About an hour later, you finally managed to calm yourself down after that intense introduction to Hisoka. You spoke out loud to yourself as you walked through the jungle.

"Why does he have to be so freaking hot, and strong, and intense!? Ugh. Maybe everyone was right. I need to stay away from him." 

You then came across an old wooden bridge you needed to cross. You looked at it, trying to judge its stability or the possibility that it was some kind of trap. It looked ancient and weak, as if it would snap under the slightest amount of weight. There was another way to where you needed to go, but it would add over 3 hours to your travel time. You decided to cross anyway. You took your first step and felt just how fragile the wood was.

Maybe if I go fast...I'll be on to the next step before the one beneath me gives...

You readied yourself and shifted your weight to your back foot, taking off and attempting to run across. But on your third step, two boards collapsed simultaneously beneath you.

       You screamed in terror but it was too late. As you fell through the air, something suddenly stopped you and sent you flying back upwards as if you were on a rubber band. Eventually you stopped moving and seemed to just be floating or....bouncing in midair. Your right arm was outstretched over your head, as if something was tied around your wrist. You looked up and there he was.

Hisoka.

"~You really should be more careful. ♥~"

He pulled you back up through the hole in the bridge using some kind of invisible force. You didn't realize at the time but it was his bungee gum, which has the properties of both rubber and gum.

"Thank you! Oh my God. How did you do that!? Why did you help me?" You sat on the ground on the other side of the bridge, flabbergasted. You looked up at Hisoka wide-eyed. You were seconds away from certain death just now and he saved your life. It was too much to process.

"~I've decided you are unripe fruit. So, the only person or thing that will get to kill you, will be me.~" He smiled brightly as if he had just given you a compliment. You stared at his back dumbfounded as he slowly walked away.

He turned around. "~Coming (Y/N)? I don't want you to get hurt out here ...alone.♥~" He smiled.

It was intrigue and admiration, among a few other things, that kept you from hightailing it in the opposite direction of Hisoka that day. He had just implied he would kill you eventually and it had done nothing but peaked your interest even more.

He has to be joking. Right...?! He thinks I'm a worthy opponent? Would he really kill me!?

"Uh, sure"

You stood up and followed after Hisoka, sticking by his side for the rest of the day.

At first it was disturbing to hear someone talk about you like that. As if you were a flower they wanted to watch grow, just so they could cut you down at your peak. But it made more sense the more you analyzed Hisoka.

       At his level, everything & everyone must seem like an absolute bore. It must be rare to find fighters strong enough to give him any real challenge. He believed himself to be in the upper percentile of powerful hunters. And it was possible he was correct ...but even still, it was clear Hisoka simply had an insatiable bloodlust. He enjoyed killing. And it was hard to ignore that, no matter how much you wanted to.

       The two of you made good time together so you decided to continue the journey as a duo. And as Hisoka said, you would have gotten hurt out here alone. In this part of the test there were monsters, traps, and bandits galore. Most times Hisoka let you fend for yourself, preferring to watch. But if he decided you were taking too long or if he got bored, he would step in and end it. You were in awe at his power and battle intelligence. Watching him kill without being in fear for your own life, felt like a privilege few would ever experience. You felt special being able to safely observe him. And in return, you offered your survival and camping skills.

        You quickly realized Hisoka would have been fine by himself and this arrangement was mostly benefiting you. But he wasn't complaining so you weren't either. In fact, you were beginning to grow fond of him. While walking next to him you liked to take mental notes of the way he moved, the way he chewed gum, his smile, how he smelled...

We've been in the jungle for DAYS! How the HELL does he still smell so good!?

       He didn't talk much. So to fill the time you'd usually talk about yourself and your life. You didn't know if he was really listening but it was better than just walking in silence for hours. Eventually it was just like talking out loud to yourself. At night you'd set up camp alone, giving Hisoka some space. You figured he took the time to go play with some of the other applicants since you never saw him sleeping.

       On one particularly hot night, you decided to have a quick dip into a river running through the jungle before finding somewhere to camp. Once you checked the scene & saw that the coast was clear you stripped down to your birthday suit and dived into the water. You thought about taking your sword with you but decided against it.

What would I need my sword for in the water? I'm just being paranoid...

The water was amazingly cool on your skin. The current was soft and gentle but strong enough to keep the water clean and clear. You closed your eyes, relaxing into the calmness of the river when you felt something against your back.

You nearly jumped out of the water. With lightning speed you turned around and instinctively threw a punch towards whoever or whatever was behind you.

He grabbed your wrist in the blink of an eye. Then you saw who it was.