone was facing different directions. After spending three days together, just because Moraou ate the food supplies, everyone scattered to separate places. Gon spoke in a small voice, intending no one to hear. "[sad]……Is it my fault?" Still looking out the window. "[sad]Was it wrong to call so many people?" Gon was not smiling. Gon, who always smiled, was not smiling now. Zoldyck Killua stopped at the kitchen entrance. A bag of Choco Robo-kun in hand, they watched Gon's back. Gon didn't turn around. They remained facing the window, motionless. The "honestly" exasperation that had been on Killua's face moments before disappeared. It happened in an instant. But it changed clearly. Killua walked over to Gon. They stood beside them and looked outside. Both silent, only the red of the maple leaves and the blue of the morning sky continued beyond the window. In the distant living room, Leorio's voice could still be heard saying something to Moraou. From another room came the faint sound of Kurapika packing their belongings. Killua confirmed Gon's profile. Gon's smile had not returned yet. Killua opened their mouth once, then closed it. Opened it again. They were trying to say something. What they intended to say was written only on their face. A face that had decided. A face that had dropped the pretense of annoyance. The morning Crena Ridge glowed quietly.