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Gen Asagiri has always been a master of manipulation, twisting his words like vines to ensnare others into his venus fly trap. A literal snake in the grass, as they say, always hiding his true intentions behind a barrier of stacked cards and cheap tricks. Now, it seemed as if that wall of cards was crumbling before him, leaving him exposed with nothing but shoddy lies as his defense. Lies that he couldn’t even convince himself with.
He paced around the edge of the science camp, fingers twitching nervously. “Get it together, Gen,” he muttered to himself, forcing a smirk that wasn’t all that convincing. “You’re the Great Mentalist. You’ve fooled death itself. Confessing to a girl should be nothing but child’s play.” But it wasn’t. For once in his life, he wanted someone to see past the facade, to break through the stacked cards and grab the ace of hearts. This wasn’t about fooling someone, it was about making them believe. Making you believe. And belief was a fragile thing when your entire reputation screamed liar.
It didn’t help his case that he’d also used his trickery—skills on you, too. A whispered suggestion for you to join him for material gathering instead of Chrome, feigning small injuries to convince you that he could use your help more instead of Senku, whispering not-so-subtle things into your ear in an attempt to see you flustered, so on and so on. All in good fun, right? But now, as genuine feelings were beginning to bubble up faster than one of Senku’s chemical reactions, he couldn’t help but regret his life choices. He felt exposed, vulnerable, and conflicted all at the same time. What if you saw his confession as just another act in his endless performance? He couldn’t have that happen. How could he call himself a mentalist if he can’t even convince you of his feelings? Was he too far gone to be saved?
He shook his head, a desperate attempt to silence the thoughts that plagued him. Now wasn’t the time for him to dwell, it wouldn’t solve his delima. He’d spent weeks planning this meticulously, scouting the location days in advance. It was a bit of a hike, but just a little ways across the stream was an open field of white daisies. He’s overheard you quite a few times state that you used to study flora, so surely you’d understand the symbolism. Daisies may be small wildflowers, but they’re the symbol of hope, innocence, and purity. A true expression that he was being genuine. It was the best he could do without any tulips or roses, flowers he hasn’t seen since his de-petrification. It would have to do. Besides, if the field of daisies wasn’t enough, he had a few more flowers tucked into his overcoat. And even if that didn’t work, surely you couldn’t deny that being alone in the middle of a flower field and surrounded by the night sky wasn’t romantic… right?
So as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of purple and orange, he was left with no choice but to follow through with his plan and hope for the best. He found you in the storehouse, exactly where he expected you to be, sorting through herbs that you had collected for the science team. Your hair caught the fading light, and for a moment he almost forgot his nerves.
“My my, don’t you just look ovely-lay this evening,” he called to you, voice lighter than how he felt. “Fancy a little adventure? I found something that’ll definitely blow your mind, way better than any of Senku’s gadgets,” he claimed, a charming smile seeping across his face.
You turned to face him, placing the last of your herbs on the top shelf to dry out. A skeptical smile tugged at your lips as you acknowledged him. “An adventure with you, Gen? That usually means trouble, or some form of hocus pocus.”
He clutched his chest dramatically, feigning a look of hurt. “Ouch! You wound me, but I can assure you that this is purely innocent. Scouts honor.” He winced internally as soon as the words left his mouth. Perhaps he overdid it on the theatrics… after all, he wasn’t even a scout. See? This is why she’ll never believe you.
To his relief, though, you laughed and set aside your gathering basket. “Alright, mentalist, lead the way. I won’t forgive you if you trick me, though.”
“No tricks,” he promised, holding his hands up in surrender. “Just… trust me?” He said, but it was quiet, more like a question than a statement. And the slight tilt of his head as he asked it made you curious. Just what in the world was he planning?
You eyed him inquisitively, perhaps for a moment longer than what you should’ve before nodding. “Sure. But… only because I’m curious.”
You walked in companionable silence at first, following the path that winded through the forest, leading up to the river. The water's surface reflected the light of the moon, ripples shimmering like a sea of diamonds. It was serene—the murmuring of the water, the chirping of crickets, the rustle of leaves in the cool night breeze. Gen couldn’t help but stare, memorizing the way you moved. Confident, graceful, as if you belonged to this stone world more than he ever would, despite also being from the 21st century. He doubted he’d have these feelings if he had met you then instead of now, his only experience with relationships were one time flings anyway. But he’s shared countless stories and laughs with you, stayed up late into the night just to talk to you, and even comforted you when you lost your footing and wound up pierced by a thorn bush on one of your gathering trips with him. He couldn’t deny that this was different, even if the new circumstances were partly to blame. Now, he couldn’t bear the thought of rejection that twisted uneasily through his gut.
Silently, he held out his hand for you to take, an offering to help guide you across the stones in the water that you accepted without hesitation. You didn’t say anything when he didn’t let go afterwards, though. It was unusual for him to be this quiet. Usually, he’d either be complaining about being roped into manual labor or telling you a story that oddly seemed to align with the current reality. You couldn’t help but take a moment to admire him, too. He always had this serenity around him, whenever he wasn’t spewing his snake oil everywhere, that is. But you had to admit that you admired his skills, not everyone could lie like him and walk away unscathed. You never did know what he was like before, but you knew this world had changed him—after all, it’s changed everyone. You knew that behind every slight of hand trick and deceptive word was a man who cared more than he let on. Not to mention he was absolutely stunning, with a pretty face and slim figure, and long fingers that now wrapped around your own like they always belonged together. You’d also be lying if you said you’ve never thought about what else his hands would be good at.
It wasn’t long before Gen stopped walking, effectively shaking you from your thoughts. The sight before you took your breath away. A sea of daisies that swayed gently in the night airs’ embrace, their white petals softly reflecting the light of the moon that shone brightly above. It almost seemed endless, flowers upon flowers, all in full bloom. You took a step forwards, turning your gaze to the sky above. After so many years, you never took the time to see how much the sky had changed. It was bright, much brighter than you’ve ever seen. A vast canvas of twinkling lights, unmarred by any light pollution or artificial glow.
“Wow,” you breathed out, turning to face Gen with a smile that shone brighter than the stars. “Gen, this is incredible! How did you manage to find this place?”
He shrugged, playing it off like it wasn’t that big of a deal. “A magician never reveals his secrets,” he hummed, a teasing smile gracing his features for a moment, before turning into something softer. “But eriously-say, I thought you’d like it. A nice little break away from all the chaos of rebuilding society.”
You hummed in agreement, turning to tug him into the field of daisies with you. He gave your hand a gentle squeeze as he followed along behind you, until you were both knee-deep in the endless sea of flowers and could barely see the tree line. You knelt to touch a daisy, your touch gentle as you ran your fingers across the petals. “It’s so peaceful,” you told him, a sense of longing in your voice. “Like the world before… everything.”
He nodded in agreement, his hand slipping from yours as he spoke. “Indeed,” he replied, reaching under his coat and pulling out the bouquet he’d hidden there. This was it, now or never. “This new world is quite ary-scay, but… it’s easier if you have someone beside you that you can rely on.”
He waited patiently for you to turn around and look at him, and when you did, you could’ve sworn that you had died and went to heaven, because before you was the most beautiful sight you’d ever seen. Gen, who stood before you with a dusting of pink over his cheeks, and a bouquet of wildflowers in his hands that were tied together with a thin vine as a bow. Gen, whose hair was partly in his face thanks to the night breeze. Gen, who had the light of the moon reflecting around him, casting him in a glow that made him look absolutely ethereal.
“Here,” he murmured, thrusting the flowers towards you a bit too abruptly. His voice was soft, cracking slightly as he spoke. “For you.”
You accepted them, your eyes widening as you examined each flower, too stunned to say anything. “Gen…” you whispered, watching as he took his coat off and laid it atop the delicate daisies, the purple a beautiful contrast to the sea of white. He sat down on top of it, and gestured for you to join him. He didn’t even need to gesture for you, though, as you were already moving to sit beside him.
He placed his hands on top of your own, holding the bouquet with you. “Daisies, from this very field” he started, pausing for a moment to quell the growing nerves that bounced around inside him. “They represent the beauty you bring to this world,” he continued, now looking up at you instead of at the bouquet. “Forget-me-nots, they represent true love, and the remembrance of the ones closest to you.”
By now, you could feel yourself tearing up. You both knew that you already understood the symbolism of the flowers he’d just given you, yet he’s still taking the time to explain each one. No… it was more than that. It was more than just flowers. He was taking the time to explain himself to you. His feelings, his love, all resting in the palms of your hands.
“And Lavender,” he hummed, his hand now hovering over the plant's delicate petals. “A vow that I will always be faithfully devoted to you,” he finished, placing his hands in his lap as you set the bouquet to the side. “I know I'm not the most trustworthy person in the world, my words are my weapon, after all.” He forced a smile, small and awkward. “But every time I used them on you I… I realized that all I wanted was for you to be by my side,” he explained, fidgeting with the hem of his yukata. “It was then that I realized that… I had fallen for you.”
For a moment, it was as if you were too stunned to speak. “Gen…” you muttered, so quiet that he almost didn’t hear it. You felt tears prick your eyes, unable to stay put any longer as one trailed down your cheek. You were fast, then, pulling him into a hug as you buried your face in his shoulder. Never in a thousand years would you have expected something like this. You thought that falling for him was a lost cause, never expecting him to reciprocate those feelings back. “I love you,” you cried out, sobbing happily into his shoulder.
His arms encircled your waist, effectively pulling you into his lap. He laughed, a soft, warm sound that left your heart fluttering. Why was he so worried you wouldn’t believe him again? He finds the thought amusing now, especially since he didn’t even use half of his mentally prepared speech. He lifted your head to look at him, wiping away the remaining tears that trickled down your cheeks with his thumbs. “Now now, no need for ears-tay,” he teased, tilting your chin up to get a better look at you.
“I just… never thought you’d like me the same way I liked you,” you replied, smiling up at him as you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer.
“I should be saying the same thing,” he responded, pulling you into a kiss. His lips were soft, surprisingly soft for someone who spits venom on a daily basis. Perhaps it was because this wasn’t a part of his performance. It was him. And his lips fit perfectly against yours. You sighed against him at the feeling. It felt like something straight out of a fairytale, something too good to be true. You couldn’t help but pull him closer, to deepen the kiss as your hand trailed to the nape of his neck.
“I love you too,” he murmured as he broke away from the kiss, panting ever so slightly. His hand found yours, the one that wasn’t on the back of his neck, and he intertwined your fingers tentatively. “I guess the flowers worked better than I thought,” he laughed, pulling you in for another kiss. For the first time in ages, he finally felt… real.