Ever since Gon met you in the hallway of the 50th floor, he hadn’t given up. You, on the other hand, had made it painfully clear you weren’t interested.

Every time he ran up beside you, asking if you wanted to eat with him and Killua, you kept walking.

When he waved at you across the training hall, beaming like you were already best friends, you glanced away and pretended not to see.

You didn’t dislike him—he just… talked too much. Smiled too easily. Trusted too fast. You were focused. You didn’t come to Arena to make friends. You came to win.

But Gon? Gon followed you around like a determined puppy with a mission. And somehow, despite all your silence, he never seemed discouraged.

“Wait up!” he called, sprinting after you as you left the training floor one evening. You sighed, not bothering to turn around as he caught up, grinning like always.

“Are you avoiding me?” he asked, genuinely curious—not offended.

That was the thing about Gon. No matter how cold you were to him, he never got angry. He never gave up.

You gave him nothing. Not a word. Not a glance. At best, you walked past him. At worst, you vanished before he could even finish a sentence.

You weren’t sure why he kept trying.

Most people gave up on you after the first rejection. Most people didn’t want to be close to someone like you—cold, quiet, focused only on strength.

But Gon? He was persistent.