Author's note:
I thought it would be nice to write a chapter where the stone world never happened. What would Senku's and Yae's relationship be like if they were just regular high school kids? This bonus chapter depicts just that.
Enjoy!
Yae awoke early one crisp autumn morning with hope.
Sunday. The one day where she was free to do whatever she pleased—the day she and Senku had their date! Er—their friendly outing. It wasn't exactly a date. Senku never actually called it that, but to Yae, date sounded better.
Flashback to earlier that week
It was just after the final bell rang, and after most everyone went home. Senku walked the halls of the schools, hands shoved in his pants pockets and a determined look on his face. He turned to face a door and slid it out without hesitation. There, Yae sat at her desk, head down and working hard on her studies.
Senku slid the door closed and walked over to stand in front of Yae's desk. He looked down at her for a few seconds before clearing his throat. His younger classmate was so engrossed with her homework that she was completely oblivious to his presence. Again, he cleared his throat, but louder this time.
Yae stopped her fast scribbling writing and slowly looked up at Senku. Her glasses slipped forward, hugging the tip of her nose. "Oh, Ishigami Kun." She took her index finger and pushed her glasses up only for them to slowly fall forward again.
Usually, cool-headed Senku didn't have a problem talking to people, but this time it was different. Besides Taiju or Yuzuriha, Senku didn't spend time with anyone else outside of school. "How are you, Sawa Chan?"
Yae closed her text book and put her pin back into her utensil pouch. She shifted in her seat, hands resting on her lap. "I'm doing just fine. How are you, Ishigami Kun?"
Senku bowed his head slightly. "I'm good, thank you." There was an awkward silence between the two of them. The uncomfortable silence dragged on longer that the young scientist wanted it to. "Are you studying for the test?"
Yae nodded. "Yes. It's next week, after all. Although, I'm sure with how smart you are, this test will be easy."
Senku shrugged, slipping his hands out from his pants pocket and crossing his arms. He leaned back on the chair behind him. "All that studying can be draining at times."
This confused Yae. Normally her upper classman couldn't get enough studying. She thought this behavior of his was rather odd and she cocked her head to the side. "Are you bored?" It was the only thing she could think of that would make sense to what he just said.
"I guess you could say that." Senku answered.
Another awkward pause was shared between them.
"Was there anything else?" asked Yae.
It was now or never. If Senku left without finishing what he set out to do, then this cumbrous moment would forever be engraved into his memory—and quite possibly Yae's, too. "What are you plans this Sunday?"
Yae's eyes shifted from side to side, thinking. Then, she looked back up at him and said, "Nothing. Why?"
"My old man is out for special training for his job." Senku didn't want to elaborate on the fact that his dad was going to space. He didn't want the attention. "Yes, it is important to study for this test, but you also don't want to burn yourself out over it. It's good for the brain to have some fun, don't you agree?"
Yae nodded once. "Yes." And she paused, head cocking to the opposite side. "What are you trying to say?"
At first, Senku was thinking a park would be nice; easy, cheap and a nice atmosphere. But then he thought that something like that would get boring pretty quickly, and reconsidered his ideas. "This Sunday, let's go to Teamlab Borderless." It was cheaper than Tokyo Disneyland and with the weather cooling down, especially at night, being inside seemed like the logical thing to do."
A small smile teased the corners of Yae's mouth. "That does sound like fun. Sure, let's go. Will anyone else be joining us?"
Luckily, Senku had thought that far, in which case, he was prepared to give her an answer. "No. I'd ask Taiju to come along, but that big oaf needs to study his ass off if he wants to pass."
Yae chuckled somewhat at this. "You're probably right." And then her cheery face dropped to a somber frown. "Unfortunately, Ishigami Kun, I have no money to go on this fun little escapade."
"I'll pay." The words came out of his mouth and reached Yae's ears before he had the chance to shove it all back into his mouth. Shit. He thought.
A tinge of pink played across Yae's face. "What? Oh, no that's okay. You don't have to do that." She waved her hands out in front of her in a nervous attempt to stop Senku from spending any money on her.
"It's fine. Trust me." He looked her straight in the eyes, searching for any sign that Yae would suddenly bolt from this idea and turn him down flat. "What good is money if it just sits there? It's meant to be used. So, let's use it to have fun."
Yae's tensed body eased somewhat; the tension in her shoulders dropping. "Okay. If you say so, then yes, Let's go to Teamlab Borderless."
Senku smirked. Success! "Great. Let's meet at the Owl Cafe for lunch."
"Wait, what? Lunch?" Yae was taken off guard.
Senku leaned forward and pushed Yae's glasses back up her nose. "Twelve O'clock. Be there, or be square."
Fast forward to Sunday
Yae was pleased—no, she was thrilled that Senku asked her to spend Sunday with him. She tried to think of it as nothing more than just two classmates hanging out, but the idea of them going on a date teased her to absolutely no end. She brought her blanket up to her face and squealed with happiness. She hadn't been this happen in a long time, and she was grateful for the change.
As she got out of bed and readied herself for the day, Yae made sure to scrub herself down and soak in the tub for longer than usual. She wanted to be squeaky clean and smell like spring flowers. Instead of putting her hair into the same old boring braid, she took the time to blow it dry and part her hair evenly down the middle. Her black hair was smooth and shiny, just the look she was hoping to get; that made her happy too.
Everything was going according to plan. So far, her Sunday morning was going perfectly. And she made her way through her apartment, choosing to stay in her bathrobe for the time being. It was then that she could smell food. Her mom was home and cooking breakfast.
"Good Morning, little love." Yoko chirped as she set a plate of food down on the table. "Just in time."
Yae took a seat, her mouth watering. "Thank you, mom."
Yoko smiled, prepping a plate for herself and then joined her daughter at the table. "You're in a good mood today."
"I'm going to hang out with a friend."
This was music to Yoko's ears. She was glad to know her daughter would be spending her day outside with friends, rather than keeping herself cooped up inside the house all day. "That's great to hear."
Yae nodded. "Yeah, I'm meeting Ishigami Kun for lunch, and then we're going to Teamlab Borderless."
"Ishigami?" Yoko started. "You mean, that really smart kid?" Yae nodded, chowing down on her eggs and rice. Yoko failed to hide her grin. She was happy for her daughter.
After breakfast, Yae spent the remainder of her morning trying to find something to wear. It was the beginning of Autumn, so the days were still fairly warm, but during the night it could get chilly.
What to wear, what to wear. Yae rummaged through her closet, but most of her clothes were plain looking, not cute. She didn't think she'd ever be going on a date. Yae decided it was best to chose multiple layers. That way, if she got too warm she could take a layer off. She dug deeper into her closet, discovering clothes she hadn't worn in years. Either she was was too little to fit into them at the time, or they had been lost in safe-keeping and forgotten about.
The first thing Yae pulled out was a simple white dress that was buttoned up in the front. The sleeves were short, so Yae pulled out a thin navy blue open sweater that was tied together by a single string. But the thin sweater would not be enough to keep her warm at night, so she fished around a bit more and pulled out a tan colored cotton sweater. It was long, reaching almost to the bottom of her white dress. There was nothing to close the front as it stayed open to show off what she wore underneath. Lastly, she pulled out a few boxes of shoes and found a pair of ankle-high boots. They were white and caramel colored, and the black tights she wore underneath saved her the trouble of finding matching socks. And to complete her look, she wore a slouching pale pink knitted beanie hat.
By the time Yae finished dressing, it was nearly noon. She said goodbye to her mom and rushed out the door. All that running was making her work up another appetite. She did not want to be late for her first lunch with Senku and managed to make it there just in time. Senku was waiting inside next to the window. He was petting one of the many owls.
"Hello." Yae bowed, greeting Senku.
"Hello." Senku bowed back in respect to his younger classmate. He also noticed that she was a little out of breath. "Everything all right?"
Yae nodded, slowing her breathing. "Yes, Thank you. I lost track of time and didn't want to be late." She told him honestly. She eyed his choice of clothes. It was strange to see him outside of his school uniform. However, the red sweater he wore over his white collared shirt made him look more handsome than usual.
Meanwhile, Senku had a hard time tearing his gaze away from her. She looked super cute and seeing her with her hair down and free from the braid made her almost unrecognizable. He wanted to tell her to keep her hair down more often, but the strain in his throat kept him from doing so. He swallowed hard, hoping Yae didn't notice. "I already have a seat for us." He stepped to the side, ushering her forward with a wave of his hand.
The two ordered their food and drink within minutes of sitting. The atmosphere the cafe gave off was a cozy and earthy feel, perfect for the weather they were having that day.
No words needed to be exchanged as they ate their lunch. They were perfectly content just how they were and didn't need words to fill the silence.
Every once in a while Yae glanced over at Senku. Simply having him next to her sent a fuzzy feeling through her whole body.
Stop it Yae. Senku is just your friend. This is not a date; just two friends hanging out. Nothing special.
But it was special, that much was true. She only wished she knew what Senku was thinking. If nothing more ever became of them after this day, Yae was okay with that. She considered herself lucky to be able to spend even a single day with him. Only after finishing her meal did she notice that she had forgot her money. She had meant to bring it, and the image of her hand bag sitting on her bed made her feel sick.
A soft electronic beep brought Yae back to her senses and saw Senku paying the bill by credit card and then put it back in his wallet before slipping it back into his front pants pocket. Yae's mouth hung ajar, shocked and embarrassed all at the same time. Senku did say he would pay for them to go to Teamlab, so the fact that he paid for their food shouldn't have come as a surprise to her. But still...
After lunch, the two friends made their way to Kasai Rinkai Park. It wasn't too terrible far from the cafe, plus the exercise would do them good after eating so much food. There was plenty of space for them to walk around freely and talk comfortably without letting anyone else overhear their conversation. The only thing that could possible pull their attention away from each other was the scenery.
"You're right." Said Yae.
"About what?"
"Having some fun instead of cramming for a test. It's a nice break." She smiled contentedly.
Senku chuckled. "Of course I'm right."
Yae looked up at him, one brow raised. "And I bet you're feeling mighty proud of yourself."
This time Senku let out a nervous laugh by accident. "A little bit." He admitted.
A gust of wind rushed passed them, sending a shiver down both their spines. Yae's hair flew around, strands of it getting in her face. Senku reached forward and pinned those strands behind her ear. Suddenly, the sun poked out from the cloud it was hiding behind and the light made her brown eyes glow a golden amber color. The warmth of the sun wrapped around them, fighting off whatever chill remained.
The two stared at each other. It was only for a moment, but in those few seconds it seemed longer. Senku searched Yae's face for an answer that would lead to a reason for this feeling of being hypnotized, but he found none. He shook his head, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, and he turned away, continuing to walk.
Yae took a quick step forward to catch up and walked beside Senku. "Is there something on my face?"
Senku stopped long enough to say, "Yeah." And he pulled her beanie hat over her eyes. "Your hat."
"AH!" Yae quickly fixed her hat and rushed after Senku. "So mean!" She said, although she was only joking, of course.
To save on time, Senku paid their way to take a bus to Teamlab Borderless. By the time they arrived, the sun was just starting to set, its warm rays reaching them right before entering the building. When it came time to leave the sun would be down, and the night sky would cover them like a blanket, but for now, they were about to set their eyes on something very magical.
The giant balloons and white streaming lights had Yae forgetting all about the test, her problems at home, and the rest of the world. Right now it was just her and Senku in this place. They walked through the canola flowers, its warm yellow colors reminding Yae of spring; the cherry blossom lanterns heating her cheeks with giddy excitement.
"This way." Senku grabbed her hand, gently pulling her along. "There's something really cool I think you should see." What he was about to show her, he had never seen himself, but he had looked at it on the internet and thought it would be the perfect place to...He pushed those thoughts from his mind and led the way without saying another word. If he started thinking about it now he would lose his bravery and this whole day and the thing he set out to do would have been for naught.
Flowers.
The layered ultra-subjective space a transcending room of flowers. The images on the walled mirrors overlapped each other in such a way it was like they were standing in middle of sea of flowers, becoming one with the scenery as the images danced across their bodies.
Thankfully, they were the only two in the room. Senku hadn't planned for it happen but grasped the opportunity tightly in his hands.
"Your name," Senku suddenly said. "I means many layers, or better known in reference to flowers. So, together, your name means 'many flowers'."
Yae would have never thought that on her own. Leave it to Senku to know something so random. "Y-you're right." Said Yae. She blushed as the flowers started changing shape.
Senku stepped closer—too close, but Yae didn't mind. In secret, she was hoping something like this would happen. "Yae," he said her first name. "Can I call you that?"
Yae blushed even harder and gave him one small nod. "Y-yes, you can. Can I call you Senku?"
Senku's eyes softened to small slits as he smiled back. "Yeah, of course."
Senku's palms were starting to sweat. He rarely got nervous, but this was completely different. He had no experience when it came to girls, and he one chance to make this go the way he wanted, otherwise it was game-over for him.
Another rogue strand of hair escaped from behind Yae's ear again, and he tucked it back into place. His fingertips graced her cheeks, stopping at her chin. He rubbed his thumb gently over her chin and lifted her head ever so slightly to get a better look at her face. Petals of flowers flowed over her face and shadows bounced around as the lighting constantly changed. Senku leaned forward, planting a kiss on her forehead. He pressed his lips against her soft skin to stop the trembling of his lips; she was warm.
Senku leaned back just enough to look down at her. Her eyes were still closed as she clenched the side of her dress. Senku smirked; she obviously wasn't pushing him away, just too shy.
"Hey," Senku's voice was low and soft. Yae opened one eye and dared herself to look up at Senku. He was still smiling. "Why do you think I went through the effort to spend the day with you?" Yae opened her other eye and stared awe-struck up at him, speechless. Seeing as she wasn't able to respond, Senku chuckled at this. He should have expected his shy classmate to react this way. But now it was time to take the next step, and Senku braced himself for the final moment. "Yae, I brought you here today to ask you something."
"What is it?" she asked with a dazed expression.
"I would like for us to go steady."
"Meaning...?"
Senku sucked in a breath. She was going to make him come out right and say it, wasn't she? "I want to take our relationship to the next level. I want to be more than friends."
"More than friends..." Yae repeated him.
This time, Senku lightly grasped her shoulders and said, "I want you to be my girlfriend, Yae."
Yae was silent for a long moment as she processed what Senku had just confessed to her. "Yes." She finally answered.
The heat in Senku's face subsided and the air around him became breathable again. He trailed his hands down the sides of her arms and stopped at her hands where held on to them. He rested his head on hers, the tip of their noses touching.
One...two...three...
Senku put his lips to hers, allowing himself to enjoy this simple, yet sensational feeling to take him over.
The flowers continued to skip around them as they held their kiss—an innocent and memorable first kiss. In a perfect world, Senku would hold on to this moment, and so would Yae; in a perfect world they would live their lives together peacefully.
In a perfect world that lived on in their memories.
A world that no longer longer existed...
Author's note:
I wrote this chapter for a friends birthday. NippyKate10 is her username on Archive. She has a Dr Stone story too. It's called Into The Woods. Check it out!
Also, please leave a review.
