"Excellent work, everyone. Phase Two of the exam will occur here, in the Biska Forest Park. So, I shall take my leave. Best of luck to all of you." The examiner said before walking off. I turn back to see the metal door opening, showing off a bunch of cooking stations. I quickly get back to Gon, and wait for the next phase to start.

"Will all applicants who passed the First Phase please enter?" A woman asked, allowing everyone to enter the outdoor kitchen.

"Welcome. I'm Menchi, the Second Phase examiner." The female examiner said. "And I'm Buhara, the other examiner." The male examiner added.

A weird sound was heard, causing everyone to look around, myself included. "Wh-what was that sound?" Someone asked.

"You must be hungry." The female examiner said. Wait that guy made that sound? "I'm starving." The male examiner replied.

"There you have it. Phase Two will involve cooking!" The female examiner said, directing her attention back to us.

"Cooking?" A bald guy asks

"We're here to take the Hunter exam!" Another guy yelled.

"That's quite right. Your challenge for the Second Phase is to produce a dish that will satisfy our palate." The female examiner answered.

"Why do we have to cook?!" Someone yelled. I swear their idiots. It's obviously because they're gourmet hunters.

"That's because we are Gourmet Hunters." The female explained. See.

"Huh? Man what a let down." The guy from earlier said. What do you even mean by that? This could be the hardest challenge, unless you all know how to cook..

"They're Gourmet Hunters..."

"So, Gourmet Hunters, what are we supposed to make?" Someone asked mockingly.

"Buhara?" "The required ingredient is pork." The male examiner replied.

"Pork? As in pig meat?" No as in cow meat, of course it's pig meat! "You're free to use meat from any species of Biska forest pigs. You must use the cooking facilities here to prepare the pork." The male explained. "And you only pass if we both find it delicious." He added.

"And we will evaluate more than just the taste. Don't underestimate the intricacies of cooking. Got it?" The female examiner said. "When we've both eaten our fill, the exam will end." She said before being interrupted.

"We get it, we get it. Let's just start." The same rude guy from earlier interrupts.

"Then, the exam's Second Phase begins now!" The male examiner said, causing everyone to run out of the outdoor kitchen.

"Free to use meat from any species of pigs? You have a real nasty streak." The female examiner said.

"Menchi not everyone's gone yet." The male examiner said, gesturing towards me.

"Oh. Do you need help kid?" Menchi asks me.

"No. I don't know how to cook, so I'm just gonna fail the exam." I say while going to sit against a wall.

"You should be more positive, you could have a natural talent!" The male examiner said, probably trying to get me to at least attempt to cook something.

"Theres a fine line between natural talent and skill." I reply. I'm really just to lazy to try.

"I like this kid." Menchi said while getting up from her seat. "Of course you would- where are you going?" The male examiner asked the female one. "There's no rule against helping out an applicant, I just can't cook for them." She said while walking towards me.

"The Chairman will get mad if he finds out you only helped one applicant though." The male stated. "He can get mad. Get up kid, we're going to find a pig." Menchi said walking out the gate, I get up and start to follow her. I'm not going to just tell them 'No thanks I'm to lazy'.

Once in the forest I decided to ask "Why are you helping me? I mean there isn't really a reason to."

"Because I like you, and I want to teach you how to cook. I don't need any other reason." Menchi said while leading me down a hill. I quickly notice a pig chewing on a pile of bones. So that's what she meant by he had a nasty streak.

"Try doing this by yourself, I'll teach you how to cook it, if you can catch it." Menchi explained. I quickly analyzed the pig, it seems to have a large nose to protect it's forehead.

I quietly climb up a tree, the high ground will be useful. I wait until the pig is closer to the tree before jumping onto it's head, effectively killing it.

"That was faster than I thought it'd be." Menchi said, killing a pig of her own. "Thanks." I respond before picking up the pig, and following Menchi.

Once we got back to the outdoor kitchen we set our pigs down. "I don't know how to cook, but seriously these guys are idiots." I mutter underneath my breath, while watching everyone roast their pigs whole.

"Another reason I like you, your smart." Menchi said. I hadn't meant for her to hear that, but oh well. "Now onto cooking."

Menchi taught me how cut, and cook the pig. Though nobody else even attempted to try to watch what she did, and repeat it. "Alright I'll let you season and present it how you like. The chairman would get mad if I did it all for you." Menchi said before going back to her seat.

I continue to cook, putting in some effort as a thanks to Menchi for teaching me. I hear the first person go up with their pig, and turn to watch.

"Now eat the pig and send me to the next phase." Oh it's the rude guy from earlier, I can't wait to see how this plays out. I make sure to keep an eye on my food, while still watching the first taste testing.

"Tastes good!" Buhara says holding up a pass sign. "It's overcooked. The tough texture ruins the taste of the meat." Menchi says holding up a fail sign.

"What? You haven't even tried it!" What do you expect after cooking the pig whole? An 'omg this is the best food ever'? I turn back to my food and start cooking again.

"You're surprisingly good at this darling~" I hear someone, whom I assume is Hisoka, say from behind me. "With these people around me I probably look like a god at this." I respond, not bothering to turn around.

"I'm surprised you're putting any effort into this~ you were the last one out of the gate, so I thought you gave up~"

"The examiners didn't really like that idea, so I had to actually try." I reply, focusing on my food.

"Alright~ I'll let you cook~ I want to see if you pass~"

I start putting my food on a plate, and then I head towards the examiners.

What you made

I Set my food on the table in front of them. Buhara being the first to try my food.

"It's not as much as I would've liked, but quality of quantity!" He says putting up a pass sign. Alright now for the actual test, does Menchi like it?

Menchi slowly takes a bite out of my food, causing a commotion with those who were watching.

"She actually tried it!?"

"That kid must be cheating! How do they know how to cook?"

Many other idiotic remarks were made, though I didn't bother to listen, as I had turned my attention back to Menchi.

"It's a bit bland. But you showed the most effort, and definitely made a good meal for a first attempt." Menchi said putting up a pass sign.

"That's no fair you didn't even try mine!" The rude guy yelled.

"Yeah this is favoritism!" Another person yelled.

"A first attempt?~ You must be quite talented then~" Hisoka questioned.

"Nah. People just like me, it's something you wouldn't understand." I reply

"Ouch~ don't you like me though?~" He questions.

"I have really bad taste so I don't count." I respond.

Hisoka let's out a small chuckle before speaking again, "Alright~ I'll leave you alone now~"

"Thank god." I say as he walks away. He, sadly, didn't give any reaction.

I watched everyone else cook their pig whole, and then present it, being confused when they fail. Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika we're no different. Though Kurapika's pig was actually tasted, it turned out he just focused on the looks of the pig, not the taste.

"That was so much food, I'm stuffed!" Buhara said, signaling the end of the exam. "Yeah, I'm stuffed too. Therefore only one person passed!" Menchi said, so all the idiots would understand.

"Only one person?"

"Who passed?"

"That's no fair!"

"They're playing favorites!"

Many complaints could be heard. And those who weren't complaining were trying to figure out who passed.

"Only number 82 passed Stage Two of the exam. The rest of you fail." Menchi added, causing everyone to look for whoever had badge number 82. I'm glad I put it in my pocket instead.

"I won't except this! I absolutely refuse to accept this!" The rude guy yelled. Clearly someone's a sore loser.

"In the end, you've still failed." Menchi replied.

"Stop screwing around! You asked for pork so we risked our lives to-" he was cut off my Menchi.

"I said to prepare the pork in a manner we both found delicious. Only one of you made anything remotely delicious. The rest of you all did almost the same thing. There was no effort made. Only one person attempted to emphasize the flavor, I'm positive that the rest of you didn't take cooking seriously!" Menchi was obviously annoyed.

"Pork dishes are all the same..." some bald dude said.

"Just say that once more. Any more crap from you, and I'll shove my arm up your ass and knock your teeth out!" I definitely wouldn't want to get on her bad side.

"Shut up! I don't want to become a cook or gourmet. I want to become a Hunter! My goal is to become a Blacklist Hunter! I refuse to let a mere Gourmet Hunter decide my fate!" The rude guy yelled.

"Cooking is still a necessary skill to becoming a hunter! Even if you don't want to become a Gourmet hunter, you have to know how to cook! And even if it wasn't necessary you still got stuck with a 'mere' Gourment hunter as your examiner!" I yell at him, completely tired of his bullshit.

"Why you! Don't mock me!" He yelled lunging at me. Both Menchi and Hisoka made attempts to block him, Hisoka got there first.

"Ah~ I wouldn't do that if I were you~" He said, grabbing the guy by the neck, and lifting him off the ground.

"I can protect myself, I wouldn't have said shit if I couldn't." I say while staring at Hisoka.

I feel a small.. earthquake? and then hear "This Phase of the exam doesn't condone violence."

"Who's that?"

"That's the symbol of the Hunters Association!"

"Is it someone from the Selection Committee?"

I turn to look at an old man surrounded by a cloud of dust. I hear Hisoka drop the guy behind me.

"Chairman Netero" Menchi said. Oh so this is the Charman they were talking about earlier.

"Failing all but one of the applicants seems a bit excessive, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, sir." Menchi replied.

"You failed almost all the of the applicants because you disapproved of they're reluctance to try new things?" The chairman asks.

"No, sir. I lost my cool when one of the applicants insulted Gourmet Hunters. And made the exam harder than necessary." I mean they just had to put more effort into it, it wasn't that hard.

"In other words, you're aware that this exam was unacceptable?" The chairman asked.

"Yes, sir. When cooking is involved, I lose control. I'm unqualified to be an examiner. I will resign as examiner. So please redo the Second Phase!" Menchi responds.

"It would be hard to find a new examiner on such short notice."

"I apologize." She isn't even a bad examiner!

"Very well. How about this, you continue serving as an examiner. However, you must also participate in the new test you propose. Is that acceptable? I'm sure that it'll help the applicants to accept the results."

"That's true, then the new challenge will be boiled eggs! Chairman, can you take us to Mt Split-in-Half in your airship?"

"I see what you're doing. Certainly I can. But before that, I would like to meet whoever passsed your exam."

"Yeah who did pass anyways?"

"Yeah that test was impossible!" It wasn't impossible, you just had to try!

"Y/n?" Menchi said, turning towards me. "Hullo." I say waving at the chairman.

"They passed?"

"Aren't they the kid that hangs out with Hisoka?"

"Yeah I'm pretty sure there dating!" I have to hold back a laugh at that comment. I quickly glance towards Hisoka, whom seems to be doing the same.

"Woah Y/n you passed the exam?" Gon asked me, amazed. I just nodded in return.

"You won't have to compete in the redoing of the second phase. But if I may ask where did you learn to cook? Not many chefs can please Menchi's tastes." The chairman asked.

"I had Menchi teach me how to cook." I reply.

"But that's cheating!" Some idiot yelled.

"There's no rule against helping an applicant. You guys just didn't ask." I say loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Hm, I can see why Menchi likes you." The chairman says

"We should get going if we want to be there before dark." Menchi says, looking up at the sky.

Word count: 2564

This part of the story ends at some point in Season 1 Episode 6 A x Surprising x Challenge

Fun Facts:

• Y/n remembered Menchi's name because she taught her how to cook! Y/n had to stop themselves from calling Menchi, Machi because of the similar names, and that they're both mother figures! Though Y/n won't admit that Menchi is a mother figure!

• Towards the end of the chapter, whenever
Y/n is speaking 'Gourmet' is capitalized! This is because they have respect for Menchi! The word 'Hunter' still isn't capitalized though!

• Y/n was surprised when both Menchi and Hisoka attempted to protect them! They didn't understand why Menchi would care, So they just marked it off as really hating the guy! They also assumed that Hisoka was protecting them for personal reasons!

Extra Fun Fact!

• Y/n and Hisoka both want to annoy each other! Seeing how Y/n never shows any signs of actually being annoyed by his antics, Hisoka wants to see what happens when he does annoy you. Y/n just wants to annoy him for the hell of it!

Extra, Extra Fun Fact!

• Hisoka actually somewhat cares about Y/n! If you get strong enough to kill him he'll still want to fight you though! He can't seem to understand why he doesn't like the idea of you getting hurt! This is mainly because of how long he went without knowing if you were a worthy opponent or not! He spent so much time talking with you before he knew if he wanted to fight you, that he actually enjoys talking to you! This would be different if you were scared of him!