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The Comet He Looked Back For⋆˙⟡ S.Ishigami

PART TWO OF: 𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝑩𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒂𝒚, 𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝑫𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑴𝒆 𝑨𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 SYNOPSIS: Two years since the final phone call, you find yourself face-to-face with Senku Ishigami for the first time in three years, as a mutual friend’s wedding brought you both toward a forced proximity you didn’t ask for. Somewhere between old promises, a newly discovered comet, and a proposal you have yet to know of, the distance you once thought had become permanent begins to suspiciously feel temporary again. WC: 16,870 (Don't even ask anymore) A/N: I AM FINALLY DONE, thank you all for patiently waiting. I SWEAR IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THIS LONG, GANG. I had to do research on comets before I did this cuz I wanted to make it as accurate as I could. PLEASE LISTEN TO "PURPLE RAIN" BY PRINCE ON REPEAT. WARNINGS: It’s a happy ending, I SWEAR. Xeno playing cupid cuz nobody had the guts to, drinking (game with Ryusui), failed round of Uno, angst, fluff, crack, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.

Some comets take years before they become visible again. An example is the comet Encke, taking approximately 3.3 years to complete its orbit. Yet some take decades, such as the ever-famous Halley’s comet.

They slip quietly into the dark corners of space, far beyond what the human eye can see or follow, only to return brightly upon reapproach—as if distance itself had merely been part of their trajectory all along.

Which, scientifically speaking, was accurate.

Yet despite the distance and darkness that swallow them, they continue moving faithfully along the trajectories written long before anyone could notice them.

It is truly a transcendental experience to catch sight of a comet once it reappears near perihelion with enough brilliance to make humanity look up in awe—you could say it leaves you utterly starstruck.

Senku Ishigami swore his former mentor, Dr. Xeno Houston Wingfield, found the situation far too amusing once the news had reached the mission control center. Senku, currently located at the International Space Station, had accidentally discovered one, a comet, in the midst of monitoring an entirely different celestial object.

“How scientifically elegant, a long-period comet?” Xeno asked through the communication feed, eyes gleaming with amusement as he scanned the data Senku had delivered a while ago after his discovery.

Senku clicked his tongue softly, already running a series of Newtonian mechanics and Kepler’s law of planetary motion in his head. “Yeah, yeah, let me finish the math first before you jump to conclusions.”

Xeno chuckled, eyeing his former student from the screen. “I merely find it interesting how you spotted a different celestial body somewhere between asteroid trajectory calculations and endless streams of orbital data, just because you looked away for a moment.”

He took a sip from the mug of black coffee, nursed in one hand. “You had mentioned minutes ago that it is already brighter than Hale-Bopp’s comet when it was at that stage; shouldn’t you be saying ‘This is exhilarating’ by now?”

Senku laughed at his awful attempt to mimic a signature statement of his. “I think you should just stick to your ‘Science is elegant’. But you're right, it's exhilarating, especially after seeing how it compares to the reference data of Comet McNaught.”

Xeno hummed and nodded along, ignoring the chatter within the mission control room about how this could possibly be one of the greatest astronomical events of the 21st century.

“Yes…comparing it to the reference data of Comet McNaught, it is significantly brighter. Though we should've expected that after you mentioned it seems to be brighter than Comet Hale-Bopp, considering it's current stage.”

His eyes drifted back to the screen once again. “For someone who admits that it is exhilarating, you surely do not sound like it.”

Senku, who had finished comparing the current data he had collected and received back from Earth, snickered. “Save the doting for someone else, had enough of my old man’s already.”

Then quietly, “...I just happen to have a history with comets.”

Xeno raised a brow, an amused smirk resting on his face. A genius wasn't needed to guess what his former student was talking about. “Right, how could I forget that you've been a victim of Eros, considering how painfully obvious your yearning is.”

He took a sip of the mug he had in hand. “The complexity of love certainly teaches you a significant amount.”

Senku had to stop himself from rolling his eyes, out of respect. “What are you yapping about now?”

Xeno shrugged, yet the teasing in his voice was still noticeable. “Nothing. How did you discover it again?”

“Felt like looking away for a moment,” Senku replied flatly, already knowing that his defenses would be useless against him. Hence, he chose not to back up any of his claims.

“The potentially greatest astronomical event of the 21st century will be named after Senku Ishigami, what an elegant alignment of variables.”

Senku paused after hearing Xeno's words. Right, the comet would be named after him, as the official catalog protocols say.

“Does it have to be named after me?”

Before Xeno could even answer, another member of the mission control team beat him to it. “Once reported to the MPC and confirmed, discovery attribution would automatically fall to you, Senku.”

Xeno gaze shifted towards the person, “I’m certain Dr. Senku is familiar with standard astronomical cataloging protocols and institutional naming conventions, no need to remind him.”

Then his gaze returned to the screen. “He must be planning to propose an alternative designation.”

Xeno shrugged once more. “Let him be; he discovered it regardless. I'm sure they wouldn't mind a request from him.”

Perhaps that is why Dr. Xeno had found the entire situation tragically amusing.

Because Senku Ishigami—the man who dedicated his life to moving forward, striving for the future, towards progress, towards the stars themselves—had looked back simply because he thought of you for a moment.

He had Earth—the world—beneath him, the moon on one side; he had everything he had ever dreamed of as a child within eyesight, yet he still found the urge to look back for a moment. As if part of him was instinctively searching for something else.

And at the exact moment, something had decided to approach his orbit. And perhaps that was what made the comet feel strangely fitting. He had, after all, associated comets with you.

Because, despite the years of distance and silence between you two, you had always reappeared within his orbit somehow.

Ironically enough, the first time you had appeared in the orbit of his life wasn’t how he remembered it.

If it wasn’t for Yuzuriha, who told him over a long car ride home as you slept against his shoulder after a tiring day with you and Taiju, he would’ve suspected his whole life that you first met him in middle school, a year before the first successful launch of his homemade rocket. However, his assumption based on suspicion was brought down by Yuzuriha’s confirmation after she had revealed that your trajectory toward him had begun far earlier.

The first time it happened, you were six years old. A delusional six-year-old who happened to be curious about learning new words, as if you were collecting toys.

The playground you were always at with Yuzuriha felt like everything you could possibly need; the sky looked impossibly large above the swing set, and adulthood remained a mythical concept invented solely to confuse children. Or at least, that was how you saw it.

Unfortunately, that was also the age you had discovered the confusing concept of marriage. And you happened to take the revelation horribly.

“Why would people sign papers just because they like each other?” You asked in complete curiosity and disbelief as you kicked the ground, swinging gently beside Yuzuriha. “What if the guy turns ugly when he grows up?”

Yuzuriha blinked at you, surprisingly taking your question into consideration. “I think that's why marriage is for adults…It's so confusing.”

You looked up at the sky, hues of yellow blending perfectly as the sun began to set. “Well, I'm only marrying someone cute, that's for sure.”

The declaration alone should've been enough of a warning for the future that has yet to take place, yet somehow had already been set in stone.

Unfortunately, you have yet to realize that. Neither did Yuzuriha. You happened to be just a child with a dangerous level of curiosity at that time.

You kicked your legs idly once again before your attention drifted to somewhere else completely. And as if the universe had decided to play a trick against you, your eyes spotted a boy around your age, walking past the park entrance with an older man beside him.

You blinked slowly; your attention was inevitably captured. He had red eyes and a hairstyle you have yet to see before.

Suddenly, you felt something you hadn't felt before as a child. Your heart felt strange, though it wasn't the bad type of strange. It felt as if something inside your tiny six-year-old body abruptly did a flip.

“Oh.”

Yuzuriha turned to you curiously. “Hm? Did you realize something again?”

You pointed at the boy with a grin on your face. A very delusional grin. “Him,”

Yuzuriha turned towards the direction you pointed at. “Him?”

You nodded with full determination and confidence. “I wanna marry him.”

There was a brief moment of silence before you heard rustling sounds beside you. Yuzuriha had nearly fallen off the swing.

“What?!”

You smiled brightly at her as she looked at you with pure astonishment. “He's cute.”

“That's not how marriage works!”

You chose to ignore her, eyes drifting towards the boy once again as he continued to walk further away.

At the age of six, you had thought of two things impulsively. One, marriage was still confusing, yet the boy you had just seen made it less confusing for a six-year-old. Two, the boy with the gravity-defying hair was probably important somehow. You couldn't pinpoint why; it just felt like it. As if it were intuition.

Then life continued forward normally after. Years went by, years that didn't include catching a single glimpse of the boy again.

And eventually, he had disappeared from your memory like something half-forgotten from a dream.

Until middle school arrived. More specifically, until Yuzuriha suddenly started rambling about a loud boy whom she happened to find cute. And that loud boy happened to have a terrifyingly smart best friend who was set on building a homemade rocket.

“A rocket…? That's lowkey insane…” You repeated after a series of blinking in disbelief.

“Mhm!” She nodded enthusiastically while walking beside you. “Taiju-kun said Senku-kun has been working on it since he was ten.”

The moment you heard the name, something oddly familiar tugged a feeling within you. Yet you couldn't quite tell what, considering it was the first time you'd heard of that name.

Still, the feeling was drowned by your disbelief. A ten-year-old building a rocket? What kind of ten-year-old does that?

“Forget lowkey, that's highkey insane.” You blurted out, staring at her with a questioning face.

She rubbed the back of her head, “Haha, it's Senku-kun after all...”

Before you could respond, she suddenly grabbed your wrist the moment she spotted something from the corner of her eye. “There they are!”

Your eyes trailed to where she pointed her hand after grabbing your wrist. You spot two boys leaving a convenience store, one of whom is undeniably loud while the other is opening a can of energy drink with one hand.

Your breath caught slightly, between a quiet recognition and a loud awe as your eyes landed on the latter. It felt as if an old memory from years ago was suddenly unlocked.

He had the same questionable hair as he did years ago, same red eyes, though they were sharper compared to the soft, rounded ones you had spotted years ago.

Your footsteps came to a stop unconsciously, making Yuzuriha turn with a confused look on her face.

She blinked, stopping in her tracks as well. “What's wrong?”

“That's him,” You mumbled, eyes never leaving his figure.

“Who? Senku-kun?” She asked as her eyes drifted towards where you were looking, more confused than ever.

You turned to her, a laugh of disbelief escaping your lips as you gripped the straps of your backpack tighter. “...The guy I told you I'd marry back then when I was six.”

Yuzuriha blinked once before her eyes widened in delayed horror, making you laugh louder. “Oh my gosh—?!”

You stared ahead again, eyes automatically landing on him. Your mind was already wondering what kind of trick the universe was playing on you this time. Years of silence, thinking that memory was nothing but a dream— but no, he was suddenly within your orbit again.

Or perhaps you were within his orbit again.

Unexpectedly, his eyes shifted and met yours. You wanted to turn away after being caught burning holes into his figure, yet for some reason, you couldn't, as a warm feeling settled within every fiber of your being.

And still, despite everything, your verdict remained the same, besides one improvement. He was still cute in your eyes, though perhaps he was leaning more into the definition of handsome now.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Yuzuriha’s laughter as she stared between you and Senku.

“You remember that? No wonder he looked familiar when I first saw him.”

You broke eye contact with Senku to look at her with a grin on your face, “Guess you could say I was very committed to the vision. I did think of him for days after.”

She laughed again, tugging your wrist as a way of telling you to start walking with her again. “You only wanted to marry him because he met your qualifications that time, which was being cute!”

“And?” You shrugged with a smile on your face. “My intuition was already good at that age. I was delusional with a dream and one qualification.”

Yuzuriha visibly sweatdropped at your response while you snorted. “The feeling’s still here, y’know? Feels like it got revived, not gonna lie.”

“A feeling?” Her eyes widened. “Don't tell me—”

You cut her off with a nod, grin widening. “...I think I'm gonna marry him someday. My intuition’s stronger than ever.”

And perhaps that should've been the first recorded instance in history where someone had successfully dared to challenge Ryusui Nanami’s prided sailor’s intuition with nothing but a childhood delusion and an alarming confidence.

⋆⭒˚.⋆

Senku Ishigami had dreamed of reaching space nearly his entire life. The memory of his first rocket launches—which happened to be homemade with nothing but determination and curiosity, along with Xeno’s guidance—still lived vividly in the collection of his memories.

Yet when he had achieved his most sought-after dream, it felt oddly incomplete. No, he felt incomplete.

Because, despite such achievement, it felt muted in a way Senku would've never thought he could even experience.

Every achievement that came right after, the opportunities, the launches, and discoveries that made his reputation far greater than it already was, felt unfulfilling in a way.

It wasn't because science suddenly felt less— Senku could never consider that thought.

But it was simply because he had already lost the first person he wanted to ramble to after each achievement.

You had, after all, forcefully made yourself a veteran of his rambles regarding science and everything else he was passionate about.

And perhaps that was what had drawn him to you far more than his younger self would've thought. You listened to him without complaint, without impatience, and what made him fall harder was the fact that you listened because you genuinely wanted to.

Which was exactly why the silence left behind by your absence felt so unbearably loud most of the time. Even after three years since the breakup, and two years after the final phone call.

During the first year, he could barely process it, despite his terrifying IQ, as others say. His thoughts about it kept him up longer at night than any of his scientific ideas did.

And when he had chosen to let you go for the second time after you asked him to, for days, he couldn't stomach his decision. Regrets swallowed him again, drowning him with the thought of reaching out against your will. And he had to fight every neuron in his head that supported the thought.

Because Senku would rather drown countless times than to ruin you further just because he wanted to be selfish.

His eyes left the telescope, straightening his posture. He looked ahead, into the vast night sky, as if he could find an answer among the stars that stared right back at him.

Yet not a single constellation could. With a sigh, he loosened his tie, his hands slipping off his lab coat as he heard the doors of the observatory he had built into the walls of his house.

Chrome's voice reached his ears before Senku's eyes could even spot him. “Senku! Dr. Xeno said you discovered your own comet— that's so baaaad!”

Senku craned his neck, hand resting behind it as his gaze landed on him. “Yeah? How did you even get in here?”

Another voice appeared, followed by a familiar figure, before Chrome could answer the question.

“Your housekeeper let us in, Senku-chan.” Gen gave him a grin, eyes scanning the spacious observatory. “I must say, they did an amazing job maintaining the house for you.”

Senku chuckled at Gen's remark, eyes trailing to his laptop as the confirmation email regarding the naming of the comet he had discovered. Oh, how he loved maximizing his resources. “They were recommended by François after all.”

Chrome nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, and your house is so baaad, man. Like seriously, a whole observatory? I saw the garden too, it was insane!”

Gen's gaze landed on Senku, a teasing smile on his face. “Ah, he had a muse, Chrome. We shouldn't be too surprised.”

Chrome physically halted when he noticed a takeout cup near Senku. “What are you drinking at this time, Senku? Aren’t you more into energy drinks?”

Gen’s eyes trailed toward where Chrome was looking and spotted a takeout cup, from which Senku took a sip, and shrugged, not bothering to hide the evidence of his crime. That was when the mentalist noticed the printed customized order attached to it.

‘Ah, he must be missing her harder today.’ His eyes softened at the thought, a faint hint of pity. ‘It seems even the greatest scientist on Earth couldn’t be spared by the cruelty of yearning.’

Over the course of three years, Gen had noticed habits that formed due to Senku’s pining—the astronaut didn’t even bother to try to move on, and everyone saw through his silent grieving disguised as habits.

Such as the way he would lock himself up in the observatory of his house, staring at constellations for far too long, as if Orion could give him a direction to navigate his taunting thoughts. Or when he would order your favorite drink during nights he missed you far harder than he admitted loudly.

Or the fact that he has yet to miss a single comet visible from Earth, especially during those three years. Because over the course of three years, Senku had watched each event, photographing it and meticulously cataloging each image with dates and observational notes. As if he were collecting them for someone.

“Why are you two even here again?” Senku asked flatly, ignoring the claims, yet he didn't deny them either.

“Oh, Taiju said to meet up here, the others are on the way, actually. But that's half of why I'm here—” Chrome pointed an excited finger at him. “Senku, tell me about the comet!”

The astronaut chuckled schemingly with a face that made Gen want to run out of the observatory. “About the comet, you say?”

And that was how the mentalist had to sit through a rambling lecture about the celestial body. Gen had already been lost the moment letters became numbers, then numbers became letters; he let Chrome handle that part since he willingly dragged himself into it.

Though there was a fondness in his voice that Gen had noticed. Yes, Senku always sounded passionate whenever he rambled about something scientific, yet this one was different. It sounded the same way he would ramble about the moon.

And Gen had always wondered, what was there about comets that had drawn the astronaut the same way the moon did? Though he has yet to figure out why, since Senku would often dismiss it, and the only other person who knew the reason was Xeno, who refused to answer it along the lines of, “It isn’t my story to tell”.

“Senku-chan,” he called out, earning the attention of both scientists as they stopped mid-conversation. “I thought the moon was your favorite? Had picturing every comet visible from Earth finally taken an effect on you?”

Senku's lips curled into a soft smile, one so genuine that it surprised the two of them who saw it. “Yeah, the moon is my favorite.”

His voice trailed off, not bothering to answer the last part as a memory played in his head. Suddenly, he was sixteen again, hands setting up his telescope on top of a hill as you stood beside him impatiently.

“Hurry up, Senku! What if we miss it?!” You exclaimed eagerly, nearly bouncing off your feet.

He barely spared you a glance as his hands worked on the equipment. “Hah? I calculated the timing, we won't miss it.”

“Are you sure—”

He cut you off softly, moving away from the telescope to make space for you. “Come here and see this.”

With an excited face and every ounce of enthusiasm in your body, you gladly took his offer to check the telescope.

“Whoa, I can see the moon clearly.” You spoke in pure awe as Senku snickered beside you.

“It's a telescope, of course, you can see it clearly.”

You felt an irk mark form on your forehead as you pulled back to smack him lightly. “Okay, wow, thanks, genius.”

He grinned, rubbing the spot where your hand landed. Then he noticed the frown that appeared on your face.

“What's wrong?” He asked, concern was easy to spot in the tone of his voice.

You shook your head. “Nothing, just feels weird that we won't be seeing this comet for another— how many thousands of years again?”

“Six thousand eight hundred years, it's a once-in-a-lifetime event.” You remained silent, prompting him to speak again. “Cheer up, NEOWISE isn't the only comet you'll ever see.”

You looked away from the telescope and faced him with a look of skepticism. “Really?”

“Hah? Of course, really.” He looked nearly offended. “There are thousands of comets as of this year, and the number’s only increasing. Statistically speaking, you've got plenty left to see in your lifetime.”

You huffed a laugh at his response, yet the frown returned right after. “I know, but that number isn't my concern. I don't have a telescope and know many areas where there's a little less light pollution.”

Senku noticed it immediately and clicked his tongue. “Stop looking gloomy over comets.”

He adjusted a knob on the telescope before he gazed at you again, serious eyes looking straight at your doubtful ones.

“I'll show you every other comet myself if I have to.”

The way he said it sounded casual, as if it were more of a fact rather than a promise. Yet your heart still skipped a beat, as if Eros was around again. But then again, it was Senku. And promises came along easily as long as science was involved.

And before you could respond or calm down the sudden pace of your heart, Senku's gaze shifted upwards abruptly, crimson eyes narrowing towards the sky.

He turned to you with a grin, shifting his head as a signal for you to look too. “There it is,”

Your breath caught as your naked eye saw it, and Senku snickered quietly at your reaction. A soft streak of light stretched across the night sky, distant yet impossibly luminous all at once.

“Whoa,” you whispered in awe.

Beside you, Senku adjusted the telescope once more, fingers adjusting the focus and alignment with a precision that showed he had done it countless times already.

“Look through it from here,” he nudged you lightly before crossing his arms against his chest.

You leaned forward without hesitation. The moment your eyes met the lens, your breath nearly left you. The comet was undeniably breathtaking from the telescope.

“It's so beautiful, Senku…” you mumbled in awe, as if you could barely believe you were actually seeing one with such focus. If it weren't for him, you really would've never.

And perhaps it really was. Maybe comets were truly one of the most beautiful astronomical events that you could see during your lifetime.

But Senku barely looked at it—not after he saw that look on your face that made him physically unable to take his eyes off of you.

And before he knew it, the corners of his lips tugged into a soft smile, arms still crossed against his chest as his gaze undeniably softened.

“Yeah,” he murmured quietly as his gaze remained on you. “It really is.”

He really should've known that was the exact moment Eros had struck him. Because from then on, every comet had him thinking of you. And suddenly, gravity no longer felt like a scientific concept, but rather something catastrophic that pulled him towards you.

He couldn't help but wonder, were you still using the telescope he custom-built for you?

Perhaps that had been the problem when it came to loving him—you said it before yourself. His affection bled into science effortlessly, so that somewhere along the way, care translated into invention, and love became something he could build with his own two hands.

Love to the point of invention, or whatever that mentalist said.

And now, comets were the closest approximation of you he could ever observe again. The closest he could ever get to you was in the brief moments of the burning trails of comets as they tear across a space he could never reach.

“You good, Senku-chan? You seem lost in thought,” he heard Gen's voice slice through his reminiscing.

Senku chuckled quietly and shook his head. Yet before he could say something, they all heard loud footsteps before the doors of the observatory opened once more.

“Ha ha! You outdid yourself with the architecture of this house, Senku. Are you sure you don't care about aesthetics?” Ryusui's voice reached his ears as he stepped into the room, followed by Taiju and Ukyo.

Senku clicked the roof of his tongue. “Yeah? And since when did my house become the default meeting spot?”

“I think since you're usually the last to respond.” Ukyo sweat dropped at him as he took a seat next to Gen.

Ryusui ignored his questions and exclaimed loudly once again, snapping his fingers. “That's besides the point. Taiju wanted to announce something in person.”

The said man nodded enthusiastically, fists pumped up. “Everyone, Yuzuriha and I are finally getting married!”

⋆⭒˚.⋆

You should've seen it coming. Taiju, after all, had asked your permission to marry Yuzuriha, your best friend. Yet everything still felt surreal, as if time and growing up still felt like a concept you have yet to wrap your head around, as she tearfully asked you to be her maid of honor.

Everything simply moved too fast; it felt as if time didn't know how to stop, but that's reality, isn't it?

One moment, the two of you were children rambling about crushes beneath the heat that eloped a playground. Then suddenly, you were standing inside an expensive hotel room—thanks to a certain Nanami—struggling to zip up a custom-made dress while your best friend emotionally and mentally prepared herself to walk down the aisle in less than thirty minutes.

Reality truly did not spare anyone. Panic had struck every nerve in your body as you desperately tried to reach the zipper, yet it was stuck.

“Come on— seriously?!” You twisted awkwardly toward the mirror again, fingers desperately trying to reach for the zipper that was stuck halfway up your back.

Yet it refused to budge, and your patience was running thin. An idea appeared in your head. Then, you tried to pull the dress over your head instead—keyword: tried. That turned out to be the worst idea you could think of at the moment, and you questioned if your situation couldn't get any worse. Oh, if only you knew.

The fitted material that transitioned into something flowy once it passed your hips refused to cooperate, thanks to the intricate design and specific measurements of the dress. The moment you tried to force it upward, the carefully pinned curls your stylist spent an insane amount of time perfecting, nearly got caught against the inner lining.

You nearly shrieked in horror. You froze immediately. “Nope. Absolutely not happening after that long session of sitting still.”

If you had ruined your hair now, you would've cried, your hairstylist would've cried harder.

Which is why you were currently physically stuck inside of your own dress, alone inside of a hotel room you shared with Kohaku.

Your phone had unfortunately been inside your purse—which you had asked Kohaku to bring when she headed out after you had insisted she head to the venue first.

“Go ahead,” you told her earlier. “I just need to fix the zipper a little.”

Right, a little. You would've truly laughed if you weren't the one stuck in your current situation, but the universe seemed to be against your favor today.

You had to stop yourself from pressing both hands against your face. You didn't need your makeup artist crying along with you, and your hairstylist before the event itself could even start.

“This is so stupid—” then you heard the doorbell of the hotel room ring.

Your head snapped toward the hotel room beside you, and you nearly tripped on your own dress as you reached out to open the door.

“Kohaku?!” Relief flooded your system instantly as you carefully kept one hand against the front of your dress to prevent anything more unfortunate from happening. For a second, that is as.

Because the moment you opened the door, you nearly slammed it shut again out of pure shock. Standing outside of your room wasn't Kohaku, no. It was Senku. The sight of him was enough to knock the air from your lungs far more than you would’ve admitted.

Your brain had entirely failed to process the fact that he was in front of you while you regretted even questioning if your situation couldn't get any worse. The universe had unfortunately decided that today, you would rival the infamous luck of Senku Ishigami himself.

Three years— three years of not seeing his face properly, besides from the social media posts of mutual friends and news updates about the great Ishigami. Not to mention the photoshoots earlier. It couldn’t have been avoided, considering he was the best man and you happened to be the maid of honor.

And somehow, seeing him up this close felt far crueler than all the accidental glimpses from afar during the pre-wedding photoshoots earlier. If you hadn’t decided to act maturely—emotionally mature—during those photoshoots, you would’ve truly ruined your last line of defense.

Did you mention that the custom-tailored tuxedo complemented him so well? Yuzuriha truly outdid herself with the custom dresses and tuxedos. If it weren't for the fact that he was your ex-boyfriend for more than half a decade, you would've given your younger self a pat on the back for seeing the vision and sticking to it.

Senku blinked before his eyes trailed downwards briefly, then he immediately understood the situation. And as if there wasn't an emotionally gut-wrenching call that occurred two years ago, he had the audacity to snicker.

And that happened to offend you far more than your situation did, as your eye twitched at him. “Don’t laugh.”

“Wasn't planning to,” he tried to cover his twitching lips with a hand—a gold watch adorning his wrist—yet he failed miserably as another snicker escaped from him.

You narrowed your eyes, ignoring his offensive reaction and your quickened heartbeat. “Why are you even here?”

“Gen told me to check on you,” Senku answered casually, too casually, hand sliding back into his pocket. “Apparently, Kohaku got dragged into helping at the venue.”

Your eyes narrowed further suspiciously while you made a mental note to strike at the mentalist later on when you saw him. “...And how did you even know my room number?”

“Yuzuriha.” He answered instantly.

You blinked, mentally questioning if Yuzuriha and Gen had planned something between preparations. ‘Traitors. I'm surrounded by a bunch of traitors.’

You sighed in defeat as you were still half-hiding behind the hotel room door with only your head sticking out, and a bit of your torso, the rest of your body remained concealed inside the room.

An awkward silence settled over the two of you, and you visibly grimaced before clearing your throat. “Uhm…My zipper got stuck.”

“I could tell.” He replied as if it were the most obvious observation ever. And for a moment, you swore he was trying not to snicker again.

You glared at him, which made him sigh afterward, though the amusement lingered on his face. “You gonna let me fix it, or are you planning to miss the wedding?”

Your face burned instantly, and you nearly slammed the door shut in his face. Because logically speaking, yes, asking your ex-boyfriend to help zip up your dress after not seeing each other for three years should've felt absolutely horrifying.

Yet somehow, with a voice so small that tried to conceal any leftover dignity, you asked him. “...Can you help me?”

Senku's expression softened visibly, the amusement leaving his face. “Yeah.”

You stepped aside, allowing him inside as the door clicked shut behind him softly. The front of your body faced the mirror again as you turned around carefully. You tried not to overthink the situation, really.

And suddenly the room felt too small, too quiet. You saw him pause as he checked the situation of your zipper before his hands reached out. The movement that followed came naturally, as if he relied on muscle memory built on repeating the movement countless times. Which, truthfully, he had.

The moment his fingers brushed lightly against your back for a second as he freed the stuck fabric. Your breath got caught in your throat as you attempted not to flinch. You hated how familiar it still felt.

Because for years, you had tried to forget him, even when the sound of his voice haunted you with every memory and traces you had of him left, especially how he sounded that night. The desperation that was evident in his voice, the desperation that nearly made you want to try again.

And now he was standing behind you. Close enough to feel his cold fingers, close enough to smell the cologne he always wore, close enough to realize he was there.

“You got the fabric caught wrong,” Senku muttered as he quietly fixed it. “If you had forced it harder, you would've wrecked the stitching.”

“...Hah, the universe seems to love me today,” you attempted to joke to make the situation lighter and more breathable.

He let out an amused hum. Then, the zipper slid smoothly. It finished within seconds, yet somehow neither of you moved afterward. And for a terrifying moment, it felt as if three years was nothing. Three years of forcing yourself to move on, to which you failed without a doubt.

The mirror reflected you both perfectly, and you hated how your mind compared him to the version preserved in your memories—the last version of him that you still had, the last version of him that you still knew. Not the one you no longer did, the present one standing behind you.

What a painful reminder of love and loss, the past and the present, and the never-ending questions of what was and what could’ve been. It wasn’t fair to your attempts to move on, but then again, the heart sometimes lingers on what once was.

He looked older, not drastically, just enough for you to make a conclusion that he had buried himself in far more projects than he had before. There were traces of change, traces that made your mind question if he was still the Senku you knew.

Then, he took the initiative to move back first. “There, all fixed.”

And somehow, that felt reassuring enough that he still was—or even just a part of him still was—as he has yet again, fixed something for you. Still the same Senku that your heart recognized instantly.

You swallowed painfully, avoiding his gaze. “Thank you…”

“It was inefficient not to.” He replied, and you nearly laughed in a bittersweet manner at how the reply sounded so much like him.

Three years. Three years, and somehow, he still sounded the same, even when there were evident traces of change.

And a painful realization had settled through every fiber of your being. Because seeing him again confirmed something you didn’t want to admit—not because of pride, but of fear. The fear of losing yourself as he constantly chased something else. The confirmation that, despite all the time that passed, all the attempts of forgetting him, loving him had never truly become a past tense thing.

Against your own weak will, your thoughts drifted toward the memory of the final phone call. Etched in the collection of your memories with a terrifying strength. The one with the final birthday greeting and goodbye. The one where you told him not to call again, and he didn’t.

The one that left you both grieving opposite ends of the same loss and future.

You wondered if he still remembered it— no, without a doubt, he did with that absurdly good memory of his, but did he think of it the same way you did? The same way you did on nights that felt quieter and heavier, caused by the constant grieving of what once was and could’ve been?

You wondered if the words exchanged that night haunted him the same way they haunted you in an endless cycle. And the thought hurt far more than it should have.

Senku had noticed the deafening silence that you had as he glanced at his wrist watch. “We should head down before they send someone else to check on us this time.”

You blinked and stared at him for a brief second. Then you nodded, quickly looking away as you fought the sting building in your eyes.

“...Yeah,” you murmured, blinking away the tears that threatened to blur your vision. “Let’s go.”

⋆⭒˚.⋆

The wedding reception somehow felt even louder than the ceremony itself as the after-party bled through the night.

Music echoed throughout the ballroom, while laughter continuously flowed throughout the room, as well as the clinking of glasses and distant chatter from different tables.

There were more people than you thought. You were surprised—at the same time not—when you spotted Byakuya and Xeno talking from a distance before they called you for a brief moment. Stanely was kept occupied by Ryusui, as the younger man kept asking him questions about aviation and aim. Which you found insane, considering it was all for the younger Nanami’s prize possession of games that his older brother programmed.

Honestly speaking, it should've felt comforting. It was, most of the time it was. You've lost count of how many packets of tissues you went through while trying not to ruin your makeup as you cried at the scene of your best friend getting married.

Not to mention the speech you had to say. Though you had gone through a whole glass of champagne before you did, it barely helped as your voice cracked at the first word of your speech.

And after that, a certain thought that you successfully held down throughout the ceremony had broken through your defenses once the after-party started.

The first time it appeared was when you saw him walking down the aisle as the best man. And for a brief moment, you couldn't help but wonder, what if he had been walking down the aisle of his own wedding—your wedding?

He could've been walking down the aisle to wait for you, you could've been walking down the aisle to meet him, toward a lifetime of quiet devotion disguised as efficiency and practicality. Toward fixed problems before you could even notice them. Toward customized inventions. Toward a lifetime of gazing at the stars and astronomical events with him, and promises spoken so casually as if he could make them come through with a snap of his fingers.

And suddenly, all you could think about was the gut-wrenching thought that there was once a version of your life where that could've been real. And that version still haunted you more than the present you were living in.

Perhaps that was why you were aggressively set on proving Ryusui wrong as you participated in a drinking game with him, one filled with rounds of expensive whiskey and a forgotten round of Uno—to which you still questioned who randomly pulled up with a deck.

Still, it ended after a long hour of one round, after Gen tried to change the rules numerous times, after Tsukasa had fallen victim to the plus four cards for a terrifying amount of time, and after friendships nearly ended. Now, the two were a few tables away, watching as Chrome tried to learn a certain dance from some guests all the way from America: Max and Carlos.

Of course, Taiju wanted to join in and learn it as well. Which led to Yuzuriha looking for you and her other bridesmaids.

“You're losing momentum!” Ryusui laughed loudly from across the table with scattered Uno cards, clearly enjoying himself far too much. “What happened to all the confidence earlier?”

You slammed your glass down aggressively, already plotting to ask Sai to hack his games later on. “Shut up, Ryusui.”

Ukyo visibly sweat dropped as he picked up the cards across the table. “This is clearly not going to end well.”

Somewhere within all the noise, Senku remained quieter than everyone else. He had initially been nursing a drink offered to him by Xeno, and refilled by his old man after he was told to loosen up.

Though you had noticed him, and of course, you tried to ignore him every single time you did.

Another cough escaped through your lips suddenly as your hand clutched the edge of the table. Your throat burned afterward, and you questioned if the alcohol was that strong.

Ryusui noticed, as well as the painful lingering glances that were indirectly exchanged between you and his other friend. He pointed a finger at you accusingly. “Oi, you've been coughing for nearly an hour now.”

Your brows furrowed as you stared at him. “Hah? I'm fine.”

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You also said that while shivering twenty-six minutes ago.” He turned to Ukyo. “Am I wrong?”

Ukyo shook his head, to which you shot him a glare and mouthed, “I thought you were on my side.”

You then returned your gaze to Ryusui. “The temperature of the event room is too cold, of course, I'll be shivering, considering I’m not wearing full sleeves like you men.”

Ryusui's eyes trailed farther behind you. They landed on Senku, and immediately, the two communicated through eye contact.

You didn't say a word, barely noticing that he was communicating with Senku, not until someone took the newly refilled glass in your hand before your lips could make contact with it.

You blinked, the alcohol fogging up your brain, making a dangerous combo with the feverish headache you were having. “...Hah?”

You turned immediately and blinked again when you saw him stripped from the tuxedo jacket, which he held with one hand while the other held your glass.

“You've had enough.” He declared softly, leaving no room for argument—you tried anyway.

You frowned instantly. “No, I haven't.”

“You have,” he repeated flatly as Ryusui looked far too entertained across the two of you.

Your frown deepened. “Since when do you decide that?”

“Since you started coughing like your lungs were filing a complaint for your liver.” He shot back, hands already reaching out to wrap the jacket around your frame.

Ryusui snorted loudly while Ukyo had to stifle his laugh. You still glared at both of them.

You faced Senku with a determined look on your face. “I can still drink.”

You were, however, completely ignored as he pressed the back of his hand against your forehead. Your entire body froze at the familiar gesture. Far too familiar.

His brows furrowed as he confirmed his suspicion. “You're burning up,”

You shook your head. “No, it's the alcohol—” you were cut off by a harsh round of coughs, your hand instinctively reaching out for the vest around his waist, clutching the fabric for support.

His hands held you in place as you coughed violently, pushing your hair away from your face gently. “That checks out another thing.”

He signed heavily afterward before grabbing your belongings nearby, to which Ukyo gladly assisted him. He grabbed your purse, then your lip gloss that somehow made its way out of your purse, then your smartphone, then the abandoned heels you had removed hours ago after your feet begged you to sit down.

It was genuinely frightening how effortlessly he slipped back into taking care of you, as if three years were merely nothing in the eyes of Senku Ishigami.

“I can walk on my own,” you argued weakly, already standing up. Yet the moment you did, your knees betrayed you, and you reached for the nearest support, which happened to be his arm.

“Yeah…I don't think that's happening.” Ukyo remarked silently beside Ryusui, who was snickering.

“That didn't count.” You argued weakly again. Senku merely stared at you blankly, one hand holding your purse along with your heels.

“Sure.” He replied flatly.

That was when Nikki had appeared with a stern look on her face, though she was tipsy herself. “And where exactly are you taking her?”

“To rest,” Senku replied without sparing her a glance as he adjusted an arm against you.

Her eyes narrowed. It was honestly hard to even consider Senku doing something weird. He was undeniably far from Ginrou, who had tried to flirt with other female guests earlier. Yet still, her concern for you swallowed the thought.

“...You better not do anything suspicious, Senku.”

Senku looked at her with an unimpressed look. If anything, he looked offended, too. “Seriously? She's running a fever of around thirty-eight degrees and can barely stand.”

That was all Nikki needed to hear. And before another argument could start—especially from you— Senku had lifted you into his arms.

You blinked, confused. “...Huh? Aren't you a twink? How?”

And you swore you saw his eyes twitch visibly as Ryusui and Nikki burst out laughing far too loudly than they should've.

“Physics and astronaut training teach you a lot.” He responded flatly as he adjusted his grip around you once again before staring down at you with a softness in his eyes that a somehow sober part of you wished he didn't have. “You're sick, argue tomorrow.”

You felt your face burn warmer than your body as you instinctively clutched onto him, hiding your face into his shoulder blades and definitely staining his dress shirt with your makeup. And he didn't mind, of course, he didn't.

The moment you and Senku had successfully exited the ballroom, Ryusui looked around at the sober parts of the crowd who pretended as if they weren't listening to the whole interaction that had just unfolded.

Well, unfortunately for some—specifically Gen and Yuzuriha—weren’t exactly so slick at it as they somehow appeared at a closer table than before.

With a confident grin, Ryusui declared loudly. “I bet a hundred thousand yen they'll reconcile by tomorrow!”

⋆⭒˚.⋆

The pounding headache arrived before your memories did, as your consciousness finally returned. You felt a relentless ache throb the second you did, followed by a weak groan from your throat. Your body felt unbearably warm despite the cool air surrounding the room, and your throat felt painfully raw from coughing all night.

Slowly, your eyes cracked open as your hand reached out for the bedside table instinctively. However, for some reason, you couldn’t feel it, as if it was farther from what you were used to. Your eyes shifted, and it was indeed farther away.

Then you halted as a realization settled through as your hands touched the bed weakly. The bed was king-sized, and as far as you remember, your hotel room had two double beds since you shared it with Kohaku.

A wave of confusion washed over you as you propped yourself up against the soft pillows; the sudden movement shot pain through your limbs instantly. Instinctively, you grasped the comforter tightly as you took a moment to focus, trying to make sense of the overwhelming sensations and your new surroundings.

Soft morning light seeped through the curtains, painting pale streaks across the floor and the desk near the window. And that was when you finally noticed him. Senku Ishigami sat slumped in a chair, legs stretched slightly on top of the desk as his head tilted awkwardly against the backrest. One arm rested loosely across his stomach while the other hung limply at his side.

And if it weren’t for your baffled and horrified expression, you would’ve nearly grimaced at the sight of the uncomfortable position he was in. How could someone as logical as him just settle for a sweater and sweatpants to protect him from the cool temperature of the room, not to mention the deeply uncomfortable position he was sleeping in?

Bits and pieces of what had unfortunately unfolded last night resurfaced through the haze in your head. The after-party. The drinking competition with Ryusui, that obviously would lead to your doom, yet you were too stubborn to back down. The memory of Senku having to physically stop you before you fully gave in to self-destruction.

Your mortification burned hotter than your fever as you recalled how you nearly vomited on him after a round of painful coughing. Yet based on the memory that returned, he was as patient as ever when it came to taking care of you.

Your eyes lingered on him again, and faint traces of dark circles settled beneath his closed eyes, more visible than usual due to the soft morning light. His brows remained slightly furrowed even in his sleep, suggesting that he hadn’t rested properly at all.

Had he stayed up late because of you?

The thought made you frown as a wave of guilt struck you hard enough to make your chest twist painfully. You were no longer his responsibility, hence why?

Carefully, you tried to move toward the edge of the bed even as pain shot throughout your body. The mattress creaked from your sudden movement. Just then, Senku stirred awake, his eyes snapping open with an alertness built from a restless night.

His eyes immediately landed on you, his exhaustion vanishing almost instantly that it shocked you.

“...Hey,” His voice sounded rough with sleep as he stood up. “Don’t move around too much.”

Your stomach flipped slightly at how fast he reacted, already moving toward you with an undeniable concern that made your grip on the comforter tighten. And for a moment, your heart was speaking louder than your head.

“You’ve got a fever, a terrible cough, and a hangover that could’ve been completely avoided if Ryusui didn’t indulge you in his acts.” He muttered while walking over. “Lie back down before your condition worsens.”

“Senku—” You tried to call out, yet your voice cracked midway and triggered another cough.

The moment you doubled over slightly, Senku’s expression sharpened instantly. “Easy,”

A hand gently held your shoulders to steady you while the other grabbed a bottle of water positioned and untouched on the bedside table—already prepared.

“Slowly,” He instructed softly while bringing the bottle closer to your lips.

You took a few careful sips before finally managing to speak again. You gazed at him with confused eyes. “...Why am I here?”

Senku blinked once while twisting the bottle cap back on. Though before he could respond, you beat him to it with another remark. “This isn’t my room…”

“Yeah, obviously. It’s mine.” He replied, a faint hint of amusement evident in the tone of his voice as he met your bewildered gaze.

You nearly shrieked. Unfortunately, what came out instead was another terrible, violent coughing fit. The pain tore through your throat as your cough happened to be dry.

Senku clicked his tongue immediately as he pushed the strands of your hair that fell and covered your face. The gesture felt so natural it nearly made your heart ache again. “You really aren’t beating the ‘barely functioning’ allegations right now.”

“Why am I in your room?!” You rasped out between coughs as you briefly glanced at him.

His eyes softened as they stared straight at you. “Your room was farther, your condition was and is still terrible, the others were drunk and in no fit condition to take care of you— Do you want me to keep going?”

He crossed his arms; the tone of his voice held a mix of concern and annoyance. Though the annoyance was overshadowed by his concern and the way he gazed at you softly.

“Kohaku got drunk and lost your keycards. Ryusui took time to fix the situation, and my room was closer.” He spoke so matter-of-factly as if the situation didn’t sound absurd at all.

You stared at him. “You could’ve just left me there—”

“Yeah?” he cut in immediately. “And who would’ve taken care of you?”

You opened your mouth, yet nothing came out. You could still recall how most of your friends were too busy enjoying themselves—and you knew how useless it was to argue against Senku when logic was involved.

He moved back to grab the thermometer on the bedside table, which made you curious about where he got it.

Your eyes followed his movement with curiosity. “Where did you get that? Do you just have one lying around anytime?”

He shook his head and sat on the edge of the bed, near you. “Made Gen and Ryusui take a trip to the nearest store.”

If it weren’t for the weight of your current situation, you would’ve snickered at his answer.

Then, he moved closer to check your temperature. “Your fever reached thirty-nine degrees last night after you coughed loud enough to wake half the floor. You nearly threw up on me twice.”

You stared at him in horror. “Twice? I only remember once.”

He softly flicked your forehead, “That’s the alcohol messing with your brain after that nonsense with Ryusui.”

You groaned and buried your face in your hands. Part of it was from embarrassment from the stupid act, and another part was from remembering the reason you indulged in it in the first place.

“Tch. Don’t do that.” He immediately pulled your hands away from your face before you could rub your eyes. “You’ve already got enough health issues, no need to add more to the list.”

The familiarity of the motion has made your chest tighten again, and you couldn’t muster the strength to look at him. Well, not until another realization washed over you.

“...Why am I wearing different clothes?” You blurted out as another horrified look settled on your face. And you swore you saw him pause briefly.

“Relax before your brain starts making dumb assumptions.” He replied with a flat tone. “I called Nikki to bring your pajamas and help you change after Ryusui dealt with the keycards situation.”

The tension in your body dissolved so quickly it nearly made you dizzy. You exhaled in relief as you felt the stress lift from your shoulders. Though there was still a quiet, heavy weight that remained in your chest from the thought that he still cared after all this time.

Another painful reminder of the ache of unspoken words lost to time.

Senku narrowed his eyes at your expression. “The hell were you assuming?”

You quickly shook your head, triggering a painful throb from your headache. And as if it were a chain reaction, that made him click his tongue. “I told you not to add more problems to your list, didn’t I?”

You ignored his scolding as your eyes shifted to the chair he was initially at. “You slept there the whole night?”

He tilted his head, and you pointed at the chair behind him. His head turned before returning to meet your concerned gaze. He nodded casually, “Yeah.”

And before you could ask why, he was already on his feet again. “Focus on recovering first and don’t move too much.”

He walked toward the desk and grabbed his keycard before shoving it into his pocket. “Then, he turned to you one last time. “I’m getting breakfast. Don’t leave the room.”

“You don’t have to—”

“You need to eat something before taking meds.” He interjected firmly, leaving no room for an argument as his figure faded from your vision. And the last thing you heard was the soft click of the door closing.

⋆⭒˚.⋆

If there was something Senku should’ve taken into account, it should’ve been your terrifying stubbornness. Especially when the situation involved you locked in a room, alone with your thoughts that refused to go down without a fight.

You had lasted exactly ten minutes, on the dot. Ten minutes of staring at a television that played the morning news, yet you were barely listening to it. Instead, you were thinking—thinking far too hard for someone suffering the weight of a headache.

Because what exactly were you supposed to do right after this? Pretend none of it happened? Pretend he hadn’t been sleeping upright in a chair just so he could give you the whole bed to yourself? Pretend he hadn’t stayed awake monitoring your condition when the evidence was visible on his face? Pretend he hadn’t somehow made the task of moving on infinitely harder within the span of a single night?

Because how were you supposed to just move on again after this?

The thought made your chest ache far more than your head did.

With a frustrated sigh, you forced yourself to leave the bed even when your body was practically telling you not to by shooting pain throughout your muscles. Your hand reached out for your cardigan that you found on the room's sofa. You had assumed Nikki must’ve brought it last night.

You wrapped your body around it before quietly slipping out of the room, ignoring the voice in your head that was running through the possibilities of how a certain Ishigami would react.

As you made your way to the ground floor with the interest of checking the hotel gardens and everything that appeared in your way—anything to take your mind off of him, really.

The hotel grounds were quite peaceful, which didn’t surprise you since noon was still a few hours away. Most of the wedding guests were either sleeping off their hangovers or enjoying the amenities scattered around the place. Though you could easily guess that the majority of them chose the former.

You found yourself wandering toward the outdoor pool area before you could reach the gardens. You hoped the change of scenery and the far lessening feeling of being caged in a room would help.

News flash, it didn’t. Especially since a familiar voice entered your line of hearing.

“I was expecting you to still be asleep, or Senku-chan was hovering around you like a doctor.”

You nearly jumped, one hand clutching the fabric of your shirt around your chest area as you turned to Gen. “He is a doctor.”

“Yes, in astrophysics and chemistry.” He grinned, eyes scanning your state, which clearly screamed that you were sick. “I meant a medical one.”

Your nerves calmed down as you hit him weakly as the two of you began walking together. “Thought you knew he got a degree in biology too, out of curiosity.”

Gen sweat dropped beside you as he sipped his cup of coffee. “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten how he wanted to major in all sciences for fun.”

There was a moment of silence that enveloped the two of you as you walked past the pool area, with far more greenery entering your line of sight. The silence wasn’t heavy, unlike your thoughts that refused to remain silent.

Gen slowed his pace to match yours. The last thing he wanted to encounter was having to explain to an overprotective scientist why you’d return looking ready to collapse.

“You shouldn’t be out here, you know?” His voice cut through the peaceful silence.

Your head shifted to stare at him. “I’m trying to escape my thoughts about him and him. Please stop sounding like him.”

He blinked before realization settled over his head. “...You didn’t tell him you went out?!”

Your eyes narrowed at his sudden, horrified reaction. “I thought you knew I didn’t? Do you think Senku would let me leave?”

He waved his hands frantically. “I considered that thought, but I also considered the thought of him letting you get fresh air!”

Then, he tried to turn your direction back to the hotel by grabbing your shoulders, “We should head back before your doctor kills me!”

You pulled away, wrapping your cardigan tighter around you. “He’ll be mad either way since I already left when he told me to stay still.”

Then you looked at him with a tired expression on your face, eyes pleading faintly. “...Just accompany me and do your psychological mentalist stuff, please.”

He sighed before nodding along. “He must be losing his mind right now if he has already returned.”

You hummed; a trace of guilt was evident. “He went to get me breakfast, and I’m sure he went to Francois since he used to have a modified list of foods for whenever I was sick.”

Your hands brushed against the rows of flowers slightly. “It gives me enough time to clear my thoughts about him before returning.”

“And enough time before he sends a full search team?” Gen added with a dramatic tone.

You snickered, “Hey, I doubt he’ll react that excessively.”

Then, with a sudden, serious yet soft voice, Gen spoke, “Can I say something I shouldn’t?”

You glanced at him briefly and grinned softly. “Go ahead, I asked for your psychological mentalist stuff, didn’t I?”

He paused for a moment before smiling faintly. “...I think everyone was shocked when you two ended.”

Your grin faltered as you averted your gaze, casting your eyes toward the expansive view. Gen sensed the shift in your mood and chose to continue carefully after your reaction. “It wasn’t because relationships ending was unusual, that’s normal in life.”

“But because you two felt strangely permanent.” He added, voice laced with nostalgia.

And somehow, the last part made your chest ache once again. Now you were starting to question how many more of those you would have to go through for the remaining time of the day.

You halted for a moment, sensing the emotion in his voice. “The way you say it makes me think you grieved our relationship, too.”

He wheezed slightly, hand covering his mouth. “Hah…You should’ve seen how Chrome reacted to it, especially on the night of Senku-chan’s first birthday after the breakup. He was set on knocking some sense into him.”

A bitter snicker escaped your lips, tinged with sarcasm. The memory of the final phone call burned in your head. “You make it sound like we died, Gen.”

“Maaaybe a little,” He admitted lightly, but the teasing glint in his eyes softened. “You should’ve seen how he was after the breakup.”

You raised a brow, a weak laugh escaping you, laced with disbelief.“That bad?”

He frowned, shaking his head slightly. “Don’t act like it wasn’t for you as well. Yuzuriha filled me in on what happened on your side.”

You abruptly halted, a dangerously suspicious expression settling on your face. “Is that why you sent him to my hotel room yesterday? I knew it, you and Yuzuriha were plotting something.”

Gen merely took a slow sip of his coffee, acting all innocent as you glared at him. “Whatever could you mean? We were just worried about you, you know?”

Your glare intensified, and you lightly jabbed his side. “I also haven’t forgotten that you tried to manipulate your way into changing the rules of Uno last night.”

With an exaggerated shrug, he smiled innocently. “Details, details.”

Then, his voice dropped into something far more serious. “I’ve never seen him so incomplete after you.”

Your gaze softened, yet your fingers gripped the hem of your cardigan tightly, a familiar pang tugging at your heart. “...You give me too much credit, Gen. Senku is still Senku without me.”

For a fleeting moment, Gen was tempted to disagree and argue. Because yes, Senku was still the Senku that everyone knew. He still chased science with the same frightening intensity. He still spent ridiculous hours inside laboratories. Still reached for the future of science with both hands—

But Gen had known and observed the scientist for far too long. He saw the way his excitement barely lingered around the same way it used to, the way his achievements felt more like checkpoints than victories.

Gen saw the way his silence settled in places that used to be filled with your laughter, even when he was constantly moving forward. Constantly moving forward with science, but never from you.

Yet Gen had to swallow the urge to play cupid for now because he saw the way your body was still physically recovering. And he was certain the mad scientist would come for him if he had done something to aggravate your condition.

Hence, he chose not to push further. That was when he looked ahead and spotted familiar figures. “Ah, there they are.”

You mimicked his action the second the golf course came into view. Further ahead, you caught sight of Ryusui and Stanley playing while Xeno stood nearby, nursing a cup of tea.

“This hotel seriously had everything, doesn't it?” You murmured to Gen as you two approached the three.

Gen nodded knowingly right next to you. “It is owned by the King of Greed himself. Of course, he would desire to have everything in his hotel.”

The two of you shared a laugh before reaching the spot where the three were.

Ryusui noticed you immediately and grinned. “Well, well! Look who survived! I was starting to think the alcohol hit you well last night.”

You playfully rolled your eyes as you adjusted your cardigan. “Nice joke, Ryusui.”

Xeno’s eyes studied you briefly before he struck a question. “Tea? It can help soothe your symptoms.”

You tilted your head, wondering how he knew. And as if he had read your mind, he spoke again. “Ah, Senku spoke of them an hour after the after-party.”

Now you were beginning to question just how long he stayed awake last night just to take care of you?

Somehow, you had agreed to Xeno's offer for tea as the two of you sat beneath a shaded area overlooking the golf course. Gen had chosen to stay with the other two to watch their friendly match.

For a while, the conversation remained surprisingly casual. It was easy to talk to Xeno, considering how you had known him since your earlier years spent in high school after you found out that Senku had a mentor across the world.

The conversation circled around the wedding, your current career path, and then the deadly combination of a fever, cold, and hangover.

Until it no longer circled around those, and somehow took a turn into a topic you've been avoiding.

“You and Senku remain painfully obvious, by the way,” Xeno stated flatly while stirring his cup of tea with a teaspoon.

Though his statement made you nearly choke on the tea you were drinking. So much for apparently “soothing” your symptoms.

“Hah?!” You let out a violent cough while quickly setting your tea cup down.

Yet he continued as if you weren't close to choking. “Your pupils dilate every time his name is mentioned or every time you glance at him from across the room. You didn't think you were subtle, did you?”

You stared at him in disbelief before attempting to dismiss his observation. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

His eyes narrowed down at you. “What a poor attempt to lie. Your nervous system doesn't lie, science doesn't lie.”

You let out a frustrated groan, aggressively sipping your tea while choosing to ignore his response.

Xeno exhaled out what sounded like an exhausted sigh. “Truthfully speaking, I can't quite tell if Senku's painfully obvious yearning is worse than yours. It was insufferable having to see it with your own eyes whenever he was in America.”

You blinked, hands slowly placing your tea cup down to your lap. “...Yearning?”

He let out a look of disbelief, mentally questioning if you couldn't get any more oblivious. “You didn't assume he was yearning for you to come back?”

Your face twisted into something taken aback. “Well, I hate assuming unless stated—”

He interjected firmly, “Not even after he nearly begged for you to try again that night?”

Now you were bewildered at his choice of words. “Begged is a strong word, Senku doesn't exaggerate like that!”

Xeno looked baffled at your comment. “I expected that you, of all people, would know the lengths he would go for you.”

He placed his tea cup down with a sigh. “I was aware of it myself, considering he spent quite a long time in America for his doctorate. However, he surprised me further with that comet stunt he pulled.”

Your confusion only grew further, completely unaware of what he was talking about now.

Xeno blinked. “Are you not into comets? I can vividly recall Senku informing me that you adored watching them.”

You looked down silently. “Yeah, I used to— Well, I still do, I just don't watch them anymore because they remind me too much of him.”

You glanced at him briefly. “He was the one who got me into them, y’know?”

He visibly paused. “How tragic…The same goes for him.”

You tilted your head, confused yet again. “Hah?”

Xeno leaned forward, “Say, are you aware of the new potentially greatest astronomical event of the 21st century?”

You narrowed your eyes in confusion. “I'm not updated with any of those. Senku used to be the one making my calendars.”

“Of course he was.” You heard him mutter out before continuing. “There's an extremely bright comet bound to reach perihelion in two years or so. Senku was the one who discovered it.

“At NASA, we follow the standardized naming guidelines, such as naming it after the discoverer.” He then stared straight at you. “Though Senku named his comet after you.”

Your brows knit together instantly, nearly dropping the teacup in your hand. “...He what?”

“He named the comet he discovered after you.” He repeated casually, as if he didn't just drop a bomb of information right at you. “Truthfully speaking, he managed to easily request it after negotiating with the higher-ups. What a romantic way to make use of his reputation, don't you think so?”

You were far too baffled to answer. “...Why would he do that?”

Xeno adjusted his glasses. “You'd have to ask him yourself. Though if I were to hypothesize— he was thinking of you.”

He gazed at you again. “Were you not always like a comet in his life? Disappearing then returning to his orbit after years. He had always considered you as someone who brightened up his days, even when he didn't admit it out loud. It was evident enough.”

“I need you to understand the weight of the information.” Then, he leaned back and took a slow sip of his tea. “He was in the ISS when it happened. He had the world beneath him, the moon near him, the vastness of space surrounding him— and yet he thought of you.”

Your breath caught as your brain was slowly processing the large pieces of information suddenly given to it. Yet your heart was pacing faster than ever.

For the last two years, you had thought he had moved forward with his life after the final phone call. How couldn't you after hearing his name on the news every now and then? He had achieved far greater things even without you—how could you not think he chose to move forward after you told him to?

Your chest ached painfully. How could it not after learning that even after everything, the breakup, even after achieving the dream he had spent almost his entire life chasing—a part of him still curved back to you?

Xeno glanced at you, observing your reaction. He knew his mentee would not be pleased to know that he chose emotional psychological warfare so early in the morning, considering your condition.

Yet what had to be done had to be done.

He paused, thinking over the next set of words he was about to tell you.

“It's such a shame the ring was never used.”

His words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating, and your entire body stilled as you stared at him with something unreadable. You swore you felt your heart falter for a moment as the weight of his words settled through.

“...What?” You managed to blurt out, though your voice was faint.

His eyes narrowed slightly behind his glasses. And this time, he was also confused. It had been almost four years since the ring had appeared in the picture; shouldn't you have known it by now?

“You still don't know?”

The world seemed to stop as every other sound became distant. Everything blurred together, yet your heartbeat didn't as it slammed violently against your ribs.

“What…?” You repeated painfully.

Xeno's brows furrowed as his realization washed over him. You were clueless, genuinely clueless that it caught him off guard.

“You really don't know.” He confirmed loud enough that the three who were pretending not to eavesdrop heard.

You looked back at the other three as they exchanged knowing glances. And that was enough for you to conclude that they knew. They knew information that involved your own life, yet you didn't.

“What ring?” Your voice came out sharper this time. Desperate and demanding for an answer.

“What ring, Xeno?” You repeated desperately as panic began to build up within your nerves.

He paused as he carefully considered whether he should answer your question. Because he was aware that one wrong move could potentially kill the remaining chances of mending what had been broken.

Then finally, he exhaled while silently hoping the decision he made was the right one. “The engagement ring he traveled across three continents to make.”

Everything felt like it stopped this time for real as you stared at him with eyes that blurred from the burning tears that threatened to fall—the burning tears you failed to notice.

For a moment, your brain simply refused to acknowledge what he had just told you. It absolutely couldn't. You had spent years convincing yourself of a different reality, and now you were hearing information that contradicted the whole thought completely.

“He was planning to propose…?” Your voice finally cracked through as you held back a sob that threatened to escape.

Your stomach twisted violently after hearing your own words. Because suddenly memories were resurfacing—memories that connected the dots you failed to notice.

Multiple memories burned through your head, yet the ones that burned the most were his promise to show you every other comet, the news that he built the house you had talked about over what you thought was just a forgotten memory in his head, and the way he sounded desperate to try again during the final phone call.

He was planning to propose, yet you had given up on him before he could.

“...I believe,” he began slowly as he placed his tea cup back on the table. “It would be better if Senku answered that for himself.”

You stood so abruptly that the chair nearly toppled over behind you. And for a moment, the world tilted. The sudden movement sent a violent pulse of pain through your head, making your vision blur for a brief moment.

Your fever and headache immediately protested, yet they weren't enough to silence the burning adrenaline that seeped through every nerve in your body, as well as the violent pounding of your heart that was seeking for an answer to the question Xeno had refused to answer.

“...He was planning to propose?”

Your own question burned inside your head, desperate to be answered, as well as the memory of another question.

“What ring, Xeno?”

Your legs were already moving before your mind could catch up. The golf course disappeared behind you as the garden came into your view once again. The neatly cut grass blurred together with the pathways of the hotel as you broke into a run.

Immediately, your body rebelled against your action as it was in no state for the sudden physical movement. Pain shot through your limbs again, yet you kept running out of desperation.

Out of the desperation for answers—answers that you needed to hear from him.

The other three decided to break their silence as they approached Xeno, who watched as your figure disappeared from his view, as if he was calculating something in his head again.

“Xeno-chan!” Gen’s frantic voice was the first to break the silence. “Why would you tell her that?!”

Stanley lowered his golf club before glancing sideways at Xeno. “Won’t your mentee be furious at you for that?”

Gen whipped his head towards Stanley, “Furious is an understatement! I stopped myself from overstepping because of her condition and the fact that Senku-chan would definitely come for my throat!”

Ryusui couldn’t even tell if he found the situation concerning or amusing. “Seriously! She’s still sick, Xeno.”

Xeno calmly adjusted his glasses, entirely unbothered by the accusations thrown his way. “Exactly, I calculated for these specific conditions.”

They all stared at him with matching confusion and disbelief.

Xeno let out a sigh, as if his answer should’ve been painfully obvious by now. “Senku is currently at peak emotional concern for her condition. Which significantly heightens the probability of honest communication once they encounter each other again.”

“You manipulated the timing on purpose.” Stanley deadpanned as soon as he understood what Xeno was trying to say.

“Correct.” He didn't even bother denying it.

All three of them stared once again as the scientist simply took another sip of his tea.

“You make it sound like you're proud of that,” Gen groaned dreadfully.

“I am. I calculated the timing perfectly.”

“Xeno-chan!”

“What?” Xeno replied flatly. “Would you have preferred another year of this?”

The question silenced Gen because, unfortunately, he had a point. A terribly honest point.

“For three years, they've remained mutually attached to one another.” He began listing with his fingers. “Neither has moved on, neither has entered a new relationship, both continue to yearn for one another painfully without knowing it.”

Then, he folded his arms. “Yet neither of them attempted to resolve the situation. Well, if we don't consider Senku’s attempt two years ago, which truthfully I think he should've tried harder.”

He paused and raised a brow at them. “Tell me why exactly I should continue tolerating that? Though it doesn't affect Senku's work efficiency, it does affect his silence.”

Gen opened his mouth, only to close it after a moment. He opened it again and sighed. He knew Xeno was right; he confirmed it with his debriefing sessions with Yuzuriha every now and then regarding both sides of the relationship.

Stanley gazed upon the hotel, then at Xeno. “Still doesn't explain why you told her about the ring.”

Ryusui nodded in agreement. The expression on his face was suddenly serious. “Stanley's right. Senku hasn't even told her closest friend, Yuzuriha, about it. I doubt Gen and the others would've known too if they hadn't noticed it.”

Xeno gestured for them to sit down. “The comet wasn't enough.”

Gen blinked in disbelief. “You literally just told her he named a comet after her…”

He nodded. “That I did, however, she already knew he still cared.”

“He took care of her the whole night simply because she was sick,” he took another slow sip of his tea. “The comet only supported that idea far greater, as well as confirmed that he still thought of her.”

“The ring, on the other hand, confirmed that he had planned a future with her.” He continued with a scheming look on his face. “The moment she heard of the proposal, every assumption she had built over the course of three years collapsed. Which forced immediate confrontation since she's seeking answers from him now.”

Ryusui grinned at him, though his disbelief was still evident. “Haha! You're insane, Xeno!”

Gen groaned dramatically into his hands once again. “Senku-chan is going to come for you— for us, for not interfering too.”

He turned his head at Xeno. “You told his ex-girlfriend about the proposal he never got to give, he's going to drown us in acid!”

Xeno merely shrugged. “I doubt it. I've already considered his reaction.”

“Once they reconcile, he will be too occupied to remain angry.” Then, with a scheming smile, he spoke. “Or the second he sees her running back to him, crying and demanding answers, he'll significantly have larger concerns than drowning us in acid.”

The silence that followed lasted exactly three seconds. Ryusui was the first to break it as he doubled over laughing. Gen stared in disbelief, wondering how he dragged himself into this, while Stanley fought the urge to laugh, though a smile broke through.

“You planned his reaction too?!” Gen yelled, horrified at the insanity of the conversation.

Xeno merely hummed. “Of course, I had to keep everything precise in order to win the betting pool. And if the latter happens, it gives me enough time to orchestrate a plan in case the worst-case scenario happens.”

“I can't believe you orchestrated that because of a bet! Can’t believe you joined it too!”

“Correction, that's merely forty percent of my reasoning. Truthfully speaking, my main objective was to save both parties another year of watching and suffering their painfully obvious yearning.”

He smiled smugly. “Senku had another two years to improve his emotional intelligence. I'm certain he won't screw this up this time.”

⋆⭒˚.⋆

The elevator ride felt far too slow.

Every second dragged unbearably as your thoughts spiraled for answers faster than your body could keep up with. Your fever still burned beneath your skin, your head still throbbed painfully, and your lungs protested instantly the second you halted when you reached the elevator.

Yet your adrenaline continued to drown everything out. Because all your head could think—all you could hear were fragments of memories: the engagement ring, the proposal that never occurred.

“I’ll show you every other comet myself if I have to.”

“No, don’t say that.”

“I'm sorry I kept making you wait.”

“Will your life be better if I remain out of it?”

“I’ve never seen him so incomplete after you.”

“You'd have to ask him yourself. Though if I were to hypothesize— he was thinking of you.”

“It's such a shame the ring was never used.”

Your hands trembled violently as you stumbled through the hallway, nearly missing the room number entirely before stopping it. And before hesitation could or the pain could stop you, your hand tapped the keycard on the door, and shoved it open with the remaining strength that you had.

Inside the room, a disheveled Senku immediately turned towards the door the second he heard the abrupt sound. He stood beside the desk, phone pressed against his ear.

The relief on his face appeared instantly. So immediate and genuine that it nearly hurt you far more than it should have.

“There you are,” he breathed out sharply, relief overshadowing the concern in his eyes.

His shoulders visibly loosened as if he'd been holding tension in them the entire time you were gone.

On the other side of the call, you heard Kohaku's concerned voice. “Is she back?!”

Senku dragged a hand down his face. “Yeah, she's here already. I'll call you back later.”

Then he ended the call. The moment the phone lowered from his ear, his expression shifted again—relief was quickly overtaken by concern as he took in your state properly.

He noticed your uneven breathing, your flushed skin, your trembling fists as they clutched near your sides. And the tears that gathered in your eyes. He immediately frowned, questioning why there were tears in your eyes.

He clicked his tongue softly, already striding towards you. “What the hell were you thinking wandering around while running a fever and a hangover? Your lungs were still filing a complaint earlier and—”

“Senku.” You cut him with a voice that cracked badly enough to stop him, staring straight at him with eyes that burned with tears.

Your hands clenched tighter at your sides as the emotions and everything else in between felt too much. First, the proximity because of the wedding, the fact that he took care of you the whole night because you were sick, the yearning, the comet—and now, the ring.

You swallowed hard as your heart violently pounded against your rib. “...What ring was Xeno talking about?”

Silence. You were met with complete silence the second the words escaped from your lips. It was almost horrifying when you noticed the way he went still with a slight frown.

Yet before you could say another word, his expression shifted into something else as his focus changed entirely. Because, despite the situation, his main concern was still you.

“Tch,” he stepped forward again, brows furrowing further. “Sit down first before you pass out.”

You shook your head, and your voice cracked harder this time. “No, answer my question.”

His jaw tightened faintly. “Did Xeno seriously tell you that while you're sick?” He muttered under his breath, sounding half irritated and half horrified.

He moved closer until his hand could reach out and touch your forehead, expression turning far more visibly concerned.

“You're burning up again,” his voice lowered. “Did you seriously run all the way back here with your condition?”

You swatted his hand away weakly, and your eyes watered harder. “Answer me first.”

A cough suddenly tore through your throat before you could stop it, making his expression immediately darken as he grabbed a hold of you gently.

“See? This is why you shouldn't have wandered around.” He grabbed the nearest water bottle and pushed it near you. “Drink first.”

You stared at him with disbelief. “How can you still avoid the question right now?!” Your throat burned harder at the sudden rise of your voice.

“Because your condition's getting worse by the second.” He shot back immediately, eyes narrowing at you. “Your fever had already hit thirty-nine degrees earlier, and then you went ahead and wandered around the hotel on your own—”

You fought back the cough that threatened to escape. “Were you going to propose to me?”

He went silent once again, that even the faint trace of irritation on his face disappeared as you stared at him with pleading, teary eyes.

“...Answer me,” you demanded weakly as your breathing shook unevenly.

He remained silent and turned his head away. And that alone shattered you further because he rarely looked away from situations, especially the difficult ones.

“Please,” your voice broke completely. You needed to hear it from him. “Please just answer me, Sen.”

Though before he could speak, another rough cough broke through from your throat. Far worse than the previous ones, as you had to hold onto his arms to steady yourself.

And instantly, he held you tighter as his eyes finally returned to you again

“Easy,” his voice dropped into something softer. “Don't push yourself too hard.”

Your eyes remained locked onto him desperately. Your heart needed to hear the answer from him before it completely tore itself apart. “Were you?”

Then finally, after what felt like an eternity of forcing the answer out of him, he exhaled shakily through his nose.

“...Yeah.”

The single word was enough to destroy you completely; your face crumbled instantly as your tears finally spilled. A broken sound escaped your throat this time, and your knees suddenly felt weak.

Senku caught you immediately, his grip tightening again. “Hey—”

Another cough hit you harshly, followed by a sharp shot of pain through your head, painful enough to make you squeeze your eyes shut.

He clicked his tongue, adjusting his hold on you as panic flickered onto his face. “Your condition's getting worse, you need to lie back down—”

But you clutched onto the fabric of his sweater before he could move you away. Your lungs felt tight, your chest hurt—everything hurt. Because suddenly, the last three years no longer made any sense.

“Why? You cried out weakly. “Why didn't you tell me?”

Senku didn’t answer again as he held you in his arms carefully, as if he could stop you from falling apart completely because of him. His touch bled through the fabric of your sleeves, grounding and painful all at once.

Your hands clutched onto the fabric tighter, enough to wrinkle it. “Why didn’t you say anything? First the house, then the ring— Why didn’t you tell me any of it?”

“When I said I couldn’t do it anymore…The first time, three years ago, the second time, when you called two years ago…” You spoke around another sob. “Why didn’t you stop me?”

His expression shifted slightly, so subtly that most people would miss it. But you didn’t, because after loving him for so long, you had learned every version of his silence.

And this one—this one looked painful.

“Why didn’t you try to make me stay…?” Your breathing staggered. “I would’ve— I would’ve stayed— I would’ve returned back to you if you tried.”

His throat bobbed harshly, and for several seconds, he didn’t say anything. Then, finally,

“...You were crying.” The answer came out barely above a whisper. It sounded raw, immediate, yet honest.

“You were crying so hard you could barely breathe.” His voice sounded rough as his eyes held regret. “All I could think about was the fact that I caused it.”

“You looked exhausted.” He let out a laugh that sounded weak and bitter. “Like being with me was wearing you down.”

And truthfully speaking, it did.

Your chest physically ached when you heard him say that. It triggered another set of tears to roll down your face.

“I wanted to stop you, ten billion percent wanted to.” He confessed, the regret in his eyes mixed with longing.

“But every conclusion pointed towards the same thing.” He continued, voice growing quieter with every word. “If I made you stay…You would've kept pushing yourself past your limit.”

His right hand reached out closer to your face, thumb gently wiping away your tears. A gesture far too familiar.

“That would've been worse than losing you.”

To everyone else, his words would've sounded like another one of his logical solutions, calculated after weighing the variables of the situation. But you knew better. You knew better because you knew him.

You knew what he was trying to say behind the weight of his words. He had let you go, not because he had stopped loving you, not because he thought chasing you was irrational—not because he wanted to.

All you could hear was the confession buried beneath a facade of logic.

I let you go because I loved you too much to keep hurting you.

A broken sob escaped you instantly, and before you could stop yourself, you moved with the remaining strength you could muster.

Your arms wrapped around him desperately, almost collapsing into him from the sudden movement and the sheer weight of everything hitting you all at once.

You felt him freeze as your fingers curled into the fabric of his sweater, your face buried into his shoulders as your body trembled against him.

“For someone so smart, you're an idiot at this.” You cried brokenly. “I would've said yes if you asked.”

Senku inhaled sharply as you sobbed violently on his shoulders.

“I would've said yes even if you proposed even when I was falling apart because I loved you so stupidly that I wouldn't care at all— I would've said yes to you every single time.”

For one horrible second, he didn't move. But then he did. His arms wrapped around you, gentle yet firm, as if restraint itself had snapped completely.

One hand pressed against the back of your head, while the other held your shaking body close against his. The way he held you felt careful, desperate, almost disbelieving. Like a man mourning something he thought he had permanently lost.

For a moment, your sobs were the only thing that could be heard as he held you in his arms. But then, a cough suddenly ripped through your throat again. And immediately, his hold shifted.

He clicked the roof of his tongue. “Your condition's really getting worse.”

You shook your head weakly against his shoulder, hugging him tighter. “I don't care.”

“Yeah, well, I do.” His tone was firm, leaving no room for debate.

And before you could even muster a retort, he lifted you in his arms and strided across the room almost instantly.

“Hey—!”

He sat you down on the chair in the desk area, and that was when you noticed a tray of food with a plate that was covered with a cloche.

“Before you ask again like last night, it's basic physics and training.” He shot flatly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

His hand moved to adjust your cardigan, then to your face once again as he wiped the remaining tears away. And finally, he pushed your hair back from your face, fingers making contact with the skin of your forehead.

“... You're literally burning up,” he remarked softly.

You tried to laugh weakly through tears. “Yeah, you've mentioned that a lot today.”

“Because it keeps getting worse.” His hands moved to remove the cloche, and the aroma of a warm, comforting soup reached your nose almost instantly.

“You're suffering a fever, a hangover, and a cough.” He took the utensils in his hands. “How the hell did you even manage to leave and run back like that?”

Your eyes drifted away guiltily for half a second because you could audibly hear the concern in his voice. “...Adrenaline?”

He stared at you in disbelief before grabbing the other chair to sit next to you. “You need to eat first and drink medicine.”

You opened your mouth to argue immediately. “We still have a lot to talk about—”

“And we will,” he cut you off softly, bringing the spoon full of soup close to your lips after he checked the temperature of it. “After your condition gets better.”

Bonus:

The medicine worked slowly, but enough to bring down your temperature and fade the ache in your head, and your cough had finally lessened.

Senku stood near the desk as you lay on the bed again, covered beneath the comfort of blankets. He had to answer a call after your condition had finally improved.

You shifted slightly after half-listening to him speak to a co-worker, to which you were barely interested besides hearing his voice.

“Senku…” You softly called out to grab his attention.

He hummed and tilted his head as he shoved his phone back into his pocket. “Yeah?”

You hesitated for a brief moment. “...What happens now?”

He remained silent for a few moments as if he was thinking about the question you asked. Then, he replied. “Depends.”

You tilted your head this time, brows knitted slightly. “Depends on what?”

His gaze remained on you. “...Whether you'd still choose me again.”

You blinked for a few seconds before your face twisted in absolute disbelief. “You’re really an idiot…”

And before he could process it properly, a pillow hit him square on the face.

“Oi—”

“For someone with a ridiculously high IQ, you seriously suck at this!” You snapped, tears already forming around your eyes again.

The pillow landed on his foot, and you continued. “You're really asking me that— After all of this?!”

He stared at you silently, genuinely caught off guard at your sudden outburst.

You angrily wiped your tears away. “It was so hard trying to move on from you— Avoided any mention of you at all costs, kept convincing myself ending things was for the better—”

You looked away, embarrassed by how emotional you suddenly sounded again, then looked back just to glare at him. “And you're standing here, indirectly asking me if I still love you? Jerk.”

He stayed still for another second, but then, you heard a soft snort, followed by a laugh. Your anger nearly rose again at his reaction as he walked towards you, hand covering his mouth as he tried to conceal his laughter.

You threw a decorative pillow at him this time. “Stop laughing! I'm literally having an emotional breakdown because of you!”

He caught it before it could land on his face again. Then, he sat near you on the edge of the bed and noticed that there were still tears on your face.

His hand instantly reached out again to wipe them away. With a soft voice, he said, “Stop crying already.”

“I hate seeing you cry,” his knuckles brushed gently against your cheek. “Especially because of me.”

“Glad you're self-aware.” You spat out, yet you didn't pull away from his touch.

He snickered, gaze softening at your words as a smile settled on his face.

Then, a question appeared in your head, making you shift closer to him. “Can I see the ring?”

His reaction was immediate. He stared at you as if you had asked him to travel and inspect the core of the sun— or the edge of the observable universe.

“No.” He replied firmly.

Your face fell. “What do you mean, no?”

He shook his head and repeated, “No.”

Your jaw dropped. “What— Why?!”

Senku looked genuinely offended by your question. “You literally just gave me the possibility of proposing again.”

You felt your left eye twitch. “But I want to see the ring!”

The bastard had the audacity to turn away. “Request denied.”

You gasped dramatically and grabbed a pillow to smack him this time. Yet he barely reacted.

“Xeno said you traveled three continents to make it. I want to see why!”

He clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Xeno told you too much. I'm having a talk with him later.”

You whined and grabbed his arm. “I want to see the ring.”

“And I said no.” He replied, far more firmly this time.

Then, he reached for his tablet on the bedside table. “I have something else to show you instead.”

You moved closer eagerly. “Is it the 3D design of the ring?”

He frowned and clicked his tongue again. “Why are you so eager to see it?”

“Because you were supposed to propose with it. Can't you sense the weight of that?!”

He didn't answer; instead, he tapped on the screen before handing the device to you.

You blinked, confused, before taking it from his hands. That was when your eyes landed on countless photos of comets. Each image contained the comet's name, the date, coordinates, and other observation details.

Your throat tightened as you looked up at him. He was already staring at you with a soft gaze that made your heart falter for a moment.

“I told you I'll show you every other comet, didn't I?”

A memory flashed in your head for a brief moment as you froze. The hill, a telescope, NEOWISE, and “I'll show you every other comet myself if I have to.”

Your vision blurred instantly as you set the tablet down on your lap. “...Hah, and you kept saying I was the sappy one.”

He snickered softly, making you jab his arm weakly as your voice cracked between your next words. “You kept your promise— Gosh, I hate you so much!”

You jabbed him harder this time, earning a small yelp from him. He raised a brow at you, rubbing the spot. “That's what I get in return?”

You glared at him through tears. “You documented comets after we broke just to show me, and then you named one after me, too.”

His eyes narrowed in annoyance. “I'm definitely having a talk with Xeno after this.”

You ignored his statement and wiped your tears away with the sleeves of your cardigan. “I could kiss you right now if I weren't sick and contagious.”

You muttered out, using the term he used to use whenever you were sick back then.

He chuckled lightly before moving closer to cradle your face with his hand. Then, his thumb slowly wiped a stray tear away. And before you could say anything else, he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on your forehead.

“You're acting like I haven't shown you comets before, idiot.”

A/N: ARGHH, IT WAS SO FUN WRITING THIS EVEN WHEN I WAS SICK (manifested it while writing this, LMAO) I really hope Senku wasn’t ooc, or the other characters cuz I tried really hard to make sure they weren’t. Anyways, thank you all again for patiently waiting. I hope I've given the therapy to heal the damage I've done with the previous part, mwhehe. Love you guys, mwah! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ TAGLIST for those who requested pt.2: @alonelyartist1432 @nanasecrect @auverry1 @readerisbusyreading @coralsands-world @riettyinsanji @alexa24 @kiyocakes @rachel178 @cosmicmonky @syaliscen @choneio @yokokoy @teacup-fics @ranzemn @alorss @4r13y @larisa-post

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