“Chin up, cutie-Jin~” reminded an amused voice below her. Compared to its effortless liveliness, HeeJin herself was able to only give a strangled grunt as her mind half-skipped over what was even said to her.

She was worried about other things - like finding the next branch to jump on to! She had zero interest in falling and twisting her neck! Her bunnies were of help, but they weren’t the ones responsible for her direct movements! 

Not only had she had to overcome the fear of gaining momentum so high above the ground (whole three meters!), she was even more fearful of losing it and stumbling in her jumps. Thank god at least her balance was good.

Of course, she wasn’t parkouring without a safety net - Chuu jovially jogged underneath, assuring her she’d catch HeeJin if she were to fall.

That promise, she felt, was made a little too absentmindedly for her to feel a solid wall of assuredness.

Additionally, Chuu made a point of not slowing down if HeeJin faltered and dropped the pace. It was super effective - seeing your security net run ahead of your next footstool was mildly terrifying, to say the least.

But that was not the end of it - at times Chuu felt energetic enough to spark a conversation topic. That was too much, HeeJin had only this much braincells!

“Would you like to continue like this till the phase ends, or do you have any other plans?”

Left, right, left, oh hop-hop on tiptoes here, god, what a wry branch that was!.. “Uhh...” 

“We could work on your running more,” offered Chuu. “Alternatively, I can start you on some hand-to-hand combat and - or - self-defense. You can try sparring against me with your sabre, if you are willing, too. How are you with brandishing your sword against an unarmed person?”

HeeJin hummed, half of the words’ meaning flying over her head.

Chuu shot her an amused glance. “Alternatively, if you are fed up with training for now, we can go look for someone. What do you say?”

Thank god, some old, sturdier-looking branches! And not the twigs that shot her anxiety sky-high. She felt an imaginary fur brush against her fully-closed leg. “Someone?” 

“Yeah. I’d prefer to train more, there are so many areas we could dive in, but there is still time. So it’s up to you.”

“Uh,” intelligently said HeeJin.

She - wait, a sparse spot - she rerouted some of her brainpower to Chuu’s words.

HeeJin, contrary to her semi-panicked state, enjoyed these lessons the redhead had been teaching her. It started as a light-hearted suggestion, but she got some genuinely good pointers here and there.

HeeJin also found out that catching fish with bare hands was in her top ten things she hated. Possibly even top five. Gross, just - gross.

Aside from fish, HeeJin had to admit - she loved spending time with her first truly equal friend.

Overall, her wobbly traversing through the canopy was an achievement even at the current level. 

As a child, HeeJin loved climbing trees, but her first nanny (who was also her babysitter in the most literal sense) was too afraid to let her in any proximity of a possibility of danger, so that was a rare joy. Later, her family assigned a bodyguard to her, Vaso, who became a kinda-nanny due to her age and not the other way around. He let her climb trees when there wasn’t anyone around, despite what must have been a more reasonable choice.

But still, most of the time HeeJin was encouraged to hold a more dignified mien and disposition.

Adults were like that in her life, sadly (aside from dear Vaso).

Take her brother Edgar for example - he really understood what she wanted. He was the first one to throw food at her and make first trip-ups and shoves when he took her on nicier trips - he gave her an excuse to misbehave and cause trouble any time he had a hunch HeeJin wanted a breather. Which was, let's face the truth, most of the time. 

The way he pulled her hair was no excuse, though. It was long and a real hindrance back then, but it wasn’t like she was allowed to cut it! She was also four years younger, which factored in a lot in terms of strength.

And Edgar wasn’t juvenile enough to let any of that have a say in a sibling’s need to assert dominance.

HeeJin missed her brother.

…She went on a tangent there. What HeeJin meant was that she knew how to climb trees, but couldn’t do that effortlessly and swiftly.

Chuu’s support and hovering (despite the way-too-easy given guarantee of safety) lent her some bold confidence, enough to leap from tree to tree at the pace of a light jog on the flat surface.

It was. Productive.

And also nice.

But it was true that HeeJin would’ve liked to see her other friends too.

“Training is fine, but looking for others sounds nice. However, how would we find them? This island is huge.”

“Chin up,” repeated Chuu. “Given your ramrod spine, you’d think you would stare down less… Hmm…” Chuu smirked mysteriously. “Lets just venture away and see if we notice something, m? How are you with tracking?”

“No. I am ‘no’ in tracking. I know it rained and all, but I never learned, and the area is too big, and there are many people here.”

With a huff, Chuu ran forward and spun on her heels, facing her, still lightly jogging, but backwards.

“If you haven’t noticed,” smiled slyly Chuu. “All of us are among the shortest on the island here. Any small footprints are game.”

HeeJin felt a stab of defiance. “Not the shortest at least.”

“As short as we could be without looking like middle-schoolers on the run,” rolled eyes Chuu. “Relax, you might still get a centimeter or so.”

“It won’t help much.” HeeJin thought back to Buhara, one of two Gourmet Hunters. He was reaching somewhere around three meters in height. One-ninety and two meter tall people weren’t that uncommon too.

She was not ready to admit to Chuu that she might’ve felt a bit insecure with her meter seventy-three, the shortest of her family, which, accompanied with all the violence-proofing she used to live in, grated on her self-esteem.

“Well, there are more chances that the planet is indeed flat, than Killua having any footprints and Gon… I got to sneak up a glance at his target plate and - wow. If he plans to go through with that one, his only chance is to up his stealth game considerably ,” HeeJin could see the way Chuu’s face twisted as she looked away and lowered her voice for a moment. “Though I would still put my foot down on the attempt if it were up to me... So just know that any and all small footprints are good for this. As for not trying it out before - you haven’t tried to run on trees before this phase and look at you now! Making me proud as a teacher. Now get down.”

HeeJin exhaled, slowing her jumping. Finally, solid ground!

“Nuh-uh,” drawled Chuu. “Try jumping down normally!”

Normally to whom , almost grunted HeeJin, but obliged in the end, under a condition she got to get lower first. 

They had gone over this. Chuu showed how to fall and roll properly from a height. This was scary, but her good friend would be quick to intervene if anything goes wrong, right?..

HeeJin threw her backpack to Chuu and leaped down, curling forward as she flew. 

Oof! Her impulse carried her through it, even if the landing was a tad bit miscalculated.

She rose to her feet, going with momentum, then immediately fell back down on her backside, slightly weak-legged.

“You did amazing!” gushed Chuu, holding out both hands. “The best way would be to land on your feet and continue the speed, but baby steps. The way you pushed through your hesitation was a clear improvement!”

HeeJin slowly mellowed her rattling breath down. She herself knew a sudden stop was not the best, but she ignored that this time.

“So,” she said, “tracking?”

Seeing as HeeJin wasn’t in any hurry to rise up, Chuu crouched to her eye level, smiling brightly. “Between Choerry and HyunJin, whose steps are you looking for? Which one is easier in your opinion?”

HeeJin pondered. “Choerry seems to be more formidable, as I have no idea if her footprints would even exist. But her shoes are more distinct, with that defined heel… HyunJin wore… crosses, more expected footprints, but she has less training than Choerry, if I understand correctly.”

Chuu eagerly nodded.

“Kurapika might have a similar foot size. But he wore ballet-looking shoes. Who else is there of our height?..”

“You’re right, he is rather dainty. His shoes are a part of his clan attire, likely, so there won’t be any pattern on the soles at all. Pokkle and Ponzu are also around our height. An archer and a girl with yellow hat,” helped Chuu.

“Yes, them… Um, I have no recollection of their shoes… Wait. We couldn’t have mistaken either Choerry nor HyunJin for Killua - he has,” HeeJin felt her face grimace, “ boots .”

“Mhm,” said Chuu. “Anything else?”

“Um. Choerry is more distinct color-wise?..” trailed down sheepishly HeeJin.

“True,” agreed Chuu. “But that has no effect on her trail.”

She felt silent and stared at HeeJin expectantly.

Time slowly dripped down.

“Yes?” Was HeeJin missing something?

“Anything else?” prompted Chuu.

HeeJin frowned, digging up everything she could come up with. Nothing. Zilch.

“No,” said HeeJin, sounding less than sure. It almost sounded like a question.

“Hm. Noted,” Chuu’s smile turned gentle as she rose up. “Then let us begin. As we go, I am going to tell you about wildlife signs as well.”

“Sure?” HeeJin couldn’t for the life of her understand what Chuu wanted to hear back there, but copied the girl and prepared to pay extra attention to the dirt.

---

She knew exactly where the other two were, obviously. One was hiding in Zetsu since yesterday’s evening, the other was casually sitting somewhere. Both were relaxed and were simply killing time. 

Chuu planned to lead in Choerry’s direction, as she was the closer one. Small pointers she was going to give HeeJin weren’t all just a pretense though, even if the girl already proved back in the swamp that she could navigate through the wilderness extremely well.

HeeJin found the right way during the first phase too confidently to be a clueless concrete jungle’s bumpkin. However, there wasn’t a trace of understanding when Chuu hinted at it.

She checked - there was genuine confusion and a whiff of anxiousness in her heart. Not the one she would have got if there was something actively hidden, but the kind you got when someone was convinced you missed something and waited for it to click.

It was a bust in terms of subtle prodigy out via common words.

Chuu was going to watch her through the mark all the way - maybe she would still get something.

---

HeeJin’s only warning for her shoulder almost getting popped out of a socket was a short joyful Ha! coming from Chuu. The next second she was yanked to the side by her arm- 

A heel that was sent down in a roundhouse kick from the tree above sent bits of dirt flying around.

HeeJin barely kept her footing, mostly thanks to Chuu’s steel but careful grip. If not for that, she would’ve been sent straight into a tree from the force. 

She was not exaggerating about the state of her poor shoulder.

“Hi!” chirped Chuu, placing herself between HeeJin and the attacker. “How can we help you?”

A tall, muscular man in a partial camouflage suit glared at the redhead, clicking his tongue and jumping back several steps. There was a noticeable lack of any bag or big weapon on him. Hair was trimmed short and glistened ash-gray under the sun. His clothes looked sturdy and of high quality, if a bit worn and dirty. It looked like it had seen many struggles.  

He shot a calculating one-over first at Chuu and then at HeeJin herself - she couldn’t help but tense, legs shifting in a ready-to-flee stance.

It was a cold, judging eye, that never bothered to attach to the two of the girls any humanity.

Whether she was his target or Chuu, he was ready to kill them both. 

If she weren’t yanked out of the way, that kick would’ve ended her life.

HeeJin felt survival fear crawl up her back and gripped her sabre’s handle in her hand.

“Are you lost? Or, maybe, starving for some company?” tilted her head Chuu, letting HeeJin’s arm go (which immediately flew to the scabbard). Then, she gasped in shock, bringing both of her hands to the mouth, half covering it. “Oh no, I get it, I get it now! You poor soul, we are sooo cute that it's hard to pass up an opportunity to hit on us! Another one enthralled and unable to grasp the reality,” Chuu’s pleasant, round-eyed expression shifted and, although and eyebrows stayed the same, her eyes lost their spark and turned expression into a somewhat chilling one, “- you don’t stand a chance.” Her voice lost its warmth, “Get lost.”

“I have no business with you,” spat out the attacker. “Only your companion.”

His borrowing gaze shifted on HeeJin and her shoulders inched higher. So he was her hunter after all.

“Oh reeeally?” drawled Chuu, a condescending smile on her face. “You think so?”

“Step aside. I am not above going through both of you,” his voice carried confidence and finality, but he wasn’t talking to two HeeJins to frighten his opposition that easily.

There was one Chuu standing between them.

A Chuu that, apparently, had no reservations, ever.

She turned away from him, not even keeping him in peripheral vision. “Hey, HeeJin-e,” she said jovially. “What do you think?”

Um.

“We could do this any way you want,” Chuu winked. “Though I would love seeing how you deal with him!”

“I would prefer not,” rushed out of HeeJin’s mouth. That seemed overly dangerous for her.

“Oh.” A mischievous light gleamed in Chuu’s eyes. “Really-really? You don’t want to play with him?”

“No,” almost-squealed HeeJin, looking back at the man.

During the short exchange, he straightened and rolled back his shoulder. His analyzing stare switched to a more calm one, though his lips ticked once in barely-hidden contempt.

Then, there was a weirdly-looking knife in his hands.

“Chuu!” yelped HeeJin, but before she could step in front of the girl to prepare for an attack, the man pushed forward, weaponless hand in front and a blade pointing straight at the redhead. 

(Chuu must’ve spun on her heels, so incredibly fast, that her hair whipped HeeJin’s cheek, as traces of it stung sharply.)

But her sabre was already in front of her, leading her in the usual half-turn of the body; nothing existed outside of her focus on the incoming attack in front of her, her feet founding their usual balance.

HeeJin met him in a stance that didn’t leave a trace of cowardice or fleeing intention.

She successfully deflected and almost set off a counter-attack - only to have an open hand rushing at her face. 

HeeJin twisted, raising her sabre with a whistling air to caught off the second attack, and leaped backwards, landing in a guarded stance. Her left leg almost caught on a root sticking behind her but she succeeded, putting a mere meter and a half between them.

She retreated further back. Branches of a wayward bush poked her in the side and her left arm held half-bent behind her half-turned body.

This was not the ballroom she trained in.

This was not someone forbidden from harming her.

Her sabre not too vertical or horizontal, she fought off the stiffness the realization that it was the first real fight brought and the danger she was in.

He did not delay his onslaught any further.

HeeJin could only kick away pecking worries of accidentally severely injuring him - the man wasn’t giving any space for harmless maneuvers and there was no chance to ease into some familiar footwork on the trap-like forest floor.

Each time he approached, he was a crushing wave against the sharp side of the glacier. And each time HeeJin deflected, she almost heard a quiet chipping sound at her confidence - he advanced so forcefully, so unflinchingly, so aggressively…

But she wasn’t about to give up her tag.

“Do you, perhaps, have any interest in a compromise?” Her voice sounded more sure than she expected even to her ears. She could swear a bunny, that was constantly flickering in the corner of her eyes as she evaded around, was approving of her.

“Do you, perhaps, have any interest in handing over your tag?”

HeeJin’s lip ticked up, curling in an answer.

The man sneered. “Thought so. Be warned: there is no chance for you to defeat me, unless you aim to kill.” He smirked. “And it's clear your dough hands have never soaked up blood. Just give it up.”

“They had,” lied her off HeeJin. “You won’t be the first.”

She was holding his glare, unbothered by his assumption of her kill count, every ounce as (potentially) deadly as she was.

He was right - HeeJin had never taken another’s life, nor even seriously injured anyone. The mere notion of cutting someone's breath was nauseating. But no matter - she was surrounded by people who weren’t like her, the bodyguards they had, the family who ordered lives around and used people’s hopes and dreams as usable tools, - she knew how they looked at the world. How they spoke, how they thought, how they moved, what reflected in their eyes. How they breathed . 

And HeeJin was adept at posturing and pretending.

Never for long enough to be called acting - just a glimpse at the skill. Just enough to throw dust in the other’s eyes, to convince them she wasn’t constantly disappointed or scared.

HeeJin looked every bit civilian, of course, and knew that the bridges she had to cross to change that weren’t what she was able to walk over. But even he had to see that she wasn’t a novice. Just a bit to shut him up, hopefully.

If only that posturing gave her some real confidence.

“Oh? You do not believe we are here on equal footing?” drawled a ringing voice from above. 

There, dangling her legs, sat Chuu, chin resting on the balls of her hands. She beamed down a grin at them. “Aren’t you too full of yourself?” Then, she sent a wink to HeeJin and said in a mock-quieter voice, “Keep up the great work!”

… She almost forgot the redhead was here too.

HeeJin opened to ask for an extra hand down here, but there was a motion in the edge of her vision and she had to parry the attack.

That's right - Chuu was here. While the girl never demonstrated her offensive skills too overtly, she passively revealed the level with the ease the Exam was to anyone watching - and wasn’t shy about it.

If HeeJin were to falter Chuu would help. There wasn’t even a trace of a doubt.

Right. There was now a hand on her back, stabilizing and pushing forward. 

HeeJin restored her balance and readied her left arm for the impulse she would need for… For what?

Exhale -

She can’t slash at the man - her conscience won’t allow her, she had no idea whether that would be a lethal amount of damage or if he wore anything defensive underneath.

(It was unlikely they were thick enough - his mobility in twisting and bending was too impressive.)

Her right-hand fingers were about to show their skills - it was time for her best stabs to shine.

The man still held his knife. He used to parry her defensive counter-attacks with it. If she wanted to properly stab him - precisely and cleanly - she had to get rid of his weapon.

And before that she needed some space to get the lead on the rhythm.

He was much closer to her than she used to - his blade was shorter than hers and he might’ve also subconsciously underestimated her.

Good. She was aiming at high line, maybe banderolle, depending on how fast he’d dodge, - to his left shoulder, then, if possible, to his right.

Before that, she had to execute a successful cut inside the cuff of his knife-holding right hand. Feint with guard to attract the parry, then advance to -injure his shoulder. If he would move to attack again - slash at one of his legs, acquire more space and make a new plan based on his responses.

- inhale .

She launched into action. 

Balance, balance, always balance. She closed the distance in light steps, all the strength and unneeded elegance from her ballet-skillful legs carrying her forward and stabilizing her on the uneven forest floor now that she was no longer blindly retreating.

A heartbeat. 

HeeJin rapidly half-extended her right arm, blade vertical, stepping forward. Lure...

Bite. The displacement of the guard was clearly read and triggered his defensive reflex.

Her foot landed on the ground and she softly jumped back, withdrawing both herself and the blade just so - just to point it to his cuff.

His knife striked air where it should have met her sabre and he began grouping up to put more distance between them now that she was clearly on the offensive and with a plan - but the tip of her sabre was already pointed at his wrist and approaching.

With a grunt, his knife was dropped and HeeJin felt a ribbon around her heart loosen a bit - she was fast enough to both wound him and successfully omit his vein.

The man was now retreating, his eyes fixed on her body, on her feet and blade, no longer just watching this silly civilian’s expression-

Not important.

He dropped his weapon .

HeeJin threw away plans of a at his shoulder. Now that he found himself the first to be wounded, his footwork was faster than before, needing time and space for a counter-attack. But he no longer had the extra length of the knife, nor its deadly edge and his legs were too light right now for a kick, which meant-

She leaped forward, put full trust into her legs, landing into a guarded position just close enough for the fleche that she promised her teacher not to use in a spar.

HeeJin shot herself forward, extending right arm rapidly, no stiffness, twisting her hand left instead of the lethal right, bringing the cutting edge away from the attacker’s head. With her leading leg raised in the air and her left arm thrown back for an impulse, her body brought the center of weight forward and leant at an angle.

HeeJin was committing the sin of fencing - she threw away her balance.

Air whistled as her sabre closed in on her target as only his eyes were able to follow the swift approach-

The hit, decidedly lower than his temple and hopefully cushioned by his ear, connected.

Her attacker’s towering figure fell to the ground, as his eyes rolled back and closed simultaneously as her front foot finally landed and caught her fall. 

HeeJin breathed heavily, frozen in a low stance she caught herself in, her arm still outstretched.

With wide eyes she looked down, wary of the man shaking her hit off and advancing at her once again. A second passed, another. She watched his ribcage expand and heavily fall.

“Oh my god, you were amazing !”

Chuu was in front of her - so suddenly, she startled her into a jump - and with her arms almost as wide as her smile.

Faster than she could blink, HeeJin was tugged into standing upright and gripped into a hug.

For a few seconds it was nice, but she soon began to rapidly pat the redhead’s back, soundlessly asking for a lighter hold. As Chuu in her burst of emotions tightened arms around her instead, her patting grew more pointed. She wasn’t just being picky! Breathing! Bones!

Chuu let her go and beamed in her face instead. HeeJin kept sneaking glances at the former opponent and sheathed her sabre. “Magnificent, never been done before, breathtaking…” mouthed Chuu silently, gently holding her by the shoulders.

Amidst overabundant cheering from her friend, seeing pride and determination in Chuu’s expression, HeeJin couldn’t help but let out a question that bore a hole in her tongue.

“Why didn’t you help me?” asked HeeJin, feeling slightly lost.

“You got it in the bag,” dismissively waved at her Chuu. “You are better than you give yourself credit for. And just now you’ve been brilliant .” She leant closer. “If you want, you can blame your loving family on it - despite their unwillingness, they found you a great teacher.”

Chuu patted her shoulder and turned away, walking off in a different direction than the still unmoving man was. HeeJin glanced at him and hurried after her friend.

“How are you sure he won’t try again or ambush us at night?” wondered HeeJin aloud.

“Am not,” chipperly replied Chuu. “But we can sure as hell make finding us more difficult.” 

HeeJin faced the girl and the smug grin Chuu had filled her with unease.

“Since you are learning so fast and clearly have a wonderful sense of balance, we can advance to something more interesting.” She looked around and went to one of the trees, standing underneath the branch. Smirking, she bent her knees and folded fingers in a cradle. 

HeeJin closed eyes, anticipating her suffering. If Chuu thought she was going to be able to do what she was clearly hinting at, at the speed required to lose a tail, the girl was insane . “We are skipping trail tracking and footprints deciphering and going straight into speedrunning on trees!” Chuu winked. HeeJin cracked her eyes open, pointedly conveying that with just her expression alone. “That is more fun anyway… Huh? What is that face for?..”