Chapter Text
The sharp sound of the school bell rang throughout the building. Almost immediately, everybody began packing up or already on their way towards the door.
Gen yawned, stifling it with his palm as he got up from his seat. He couldn't pay attention at all to this period, having his head down or doodling in his notebook the entire time.
Gen was drained from last night, having to record multiple movie auditions for roles forced by his manager up until 6. If he had to guess, his manager is going to suggest airing another stupid 'American Special' for his show over the weekend the second he gets out of school. Of course, like usual, he'll have to do it. He sighed internally, the strain in his eyes from the lack of sleep made him want to sock his manager.
Rowdy hallways, teenagers scurrying down the glossy tiled floor. Loud noises of chatter echoing down the walls as students made their way to the cafeteria. Lunch had just started, people walking out of their selected classes.
Gen prompted to take his airpods out, putting them in their case as he strode past the crowds of others. Multiple conversations pulled through his head, weaving through with any thoughts he had. It was making his mind drift off into listening to various voices, his only focus being the back of a random's head, following them as they lead the way to the cafeteria.
A tap on his shoulder made him jolt, collecting himself together, he put a warm grin on as he looked to his side. Then, a genuine smile was put on his face.
Gen's close friend, Ukyo stood next to him, waving a small greeting before matching his walking pace. He was another senior that was in Gen's advanced ESL class last year who he had befriended since he was the only other Japanese kid in that class. Now the two of them ended up in the same regular english class this year by pure luck. Gen was thankful for him, considering him being the one who introduced most of his friends that he knew today.
"Hello, Ukyo, Dear. wanna head to the lunchline with me?" Gen asked, which he nodded to. They fell into their daily chitchat as they brushed past the crowd.
Walking through the cafeteria doors, Gen rummaged in his pocket for his school ID. The sounds of the cafeteria louder than most days, seemingly more people inside than out. Finally fishing out his ID, he was greeted with a cheery, gleeful Gen on the card. Thankfully, his picture wasn't as bad as last year, where the photographer had gotten a bad angle of his face.
Gen observed all the average highschool clichés that were all sat in their normal tables, it was almost laughable how much this cafeteria looked like it was plucked right out of a movie scene. He passed by each one, making his way to the lunchline with Ukyo trailing after him.
Sparkly chains, dark cuffs, and detailed graphic shirts. There was only a handful of them at a small corner table, which was the infamous 'Emo kids.' On the right of the group was loud and boastful. Proclaimed 'Gamers and Nerds' sat, face filled with acne and anime shirts that looked a bit too tight-fitting on them. Gen huffed, both of the masses equally as smelly. Still, he made notes in his head, how he'd interact with each one and how he'd, preferably, avoid them.
Gen couldn't be bothered to check out any more of the cliques, until his eyes glanced at one large group in specific. Rowdy and full of life, all unique in some way. They didn't fit any teenage stereotype, all different, but still looked like they all enjoyed the shared company of each other. Of course it wasn't anything strange seeing a mix group of people, but it was still interesting seeing how they interacted from afar. They all looked like they were revolving around one singular person, who Gen couldn't properly see in time before passing their table.
Unfortunately, Gen couldn't let his eyes linger much longer, noticing how lengthy the line was getting at that point. Plus, it would also be weird of him to be staring, especially with Ukyo tagging along behind him. So, he kept on, the small look of them sticking to the back of his head.
The beep of the scanner let him pick up his tray, walking through the line of food options. Salads, poorly packaged selection of sandwiches, and a few other things. His face scrunched, passing by the mystery slop the lunch ladies were also serving, but they were far too kind for him to complain. He settled for the salad, along with grabbing a small baggie of chips and a cookie.
Glancing at Ukyo's tray, he got a spicy chicken sandwich and apple juice. It was a meal he'd always get, seemingly never getting sick of it. An amused laugh fell out of Gen lips, which recieved an annoyed glare back. Gen always got on Ukyo's back for picking the same food every single day, so Ukyo already knew what Gen was going to say. Gen got a playful nudge on his arm, banter beginning to start as they sat down in their respectful seats at the table they always sat at.
Gen had his own group that was labeled as a highschool stereotype. He was well known around the entire school, along with all his other friends at the table. Everybody was famous for some reason, he wasn't really sure why for some people in the group. He wasn't complaining either, the attention he draws is fun. The girls that caught his eye were pretty cute too.
Gen looked around the crowd, not focusing on any conversations directed towards him. He couldn't feel bothered to at the moment, his head still hazed from the lack of sleep. In return, he just observed, keeping every single detail he watched of the others inside his head. Until, he noticed that two pairs of eyes were on him.
Moz and Hyoga, the pair of biggest troublemakers Gen had the misfortune of meeting during his sophmore year. How he met them was through a prank they had pulled on him, — Something he'd rather not recall at the moment. Plenty of times, the two larped him into their situations to get them out of trouble with the teachers, especially Mr. Ibara who loved watching them get sent to detention. But, Gen couldn't lie, he loved participating in their antics. Most of the pranks they've pulled with him were hilarious, having them roll on the floor dying of laughter when a poor, innocent soul falls victim to whatever they could put their mind to. He also loved them because of their parties.
A voice spoke out, cutting him off from his internal monologue about how rowdy Moz and Hyoga were getting, their noisy whispers behind the backs of their hands doing nothing to hide the fact they were clearly looking right at him the entire time. Gen could feel himself roll his eyes the second Moz started to talk.
"So, Gen, I've got a dare for you," Moz proposed, his hands clasped together as the brightest smile he could muster. Hyoga sat next to him, a devious smirk playing on face. Both of them looked like morons. Gen already knew what they were going to ask him. Something stupid, something that needed his 'ability' or 'line of work' to get away with, — He already knew that he would be down for it. He hated refusing a challange from them, knowing how they'd just make fun of him otherwise. Not only that, but because he gets the best rewards afterwards. Once, because they roped in the entire group to bet on him, he found himself 150 dollars richer with a bag filled with Taco Bell on a Tuesday night. Illegal, but so worth it.
Without a second thought, Gen agreed, mimicking the same grin they both had smeared all over their faces. Even throwing in a thumbs up to seal the deal. The dare really can't be that bad, it was never impossible to do anyways.
Until Moz pointed to the left of him, directly at a table Gen was looking at previously. His mouth gaped, eyes narrowing at the spry, faded green haired boy confidently sitting right in the middle of the table Moz was pointing at. Of course, the guy was tinkering away at some machine currently, observing eyes watching him as he explained carefully.
The Senku Ishigami.
The name known across the entire school building and probably the city too. Gen was genuinely surprised that he didn't recognize him at that table right off the bat, but it was probably because that he usually works away in his lab with his bunch of goons that he orders around. Of course, Gen had only seen the guy from afar, barely interacting once with him the entire time Gen was attending this school. Gen, however, has heard plenty of things about him. Multiple rumors were spread revolving around him, gossip, whatever positive or negative thing you can name has been talked about him.
Except, two things were a pure guarantee that everybody knew.
One, he's some bat-shit crazy scientist. — The science projects he casually announces are insane, and he talks as if doing it was the easiest thing a Kindergartener could do. Burnt patches of grass was left on the school fields, marks left by the many rocket launchings his science club and him do whenever and wherever. Without a care in the world, he'll casually snatch an item away from a by-stander just because he needs it for his so called 'science', which he'll then pay you back in the most extra way possible. Everybody was used to all his stunts at this point, knowing whatever he could possibly need for an experiment, they'd already have a double of it in the pocket of their backpacks.
Two, nobody could manage to get romantically inclined with him. Let it be by soft, intimate gestures with hidden meanings or bold shows of devoted love at him, no matter what a person could do, he'd look at them unphased and then turn them down in the most worst way. Even to the most drop-dead beauties or perfect dream men, Senku would just give them a nasty look and that was that. When it came to avoiding love, he was a master at it. The amount of girls and guys he refused was enough to be a population of a small town. Now, for anybody who had the mishap of feeling attraction towards the man, they simply wait for it to pass, already knowing what he'd do. Everybody was sure that he was aromantic, assuming by how disinterested he acted with any romantic implications directed towards him. Some still tried, but none ever suceeded. Gen can name whoever he'd like, and there'd probably be a rejected love letter in the labratory trashbin with the person's name signed in bold red at the top of it.
"If you can get that guy to date you for an entire full week, and get him to tag along with you for prom, I'll pay you 30— No, a whole 50 dollar bill," Moz declared, his wallet already out and opened. Gen imagined himself getting up and walking away. There's no possible way he could accomplish dating Senku Ishigami. Everybody knew it was impossible, there wasn't any point in trying.
Somebody from the side of Hyoga snapped their fingers, his words boomed. Gen was pretty sure the projection of his voice made the cafeteria room shake. He winced, knowing that once the guy started talking, the entire table is going to be in on this.
"Aha! Is this another bet I hear? I desire to win this!" Ryusui exclaimed, slamming down a hundred, which everybody else sitting near Gen and him hushed down. All eyes now affixed on him, he paled. There is no way in hell he would do that! It's impossible! For the sake of his ego! Him asking out Senku would just be like reputation death! He was a famous celebrity for godsakes! Everybody who even managed to give Senku a confession was always made fun of because of how ruthlessly he turned them down. Gen was not going to be next. Nothing could ever make him go ahead and confess some highschool 'crush' to Senku, let alone date.
"Woah, woah! Wait! I never agreed to that," Gen protested, his hands up in defense. "First of all, that would be shitty of me to do! What if Dear Senku over there would genuinely experience romance in probably the first time of his life only for it to be a prank? That would be so evil of me to lead the poor boy on!" Which he got loads of groans from all around the table. He was sure one of them even boo'ed. He was lying straight through his teeth currently, and he knew they knew too.
"Oh come on, Gen. You're the perfect person for this," Moz flared his hands out, "Somebody who refuses to date, with a person who knows exactly how to pull on people's heartstrings to do whatever you want. You can definitely bag this guy! For a load of money!" He exclaimed, hyoga nodding in the background.
"Okay! Well how about this!— Wouldn't it be homophobic of me to force an aromantic guy into a relationship? That's basically homophobic! My career would be ruined!" Gen sputtered, trying to get somebody to back him up.
"Oh blah, blah," Yo spat out, his hands forming a puppet that mocked Gen blabbering off. Of course the one who was the worst of them all in the group just had to speak up. Gen wanted to shout at him to get a job and stop acting like training for a mediocre joke of a future such as 'being a famous footballer' would get him anywhere when everybody knows he'd just end up frying up some burgers or abusing his power as a policeman.
"Come on, you famous people do so much worse" Yo drawled out, shrugging his shoulders trying to act oh so nonchalant. "Celebrities beat the fuck out of their wives but don't get hate! P. Diddy has done so much worse than you'll ever do, so you should do it!" Gen wanted to look around to see if anybody else was hearing this idiocracy. There wasn't any way he, himself, Gen Asagiri just got compared to P. Diddy.
Gen urgently needed somebody to get him out of this situation and fast. He looked over to Tsukasa, who was mindlessly scrolling on his phone watching Instagram reels and listening to music. He wished there was some sort of way he could telepathtically mind control him and help him out in times of need.
Gen turned to his side, Ukyo was always there to help him! Whenever the bet was extremely dumb, he'd always talk the people out of it! Ukyo would know this would be a terrible idea!
Gen was only met with a cheeky look on Ukyo's face. He was seemingly convinced by Yo's speech or just wanted to see him suffer, his finger pinching a crisp twenty. It was waving right in his face. With that, money started to pile up. Random bills of five, tens, and twenties were all in front of him. He shut his eyes and sighed.
Without even realizing it, he was up and walking. He wasn't sure if it was the sleep deprivation or the amount of peer pressure that got to him, but it was probably both. The money was speaking to him in ways he couldn't explain. He couldn't let all that cash go to waste, especially with something so simple. A week. One week is all he needs to do.
Gen felt himself straighten up, his feet already moving to the table Senku was sitting at, the best award winning smile he could manage to have. He didn't even know why he was doing this. He should've forced out some more money. Folding the moment he saw the money bunch up was not a good look for him.
Before Senku could notice Gen's presence, another did.
A deafening shout of Gen's full name rang through his ears, he was sure whoever's voice that just blasted through his ears was now bouncing around inside his head. Gen blinked, dumbfounded, all sort of mental preparing he did erased in a single second. Before Gen could even respond, he wheezed, the oxygen inside of him being squeezed out of his body as he was scooped up into a bear hug, his feet nearly dangling in the air.
Taiju Oki, Senku's best friend. Gen had chatted with him plenty of times, most of it would just be about Taiju fawning over him and how brilliant his magic shows and books were. The rest of it was real coversation. Taiju was actually a great person to be around, Gen had the honor of being in his P.E class last year, where he hid behind him most of the time. He was also kind enough to let him slink around him since he didn't have anybody else in that P.E period. They'd chitchat about whatever, random topics the both could think of off the tops of their heads. Even this year they still caught up with each other in the halls, updating them on what it was like without having P.E together. He could consider Taiju to be a good acquaintance and, if he dared, a nice friend to have around.
"Gen!" Taiju hollered, right inside Gen's ear. Gen winced, but still returned the hug with multiple pats on Taiju's back. Gen could feel his ribs being crushed and the desperate tapping on Taiju increased.
"Hey, Dear Taiju!" Gen beamed, his voiced strained as he finally was able to catch his breath. The both of them sounding like long term friends that just reunited after years apart. Looking past Taiju was Senku, with a slight confused furrow in his brows. Here goes nothing.
"Taiju, do you mind if I borrow Dear ol' Senku for a minute?" Gen happily asked, the corner of his mouth twitching as he smiled.
Taiju looked astonished, his head switching back and forth between Gen and Senku. His jaw was wide open, imaginary stars sparkling inside his eyes as he yanked Gen towards him, his hand cupping over his mouth as he whispered not so quietly.
"Oh my god! You! You sly dog, you! I know what you're going to do!" Taiju poked at Gen, snickering. "You going for Senku? Oh, this will work out, for sure! You know, I think you guys would be the perfect couple! Honestly, I think—"
Before Taiju could finish whatever more rambling he could say, he was cut off by somebody clasping him on the shoulder.
"That's enough, you big oaf. I don't want him to get his hopes up," A voice spoke out.
Tufts of green tipped hair peaked from the side of Taiju, before finally, the Senku Ishigami appeared right before him. This was now or never, if Gen was going to commit to this dare, he will commit. He saw how much money he accumulated, that would all be his if he just commited to this for one week. Just one week straight and a half of a week if he wanted to include him stretching it out to the prom date. He has this in the bag. It wasn't impossible.
"Hello, you must be Senku! My name is Gen Asagiri," Gen spoke soft, his surprise in his voice prominent. Gen gave out a small awkward wave, his shoulders tense as he nervously smiled at Senku. An unimpressed look was recieved, Senku's arms crossed as he looked at him completely uninterested, — Like what he did with most people that didn't manage to grab his attention the second he lays eyes on them.
"Yeah, yeah, everybody knows who you are, Gen Asagiri, the magnificent magician," Senku stated, shrugging his shoulders. Gen could feel his eyes tug, trying to not roll them right now. He was not told by the gossip that Senku had such a massive stick up his ass at all times. Or, the fact he picks his ears at all times, much like what he was doing now. Gen desperately wanted to teach him some sort of manners.
"Well, I've just been meaning to talk to you.. For a while, now. Do you mind if we do it outside?" Gen asked sheepishly, trying to make himself seem as closed off as possible. He batted his eyelashes for extra good measures, going as far as tucking a couple of strands of hair behind his ear.
Gen watched Senku sigh and pinch his temples. "Okay. Let's just get this over with," Senku murmured as he followed Gen out the doors.
Pushing the doors open, not much people sat outside of the cafeteria, but people were still allowed to hang around outside the school buildings. Gen thanked the school for being an outside type of school. He was not going to pull this in the cafeteria.
The sun glowed soft through the shadowing of leaves, the air gentle when it brushed against their hair. The two paused at a tree, the silence of them muffled by the sounds of nature around them. The scene was beautiful, cut straight from a movie. There was no way Senku could resist. How could he not? With how Gen held his hand so closely to his heart, his eyes shimmering oh so delicately, he was bound to accept.
Gen looked at the floor, trying to not laugh as he began his speech he cultivated in his head. He tried to play the shaked sigh he released as a breath of nervousness. This is like any other performances he held before, so he knew he could do this perfectly. "Senku.. I liked you for a while now, and I can't hold these feelings in anymore! You're just so handsome and smart, I couldn't help but fall in love with you.. Can we da—"
"Hard pass," Senku crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out in disgust. Gen knew it was coming and yet he still clicked his tongue.
"But why?" Gen whined, forcing a pout on his face. He blinked a couple of times, dampening his waterlines to make his eyes look glossed. He internally cringed with the act he was putting on, but he was an entertainer after all. If he had to act, he'll act.
"Why would I want to get with a crappy magician? I've seen your terrible shows back in Japan and I'd rather not mention how shit your books are. I'm not looking for anybody to date at the moment either, so if you're done, I'll be on my way now," Senku pivoted on his heels and started to make his way back to the cafeteria.
"Wait!" Gen called out, catching Senku by the wrist. Teary-eyed, Gen looked at Senku directly in the eyes. "Can't you please just give me a chance? Are you seriously going to let my books and shows define me? You don't want to know who I truly am?" Gen urged, squeezing Senku's forearm lightly.
"Uhm, yeah? I don't care," Senku looked at him, confused. Shaking off Gen's hand, he continued his walk. This time, Gen just let him.
Gen sighed loudly once Senku was a good enough distance away. Pushing his palms into his face, he was getting embarassed by the now new and profound memory of being so intensely extra for no reason. He wanted to reverse time and get him to stop doing that. It would have been even better if he moved all the way back in time and made sure Hyoga and Moz were never born in the first place.
Gen pulled his hands away. He couldn't give up, not yet. There's no way he can lose all that money. He'll have to try again. He has this.
On the sad walk back to the cafeteria, expectant eyes were laid on him once he sat back down in his respective seat.
"Soo? How was it? Get the guy?" Nikki asked from the corner of the table, leaning forward to face Gen. He could only groan in response.
"I have no idea what you guys expected. Of course he turned me down," Gen sagged his shoulders as he drew out his reply. He lifted his fork, only to dryly pick at the soggy leaves of his salad. Maybe if he acted sad enough about it, they'd leave him alone about it.
Feeling a pat on his shoulder, Gen turned to see Yo towering over behind him. His eyebrow twitched, feeling the recognizable annoyance he got from Yo. He especially didn't like the look in Yo's eyes, the way they glinted in such a courteous and gracious light made him want to gag.
"Hey man.." Yo started and Gen could feel himself shrink back in his seat. Yo always starts his dogshit advice with the same words, always. Gen hated how there was a cafeteria light hanging right above Yo's head in his perspective, it made him look like some angel about to change a person's life.
"You should never give up.. Don't let your dreams become dreams, the true dedication lies within you, not in front of you. Keep on moving forward, reach that goal," Yo whispered, clenching his fist and holding it close to his body as he shook his head in such majesticity Gen could see rainbows and flying angels sprouting from behind Yo.
Gen yelped as he was tugged around by his shoulders, Yo's voice thundering in his ears, "And go for that guy or else I'll lose fifty-fucking-dollars to that bet! If you don't I swear to God I'll make sure to get you jumped!" He hollered, Gen flailing around. Gen was sure his shoulders could dislocate with the way Yo was clenching onto him.
"Gah! Okay! Jesus, let go!" Gen slapped at Yo's arm, being released. Gen grumbled insults under his breath as he adjusted himself in his seat, aggressively stabbing at his food. Now he really did need to make another plan to get Senku to fall in love with him.
The sounds of shuffling, along with the same repetitive bell shot through the walls of the cafeteria. Gen looked up from his food, before starting to gather up his trash and tossing it. Gen slung his backpack over his shoulders and started to place his airpods into his ear. He clicked the unpause button and started his walk to his next class.
—
Science class was the tiring yet interesting class Gen got to sit through. Most times, Gen didn't bother to pay attention anyways. The information would just go through one ear and out the other, like now. Gen knew the science teacher always got on kids who don't listen, but he usually got special treatment and got away with it.
Idly fiddling the corner of his notebook, Gen had his head rested on top of his desk. His head had become too heavy to hold up five minutes in the note taking, his eyelids too much weight to bear.
The science teacher's voice blurred inside his head, sounding faint and in some far away place.
He could feel the lights dim, the hefty pressure against his shoulders and back making him slink the rest of his body against the table.
A soft exhale escaped his nose, the tension in his ribcage releasing.
The sweet lull of sleep was beckoning him, closer and closer until everything started to black out.
"Gen Asagiri! I assume you aren't sleeping, yes?"
Gen felt his throat dry as he shot right up, fixing his posture as he tried to speak up. The sudden flash of cool against his neck made him sober up, a newfound energy in his body as he straightened out his back. He looked around, almost all his nosy seatmates turned to look at him. He prayed that one day, they'd get the ability to just mind their business instead of staring their asses off.
"Oh! No, not at all. I believe I was just searching for my pencil, that's all!" A pleased smile was brought to Gen's face, waving around his pencil in hand.
"A pencil? Pencil for what? We aren't taking notes right now. We are reading in the science textbook. This information is very important for our next quizz, so I'd advise you listen," The science teacher furrowed her brows together and crossed her arms.
"Oh! I must have been mistaken, I'm sorry, I thought we were taking notes!" Gen chuckled, turning to reach for his backpack. Fumbling through the array of papers and books in his bag, none read the label of 'Science Book 101'. He could feel the beads of sweat form on his forehead as he continued to flip through each book contained in his bag, feeling the intense eyes of his science teacher right behind him.
One week ago, he was supposed to buy that stupid book at Barnes and Nobles. Really, how was he supposed to know! He was, at the time, filming scenes for a movie he had a major role in. It's not his fault it slipped his mind— The school really should have just provided the book or even online for the kids if it was that important to their education! All that money kid's parents hand off to the school and not one is directed to actual educational funding.
Gen slowly turned back around, the blank face of his science teacher greeting him. An awkward silence stretched on, until she lifted up her glasses and pinched at the bridge of her nose, a seeming pain forming at it. They both knew what Gen was going to say.
"Gen. Speak to me after school, please." The science teacher just had to announce so loudly in front of the whole class and put Gen on the spot for not having his stupid book.
Gen could feel the dread crawl up his spine. All he could really do was nod and smile. It was the sixth period, and then afterwards the seventh. Then he would be done with this day of school. About two more hours and then he can leave. Two more hours, then he can sit in his car and slam his back into his driver's seat about how shit his day was. It felt like every thing bad was always directed at him today for no reason, like the universe had decided to pick a random person to taunt and he just had to be the perfect candidate.
—
"Gen, look at me properly," The stern voice spoke out. The classroom was empty, science teacher and him the only ones inside. Gen looked up from his feet, trying to look as innocent as possible. Softening his facial features, Gen looked at her with the most sincere eyes he could muster.
"Can you explain to me why you don't even have your science textbook purchase, even after constant reminding? You had one week. A whole week to buy it from any local bookstore, yet you didn't." She leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed as her index finger tapped against her forearm, seemingly an attempt to keep herself calm.
Tripping over his words for a moment, Gen composed himself. Surprisingly, he slipped up from time to time with this woman. It was probably because of how terrifying she acted when she found out somebody lied to her.
"I was busy.. I was focused on work outside of school, I'm sorry.. My manager is forcing me to do a lot of content for American fans and fans back in Japan ever since I moved," Gen murmured out, which was the truth. Gen's manager was some extremely sleazy bum that overworked him to the bone, who his parents also never bothered to find a better one when he'd suggest so. That guy could never let Gen take a rest.
The woman relaxed by this, a look of pity washing over her face. The tapping of her finger slowed to a stop, before she eased her shoulders.
"Okay. I'm trusting you on this one, Gen. You need to get this textbook by today, or else I'll have to write you up, alright? You can leave now," Her tone held a bit of softness, the edge of her words still there.
Gen nodded, before walking out of the classroom door.
—
Gripping onto the steering wheel, Gen started to mutter distasteful words under his breath as he drove to the bookstore. His head was starting to hurt from the lack of sleep, along with the sting of dryness his eyes brought him.
Pulling up to the parking lot of Barnes and Nobles, Gen leaned his head against his headrest of the driver's seat. He opened the glove box to his right, pulling out a pair of shades and a black mask. Staring at the two objects in his hands, he considered something for a moment.
Gen wasn't that popular in America compared to what it was like in Japan. Of course, he had a Netflix special and a book or two translated in English for sale on shelves, but it wasn't like he was that big here. It's not like he needed to always go under disguise, he'll be in and out of that store quick. Maybe also a stop at CVS to buy some tylenol, but other than that, he really didn't find any reason to wear these for now.
Closing up the compartment, he settled for just a black hat and shut the car door. He'll be quick, the area looked empty so far too. He doesn't need anything fancy to hide himself anyways.
Pulling the glass door of the store open, Gen was instantly hit with the smell of polished wooden shelves and new books. It brought a sense of nostalgia to him, reminding him of the first time he published a book back in Japan and did a signing in a local bookstore not to far from his parent's house. A small sigh of contentment bubbled out of his chest as he glanced around at the empty area, making his way towards the academics section.
Checking the email on his phone, Gen looked at the specific titled book he needed.
"Introduction to Physiology and Human Anatomy.." Gen whispered as he looked at the hard-covered books decorating the walls. Of course, he was already fairly educated in that topic, but there was some parts about it that he was still confused about, so his manager had pressed him to pick up a class about it.
Falling to a stop with his stroll, Gen plucked a book from the shelves, placing it in his shopping basket. He thanked his science teacher for being so gracious to give the class a mandatory purchase of a book that weighed twenty pounds out of nowhere in the school year. It's like he could never catch a break at all.
At least after this, he could just head to CVS to buy whatever else he needed and relax for the rest of the day.
"Oh, what the fuck," Gen spat out under his breath as he looked at the guy right behind the edge of the shelf he was at.
The same guy who had rejected him not a few hours ago, Senku standing right in the same section as him, flipping through some random space books that looked like it would be from some geek convention. Gen at first wanted to scream and sprint out, but a lightbulb managed to appear over his head. His first route didn't work out, but maybe if he could just manage to match Senku's personality, it could make a dent in the wall Senku is putting up.
Slowly, Gen started to make his move towards Senku as he obeserved the man browsing the bookshelves, step by step. Behind the small peaks of the wood, Gen watched Senku's eyes flicker from one book to another, paying no mind to Gen trailing after him.
"Excuse me, have you seen the Outlines of Astronomy by John Herschel? Seems like I've lost my copy," Gen said cooly, a nonchalant smirk playing on his lips as he leaned against the shelf. Gen's eyes narrowed at the copies of the same book he asked for just now, but he didn't feel like mentioning it.
"What are you doing here?" Senku scoffed, an unamused look on his face.
"I heard there was a science convention here!" Gen chirped, shrugging his arms and looked around for the seemingly now conducting science convention going on in the store.
Senku scowled, his eyebrows digging together as he huffed, "You're so—"
"Charming? I get that a lot," Gen smoothly said, going so far as to smugly flick the top of his cap.
Senku had no response, taking a deep breath before walking away. Gen followed in pursuit, not letting Senku get away. He will have a date with him by the end of this week, he whole-heartedly swears on his manager.
"You know, you're not that untouchable as you think you are! Trust me, show a lot more than what you try to hide! Just because you're some smart Einstein doesn't make you all that!" Gen called after him, making the man pause and turn around.
"And you're not that cool as you think you are. Just because you're some half-baked celebrity who reads people off for a living doesn't mean shit. You aren't popular or some awesome figure, if I were you, I'd get your lousy ass out of here," Senku delivered back. Gen would have taken him a little bit more seriously if he didn't have such a forced mean look on his face, the contagious smirk on his face giving it away.
Gen stuck out his tongue, "What're you so mad for? Briefs bunched up in a twist now because I coincidentally bumped into you here? You know, you should consider yourself lucky! You've managed to meet the great Gen in a place like this, can't you call it fate, my dear Senku?"
"Oh, spare me the petnames. You do not have any effect on my underwear," Senku rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "And coincidentally? Don't make me laugh, I bet you stalked me all the way from school to here," He accused, eyes turned to a glare.
"Swear, I've really just managed to catch you here on pure accident!" Gen raised his hands in a mock defense, "Just wanted to drop by and say hello, is that so bad?"
"Well then, hello and goodbye," Senku waved him off, starting to make his way to the checkout.
"Wow, can't the Senku Ishigami just spare me some of his valued time? Are you really not much of a talker?" Gen poked his elbow at him, following him to the check out.
"Depends on the topic, people who are seemingly 'interested' in me don't bore me with moronic banter," Senku looked at Gen and skipped over the checkout to instead weave through the shelves to shake off Gen on his trail.
"My, you really don't like me, Senku Dear!" Gen laughed at all the attempts he did, correctly guessing every move he did with precision. With a flick of a hand, Gen pulled a small flower from his wrist that he grabbed by passing one of the display shelves.
"Oh, why would I," Senku sighed, giving in to the chase and stopping in his tracks, waving his hand at the flowers. They were back at the science section, running in circles inside a small Barnes and Nobles really wasn't going to do anything anyways.
"Well, you might not like me, but I'm quite sure you've thought about me," Gen winked, it was corny but it was fun to recieve the reward of Senku cringing at what he did.
"Am I seriously that transparent?" Senku gasped, covering his mouth in shock. His eyes widened, sparks surely flying around in the air as he let out a girlish chuckle.
"I want you, I need you! Oh baby, oh baby," His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm sure you can find the book you were originally looking for right around here," Gen let out a grunt as something was slammed into his basket.
A soft laugh of disbelief was let out as Gen looked at the second book layered on top of the other. His eyes looked to watch Senku walk away, his things already being bagged up and paid for. That guy was unbelieveable.
The Outlines of Astronomy by John Herschel, the paperback book dropped inside the basket.
Gen shook his head, trying to get the smile off his face as he headed to the self-checkout. He scanned both of the books, safely placing the two inside a bag.
—
Gen's next stop was the CVS not too far from his apartment. He could always rely going there for last minute essentials.
One box of extra strength tylenol, a bottle of diet coke, and a frozen microwave meal. He didn't feel like cooking or going to grab take-out from some place, so he opted for the usual choice.
Tylenol, check. Meal, check. Coke, che
"Gen! Hey buddy!" Without being able to react to the booming footsteps coming towards him, Gen was once again lifted from the floor, this time struggle was shown as Gen kicked his feet around, confused who just yanked him up from the air.
Gen choked out, "Dear Taiju! Hello there! And! Phew, wow— The grip is really tight here— Hello Yuzuriha!" Managing to squeeze a hand out, Gen waved to the girl standing beside Taiju.
Yuzuriha responded with a polite smile and wave, pulling her headphones down as she giggled. "Hey, Gen!"
"What are you guys doing here?" Gen eyed the large handfuls of chips, snacks, and various other junk in the basket she was holding.
"Oh! We're just buying snacks to eat while we study for our french quizz that's coming up on friday!" Taiju yelled directly in Gen's ear, which he really appriciated since he seemed to have been going deaf at this point in time.
"Really now! That's adorable of you both, going on a little study date, I see!" Gen chuckled, which Taiju flusteredly dropped him in response. Gen stumbled down, luckily catching his feet. It was funny how reactive the two got when the topic dating was brought up, as if they weren't a paid already.
"Oh, speaking about dates.." Yuzuriha murmured, "Heard what happened at lunch, sorry that Senku was a little tough on you. I kept telling him to ease up on rejecting people," Yuzuriha chimed. Gen desperately prayed that one day all three of them could stop being so brutally honest.
"Oh, don't worry dear! Trust me, one rejection is not enough for me," Gen coughed out once he was finally released from Taiju's grip.
Yuzuriha huffed a small laugh of amused shock, "Really? You're planning to ask him out again?"
Gen nodded, "Yeah. I'm not too keen on giving up just yet, you know? There's something about him," he hummed, tapping a finger to his chin.
"Good!" Yuzuriha gave him a thumbs up, her grin wide. "That's the spirit Gen! You know, I'm really rooting for you two! I was the moment I saw you ask to take Senku outside!"
"Yeah! We can help you, right, Yuzuriha?" Taiju looked at her for permission, which she gave him a laugh and a small pat on the back in return.
"Of course, but only after we study, okay?" Yuzuriha turned to Gen, "You still have Taiju's number, right? In a little, we can call you up and fill you in all about Senku! I'm sure that will help!"
"Well then, I'm sure you should get to it," Gen bid them a farewell not too long after, walking the two to Taiju's car before shortly walking to his own.
Diet coke, check. Tylenol, check. Frozen meal, check. A small bag of candy, check.
—
The sun was slowly starting to set, the hues of dark blue and pink blending into each other until it was one. The sun and the moon, both visible at this time. The sight was lovely from the balcony of Gen's apartment. He always appriciated the silent moments to himself when he was on the balcony, whether it was eating dinner or just thinking.
Gen poked around his dinner, before sliding it off to the side of him and reaching for something else in the plastic bag.
A small share sized package of gummy nerd clusters, a confectionery that Gen rarely gets to buy thanks to his dietitian telling his parents what he should or shouldn't eat. It's not like he really listens to that woman anyways, — He can eat whatever junk he wants to.
Feeling spiteful, he grabbed a handful of the small coated gummies and shoved it into his mouth, hoping that wherever that lady was right now, she could hear the sounds of him munching on the candy. He leaned backwards in his chair, his socks dangling over the railing of the balcony. The only problem he felt right now was that he wished he grabbed a regular coke instead of diet.
The table shook slightly, the vibrations of his ringtone playing made him look away from the sliver of sun peeking out from the horizon, and instead looked at who was calling him.
"Hey Taiju! How are you? I'm assuming Yuzuriha is with you right now too, right?" Gen asked, putting the phone into the nape of his neck as he picked up his leftovers and slid the door open.
The muffled sound of Taiju spoke out to Gen in his ear, "Yeah! Yuzuriha is with me! Can you hear us?"
"Can hear you perfectly," Gen spoke as he sat down at his desk, putting them on speaker. In his hand was a notebook and the other was a pen.
"Okay! You want to date Senku, correct?" Yuzuriha asked, the sounds of shuffling in the background, — Probably cleaning up.
A faint sound of Taiju's voice was in the background, "Hey! Found something!" A thud near the phone was heard and sounds of a book fluttering open.
"Found what..?" Gen questioned.
"Senku's diary!— Or, I think so?" Taiju murmured to himself as he read the pages. "No, yeah! It is!" Gen heard an audible gasp, before quick whispered shouts being passed between the two of them.
Gen felt himself sit up a little straighter, his jaw dropping.
"Okay, wait, wait, wait! I don't think you should invade his privacy like this?! Are you guys inside his room? Can't you just list his favorite stuff off the top off your head?"
"Yeah— Taiju! Put that away!– Sorry, yeah we are inside his room. His dad let us in earlier so we can wait for him to come home. He's currently out and about somewhere! Anyways, Senku is really big on science, he loves talking about it. He could go on for hours straight, seriously!" Yuzuriha laughed, a sound full of admiration. Gen thought it was nice seeing how they were so affectionate when talking about each other.
"He's super kind too! He's always there when you need help. — He never shows it, but he really does care about people," Taiju said in the background. "He's actually a lover than a fighter like everybody says he is, you just have to get to know him!"
"Oh! His catchphrases are so silly too!" Yuzuriha mentioned, a switch in tone as she mimicked Senku's voice, "Ten billion percent! Get excited! Definitely use that the next time you're around him, he always looks so proud whenever we use them!" She snorted.
"Oh! Compliment his hair! He likes taking care of it a lot! His projects, too!— Well, y'know what, scratch that, compliment him in general. He loves it when you compliment him. He acts all relaxed and collected whenever you praise him, but if you look specifically at his ears, they get a little red at the tips of it," Yuzuriha added. Gen felt the corner of his mouth perk as he wrote that in.
If Gen never encountered Senku before this, he could've actually take a liking to him just by this.
"His science stuff is no joke too! Whatever he makes, it's really, really cool!" Taiju exclaimed, "Give him whatever supplies and some time, he'll have whatever you want ready, like, immediately!"
"Ooh, talking about his science stuff, he's been going to this place for a project recently— It's not too far from here, it's cool and free admission on the weekends. He's taking us there the next time we're free! I can't wait! The pictures he shows us from that place are so pretty!" Yuzuriha mentioned, before falling to another topic about Senku.
"That sounds great," Gen hummed.
Conversation filled Gen's room as they spoke. The sound of chitchat and rambling was new to him, phone calls rarely lasted this long, even when it came to his parents. It was comforting for an apartment that was so silent all the time. He couldn't help but slowly start to respond to them with more enthusiasm, seemingly more energetic. A small flicker of warmth was burning in his core.
—
Three hours on call, six pages filled out. Most of the hours of them recalling happy memories with Senku, which Gen couldn't help but smile about. It was cute how fond they were over him. Afterwards, Gen had finally said his goodbyes to them since they heard the apartment door open and now the headache he had stored at the back of his head was worse than ever. He kept having to remind himself that it was worth it. He'd empty everybody's pockets, be left alone for the rest of the year, and have everybody grovel after his feet. He also had an okay time speaking with his friends, too.
Pushing his feet back, Gen rolled his chair out of his desk, spinning it to plop right down on his bed. The bedding was soft to the touch, making him let out a muffled groan as he stretched. He reached for the tylenol at the corner of his nightstand, plucking two out of the container and into his mouth.
He looked at the Barnes and Nobles bag laying on top of his nightstand, where two books laid inside. Slowly, he reached for one of them.
"Outlines of Astronomy.." Gen murmured as he traced the edge of the cover with his thumb, pulling the pages back and watching them flip back to place. Silently, he opened the front of the book and started reading.
Seriously, how could that Senku guy really enjoy something like this on a daily basis? Most of this information was forgettable, only some facts interesting him. Other than that, it felt like his brain was melting with all the advanced wording that was put in this book. Gen wanted to return this for how stupid it seemed, but he found himself turning another page after the next. He clicked his tongue, scanning through sentence after sentence. This was decent at most. Nothing too special.
Gen could feel the day slowly catching up to him as he sunk into his comforter. The soft sheets of his bed enveloping his body, making his eyes start to flutter. The words on the pages started to bleed together, barely readable now as his breathing slowed, his mind unable to process anything now. He folded the corner of the page he was on, the book carefully placed right beside his pillow.
Shifting into a more comfortable position, Gen could barely keep his eyes open, his consciousness slipping from his fingers as he softly sighed into the blanket covering him. He could feel his weight pushing onto the bed as the tension in his body started to melt off, the headache beginning to fade. This was perfect. Exactly what Gen needed after such a day.
Ding!
Gen ignored it, refusing to budge.
Ding!
Gen exhaled heavily, before turning to his side and resumed falling asleep.
Ding! Ding!
Gen covered his ear with the side of his pillow, muffling that irritating noise.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Gen groaned, kicking his feet into his bed. There's no way in hell. He recognized that specific text tone. He thought he was going to be let off for one weekend. One weekend to relax was all he was asking for.
Di—
Gen shoved his way out of bed, hastily yanking the charger out of his phone. Rapid fingers typed on his keyboard, teeth gritting together as he seethed quietly on the edge of his bed. He miserably rubbed his temples, trying to calm himself down.
'hey Mr. Asagiri! i hope you know that tomorrow you have to do a photoshoot! I'll be texting you the Adress, k? Also, No specials this week, am i rite? Ahaha! 😂' Gen mocked him in his head. He stuck out his tongue in disgust.
Gen imagined himself slinging his phone directly at his wall. Not only was this guy's grammar incorrect, the stupid laughing emoji placed at the end made him want to chew his phone into bits. He spelt address wrong too. His manager thought he was all buddy-buddy with him just because he was controlling over him since he was thirteen and his parents were stupid enough to trust him as a manager because he was a close family friend.
Gen did the only reasonable thing and left him on read. He's going to the photoshoot anyways, why would he need to respond.
Falling down to lay on the bed, Gen placed his palm over his forehead. He squeezed his eyes tightly, chewing at the inside of his cheeks. He just wanted to go to sleep, no more distractions. It's late and he cannot do another interaction with a person.
Ding!
Gen turned over onto his stomach and let out a bloodcurdling scream into his mattress, his throat straining from the pure force of his frustration. Again, he found himself fumbling through his blankets to find his phone.
'party @ my place tmr night'
'if u manage to bring senku there too ill get u abother 5 bucks'
Moz throwing a party, he really wasn't surprised. The idea of partying the rest of the night straight after his photoshoots sounded amazing. Maybe just a night of social hour will do him one better.
'got itdf, wikl make sure to do so. money (^o^)／'
With sluggish fingers, Gen typed his sentence out, not sure if he was thinking it or genuinely typing. He yawned, blinking away the dampness pricking at the corner of his eyes. Losing his grip on his phone, he let it slip past him as moved to his side, not bothering to get into a more comfortable position.
The color of the stars seeped through the thin material of his curtains, mixing in with the walls and decorations of his room. The sky was clean of clouds, the moon peeking through the windows of his bedroom. His head started to droop further into his shoulder as the lure of sleep captured him.
One final thought passed his mind, barely coherent before his head blanked to nothing.
That guy isn't so bad as he thought.
—
Photoshoots were nothing really too bad, it was like a routine to Gen at this point. Get ready, sit and pose all pretty, then get it over with.
He just didn't get the purpose of doing it in the middle of the night, instead of just using a green screen. His manager had explained to him it would give it that 'realistic feel' to the pictures, which he didn't care for. At least the view would be nice, or so the guy said.
Scrolling mindlessly on his phone, Gen looked up from his screen and instead looked out the open window. His manager was babbling with whatever he usually spoke of, except Gen really can't be bothered right now.
It was the perfect moment for a photoshoot, no wonder it kept getting postponed long enough for this.
Gen watched as the stars sped by, each one brighter than the last. The rush of air felt cool against his cheeks as he leaned against the side of his seat, shifting to lay his head against the door. He pulled his knees closer to his chest, still admiring the view for a moment longer until the car slowed, shifting into a parking space. Gen perked his head up, looking at the observatory from outside the window.
The building looked gorgeous once the car stopped, it was pristine and sleek, tiled with clean white plates. It looked humongous compared to the small car he was in. He looked in awe as his manager pulled the door open.
"Told you, it's cool," The manager gave him a small nudge, which Gen scoffed to, but still trailed after him once he shut the car door.
The entrance of the observatory was opened, and Gen stared at the detailings inside the building. Of course, Gen has been on some sets that were like this, but he never had the full version of what an observatory looked like. There was subtle and minimalistic decorations that were leading to other rooms, making it look soft on the eyes. He couldn't stop glancing around as he slowly moved behind his manager, who had to keep snapping his fingers in order to get Gen to focus.
Finally, Gen stopped at the telescope. There was a small staircase leading all the way to the top, where at the ceiling above it was slightly cracked open, the only visible thing being the deep blue sky and the sprinkling of stars.
Taking another double-take at the telescope, Gen wanted to see if he could slip away and take a look at the sky from there before the shoot. Except, when he looked again, he could see a person leaning into the glass.
There Senku was, wrapped in an off white lab coat stood at the top. His usual messed hair put into a low hanging ponytail. His eyes reflecting off the stars up high, his features highlighted by the gentle blue. He was practically glowing under the dim light. For once in Gen's time speaking to him, he didn't look mildly irritated. He looked more at ease, happy, even. Gen saw the slight smile that Senku wore as he glanced down at the clipboard and began to write. Gen noticed the passionate gleam in Senku's eyes and he stifled a grin.
Gen couldn't shake the sudden spike of tension in his shoulders, the hum of heat against his cheeks. For once, Senku actually looked good. Gen could get used to this.
Hesitantly, Gen found himself stepping towards the stairs, each step bringing him closer.
Sharply inhaling, Gen peered at the boy in front of him, who didn't even sense he was there. He wondered how long it would take for Senku to notice him. A small huff of amusement escaped Gen's nose as he thought about something.
Slipping past, Gen went and leaned against the railing. He stared high into the sky, next to the telescope where he was in Senku's line of sight.
Gen grinned as he heard a scoff behind him, along with an annoyed sigh.
"Stalking me? If you're really going to ask me out again, you might as well just get over with it again," Senku assumed.
Gen dramatically turned around, still looking at the sky, absolutely absorbed in how the stars looked tonight. He could see the visible disgust in Senku's eyes, which made him all the more giddy.
"Would you mind? I'm looking at the stars right now before my photoshoot. Kinda ruining it for me," Gen drawled out, pressing his back against the railing as he leaned back, giving a meager glance at Senku.
"Did reading that one singular astronomy book shoot right into your heart or something?" Senku sneered as he went back to looking inside the telescope.
"It did, seriously. It's a good book, apparently space might be my thing," Gen murmured, watching how Senku glanced up from the glass in surprise.
"You actually read it?" Senku asked, too surprised to shoot another insult at him.
"I actually read it," Gen confirmed, "The stars are really cool, but I've never thought how they worked. They aren't as interesting like the moon or any other planet, but they're not bad," Gen pushed himself off the railing and began to walk past Senku.
Senku looked at him stunned, before he grasped onto Gen's shoulder.
"Do you really like astronomy or are you lying? Is this just one of your little performances?" Senku's eyes narrowed at Gen with suspicion, yet the same sparkle he had back when Gen caught him staring into the telescope lingered in his look.
"Why? Don't you? Isn't astronomy one of your favorite fields of science? — You know, I was watching you out there before," Gen pointed at the place he stood earlier, all the way to the bottom of the stairs.
"I've never seen you look so handsome," Gen softly said, staring right into Senku's eyes. His voice held a tone of tenderness, he was careful to not scare away the boy by how bold his words were.
Senku was silent for a moment, before his mouth opened. No words were able to be let out, as a voice was heard from afar.
"Mr. Asagiri? Where are you? I know you'd like to explore right now, but you can do that after the photoshoot! You have to get ready!" Gen's manager yelled out.
"Come to Moz's party with me, tonight," Gen suddenly urged before he had to leave.
"You never give up, do you?" Senku groaned out as he rested his elbows on top of the railings, watching as Gen slowly made his descent down.
"Was that a yes?" Gen asked over his shoulder, slowing his pace for a moment.
"Nope," Senku quickly said.
"Well, was that a no?" Gen turned to look up at Senku in the middle of the staircase. He could see the smirk on Senku's face as he looked down on him.
"Nope," Senku replied again.
"I'll see you after my photoshoot is done! Give me an hour and a half— I'll meet you later! At your place! I'll pick you up! 9:30! Remember that!" Gen called out after Senku, lightly jogging away from the telescope, before finally catching up with his manager, who was wandering around looking for him.
Gen will have Senku swooning over him by the end of this night, he has to.