Hey, minna! First of all, thank you so much to those who have been showing their support for my book during my absence. Adding MAB to your Reading Lists helps promote this book so that new readers of KilluaxOc fanfics can discover it. I know it's been so long since I've last posted. I've been pretty busy with school and my personal life, but thank God for spring break, am I right? This chapter was supposed to have more to it, but thought it would be too long, so I will continue it in the next chapter. I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter. This chapter is dedicated to @ZatannaRononoa. Thanks for reading, dude! Stay awesome! Trouble out.

I knocked on the door for the third time, louder with more force, now at the point where I'm worried. I had been knocking at Killua and Gon's hotel room for a while now, only to receive that continual dead response. "Guys, are you awake yet?" I called out in worry, with a hint of annoyance. I tried to make my voice low enough to not disturb the other guests. "The rest of the class is already down at the lobby. Are you coming with us or not?"

Waiting impatiently with me were Lizz and Alluka, crossing their arms and gazing around the hallway which they have already grown too familiar with. "Ugh, I bet they overslept," Lizz groaned.

"Maybe we should try calling them?" Alluka suggested, already with her phone out.

"I sent them several text messages already!" Lizz added. "Either their phones are dead or they are. Seriously, they tag along with us on this trip on their own accord and they have the audacity to make us wait. That's it! I'm not gonna wait all day for them. I'm kicking the door down."

"Whoa, no need to get too extreme," I calmly reasoned. I was surprised that she actually considered that. This would have been something I would expect from Shiki, who was nowhere around when we all woke up. She didn't leave a note, text, or any clue about her whereabouts. Where ever she went, I hope she is all right.

"Don't you think that's dangerous?" Alluka implied nervously.

"Don't worry. I'll use Nen as a defense," Lizz replied, determined.

"I don't think that's what she meant..." I added, which probably did not matter since Lizz's mind seemed to have already been made up. Where in the world would she get this ridiculous idea from? Somehow, I blame Gon's influence.

"I know but... I've always wanted to try it, okay?" Lizz conveyed, sounding like a little kid. She seemed to really want to do this badly. She rolled up her sleeves, took two steps back, and readied herself. Her ankles were bouncing in place, getting excited. Just as she was about to sprint, the door clicked.

The door partially opened with a dark open crack. Gon's face showed up as he fixed an index finger over his lips. "Shhhhh," he whispered. "Killua's resting."

Lizz fixed her sleeves and walked up to Gon. She placed her arm on the door over her head, leaning close. "Resting? How much rest does he need? It's passed eleven."

Gon widened the door, granting us to enter. When we walked in, the room was dim, considering that they kept the curtains closed. In one of the beds was a large, sniffling lump under the sheets. "Don't... come... any..." he takes in a deep sniff. "... closer," and then coughed.

"Oh, dear..." Alluka muttered as she walked faster toward the bed.

"I said... stay back." Killua spoke in a low, weak voice, as if he was too tired to speak. His voice also sounded ingested due to his sinus being filled. "I don't... want you getting sick."

"It was the rain last night, wasn't it?" I assumed.

Alluka placed her hand on his forehead. Her face carried a concerned expression. "Onii-chan, you have a fever."

Killua's hand emerged from the white cover, moving toward the tissue box on his bedside in slow motion. Despite the box being two feet from his face, his hand simply waved at it in failed attempts of grabbing a thin sheet. To his rescue, Alluka pulled out a tissue for him. "Thank you..." he muttered before blowing his nose like an elephant. He then dropped the used tissue on the floor with other scattered, crumpled tissues that have been used. I didn't notice them until now, and I almost stepped on them. I backed away in disgust.

Gon looked at him with pity, then said to us, "Sorry, girls. Killua doesn't seem fit to go out today. We're just going to hang here."

Alluka looks up at him. "Are you sure?"

"Why don't you ask Killua?" Lizz asked, sarcastically. I shot her a look, telling her it wasn't funny.

"Then maybe I should stay to take care of him," Alluka volunteered. Before Lizz and I could have any say in this, Gon interrupted us.

"It's okay, Alluka. I'm all Killua needs right now. Who knows, maybe we'll catch up with you guys later."

Killua turned his head, staring at Alluka with those tired, narrow eyes. "Go... have fun. Don't let me ruin your day. We weren't supposed to be here anyways." He managed a crippled smile.

I felt bad that there wasn't anything I could do to help them, and these two had to stay behind from all the activities and sightseeing. It wouldn't be the same without them, but it wouldn't be same if Alluka was excluded as well. It's bad enough we are short by one person... wait. Is that right? Has Shiki officially become a member of our group? And another thing; Killua just admitted that he DID come all this way just to follow us. He must be REALLY sick.

***

While walking behind the class, we spectated the beautiful, buzzing markets full of merchants, flourists, artisans, and street performers. There were so many gift shops and merchant tables in our path that we could only take brief glances at their novel items while keeping up with the rest of the class. Some of those intriguing items made me wonder if I would regret buying them or not. Some of the paintings artists left by the windows or tables of shops were breath-taking. I wanted to take pictures of them to show to my mom, but all the owners said no photography, for the pieces were originals. After the class had lunch, it was time for us students to roam freely.

"All right, shopping!" Lizz cheered with arms stretched high.

"Shopping!" Alluka cheered alongside with her.

"Is shopping the only thing you're excited for? We do that enough back at home," I laughed.

"But these are stuff that we CANT get at home," Lizz reasoned as she began pointing at all the exotic items and boutiques at every nook of the market. "Just look at those baskets! That dress. And whatever THAT is!" 

"Exactly. I like to slow down, look around and savor this experience. I don't want to waste too much time shopping."

"That's because it always takes Alluka twenty minutes to debate on what to buy, and then she ends up not buying anything at all."

"Hey!" Alluka defended. "You'll never know what is practical or not."

"Gift-shopping isn't about buying what you need," Lizz began to explain. "It's for souvenirs so that we can always remember these fun times." 

She was right. I still wanted to buy at least one thing to commemorate this field trip. I just wish Killua was here to enjoy it with us. Maybe while we're shopping around the markets, I could buy a souvenir for him to help him get better. I should also get Gon something too, or rather give Lizz the idea to buy Gon a gift instead.

"Hmm..." While Lizz and Alluka gazed over a table full of jewelry, I wandered not too astray from them to see if there was anything Killua might like. I could buy him a snack, but snacks are only for temporary enjoyment. I want to give him something that he would always keep. My eyes wandered more until it caught the attention of something shiny. In front of the window of an armory shop was a table topped with knives and blades. That could be something of Killua's preference.

I walked over to the booth covered in a white sheet, uniformly decorated with a variety of weapons. Some were as small to fit in ones mouth while others were as large as one's forearm. Although these weapons looked decent, the question was whether they were real weapons or just antiques, maybe even fakes.

Ugh, what am I thinking?! Killua's a Hunter, not an assassin! He's not into that kind of business anymore. I should not even buy him a reminder of that life. I should give him a normal gift. But what would he define as something normal? Would he appreciate something simple or something extraordinary? What do you give a guy who has lived his whole life to the extreme?

"Anything you like, sir?" An adult I assumed to be the owner asked the person standing next to me.

"I'm just looking. Thank you." When the costumer responded, his voice sounded familiar. I turned to look at him for the first time and was surprised to see that it was Kurapika. I haven't seen him since that party back home. I never expected to see him here.

"Kurapika?" I spoke, making sure I wasn't mistaken.

The blonde-haired man looked at me. After a second of analyzing and recalling, his eyes widened from finally recognizing me. I wondered if he did not see me, or he noticed me but didn't remember until I said something. "Oh, hello, Yuki! What a surprise."

"Y-yeah! I never expected meetingYOU here. What a coincidence."

"Indeed," he gently smiled. "What brings you to this country?"

"Oh, I'm here on a school trip. Lizz and Alluka are also here. They're by that table over there." I pointed back at the table where I left them. Karupika's eyes followed my direction to the spot.

"I see..."

I put my hand down and faced him again. "So are you on vacation or something?"

"Actually, I'm here for business."

Business, huh? If I remember correctly, he should also be a pro Hunter. "Is it a Hunter job?" I asked.

He hesitated, and then gave a comforting smile. "You could call it that." He looked down at his watch for a brief moment. "I should be going now. I'm supposed to meet someone. Enjoy the rest of your trip." He waved bye as he started walking down the street.

"See ya, Kurapika!" I called and waved back at him. As the space between us drew larger, it just occurred to me that I could've also told Kurapika that Gon and Killua were here too. He seemed busy, so maybe he wouldn't have the time to visit them anyway. I will just tell the boys I ran into Kurapika today.

"Yuki! Yuki, come check this out!" I turned around to see Lizz and Alluka rushing toward me. As she came to a stop, she looked over my shoulder curiously. "Hey, was that... what's his name... Karoopika?"

"Kurapika, and yes. Weird, huh? He said he came here on business."

"Huh, that must be cool." Lizz rested her knuckles on her hips as she watched Kurapika walk away. "Too bad we couldn't say hi."

"He had to go in a hurry," I assured Lizz.

"I wonder when it'll be the next time we'll party together. Waddya think, Alluka?" Lizz nudges Alluka's arm, but she remained silent. She seemed to be staring off into space, but no. Her focus was on Kurapika with mesmerized eyes. "Alluka? Hello..." Lizz waved her hand over Alluka's face as she tried communicating with her.

"Kurapika..." she spoke softly. "He has killing intent."

Lizz and I both exchanged glances with fearful bewilderment. This was something we never expected from her, to talk so dark so suddenly. We turned to her as Lizz asked her, "What are you talking about?"

Alluka wiped her nose. "I can smell when someone strongly wants to shed blood. It's... not pleasant."

"H-how do you know?" I asked, feeling really creeped out. Hearing this coming out of sweet Alluka was giving me a cold sweat.

"Sadly to say, I've been around dangerous people for a long time, and they carry the same smel. And when the desire to gravely harm someone rises, I can smell it. I guess in a way, that's my sixth sense."

"But this is Kurapika we're talking about," Lizz added nervously. "He seems like a nice guy. He's also Gon and Killua's friend. There's no way he's a murderer."

Alluka shook her head in disagreement. "No, that's not what I'm implying. Kurapika IS a nice person. The smell isn't as putrid as bloodlust... but he still has this aura of malice over himself."

I looked back to where Kurapika was heading, but he had already disappeared in the crowd of the streets. He did not seem like a scary guy, and he sounded fine when we spoke. Alluka's nose must be playing with her. I needed to change this awkwardly sketchy atmosphere. "Uh, hey. Didn't you guys wanna show me something?"

Lizz's eyes lightened up. "Oh, that's right. Follow us." Lizz gestured me to follow her to a table they were at. On the table was lined up threads and piles of beads and charms. "What do you think? Buy one get one fifty percent off."

I let out a light giggle. "That's a nice deal and all, but don't you think we're a little too old for friendship bracelets?"

"First of all," Lizz emphasized with a lifted finger. "Friendship bracelets are not that cliché. I still kept three of mine for the past four years, and I hope you did the same." I rolled my eyes at her. "Second, I meant to show you this for you and Killua."

"Killua? How did you know I was- wait, what makes you think Killua would want, well... this?"

"You guys could have matching accessories. It's one of the best couple gifts." She leaned her hand against the table. "Also, it isn't a matter of what Killua wants. It's the fact that the gift came from you that matters."

"Well, I guess it's not a bad idea." I ended paying for two identical charmed bracelets I made myself. Three leathered braids held together by adjustable knots with several beads in the middle. The center piece of one bracelet has a broken half of a heart with a picture of a lock, while the other half of the other bracelet had a key. With both pieces together, they complete the phrase I love you.

"Nice!" Alluka gave a thumb up of approval.

"Hmmm... you sure you don't want to add bright colors to it?" Lizz asked unsure. She held her chin as she peered down at the charms, judging them that look as if something was missing.

"It's fine, Lizz. Killua isn't the type who likes stuff that are too flashy. Hopefully this is simple enough for his taste."

***

Several hours have passed and nightfall arrived. The class and I returned to the hotel so that we would all rest up for tomorrow. We paid a quick visit to Killua and Gon, of course. Killua's health improved, but he was still a little weak. We brought them back sandwiches and pastries we bought while we were out. I thought about giving Killua his souvenir at that time, but decided to wait a little longer. I wouldn't want him to feel embarrassed about receiving a bracelet as a gift in front of everyone. I will give it to him when we're alone. That way, I would see his genuine reaction, instead of him putting up an obligated, polite smile in front of our friends.

After night hours, for some reason I was woken up from my sleep while it was still blissfully dark. I didn't bother checking the clock as I tried to focus my attention toward the source of the noise. It sounded like a window slowly sliding closed. Carefully closing the window was a familiar silhouette. I sat up a little and rubbed my eyes, trying to awaken and adjust my vision.

"Shiki? Is that you?" I whispered.
The figure turned to me and shushed. She definitely sounded like Shiki. I inspected my other roommates who were still heavily asleep.

"Where have you been all this time?" I started straightening out my messy bed head with my fingers, not sure if it would matter since we would most likely go back to sleep soon. Not to mention that it was dark, so no point in trying to look presentable.

"I went on my own tour," she replied, cautiously looking out the window. The moonlight shine on her face, allowing me to see her expression of alarm. "I hope they didn't follow me..." she muttered to herself.

I moved closer to the feet of my bed to get closer to Shiki. "Who are you talking about?" She did not answer me or even so much as gave me a glance. This was annoying me. "Shiki, what did you do?"

She gave a sigh as she faced me. "I ran into the Phantom Troupe today."

"Yo-" I was about to yell in shock when Shiki covered my mouth in lightning speed before I could wake up the entire floor.

"Shhh! Quiet!" she hushed me as she took her sweaty hand back. I wiped my mouth in disgust, not knowing where her hands have been this whole time. "Well, I wouldn't really say run into them. More like, I just happen to spot them by chance today and decided to tail them. There was someone who was paying good money just for some good leads on where to find these guys. I figured if I found out where their temporary hide out was or where they were going next, I could make some quick cash. However, just about thirty-four minutes ago, one of them saw me. At that moment, I just booked it."

"They're really that scary?" I spoke for the first after her entire explanation.

"You should know, since you've met them before."

"How do you-"

"I make sure I know everything about my enemies. Knowledge is power," she retorted.

"Seriously? You still consider me as an enemy up to this point?"

"Hey, you are still my love rival," she pointed accusingly at me, then withdrew. "Anyways, my life wasn't worth getting caught by those freaks. But at least my client was already in the area when I contacted him, so they're his problem now."

I was actually surprised that Shiki was afraid of the Phantom Troupe. Yes, I was captured by them, and it was one of the most horrific experiences in my life, but they acted around each other like normal people. When Killua came to save me, he didn't seem afraid at all. I wonder if this meant Killua was in a level as strong as the Phantom Troupe.

I began losing focus on Shiki as my eyelids grew heavy, my vision feeling darker. I gave a deep yawn with my mouth wide open, scratching the back of my head. "Whatever. Let's just get back to sleep. Tomorrow is our last day, so I hope you plan on spending it with us."

Shiki stretched her arms and kicked her shoes off. "Yeah, sleep sounds good. I've been up since five o'clock in the morning." I was too tired to question why she woke up so early, or where she had been throughout the duration of the day, other than following a league of bandits. All I cared about was sleep. Shiki crawled into bed and I buried my face in my soft, cozy pillow. Before I welcomed sleep back in, the last question that popped into my mind was who would be crazy enough to hunt down the Phantom Troupe?

That was when my eyes shot open as wide as saucers while I jolted up from bed, fully awake. "Wait a minute..." Alluka said that she sensed malice intentions from Kurapika today. Kurapika also said that he was here for business. Shiki said that her client was looking for the Phantom Troupe and was in this area. Could it be a coincidence? Still, Kurapika and the Phantom Troupe at the same place at the same time? Plus, the way how Alluka looked scared today...

"Pssst! Shiki!" I tried to whisper as loud as I could, definitely trying not to wake up Lizz and Alluka at this point. Shiki didn't move in her bed or make a sound. "Shiki." She was still unresponsive. I was certain that she was simply ignoring me. I grabbed my pillow and threw it at her head. She sat up straight, giving me the glare of a cranky cat.

"Do you wanna die?!" she yelled. Another pillow was thrown at her. This time, it came from Lizz, who held her remaining pillow forcefully over her head.

"Shut up... we're trying to sleep..."

With Lizz and possibly Alluka now able to ease drop on us, I got out of bed, walked over to Shiki, grabbed her by the wrist, and walked out through the door. I quietly closed the door behind us, hoping they were too sleepy to notice that we walked out of the room. The lights outside in the hallway were still on. Shiki was still wearing her trourist outfit while I was still in my pajamas, but that didn't matter this moment.

Shiki crossed her arms as she leaned against the wall. With eyes lively awake, she stared at me with a scowl. "Okay, spill it out before I start spilling blood. What's so important that you had to bring me out here?"

"Your client... what was his name?" I asked.

"Huh? Are you for real? If you're thinking about tracking down the Troupe just so that you-"

"Darn it, Shiki! This isn't about that!" I bursted out loud without thinking. Shiki was even surprised that I used my outside voice in the middle of night in public.

"Shush! Geez, Yuki. You don't have to be so loud about it. His name is Kurapika Kurta. Are you happy now?"

"Kurapika, I knew it..."

"What's this about all of a sudden?"

So Kurapika is after the Phantom Troupe, but for what reason? Does he know no fear? Was someone higher up hiring him to hunt the Troupe? No... if he had a strong enough intent to kill them, this must be for personal reasons. Whatever the reason it may be, he alone can't face the entire Phantom Troupe. Even Killua and Shiki do not dare to tango with those guys.

Wait another minute. Kurapika is not the only one in danger tonight. Kalluto, Killua's little brother, is with them. Last time I saw him was at Killua's house, but has he already rejoined his group? What if Kurapika kills him?

"Hello? Are you even listening to me?" Shiki interrupted my thoughts, annoyed.

"Oh, sorry, Shiki. I was thinking."

"Well you can think in the morning. Let's go back to bed..." Shiki placed her hand on the door handle, but I stopped her with my hand grabbing the knob before her.

"Take me to the Phantom Troupe."