Constant Variable (Senku x Reader)

16.1: A Tale For The Ages

Hearing the familiar voice, the young boy rose to his feet and glanced over his shoulders, a deadpan expression that didn't belong on a five-year-old appeared on his face as he replied, "I don't need that crap right now. I'm talking serious science."

"What kind of preschooler are you?" Byakuya, the man who turned out to be the kid's father, sweatdropped before releasing a small sigh and began the science behind the moon to his curious son, "The reason the Moon looks like it's following you is because it's super-duper far away. It's especially far away for me, since I failed the astronaut exam."

Senku lifted his gaze to the moon again and responded bluntly, "I don't care about your wistful poetry right now, either."

The older man ignored his son's frankness and went on, "My leg cramped up in the middle of the clothed swimming exam. I was never a good swimmer to begin with. That was rough."

"When's the next time they'll be recruiting astronauts?" Senku asked as he walked over to the swing and took a seat, swaying back and forth.

Sighing, Byakuya answered with a wry grin, "Who knows? It's something like once per decade."

The young boy didn't reply as he stopped swinging, his lips curled into a small frown as he looked into the distance; an idea seemingly forming his head as he pondered on his father's words.

"I'm going to space," Senku declared the next day in class when it was his turn to present on what he wanted to become when he grew up.

Awe gasps filled the classroom as all his classmates turned to stare at him with wide eyes while his teacher stammered, taken aback by the young boy's ambition, "An astronaut! That's a great dream. Well, when you grow up..."

"No, I'm going immediately," Senku interrupted, red eyes shining with determination.

Senku loves space as much as I do, but he thinks for himself and builds things for himself. He was thoroughly hooked on the fascination of science.

The lecture theatre was filled with students' chatters as they bid Byakuya farewell before leaving. As the older man was waving to the last group of his students leaving, his phone buzzed and the screen lit up, causing him to glance down at it.

Picking up his phone, his curious gaze morphed into one of excitement as he stared at the notification of JAXA accepting new astronauts after a decade. Grinning, he mumbled to himself, "JAXA astronaut candidates...The first time they've hired in ten years."

At the same time, across the city, in a small humble flat, Senku was looking at the same notification on his computer, his lips stretched into a confident smirk as he made up his mind to build an invention that would help his father out in the physical portion of the astronaut exam.

Together, with the help of his best friend, the young boy managed to make a suit for Byakuya. Said man stood with both arms lifted as he stared down at the weird contraption that he put into, a confused frown on his face as he asked his son, "What is this weird suit?"

Senku didn't give a verbal reply and instead, kicked his father into the swimming pool with a large grin. The moment that Byakuya was in the water, electricity was sent throughout his body, causing his muscles to spasmed and he faltered about in the pool as shock cries escaped his lips.

"My limbs are twitching and doing breaststrokes on their own!"

"The clothed swimming test is your biggest issue with the exam, right" Senku questioned with a smirk before explaining the suit's purpose, "We'll pound the motions in your muscles with the electrode training suit from hell."