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It had become a daily ritual.
Each morning before the village awoke you sat near the river, carefully applying Senku’s homemade sunscreen. The mixture, though slightly grainy, had saved your skin from the brutal Stone World sun, and you weren’t about to risk another burn.
Today was no different. You were finishing up, rubbing the last bit onto your arms, when a familiar voice interrupted your thoughts.
“You’re up early.”
You glanced up to see Senku standing a few feet away, arms crossed and that usual confident smirk tugging at his lips. His clothes were slightly disheveled, as always, and a few stray strands of hair fell down even more than usual.
You smiled. “I could say the same to you.”
He let out a chuckle. “Science doesn’t wait.”
You rolled your eyes but couldn’t suppress the warmth in your chest. Ever since Senku had made the sunscreen, you’d started spending more time around him—not just because of his intelligence, but because he made the Stone World feel a little less… overwhelming.
He stepped closer, eyeing your sunscreen application with an approving nod. “Looks like you’ve got it down.”
“Of course. I take my sun protection very seriously.”
He smirked. “Good. I don’t feel like making another batch every few days just because you forgot.”
You nudged him playfully, and he easily dodged, chuckling.
Then, before you could say anything else, a voice called out from the village.
“Hey! Senku! We need your help with—”
You winced, struggling to catch the rest of the sentence. The villagers spoke fast, and even though you had learned Japanese before the petrification, it still took you a few extra seconds to process what they were saying.
Senku, of course, noticed immediately.
His gaze flickered to yours, sharp and calculating. Then, in a lower voice, he said something that made your heart stop.
“Do you want me to translate?”
Your breath hitched.
English.
Your native language.
It had been so long since you’d heard it spoken fluently that for a moment, it almost didn’t register.
You stared at him, stunned, before managing a hesitant, “You… speak English?”
Senku smirked, eyes glinting. “Of course I do. I learned it when I was a kid. Comes in handy, don’t you think?”
A slow smile spread across your face. “You have no idea.”
For the first time in years, you felt a sense of ease wash over you. No struggling to find the right words, no awkward pauses while you pieced together sentences—just effortless conversation.
And judging by the look in Senku’s eyes, he understood exactly how much this meant to you.
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From that day on, English became your secret language.
Whenever you got stuck in a conversation with the villagers, Senku would subtly switch to English to help you out. Whenever you were overwhelmed, he’d make an offhanded joke in English just to see you smile.
It became second nature.
The others, of course, were completely baffled.
“Why do you guys always talk in that weird code?” Kohaku had asked one day, arms crossed. “Is it some kind of secret science language?”
Senku had just smirked. “Something like that.”
You had to stifle a laugh.
The only person who caught on was Gen.
One evening, as you sat near the fire, Gen plopped down beside you with a lazy grin.
“So, you’re fluent in English, huh?”
You nearly choked on your food. “Wait—you too?”
Gen chuckled, resting his chin on his hand. “Of course~! I used to travel a lot before the petrification, so I picked it up along the way.”
You gaped at him before turning to Senku, who looked entirely unsurprised. “You knew?”
He shrugged. “Gen’s annoyingly talented. It’s not that shocking.”
Gen feigned offense. “Annoyingly? Senku, I’m hurt.”
You laughed, shaking your head. “Okay, so it’s just the three of us, then.”
Gen wiggled his eyebrows. “Ooooh, does that mean we have a secret club?”
Senku rolled his eyes. “It just means we have another way to communicate. Which, by the way, could be useful if we ever need to discuss something privately.”
You nodded, understanding immediately. Having a language that no one else knew could be an advantage—especially in situations where secrecy was necessary.
But even beyond that, it was nice.
Nice to speak without stumbling over words. Nice to feel completely understood.
Nice to share something with Senku.
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One night, you found yourself sitting beside Senku near the edge of the village, watching the stars.
It had been a long day. You were tired, but your mind was too restless to sleep.
Senku seemed to notice.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked, glancing at you.
You sighed, hugging your knees. “It’s nothing. Just… thinking about the past.”
He hummed in understanding. “You miss it?”
You hesitated before nodding. “Yeah. Sometimes.”
He was quiet for a moment. Then, in a softer voice, he said, “You’ll see it again, you know. Civilization. Science. Everything we lost. I’ll bring it all back.”
You turned to him, studying his profile in the moonlight. His expression was unreadable, but there was a fire in his eyes—a determination so unwavering that you almost believed he could rebuild the world overnight.
Your heart clenched.
“I know you will.”
A smirk tugged at his lips. “Damn right I will.”
You laughed softly, shaking your head. “You’re impossible.”
“I prefer ‘brilliant.’”
You rolled your eyes, but the warmth in your chest didn’t fade.
For a while, neither of you spoke. The night air was cool, the sky endless above you, and for the first time in a long time, you felt at peace.
Then, without really thinking, you murmured, “I’m glad you’re here.”
Senku blinked, caught off guard.
You felt your face heat up. “I mean—not that I’m glad you got petrified too, but—just, if I had to be stuck in this world, I’m glad you’re part of it.”
He was silent for a long moment. Then, to your surprise, he chuckled.
“You’re such a sap.”
You huffed, nudging him with your shoulder. “Shut up.”
But as you turned away, you caught something unexpected—something rare.
A small, genuine smile.
Not his usual smug grin. Not his teasing smirk.
Just a quiet, sincere smile.
And suddenly, the Stone World didn’t feel so lonely anymore.