23 Assassin X Thief X Who Deceives Whom

Illumi did not immediately respond.
Yet his suddenly heated gaze spoke volumes.
This was not unexpected for Kurama.
The eldest son of the Zoldyck family was indeed a thorough money lover, but even among those, there were distinctions; and Illumi was clearly not the kind who lost all composure at the mere sight of wealth.

The young man with black hair blinked his large cat-like eyes, eyes so often described as “adorable,” his face still devoid of any necessary expression.

“We’re not lacking in money.”

He spoke calmly.

Kurama was not surprised by such an answer.

He curled his lips in unhurried amusement.

“Perhaps that is true,” he said gently, “but forgive my boldness—there is a very familiar scent lingering on you.”

“A scent quite similar to mine.”

“And those who possess this scent…” Kurama blinked, flashing Illumi a smile that could only be described as playful. “They usually don’t refuse these little treasures, do they?”

The beautiful young man with black hair stared at him expressionlessly for a moment.

Suddenly, he lifted the corner of his mouth, revealing a smile that was oddly ambiguous—whether it was amused or meaningful, it was hard to say.

“I think you’re right.”

Ignoring his companion, who instantly transformed into a round-faced, short-bodied bundle of resentment, Illumi stepped out of the stream, suppressing all traces of his murderous aura.

***

It seemed the fight was truly off the table.

Hisoka, wearing an exceptionally mournful dumpling face, went off to dress somewhere out of sight of Kurama and Illumi—or perhaps to vent his excess excitement and desire in the depths of the jungle.

Illumi was unconcerned, Kurama indifferent; neither cared where he vanished or what he did.

The two, temporarily united by a misunderstanding and the scattered jewels, sat together by the fire Kurama had built, waiting for the delicious grilled fish seasoned with the fox’s special spices to finish cooking, and conversing with simple questions and answers.

To further express his apology, Kurama invited Hisoka and Illumi to join him for lunch, solemnly promising quality.

Surprisingly, Illumi did not refuse.

“I’m quite interested in that ‘similar scent’ you mentioned earlier.” The young man with black hair admitted frankly once his companion had gone.

He turned his head, watching Kurama’s profile grow softer and more handsome in the firelight, curiosity and confusion flickering in his large, dark eyes.

“I am Jitaraku,” he introduced himself, a rare act for the Zoldyck heir—not knowing that, as soon as he spoke the name, the red-haired fox beside him nearly spat out his water, barely swallowing it in time.

“Ah…hello, I’m Minamiya. Pleased to meet you.”

Returning a warm smile laced with kindness, Kurama reached out to rotate the fish over the fire. He was briefly surprised by Illumi’s false name, but quickly accepted it.

After all, the other was a member of a famous assassin family; such vigilance was only natural.

Conversely, using one’s real name in the Hunter Exam and to make friends, as his little brother Killua had done, was perhaps a bit too sweet.

Kurama shrugged, side-eyeing Illumi, waiting for him to get to the point—he hadn’t forgotten the interest Illumi had expressed in the “similar scent.”

Illumi did not keep him waiting.

“Minamiya, you said you sensed a familiar scent on me. What did you mean?” Bright eyes flickering, the beautiful young man asked as if simply curious.

Kurama, long aware that this beauty was not as simple as his expressionless face suggested, smiled.

“I meant a certain hobby.”

He spoke softly.

“Gemstones, jewelry, antiques, works of art… and, of course, rings.” Taking a grilled fish and biting into it, the fox, upon confirming it was thoroughly cooked, squinted in happiness, gesturing to Illumi to help himself while tearing small pieces to feed the quietly seated Mokona in his arms.

He watched as Illumi, without hesitation, took up a grilled fish and began to eat, and Kurama’s smile deepened.

“These, everyone likes. But this sort of liking always has its limits—not everyone exceeds them.”

“And we—Mr. Jitaraku, you and I—clearly are among those who go beyond those limits.”

“It’s a very distinct scent, especially… when I’m a rather successful thief.”

“How could I not recognize it?”

As if unconcerned about revealing his own profession, the fox summed up with a cheerful smile.

***

Hisoka, after changing clothes and reapplying his makeup (==), vented his surging battle lust by hunting a few reasonably powerful magical beasts deep in the jungle. When he returned to the creek, lunch was already over.

Beside the nearly extinguished fire, several grilled fish were wrapped in broad leaves found by the stream—probably left there deliberately for someone.

Yet what made Hisoka feel out of place was not this, but the two figures sitting on opposite sides of the fire, engrossed in lively conversation.

—That’s my little Illumi＝＝＋

The magician thought instinctively.

Of course, he never bothered to examine what kind of sentiment truly lurked behind what he considered jokes and caprice.

Hisoka approached just in time to hear the two discussing recent news circulating across several continents—honestly, he found such information of little value.

The cunning red-haired boy paused the conversation to smile at him courteously; the magician responded with a smile sweetly laced with malice.

The other reacted as calmly as if he’d seen nothing at all.

Somehow, the black-haired assassin—once just “Illumi,” now “our little Illumi” in Hisoka’s mind—turned to glance at him, eyes cool.

“There’s grilled fish,” he said.

Hisoka chuckled, reaching for the still-warm, delicious fish—Little Illumi was concerned for him, even if his tone was indifferent.

Oh my, what a lovable person (heart)~

The clown had no idea how much he was swooning inside.

Kurama’s mouth twitched at his expression.

Frankly, that face was truly attractive.

Even if… it was painted with rather tasteless stars and tears.

But when such makeup was paired with exaggerated expressions…

The fox turned away, unwilling to comment further==

“Jitaraku, thank you. If not for you, I might have waited much longer to learn this information.”

Turning, Kurama sincerely thanked Illumi.

—He keenly noticed that, when he called “Jitaraku,” Hisoka’s lips curled in delight.

Illumi nodded calmly, “I learned quite a bit from you as well.”

—In other words, it was balanced.

Kurama had earlier told Illumi he was a young thief from the southern region of the Yurubian continent, from a small island among the Balusha archipelago, venturing into the world.

“In my homeland, though it’s a hub for travelers thanks to rich marine resources and thriving commerce, on that small island, it’s far from enough to truly hone oneself.” He spoke in earnest.

“So, I left by ship—only to encounter a shipwreck midway. The survivors scattered, and I was washed ashore, entering this vast jungle. Lacking experience in finding a way out, I’ve been trapped here nearly two months, unable to escape.”

—Admittedly, his story had holes.

Yet, the jungle was indeed near the coast and astonishingly vast (the dandelions hadn’t returned any news of the forest boundary yet), so Kurama’s tale was not impossible.

Moreover, neither he nor Illumi intended to get more involved with each other, so one was too lazy to weave a flawless lie—he merely wanted to glean some current news from Illumi to deduce the present era; direct inquiry would have been foolish.

The other was too lazy to care if the boy lied—he wasn’t planning to make friends, and as long as his own and his family’s safety weren’t threatened, sharing common knowledge cost little effort, especially since the lunch was tasty and the benefits substantial.

Thus, each held their own intentions, yet their interaction was harmonious.

But with Hisoka’s return, both Kurama and Illumi knew their conversation—and any “relationship”—was at its end.

Once Hisoka finished his belated lunch with surprising speed and elegance, Illumi took him along to bid farewell to Kurama.

Before leaving, they kindly pointed Kurama toward an exit; apparently, a ten-minute walk would bring him to a bustling little town.

Kurama thanked them with a smile, and the parties parted without a hint of lingering.

Only after the dandelions reported that the two had gone far away did Kurama drop his smile and look down at Mokona, who had quietly remained still throughout.

“Thank you, Mokona. They’re gone now.”

The white fluffball smiled, reaching up to touch Kurama’s cheek. “Yes, Mokona felt it; their presence has faded.”

Then his tone grew grave: “But Mokona didn’t sense their presence before! Clearly…”

Clearly, when the fight was about to break out, the energy erupting from the red-haired man had been so intense, so startling.

Kurama patted his head.

“It’s not your fault, Mokona.”

Those two must have used “Zetsu” before.

The fox thought, somewhat troubled.

But, “Mokona, let’s celebrate! This is another world rich in energy.”

Shaking off those bothersome thoughts, Kurama smiled.

A world abundant in energy also meant—

“There should be no shortage of things to tempt Miss Yuuko…”

Kurama mused quietly.

Author’s note: So in the end, it was balanced, wasn’t it? Illumi didn’t fool Kurama, and Kurama may not have fooled Illumi either ╮(╯▽╰)╭ Too many external factors, and neither really wanted to expose or cover up the truth…

For now, Kurama has parted ways with Illumi and Hisoka (￣︶￣) They’ll surely meet again, but in this arc, it’s best they don’t get further entangled—after all, neither assassins nor eccentrics are likely to make friends willingly ╮(╯_╰)╭

Next up: visual extras of the beautiful Illumi and his oblivious (or not?) pursuer Hisoka—

Hisoka, you’re definitely hoping to bite the other end of the chocolate stick and make things exciting, right? [excited face]

And as always, a preview for the next chapter: Identity x Intelligence x Beautiful Youth. Farewell to Hisoka and Illumi, Kurama begins his journey in a new world. The most important thing, of course, is to solve his identity problem, which brings him to a new city. What experiences await him there, and whom will he meet? Please look forward to the next chapter, “Kurama the Fox Spirit”: Identity x Intelligence x Beautiful Youth!

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