The sunset had came and the day was coming to an end. Senku, a boy dreaming of going to space, had past out.
When he finally woken from clashing in with the bullies who was tearing his creation apart and the boy who protected his work, he noticed that the boy was sitting next to him and his project.
"Hey!" The boy spoke with joy. "You're awake."
Senku got up slowly and noticed that it was almost sunrise. The day was almost at an end. Was he really out for that long?
"Can you stand?" The boy reach out his hand towards the crimson eye boy, but the boy, used his own strength to stand. Finally getting a sense of what happened, he glance at the boy with bruises all over his body.
"Heh. I was worried that those guys would come back so I stayed by your side to make sure." The brown hair boy spoke. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect all of your work, but I did my best."
Why? Senku was quite confused as he looked at his project. Why did this boy step in and defended his work? He knew nothing about him and in vise versa. He didn't understand this one bit.
Before he had a chance to ask him, what his purpose behind his actions, the boy started to dash off into the distance.
"Gotta go now. Take care of yourself." The brunette smiled as he left Senku behind.
"Wha….What! What?" The crimson eye boy was just as confused as ever. "Seriously…..Who gets beat up by a bunch of teenagers, for a person you don't even know and just leave like that? Is he an idiot?"
The boy sighed as he gather his invention and left the scene. It was getting late and he had to go home. But he wonder to himself, if he would ever see that boy again?
The next day arose and Senku return to the same spot. He did his usual, trying to learn new things about science. It was hard carrying some of the materials, so he only wished he was strong enough to get more things done. He was curious if the boy was going to return again, or the bullies for that matter.
But unfortunately the strange brunette did not come. Senku continue to work hard until it was sunrise. When he return home once more, Byakuya, welcome him. When he did, Senku's adoptive father took notice that Senku seem a bit down somehow which was quite rare. He wanted to ask him about what happen, but decided to leave it be as he knew, that if Senku wanted to talk about it, then he would.
The next day came, and it was time for school. Senku packed his books, took the bus to get to his destination. He arrived early and decided to head to library to get more knowledge about science. The crimson eye boy check out a decent amount of books. When he left, he heard a very loud sound as he past the infirmary. Sounding a bit familiar he stopped to check in to hear what the ruckus was about, out of curiosity.
"AH! Ow! Ow! OW!" the voice yelled. "That hurts!"
Senku peaked in and noticed that it was that boy he met a few days ago.
"Well if you would stop getting into fights then you wouldn't have to see me so much." The nurse spoke, patching a band aid on his bruised cheek.
"But it was for a good reason ma'am! I had to do it!"
"Hmm? I wonder…about that."
"It's true!"
"You were protecting someone again, weren't you?"
"YES! I was! You see….The big guys were breaking his stuff an-"
"You wanted to help him right?" She was done patching the boy up. She got off her chair and bend down to his height, reaching out a hand, gently rustling his hair.
"I know….I know….But please…don't overdo it okay?" the nurse's face turn gentle. The brunette face looked at her seriously and nodded as Senku watch them both.
"Thank you, nurse. Well I got to go class now."
"Off you go….promise me you won't get into any more fight today, okay?"
"I won't" The boy nodded. Senku noticed the boy was heading out the door and need to hide. Not leaving much a choice, he simply shifted to the right side of the door. The boy dash out, not having care in the world. Senku stood there for a second before it was time to head to his class.
When Senku return home, Byakuya noticed that the boy seemed a bit more cheerful, for some reason. Of course he didn't breathe a word to the boy, but was happy, that he was feeling better after yesterday.
The next few days came and went, and the crimson eye boy, couldn't figure out something. Why hasn't the boy came back to the same place they met? It could have just been a random meeting, but to Senku it wasn't for some reason. He is usually focus on his science, not really caring about others, but for illogical reasons, he wanted to talk to strange tan skin boy. What's even more crazy is that he checks in on him, at the nurse's office. He took noticed that the mysterious moron was somehow getting more bruises every day. Did he really get into fights that much? Was he a masochist or something? Maybe he was just stupid?
Senku arrived to school once more again and peeked in the infirmary, and of course the boy was present. The nurse, looked a bit annoyed, yet worried because of his injuries. Senku couldn't blame her in all honesty. She asked what happen, and of course, he didn't tell her the details. He just smile and dash out the door running to class, not taking noticed of Senku presence in the slightest. When he was about leave for class himself, he saw a female teacher coming into the infirmary.
"He was here again?" The teacher asked.
"Yes…he was." The nurse answered.
"Getting into fights again, I bet…I wish our school would get rid of him. His grades aren't very good. He is making our school look bad!"
"…" The nurse stood silence as she listen to the teachers rumblings. Senku stood near the door and listen in to their conversation.
"Haven't you heard? That the boy doesn't have any parents. That's probably why he's taking it out on other people. I swear, he might beat up our own dear students one day! It's all because he is being raised poorly! We need to get the principal to expel him this Instant."
"Heh." A laugh came outside the door. "A teacher, knowing nothing about him, spouting nonsense."
"Who's there?" The teacher jumped and looked out the door. The nurse looked into the same direction as Senku walked in, to reveal himself.
"Please….don't mind me." Senku grinned. "All I am saying that there's no way that the boy would beat up anyone."
"Excuse me…But who are you?" the nurse ask, having not seen the crimson eye boy before.
"Someone who wants to become an astronaut one day." He smirked.
"What!" The teacher spat out, interrupting their conversation. "How would you know that? Do you know how many times he comes to school with bruises?"
"I don't actually. I barely know him myself."
"Ha. Then you should keep quiet unless you know what you talking about, young man."
"Sure…I don't know the problems that boy has, or how many times he has come to the nurse's office… But I do know…." The boy stared at the teacher with a grin on his face. "That I am ten billion percent certain that he would never hurt anyone…because he….protected me."
"Why you little!" The teacher was going to walked to the boy but the nurse held her hand out in front of her.
"Heh…But maybe I'm just a little kid that knows nothing…" Senku made a gentle look at the ground and left the infirmary and decided to do some investigating. The teacher looked back at the nurse, wondering why she stopped her for giving the boy some proper manners but the nurse said nothing as she smiled as the boy left the scene.
After school was over, Senku found the brunette walking in the opposite direction of the bus. Instead of going home, he decided that it was time to follow him. The brown eye boy didn't notice, which was good for Senku as he kept his distance from him, just to make sure. But he wasn't worried one bit as it became obvious that, this boy was a simpleton.
They came to bridge and the boy came to a stopping point, leaving Senku to hide somewhere. He peeked and noticed they were people waiting for him. Teenagers in fact.
"Hey! You made it in time. As usual." A teenager spoke. Senku recognize these people. They were same bullies that beat up his invention.
"YEAH! I'm here as promise! Not let's get this over with!"
"Sure! No problem!" Another guy answer with a smile on his face as he gave the first punch to the brunette's face.
"Urgh" The boy fell on to the fell to the floor. "You promise me, that you won't beat the kid with crazy green hair and red eyes anymore right?"
"Heh! Watch your mouth, tough guy! Another punch came to the boy, and Senku closed his eyes as he didn't want to watch this. The brunette, however put his arms up in a defense position and shielded himself like he did before when he was protect Senku's invention.
"Heh! This is so much fun. "Another guy spoke as he was kicking him. "Why won't you fight back you piece of garage? All these days you have been coming out here, having us beat up, and for what? That squirt? You know nothing about that little squirt, and yet you're defending him? Are you stupid or something?"
"Maybe it love?" He wondered.
"Ew….that would mean he's into boys… Gross."
"Your wrong…" The brunette answered. "You're wrong." He stood back up standing against the bullies. "Fighting isn't nice! Fighting is wrong!"
"Eh?" The gang was a bit surprised by his answer. Even Senku was dumbfounded by that. This guy was really an idiot.
"Yeah! Yeah! Keep talking! You let us beat you as much as we want if it means we won't cause that green hair freak any trouble right? So just shut up and be a good little boy, alright?"
The fighting last for about thirty minutes. Senku didn't say anything as he stayed behind the bridge thinking what to ask that idiot.
When the group left, Senku came out and peeked into the bridge and noticed that the boy was laying of the floor.
"Wha? Hey!" Senku dash in and check if the boy needed to go to the hospital. When he looked at the brunette, brown eyes looked up at him.
"Oh…it's you." The boy managed to sit up. He looked a bit better for some reason, even with all his bruises getting worse by the day.
"You okay?" Senku asked, though guessing by the bruise, he probably knew the answer.
"Me? Yeah. I'll be fine. Those guys' punches are nothing." He looked at his arms checking his own condition himself before looking back at Senku. "But I see….your fine! That's good." He grinned.
"Why are you worrying about me you idiot? Worry about yourself before you worry about someone else."
"Heh. I can't help it….My body just moves on its own."
"..." Senku didn't really understand this guy at all. "Why did you protected me? Why put up with all Of this?"
"Why?" The brown eye boy turned his head, and wonder that himself a bit before answering. He looked down at his ground with a gentle look. "It's because…You worked so hard on it, right?"
"Huh?"
"I can tell just by looking at you….how hard you work. When I saw that piece you were putting together, it looked so cool! So amazing! And to see those guys do that to you was not nice! So… I wanted to protect it….Because it was important to you….right?"
Senku noticed the boy look back at him with an honest look and for some illogical reason, he wanted to cry. He was so wrapped up in working hard to go to space one day, that he really didn't have time nor the need to make friends. But ever since that day, his mind has been thinking elsewhere. He couldn't help but wonder why this stranger even did all this.
"You're such a big oaf!" Senku laughed to himself, which was something he never really done before. Truth to be told not even Byakuya has ever seen it. "Let's go home!"
"Uh…Okay. Hey, come to think about it….how did you know I was here?"
"A little bird told me?"
"Wow! Really?" The brunette's eyes sparkled.
"Haha! No…..You big oaf!" Senku laugh so hard, tears were coming out. "H-Hey…"
"Hmm?"
"Do you want to come to my house, and help me with my projects?" Senku grinned towards the boy. I could use some help on this new one I am creating and with your strength, it would make it a lot easier. And I think I can whip up something to teach those guys a lesson they won't forget."
"S-Sure! Sounds like fun!" The boy smiled as he got up and followed Senku out into the sunset, back to his house. But before that, something important came to his mind, as he never got to ask him before.
"Yo!"
"What's up?" The boy looked at him as they stopped walking.
"I'm Senku." The boy brought out his hand in a fist like shape. "What's your name?"
The brunette smiled as he return the favor as their fist touched one another. He looked at the crimson eye boy with a determined grin on his face.
"My name….is Taiju!"
I can tell…There's something interesting and honest about you…And I have a feeling…That if I stick with you…that my life, will forever be...an entertaining one.