Honesty (Senku x Gen)

Missing

A week later...

Senku was packed up in his lab, doing his works for hours by himself. Chrome was helping Kaseki by the river with the water turbine, so he couldn't help him. Senku decided to go outside to refresh his mind. The winter cold breeze touched his bare face, giving a chilling sensation. It's nearly the peak of season after all.

Senku looked at his surroundings, looking for someone who can help him with his experiments in the lab. There were not a lot of people outside. Most villagers stayed and did their works inside the huts. Only the fighting team, Kohaku, Kinro, and Ginro, were practicing at the field. Senku approached them. "Hey, did you see Gen? I hope he is doing nothing now, so he can help me with stuffs."

Kohaku stopped their practice, Kinro and Ginro took this small moment to take a rest. "I don't see him. How about you, Kinro, Ginro?"

Kinro shook his head as he had no idea. Meanwhile Ginro was breathing hard, tried to take every inch of oxygen into his lungs. "Hah.. hah... I saw him with the children... before practicing." Ginro inhaled more oxygen before continued, "I think he was telling stories, doing sorcery, or something... Hah, hah..."

"Okay, thanks." Senku rushed his legs to a big hit where children usually gathered. From outside, he could hear a loud laugh. Sounds fun, he thought, wondering what stories the mentalist could have told to the children. He peeked from the slight-opened window before going in. As he imagined, they were having fun inside. Once, the children stayed silent listening to the modern man in front of them with serious and excited faces. Then, they burst in laugh together. Seeing those liveliness, Senku smiles unconsciously as if he was dissolved to the atmosphere. Gen was indeed a brilliant entertainer in the modern world, and he still is.

"Ah, Senku!" A little boy shouted, startling others. Senku was surprised as well, hadn't thought he would've been found. That little boy ran to the window where Senku stood outside. "Hey! Why don't you join us? Gen is telling us very interesting stories. He also taught us counting and showed us a lot of sorcery this morning." The boy told excitedly with shining eyes on his face. Heard that, Senku widened his eyes, then looked at the mentalist. He waved to his friend with an awkward smile.

"I'd like to, kid. Unfortunately, now I need Gen for work in my lab. Do you mind to give him to me?"

Gen was flustered by those ambiguous words from the man outside. "What did he said? Give me to him?" he thought. Took quite a lot of time for him to awake from his confusion and realized the kids seemed disappointed.

Soon, Gen clapped his hands twice to gather attention. "That's it for today, guys! It's almost time for lunch already. Aren't you all hungry??"  He touched his stomach, mimicking a starving expression and successfully made the kids smiled again. "Let's go home to your each huts, while I must help that green onion guy with a growling stomach." They burst out laughing, ignored the fact that their village head showed a grumpy face.

After all the kids went home, Gen came outside. "So, what is it, Senku-chan?" He smiled awkwardly to the guy waiting for him. Actually, he didn't want to have much business with Senku. His heart is flustered due to their conversation they had on Senku's birthday. However, Senku seemed not to be bothered in Gen's eyes and it kinda irritated him.

Senku grabbed the mentalist's hand and dragged him to the lab. "I'm lack of people as Kiseki and Chrome have their own project. I need a help."

"What can a mentalist di with scientific project, Senku-chan?"

"As I said the other day. You're still better in chemistry, physics, and science than any villagers here." Though actually he just wanted to be with Gen.

He missed Gen and he refused to admit it.