Chapter Text
Another day of work. Every day of work.
All that surrounded them was beautiful. The sun was out, as it usually was, bright and shining over the wide meadow. The growing crops danced in the wind that flew past them. The sound that erupted from the various wildlife and livestock animals present at the fields complimented the scenery.
How come none of them felt as beautiful as their surroundings?
Exhaustion was the only feeling that washed over the labour. Regardless of what their task was and what section of the fields they were assembled at, furrowed eyebrows, frowns and soft grunts were mutual. The Suns were working.
Despite the ungodly hour, the air of the environment felt thick and suffocating with its heightened humidity and tension.
The sweat, that hours prior proved a successful cooling mechanism, was a nuisance. Sweat stained their stained clothes, shined their angry faces and stuck their matted hair onto their foreheads. All their movements were violent and numbing, whether it was the harvesting of crops or the swinging of pickaxes and shovels.
No one dared to pause for a second to rest: it was too risky, too reckless. The titled ‘Reds’ were there. They were beings who were dressed in grand red attire, with their hair pushed back and weapons in their hands. They had solemn looks on their faces that made it seem like they hadn’t ever experienced joy in their life. The ‘Reds’ were the Sun’s keepers. At least that was what Gon was told.
Gon silently continued to push his shovel into the ground. His hands were filthied by his blood, escaping from small bruises and cuts, and the long wooden handle of his shovel soiled by the stains of his blood.
Sure, he might’ve been working, but his mind was elsewhere, as it typically was. Maybe that was why he felt little to no exhaustion from completing the difficult tasks. What surrounded him from plants to animals was enough to grip his interest, it was enough to keep him sane.
He no longer felt enthusiasm towards work. His attempts of making the job more interesting and bearable were completely forbidden by Mito-san, who had warned him from doing anything besides what he was supposed to do, and he was supposed to work.
Gon reminisced the days that he actually enjoyed doing work. When had that been? A year ago? No, definitely just a couple of months ago. A short period of time had only passed from his first days of work and Gon already dreaded every morning. Things were different.
Days were mundane. Even if the Sun was out and bright, everything felt dark and gloomy. The days passed in a blink of an eye, yet the hours during them felt like years. That particular day felt like a decade.
Before he knew it, Gon was watching the sun set peacefully behind the hills surrounding the fields, blocking his view from what was beyond. His shovel slipped out of his hand as he continued to gaze upon the sky. His gaze then shifted to the rest of his unit, who were barely dragging their feet out of the fields and into the path that separated the great area into sections.
Those in Red marched behind the various groups of labour now making their way back to their homes.
The young boy flopped himself onto the nearest chair to the door of his own home, a loud groan escaping his lips and his two dirty hands moving up to his eyes to rub them tiredly as he said, “What a day,” to no one in particular.
He heard a groan in reply. He lifted his hands from his eyes and blinked lazily, his eyesight slowly sharpening and focusing on the man that sat on another chair by his side, his position identical to Gon’s.
“How are you doing, Kite?” Gon asked, a smile stretched upon his lips at the sight of his friend.
Kite remained silent for a few moments, probably too exhausted to reply. His long white hair was messy and filthy with soil and dirt. It cascaded by his sides, less like a calm river, more like a dirty puddle. The older man had his eyes closed and his lips were shut tightly.
A sigh left the man as he repositioned himself on the hard wooden chair. His back was now straight and his long, lanky legs were stretched before him, with his arms were crossed across his chest. He continued to shift his body around idly, dragging his aching body parts as he attempted to put his figure into a more comfortable and less painful position.
Gon had only known Kite for a month, yet the bond they’ve managed to create was stronger than that with anyone else. Anyone besides Mito, of course. The members of his squad, and other squads, evidently found is strange that an older man like Kite would befriend a youngster like Gon, but it didn’t matter.
Kite had first arrived to their home late during the evening the prior month, when all of the unit were in the living room, discussing the day’s events. He was escorted by two ‘Red’ men, who had his hands tied up behind his back. One had his dark hair in a pompadour and a frown on his face, and the other had his purple hair styled upwards in a ponytail and an even more prominent frown on his face. Not a single sound to explain the situation was released from the ‘Reds.’ They simply untied Kite and left.
The tall and thin man did not move a muscle. He remained standing before the door, his eyes hidden by his long white hair.
Gon, who walking down the stairs as the scene of Kite’s arrival took place, was frozen in his spot, his eyes widened. He was mesmerised by the sight before him; their unit had a new member. To his surprise, the rest of the members barely glanced at Kite and continued doing whatever it was that occupied them.
Kite did not seem to be expecting any form of greeting anyway and so simply stood, apparently deep in thought.
Moments later, the new member moved to the small, wooden dining table at the centre of the room and pulled a chair to sit on. Gon immediately continued his journey to the bottom of the stairs and sat himself down on the chair right next to the man.
Upon closer view of the man, something clicked in the mind of the boy: he had recognised him. Sure, he was unaware of what the man’s name was at that moment, or he actually was, but he had seen the man before. He recalled working in the section of the field as the man on one of his first days of work.
“Pick up your shovel,” The man had told him that day, in a voice so low it was barely a whisper. Gon on said day had his spade-like tool resting on the ground next to his feet. He furrowed his eyebrows at the man’s words but bent down and picked it up. “Get to work,” the man had spoken again, and Gon did.
“Hey,” Gon said softly, recollecting the memory as he continued to stare at the new member sitting in the dining table chair next to him, “I’ve met you before.”
The man before him looked up at him and briefly appeared to be surprised by the boy with his eyes widened slightly and his mouth left agape. His facial expression changed momentarily, returning back to the impassive look he had on before as he said, “You’re that kid.”
Gon nodded, assuming the new member recognised him, “I am. My name’s Gon.”
“I thought you’d know better,” The unit’s newbie continued with a look of disapproval, “Those in Red would’ve been angry if they’d seen you. Just because you’re a kid doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be as relentless.”
“Huh?”
The man squinted his eyes at the boy in question, before sighing, “Just make sure you don’t do anything besides working during working hours.”
“Okay,” Gon nodded enthusiastically, “That makes sense. Sorry, sir.”
“Kite,” The man had said, revealing his name to the young boy, “Call me Kite.”
The first memories he had with Kite played in his head as he watched the older man slowly adjusting in the wooden chair. The lids of Kite’s brown eyes had only just lifted when the signal to the assembly to the Centre had gone off. It was a loud siren that rang for three seconds, a replica of the morning siren that went off indicating that it was the commencement of their working hours.
Another groan was instinctively released from Gon’s chapped lips. It almost hurt to move his lips because he was so tired. And there he was again, dragging his body up from the chair and out of the door.
The walk to the Centre was physically draining but mentally soothing. It managed to clear Gon’s mind and lift his spirits ever so slightly. They passed the fields, which were uncharacteristically tranquil and free of any action. Above, the Sun had hidden and the Moon had risen. A shiver ran down Gon’s spine.
Soon, the units had passed beyond the fields and into a paved deserted area where small buildings began to appear to each of its sides, leading the squad to the Centre.
The Centre was the name given to an incredibly developed part of their area. Unlike the rest of the houses and small shelters present near Gon’s own home and the fields, the buildings there were sleek, pristine and shining. Surrounding what was beyond that small region were more mountains.
Slowly, the ‘Reds’ began organising and lining the gathered tired labour into their units. Gon felt his body being slowly pushed by a large hand into the line of his own unit. He looked up to meet the gaze of a large man in Red, who briefly glanced at him before turning away and stepping at the front of the line.
The large man began to move forward, directing his line to follow. Gon followed aimlessly, his mind absent in the situation he was in. He felt lost.
His mind was pulled back into reality the moment the incredible sensation of cool air hit his body upon entering one of the structures. A breath he was unaware that he was holding was released through his lips and into the air. Relief washed over the boy’s crippled body as he continued to push himself further into the maze that was the immaculate structure he was in.
The flooring that his dirty boots dared to step upon was so smooth and clean that the lights positioned on the ceilings reflected perfectly on it. The walls were painted white, matching the white doors of the building.
Gon continued to haul his worn out self until he found himself entering a room within the building. The room was much smaller and had several chairs and desks organised in it. A man with dark hair and large glasses was present in the room. He stood tall, wearing an exquisite blue suit. He, unlike the large ‘Red’ man that had guided them to the room, had a small smile on his face.
“Sit,” the ‘Red’ ordered, before bowing to the man in blue and exiting the room.
Learning sessions took place twice every week, where the labour are brought in to learn more about the job they had to do. They were taught how to tell when a particular crop was ready to be harvested, the types of crops that were grown in the fields, and what those crops were used for.
They were always taught something that related to their job, whether it be about the crops, or about the conditions of the soil, or about the temperatures and environment.
It was evident that the men in blue that always seemed to be teaching them during the sessions were specialists. They were able to answer every question uttered by the labour with ease and clarity. Their knowledge of the duties and tasks of the labour was extensive and very admirable.
That particular day, the topic of that was discussed was different.
“Today, we will not be discussing what it is that you are doing during the working hours,” The man had begun after everyone had settled, “We will be discussing the importance of your job.”
His words managed to seize the attention of everyone present in the room, including Gon, whose mind usually wandered during the sessions.
“Does anyone know what the purpose of your job is?” The man in Blue continued, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. His eyes trailed over the tired faces of the labour.
“That is an issue,” He resumed, “None of you will be truly motivated to work hard if none of you are aware of how truly important your job is.
The tasks you complete as a workforce is of an immeasurable amount of importance. The work you do is tiring, exhausting, deteriorating, crippling but of the utmost significance. All of human activity begin with you. Human activities exist because of you. You are creating resources so that those who are beneath you and those after you could live better. Without your hard work, the human species means nothing. The Suns really are the greatest race to exist.”