berre

 He knew she was annoyed, and what he did was wrong; especially in their made up handbook that was never physically mentioned. But there was no denying, he wanted to win!

“I promise not to do it again!” Alas, ignored by her. He stared at her, waiting for a reply.

Komugi was set on dismissing his apologies,  keeping her head locked on the floor as her hand moved around to find the other pieces. Unbeknownst to her, there were none left. Even though Meruem would have laughed at this earlier on, he felt stressed at the situation.

 Upsetting, and quite frankly stupid men who ultimately cower at Meruem’s feet when sentenced to death was easy for the Ant king to control; but one game with Komugi was what threw him off. This was harder to resolve than letting someone live, there must have been a solution.

Meruem offered the pouch where all the pieces belonged. He let it brush through her hand for a moment before opening it completely to her. “You have all of them.”

 She immediately dropped the pieces carelessly. 

Closing the pouch and pushing the board aside, he scooched closer, taking her hand in his. When he found the opportunity, he squeezed her hand momentarily. Unexpectedly to him, she pulled away quickly; her face still expressionless

Has she always been this stubborn?!

“I won’t stop until you answer.” No answer again. 

He spoke up with more urgency now,

“I do not remember you being deaf with your abilities.” 

This time she did have a solid reaction, one that Meruem didn't enjoy very much though. Komugi huffed loudly, she crossed her arms across her chest and looked away from what she presumed was Meruem, and was correct. 

Annoyed and surprised, he tugged on her hair gently, 

“Kumogi!”

He had made a harsh comment, but he was champion between the two of them after all. He liked to believe he had somewhat of an authority when it came to the dynamics of them. Even when he did insist for them to be on equal footing ever since the collapse of East Gorteau, his word was still stronger than hers.

Komugi was careful of her own thoughts and words, the only time she did openly act upon her feelings was during a game of Gungi. Rightfully so—she had always won.

Yet, so far he has not seen them playing since her meltdown.

Shaking her head, she pushed herself further away from him, Meruem following behind relentlessly. This pursuit continued until Kumogi's back hit the wooden frame of the bed. Meruem grabbed her by the shoulder and stood her still,

“Ko” he shook her once

“Mo” another

“Gi” pronouncing the syllables louder as he shook her

“Forgive me already, It was not a fair match!” 

Her arms uncrossed, growing tired of being shaken. Komugi found her hands around his arms as well, squeezing up from his forearms, to his biceps, to then settle on his shoulders until sure they were both in the same position. “Break up with me.”She said dryly. 

Meruem’s face dropped, eyebrows plunging down as he looked at her confused and equally as annoyed as she was now.

If he were completely honest with himself, annoyance was merely the surface–his anger was boiling. He could not believe the audacity she had to ask him, the champion himself to break off this perfectly fine relationship over one misplay of gungi. Although Meruem had dealt with Komugi’s unusual behavior, a breakdown or more was okay. Humans were emotional, especially Komugi. Meruem could handle something as contemptuous as such, but suggesting an unfit and impulsive choice was uncomfortable to say the least. “Must I beg!, his hand fell to cup hers, forcing her hands to clasp together.

“This is Gungi, and you cheated!” She complained.

Meruem huffed, seeing her argument. He was quite stupid for trying that, especially with someone who was so familiar with the game. He wasn’t even very sure if “familiar” was the correct word, or let alone if there was a word to describe the relationship between Komugi and Gungi. It felt more important than he ever was to her, and it had become a significant part of his life as well, somehow, in some way.

“And I’ve apologized, I won’t do it again!” He untangled their hands from each other, then placed her own hand on the cheek of his face. Komugi on the other hand, tried to pull away but hand stuck as Meruem held them firmly. “It was wrong of you!” Komugi cried out

How frustrating must this be?“I understand, and I apologize. What more can I do to earn your trust again?” “Break. Up. With. Me.” She enunciated every word precisely as if Meruem was hard of hearing. It was not in Meruem’s field to question what Komugi thought and why she did so, he always trusted her and so likewise. But this was too much! He was sure breaking the relationship was just another tactic for him to be on his knees for her. And if he were honest,if he really had to, he would act as if below her–but not break up with her. That's just a nightmare. 

If he had to act so to gain her once more, it’s not much of a difference of how he has been acting currently. “Do you not see me fit?”

Komugi paused, her hand relaxing against his face. It was a lie to say he was not, even so, Meruem's playing strategies were a detriment and insult to the Gungi world–to her world, and enough to cause a little tiny crack in her wine glass life. “If you want me to beg and get on my knees, I will do so. Just let us be okay and play another round later.”

With her lips pursued, Komugi scooted closer to him now. She let herself memorize his face once again, her thumb brushing against his cheek and trying to reach higher. Meruem’s hand in turn eased and she continued to explore until her index finger brushed against his eyebrow and eyelash simultaneously, making him chuckle, and back down to his jaw. “Will you always memorize my face?” Meruem asked genuinely, his eyes focusing on her features as her face scrunched up in concentration. He took note of how humans would focus like Komugi. It felt warm to know that was something they shared in common. “Consider it my forgiving.” She said, he softly smiled in return until she let go much earlier than he intended her to. 

Assuming as he was, he spoke once again, “I feel as if this is half hearted.”

Komugi once again paused, then gathered her hands into her lap, fidgeting with her nails. “Breaking up is in poor taste, but it is no better than misusing the rules of Gungi. I feel as if you don’t trust the game at all.” Meruem made an internal note for one, but on the other he felt righteous to talk back. She was picking Gungi over him! Again, it wasn’t his place to question, but how it made his blood boil. 

He over thought it for a moment and considered that they were fairly close either way, comfortable for that matter, It wouldn’t hurt to ask her. “And what is this trust?” 

She scoffed 

“Our trust Meruem! I trust you would take this game seriously!”

 And he did, from what he thought at least. He sincerely loved Komugi and no more less than how she loved Gungi; in turn his love for it as well. But he was entranced by the player, not the game. What more did he have to say about Gungi than being grateful? It did not overharbor his thoughts to the point it influenced his decisions.

Then again there was a time where he yearned to see Komugi one last time to play a game of Gungi. He shook his head, he was more than just bewitched by the game; that he was sure of.

“Our relationship is not just Gungi.” “It is to me!” 

She had said it so fluently and sober, all of her words serious. Was that all Meruem was to Komugi, a love for a game?

He paused trying to take a moment before he did something regrettable. Meruem played it over in his head. White hair, blue eyes, a fallen kingdom, his ego, his judgement, his very misplaced judgement. What he could give to understand the humans when he first met Komugi.

Closing his eyes, he imagined how could a frail creature face a “king” such as himself. His favorite human nonetheless. Not strong or overly smart, but to him, filled with what can only be beauty.

He then spoke gently, taking her hands off her lap as he replaced it with his head. Laying down and facing her, he admired what was his. 

“It’s what we are built on-”

 He would admit it if she asked either way, but he was relaxed under her touch. It was the cruel and comforting reminder that they were together on that fateful day.One of death and blossom; he never knew he could feel such longing in such a short amount of time. As the hunters raided the palace of East Gorteau, Mereum wasted his last breaths to negotiate with Palm to see Komugi once more, to play a game of Gungi with his human. It was truly a blessing for Komugi to still be there with him, he never wanted to ask that same question ever again. 

Re-thinking it, they’ve gone through so much together. Was Gungi the only thing she saw from him? Was Gungi the only thing that brought them together? The game itself did get them to where they were, but was it truly what they were saturated down to? Was it selfish, or selfless to think of it as such? 

How hard it is to be a human!  Everything is so very trivial and nothing has one true answer; to Meruem it was unruly. This is why he was originally put on this world, to create an orderly and focused society. But he would much rather have this odd and small Gungi player holding him closely than being a tyrant.

he continued, “But you are more than a board game.” Komugi’s eyebrows scrunched as she was confronted again, this time she wouldn't go down without a fight though. “Gungi is all I know, and love.” 

Meruem stayed silent, although his head shifted in her lap making her flinch slightly. 

He looked down, reaching his hands towards her own. Brushing his fingers across hers, then interlocking them together. “Do you love me the same?”

She stayed silent before returning the same grasp around Meruem’s hand. “I was born to play gungi with you.”

 he huffed, squeezing her hand back slightly, then bringing it up to his chest.

 “Then I wish no world where Gungi does not exist.”

“I got it!”

“I shoved the newspaper into Dad’s face, the black and white print, font, and size was the one Dad mentioned, I had gotten the right one he wanted that morning. The news had mentioned a ship coming back after a long while.

I remember thay dad was so intrested in it for some reason, he had always seemed so bored before. Now that I recall, the title included a prince and the Dark Continent.

Dad talked about his sibling that I never met some time before then. She was apparently ill and needed something from a far away place so she could see me. I would assume thats why he kept pulling the paper to see it better.

I waited for a long time, watching him read for ten minutes. He mumbled words, ina different language or maybe names. I had been standing behind him to read the paper as well but he wouldn’t let me.

I stood on my toes for those ten minutes for nothing, ending up back infront of him, watching his face while he read.

He would smile, or frown, but not while read. My dad was not patient with things that werent important. This must have been important then.

I ended up sitting down waiting for him to finish, I had hid behind the paper to protect myself from the early sun. The paper was so thin I could see the words on the back, I tried reading the words mirrored but I couldn’t. That was when the first drop appeared. At first I thought it had started raining. I stuck my hand out to feel more droplets come down, I was met with warmth on my skin.

I then stuck my head out to see the tear that fell from my dad’s face. I just sat there a stared until another one fell, until there was a stream from his eyes.

I shook him at first, until i started hitting him. He wouldn’t budge at all, he just kept staring at the paper, his eyes moving left to right, I assume him still reading. I pulled his shirt until the chair he sat on started to move.

He tried pulling the paper like before to get a bettwer view, but it ripped because of his reats. He finally looked down at me, the weirdest expression waa on his face, like he has been desperately searching for something.

I asked him why he was acting like that. He wiped his tears and we looked at eachother for a while before he picked me up and hugged me.

He hugged me tight, so tight he had his head tucked behind me so I wouldn’t escape. He kept crying saying he couldn’t remember anythinf about the light. I felt myself starting to frown, until the back of dads shirt was wer from my own tears. I’m sure I was just scared my dad was crting but I regret never hugging him back that time because he won’t talk about that “green light” anymore.

I’m not sure how we went after, but It was awkward and he wouldn’t say anything about that morning.

I remembered he took the paper, folded it neatly and walked back into the house. I wonder if he kept the paper.”

Killua scanned the article, looking for the discoveries at sea, a paragraph mentioned the Kakin empire’s readjustment to a new regime. Interviews of the remaining people alive on board-including Leorio-were cut down to short bits and stories. The hunger, escaping, and games on the ship and Dark Continent would haunt them forever.

Killua straightened out the paper. A friend will always be a freind no matter the time or distance, he cared about what has happened.

He ended up flipping the page in curiosity, putting the alluka matter as he read and read. His daughter kept peeking around his shoulder, her toes hurting from trying to make her taller.

Another section read until Killua finally read the last title:”The Freecs Family Reunite.”

“Gin Freecs, previous zodiac of the Hunter association has returned after 20 years with two men identified as his father, Done Freecs, and his son, Gon Freecs.”

He tugged the paper to get a clear view again until it ripped. The words were blurred out by the ink smudged from some water. He was comfused looking at the paper now into two.

His cheeks and shirt were wet too, his daughter has been tugging, pulling and hitting him to pull him back to reality.

“Why are you crying?!”

Killua wiped the stream he felt on his cheek with his back hand, checking if it really was real.

“Dad!!”

Killua put the paper down, taking his daughter into his hands, holding her tight.

“Such a bright light. I can’t even remember his face. God I can’t believe this.”

He kept crying and crying. Each sob louder as he held his daughter. Waitimg for a sign, and knock om the door or a phone call to know where Gon was. He remembers the memories, each one cominf around his head with out a single one of Gon’a face.

Green grass, blue skies, fishing rods, skateboards, heavens arena, hunter license, the greed island. He had all of them at the tip of his fingers. He considered vostimf every single place he was with Gon but no matter what he couldn’t see his face.

“If I ignore a friend I have the ability to help, wouldn't I be betraying him?”

Killua could only see a boy finding out what to do, he could only be thankful for all the things Gon did.