"As of now, this man, Senku, and this woman, Sumire, are pronounced the new chief and our first ever chieftess of Ishigami Village!"
Everyone cheered, but the two new chiefs weren't celebrating. Sumi gasped while recoiling back a bit from the name. Senku's eyes were shaking in shock. "Ishigami Village...?" The two murmured in unison as it was a name they both recognized.
"W-What...? How...how did the village get that na-"
"That's right, Senku, Sumire," Ruri spoke up to them from behind. They turned towards her as she spoke. "I know of you both. I have for a long, long time. Since I was a child. Your full names...are Ishigami Senku and Maeda Sumire," She stated to their shock.
Everyone gathered in the main hut of the village. Senku smirked at Ruri, hands on his hips as he leaned closer. "Thanks. Everything is starting to make sense to the two of us," Ruri gasped while looking at him. "If every last living person on the planet was turned to stone, then who could have even founded this village in the first place?"
"And how would you know our names?" Sumi smiled in amusement, a hand on her hip.
"Also, why do you, Kohaku, and some of the rest of the villagers clearly have foreign blood in you?" Senku continued, noting the blonde hair and blue eyes, which were a rare combination to have. It wasn't common where they were from.
"Familiar blood too..." Sumi murmured to herself while looking at Ruri's hair.
Senku then stood up, a glint in his red eyes. "Now all thanks to you, those mysteries have been solved."
Chrome and Kohaku gasped at the two of them, but they were still confused on what the duo were talking about. "Sorry, but no?" Kohaku spoke up while blinking. "I don't see how any mysteries have been solved."
"Yeah, and I don't get how Senku happens to have the same name as the village, yet Sumi doesn't," Chrome rubbed his chin in thought. "Plus, Ruri, you somehow knew about Senku and Sumi?"
Senku just chuckled in response, a little entertained. Sumi giggled a bit and smiled towards Ruri, a knowing glint in her eyes. "It's honestly a little flattering the more you think about it," She commented with a hand on her hip.
"I'll bet that we probably come up in your priestess mythology, don't we?" He spoke up to the blonde.
"You do..." Ruri said a bit hesitantly. Kohaku and Chrome gasped, since the tale about Senku and Sumi never came up to them. If they did, they would've recognized their friends a lot sooner if the two were connected to their history.
"When you say mythology, do you mean like Momotaro and the gorilla?" Chrome questioned the group.
"Yeah," Senku gave a small shrug. "No wonder you guys know about folk tales and giant animals you would've never seen before."
"Yeah, Ruri taught us all about lots of stuff," Kohaku said while sweating a little, still not understanding what the two were getting at. "The priestess passes down knowledge to the next generation through stories known as the Hundred Tales."
"Hm?" Sumi blinked while looking at Ruri. "Someone from your family must've told you all those stories if they've been told to multiple generations...it's not your father...am I right?" She asked gently and didn't get a response.
"Ruri..." Ruri's mother spoke to the little girl while they were laying down. "This last story, the Hundredth tale, is very important. And this one is true. It happened a long, long time ago." She then proceeded to tell her daughter, who listened attentively.
"The story my mother told me...is one of great strength and indomitable spirits. The Hundredth Tale," She then looked up at everyone. "I'll tell it now." Sumi and Senku looked towards the symbol hanging above the throne. "Its title is...Ishigami Senku and Maeda Sumire."
"Ever since she was very young...this girl, Sumire, was a happy one...until tragedy struck upon her."
The moon looked over the window of a hospital. A younger Sumi looked on sadly as a blanket was placed over her grandmother, Dr. Rika Yakushiji, who had just passed away. The doctor placed his hand on her shoulder comfortingly as the little girl clutched the woman's hand. She had brown greying hair, a few wrinkles, and fair skin that was cold now. She also had glasses over her face. Sumi bent down in front of her, sobbing. "Grandma..." She whispered sadly, the doctor clearing his throat.
"Sumire...the police are here to speak to you," She looked up in confusion, seeing a policeman and her father. He was a tall man with black messy hair like hers, but looked a bit more intimidating. He looked to be in his early 40s, wearing a white t-shirt with some stains underneath his armpits, a bit pudgy. He was also wearing brown sweatpants and worn-out sneakers. "And your father has spoken to them. It's been decided..." The doctor looked a bit hesitant, since the man didn't scream ideal parent. "That you'll be staying with him. He'll be preparing the funeral arrangements."
Sumi was confused, but also a bit terrified while staring at him. For her whole life, she had been staying with her grandmother, so her suddenly having a father was...surprising to say the least. But the way he was looking at her...she didn't like it at all. Unlike with her grandmother, who had a more pleasant aura.
Meanwhile, a younger Senku was outside, looking out to the moon. "Why the heck do you keep following me, moon?" He asked with big red eyes, the moon reflecting on them. "What gives?" He didn't get an answer, narrowing his eyes. He turned around and scoffed a bit while walking off. He pretended to not be fazed. He put his hands in his pockets and whistled. He then whipped around, a scowl on his face while looking up. Sumi was being dragged by her father across from him. She had a melancholy look on her face while following him. "Even if I juke it real hard, it follows me 10 billion percent of the time!"
"Huh?" She stopped while looking up curiously. The boy groaned at this, Sumi looking up and noticing the moon as well. For some reason, he...really intrigued her...
"Ever since he was very young, this boy, Senku was fascinated by the world's mysteries." A man was standing behind Senku, an amused smile on his face. He laughed as the boy stood up onto his feet. "I know! It's because it has a crush on you, Senku!"
He looked over his shoulder and then groaned at this. He had an annoyed look on his face, which wasn't normal for people his age. "I don't need that kind of crap right now! I wanna know about all the science behind it!" Sumi let out a small gasp from his reaction. She then glanced towards the moon, realizing what he was talking about. Which made her wonder too about the moon, and why it was always staying there.
"Don't I sit behind him in my class...?" She realized while looking back at him. The two didn't really interact in school, since they were two different people. She was more friendlier and he...was not to say the least. In fact, she always saw him by himself.
"What kind of preschooler are you?" Byakuya, the boy's father, asked in a bit of disbelief. "The real reason the moon looks like it's following you, is because it's super far away. And because I coked hard on a crucial portion of the astronaut selection trials," He cried out, tears streaming down his face. "It seems even farther away from your old man!"
Sumi blinked while staring at the two, as her relationship with her father was nothing like that at all. Senku gave a blank look. "I don't need to hear about your little pity party right now either," He deadpanned to his father." To the little girl, it was like...the opposite of his life. She was terrified of her father, and he just...wasn't of his own. Like they actually...cared despite their snippy remarks back and forth—well, mostly the boy.
"I got a killer leg cramp in the middle of the clothed swimming test! I was never a good swimmer to begin with, but that one still stings," Byakuya continued on, ignoring Senku.
"What the hell are you doing?" Mr. Maeda hissed at his daughter quietly, tugging her along. "We're going home, you little piece of shit. Come on before I leave you behind," Neither Byakuya or Senku noticed her as she followed silently, glancing back at them curiously. She was left wondering just who they were...and how she wanted to know about the moon too.
"Do you know when they'll be recruiting astronauts again?" The younger Senku asked as he walked over to the swings. He sat on one, swaying back and forth a little.
"Not soon," Byakuya had a wry grin on his face. "It's something like once per decade."
Senku slowly came to a stop, a small frown on his face as he didn't reply. He looked out to the distance as he was thinking about what his father told him.
Sumi hit the ground after a loud smack was heard, the man standing over her while clenching a fist. She lay there limp on the ground, a bruise on her face. It had been like this ever since she moved in with him...day in, day out, usually without warning. But she knew why... She glanced up as he took some white powder and snorted it into his nose.
She looked away as he walked off, clutching the ground next to her. She then closed her eyes, wondering when the nightmare would end...
"I'm going to space," Senku stated the next day when it was his turn to say what he wanted to grow up to be. Sumi looked up in awe, recognizing him as the boy from the other day. The kids all gasped at him with wide eyes.
"So an astronaut, then?" The teacher smiled at him. "That's an excellent dream, young man. Work hard and when you grow up, you-"
"No. I'm going there as soon as possible," Senku stated in determination.
"Senku loves space as much as I do, but he always thinks for himself, and builds things for himself. Or least, I thought he did...until he met Sumire Maeda."
Senku helped the girl up after finding her in the rain. The two walked off together, Sumi talking happily as he listened. Senku removed his hands from her eyes and she beamed at the science lab in his room. He then held up a lab coat for her and she took it happily, trying it on for the first time and spinning around. The both of them then built something together. Then before Sumi went home, Byakuya introduced himself to her and she smiled.
"Science had gotten him hooked, line, and sinker. As for Sumire, as time went on, she started to appreciate science a lot more than she did in the beginning. I could tell from the start that girl always had a drive for it...but Senku fueled that drive. On the opposite spectrum, she always thought for others, and tries to help Senku build for others. And from the day they became science partners...she ended up being what my son needed: to share his love of science with someone who had his passion for it."
Senku and Sumi looked up at their mini rocket, Senku + Sumi 1. Though for reasons Senku didn't understand, Sumi was wearing sunglasses the whole time. Taiju was next to them with a big grin, helping them out in the field. They then watched the rocket go off into the sky. It exploded and a parachute fell down, to their amazement.
At Hirosue University, Byakuya was finishing up a lecture. He waved to the students leaving the classroom. His phone went off and he looked down at it. He picked up his phone, and saw a notification that JAXA was accepting astronaut candidates! "JAXA's looking for astronaut candidates. The first time in ten years," He murmured and then chuckled.
At the same time, in the apartment, Senku was looking at the same notification from his computer. He had a confident smile on his face while looking at it. He decided he'd make something to help his father out this time around and pulled out his phone.
Sumi was leaning against her bedroom door as her phone buzzed from the ground. She then picked it up silently, putting it to her ear. "Hi, Senku...no, I'm not tired. Huh? Really? Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can," She said and then hung up, putting a bandage over her face. She then let out a heavy sigh while sitting in the darkness, her father having another one of his rages thanks to the drugs he was using on himself. The little girl then looked at the window letting in a bit of light inside. She looked at her curtains, bedsheets, and blanket, blinking.
Sumi walked up to the science lab, where Taiju and Senku were waiting for her. "Hey, Sumi!" Taiju waved to her as she looked exhausted. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I just...had to figure out my way out of a 4th story window," She smiled sheepishly and they blinked in confusion. She had used her bedding, curtains, and some sweaters to climb down from her bedroom. She just hoped that no one would notice... "It's not important," She quickly waved it off to the two. "Why are we here?"
"We're just...gonna need a little something from the science lab," Senku informed with a smirk and she flinched, sweating.
"You don't mean...?"
"We'll bring it back!" Senku scoffed a little, waving. "I just need you to stand guard and give out a signal if you see anyone. I'll explain on the way." Sumi bit her lip, her eyes white. She had been his science partner for a little while now, so she was used to him being...a bit mischievous, but this took a whole new level.
"W-Well...as long as we bring it back once we're done..." She stammered nervously and waited outside. The door opened once they were done, Senku poking the girl.
"Is the coast clear?"
She looked around the halls and nodded. He popped his head back in and the two boys ran out of the science lab. Sumi followed after them as they were carrying a model of the body. Senku chuckled while running and Sumi groaned a bit.
"What are we gonna do with this thing, Senku?" Taiju asked the little scientist, but didn't get an answer.
The three returned back to the apartment as Senku was putting nerve endings on Taiju's arm. He then turned to Sumi preparing the computer, noticing her bandage. "What happened to your face?" He asked in a blunt manner.
"Um...I fell," She mumbled as she didn't want to talk about it. Senku raised a brow, staring at her silently. He could tell by her posture she was lying, but he didn't want to press further and possibly make her upset. Some days he couldn't handle her emotions, because he didn't know how to react and he was still just a kid. He went back to the computer, pressing a button. Taiju looked down as his hand twitched with some electricity coming out. It then moved on its own.
"My hand's moving!" He shouted at the duo of scientists. "What did you do?" He looked at it in awe, Senku chuckling. Sumi looked up and let out a small giggle.
"Of course it's moving. We're sending electricity straight into the muscles," The green-haired boy explained to his friend.
"The nerve endings when attached to the body force muscle movement," Sumi held up a finger. "Kinda like when you go to the doctor and they check your knee with that little hammer. It's the same reaction as that."
Senku nodded at her with a small smirk. "Yup. Ten billion points, Sumi." She beamed happily from his praise.
The three worked together on the model they stole, putting the nerves all over it. Sumi looked over Taiju's shoulder, helping him by explaining what was on the paper. Senku looked up and then rubbed his chin, speaking to the two. Taiju held his head as he didn't quite fully understand. Sumi smiled and continued to explain it better...until she broke his brain. He fell to the ground, dizzy. She looked down at him in surprise before she and Senku giggled in unison. She stepped over Taiju to go get the first aid kit.
Once she was in the kitchen, she peeked over the counter at Byakuya, asking for it while on her tiptoes. He turned around to her and smiled, handing over the first-aid kit. She beamed up at him in thanks, and he noticed her bandage, but didn't say anything as he had wide eyes. He didn't know if that was something that happened naturally...or if someone was hurting the cheerful little girl. He really hoped it was the former. He then turned around to do something and she blinked. The man walked up to her and placed down a tray on top of the first aid kit with some snacks and drinks. He bent down to pat her on the head, telling her to give it to the others since they probably needed it.
She smiled and nodded at being helpful, rushing off to Senku's room with her hair swaying back and forth. He stood up, narrowing his eyes a little as he might need to keep an eye on her...to see if his suspicions were correct. He and Sumire were friendly thanks to her constant visits, so he didn't want anything to happen to her...
She opened the door to the room to see Taiju mimicking swimming. Senku nodded at him as she stepped up with a smile. The two looked at her in surprise, taking the sliced up fruit and having a piece. Sumi smiled while having one too.
Byakuya gasped while he was in the suit, standing in front of a public pool. There were a few bags and rope around the suit as well. "What is this crazy suit?" He asked in confusion to the three kids, who looked on proudly.
"We made it for you!" Sumi revealed with a happy smile.
Senku stepped up to him silently. He then kicked his father into the pool, to the shock of Sumi. The boy had a big grin on his face as the girl sweat dropped. As soon as he touched the water, electricity hit his body, and he spasmed out of control. He cried out in shock, unable to stop.
"My limbs are twitching and doing breaststrokes on their own!" He cried out as Sumi placed her hands to her mouth.
"I'm sorry for this, Byakuya!" She cried out apologetically; he had insisted that she called him by his first name, since Mr. Ishigami was too formal for him.
"You said the clothed swimming test was your biggest hurdle, didn't you?" Senku smirked while looking down at his father. Taiju just stood still with a proud look on his face. "So we're shocking your muscles, with the electrode training suit from hell."
"You're gonna drown me with this thing!" Byakuya protested at the trio, Sumi laughing nervously. Regardless, he was grateful for Senku doing this, and Sumi helping him. He remembered walking past Senku's room one day, seeing him working hard on the model. Sumi was sitting next to him, slowly falling asleep. She then fell backwards, dozing off as they had been working well into the night. Senku glanced back at her and sighed, standing up. He dragged her over to his bed to tuck her in, patting her on the head. Byukaga then smiled, knowing that the two worked nonstop to do this for him.
Once it was time to take the exam, he was swimming with ease during the section. He then had an interview from the higher-ups of JAXA.
"You're saying two fifth graders made the suit by themselves?" A man asked Byukuya in disbelief. "So did it prove useful to you?"
"No, of course not!" The man chuckled at them with a shrug.
"No surprise there..."
Byukuya was then in silence, rubbing the back of his head. "Although..." The examiners looked at him attentively. "It meant the world that Senku put in that much time and effort because he wanted to help. And that his friend Sumire worked herself to sleep helping him. Not because I'm her friend's father...but because she cared about me like she does with everyone else she meets. I had no choice but to swim in it, even if it killed me. And it turns out, in the end, I made it through the swimming test, and consequently onto this interview. I'm gonna become an astronaut and go into space, no matter what!" Senku and Sumi were currently working on a project together in his room. "I'm gonna work for science. That's the only way I can repay Senku...for everything he's done for me."
Senku looked out the window, wondering how the interview was going for his father. "I'm gonna one day give back to that little girl as much as she's done for me. She's a real keeper for my son, that one."
Sumi looked up at Senku, smiling to herself knowingly of what he was thinking. "But it turns out unfortunately...giving back to her came sooner than I expected."
Sumi slid back onto the ground in pain, her father kicking at her over and over. "I'm gonna keep beating the shit out of you until you get your act together! That boy Senku's not gonna pass you if I can help it! You're gonna bring me a lot of money to get out of this dump," He growled at her as she sat up. She could barely manage to get up as someone was listening in from the apartment next door. He flinched and reached for the phone immediately.
The phone rang while Byakuya and Senku were having ramen together. He glanced down at his pocket and then picked up. "Hello?" Senku continued eating silently. "Yup, that's me! ...Eh? Sumire?" He glanced up at the man, who looked a bit panicked over the phone. "What..." A shadow fell over his eyes as he listened, clenching a fist. "I see...Thank you, we'll be down right away," He hung up and Senku blinked from his reaction. All he could interpret was that something had happened to Sumi, and it made him...a bit terrified, for once in his life. Byakuya didn't say anything at first, slowly releasing the chopsticks over what he was told. He had the urge to toss his plate, even the table...but he had to keep his emotions in front of the boy, for both of their sakes.
"Senku...it seems as if your friend Sumi...has had a few problems at home..."
"Hm?" Senku looked up at him with wide eyes.
"We need to head down to the police station to give our statements..." Sumi was sitting alone in a chair at the police station. Her injuries had been treated at this point. "Sumi is there now while her father is being processed for holding." She slowly looked up to see Byukuya and Senku standing in the distance and she frowned deeply at them knowing her secret now...
The three sat down in the sleeping area of the station, on a bed. She was between the three of them, having just told them everything. Senku had a small shadow over his eyes while the man had his eyes closed, taking it all in. "...I'm sorry I couldn't tell you," She finally spoke up after a while. "I thought I could handle it...but in the end, I just couldn't take it anymore. Thankfully the new neighbor called the police..."
Byukuya put a hand over his face, as he had suspected it, but now she had to go through all of this while still being just a kid...he partially blamed himself for not asking her about it. Senku did tell him that she supposedly fell a lot, and he never questioned it at all. Then again, her odd fashion sometimes should've been a good clue as well to both of them...
The man turned to her with a small sigh, giving her a weak smile. "This isn't something either of you could handle. The situation your father is in...is something that even you two can't fix until you're older. Even if you two have some of the greatest minds I've seen." The two looked up at him silently, seeing him trying to be his jovial self. But for once...he was acting very serious, and to them it was so unfamiliar. He then turned back to the little girl. "So did they tell you what's going to happen next?"
"I have to attend something to determine what's gonna happen to me. But I have to tell the police everything I just told you," She blinked as she didn't know how to feel. She could be scared that she would have to tell them everything she could. Or she could be relieved that he was getting properly punished for what he did...but what if he came across her again like he did at the hospital?
"...Are you gonna have to leave?"
Both Sumi and Byakuya turned to Senku as he was looking towards the ground. He never once felt emotional...until now. Because he was now faced with the possibility of her leaving him behind...for the rest of her life. And sure, she had annoyed him in the past, but over time...he had gotten used to having her around. And now that all might end...of course he didn't want her to stay with her father, but she could also be gone forever. He wasn't sure he could handle that at all.
Sumi blinked as she realized that she might move away, and that would be out of her control. "I don't really know...but if I do end up going away...then I promise I'll say goodbye," She told him softly while trying not to seem sad.
"Nah...none of that," He stated, to their confusion. "It'd be illogical to say that. Not when there's a ten billion percent chance of you coming back."
Byakuya and Sumi stared at him silently, trying to figure out what was going through his head. But maybe it didn't matter, and maybe she wouldn't end up moving. Before either of them could say anything, the door opened to reveal the policeman.
"Sorry to interrupt, but we'll need to take her statement. And we require your presence, Mr. Ishigami," He turned to the man, who nodded in understanding. Sumi jumped off the bed and he stood up, turning to Senku.
"Senku, you stay here. Come on, Sumire," He took Sumi's hand and walked off with her. Senku silently stared at them as they left. Sumi slowly turned around, looking over her shoulder in slight fear as the door closed, leaving Senku in the darkness...alone. He had a determined look in his eyes as he knew they'd see each other again someday...it was inevitable since one didn't work without the other.
5 years later...
"We're here at the exciting launch of the Soyuz rocket!" A female news reporter announced as she was gesturing to an astronaut crew. They were climbing towards the rocket. "The crew is boarding now. Their next stop is space!" Byakuya glanced back at the camera crew, a blonde woman looking back with a wistful expression on her eyes.
"Hey, are you on regular TV? Online?" Byakuya called out, but she didn't register it. "Whatever. This is live, right?" She gasped as he took the microphone from her. She didn't seem upset, though, as she admired him.
"Ishigami Byakuya! It's him!" She gushed a little as he faced the cameras. He had a big grin on his face.
"Yo, Senku! Knowing how you are, I bet you're probably not even watching the broadcast today. Sumire most likely is, so hey to you too Sumi! But I'm bringing home souvenirs! Some gifts just for you! So wait for me! And I know what you're gonna say, Sumi, that I don't have to, but I'm gonna anyway. And make sure you two don't get too cozy while I'm away!"
Back in Japan, Senku was actually watching from his phone. He was a bit annoyed, but he had a smile on his face. He dug his pinky into his ear. "Ah, shut up, ya geezer." Sumi was leaning over his shoulder, blushing deeply while looking away. She then sighed with a smile to calm down.
"Thanks, Byakuya," She said softly, as he had treated her like she was family the past years that she had known him. And she no longer had any more bruises. "Don't worry, though. With me around, Senku's not gonna drop dead. So I hope you have a blast in space and tell us all about it when you get back."
"Heh," Senku had a small smile from what she said. "Yeah, yeah, no need to become my mom."
"Mm," She pouted down at him and he laughed from her face. People then started crowding around Byukaya and Senku blew at his pinky. Sumi giggled fondly at the craziness the man resulted in, as he still needed to actually get on the rocket. Then it launched soon after, Byukaya looking up with a smile as they took off into the skies. They went all the way to where Senku wanted to go...
"Turns out..." Sumi started off as a figure of a star was in Ishigami village, as their symbol. "The man who actually founded Ishigami Village..."
"Was Ishigami Byukaya," Senku finished for her with his eyes glistening a little, frowning a bit. "He was also my father." Sumi turned to him silently, knowing that even though Byukaya wasn't always there...he still always wanted to support him. And that he worked so hard to go to space for Senku after being in his life for so long. Not to mention he treated Sumi like she was his own after finding out the truth of her family. She then looked at everyone with a frown of her own, as her past was...not something she liked talking about. It was no wonder why this story was the last one; because her side wasn't as pleasant. And for a long time, she didn't think she'd have to relive it until today. All of them looked at her with slightly open mouths, feeling sad that she had to endure that abuse as a child.
"Sumi..." Kohaku murmured, clenching an angry fist. If her father was around today, she'd beat the crap out of him. Though they could slowly understand that Sumi's personality wasn't for no reason...it was because it was so she wouldn't have to think about what was going on at her own home. And staying herself...was a small part of why she was who she was today. The other parts being of course, the other influences in her life.
Senku clenched a fist of his own, remembering how many times he had seen her with bruises, but never once dived further. If he had, maybe she would've been saved sooner. Their promise was made later in life, but he wished it had been cemented a lot faster than thousands of years later. Sumi silently placed a hand on his shoulder as the silence was still tense in the room. He looked to her quietly and she gave a small encouraging smile, silently telling him that she would be okay. Not because of closure, she was well past getting any at that point. But because she was surrounded by people that she knew wouldn't treat her like that...including him. And that Byukaya would live on not only with them, but the whole village no matter how many generations passed.
He slowly eased up looking at her, reaching out and placing his hand on top of hers. And in an instant, they became support for each other, as they had always been. He squeezed her hand silently and she closed her eyes to enjoy the warmth of his hand.
"But wait," Ginro spoke up at Sumi, getting everyone's attention. "Why didn't you stay with Senku's father after yours was sent away? He would've taken you in," He frowned towards Sumi, who smiled warmly. She placed a hand on her hip.
"Yeah, I wouldn't put it past him. But...that'd mean Senku would be my brother, and it would've been awkward living with him. Plus...despite Byukaya being like a father to me, I don't think that was what he wanted," She gave a knowing look as Byukaya more so saw her in a future daughter-in-law sort of way, not like his actual kid. So if he had took her in, it would raise a few red flags since he always teased about her and Senku being a couple. "But I wouldn't worry. Someone else stepped in instead of him...someone I'd never expect to look after me."
Senku turned to her curiously, as after she gave her statement, she never spoke about who she was with afterwards. But he knew it was someone who wasn't hurting her unlike her father, so he never bothered to ask until now. Plus, she was happier and he didn't care who was looking after her as long as she felt safe.
Senku was in school, but Sumi wasn't due to her attending her hearing today. Her teachers had been made aware of her situation anyway, so they were excusing her for the time being. It had been almost two weeks since he had seen her last, and it was breaking his concentration. She would be allowed to make occasional calls, but couldn't talk about her father. It wasn't enough for him, though. He then looked towards the window, hoping things were going well for her…
Byukaya was sitting in his chair while his students were taking a test. He looked at his phone, knowing what was going on today. He just hoped for the best with Sumi…if she never saw Senku again, he'd go back to being alone.
In the courthouse, a judge was sitting at her podium, her eyes closed. At one desk was a lawyer, and in a few rows behind him, was Sumi. She was asleep while hugging a woman's neck, so she didn't know what was going on. The woman was from a child care facility, having brought her here for the hearing. In the front row on the opposite side was the same blonde woman Sumi met while learning sign language from her grandmother. She was sitting next to an agent, a small frown on the blonde woman's face.
The judge finally opened her eyes minutes later. "It is to my understanding that we have convicted Sumire Maeda's birth father?" She spoke up to the lawyer, who nodded slowly. This was the second hearing for Sumi, as the first was regarding her being placed into foster care.
"Yes, your honor. He was sentenced to life in prison for child abuse, and the endangerment of welfare for his daughter," He glanced over his shoulder as Sumi's injuries were almost fully healed at this point, since she had been in the hospital to be treated.
"Have we located any other living relatives who would be proper guardians for this child?" The judge stared at the little girl as well, frowning a bit.
"Well, no, your honor," The lawyer spoke up while turning back, Lillian looking at the girl briefly. She promised to be here, and to have learned that Sumire wasn't doing well at home...well, she could feel herself in the child a little. "As I represent Sumire Maeda, she did not know where her mother was located, nor does she recall any other living relatives. There was her grandmother, Dr. Rika Yakushiji, who sadly passed away a few months ago. She was then placed with her birth father after the passing of the deceased. Upon research, it appears her mother was in rehab, and then left. We are unable to locate her at this time."
"I see..." The judge then turned to the blonde woman, raising a curious brow. "And Ms. Weinberg, you're here again?" Lillian Weinberg, a famous singer, was also at the first hearing for Sumi. The woman slowly nodded at the judge, her arms folded together.
"Yes, your honor," She spoke up in a serious tone. "I had known her grandmother. She had asked to make sure Sumire was taken care of after her passing. It's all been recorded and documented, and why I've paid for her representation."
The judge then sighed slowly, looking at her papers. "As the birth mother cannot be located and the birth father is deemed unfit to raise a child...and there are no other relatives that have come forward...I hereby declare Sumire Maeda an orphan. She shall continue to be cared for in the ACS facility for-" Then an idea came to her as she paused. Something about Lillian's dedication...it wasn't to be ignored. "Unless..." She started off, getting their attention. "Ms. Weinberg, you've been acquainted with the child, isn't that right?"
"Yes, your honor," Lillian blinked, not sure what the judge was getting at. "I visited the little angel for her birthday as a favor to her grandmother. I spent the day with both of them...Rika was at her last days..."
"And you're the only one I've seen who has taken interest on her behalf. Is there any chance you might like to become a foster mother to this child?" The judge asked politely and Lillian looked up slowly with wide eyes from the question. Given her career, she had never considered motherhood before...she wasn't even in a relationship.
"...I'm sorry, your honor?" She asked slowly, wondering if she heard that right.
"Your honor, Lillian Weinberg has significant ties to the community through her career," Sumi's lawyer gestured to her, the woman staying silent as she was thinking. "Surely there are other families willing to adopt the child."
"There's no way she could!" The agent stood up in protest. "We're already on precious time just being here."
"Are you both questioning my judgement?" The judge raised a skeptical brow at the both of them. The agent flinched and then slowly sat down, clamping his mouth shut. He didn't want to get in trouble in court.
"I apologize," The lawyer sweated a little. "It's just that...Lillian has a particular schedule that doesn't seem to allow time for the child. So how could she provide an adequate home for Ms. Maeda?"
"Your honor, if I may...why me?" Lillian finally spoke up, to the shock of the two men. She blinked while keeping a determined look. Being a mother was a sudden thing to ask of her...and she had to think about what Sumi's grandmother would've wanted. Her own grandmother used to be friends with Dr. Rika Yakushiji, which was how Lillian came to know her...
The judge blinked and then gave a small smile. "Call it a judge's hunch. If you agree and adjust your schedule, I will order Sumire Maeda into your care as a custodial parent until you are given the option to permanently adopt her. Do you agree?"
Lillian stared at the judge, who had faith in her despite the fact that she had a busy career...that she would make time for Sumi.
Later, she smiled while waiting outside the room as the child care worker came forward. Sumi was still in her arms as Lillian held hers out. "Hi..." She greeted softly while taking the girl into her arms. "Oh, she looks so healthy. Hi, princess," She said lovingly and her voice woke the little girl up. "Look who's finally awake!" She smiled down at Sumi.
"Mm?" She hummed as her vision cleared, taken aback to see Lillian. "Lillian? Where am I?" She looked around in confusion.
"Well..." Lillian gave a small hum. "It's been decided that you'll be staying with me for a little while." Sumi gasped a little while looking up at her in silence. "Is that okay with you? If you decide you don't want to stay, the nice lady will take you back to the facility. I don't wanna force you if this isn't what you want."
The little girl felt like she could cry that she was being given a happier home. And with Lillian Weinberg of all people, and she could tell the woman wasn't going to take it for granted. Not like her father, who definitely would've. She then slowly beamed up at the woman. "Can I stay with you, please?" She asked in a hopeful tone, the two women smiling at her.
"Of course you can, sweetie," The child care worker told her gently. "I'll visit you in a month, okay?"
"Ah," Sumi blinked in realization as Senku came to mind. Lillian probably lived somewhere far away from her school...she was born in America, after all. So she needed to see him one last time before that happened. "Wait...does this mean that I have to go to a different school? Please, can I at least go talk to Sen first?" She asked the blonde pleadingly, earning a look of confusion.
"Huh? Who's Sen?"
"Senku," Sumi elaborated with a worried look. "He's my best friend and he's teaching me all about science. He can be a little blunt, a teaser, and sometimes mean," She pouted a little before clutching the necklace around her. Lillian noticed that it was an emerald necklace, which he must've given her at some point. "But he's also really nice once you get to know him, and really smart. He's a great person...and I have to say goodbye," She let a tear drop down her face at having to face him before leaving. "Please just let me see him...one last time..."
Lillian stared at her quietly as she could tell how much Sumi cared about him. And that she'd be upset if she couldn't see him anymore. She then gave a small smile; she wanted to make this girl happier than she was living with her father. And if being near Senku did that for her, she didn't see a problem of changing a few things up for the girl. Because while she was still new to the mother thing...she knew that moving away wasn't the best option for Sumi.
"Now don't you worry about that," She said cheerfully to the girl. "What school do you go to?"
"Huh?" Sumi blinked in confusion from the question.
And so, Lillian sold her house in America to move to Japan with Sumi. It was a nice big house too, Sumi looking towards it in excitement as they arrived by car. Once the car stopped, Sumi rushed out to run towards it happily. Lillian smiled while watching from the passenger's seat.
A bit later, Lillian had Sumi's eyes covered while leading her somewhere. She opened up the door and then moved her hands away. Sumi was floored by the sight in front of her and ran forward to jump on her bed. Lillian smiled as any visitor was met with a view of the city across from the door, as that wall was basically the whole window. There was a big bed in front of her, with a large headboard consisting of beakers and goggles. There was also a telescope in front of the window. Above their heads was a sparkling beaker ceiling lamp. Sumi also had a relaxing space of a table that was basically a large vial, but it could open up to mix chemicals inside. There was also bubble bean bags surrounding it, and in the corner was a big table for inventing and experiments.
Sumi bounced off her bed and jumped up to hug Lillian. The woman smiled and cradled the girl in her arms, both of them happy with their eyes closed. She rested her cheek on top of Sumi's head, not regretting any of her decisions.
Byukaya opened the door to Senku's room, smiling. "Hey, Senku!" The boy looked up at him, blinking. "You have a visitor!"
"Hm?" He raised a brow as footsteps were heard. His eyes then widened as Sumi came in from the left side of Byukaya, holding her backpack. She then stopped in front of him with a smile, the two staring at each other in silence. It felt like they were the only ones in the room as he felt like time stopped...because he hadn't seen her in person for a while now. "...Oh, it's you," He commented bluntly, but Sumi wasn't fazed by it.
"Oh, come on, you can do better than that," Byukaya pouted at him, expecting a bigger, tearful reunion. He then snapped out of it to gesture to the girl. "Sumire just told me some great news! She's been placed with a guardian and they just moved closer to your school! Isn't that great?"
"I'm so thrilled my vocal cords will snap," Senku remarked while going back to his project.
"Hmm. Nice to see you too, Sen," Sumi smiled happily that he hadn't changed at all.
"Come on, I ten billion percent knew you weren't gonna move away," He retorted while holding up a stack of papers. "Now come on so we can catch you up on your homework. They sprung all of your missed stuff on me."
"Okay!" Sumi said cheerfully while running up to him. Byukaya smiled fondly at the two kids, as he knew that deep down, Senku did miss her. He just didn't want to tell her out loud.
Lillian was sitting behind Sumi on the girl's bed, doing her hair before school started. The woman was humming to the girl, which she enjoyed, but...ever since they arrived, she wasn't allowed to tell anyone where she was or who she was living with. This was because of Lillian's career, but she just didn't understand why. She thought it was maybe because of her...
"Lillian," She spoke up quietly, getting the blonde's attention. "Why can't I tell anyone about me being here with you? Are you just that ashamed of me?" She murmured quietly and Lillian paused, stopping the brush in her hand.
"Oh, you couldn't be farther from the truth, sweetheart," She hugged Sumi from behind, sighing. "It's just that...what I do is very important and if other people from your school find out...they'll want to take advantage of it. And then you'll be surrounded by people who will want to twist things for their own gain. I know it's hard, but someday I promise we can tell the whole world together that I'm looking after you."
She didn't want to get the girl caught up in the press and the fame because...well, Sumi's passion was science. And she couldn't take that away from her. Someday, Sumi would become a well-known name in science, but right now, she was still just in pre-school. And she wanted the girl to form genuine friendships in her life, not friendships because she was living with Lillian Weinberg. She already had to do a lot of traveling for her tours in America, which she didn't mind. She made sure that she was home for a good while to take care of the girl. When she was away, she usually had her staff look over Sumi, and would sometimes take the girl with her on tour. At least Lillian knew that she could trust Senku to continue being friends with the girl...
"...You swear?" Sumi looked up at her.
Lillian kissed the top of her head. "I double swear."
The girl frowned, turning around to hug the woman. "I don't want to get in the way of your career..." She murmured, knowing how much time Lillian had to set aside for her. The woman had a lot on her shoulders, so Sumi didn't want to intrude on that.
"You haven't been," Lillian assured while patting her on the back. "In fact, you're the best thing that's happened to me because I get more time to spend with the brightest girl I know," She then reached out to tickle the girl. "I would give up all of the concerts I have for you."
Sumi giggled while squirming a little, a happy smile on her face. Lillian smiled fondly at her, both of them having grown accustomed to their situation.
And five years later, the two shared a hug as she stood in the doorway of their home, preparing to leave for space. Lillian patted her on the head lovingly before turning around to walk off. Sumi smiled while staring after her, knowing that the woman would tell her everything once she came back. And after Byukaya ended up on TV, Sumi gave a sad look to herself that Lillian couldn't talk to her like he did to Senku. But she still understood why...
The spaceship floated towards a satellite. "This is the crew of the Soyuz. Commencing final preparations for docking with the International Space Station. Byukaya, a blond man, and Lillian all sat together in silence. Byukaya's eyes glistened a little while looking at the satellite...knowing that Senku would be amazed by this one day. There was a slight shake from the ship before it stopped.
"Docking successful," A different male voice spoke. Then the three exited their station, Byukaya letting out a laugh while exploring. Another person laughed and he looked up ahead to see two females and a male. "Welcome, friends to the International Space Station!" The male greeted them kindly.
"Yes, we're glad to have you!" The brunette in pigtails smiled at them. The man floated forward to take Byukaya's hands.
"Honored to be here!"
"Forgive my husband," The blonde with short hair commented. "He may roar like a lion, but on the inside, he's a sweet little kitten."
"Ishigami Byakuya," Byukaya introduced himself as Lillian floated behind him with a shadow over her eyes. He then jerked a thumb to the blond man behind him. "And this gentleman here is Shamil." Shamil gave a small quiet nod. Lillian then bumped into him from behind with a groan.
"Why are these hallways so narrow?" She complained, to the shock of the trio. She then unzipped her spacesuit. "Look, I ain't nothin' like the rest of y'all! I spent 50 million dollars to buy a ride on the Soyuz," Byukaya looked at her in disbelief, as she revealed her clothes and flipped her hair. "I'm one of the first space tourists in history. Not to mention a certified international celebrity," She struck a pose, giving them a look that she was not to be messed with. "A pop diva. I am Lillian!"
The three gave her nervous looks, since they knew of her, and that...she wasn't usually like this in media. Even so, the way she was acting was alarming them quite a bit. "Don't act like you don't know me!"
"Oh, yeah, of course I do," The other blond stammered nervously to her, trying to calm her down. "I even have all your CDs!"
"Then you get how important I am!" She retorted back and he held up his hands, a small shadow over his forehead.
"Yes, ma'am. Please calm down."
"Do you really get it?" She demanded while Byukaya was sweating immensely. He snickered while hugging himself, unable to keep himself from laughing. He and Lillian turned to him in confusion, Shamil letting out a small snort of annoyance. The trio just looked baffled looking at them. Lillian blushed in embarrassment and burst out into laughter as well. "Why'd ya have to go and crack up like that?" She asked with some small tears in her eyes, attempting to hide her face. "I could've kept up the act longer, ya know! I swear!" She lightly shoved the man.
"That was terrible!" He cried out, Shamil giving a deadpan look next to them. "I just couldn't take any more of that bit. Nobody really takes that way!"
"Such foolishness," Shamil scolded Byukaya, arms crossed. "Stop laughing like that, silly old man."
"I'm sorry, y'all," Lillian apologized while turning to the trio. "Just havin' some fun. But I am Lillian Weinberg," She beamed while holding out her arms. "And I'm looking forward to this. I promise to do my best not to get in anyone's way," She told them, not too different from how Sumi acted as a child.
The man sighed in relief at her. "I was scared this next week was going to be hell."
His wife chuckled while floating forward. "You really had us fooled for a moment there." Lillian giggled as the woman took her hands. "Lucky you weren't being serious, or I would've killed you in no time," The two women smiled while spinning around. "Swear to God. It's nice to meet you. I'm Dalia. That trembling giant over there is my husband, Yakov."
Yakov gave a few chuckles to calm himself down. "I thought you were going to give me a heart attack. Both I and Dalia are experienced doctors." Lillian blinked at him mentioning this, since she knew not one, but two people well-versed into medicine. Especially since she lived with one of them. "So if you feel sick, you can come talk to one of us."
Byukaya noticed Lillian's changed stance, but it went away seconds later. "That's good to know. Thank you," Lillian told him happily, also grateful that they had some doctors on the ship.
"I'm really glad Yakov's here," Byukaya spoke up, getting their attention. "After all, it's his second time in space. He may be a wimp, but he's also a veteran." Dalia glanced back to him, a bit defensive over the wimp part.
"Only I can speak of him in that way," She said with a small glare, earning a laugh.
"Just knock it off, old man," Shamil retorted at this.
"Well, I'm actually kind of a big deal," Yakov spoke up, feeling more confident now.
"Now don't you start getting too full of yourself," His wife replied, a bit annoyed. She then looked to the brunette woman with pigtails. "The girl behind him is Connie. She was a staffer at NASA."
Connie floated over to Lillian, who stared at her. She was hugging something to her chest, the blonde staring in surprise. "Uh, hi," She greeted the singer nervously. "I'm a...a...huge fan of yours!" She held up one of her CDs. "Like a super fan!"
"Huh?" Lillian was taken aback by this, as she didn't think something like that would happen being in space. Byukaya smiled while Dalia laughed, hugging her stomach.
"Oh, wow. I had no idea you'd be so star-struck!"
"So, uh...nice to meet you," Connie greeted nervously to the woman.
"Come on. Why so shy, Connie?" Yakov gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "You know you wanna get her autograph, so go ahead and ask her for one! She won't bite," He then pushed Connie towards Lillian, the brunette having white eyes.
"Well, if you...don't mind."
"Course not," Lillian smiled while holding Connie's wrists. "Glad to!" Connie gasped while beaming up at her.
"Thank you so much!"
Yakov then laughed at the scene. "Did you see how I made that all happen?"
"Well now," Byukaya spoke up with a small smirk. "Since Lillian did spend 50 million to get here, I suppose it's time to give her the kind of greeting worthy of a pop diva," He floated up to them, Dalia looking at him in confusion. He then held up Connie's CD and a small speaker. "This'll be the background music for the whole trip."
"That's a great idea!" Connie smiled at him.
"Play it all day, every day," Dalia agreed with an amused smile.
"NO!" Lillian cried out with white eyes, reaching out to them. "Please, you don't have to do that! I'd probably die from embarrassment! I was just kiddin' earlier, I swear!" She pleaded with them, the others laughing from her reaction.
The sun had set later as it was dark from their side.
Nowhere to turn
Nowhere to hide
Between a rock and a hard place
Someone to find
Lillian was singing to a camera, as she was being recorded.
I know that times are tough, just down and out
Putting my faith in tomorrow
Byukaya stared at her while drinking something. Shamil was working on a computer nearby. Yakov and Dalia were listening in content, their eyes closed.
I am ready to go
But I don't know where to start
Connie clasped her hands while looking at her idol happily.
Each and every road seems to be calling to me
Pulled in every which way
So I make my own path
For people in Japan, the sun was already setting. The recording was on the glass of a building to people in the town square.
A deep breath
And my best foot forward
It was also on several TV screens, a child and a mother looking on. People in a restaurant were also listening to her.
One small step from zero
I'm not afraid
People in Paris were listening as well, a couple looking on from a tablet.
Cause the world that we want
People were gathering around a computer to listen, a man smiling at them.
Is right here for us to make
Taiju and Tsukasa walked past each other on the sidewalk, people at Starbucks listening in.
Just taking one small step to hero
I'll take the chance
Yuzuriha and some friends of hers were in a café, listening as well.
And when I do
I'll be thinking of the same thing I always do
A girl was on her bed, listening with her headphones.
It's always you...
Lillian smiled at the camera once she was finished. "And that was my mini-concert in space." Dalia, Yakov, and Connie all clapped behind her. "I'm a little too embarrassed to sing acapella for my new astronaut friends, so I'm gonna sign off now. But I do wanna give a special goodbye to a member from my team, Mira. I know you'll manage with me being in space! Bye-bye, I love y'all!" She smiled while waving at the camera. The broadcast ended and Sumi slowly put down her phone, having watched it. Mira was a codename for Sumi, since obviously Lillian couldn't say her name out loud to everyone in the world. It'd just result in what Lillian didn't want, and she wanted Sumi to live her life like she did before—just not with her father, of course.
Sumi gave a small smile while looking towards her giant window in her room as the sun was still setting. "Thanks, Lillian," She gave a small sigh in relief. "I know you'll enjoy it..."
Byakuya laughed while clapping his hands. "Hey, Byukaya, Shamil, y'all wanna use the comm next?" Lillian offered the two of them. They both looked up at her in confusion as she hugged the camera. "Like to get in touch with your family?"
"Got no one to call, so I think I'll pass," Shamil responded while looking back to his computer.
"How 'bout you?" Lillian smiled towards Byukaya.
"Yeah...no. I do have a son named Senku back at home, and his friend who I'm close with. But he's a bratty kid, like our friend Shamil here. He's not really the sentimental type."
Lillian gasped at the name as she recalled Sumi explaining Senku to her multiple times. And now here she was with Senku's father, who Sumi didn't mention as much as Senku, not even his name. She stared at him with wide eyes.
"Tryin' to get in touch with him right now would just distract him from his research," Byukaya continued as Senku was sitting in his lab with the lights off, the only light being from his monitors. "Can't have that."
Senku bit at his pen repeatedly, his arms crossed in thought. 'Heh. So the distribution of posts about stone swallow figures being found around the world is directly proportional to the distribution of swallow populations. Crunching numbers for statistical significance would be overkill. It's clear these stone figures are real swallows that have somehow been petrified. Swallows turning to stone across the globe? It's ridiculously inane.'
"Now this is exciting," He commented to himself.
"Well...I should say there's one person able to distract him without fail. And who I can trust to make sure he doesn't end up dead," Byukaya spoke as the door from Senku's room knocked.
"What is it?" He called out and Sumi stepped in. She blinked from the bright monitors, and then turned on the light. "Sumi, come on! I need to concentrate."
"Looking at bright lights for hours on end isn't healthy for your eyes. Unless you wanna go blind," She smiled in amusement while closing the door behind her. He leaned back with his arms crossed, a bit annoyed.
"I'm not dumb enough to do that to myself," He retorted, digging his pinky into his ear.
"Uh huh. I know that those pictures do bring up a lot of questions, but you need to take a break. We've been looking at them for hours," She sighed a little and he kept his eyes straight. Sumi closed her eyes with a smile. "I made some ramen~" He flinched from the last word as she held up the bowl, waving it around a little. "And I know you haven't had anything to eat."
He snatched it from her and dug in, earning a giggle. "One of these days I need to stop being tempted by your ramen," He grumbled a bit and she sat down next to him to eat some herself.
"Yeah, that's not happening any time soon," She remarked, both of them chuckling while looking at each other.
Lillian was humming to herself while looking out the window. She still couldn't believe that the boy Sumi had been talking about was the son of the same man she was in the ship with. It was honestly a crazy coincidence to her, and she couldn't wait to tell Sumi about it. She then frowned a little, as she missed the girl, but wasn't allowed to openly show it...Byakuya suddenly let out a yawn. "Can't sleep?"
"Oh, sorry," Lillian glanced behind her as the man approached. "Was I too loud?"
"Agh! Loud enough to pop my eardrums," He complained and she scoffed, a red mark on her head. She grumbled a little while lightly punching him. "Ha ha, easy, I'm just playin' with ya. You really love to sing, huh?"
Lillian gasped a little and then looked out the window. She chuckled while brushing a bang away. "I've been doin' it a long time."
"Since you were little?"
"My whole life," She smiled fondly while looking at the Earth. "One day, I found a record in the trash. I listened to that thing constantly. Actually, I think I wore out my record player on it. I mean, it really did stop workin' after a while. When that happened, I started singin' for myself. It was just so much fun to sing my little heart out. There even was this girl, Su—Mira, a member of my marketing team. She found my old record player and managed to fix it for me," She smiled at the memory, as Sumi had found it during the move. It took her a few weeks, but it was good as new, since the thing was beyond repair. And it was from years ago, so technology for it wasn't as easy to modify. "And now that I'm older, I wanna sing for all kinds of people living all over the world. I wanna make them smile and feel glad to be alive. If I can give people joy, well, that would make me happy too. It just feeds my soul. It makes me feel like-"
She turned to Byakuya, who was asleep as a bubble came from his nose. She gasped and he woke up, to see her holding up a fist. She had an angry pout on her face. "Oh, sorry about that!" He held up his hands and she crossed her arms.
"Jeez, you're a stinker, you know?" She complained, huffing a little.
He turned to look outside again. "Listen," The woman gasped, glancing back at him. "If you don't mind me asking...you think you could sing for Senku and his friend someday? I know she loves your music, and it would mean the world to her."
Lillian smiled in amusement, as she knew who he was referring to. Sumi had heard her sing thousands of times after being with the woman for years. Though she did wanna see Byukaya's face when it was revealed that she was Sumi's custodial parent. "I'd love that," She turned around to look back at the Earth.
A soup bubble floated around in the air, as Byukaya was playing with it. "I'm miso soup! Help me! I don't wanna get eaten!" He tossed it around with his spoon. "Whew, I'm flying! Zero gravity! I'm free!" He opened his mouth to catch the bubble, laughing gleefully. Connie turned to him, away from her work. "Can't get away from me!"
"You sure are having fun, huh?" She gave him a small smile. He then floated over to Shamil, holding several packets of space food.
"Yo," He greeted the blond, who was sipping on something while working. "Do ya wanna try some Japanese food?"
Shamil took out his packet to show the man. "No, this nutrient jelly is enough for me."
"For every meal?" Byukaya exclaimed in disbelief, frowning. "Ugh. Sounds boring." He placed one of the packets to a pump, and then turned it on. The pump gave the food liquid and also heated it up. He held it out to Shamil, the noodles floating over to him. "Here."
He caught the packet, Lillian eating her own food as she and Connie watched. "So, are those noodles?"
"Not just noodles, it's custom-made ramen." Byukaya answered, and then remembered him going to a ramen place with Senku and Sumi. This was days before he went onto the rocket. "Tastes exactly like the ramen at the place my son and I go to all the time. Most of the time we'll drag his friend, Sumire, over because she thinks we're intruding but we don't really care. She's always gonna be one of us no matter what."
"That's very sweet!" Yakov smiled at the man. "Is this Sumire his friend or his girlfriend?" He gave a teasing smile at that last part.
Lillian smiled while watching as she had asked that question before. And Sumi admitted that she had feelings for him, and she was rooting for the two of them.
"I wish his girlfriend, but he's too insistent that love to him is illogical," Byukaya smirked, crossing his arms. "Doesn't mean I won't still try to push them in the right direction, even if Senku hates it and she gets embarrassed, heh heh. It's more fun for me to tease them all the time." But he did still think Sumi was the right girl for Senku, both in science and a love life.
The others except Shamil smiled at him. "I have no doubt it's very delicious, Byakuya. But it's too much. We've come here to work, and our time is precious. Sorry, fun's not crucial to human survival."
"Come on, man, just have a taste. It'll shock ya!" Byukaya gave a big grin while holding up a finger.
Shamil sighed in defeat and opened up the packet. Some of the liquid floated above as he grabbed some noodles with his fork. He then took a bite, Byukaya smiling while waiting for his reaction. He chuckled eagerly and then Shamil looked up, gasping sharply.
"See? It's scary good!" However, Shamil was looking towards the window, where there was a green light coming from outside...
"Oooh! I wanna try some too!" Lillian spoke up eagerly.
"No...look there. Outside the window," Shamil prompted in worry as there was a big aura on top of the Earth. "The Earth..." The Earth started to be engulfed in the green light, something sparkling on top of it. The others looked out in horror, Byukaya gasping in concern.
"Senku. Sumire."
Senku gasped while dropping his energy drink, looking towards outside. Sumi gasped at it while looking outside as well. Everyone stopped to stare at it, and the light got brighter. Senku dropped his drink and ran towards his friend, a worried look on his face.
"SUMIRE! GET BEHIND ME, NOW!" He shouted while grabbing her from behind. He then threw her as she was sent flying behind him. She gasped as he stood in front of her, falling towards the floor. She looked up, the light leaving her confused and terrified. Senku slowly got petrified in front of her. Byukaya and Sumi cried out at the same time, Lillian looking in worry for the black-haired scientist. As Sumi continued falling, her arm started to get petrified. Then the Earth was covered in the green light, staying like that until eventually stopping.
"What's happening?" Shamil wondered while pressing a button. "NASA, Roscosmos, I can't reach either one."
"The comm's out?" Lillian asked in concern.
"No, there's no one responding," Byukaya explained and she glanced back at him.
"Um, ham radio's the same," Connie looked up while holding a microphone and wearing headphones. "All lines are silent."
"That light..." Dalia looked up as she had a bad feeling about it. "Something happened down there. Something terrible!"
They all floated in silence, as they didn't know what exactly it could be. "What? Like nuclear war?" They all gasped while looking at her, hoping that it wasn't a nuke. Because otherwise, every single person on the planet could be dead.
"You shouldn't say such foolish things!" Dalia gently scolded her for assuming it. A screen was loading before an image popped up.
"Yes! The internet still works," Byukaya said in relief, Lillian looking over his shoulder.
"Anyone tweeting about what's going on?" She wondered, hoping that she would find something from Sumi. One last thing to assure that the girl was okay. He quickly did a search, Dalia and Shamil doing the same.
"Nothing. Everybody stopped posting at the same time," He informed the worried woman. "I know! Live camera feeds!" Yakov and Shamil gasped before getting to work. Byukaya pulled up a live cam of a football game. "Bingo!" He gasped in horror at the sight. Every single person in the stadium...was petrified. "What the hell...? Are those statues?"
"But how's that possible?" Lillian murmured while her eyes glistened, as she knew what happened to Sumi now...
"No...there's more," Yakov pulled up several other countries as the results were the same. Connie gasped while covering her mouth, letting a few tears escape her eyes. They then floated away from her as it all sunk in for them...
"Oh my god..." She whispered sadly and they all took a few moments to think. "We can't act rashly!" Yakov broke the silence a few seconds later. "Let's wait here. There are 7 billion humans on the planet, so let's wait for the survivors to contact us. They'll be able to help us!"
"So how long should we wait?" Shamil looked at him. "For a month? Maybe two? With humanity in this state, we have no hope for a rescue. We're floating in space, remember?" He gritted his teeth, as there didn't seem to be any proof that anyone had broken out.
Byukaya opened his eyes as he came to a solution. He knew that they could fix this...just watching Senku and Sumi when they were kids, he could tell that they were determined to do anything. So something like this wouldn't deter either of them, and he shouldn't do the same. "Well then, let's go back." Everyone gasped while turning to him in shock.
"H-Hold on," Yakov stammered at him nervously. "What are you even talking about? Did you hear what I said? Out of all the people down there, someone can help us!"
"You're wrong, Yakov," Byukaya interjected to the man, to their surprise. "There are only six. We are the last humans left." he thought about the currently petrified Senku, Lillian doing the same with Sumi. "So we can't just sit here and wait around for help. Because now it's up to us to help them out! All the 7 billion people on Earth need us!"