A figure was pressed flat against the wall, ear practically glued to it, hunched over like a gecko clinging there. From time to time, he wore a rather lewd grin.
Tap… tap… tap…
Suddenly, two sets of footsteps drew near. When they spotted Hisoka, they stopped short in surprise. Gon stared curiously.
"Hisoka, what are you doing?"
Hisoka snapped out of it and looked over at Gon. Realizing the position he was in, he felt a flash of awkwardness spreading across his face.
Even though Hisoka was indeed a twisted individual, he still cared about his own image. In fact, he cared quite a lot about preserving that mysterious aura of a powerful, flamboyant performer. He didn't mind people calling him a weirdo—he actually liked it—but he definitely didn't want them seeing him looking…well, creepy. Especially not Gon, one of the prime "targets" on whom Hisoka had set his sights. In Hisoka's eyes, once Gon fully matured, fighting him would bring tremendous excitement.
But now…
Hisoka had no idea where to put his hands.
"Nothing," he muttered, hurrying off. His hands shook, and he felt a chill running down his spine—he wished he could delete the previous scene from the timeline. Since that was impossible, he'd at least try to erase it from his own mind.
"An illusion. It never happened. All an illusion!"
Soon after—
Creak!
The training-room door opened, and two figures stepped out.
"All right then, Chairman, I'll head back and get some rest," Ron said.
"Sure, see you," Netero replied.
Ron headed in one direction; Netero turned and immediately spotted Gon and Killua. His interest piqued.
"Would you two like to play a game? There's still quite a while before the next exam, and you look bored. How about it?"
Gon and Killua glanced at each other and nodded eagerly.
"Okay!"
The three went into the training room together. Netero pulled a ball behind him.
"The ball game starts now!"
Meanwhile, instead of returning to his assigned room, Ron went to the lounge set aside for relaxation, where drinks were provided—coffee, tea, and so on.
"One coffee, please."
Coffee in hand, he took a seat in the corner. Moments later, someone walked in, and Ron waved her over.
Menchi approached, sitting across from him.
"You were looking for me, Ron?"
Her tone carried a hint of caution. She had seen Ron's strength when he clashed with Hisoka. Even though Ron didn't seem as erratic as Hisoka, one could never be too careful around powerful Nen users.
"Menchi-senpai, I have something I'd like to ask you."
"What is it?"
"Are you familiar with a place called Gourmet Paradise?"
Menchi raised an eyebrow.
"Gourmet Paradise? I've heard of it."
"I thought you might be part of Gourmet Paradise yourself," Ron said. "Don't worry, I mean no harm. A senior of mine was good friends with Linne Horsdoeuvre of Gourmet Paradise. When I was little, I heard a lot of stories about Linne's cooking skills and about Gourmet Paradise, so I'm really interested. When I found out you and Buhara are Gourmet Hunters, I wondered if you belonged to Gourmet Paradise. I was hoping to ask for information."
Menchi's eyes flickered. Netero had made Ron's identity clear earlier—he was from the Zoldyck family. And Linne… Menchi vaguely recalled that Linne had ties to the Zoldyck clan.
"I am a member of Gourmet Paradise," Menchi said after some hesitation. "And Linne is indeed our director. I'm pleased you have an interest in cooking and in Gourmet Hunters."
Ron smiled slightly.
"I might even become a Gourmet Hunter one day."
Of course, Ron himself had no intention of devoting himself solely to the Gourmet Hunter path, but there was always the possibility of one of his Nen Beasts developing in that direction.
"Menchi-senpai, does Gourmet Paradise welcome visitors?"
Menchi thought for a moment.
"Well, yes. Every year quite a few guests come to Gourmet Paradise."
"I'm planning to visit sometime in the future," Ron said, "to experience the food and learn more about the Gourmet Hunter profession. If you happen to be there at the time, could you introduce me around? I'd certainly pay you for your help."
Menchi shook her head.
"I rarely stay in Gourmet Paradise for long. I'm afraid I can't help you with that."
She paused, then added, "But…I do have a good friend who lives there pretty much year-round. If you decide to go, contact me first, and I'll give you my friend's number."
"Thank you so much, Menchi-senpai."
"No need. This is my number; just call me when you're ready." She recited a string of digits.
"Got it."
"All right, then. If that's all, I'll be going." Menchi drained her coffee in one gulp, stood, and headed out.
"Take care, Menchi-senpai."
Ron watched her leave, then settled back to reflect.
"This is good enough for now. According to Chii's inquiries, ordinary people can enter Gourmet Paradise—it's open to visitors. So if I decide to go, I'll have a way in…"
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