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Shit!
You stomped out the fire that threatened to grow, cursing yourself for falling asleep. You doused it before a massive forest fire broke out. Ganko copied you, stomping on the ashes as though it were a game. Your head spun as you had gotten up in a panic, blood struggling to your head. You whipped around to the fun-loving piglet.
“Damn it, Ganko,” you said. “You were supposed to wake me.”
Ganko snorted and waddled off, unaffected by your anger and searched through the ashes and nearby bushes for more snacks. He had gotten bigger but was still a fairly small piglet. You could still carry him easily if you wanted/needed to. You rubbed your eyes, succumbing to your headrush. You collapsed to the floor, back flat and knees bent to get the blood to flow back to your head. You’ve passed out in broad daylight more times in the last.… How long has it been? Maybe a month. Maybe more? If Senku was around, he probably would have been able to tell you what day it was, the season, and the time. You would have killed for some semblance of normalcy. Even just a soak in a bathtub with real soap would be heaven. Instead, you would flop into a lake and scratch off any noticeable dirt patches with your fingernails.
You and Ganko traveled slowly towards the coastal region but due to his injury, your journey took longer. At some point, you were worried about being found, so you fashioned a baby carrier for the little guy. He didn’t always like it, but you gave him breaks to stretch his legs. Every day was a step on a treadmill, useless, repetitive and worked you to the bone. If it weren’t for Ganko and the memories of your loved ones, you would have surrendered yourself to Tsukasa and made your presence known. But there was a way out; your way. You just had to hold out.
You slapped yourself and got up. The coastal-locals were better than surrendering to some strong brute. If they weren’t you’d come up with something. You had to. Ganko hurried over at the sound of your self-inflicted pain, squealing.
“Relax, Ganko,” you said. “It was just me. I was starting to doze off. How’s the leg?”
You held out your hand, a sign you had taught him. Ganko obediently sat and held out his injured leg. You held it gently in your palm and inspected it. It looked better but you couldn’t be sure that it was safe to take off his splint, no matter how much Ganko wanted it off. He squirmed as you gingerly ran your fingers over where you estimated the break had occurred. He snorted angrily, almost like he was talking to you. You imagined him with a cute voice, like a little kid.
Ouch! That hurt! Ganko said in your head. Why do you gotta do this?
“I gotta make sure your leg is gonna be ok,” you said aloud, answering his imaginary question. “It’s what we big sisters do. And unfortunately, it’s not all daisies and rainbows. That’s life.”
I wanna walk. Can we walk?
“Yeah, and then you can apologize for not waking me.”
You put his leg back down and opened your bag to give him a bit of lion-jerky. Your stomach dropped as you looked into the dwindling supply you had surrounding your homemade knives in your bag. Your spear broke, along with the sharp rock you had. Luckily, the way the rock shattered gave you three knives. The third hid behind your right hip in a sheathe you made.
Ganko’s treats were going to be less common. If you weren’t careful, you might not have enough to make it to the coastal people. It was Ganko’s fault, of course. His cute eyes and adorable, little snort. He knows he can get away with anything, especially since you would protect him as his surrogate mom. You waved for him to follow you, continuing your journey. His little waddle was smug, something he didn’t seem to learn from you. He was just a confident, little guy. You laughed, it reminded you of Senku.
Senku knew that you wouldn’t kill him — as much as you’ve threatened it — and loved to toe the line between being funny and irritable with you. Sometimes you couldn’t tell if he did it on purpose. Senku knew how to place his bets when it came to you. You were somewhat hopelessly devoted to him. You wondered if he ever knew about your feelings for him. He was definitely smart enough to figure it out. And if he did know, why didn’t he confront you about it?
You laughed hollowly. Hopelessly devoted. It sounded cheesy. What made it worse was how it truly embodied how you felt, even with the corniness! Even now, possibly miles and miles away from him, he still clouded your mind. “Hopelessly devoted,” you scoffed. “Isn’t that a song?”
Do you know it? Ganko asked.
“Of course. Shall I demonstrate?”
You cleared your throat, but stopped for a moment. Singing at the top of your lungs could cause havoc. If Tsukasa could break solid stone with one hand, could that mean he had superior hearing? Or was that ludicrous to assume? You hesitated. Ganko waddled closer to you.
Is there something wrong? he said. I thought you were gonna sing.
“Maybe later,” you said. “Once we’re somewhere safe.”
Chicken.
“What?” you turned to Ganko, surprised with that thought, manifesting itself as Ganko. “Oh whatever. You can’t even talk.”
But you can hear me! Ganko sang in your head.
You sighed. Perhaps your mental state was deteriorating due to the little companionship you had, but you were desperate to do something loud. Karaoke was such a fun pastime, especially when you were with friends. Belting out your emotions was something you did at least once everyday. Whether it was with your family, friends or just by yourself. Maybe it wouldn’t kill you to sing just the chorus.
You smiled, taking in a deep breath before singing aloud.
“But now there’s nowhere to hide
Since you pushed my love aside
I’m out of my head
Hopelessly devoted to —”
You heard a distant snap of a twig. You halted in your song and fumbled for your knives from your bag. You waved to Ganko and pointed in the direction of the snap. He understood and trotted through a tall bundle of flowers, going around to investigate the noise from behind. You held yourself at the front.
“Hello?” you called.
The clumsy sound of Ganko brushing through the grass rang in your ears as you waited for an answer. You two have luckily made it far without any run-ins with Tsukasa’s goons, but with that smoke incident you two could be in real danger. Ganko’s snorts became softer as he searched the bush. You tightened your grip on the stout handles you made for your blades.
“Hello?” you said, worrying it was an animal.
“AHH!”
You jumped as a person screamed and scrambled out of the bush. They charged at you, arms open. The sign of submission made you reflexively drop your weapons, catching the stranger. They clung to you as you lost your footing, falling backwards and onto your ass. They blabbered at you, tripping over every word, as you shoved them off so you could sit up.
A loud squeal erupted from the bush and out came Ganko, prepped to attack them. He galloped towards the stranger, snorting and squealing. Without thinking, you moved in front of the stranger and held out your hand, the classic signal for stop. Ganko swerved in his outburst and scuffed the dirt with his good hoof.
“Hey buddy,” you said slowly. “It’s me.”
Ganko huffed and snorted, waddling over slowly. The stranger grabbed your arm. It pissed off Ganko into charging again. You moved into Ganko’s way, letting him headbutt your shin. You winced, but held your ground, scuffling to cover the stranger from Ganko’s view.
“It’s ok, it’s ok,” you said. “I’m here. It’s me.”
Ganko seemed to settle a bit, but still bounced on his legs, itching to check the perimeter for strangers. He seemed to ignore his little splint as he wiggled his butt. You sighed and let him sniff your hand before petting him. His breathing slowed as he relaxed into your touch. You had forgotten that Ganko was still a wild animal. Pigs were smart, but Ganko wasn’t a domestic pig. This was your test to get Ganko more socialized.
“Ok, you be nice or else you’re getting carried,” you warned as you slowly revealed the person behind you.
Ganko scratched at the dirt. You tsked at him. Ganko’s attention bounced from you to the stranger. You called him and let him follow you as you wafted a thick chunk of lion-jerky to him. Ganko followed you, stopping occasionally. As you neared the stranger, you waved at him to come closer to you. The stranger shuffled towards you. You took one of their hands and forced it next to yours to offer Ganko the jerky. You squeezed their hand when they started to whine and shake as Ganko sniffed at the offering. Ganko took the meat, then shoved his snout into the stranger’s palm to look for crumbs. The stranger wheezed as you placed another piece of jerky into their palm. Ganko took it again and sniffed at their wrist. He didn’t show any signs of aggression and seemed to relax in their presence. You let out a sigh of relief.
“He probably won’t try to kill you now,” you said, standing up. “Probably. So who are you?”
You snatched your knives from the ground and put them back in your bag, impressed that they didn’t try to take one. Not even the one on your hip. While you were busily herding Ganko, you were horrifically open to an attack and yet the stranger didn’t lift a finger to disarm you. Although, you chalked that up to them being afraid of Ganko. You hovered over your visitor and recognized the parted, white and black hair. His calm disposition you had previously seen him with completely evaporated into a quivering mess at your little pig. He looked up at you helplessly, hugging his knees.
“Hey… I remember you,” you said. “You didn’t tell Tsukasa about me.”
“Right,” he said, straightening up, gathering his composure. “I’m Gen. I’m happy I finally found you.”
You introduced yourself while helping him stand. “Nice to meet you. I’m glad you found me too. Uhm… I hope I don’t come off as ungrateful but why didn’t you say anything about me?”
Gen raised an eyebrow before shrugging. “Because you asked me to.”
You sunk into your hip, head tilted to the side. You didn’t say anything to him that day, did you? It was so long ago and every day after it blurred together. He chuckled at your confused expression.
“I thought you didn’t want me to say something. Who am I to disrespect the wishes of a young lady?”
You snorted. “Thanks, but what made you do it? Didn’t you ever worry that I might die alone?”
Your comment shocked Gen. “You’re standing right here, aren’t you?”
“But what made you think that I, a perfect stranger, could survive the literal wild?”
Gen chuckled. “I’m a mentalist. I could sense a fiery spirit from you. If I hadn’t, I would have taken you with me. Believe me, I’m not one to take responsibility for your life, but I wouldn’t have left you to die.”
The conviction in his voice convinced you to take his word for it. He truly did believe that you would survive. He even came out here just to find you again. You had no idea what a mentalist was, but if it made him lead with his gut, then you could trust that.
“Besides, you crawled into a corpse,” Gen continued. “The average person wouldn’t do that without a strong will and an iron-clad stomach.”
You laughed. “Yeah, I didn’t want to but you have to adapt sometimes. I wouldn’t have been able to hide without it. You aren’t gonna tell Tsukasa about me this time, right?”
“I actually have a different alliance than dear Tsukasa. I have my reasons, but I’ve found my own path. So if you’d like, I can show you to a village who will take you in.”
You eyed him carefully. “What made you go against Tsukasa?”
Something in Gen’s expression softened as he smiled. “A scientist.”
You gasped. Gen caught that small shift in you. Your demeanor changed for an instant. Hope sparkled in your eyes, yet you tried to keep your reaction internal. Now what could that mean? He decided to pry, just a bit.
“Are you one too?” Gen said with a smile.
“No, a friend of mine was,” you said quickly.
Gen watched your cheeks flash pink. You turned your attention back to your pig. The little guy snorted and nuzzled into your ankle. He suddenly felt overtly foolish for running from such a small creature. It looked bigger in the shadows of the trees. Your kind eyes went lax on the baby boar as he tried to get into your bag. You patted his tiny forehead. “You already had some from Gen. Go apologize.”
The boar squealed.
“Now, Ganko.”
Ganko didn’t approach Gen, but merely oinked at your side and stopped poking your bag with his snout. The little piglet seemed well trained for only having interactions with one person. You were pretty smart if you knew how to make this piglet obey. You even named him. Senku would be happy to have you in his Kingdom of Science.
You guided Ganko towards Gen. His heart thrummed as the little pig approached. You led Ganko to sniff at Gen’s shin. The piglet snorted as it inspected him. You grabbed his wrist and offered it to Ganko again. Fear pricked at the back of Gen’s neck as the piglet’s snorts blew across his skin. He knew he could probably punt the piglet if it tried to bite, but that could cost him if you were so attached to it. You were armed and he wasn’t there to make enemies. Ganko pressed his snout into Gen’s wrist, deeming him worthy. The piglet turned to you and headbutted your leg softly.
“You had enough,” you said lightly. “Go scavenge.”
You made a sign with your hand, opening and closing it into a fist twice. Ganko scurried off to sniff out his own food. Gen smiled at the little guy as he gnawed off the petals of a flower.
“So, are you coming?” Gen said.
“Are they on the coast?” you said.
“Well, they are near a body of water, but I wouldn’t call it the coast, per say.”
You fist pumped victoriously. “Yes! I knew they would be a safe haven! What did I tell you, Ganko?”
Ganko continued to nosh at the lovely flora around them.
“Yeah, we’ll come with you. Just hold on.”
Gen nodded and watched you take a long piece of cloth out of your bag. You wrapped it over your neck and tied it until it made a kind of pouch. Then you scooped up Ganko from his grazing. The piglet squealed as you worked him into the pouch on your chest. Ganko’s little legs hung out in front of him as he was strapped to you, like a baby. Gen giggled as Ganko tried to squirm out, to no avail. Then Gen noticed the little wooden pieces wrapped around Ganko’s front right leg.
“What happened?” Gen said, pointing to it.
“He was helping me out,” you said, gazing fondly on Ganko’s little face. “I think he either broke it or twisted it. I’m not a doctor, but I could tell something was wrong. I’d feel better if your scientist gave me a second opinion.”
You held one of Ganko’s hooves. The piglet pulled it out of your grasp with a little huff. You stuck your tongue out at him then looked up at Gen.
“Ok, lead me out,” you said, cheerily with a hand in your bag.
Gen grinned until he heard the clatter of knives in your bag. It cracked between you two, making a shiver run through him. Your face didn’t flinch from your pleasant expression. Was that a threat? Gen’s smile weakened as your hand moved to lift something from it. He clenched his jaw and tried to remain calm. If you were going to threaten him, he could talk himself out of it. The seconds he spent watching your hand rising out of your animal-skin bag made Gen’s knees threaten to buckle. You were definitely a fiery spirit, one he didn’t want to be enemies with. Especially so far out on his own. He swallowed thickly until his eyes finally found the back of your palm. You were gripping something. Gen took a breath. It was a strip of something. It looked dark and resembled a piece of meat, shriveled up and dry. His shoulders relaxed as he inspected the weird thing.
“Want some?” you offered. “It’s jerky.”
Amused and impressed, Gen took it with a smile. “You made jerky?”
“My dad loves all that survival and stone-age stuff. He always said it would save me one day. I just didn’t think he’d be right.”
“I’m sure he’d be proud.”
Your face softened. “Yeah. I hope I can tell him.”
Gen took a bite out of your homemade jerky and could barely tolerate it. The taste was comparable to swallowing ashes while trying to chew through a leather belt. He wanted to spit it out, but forced himself to chew it. Through the ash and thick texture, the meat itself tasted like some mixture of chicken and beef.
“What is this?” Gen said, still chewing.
“Jerky, just like I said,” you said, taking a bit for yourself and Ganko. “Oh, you mean the meat. It’s lion.”
His eyes widened. “How did you get lion meat?”
You told him your harrowing victory against the lioness as the two of you walked back to camp. Gen admired how humble you were about your accomplishment, even admitting that you only survived due to luck and Ganko. You were a fighter with enough technical know-how to survive on your own. He knew you and Senku were going to get along.
Then he remembered the flash of color that decorated your cheeks when he had mentioned a scientist. When you turned to Ganko then, it wasn’t because the piglet caught your attention, it was because you were trying to hide your blushing face. Despite the two of you not knowing each other, you immediately hid your reaction. Why would you do that? There was one answer to that mystery: you were in love with a scientist. Gen couldn’t help prodding you at this realization.
“So, what were you like before?” Gen asked.
“Regular student,” you said. “I had my mom and dad. Some friends. Y’know, the usual.”
A student with a small number of friends. You must have been in a similar age bracket as Senku, but that didn’t mean much on its own. Although, if you were into scientific boys, then you could develop feelings for either Chrome or Senku. Gen held down his grin at the fun he could have watching that love triangle unfold. It could be like watching a live anime romance.
“Anyone veryspecial to you?” Gen said.
You shot a glare at him. Gen held up his smile, even as your icy glare pierced him. He was confident that one of your friends must have been your little scientist lover. You groaned, your cheeks noticeably redder. Gen’s smile melted into a light smug look. Your silent admission was all he needed as confirmation.
“A boy?” Gen teased.
“So who’s this scientist that wrangled you out of Tsukasa’s corner?” you said over him.
“Oh, his name is Senku,” Gen said, waving his hand. “Now what’s your little boyfriend’s name?”
Your eyes widened. Senku? You wanted to ask about his last name, but worry pulled at you. If it wasn’t your Senku then.… Disappointment tugged your lips. Your eyes dimmed at the thought of meeting someone else at this village. You wanted to hold on to hope that this was your Senku, even just until the end of the day.
“Are you ok?” Gen asked, somewhat worried.
“Yeah,” you said, “I just thought it’d be someone else.”
Gen watched you curiously. You shrugged, confused as to why he was peering into you. Then his face warped into a smug grin.
“I think you and him will get along,” Gen said.
“What makes you say that?” you said.
“Just a gut feeling.”
You hummed and stroked Ganko as he bounced quietly in his baby carrier. The rhythm of your strides rocked Ganko to sleep. Giving him a break from waddling on his leg also meant minor back pain, but also the opportunity to see a cute, sleepy Ganko. You held his little hoof. Please let it be my Senku.
As Gen led you further and further, your heart pumped faster with every step. Ganko squealed at you, feeling your heart race on his back.
“I’m ok, Ganko,” you said, tapping his snout.
Gen glanced back, but quickly turned his attention ahead of you both. His lips lifted for a moment. You couldn’t tell why he was being sly and resisted the urge to be defensive. If he wasn’t going to address it aloud, you weren’t going to say anything either.
The two of you continued in idle silence as you both arrived at a clearing. As you approached, you saw people you couldn’t recognize. Panic threatened to take the strength out of your knees. You pressed on. Stopping would only prolong this gut-poisoning anxiety. You searched the small crowd, surprised by the amount of machines strewn about. You couldn’t tell what they were up to, but this kind of knowledge was vast. Hope crashed in your chest. Your eyes sped over everyone, skipping over all the blondes and brunettes.
Then your eyes landed on a short, stocky man and a guy about your age talking among themselves. Hope dwindled in your ribcage until they dispersed revealing a guy with light green hair, sitting with his back towards you. The tips of his hair were darker and stood from its roots. He was hunched over papers on the floor in some long smock. The guy turned his head to shout to someone. From there, a few meters away, you finally saw him. It was Senku. It was your Senku. Your heart melted, admiring his red eyes from afar, just as you had in the past.
You wanted to run at him. You wanted to squeeze him tightly, no matter how many times he might complain or bite you. You wanted him to turn around and run to you, relieved to see you, calling your name. But if he did, he wouldn’t be Senku. You loosened the baby carrier from your frame and quickly swaddled Ganko as he slept and shoved him into Gen’s arms.
“Hold him for a bit,” you said quickly.
Gen tried to ask you why but you had rushed out to Senku, stopping short behind him. You glanced around, finding no one noticing your presence. You moved to your knees and shuffled towards Senku as quietly as you could manage. He sighed. You froze. He must have heard you.
“I’m still not done with the plans, old man,” Senku said, trying to wave you off. “I get that you’re excited but jeez. Give me a minute.”
You held in a giggle and moved your hands around him, covering his eyes. He stiffened under your hands. He grunted and tried to move his head out of your grasp, but you were quick enough to keep up. You snickered aloud, still making a desperate attempt at keeping your identity a secret for a moment longer.
“Guess who?” you said.
Senku’s heart nearly stopped, freezing in his place. He knew that voice. It was just loud enough to hear, almost drowned out by the hustle and bustle around them. His jaw went lax. Was it… Was it really…?
Senku said your name. You released your hands from his eyes and snatched him up in your arms. You gasped out laughter, squeezing him to you. Senku felt the world slow down around the two of you as he let you embrace him. He could hardly believe it. You were here.
You broke into a light sob as you held him. You finally found him. You felt less alone. You laughed to cover your accidental sob. Your eyelids threatened to stay closed as you relished in this moment of security. Senku finally let out a laugh and patted your hands around his middle.
“Good to see you,” Senku said, turning to look at you.
Senku ran his eyes up and down your body, impressed at your attire. Animal skin. You must have had a great story to go along with that. He briefly admired the curves of your body and halted at your eyes. You were beaming so earnestly at him, but the thick bags circling under your eyes took his attention. He twisted himself towards you.
“The stone world hasn’t been too kind to you, huh?” Senku said. “Do you know you look like a walking zombie? You should go to sleep before you faint.”
“But I just got here!” you said. “C’mon tell me everything! How long have you been out of stone? How did you get here? How’d you make all this?”
Senku was about to speak until something rammed into his arm. He toppled onto his side, wincing at the pain. You lunged over him and wrestled with something in your arms. Senku rolled over and watched you wrangle a baby boar.
“Down Ganko!” you shouted. “No, Ganko, listen.”
The piglet squirmed in your arms as you set him down and held up your hand to the piglet. You hushed him in a softer voice, calming the animal down. The piglet snorted and sat as you commanded. You slowly moved to grab something in your bag that hung from your shoulder. The piglet looked past you, at Senku. You whistled and showed the little guy a piece of food. It followed you as you scooted back towards him. You grabbed his wrist and forced him to offer a scrap of food to it. He tried not to struggle as the piglet sniffed around his hand. The little guy snatched the treat but turned from him.
“Gen!” you yelled. “I thought I told you to watch him!”
Gen shouted an apology as he rushed to join the rest of you. The others took interest in the kerfuffle that had occurred and paused their work to see what was going on. Senku stood, astonished at your domestication of a wild animal.
“What are you?” Senku said. “A Disney princess?”
“It’s sheer dumb luck to be honest,” you said. “Senku, meet Ganko. He’s a bigger pain in my ass than you are.”
Senku bent over to inspect the boar piglet. Ganko snorted quietly and waddled closer to your side. The villagers soon clambered over to check on Senku and you, the new stranger.
“What happened?”
“Is that a boar?”
“Who’s that?”
You were finally spotted by the others. Senku was careful to avoid Ganko as he presented you to his kingdom. He gave your name to the audience, encouraging them all to say hello. “She’s an old friend of mine.”
You flushed, suddenly embarrassed at being the center of attention. You worried at your hair as you let out an awkward, “Hi,” to this little troop of people.
The people rushed around you with questions and a few random people trying to introduce themselves. You could barely scrape out any information from the crowd as everyone spoke over each other. It was enough to make your head spin.
“I’m Magma, little lady. So are you—”
“Did you know him when you were little? What was Senku like—”
“How long have you been out—”
“Are you Senku’s girlfriend?”
You laughed awkwardly, hearing the last question drown out everything else. “One at a time please. I can’t answer all these…”
Your vision blurred for a moment, your head lolled to the side. You shook your head briefly, blinking a few times to keep yourself up. The trip here took a lot out of you, especially having to carry Ganko all the way there. You rubbed at one of your temples then Senku stepped in.
“You should get some rest,” Senku said. “There’ll be time for you to meet everyone later. C’mere.”
You waved to everyone as you followed behind Senku. Ganko trotted at your side. Even walking behind Senku made you feel like you were on clouds, or your lack of sleep was just catching up to you. He brought you into a small building that held bottles and pottery, filled with various liquids, rocks, and piles of dust. You looked around in awe. Ganko sniffed at the large containers but stayed closer to you.
“You made a lab?” you said. “You are a lot smarter than I thought.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Senku said. “Here, go to the lake and scrub.”
He motioned for your hand so you held it open. He slapped a thick block into your palm. It was somewhat hefty but not heavy. It was smooth with a familiar slick to it. You raised your eyebrow and looked at him for an explanation.
“It’s soap,” Senku said.
You gasped. “No way.”
“Yeah. You look like you could use a soak.”
You snorted and shoved his shoulder. You held up the block of soap, even hugging it to your chest. You were overjoyed to have not only Senku back, but also a way to be clean again. Finally, you could wash yourself. Your happiness spilled out of you in the wide smile you gave Senku. You bounced on the balls of your feet, absolutely giddy. You couldn’t hold in your voice from spilling out something that you had no intention to release.
“I love you,” you said in a low breath.
Senku’s smile dropped, his eyes widening as your statement hung in the air. Your face flared a deep red.
“But not more than this soap,” you added quickly. “Thanks, Senku!”
You hurried out of his lab. Ganko followed your rushed steps. As you charged outside, you nearly knocked into a blonde girl. Her wild hair was tied up with a thick rope.
“Sorry,” she said politely. “You’re Senku’s old friend, right? I’m Kohaku.”
“Yeah, yeah, hi,” you said nervously, shoving her in a random direction. “Nice to meet you. You think you could show me to a place where I can bathe? Like now?”
“Oh, sure. Come this way.”
Senku emerged from his lab and watched you scurry off with a confused Kohaku. He laughed quietly.
I love you. You really said it. And to think, he just had to give you some soap. Your words rang in his head, leaving him somewhat dazed. He knew why you probably said it. Finally having something from home and being in the presence of a friend can make anyone a bit more vulnerable, but he didn’t want excitement to be the only reason you said those three words to him.
He chuckled to himself, covering his mouth slightly as his grin grew. You really did have some power over him. Even if your proclamation was out of overwhelming relief, it couldn’t take away the fact that you said those fateful words to him, and him only. His chuckles fell over one another, making Senku roll into laughter. His gut strained as he continued to cackle his evil-sounding laugh. Senku was trapped in his cycle of laughter until Chrome came, somewhat panicked at the state he was in.
“Hey! Breathe!” Chrome said, shaking him slightly.
“Why does Senku laugh so evilly?” Suika said, peeking in to check on him.
Senku eventually composed himself and moved a bit of hair from his face. “Sorry about that,” he said, relaxing into a few minor chuckles as he said your name, “she just made me laugh.”
Gen peeked in, secretly inspecting Senku’s expression. He wasn’t one to just start a laughing fit for no reason. And he said you were the reason behind it. Gen grinned smugly. Well, well, Senku seemed to like you too.