Kurapika x Reader One-Shot Collection - Chapter 18: Chapter 18

The cold misty air surrounds me as I walk on the concrete sidewalk. The concrete is cracked from years of use. I pass the giant wrought iron fence and continue to walk down the paths of this place that is starting to feel like home.
I take a look around. A couple is crying in front of a tombstone. The woman places a fresh bouquet of flowers in front of the grave. To my left, a man is shoveling dirt into a new gravesite, giving the air an earthy scent.
I continue to walk while paying attention to my surroundings. I'm a frequent visitor here, yet I don't know exactly who it is I'm looking for. Maybe I'm a taphophile. I do find the art of this cemetery beautiful. I am also interested in its history.
I sit down on one of the benches and close my eyes. I can hear people sobbing, birds chirping, and footsteps. When I open my eyes again, I see a man I've never seen before walking past me. He doesn't look my way. His face is full of determination.
My eyes stay focused on this mysterious man. When he finally reaches his destination, he kneels in front of a massive gravesite. This site must have at least a hundred bodies buried there.
He bows his head and folds his hands. I feel sad for this stranger. Not that I don't feel sad for all of the other visitors, he just captivates me. Like he has a story. A story I'm determined to know.
He stays in the same position for an hour. I can't help but stare. I feel like walking over to him and giving him a hug. But...why? We've never met.
When he is finished praying, he slowly stands up. He spends another ten minutes looking at the gravesite. He walks away with his head down.
When he is out of view, I run over to the gravesite where he was praying. I look up to read the name on the monument.
KURTA
I quickly become obsessed. I walk up and down the paths of the memorial. I counted one hundred and twenty-eight tombstones. I read the dates. They all share the same date of death with the exception of one. This particular tombstone reads:
KURAPIKA
APRIL 4, 1982 -
The owner of this tombstone is still alive. Could it be him?
I wait for him the next day. He doesn't show up. I look forward to the day after that. Still no sign of him. There is a strange sensation that runs through me. Will I ever see him again?
Just when I begin to lose hope, he appears. This time, he is carrying a shovel over his shoulder. With his other arm, he is holding two glass containers.
He carefully places each container on the ground. After praying, he picks up his shovel and starts to dig a hole in the dirt. He wipes his brow when he is finished burying the glass containers. What were in them? And why did he bury them here?
I'm left with more questions when he leaves this time. I know I shouldn't do this, but I dig up the glass containers. My jaw drops as soon as I see them. Inside each container was a pretty scarlet-colored eye. I've never seen such a beautiful color.
What did they mean to him?
Days pass and I continue to take my daily walks through the cemetery. My head is down so I don't see the person walking in the opposite direction of me. We bump into each other.
"Watch where you're going!"
I look up to see who is shouting at me. It's him!
"I...I'm sorry. I promise to be more careful."
"It's fine...have a nice day," he says before walking away.
I find my usual bench and sit to watch him. His melancholy expression makes my heart ache. I want to know his story. I want to know him.
Instead of walking toward the exit when he finished with his visit, he walked over to sit next to me.
"Mind if I sit here?" he asks.
"Of course not." I scoot over to make room for him.
"You know...I've noticed every time I come here to visit my clan, you are always here. Why do you watch me the way you do?"
I'm speechless...I didn't know he saw me. Nobody ever notices me.
"You noticed me?" I ask. I begin to tremble.
"Hey...you're not in trouble. I was just wondering. And of course I noticed you. How could I not?"
He offers me a faint smile. I accept it and smile back. It feels nice to be noticed.
"Is that your family?" I ask while looking in the direction of The Kurta Memorial.
"Yes." His smile fades.
He tells me the story of The Kurta Clan. Everything starts to make sense.
"I'm so sorry." I hang my head. "Is your name Kurapika?"
He stares at me with widened eyes. "Yes. Answer me...how do you know?"
"I saw your tombstone. It's the only one missing a date of death."
"Right. One day my body will rest here. I will join my fellow Kurta. Until then, I will continue to walk with this hollowness inside of me," he says, gripping his chest. "I can only wonder...for how long? How much longer do I need to wait? And...will they even welcome me?"
Instead of entering my ears, his words go straight to my heart. I feel like comforting him with my words, but instead I give him a brief moment of silence and wait for him to continue the conversation.
"I honestly don't know why I'm telling you my story. We've only just met," he finally says. "I don't normally open up like this. However, there is something about your presence that brings me comfort."
"Don't worry...your secret's safe with me."
"Who are you always visiting?" he asks, changing the subject.
He catches me off guard. "Oh...I'm not here to visit anyone."
He furrows his brow. "Then why are you always here?"
"I hope this doesn't sound strange to you, but I enjoy the walks. It's very tranquil here," I answer, rocking my legs back and forth.
"It's not strange at all. It's definitely a place where you are free from the disturbances of the world," he says, standing up from the bench. "Well, I should be making my way back home. Will you be here tomorrow?"
I look up at him. "Yes."
"Great. Take care," he says.
I watch as he turns around to leave. He walks a few steps before turning back around.
"Will you share your name with me?"
"It's (Y/N)," I answer.
"You have a lovely name. Have a nice evening, (Y/N)," he says.
He walks toward the exit. I can't stop smiling. What is this new feeling?
As promised, we meet the next day. I didn't expect him to come this early. The fog still hasn't lifted off the ground. He sees me right away.
He smiles at me. This smile is different. He allows the corners of his mouth to move upward until his eyes crinkle. His blonde hair falls below his neck. A few long strands meet in the middle of his face, touching his nose. He is wearing a charcoal-colored suit. All I can think of is how stunning this man is.
"Shall we walk?" he asks.
I step toward him. We start to walk on the path that leads to The Kurta Memorial.
This is my favorite time to visit the cemetery. It is usually quiet. The dense fog covers the tombstones making it difficult to read the names. The sun is still rising. It gives the sky an orange glow.
I feel Kurapika's eyes on me.
"I meant to tell you yesterday...that dress you're wearing...it's beautiful."
I place my hand on my chest, feeling the silky fabric of my pink dress. An elaborate design is threaded in gold on the front.
"Thank you."
He is only inches away from me.
"Mind if I hold your hand?" he asks.
I offer him my hand. I barely feel his skin before he pulls away.
"(Y/N)! Your hand is ice cold!" He pulls his suit jacket off and places it over my shoulders. "Here...take my jacket."
I don't feel cold, but I take his jacket anyway. I smell the collar. Kurapika glances my way and smiles. I straighten my posture and pretend I wasn't just smelling his jacket. He takes my hand again.
"Your hand is still cold...are you feeling any warmer?" he asks.
"Yes, very warm. Thank you."
Kurapika and I meet everyday at the cemetery. Weeks pass by and he finds me leaning against a tree. He runs to me with a big smile on his face.
"Kurapika, what's going on?"
"I want you to meet my friends," he answers while pulling his phone out of his pocket.
"Your friends?"
"Yes. They're going to love you. Not as much as I do, but close."
My eyes widen as I process what he just said. "Kurapika? You love me?"
Kurapika stares at me. He looks just as shocked as I feel.
Seconds later, he puts his phone back inside of his pocket. He closes the gap between us. I'm sandwiched between the tree and him. He reaches down until his lips are level with mine. I feel his warm breath on my skin. He locks his eyes with me. I notice how dark they are.
"(Y/N)...this is not where I imagined confessing my love for you. Nevertheless, we spend all of our time together here." He tucks some of my hair behind my ear. "This place is actually perfect. I have the opportunity to share these words with you in front of my clan." He pauses for a few seconds. "I love you."
I take a deep breath. His words radiate throughout my body. "I love you too, Kurapika."
He moves his lips to my ear. I feel like I might collapse beneath him.
"I want nothing more than to kiss you. However, I feel it would be disrespectful to kiss you in front of the deceased," he says.
"I agree."
"Would you like to follow me back to my apartment? I promise...it's only for a kiss." He rubs my cheek with his fingertips. "Your skin is always cold."
"Sure."
We walk until we reach the main gate of the cemetery.
"Ladies first," he says, motioning for me to walk ahead of him.
I attempt to walk out. There appears to be an invisible barrier...I can't walk past the gate!
"Is everything alright?" he asks.
I ignore his question and attempt to walk out again. I bang my forehead against the barrier. Tears well up in my eyes. I can't leave. But...what is it that's keeping me inside?
I fake a smile so Kurapika doesn't worry about me.
"How about another time?" I ask him.
"Uh...sure."
I could see the disappointment on his face.
"I'm sorry," I say.
"Don't be. How about I take you to meet my friends instead? They are looking forward to meeting you."
I look at the gate that's keeping me trapped inside of the cemetery. "Can they come here?"
Kurapika runs his fingers through his hair. "You want me to invite them to the cemetery?"
"Yes. I feel more comfortable here."
He hesitates for a few seconds.
"Of course. I understand," he says, taking his phone back out of his pocket.
He searches for a number on his contact list. I listen as he invites his friends to come meet me. He smiles at me as he ends his call.
"They'll all be here in an hour."
Kurapika and I sit on the bench and talk while we wait for his friends to arrive.
"Kurapika!" a voice calls out from a distance.
Kurapika quickly turns around. "Leorio, you made it!"
The tall man walks toward Kurapika. Two boys follow behind him.
"Gon...Killua! Thank you all for coming," Kurapika says, barely able to contain his excitement.
I get off the bench to stand next to Kurapika. He wraps his arm around my waist.
"Everyone...I'd like you to meet (Y/N). She is the love of my life."
The three of them look at Kurapika then at me. The tall man's smile fades. The black-haired boy pulls his eyebrows close together before glancing around in different directions. The white-haired boy squints his eyes at me.
"Uh...Kurapika? There's nobody there," says the white-haired boy.
"What are you talking about, Killua? She's standing right beside me." Kurapika motions in my direction.
The tall man walks closer to Kurapika. He places his hand on Kurapika's forehead.
"Are you feeling okay, buddy?"
Kurapika pulls away from his friend. "Of course! What is wrong with the three of you? You're being rude to (Y/N)!"
The black-haired boy stands directly in front of me.
"Yeah, Kurapika...I think you should go home to get some rest. I don't see anyone here."
Kurapika balls his hands into fists. Sweat drops form on his forehead. "I just introduced you to the woman I love. The woman I might marry one day. And this is how you react?"
"Kurapika, we don't mean to be rude, but there is no one there," the tall man says.
Kurapika closes his eyes. "Just leave."
"C'mon, Kurapika. Let's get you out of here," the tall man continues.
"I said leave!" Kurapika shouts.
Kurapika wraps his arms around me. I can hear his friends whispering, but I can't make out what they're saying.
Kurapika and I walk away.
"Hey, Kurapika! Come back! We have something to show you." shouts the white-haired boy.
Kurapika stops walking. He hesitates before making his way back to his friends.
"What is it?" he asks.
The white-haired boy shows him his phone. "Look. We just took a picture of you. There is nobody standing next to you."
Kurapika takes the phone from him. He stares at the screen. Seconds later, he hands the phone back to his friend.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Kurapika asks.
"What'd you mean?"
"You obviously edited that picture."
His friend jumps back. "Huh? Are you insane?"
The dark-haired boy takes the phone and inspects the picture. "Wait a minute...if you zoom in...you can see an outline of a woman." He shows the picture to the tall man. "Can you see it, Leorio?"
The tall man leans down to look at the phone. He adjusts his glasses. "Yeah, you're right. I see it!"
Kurapika crosses his arms. "You three still insist on playing a joke on us? You see an outline because Killua edited the picture."
"Okay...we're outta here," the white-haired boy says while crossing his arms behind his neck. "Don't call us until you've had a psychiatric examination."
I stare at Kurapika. His teeth are clenched. Tears of anger run down his cheeks. These are supposed to be his best friends. Why on earth would they play such a dirty trick on him?
"All of you can go to hell," Kurapika says before turning back around to walk away.
I follow behind him.
"Kurapika? Are you okay?" I ask.
"I'm sorry, (Y/N). I don't know what got into them.
"It's fine. I'd rather spend time alone with you."
"Me too. Let's go visit my clan."
The two of us walk up and down the paths of The Kurta Memorial. I look up at Kurapika. He looks deep in thought.
He starts to whisper in a different language. He stops walking when he reaches his tombstone. I grip his arm.
"Does it feel strange? You know...looking at your own tombstone," I ask.
"No. Death is the only certainty in life."
Kurapika grabs my hand and we continue to walk. He reads each name out loud followed by, "I'm sorry."
He suddenly stops again. I watch him in confusion. His eyes are wide and I can feel his pulse from his radial artery. It's beating at a rapid pace.
"Kurapika?"
He doesn't answer me. Instead, he points at the tombstone in front of us. It says my name on it.
I scream. I release my hand from Kurapika's as I fall to the ground. Memories come flooding back into my brain.
I heard the loud commotion from behind me while walking through the forest. Screams were heard from every direction. I had no idea what was going on so I ran. I ran as fast as I could until I reached the main area of The Lukso Province. My eyes widened as soon as I saw the terrifying scene in front of me. Each member of my clan was being slaughtered in the most gruesome way. Who were these awful people? And why were they doing this to us? The members who had scarlet eyes were forced to turn their eyes the deepest shade of crimson as possible. And when I say forced, I mean they had to endure the pain of watching their children die in front of them.
I remember one family in particular. They had one young son. A tall man with a top knot held his sword against the boy's neck. He sliced it off right in front of the boy's parents. I saw the red glow in their eyes as they watched their son's head roll on the ground. At that moment, they were stabbed in the back. Their eyes were plucked out from their heads.
I slowly walked backward, attempting to escape.
"Where do you think you're going?" a woman asked me.
"I don't have scarlet eyes!" I screamed.
"Oh...we'll see about that."
I felt each of my limbs burn as her threads penetrated my skin.
"One move and your limbs will fall off," she threatened.
I remained as still as possible. A monstrous man wearing a thick coat appeared in front of me.
"She says she doesn't possess scarlet eyes. Should I just kill her?" the woman asked the man.
"Yes...but take her eyes out first. We don't want to take any chances." he answered in a monotonous voice.
I heard my own heartbeat in my ears. The anticipation of having my eyes plucked out was insufferable.
I squeezed my eyes shut out of instinct. Seconds later, I felt a pulling sensation as my right eye was extracted from my head.
"Please...kill me already!" I begged. I didn't want to endure that pain again.
They didn't listen.
I saw darkness. Warm liquid poured down my cheeks. I imagine it was my blood.
My head felt dizzy. Not only due to the physical pain, but from knowing the rest of my clan were being tormented as well.
The woman tightened her threads. Seconds later, I fell to the ground. I felt grateful as sweet death took the pain away.