Hunter x hunter: I’m interested in Nen abilities

Chapter 51: Mark Placement

A small section of lip balm was extended and pressed against Shizuku's smooth, pale abdomen, leaving faint but visible traces as it moved.

Shizuku held the hem of her sweater between her teeth, standing in front of Haru by the bed as he drew on her waist and stomach.

It was about midday, and the noise of bustling traffic rolled through the hotel's open window, mingling with the hot and chaotic air.

When Haru finished, he gathered a ball of aura in his hand and pressed it against the faint five-pointed star pattern he'd drawn on Shizuku's side. The image, now bathed in Haru's aura, activated his manipulation-type ability, Song of the Earth, leaving a rose-gold star-shaped mark on Shizuku's skin.

Shizuku immediately felt a subtle change in her aura.

The mark Haru had placed seemed like a core hub, seamlessly merging a small amount of Haru's aura with her own. Her energy began circulating uncontrollably, and she could distinctly feel her injuries healing faster than usual. Even her aura regeneration was noticeably sped up.

"But why did you ask me to put it here?" Haru suddenly asked.

"What?" Shizuku snapped out of her thoughts and looked down at the rose-gold star on her waist. "Isn't this spot fine?"

"I mentioned it earlier, didn't I? If the star mark is damaged, it disappears immediately," Haru explained, raising a finger. "Even a minor scratch or a small cut will disrupt the mark's integrity and cancel it."

He pointed to her toned waist. "Placing the mark on a front-facing, vulnerable spot like this during a fight seems pretty risky."

Shizuku paused for a moment, then said, "Your star mark is like a tattoo, isn't it? And when I think of tattoos, I imagine them in places like this…"

"Want to move it?" Haru asked.

Shizuku's expression remained unchanged, as if deep in thought. Then, without warning, she reached for the button on her jeans.

"Whoa, whoa, stop!" Haru quickly grabbed her hands. "What are you doing?!"

Shizuku said calmly, "If it's on a naturally protected, private area, the star mark won't be easily damaged in a fight, right?"

"Well, you've certainly got ideas…" Haru flicked her stomach lightly, erasing the star mark, and placed the lip balm in her hand, closing her fingers around it. "But you can do it yourself."

Shizuku held the lip balm and looked at him for a moment. "Okay." Then she turned around, facing away from Haru, holding the hem of her sweater between her teeth as she unbuttoned her jeans.

A few seconds later, Haru called out, "Make sure you don't smudge the drawing when you put your clothes back on."

"Got it…" Shizuku mumbled around the fabric in her mouth.

Once she finished drawing, she carefully pulled up her clothes, buttoned her jeans, and lowered her sweater. Turning back to Haru, she watched as he summoned a ball of aura and focused on her jeans with a serious expression.

"Where did you draw it?" Haru asked.

Shizuku pointed to the inner side of her left thigh, near the root, moving stiffly to avoid smudging the balm.

Haru pressed the aura ball against the indicated spot through her jeans. Even though he couldn't see the mark, he didn't need to. His ability allowed him to sense and activate the star mark without direct sight. Soon, a new star mark formed beneath the fabric.

"All set," Haru said with satisfaction.

Shizuku thought for a moment, then sat down beside him and asked curiously, "Did you make me do it myself because you were embarrassed?"

"Ha! I just didn't want to bully you," Haru scoffed. "Otherwise, with my mark on you, you'd have to obey my every command. If I told you to take off your clothes, you'd have to—stop right there!"

Shizuku had started smoothing the hem of her sweater. "It's just wrinkled," she said. Then, tilting her head, she asked, "Can your star mark also issue verbal commands?"

"Yeah," Haru confirmed. "But issuing commands requires actively using nen, so it feels different from casual conversation. As the mark carrier, you'd immediately notice the sensation of being compelled."

"Oh…" Shizuku nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Even though you're a manipulation type, you don't control people's will. Your nen ability shows that, at your core, you're a good person."

"Shizuku, stand up and dance to 'Love You.'"

Shizuku instantly understood what Haru meant by "compelled." Her body stood up on its own and began moving to a cheerful, playful rhythm.

"Still think I'm a good person?" Haru asked with a mischievous laugh.

As her body danced, Shizuku calmly observed, "I've never seen this dance before. Since you don't control personal will, are you actively directing my movements after giving the command?"

"Sort of…" Haru admitted, quickly canceling the command as he asked casually, "Shizuku, how old are you?"

Regaining control of her body, Shizuku stuck out her tongue and sat back down beside him. "Fourteen… No, fifteen."

"You see," Haru said solemnly, "I almost committed a crime."

Shizuku stared at him blankly.

"I'm about half a head shorter than you now…" Haru muttered, deep in thought. "I guess I've fast-forwarded straight into puberty. At 1.5 meters tall, how old am I supposed to be?"

He looked at Shizuku, who continued staring at him.

"I'll say I'm twelve," Haru decided.

"Aren't you twenty?" Shizuku asked, confused.

"Twenty in spirit, twelve in body," Haru replied.

"Oh…"

"Enough talk—I'm starving. Let's grab something to eat."

Haru stood up, realizing his clothes were now too tight. Growing from 1.1 meters to 1.5 meters in one go had its challenges.

Thankfully, he had anticipated this and worn loose clothing. Though his outfit was now snug, it wasn't unmanageable—his pants were now shorts, and his shirt was nearly a tank top.

"I have spare athletic pants. They're unisex," Shizuku offered.

"Bring them!"

...

At a roadside diner, Haru and Shizuku sat at a table after ordering. The news played on a small TV, covering the terrorist attack that had taken place earlier on Weston Street near Cosmo Station. The footage showed stretchers and medical staff moving through the scene.

"Let's delay our plans to buy a ship ticket," Haru said between bites.

Shizuku looked puzzled.

"Stations and airports might have tighter security after this," Haru explained. "My Hunter License might get me through, but your forged documents won't hold up under scrutiny."

Shizuku nodded.

"Also…" Haru tapped his chest. "If I've grown this much in one nap, I can't afford to waste time. I need to train harder, or it feels like I'm throwing away years of progress."

"So, before we leave, let's train for a few more days." He smiled, holding his chopsticks. "Let's set a small goal—raise my total nen to 1,000. If we push hard, maybe even 10,000."

Shizuku nodded in agreement.

As they left the diner, Shizuku suddenly asked, "If your body is twelve, doesn't that mean it's not a crime?"

"What?" Haru paused, then realized what she meant. "It's easy to fool others, but fooling yourself is hard, Shizuku."

Watching Haru's back, Shizuku thought, So it's just embarrassment… She touched her face, unsure if she had smiled.

...

By evening, back at their hotel, Haru and Shizuku stood across from each other, maintaining their strongest Ken.

Suddenly, Haru opened one eye. "Hey, aren't we forgetting something?"

Shizuku opened her eyes as well, thinking for a moment. Then, in unison, they both exclaimed, "We forgot to feed the birds!"

(Chapter End)