Survival Challenge Gone Wrong

Chapter 4 - Day 2

Gen has once again, stripped, but not for the fun reasons. He sat watching Senku as the other meticulously sprayed the wounds with the antiseptic, dabbed them with a corner of the bandage and wrapped the worst cuts. It stung and sometimes Senku was too rough, but Gen wouldn't give him the satisfaction of reacting. He didn't bother talking, and the other seemed content working in silence as well. It allowed him to zone out and reflect a bit more on their situation.

Things were definitely looking up with new supplies and new hope, but having known Senku for all of one day, he was getting a bit antsy about not being able to predict his moves. One thing he knew for sure is that he knew how to make himself useful, inevitably resulting in hard work for him. It was necessary but ugh, he hoped that it wouldn't be as exhausting as hauling large pieces of wood and balancing them in his half-dead state. Come to think of it, he really showed Senku his worst sides upon their first meeting. Again, it was a very unique situation, but now that his mind and body were feeling a little better, embarrassment was creeping up on him.

It was less about his physical state (though that did play a part), but more that he missed his crucial chance to make an impression that was optimal for him, which would allow him to act in a specific manner. He was so used to the shallow air he put on: an almost ignorance simply for comfort and pleasure, but that was pushed to the side for the need to survive and live another day. He cringed slightly, remembering his earlier suggestive comments and Senku's negative reaction to them. He hoped the other had forgotten them already. Maybe he could still salvage this.

Although, would it be such a bad thing to drop his usual theatrics around Senku? He smiled bitterly. If only he knew how to do that.

"You're good to go now, mentalist," Senku said, moving further away and checking himself over, spraying a few of his own cuts with the same attention to detail.

"Thank you Senku-chan~" he replied, adding a lot of sleaze in his voice for the last part. Senku threw him a strange glance but did not comment on it. Gen's lips threatened to spread in a smirk. He quickly redressed and waited for further instructions.

Close observation told more about a person than most realised. Gen was categorising and labelling Senku's behaviours to catch up on what he missed. The blonde was intelligent and acted with confidence, relying on his skills rather than empty words. But that was obvious. He could feel an air of superiority from the other at times, yet that contradicted with how much care he put into the small details - such as wrapping his wounds or patiently explaining his plans to Gen. He remembered how Senku's eyes sparkled when they found the cans, and the poorly concealed excitement as he explained their uses. He was far more innocent than he led on.

What Gen couldn't understand, however, was just how calm Senku appeared, given their situation. Gen certainly almost had a breakdown after he woke up from the wave. He doubted that the other had as much control over his emotions and vasovagal syncope as he did. but as Senku proved during their short time together, he was full of surprises. And Gen felt the excitement of a challenge bubbling up in his chest at the prospect of cracking the other man.

"Our situation has certainly improved, and I want to take full advantage of it. Ready to discuss our plans?" Senku materialised right in front of him with a thin stick in his hand. Gen's eyes slid to it, then back at the scientist's face.

"Oh? You won't just be telling me what to do? How nice of you to think I have something to offer." He imagined his eyes becoming a zooming lens, detailing over the other's face, hands, and reactions. No twitches and half-smiles went unnoticed. Small silly mental tricks like these made things a whole less daunting. It was an exercise Gen had used when he was starting out learning psychology. He didn't need to use them nowadays to stay focused, but it was a simple and efficient method to shift one's headspace.

"What are you talking about, we're a team now." An awfully honest response just about halted Gen's brain. Huh, interesting.

"Sure, I'll be happy to contribute how I can," Gen saluted.

"We were incredibly lucky finding the supplies, but I don't know how much our luck is going to last. Frankly, the lack of fresh water is concerning," said Senku, looking out into the ocean. It seemed to stretch on for aeons right about now. "Yes we have more options now but it's still going to suck. Food is another issue as these islands have maybe a few critters and some birds that we won't be able to catch without proper supplies."

Gen watched for concern on his face, but it remained infuriatingly neutral still. "I see. Are there any edible plants or mushrooms though?"

Senku waved at him in a vague gesture, "Sure, some. It's not the right season for mushrooms and most of the plants have probably wilted after the wave and mud smoothie."

Gen smiled briefly, the movement mirrored by Senku. "That's true. And we don't have enough water to wash any of our food, or ourselves for that matter." He crinkled his nose. Bathing in seawater was slightly less horrible than the dirty earth slurry, but the salt itching at his skin with new sweat sticking to his skin was highly distracting. He blamed that for his decline in cognition.

"Exactly. Although, we could probably boil crabs in salt water, seasoning them at the same time. Fishing is also an option, but if we don't get anything it would be just a waste of time we could spend doing something else."

"I'm allergic to crabs."

"Oh," Senku finally looked bewildered at that comment, staring through Gen, who celebrated only slightly. "Okay. That complicates things a bit." He looked lost in thought for some time, then shook his head and looked the mentalist in the eyes. "Hunting it is. We are going to have to make rope. I'll need you to collect very young branches, bend the hell out of them without breaking them and then weave a few into a rope. I'll show you the pattern. As for the traps..."

Gen nodded along at Senku's instructions, adding his comments occasionally or asking questions. He didn't feel like he was contributing much, to be honest, but he appreciated the thought. He would find his time to shine. Instead, he found himself distracted by feelings of awe and respect for the other man. As infuriating as his conversationalist's calm demeanour was, he felt safe. He found himself actively wanting to help this incredible person with an infinite pool of solutions. Although... An intrusive thought suddenly popped up at the back of his head and buzzed over Senku's words like a pesky mosquito.

"... since we only have one flare, it's generally a good idea to work out in the open near shore in case we spot a boat or helicopter. Then we can shoot out the flare and ..."

He followed Senku's little drawings he made in the sand with his stick, thought just getting louder and louder until his mouth blurted before he could stop it.

"How old are you?"

Funny how that was the thing that made the other stop completely. "Nineteen. Where did that come from?"

"Just urious-cay, nothing much. It's nice to know you're of age, at least." Gen didn't betray a confused halt in heartbeat. Senku looked young, but he didn't think he was that young. Seriously where did that knowledge come from? Unless...
"Say, do you do this often? Survive in unsurvivable places?"

Senku cocked a brow at that. "What? Of course not. I enjoy comfort as much as anyone. How old did you think I was?"

"Not important. Please, do continue your plan briefing."

"Okay. As I was saying, our priority after food and water is building a raft." Senku stated casually, as though he was talking about the weather. Gen had whiplash at the sudden 180.

"Excuse me? I'm pretty sure you were talking about the flare." Senku only nodded.

"Yeah, but that is more of a side note to keep in mind while working on the real stuff. Since it's uncertain whether or not we will get saved anytime soon, it's better to just save ourselves."

This guy, please.

Gen sighed, resigned to his fate with this enigmatic (very young) companion and his optimism.

"What do I need to do?"