Work Text:
Surprise is the least to describe what he’s feeling. Scared? Confused? One of them. A while back he thought he was dreaming of her when it was actually Riki.
He actually had to do a double take. Blinking rapidly to refocus his vision. The girl has that short length of (h/c), same set of eyes adorned with bright (e/c), and wearing an outfit he mainly sees her in, their high school uniform. The simple white buttoned shirt with his sleeves rolled up her elbows. The short plaid skirt but she tends to have a pair of spandex underneath, and those high-top converse shoes.
Nope. This is [Y/N].
“You’re staring like you've seen a ghost.”
“… I guess you could say that.” He then slowly turned away to see the ramen bowl. Raising a brow at how accurate his favorite food is. Dreams are made from memories, so his hopes aren’t super high.
Slowly he took the first bite. It tasted like home, and he began eating more of the meal. While the stone world is getting closer to more modern culinary, it could almost never beat out the nostalgic food of his past.
“How have you been?” [Y/N] takes small bites of her food in favor of talking to him. “I heard the world turned to stone… as if civilization is no more, or it was no more.”
“The world is moving forward… So much has happened, it was never possible… but…uhhh,” He stares into those familiar [e/c] that he missed looking into. How they shine with mirth, excitement in various interests, and that one time they were glossy with tears. The young man had to turn away from them.
“I want to hear all about it!” His former classmate leans forward enthusiastically, shocking him to turn back to have their faces so close to each other, just inches away. “We’re here now! And I haven’t seen you for a long time. Please?”
“I’m not as a good storyteller as you…”
[Y/N] pulled away and began twisting her body to spin her chair. Once she’s fully facing him, her hands gently clasped and rested on her lap, and her shoulders straightened briefly before relaxing in her seat.
Politely waiting.
Senku proceeds to tell her what his life has been since the start of the stone world. How he meets interesting people that joined him in his journey and the enemies he met as well. Some turning into allies, and others became past characters in his stories. All the inventions he made that improved the cavemen era greatly, and how he’s even making more and testing original projects.
While doing so, he tries his best to make it interesting by wild hand gestures and descriptions that he could accurately pinpoint each person.
[Y/N] listens intently to every word he says. The faces she made helped his storytelling skills (he’s grateful for), and then politely chimed to ask questions. She nodded her head while there were times, she couldn’t keep up with all the formulas matching to which inventions he made. He laughs a bit, receiving some whines from her and complaining about his ‘galaxy brain.’ Overtime his nervousness fades as he continues his story.
Ending to where he told his next destination.
“We’re hitting America… um, your home.”
The girl’s face gasped a little. She leans back in her seat, turning to her focus to her hands, resting on her lap.
“Are you hoping to find me?”
The tone immediately became somber. He tilted his head up to stare at the ceiling, really thinking how he could answer it.
“Honestly, it would be cool to revive another familiar face. Taiju and Yuzuriha would be ecstatic seeing you. Y’know, alive and well.” He crouches down in his seat to see what face [Y/N] is making. But she beat him to it, lifting her head to greet him with a sorrow look. A withering smile and eyes that lost a bit of their shine.
“Honestly? You’re not going to be able to find me.”
Wow, his dreams have been harsh to him.
“So, it’s confirmed you disappeared from the world…” My life back then, too?
“That I can’t be sure. But you shouldn’t bother. You got a lot more going on for you than needing to search for me… especially when you finally got a girlfriend!” [Y/N] changed her tone to sudden happiness knowing about Senku’s current life. Her smile got bigger as she let out a giggle. “I never picked you as a romantic type! I mean, all this time, I thought you prefer the least amount of physical contact— except for quick hugs and high fives."
“Well there are people that I make exceptions to. I’m still not one for physical contacts.”
“Your girlfriend being one of them, of course.” He’s not sure why, but that comment gave him an off-putting feeling. She must have known something about him. Back then he wouldn’t hug or share any physical contact with her two friends. He doesn’t do that with his closest two friends Taiju and Yuzuriha. Just her only. Plus, they got so close she could easily read him like a book whenever he asked for her company.
“Actually, you were the first.” He blurts out with no thought. Registering what Senku just said, there was no taking it back.
This is just a dream. Might as well air everything out in the open.”
“You must have known, back then.”
It shocked the older girl a bit, but she kept the disguise smile. She twisted her body back to her ramen, which was close to being empty. But instead, she swirls the remaining noodles as a way to keep her hands busy if not drawing or theatrically sharing stories.
“… My friends were picking up on it, jokes about being with you would be better for me. But… I just couldn’t do it.”
Red eyes widen slightly at her words. His former crush… considered him as a romantic partner? When did [Y/N] think of him like that?
“You knew that I liked you?”
“I had an inkling a while back. I just wasn’t a hundred percent sure that person was me.”
“…so back then, on your last day, you-you were, you wanted– you were going to–“
“I really thought about it. But something tells me it wouldn’t be a good idea.”
Senku couldn’t believe it. He literally can’t because this is a dream. If this was before, his heart would be beating fast, a bright blush would show across his face, and his lips would squirm to suppress a stupid grin of a young lovesick boy.
His heart did pick up, but only as a little ache. Reminiscing-ly.
“Was it because you were leaving Japan?”
“Half of it. The move was one country closer to my dream and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. The other half, had we tried dating one another, it wouldn’t work. Not in the long run. We’re both goal-driven people, and with love mixed in, it would’ve distracted us. Plus, I had a feeling there was more out there for you.”
[Y/N slowly turned her head with a big smile. The scientist saw that tinge of sadness and longing.
“And look at you now.” She lightly tapped the man’s shoulder with her fist. “You’re improving the world and you found someone who gets to witness all the great things you’re doing. Someone who supports and loves you.”
Senku shares the same feeling. There was something there, but both were too cowardly to pursue it then. He gives her a grin but shows relief than his former crush is giving.
“Alright,” [Y/N] randomly pulls out some bills and places them on the table between their bowls. She then twisted her body to slide off of her seat. Patting her skirt and then straightening it, she let out a huff as she straightened her shoulders. “I should get going now. Both of us have big plans ahead.”
“Senku.” She turns fully towards him. “I like you.”
The village chief could only raise a hand as a non-wave goodbye. Even though this is a dream, he knows this will be the last time he's ever gonna see her.
“I liked you too.”
[Y/N] happily nods her head and quickly turns towards the door.
Once she was closer to the door. A bright light comes through when her hand slides it open, engulfing her whole body. Senku cover his eyes to not go blind but still try to watch his former crush disappear into the light.
Senku wakes up.
More refresh and ready to take on today and more.