A/N : LONG ASS CHAPTER.
When everyone finally woke up, numerous villagers went to the observatory room to check how the telescope worked. They were even more thrilled when you — their guide — informed them they could simply modify the distance they wanted to see.
Meanwhile, this gives your heart a chance to calm down. You tried so hard to forget what happened last night, even though it was obviously something you could never forget.
'Did I just hear the word beautiful from that lettuce head's mouth?! No way, right? He said that to the painting, not me! But... when he said it, he was staring at me. NO. TSUYOSHI (NAME), FOCUS!'
When the sun began to rise, it was time to prove to everyone that the rocks they had picked were the correct ones.
Every single one of the rocks did, in fact, glow blue, causing you all to smile and cheer with delight.
"Oh, wow! It looks like a mountain of jewels." Ruri gasped in awe.
"Yeah. Of course it does." Senku stated, "It is a mountain of jewels. Kukuku! And this treasure hoard here has our ultra-rare metal inside it."
From behind you, Magma boredly glanced at it, "Call 'em whatever you want. It's just heavy rocks to me. I hope they're worth the fuss."
"It'll definitely be worth it when they help us beat Tsukasa-chan," Gen stated.
At that, Kokuyo mumbled inquisitively, "This will help us win the battle? I get it. They are weapons! They got enough weight to hurt somebody!"
Ruri and Kohaku looked at their father with disappointment, while you, Senku, and Gen could only stare at the former chief in shock.
"The older generation doesn't understand some things." Kohaku let out a big sigh, causing Kokuyo to gasp in shock that his own daughter had said something like that.
"A boomer." You murmured to your two friends, causing them to snort and struggle to contain their laughter.
"Look. We're up against Tsukasa's army, which is gonna be crazy strong." Gen happily clarified, "But, if we stick to the plan and make cell phones with these rocks, we'll have a massive advantage in the information war."
"Yeah, I know. But, how much longer is it going to take to make these cell phones?" Kohaku asked, looking concerned alongside Ginro, "Oh, yeah! That's a good question! 'Cause once spring comes, their army's gonna storm the village!"
"Eh, we're not far from our goal." Senku shrugged his shoulders.
You nodded in agreement, "To explain things simply, the vacuum tube is the heart of the cell phone, plastic's the skeleton, the microphone's the vocal chord, and the gold wire's the veins."
"Yeah. All we gotta do is put those four parts together and we'll have ourselves a cellphone." With confidence, Senku raised four fingers.
Everyone responded with a hearty cheer.
After all of their efforts, this roadmap will eventually come to an end!
"It's been a marathon of a science project. We're getting close to the finish line, you guys." You snickered, "Now it's time for us to make our final sprint to the end! Interesting, isn't it?"
Senku proceeded to grab one of the Scheelite, examining it, "The first thing we gotta do is make filaments, which are essential for vacuum tubes. They'll be made out of tungsten, the most heat resistant metal in the known universe, waiting inside this blue light."
Not quite catching up, Kohaku furrowed her brows, "Here's another question. How exactly are we gonna get it out of the stone?"
Suddenly, you were carrying two hammers in your hand and yelled in front of the two guys you called out.
"Magma! Mantle! Do it!"
"Aye aye, commander."
The two started to grab each of their hammers right away, proceeding to demolish every Scheelite without stopping.
It only took five smashes to transform it into soft sand!
However, the rest of the Kingdom of Science gave a horrified shriek.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Chrome exclaimed, going pale, "Are you crazy?!"
Magma lazily looked at Chrome, "Huh? We're getting the stuff out of these rocks, man. We smash 'em up first, it'll be easy. Plus, it's the commander's order."
"Correct! It is my order. We'll be turning it into powder anyway." With a hint of wickedness in your eyes, you stood between Mantle and Magma, gazing at the smashed Scheelite, "If you're gonna smash 'em, smash 'em until it breaks, boys."
Magma laughed, sticking out his tongue mockingly, "Ya guys here that?! What did I tell you, huh?!"
Then, with a smug smile, he looked at the other primitives as though to say; '(Name) relies more on me to complete this task. Haha!'
That undoubtedly infuriated the others.
Once the sky finally became light blue, every Scheelite that had been gathered transformed into white powder. With his restless energy, Magma continued although Mantle had already collapsed on the ground. Thankfully, you gave him a cola to help him feel energized again.
"All done, commander." Magma wiped the sweat off his forehead.
Senku hummed joyfully, running his hand through the sand, "Huh, good job. We'll use our chemistry skills on this powdered rock and when we're finished with it, it should have similar consistency to toothpast-"
"Alright!" Gen abruptly interrupted him, sick of hearing scientific terms he couldn't even comprehend, "More 'fun' chemistry stuff. Never does me any good to ask questions about it."
"We're gonna treat the toothpaste with hydrogen by warming it up in a glass container to get rid of any rust. After that, we're done!" As you finished explaining everything, you placed all of the powder in a bag, "It has to reach a thousand degrees but the hotter we make it, the stronger the tungsten will turn out."
"Ohoho! We can just throw it in our trust-y furnace here!" Behind you, Kaseki pointed to the furnace. Chrome agreed too, "It's nice to get an easy step once in a while."
"Hahh? Have you two lost your mind?" Senku mocked their theories, "Think what would happen to a glass container if you threw it into a thousand degree fire."
The two's look transformed to one of horror as soon as they imagined that.
"Yeah. Shocking, right?" You snickered, "We have to make sure that only the tungsten mixture inside of the glass container is getting hot."
"So then we'll need to pinpoint the heat on one spot." Kaseki noted, obviously planning ahead, "But how exactly?"
Senku and you just exchanged glances for a short while before shrugging carelessly at the two primitives.
"Let's split up the work — Time is short." Senku reminded as his eyes shifted to Chrome, "Goldfish and I can handle all the toothpaste-making chemistry stuff."
"W-Wait!" Chrome worriedly took one step forward, "Then who's gonna figure out the pinpoint heating mechanism? We don't have another scientist. How about you deal with the chemistry and (Name) deal with the heating? S-Sounds... good?"
However, you and Senku both raised an eyebrow simultaneously, signaling that Chrome — the boy in front of them — is the other scientist.
"Come on. You know everything you need to make that happen." Senku declared with pride, "You've gotta throw all the science tricks you've learned at it."
"Exactly!" You gave a playful sneer, flashing glimpses of unending mockery, "Or do you need Professor (Name) and Professor Senku to come and hold your hand?"
"Are you kidding me? Don't make me laugh. I'm Chrome, y'know?!" Chrome flashed a confident smile, offering you two a high five, "I'm smarter than hell! I'm a scientist!"
"If you two need some help in your lab, you better not come crying about it to me, okay?" Chrome made sure, sarcastically.
All Senku could do was chuckle, "I got all the lab's stuff no problem."
"You're gonna have your hands full in the heating team." You continued, your heart clenched with excitement, "Make us proud, Google."
Sighing aloud, Kaseki gazed longingly at the three of you from a distance, "Owh, you guys make me a little jealous."
"Huh?" You eventually stopped walking, furrowing your brows.
"Since I was a boy," Seated comfortably on the furnace, Kaseki began, "I've always loved making things. It was such a fun way to spend my time. I made all kinds of stuff; Like shields and bridges. Other people just stood back and stared! Even in my old age, I still get looked at as a laborer. Ohoho... Seeing you three working together like this has got me thinking about how much I'd like to have a crafting buddy of my own."
Chrome, who was standing directly beside you, simply tipped his head, "Huh? But you're not building things on your own anymore, are you? You've got crafting buddies."
"Hold on. I do?" With complete confusion, Kaseki responded, "Who's that?"
Chrome then pointed at you, you pointed at Senku, and Senku pointed at Chrome; All three of you looked in wonder at Kaseki's direction.
"All three of us." Chrome mentioned innocently, as if it were the obvious answer.
The old man stared at the three of you in surprise, his voice started to sound like he was going to cry, "Really? Even though I'm almost fifty years older than you?"
"Why should age even matter at all? Who cares?" You chuckled, but then stopped abruptly when you noticed Kaseki's tears welling up in his eyes.
Not even a few seconds later, he jumped off the furnace before he released a surge of determination within him on the ground.
At that moment, he was a muscular old man again.
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
Senku, Chrome, and you were left with no choice but to be knocked back by his excited outburst. Without saying anything, Kaseki pulled Chrome off with him, leaving you and Senku to get started with your own project.
"I gotta say, he certainly is Gung Ho." Gen murmured to himself before being pulled back by his collar suddenly.
To his dismay, you were the one who pulled him across the floor.
"Aw man. Let me go, nepo baby-chan." Gen whined, beginning to thrash around.
But, you held onto him with such a firm hold that you didn't even let go of him, "You're coming with us, menta-freak!"
Inside the lab, Senku had already set up several of the materials needed for the process. So, he began explaining in a not-so-human way, "There's stupid number of steps so this could get pretty complicated but I'll try to keep it simple."
Gen could only protest, leaning his body into you, "(Name)-chan, please... Please simplify it for me."
"Nah, I don't wanna." You cackled evilly as you showed him the steps you three need on paper, "Cook the powder in Sodium Hydroxide. Add seashells, Hydrochloric Acid, and Ammonia to crystalize it. Then, bake it and mix with honey."
'Every now and again, I find myself forgetting how quickly you can say all that like Senku-chan.' Gen could already feel his eyes twitching from the amount of information he was receiving.
"Y-Yeah. Okay. I hear you loud and clear, Professor (Name)-chan." Gen faked a grin, growing weary of hearing it all already, "I'm using honey. Bake it and add some honey. That's just about the gist of it, right?"
"Chrome would be ten billion times more helpful right now," Senku admitted.
"No, I doubt anyone would have kept up with all that. You two are the only people who understand this kind of stuff, y'know?" With his chin resting on your shoulder, Gen retorted, "Ughh, I don't wanna be here."
"You have to, dumbass." Smirking, you gave him a gentle pat on the head while you jot down some more information for Gen to understand.
However, you noticed that your shoulder no longer supported Gen's head. That caused you to look to your side, only to see Senku grip Gen by the collar, refusing to allow him lay his head on your shoulder.
"Rest your head on a table or whatever. Don't rest it on hers." Senku ordered and you could tell he was irritated.
In return, Gen just gave a mocking smirk, "Oh? Am I making you jealous because I am too close to your beautiful girlfriend?"
'Beautiful?' Abruptly, you stopped writing as your thoughts returned to what happened last night; Senku calling you beautiful.
"No, he's not!" You blurted out, startling your two friends, "I mean... Uhhhh, lettuce head is not my boyfriend. So, why should he be jealous? That's absurd and illogical."
"Yeah. Why should I, mentalist?" Muttering under his breath, Senku unexpectedly released Gen and sent him crashing to the ground. Before long, he cleared his throat and began to grab more supplies from the shelves, "Let's get to work."
From then on, Senku spent the entire day and night working you and Gen to the bone. You guys barely slept! By the end, you two were hardly able to stand because of exhaustion.
Considering how difficult it was to work with tungsten, it took countless hours with all three of you to successfully produce a very little amount of tungsten toothpaste.
[ TUNGSTEN TOOTHPASTE ACQUIRED !! ]
Eventually, you left the lab. You rubbed your tired eyes as you finally felt the sun shine on you once more, "Heating team, how's it going?"
But when you and Senku saw everything Chrome and Kaski had built, Senku shrieked, "What's with the Jumbo Deluxe Combo set?!"
Chrome practically merged everything they ever manufactured; From the cotton candy machine to the batteries to the machine itself.
It is a monstrosity.
You, on the other hand, were just amazed.
"Oh, c'mon Senku. I'm doing exactly what you and (Name) told me." Chrome excitedly reported, "Using every trick I've learned."
"I didn't mean to go this far. This thing is ugly as hell." Senku grimaced at what he saw, before simply letting out a loud sigh, "But to be honest, this might actually be the best solution. Now, everybody's gonna need to work together to get this temperature crazy high."
"Ah, we're gonna squeeze out a long, thin blob of tungsten toothpaste, zapping water with electricity produces hydrogen." You did nothing more than explain while the others got to work doing what Senku had instructed, "The hydrogen with tons of heat will peel the rust right off that stuff."
"Here we go! Two thousand degrees!" Chrome determinedly yelled as the others joined in, "Let's heat this thing up!"
Senku and you chuckled at how excited they were while they got to work. After a few moments, the toothpaste tungsten solidified, allowing Senku to remove it from the glass container.
"We've tamed the world's most heat resistant metal!" Senku cheered, proudly displaying the item to everyone, "Which means now we have our hands on tungsten filament! With this, we have everything that we need."
[ TUNGSTEN FILAMENT ACQUIRED !! ]
"Aww yeah! We're so close to the finish, I could taste it!" Chrome shouted alongside you, both arms lifted.
With a nod of agreement, Kaseki stretched his hands to continue constructing, "We might as well go in order. I think we should start with the cellphone's heart and finish making the darn vacuum tube."
"But to get that part done, it's gonna take some pretty complicated glasswork." You sighed dramatically, before all of a sudden, your entire look changed to one of extreme malice.
Once you revealed the blueprint to Kaseki, his mouth fell open and his eyes widened. He had never seen anything like it in his life; It was a truly bizarre device.
"I don't know where to begin..." Concerned, Kaseki murmured to himself, "Is this even humanly possible?"
"Hehehehehehe!! This device is known as the 'Hickman Pump'! It sucks air like you wouldn't believe." You explained, "This baby is a level ten billion vacuum."
Senku laughed and ruffled your hair, trying to get you to stop making that scary face.
You stopped, of course.
Once more, his hand was ruining your perfect hair.
"Vacuum tubes are created by removing as much air inside as possible." Senku clarified, ignoring your glare, "The pump we built before was more like a level one prototype, which worked for light bulbs. But, it won't give us enough power for this job."
"But I'm sure you can handle it, right, Kaseki?" You gave off a crazy cackle, "I'm sure craftsmen like you won't give up after seeing this exquisite design!! People like you don't mind making stuff like these in the Modern World, really!"
'Evil.' Senku, Gen, and Chrome gave you a deadpan look.
"I'll construct all of this." Kaseki answered with determination, "But in exchange, a favor. That thing you did with Chrome, I really want you two to do it with me too."
As you began to think about what he was saying, an imaginary light bulb began to appear over your head. It seemed that Senku came to the same conclusion as you did.
So, with little conversation, the two of you gave Kaseki a high five.
"Make us proud, old man." You winked humorously while Kaseki firmly gave you the thumbs up.
Soon, the old man dragged Gen along with him while he went out to work on the vacuum tube. That leaves you and Senku alone again to discuss about something more important with Kohaku and Ginro.
But then, you felt your sleeves being tugged by someone and it seems that Senku's sleeves were also tugged. Thus, you both turned around at the same time, only to see Suika shyly stare up at the two of you with a flustered expression.
"H-Hey, you two? So is there... something we kids could do?" Suika stammered while her friends trailed behind her.
They were all waiting to be useful.
Of course, that caused you and Senku to exchange knowing gazes before Senku responded, "Of course. There is actually. You guys can handle the wire."
With that, the three of you performed the same high five you just did with Kaseki. Suika then began to invite all the children in the village to help right away.
Observing the children from a distance undoubtedly boosted your mood too. So, when you returned to the lab with Senku, you two began working.
"Alright. Are you ready, chemistry team?" You grin as you look at Senku and Chrome, "It's time for us to make some plastic."
"Yep! I have no clue what that is exactly but I'm ready to learn!" Chrome answered with excitement.
Senku patted him on the shoulders before he informed, "Chrome, you could bring the tree sap. (Name), help me light a fire."
"Alright!"
The three of you got to work right away; while you and Senku were heading to the furnace, Chrome collected the tree sap.
"I figured out how to make our plastic." Senku informed, crouching down next to a massive pot, "First, you wanna simmer some wood and boil the liquid that comes out. Then, pour that liquid over some hot copper and then-"
"HOLD ON A SECOND, SENKU!" Chrome yelled out loud, his expression showed nothing but confusion, "I'm already completely lost! This makes me think (Name) should be the one to explain everything."
"Nah. I'm just going to hand this over to Sen; I feel like it's best for him to learn how to explain." You snickered and poked Senku, who grumbled in response.
"You heat it to extract some liquid, heat that again, and then heat that AGAIN?" Chrome repeated, scrunching up his entire face, "What are we even doing?!"
Amused by his confusion, you flashed a grin, "Trust the process, will ya? We're modding the hell out of it by adding and removing crucial ingredients."
Beside you, Senku nodded in agreement while he grabbed an extremely hazardous liquid, "Chemistry is all about adding and subtracting. Anyway, after that process, we're left with this stuff called Formalin — You can preserve corpses with it!"
Chrome immediately backed away, pinching his nose in disgust. He also instinctively tugged your sleeve to pull you away from Senku.
"That stinks!" Chrome whined, "And what's the deal with you pulling out these creepy dead people chemicals all the time, Senku?! Where did you put it, anyway?"
After a couple of explanations, the three of you went outside to enjoy some fresh air and check on the progress of the other project.
"Okay. The only thing we need to acquire is a ton of coal ash because Sodium Hydroxide plus Formalin plus coal ash makes Bakelite, which is the very first man-made plastic." Senku stated, stretching his arms to loosen the cramped muscles, "It's perfect for this."
"O-Oh, okay. So, I guess we're gonna need to burn a crazy amount of coal, aren't we?"
"Yeah." As you gently answer him, the children and elderly people who were creating the wire draw your attention.
They silently confessed that their hands are numb because this winter was way colder than before.
Combining that with the need for large amounts of coal ash gave you a perfect idea!
At that point, you and Senku exchanged glances once more, as if you had the same brain cells every time.
"You're thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Hell yeah."
→
"Woahhh!"
All the kids ran into the cottage, exclaiming with amazement and excitement. There was a stove and some sort of heater inside. It also produced ashes from the coal at the same time. To keep smoke from getting inside, pipes were set up above the hut.
Instead of killing two birds with one stone, this project killed three!
"This is interesting, isn't it, kids?" You smiled gently as they surrounded you.
They were curling up in multiple fur coats Ruri made for them while you served them stew.
"Thank you, (Name)-nee." All of the kids thanked heartily.
After squealing quietly at their cute faces, you turned your head to face Senku, "Let's give our handsome village chief a heartfelt 'thank you', shall we?"
Senku's heart undoubtedly clenched the moment he heard you say that word. Furthermore, this time, despite the fact that he always felt cold, his entire body became warm as hell. He was ten billion percent convinced that his ears were getting pretty red right now.
'Handsome?' He pondered, not even believing that he would become stirred at the sound of that single word coming out from you.
"Thank you, Senku-nii!" The kids giggling at his obvious expression.
Of course, you assumed that he was simply overwhelmed by the children's affection. Unbeknownst to you, you were the reason behind his nervousness.
"Yeah, yeah." Stunned, he averted his gaze shyly, sticking his pinky into his ear, "You're welcome."
Eventually, Kokuyo stood next to Senku, looking up at the pipe with nothing but admiration. A tiny smile formed as his eyes became watery, "I'm impressed, you two... I realized that these things you two are making are for a completely separate goal. But, our little village is slowly becoming a much better place to live."
"That's how science works. It's just as simple as that." Senku answered, although there was a hint of satisfaction in his voice.
With an appreciative shake of his head, Kokuyo chuckled, 'I must say... You two ended up being just the man and woman we needed to lead our village into the future.'
You and Senku checked to make sure everything was safe before you two gladly left the elderly and the kids to finish their work.
Sighing with satisfaction, you triumphantly stared at the outcome you had created, "I'm so glad we can make science fun for everyone, Sen; Just as Byakuya had hoped."
Senku looked down at the next blueprint that you two had previously created, responding, "Yeah... Science is always fun. The only people who can enjoy science are those who value it."
"True. But when it comes to theory, it's boring as hell!" You grumbled, "Remember when I got a terrible grade in chemistry because I was so focused on doing the practice?!"
"Pfft- Of course. It's the first time I've gotten a higher score than you." Senku laughed evilly at that, vividly picturing your defeated expression, "You even had the audacity to barge into the teacher's room and forced him to resign only because he gave you a low grade in science."
"You know how I used to act when my mood is all messed up! Not to mention that you made fun of me and teased me, which made me even more frustrated." Glaring at him, you shuddered at the memory, "You know, I despised you so much back then."
"Oh really? That didn't stop you from calling me 'Ishi-chan'-"
"AAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!"
At that moment, you slammed Senku's mouth shut with your palm, cheeks all flushed and embarrassed.
"STOOOPPP!! PLEASE DON'T BRING UP MY PROBLEMATIC PAST!"
It was obvious.
Senku could see your face was as red as a tomato, your entire body was shaking with humiliation.
"Sen, please don't remind me of that..." You complained, "I stopped calling you those childish nicknames years ago. It's so cringe. It's so weird! I can't even stand to hear it anymore!"
Of course, Senku gave you a smug smile, carefully wrapped his fingers around your wrist to release your palm from his mouth.
"Why should I stop? You were annoying when you called me that every day." He mocked, "I wasn't even embarrassed to call you 'Tsuyu' all those years ago."
"Ishi-chan, look at this! Look at Einstein's biography!"
"Ishi-chan, that teacher is lame. Let's prank him."
"You wanna go to the park with me, Ishi-chan? I want to practice my Kyudo."
"Ishi-chan, there's a tall kid over there. He looks creepy and lonely. Wanna talk to him?"
"Wait for me, Ishi-channnn!"
"There's a difference between calling me 'Tsuyu' and calling you 'Ishi-chan'!" You yanked your arm back from his hold, groaning in annoyance, "It's just- Whatever. Let's just go."
When you walked away, Senku could only chuckled at your ridiculous reaction. You always felt ashamed every time someone brought up your past. It was all because you always believed that you were really dumb in the past.
Once you returned to the Kingdom of Science base, you stepped inside a cottage where Senku instructed Gen and Ruri to assemble little batteries for the vacuum tube.
"How are you all doing?" You peered in with a cheery expression before screaming in terror. Inside, all you could see was Ruri and Gen turned really pale. Multiple battery were stacked on their side.
"Ah, (Name)-chan... Would you like to help us?" Gen spoke in that 'I'm going to die in any second' tone.
Ruri, however, made an effort to be positive because this is the only thing she is now able to assist with.
"Of course." You eventually took a seat next to Ruri, "I'm sure you two know we need to make 800 of these, right?"
"Yeah." Ruri giggled, "I'm glad you're here, (Name)."
"Glad to be here too, then." In response, you smiled back, trying your hardest to help.
While Senku, Chrome, and Kohaku handled the microphones, you, Gen, and Ruri took care of the batteries.
Before long, you were lost in thought about everything that was happening; How your friendship with Senku is developing into something more, how your friendship with Gen is getting stronger, and how everything ended up being very enjoyable even in this Stone World.
But as Ruri spoke, all of a sudden, your focus was on her.
"Hey, may I ask you two a question?" Ruri asked, looking up from her work.
"Yeah, sure." You and Gen both said at the same time, causing the three of you to snicker.
"Well, I only have one question. Why does Gen often refer to you as 'nepo baby-chan', (Name)? What is that?" Ruri tilted her head innocently, "I-Is it offensive in any way? If it is, I apologize!"
Gen only smirked at her for being so worried about nothing, "Nah, it's alright, Ruri. It's just that... Before everyone became petrified, this girl belonged to a well-known family named the 'Tsuyoshi Clan'."
"Tsuyoshi Clan?"
"Yep." Gen continued, "Her parents had already showered her with everything before she was even born. It was all because her family was extremely well-off and well-connected throughout the globe!"
Of course, your eyebrow twitched in annoyance upon hearing that.
Even though your family is well-known, you're not that type of rich girl with no brain!
"And so, when (Name)-chan was born, it was as if she had already achieved success without trying." Gen casually shrugged, "Thus, the nickname 'nepotism baby' or 'nepo baby'."
"Ahh, now I know." Ruri nodded. But then she spoke out again, taking a moment to comprehend what Gen had said, "But (Name) isn't the type of person who would use her family's fame, r-right?"
"Huh?"
You and Gen, surprised, looked at Ruri in astonishment.
What does she mean by that?
"I mean... Look at her! She's very independent on her own." Ruri smiled nervously, "That's why I always find it strange that you call (Name) that. In my opinion, that nickname is really unsuitable for her."
'Huh.' Gen furrowed his eyebrows, thinking about it as well.
You didn't even take advantage of your family's fame to achieve your goals. You always tried your hardest to start from scratch.
What made him even call you that? Perhaps to tease you back then.
He felt terrible now.
"Well, that's okay with me."
At that moment, Gen stared at you in disbelief. He didn't understand why you were okay with a nickname that was obviously intended to be a mocking.
"Plus, that nickname is only for fun! I also referred to him as 'menta-freak'; A win-win." You winked at Gen, teasingly, "I'm sure it's okay if I refer to you as that, right?"
After a while, Gen lightly scoffed, "Of course."
Ruri could only smile at both of you, enjoying the atmosphere within the hut. She sensed a deep bond between you and Gen, similar to her own crush and her younger sister's friendship.
→
The following day, all the work was completed; The plastic, the wire, the batteries, the vacuum tube, and the microphone too.
By combining all of the parts, you have created the most powerful weapon in modern warfare: The cell phone.
[ CELL PHONE ACQUIRED !! ]
Undoubtedly, everyone became thrilled that you guys were able to complete this before spring. The mobile phone was also named after its creator; The first letter of your and Senku's names. In the beginning, it was always that way.
"This is interesting, isn't it?" You chuckled, crouching down to make sure nothing was wrong, "Our ultra-marathon science project is complete!"
"Kukuku... We've come so ridiculously far. Now, in the middle of this primitive Stone World, we've built a thriving scientific civilization from scratch." Senku boldly showed it to everyone before his entire face changed into an innocent expression.
"Oopsie! Guess we're gonna need another one!" With a childlike giggle, he stuck out his tongue, "Tee hee!"
Gen could only give you two a deadpan look, "You two kept quiet about that on purpose, didn't you? 'Cause if everyone knew we needed two of them, they might have been less willing to help out."
Following that, you guys placed a microphone tube in Ruri's hut and connected a lengthy cable to the observatory.
This was going to allow the phone to function as a kind of landline.
Senku, Gen, Ruri, and a few others were in Ruri's hut to check if it works, while you, Chrome, Kohaku, and the rest were at the observatory.
"So, if I just talk into this thing, Ruri will hear me?" Chrome's eyes sparkled as he stared at you.
"Yeah!"
At that instant, a sly smile appeared on Ginro's and your faces, exchanging glances. It seemed like you two were preparing a sinister plot to tease Chrome.
"Hey, Chrome! Getting to speak the first words through the phone is a pretty big deal. Right, (Name)?" Ginro smirked in a cat-like manner.
You nodded next to him, as though it was a serious issue, "That's right. What are you going to say to your beloved Ruri? She's listening on the other end! This is your big chance to tell her how you really feel."
Ginro and you immediately hooked each other's arms with enthusiasm, "This is your moment, Chrome!"
Knowing that what you two were talking about was practically pressuring Chrome to proclaim his love over the microphone, all the girls were obviously squealing in silence. Kinro was eager to hear the confession too.
"Our true feelings, huh?" Chrome mumbled and inhaled deeply before shouting into the phone, "Ruri! This is pretty incredible stuff, huh?! Science is awesome!"
Instantly, everyone disappointedly slapped their hands to their faces. Meanwhile, you were sobbing dramatically on the floor.
"WHAT THE HELL, MAN!?" You let out a loud sob, tears streaming down your face, "WHAT THE HELL?!"
"W-What?! What's wrong with what I've said?" Chrome gazed back, his expression filled with worry.
"Should I use a fucking speaker to explain what you just did on repeat?!" You screamed so loudly, you swear someone on the other end of the phone could hear you, "You're a dumbass, Chrome."
"GOLDFISH!"
At that moment, everyone's attention was drawn to Senku's call. He was frantically sprinting over the bridge, with the others following behind him.
Undoubtedly, you were concerned. As a result, you hurriedly went down the ladder and ran to Senku, sounding irritated, "What's wrong, huh? Is it not working?"
However, what he did to you next shocked everyone.
He headed towards you and cupped your face with his hands. He pulled it closer, giving your forehead a FREAKING KISS.
Then, he instantly stared at you with his ruby eyes, still holding your cheeks in complete admiration.
'What.'
"You're amazing!" He shouted joyfully.
'What?'
He had a large smile with a hint of color on his cheek. Meanwhile, your face was red as hell and your heart had nearly exploded, causing your entire body to shut down.
His face was REALLY close.
"We need to go to my old man's gravestone. Right now!" He took your hand right away, rushing over to the graveyard Ruri had ever shown.
When he did that, Senku didn't give a damn about how you or anyone else responded. All he knew, though, was that they were all howling with joy and shock.
"WHAT?" You grin broadly, bewildered beyond belief.
'What the hell is going on? Did he just kiss my forehead?! Okay. Yeah. Sure. I can handle this! I'M NOT FREAKING OUT AT ALL!'
Unfortunately, you didn't have time to think about it. Your brain should begin to catch up on what is happening right now, rather than what happened a few seconds ago.
Everyone rushed to the village graveyard, which was blanketed with snow. Fortunately, Byakuya's graveyard didn't, thus all you had to do was pick up the tombstone marker carelessly.
"Kukuku... I should've realized this a whole lot earlier." Senku scoffed, admiring it, "The old man sure loved being a pain in the ass. Like these would just be the founder's gravestones."
You chuckled a little, "That's way too simple for him so it's obviously bullshit. That's not a gravestone, huh? It's a freaking time capsule; One that's been preserved in concrete all these years."
"Huh?" The primitives behind you stared at it in complete bewilderment, "A time capsule?"
"There's something inside?" Chrome asked, taking a closer look at it.
Senku grinned, "Should be. So we have to break it open."
As usual, 'Break' is a cue for Magma to take a hammer out of nowhere and smack the shit out of it. Thanks to your menacing glare, he instantly jumped back like a panicked dog.
"Aww man." Magma sulked quietly next to you, like his tail was between his knees.
Smirking, you lightly punched his arm, "There's no need to be sad, big bod. Later on, we will need your strength. Let the person with power, precision, and speed do it this time. Now is your chance to shine, Kohaku."
"Aye aye, boss!" Kohaku took two little hammers and stepped forward triumphantly. Then, startling everyone with her rapid and light smashing, she started doing it.
When she detected a new surface, she came to a halt to let the scientists examine it.
"Huh? There is something in there!" Suika said, startled, "Some kind of silver chunk."
Furrowing your brows, you wondered what it could be. When you realized it was something you knew from an old generation, you couldn't help but smack your palm with your other fist, "Oh! We need Hydrochloric Acid for this. Let's go back, guys."
After returning to the lab, Senku used the chemical you mentioned earlier to remove the aluminum foil from the disk. Then he used a needle to connect it to the phone.
A record player.
[ RECORD PLAYER ACQUIRED !! ]
"Huh... It is a disk created from a bottle's bottom." Senku mumbled, "A record."
You and Gen exchanged a look of bewilderment at the same time.
'No way. No way that's a record. I mean, Byakuya is smart enough to pull this off.' Your brows furrowed, considering something inside your thoughts, 'Does this mean we can... We can hear that stupid jerk's voice again?'
For a brief moment, it felt as though the entire weight was removed off your shoulder. Hearing his stern voice again somehow caused all of your worries to instantly leave your mind.
You genuinely miss Byakuya, even if it's not something you wanted to say.
"If it's not something exciting, I'm totally killing my dad." Senku cast a sorrowful look at the disc.
Ruri and the others stood outside the laboratory doorway, staring in utter awe at the object Senku was holding.
She sensed that tears would soon well up in her eyes, mumbling, "Turns out Chrome was right all along. Science is beautiful. It even let Senku's father talk to his son from way up in Heaven... He's been gone for thousands of years. But with science? His voice can travel through time."
"Wait. That record thing can trap sound?" Chrome asked, casting a strange glance at the two of you. Suika agreed as well, "That's impossible. There's no way you can catch a sound."
Kohaku raised an eyebrow, simply crossing her armsp, "I'm so confused. How does it work?"
Just as Senku was ready to speak, a collective scream went out from everyone; "Let (Name) do the explaining!"
So here you are, explaining it to them while Senku feels unimpressed.
"The way it works is simple." Unexpectedly, you somehow held a stick and began to draw something, "You use sound to vibrate the needle which digs grooves into the record. You know why this happened?"
"Because sound causes vibration?" One of the villagers responded.
"Yep. If you run the needle over the grooves, it will vibrate. That reproduces the original sound." Everyone hummed in understanding when you concluded what you had said.
Kaseki's sweat began to drop, "So, digging grooves into glass makes it able to store sound? Hoho! I never would've guessed it!"
"Senku's old man was a badass!" Chrome's eyes began to sparkle.
Senku, however, scoffed lightly, "Nah, not him. He's cool but Byakuya didn't do it. It had to have been the people who were stuck with him. Astronauts are some of the world's most elite scientists, except for my old man who got in on luck."
You instantly nudged his stomach, raising an eyebrow, "Seriously? Even if he's dead, Byakuya can't escape your roasting."
When everyone was ready to hear it, Ginro began to manually spin the record while Senku placed the needle in the first layer of grooves. Beside him, you waited impatiently; Waiting to hear the voices sent across millennia for the first time, waiting to hear that damn old man's voice again.
"I don't know who's listening to this — It could be hundreds, maybe even thousands of years from now. Anyway... My name is Ishigami Byakuya, an astronaut."
Only those few words caused all of the villagers to yell out with a variety of emotions, it was like Byakuya was a famous artist or something.
Fortunately, they understand that whatever they're hearing right now is important, so they quickly quiet up.
"But enough about me! Who the hell needs a bunch of stuffy formality?! You revived from the petrification and somehow got your hands on this recording, Senku. (Name) is next to you, right? Hello, (Nameeee)!! You two are listening, aren't you? I can tell..."
His voice was clear through the message, as if he were standing directly in front of you and giving you two his usual head pats.
"Who knows how many centuries it's been since we've seen each other. It's kinda crazy to think about. But, this will be the last call I made to you. Of course, it's not like I can hear you or anything. Senku, don't forget... I've always, always..."
There was a slight pause, causing you to grimace since you felt this damn old man was about to say something cringe-worthy. Meanwhile, Senku smiled knowingly.
"Hehe! You know, you're probably the last person who needs all that sappy ol' father-and-son crap, so I'll just get to the point! I bet (Name) is cringing out right now too!"
"You know us alright!" Senku cackled, placing his arm over your shoulder. You, too, immediately exhaled in relief.
"Senku... (Name)... If this village is still here and you're having a tough time winning over the hearts and minds of whoever's living in it, try playing this for 'em. I present to those who have lived un-enlightened; The light of music!"
Before you could say anything, your eyes grew wide, hearing a voice you assumed you would never hear before.
A sudden cold ran down your spine instantly.
It sounded like a woman and several instruments. How the hell did they find a guitar, a drum, and other instruments?!
Furthermore, THIS is not just any song or any woman.
It's Lillian Weinberg. THE LILIAN WEINBERG!
Holy shit.
She was also one of those who went to outer space!
HOLY FUCKING SHIT!
Do you know who that is?!
Your mother's fucking close friend since childhood! Even before your mother met your father.
She was the one who provided you a shoulder to cry on, aside from Byakuya.
From the beginning, she was your mother's closest friend, and your mother was always her first fan.
"Lillian..." You immediately bit your lips, keeping the tears inside your eyes. You didn't care if it bled again.
She is the last true singer on earth.
You were interested in this while Senku was clearly excited about it. Byakuya accomplished it again; He inspired you and Senku to become better scientists.
"A song..." Ruri stammered, on the verge of tears.
"I've never heard something so beautiful before." Suika covered her eyes with both hands to stop her tears.
"It's like the voice of an angel." Ginro and Kaseki were crying together, sobbing, "It's amazing! I don't know what else to say! It's amazingly amazing."
Gen lightly rubbed your back twice; knowing about your mother's friendship with Lillian brought back memories to you.
"That's Lillian singing." Knowing that you still need time to gather yourself, Gen told everyone, "She was one of the most beloved and respected vocalists of our time. Imagine that being the first song you hear."
"T-That's incredible." Chrome cried aloud, snot and tears running down his cheeks, "Two million years of humanity — So incredible! Senku, I bet there was all kinds of awesome music like this in the past, huh?! L-Like the one we sang few weeks ago; 'Soldier, Poet, King' and now this too!"
"Yeah." Senku finally responded, turning to face the other villagers, "Music is just one part of it. Games, television, movies, manga — so much art and entertainment. All of it was made possible by science. There was a ton of ridiculously fun stuff from all over the world."
You took a deep breath, letting everyone see your wide smile and glassy eyes, "All of it's long gone by now, physically speaking, but it still has the chance to live on. Inside our hearts! We're gonna do everything we can to let you all see it. But first, we gotta take down the Tsukasa Empire and revive all the world's statues."
From that point, every villager cheered enthusiastically and eagerly anticipating their next adventure. On the other hand, Senku remained by your side, giving you a soft pat on the head to reassure you that he would always be at your side.
You just gave him a look of admiration. He didn't look at you, instead staring ahead, but you knew he did this to comfort you. So you chuckled, leaning closer to him.
"Now, here comes the next part, huh?" Kohaku approached the two of you calmly, "On the day we met, I told you two that our home will be the Kingdom of Science. Next step is the Kingdom of Science will fight the Tsukasa Empire!"
Chrome chimed in, "Yeah. Let's get that second cellphone finished up and bring it over."
Gen giggled, "You know what that means, right? It's finally time for those two to step up to the plate."
"Yeah." You smiled proudly, now tightening your grip on Senku's arm because he fluffed your hair once again, "We'll be connecting with them soon — the rest of the Kingdom of Science. Once we're in contact, we'll be at full strength at last. Interesting, isn't it?"
"Hell yeah it is!" Ginro cheered while Kinro simply nodded.
Feeling proud of himself, Senku grinned, "Kukuku! The ultimate battle against the Tsukasa Empire will be on our turf. This will be the beginning of the Stone Wars. This is exhilarating. Get excited!"
While everyone nodded once again in agreement and they began discussing whatever was in their mind, Senku gradually drew closer to you — his breath tickled your neck, startling you somewhat.
"Hey, tonight... Let's talk." Senku lightly smiled.
Looking up at his crimson eyes, he appeared genuine, as if he was excited to show you something new.
With that, you nodded, "Okay."
→
As time went by, nightfall arrived, and everything became quiet. Chrome and Gen were sleeping like babies, while the rest of the group had already returned to their own huts.
So, knowing that everything was safe, you and Senku looked at each other for a while before chuckling.
This is almost like sneaking out.
It was easy to leave the observatory room; remembering where each floorboard creaked had its advantages.
At last, you inhaled the clean air and raised your eyes to the sky.
"So, where are we heading, lettuce head?" You smirked while you saw a humorous eye roll appear on his face.
"Somewhere I can drown you." He answered sarcastically, knowing you understood the humor.
"Not funny, Sen. Not funny." Even though you had just said that, you smiled with delight while he took you through the forest.
Though there was no trail, Senku seemed to have remembered the path's existence, as though it had always existed.
After walking for ten minutes, you finally reached your destination while making jokes about the recording that was shown this afternoon.
A cave.
Even though Senku entered it nonchalantly, you weren't buying it. Reluctantly, you trailed along behind and watched him strolling carelessly into the darkness.
"Hurry up, goldfish. There's nothing out there." He stated, his voice echoed slightly from the cave's hollowness.
You looked at it with curiosity.
'What is this place?'
Nevertheless, you managed to make it through.
Allowing your eyes to adjust, you could see faint silhouettes of rocks on the ground until a light appeared around a rocky corner.
The sound of water ricocheting off all surfaces. Walking around the corner, the view remained unchanged.
Breathtaking.
A larger, more open cavern appeared in front of you. Within the cavern, a small lake filled with fresh water was being poured from a large hole in the wall. The center of the cave had an area of land with a single, magnificent cherry blossom tree perched on it.
Vines hung from the ceiling, moss grew all over the walls, and shrubs emerged from the cracks in them. The moonlight brilliantly illuminated the sight before you, giving it an ethereal appearance, thanks to a hole in the cave's ceiling — just above the cherry blossom.
"Holy shit." You took a deep breath, eyes widened when you took in the surroundings.
This is something you have never seen in your whole entire life!
"I know right?" Senku smirked, sitting on the rock surface at the opening that connected the tunnel system to Mother Nature's artwork in front.
"How... Sen, how did you find this?" You were taken completely by surprise.
The way the vines moved gently in the breeze, the way the pink petals of the cherry blossoms were illuminated with a slight blue glow, and jeez... The way Senku's calm face was right in front of you was enough to steal your heart.
Senku instead gave a simple shrug.
"I was just looking for an ideal place for Suika to wear her glasses." Senku answered, "While Chrome was searching on the right side, I was searching on the left. I found this place and he found the field of sunflowers."
'Oh.'
In silence, he took in the view, the soothing sound of water crashing against water was heard, "I didn't tell Chrome that I found this. He didn't seem to realize that this place existed. None of them knows."
"So this is a secret place?" You gave a sly smile, "Is this something just the two of us know?"
Senku shrugged simply and led the way once more to the stone path that served as a moat over the river.
"Maybe." He responded, carefully hopping across the rocks.
Fortunately, when he nearly slipped, you were there to grasp his hand.
"Oops. 'Falling' for me already, Sen?" You taunted him before he laughed sarcastically.
At last, you two landed on the grass beneath the tree. Staring above, you saw some petals descending together with the soft breeze that flowed through the cave. You lay on the grass with your arms outstretched, staring up at the sky while Senku sat right beside you.
"You look like a starfish if you're like that."
"And your hair still looks like lettuce, so shut up."
For a good ten minutes, you two talked about absolutely nothing in particular; Memories, futures, goals and dreams. Lots of laughs and insults are launched, only for the other person to respond savagely.
This is a simple thing but a very memorable moment for the two of you.
Even if you didn't want to admit it, you were silently appreciating his beauty. The way his hair looked somehow smooth, the way the light beautifully portrayed him as the man who made your heart race, and the way his crimson ruby eyes glistened beneath the moon.
You could never get enough of him.
On the other hand... My goodness, Senku's heart burst out of his ribcage when he saw you under the moonlight. He was turning red, enjoying the sight of you laughing and smirking like you had no idea what you were doing to him.
He couldn't take his eyes off of you nor did he want to.
As a result, a single idea appeared in his mind and heart.
This was a feeling he knew all too well.
He allowed it to run wild at first, but soon he buried it so deeply that he no longer wanted to feel it. Before he realized it, he was keeping it at bay.
Every time he saw that sweet smile of yours, his walls began to crumble down.
He was the most logical man here, yet the way you made him feel made him consider who he is. Is he even logically thinking at this point?
The answer is no.
You are the only thing in his mind right now and you have always caused all of his rational thinking to fall apart.
You were more than just his lab partner.
In fact, you were more than just a friend, more than just a best friend.
You were everything to him ever since the beginning.
You are the star at his darkest hour — the sun to everyone, even him.
You were always his safe haven.
He is the moon and you are the sun; The sun can survive without the moon, but the moon cannot exist without the sun.
This is what he wanted to do.
He had to.
Not later, not tomorrow, not next year.
Right now.
If not now, then when?
He inhaled sharply, gazing up at the lovely moon before he looked at you with that softened gaze of his.
"(Name), the moon is beautiful tonight... Isn't it?"