Tavern × Dinner × Sweet Dreams

Perhaps because of what Kaya had said, Gon remained gloomy after the two of them finished bathing and left the bathroom.

He had finally met a friend his own age who shared his ambitions and matched his strength, only to face parting with him almost immediately.

It left Gon feeling terribly down.

Kaya paid no mind to any of that. He grabbed Gon and ran outside. "Come on, let's see if Aunt Mito and the old man are done talking."

As soon as they opened the door, they saw Mito on the second-floor terrace, washing their dirty clothes.

"Huh?" Kaya wondered why she was washing his clothes too.

Then he asked cautiously, "Um, Aunt Mito, I'm Gon's friend, Kaya."

Mito turned around, her previously quiet face brightening with a gentle smile. "Kite already told me about you."

Then she turned to Gon. "Did you have fun playing with Kaya?"

"So much fun! I've never had this much fun before!" Gon nodded furiously.

When it came to expressing his feelings, Gon was always so honest and pure, never hiding a thing.

Mito turned back to Kaya. "And you, Kaya? Do you like Gon?"

Hearing the word "like" made Kaya feel a little awkward.

But faced with Aunt Mito's expectant gaze, he could only stammer, "Like him... uh... well, playing with Gon is a lot of fun."

Aunt Mito's smile grew even wider.

She turned back to washing their clothes and said softly, "That's wonderful. Make sure you two get along."

Kaya suddenly looked around. Unable to spot Kite, he hurriedly asked, "Aunt Mito, where's my master?"

Without looking up, Mito continued washing the clothes and replied, "Don't worry. Kite is having a drink in the little shop downstairs."

Kaya asked in confusion, "Shop?"

Gon nodded. "Aunt Mito and Granny run a little shop on the first floor. They sell groceries during the day, and at night it turns into a tavern. The villagers who work nearby come here to drink and relax."

With that, Gon took Kaya's hand. "Come on, I'll show you."

They pushed open the tavern door to find villagers filling the seats around several small tables.

A dark-skinned man spotted Gon coming in and teased him. "The little brute's back! How many trees did you knock over in the village today?"

Kite had been drinking alone at the bar. When he saw Kaya and Gon enter, he stood up.

He walked over to them, patted Kaya on the shoulder, and said, "Come outside."

Kaya spread his hands at Gon, then followed Kite out the door.

It was already dark outside. Boisterous laughter drifted out of the tavern from time to time. Watching the two of them from the second-floor terrace, Mito let out a deep sigh.

Kite stood with his back to Kaya, saying nothing.

Ever since they had arrived on Whale Island, Kaya had thought he was acting very strangely. That feeling was even stronger now, and he asked in a rare serious tone, "Master? What's wrong? Did I do something wrong?"

Kite turned around with a broad smile and gently stroked Kaya's head, making an effort to sound lighthearted. "I'm happy. I'm happy you've finally grown up and found a friend and a goal of your own."

Seeing Kite return to normal, Kaya finally relaxed. "Of course! Who do you think I am? I'm a future Triple-Star Hunter. One day, even you'll have to call me your senior."

Thump!

"That's cheating! A sneak attack!"

Kaya crouched down, clutching his head. The old geezer had hit unusually hard this time.

Kite lowered his fist, a rare smile appearing on his face. "You couldn't even dodge that, and you think you'll be a Triple-Star Hunter?"

Then he took the red crystal necklace that had fallen off during Kaya's fight with Gon out of his pocket and hung it around Kaya's neck.

"Don't lose it again. This is the most important thing you have."

Kaya had no idea where it had come from, but he touched the pendant and nodded. "Got it."

"You must have been lonely, spending these past three years with me searching for clues about my master."

The sudden remark caught Kaya off guard. He immediately shook his head. "It's fine. I'll get used to being lonely. How about some Jenny to comfort me?"

Kite ignored his joke and said solemnly, "Gon is my master's son, and you're my student. You two must become the partners you trust most."

Kaya nodded and asked tentatively, "Of course I know that. So can I stay with Gon tonight?"

"Sure! Have fun with Gon tonight. I'm heading back to the harbor."

With that, Kite turned to leave.

Suddenly sensing something was off, Kaya called after him. "Old... Master."

Kite stopped and glanced back. "What is it?"

"Will you come get me tomorrow, or should I come find you?"

Kite looked back with a smile, said he understood, then turned and left.

Gon called from a short distance away, "Kaya!!!"

"What?"

After watching Kite leave, Kaya turned around.

"Aunt Mito said dinner's ready."

Kaya took a deep breath, feeling almost as though the food were already at his lips, and his mood lifted.

"Coming!"

He broke into a run toward Gon.

Dinner was an exceptionally lavish spread. Aunt Mito really was a good cook.

Kaya wolfed down a great deal of food, looking thoroughly envious. "Gon, you've got it so good. Aunt Mito's cooking is delicious."

He meant every word, of course, though there was a little flattery mixed in too.

Gon nodded in agreement. "Of course it is! Aunt Mito's cooking is my favorite."

Mito was naturally delighted, but as she watched Kaya's carefree manner, her expression grew a little strained.

"Aunt Mito, could you teach my master to cook? His food can kill people."

"Food can kill people?" Gon was innocent enough to take him seriously.

"Yep. It can even use knives. His cooking taught me all my hand-to-hand combat skills."

Kaya played along with Gon's question, launching into nonsense.

Only then did Mito come back to herself. "I could just teach you. Wouldn't it be better if you could cook for yourself?"

Kaya waved a hand. "Forget it, then. Cooking is pure torture. Kite and I live by one rule: if eating it won't kill you, eat yourself to death."

"Hahahaha!"

Mito really liked this outgoing boy who never seemed to say anything serious.

After dinner, Kaya joined Gon in making a show of helping clear the dishes.

He usually stayed out in the wilderness, where dishes weren't even a consideration, but this was his first visit to someone else's home. It was best to be polite.

As he washed the plates, Gon asked, "Kaya, want to come to the forest with me? I'll show you something fun."

Kaya was just about to agree when Aunt Mito came into the kitchen and vetoed the idea. "You and Kaya have been playing all day. Get some rest early tonight. You can go tomorrow."

Then Mito took the two boys, who still hadn't had enough fun, back to Gon's room.

Gon's room was very simply furnished, with a small bed and a little desk for reading and writing.

A string of wind chimes hung by the window.

Mito carried in a quilt and placed it on Gon's bed. "Everything was so rushed today. If you don't mind, Kaya, share with Gon for now. I'll buy a new bed tomorrow."

Kaya waved his hands. "You don't have to go to all that trouble, Aunt Mito. I won't be staying long."

Mito forced a smile, told them both to get some rest early, then left the room.

After their matches that afternoon, both boys were exhausted. They horsed around in the room for a while before their eyelids began to droop.

Kaya yawned. "Shall we sleep?"

Gon covered his mouth and yawned too.

Apparently, yawning really was contagious. The two boys closed their eyes, dropped their heads onto the bed, and fell asleep in an instant.

Kaya slept especially well that night. The sound of Gon's breathing beside him and the occasional clear, pleasant tinkling of the wind chimes made the whole night feel wonderfully peaceful.