"Which is exactly why you should come, prez!" Kouji yells enthusiastically to your face with the biggest grin he could muster up.
You raise an eyebrow, chuckling a bit at his excitement. "I'll have to pass, exams are much more important than some measly get together." You say with a sigh. Truthfully, you wanted to go but your priorities said otherwise. A dramatic gasp could be heard from your blond friend. "How dare you call my belated birthday party measly!"
Rolling your eyes, you huff and promptly signed the last paper of the day. "If I go, would you guys stop bothering me?"
"Maybe." Kouji smiles.
Another sigh escapes you. "Fine."
Your Kouji's smile widens while Hashimo let out an unenthusiastic "Yay."
Another roll of your eyes came as the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. You had made sure every work was taken care of so nothing would stress you for a while. It seemed like President Perfect had the whole week off. But those things were nonexistent. Not if you had anything to say about it. If you weren't doing student council duties, you'd usually be seen studying or partaking in activites you deemed would be worth spending your precious time on. Partying isn't exactly something you considered worthwhile, not when you knew a crowd would be there.
Now, you weren't exactly antisocial, far from it actually. You'd sometimes find yourself longing for someone's company, may it be a stranger or otherwise. Then again, that doesn't mean you'd be willing to engage in idle chatter. You preferred listening in or being in the presence of people instead of participating in it since for some reason, it made you feel at ease. Hence, why you became immediate friends with Hashimo and Kouji in the first place. Well, not exactly immediate, but there was a history between the trio. Hashimo and Kouji, they were an unstoppable duo, but that was until you came into the picture.
Hashimo was previously the student council president, and Kouji was his friend who was in the martial arts club. The day you transferred in was the day Hashimo realized that he needed to step up his game. A child of the Nanami conglomerate had come to challenge him for his position and basically every bit of knowledge he had, and he'd be damned if he were to give up that easily. Suffice to say, the winner of their small battle over the position was none other than the (e/c) eyed teen who held such poise in his posture.
The students' votes were in your favor, and the battle actually seemed one-sided when Hashimo saw how big your lead was.
After that whole ordeal, you became head of the student council with Hashimo being the vice president. Kouji's reasoning for all of a sudden running for secretary, he didn't say. Though, Hashimo assumed it was because the black haired teen idolized the young Nanami for his dedication on being close to perfection in almost everything he does. The blond knew something happened between the two at some point during his absence, but he needn't ask about it.
You stood up from your seat, subtly cleaning your desk of any invisible dust. "Let's get going."
Your commanding yet upbeat voice fell on your companions' ear, making them oblige. To the naked eye, it would seem that you were the leader of the group. That was far from the truth, however. Your two friends would always let you take the lead no matter how much you tried to convince them otherwise. They'd always leave the decision to you when it came to important matters and would never act without your consent if it ever involved you.
It put a smile to your face knowing that the reason they did that wasn't that they considered themselves your lackeys. The two just had a lot of trust and respect for you. Sure, you may act all high and mighty up on your horse, but the two knew you better than that. They know of the insecurities you hide and the slight shyness that would creep up from time to time.
Senku glanced at the young Nanami. Seeing that the straight-haired male was deep in thought even during lessons – though the teen had learned not to question it since your grades never dropped – he saw that you looked a bit irritated.
Ever since the festival, you've been giving him the silent treatment. The young scientist didn't know why. It was petty, really. Then again, he did know of the mountains of work he had put you through after the trouble he caused. But that incident was weeks ago! Couldn't you have already moved on and forgave him already?
Honestly, to Senku, you were being a bit too childish. That, or the young scientist was just too prideful to even muster up a proper apology – hence, the silent treatment.
The crimson-eyed teen ran a hand through his gravity-defying hair, wondering how he would go about fixing the mess he had created. It was illogical to continue ignoring each other like this when the solution was easy. Senku just needed to apologize.
And that wasn't exactly easy for the young scientist. Not because he thought he wasn't at fault. Senku just wasn't used to apologizing, usually because there wasn't anything to apologize about. Sure, he'd sometimes apologize for his bluntness during idle chatter, but that situation was miles different from this one. This time, Senku really did mess up. He hurt someone. He hurt you. And it would be an understatement to say that he was feeling guilty. No, the young scientist couldn't sleep a wink during that fateful day knowing how pissed off you might be at him.
The young scientist sighs something that didn't go unnoticed by you. A scoff escaped out of your mouth.
Senku had not made even a millimeter of effort to show that he was sorry. You'd try to understand, knowing that Senku was the type of person to stay silent during matters involving such extreme and raw emotions. You were extremely irritated at him sure, but that didn't mean you weren't willing to forgive him. All it would take is a simple sorry for everything to go back to normal. Yet, he couldn't even give you that well-needed apology.
It irked you, to say the least. And you even annoyed yourself knowing how childish you were being. A simple thing such as this wasn't really something you'd get hung up about. But this was Senku we're talking about. And you'd be damned if you let the scientist go scot-free after that mishap. You knew Senku would take long to apologize. But when he does, you were gonna indulge yourself with every little bit of embarrassment or shyness he showed during that moment. You always enjoyed teasing him, after all.
To your knowledge, Senku was always apathetic with those things. He never showed even the least bit of embarrassment, Taiju mentions. Still, ever since you came into the picture, your friends notice that the young scientist had been more expressive. It was quite the miracle, Kouji said. Never in their life had they thought that they'd see Senku red with either shyness or embarrassment because of your constant teasing. Though, it may have been considered indirect flirting. You had a way with words, and for some reason, it worked on the crimson-eyed teen.
To your dismay, time seemed to go by significantly faster than usual. Before you knew it, you were packing up your bag with Kouji pestering you to hurry up. "Stop being so slow, you're doing it on purpose." Kouji chuckles and starts to shove your books inside your bag, not caring for the contents inside getting crushed by his sheer force.
The black-haired teen pulled you out of the classroom, already looking forward to the so called party. You, on the other hand, had made it painfully obvious how much you'd rather be at home studying than going with your friends. Frankly speaking, you were tired. Idly studying would have calmed you, maybe even served as rest. Now, that reality was ripped away from you as Kouji almost literally dragged you towards the Nakamura residence.
To your surprise, a familiar mop of green hair had graced your peripheral vision as you begrudgingly made your way towards the gate. "(Y/n)?" Taiju spoke up from behind Senku and Yuzuriha. You and the crimson-eyed teen made eye contact before you gave him a sharp glare and turned to Taiju, grinning at him as you did. "The one and only."
Ah, that smile. It always held a false sense of confidence, Senku noted. The way your eyes squinted as you grinned made Senku take notice of the small mole located under your left eye. It was barely noticeable when you wore your glasses. Now, with you wearing contacts, Senku could clearly see the mole.
The young scientist also noticed you raising an eyebrow at him when he had been staring for too long.
The student council secretary had just about enough of the unmentioned tension in the air. "Why don't we go in? Hashimo is probably waiting inside."
Without a word, the group obliged his proposal. Taiju, in particular, was a bit too eager to step foot into the residence. "I've never been in such a huge house before." A tone of amazement was clear on the tall brunette's voice, eyes wide in glee as he stared at the three-story building.
"I think mansion would be the correct term." The crimson-eyed teen states as he picked on his ear, bored out of his mind. Truth be told, just like you, he was also dragged into this get-together. If he were to choose, he'd be inside his personal lab and already looking into why the majority of the swallows in the world suddenly disappeared.
Hashimo was just by the entrance, crossed arms and all. "Seems like everyone's here."
Kouji tilted his head, "Wait, I thought parties consisted of numerous people. Your company is barely even on double digits." The black-haired teen states. Hashimo rolls his eyes and gestures for the group to enter the building. "Two is a company, three is a crowd." The blond replies as he leads the way.
"Actually, recent studies show that you'd need at least ten people for it to be considered a party-"
Your small tangent was cut off by Hashimo, "Shut up for once, smartass." he facepalms, earning a satisfied chuckle from you.
Your group made their way to Hashimo's bedroom. And by bedroom, I mean a room that looked similar to a loft apartment located on the third story.
"Dang, we knew you were rich, but I didn't expect this." Yuzuriha says in a sweat, carefully taking a seat on the expensive looking couch.
You and Kouji immediately plop down on Hashimo's neat bed, ultimately messing it up. The blond had no time to complain as one of the butlers chimed in with refreshments and snacks.
Hashimo promptly gives his thanks and turns on the television. "I had quite the party in mind but my father forbade me from inviting too many people. I figured maybe a sleepover was much more appropriate for us. Do any of you have any activities in mind?" Hasimo asks. You stood up and playfully punched Hashimo. "Stop being all formal on us. This is your day, er, night?"
"Oh! Let's smash!" Kouji says enthusiastically. A roll of your eyes came once again as you put your arm over the black-haired teen. "I think you mean, 'let's play smash', dear Kouji. God knows how wrong that sounded." You glanced back at the other three in the room, seeing Taiju red in the face and Yuzuriha covering her mouth. Senku, on the other hand, was staring at you the entire time. It was creeping you out, in all honesty.
As more conversation ensued, you were off into your own little world. Senku noticed that you had your earphones on as you read your book, presumably scanning through your notes for the exams. The young scientist looks away, thinking for a bit. You were always so confusing to him. One moment you could be upbeat and teasing him, then you could be uptight and strict. He was never able to understand you despite already knowing each other for quite a while.
The young scientist notices you putting on earbuds and standing up. "I'm gonna go get some fresh air." You say to no one in particular. Kouji hums and continues to watch the others play. Hashimo nudges Senku, "Go."
The crimson-eyed teen raises an eyebrow but complies either way. Senku made his way to the balcony as well.
There, you stood, looking over the ground lit up with artificial lights. It was beautiful, you admit. Senku sighs and went closer until the both of you were standing with your shoulders touching. He knew you noticed his presence, but you made no effort on acknowledging it. He rolls his eyes.
"Your music is so loud, the sound is leaking."
Yeah, that was definitely a good way to open up a conversation so he could finally apologize.
You finally glance his way, your nose scrunching. "Sorry."
"What are you even listening to?" Without warning, Senku steals an earbud and puts it in his ear. The Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" blasts in his eardrum.
Senku hears you humming to the song as both of you peacefully listen. Not a word comes out of Senku's mouth as he tried to come up with things to say. How does a person even go about apologizing?
"I'm sorry."
The young scientist darts his gaze towards you as you stopped the music. "I know I've been acting extra dickish the past few days. I was just... tired, that's all."
Your words echoed through Senku's head as he chuckles. "I'm sorry, too. It was illogical of me to not think of the consequences and how they'd affect the people around me."
Another silence falls upon the both of you. This time, it wasn't uncomfortable.
"Say," Senku starts, earning a small hum from you. "I barely know you. Why don't you open up more?"
"Oh, Is Ishigami finally taking an interest in me?"
"Stop trying to change the topic with that teasing of yours." Senku runs a hand through his hair, a blush quite noticeable on his cheeks as he rolled his eyes. You chuckle, "There isn't much to know, really."
The young scientist looks at you and leans on the railing. "Enlighten me. Better yet, tell me how you've been," Senku notices you freeze, "Considering all the work you've done, you should at least enjoy this party instead of studying for a test I know you'll ace."
You blink once, then twice.
It was Senku's turn to freeze, "Good lord, what is with you and crying in front of me?"
You reach up to touch your face and felt warm tears. A laugh escapes you as you wipe them off, unable to form words.
The young scientist sighs and reaches up to ruffle your straight hair. This time, you made no effort to stop him. "I'm listening."
You gave the young scientist a long look before finally letting out a huff. "I'm not really the type of person to open up. You know that much, no?"
Senku nods, yet doesn't say a word. The silence was killing you, as if urging you to break it. "What's the second born son of the Nanami Conglomerate so afraid about? It's not like I'm gonna leak your personal information." He lowly chuckles and proceeded to look towards the view before him.
A sigh escapes you, "You and I have a lot of similarities, Ishigami."
Senku raises an eyebrow. "How so?"
"Well, for starters, we're both adopted."
The young scientist raises his head, surprised of the sudden dump of information. You lock eyes with him, smiling sadly. "I was told that my parents abandoned me and left me inside a dumpster."
"Then my adoptive father took me in when he found me. Nothing's been the same ever since." You say with a thoughtful sigh. "They've spoiled me beyond belief. Sometimes I'd wonder what I did to even deserve such treatment."
This is why you never really opened up much. Once you start, you won't be able to stop.
"Of course, no one really knew I wasn't their biological kid. Before I knew it, people started noticing I didn't show the same potential my older brother did." You mind drifted off to Ryusui as the sentence left your mouth. You sat on a nearby chair and Senku followed suit, paying attention to every word you say.
"I had to work my ass off just so I could prove myself worthy of being a Nanami. Even then, no matter how much I tried, people would still look down on me. Until I'm finally satisfied with myself, I won't be using the name Nanami anytime soon."
Leaning back, you look up at the sky and saw the many stars that plagued it. You could name some constellations off the top of your head, but you were too lazy to do so.
"I wanna go to space."
Your direct your gaze onto Senku, waiting for his next words. You notice he'd been staring at the night sky as well.
"I've had that dream since I was just a kid. Even until now, it's my top priority." The you scientist looks at you with an expression you couldn't quite pinpoint.
"Sometimes whenever I'm stuck with a research I've been working on, I begin to doubt myself." The crimson eyed teen admits, "I'd be disappointed in myself for not being able to know how to solve a problem, how excruciatingly irritating it is to fail over and over when using trial and error, and how sometimes I wish I'd just kept myself free from anything science related aside from the mandatory school work. It would have made my life much more stress free."
Your eyes were wide, not expecting Senku to open up as well. He had a solemn look on his face as he gazed up at the stars again.
"But then, I'd remind myself of how boring my life would be." You notice a small smile creep up his face. "If I hadn't buried myself in science, I wouldn't be as close to Taiju and Yuzuriha as I am now. I'd probably be by myself."
Senku once again turns his attention to you, "And most of all, I probably wouldn't have caught your interest if I wasn't president of the science club, right?" He smirks and you roll your eyes, smiling.
"I'd also remind myself of my improvement. Even if my goal is still almost literally light years away, I can still see how far I've come from my starting point."
You start to notice how Senku dragged his chair closer to yours, as if he was seeking warmth because of the cold night air.
"From what I've seen, you've come a long way as well, Nanami."
Crimson and (e/c) eyes meet, forming a silent connection. The fact that he called you by your last name proves how much he believes your were more than worthy in his eyes.
"No one can just simply pop up, become the star student and maintain that reputation so easily like you. Sure, for now you're having a hard time. But I know for a fact that you're a force to be reckoned with, nothing's gonna bring you down that easily." His mouth curled up into a smirk, not noticing how your faces were inches apart.
You stared at him for longer than necessary. Senku didn't talk and kept eye contact. You open your mouth to speak.
"A man who compliments another man face to face is either gay or a tactician. Whichever one you are, I wonder."
As your lips curled up into a smirk, Senku chuckles and turns his back on you.
"I'm heading back inside. You coming?" He cocks his head to the side and spared you a glance.
"I'll stay here a bit longer."
The young scientist raises an eyebrow, then let out a hum as if to acknowledge your response.
The silence was loud when Senku left, leaving you to your abysmal thoughts.