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“Ughhh,” Chrome groaned in the middle of the forest. “What does he know?” Chrome pulled off his rope hachimaki and threw it to the ground. “It’s my collection he’s using after all,” Chrome scoffed. Chrom’s fist tightened. Fingers digging into his own palm. “Senkuu always acts like he knows everything,” Chrome kept ranting to himself. “Ughhhh,” Chrome shouted one more time.
A few birds flew away and Chrome was left to deal with his thoughts. Chrome looked down at his rope hachimaki.
This is stupid.
Chrome was screaming at night up into the sky with his bowl of ramen to the side. Normally by this time Chrome would be calling it a night and letting Senkuu finish up his project but Senkuu had kicked him out of the lab. In Chrome's mind, a simple mistake, but Senkuu didn’t seem to feel that way.
It was supposed to be a simple thing. They were making more sulfur drugs in case anyone else got sick. Senkuu explained how it seemed many people in the village seemed to have immunity but the old worlders didn’t. They had made plenty for Ruri before. Chrome was very sure of what he was doing at that point. He’d been doing so for a while too.
It was their last batch for the day. The was going down and Chrome had been in the lab all day besides the time he got out to eat food.
“Hey you two. Francois made us Ramen,” Kohaku peaked her head in.
“Yeah, and this time with wheat noodles,” Gen added. “Veryyyy aste tayy. Unlike the foxtail one someone made us….,” Gen teased.
“I get it, mentalist,” Senkuu rolled his eyes.
“I like the foxtail ramen,” Chrome put in.
“Yeahhhhh, but this one isn’t as crumbly,” Gen explained..
“Ohhh that sounds great!” Chrome cheered.
“I bet I can beat you to it, Chrome,” Kohaku teased.
“Yeah, but you’re a gorilla so-,” Before Chrome even got to finish Kohaku smacked him on the head. “Sorry Ma’am,” Chrome rubbed the top of his head.
“How about you, Senkuu chan?” Gen asked. “I take it you’ll be late?”
“After this, I will,” Senkuu replied. “But you guys can go,” Senkuu waved off.
“Sounds good to me,” Kohaku shrugged.
“Oh wait for me!” Chrome carelessly placed one of the acids on the side of the table. Chrome only got a few steps away before the sound of glass hitting the ground stopped Chrome in his tracks. Chrome quickly turned around to see the glass that was once holding the acid now on the ground in pieces with the acid on the ground. It bubbled for a second before it fizzled out and the four all looked at it.
“Few, that was close,” Chrome sighed in relief. “Right Senkuu?” Gen looked up at Senkuu to see his reaction but Senkuu was still staring at the broken glass. “Hey, dude?”
“Too close,” Senkuu muttered.
“Yeah, but everyone is fine too, crisis averted,” Chrome laughed off.
“Are you kidding?’ Senkuu raised his voice. “You can’t just act so careless in the lab. Someone could’ve gotten hurt,”
“Woah woah Senkuu, It’s ok. Everyone is fine,”
Senkuu groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ughh you don’t get it, do you? We just wasted chemicals because you got careless. It’s dangerous to get so careless in the lab. Haven’t I told you this?” Senkuu spoke with Venom in his voice.
Kohaku and Gen stood there stunned at Senkuu’s outburst but Chrome was not about to take that. “I know that! Maybe if you weren’t such a know it all, you’d know that,”
“Whatever,” Senkuu rolled his eyes. “Just get out,”
Chrome opened his mouth to respond but Kohaku put her hand on Chrome’s shoulder. “Let’s go,” She said.
Chrome backed down and left with Kohaku to go and get some food.
The worst part of the argument? Senkuu had a point. He was being careless but Chrome didn’t want to go back down the hill to apologize yet. He wanted to give Senkuu some time to cool off. Senkuu was a scientist from the old world. He obviously knew more than he did. Senkuu was a professional and Chrome was just someone learning from what Senkuu told him.
“I’m just saying you overreacted,” Gen shrugged.
“I don’t think so,” Senkuu continued working.
“Really Senkuu chan?” Gen raised an eyebrow and his boyfriend.
Gen had pulled up a stool and was sitting and watching as Senkuu worked.
“If I knew you were here to give me a hard time I wouldn’t have let you in,” Senkuu grumbled,
“I know you’re lying, '' Gen nonchalantly pointed out. “Your nostrils expanded,”
Senkuu sighed. “I didn’t mean to raise my voice but It’s true. He could have hurt himself. You can’t be so careless in a lab of deadly chemicals,” Senkuu explained.
“So you were just worried about Chrome chan?” Gen added on.
“Pretty much,” Senkuu agreed. “I should apologize shouldn’t I?” Senkuu asked.
“Give Chrome a second to cool off,” Gen answered. “I think he has the right to be mad right now,”
“Fair point,” Senkuu shrugged as he poured the last of the chemicals into the beaker.
“What would you do without me?” Gen hummed.
“Get my work done quicker?” Senkuu teased.
“Am I distracting you?” Gen jokingly asked.
“Yeah, but I don’t mind,”
“Aww, how sweet,”
Kohaku followed the heel prints in the dirt up the hill into the forest. It was obvious Chrome was still mad. Even at dinner, he spaced out and didn’t make much of a fuss over the amazing ramen Francois cooked up. It was a bit strange to see Chrome, normally loud and vocal, be so reserved.
“Ughhhh,” Kohaku heard Chrome groan.
There he is.
Kohaku pushed past some bush and found the clearing where Chrome was. ‘How long are you just going to keep ranting?” Kohaku asked.
“Augh!” Chrome jumped. “Kohaku! Don’t scare me,” Chrome tried to shout but he was out of breath.
“Well you were being so loud. Be glad it wasn’t a bear or a lion,” Kohaku shrugged. “And I know what you’re going to say so don’t even,”
“I won’t,” Chrome picked up his rope hachimaki from the ground. “I’m not really in the mood,” He sat down on the rock protruding from the ground. “Sorry to be such a downer,”
Kohaku frowned. That wasn’t the Chrome she knew. Seeing him looking so defeated… That wasn’t the Chrome she liked. Kohaku walked over to Chrome's side and sat down with him.
“Come to make fun of me?” Chrome asked.
“Not really,” Kohaku answered in a softer tone. “I was worried about you that’s all,”
“Well umm.. Thanks?” Chrome answered.
“What kind of response is that?”
“Well, I don’t know what to say. I’ve never seen you do that before,” Chrome pointed out.
“Well I’m your friend aren’t I?” Kohaku questioned.
“Heh I guess you're right,” Chrome laughed a bit.
“Always am,” Kohaku added.
“Whatever you say lioness,” Chrome teased.
Kohaku lightly hit her fist on Chrome’s head. “Idiot, I’m trying to be nice here,”
Chrome laughed a bit more. “I know it’s just so out of character for you, but thanks Kohaku,”
There as the idiot Kohaku knew. “Hey! I have feelings too!”
They both looked at each other for a second before they both started to laugh. The more the other laughed the more they laughed.
“Remind me never to be nice to you again,” Kohaku laughed.
“If it happens again I’ll let you know,” Chrome said through laughing.
“Tchh, jerk,” Kohaku hit Chrome’s arm lightly.
The two kept laughing before it died down. The mood had turned light. Neither had to say anything. They both kinda just look up to the stars.
“You know Senkuu says there are drawings in the sky?” Chrome asked.
“Huh? I just see a bunch of stars,” Kohaku replied.
“Well Senkuu said that there were imagery lines that connected them to make a picture. Something from the old world,” Chrome explained. “See there's one!” Chrome just pointed up to the night sky.
Kohaku’s eyes followed his finger up. Even with her 20/20 vision she couldn’t see anything. “Still just looks like a bunch of stars,” She squinted.
“No no, follow my finger,” Chrome started to follow the stars in the sky and trace out an outline of something. “That one is the little dipper and oh! That one is the bigger dipper,”
It sounded stupid but the glittering in Chrome’s eyes as he spoke about them. “Any others?”
“Ohh yeah! Orion, it was a drawing of an archer. Like Ukyo,” Chrome geeked out.
At this point Chrome kept listing the constellations and Kohaku still couldn’t see any of them. Chrome told her the stories of each constellation.
“So it’s like the 100 tales but for the old world?” Kohaku asked.
“I guess you could say that,” Chrome smiled.
“Amazing how even after millennia, those people’s stories still live on,” Kohaku marveled.
“Like science!” Chrome added.
“Like science,” Kohaku repeated. “It’s really something amazing that you and Senkuu have been able to do,”
“Well it was mostly Senkuu, I’m still learning,” Chrome shrugged.
Kohaku raised an eyebrow “You can’t actually believe that right?” She asked. “The water wheel, being able to meet that rock, your collection that helps Senkuu, that helped save Ruri, successfully breaking out of the Tsukasa empire,” Kohaku recalled. “Senkuu has all of the old world knowledge but you. You’re learning it with Senkuu and even going beyond what Senkuu taught you,”
Chrome’s mouth was slightly ajar before it formed a smile again. “I thought you said it was all dumb rocks?”
“They are, but that doesn’t mean I don’t pay attention,” Kohaku answered.
“You’re being nice again,” Chrome bumped Kohaku. “But thank you,”
Kohaku took a second to take in the moment. The sounds of nature sounded so relaxing like this. She’s spent nights out before, but never with someone else other than Senkuu that one time.
“Hey did Senkuu tell you anything about the moon?”
“The moon? Well just that it’s a planet like ours but with no sky and oxygen to breath,” Chrome responded.
“Really?,” Kohaku hummed. “I mean the moon is beautiful isn't it?” Kohaku asked.
“Yeah it is..,” It took Chrome a second.
Kohaku stood up and took a step closer to Chrome. She lightly lifted up his chin and placed a small kiss on his cheek. “I think so at least,”
Even in the moonlight, Kohaku saw Chrome place turn red. He put his hand to the cheek Kohaku kiss and look up at her before his eyes darted away from being embarrassed. “I guess it is,” He mumbled. “It’s not the only beautiful thing though,” Chrome added.
“You nerd,” It was Kohaku’s turn to blush.
“Yeah, I guess,” Chrome awkwardly laughed.
Kohaku’s hand brush against Chrome’s. Kohaku felt Chrome shyly hesitant so she just took his hand in hers. Chrome’s hand is surprisingly warm for being in the middle of a fall night.
“Sorry, this is all new to me,” Chrome mumbled.
“It’s okay,” Kohaku turned to face him. “I can let go if you want?”
“No, It feels like,” Chrome replied.
“Then..? Do you want to go back to the village?” Kohaku asked.
“Maybe we can stay here for a bit longer? The sky looks so much clearer here,” Chrome faced Kohaku.
“Yeah sure,” Kohaku sat next to Chrome on the rock. As Chrome told more stories from the old world and about the sky above Kohaku started to like the stories more. With their hands together between them the rest of the world sort of faded for the time they sat there. Both losing track of time. Chrome sounded more and more tired as he retold the stories. Yawns break up his words before leaning on Kohaku’s shoulder and falling asleep.
Idiot. Kohaku thought to herself.
Kohaku got Chrome on her back and brought him back to the village.
“Chrome, you shouldn't go out by yourself. It’s dangerous,” Kohaku scolded Chrome while she was carrying him back to the village.
“Yeah but I was finding plants for Ruri,” Chrome replied.
“You really like her huh?” Kohaku rolled her eyes.
They were just kids but Chrome’s dedication was something to admire.
“Eww no! I don’t have time for that. I need to cure Ruri” Chrome protested.
“Of course,” Kohaku huffed. “But I could come with you if you need help,” Kohaku offered.
“Really? That would help! Especially with your lioness stamina,”
“I will drop you-,”
There Kohaku was, carrying Chrome on her back again to the village. One now buzzing with life and full of opportunity.
“I guess you found time,” Kohaku asked, knowing Chrome couldn’t hear her.