A/N : Welcome to Season 2
If you had told your five-year-old self that you'd be in love and received an incredibly poetic confession from THE Ishigami Senku, she'd have laughed in your face.
Never in your life did you imagine that the obnoxious brat would fall in love with you, and you certainly never imagined that you would fall in love with him back.
But now look at yourself.
You looked at him in disbelief, face flushed scarlet in the moonlight.
Your mouth opened and closed like a fish, unable to contain your shock long enough to speak.
But before the moment passed, the thoughts in your head were literally screaming for you to answer him.
This was perfect timing! His stunning appearance was highlighted by the moon, and when he confessed first, it became evident that you also couldn't contain your emotions anymore.
"Now I can die happy..."
You said beneath your breath, gradually stretching your lips into a genuine smile.
Some might say that when they received a confession, they felt a swell in their chest, a lump in their throat, and feelings of happiness overwhelming them — They may have shed tears of joy.
You, too, felt all of it; you were overjoyed.
Butterflies began to flutter in your stomach, tickling you like crazy. That's why you started chuckling uncontrollably and instantly covered your entire face with your hands to cover off that stupid smile of yours.
'Holy shit, this is happening!' You were ecstatically squealing inside your head, 'This is actually happening! Holy shit!! No way!!'
On the other hand... Senku was genuinely letting out a really huge sigh of relief.
Now that you've accepted his confession, the burden he carried is lifted. It's finally relieved to no longer have to hide his feelings for you. He could practically feel free now that you two had confessed.
All that was seen in his eyes was his sincere affection for you; He love you.
Yes, he felt so ashamed until his face became red, to the point that he wanted to leave. But, when you started acting like you were the one confessing, he couldn't help but chuckle.
Why are you the one who seems much more nervous than he is? That's hilarious.
"Come on. Look at me." Senku gave you a playful grin and put his fingers around your wrist, pulling it away from your face so he could see your flustered expression, "(Name), please look at me."
When you take a peek, you quickly regret it.
His huge, absolutely beautiful eyes were like shining rubies. It was like staring into a puppy's eyes and knowing there was something dangerous waiting behind it to tease you.
"I don't wanna look at you! You're too cringe!" You continued to laugh a bit, shaking your head.
"WHAT-" At that moment, Senku quickly lost his composure, giving you a look of confusion like that one meme, "What do you mean by that?!"
"No way you just confessed using that cringey poetic confession!" You tried to clutch your stomach since this moment makes you giddy, but Senku wouldn't let you.
His hold on your wrists tightened.
He simply gave a playful eye roll and raised an eyebrow, still grinning in a way that you wish you could wipe off his lips, "Cringey, you say? You want me to make it even more cringe?"
Oh no.
Is he about to tell you when he realized he has feelings for you?
OH HELL NO.
"Pfft-! Please no." You mockingly grimaced, "Jeez... You're already the definition of cringe, lettuce head. I don't need you-"
Oh uh.
It was at this moment that you knew, you fucked up.
Suddenly, he released his hold and used the most stupid attack you could stand against.
Tickling.
Oh, how you despised this ass move.
He started to wriggle his fingers all over your hips and tummy.
"SENKU!! NOOOO!! HAHAHAHHAHA!!" You cried out, the entire cave echoed with laughter, "STO- STOP! PLEASE! I BEG- AHAHAHHA!!"
Who the hell invented the tickling move, anyway?!
You no longer feel butterflies in your stomach. All you could think about was how to breathe since you couldn't even gasp for air.
"Say you're sorry for calling me cringe. Go on." Senku smirked, trying not to laugh too.
"N-NO WAY! AHAHAHAHA!! NU-UH!"
You tried to shove him away, trying to get away from his merciless tickling, but you just couldn't. You laughed uncontrollably, non-stop.
Seriously, he expected this confession to be serious.
But with you? Everything will not be taken seriously.
He should have known.
"Say 'sorry' first!" He commanded, sitting on top of you to keep you planted on the ground.
Oh he was enjoying this, really.
The Tsuyoshi (Name) has a weak spot that no one knows about, except Ishigami Senku.
"I SWEAR, YOU ARE CRINGE AS HELL- NOO!! HAHAHAHA!!" You pleaded, attempting to wiggle away. Tears were forming in your eyes, "PLEASE, SENKU. I'M SORRY!"
You tried to avoid his ticklish hold, the air was filled with the joy of their shared enjoyment.
Looking into his face as you were still giggling, you could tell he was having a great time, grinning like the devil he always is.
"YA H-HEAR THAT?" You complained, already sick of the tickling sensation, "I SAID I'M SORRY, S-SEN! NOW LET ME-! HAHAHAHA! NOW LET ME GO, S-SENKUUUU!"
You know, Senku found it hilarious to see you thrash around, trying to get away from him with your arms and legs.
But he won't let you go that easy now that he's got you, especially since you're so helpless.
"Oh? You really want me to let you go?"
"ARE YOU DEAF OR WHAT, DUDE?!" Squeaking out a yell, you tried to shove him off, "HAHAHA- O-OF COURSE!"
You failed.
"Alright." He paused for a moment before he wiggled his fingers again, so fast that you didn't have time to breathe.
Eventually, you burst into uncontrollably loud laughter once more.
"Oops, I forgot one thing!" His grin made it obvious he didn't forget, "I'm not gonna let you go until you say that I'm not cringe."
"W-WHAT?!" You whined, "T-That's not- HAHAHAHHA! Stop, please! T-THAT'S NOT FAIR!"
Going a little closer to you by bending down a little bit more, he still tickled you like there's no tomorrow
"You want this to stop?" He whispered, right into your ear, "Say it."
You could tell yourself lies if you think that what he did just now didn't cause your face to turn red all over again.
"FINE! OKAY! FINE! YOU'RE-" You let out a high-pitched squeal since the spot he was tickling was exactly your very weak spot.
"Y-YOU'RE NOT CRINGE. THERE. L-LET ME GOOOO!!"
Instantly, Senku raised both of his arms away from your side, allowing you to catch your breath.
He was beaming broadly like a child and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying this. The next time you disrespected him, he might use this tactic.
Despite being the one who suffered in the situation, you decide to disregard it. You glanced at him with a broad smile on your face, it was clear you were still feeling the aftermath of the playful tickling session.
Turning to face him, your eyes glistened in the moonlight as a few leaves petals cascaded down your figure. Meanwhile, Senku was grinning down at you.
This is how things should be between you two.
There was no awkwardness, even though you two had just confessed.
"Yknowwww...." You had a sly smile on your face, hinting to Senku that you were about to say something stupid, "If Byakuya was here, he would have exploded with happiness."
There it is; The 'stupid' thing Senku was waiting on you to say.
All he did was grumble, laying down next to you, "Please don't ruin the mood."
"But I'm right, aren't I?" You decided to move closer to him, observing his face that was slowly turning red.
"Yeah. You're always right." He muttered as his eyes fixed on the moon before meeting yours, "You know what would happen if we started dating, don't you?"
"Oh, totally." You looked into his eyes, slowly nodding your head, "You've probably been thinking about this for some time. So, I'm sure you're aware of the consequences, as am I. So, yeah. I know, Sen."
You're aware that the consequences were serious. Being in a relationship will be dangerous for you both. If the enemy finds out you're in a relationship, they'll use Senku as something to blackmail you about, just as they can blackmail Senku.
It was dangerous.
Very.
But, who doesn't love danger? You two love them, for sure.
There was a long moment of silence before you heard him sigh with happiness, grateful that you were already aware of what would happen. If you were aware of it and accepted his feelings, then this is a good sign for the relationship to begin.
"Thank you..." With a slight smile on your lips, you whispered, "Thank you for the not-cringe confession."
Senku was surely taken aback by that.
"Aaaanddd... you ruined the mood. Goodbye, (Name). You're officially the cringiest person I've ever met."
"OH, SHUT UP, WILL YA?!"
→
The next day, it's as if last night's event did not occur.
You and Senku continued to talk normally in the observatory room while Gen told a story to the children.
However, something was certainly different.
Gen sensed SOMETHING strange between you two.
It 'smells' like love is in the air; He can feel it like it's his sixth sense.
"Hey, you two?" Gen called out, causing you and Senku to turn around, "The reason we worked so quickly on the cell phone was so we could execute a preemptive strike on Tsukasa-chan. We should get moving soon, right? Spring's around the corner and they're gonna come knocking. So, what's next?"
"Seriously?" You arched an eyebrow in boredom, "Think ahead, Gen. We gotta finish our ridiculously awesome science project and make a super item."
Gen asked again, clearly not understanding at all, "What is this super item?"
It was now Senku's turn to respond. He gently grabbed the paper you were holding and showed it to Gen, "It's gonna take agility and speed to defeat the Tsukasa Empire. That's why we need plenty of humanity's greatest survival science creation!"
"We're whipping up some space food!" You two exclaimed with excitement.
You remember the day you broke into your dad's and your aunt's workplace and stole six space meals to enthusiastically share it with Byakuya and Senku.
"Huh? Space food?" A little girl with short hair flashed you a confused expression, "What's that?"
"All of you will see it later." You playfully winked, giving her a pat in the head which she gladly accepted.
Gen, on the other hand, had a face as white as a piece of paper, sweating bullets, 'Yep! Here we go again! These two got another craft that could never exist in the Stone World.'
You and Senku didn't bother waiting for Gen's brain to reload. The two of you simply leave him alone with the hut, with the children running behind you like ducklings.
"And they just leave me here on my own. Great." He whined secretly, 'There's something going on between those two. I'm sure of it!'
Once he climbed down, he discovered that the two of you had already informed the others about the space food. As usual, Kaseki and Chrome were excited, but the others didn't understand.
"So what is 'space'?" Suika asked, tilting her head innocently, "Suika was wondering."
"Up there!" Chrome gladly explained, pointing up at the sky, "It's that incredible place! Way, way above the sky."
Without a doubt, Kaseki was ecstatic, letting out a bull-like exhale, "I'm starting to get excited again. I could barely contain myself!"
"But it's just food though, right?" Kohaku chimed in blandly, not understanding anything yet.
"Kinda, but with an upgrade." Senku arrogantly told, "We're making our favorite foxtail millet ramen battle ready."
Everyone was eager to get started, especially Ginro, after hearing those words! But the question of why you people needed such things remained.
"Is the plan of attack to launch lots of steaming hot bowls of it at the enemy?!" Kokuyo asked, obviously liking this idea.
Ruri, his stunning daughter, just gave her father an awkward smile, "Good guess. But, I doubt it's that, father."
Senku, Kohaku, and you couldn't believe that he had said that.
He may not be an expert in science, but he should be able to recognize that his idea was absurd and illogical.
"There isn't any gravity way up in space, not to mention any room or time to sit down for a meal." You explained like you always do, "This stuff is quick to prepare and mega-nutritious. It's also small, light, and portable. I'm talking about the ridiculously well-thought-out scientific delicacy; Space food."
Gen commented, sort of understanding what you two were getting at, "I see! Tsukasa-chan won't attack in the winter partly because he wants more men, but that's not the only reason for him to wait."
"Yeah, it's a pretty obvious problem." Senku shrugged his shoulders, "In this Stone World, an ice-cold winter battlefield is a frozen version of hell. But to us, that's just another hurdle we can clear by using science."
"That's right!" You snickered, unconsciously moving closer to Senku so you could feel his warmth, "Once we develop a warm, proper meal that we can prepare instantly, then we'll have the advantage. A winter battle's ultimate weapon! Woohoo!!"
Excited with the new creation, you raised your hands in the air for Ginro to give you a high five.
Senku, who was next to you, could only faintly smile at your enthusiasm. He felt there was no longer a need to hide his affection for you when he finally confessed to you.
If the opponent discovers that he has a soft spot just for you, fuck them! You can protect yourself, anyway!
After more explaining, everyone got to work. You were inside the hut — teaching everyone how to cook the foxtail millet ramen while Senku began to casually sketch the roadmap.
Meanwhile, the rest of your friends were hurdling together in a large circle, as if they were preparing to discuss something private.
"Hey, you guys?" Ginro called out, his sleazy face broke into a truly teasing grin, "Do you guys notice any differences between those two?"
Kohaku and Chrome looked at each other before turning their attention to where you and Senku stood. Even though you two were standing quite a distance apart, it was obvious that you were exchanging glances.
"Totally." They both gave a solid response at once.
In some way, even Kokuyo and Ruri are involved in the conversation (secretly interested in this).
"How so?" Ruri giggled, looking carefully to observe your flushed face, "They're just acting normal, right?"
"No! This is completely different!" Ginro retorted, pouting, "Seriously! I'm being serious!"
All Kokuyo and Kaseki could do was sit back. They are the love expert in this situation, after all. Kokuyo was married and Kaseki had witnessed many forms of love over centuries — They undoubtedly knew a thing or two about love.
"Can you two feel the differences?" Kohaku arched an eyebrow, unsure if they could.
"Nope."
Yep. As expected of two elderly men in this group.
"How about you, Kinro? You're the most observant one here." Chrome urged with excitement, "Clearly, there is something different between the two, right?!"
Kinro was obviously awkward during this talk. Love was never his preferred topic to talk about.
With discomfort, he adjusted his glasses, uttering, "...Yes."
"SEE?!"
The others gave Chrome, Ginro, and Kohaku deadpan looks and automatically closed their ears when the three let out loud screams.
"Kinro-sama, please explain to these ignorant humans why there is something different between our beloved leaders of Ishigami Village." The three of them begged simultaneously.
In an instant, they were bowing down before Kinro like he was king or something.
Once again, Kinro felt uneasy, yet something about this conversation made him eager to learn the truth.
"Well..." He began after saying 'Fuck it' inside his head, "Senku expressed evident awe for (Name) and made no attempt to hide it. Although it wasn't particularly obvious, it is evident if you know Senku well enough."
"Hm! Hm!" Chrome, Kohaku, and Ginro arrogantly nodded, "Go on, Kinro!"
"R-Right." After clearing his throat, Kinro continued, "At the same time, (Name) started to show her interest in Senku with m-more confidence... That is all."
Suika, who was listening to the whole exchange, could only look up at the elders and teenagers in confusion.
Did she really just hear everything that was said? She was thrilled about this! She was eager to learn more, too!
The others simply sighed heavily, possibly acknowledging that those three were correct.
"Well, yes. But, we need proof." Raising his eyebrows, Kokuyo appeared to be treating this as if it were a serious issue, "We need someone to ask Senku and (Name) personally — Someone who can also feel the difference."
Instantly, all heads turned to look at a certain person.
Asagiri Gen.
'Of course, it will be me.'
He sobbed inside his thoughts, convinced that his skill was eating him alive, "Fine. This is only because it interests me as well."
"Wait, you mean they told you nothing?" Kaseki chimed in.
Gen shook his head, but still he continued to smile, "Well, no. But, it didn't bother me one bit."
Quickly, he leaned back a bit, grinning like a cat at Senku, "Hey, Senku-chan!"
"What?" From a distance, Senku was jotting down various things on a sheet of paper with concentration, but Gen knew he was paying attention.
And so, he continued.
"I saw you and (Name)-chan leaving the observatory room without telling us last night." Gen teasingly stated, startling Senku, "And it appears that there were only the two of you, hmm?"
There was a brief period of silence, which allowed Senku to consider his response and allowed the others to calm their racing hearts.
"Yeah. So what?" Senku responded blankly, raising his gaze to meet the teasing mentalist, "Anything wrong with it?"
"Nooo! Of course not!" Gen finally revealed a hint of wickedness in his eyes, giggling, "In the forest, by yourselves, just the two of you. Jeez, what were you two doing there? Something filth-!?"
Immediately, Senku tried to throw the pencil he was holding towards Gen. Somehow, he failed to do so.
At that point, Senku grimaced, "Get your head out of the gutter, mentalist! It's not what you're thinking."
"Ah... Yes, yes. Forgive me, chief." Gen giggled again, this time joined by the others.
Senku's red face really caught them off guard.
Eventually, everyone stopped, allowing Gen to speak more calmly than before.
Allowing him the opportunity to ask THE question.
"There is just one thing I want to know, Senku-chan," He declared, acting genuinely worried, "Who is (Name)-chan to you now?"
There it is.
There's the MAJOR question everyone has been waiting for; The question everyone was dying to know the answer to.
But what made them shocked and confused as hell was Senku's straightforward response.
"My girlfriend, obviously."
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTT?!"
Everyone let out a loud shriek at that point; Mouths dropped open, eyes widened in disbelief, and some others fainted out from sheer shock.
The fact that you were shouting from a distance made it much more confusing.
Compared to the rest of your friends, you looked even more bewildered; Your lips were quivering and your face was flushed.
In a matter of seconds, you were standing right next to Senku — staring down at him with an expression of disbelief, "What?!"
Senku, seeing your look of disbelief, started to get confused as well, "Huh?"
"HUH?!"
"Wha- Did I say something wrong?!"
"Did you say I'm your girlfriend?!" You shakily pointed at yourself before frantically pointing at him and then repeated it several times, "Me and you?! Girlfriend and boyfriend?!"
"I thought we're already official?"
"WE ARE?!"
"Are we?!" Senku looked at you strangely, "Damn it, goldfish! Now you're making me confused."
"No. YOU are the one confusing me!"
"What?!"
"Yeah!"
After a moment of bickering, Senku began to gaze to the side, mumbling, "You wanna...?"
What surprised everyone the most was how nonchalantly you responded to that.
You simply shrugged your shoulders, flashing that arrogant grin, "Pfft- Yeah, sure."
With that, Senku relaxed his mind and emotions before returning to his task. Nevertheless, it's still evident that what just happened caused his hands to tremble a little.
The way you reacted was like the jumpscares in Five Nights at Freddy's.
"Great. Then, it's set." Senku hummed, "You're officially mine, my partner for life. There's no getting away from me now."
"Haha." Sarcastically, you rolled your eyes, yet that smirk remained on your lips, "It's not like we didn't swear to be at each other's side for the rest of our lives when we were seven years old."
"Yeah, yeah. Now go finish your work, boss."
After that, the two of you merely carry on with your activities. Meanwhile, your friends gaze at the two of you in shock.
They were all staring at each other silently, either worried about the two of you or just finding it strange.
This felt like a fever dream.
"Did they just-" Chrome flickered his gaze between you and Senku rapidly while Kohaku nodded slowly, still taking a moment to comprehend what had just happened.
"Suika think they just did..." Suika mumbled, grinning innocently behind Kinro.
"That's the chill-est confession I've ever seen." Ginro admitted, triggering a chorus of agreement throughout the circle.
"I'm so done with them." Gen collapsed backwards, already tired.
You and Senku never stopped shocking everyone.
Nevertheless, for a few days, everyone began to work and followed the instructions to complete the tasks that were necessary.
After freezing the cooked ramen into solid food and removed all of the air in it to lighten it, the thing you and Senku required was presented; Freeze-dried Ramen.
[ SPACE FOOD ACQUIRED !! ]
The real thing was in front of everyone, but not everyone was excited to try it.
"HELL YEA- Hold on. What is that stuff."
"Well, it does look small and lightweight."
"But, uhh... It looks totally disgusting. Like it's all tough and spongy."
You laughed at their reaction before reaching out for a hot pot and filled the dry ramen cup with the steaming water within, "It's not done yet, dumbass."
It seemed like unappetizing food, but when you pour the hot water, it turned into an actual meal in a matter of seconds. Still, some of them continue to question whether this is truly edible or not.
"Can you actually eat that, though?" Kohaku asked while Ruri and Suika cautiously looked at it behind her, curious about this new invention yet disgusted at the same time.
From behind, Chrome eagerly raised his hand, "Fine! I'll be the guinea pig! Science users are naturally brave people. We're not afraid to try out new things."
"Wow. How brave of you." Giving him the ramen, you responded sarcastically, "The way you hold the fork is inappropriate, by the way."
Honestly, you should start educating these people about etiquette. Once everyone was de-petrified, these primitives will need to catch up on things about the Modern World or they will become complete boomers.
"You said something like that before, Chrome." Suika giggled along with Kohaku, who was holding the young girl in her arms, "Yeah. I'm pretty sure you just wanna eat the ramen before we do."
Chrome flinched because they're right, instantly looking away from their stares. Then, he took a big bite in an attempt to ignore those two.
Once the food entered his mouth, he couldn't help but scream aloud, as if he had just eaten something from Heaven, "SO GOODDDDDDDDDD!!! T-This is so incredible! I'm gonna cry! Aw man, I'm really gonna cry!!"
After seeing how he reacted, everyone wanted to try it right away. Thus, more freeze-dried ramen was made by the Science Team for everyone to consume.
Not far from the other villagers, you were making a bowl of ramen for yourself, grinning faintly at the comforting feeling, "This reminds me of something."
"Oh yeah? What is it?" Senku questioned, sitting right next to you.
"Remember when I stole several space foods for you and Byakuya to try?" You said before slurping one bite of the noodle.
Once finished, you casually offered it to Senku to try. So, he ate it too.
"Yeah." Senku snickered, nudging your side gently, "When your dad realized what was going on, he was furious. My old man and your mom had to save the day so you wouldn't get scolded for two hours."
With Senku by your side, you both enjoyed the moment together, taking in the sunset.
But the serenity you were enjoying was shattered by a loud laugh from Magma, which made you glare angrily in his direction. Thankfully, Senku saw this and quickly stopped you from doing that by ruffling your hair.
"I can hardly believe I can fight with one hand and eat with the other!" Magma gulped down the food without any grace.
"Oh, yeah." Gen said, a bit uneasily, "It's marvelous. However, doing them separately may be a good idea."
All Ruri could do was let out a heavy, mournful sigh after she listened to what Magma said, "I really don't want anyone to get hurt... We can't avoid fighting them anymore, can we?"
All you and Senku did was stare at each other for a second before chuckling slightly at what the priestess thought.
Fight?
Yes, you enjoyed fighting, but in this Stone World, it's better for everyone if everyone didn't fight.
"Nobody's going to die if that's what you're worried about." Senku responded based on what you both were thinking, "The condition for the Kingdom of Science victory is actually remarkably simple. We just wanna capture the cave with the miracle fluid so we can revive everyone."
Then you went on, smiling consolingly at Ruri, which strangely succeeded in making her feel better, "By using our cell phones to connect with me and Senku's friends on the other side, we can do it all without spilling a single drop of blood."
That was definitely a relief to Ruri. This means that nobody in this village will perish in the conflict.
That's good.
"(Name), Senku... Are you two positive that these friends of yours are actually safe?" Unexpectedly, Kaseki inquired, drawing your and Senku's focus to him.
"They've been embedded with the enemy army the whole time," Kinro pointed out, "Sounds dangerous to me."
"Relax. I don't have one millimetre of worry." Senku answered nonchalantly, "They're fine. I'm sure. There's no way Taiju and Yuzuriha would let themselves croak that easily."
When he looked at you, he could tell that you missed them a lot, even if the rest of them didn't notice. You used to ask yourselves if they were alright every day. They are, of course, but as their friends, you couldn't help but be concerned.
"I wonder what they're like!" Ginro wondered aloud, sketching two figures on the ground that looked nothing like Taiju and Yuzuriha at all, "They're (Name) and Senku's friends after all. They're probably super smart and strong just like the two of you!"
"WHO THE HELL ARE THESE GUYS?!"
"WHAT THE FUCK. THEY LOOK NOTHING LIKE THAT!"
Senku and you both let out loud shrieks, shocked that your primitive friends believed Taiju and Yuzuriha were all that.
There was no way Taiju had that attractive face and there was no way your Yuzu looked arrogant!
"Taiju is a simpleton who handles all the brawny stuff." Senku exclaimed loudly, still horrified by what Ginro imagined Taiju to be. You, too, were protesting, "And Yuzu doesn't behave like a jerk! She's actually kind, amazing, passionate, kind, and-"
"You say 'kind' twice, (Name)." Kohaku worriedly smiled.
"Oh, did I?" You caressed your neck, flashing a very innocent smile, "Tee hee!"
But then the sound of a very familiar tune flooded the lab, cutting your conversation short.
As it turned out, Chrome was listening to Lillian Weinberg's song with the children.
"That song's like the constant background music, huh?" Gen observed, "Wow. Who'd've thought? Dear Lillian's still the world's diva. Even at this age, everyone's in love."
"I could never get tired of a voice that was so full of beauty," Ruri admitted while Kohaku agreed happily.
"Suika t-thinks Tsukasa's army should get to hear her beautiful singing too!" Suika struggled to speak, a few tears threatened to fall from her eyes.
Meanwhile, Kaseki was in tears already, "It's so beautiful, it's making me cry! Maybe if they did hear it, they would decide to throw their weapons away."
"Although I wish that were the case, the song is way too familiar to people from our age," Gen shrugged his shoulders, "So I don't think it alone won't be enough to bring them to their knees. Besides, with this audio quality-"
However, he stopped talking right away when he noticed that you were staring at him.
It wasn't the ordinary look you give someone to get them to stop talking. This one is more filled with strategy and ideas; A look that led him to freeze in place, unable to move.
'Wait. The audio quality!' Gen thought, eyes widening at the smart idea.
Thus, you faintly smiled, enjoying the music's end, "Music never dies. That's interesting to know."
As soon as Ginro heard your remarks, he instantly had an imaginary light bulb appear on top of his head.
He just realized something extremely important.
"Ah! (Name), you have an instrument, right? That Shamisen??" He cracked a sly smile.
"How did you know-"
"Anywayyy..." He immediately cleared his throat, interrupting you, "I know you know a lot about music. How about you play your Shamisen for us?"
"Dude, what-" You snorted, attempting to suppress a laugh, "There's no way any of you want me to play thaa... Oh, shit."
You stopped talking, realizing everyone around you was looking at you. All eyes were full with wonder, and you had no choice but to show them what you can do.
Even Senku flashed you that teasing smile, knowing you couldn't turn down their request.
They want to see you play, and deep down, he wants to as well.
He had no idea you could play it. All he knew was that (M/n) was the expert, not you.
'I haven't played it yet...' After giving it some thought, shyly looked to the side, a hint of pink visible on your cheeks, "W-Well, maybe."
Jeez, did you just stutter? What the hell, dude?
Once you answered, everyone around you cheered, but not Senku. He just walked away from you, hiding a proud smile.
He had to admit, he was eager to see you play the Shamisen he gave you.
→
Since the day had ended, the night had arrived. Senku was looking through his telescope for something intriguing to look at tonight while you sat in the observatory beneath the stars.
Of course, you were practicing for tomorrow's show; a Shamisen concert.
"Hm, what song should I play for them?" You put both of your hands to the Shamisen, perfectly tuning it, "I can hardly remember a few."
Which song would they enjoy hearing the most?
Which song has the power to MOVE the hearts of these aboriginal people?
Which song sent SHIVERS down your spine?
"Just play your mom's favorite song."
Abruptly, Senku's words had stopped your train of thought. Somehow, he knew exactly what you were thinking about and always had the answer you were looking for.
"That one song that always made us sit on the floor for hours just to have your mother play it over and over." He went on, concentrating on noting what he was seeing through the telescope.
Oh shit.
He's right.
Now that you think back... You remember the moment your mother played that song, it caused your heart to race with interest at the idea of learning Shamisen.
"You get what I mean, right?" Now he looked at you with his typical smirk.
"Yeah, yeah." You lightly nudged him before placing the Shamisen down, "I get what you mean... Now, menta-freak, do you want to come out or stay in the shadows like an actual freak?"
With a soft creak, the door slowly opened to reveal the one and only Gen.
"Aw man. You always know exactly where I am, (Name)-chan." He grumbled humorously as his frown turned into a cheeky grin, "By the way, quite the show you two put for us this morning. I must say, I was a bit surprised — never saw that coming."
"Good. Now that you know she's mine and mine only, give her some personal space next time. Ya got that?" Senku sarcastically reminded.
He knew that Gen would do that.
"Yeah, I got that." Gen giggled in answer.
Following that, his back straightened, revealing a more serious look than before.
This got you and Senku to be prepared. It appeared that this mentalist was going to say something extremely important; A plan.
"I didn't want the innocent, pure-hearted ones to hear this." He began calmly, approaching the two of you, "Kinro-chan and Kokuyo-chan wouldn't approve."
Of course they wouldn't.
"Kukuku... I can sense an underhanded scheme brewing here." Senku answered, glancing in your direction, "You're in this too, huh?"
"Who knows." You casually shrugged your shoulders before looking up at Gen, "Spill."
"Aye aye, boss." He playfully saluted, "I'm just saying, all we need is the record and our pair of cell phones. With my plan, we can defeat the Tsukasa Empire and save seven billion people with a bloodless siege."
His expression now became nothing more than a vicious one, "But if God really is watching us... Then surely Tsuyoshi (Name), Ishigami Senku, and Asagiri Gen will be keeping each other company in hell forever."
At the sound of that, all you could do was laugh uncontrollably; not the ones you often did while making jokes. This time, it's a very unsettling laugh, as if you didn't care.
"I'm not worried." Senku acknowledged, eyes shining with malice, "God hasn't been a part of the world of science for practically ten billion years."
"We have the power to choose our own moves, free from the labels of 'Heaven' and 'Hell'." With a vicious smile, you remarked, "So whatcha got, menta-freak?"
"Quiz time!"
All of a sudden, the entire atmosphere shifted back to one of happiness.
What an emotional rollercoaster today has been.
"Can either of you name the key to the Tsukasa Empire? Which of the following three options is the unifying force that holds the people within it together? A — Food? B — Hot chicks? C — Tsukasa himself?"
At the same time, you and Senku both answered, "C, obviously."
"Bingo! Ten billion points!" Gen pointed out with enthusiasm, "Tsukasa-chan was already a charismatic popular celebrity, thanks to his 'Strongest Primate High-Schooler' title. So what I think is that in order to break them apart, we simply need to enlist a celebrity of our own! Someone who's as famous and popular as Tsukasa-chan."
Unexpectedly, Gen ran one hand through his hair and pushed a finger to his throat, or rather, his Adam's apple. Then he opened his mouth, speaking in a voice that was definitely not his, "Hi! I'm Lillian Weinberg, y'all!"
"PFFT-!"
"THE FUC-"
Instantly, Senku spurted out of the water he had swallowed earlier. You were already on the floor, wheezing.
"HAHAHAHAHAHHA!! HOLY SH-! AHAHAHAHAH!" You found yourself laughing so hard that you felt like slamming the darn floorboard, "STOP! THAT'S- THAT IS SO-! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The thought of Gen mimicking Lillian Weinberg's voice was interesting; Especially when his masculine voice was clearly visible behind his feminine voice.
Thank goodness Senku prevented you from doing so by merely ruffling your hair till it was tangled. Although it prevented you from wheezing, it led you to glare at him, something he didn't even seem to care about.
"That is interesting! Extremely interesting!" Your eyes glistened with excitement.
After clearing his throat, Gen's voice returned to normal, "Not bad, eh? I can fake it somewhat. Far from perfect, though."
"Y'know, that was close... Very close actually. Even so, it's still ten billion percent obvious that you're a dude." Senku added, "That's the problem."
"I know right?" Gen dramatically gasped, "That's why we need (Name)-chan in order for this plan to succeed."
"Fuck. No."
Without warning, you were ready to jump out of the laboratory, but Senku and Gen were gripping both of your arms as if their lives depended on it.
"(Name)-chan, no!"
"(Name)-chan, yes." You ridiculed, still trying to get the hell out of there, "No way in hell am I mimicking Lillian's voice. This is not in my plan! I want you to do it, Gen. YOU!!"
Senku's sweat dropped, looking aside awkwardly, "I mean, it makes sense-"
"Not you too!"
With a groan, you tried to free your arms from their hold. As soon as you released your firm hold on the window, they were able to pin you to the ground.
"I'm not doing that!" You argued back, pouting.
"Lillian is someone you've known your entire life, (Name)-chan. Your mother was her dearest friend too! Not to mention that the world knows of their friendships." Gen reminded reluctantly.
He swore that if he doesn't go to bed with one eye open tonight, you might sneak up on him and kill him.
"What's that got to do with me?" You sneered, looking even farther to the side, "Seriously. Sometimes, I hate my family's fame."
"Come on, goldfish... please?"
Oh shit.
Now it's his turn to beg.
Seriously? Was he also asking you because he knew you had a soft spot for him?
Not fair. Not fair at all.
"You know Lillian's voice far better than we do and your English is exceptional."
"Fine."
"That's it?!" Gen's mouth quickly opened wide in shock.
With only one sentence from Senku, you're already obeying him like nothing? Damn...
"Hearing it over a phone with poor sound quality like ours and with the voice on the record as authentication, they'll hear the raw power of Lillian's live singing over the phone." Now that you've agreed to it, Gen can already feel the burden of concern being lifted off his shoulder, "A voice so unmistakably lovely, it could only belong to her."
"Well, yeah. It does belong to her." Senku pointed it out.
"They won't have a choice," Gen added, "They'll have to believe that Lillian's alive on the other end of the line."
As you imagined a situation, you snickered a little, "We can imitate Lillian's voice, pretending that the United States is recovering and delivering help to Japan."
Just when you were going to rest your cheek on your hand, your head was being gently held by a hand. You quickly found yourself laying your head on Senku's shoulder while enjoying the warmth of his palm on your head.
When you tried to peek to see his face, he pretended nothing happened while your face turned slightly red.
Well, this view had Gen smiling discreetly.
"I see." Senku stated, understanding the strategy completely, "You'll deceive everyone on the other side with false hope, offered by a zombie Lillian created to tell a big, fat lie."
"Aw yeah." You lazily yawned, "We're definitely gonna wind up in hell for this."
"Okaayyyy! Got it." Nonchalantly, Senku inserted his pinky into his ear, smiling innocently as if you three hadn't planned a scheme to make your path to Hell easier, "We'll settle the details later. Let's go with that plan."
"That quick?! No way." Startled at how quickly he accepted the plan, Gen cried out.
"AAAAAAAAAA!! 'GOT IT'?! WELL, I DON'T GET IT AT ALL!"
All of a sudden, the floor began to shake violently before Chrome's head burst through it. It blasted Senku into the air, causing you to stay still and he eventually landed in your arms.
"Hello, princess," You mocked him, to which he replied with a grumble.
With ease, he slipped away from you, wiping the dust from his clothes.
Meanwhile, you stared at the damaged flooring in amazement. Raising an eyebrow at Chrome, you placed your hands on your hips demandingly, "You know what to do."
As the furious feeling around you became evident, Chrome flinched back and nodded immediately, "Y-Yes, ma'am."
"Go get the wood, hammers, and nails." You stated strongly and coldly.
"Yes, ma'am!"
You were a little enraged that he damaged the floor, which you had put a lot of effort into. But, hey! Chrome did it because he was simply interested and you can't blame him for that.
"Damn." Gen sighed in relief, "I honestly expected her to yell."
Senku nervously nodded, sweat trickling down his forehead, "Same."
Fortunately, Chrome returned right away with the tools and equipment you desired. Therefore, he immediately patched the floor with Senku (you asked him to help).
"I think you're gonna need to spell out the plan from the top, mentalist... Real slow." Senku instructed.
Gen explained with a nod of understanding, "Step by step, then. One — Get the phone to Taiju-chan and Yuzuriha-chan. Two — They show it to Tsukasa's army. Three — We play them Lillian's song. Four — The trick."
After fixing the floor, Senku sat down next to you again, bringing your head back to rest on his shoulder, "They think the old world's been destroyed and every country wiped out. That's the only reason they're following their great leader; Tsukasa."
"Well to be fair, it was destroyed," Gen clarified.
"But if they think that America's back in action and help is on the way, then that'll change their entire calculus. Yipeee!!" You gleefully clapped your hands, "Once the bulk of Tsukasa's army has switched from his side to ours, we coordinate using our cell phones. Then, we concur them in one swift move, without spilling a drop of blood. Interesting, isn't it?"
Judging by his face, Chrome seemed to be enjoying the plan already. But then something clicked, and his mood changed, "Wait. Won't they figure out you lied at that point?"
Immediately, you, Senku, and Gen smiled goofily.
"Yeah, but who cares?!" Gen reacted carelessly, "With Tsukasa-chan and Hyoga-chan down, we can worry about sorting the rest of the mess out later."
"Leave it to the balancer and mentalist to come up with a ten billion percent underhanded plan like that," Senku cackled, "So exciting!"
You were in the middle of the two, sneering even scarier, causing Chrome to gradually back up.
"Naturally, everyone in the Tsukasa empire is going to hate our guts for playing such a cruel trick on them." You cooed, pretending to be sorry, "Boo hoo. Daddy Hyoga and mommy Tsukasa are no longer with them! Where should they go? Waaa waaa!!"
'Evil.'
That's what the three guys thought when they observed you.
"Well, there's no helping it though..." Instantly, your expression softened, feeling a little guilty for pulling off such a trick.
"Keep this a secret from the rest of the villagers, okay?" Senku confirmed, giving Chrome a serious look, "I don't think we need any villains besides the three of us; The old-worlders."
There was silence for a time.
Chrome's eyes noticeably narrowed; If that's the case, he doesn't like the plan at all.
"Sure, great idea." He sneered, "Except now that you've told me, I'm an accomplice."
"Dude, you were the one who barged in on our private conversation," You argued back, though with a really lazy tone, "Figurative and literal."
"Well, I'll be the one carrying out the plan, anyway!" Chrome stated confidently, "You'll need a technician on hand to set up that giant-ass cell phone, won't you?"
He eventually took a step forward, extending his fist, "They'll recognize you, not me."
Great.
This young guy was very sincere.
Thus, all three of you held out your fists, lightly bumping Chrome's.
With this messed-up plan and the other things you've done, you'll undoubtedly go down there.
"We'll go to Hell together — The four of us. But in exchange, we'll save seven billion people."
The fistbumps served as a promise; A promise to save all of humanity.