The following morning, everyone searched the ingredients for the food you planned to make. You told the rest exactly what to do, which sped up the process.
You and Chrome would gather the protein — which meant hunting — while Senku and Kohaku would harvest grain.
While you and Chrome headed to a location with a lot of wild birds, it was quiet peaceful, except for the sound of the forest.
"Do you know that the word 'Chrome' originates from something that we — Modern People — used to use on a daily basis?" You informed teasingly, knowing that this would catch his interest.
As you predicted, Chrome's head shot in your direction at that very moment, eyes sparkling from excitement, "Ehh!? What do you mean by that?!"
With just one inquiry, you happily began to babble about what Google Chrome is - Who made it, when it all began, how many people have used it, everything!
Chrome, too, continued listening without growing bored. He was curious about the meaning of his name! And when he discovered that, he couldn't stop asking you questions, which you didn't mind at all.
"So, 'Google Chrome', huh?" Smugly, Chrome smirked, crossing his arms, "My name must've sound nostalgic for both you and Senku."
"Honestly? Yeah." You spoke calmly, gazing at the blue, bright sky, "Your name was well-known around the world, you know? Everyone knew Google Chrome as the 'know-it-all'. When we were in trouble, it consistently provides the right things we needed."
"That's incredible!"
You chuckled at his ecstasy.
Eventually, your gaze softened towards him.
His face looked gorgeous, as though the sun had given him a gentle kiss. His eyes were brown like the woods yet it could calm everyone down just by looking at it.
He's far too adorable to be the village outsider!
"That's why you always have what we need at the moment," You slung your left arm around his shoulder with a grin, "If you ask me, the origin of your name fits your personality quite well! The adventurer, the one who have it all; Chrome."
Now that's an extremely heartfelt compliment for him.
Given that he is frequently referred to as the 'sorcerer', he has never received a single praise.
When he heard you just now, it was as if you had given him more than enough compliments to boost his determination.
He was sobbing uncontrollably. The combination of his snot-filled nose and the teary-eyed expression on his face made you want to laugh out loud.
"I-I'm so touched!" He wailed, making a terrible attempt to wipe his tears, "We only met a few days ago, and you're already giving me compliments?!"
Despite his confusion, he was overjoyed.
"I'm saying what is logical, the truth." You gently ruffle his hair, smiling sweetly, "And the truth is what I've just said. You consider that as a compliment, huh?"
"WELL, OBVIOUSLY YES?!"
Again, his tears poured down like rivers.
Honestly, you can't handle this boy's emotions at all. It's just too adorable!
After you and Chrome had hunted enough wild birds and discovered multiple eggs, you returned to your original basecamp - the storage room.
There, Kohaku and Senku already stuffed tons of foxtail millet on a basket.
"How many birds did you exactly catch?!" Senku's mouth dropped open, watching you holding dead wild birds while Chrome was just holding a container.
"Not much." You nonchalantly responded before humming an excited melody like a child.
Not far behind you, Senku could see Chrome's terrified form as he mouthed something like, 'She's scary!'
Maybe he witnessed something absurd that made him afraid to mess with you.
After everything was ready, you explained that all of you needed to beat the foxtail against rocks in order to get the grain to fall out naturally,
"This is exhilarating." Senku smirked, a faintly satisfied expression appeared while observing the result you all got after beating the foxtail millet.
"We're really gonna eat this? Because foxtail is super gross!" Kohaku grimaced at what she saw, quickly hid behind you to express her disgust.
"The reason we're wacking it is to remove the husks so we can eat it." You informed as Senku continued, "Foxtail millet is ten billion percent a grain. It's the ancestor of rice."
"What's rice?" Chrome questioned hesitantly.
"A staple food and a carbohydrate." You specified before sensed two figures behind you.
Glancing over your shoulder, you saw Kohaku shudder when she glanced at the foxtail millet. On your right side, Suika had also hidden behind you to avoid peering at the ingredient.
"It looks so nasty and hairy, (Name)," Suika complained softly.
'Help me! Please!'; That's the message you wanted to send to Senku.
But his only response was a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
'AGGHHH!! THAT ATTENTION WHORE!!'
Senku was about to leave, leaving you struggling to soothe the two girls. Thankfully, Chrome returned carrying a jug of water.
Following that, you instructed Kohaku to place the grains inside, and she obeyed. With that, Senku persistently mixed it.
Afterwards, all of you strained them through a sieve and crushed them into a fine green powder.
At last, everyone can now see how clean the grains were.
It was clear that the primitives were astonished by it, while you and Senku only gave each other a fist bump.
"We finally have flour!" You cheered proudly, "Way to go, guys!"
All five of you high-fived excitedly, each of you were burning with curiosity to try this new meal.
The next step, you did the work of mixing the egg and potassium carbonate to tenderize it.
Senku stood next to you, staring at Chrome from the corner of his eye, "This is a dish of science accidently discovered by some unknown Mongolian around the 4th century. Just like you, Chrome, a try-everything fool also existed long before."
Once it was done, Senku prepared to use a knife to cut the dough into shapes.
But, out of instinct, you took the knife from his hand and rolled the dough excitedly, cutting it into the shape of tiny noodles layer by layer.
The unexpected part was how fast you sliced it — even Suika, Kohaku, and Chrome's mouths went agape.
When did you even learn how to use knives that good?! The primitives had never even seen you wield a weapon.
"Woah..." With an anxious smile, Kohaku witnessed you skillfully spinned the knife in the air before casually grabbed it.
On the other hand, Chrome murmured hysterically, "Now you know! I-I swear, she's a damn beast when we go bird hunting. Like, holy crap! I-I thought I was going to die when she gripped those birds' necks easily."
"Ho? Beast, you say?"
Unexpectedly, you were behind Chrome, showing a fake grin on your face. Not to mention that a knife was already held up against Chrome's cheek.
"A-AAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
That undoubtedly caused him to yell until all the birds in the area fled. The others, however, were laughing in amusement.
After the entire shennenigan, the noodles were finally finished.
You placed it in a large pot filled with boiling water, along with a large chicken and some meat. Suika assisted in splitting some fish and adding it to the pot.
To add the final touches, Senku completed it by adding bones, green onions, and bamboo shoots for more vitamins, carbs, and, most importantly, flavor.
The scents of the ingredients combined made a very excellent smell.
The fact that Kohaku and Chrome were drooling already showed how eager they were to try it.
"Of course we had name for this stupidly yummy bowl of science, 3.700 years ago!" Senku stated with a grin, placing the exquisite dish in front of everyone.
"We called it 'Ramen'." Proudly, you handed each bowl to the primitives first.
Kohaku looked at it with a grimace, "This is yucky foxtail millet in there."
Full of confidence, Chrome screamed aloud, "I'll make sure it's safe for us to eat! As a sorcerer-"
"Scientist." You chimed in.
"Oh, right! As a scientist, I should try new things without hesitation!"
At that point, he grabbed the chopsticks in the most incorrect manner and slurped up the noodles.
There was calm for a short while before he suddenly shouted as flames burst out of his eyes, "IT'S SO GOOOOOD! RAMEN IS INCREDIBLE!"
He started to swallow everything whole while Kohaku and Suika did the same.
"It's Suika's first time tasting such a smooth, chewy texture!"
"U-Unbelievable. I can't believe that this kind of food exists in this world!"
The dish they had just consumed was so exquisite that it made them all froze in amazement, never stop wanting more.
After seeing their amusing reaction, Senku glanced at the two bowls in front of him and handed you one.
"Might as well dig in too." He suggested.
"It's the first decent meal in 3.700 years after all." You muttered before the two of you simultaneously took a whole bite out of the noodles.
After a few seconds of munching, you both instantly dropped the bowl and sulked on the ground dramatically.
"That... is NOT it!" You grimaced.
Unexpectedly, the food you had just swallowed rose from your stomach. Not much waiting; you puked from afar, not wanting to disrupt your other friends' good mood. Meanwhile, Senku rubbed your back to try to calm you down a bit.
"I had no idea that my cooking skills would go back to zero." You grumbled beneath your breath, face as pale as ever.
Upon hearing such thing, Senku rapidly shook his head, "No. It's not your fault. This is foxtail millet after all." He then gently stroked your head, this time without ruffling it, "Without your cooking, it'll probably taste even worse."
"Still! The texture is all sandy and crumbly. The aftertaste is horribly bitter too!" You stuck your tongue out, "If you think of it as a medicine, it'll be edible!"
"Yeah, but without you, it won't be edible at all. It'll taste like trash." Senku rolled his eyes lightheartedly.
"You just say that to cheer me up."
"Cheer you up?" Senku arched an eyebrow, "You think I'd lie just to make you happy?"
"No..."
"Exactly. I speak logically, and what I said just now are logical."
Even though you understood that it wasn't your fault, you still felt horrible for not making it appetizing for the two of you.
With a heavy sigh, Senku gently lifted your chin so that you could look at the other's expressions.
They keep on glorify it like the dish was something extraordinary, which genuinely brought you satisfaction.
"Look at them. Those people probably think it's the food of the Gods." He smirked, "You know what that means, right? Good work, goldfish. Your foxtail ramen for the win."
"Our foxtail ramen." You playfully poked Senku before he responded with the same move, "Mhm. Ours."
Without wasting any time, you'd already have a ramen cart up for business this evening.
Suika was sitting on the cart's roof, using a seashell to produce music so she could attract people. Meanwhile, Chrome was pushing the cart behind him towards the village entrance.
"People have waged wars over pepper. That's how fundamental food is to civilization." Senku remarked as the two of you prepared to serve from behind the cart, "With the power of ramen on our side, soon we'll have complete control over this village!"
Following that, a very scary, broad grin appeared on both of your faces.
"They can have all they want. But, they'll find out very soon that the more ramen they eat, the harder I'm gonna work them." You sneered, cackling suspiciously.
Kohaku was clearly extremely alarmed by both of your expressions. You two sound and seem like bad guys. She had never even seen a more eerie face than the one on yours.
But as soon as you noticed that villagers had already begun to approach the cart, your moods changed dramatically. You tried to make it impossible for anyone to realize that you were simply going to take advantage of them.
With the aroma of ramen flowing around the village, it was difficult not to take some.
"Sen, you handle the serving; I'll handle the cooking. Got it?" You made sure, already prepared a lovely bowl for serving.
Senku, believing in your plans, nodded without hesitation.
And just like that, even though you two work quickly, the result was flawless.
"It's so chewy and amazingly yummy!" Ganen exclaimed, finishing his third bowl. Right after he said that, everyone began slurping their foxtail noodles and asking for more.
All you can do is snicker wickedly at their satisfaction. Before long, they'll put in just as much effort as you did!
"We should totally name this 'Ichiraku Ramen'." As you prepared another bowl, you joked.
"How about we wait on naming it that until we get the actual ingredients for ramen?" Senku suggested, almost completely agree with your statement.
"Are you the man who made all this incredible food for us? The one called 'Senku'?" Without warning, Ruby - one of the sparkling sisters - interrupted your talk with a flirtatious question.
"No. I'm sure rumors spread that my boss was the one who made it. If you want to talk, make a better excuse." Senku gave her a blank response before returning to serve the dish you had just prepared.
Ruby peeked curiously over his shoulder and saw you waved your hand awkwardly. Surprisingly, she returned the gesture with an adorable grin.
"Ah! Yeah, you're also the one I'm looking for! Nice to meet you, (Name)! I'm grateful that you made this." She beamed, so you returned with an appropriate nod.
Eventually, she tried to speak with Senku once more, "So, what kind of girls do you like?"
"Simple. The kind that can pump a ton of oxygen into my furnace."
"What kind of answer is that?! Senku, you really don't know how to make small talks!" Kohaku complained, a bit dissapointed.
"I swear, how on earth can (Name) put up with your attitude?" She wiped away a tear dramatically, "Poor (Name)."
"Yeah, poor me." You played along, lips quivered in a dramatic manner.
However, Senku rolled his eyes, tired of dealing with these two dramatic girls in this situation, "Just do your work."
"Aye aye!" Both you and Kohaku mockingly snicker.
A few moments afterward, you whispered something to Chrome, causing a sinister smile to gradually appear on his face.
"I know you want to do it." You smirked back before you placed two bowls on his hands carefully, "Go."
You observed from a distance as Chrome carried out your command and that is to persuade Kinro and Ginro to try the ramen.
When he continued putting the dish in front of their face, you even had to bite your lips to stop from laughing.
You absolutely cherished this moment.
It brings joy to this Stone World full of mystery.
"Ahh... This ramen is making me wickedly thirsty. A cola would be great."
It was at this moment that you knew, you fucked up.
You were alarmed right now, yet you didn't freeze or do anything else than continue to serve.
'Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!!'
That voice you just heard was so soothing and eerily familiar.
What bothered you was that you had no memory of ever serving, let alone see him.
Senku, meanwhile, froze in place.
He glanced at you while you were still working, but he knew you noticed it too.
"You guys happen to know that guy?" Kohaku questioned casually.
Gently, you set down the ladle you were holding and flashed a smile at Kohaku.
"No."
As fast as a flash, Kohaku instantly gave an order to Ginro and Kinro.
Without hesitation, the three of them surrounded a man dressed in light purple robes. He had a half short black and half long white hair.
The afternoon's joyful atmosphere vanished in an instant.
While the guards aimed their spears fearlessly, Kohaku held her blades dangerously close to his throat.
"Better answer truthfully or I'll slit your throat before you know what hit you!" Kohaku warned, "Are you one of that long-haired man's underlings?"
"Well I admittedly don't mind the attention of a cutie like you. I believe you must've mistaken me for somebody else." The mysterious man replied with ease, "I've not yet met any long-haired man. I've been wandering all on my lonesome since breaking out of the stone."
He looked up, allowing you to have a better look at him. If you were brave enough, you might even say that he had a devilishly attractive appearance.
Such a charming figure.
Stepping forward casually, you fixed him with a deadpan glare, "It's you."
"Hm?" His gaze followed your figure, glancing up and down before his smirk grew wider, "It's me."
"Asagiri Gen." Simply, you scoffed.
Crossing your arms, you smiled with a wicked grin, "How has your career been since you stopped working at my uncle's agency? You must be doing fantastically now that most of your scheduled interviews and photoshoots have been canceled!"
What you just said was truly nasty and sarcastic.
"I see that even after losing your family, you're still a brat." A tick mark formed on his forehead as he murmured beneath his breath, "Don't be cocky, nepo baby-chan."
There's that nickname you've never forgotten.
You clenched your jaw and made an effort to keep your fist away from his cheek.
"Shut up, you menta-freak."
At that moment, you felt someone touch your shoulder. When you glanced up, you realized it was no other than Senku.
It's a sign that you should calm down.
"A trashy magician who wrote psychology books. I remember you now." Senku chimed in, not at all pleased with this guy's sudden arrival.
Gen abruptly had another expression change.
The person who briefly displayed a glimpse of his true feelings quickly transformed into the person you view as a liar.
"Read my work, have you? How wonderful. But what you just said was cruel. Please, call me a mentalist." He insisted, "I apologize for taking the ramen without asking. So, please, will you be kind and lower your weapons? My arms and legs are trembling in fear! And I'm worried I may spill this heavenly bowl!"
'Fake ass menta-freak!' You take the bowl from his grasp harshly, a fake smile appeared on your lips, "Full of crap like usual. Just like when you lied to me that you wouldn't spread false rumors."
Upon hearing that, Senku's eyes widened slightly in realization. He softly squeezed your shoulder again, this time whispering in your ear, "Is he the one that-?"
"Yeah."
You replied bitterly, trying your best to hide it.
You're not the kind of person that allows personal issues to interfere anything. So, you made an effort to maintain your composure.
Gen continued, "I was all by myself and searching for something to eat. Then, my nose was filled with nostalgia; The scent of ramen! This world is barbarian. I've had an extremely difficult time adapting."
"Kukuku! Yeah, sure. I'll take your word for it, man." Senku folded his arms, "But still, there's no such thing as a free lunch."
Creepily, you flashed Gen an extremely nasty smile.
"You and everybody else who ate the ramen have got some work to do."
Ah, yes.
The wonderful sound of everyone yelling in agony as they already felt their arms about to come off.
Tragically, none of the people who consumed the ramen knew what kind of work they were supposed to do. Once they were all done, you had everyone pump oxygen into the furnace.
"Music to my ears." You snickered while Senku playfully rolled his eyes.
Nevertheless, he's quite grateful that you're back to your normal-self now that you've had some time to collect yourself.
"Asagiri Gen. How are Taiju and Yuzuriha doing these days?" Senku asked as the both of you stood behind Gen.
"Ah, so that's your game, yeah? You thought you could get me to fess up while I was distracted. You two got guts trying to pull a trick like that on a renowned mentalist." Gen answered drowsily before his tone abruptly shifted, "There's no need for you two to worry. Taiju's strength is seemingly without end. But you two know that, right, nepo baby-chan and Senku-chan?"
Kohaku swiftly interfered, drawing out her weapon, "He's definitely with that long-haired man! Should I kill him?!"
"Stay where you are, Kohaku." You ordered firmly before casting a gentle glance at Gen, "You knew we're trying to make you talk. Why did you suddenly let it slip that you're working with Tsukasa?"
Not going to lie, Gen was silently taken aback by your unexpected expression.
He expected that your tone would be harsher, but he was wrong. When it came to interpreting people's feelings, he was usually correct. However, he couldn't understand you.
He then cracked a smile, observing the creation you and the others had constructed, "Well, it's because I saw all of this. The situation has changed."
Regretfully, as time went on, you occasionally caught glimpses of Gen staring at you as well as felt his intense stare on your back.
He made an effort to speak with you in a private spot, but you kept avoiding him.
→
'MENTA-FREAK MORON!!' You pulled your knees into your chest and gave it a tight hug, feeling the rage swelling inside of you.
Now that darkness had fallen, you were on the storage room's roof - far away from Gen.
Next to you was Senku who was staring at the galaxy that lit up the night sky.
He was aware of your terrible mood since Gen arrived, even if it was just for a few hours.
"You alright?" He asked softly eventhough he knew the answer.
"Am I alright?? AM I ALRIGHT?!" You sneered, clenching both fists in fury, "No!"
Once more, the air was engulfed in quiet.
All at once, you found yourself unable to contain your emotions.
With a heavy sigh, you covered your face with your arms, "I met the person who almost ruined my life, Sen. How can I be alright?"
Gently, Senku replied, "He was the one who spread an awful rumor about your parents, right?"
"Not only awful, it's horrible! He promised me not to use his fame to do such a thing, but he eventually did! He promised, Sen." You scoffed.
Gen spread a terrible rumor that the public would never forget.
He 'joked' about how your dad was 'cheating' on your mother with a well-known singer during a global interview; in front of TV programs, well-known idols, everyone!
And you were aware of what that means.
The Tsuyoshi family will therefore be overwhelmed with inquiries and offensive remarks.
Gen had wrecked your family's reputation.
Your father became known as as a man who 'cheated'.
As a result, everyone talked about your family and you.
"How could something bad happened in this ideal family?"
"How could the Tsuyoshi family's future head do such a thing?"
"Has the Tsuyoshi family reached its breaking point?"
"Is this the last time we will see the family filled with brilliant generation?"
"Poor Tsuyoshi's youngest family member has to deal with such a situation."
The media never made an effort to uncover more about this case. All they saw were photos of your father and that big-name singer together.
The truth was unknown to them.
They always lied; One of them - Gen - lied just to obtain what they desired.
Everywhere you turned, cameras flashed on your face.
You were 13.
You were never able to look at the sun because cameras were always blinking in its stead.
Every interview went badly and kept coming back to the subject of your father's issue.
You were afraid to leave the house; Fearful of the crowd of people who kept asking about the rumors circulating outside the door.
Nobody thought about going outside.
The careers of nearly every member of your family were in danger. The bond between your parents was also on the verge of collapsing.
It was all his fault - Asagiri Gen's fault.
"You know how bad it was. Thank goodness Grandma solved the problem in a month, but..." You closed your eyes, still recalling the moment those unceasing brightness blinded you, "It was tense. I trust- No. I used to trust him."
"Really?"
"Um, yeah."
"But, it sounds like you still want to be his friend." Senku stated unexpectedly, causing you to frown and stare at him with disgust.
"What?!" You cringed, "No. No way."
"Sounds like it." He just shrugged and turned to look at you with that soft gaze, "You can still clearly remember every single detail of what happened like it was yesterday. To me, it sounds like you hope he didn't do that so you two could maintain your friendship." He smugly smirked before once more looking up at the sky.
Hearing such a thing, your eyes widened slightly and your voice went mute.
Senku's statement was somewhat correct.
You hoped that Gen wouldn't act in that way before; You missed the times you two used to spend chatting about everything and making jokes that the media would pick up on.
You despised him for betraying his trust.
'Damn it.' You grumbled, hiding your face in your arms again, "I have no idea how you're always right, lettuce head."
Unbeknownst to you, Gen was carefully listening to your words beneath the storage room.
He should be unbiased but when you declared that you couldn't trust him anymore, his heart couldn't help but tighten.
There was no time for an apology anyway.
On the next day, the iron was heated and melted.
Senku made a large rectangle prism-shaped wooden mold to pour the hot iron into. Before filling the mold with the liquid metal, you ensured he was protected from the heat by wearing a thick cloak and gloves.
[ IRON ACQUIRED !! ]
"I have a simple task and that is to confirm both of your deaths beyond any doubt. 'Tsukasa! (Name) and Senku are still alive!'; One little phrase and both of your fate will be sealed." Gen claimed.
"Oh?" You raised an eyebrow, uninterested.
"That was my initial plan." He went on, which caught your attention at this point, "But, if you two complete your iron weapons, there's no telling who'd come out on top. 'All I found was a tiny, primitive village! Seems the two of them are no longer here.'; One false report would spare both of your life. Does that sound good to you two?"
"Kukuku! I'd really appreciate it if you would do that." Senku mocked.
In response, Gen sneered, "Don't go thinking I've got some moral compass. I'm unbelievably shallow. Give me a life surrounded by hot girls and I'm happy as a clam! I couldn't care less if the two of you and that primate - Tsukasa - live or die."
His face morphed into a cunning grin, "I'll be on the winning side no matter what I have to do. What benefits me most; Is it aligning with your fledgling Kingdom of Science or perhaps Tsukasa Empire of Strength? That is truly the extent of my concern."
"You really do have koala's brain." You snorted silently.
Noticing your attempt to contain a laugh, Gen smile a little more genuine.
Still, he continued to persuade, "On one hand, there's the scientific creations, and ramen, and all that. But hellish back-breaking work is just not my style. On the other hand, Tsukasa-chan's settlement lacks science and the food is rather plain. But, my work is easy and if I revive a few hot celebs, I could have the harem of my dreams!"
What caught you off guard was Suika's unexpected appearance as she asked inquisitively right next to him.
"A harem? What's that?"
"NOOOOO!! SUIKA!" Your jaw dropped open in a dramatic way, and you quickly ran to her, easily picking her up, "YOU SHOULDN'T BE HEARING THAT WORD JUST YET!"
Immediately, you shot Gen a deadly glare, to which he responded with a tense smile, "Oh! T-That word is definitely not for children."
"Well, whatever it is, ramen is probably way better." Suika gleefully cheered, gently holding onto you.
Gen turned his head to the side awkwardly, "Ramen's nice but not on hot days like this. At the end of the day, I'd side with Tsukasa-chan."
"Asagiri Gen, was it?" Kohaku threatened, gripping both blades firmly, "I think the only two options for a snake-in-the-grass like you are either locked up or put in the ground!"
"Scary!" Gen instinctively hid behind you, just as he used to.
However, you swiftly stood aside, leading him to groan.
"Nepo baby-channn! I thought I could trust you!"
"First, don't call me that. Second, there is no trust between us, you damn menta-freak." You spat.
Even though Gen was still smiling, you could see a crack in his façade; A tinge of sadness was barely visible.
"If he doesn't go back and give his report, Tsukasa will come looking for him and we'll all be screwed." Senku mentioned, taking off his cloak with a single motion.
"Relax, guys." You smirked, "We've got a plan for this iron. Once you feast your eyes on what we're gonna make with it, there's a chance you'll choose to join our Kingdom of Science."
"Ten billion percent." Senku chimed in as he climed up the storage room.
Gen scoffed, pretty amused by both of your statements, "Oh, what's that? Think you can sway me with a sword? That would undoubtedly make (Name) delighted, though."
"A generator!"
Simultaneously, you and Senku grinned like children; Innocent and sweet yet full of mischievous intent.
Gen froze in shock right away; Perspiring as if he had just heard something crazy (literally).
"A generator?! Are you two freaking kidding?! No way you two could pull that off!!"
"Watch us."