"Boss! You all call that man Boss? ♥"
A Luo nodded.
Hisoka instantly grew excited, as though he could no longer suppress the desire inside him. Panting softly, he said:
"That man is so strong~♥ The instant I saw him, every drop of blood in my body stirred with excitement~♥"
A Luo watched in despair as Hisoka stuck the playing card in his hand back into her steak. She silently resolved that she would absolutely, definitely not touch so much as a single bite of it.
Seriously, how had she never realized while reading the manga that Hisoka, who was always licking playing cards, blades, and whatever else, was so unhygienic?
Hisoka saw A Luo staring at the steak without speaking.
He assumed she was hungry and wanted to eat it.
With a soft chuckle, the man pushed the plate of sliced steak in front of A Luo.
Then he, the man who had helped cut it, leaned in too, pressing close to the side of the girl's neck. His breath washed over her carotid artery as he whispered:
"Cutie~★ Do you know the true identity of the man you were with? Boss sounds like a code name to me!"
Hisoka's dangerous breath, hissing like a venomous snake, frightened A Luo so badly that her whole body went rigid.
I know Chrollo is your ideal type in the manga!
He's your perfect prey, a ripe fruit just waiting for you to savor him.
But do you really have to fall in love at first sight and latch on like a snapping turtle that won't let go?
Still, it seemed Hisoka had kept her around because of Chrollo.
Apparently, in that clash during their first encounter, Hisoka had gained nothing except a useless piece of trash like her!
He hadn't even learned who Chrollo was.
That was why he'd patiently brought her home, waiting for her to wake up so he could pry information out of her.
In that case, what would happen if she gave Hisoka the boss's identity too easily?
What usually happened to expendable fodder like her once they were no longer useful to Hisoka?
In that instant, A Luo recalled several ways cannon fodder had died at Hisoka's hands.
She glanced at the playing card still stuck in the steak.
A Luo decided she should try bluffing her way past Hisoka and stall for as long as she could.
Maybe an opportunity would turn up later!
Just as A Luo's thoughts ran wild and Hisoka grew increasingly impatient with waiting.
A server noticed the situation at their table and, seeing Hisoka's overly intimate posture, assumed he was some sort of perverted pedophile!
The server's expression changed, and they immediately stepped forward to intervene:
"Sir! May I ask what your relationship is with this little girl?"
Without changing his posture, Hisoka turned his head a hundred and eighty degrees and smiled at the server:
"If you're going to ask about my relationship with her, why don't you first guess what your relationship with me is~♣"
The next instant, the server screamed as half their body dissolved into tiny blood-red hearts and vanished!
Yet Hisoka turned back as though nothing had happened, pressing close to A Luo's ear to deliver a warning that thundered through her head:
"Cutie~♥ Guess how much patience I have left for you?"
The moment Hisoka finished speaking, the witnesses snapped out of their daze.
Realizing a murder had taken place right before their eyes, everyone screamed and fled the lavishly decorated Western restaurant in abject terror.
A Luo: "..."
What's this supposed to be? Killing one to frighten the rest?
The little girl took a deep breath, trying her best to suppress her fear of the man before her, and tremulously tried to negotiate with Hisoka.
"Lord Hisoka, I can tell you everything I know! But before I do, I have a suggestion. Would you like to hear it?"
Hisoka: "Mm-hmm~♠"
A Luo gathered her thoughts:
"Hisoka, you like finding people to fight, don't you?"
Hisoka gave her a look that said she was stating the obvious.
A Luo did her best to ignore the corpse by her feet and continued as calmly as she could:
"But relying entirely on luck to run into someone like the boss, like you did yesterday... isn't that terribly inefficient? I know quite a few Nen users whose strength rivals his, and I also know lots of kids my age with considerable potential..."
As she spoke, A Luo watched Hisoka's face, trying to work out whether anything she said had interested him.
To her disappointment, however, Hisoka remained expressionless the entire time.
If she hadn't known from the original story that this man was a battle maniac, his current expression would never have led her to think of negotiating this way to secure a chance at survival, not in eight hundred lifetimes.
"So, Hisoka, would you consider letting me act as a middleman? Whenever I come across a suitable little fruit, I can let you know so you can assess them. Or if I meet someone strong, I can help arrange a one-on-one duel between you?"
"Let you scout little fruits for me?~♣"
Hisoka gave a cold chuckle and eyed A Luo critically.
"My tastes are very discerning, you know! If these children you speak of are rotten fruits like you, I'll be terribly disappointed! And when I'm disappointed, I usually can't control myself. I have to kill someone to calm down~♠"
As Hisoka spoke, murderous intent poured out of him as though it cost him nothing.
A Luo: "..."
Afraid this approach would fail, the little girl hurriedly explained to Hisoka with an awkward look on her face:
"Of course they won't be rotten fruits like me! Mr. Hisoka, you have to believe me. I'll definitely use that boss you met yesterday as the standard when I find people for you! What do you think? Tempted?"
Hisoka's eyes lit up. He withdrew his murderous intent, and his mood stabilized for the time being.
At least he wouldn't attack A Luo anytime soon.
Still, he hadn't forgotten his original objective.
"Cutie~♥ The things you say and do really are hard to figure out... but I like that! Now, can you tell me about that boss of yours? If the information you give me is satisfying enough, perhaps I'll agree to your little proposal~♥"
A Luo: "..."
Wonderful. At least my life is safe for now.
Unfortunately, just as A Luo was about to answer Hisoka, the restaurant's security guards rushed in.
"Were you the ones who just killed someone? We've already called the police. You'd better surrender right now, or don't blame us for getting rough."
A few minutes later, the murderous intent Hisoka had forcibly suppressed was unleashed in full... and the romantic candlelit dinner ended in his killing spree.
A Luo watched helplessly as Hisoka turned what had just been an elegant, luxurious setting filled with finely dressed guests into a nightmare of blood and severed limbs. Unable to bear it any longer, she closed her eyes.
"Now that all those annoying people are gone, can my little cutie tell me about this boss you mentioned? ♣"
Before you continue