Everyone stared proudly at the cell phone that they've created. It was a big milestone in rebuilding civilization. "Our voices are going to travel across the skies and far into the distance." Ruri said.
"It's so strange." Suika muttered, looking at the device, and Kohaku nodded.
"So, it's great that we're sending our voices over long distances...But how are we going to hear them?" Kohaku asked.
Everyone looked at Senku, who looked in shock for a moment, then had a cute, sheepish smile while rubbing the back of his head. "Whoops! We're going to need another one." He said while [Y/n] face-palmed while blushing. The others collapsed.
"You kept quiet about that on purpose, didn't you? Because people might give up if you told them we need to make two." Gen said.
"Tee hee." Senku laughed, cutely.
'Too cute.' [Y/n] thought.
｡･:*:･ﾟ★｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
[Y/n] stayed in the shed while Senku ran the wire from the shed to Ruri's hut. "Ruri can hear me if I talk through here, right?" Chrome questioned, and [Y/n] nodded.
"Ruri-san, Senku, Gen, and other villagers." [Y/n] listed.
"Ahem." Ginro cleared his throat, "Chrome, have you chosen your historic first words for the phones we've finally built?" He questioned.
Chrome looked confused. "Ruri-chan's listening on the other end. Come on, it's your chance to tell her how you really feel. This is your moment." Girno continued with stars in his eyes.
All of the girls looked in awe. Ginro was right. Confessing your feeling through the first phone is historic. It'll give Ruri a chance to know how Chrome really feels about her. [Y/n]'s been rooting for this pair since she found that Chrome was in love with Ruri, and after finding out that Senku divorced her on the spot, but she would never admit that she was praying on Ruri and Senku's downfall.
[Y/n] thought for a moment. She was thinking about how she would tell Senku. It would be best to let him know in the near future because there's no telling what the future holds since they were technically going into war.
Chrome took a breath.
"Hit the switch!" Ginro ordered, and Suika turned the switch.
"It's on!" She announced.
"Ruri..." Chrome said, everyone was waiting anxiously for his confession, "Did you see that, Ruri? Pretty awesome, right?! Science is insane!"
Everyone face-palmed and groaned. "What's up with all of you, anyway?" Chrome questioned.
Meanwhile, in Ruri hut, the villagers were going crazy. "I heard them!"
"It worked!"
"Wait." Senku said when he heard shuffling.
"W-What? Why?!" They could hear [Y/n] whisper-yelling, and there was bickering. Then there was silence.
They heard someone take a breath. "L-Let's continue to make science together, Senku-kun." They could hear [Y/n]'s gentle voice that made Senku's heart swell with happiness. Gen smirked and elbowed Senku, only to receive a glare from Senku.
Back at the shed, [Y/n] stepped away from the mic and sulked. "I told you I couldn't do it, Kinro." [Y/n] whined.
"I'm sorry that I forced you." Kinro apologized, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"I'm...going to wait outside." [Y/n] muttered. She was disappointed in herself.
As she waited outside, [Y/n] watched as her breath fogged in the air. Suddenly, she could see Senku and Gen running on the bridge. [Y/n] gave a confused look as Senku grabbed her hand. "We need to go to my dad's grave." Was all Senku said, and he pulled her along. They ran past stone after stone until they made it to Byakuya's stone. Senku slowly picked it up.
"What do you think you're doing, Senku?! That's sacrilege!" Kinro yelled.
"What? Is there something about that gravestone?" Chrome questioned.
Senku chuckled. "I should have noticed it a lot sooner. That man is such a pain in the ass. Just the gravestones of the founders? Now that I think about it, that's ten billion percent bull." Senku said to himself, "This isn't a gravestone. It's a time capsule that's been kept in solid concrete."
[Y/n]'s eyes widened. "A time capsule? From Pops?" She muttered.
"Is there something inside it?" Chrome asked.
"Yeah, we need to break it to get inside." Senku said.
"We're breaking it, then?!" Magma questioned with a huge sledgehammer in hand which shocked everyone.
"Hold it, meathead!" Senku yelled, "If I'm right, there's glass in this. We're going to need someone with both power and speed to crack it swiftly." He continued.
It was Kohaku's time to shine. She moved quickly and broke through the concrete.
"There's something inside!" Suika said, and Kohaku stopped, "It's some kind of silver chuck!"
[Y/n] picked up the disk, examining it, and they took it back to the lab where Senku dipped the disk into hydrochloric acid.
"It's silver because it's wrapped in aluminum foil." Senku explained, "If we wash it in hydrochloric acid..." Senku took the disk out to reveal glass. Everyone, but [Y/n], was shocked while [Y/n] was in awe.
"It's actually glass!" Chrome said.
"A saucer?" Suika questioned.
"It looks like they cut out the bottom of a bottle or something." Gen said, and [Y/n] looked closely at the disk.
"They curved into the glass as well." [Y/n] said then her eyes widened.
"Saucer. Speaker. Speaking with needles. Does that remind you of anything?" Senku asked, and Gen eyes widened as well.
Gen took a closer look with [Y/n]. "A record!" They said in unison.
"My dad and the crew's voices are on there." Senku said which shocked the villagers then he smirked, "They bothered to leave us a voice recording. Let's hear what they had to say."
[Y/n]'s eyes softened at the record. "It's been quite a long time... since I've heard Pops' voice." She muttered to herself, "I really miss him."
"Hey, Senku... Does that mean that 'record' thing can trap sound?" Chrome asked while Senku took the record from [Y/n]. They walked outside.
"B-B-But you can't even catch sound." Suika stuttered.
"I'm so confused. How?" Kohaku muttered.
"The way a record works is ridiculously simple." Senku explained, "You make a needle vibrate with sound, which digs grooves into the record. And then, if you run a needle over the grooves to vibrate it, it'll make the same sound that dug them."
"Diggin grooves in glass makes it store sound? That's a surprise." Kaseki said.
"Senku's dad is awesome!" Chrome cheered.
Senku gave a smug look while sticking his pinkie in his ear. "Nah, that's not true. Byakuya couldn't have done it. It must have been the people with him that made it. Astronauts are all science elites. All of them except Byakuya, who got in by luck." He explained, "Although he might have been the one who came up with the idea. He's the only one who'd think of something so lame."
[Y/n] smiled a bit. Despite Senku degrading his dad, [Y/n] got first-hand experience in witnessing how much Senku loved his father. Blood-related or not.
"We can make a record player pretty easily using the things we've made so far. We'll use the gear form the cotton candy machine." Senku said, and Suika went to get the items.
"I went and got it." Suika announced and laid them on the table.
"Destroying Father's shield was well worth it. It's doing so much good." Kohaku said and huffed.
"Your father's happy as long as it's useful to you." Kokuya said while holding the shield and wept a little.
"This is how people become cogs in society as they get older. Literally." Gen said, and Senku shoot him a weird look.
"No one asked for your words of wisdom." Senku muttered, and [Y/n] giggled.
Ruri walked into the lab with a needle on top of a cloth. "I use this when I'm knitting." Ruri said.
Senku examined it. "This is perfect. A bone needle. The playback side of making a record is dead easy." Senku said then his smirk fell, "Recording is another matter. You're cutting glass, so you need a hard rock."
"Like corundum or diamond, right?" Chrome questioned, and Senku nodded.
The team got to work on building the record player. [Y/n]'s mind began to wonder if this was where Byakuya and his crew stood, too, recording their voices to be heard. Once they were done, [Y/n] waiting in anticipation to hear Byakuya's voice once again.
"Yeah! That took no time at all!" Chrome cheered.
Soon, all of the villagers gathered to hear the voices of their ancestors. Senku walked closer to the record player. "All right. Let's spin it, Ginro." Senku said, and Ginro began to spin the gear. "I'm good at spinning this, from the cotton candy machine." Ginro said.
[Y/n] was anxious for some reason, so she grabbed Senku's hand. Senku chuckled and gave her hand a squeeze. Senku took the needle and placed it on the glass. It took a moment until...
"I don't know who's listening to this, hundreds, maybe thousands of years from now...But I'm the astronaut Ishigami Byakuya."
[Y/n]'s eyes widened as the villagers cheered.
"Shut up. I can't hear." Senku said.
"This is the voice of the founder of Ishigami Village..." Kokuya muttered.
"Senku's father's actual voice!" Kohaku said.
Senku noticed that [Y/n] was almost in tears. "Pops..." She muttered with her other hand covering her quivering lips. She was trying hard not to cry.
"Just kidding. That's it for the stuffy formalities. You've revived from the petrification, and now you're listening to this recording. Senku, it's you, isn't it? I can tell." Byakuya said, and [Y/n] could see the smile on Senku's face.
"And let's not forget the lady at his side. My [Y/n]-chan, still taking care of my son, aren't you?"
A single tear finally rolled down her face, giving Senku's hand a squeeze. "Yes..." [Y/n] muttered as if Byakuya could hear her.
"Hundreds, thousands, maybe an unthinkable number of years later, I'm making my final call to you. Not that I can hear you...Senku, don't forget. I've always, always..."
[Y/n] could hear the pain in his voice.
"Nah, you don't need that dramatic father-and-son crap, right? Let's get right to business." Byakuya said, and Senku chuckled.
"You really do get it." Senku said, smugly.
[Y/n] sniffled and wiped a stray tear. "That's our Byakuya." She said.
"Senku, if you're still having a hard time winning over the hearts of the villagers, let them hear this. To those for whom the light of music has dimmed." Byakuya said, and there was a voice that sung. [Y/n]'s expression softened. Lillian. She knew this song. She would hear her mother sing it almost every day since its release.
The trials and errors that lead [Y/n] and Senku to this point in time played in [Y/n]'s head like a movie. All of the friends they've made, all of the things they've accomplished together. It was liked an overwhelming swirl of emotion.
[Y/n] leaned against Senku. She was happy at their accomplishments, just happy to be with Senku. She wiped her tear as Senku squeezed [Y/n]'s hand.
Senku smiled at her as the song slowly ended. [Y/n] blushed and looked away.
That was it. She was definitely in love with Senku.
Ginro was sobbing. "It's so amazing! The song is so...It's so amazing!"
"Lilian-chan was one of the top singers in our age. Imagine that being the first song you hear." Gen said, even Chrome was crying.
"Oh, man. Two million years of humanity... Oh, man. Senku, [Y/n], was there all kinds of awesome music like this in the past?" He asked.
[Y/n] smiled a bit and nodded.
"Yeah. Not just music. Games, TV, comics, movie...All entertainment that science made possible." Senku said.
"There were so many wonderful, fun things all over the world." [Y/n] added.
"The real thing's gone now, but it's all there...in people's heart. We're going to let all of you see it, once we take down the Tsukasa Empire and revive all the world's statues." Senku said, and the villagers cheered.
"I really want to see everything!" Suika cheered.
"This is so damn exciting!" Kaseki cheered as well.
"The world's statues." Kinro said.
"Let's revive them all!" Ginro cheered with tears in his eyes.
"So, our first step is to take down the so-called Tsukasa Empire, is that right?" Magma questioned.
"This is awsome. Everyone's totally pumped." Chrome said.
"Your dad's got skill." Gen said to Senku, "He's motivated the entire village to revive the people who've been petrified. All with just Lilian-chan's singing. Doesn't this also wash away your guilt for having dragged the villagers into war?"
[Y/n] looked away. She did feel a bit of guilt, but Senku chuckled. "I've never had that kind of guilt." Senku said. [Y/n] noticed Senku was still holding her hand, but before she could say anything, Senku let her go and walked outside to stretch and get some fresh air.
[Y/n] followed. "Se-"
"Senku." Kohaku called while walking over to him, "You actually made what you said that day come true."
"Huh?"
"Just like you said when we first met..." Kohaku said and smiled at Senku. "This whole village has become a nation of science. So, it's finally beginning. The battle between the kingdom of science and the Tsukasa Empire."
[Y/n] was shocked for a moment. She didn't realize it was almost spring already. "Yeah! We better get that second cell phone built and bring it over." Chrome said.
"Which means, Senku-chan, those two are finally up to bat." Gen said, and Senku turned to them.
"Yeah. We're finally connecting. The entire kingdom of science, the whole of its might." Senku said.
[Y/n] placed her hand on her chest. There were so many things [Y/n] wanted to say before this Stone War officially began.
Nightfall came quicker than excepted without [Y/n] doing much about heavy burden in her chest. The kingdom of science gathered around the fire with serious looks on their faces. [Y/n]'s shoulder-length hair was now tied in a ponytail. She had her katana on her non-dominant side and her bow on her back as while as metal-headed arrows on her hip. [Y/n] looked like a warrior.
Senku walked closer to the fire. "The final battle against the Tsukasa Empire, on our home turf...It's the beginning of the Stone Wars." Senku said with a smirk.
"Yeah!" They cheered.
Senku noticed the troubled look on [Y/n]'s face. He walked over and placed his hand on [Y/n]'s head. "Stop worrying so much." Senku said, and [Y/n] blushed a bit. She took Senku's hand off of her head and held it in her hand, which made Senku blush a bit as well.
"Senku...I-I've been...thinking about how to tell you this, b-b-but..." [Y/n] stammered while the others were at the edge of their seat. Her face turned red. "B-But... I...um,"
[Y/n]'s blushed darkened when she looked into Senku's crimson eyes, who looked back at her with anticipation and curiosity. Then, her mind went blank. "I-I didn't kiss you because Gen told me to...I did that b-because I wanted to." [Y/n] mumbled.
Senku's eyes softened as he smiled a little.
"W-What I'm trying to say...is that I-I..."
"I love you." [Y/n]'s eyes widened and so did the others.
"W-What?" [Y/n] questioned.
Senku placed his hand on [Y/n]'s cheek and wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her close. Neither of them knew what this war would have in store. Tsukasa is always full of tricks like Senku. The thought of Senku dying again tore [Y/n] apart, and the thought of [Y/n] leaving with Tsukasa was something Senku couldn't even imagine. It was too painful for him to think of it.
"S-Senku..." [Y/n] said, softly, as her eyes widened even more when Senku placed a sweet and gentle kiss on [Y/n]'s lips.
Everyone behind them gasped. Kohaku and Suika cheered. "I guess I was wrong, Senku can show affection." He said with a shrug.
Senku slowly pulled away. "I said... I love you. I'm in love with you, [Y/n]." He said as clear as day with a slight tint of pink on his cheeks. [Y/n]'s face was a complete tomato. Her mouth opened and close like a gasping fish.
"Are you going to say something, [Y/n]-chan?" Ginro taunted.
[Y/n] buried her face in Senku's chest. "M-Me too...but about you." [Y/n] muttered, and Senku smiled a bit then patted her head while the others groaned.
"I think that's the best she can do for now." Kinro said with a sigh.
"So, what does that make Senku and [Y/n] now?" Suika asked.
Senku smiled even more at the thought of [Y/n] officially being his girlfriend. That's been one of his many dreams for years now.
Heck, he's even had dreams about marrying [Y/n] and having children with her. But, he had to take things slow. Neither of them had ever been in the relationship before, so this whole thing of love is new.
Senku didn't want to hurt [Y/n] in any way. The same with [Y/n]. She didn't want to ruin their first experience in love. [Y/n] want Senku to be her first. Her first love, her first boyfriend, her first husband, she wanted him to be her everything.
Senku continued to hold [Y/n] close to his body while patting her head. "I don't know." Senku said.
"SERIOUSLY?!"
"YOU DON'T KNOW?!"
[Y/n] smiled while taking in the lovely smell of Senku. All she knew is that she loves him, and no matter what Tsukasa threw their way, [Y/n] would gladly follow Senku anywhere, in life or in death. Because without Senku, [Y/n] wouldn't know how to function.