Chapter 32 – The Acting King, Tonpa
"Gon, take this one to the man with all the nails in his face. Kurapika, that plate goes to the silver-haired guy."
Osren's sharp eyes darted across the room, picking out targets one after another. He moved like a spinning top—swift, focused, and in complete control—as he sent out each of his special dishes to their intended recipients.
By the time the steady stream of examinees had all entered the private room one by one—and none of them came back out—the restaurant floor had grown quiet. The number of people trickling in had dwindled to none.
Osren looked up at the clock. The timing matched almost perfectly with when, in the original storyline, the first phase of the Hunter Exam was about to begin.
"Osren, it's time," said the plump restaurant owner with his usual cheerful grin. "Good luck to you and your friends in the exam."
"Got it, boss. Thanks for everything."
Osren changed out of his chef's outfit and motioned to the others. "Gon, Kurapika, Leorio—let's go."
Together, the four of them stepped into a bare, empty chamber—no tables, no chairs, no decorations, just a clean white room.
The boss escorted them in and, without another word, closed the door.
Clang!
The moment the door shut, the floor beneath them began to sink, and the walls rose slowly around them.
"This whole room… it's an elevator," Leorio muttered in awe.
"So that's how it works," Kurapika said, his analytical mind piecing it together instantly.
"That's awesome!" Gon's voice was brimming with excitement, as always.
At first, they had assumed the Hunter Exam would take place right there in the room—a ridiculous thought, honestly. But now that they were descending underground, the realization hit: the real test awaited below.
"Put your number badges on," Osren said, feeling the vibration beneath their feet shift as the elevator slowed. "We're almost there."
"Right!"
They each took out the numbered badges given by the Kiriko Examiners the previous day and pinned them to their chests.
Thunk. Whoosh.
With a heavy sound, the elevator doors slid open.
Osren stepped out first—and even though he'd already seen many of these people while working in the restaurant, seeing them all gathered in one place now was something else entirely.
A vast hall stretched out before them, filled wall-to-wall with examinees. The air was thick with tension and unspoken rivalry.
Hundreds of eyes turned toward them—some curious, others hostile. The sheer pressure of being surrounded by so many capable fighters was suffocating.
Gulp.
Leorio swallowed hard, his throat dry as sand. "Man, that's… a lot of people."
"There sure are," Gon said, still beaming with unshakable energy.
"Of course," Osren replied calmly. "They've all passed regional screenings to get here—from every corner of the world. It's impressive, really."
Before he could say more, a voice called out from a nearby platform.
"You must be the 405th examinee… and the 406th as well. Looks like you're the last ones to arrive. Welcome!"
The speaker jumped down gracefully from the platform—a man with a green vest over a yellow shirt, a kind face, and an overly friendly smile.
Tonpa.
The so-called Rookie Crusher.
Osren's eyes narrowed slightly. Right on schedule.
"I'm number sixteen this year," Tonpa said, chuckling. "Let's all get along, yeah?"
"'This year?'" Kurapika repeated, his brows furrowing slightly. The phrasing was odd—like Tonpa had done this more than once.
"Nice to meet you!" Gon said brightly, stepping forward as usual with his disarming sincerity. "I'm Gon! This is Osren, Kurapika, and Leorio."
He offered Tonpa his hand with a smile.
Tonpa's grin widened as he reached out to shake it—but behind those friendly eyes, Osren could already see it.
That glint.
The kind of glint only a seasoned predator wore when they'd spotted their next prey.
The Hunter Exam had officially begun—and so had Tonpa's performance.
Of the four, only Kurapika other than Gon extended his hand to shake Tonpa's.
Leorio waved his own dismissively, clearly uninterested—perhaps still a bit scarred from his last encounter with Machi.
As for Osren? He didn't even bother.
A man like Tonpa, who preyed on rookies with a smile, didn't deserve a handshake.
Scheming snake, Osren thought. Someone really ought to slap that grin off his face.
Tonpa, however, didn't seem the least bit offended. He simply chuckled, rubbing his palms together.
"You kids are all newbies, huh? I saw you earlier helping out in the steakhouse—I actually thought you were staff."
"You could tell we were new?" Gon asked curiously. "Oh, we were just helping because the boss was too busy!"
That was the exact excuse Osren had fed him earlier, and Gon—being Gon—had repeated it word for word.
"I've taken this exam thirty-five times," Tonpa said proudly, puffing up his chest.
"Thirty-five times?!" Gon's eyes widened in admiration.
"Yup! I'm practically a veteran at this point. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask me."
Tonpa crossed his arms and struck a proud pose, radiating the smug confidence of a self-declared mentor.
To be fair, setting aside his reputation as the Rookie Crusher, Tonpa really did know a lot about the exam after so many failed attempts.
And Osren, who already had a plan for how to use him later, saw no reason to ruin the act.
"Thank you!" Gon said sincerely.
"Thirty-five tries, huh? That's… impressive," Leorio muttered, his glasses slipping slightly down his nose. "Maybe a little too impressive."
Just then, a round-faced man in a white shirt and suspenders stepped forward. He carried a laptop almost as big as his torso. His body was short and stocky, his presence rather… unremarkable.
"Are you… the Tonpa everyone talks about?" the man asked suddenly.
Tonpa blinked. "Uh… and you are?"
The man adjusted his glasses, typing something rapidly on his computer as he introduced himself.
"You wouldn't know me. I'm new. Candidate #187—Nicolas."
"Hi! I'm Gon!" the boy said brightly.
Nicolas didn't even glance at him, too busy scrolling through data. His tone was calm and detached as he began reading aloud:
"So, Tonpa. You've attempted the Hunter Exam thirty-five times. That makes you the second most frequent participant in history. However, you also hold the record for the most consecutive appearances—thirty in a row. Remarkable."
Tonpa scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Yeah, well… I participate, sure. But I've never actually passed."
"In other words," Nicolas said casually, closing his laptop, "you're a lifelong failure. A perfect fit for the title 'The Eternal Loser.' Excuse me."
With that, he turned and walked away without another word.
Osren raised an eyebrow. "...Huh. I didn't get it when I watched this play out in the anime, and I still don't get it now."
He thought back to what he remembered: in the original story, Tonpa would later lure Leorio and Nicolas into a hallucinogenic forest—destroying Nicolas's morale so badly that the man quit trying to become a Hunter forever.
So is this the moment that gives Tonpa his excuse to take revenge later?
Either way, the scene felt strange.
"Still," Osren muttered under his breath, "Nicolas's attitude really was asking for a punch."
"Annoying brat," Leorio grumbled, pushing up his glasses.
Tonpa scratched his head sheepishly and sighed. "Kids these days… rude, but not wrong."
His tone was gentle, almost fatherly—so convincingly mild that even Kurapika relaxed a little.
Osren, however, almost applauded.
If this guy lived in the real world, he'd have at least one Oscar on his shelf. Maybe two.
Everything—from the earnest look in his eyes to the faint slouch of his shoulders—sold the image of a harmless, well-meaning fool.
If I didn't already know what you were, I'd believe every word, Osren thought. Your acting's terrifyingly good.
Then Tonpa shifted the conversation, keeping his genial smile. "Anyway, the participants this year seem really young. Look over there."
They followed his gaze.
Across the hall stood a man with a perfectly shaved head that gleamed under the lights, wearing armor that looked like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie. The serious eyes and rigid posture gave him away immediately.
"Ah, I see," Osren murmured. "That's Hanzo—the ninja."
Almost as if to confirm it, the man in question turned to a nearby candidate and said with complete seriousness,
"By the way, I am a ninja. A real one. I train rigorously every single day."
Leorio blinked. "...That guy's something else."
Osren smirked faintly. "Welcome to the Hunter Exam."
The stage was set, the actors were in place—
and the curtain on the real chaos was about to rise.
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