Work Text:
1:00 PM
Senku checks his phone for the weather forecast. Sunny, little to no clouds. Seems like a good day to launch our rocket. Outside, Taiju's voice could already be heard, seconds before they actually ring the doorbell.
"Senku! We're here!"
Senku opens the door to let Taiju and Yuzuriha inside. Senku notices the basket that Yuzuriha was carrying, ready for a picnic in the forest.
"Woah!" Taiju exclaims at the sight of Senku's latest project. "I know we helped in making this but it still amazes me."
"I'm almost done with the final touch." Senku says, walking back to the rocket standing in the living room. It was a few inches taller than Senku, but its weight was probably nothing the big oaf couldn't manage. The final touch that the science boy mentioned was apparently the big "SENKU" painted across the rocket's body.
"Will Tsukasa-kun be coming along?" Yuzuriha asks."
"No. He said he suddenly had a match scheduled today." Senku shrugs.
"Oh. That's too bad. I even packed enough food for the four of us." Yuzuriha sighs sadly.
"That's fine. Some-" "Yeah! I'll eat Tsukasa's share!" Taiju cuts in.
"No. Someone else will be coming with us today, probably." Senku continues.
Taiju furrows his eyebrows. "Huh? Byakuya's back?"
"No. An upperclassman. Asagiri Gen. You know him right?"
"Eh?! The magician Asagiri Gen? But why?" Taiju asks again with a surprised expression."
I didn't know you were friends, Senku-kun." Yuzuriha adds.
"We're... acquaintances. We just happened to walk home together yesterday and I just asked if he wanted to watch us launch the rocket." Senku replies coolly.
Senku himself wonders why he even invited their upperclassman to the launch. He didn't even mention it during their walk, so he shouldn't have been obligated to invite the other even out of courtesy. His friends must've found it unusual for him to have invited someone else. Then again, Tsukasa was also an addition to their friend group through Senku's random encounters. The science boy definitely had his own charm. He easily gets along with other people well despite the cold and serious exterior. So if any of them found it weird that Senku quickly made friends with the older student, they just chose not to say anything about it.
"Are we going to wait for Asagiri-san here then?" Yuzuriha pipes up again.
"I told him we'll pass by his house on the way to the forest." Senku replies as he packs away the rest of the things they needed for the launch. "Ah I forgot to give him a specific time though." He adds, mentally scolding himself for not giving specific details to the other. He hopes the older student didn't have plans for the afternoon.
---
8:00 AM
Gen's alarm rings just loud enough to stir the other awake. The 17 year-old sits up slowly in his bed, letting out a soft yawn as he stretched his limbs, simultaneously reaching out to turn off his alarm. He blinks a few times to let his eyes adjust to the brightness of his surroundings, the sun's rays streaming into his room through the glass windows. He loves the weekends because he can afford to sleep in a little late compared to school days when he would have to wake up when the sun's just about to rise.
Gen stretches a bit more before moving to get up. He notices a lab coat hanging off the chair in his study area. Oh, right. Senku-chan's lab coat.
"I didn't get to wash it last night." Gen mutters to himself. Subsequently, Gen recalls the younger's invitation, then remembers that the other didn't give an exact time.
Did they leave already? No one else is home right now, so no one could've woken me up if they passed by earlier.
Gen takes the lab coat, planning to give it a quick wash, just in case it smelled weird because of the rain and drying indoors.
Well, considering that it was raining all night, the path to the forest would still be damp now.
He pauses, goes back to his bed to take his phone from the bedside table, and proceeds with his morning routine.
Noontime would be too hot out to be looking up at the sky while lauching a rocket, right? So probably afternoon? I didn't get his contact so I can't exactly ask him.
Gen sighs, hanging the lab coat on the clothesline in the garden.
I really wanted to see the rocket though. Gen pouts to himself.
He decides to just dress comfortably to stay home, but also casual enough in case he suddenly had to go out.
For the rest of the morning, Gen did his homeworks. As a graduating student, he had to maintain good grades, not that he had to make a conscious effort for this because Gen had always gotten good grades. Nevertheless, if he wanted to get into a good university, he can't be too confident or complacent about it.
He was washing the bowl he used for his late lunch when he heard a few knocks on the door. He quickly rinsed the bowl, set it down, and dried his own hands in a rush to answer the door. Could it be..?
"Asagiri-san?" A loud voice called from outside.
"Yes! Coming!" Gen shouted back. He opens the door to find Senku at his doorstep. A few steps behind him was a huge rocket, just standing on the sidewalk, the guy beside it waving at him with a smile.
"Asagiri-san, we were on our way to the forest for the launch. Are you joining us?" Senku speaks up with a smile.
"Yes!" Gen replies too eagerly. "I- I mean, of course. I'm free for today anyway. Let me just get my phone and wallet. Would you like to come inside, Senku-chan? I'll just be fast though."
Gen quickly turns around to pick up his things, not forgetting the keys to the house. He sees Senku waiting for him still at the doorstep, talking to the girl beside him. Gen steps out and locks the door carefully.
"Asagiri-san, this is Yuzuriha, and that big guy over there with the rocket is Taiju. They're in the same year as I am."
"Ogawa Yuzuriha. Nice to meet you, Asagiri Gen-senpai." Yuzuriha smiles sweetly at the upperclassman and bows politely. Gen has noticed her around campus every now and then, and she was always smiling like this. It's kind of surprising that she hangs out with these guys.
"Just call me Gen-senpai, or even just Gen. I don't really mind. May I call you Yuzuriha-chan?" Gen asks with the same bright energy.
"That's okay, Gen-senpai!" The girl answers cheerfully.
"I'm Ooki Taiju! I watched your magic show at the school festival. You were so cool up there, Asagiri-san!" Taiju spoke up once the three walked back to him.
Gen chuckled. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. And please, just call me Gen."
"Magic is all tricks and illusions. Science is the real deal. Lucky for you, Asagiri-san. Today, you'll be watching a science show prepared by yours truly." Senku announces proudly.
"Don't mind him, Gen-senpai. He just loves science too much. I think magic tricks are really fun to watch!" Yuzuriha says to Gen.
"But, doing science projects with Senku is also amazing! Even though I don't understand most of his explanations." Taiju comments.
The trip to the forest was filled with Yuzuriha and Gen talking about the most random things, with Taiju butting in each time he could also relate with the topic. They had a particularly lengthy discussion on which shops serve the best ramen, even Senku joined in and strongly defended his favorite ramen shop. "I'm ten billion percent sure that they have the best ramen in town!" Then the science boy went on, passionately explaining the science of making quality ramen.
Gen was already having a great time. He was quite anxious that he might feel left out from this group of friends, but Yuzuriha-chan kept him entertained. He was really thankful for that. Along the way, Gen offered to carry Yuzuriha's basket for her, and the latter took the offer with a smile.
"It's not that heavy anyway. I just brought some snacks so we could have a small picnic while we're out there."
As they walked, Gen takes out his phone to take a few short videos of them walking into the forest. This was a new experience for him, and with new friends too. It would be nice to capture this moment on his phone too. Somewhere along the way, Gen remembers Senku's lab coat. I forgot to bring it. I'll just hand it over when we get back.
Senku and Taiju continued to take the lead as they (mostly Taiju, really) carried the rocket into the forest. Yuzuriha explained that Senku had already made smaller rockets before, and that a few years ago, the two guys found a clearing in the woods, perfect for launching rockets.
They walk deeper into the forest for a bit until Senku and Taiju finally set down the rocket. Gen looks around the wide space surrounded by tall trees. It was beautiful. Calming, even. If he listened closely he could hear the soft breeze rustling through the trees. Gen took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, feeling refreshed.
"It's nice here, isn't it, Gen-senpai?" Yuzuriha smiles at him and gestures to a tree stump nearby. "You can set the basket down there."
Yuzuriha takes out a large picnic blanket and Gen helps her lay it down. The two boys get busy with setting up some other things Gen assumes to be the controls to launch the rocket. The oldest thought about helping them, but decided to let the experts do their thing.
"You know, Senpai, I was surprised when Senku-kun told us he invited you." Yuzuriha speaks up softly as they sit on the blanket, watching the two boys work.
"Ah. Well, I didn't expect it either." Gen laughs softly. Thinking back on their encounter yesterday, he really had no idea why he was invited all of a sudden. "But I'm really glad to be here now." He smiles at the view in front of them.
"I'm also glad you joined us, Senpai. I've gotten tired of talking to those two." The girl gestures at the guys with a fake exasperated look. Gen laughs at that. "Too bad Tsukasa-kun isn't here though. I'll introduce him to you next time."
"Tsukasa? The mixed martial arts champion?" Yuzuriha nods. Gen has seen him before. With a built body like that and a strong aura, the guy was hard to miss around campus.
Senku-chan has a very interesting group of friends. Gen muses to himself.
"Alright! We're all set!" Senku announces with an excited grin on his face. Taiju runs over to them and Yuzuriha hands him the four small handmade dolls she had in her bag.
"They're miniature dolls of us. Senku's real goal is to make a rocket that could take all of us into space." Yuzuriha explains before Gen could even ask. Gen smiles at the thought of Senku including his friends into his big science projects and goals.
He watches as the two put the dolls inside the rocket. Yuzuriha stands up and extends a hand to Gen. "Come on, Senpai. Let's watch Senku work his own magic." Gen takes her hand and stands up.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to the launching of Senku IV. Please stand back, relax, and enjoy the show!" Senku introduces, his proud eyes meeting Gen's own, which were wide with excitement. Gen gives him a smile and even offers a round of applause, Yuzuriha and Taiju following suit.
Yuzuriha and Gen pull out their phones to take a video of the launch. Gen starts off with a view of the clear blue sky, and trails the video down to get a view of the rocket, starting from the top, down to the base. He shifts his phone to also capture the people beside him: Yuzuriha also holding her phone up, Taiju looking at Senku, and Senku with the control pad in his hands. Gen zooms in carefully at Senku, as if to emphasize that this guy is the genius behind this project. Gen watches through his screen as Senku turns to grin at his friends, Gen included.
Wow. Gen was stunned for a second. He swears the sunlight hit Senku so perfectly in that moment, his grin looked absolutely beautiful in that shot.
"Alright!" Senku's voice snaps Gen back from his distracted state.
"Launching in 10! 9! 8!" Senku's expression visibly gets more excited with every second. They all join in on the countdown.
"7! 6! 5!" Gen then remembers to move his phone, zooming out slowly to capture the actual rocket.
"4! 3! 2! 1!"
"Blast off!" Taiju shouts.
Senku presses the button which fires up the rocket's engine, and the four of them watch as the rocket slowly and steadily takes off. Gen shifts his eyes from the actual view to the view on his screen, tilting and raising his phone to watch as the rocket continues to soar above them.
"Amazing." Gen whispers to himself.
Senku keeps track of the rocket on his control pad, announcing that it reached much farther than the previous one the launched. Taiju cheers at that. "Atleast it didn't completely explode in the air like the first one."
"Given its size, we can't actually put enough fuel in it to actually let it reach outer space. But if we make the same thing on a larger scale, it's ten billion percent sure to reach outer space!" Senku rambles with excitement that could rival Taiju's normally excited state. Gen smiles and stops recording.
The two childhood friends start packing up the materials and parts they used for the launch. Gen decides to help them this time.
"Did you enjoy the science show, Asagiri-san?" Senku's grin was close to a smirk, and Gen recalls the grin he caught on camera a while ago.
"It was really impressive, Senku-chan. I still can't believe you made that by yourself." Gen replies as he hands over the wires he had rolled into a coil.
"Well, making a rocket is just science. And if it's science, then it should have rules and steps to making an end-product. You only need to follow those rules and steps carefully and diligently, and you're ten billion percent bound to get the results you want, Gen-senpai." Senku responds as he picks up pieces here and there.
He's a real chatterbox when it comes to science, huh? Gen chuckles at his own thought, smiling as he realizes the other called him by his first name again.
"Oh, Senku-chan! I forgot to give back your lab coat yesterday. I washed it this morning so just remind me when we go back." Gen says, knowing well that he would most likely forget again later. Senku hums in response.
When they finish cleaning up, Yuzuriha had brought out the snacks and laid them on the blanket. "Picnic time!" The brunette girl announces cheerfully, and everyone gathers around on the blanket.
Senku gestures for Taiju to move closer to Yuzuriha to make more space on the blanket. They end up sitting in a small circle, Gen seated in between Yuzuriha and Senku, and talked about more random things as they ate their snacks.
Senku observes his friends as they talked.
He seems to be getting along well with them. I kind of feel bad for not paying him much attention even though I was the one who invited him. Thankfully, Yuzuriha kept him company.
Senku smiles and leans back to look up at the sky, supporting his weight with one arm. He replays the launch in his head: everyone counting down loudly, the rocket successfully taking off across the bright sky.
Today was a great day.
---
It was already getting dark when they got back from the forest. Yuzuriha and Taiju bade their goodbyes as the girl's house was in the opposite direction from Senku and Gen's. Taiju, being ever so protective of Yuzuriha, volunteered to accompany her home, claiming it was only proper since it was night time already and that he didn't live too far from her. The blush on his cheeks didn't go unnoticed by Gen though.
After seeing the other two off, Senku and Gen walked back to their block.
"Does Taiju-kun like Yuzuriha-chan?" Gen popped the question, even though he was already certain of the answer.
"Yeah. He still hasn't confessed though. Claiming he's not yet worthy of Yuzuriha or something like that." Senku shrugs. He has been friends with the two for years now, and watching the two act so shyly yet still comfortably around each other for that long, Senku eventually just chose to ignore it since it doesn't affect their friendship negatively anyway.
"Do you think Yuzuriha-chan likes him back?" Gen asked again.
"I'm not in the place to answer that since I've never heard anything directly from her." Senku shrugs again.
Ah. He must be tired of all the pining he's been witness to already. Gen chuckles.
"I think they'd look good together. They seem like completely different people but I feel they'd complement each other well." Gen chirps out happily. "Though I've only known them for a day." Senku only hums in response.
"Want to stop by the convenience store again, Asagiri-san?" Senku gestures at the convenience store coming into view.
"Sure!" Gen says with a skip in his step.
Like yesterday, Gen goes straight to the soda bottles area. But this time, he hesitates and moves back to the assorted milk cartons. He picks out a carton of strawberry milk, holding it with both hands as he goes to the counter. Senku notices the same excited smile on the older's face as he makes the purchase. Meanwhile, he takes a fruit soda for himself and pays for it. He turns to Gen and sees the other still holding the carton in his hands like it was something delicate.
"You like strawberry milk, huh?" Senku asks, or more like confirms with the other. Gen just nods in response as he sips his strawberry milk.
"But you also like cola." Another nod.
"Asagiri-san... Are you secretly a 10 year-old in the body of an 18 year-old?" Senku asks in a serious tone. This earns him a light punch on the shoulder coupled with a laugh from the older.
"First of all, I told you to call me Gen-senpai or even just senpai or Gen. Second of all, I am not secretly a 10 year-old. And finally, I am only 17. Tsk, Senku-chan. You didn't get anything right." Gen shakes his head, feigning disappointment.
"That shouldn't be a surprise, considering I've only actually known you for two days." Senku says in defense, taking a gulp from his soda.
"Well, you're allowed to ask questions to get to know me more, Senku-chan." Gen singsongs. "Let's take turns asking each other! That way it'll be fair."
"Whatever. I don't have to answer if it's anything uncomfortable okay?"
"Oh, I won't be asking too personal questions, don't worry. I'll start!" Gen says cheerfully. "First, what's your contact number?"
"I thought it wasn't gonna be personal. That's definitely considered as personal info." Senku lets out a chuckle and smirks at the other.
"Senku-chan!" Gen whines childishly. "It's not a too personal information. Friends should have each other's contact numbers, right?" He ends the sentence with a pout.
"Fine. Give me your phone." Senku holds out his palm and Gen quickly hands over his phone. "I felt bad about not giving exact details about today. I realized it late and I had no way to contact you." Senku says as he dials in his number. He gives back the older's phone and Gen immediately saves his number.
"Senku-chan. There we go." He rings Senku's phone so the younger can save is number later. "That's actually why I asked for your number, Senku-chan. I was up early and I didn't know what time you were dropping by, but I didn't know how to ask." Senku only chuckles in response as he saves the older's number.
They stop in front of Gen's house.
"Well, this is me." Gen announces. "Thank you for today, Senku-chan. I had fun."
"I appreciate you joining us. Really. And I'm sorry I couldn't entertain you much even though I was the one who invited you." Senku mutters awkwardly.
"Yeah, it's fine. You can always make it up to me next time." Gen grins in a teasing manner. Senku just rolls his eyes in response.
"Anyway, good night, Senku-chan! Be careful on your way home." Gen waves him goodbye.
"Aren't you forgetting something, Senpai?" Senku raises an eyebrow at him, the smirk back on his face.
Gen furrowed his eyebrows, confused. Forget? What..? Oh! "Right! Lab coat! Wait here." The older runs to the garden and grabs Senku's lab coat, folding it carefully as he walked back to Senku.
"Thanks for this, again. I was planning to keep it as a reason to meet you again." Gen says jokingly, handing over the lab coat.
"Do friends need a reason to meet each other?" Senku replies, giving the other a smile.
"... Then it's settled. From now on, expect a senpai to be bothering you guys every now and then." Gen nods.
"Yeah yeah. You know where to find me." Senku waves him off. "I'll be going now. Have a good night, Gen-senpai."
"You too, Senku-chan!" Gen waves back at Senku's retreating figure before going inside his house.
Ahh. Today was fun.
---