Part 20: Some X New X Encounters

SECCO RASVIN

"My name is Java." the woman who attacked me introduced herself. It was morning already and we walked outside the inn. She told me to lead me into her headquarters and meet with her student. It was a very hot day that I even removed my vest to release the heat inside my body. But the heat didn't bother Java, she didn't even get a sunburn. When I look at her, she looks so young like Kurapika and her have the same age. "And you are?"

"I-I'm Secco. Nice to meet you, Miss Java!" I shouted nervously and bowed as a sign of respect for her. I don't know why but I was very excited right now. Maybe because I finally have a mentor to teach me and make me stronger.

"For now, you'll call me Master," she replied.

"Y-Yes, Master!~"

"Good. And just in time." she stopped in front of a beerhouse in a medieval-style building. She was the first to enter the establishment before me. A bunch of tough-looking guys with a big smile on their faces was seen inside the beerhouse, busy drinking the beer on their hands.

Java continued walking forward, didn't bother the drunken men laughing on the tables. I followed her and tried to avoid the guys.

On the counter, the back of a man was seen with a rubbish brown hair. I couldn't see his face clearly because he was doing some busy task behind him.

"Hey, Archi! Don't treat your master like that! Have some respect!" Java suddenly shouted at the boy. The latter turned around to meet her eyes whose now filled with anger.

He has evergreen shining eyes but since it was filled with irritation, it looks very dull to the sight. If I deduced correctly, he experienced a bad childhood. His eyebrows almost stuck on each other's ends. Somehow, he reminds me of someone...

"Can't you see I'm busy with my chores you gave me yesterday?" he said in a low voice but I can see in his eyes the irritation but he didn't fully express his emotions.

"Oh yeah..." Master Java taught for a while and rubbed the back of her head. She faked a laugh. "W-Well, stop what you're doing and there's someone I'd like to introduce to you."

When she said that, she pulled me from behind and showed me to the boy who actually almost looked like the same age as me—though he is a little taller.

"What? Have you found a stray cat again?" he insulted me with his eyes turned into slits. I was going to mock him but I made myself calm down.

"Watch your mouth, brat! For this is a Novice Hunter, Secco. And she will be my student starting today." Java introduces me with great confidence and proudness and then, she looked at me. "And this is Archimedes, Archi for short."

"Even she's a Novice Hunter, that doesn't mean she's good. Remember, Master, she's just starting." the boy named Archi lectured his master with his glare.

"Archi, don't be so rude. I just wanted to help her finish the secret exam, and besides, she's got a Hunter license. And hunter license means freebies and discounts in any stores!" Java said with a wide devilish grin on her face, thinking that her plans would work.

"If she can keep up with the training." he glared at me again with his low voice. It irritates me but I controlled myself not to wreak havoc.

Wait! His personality, his irritated face. This reminds me of my first meeting with Killua, when he always mocking me and insulting me. And great, now I really missed him. My cheeks suddenly felt hot and I can see myself blush.

"Secco, are you alright?" I went back to reality immediately when Java tap my shoulder. I looked at her and nodded as I smiled.

"Good. Now, let's go to the training field where you can start your secret exam."

We let the other bartenders do Archi's job and went to the training field Java talked about earlier. It was in the middle of a forest near the city. The trees were being cut down and the grasses didn't grow much.

"Your secret exam is all about... Nen." Java told me with her now serious face.

"Nen?"

I heard Archi sighed beside his master as he folded his arms. After that, he put his arms and eyebrows down.

"If you don't have a single background about Nen, then this is your end," he said.

Because of what he said, I got frustrated and pointed my index finger towards him.

"Hey! You can't be sure" I shouted back and then formed a big smile on my face and motivated eyes. "I promise you, I'll pass this exam! You can count on that!~"

He suddenly shocked because of what I said and his cheeks became red. He lowered his head to hide his face and turned his back around.

"W-Whatever you say," he said and left the training ground into the deepest part of the forest.

I noticed Java smirked at me and to the walking Archi. I told her to start the exam and she agreed.

At first, she lectured me about Nen and topics that were occupied by it.

Nen was actually a special type of energy produced by humans and that energy is called Aura. Any skills involve is called Nen Ability.

Then, Java awakened my Nen so I can start my training. It was not hard at first. As long as I listened to her every instruction, I'll end the exam up fast.

Next, she introduced me to the four fundamentals of Nen which are Ten, Ren, Zetsu, and Hatsu. This time, it was getting harder and harder.

I trained these four fundamentals until I realized that it was already afternoon and the sun almost sets.

"I guess let's call it a day. I was surprised that you learned so fast." she praised me that makes me flattered.

Archi also came back from the forest and his body was full of dust and leaves. I guess he also trained his strengths. He looked at me but not in anger, he suddenly became red and quickly averted his eyes from me. I gave him a questioning look.

Again, I noticed Java's smile became wide.

"Hey, you two, could you please buy some groceries for our dinner?" she said with her wide grin still stuck on her face. "And Secco, don't forget your Hunter license, huh? The Hunter license."

I nodded as an agreement but Archi was surprised and keeps arguing to Java.

"W-What are you saying??!" he shouted at her with his cheeks became completely red. This was the first time saw him shouting at someone. I thought he was just a boy who hides all his emotions inside.

"Why, is something wrong, Archi?" she answered.

"Well...", Archi didn't have any effort to answer her question and just accepted it. "Fine! I-I'll do it!"

"Okay, then. I'll be waiting at the beerhouse. Ba-bye!~", she said and sprinted out of our sight. I can't help but be amazed at what she did. How can she disappear like that?

Archi and I went to the nearest store we can reach in the town and bought some ingredients in cooking. Because of me as the hero of the town, they gave me some discounts and freebies.

We passed by a bakery and a whole lemon cake was being displayed at the window. I can't help myself but to buy the whole lemon cake for this is my favorite, and they even gave me a bag of cookies.

"You're really popular," Archi said and I just gave him a smile as I was having trouble carrying the freebies they gave me.

"Here, let me carry those." he took some stuff out of my hands and continued walking.

"Thank you!~," I said with another big smile which made him blush and looked away. I thought he was very rude and self-centered but he is actually kind and sociable.

We made it into the beerhouse and Java was surprised that we brought a lot of stuff just by buying some groceries. She asked me what happened and told the other workers to help us. I told her everything.

"I guess we don't need the Hunter license... for now," she said and announced a celebration for all of the workers and all the costumer guys who were left which was actually friends of Java.

She cooked all the dishes for us and it was really good. She should be a Gourmet Hunter, I mean, she is an excellent cook. After that big party, we all went to bed as I went back to the inn.

Because of the incident last night, they brought me into another room as they were repairing the damaged properties in my room.

This training continued until I almost work on the first two fundamentals. One day, I continued my training with Java, and all of a sudden, she suggested that Archi will be my trainer this time. Like last time, he was arguing at her but then accepted the decision.

He was not a bad trainer. He was stricter than Java but I didn't mind that and just listen to his every instruction.

"Okay. Let's take a break!~" Java announced.

Because of the hard training, I took short breaths, and sweats started to drop from my body to the ground.

"Sorry for the harsh training." Archi apologized.

"I didn't mind it at all. Don't worry!~" I said with a warm smile.

He smiled back at me. It was my first time seeing him smile like that.

"There is a lake inside the forest. We should take some rest there," he suggested and I agreed to him.

It was not a long walk until we reached the lake. Many small flowers bloomed between the grass and butterflies appearing everywhere. I can't help but be amazed by the beautiful scenery.

I noticed Archi was looking for something inside the hole of the big tree. I approached him and a bunch of bunnies came out from the hole. Archi grabbed small carrots out of his pocket and gave it to the bunnies.

As I looked at what he was doing, I found it cute and smiled out of the blue. When he turned around, all he saw was my face and he blushed all of a sudden.

"You actually like bunnies, huh?" I said with a smile.

"I-I always have a friend bunny named Lin when I was a kid. But now, he was lost and I couldn't be able to find him," he said with a sad voice. If only I could help him find his bunny.

"I hope he's fine," I said and Archi nodded as an agreement.

"It's such a shame that he was gone now," he said with a sad laugh.

After that, we went back to the training ground where Java was smirking widely.

"What? Did something happened?~" she asked.

"There isn't!" Archi shouted as an answer, his face was still red.

The training continued and almost finish the four fundamentals. Java said that she will give me more hard training to build my strength, not just obtaining the four fundamentals.

One night, we were going back to the beerhouse until Archi said he forgot something deep in the forest and be right back. He probably forgot to feed the bunnies.

"W-Wait! I'll come with you." I said.

"No need. This will be fast." Archi said and we noticed Java frowned at us. Archi blushed once again and quickly ran into the deep forest.

We waited for him in silence until Java asked me a question out of the blue.

"Hey, Secco," she called out for me.

"Yes, Master?"

"I was wondering... why is your left arm covered with bandages?", she asked me.

Just like how I felt when Killua asked about my arm, I am nervous and scared that I didn't know if I tell her or not. If I told Gon and the others about it, I guess I should tell it, my master, also.

So I told her everything that I told my friends during the Hunter exam.

"So I've been keeping this arm away from people and hoping I can find a way to get it out of my body."

"Is that so? Then, did you killed someone with it?" she asked, and then, the fear came back to me.

I slowly nodded as an answer and all of a sudden, we heard something fell in a loud crash from behind the trees. We checked every single tree and lastly, saw Archi in surprised eyes with his water bottle on the ground.

Then, his expression changed into fierce that I didn't saw in him before. His eyebrows are down even more and his green eyes shined in the dark with terror.

"Archi?"

I don't know why is he acting like that but according to the timeline of events happened, he might have heard our conversation earlier about my arm.

After that, he just stared at me with those glaring eyes until a tear dropped on his face, followed by another and another. He wiped these off and ran back deep in the forest.

I was about to run towards him when I heard Java sighed in her position. "Looks like he went mad because of what he heard."

"D-Did something happened to him??" I asked Java with a worrisome face. I couldn't rest not knowing what is happening to Archi or why he's acting like that.

She sighed again and looked at me. "His uncle, his only parent, was killed by someone using his extraordinary arm. It was ugly and disgusting, like how you describe your bandaged arm. After his parents died, he swore to himself that he will find the killer and kill him to avenge his uncle's death."

She took a step forward towards the direction where Archi left and picked the fallen water bottle up. "He didn't expect that his friend was also a suspect."

She looked at me again. "Or perhaps not just a friend..." she whispered but I can hear her.

When I heard his sad story from her, I formed my hands into fists and made a serious look at Java.

"Let's look for him."