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For some reason, Gen was put on the gorilla team. Probably to make sure Magma and Yo didn’t kill each other. Both their wants to be the best and strongest was useful but also made them very competitive.
Kohaku showed up with new orders from Senkuu. They needed to start farming wheat so they could support the growing population, and, accounting to Kohaku, because Ryusui desires these fancy bread that sounded like attack moves.
Everyone was already hard at work on the small farm they had. Taiju, of course, was working the hardest. Yuzuriha had told Gen that Taiju had unlimited stamina. At first, he didn’t really believe her… Well, now Taiju was plowing the ground with the efficiency of a mechanized plow. It seems like Taiju’s immeasurable strength wasn’t only surprising Gen. The others around all looked, wide-eyed, and the man’s accomplishments.
It’s like 34 C degrees outside. How the hell is he moving so fast?
Gen on the other hand. He felt like his limbs were only being kept together by the sweat dripping down his back.
What am I doing? I’m a mentalist. I was not meant for labor.
It seemed Magma and Yo had no problem taking the rest of the day off. They sat under a tree drinking the water. Gen was sure they drank half of the collective water they were supposed to share.
“Stop slacking off, will you? And save your rations,” Nikki called.
“Ohh shhh, We’ve been working all day,” Yo hushed Nikki.
“Ohh ya!? Well, work some more!” Nikki raised her voice.
Gen rolled his eyes at the nonsense. He didn’t doubt Nikki could normally force them to start working but she too looked tired. Gen sighed.
I can’t believe Senkuu but me to do manual labor. I’ve told him before-
A tap on Gen’s shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts. It was Yuzuriha, holding what looked like an old farmer’s hat.
“Hmm? What ya got there Yuzu chan?” Gen asked.
“It’s nothing much really, but I know it’d be nice to get out of the sun and since we’re farming I tried to make this in a farmer’s image,” Yuzuriha explained.
“Aww thank you Yuzu chan,” Gen almost took the hat when an idea came to him. “Hey, Yuzuriha chan, how many of these hats did you make?” Gen asked.
“Huh? Well enough for everyone here,” Yuzuriha told.
“Can you play along for a second?”
“Huh with wha-?”
“This is incredible Yuzuriha chan!” Gen shouted, loud enough so everyone around him could hear. “Is this the crown of the food leader?”
“I- I never said anything like that..,” Yuzuriha tried to whisper to Gen.
“Play along,” Gen whispered back quickly. “With the king of science Senku chan and the king of sailing Ryusui chan out looking for oil, who’s the leader? Who will we follow?” Gen raised the hat up. “The king of food of course. In other words whoever makes the best wheat field,”
A bunch of people were giving Gen weird looks. It didn’t matter. He didn’t say that for them to hear it. Gen looked over and Magma and Yo. They finally got off their asses and picked up their shovels.
“ORAAAAH!!” They both screamed as they raced each other to their farms.
Yuzuriha stood there dumbfounded. Gen covered his mouth with his sleeve to hide the malicious smile that appeared.
“I think I'm going to take my break for Yuzuriha chan,” Gen sang.
“Ya.. ok..,”
When morning rolled around, Taiju’s field was definitely the most prosperous. The blades of the wheat plant already started to grow. Magma and Yo on the other hand… compared to Taiju’s it was kinda sad. Of course, Taiju was kind enough to help Yo and Magma with their fields. It was clear who was the food king. Everyone agreed at once, well mostly everyone, Taiju won. Yuzuriha presented him with the hat.
“Thank you Yuzuriha,” Taiju smiled.
“You earned it Taiju kun,”
“Yeah good job Taiju!” Nikki slapped Taiju on the back. “You really outdid yourself,”
“Thanks, Nikki,”
“Don’t get used to it, I’ll beat you next time,” Nikki replied.
“Haha ya I beat,” Taiju genuinely laughed.
Gen was happy for his friend. Taiju deserved the title the most out of everyone here, and it seemed most of the others believed that too. Even Yo was clapping for Taiju. Gen looked for Magma but didn’t find him in the group clapping for Taiju.
“Where’d he go…,” Gen mumbled to himself. “Hey Yuzuriha, I’ll be back in a bit. I need to do something quickly,”
“Oh sure but w-,”
“Okay thanks Yuzu chan!”
Thanks to Gen’s skill he was able to find where Magma was hiding out.
“What are you doing here dear Magma chan?” Gen asked.
Magma was sitting against a tree. He had one arm resting on the knee Magma had up. Magma’s over leg rested on the ground.
“What do you want sorcerer?” Magma almost hissed.
“Easy easy, I'm just wondering where you head off too,” Gen explained. “I didn’t see you in the field,”
“Well, I didn’t want to be there,” Magma spoke.
“Want to tell me why?” Gen asked softly.
“Can you not read my mind?”
“I mean I can but I just want to hear you say it Magma chan,”
“Tchh,” Magma sounded. “I lost again. Happy?”
“I’m not here to tease you, dear Magma chan,” Gen explained.
“Then what do you want?” Magma glared.
“For you to talk to me,” Gen sat down against the same tree Magma was leaning on.
Manga left out a heavy sigh. “Ok but don’t tell anyone,”
“I won’t,”
Manga took a second to get his words out. Like he didn’t understand how he felt either. “I just didn’t want to lose,”
“Well neither did Yo chan but he didn’t walk off,” Gen pointed out.
“Heh, he just didn’t want it as much. I knew I was better,” Magma snickered.
“I doubt that’s all you want to say Magma chan,”
“Well, how am I supposed to know how I feel? I lost the title of leader again to an outsider. First, that other sorcerer, that weakling Chrome, then that design contest, and now food leader too,” Magma was getting more worked up as he spoke.
“Seems like you just hate to lose,” Gen commented.
“So what if I do? That’s how you show you’re stronger,”
Gen sighed. “Magma chan,” Gen took hold of Magma’s hand that laid on the ground. “Not everything is about winning or losing. Sometimes it’s just fun to do stuff with the people you care for,” Gen raised Magma’s hand to his lips and lightly kissed the man’s hand. “Now let’s get back before the others start asking where we ran off to,”
“They can wait,”
“Are you asking me to stay here with you longer Magma chan?~” Gen sang.
Gen was expecting Magma to deny it and act like it was nothing like he had done before but to Gen’s surprise…
“Ya, what’d you think I meant?”
Gen felt the smile on his face grow. “Well I guess a few more minutes couldn’t hurt…,”