🪷 Voyager 🌙🌻

☄️In the HEART of the Stars ✨ ||MULTIFANDOM/MULTISHIPPER|| ⚠️MINORS PLS DONT FOLLOW ME DNI 🔞⚠️ Buddha' sweet wife🪷 Venture's treasure💎 Senku's variable⚗️ Mizuki's luckycharm🍀

[solusvakarian]

I usually don't like to share the commissions I ask for in other social media other than FB or Instagram, but THIS specific one is so special, I love it 🥹💛

LOVE YOU SO SO SO MUCH SLOAN CAMERON aka VENTURE 🥰💜💛

The song that always comes to my mind when I see, think about them:

HEHEHEJEHE CLOSE UP ✨✨

VOYAGER BEING SO TOUCH STARVED WITH THEM 🤭💛💜

GRACIAS POR TODO SLOAN, POR TI LE ECHO GANAS A MI VIDA, A CUIDARME Y A LA CHAMBA!! ✨

Thanks to Alondra Dian for the comm✨

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter/X

[nari-kami]

TODAY HISTORY WAS MADE✨

Welcome back Stanley Snyder!

Magical au stanxeno how I have missed you (but not your outfits)

[kooldewd123]

i will never stop loving how dr stone gives us a stoic supergenius protagonist who's always idolizing science and logic and stuff and then instead of going the easy route and using that framework of cold logic to make him some aloof holier-than-thou figure who's above such petty things as "emotions" and "friendship" the show goes no! senku is actually a deeply compassionate person because that is in fact the logical conclusion to come to. there is no such thing as a lone genius. science is a collaborative effort, built upon the shoulders of those who came before. all of senku's vast mountains of knowledge would amount to absolutely nothing if it wasn't backed up by taiju's strength, yuzuriha and kaseki's crafting skills, chrome's ingenuity, the practical experience of people like ukyo and ryusui, the many individual skills of each and every person in the kingdom of science, the tens of thousands of years of human progress it took to build up those stores of knowledge in the first place, and the eternal faith and support of his father byakuya. every action senku takes is not simply borne out of devotion to science, but out of devotion to this specific understanding of science - the understanding that scientific progress is inextricably linked to society itself and that one cannot exist without the other. senku may be the smartest man alive (not to mention the de facto leader of humanity's remains), but he still recognizes that he is only a single man, no more or less important to humanity's survival than anyone around him.

[afterdarksad]

WHAT is going on in new episode!? Why so extremely hot here! (⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝)

[kzhyxmi]

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

[chioccetta]

Just wanted to draw Xeno bein all slutty...bon apetit

also you can get it as a standee

[whoiskohi]

𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 | 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘬𝘶 𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘹 f!𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

Summary: Senku is messing up his sleeping schedule. Why? you wonder until he appears in your tent at midnight.

warnings: fluff, soft!senku, Senku's bad with feelings and needs a hug.

word count: 1.5k

𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈𖥸┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸

You were tired and confused.

Your whole body was giving out as you tried to keep moving through the village while Senku continued explaining equations and measurements for the next healing pill he wanted to prepare, but he'd been like this for days with different projects on mind; working himself to exhaustion without a break. You noticed he wasn't sleeping well with the baggy eyes and the current headaches he had and complaint about. You didn't understood why he was doing that when he always said it was very important to sleep and rest well.

So why was he contradicting himself?

Why was he messing up his sleep schedule?

Was he working on some secret project? You heavily doubted that because every single one of them was discussed with the team, so it couldn't be that his motive to exhaust his body to those extremes.

You wanted to ask so bad the reason behind his contradiction, but you weren't the only one with this concern; everyone in the Ishigami Village noticed his unhealthy new routine, and every time someone brought the topic, Senku said he was fine and that it wasn't a big deal.

So you didn't bother being the next one being dismissed by the prodigy scientist as the moon announced the end of the day, he would eventually tell you his reasons, but now you kept listening for a little while until his words were just carried on by the wind and long forgotten by you. "Sorry Senku," he stopped talking and looked at you, "I would love to keep listening to your explanation, but I can't keep my eyes open any longer; today's been a rough day" you yawned at the end of your explanation and Senku nodded. He knew you were tired, after all, he was the one telling you to go and look for some materials with Chrome and Kohaku.

"Yeah, go and rest, tomorrow we'll need other materials" He explained as he wave his hand in a simple and unhurried movement.

***

The quiet of the night welcomed you as you opened your eyes in the middle of the night. You usually didn't woke up this early, so you were very confused as to why the sudden change in your sleep schedule. You didn't feel cold to woke up by it, in fact, you felt extremely warm. Instead, the feeling of being tucked and embraced along with a soft breeze in your neck called your attention.

It was very dark for your eyes to see clearly, so you had to pay attention with your other senses; you smelled some chemicals around you, but you were in the lab for so long that you wouldn't be surprised these smells were impregnated in your clothes and hair. Then, the only sound in the environment was your breathing and some crickets at the distance. Finally, your hands felt warm, abnormally warm. Usually you are comfy in bed with the perfect temperature, but now you felt your bed a little hotter than usual.

You moved a little to get comfortable and go back to sleep when you heard some groans complaining for the disturbance. You recognized that tone as confusion invaded your whole being, "S-Senku?" You stumbled over your words still analyzing the situation you were in at its fullest. It took you a few seconds to understand that he was inside your tent, sleeping by your side and hugging you, "Wha-what are you doing here?"

"Shut up, I'm trying to sleep" he muttered while hugging you closer to his body.

You blinked a couple more times to adjust to the darkness and observed him carefully. Senku had his eyes closed as he settled his head in the space between your neck and your shoulder with a slow and calm breathing; he was relaxed in your presence.

I'm trying to sleep.

I'm trying to sleep.

I'm trying to sleep.

His words repeated in your mind continuously and more questions appeared in your mind.

Why is he doing this?

When did he arrived?

Why was he in your bed hugging you?

Was he waiting for you to go to sleep to get in your tent?

Not that you complaint about it, but this was extremely weird. At least, coming from him.

"Your thoughts are to loud" he mumbled against your skin and you almost laughed at how cute he sounded with his voice being muffled out; it was like seeing his kid version all over again when Byakuya mentioned something that flustered him and he denied it over and over again for how cheesy his father sounded.

You caresses his hair thinking of those childhood moments that were to old but you held close to your heart, "Sorry, I'm just curious of your presence right now"

He grumbled in discontent again. "It's nothing, really"

You narrowed your eyes in skepticism even though the darkness was stealing your expressions from his eyes. "I know something is up you if you did this, Senku" you could feel the warm of his body enveloping you completely as he moved closer and closer, "What's bothering you?"

He moved his head a little to speak so his words were clear. "Nothing important," and he rearranged himself again into your neck.

So stubborn as always with this kind of things, you thought, "It's just us right now, you can talk to me". You pulled the cover so his shoulders were protected from the cold night that threat you two.

He sighed and you felt his body moving a little to speak, "I've been having nightmares"

It sounded so simple, so unimportant, something like a child would say to cherish their mother's embrace, but you knew that coming from Senku, it weighted a lot, it meant a lot. He wouldn't have done something like tonight if it wasn't important. So, if it was because of a nightmare, it had to be a terrible one.

"Do you want to talk about it?" you were cautions with him, trying to not rush him into emotions because it wasn't his field, trying to hold his hand gently through his hard time, trying not to scare him like a wounded little animal from a threat.

"Not really, it's illogical"

It's not like you're complaining about it, but you were hoping that the darkest could give him some freedom over his characteristic vulnerability shield of his. After all this years, he was still the same adamant scientist hiding his true emotions.

"Is that's why you haven't been sleeping that much lately?" you asked caressing his shoulders like a lullaby.

Senku nodded, "It's the same one every time I close my eyes, and once it happens, I can't sleep again even if I try over and over again"

"Oh" you held him closer, "Well, you can try and rest now"

He nodded again and settled back against your chest. You didn't need more words, so you kept petting him and giving him quiet comfort trying to erased his worries away, even when you knew that's physically impossible.

The crickets in the distance sang to you both as you felt your eyelids grow heavy and fell into the arms of Morpheus.

***

The morning arrived calm and restorative. You heard some people talking away from your tent as you settled back into your sheets to sleep a little longer until your responsibilities called, but someone complained about your decision.

"Mmhm... s-stop moving" Senku mumbled still half asleep and you opened your eyes instantly at the sound of his morning voice.

You looked at him carefully thinking it had to be some kind of dream. You pinched yourself to check if the event before your eyes was real, only to realize that it was.

Senku was in your tent.

He was hugging you right now.

What happen last night wasn't a dream.

You remained still as you watched him sleep peacefully for a few minutes; he looked so calm, like he could finally rest from the worry of civilization over his shoulders. You moved some rebel hairs out of his face and caressed his cheek. He was still the same kid you grew up with, the one that used technology to scare off bullies, the one that took care of his father and his admission to space, the same Senku that helped you with your school homework and tests, the same one that took care of you when you got sick and the same kid that now was trying to restore the humanity from zero.

"Will you keep watching me sleep or what?" his voice called you back to Earth as you wondered what nightmare had kept him like that for so long, but you knew he wouldn't tell you, so it was useless to ask.

Maybe it was the first time that he could sleep like that since the nightmares, you thought. "So, how did you sleep?" you asked him as he scratched the back of his neck.

He remained quiet for some seconds processing his current state; he felt way better than before, he felt rested and the headache disappeared. Probably the nightmare gave him a break this time. "Good."

Simple and straightforward as always, you thought and laughed to yourself. "Good" you smiled at him. "Maybe you need to sleep here now" you joked.

But he always gave you surprises.

"Yeah, maybe, I need you so I can sleep."

[slipng]

moon and earth

[slipng]

moon and earth

[yokokoy]

ּ֯ . ❥ ּ֯ ┆꒰ ASKING CHARACTERS OF DR.STONE ID THEY WOULD STILL LOVE YOU AS A WORM .ᐟ ꒱

── .✦ Dr. stone x reader ( no pronouns used )

── .✦ warning : fluff, teasing, ukyo being a cutie pie, flirting, talking of reigning over humanity ( i let you guess who it is…)

Part 2

[seashellsbythesea]

Life as Ishigami Senku's ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤclassmate? Friend? Lover...? — A story of how you and our beloved scientist met before the petrification.

╰┈➤ ゛Ishigami Senku x GN! Reader ⸝⸝.ᐟ⋆ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ⋮ ⌗Pre-petrification, Strangers to Friends, ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ Friends to Lovers(?), Textfic ┆ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 2026©seashellsbythesea

──────────⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ ✮⋆˙──────────

──────────⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ ✮⋆˙──────────

i love how senku canonically uses kaomojis

i also posted this on tt under the user seashellsbythese4 !!

[kzhyxmi]

Happy Birthday, Please Don't Call Me Again⋆˙⟡ S.Ishigami

SYNOPSIS: After a devastating breakup caused by years of distance, missed moments, and the quiet loneliness of loving someone who chased the stars, you spend Senku Ishigami's first birthday since then, desperately trying not to reach out. But with the taunting memories that refused to leave you peacefully, it led to an impulsive greeting minutes before the end of January 4th. And before you knew it, he was already calling.  WC: 11,626 (I tried to make it short, I PROMISE) TAGS: The notebook and the wind rises references, the man who can’t be moved? More like the scientist who can’t be moved, angst, a bit of fluff, and crack (I think?), drinking alcohol, no beta, I’m an independent woman, gang.  A/n: Had this idea before bed, stayed up to plot it instead of going to sleep and giving me and my readers peace (love you guys, mwah). PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LISTEN TO Autumn by Niki, Lover, you should’ve come over by Jeff Buckley, and Merry Christmas, Please Don't Call by Bleachers (main song inspo). Some angst to balance out the tooth-rotting fluff from my last fic. 

The first time you had come to realize that you've ruined everything was not during the awfully messy breakup. 

It wasn't when you came to a gut-wrenching decision to choose yourself over the man you swore you would choose over and over again if it meant you could love him. 

It wasn't during the arguments that spanned across the Pacific Ocean over a call challenged by a 13-hour time difference and forgotten anniversaries. 

It wasn't during your last conversation with Senku, and he had asked you, “...You’re giving up on us?” with a face that held the faintest crack in his composure despite being a millimeter far from breaking apart completely, and a voice so small—stripped from his usual confidence—it made you want to shake your head and reach out for him once more.

It wasn't when you could barely speak from how badly you were sobbing, yet somehow managed to let out a broken, “I’m losing myself by constantly choosing you while you choose something else.” 

No. 

It wasn't any of those painful moments you wished you could selectively erase from your memory, even if it meant erasing the last memory you have of him. 

It was afterward, in the quiet, deafening silence. During the hollow moments that felt heavier than the weight of the world, left by the absence of him and the mourning of what could’ve been.  

Because for the past year, your mind has been nothing but a graveyard of your what-ifs; your mind entertained each one even when your heart begged for it to stop.

What if you had stayed as his friend instead?

What if you had chosen to simply remain as the girl who sat beside him during lunch as he discussed rocket engines as if they were his second nature?

What if you had chosen to be selfless instead of selfishly pushing your feelings onto him all those years ago in high school, merely because the silent act of loving him began to hurt? 

Perhaps then you wouldn’t have to bear the weight of losing him entirely—with nothing left of him for you to hold on besides the burning blend of memories that haunted you constantly.

Perhaps then you could’ve remained in his life alongside everyone else, even if that meant cheering and watching him from a distance instead of being right next to him.

If that had been the case, perhaps then the 4th of January wouldn’t feel like a funeral full of mourning, heavy with the reflections on what could have been and what was lost, hidden beneath the facade of a joyous celebration.

Had you truly understood Senku better than anyone else—or were you simply deluded by the fantasy of loving him meant understanding him? 

No. You did understand him. You understood that science would always come first among anything else, even when he repeatedly told you a relationship with him would feel like war against his love for science, after your stubborn acts of love. 

You understood that loving Senku meant a battle of sacrifices in their rawest, most merciless form. 

Though that may possibly have been the problem. Maybe you had spent years understanding him, that neither of you had noticed the cracks that began to form.

The calls were once a regular part of the routine you both shared, gradually reduced in length; conversations that were once flowing easily, depleted into quick exchanges as you fought for a space between rocket simulations and research deadlines. 

“You’re still awake?”

“I wanted to hear your voice, Sen.”

“It’s two in the morning there.”

“Yeah, and it’s the only time I can talk to you.”

At first, the distance felt survivable—it was nothing against the stubborn trait of yours that Senku loved the most about you. It was painful, yet manageable, for you thought love could prevail any distance as long as you were patient enough.

Because, despite being oceans apart, Senku still sounded like the Senku that made you fall victim to Cupid’s arrow. 

Still remembered to text you when deadlines changed. Still rambled absentmindedly about his aerospace engineering theories in ways for you to understand easily. Still made the effort to make it up to you after postponing dates, with a gesture as simple as ordering your favorite food or sending you a new invention or scientific solution of his.

And perhaps that was why you failed to notice the subtle shift that began to slowly kill you from within, like a silent poison seeping through your veins, eroding the strength you once had.

It happened slowly—cruelly slow as if you were stabbed and left to bleed out, alone.

“Sorry. The meeting about the research funding ran longer than expected.”

“Again, Sen?”

“...Yeah.”

Over time, plans became tentative and hung in the air, waiting to be fulfilled yet constantly postponed.

“Can we move tonight’s call?”

“You said that for the third time this week, Sen.”

“...Yeah. Got stuck running experiments.”

Conversations that once lasted through hours dwindled into less than ten-minute check-ins, slowly turning into something scheduled, then forgotten entirely as an argument surfaced instead.

“You’re making this a bigger deal than it already is.”

“That’s because it is a big deal, Sen. You said you’ll fly back in time for our anniversary— Do you even miss me?”

“That’s a stupid question to ask, of course I do.”

“...Then why can’t I feel like you do?”

Another month, another project, another delay. However, how much more could you take before you fell apart completely? 

The most painful part wasn’t the constant battle for his attention—no, it was the fact that you knew that he had never meant to hurt you. You knew that. You knew that better than anyone else. 

Yet you should’ve known that a battle where all you did was bleed while constantly trying to be the bravest soldier, was doomed to end before you could even reach the frontlines. Especially while he remained oceans away, chasing stars instead of wars.

The events of the last time you saw him, heard of him, and from him, replayed in your mind constantly; a thought you could never push down despite the numerous attempts. 

Because how could you possibly forget the last memory you shared with him? How, when it was the moment you wiped the joy on his face from finally seeing you after months spent oceans apart, with a simple, “Senku, I can’t do this anymore.”

The memory kept burning through your head throughout the whole morning and afternoon of January 4th. You thought it would eventually numb you by repeatedly playing, but no: each repeat felt worse than the last, as the memories of all the previous 4th of January bled through, offering an awfully painful combination that you didn’t ask for. 

“I should’ve bought a strong dose of melatonin and slept the whole day.” You groaned into your hands, body falling in defeat against the couch. 

Your energy had been completely drained after a whole day of distracting yourself from your thoughts—to which you failed miserably. Your bookshelf suddenly felt interesting to clean, a long afternoon walk suddenly felt productive, heck—even cleaning out your phone’s storage did. 

Though, of course, you avoided the locked album with a pin you were too familiar with, it became an instinct. 

Mustering the remaining energy you had, your hand reached out for your phone on the coffee table, fingers scrolling for a certain group chat:

You guys wanna crash at my place tonight? Please bring anything but alcohol. I need to stay sober, or else I’ll do something stupid. (╥_╥)

And that was exactly how Yuzuriha, Kohaku, and Nikki ended up in your apartment at 7 PM, with every food that could bring you comfort. 

“How long do you plan to pretend your phone doesn’t exist?” Nikki pointed out, her voice slicing through your self-destructing thoughts. 

You turned to her with a weak smile that tried to casually shrug off the weight of the question. “Hah? What are you talking about?”

Her eyes narrowed. “You aren’t exactly subtle about it.” 

Yuzuriha’s hands offered a glass of water after you emotionally went through a bag of chips on your own. “Right. We could see you trying not to check your phone every five minutes, y’know?’’

Kohaku sighed beside you. “I can’t imagine her and subtle in one sentence. It’s especially worse when it comes to Senku.” 

Your body froze, heart skipping a beat at the mention of his name. You tried to brush it off, really. “Who said it was about him?”

All three of them looked at you with faces that screamed: Are you hearing yourself right now?

There was a brief moment of silence before you raised your hands in the air, expressing your guilt. “Okay, okay, it’s about him. Please stop looking at me like that before I have the emotional breakdown I’ve been trying to hold in since I woke up today.”

The three of them exchanged looks before their gazes landed on you again. Not judgmental, not annoyed, just gazes that held a painful understanding of your situation. Which somehow made your chest hurt worse.

Yuzuriha was the first to soften, her hand already reaching out for your shoulder to give it a gentle squeeze in hopes of anchoring you down. “It’s okay to miss him, you know.”

A laugh escaped from your lips, shaky and barely steady as you tried to joke. “Yeah, well, I’ve been missing him for almost a year straight, so I’m kinda getting tired of it.”

There was another silence that filled the gloomy atmosphere. 

You pulled your knees closer to your chest as if you were trying to comfort yourself. Your eyes stared blankly at the now untouched food on your coffee table. 

Outside, the city lights glittered quietly through your apartment windows. And somewhere out there, Senku was celebrating his birthday— without you for the first time in over a decade. 

He never made birthdays a big deal before you forcefully waltzed into his life. Apparently, it was just a regular day except for the fact that he was a year older—his words, of course. 

Though the stubbornness in you refused to acknowledge the fact that birthdays were meaningless to him. Because to you, they were the total opposite. Hence, you made it your personal mission to always celebrate his birthday, to show him it wasn’t just a regular day.

Perhaps that is why January 4th lingered in your mind like a persistent whisper that refused to be silenced. You always went above and beyond to plan a celebration, no matter the distance between the two of you. 

Whether he was oceans away or just a short walk down the street, you always willingly greeted him at exactly midnight to ensure you were the first person he would receive a “Happy birthday!” from. 

You meticulously gathered the friends he merely “tolerated”, ensuring that their presence made him realize it was more than a regular day, and your hands would always be the ones to clutch the candlelit cake, standing proudly at the center of it all.

And despite the way Senku would always say you did too much, the warm smile on his face said otherwise as he gazed at you instead of the cake you held out. Because even when everyone’s gaze and attention were on him, his remained on you. 

You ran a hand across your face, eyes staring at your friends slightly. “Why didn’t you guys attend the party? I’m sure Ryusui planned one.”

Kohaku crossed her legs. “He did. With Gen, too, actually. We chose not to go.”

You tilted your head in confusion, though part of you was happy that they kept the celebrations going even when you, the person who made the biggest deal out of it, was no longer part of it. 

“Why? Knowing Ryusui, it must’ve been grand. Why would you guys skip potentially amazing food and alcohol?” You tried to joke. None of them laughed.

Nikki raised a brow and grinned. “You think we’ll leave you alone to drown in your own thoughts? Not a chance.”

You faked a frown. “Nooo, I wanted to ask you guys if I passed down the torch successfully.”

And for the first time since they’ve arrived at the comfort of your home, they actually laughed. 

“Ryusui and Chrome most likely posted everything on their insta stories by now,” Kohaku said, to which you all agreed without a fight. 

“We could check them if you’re so eager to find out if you succeeded,” Nikki suggested carefully. 

You turned to Nikki with a small laugh escaping your lips. “You know, if I were drunk, that would’ve sobered me up instantly.”

Everyone shared another laugh at your comment. It was the kind of laughter that existed only to keep heavier emotions from crumbling completely. 

The scent of takeout lingered warmly in your apartment living room, though none of you had touched the food in several minutes.

And despite your best efforts in dismissing Nikki’s idea, your mind wouldn’t let you. It felt pathetic, honestly. You weren’t even sure why you badly wanted to see whatever Ryusui or Chrome posted online. Were you seeking reassurance that Senku wasn’t celebrating alone? Or do you just want to see him again?

With a sigh, you heard Nikki’s voice slice through your reverie again. “Hey, if you wanna check the stories, you should.”

“That’s basically telling her to ruin her progress in moving on!” Kohaku argued, to which Nikki shook her head. 

“Maybe, but that wasn’t my intention. We all know she won’t stop thinking about it, and it will kill her for days after this if she doesn't check.”

You groaned into your knees, “I hate that you're absolutely right, Nikki.” 

She chuckled, hand already reaching out to unlock her phone. For a moment, she exchanged glances with Kohaku and Yuzuriha before returning to you. 

“Are you sure about this?” 

You paused, head slowly rising up from the comfort of your knees. “...Yeah, sure. Whatever makes me sleep tonight.” 

A few seconds passed with just the dialogue from a forgotten movie on your television screen, filtering the atmosphere. 

And then, you heard it. The loud, familiar voices singing— no, screaming happy birthday. Or so at least you could distinctly hear the loud voices of Taiju and Chrome singing their hearts out. 

“Wow, they're as loud as ever,” Kohaku commented as she peeked through from Nikki's shoulder.

Yuzuriha's laugh diluted the forgotten dialogues. “I heard from Taiju that they wanted to make the celebration extra loud and special since Senku had just returned from space today.” 

Nikki's eyes narrowed in disbelief. “Man is really making the distance from space look like he's just flying from America back to Japan, huh.” 

You laughed, something between genuine amusement and hurt. Perhaps you were proud too that he had finally achieved his dream, even if it was when you were no longer in his life. “It's Senku we're talking about. We really shouldn't be surprised.” 

Your eyes couldn't be taken off Nikki's phone screen despite your chest tightening painfully. It was the first time you saw his face in almost a year—except for the moments you found yourself scrolling through a gallery of what were once happy memories—Gosh, were you that hurt mentally that it started to hurt physically again?

Your mind was wandering how he somehow looked more mature in a span of a year, or perhaps it was the exhaustion that hid behind the facade of his eyes and the signature smirk of his. Yet you knew him long enough to know the truth. 

Then, you noticed something. “Hey, why isn't anyone holding out the cake?”

Their gazes lifted from the screen and landed on your questioning gaze. There was a brief pause before Yuzuriha spoke out. “Ryusui said it was out of respect for you since you always held out his birthday cake.” 

You blinked, body desperately fighting out the tears that threatened to surface. “Hah…I guess I really passed the torch down successfully.” 

There was a faint crack in your voice, as if you were gathering every last ounce of your strength and self-respect to avoid breaking down completely.

A year ago, you were the one holding the candlelit cake close to his face, smiling the widest among everyone else, promising a lifetime of birthdays to spend together. This year, you were just staring at the celebration from a digital screen, miles away. How quickly for the tides to turn and for promises to end. 

“Hm, Chrome mentioned something about Senku looking for a lot area to build a house while he was visiting Ruri. Apparently, he and Gen tagged along when Ryusui helped Senku in sourcing out for one.” Kohaku added, eyes drifting back to you. 

Nikki turned to her, confused. “Why would Senku want to purchase a lot? And to build a house? I thought he was an apartment type of guy.” 

Yuzuriha nodded. “Yeah…Senku never seemed like the type to live in a house. He's always traveling between continents for his research, too.” 

Their voices began to fade as the realization hit you like a speeding truck with broken brakes. ‘Lot area? House?’ 

Your heart stumbled painfully at the thought because deep down, you knew that there was only one possible reason—unless you were pooled by delusion instead of remembrance—that Senku Ishigami would ever consider purchasing land over a convenient apartment.

And suddenly, you were fresh out of university again, lying across Senku’s bed at nearly midnight while the soft glow of his desk lamp illuminated the dark room. 

The rhythmic scratching of his pencil against paper filled the quiet silence that settled in the room as a blueprint lay flat on his desk. 

“You should be asleep already. Is the light too bright?” He asked without looking away from the blueprint, yet he moved the lamp closer to him and farther from your eyes.

You shook your head, “No.”

“Tch. You’ve got work tomorrow, get some sleep.” 

You chose to lie flat on his bed instead, eyes staring directly at the ceiling with barely attached glow-in-the-dark stars. “But you’re working right now, and I want to watch.”

A soft click of his tongue followed, and even after years, the sound still made you feel warmth blooming stupidly without permission in your chest. 

You shifted again, legs nearly tangling with the soft blanket. Your chin rested atop a pillow as you watched him silently with nothing but love and admiration in your eyes. 

And truthfully speaking, you could spend hours doing this. Just silently existing beside him as he got lost in the field he was most passionate about. Because even when he worked, he never made silence feel lonely. 

“I just wanna spend time with you, Sen.” You mumbled sleepily, fighting the urge to close your eyes. “Even if it’s just watching you work.”

Finally, Senku’s eyes left the blueprint as he glanced at you. His expression softened faintly; it was brief yet enough. 

“What a sap.” Despite his insult, his hand reached out, sliding beneath the blanket to reach out for your hand, intertwining it with his as his gaze remained on the blueprint. 

You paused, blinking once, then twice, before a smile appeared on your face. Lazily, you traced shapes with your thumb against the back of his hand.

“Hey, Sen?”

He hummed, signaling you to continue, to which you did. “If you ever settle down one day, would you rather live in an apartment or a house?”

“Apartment.”

You blinked at the lack of hesitation in his voice. “That was way too fast. Did you even consider the other option?”

He nodded, scribbling something on the paper. “Less maintenance. More efficient and strategically better if I’m traveling constantly.”

Your eyes narrowed in disbelief. “Wow, that sounds incredibly romantic, Sen.”

He chuckled quietly, briefly glancing at you with a smirk on his face. “Should I become a poet and quit being a scientist then?”

You snorted at his joke, rolling your eyes playfully. But then, he said something with a voice softer than before. 

“But I’ll leave the decision to you.” 

Your heart skipped a beat almost instantly. “Wait— What?”

Senku hummed once more in response, making you pause as your mind gathered the next set of words you were going to say. “...You see me in your future?”

Finally, he looked at you properly. The blueprint and pencil momentarily forgotten as his chair turned to face you. And then, the fond gaze that settled in his eyes nearly melted you alive. 

“Of course I do.” His hand slipped out of your hold as he moved it higher to flick your forehead softly. “What made you even question that?”

Your chest felt embarrassingly warm right after. Yet despite that, a grin spread across your face easily. “Are you sure I’m the sappy one?” 

He didn’t answer. Instead, he clicked his tongue in annoyance, hand intertwining with yours again as he returned to his precious blueprint. 

However, you weren’t done. You sat up excitedly, more awake than ever, and the grin never left your face. “Okay then, I want a house with a huge living room with tall windows and really high ceilings.”

“And here I thought I was ambitious.” He mocked softly. 

You ignored his mocking response. “And a garden outside with all sorts of plants and flowers.”

“The maintenance would be hell.”

You ignored that as well. “And a library too,” you added with the biggest smile on your face. “Like one of those pretty libraries with ladders that slide across the shelves.”

He didn’t say anything this time, allowing you to ramble endlessly. 

“And obviously a huge lab for you with every equipment that you need, and an observatory so we could always stargaze together.”

“And you question who’s the sappy one?” He scoffed playfully in pretend disbelief. 

You laughed softly. Then, a sudden gasp escaped from your lips. “Can we have a weeping tree in the backyard?” 

Without even glancing at you, Senku replied immediately. “No. That’s a bad idea.”

You frowned, shifting closer to him. “Why?”

“Their root systems are highly invasive and seek ridiculous amounts of water constantly, which can destroy plumbing and septic lines, have a short lifespan, are pest and disease-prone—” 

You cut him off before he could list another issue, “Okay, okay, I get it, genius.”

He chuckled in victory, eyes briefly glancing at you. That was when he saw the look on your face, which clearly meant you were far from done. 

“Can’t you come up with one of your scientific solutions to fix those issues?”

Senku looked mildly offended at your question, and you heard him click his tongue. “Stubborn as ever, aren’t you? Obviously, but it would still be inefficient to plant one.”

“Fine,” You huffed dramatically. “A wisteria then. Or cherry blossoms.”

“Hm. Acceptable.”

You grinned triumphantly before squeezing his hand once. And despite Senku’s focus on his blueprint, he returned the gesture instantly. Soft, firm, and grounding. As if the future you had described had already become his to accomplish, too. 

The voices around you faded into nothing but muffled noises you couldn’t hear as your mind echoed violently with memories that resurfaced with cruel clarity. 

Your chest tightened painfully again, as if your ribs were one squeeze away from crushing your lungs and heart. Because you had genuinely thought that conversation had only mattered to you—that maybe Senku had forgotten it beneath the pile of rocket launches, research papers, and years spent chasing stars that made you feel he was beyond your reach. 

Yet no, he remembered. He remembered that he actually started looking for land. And that realization hollowed whatever was left from inside you. 

You could hear Kohaku’s voice sounding distant as she called out your name, though you didn’t reply. 

Your eyes remained fixed somewhere past your coffee table filled with untouched food, past the forgotten television, past the city lights that continued to glow outside of your apartment. 

You were physically present. Your body was there, yet it felt like you were mentally trapped years ago inside of Senku’s apartment as he held your hand while listening to you ramble about a future that wasn’t given a chance to exist. 

Back when loving him was as easy as breathing.

You could hear Nikki’s voice come closer as she tried to get your attention. Still, you barely reacted. 

Your breathing started feeling strangely uneven, as if your lungs had suddenly forgotten how to function properly. 

A hand touched your shoulder as Yuzuriha called out your name, louder and clearer. 

You blinked more than once as reality seeped through, all at once. The warm lights of your apartment, the untouched food scattered across the coffee table, and your friends staring at you with worried faces.

Yuzuriha’s brows furrowed as her hand remained on your shoulder. “You’ve been spacing out since Kohaku mentioned the lot.”

Silence. You remained silent. Your lips parted slightly, yet no words came out. And suddenly, as if the last line of defense had been breached, your vision blurred. 

‘No— not now out of all times—’

You tried to inhale sharply, yet it came out shaky instead. You instantly looked away while rubbing your eyes quickly before a tear could fall.

“Sorry,” even your laugh came out shaky. “I’m fine, just—”

Your voice cracked, and that was all it took before the dam broke completely. 

A tear slipped down your cheek before you could stop it, followed by another. Your hand flew to your mouth as if you could physically force all of the emotions that had escaped back inside of yourself again.

Except you couldn’t. You no longer could. The grief felt too unbearable as you mourned the future that almost existed— could’ve existed. 

Yuzuriha immediately moved closer, arms already reaching out to hug you tightly as if she could keep whatever remained intact. 

“I’m sorry—” you whispered shakily as you fought back a sob, shaking your head quickly. “I don’t even know why I’m crying this much. It’s been so long since I did. It’s stupid—”

“It’s not stupid,” Nikki said softly, eyes exchanging glances with the other two.

You wanted to stop, you really did. You didn’t want them to see you weak and crying again, as if the wound left by the breakup was still fresh. Perhaps it was, perhaps it had never been healed at all.

“I wish…” Your voice cracked badly. “I wish I could just hate him so moving on could’ve been easy—but no, it’s so hard to hate him at all.” You spoke out between heavy sobs. 

A shaky laugh escaped through your sobs. “I don’t know how to stop—Gosh, I still miss him.”

Nobody tried to interrupt, offering their silent presence as comfort. They didn’t try to fix it because they knew there was nothing fixable about loving someone correctly at the wrong time.

“I really don’t know how to stop missing him— or loving him,” you finally admitted the truth that you constantly buried beneath a facade of distractions. “I don’t know how to stop missing him or loving him just because I have to.”

You wiped your tears aggressively, something he would most likely scold you for. “He’s still the first person I want to call when something good or bad happens.”

“Gosh, I even tear up whenever I pass by stores selling instant ramen because I remember how messed up his eating habits are. It’s no wonder he stayed a twink during university.” Another shaky laugh slipped from between the tears and your cracked voice. 

Your weak attempt to insult Senku didn’t go unnoticed by them as they snorted slightly. 

Nikki was the first to snort. “Okay, calling a literal astronaut who happens to be the most sought-after scientist too, a twink sounds insane now that his training paid off.”

Kohaku crossed her arms with a smile of amusement. “At least his progress had started to show.”

Yuzuriha let out a soft laugh, arms still holding you tight. “I still remember him forgetting to eat unless you physically handed him food.”

A broken laugh escaped you again as the memory appeared in your mind.

“Why am I even laughing and crying over instant ramen? I’m going crazy, aren’t I?” You asked them with tears flowing down your face while laughing with a broken smile. 

Despite the situation, that managed to earn a genuine laugh from them as Yuzuriha hugged you tighter and Kohaku walked to your kitchen to grab some tissues.

“No, no, you aren’t going crazy,” she soothed quickly as one hand reached out to lean your head on her shoulder. “Definitely heartbroken, but not crazy.”

Nikki sat beside you, “Honestly, this is healthier than whatever you thought was better to do for the past year.” 

“Which was repressing everything,” she added. 

“I really wish I could just hate him, not because I want to, but because maybe it’d be easier if I did.” You buried your face in the palms of your hands. “But then I also remember how hard he worked, how excited he looked while talking about space and rocket engineering as if the universe had personally asked him to.” 

A tear slipped down your cheek, “But how could I hate him for that? How could I hate him for simply dreaming?”

Kohaku returned quietly with a box of tissues. Then, she turned to you. “If it makes a difference, Senku actually loved you.”

Nikki’s eyes widened, “Kohaku—”

Kohaku blinked, staring at all of you with a confused look. “What? It’s true.”

Your head snapped upward as Kohaku frowned slightly before she continued. “He’s terrible at expressing emotions and might be the most affectionately constipated jerk on the planet, but he loved you. We all saw it.”

Your eyes watered dangerously again as you stared at her with wobbly lips. “Kohaku, I love you, but why would you tell me that right now?!” 

Yuzuriha rubbed your shaking arms gently as she panic-laugh beside you. “Haha…though it’s the truth, we should’ve worked on the delivery .”

Kohaku nodded, faces already running with guilt as she apologized. “You’re right, I’m really sorry. I just wanted to help.”

You laughed through your tears, smiling at her attempt as Nikki rested her head lightly against yours. “You know, sometimes people can love each other and still not know how to grow together.”

Your eyes squeezed shut at her comment. Maybe that was exactly the fate you and Senku fell victim to. He kept reaching for the stars, and somewhere between the ocean and skies, you stopped being able to reach him completely.

⋆⭒˚.⋆

Senku Ishigami had long accepted that his friends were both his greatest source of headache and one of the few things that kept him sane. Though he’d rather spend a lifetime with them than to admit it out loud.

According to the greediest man on the planet, Ryusui Nanami, every celebration deserved excess. Senku knew better that he just wanted another excuse to have all kinds of alcohol in one room for a night. 

Which could explain why Senku currently sat in a private lounge, owned by Ryusui, as his friends drowned themselves in expensive whiskey around him. 

The cake that was once glowing with a soft flame stared at him mockingly from across the table he was at. Nobody had dared to touch it, to hold it out for him as they sang happy birthday—and Senku didn’t need to calculate rocket science to figure out it was out of respect for you, the one who used to hold out the cake for him.

“Cheers!” Ryusui boomed loudly as he refilled everyone's drinks. 

Chrome was already tipsy along with Taiju as Ukyo tried to control their alcohol intake. 

Gen, however, remained close. His eyes observed the scientist in front of him, who nursed another glass of whiskey. At this point, the mentalist had lost count of how much Senku had drunk already. 

“Senku-chan, are you trying to break your record immediately after stepping into the Earth’s atmosphere?” Gen asked, wearing an expression of amusement and worry.

Senku, who had just drunk from his glass, raised a brow at him. “Hah? What are you talking about, mentalist?” 

Ryusui appeared again with a different bottle of alcohol in his hand as he offered Senku a lazy smirk. “Not to mention the constant checking of your phone, Senku. Waiting for someone, are we?”

Senku clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Tch. Shut up.”

Ryusui and Gen instantly shared a laugh as Senku muttered something along the lines of, “I should’ve stayed in outer space.”

For a moment, the sound of their snickering lingered in the air before Gen leaned forward with narrowed eyes at Senku. 

“You’re waiting for her birthday greeting, or even just a message from her, aren’t you?” 

A dangerous silence filled the atmosphere between the three of them. Then, Senku exhaled through his nose and took another sip. 

“...Yeah.” He gulped down another sip, and the burning feeling that ran through his throat began to numb. “It’s selfish considering how things ended.”

For a while, nobody spoke. Ryusui and Gen exchanged glances as the music in the bar suddenly sounded louder than before. The silence wasn’t awkward, just heavy with the regrets that constantly taunted Senku. 

Gen swirled the drink inside the glass he was holding; the intention of changing the topic appeared in his mind. “How’s the construction for the lot that you had recently bought, Senku-chan?”

Senku raised a brow, hand reaching out for the bottle near Ryusui to refill his glass. 

“The one near the outskirts,” Gen added. “Has construction started yet?”

“Nah.” Senku leaned back further into the cushion of the couch, an arm lazily draped over the backrest while the other held his whiskey glass. 

The familiar burning sensation met his throat again as he took another sip. “Still finalizing the design.”

Ryusui hummed, a brow raised as well. “Oh? I thought you had finished the draft weeks ago.”

“I did.”

“Then what’s the hold-up, Senku-chan?” Gen asked as he reached out for cola instead of whiskey.

“Had to revise the window structure,” Senku replied flatly.

“Window structure?” Ryusui repeated with a laugh of disbelief. “Since when did you start caring about aesthetics, Senku?”

“Natural lighting efficiency,” Senku answered instantly. “Large windows reduce daytime electricity usage.”

Ryusui hummed in response, though Senku knew from the grin on the sailor’s face that he knew more than he let on.

Gen blinked suspiciously, eyes shifting between the two before landing on Senku. “And the giant library? Why did you design a two-story library again?”

Senku didn’t answer, which enhanced Gen’s suspicion. Then, the mentalist’s expression transformed abruptly as realization slammed into him. 

“Oh.”

Senku clicked his tongue hard while Ryusui’s grin widened. The sailor even had the audacity to laugh behind his glass. 

“Have you finally figured it out, Gen?” He asked, eyes teasingly shifted towards Senku. 

Gen stared at Senku with an incredulous look on his face. “...The ideas for the house were never yours, were they, Senku-chan?”

Senku didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he chuckled bitterly as he stared quietly at the amber liquid swirling inside his glass before he downed it again. “...Yeah.”

Ryusui turned to Gen with another grin on his face. “You should’ve seen him compare land locations based on sunlight exposure, soil and terrain conditions, flood and hazard zones, distance from the city—”

“Yeah, yeah, no need to expose me further, Ryusui.” Senku cut him off in annoyance, though he didn’t deny anything.

Senku Ishigami—the man who dedicated his entire life to chasing the stars—had been planning a home permanent enough to always return to. And somehow, before construction could even start, he had already lost the part that made it feel like home.

“I want to call her. I want to apologize for being the biggest jerk on the planet— screw that, the whole of the Milky Way.” He admitted bluntly, making the other two stare at him in shock, though part of them already expected that Senku would say something like that. 

“Has the alcohol finally caught up with you, Senku-chan?” Gen teasingly asked. 

Senku shook his head. “Nah. I’m not stupid enough yet to act selfishly and ruin whatever progress she made in forgetting me.”

Ryusui leaned forward, hand placing his glass down. “But do you want to?”

Senku let out a laugh that sounded like a mix of honesty, bitterness, and disbelief. “Yeah, ten billion percent do.”

“Will you ask for Ryusui’s strongest bottle then, Senku?” Ukyo asked teasingly as he appeared out of nowhere and sat between Gen and Ryusui. His teasing tone earned a snort from both of them as they looked far too entertained at the situation bound to unfold in front of them.

Senku snickered behind his glass. “How much have you heard, Ukyo?”

“Enough to know that you could also be a love-sick fool.” He offered Senku a smile. 

Ukyo’s answer made the other two laugh out loudly as Senku playfully rolled his eyes before finishing the rest of his drink.

“Tch, you people are ten billion percent annoying.”

“And yet you’re here, Senku-chan.” Gen pointed out with a smug look on his face.

“Ryusui kidnapped me immediately after I landed. Didn’t even bother to say anything as he did.” Senku deadpanned.

Ryusui laughed loudly with a proud grin on his face. “Don’t ruin my reputation, Senku. I did what any other good friend should.”

Senku merely clicked his tongue, hand already reaching for the bottle before anyone could. 

“Oi,” Ryusui called out, a faint laugh hiding his concern. “Are you seriously trying to speedrun self-destruction immediately after returning from the ISS?” 

Gen chuckled nervously, “He already looks like he’s halfway there.” 

Ukyo sighed softly as he eyed the scientist with amusement and concern. “You do realize your alcohol tolerance isn’t infinite, right?”

Senku raised a brow. “Hah? Obviously.” 

“That’s not reassuring.” The other three said in unison.

Though Senku ignored them completely, quietly checking his smartphone for the hundredth time since he landed. And as if he didn’t hear Ukyo’s recent warning, his hand was already reaching out for an unopened bottle and opened it himself. The amber liquid reflected against the dim lights of the private lounge as silence eloped them briefly.

Gen leaned lazily against his palm before speaking. “For someone who claims that he doesn’t want to ruin her progress…Your actions say the opposite. How many times have you checked your notifications?”

Senku snickered before responding. “It’s called multi-tasking, Gen. Pretty basic skill.”

All three of them gave him a look that clearly said: Easy for you to say.

Ukyo leaned back, eyes studying Senku’s exhausted expression that he tried to hide. “You know, I think this is the most emotional we’ve ever seen you. Besides when your rocket first successfully launched into space, that is.”

“That was the happy type of emotional Senku; this one is the sad and regretful one.” Gen added beside Ukyo, earning a snort from Ryusui. 

“Must be the lowered gravity from space messing with my brain.” Senku reasoned casually. 

Ukyo and Gen sweat dropped visibly. “Sure, let’s all agree to blame NASA and JAXA for that.” 

Taiju suddenly appeared out of nowhere from behind Senku, voice suddenly serious as if he wasn’t drunk moments ago. “But do you still love her, Senku?”

Senku was faintly surprised— no, all of them were when Taiju suddenly joined the conversation. Yet a small smile appeared on Senku’s face, the softness, regret, and certainty hidden beneath the facade of his smugness. 

“That’s the dumbest question you could ever ask me, big-oaf.”

“Then why let her go if you still do, man?” Chrome asked out of nowhere as well, suddenly sober. Randomly appearing the same way Taiju did.

Senku blinked, eyes shifting between the two flatly. “Where the hell did you two even come from?”

“That’s not important right now!” Chrome shot back, climbing the couch from behind to sit next to Senku.

“It kinda is…” Ukyo sweat dropped.

“We heard everything, man!” Taiju added, far louder than chrome as he mimicked his actions.

Senku looked mildly annoyed as he downed a glass of whiskey. “Yeah? You two got Ukyo’s insane hearing now?”

The other three laughed instantly at the joke, looking far too amused at the growing crowd around Senku.

Chrome, however, wasn’t laughing. He had a frown on his face and looked too serious for someone who had been drunk minutes ago. “Honestly?” He glared at Senku. “That wasn’t a cool move from you at all, Senku.”

That made everyone glance at Chrome, and Senku looked at him with mild offense. “Hah?”

Chrome clicked his tongue out of frustration. His hand suddenly slammed his glass down, and a bit of whiskey splashed out. “You just let her go like that!”

The atmosphere shifted into silence instantly. Chrome rarely sounded angry at Senku. He was always admiring him. 

“I mean, c’mon,” Chrome continued roughly. “You’re literally one of the smartest guys on the planet— heck, the smartest.”  

“Tch, that's ten billion percent debatable.” Senku shot flatly.

“You’re the only guy on the planet who built a homemade rocket at the ripe age of ten!” Chrome snapped back. “How could you not come up with scientific solutions to keep her?!” 

A heavy silence followed Chrome’s frustrated outburst. The others remained silent as they watched his anger unfold. Because, despite how irrational Chrome sounded, he was logical in the language of love.

Chrome ran a hand through his hair. “If Ruri asked me to leave her someday, I won’t be able to do it. Even if she argues that it’s for the better— I just can’t do it.”

He looked genuinely devastated now, as if he was grieving a relationship that wasn’t even his. Then, he continued. “Because if you love someone, aren’t you supposed to fight for them?” 

Everyone saw how Senku’s expression faltered. It was barely noticeable, yet they saw it and knew that one hit him harder than his failed rocket launches.

For a moment, Senku remained silent as he looked at Chrome with an unreadable expression. With a voice that lacked his usual sarcasm, he admitted, “I did.”

Then, his gaze shifted towards his glass of whiskey. A bitter laugh followed right after. “You think I didn’t try?” 

“She genuinely looked so hurt and exhausted when she told me she couldn’t do it anymore.” He paused briefly. “I kept telling her and myself that things would calm down after every project.”

“I tried fixing it the same way I tried fixing everything else.” 

Everyone in the room knew that Senku expressed his care or love differently compared to others. He was never vocal about it; his actions always spoke out for him. Be it when you complained about winter being too cold, hence he modified thermal fabric and mailed it to Japan along with custom heatpacks. Or the time you told him you missed stargazing with him and his telescope, he custom-built a compact telescope to fit your apartment balcony and wrote a calendar of astronomical events for you. 

They were never just scientific solutions— no, that was just the way Senku Ishigami knew how to love. 

Gen, who was quietly listening the whole time, sighed softly as he had already decided to lend their dearest astronaut a hand. “In Senku-chan’s language, that was how he showed his version of devotion.”

Senku scoffed in annoyance. “Don’t make it sound weird, mentalist. Devotion is a strong word.”

“But it’s the truth, isn’t it?” Gen countered softly.

Then, he turned to the other scientist. “Chrome, most people would write poems or say ‘I love you’”, his gaze briefly returned to Senku. “But Senku-chan solved her problems as if it were rocket science.”

Ryusui snorted softly. “In other words, Senku modified science as a love language.” 

Gen dramatically pointed a finger at Senku. “He would rather rebuild modern civilization from scratch than to vocally express affection.” 

Somehow, that earned a laugh from everyone, even Senku himself. 

“The problem was,” he continued softly. “That she stopped needing solutions— she just wanted him.” 

Senku didn’t deny Gen’s conclusion; he knew he was right. He, himself, knew that the most. He could find a solution to anything as long as he dedicated himself to it.

But emotional reassurance? Senku could learn every complicated topic in the world, yet he would still lack the knowledge to give you what you needed the most.

It wasn’t the lack of love or effort that slowly made loving him hurt— no, it was the fact that two people were speaking different love languages. 

⋆⭒˚.⋆

The apartment was now occupied by silence again— except for the loud thoughts that refused to die down without a fight. 

Yuzuriha, Kohaku, and Nikki had returned home half an hour ago. You insisted they did despite their refusal. It was late, and you wanted to retire for the night, was the reason you gave them.

Yet you find yourself staring at your bedroom ceiling as if it could magically solve your problems. And of course, you didn’t need to be sober to realize it couldn’t. Though perhaps he could— no, scratch that, he was the problem you were currently facing. 

Sleep wasn’t coming around easily, nothing was really. You’ve tried about everything: a warm shower, walking around every corner of your apartment, wearing your comfiest pair of sleepwear, changing the temperature of your thermostat—yet nothing worked. 

Somehow, the sound of your clock on the bedside table was getting louder, as if it was personally mocking you as you resisted the urge that resurfaced countless times throughout the day. The urge to greet him happy birthday.

Your eyes shifted towards your phone that lay flat on the bedside table, next to your clock. If you weren’t spiraling, you would’ve laughed at the combination. 

There were exactly fifteen minutes left before January 4th ended. And for some reason, you couldn’t exactly tell if time was going by slowly or fast.

Your eyes shut close as you felt the pain in your chest start again. You repeatedly reminded yourself not to do it, not to ruin the progress you fought tooth and nail to build. 

Your fingers curled into the soft fabric of your blanket as your thoughts continued to clash against one another. Part of you didn’t want to, yet a bigger part of you wanted to. Because it’s his birthday. You had continuously greeted him for more than a decade, when you were merely a teenager who admired him, when he had yet to love you back. 

You used to stay awake until midnight just to ensure you were the first to greet him. And of course, Senku complained about it. Something along the lines of ruining your sleep schedule just to acknowledge that he was a year older. 

Yet he always sounded pleased despite it. 

And now, a year has passed without a single word from you or about you reaching him. Or perhaps there was, and you were just unaware. Gen and Taiju would’ve most likely informed him even if he didn’t ask.

Was it cruel of you to suddenly disappear after forcing yourself to be a constant in the equation of his life?

That seemed to have done it as your hand abruptly reached for your phone before a second thought could form. You opened your messages and scrolled till you reached his contact. 

Your throat felt dry as you hesitantly unlocked him, your last message mocking you silently.

Senku, where are you? 

Can we talk?

Your fingers trembled against your keyboard. Maybe it was selfish, selfish to suddenly appear after disappearing for so long. Maybe it was cruel to reopen wounds that barely healed at all. 

Then, more thoughts formed, far more cruel than the previous ones. What if he doesn’t reply? What if he does, yet he replies coldly? What if—

You quickly typed out “Happy birthday, Senku.” And clicked send before another thought could form. Then, you tossed your phone across the other side of your bed and buried your face flat against your pillow. 

Your pulse rose violently. You felt stupid, yet relieved and everything in between.

⋆⭒˚.⋆

Senku was halfway through Ryusui’s strongest bottle, now fully aware he was starting to feel tipsy. He wasn’t the type to drink often, yet he had been exposed to numerous chemicals already that his body had slowly grown immune to them. Or perhaps he just had a high alcohol tolerance.

He usually tested his tolerance with Ryusui, who wanted to test out every available alcohol out of greed. That same Ryusui was currently refilling everyone’s glass as François appeared with a new tray of food. This time, it was sushi. 

Senku was about to swallow the sushi in his mouth when he heard a specific notification that nearly made him choke as everything around him seemed to halt, the chopsticks falling out of his hold. 

Taiju, who was next to him, heard it. “What was that, Senku? Are you choking?!” 

Ukyo didn’t need to be next to him to hear and recognize that specific sound, after all, it was he who pointed out before that Senku set a custom notification sound for your messages. The genius reasoned that it was efficient.

“Is that…?” Ukyo asked with wide eyes. 

Senku, however, didn’t answer as he swallowed the sushi in his mouth, hand already reaching out for his phone so quickly he nearly knocked over his drink. 

And there it was, a greeting from you. 

Funny how that was all he needed to sober up, or at least he thought he did. And before anyone else could say something, he was already standing and rushing out of the room.

Gen visibly perked up, everyone did. “Senku-chan—?” 

Senku was already out of the private lounge. 

His heart was beating loudly, drowning the worried calls of his companions. Yet for a moment, that didn’t matter as his thumb hovered over your message.

He blinked once, then twice as if he was waiting for the message to disappear. Though to his surprise, it didn’t. It was still there, waiting for a reply. 

Unfortunately, or fortunately—he couldn’t quite tell anymore—the alcohol made him reckless. Or maybe just honest. 

Because before any logic could catch up, he pressed call out of desperation. 

The phone rang more than once. And somewhere else in Tokyo, your stomach dropped painfully at the sound. 

You immediately sat up, hands reaching for your phone that rang violently. You stared in horror once you saw who was calling you. It was him. 

Your breathing became uneven, hands shook as they held the device with the little strength you had left. He wasn’t supposed to call. 

Your mind fell into a dilemma. Were you going to answer him or not? What were you even going to say to him? That you’ve been spiraling over greeting him the whole day? About reaching out?

And before you could come to a decision, the call ended. Then, a message appeared. 

Answer me.

Please.

Another call rang out a second after you read the messages from him. Once, twice, then you finally clicked the green button before you could rethink your decision. Perhaps it was out of instinct—the instinct to answer whenever he called. 

You were met with the muffled sound of music from somewhere far. Then it was heavy and uneven breathing mixed with disbelief. Like he had run somewhere despite his mind still processing. 

And finally, you heard his voice. “...You actually picked up.”

You felt your chest tighten physically, which made you lean against your headboard, eyes staring straight at the ceiling as if it could instruct you on what to say this time. 

His voice sounded lower and rougher than usual. And if you weren't hearing things, it sounded slightly slurred. 

You shut your eyes briefly, hand tightening around your phone. “You rarely say please…Are you drunk?” 

A faint snicker from him reached your ears, weak yet filled with amusement. “Hah, that's the first thing you chose to say to me after a year?” 

“You sound terrible. I'm assuming that's Ryusui's doing.” You remarked, already thinking of what to tell Ryusui for letting him drink that much. 

“Tch. Compared to earlier, I'm basically sober right now.” 

This time, your stomach twisted painfully. “Just how much did you drink?” 

You heard soft movements from the other side of the line, enough to make a guess that he was leaning against a wall. 

With a casual voice, he said, “Dunno, Ryusui kept bringing new bottles…The refilling part was on me.”

You felt your stomach drop as you frowned. Despite everything, you were still concerned about him. “Didn’t you just return from space and you're already trying to destroy your liver?” 

And you hated that you still are. Hated how naturally concern came to you when it was about him. Hated how even after everything, it was still your instinct to question if he was taking care of himself, if he was overworking himself again. 

He snickered. “Must’ve left 90% of my logic in outer space. The remaining 10% evaporated when you texted me.”

You sighed, hand running through your hair. “I shouldn't have messaged you—” 

“No,” He interrupted softly, voice suddenly sounding desperate. “Don't say that.”

Silence eloped the two of you as you didn't know how to reply to that. Your knees curled closer towards your chest as your mind fought to think of what to say. 

And before you could say anything, he beat you to it. Voice suddenly sounded low again. “...I was waiting for you.”

Your vision blurred right away at his words. Was it because he sounded so genuine? Was it because this was your first conversation in a year? Or was it because he said he was waiting for you when your relationship used to revolve around you waiting for him?

A soft chuckle escaped from his lips, stripped off from his usual confidence. “I kept checking my phone like an idiot all night. Gen and Ryusui noticed first and kept bothering me about it. Then Ukyo appeared, followed by Taiju and Chrome.” 

You felt a tear slip, hand instinctively rushing to cover your mouth before a sob came out. Gosh, must he tell you that?  

“...You shouldn't have waited for me.” 

“I know.” He murmured. “But you used to greet me constantly at midnight for over a decade. Couldn't help it.” 

You inhaled sharply through your nose. “That was before, Senku…Things changed.”

“I know,” he repeated quietly. “But I happened to be selfish tonight.” 

Now you were really wishing that you hadn’t called, because his response was telling you that he was thinking of you. How were you supposed to move on quietly after that? 

The noise from the bar began to fade further away, as if he was walking farther from everything else. 

“I screwed up.” 

Your eyes burned with tears as you clutched your phone tighter than before after it threatened to slip out of your hold after hearing his words. 

A sharp exhale from him followed after. “I really thought I had more time.” 

“After the next launch, research, experiment, conference, project— I assumed I'd have more time.” He continued, voice filled with the regret that had been piling up for a year. 

You laughed weakly despite the tears silently falling. “I never doubted your love for me, Sen.” 

“I knew you loved me; everyone knew you did, even if you were the most affectionately constipated person in the group.” You added before he could respond. 

You aggressively wiped away your tears with the back of your hand, a sniffle escaping through your defenses. “I saw that you loved differently. I saw it whenever you patiently taught me topics I found confusing, when you built things for my convenience, or when you fixed things without me having to ask.” 

Your voice and defenses had failed you completely halfway. Your sobs broke through your words, and that broke something in him as he had to listen to you cry because of him again.

“But eventually,” you sniffled again. “I stopped needing your inventions or scientific solutions.” 

A painful silence settled briefly. “...I just needed you, Sen.” 

The line grew terrifyingly quiet afterward that for a second, you considered the call had disconnected. 

Then finally, a shaky exhale came from the other side of the line. “...I know.” 

And the way he said it nearly destroyed you. There was no defensiveness behind it, no excuses or attempts to justify himself. It was just the raw truth of realization and understanding. 

“And that's what's been screwing me up for the past year,” he let out a weak laugh. “Building rockets was easier than when I kept thinking of that.” 

Your lips parted slightly, though nothing came out because of how stunned you were. How could you not be? What were you supposed to even answer to that? The Senku Ishigami sounded lost for the first time, as if he had run out of scientific solutions to use, defeated over love. 

“I kept thinking if I worked hard enough,” he admitted quietly as regret laced his voice. “Then eventually I could give you everything that you wanted.” 

“The house, your ridiculously hard-to-maintain garden, your two-story library— the future you wanted.” 

At Senku’s side, he stared beyond the city lights behind the window in the hallway of the building he was in. And for a moment, he could see the future that failed to occur: your laughter filling the silent hallways, the warmth that radiated from your smile making the house feel like home.

And now that he could finally start the future you asked for, you had already left his side.

His grip tightened as his gaze lowered. “Failed to realize you needed something way simpler that time.” 

The call went silent again right after he said that. You were nearly speechless, your tears halted. The heel of your palm pressed against your forehead as you managed to let out a weak laugh. 

“Senku,” you called out, voice weak with a painful amusement and disbelief. 

“I was willing to attend a hundred funerals of every version you would grow up to be if it meant I could stay by your side forever—” your breathing shook unevenly. “The high school student who launched a homemade rocket to space, the university student who tried to survive on instant ramen, the doctoral student pursuing a doctorate at MIT,” 

You continued on listing every version you saw of him, built on the ambition that made you fall for him, yet was the very same ambition that made loving him hurt. 

“...The scientist worldwide agencies and governments wanted, the astronaut in training. Somehow, between the listings, your tears found you again as you tried to choke back a sob. “But I didn't realize those versions of you would kill me too.” 

Another heavy silence settled, and it was suffocating. Afterward, he said the most unexpected thing you could hear from him. 

“... I'm sorry.” 

You blinked painfully, “Senku—” 

“No, I mean it.” He cut you off softly. 

His voice sounded rougher than before. “I'm sorry I kept making you wait.” 

“Stop.” You pleaded, the heel of your palm pressed harder on your forehead than before. 

“I'm sorry I made you feel alone—” 

You interrupted this time. “Senku, stop. You're making this harder for the both of us.” 

“That wasn't my intention,” his response was immediate and firm. “You spent years trying to understand me, least I could do is acknowledge how badly I screwed up.”

You paused, unaware of what to do now. If anything, how this conversation was leading felt like tearing open wounds that never truly healed in the first place. 

Because hearing him like that, apologizing with dangerous self-awareness, made a part of you want to stay. To try again. 

And that terrified you. The thought of how things ended, the thought of losing yourself while trying to love him, scared you. 

You tried to push every ounce of hesitation back down before speaking. “I think this should be our last conversation.”

You tried to say it properly, you really did. Yet your voice still decided to crack halfway through. 

The response came instantly after a sharp inhale from him, barely any hesitation in his voice, unlike yours. “No.” 

You inhaled sharply through your nose, eyes shutting once again. The situation was hard enough, and he was making it far harder. “Senku—” 

“You're saying that as if it's strategically the best outcome for the two of us.” 

His tone shifted into something quieter right after. “...Is that what you really want?”

You were speechless again. You could hear it, the dismay in his voice. 

“Will your life be better if I remain out of it?” He asked quietly. 

No. You thought immediately. It wouldn't. You weren't even sure if time could heal the wounds left by over a decade of loving him. 

You fought back a sob, yet your voice cracked again anyway. “Yes.”

Senku went physically still at your response, and you had to muster any remaining strength in your body. “I think our relationship fell the moment I started missing you even when you were right in front of me.”

“You would still be working even when you were home.” You added painfully. “At first, I was okay with it. But then the distance started to feel as if you were still thousands of miles away.” 

You pressed your lips into a thin line, fighting back a sob. “Loving you didn't feel as easy as breathing anymore…It felt like I was losing myself instead, while you were constantly going.” 

With a shaky breath, you concluded. “...And I don't think I can go through that again without completely losing myself.” 

A long silence followed your words, the longest one yet since he called. And you knew that he was calculating every possible variable that could somehow change your mind and the outcome you gave him. Yet he couldn't. 

“...I see.” He said quietly. You heard a faint sound of shifting, not out of agitation, but out of resignation. “Can't really argue about that, can't I?” 

That was the part that made him feel ill to his stomach. Because he knew that the old version of himself would've, he would've calculated something, debated against it. 

But the present Senku couldn't. Not when he heard you admit about losing yourself again, because of him, out of all people. 

You shook your head as if he could magically see it. “No, you can't.” 

Your hand clutched the soft fabric of your bedsheets, and the painful realization that this was really the end settled through. “Take care of yourself, Senku.” 

He gave you a chuckle as an attempt to hide his dismay. “I should be the one telling you that.” 

You smiled bitterly, a tear escaping silently. “Hah? I wasn't the one living on instant ramen throughout my undergraduate degree.” 

He snickered. “As if your eating habits were any better.” 

You laughed, genuinely this time. Afterward, you called out for him using the nickname you developed after establishing your relationship with him. 

“Sen,” 

He hummed, already knowing where it was leading to. 

You hesitated, suddenly feeling weak again. This was it, there will be nothing else left except grieving the future you could've had again.

“...Happy birthday, please don't call me again.”

Senku's eyes shut right after. He saw it coming, so why did it still hurt him so much? Far worse than the impact of a moving train with its highest velocity. 

“I really loved you, y’know?” You sniffled. “I really admired you, too. You were always so amazing in my eyes, and I knew you could achieve anything with that never-ending dedication of yours.” 

“...I hope space felt like everything you ever wanted.”

And with that, you ended the call with trembling hands. Your body completely shook right after, as you hugged your knees tighter again out of desperation, your phone slipping out of your hand. 

The tears fell continuously, and each sob was louder than the previous one. At first, it was a strangled sound, then you were fully sobbing before you knew it. 

You fell sideways on your bed, body curling instinctively as you wrapped your arms around yourself as if you could keep yourself together, but you couldn't. Everything came crashing down, and nothing stayed in place anymore. Not your breathing, not your thoughts, not your tears.

Your hand reached for your phone again, part of you hoping that Senku would magically take back his words and go against your decision; however, you knew how his mind and logic worked. You still hoped anyway.

Yet no new call appeared, and silence still remained. And perhaps that was the cruelest proof that he truly loved you.

The act of choosing to let you go, even when he desperately didn’t want to, simply because losing you hurt less than ruining you further. 

January 4th had come to an end, making way for January 5th. His birthday ended, and somewhere between midnight and the last call, the two of you did too. 

Bonus:

The call ended at exactly 12:15 AM. And if anything, Senku thought the universe was mocking him.

For a long while, he just stayed where he was. Eyes glued to the floor after a tear had escaped without his permission. His jaw was clenched, and so was his fist. 

His mind replayed the conversation, especially the last thing you told him before ending the call. 

“...I hope space felt like everything you ever wanted.”

He wanted to respond and tell you that it didn't, it didn't feel like everything he ever wanted. Not when the only constant variable in the equation of his life had completely disappeared in the process of achieving it. 

The conversation hollowed him completely. The alcohol he had consumed earlier no longer aided him. 

Then, he heard the familiar heavy footsteps of Ryusui come closer.

“There you are!” Ryusui announced loudly as he walked towards him. “We thought the alcohol had finally caught up, and you passed out somewhere.” 

Senku clicked his tongue automatically. “Tch, as if.” 

Ryusui noticed how it was all bark and no bite. Yet he didn't ask, as Senku just followed him back to the private lounge where everyone else was waiting. 

When they entered, Taiju was the first to ask. “Senku! How was—?!” 

Taiju wasn't even cut off by Senku vocally, no. He was interrupted by his astonishment as Senku strided into the room, hand reached out for the bottle of Ryusui's strongest whiskey as well as his glass, already downing a glass full before anyone could say anything else. 

Everyone stared in shock at what had just unfolded. 

Ukyo frowned immediately. “Senku, you've had enough.” 

He didn't answer. He simply ignored the warning as his body slid back to his initial place before the call, the hand that didn't hold the glass folded to cover his eyes. 

Then, he chuckled bitterly, with every ounce of regret and dismay. “I screwed up badly.” 

Across from him, Gen's expression shifted. “That bad, huh.” 

Senku laughed again, but it was humorless before he took another gulp. “Hah, she told me to never call her again.”

The table fell silent. There was nothing to argue about, just the acceptance of the two people who loved each other deeply, yet still failed to see each other till the end.

After a moment, Ukyo gently leaned to take the bottle away from Senku, and unlike earlier, he didn’t fight back. But that was mostly because something in his pocket felt unbearably heavy. 

That was when Chrome noticed something from the pocket of Senku’s pants, how come he had yet to notice it after hours of being in the same room?

“Senku, what’s that—” he halted, eyes went wide as his voice left him out of shock. 

That caught everyone’s attention as they shifted closer to have a look. Taiju was the first to see what it was since he was sitting next to him. 

“Is that?!” 

Senku snickered next to him, head falling back against the couch as if he was admitting defeat. “...Yeah, a ring box.”

The entire table froze, except for Ryusui, who looked at Senku with empathy, not bewilderment.

Chrome nearly choked, his hand flung up in the air. “The hell?!”

Everything suddenly made sense in a horrifying way. Why Senku was always overworking himself, the obsession over stability, projects, and the insane amount of pressure he placed on himself.

Ryusui sighed and finally decided to say something. “I told you waiting was a terrible strategy, Senku.”

Gen’s head whipped towards him instantly. “You knew?!” 

“Of course,” Ryusui’s eyes shifted from the shocked faces staring at him before they landed on Senku again. “Who do you think he dragged across three continents to look for the best lab that makes diamonds?”

Senku laughed in defeat, eyes meeting Ryusui’s. “Yeah, yeah, my calculations failed me on that one.”

Gen’s head returned back to him. “How long have you had the ring— and when were you planning to propose?!”

Senku sighed lazily, eyes drifting towards the ceiling. “Six months before she wanted to end things. I was planning to after my first trip to space, y’know, the sappy ‘I love you to the moon and back’ that she likes.”

Then he chuckled miserably. “Kept it with me ever since that night…It even made it to space.”

A/n: The call ended at 12:15 because it was no longer January 4. Get it, get it? This was genuinely the hardest fic I’ve ever written. I was struggling so hard trying not to make Senku ooc (I’ll let you guys be the judge of that again) tell me why I thought this was easier to write than the stanley fic I was writing before this one. tell me what u guys think abt this fic with some angst, mwahaha.

[kzhyxmi]

Acts of Science—or Not ⋆˙⟡ S.Ishigami

A/n: I had so much fun writing this, especially the last two scenes. I hope Senku isn't oc. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE READ IT WHILE LISTENING TO LOVE (wave to earth). SYNOPSIS: For years, you’ve thought that Senku Ishigami’s actions were for efficiency, logic, and science. You dismissed any ideas that suggested otherwise. Because, for you, that was just how Senku was. Until one handmade lip stain forces you to question the gestures you grew to normalize. They were just acts of science, right? TAGS: fluff, fluff, and more fluff. WC: 4704

The first person to vocally point it out was Yuzuriha. Her eyes were wide with curiosity and bewilderment. You nearly laughed in disbelief. 

Because from your perspective, what she was saying barely made any sense. This was the Senku Ishigami she was talking about. The science-obsessed boy who approached everything in life with logic.

“You're telling me that's…normal?” She gestured at the small milk carton in your hands that Senku gave you minutes ago. 

You nodded casually while sipping. “Yeah, it's just milk.”

You said it so simply, as if you were ignoring the details of what happened earlier that clearly contradicted your “it's just milk”. 

The moment the third period came to an end, Senku dragged you out of class without saying anything. You had grown used to it, hence you let him tug on your wrist softly without asking questions. 

He guided you swiftly through the bustling hallway. The two of you reached his locker, and before you could peek to check what he was reaching out for, he handed you a small milk carton. It was still cold.

He clicked the roof of his tongue out of annoyance. “Your glucose levels crashed halfway through the third period. How many times do I have to tell you not to skip breakfast?” 

You gave him a cheeky smile, already familiar with the gesture. “Thanks, Sen. I woke up late again, okay?” 

Behind the two of you, Taiju and Yuzuriha watched the interaction. Both were clearly shocked, however, for two completely different reasons. 

Taiju aggressively pointed at the milk carton in your hands, “Senku! How did you keep it cold?!” 

“Insulated water bottle and ice. She won't drink it unless it's cold.” He said so casually while reading something on his phone. 

Yuzuriha, however, wasn't curious about the science behind the cold milk carton. No, she was curious about the scientific explanation as to why you acted as if this was normal. How Senku acted as if this was normal. 

“Was that really normal? I don't think it was…” she asked when it was just the two of you; her voice remained soft and polite. 

Senku had made his way to the science laboratory while Taiju was eager to see another fascinating experiment of his. 

You hummed, “Yeah, that's just how Senku has always been. I call it his acts of science. He says it's to keep me efficient.” 

Senku always did things like that. He had a knack with his small gestures, weaving them into the fabric of your daily life.

It wasn't strange or new to you. Not really. Not when he's been consistently doing it for years. 

⋆⭒˚.⋆

You constantly complain about headaches almost every afternoon, especially during study sessions. Muttered complaints fell from your lips easily, and rubbing your temples became a habit. 

“You're dehydrated.” You heard him say from across you while working with a circuit board, one that was too complex for you to understand. It wasn't a question; it sounded like a statement from his observation.

You lift your head up, tired eyes meeting his striking red ones. With a weak smile, you muttered out, “Thanks for the diagnosis, doc.”

“Tch.” 

He didn't say anything else as he pulled out a water bottle from his bag, followed by a pack of electrolyte powder. 

He pushed the opened bottle forward, the bits of electrolyte powder already dissolving into the water. “You’re inefficient when your body is malfunctioning.” 

You gave him a knowing smile before he continued to work on his circuit board. Senku's focus returned to it, or so you thought. 

“And your caffeine intake is garbage. Stop consuming it like a lifeline.” 

Your smile faltered. “Hey, you're acting like you don't drink coffee too, genius!” You retorted, frustration lacing your tone.

Without even glancing up from his circuit board, he shot back, “Unlike someone, I don't rely on it to function properly.”

You threw an eraser at him, to which he dodged effortlessly, a smirk tugging the corner of his lips.

Still, despite your banter, there was an undeniable truth. Senku always seemed to notice everything before you did.

Yet you never asked. That was just the way he was—always too observant. Always a step ahead.

Right?

⋆⭒˚.⋆

The science laboratory always smelled like chemicals, metals, and something burning whenever Senku felt like it. 

It was enough to remind students passing by that Senku Ishigami was inside—most likely taking something apart or fixing it, mixing chemicals, or accidentally blowing something up. 

The laboratory wasn't just occupied by him; there were multiple other students working on something. Though they were never as over-the-top as the ones Senku worked on.

In the middle of it all sat Senku, who had recently cleaned up after a chemical experiment. The sleeves of his lab coat were now rolled, revealing his forearms as he worked on the blueprint of his next rocket model. 

The room around him hummed with conversation, though most people knew better than to interrupt him while he worked. 

Which was why a question from another student caught everyone off guard. 

“Hey, Senku.”

“What?” He replied flatly. 

The student hesitated briefly before pointing at Senku's wrist. “What's with the hair tie?” 

Every head in the science laboratory turned immediately because now that someone was brave enough to mention it, there really was a black hair tie looped around his wrist. 

It wasn't unusual at first. Not until people started noticing months ago that Senku always had one on his wrist. They assumed it belonged to him, perhaps to tie his hair during experiments—but no, his hair defied the laws of physics. 

And he never used it. Not even once. 

The student leaned back against the table, a grin on his face as he asked, “You got a girlfriend or something?” 

The room instantly erupted as the question flew out of the students’ mouths. 

“No way! Senku? Seriously?” 

“As if! You really think he has any time for romance?” 

“There's no way, are we talking about the same Senku Ishigami?” 

“That's what a hair tie means, though!” The student argued defensively, pointing at Senku's wrist. “It's literally a thing, guys wear them when they're taken.” 

Senku didn't even bother to look up from the blueprint he was working on, though an irritated look was evident on his face. 

“Dumbest thing I've heard all day.” 

“So that's a no, Senku?” 

“Tch, idiots. Use your brains for once.” 

That unfortunately didn't answer anything. However, everyone seemed to be too interested and eager in the conversation. 

“So is it someone's?” A student from a corner asked. 

Senku finally looked up from his blueprint, clicking the roof of his tongue. “Obviously. Why would I use one when my hair defies gravity and is never in the way?” 

The room went silent before, 

“OHHHH?” 

“No way?!” 

Senku looked far more annoyed after hearing their reactions, which, unfortunately, only encouraged everyone further. 

“It's basic efficiency." He deadpanned. “Unlike you idiots, I account for predictable patterns to avoid unnecessary situations.” 

Then, the doors of the science laboratory suddenly opened. 

“Senku?” Your voice cut through the room of chaos, completely unaware of the chaos you've interrupted and caused. 

Everyone turned to the door, not just Senku. 

You blinked, feeling uncomfortable at the unexpected attention from everyone. “Why is everyone looking at me like that?” 

“No reason,” half of the room replied in unison before pretending to focus on their work again. 

You frowned suspiciously, eyes settled on Senku as your facial expression asked him questions. He didn't say anything, just stared back as you walked towards him. 

You stopped next to him and allowed the suspicion to simmer down as you remembered the reason you were there. “Do you have a hair tie?” 

Without saying a word, he lifted his wrist toward you, as if by muscle memory. Your fingers moved automatically and reached out for it. 

“Lost another one? You're too careless, idiot.” 

You ignored his remark, and with one smooth motion, you slid it off his wrist before tying your hair with practiced ease.

“Thanks, Sen.” You gave him a grin. “I'll see you after school.” 

“Hm.” 

Senku returned to his blueprint without saying anything else the moment you left. 

The room stayed silent for three seconds after you closed the door behind you before erupting into chaos once more. 

“What was that?!” 

“I knew it was her!” 

Senku ignored their loud chaos, his hand already reaching out for the pocket of his pants, and pulled out another hair tie, slipping it onto his wrist. 

“Tch, you people are seriously annoying.” 

⋆⭒˚.⋆

You never questioned Senku's acts of science. Never. Not even when Yuzuriha’s teasing became a little too frequent. 

It was normal; you were used to it for years. Why bother to question it now?

The sound of rain suddenly falling from the skies sliced through your reverie. You halted, staring at the building window next to the staircase, before a groan escaped from your lips. 

“Great. Just great.” You had forgotten your umbrella. Although you always forget to bring it, this time was different. You had asked Senku to go home without waiting for you. The same guy who never forgets to bring an umbrella and checks the weather forecast. 

You made your way down the stairs, and your mood was a perfect match with the gloomy weather outside. 

“Took you long enough.” 

Your head snapped up toward the familiar voice, and your gaze immediately landed on him, Senku. One hand in his pocket while leaning against a wall near the staircase.

Your mouth fell open in shock. “Sen—?! What are you doing here?!” 

“I was waiting for you, what else?” He answered casually. Too casually, as if you didn't ask him not to wait for you. 

He walked closer to you, his lab coat hanging on one shoulder while his bag hung on the other. An umbrella settled on one of his hands. 

“I told you not to wait!” 

“And?” 

“It's raining, and it's late!” 

“Yeah, no kidding. I'm not blind.” 

Without waiting for your response, he threw the lab coat on your shoulder, catching you off guard again. “Wear it, you'll get cold if you don't.” 

You frowned, yet slipped on his lab coat. “You should've gone home.” 

“Yeah, and leave you here with a 10 billion percent chance of being stranded? You never bring an umbrella or check the weather forecast, idiot.” His tone was completely matter-of-fact, like the answer should've been obvious.

He watched as you struggled with the sleeves. He clicked the roof of his tongue before walking closer, hands already hovering over yours. 

“You're hopeless.” He spoke with a tone that was softer than before. Then, with quick, efficient movements, his hands adjusted the sleeves and collar of his lab coat. 

Your breath got caught in your throat for a brief moment because of the proximity. “You really didn't have to wait for me, y’know?” Your voice sounded small.

“You get sick too easily. You have the immune system of a Victorian child.” The tone of his voice remained soft as he buttoned the coat properly, ensuring it was secured around your body. 

You laughed at the last part, eyes admiring the way his hands moved with the same precision he had when working on an experiment. 

He took a step back after he was done. "Besides, Byakuya would never let me hear the end of it if he found out I left without you.” 

You grinned, already hooking your arm with his. “Yeah, he would probably say he raised you better than that. Let's go home, Sen.” 

That evening, the two of you walked home through the wet streets and drizzling rain. Yet you remained dry. Senku's lab coat protected you from the raindrops as well as the umbrella he held tightly above the two of you. 

You never said anything regarding the proximity or the gesture. You were used to him acting like this. It was normal in your vocabulary. 

⋆⭒˚.⋆

Your mother's loud knocking on your bedroom door finally woke you up from your slumber. 

“Aren't you hanging out with Senku today? Why are you still sleeping?” She asked as she entered your room, eyeing your sleepy figure, who had just woken up.

“Hang out with Senku…?” 

Your eyes shot open in realization. You were supposed to help Senku purchase an engine component for his new rocket model today.

You immediately got out of bed, nearly tripping over your blanket, and ran straight to the shower, one of your hands grabbing your towel on the way there. 

“Be careful!” Your mother yelled out of concern.

After a shower, you scrambled to get ready. Your clothes were everywhere after you forgot to prepare an outfit the night before. After selecting one, you searched for a pair of socks before rushing downstairs. 

“Senku's already outside.” Your mother said as she watched you hastily put on your socks, hands already reaching out for your sneakers. 

You bid your mother goodbye, already making it past the front door. Your eyes spot Senku, who was waiting for you. 

He turned right before your hands fell to your knees for support, panting and out of breath after you practically ran while getting ready. 

“You should consider using an alarm.” His voice was laced with amusement as he knelt down, hands already reaching out to tie your shoelaces. 

“You could've tripped over your shoelaces again.” 

Your heart skipping a beat didn't help you at all. It was normal, you swore to yourself. He fixes your shoelaces all the time. It was just efficient.

Your breathing finally returned to normal. “I did, I slept through it.” 

He chuckled before standing up, hand reaching out to flick your forehead. “Idiot, did you sleep late again?” 

You raised a brow, hitting him playfully. “You're one to talk, genius.” 

⋆⭒˚.⋆

Senku's experiments were a constant source of fascination. You were always interested and could hardly take your eyes away whenever he was mixing his colorful array of chemicals in the lab.

“You're too close,” he said, voice edged with concern.

“Huh?”You replied, momentarily distracted.

Before you could process his warning any further, you felt Senku's hand grab your wrist, pulling you behind him right before the Erlenmeyer flask erupted,  bubbles frothing violently at the surface.

Your eyes widened in curiosity as you peeked from behind him. “Whoa,” 

His grip never left yours, never loosened; it remained steady around your wrist.  “Exactly why I told you not to stand too close.” 

You couldn’t help but chuckle softly, “You say that every single time, Sen.” 

“And you're stubborn every single time.” He countered back, his grip tightening around your wrist, ensuring you wouldn’t inch any closer.

His grip felt firm, protective, and undeniably comforting. It felt like a silent assurance that you were safe in his presence. You didn't question it; after all, Senku always did things like that, didn't he?

⋆⭒˚.⋆

One of the perks of living near Senku meant you could always crash at his place, and Byakuya allowed you to do so. Especially whenever he's busy training to be an astronaut on the other side of the world. 

The living room of the Ishigami household was lit by the television screen across you, as well as the faint light coming from the windows. Senku's presence was near and grounding as the two of you watched another move that you picked, of course.

You didn't realize you were crying—not at first. The dialogues bled with a soundtrack that was clearly designed to hurt you slowly. 

Beside you, Senku exhaled through his nose. He couldn't comprehend why you kept choosing movies that clearly tugged at your heartstrings.

“Statistically speaking, you've chosen emotional damage 6 times in a row.” He spoke, voice flat as he stared at the screen with a look of boredom. He wouldn't be watching these movies if it weren't for you.

“Shut up, Sen.” You laughed through your flowing tears. Your voice was shaky as the soundtrack was starting to affect you harder. 

That was when he finally looked at you, a frown appearing on his face as he saw the tears streaming down, your hands already hovering above your eyes to rub them. 

You were crying again. Rubbing your eyes on top of that, too. 

“Stop doing that.” He said immediately, tone firm.

You blinked, “Huh?” 

“Tch,” his hands reached out, pulling yours away from your face before you could even process it. His grip was gentle, quick, and precise. 

“You’re going to irritate your corneas if you keep rubbing your eyes,” he continued, as if a doctor was scolding their patient. “Damage delicate blood vessels, make the inflammation worse— do you want me to continue?” 

He warned, and you shook your head. “I'm just—” 

“Crying and rubbing your eyes.” He finished for you, clearly unimpressed. 

His hands never released your wrists. With a sigh, he pulled them down gently. “Why do you always choose movies that do this to you? It's stupid.” 

You opened your mouth, ready to argue and defend your choices. “It's part of the experience, Senku.” 

“Yeah, right, I believe you,” he mocked softly. 

He shifted closer, hands releasing your wrists. And with the same irritating precision he used for everything else, he reached out for your cheeks, gently wiping your tears away with the pad of his thumbs. 

His touch was careful, almost too careful. As if it were another adjustment made to a system that had slightly fallen out of equilibrium. 

“The movie wasn't even great,” he muttered, yet his thumb didn't stop. “Crying over a predictable plot outcome?” 

You glared at him with angry tears, yet he smiled in return as you lunged to attack him. 

“Stop watching them with me if you're only going to judge me, you menace!” 

His chuckle filtered the dialogue from the movie, letting you tug at his hair all you want. 

“Who will stop you from damaging your eyes if I stopped?” He countered casually—too casually, as if it was a natural response. 

You halted, your hands frozen in his hair for a moment before he gently pried them away. 

“What?” He asked, red eyes already staring into yours, the light from the window behind you reflecting on it. “You're acting like I don't do it often.” 

Right. He does. He does it so often that it has always felt natural. And somewhere along the way, you stopped noticing it entirely. Perhaps you’ve noticed, yet dismissed the thoughts. Never allowing yourself to look further into what those actions actually meant.

Because it was Senku. 

Senku Ishigami, the genius who treats inconveniences as problems to solve for the sake of efficiency. However, he was also the boy who remembered things nobody else did. 

And still, despite everything, you never called it anything else. It was just Senku's acts of science. You chose to dismiss the feeling of your chest tightening painfully as the realization was coming closer. 

No, it was just his acts of science, right?

⋆⭒˚.⋆

Wrong. 

You were wrong, utterly wrong. Or at least you thought so, as the realization refused to be dismissed any further after being buried from years of excuses, the familiarity of routines, and the comfort that you understood Senku's nature. 

Because that was easier. It was easier than confronting the terrifying realization that maybe everyone else had been right all along. 

Perhaps it was never purely about science. Maybe it wasn't just about efficiency, logic, or the fact that Senku disliked being unable to solve inconveniences. 

Maybe—

Your breath got caught in your throat again, between your tempting realization and the reflex to push it down. The thought settled painfully; it felt almost impossible to make it go away. 

Your memories weren't much help either, as they replayed endlessly without permission, refusing to stay harmless. 

The reminders, the way he noticed things before you did, the way he was always prepared for your inconveniences as if he had already calculated them, the way he always remembered. 

The realization was everywhere, taunting you dangerously. You could see it in everything you dismissed as his acts of science.

Which was why the sight of the small metal tube of lip stain on your hands felt almost unbearable as it weighed and catalyzed your realization. 

“Try it already,” Senku spoke from his desk chair across from you, who sat on his bed, your usual spot. He sounded mildly annoyed at your silence. 

You couldn't really blame him. You've been silent for too long, buried in your thoughts that refused to go quiet. 

It was almost funny, really. A lip stain was all it took to catalyze your realization. However, it wasn't just any lip stain. It was a replica of the one that you've been searching for endlessly for the past few weeks. 

The same lip stain you cried over with embarrassing levels of devastation after losing it, especially since it was discontinued everywhere. You could recall the countless times you brought it up whenever you were with Senku. How the shade was your favorite since it suited you so well, and how you couldn't find any alternatives. 

“You…made this?” You spoke out softly, finally finding your voice again.

He clicked the roof of his tongue. “Yeah? Why are you acting so surprised as if I hadn't made things before?” 

Your eyes refused to leave the lip stain in your hands. The metal surface felt cool against your fingers. You noticed the engraving of your name on the packaging, which wasn't like the packaging of your previous lip stain with stickers that wore out easily after a few uses.

You heard the wheels of his desk chair roll closer towards you. “I changed the packaging since you always complained about the lettering wearing off easily.” 

“How did you remember the shade?” You looked up at him, and your eyes immediately met his again. He was already looking at you. 

He gave you his signature laugh. “That was the hard part. Learning cosmetology was 10 billion percent easier. I had to rely on information and pictures online, as well as yours.” 

“I would've finished it within a week if you had tested out the shade samples yourself.” He smirked, “Byakuya kept whining that it'd ruin the surprise.” 

You tilted your head, “Byakuya knew about this?” 

“Of course. He caught me watching a cosmetology crash course at 2 AM.” 

You found yourself laughing at his response. Your grin was wide, so wide that it made your cheeks hurt. You were genuinely so happy.

You kept smiling even when you were no longer laughing. Senku raised a brow, mirroring the previous tilt of your head. “What?” 

“You're—” your grin appeared again, your cheeks were really starting to hurt. “You're so sweet, Sen.” 

He paused in disbelief. “Hah? What are you talking about—” 

Your sudden hug caught him off guard, and your added weight pushed the desk chair backward slightly. Your arms were wrapped around his neck, one hand still gripping the lip stain tightly. 

“Thank you, Sen. Seriously, I don't know how to thank you enough.” 

He clicked the roof of his tongue again, acting annoyed, yet the smile on his face said otherwise. As well as his hand that steadied you against him, returning the hug. 

“You can thank me by actually trying it. How else am I supposed to know I got the shade right?” 

The grin on your face remained as you pulled away. “Okay,” your voice became strangely soft. 

You were about to use your phone screen as a mirror when Senku reached out to grab the lip stain from you. “It has a built-in mirror. Less hassle.” 

You stared at him in awe. “Oh my gosh, you really considered the design of the packaging.” 

He shrugged, handing the lip stain back to you. “The original design was inefficient. You would need a separate mirror each time.” 

He didn't say anything else as he watched you apply it to your lips. A satisfied smile formed on your face, and Senku nearly exhaled in relief. He didn't fail; he succeeded in reviving your favorite lip stain. 

Your eyes shifted to meet his again, your smile refusing to leave your face. “How do I look, Sen?” 

He paused for a second, “The same but with a different shade of lip color.” 

You gasped and hit him playfully. “How rude! You learned cosmetology but not about how to compliment a girl?” 

He shrugged, leaning back in his chair. “Why would I waste my time with the latter?”

You rolled your eyes before admiring the shade with the built-in mirror. “You could at least say I look prettier.” 

“You always do,” he responded too quickly, without any hesitation in the tone of his voice. It was too straightforward, as if he were reciting a fact.

You short-circuit for a few seconds, cheeks burning up slightly as you look away.

“You're really amazing, Sen...” You mumbled, admiring his creation while trying to ignore the warmth from your cheeks.

“Yeah?” A quiet chuckle escaped from him. 

“I've built rockets, and this is what impressed you the most?” He added, a teasing grin on his face. 

“Well, this one is the most unexpected thing you would do, y’know?” 

He shook his head with another chuckle. “You're welcome.” He moved himself using his chair, a hand reaching for a notebook on his desk. “I haven't tested the transfer resistance yet, but it stains better than the original.” 

“Why not?” 

“Do you expect me to wear it?” 

You laughed out loud, “Wouldn't you do it for science?”

“Nice joke.” He deadpanned. “I did it for you, not for science, idiot.” 

Somehow, that confession hit harder than anything else. 

“The Senku Ishigami is doing something that isn't for science? Is the world meeting its doom soon?” you joked mockingly. 

“That's worse than the previous one.” He deadpanned again. 

You giggled, hands reaching out to pull his chair closer to you, a mischievous idea had already appeared in your head just seconds ago. 

“What are you doing?” 

You didn't answer. Instead, you tugged his head down, closer to your face. With a swift motion, you pressed a quick kiss on his cheek. 

You pulled away, satisfied with your results. There was a clear mark from the gloss, yet no pigment. The only pigment you found was the burning ears of Senku, dusted with a faint red. 

“Results concluded, it's transfer proof.” You grinned at his frozen state. “You can log the results in your notebook now.” 

A teasing smirk formed on your face as you eyed his silent and flustered figure. “You good, Sen?” 

“Yeah…” he muttered out after snapping out of his frozen state, voice low as he turned away from you to reach for a pen. 

Oh, you were savoring every moment. That was your payback after he made you spiral over his acts of science.

Perhaps the two of you wouldn't talk about it further for now. However, you were—as Senku would say it—10 billion percent sure there's time for that in the future. 

For now, you'll mainly appreciate his acts of science, or his way of showing that he cared far more than you thought. 

⋆⭒˚.⋆

Bonus:

“Where did you learn how to make cosmetics, Senku-chan?” Gen’s curious question hung in the air, capturing Senku's attention. 

The scene unfolded in front of the two of them, along with Suika and Soyuz, who were gathered around Amaryllis and you. Together, you were meticulously applying makeup on Kohaku’s face in preparation for the selection. 

“It's chemistry, mentalist.” His gaze briefly flickered towards Gen and deadpanned. 

Gen sweat dropped. “Yes, but I never expected you to touch that part of chemistry, Senku-chan…” 

The scientist shrugged, dismissing the comment. And before Gen could question him further, you suddenly walked to Senku with a bright grin on your face. 

“Sen, can you make my lip stain again? I've been missing it lately.” Your eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, something Senku could never say no to.

‘Ah.’ Gen's question had been answered the moment the words fell from your lips. The mentalist wasn't even surprised anymore. ‘So this is the so-called acts of science Yuzuriha-chan was talking about.’

a/n: I had so much fun writing this in one sitting. It was way longer than I initially planned because of the last scene. Thank you for reading, I hope you guys enjoyed this one <3.

[krossan]

[whoiskohi]

𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 | 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘬𝘶 𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘹 f!𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

Summary: Things can change overnight, as Senku discovered after your decision.

warnings: angst, no happy ending.

word count: 1.6k

Based on "Saturno", but it's the extended version.

𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈𖥸┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸

You spent your whole life loving him.

You knew him since school, grew up alongside him, and together faced the Stone World. You saw him in all his moods: angry, sad, tired, happy, and disappointed. You were there for all his autumns, winters, springs, and summers.

"Senku" you called him hoping for a resolution, an end of questions and uncertainty, you were hoping for him to call you his someday, you were hoping for a future together. "May I ask you something?"

A whole life with him is all you wanted.

Was it too much to ask for?

An eternity together.

His eyes found yours, "Yeah, sure. What's up?" he left some annotations in the table to listen to you as he always have done through the years.

You took a breath and made the question you've been eager to know. "I've been wondering if you ever want to marry me"

"What?" He frowned and his voice sounded harsh, like a punch in the guts. "I'm too busy for relationships," he said the stupid sentence you've heard since you were kids, but you were hoping, pleading, you were an exception to that self-imposed rule, "You know that."

You tried to calm yourself a little, "I... Yeah, I do know that, but I thought that maybe we could try, it's not like there's to much difference from what we already have, right?"

And you regretted asking when you heard his voice saying "This is why I don't do relationships" while running his hand over his face. "No, it isn't the same. I know we've done a few things, but that ain't mean that I can dedicate all my time to a relationship and..." he sighed, "I can't."

You were perplexed and hurt by his words. "What do you mean 'I can't'? You've restored big part of the civilization from the Stone World, I've seen you face multiple obstacles in your life, you've survived lots of attacks and even more..., but you're saying you can't commit to a family together? To a future together after everything we've done?"

He nodded more composed, "Yeah, I have to finish this whole time machine and think forward with the inventions to restore all the humanity"

You were out of words.

You blinked taking in his heavy words foolishly thinking that maybe, just maybe, in between the reality you didn't wanted to face he was saying he wanted a future with you, that maybe he was saying something in between lines, that maybe all he said was a mere lie.

But no.

Machines, inventions, calculations, annotations, research and more took all his time from you. But you couldn't blame science; it was wonderful and gave humanity lots of things. Science didn't chose him to investigate every mystery the world could provide. No. Science didn't chose him. Senku chose science over everything else... Even his life.

But you couldn't blame your childhood friend for his uncontrolled passion. You couldn't blame him for his wishes to help people and discover more and more. You couldn't blame him.

But you blamed yourself for believing he could chose you over it, for believing that part of him wanted you as hard as you wanted him, for believing in fairytales, for believing in romance, for believing it could work.

And now, all your hopes...

All your fantasies...

All your dreams...

Everything with him...

Vanished.

Like dust in the wind.

This ain't a dream with a happy ending. It was the harsh reality that gave you a broken heart.

In your quiet pain and hid tears you nodded and gave him a last smile, "Okay" you said as you were walking backwards towards the door. "Yeah, you're right, you're busy and... have better things to take care for...," you sounded breathy trying to hold in tears and the last dignity you had left. "Thanks for your time then, Senku."

"Wait-!"

And you felt your heart squishing inside your chest as tears finally hugged your helpless state at the other side of the door.

Funny.

Once Senku said that the heart was just an organ. But now it hurt like it was being torn apart, like needles slowly burying themselves and letting him bleed mercilessly. You couldn't see you path as tears made blurry your vision and you felt like you couldn't breathe from the impotence.

You just wanted him, that's all...

Why?

Why?

Why?!

Why do you have to feel like this when you know he didn't said all of that to hurt you?

Maybe because you thought that holding him close, all the shared looks, the synchronized laughs, the quiet hugs, the late conversations and the hands holding the other one in the middle of the night meant something to him after all this time.

But turns out, it didn't.

It meant the world for you, and maybe so little to him.

You ran far away to hide from the curious eyes that could be around and found a spot near a river. The moon and the stars were reflected in the water and you could only thought about Senku liking that view.

Screw him, you thought. There's nothing you can do about his choice. You chose him, but Senku chose a life of science. You have to live with that for the rest of your life. Now you have to forget about these stupid feelings of yours and move on.

But how can you forget someone with whom you even shared your breath?

***

Thirteen million one hundred forty-one thousand four hundred forty seconds passed from that moment and you still felt the prick in your heart every time you saw the scientist around, each day becomes more bearable, although there are still days when you wonder how things would have been if he had accepted you into his heart. But now, you were good at pretending that you didn't care and that that unfortunate night never happened for your own sake.

Only once Senku tried to talk to you, but you dodge him. You needed to let him go, so you got close to other people out of Senku's usual social environment to escape, to forget.

To forget the foolish fantasy you had since a little kid of him and you growing old together after Byakuya said you two looked cute.

To forget the conversations you used to love.

To forget his smell of chemicals and tea.

To forget the sound of his laugh.

To forget his damn smirk.

To forget his red eyes.

To forget his voice.

To forget him.

To move on.

To heal.

Your heart still yearned for him and you knew it. It was inevitable. You two used to be so close and now you have to pretend to be a mere citizen helping in his chaotic ideas like everybody else. You had to play the fool that follows the king anywhere he goes and accomplish all his wishes without complaining.

"Hey, you're alright?" a sweet voice called you. Your heart was so loud that you forgot about what you were doing. You were in the middle of the corn city helping to create alcohol and a man stood in front of you with a tractor by his side. "Do you need help with that? Seems heavy"

You blinked twice, "Yeah, sure, thanks" you quickly move to carry all the corn as you apologize, "I was distracted, sorry"

"No need, let me" he smiled at you so softly that the next nights you dreamed with it and you regain your faith in love.

Slowly.

Steady.

Patient.

This new love was gentle and had no intentions of running away. Instead, it provided security, understanding, and caresses.

You felt loved.

The tears become laugh.

The quiet nights become loud.

The insecurities become faith.

Red eyes were replace by brown ones.

Green hair were replaced by silver one.

Scientific comments were replaced by romantic ones.

Talks about inventions were replaced by a future plan.

And what seemed like a dream became reality.

You always dreamed about getting marry and having a family. Now you were doing it, though your dream had someone else in mind, you loved this life you got by the farmer's side.

It was calm, quiet, relaxing and lovely. You had everything you wished for right now.

***

You looked pretty on that dress.

He couldn't tell you.

Time wasn't on his side that stupid night. He wanted to reach you, but something came up and took his precious time.

Again.

He remembered the words you said and the ones he said back. And he regretted them all. You ran from his life as soon as he close the door on your face at the mention of romance, but that's not what he wanted.

Now you were kissing somebody else's lips, caressing somebody else's hair, worrying about somebody else's problems and making somebody else happy.

You left him behind moving forward on your desires.

He got stuck with his inventions and had no one to talk to.

So unfortunate.

"If you missed her that much, once the time machine is over, you can try and have her back." Gen commented when he noticed Senku's eyes following your figure at the distance while you walked by your husband hand taking care of your child.

"No." He remembered the conversation that lead to that outcome; Senku remembered your face and its emotion once he said no to you and then the happiness you had on your wedding day. "Now she is happy, happier than I could ever offer."

Gen nodded understanding what he meant by that.

And Senku accepted the dreadful end of what would probably have been the love of his life.

[rae-pss]

masterlist

˗ˏˋ꒰ 💭 ꒱ RAE'S NOTE. here are some short thoughts about certain dr. stone characters in love and their main love languages. i already did something for senku, but here y'all have something shorter and more specific (?). thanks to my bestie, @raven725 , for proofreading it (<3).

˗ˏˋ꒰ 💭 ꒱ pairing. senku × gn! reader, gen × gn! reader, tsukasa × gn! reader, xeno × gn! reader, stanley × gn! reader

being in love + love language they give!

Senku Ishigami in love would bring an odd mix of logic and adorableness to it. He'd deny being "in love" at first. Still, he'd quietly start optimizing your life in any way he finds possible, from inventing gadgets just for your convenience to explaining science in ways that make you feel included (whether you're knowledgeable or not about the matter). His affection can be described as nerdy yet sincere in its showing.

His main love language would be acts of service and, as he'd call it, intellectual intimacy. He'd genuinely try to pour his time and effort into expanding your world with new details and making it run more smoothly, without even asking for any credit.

Gen Asagiri in love would make him sweeter, softer, and more genuine than he ever lets the world see. He'd be expressive but in that subtle, teasing way characteristic of him. Compliments disguised as playful remarks, gestures that look casual but are deeply considerate, and the kind. He likes emotional connection and thrives in mutual understanding.

His main love language would be words of affirmation. His affection comes through clever conversation, emotional honesty, and meaningful shared moments.

Tsukasa Shishio in love would involve an intense devotion, a flicker of fierce protection, but always with gentleness at his core. His affection would lean toward sincerity and depth. Above all, he values emotional truth and moral grounding before much else.

His main love language would be physical touch. Warmth and closeness are simple terms that describe his company. Shared silence and a quiet presence that speak louder than any words ever could, all of which define his way of loving you.

Xeno Wingfield in love would imply a precise display of emotions. He might not be good at spontaneous emotional gestures, but he excels at thoughtful, specifically tailored ones, given that he has your tastes memorized to the bit. When he’s in love, he becomes surprisingly gentle and deeply invested in understanding your mind's wonders. He shows love through careful attention and intellectual devotion.

His main love language would be acts of service, with a pinch of quality time, if I must add. He shows love by doing things perfectly for you and spending focused, meaningful time together. He'd not mind you two sharing the same space while each of you does your own thing.

Stanley Snyder in love would fall into the steady, quiet, loyal type (quite how he behaves with Xeno). He's the one remembering what you said in passing, showing up when you need him, and keeping you safe in ways you often don’t notice.

His main love language would be physical touch. He would be your own knight in shining armor most of the time, a steady presence lingering always close enough. A grounding touch on your lower back and a practical support are signs of his love in action.

[rae-pss]

Now we know how Dr. Stone men are in love, how about when their courting/pursuing and to being a husband? 🤭

masterlist

˗ˏˋ꒰ 💭 ꒱ RAE'S NOTE. it took time but here you've it, my dear. i hope you enjoy the read as i've enjoyed writing it (^^).

˗ˏˋ꒰ 💭 ꒱ pairing. senku × gn! reader, gen × gn! reader, tsukasa × gn! reader, xeno × gn! reader, stanley × gn! reader ˗ˏˋ꒰ 💭 ꒱ summary. how they'd flirt with you, plus a brief example of their confessing.

courting headcanons

—Senku Ishigami is in denial (again). He absolutely denies he’s “courting” anyone, yet he’s inventing things that just happen to make your daily life easier. He calls it “optimization,” but his ears go red when you thank him. Not at all subtle.

—Your life is soon filled with more details about science than before. His explanations of scientific concepts come in an oddly intimate manner, with metaphors tailores too your own interests. Then, he decides to make little experiments for just the two of you, such as stargazing sessions where he quietly watches your reactions more than the sky.

—Senku starts to remember everything, and when I say everuything I mean it, you say. Offhand comments become projects. Do you like a certain scent? He’ll recreate it. Say you miss a food? He’ll reverse‑engineer it. If you ask him? It's for the advancement of civilization, 10 billion percent sure.

—His version of a confession is undeniable his in style, indirect but unmistakable. He'll invite you to join a long‑term project, something that will take months or years.

❝Don't make a big deal about it… I want you in my future when we rescue humanity.❞

—Would you believe me if I told you it started as a joke? Gen Asagiri flirted with you as he had done with many others before, but with you, something's different. He starts sizing up your reactions more closely after every interaction. His jokes become gentler, more intimate. His compliments stop being generic and become specific, almost vulnerable.

—Then, he starts bringing you things that seem casual… But that everyone knows is not. A pretty feather, a perfect leaf, a polished stone, all small tokens which he hands you theatrically. And once you turn around with his gift already in your hands, he stares at your back with a tenderness that he doesn't allow himself to show face-to-face.

—Gen can be a showman in public, in a way. But in private, his act tones down, revealing a softer side of him. He likes to sit with you at sunset, when the world turns golden and still. And when the conversation becomes intimate, he looks at you with an expression he doesn't use with anyone else: a mixture of longing, desire, and fear.

—In case it wasn't clear, he's afraid of what he feels. He's insecure about his own feelings because of their profound nature. However, one day he blurted it out as if it were a joke, despite the slight tremor in his voice.

❝You know… I like you more than is strategically sensible.❞

—As I've said before, Tsukasa Shishio shows affection through protection. He doesn't see you as weak, if you're wondering it, yet he doesn't hesitate to position himself between you and any possible threat without making a show of it.

—Tsukasa is an avid listener at that. When you speak, he gives you his full attention, as if your words are something sacred. He doesn't talk much about himself. Nevertheless, it's your trust in him that makes him lower his walls, sharing personal details that no one else knows.

—Another quiet show of his interest comes in the form of small rituals he has started to form with you: He leaves wildflowers where he knows you'll find them, he prepares the best piece of meat without saying a word, he covers you with his coat while you sleep, he watches you tenderly when you think he can't see you. They're not that grandiose, but they're enough to make you warm on the inside.

—Then, one day, the imminent arrived. It was in the way he looked at you, really at you, and admitted wanting to give you a future, one which he's willing to protect with his own life if it meant you would be happy.

❝I want to build a world where you can live without fear.❞

—I hope you're ready, because Xeno Wingfield finds your mind stimulating enough, which translates to a new attraction to debating with you about anything and everything. If he starts seeking you out to debate, to listen to your ideas, to ask your opinion on complex issues… Oh, he’s already halfway gone.

—Similar to Senku, he finds it intimate the prospect of sharing knowledge, especially the one he holds dear. For such, he'll offer to teach you anything you may ask him about, whether it's the intricate works of space, or why his gloves have those metal claws attached.

—Intense emotions aren't Xeno's strength, which seems pretty clear, so he lets them escape through small cracks during your moments together. Funnily enough, if you make him laugh, really laugh, he stares at you as if he doesn't understand what just happened to him.

—When he finally decides to say something, he does so with precision and a deep vulnerability. Despite the firmness present in his voice, his hands trembled just the slightest. For him, admitting his affection is a leap of faith.

❝You have become… Important to me. More than I anticipated.❞

—We're already aware that Stanley Snyder is a man focused on actions; that is, his affection is shown through various actions that demonstrate his attention to you. He fixes things for you, sharpens your tools, stands guard nearby without being asked…

—Those eyes of his will be set on you, whether you're aware of their constant presence or not. He watches you from a distance at first, almost like a soldier assessing a battlefield. Based on what he learns from his curious and respectful observation, he adjusts his behavior accordingly. His attention is constant, silent, and almost devotional in nature.

—His teasing is… He teases you dryly, to be honest. Yet if someone else does it, he shuts them down with a single look. He's the only one with the right to fluster you, and everyone should know that.

—Stanley isn't the most open about himself at first, taking his due time to open up for you. His life comes to your knowledge in fragments: a story from his past, a scar explained, a rare laugh shared. He doesn't talk about himself. Not out of pride, but because he doesn't know how. But with you… Things just slip out.

—And, when he finally gains the courage, his confession comes bluntly, directly, and devastatingly sincere, just like him.

❝I’m yours if you want me. Just say the word.❞