The fruit stall was bustling.
Pokkle had his head down, carefully picking out fruit.
"Boss! There's a thief!"
A childish voice rang out behind him, loud enough to silence the entire market.
Pokkle turned around and saw the brat who had stolen his Flying Pheasant earlier, now watching him with a wicked grin.
The fruit seller looked at Kaya in confusion and asked, "Who's the thief?"
Kaya put on a righteous expression and pointed at Pokkle.
"Whoever I'm pointing at is the thief!"
Everyone around them followed his finger and turned to look at the innocent Pokkle.
"Me?" Pokkle pointed at himself, utterly bewildered. He hadn't even settled the score from earlier, and now the brat was back to frame him.
He protested, "What makes you say I stole anything?"
The fruit seller asked too, "Yeah, do you have any evidence that he stole something, kid?"
"If someone wants to buy something, they need money, right? Just check whether he has any money on him, and you'll know."
The crowd turned their attention back to Pokkle.
"Of course I have money. Just wait."
After saying that, Pokkle hurriedly rummaged through the small bag at his waist.
His relaxed expression turned anxious.
"That's strange. Where's my coin pouch?"
The seller's expression changed at once, and he shouted, "Grab him! He's a thief!"
Pokkle shouted that he was innocent, but his protests sounded feeble and failed to convince anyone.
The crowd gradually closed in, surrounding him so tightly that there was no way out.
Kaya squeezed out of the crowd, gave the little coin pouch hidden in his hand a shake, and quickly left the scene.
"That felt good!"
The sun looked as though it had already sunk beneath the horizon, and the whole town wore a coat of gold. Every so often, seagulls flew overhead, letting out a few cries.
The streets gradually emptied, and many roadside stalls began packing up for the day, a stark contrast to the bustle at noon.
Pokkle trudged down the street with heavy steps, his head lowered as he anxiously searched the ground for his coin pouch.
He was starving by now and didn't have the energy to hunt for food.
"Looking for something?"
Pokkle looked up to see a boy sitting on the eaves of a small wooden house, his cheek propped on one hand and his feet swinging.
It was the same rotten brat he'd clashed with earlier.
He no longer had the strength to speak. He merely glanced at the boy before lowering his head and continuing to look for his pouch.
As far as Pokkle was concerned, today couldn't have gone any worse.
He didn't want to argue with this brat anymore, especially since he couldn't win anyway.
Seeing Pokkle in such a sorry state, Kaya felt a surge of guilt.
"Aw, this isn't any fun."
Pushing off with both hands, Kaya jumped down from the eaves and landed steadily in front of him.
He held out a small coin pouch to Pokkle.
"Here. You can have it back."
Pokkle's eyes widened. That was his missing coin pouch!
He took it delightedly, then turned an angry glare on Kaya.
"You little punk! You stole my pouch and framed me!"
He moved to rush forward and beat him up, but his stomach chose that moment to growl.
Clutching his stomach, Pokkle sank weakly to the ground.
Kaya took a packet of jerky out of his bag and offered it to him.
"Here. Eat."
"I don't want it."
Pokkle stubbornly refused, but his stomach growled even louder.
Kaya frowned, crouched down, and stuffed a strip of jerky straight into his mouth. "Just eat it."
"I'm not eating your... mmm."
Despite his protests, his body was all too willing to chew.
That eased more than half his resentment.
Kaya held out a hand to pull him up, and Pokkle instinctively reached out too.
The instant their palms touched, Kaya grinned cheekily and said, "There! We've shaken hands, so everything that happened before is water under the bridge."
Hearing that, Pokkle quickly pulled his hand away.
"No way. I'm not forgiving you."
"Really? I don't believe you. I'm Kaya." Kaya cut off any chance of a reply and introduced himself.
"I'm Pokkle."
Kaya had only heard of the manga Hunter x Hunter in his previous world. He had never read the original manga or watched the anime.
Never mind supporting characters like Pokkle-he didn't even know who Hisoka or Kite were.
Although Kaya hadn't formally apologized, he decided to spend some money and treat Pokkle to a meal at a little restaurant to show he was sorry.
Of course, he had another goal too.
As Pokkle wolfed down his food, Kaya took the opportunity to ask, "Hey, have you taken the Hunter Exam before?"
Pokkle nodded, looking a little puzzled. "Yeah. How did you know?"
"I guessed! Was the exam hard?"
"It wasn't too bad. Are you going to take it? How old are you now?" Pokkle asked curiously.
Kaya replied, "Me? I'm nine."
"Then you'll have to wait another three years."
Kaya nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to take it as soon as I turn twelve anyway, so you still haven't answered me. Is the Hunter Exam hard or not?"
"The first few phases were okay. I thought the fourth was pretty hard, and that's where I got eliminated."
"What kind of test was it?"
"A maze."
Kaya leaned back, balancing his chair on two legs, and said casually, "What's so hard about that?"
"It wasn't that hard, exactly, but only ten people were allowed through the exit at the end. I didn't make it."
Kaya stared at the ceiling and thought for a moment. "Then do you think I could pass?"
Pokkle shook his head.
Kaya pursed his lips, unconvinced, and his voice shot up.
"What? I'm strong, okay?"
Pokkle hurriedly waved his hands and explained, "I'm not saying you can't pass. The tests and examiners change every time, so there's no point in asking me."
"Oh," Kaya said.
Pokkle continued, "Anyway, it's really hard. I met a candidate who'd taken it thirty-two times and still hadn't passed."
Holding back a laugh, Kaya said, "That sounds more like a problem with him than with the exam's difficulty."
They looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Looks like the Hunter Exam isn't that hard after all.
Kaya felt that Pokkle's current fighting ability was probably about equal to his own.
Besides, Pokkle had made it to the final stages last year, while Kaya still had three years to prepare. It probably wouldn't be much of a problem.
That thought put Kaya completely at ease.
By the time they left the restaurant, it was fully dark.
"Thanks for treating me!" Pokkle said with a goofy grin.
Kaya thought he was almost endearingly dumb.
Kaya had been the one at fault, and this meal was meant to make it up to him, yet Pokkle was thanking him instead.
"Uh-huh. Then you can treat me next time." Kaya rolled his neck as he spoke casually.
"Definitely. But nowhere too expensive. I don't have much money."
"I'm just kidding. When are you taking the exam again?" Kaya waved a hand.
"I'm planning to spend a few more years getting ready. How about we go together when you turn twelve?" Pokkle asked tentatively.
After all, having another friend meant having someone to watch his back, which would improve his chances of success.
Kaya nodded. "Sure. See you at the Hunter Exam if our paths cross. But if we end up competing for a spot, I won't go easy on you."
"Neither will I! See you!" Pokkle still wore that goofy grin.
"Go on, then." Kaya urged him along with a wave.
One headed north and the other south, each going his own way.
After a few steps, Pokkle looked back.
Kaya was humming a tune as he walked down the dim street, his head bobbing from side to side.
Pokkle thought, That kid's pretty strong. Looks like I need to keep getting stronger too.
Before you continue