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"How could you forgive him? And you choose to..to...be with him?" Chrome stared disgusted at the ceiling of his hut, while his little sister across from him is gathering some items for her bag. "You're not gonna marry him, are you?"
"No." His eyes beamed with hope. "I'm dating him. There is a custom between friends and marriage. Senku told me about that, and that’s what we’ll be doing for the time being."
"So, you are then?"
"I don't know. We’ve only been dating for... a month. It’s too soon. besides, there are bigger things to worry about than my relationship."
This morning, Senku made an announcement of the next location they're going to travel to, North America. The first continent for the start of their world tour to establish many cities and to source from for their revival fluid. While everyone was excited about the next adventure, there were many that held back theirs. For instance, their chief immediate plan to get to the moon, the most insane. The second, inventing the first airplane, the least insane.
But within the chief's inner circle of friends and allies. Three people have more concerns than just the trek alone.
Riki, for obvious reasons. Chrome, reasons that involves Riki. Third, Senku, for past reasons.
"Chrome," The young girl has everything she needs in her bag. She walks closer to the older man, staring up at him with seriousness. His stare matches hers. "There are bigger things to worry about than my relationship."
She held her breath for a second, scrambling words to form a sentence that would ease his worries.
"I, talked with Senku, about that."
He scoffed.
"You may have been gone for a long time. But we grew up together, and I know you longer. You're an awful liar." Her shoulders slumped, but not for too long, the strap of her bag almost slipped off. "You never talked to him about the upcoming North America trip."
"No. I shouldn't need to."
"That's baaaddd. 'Member the last time you bottled up your feelings." Chrome pokes her head, then twists his fingers as if to drill his point into her skull. She moves her head away, pouting. She hates that they know each other so well, and yet, he does a bunch of dumb stuff she would deem as bad.
She can only frown as she threw herself in a half-hearted hug goodbye. But the older man tightens his grip around her.
"Talk it out with either Kohaku or Ruri, ‘Kay?”
"Riki!" Kohaku excitedly sweeps the artist off her feet in a gorilla-like hug. "I have all the girls here!"
The blonde paladin carries her until they're inside the huge hut of the previous chief. Riki turns around to see Yuzuhira, Suika, Mirai, Nikki, and Ruri. They greet the two with enthusiasm as they walk closer to them.
All the girls are seated at the table with variety of sliced fruits, some cups, and card games. A little away is a small fire pit heating a small kettle. They all talked about mini goals each girl put together, some completed them while others are making progress. Riki then opened her sketchbook to show all the new drawings she made, many are portrait drawings of the people here. With everyone chipping in her book of random drawings with charcoal, random flowers pressing onto pages, and inside jokes and comments.
"North America. It's going to be quite an adventure." The young crafter spoke, catching Riki's attention.
That's right. Her and Senku were from the modern past.
"O-Oh yeah. Do you know some things about America?"
"Quite a few things; their music is loud, mainly focusing on pop or rock. Everything they do or promote is huge! The buildings, the food, the fashion are a bit of everything else. It's louder than here. That's about it, or at least, what I learned from..." Yuzuhira studies every micro movement the girl beside her makes.
She got the gist of what went down between Riki and Senku thanks to the village’s gossip. Easily, she can distinguish from the actual story and misinformation due to truly knowing him and his usual antics. A while ago she came to the theory much like her scientist friend, and she told Taiju to keep it to themselves to prevent further misinterpretation amongst everyone. Now that the two are officially a couple, it was still unexpected for the chief to walk up to her for dating advice.
"Hey, Yuzuriha." Senku calls for his oldest friend.
It was a couple of days after he and Riki officially started dating. Due to differences in eras and knowledge... both have none. When the news broke, she assumed that he was going to come to him, Nikki, or Minami. But knowing their long history, she would be the one he would come for advice.
"Hey Senku. I heard the news, congratulations on your newfound relationships!" She gives her friend quick one-two clap. He greets her with his usual smirk and nods.
"No beating around the bush. Do you know anything about dating?"
Of course, that advice, Yuzuriha is in the same boat. She can only know so much from her friends and handicraft members.
"...Can't say I have any experience. Sorry Senku." Thankfully she had her supplies to keep busy and prevent her hands from shaking. "You probably have better luck asking Nikki, Minami, or Homura?"
"I already did my assessment...and I've known you the longest, and you're easier to talk to whom is also from our previous time." He placed both of his hands on his hips. He sighs briefly and decided to stare at some random tree near them. Despite being dusk and the sun shining intensely bright, she can see some tint of roses on his cheeks.
She flatters whenever he opens to her from time to time. Previously she wasn't close to him as Taiju is, but with everything the three went through together and being part of the original trio from the modern past. Senku never says it, but she has become one of his rocks in the crazy world he has to carve. Sometimes she would come by to check on her friends and would stumble upon the village chief’s blueprint-making process. She would stay for a bit, and they would make some small talk, which helpfully eases the pressure he put upon himself. Other times it'll be the other way, and he would try his best to help with her crafts. He thanks her by inventing a man-powered sowing machine and weaver.
"The best advice I can only give you is to be yourself. Take it one day at a time."
He stares blankly at her. Then he pursed his lips and began thinking deeply about something...
Something else is eating him....
"Does this have to do with [Y/N]?"
Riki eyes widen at the question, completely stunned what to say next or countered it. She falls a little away from the table with hands pressed on the floor on each side. Her head turns up to favor staring at the ceiling. Hope to not look too worried.
"Did he... look... scared? I mean, weird, in some way to you?"
Yuzuhira shakes her head. From her eyes after the announcement for a world tour expedition, she watched her old friend with eagle eyes, seeing if there's any nervousness on the onion-haired man. As usual, he showed no sign, as he also announced his usual crazy plans for the next invention.
Riki could only get it off her chest, as much she didn’t want to follow Chrome’s advice.
“… I shouldn’t worry about Senku, finding [Y/N]. I shouldn’t have to… but it bothers me, still. He told me everything about his past, including her, but…” The artist blew out some air. “He hasn’t heard from her when she moved to America… and that was it. It’s so open-ended. So, she could be alive over there. Became a statue just like how Senku, you, and the others came to be, and got revived over there. What going to happened when he finds her?”
The older woman beside her listen intently. Understanding where Riki’s concerns come from. After all, her and Taiju were pretty much left in the dark, like their science friend then.
” I think…” Yuzuhira positioned herself to scoot closer. Her head staring up to see the same ceiling as the girl next to her. “What you’re feeling is normal.”
She can feel the short-haired brunette puff briefly.
“You and Senku haven’t been together that long, and being each other’s first relationship, it’s a lot. In this world, there’s a lot of uncertainty, dating is no exception.”
“Yuzuhira is right.” Nikki joins in the conversation. That got all the girls’ attention, all heads leaning forward to the two short-haired brunettes. ” Dating is a different battlefield entirely.”
”I never thought of being with him, like that…” Riki’s face turned slightly sour. The blonde with two braids awkwardly smiles apologetically.
”This type of problem is only solved with conversation instead of fists or weapons. During the modern day, most romantic issues can easily be handled with talking. Not likes those dramatic romance movies and shows.”
Yuzuhira and Mirai could only stared blankly at their fellow modern girl. Everyone is aware of stage plays, thanks to Gen, but the technology here has yet to reach that milestone. Kohaku, Ruri, Suika, and Riki were completely lost on that one.
”Have you talked with Senku about your worries?”
”I— did… didn’t. Not yet…“
”That’s a trope!”
“You should do that before you come with us for the journey.”
Riki brain halted. At first, she was going to counter Nikki’s claim, but Kohaku’s suggestion stopped her. She turned her head to the paladin, big eyes like a deer in the headlight.
”Wait, are you not going to come?”
”I-I didn’t think about that.”
”Do you want to?”
”… I have no idea, now.”
“What do you mean you’re not coming?!” Suika pops up from her sitting position. Her helmet is covering her eyes, hiding her facial expression, but her voice and body action make up for it. “Of course he would want you to join us! You’re his partner, and exploring the new world is gonna be so exciting, even more so if you come! I’ll bet he would be so bummed if you don’t, even when he’s not showing it!”
The short girl with the melon helmet slams her hand on the table, to lean as close as possible to Riki.
“After all, he loves you!”
All the girls rise from the table to the debate and gang up on the poor artist.
”Woah, woah, woah, that’s too soon to claim something like that!” The main subject waves her arms around in deflection. Her entire head is red as a tomato. “We did not discuss that!”
”Do you love him?” Nikki and Kohaku ask simultaneously.
“I-I do— not yet— I like him a-a lot! ”
“A month of dating and you haven’t told him you love him?”
”Okay, I’m siding with her about saying ‘it’s too soon to say it.’”
”Thank you—“
”If you haven’t told him, why the whole dating custom?”
“Because I don’t want to get marry right now!”
“You guys talked about marriage? With him??”
“We’re not! Not right now, we have bigger things to worry about!”
“Does he want to get to married?! Knowing him, I could never imagine a guy like him to be settled down with a wife…”
“He was married to my sister. But then he immediately divorced her—"
Ruri clapped her hands together, causing a thunderous interruption from everyone talking. All heads turn to the source to be met with a polite and intimidating smile.
”This is none of our business in how her and Senku date. We are to support them in any way we can.”
Much to the subject’s relief, everyone backed away and the room was silent for a bit.
”I appreciate, everyone’s thoughts… the main problem is… [Y/N] is out there, maybe. What if those old feelings he had are still there?”
All the girls, besides Riki and Yuzuhira, look at each other. All equally concerned.
”As I said,” Nikki spoke up first, but with more calmness and integrity. “Talking it out with him is the best you can do, and for Senku too.”
”Knowing him for a long time,” Yuzuhira adds. “He’s not for leaving someone behind, not when they become so important to him. You guys been through a lot together and came back around for each other.”
Unbeknownst to Riki. There was a knowing shine in the handicrafts girl’s eyes.
“He may be a weird, sleazy, cocky, and the craziest person I’ve pick up in the forest those couple of years ago.” Kohaku smiles reminiscently as she numbered his qualities with her fingers. “But he is nothing but loyal to his friends, even more to his girlfriend.”
-A couple weeks later-
“Hey Senku.” Riki arrives at the observatory. Climbing up the ladder, her boyfriend greets her with a hand out to pull her up to enter. “Can we talk?”
He froze at the question. He knows that phrase from all the time he heard his schoolmates and cliché commercials ask this, usually leading to a dooming end in a relationship. A million scenarios run through his mind, what are the reasons she wants to end this? Was he not giving her enough attention? Is she overthinking some stuff in their relationship? Did she find someone more compatible? If so, it better not be Ryuusui—
“What did I do?” He asked with a guised smirk.
”Nothing!” She assures him by wrapping her arms around him. “It’s not bad. Well, not with you bad.”
He returns the gesture, slightly tighter.
”… It’s about the journey to North America, isn’t it?”
One way or another, the America trip was going to be inevitable. Besides looking for corn, it was also to be seeking out potentially other revived people. When he made that announcement, all his eyes were focused on was the dark brunette’s reaction. She was a bit far away from most of the villagers huddled near him. Riki didn’t express any form of concern, as she turned to her older brother and they both were making eye contact with each other like they were telepathic.
“Yes… You’ll let me join the Perseus crew, won’t you?”
He searches for any concern on his girlfriend’s face. But she remains as neutral as ever. Her eyes shone with curiosity, her brows relaxed, and her pink lips formed a thin line. Her wrap arms are hung loosely around him, and her fingers are subtly playing with a fold of his shirt.
“Of course. You’re going to love all the things we’re going to discover. Plus, think of all the things that would inspire both science and art. Are you not excited about it? It’ll be boring without you there.” His smirk changes to a pure and wide smile. If she says no, any reason she explains will be valid in his eyes.
The sole reason Riki would decline is going to be:
“And… what if that discovery is [Y/N] being alive?”
Shit. She asked the question. Immediately the artist wanted to cover it by apologizing and going on a spiel about how she should trust him and shouldn’t question his loyalty. She brought her head down and was about to release him from her embrace, but two large hands grab onto her shoulders, shaking her a bit. Then they cradle her face gently, so he can look deeply in her eyes.
“Then I’ll introduce you as my romantic partner, to her.” He answers it like it’s the logical thing to do, shrugging his shoulders. “The girl I have known longer than [Y/N], the one who I wish to have right by my side when we set sail and who I want to show the world to.”
She intensely read his face for any trace of lies or any diversion. Knowing he never does that to her again, she detects any micromovement. Suddenly, her breath hitched when she watched her boyfriend’s face change into a completely different expression, one she had never seen before.
Ruby eyes half-lidded, his entire face relaxed, and a mournful smile spread across his lips. Even when their face is very close to one another, she can read his posture is slouched in defeat. Compared to all the milestones he and the village achieved while she was gone, this one knows he couldn’t save her and is completely okay with that fact.
“I understand that variable is possible when we get there. But I can assure you we’re not going to be able to find her.
“Did something happen?” She covers his hands with her. “Did you have some crazy dream, or something?”
She chuckles to try to break the thick tension. He shares the same feeling and lets out some snickering of his own.
“Would you believe me if I told you?”
“A thousand percent.”