26. Dazzling Celebration
6-10-2023
A/N: I'm happy you guys enjoyed the last chapter! I try my best to make the most romantic parts of the fic more detailed! Also, thank you for 10k reads!
Q: Have you noticed the hints of foreshadowing, references, or wordplay throughout this fic? (uωu*)
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A few weeks had passed since you had told the first half of your story to your friends. You couldn't continue it because you were too busy helping the scientist with some projects with the "Spartan Crafts Club," a name Gen had made up for Senku, Chrome, and Kaseki's little group. You were also sneaking out and staying up past midnight to get some training done, only sleeping for just a few hours afterward. However, since they were now dealing with light bulbs, it was up to them to make it, and you were offering to help the village stock up for winter.
"There is really no need for you to help us. I understand that you are busy with all the science stuff with Senku," Kokuyo had told you for wanting to help him and the others with preparations.
You shook your head. "This is no problem. You guys need all the help you can get. Besides, Senku doesn't need help at the moment, as he is handling the more delicate work with Kaseki and Chrome."
"I see. Then, in that case, please do what you can to help us find food. Hunting and gathering is usually the specialty of the combatants, and I assume you can handle that," he said.
"Of course. I consider the hunt as my training."
You propped your sword on your waist, and were given a basket for you to collect plants and whatever you hunted. Heading deep into the forest, you saw many of the villagers along the way, collecting many of the ripening fruits and hidden vegetables, and carrying boars and fish that were most recently hunted. You could see how efficient they were with their jobs, even when the air was starting to get cooler.
"(Y/N)!" You heard a shrill cry call out to you.
Turning in the direction of the voice, you saw Suika waving at you, and Kohaku and Ruri not too far away from her. Smiling, you waved to them and approached them.
"You're helping us this time?" Kohaku questioned as she noticed you getting closer. You saw that she was holding a basket of grapes, and Ruri held the same thing. It seemed like they were in the middle of collecting the fruit when you met up with them.
"The Spartan Crafts Club is handling the light bulb creations. I offered to take up my energy to help the village with winter prep," you explained.
Kohaku's eyes lit up. "Perfect! All of us were waiting for the right moment for you to finish your story!"
"Gen isn't even here," you told her with a raised eyebrow.
"Wrong~! I am here!" Gen cheerfully popped up from behind her with a grin, startling you. "I was following them so I could teach them how to make grape wine the old-fashioned way!"
You slightly raised your eyebrows. "Grape wine, huh? We'll need glass bottles if we're going to preserve it. I can ask Kaseki later to help us out with that."
"And ask him to make some wine glasses with it! Anyways, since we're getting off-topic, (Y/N)-chan, mind telling us the rest of the story while we're all here together?" Gen had a bright smile on his face, but you rolled your eyes at how cushy he was getting.
"Would you guys let me contribute to hunting and gathering while we're at it?" You said as you crossed your arms. You really didn't want to feel useless and just talk.
"Of course, of course. Go right ahead and tell us already!" The mentalist whined.
You groaned, "Okay, okay. Now where was I in the story? Oh right, the party..."
-Flashback-
Today was the day. You were inside the Nanami Conglomerate country club venue, a seaside building provided by the Nanami family, with both of your parents. All of you were greeting every single guest that was invited. You had gotten up early to get yourself ready, as well as helping oversee the preparations for the party happening at night. At the same time, your family had been getting acquainted with the Nanami family, in which you had been introduced to the heirs of the patriarch.
When it was time for people to arrive, there were multiple high-class guests in the building--each one of them wealthy and powerful. You did your part in faking your own personality to be the obedient birthday girl the guests thought you were. Despite being a part of a powerful family yourself, you felt that you were not a part of that world. Though, through these people, you only wanted the gifts they brought.
"Ah, welcome, Mr. Wright. I see you've brought your beautiful wife." Your father smiled and held out a hand to one of his guests.
The man took it, shaking it firmly with a grin. "Good to see you again, (D/N)!"
"What a wonderful daughter you have here, Mr. (L/N)!" The man's wife leaned down to look at you, despite having a mask over your eyes.
"She's fifteen now, isn't she? She's growing up to be a fine-looking woman, so many men would want to wife her up!" Mr. Wright let out a hearty laugh. His wife joined in on the laughter.
You clenched your teeth and held back your distasteful expression. Even you could feel your parent's discomfort through their slight actions. Faking a smile, you replied, "Thank you, Mr. Wright."
"Where did you get that costume, dear? It looks so high quality...I would pay highly to get something of that grade for my daughter," The wife questioned.
The outfit in question was consisted of rich, cool colors, and suited your wants perfectly. Embroidered designs were implemented into the edges and hems, making it pop with the colors of silver and gold. The material that was used for the inner layers was soft, which meant it made it delicate toward the skin. The outer layers were thicker but were freely flowing, allowing easy movement. Yuzuriha had made a matching mask with similar patterns and colors, as well as black feathers on the rim, to top off the entire costume.
You raised your eyebrows in surprise. It would be a great opportunity for your friend to make a living by creating clothes, but the world of the corrupt is not a place you'd want her to be in. You easily replied, "I had it custom-made specifically for this event from a private seamstress...but where is your daughter? She's one of the people I'm supposed to dance with, no?"
"Unfortunately, she couldn't come. She was unable to pass her exams and was in need of retaking them. My daughter may be older, but she's quite an airhead and fails her classes. She often needs to do them over again. I wish she was as distinguished as you, child," he mentioned with a sigh.
"But she hasn't given up, has she? I think her tenacity is something to consider for future endeavors," your mother added to the conversation.
"You're not wrong..."
You slowly exhale in relief and boredom, and your eyes start drifting away to look around the room as your parents continue the conversation with their guests. You stared at the shiny decorations that were hanging on the ceiling, the lively orchestra band playing music in the background, to the tables that were filled to the brim with different foods from a multitude of different cultures. Taking a glance at the windows, you noticed that the sun had already set. Your eyes then landed at the entrance, and you noticed a few familiar guests walking through. The light in your eyes shined.
"Pardon me, but I have someone to meet," you excused yourself and quickly left your parents with their guests.
You pushed through the crowd of guests and reporters alike, who were looking forward to talking to you on the way, but you briskly ignored them. When you finally broke through the sea of people, you had the biggest smile on your face.
"Yuzuriha, Taiju!" You happily greeted them.
You saw that they were wearing matching outfits, with colors the opposite on the color wheel as yours; their dress and suit having similar warm and dark hues, embedded with gold embroidery. The masks were also the same, with white feathers stitched at the ends of the accessory. How cute.
"Happy birthday, (Y/N)!" The two of them approached you with a hug, though it was not a complete embrace due to them holding gifts.
You pulled away and Yuzuriha smiled. "The outfit hasn't given you any trouble, has it? I did my best to make it comfortable for you."
Shaking your head, you replied, "No, it's perfect. I was going to let you know earlier, but I've been busy."
"Well, Yuzuriha did a great job because you look awesome, (Y/N)!" Taiju quipped, which caused the brunette next to him to slightly blush.
Byakuya, who just had a plain suit and tie with a mask, popped up from behind. "Happy birthday, (Y/N)-chan! Nice party ya' got here! Thanks for getting a car to picking all of us up too!"
"It's really no problem and thank you! You guys also look great! But...where's Senku?" You asked as you tilted your head to look around for him.
Taiju looked around, then immediately turned around and left the room for a little. He returned with his arm tightly around, with what you assumed was the scientist's arm. When his entire body came through, your eyes widened with surprise.
You saw him wearing an outfit consisting of a dark green waistcoat with gold sewn onto the hems, as well as a black-colored button-up and slacks. Gold buttons had clasped the waistcoat together and two chains with the same material hung from the left side of his chest and his right pocket. You noticed a tie settled in between the shirt and waistcoat, but you were more focused on the fact that a long, green cape that stopped above his dark shoes had settled on his shoulders.
As you stared at his clothes, the boy took his gloved hands and began to scratch the back of his head in annoyance. "My eyes are up here, slowpoke."
You looked up at the boy's face to see his puffy, green hair tied back in a high ponytail. Two thick strands of his hair still covered a part of his face, and a mask comparable to yours had covered up the top half of his visage, only revealing his crimson-colored orbs.
Oh God. He looks...real good, you thought to yourself. You slowly brought your hand over your chest, in which you felt your heart rate slowly rising and your cheeks gently heating up.
You quickly spoke as you coughed, "Y-Yuzuriha, why'd you make our outfits almost similar in color? And Senku, why were you hiding in the back?!"
Yuzuriha happily replied, "I thought it would be a nice touch since the both of you are going to dance together! Two colors mixing together in similar hue would look so beautiful when dancing!"
"I had to fix something real quick. Your security guards are super picky about any items we may have," Senku plainly told you.
"Oh...okay..." you answered, then began leading them inside the building. "Well, I'll bring you over to your seats so you can put any of your belongings away, as well as the gifts."
"Actually, (Y/N)-chan, I'm gonna go ahead so I can speak with your parents. I'll be watching you guys during your dance session though!" Byakuya exclaimed.
"Well, have fun. The dances will start soon," you reminded him, then he walked off in another direction with a nod.
"Speaking of dance, are your two other dance partner's here?" Senku brought up as you started passing by by several people. He noticed they were all staring at your group, but he ignored them.
You replied with a sigh of relief, "One of them was unable to come, thank God. The other, however, is here. He's one of the sons of the Nanami Corp patriarch."
"What kinda guy is he?" Taiju asked.
You put up an annoyed expression and answered him, "He is a fairly tall and handsome blonde man...but he's an extremely arrogant and greedy playboy. Not once have I seen him without a woman around his arms. He's a bit flashy...he has a habit of snapping his fingers and going--"
"HAHAH!"
You were interrupted by the very laugh you were describing. You darted your eyes across the room to see the man heading straight for you, as well as people separating to make a path for him. You turned your entire body to face him, and put up a fake smile, all while waving your hands to get your friends to back up. The three of them backed away to see the man wearing a white and blue admiral suit, as well as a confident grin splattered on his masked face.
"My (Y/N), I haven't seen you since you got here earlier! Why didn't you come and see me?" He questioned you as he got close. You noticed that his butler was following him diligently.
"Nanami-san," you greeted him. "I was busy attending to the oncoming guests."
"There's no need for formalities! You can call me 'Ryusui' since we're going to be more than acquainted from now on after that dance of ours," he replied with a charming wink.
"Is that so...Ryusui-san..." you said as sweat dripped from your temples. You couldn't drop the formalities because it was too risky to stop it in front of others. First name basis would mean your relationship is further than what you wanted it to be, after all.
He seemed quite satisfied hearing you call him that. "Thank you, (Y/N). Now, let's go over here so we can discuss our fut--"
Ryusui placed his hand on your waist to pull you away from your group as he spoke, but someone grabbed your wrist. You and the blonde man were puzzled by the sudden hold and looked behind you to see that Senku was the one gripping so tightly. Even Yuzuriha and Taiju were shocked by his actions. The man's butler was about to intervene, but you waved them off to make sure they didn't do anything to him.
"Sorry, but (Y/N) was about to discuss the details of the dance with me, her final partner," he declared with a smirk as he tugged on your arm to pull you back.
The man stopped to look at Senku, then put up a grin, as he had no intention of fighting back. "Hahah! So you're the final dancer! Well, then, I will leave you two alone to discuss the event details. But, dear (Y/N), I would like to talk to you about our future and the amazing opportunities for Nanami Corp and (L/N) Trading Syndicate later! Now, let's go, Francois!"
With the snap of his fingers, he confidently walked away, out of sight with his butler. You breathed out your relief and turned to the scientist, who spoke, "Damn, do all of them just drag you around everywhere without your consent?"
"Pretty much. But thank you for saving me, Senku." You looked at him with appreciation. Soon, an idea popped in your head. "Do you think you can do that again? Save me from these annoying people who want to bother me?"
He chuckled, "Yeah, yeah, I will."
-End of Flashback-
"Hold on. (L/N) Trading Syndicate? Isn't that the foreign company that exploded in Japan after getting a well-known investor?" Gen questioned you.
The five of you were in the middle of walking towards the river, since you, the sisters, Gen, and Suika were finished collecting grapes for wine. By the river, there was an empty wooden vat that was to be used to create wine through pressing and crushing using feet.
"Yes," you answered. "My full name is (Y/N) (L/N), and I am the one and only heir of the Syndicate's patriarch."
This caused the mentalist to start thinking hard. All of you were confused, seeing how his expression changed in an instant.
"Since you're an heir to a formerly well-known company, don't you think Tsukasa-chan would target someone like you? Considering your family history?" The man suddenly asked you calmly.
"Nobody knows. My parents did everything they could to keep me hidden from the public. The only way someone would know is if one of their previous employees were de-petrified and they had leaked it to Tsukasa. They did a pretty good job, since people like you don't know about my history," you firmly explained to him.
"What about Haru-chan?" He then brought up.
Surprised, your eyes widened as you began to think. You slightly hesitated as you spoke, "I...I don't think they know completely. Shishou kept it a secret...but Haru is a different story."
He nodded, understanding you completely. You then looked at the sisters. Ruri and Kohaku were already standing in the wooden vat, crushing the grapes with their feet like the mentalist instructed. Suika only watched them as she had listened to your story.
"(Y/N), before you keep going, Suika wants to know how the song that you and Senku danced to goes," the little girl said as she looked up at you. "Is it okay if you sing it for Suika?"
"I want to know, too," Ruri chimed in with a grin.
"Oh, thats right. You and Ruri fell asleep during the story last time..." You had a small smile on your face as you held a hand out to Suika. "Don't worry, I'll sing it for you."
She happily took it, and you started humming the tune as you began spinning her around slowly. The melon began laughing and giggling with each and every turn, while Gen and the sisters only watched as their hearts melted at the adorable sight.
You missed dancing like this, even if it was with a child or with a suitable partner. Gen was right about you wanting it most in the world with real music. Humming just takes the immersion away. But even then, you could remember every moment that happened during your birthday.
-Flashback-
"It's almost time for the dances," you told Senku. The two of you were standing to the side, away from the crowd. The scientist did his part in letting those that approached you know that you were busy attending to him. Yuzuriha and Taiju were together by the buffet, happily talking amongst each other. "You ready?"
The boy sighed as he looked at the dance floor, which was being cleared out in preparation for your show. "I'm not worried, but I'm wondering if you're okay, considering this is your first time doing it for all these people. You even looked tense around that blonde dude."
You slightly widened your eyes, then replied, "You're right. I am nervous. Not because of all these people though."
"Then what is it?"
"I'm afraid of ruining my parent's reputation. All of these people can care less about me, but God forbid something happens to my mother and father, as well as you and our friends."
The scientist let out a small chuckle. "Kukuku, as if they'll even consider us. We're nothing to them--insignificant, if you will. Just don't worry about it tonight, alright?"
A small smile tugged your face as you heard those words. "Alright."
Soon, you heard the sound of somebody hitting glass with metal to get everyone's attention. It was your mother, and your father was standing next to her with a microphone in his hands. You gave Senku a smile before leaving his side to join your family.
"Welcome, everyone! Thank you all for coming. I hope you are enjoying your time here, and eating your full to your heart's content. As you know, this was a party to help get along with each other and make connections, as well as celebrate my daughter's birthday. I'd also like to thank the Nanami Corp for providing us a lovely venue and their full support," you father said with a proud grin. He lifted a glass to a few people, which included Nanami Ryusui.
"Now, to really begin, we will start off with two dances for your entertainment. Some of you are free to join, if you'd like."
Your parents then left you in the middle of the floor as the spotlight appeared above you, allowing the Nanami heir to meet you in the middle. The man stopped before you, a look of confidence permanently stuck on his face as he gently grabbed your hands. You took a glance over to your green-haired friend, who had stolen a drink from one of the waiters before turning to you. All you did was hold in a small laugh at his little action, then turned your attention to the man before you.
As you and Ryusui begin your dance, all Senku did was watch your figure closely as he had drunk from his cup. He did not keep his eyes off of you, especially when he had a small feeling of what Ryusui's intentions were. This boy wanted to confirm something that involved you, and he couldn't help but feel discomfort when seeing your dance partner hold you so close. It was either you or the alcohol he took that was making him feel that way. But he couldn't deny that your dance with the man was way faster and more elegant than the one him and you. After all, both you and the blonde were on a completely different level than him. The scientist admitted that you were leagues above him in some aspects.
But that didn't stop him from catching up to you in other ways.
"(Y/N)-chan looks really beautiful dancing like that," Senku heard Yuzuriha speak as she and Taiju met up with him. All the scientist did was nod at her comment.
"That guy is a really good dancer!" Taiju mentioned.
Senku spoke up, "These guys probably got lessons at a young age like (Y/N) did."
"What do you think they're talking about? I can see their mouths moving," the brute said as he squinted his eyes.
"Maybe they're talking about business opportunities...though I heard many people talking about arranging marriages in the crowd. But I don't think (Y/N)-chan and her parents would ever agree to that," the seamstress fretted as she looked at Senku.
"She wouldn't. It goes against her morals," the scientist bluntly confirmed. This caused Yuzuriha to let out a slightly giggle, confusing Taiju. She whispered something in his ear and he immediately nodded when he looked back and you and Senku.
As you were dancing with Ryusui, you noticed the scientist had left your friends for a few minutes, then came back to join Yuzuriha and Taiju. The three of them continued to watch until the two of you came to a stop, hands held together as the finisher. As the music had ended, a wave of clapping erupted from the guests, as well as whispers spreading throughout the room.
Ryusui reached down and takes your hands, bringing it to his lips as everybody watched. Your face curled into an awkward smile to hide your immense displeasure.
"Thank you for the dance," he says with a smirk on his face. You quickly take your hand back and give him a curt nod, in which he responds with laughter. "So feisty, yet your beauty still resides. Don't worry, I will respect your wishes and wait for you."
"Thank you," you tell him, then watched as he strutted away from the dance floor. Senku then casually walks up to stand next to you with a side eye.
"So, what was all that about?" The scientist asked you as the two of you got into position.
You immediately showed him a displeased expression while he wrapped his arm around yoir waist. "We talking during our dance, and he brought up the topic of dating in hopes of getting married in the future. For the sake of Nanami Corp, you know."
"Why am I not surprised?" The boy let out a sigh. The music started, and the waltz had begun.
You continued, "Yeah, but since he's nineteen, and I just turned fifteen, he's willing to wait until I'm old enough to consider, as long as 'the greediest man alive' gets what he wants in the end."
"Yeah, well, that ain't gonna happen. Might as well escape Japan for college at that point," Senku responded. "Better start forgetting him now, like what I'm gonna do once this is over."
You let out a slight giggle. Unlike with the previous man, you were way more comfortable wth him--your (E/C) eyes had creased happily behind your masquerade mask. Genuinely, you preferred the scientist's company over the blonde man.
As the two of you were swaying together, twirling about with the melody, Senku noticed your friends and his father from afar. It seemed as though they had proud looks on their faces, especially his dad as his eyes were filled with tears of joy. You also looked around as you danced, seeing the many people's face. They had seemed quite satisfied with how it was going, but you could see them whispering amongst the crowd.
"Let's get outta here when we know we're in the clear after this. I have something for you," said the boy as he spotted your face melting into a frown.
You made no hesitation to agree. "We can probably leave after this dance..."
He then smirked. "Okay. Instead of focusing on the people around us, just focus on me."
You nodded, the smile returning to your face. With those words alone, you only focused on him and the waltz itself. Having a live orchestra play in the background was much better than using a phone. Because you were so immersed, you didn't even realize that your dance with him was already finished until your heard the sound of clapping surrounding the two of you.
All you could do was look at Senku, who was looking around. When he turned his head to you, he motioned his head in a way that meant "let's go." You grinned, and waited for your father to come back to the floor after the two of you bowed. The spotlight moved to him as he started speaking to the crowd on the dance floor. You noticed your father giving Senku a slight nod. Then the boy had his hand weaved between your fingers as he led you toward the doors without anyone else knowing.
"What the heck was that, Senku? Did you tell my father about this?" You asked him out of surprise.
"You asked me to save you, so I'm saving you," he replied without looking back, pushing the doors open. Security guards were waiting outside, but only stayed put by the exit.
As the two of you walked through the paved path that lead to the beach, you could hear the soft sounds of the waves crashing on the sand. The smell of sea water filled your senses as you looked to see the moon shining its moonlight onto the both of you. Then, you saw Taiju and Yuzuriha already waiting in the sand.
"You guys are here too?" You widened your eyes in surprise.
Yuzuriha and Taiju both had grins on their faces. The seamstress explained, "All of us wanted to have a little celebration for you away from everyone, so Senku-kun suggested we leave sometime in the middle of the party. Taiju-kun and I found that the doors to the patio led to here, so we decided to go on his signal."
You looked down to see a plate of food, as well as a single cupcake with what looked like a massive stick. Senku reached into his pocket and took out a small match.
Before lighting the stick, he looked at you with a grin. "I had this hidden in the fold of my clothes. But this isn't what I was stopped for by security."
The boy lit the stick, and you saw a dazzling light that was so bright, it reflected off your (S/C) skin. It was a large sparkler, and you noticed off to the side that your two friends had also brought some that were hidden in their pockets. Warmly, an upwards curve appeared on your face.
"Happy birthday!"
Your other two friends cheered and held up their sparklers to light them. You then held your hands together, making a tiny wish to yourself.
"Thank you, all three of you. This is what I really wanted," you said softly as Yuzuriha gave you a slight side hug.
"It's no problem! You're our best friend after all, (Y/N)!" Taiju confidently declared.
The four of you began talking with each other under the moonlight, all while having fun at the beach. Senku began lighting more of the sparklers and sticking them in the ground to cause chaos, while Taiju was chasing Yuzuriha around with them along the sand, laughter ensuing from the both of them. All you could do was watch as everything unfolded in front of you. You were truly happy.
"Slowpoke." You turned towards Senku, who was advancing towards you. "I got one more thing for you."
"You do?" You watched as he pulled something out from his pocket. It was a small, wooden box with what looked to be a little wind-up key on one of the sides.
He held it out for you to see it clearly with a peaved expression on his face. "The real reason why I was being held up by security was because of this. But I proved to them it wasn't a bomb or anything like it."
The boy started winding up the box, then let go. As he put it in your hands it started playing a little melody that you instantly recognized. You widened your eyes as you stared at the box with astonishment. Your heart seemed to fluttered over the moon, and you couldn't contain your radiant joy.
Senku had noticed that your eyes were twinkling, as if (E/C) gemstones were placed into those eye sockets of yours. You then looked up at him with a smile so pleasant, he was genuinely surprised. It was too contagious, it caused his stoic expression to fade into a heartwarming smirk. It was in that moment, he wanted to see that reaction from you another day in the future.
"Thank you, Senku."
-End of Flashback
With that, you ended your story. Kohaku and Ruri were blushing over how sweet the story was, though the lioness seemed more embarrassed.
"That was a great story, (Y/N)-chan! So romantic!" Gen chuckled with joy. But he knew you ended it there for a reason.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," you let out a huffy sigh, then mumbled as you turned away from them, "...I guess it was."
You then looked up at the sky to see it slowly darkening with grey clouds. The rest of them followed after. The priestess spoke up, "It looks like it's gonna rain soon."
Kohaku replied to her, "We better clean this up then!"
Kohaku and Ruri jumped out of the wooden vat and started washing their feet in the river nearby. The sisters covered the vat with a wooden lid and placed a blanket on top to keep it mostly dry. All your friends started heading back, with you trailing behind them.
"How's the wine process coming along?" You heard Senku's voice from above the river.
"It's going great! You know, (Y/N) told us a really sweet story!" Suika told him with a smile and she started skipping away as she hummed the recognizable Ghibli tune you sang to her.
You looked up to see Senku with a slight smile on his face as you approached him. He held his hand out to help you up the hill, and you were reminded of the moment he handed you the small music box that he created for you on your birthday. Your (E/C) eyes softened as you stared at him. Slowly, you placed your fingers in his hand, and he firmly took it to pull you up.
There was a part of the story that you didnt tell them, where Senku had asked for another dance using the song from the music box. You were going to keep that a secret. As he pulled you close to him, you could feel the seed of doubt Gen had given you blooming within.
Yeah...no doubt about it. I'm definitely not going to admit it. Not out loud, at least.
-To be Continued-
A/N: This chapter took longer than I thought it would. To be fair, I had to move around or cut out certain parts of this chapter due to how unsatisfied I was. This chapter may be a bit OOC.
I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless!
Also, I used this image for inspiration on Senku's outfit!