Chapter 62

I haven't used communication devices for a long time.

This is no big deal. When working part-time, you can communicate directly with your colleagues via walkie-talkie. When you get bored back at the hotel, you can watch movies and play games. There's also a coffee shop and bookstore not far downstairs.

I enjoy and feel fulfilled every day, and occasionally I feel a little unfulfilled because of this peace away from the hustle and bustle of the world.

Until Kurapika, who had fully recovered, suddenly said to me:

"I'm leaving here."

Leorio wasn't there at the moment, and I looked blankly at Kurapika, as if he were fighting against his immense determination all by himself.

"Where should we go?" A bad feeling crept into my heart, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. "Leorio's not here... Let's wait for him to come back and discuss it together."

“There’s no need for that,” Kurapika said. “This is my personal training.”

...

Before I could react to what had happened, the blond youth had already picked up a small suitcase that he had packed away sometime earlier and left.

After the door lock clicked shut, I sat alone in the room for a while. I don't know how much time passed before Leorio appeared.

He knocked a few times, and I got up from my chair to open the door for him. He leaned out halfway, his gaze sweeping around the room. After looking around casually, he asked:

Where's Kurapika?

“He’s gone,” I replied.

Leorio's eyes widened: "What?"

“He’s gone,” I repeated.

"When did this happen... no, wait, where did he go?" His tone was disordered and panicked.

I shook my head: "I don't know."

Leorio: "Weren't you in your room the whole time? How could you not know? Did he leave while you were out?"

I shook my head again.

“No,” I said, “I watched him leave, and he told me he was leaving… Come to think of it, he didn’t say goodbye to me.”

I belatedly realized that his farewell was incomplete.

But now didn't seem like the right time to discuss the farewell ceremony. Leorio hurriedly squeezed into the room, closed the door, and anxiously said, his face contorted with worry:

"What did he say that made him suddenly leave?"

I:"……"

I'd like to know too.

To be honest, I'm completely confused right now, it feels so unreal.

But Leorio was in such a hurry that I could only barely recall my memories to answer his question, vaguely recounting the scene at the time.

Only after I uttered the phrase "and then he left" as the ending did I suddenly realize:

Oh right, Kurapika is gone.

The dreamlike, ethereal feeling has finally found a tangible place to land.

...

“As expected,” Leorio sighed as I finally realized he was leaving. “I knew he would leave once his injuries healed, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon, and as always, he’s so ruthless at times like this.”

His tone was full of stories.

So I followed up by asking, "Does this happen often?"

Leorio mumbled, "Well, he does have a goal he absolutely has to achieve, so it's understandable."

No, I can't understand.

I finally found a corner to shelter from the elements, why can't time slow down? Why can't this kind of life continue?

"And what about you?" I wasn't in a good mood, but I was used to hiding my feelings, so I quickly concealed them and asked Leorio in a normal tone, "He's gone, what are your plans?"

“I’m going back too,” he said. “Haha, I only came to temporarily support my friend. Now that the support is done and my vacation is over, I should go back to get down to business!”

That's great.

I think.

Everyone has a place to move forward or a place to return to.

“Then I’m leaving too,” Leorio asked. “Ray, what are your plans after this? Are you going home or looking for Killua… He called me a few days ago, and you told me to keep it a secret and not tell him you were here.”

"I don't know, we'll see." I turned around listlessly, pulled my chair forward, lowered my head, and rested my chin on the table. "...Since you have important business to attend to, you should hurry up and go."

The door opened and closed again.

The desktop is cold and lifeless.

Her cheek was pressed against the table, and her hair slowly drifted down from behind her ears, blocking her view.

“By the way,” Leorio’s voice came from outside the door again. “I’m not leaving anytime soon. If you need to contact Killua, you can come find me.”

I didn't reply.

His footsteps faded into the distance.

My mind started flashing through random images: Kurapika saying he was leaving, the chains swaying in his hands; Leorio helping me persuade the agent to pay more, patting me on the shoulder and affirming my abilities… and one day in the sunlight, the blond youth turned back to me against the light and said:

I am a revenger; my life is nothing but revenge.

I know that when he left, I could have spoken up to him and asked him why he had to leave, using my sweet talk and my usual malice to pester him and force him to stay.

But I didn't say anything at that moment, and even now I don't want to say anything to keep him here.

Because I knew this day would come, and unless I embarked on that thorny and arduous path of revenge with him, we would eventually part ways.

Chrollo is indeed hateful, the Phantom Troupe are all bad people, Kurapika is pitiful, and he is still the kindest person I have ever met.

These reasons were all very convincing enough for me to side with Kurapika, but ultimately they couldn't make me make that choice.

Because I am not that kind of person.

Just as he wouldn't give up his revenge for me or anyone else, including his friends or himself, I wouldn't decide to fight the Phantom Troupe for him just because he's a good person and Kuroro is a bad person.

I don't have that kind of hatred that makes me feel I have to do it.

All I crave now is a peaceful life where I can live without the Zoldycks and Adrian.

I have come to realize that no one in this world loves me unconditionally.

I always try to find my sense of existence in others, so I obeyed Illumi's every word, and because of my pain, I hoped that Killua would pull me out of the abyss. When neither of these paths worked, I turned to Chrollo like a parasite.

They are all a bunch of empty-hearted guys, and it's impossible for me to fill myself with their love.

I no longer need their love, nor do I crave my mother's approval. I am unwilling to confine myself to the framework of my Adrian identity; I just want a peaceful life.

But who can provide me with that kind of life?

After thinking for a while, I looked up. The tabletop was already warm from my body heat. I tucked my stray bangs behind my ears, pressed the doorknob, and walked out.

Having found Leorio's room, I rang the doorbell, leaned against the door, and lazily raised my chin to ask him:

"Speaking of which, what do you think of me?"

He stood on the other side of the door, stunned for a moment: "What?"

I said calmly, "I ran away from home... If I go back, I'll have to marry Illumi or Killua, and the thought makes me unhappy, so I want to find another man to settle down with first."

Leorio laughed loudly: "You're at it again! This kind of joke isn't funny at all, I'm not falling for it!"

I emphasized, "I'm serious."

"Impossible, impossible," he said, pressing my shoulder and pushing me out. "Miss, come find me when you have something important to discuss. I'm going to rest now."

I was turned away like that.

Oh my god.

I was turned away like that.

I had to squat down in a corner of the corridor to try and calm my restless mind.

Leorio's battle plan has failed miserably; it's time to find a different target to conquer.

Anyone is fine, but I really don't want to go back to the Zoldycks.

After squatting for a while, I inexplicably thought of a name and a string of numbers.

Thinking of him, I immediately perked up, ran to the elevator, took it to the hotel lobby, and borrowed the front desk phone.

After dialing the number swiftly and decisively, I asked directly:

"Hisso".

Without giving him much of a chance to react, I rattled off my purpose:

Will you marry me?

Hisoka's voice came through the receiver after a moment's pause; he seemed quite surprised.

"...Ah, it's Little Lai~"

"Why are you suddenly getting married?"

He asked.

"Xiao Yi has been looking for you lately~ You're so mean, you didn't leave him a single word~ Hehe."

Me: "Never mind him, just get me a new identity, and let's go get our marriage certificate right away."

"Hmph~" Hisoka made two ambiguous nasal sounds, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. After I urged him several times, he finally asked, "Why should I agree~"

"Fine, don't worry about it then." I pouted.

Hisoka said, "Little Rai is really anxious~ but I'm just asking you for a reason~ is that too much to ask?"

"Oh, the reason?" I was starting to feel a bit weary. I glanced at the time on the lobby clock and replied casually, "I like you—is that okay?"

His tone was casual.

Anyone else who heard that tone would definitely get angry, and might even scold me.

Hisoka, however, seemed to have been touched on a nerve, and his previously listless and evasive attitude suddenly became much more enthusiastic.

He chuckled to himself for a while, then repeated what I had said, "I like it," twice, and then said:

"Sure, that's a good reason!"

"I like you too~ Cute little Laiyi~"

"So you agreed?" I asked him to confirm.

He grunted twice.

I was still unsure of the outcome, but since things had already progressed this far, I gave him my address. Still feeling a little uneasy, I added:

"Don't secretly betray me to Illumi. I'll run away as soon as things go wrong."

"But it wouldn't be fun if Xiao Yi didn't know~"

"Fine," I said nonchalantly, knowing this guy's tendency to stir up trouble all too well. "Whatever, it's none of my business. Since they've already come to you, I'm not that worried about Illumi finding out. I just want to take a gamble."

I'm hoping to find a man who will care about me even a little bit... I guess that's what I'm gambling on.

Thinking about it this way, my situation is quite pathetic. After eliminating all the women around me, I can only gamble on Hisoka in the end.

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There's no way that Ray's personality and Xiao Ku could be together...

She is completely incapable of making sacrifices for others.

——

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!