n-3^07-! (I love you)

Chapter nine

Just as Yae was about to head to the Emerald lake herself, the three boys returned with stupid grins plastered on their faces.
Suika ran forward, elated for their victorious return. "Welcome back!"
"We have sulfuric acid!" Chrome exclaimed.
Kohaku's face lit up with joy. "Then that means we can finally make the drug to save Ruri!"
Chrome slowed to a walking pace and stopped in front of Kohaku. "Have some patience will ya? Did you forget what that crazy roadmap of Senku's looked like?"
"That long-ass one?" Kohaku questioned. "Please, don't remind me."
Senku gave a short laugh. "Don't worry. It won't be long now. We almost have everything we need." He looked over at Yae who had yet to say anything about their return. Senku thought for sure she would have said something by now. "Is there something on your mind, Yae?"
Yae shook her head. "No." She lied.
Senku shrugged. If she didn't want to talk, she didn't want to talk. There was obviously something bothering her. "Well anyway," he turned toward everyone else. "We almost have all the materials we need. It's just a matter of lighting everything up on all the dark spots on the roadmap, one by one."

While everyone headed to the laboratory, Yae stayed standing still, looking at her feet.
"Are you coming or not?" Senku asked.
Yae looked up and shook her head. "No. What do you need me for?"
Senku sighed. "Are you still mad about earlier?" Damn. Girls are so hard to handle. He thought.
Yae scrunched her brows. "You should have let me help you."
Senku dismissed the idea of telling her how Chrome almost died and if not for Ginro he would have. "I didn't want you coming because I knew you would be safer here. If that pisses you off—"
"I'm not pissed off." Yae suddenly said. "I'm disappointed. What, you think I'm not capable?"
This surprised Senku. "Oh, you're capable. And too valuable at the same time to lose. Got that?" He walked off, joining the rest of the group.
Yae took a step forward. She wanted to follow after him, but she couldn't find it in herself to do it. The next step for them in retrieving the cure-all drug was vaguely familiar to Yae, so she didn't see the point in following along. If I'm so damn useful, why am I always one step behind you?
Yae walked off into the forest to be alone and clear her head. Now that she didn't have to worry about anyone dying in the Emerald lake, she could breathe again.

It was in the forest that Yae suddenly remembered something. Ah, so that's what Senku meant when he said that I would almost beat him.
It was clear to Yae now that Senku was a natural genius. And no matter how hard Yae studied, Senku always had a little bit more to offer to the table.
"My, my..." said a voice. "You look to be deep in thought."
Yae spun around quickly and found Asagiri Gen. "What do you want?"
"Nothing. I was just checking up on you guys."
"Why?"
Gen sighed. "Must you treat me so harshly?"
"I don't trust you."
"Oh? You don't? Why, Yae, that hurts me to hear you say that."
"I don't care."
Gen shivered. "And so blunt, too!"
"What do you want, Asagiri Gen?"
"I'm just observing. Nothing more."
Yae raised a brow. "For whom? Tsukasa?"
Gen wiped the smirk off his face. "No. For myself. However, speaking of Tsukasa. You may want to watch out. He's looking for you. Luckily for you, I told him you were nowhere to be found. Poor Yae Sawa is either dead or still petrified!" He pretended to cry. When he didn't get a reaction out of Yae, he continued. "Tsukasa continues to look for you. He wants you."
Yae gulped. "He...wants me? But I don't even know who he is."
"Be wary of where you take your daily strolls. That's all I have to say for now. Tell Senku I say hi."
Asagiri Gen's warning was abundantly clear to Yae and she hurried back to the others, no longer feeling safe on her own.

Yae popped out of the forest, getting a surprise she had much rather stirred clear from. Forever.
Senku and Chrome were peeing in a glass bottle, their dicks in full view. Yae screeched, flailing her hands into the air and falling backward.
Chrome yelped, turning the other way to avoid any more confrontation involving his penis and Yae's eyes. But in doing so, poor Kohaku was nearly sprayed with piss.
Kohaku screamed and ran in the opposite direction. "Stop it! What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I can't! It's already coming out! Once it starts there's no holding it in!" Chrome relieved himself.