Archive of Our Own ^beta

"For the ten-billionth time, NO!" Senku refused yet again. "I've got too much work to do."

"Oh, please. That's what you always say," Minami retorted and rolled her eyes.

"That's because I'm always busy. Humanity won't advance if we just settle for the bare minimum. Science is all about progress. Now beat it so I can get back to work. You've already wasted enough of my time."

"UGH!" she groaned in frustration.

After a lot of back and forth, Minami was getting nowhere fast with this stubborn workaholic.

"Hey, I'm done with…" Kohaku stopped short when she walked into the lab to find those two bickering. "Uh… what's going on?"

"Oh, not much… just Senku putting science before everything else. You know… the usual." Chrome's tone and body language made it all too apparent that he was completely over this argument already.

"Hah, what is it this time?" Kohaku crossed her arms and gave an expectant smirk.

"Well~" Suika was about to answer when Minami beat her to it.

"Oh, come on! Civilization won't suddenly crumble again if you take ONE day off for a simple interview. It might not seem as important to you as making the next big scientific breakthrough, or whatever, but we're talking about documenting the history of our new world. And what better way to do that than through firsthand accounts? You're 'humanity's great savior.' You owe it to the people to share your story."

"Don't you want your future kids to…" Minami stopped talking the moment he sneered at her for thinking such an argument would sway him. "Okay, bad example. But what about future generations in general? Don't you want them to know everything you did to restore civilization?"

"Tch, nice try, but I'm not interested in any kind of fame or glory."

"Hah! We all know that's a lie," Kohaku suddenly interjected. "Otherwise, why would you put your name and face on everything you make?"

Minami smiled with glee, delighted to have an ally. "That's an excellent point, Kohaku. So, you think Senku should do the interview too, right?"

"Well, yeah… I don't see what the big deal is. It's just answering some questions, right? I thought you would've jumped at the opportunity… considering how much you love to hear yourself talk," she joked, earning a scowl from Senku and a chuckle from everyone else.

"But all joking aside, I agree with what Minami said. If your story has the potential to inspire others, then you could be responsible for motivating an entire new generation of scientists, just like you did with Chrome and Suika," she pointed out. "Isn't that reason enough to do it?"

"Kohaku's right, Senku!" Suika chimed in enthusiastically. "I would've never become a scientist if it weren't for you! You feel the same way, right, Chrome?"

"Well, technically, I was already a scientist before we met; I just called myself a sorcerer at the time. But I will admit that I would've never known the full extent of wonders that science has to offer if you hadn't come along."

"You hear that? You're already an inspiration. You can't say 'no' after that," Minami insisted.

Everyone turned to him as he stood there with narrowed eyes and pursed lips, displeased by the fact that he was being ganged up on. It was clear that he still didn't want to do it, but their argument was admittedly too strong to refute and actually had him reconsidering. Kohaku noticed that he was teetering and gave one final push.

"You know, Minami... if you want firsthand accounts, then what if you interviewed both of us together?" she suggested. "I met Senku pretty early on in his journey and have been by his side nearly every step of the way, so I can help recount events and leave all the technical stuff to Senku."

"Actually, that sounds like the perfect compromise. I get my job done, Ryusui gets his interview for the museum, and Senku can get back to work as quickly as possible. Everyone wins!"

They all turned to Senku again, who had run out of excuses. Then after a full minute of silence, he sighed with resignation.

"Fine. I'll do it," he finally relented.

"You will?" Minami's face lit up instantly. "Yes!'

"But I'll only sacrifice two hours tops." Senku interrupted her moment of celebration. "I'm cutting you off after that."

"That's fine by me. I'll take whatever I can get. Now I'm off to make all the arrangements and prepare my questions. You two just make sure to look your best for the camera and meet me back here first thing tomorrow morning. You got that?" She marched off without giving either of them the opportunity to respond.

.

The following day, they all reconvened at the lab, where a camera crew was setting up in a conference room. Senku hadn't bothered to put any additional effort into his appearance, dressing in his usual attire with his lab coat and cape.

Kohaku, on the other hand, was the exact opposite and came in wearing a more modern-looking outfit, courtesy of Ruri, and had washed her hair with conditioner to tame her unruly mane for the occasion.

Senku didn't even give this a second thought until they both took their seats in front of the camera and he saw how several of the crewmen were ogling her. It disgusted him, quite frankly, but he knew that if they crossed the line with her, she wouldn't hesitate to put them in their place.

"Alright, then… let's get started." Minami cued the crew to start rolling as soon as everything was in place. "So, Senku… where were you and what were you doing when the petrification happened?"

"Tch, that's your first question?" he scoffed with disdain. "What does that have to do with my accomplishments? And don't interviews usually start with an introduction?"

"This isn't live. I can take care of that in post. And as for my questions, I'm trying to make you more personable in order to appeal to a broader audience, so just answer and we can move on. I'm on a time crunch here, remember?"

"Heh, at least you're efficient. Fine. I was at school. It was our lunch break, and I had just bought an energy drink and was standing by the second-story window listening in on Taiju's confession when, precisely twenty seconds past 12:40PM, I saw a green light surge over the horizon. It took exactly fifty-six seconds for the light to hit me and turn me to stone. Then everything went black," he said matter-of-factly.

"Wow… that was… really specific."

"Hah! Senku doesn't play around when it comes to numbers," Kohaku suddenly chimed in. "It's a pretty well-known fact that he stayed conscious throughout the entire time he was petrified and kept track of the time. However, it's news to me that you were spying on Taiju's confession to Yuzuriha back then. Who knew you were so nosy, Senku?" She turned and gave him a playful smile.

"Heh, the big oaf made it mine and everyone else's business when he barged into the science lab and declared his intentions out loud. Everyone was betting against him, but I bet ten thousand yen that Yuzuriha was into him too. So of course I needed to witness the outcome so I could collect my winnings."

"Ha, ha… I guess since they're married now, that means you technically won, right? Maybe you should look up your old classmates and tell them they lost the bet."

Senku chuckled at the absurdity of collecting on a bet after more than three thousand seven hundred years. If Taiju had managed to go through with his confession in time, the amount of accrued interest alone would be ridiculous.

Meanwhile, Minami couldn't help but notice how relaxed Senku became when he interacted with Kohaku. They had a natural chemistry that was great for the camera, and she was suddenly grateful for the fact that they were here together.

She capitalized on the fact that he was in a better mood and struck while the iron was hot.

"Now, Senku… when you say school, surely you must be referring to a university, right?"

Despite knowing the truth, Minami guided the narrative in a way that would highlight how young he truly was at the time in order to make the point that regardless of age, humans can accomplish great things if they just apply themselves, which Senku caught onto almost immediately.

"No, I was actually in high school; a first-year to be exact."

"What? A first-year in high school? But that would mean you couldn't have been more than sixteen years old at the time. Are you saying a teenager was responsible for restoring human civilization?"

"Well, it's not like I did it all on my own. I had plenty of help."

When Senku said this, he unconsciously looked at Kohaku for a split second. It was so subtle, one would've missed it if they blinked. But it certainly didn't get past the camera.

"Also, let me emphasize that it didn't happen overnight." Senku continued, going off on his own tangent. "Just like any new discovery in science, progress takes time, effort, and a whole lot of trial and error. But if you painstakingly follow all the necessary steps, then you're sure to reach the desired outcome eventually."

The look on Kohaku's face as he spoke was one of pure admiration. His perseverance in the face of adversity or obstacles was one of his most attractive qualities in her eyes.

"Oh, and for the record, I was fifteen," he added.

"Hm, that's fascinating. I'd like to dive deeper into the arduous path you took to get where you are today, but I still can't get over how young you were when your journey first started," Minami feigned awe, regaining control of the conversation like a pro.

"From my understanding, you were one of the first humans to revive in this new era, correct? So tell me, as someone born and raised in modern society, what was it like to wake up in a world devoid of all the luxuries we enjoyed back in the twenty-first century? As a scientist, the lack of tools and equipment must've been frustrating for you. I mean, what did you do? What was the first thing that crossed your mind? And at any point were you terrified? I know I would've been."

"Tch, that's a whole lot of questions all at once, but I take it it's the last one that you're most interested in, right?" he quickly surmised.

"Well, let me put it this way… When I woke up in this new world, naked and alone, I wasn't surprised one millimeter by the state of things. But where most people would've found themselves surrounded by a bunch of rocks, plants, and wildlife, I found myself surrounded by nothing but resources ripe for the taking."

"Anything I needed, I made it myself. From fire and shelter to clothing and any other tools I needed for survival. And when I was hungry, I'd eat off the land until I became efficient enough at hunting. Sure it was a pain in the ass, and I exhausted all my energy just trying to stay alive, but I adapted. And for six months straight, I proved over and over again that I wasn't in an impossible situation."

"So if you wanna know whether I ever felt hopeless and wanted to just lie down and die, then the answer is no. Humanity overcame the Stone Age once before, and that's exactly what I set out to do. To rebuild civilization from the ground up. And I think the results speak for themselves."

All throughout Senku's speech, Kohaku never lost her smile. It only grew larger and brighter. Her heart was racing, and she even felt a flutter in her stomach. Something about the way he spoke with such determination was so incredibly moving. Even Minami was having a hard time gathering her thoughts to continue the interview.

"Umm… wow, that's really… impressive. I can't even imagine what that must've been like. Uhh… let's fast forward a bit to when you founded the Kingdom of Science. Is it true that you partnered with a village that was founded by your father, Ishigami Byakuya, otherwise known as one of the last astronauts? What can you tell us about that?"

"The short answer is 'yes.' Like you said, my old man was an astronaut, so he was up on the International Space Station when the petrification event happened. He and the other five astronauts avoided getting turned to stone, so they returned to Earth, settled on a small island south of Japan, and repopulated. Their descendants are the inhabitants of Ishigami Village, a small settlement near what used to be Hakone."

"Right, but Senku said that since he was adopted by Byakuya, we don't share any blood relation," Kohaku pointed out, a seemingly out-of-the-blue statement that would have immense repercussions.

"Uh-huh… And I can't help but wonder how you were able to win the villagers over to your side and get them to cooperate with you. I mean, to them you were a total stranger with unknown motives, but somehow you became chief of the entire village. How did you manage that?"

Once again, Minami was setting him up to look good, this time as some big shot with a commanding presence.

"Hah, I can answer that," Kohaku replied, finally taking the initiative. "I was the one who brought Senku to the village. And the reason we cooperated with him and accepted him as the chief is because he used science to save the life of my sister, the village priestess. If it wasn't for Senku, Ruri wouldn't be alive today. I know I went against the rules of the village by bringing in an outsider, but it's a decision I'll never regret," professed Kohaku, looking at Senku a little too longingly for mere friends.

"Oh, I see… But here's a question for you, Kohaku. How could you be sure that he was trustworthy? Weren't you suspicious of him at all?"

"Suspicious? I mean, sure, maybe a little at first. But if he wanted to take advantage of me, he had the perfect opportunity to do so and chose not to take it. I mean, when we first met, he had me pinned down and vulnerable, and I was powerless to stop him."

"He what? But you're so strong. How could a weakling like Senku overpower you?" Minami's eye practically popped out of her head. She couldn't believe what she just heard, and all of a sudden the cards were flipped, and now the crewmen looked disgusted by Senku.

"Lioness, you're leaving out important details, like the fact that you were pinned under a tree and that I found you that way."

"A tree? What were you doing pinned under a tree?"

"Oh, right. Before I met Senku, I encountered Tsukasa."

"Tsukasa?" Minami murmured as a feeling of dread kicked in. She had intentionally avoided any mention of Tsukasa prior in order to avoid raking his reputation through the mud.

"Yes, I confronted him in the woods but was no match for him. Still, he wanted to deal with me quickly, so he knocked me to the ground, pinned me under a tree, and left me for dead. Then Senku showed up and rescued me with one of his science gadgets. What was it again?"

"A compound pulley."

"That's it. He worked for hours making that thing and didn't stop until he got the job done. That's how I knew I could trust him. He could've killed me if he wanted, but instead he saved my life. Does that answer your question?"

"Uh… yeah… but maybe we don't use that footage? I don't think it's all that necessary. And you know what? How about we don't mention Tsukasa at all anymore? Sound good? Okay, great, let's move on, shall we?"

.

After Minami's little meltdown, the interview continued without further issue. Certain facts had to be censored to protect reformed enemies, but for the most part, Senku and Kohaku answered all of Minami's questions.

Two hours came and went, but reminiscing with Kohaku made Senku lose track of the time.

They covered everything from the revival fluid to the cellphone and the subsequent discovery of Why-man, as well as the building of the Perseus and the trip to Treasure Island, which led to the discovery of the medusa, followed by the global expedition to gather resources to build a rocket and their eventual trip to the moon.

And just for the fun of it, Minami asked them each to name their favorite thing that Senku reinvented, and to Minami's surprise, Senku chose ramen as his pick. Meanwhile, Kohaku was having a hard time choosing.

"Hmm… My favorite invention? Maybe it's the cotton candy machine. When we were testing it out, Senku let me have the first bite. That was my first taste of sugar. Or maybe it's the hot air balloon? Senku asked me to go along with him, and I got to experience what it's like to fly through the sky."

"No wait! I know what it is. My favorite invention is 'protection,'" she declared with absolute certainty.

"WHAT?!" Manami nearly fainted after hearing this.

Meanwhile, the jaws of all the crewmen were on the floor.

"Explain yourself, Lioness," Senku ordered, knowing exactly what everyone must be thinking.

"I'm talking about the iron shield Senku made for me to replace the one passed down to me from my father. It's my protection. That and my iron blades, too."

"Oh." Minami didn't know how much more of this she could take. "I just have one final question. Now that civilization is back up and running, and you've both been to space, what's next for each of you?"

Senku was the first to reply.

"Well, the other scientists and I are working on something highly classified at the moment, so I can't say much about it, but I will say that we're nowhere near done with space travel. Science is advancing each and every day, so get excited."

"As for me, I'll continue to stay by Senku's side, ready to lend a hand whenever I'm needed."

"Well, okay then. Thank you so much for your time."

Minami closed out the interview, and one week later it was made public. The response, however, was not at all what anyone expected. However, as a witness to everything that transpired that day, Minami saw this outcome coming from a mile away.

Apparently, the chemistry that Senku and Kohaku had on camera was so palpable that everyone who saw that interview was now under the impression that they were romantically involved, and it was hard to refute when the evidence spoke for itself.

Many questions were raised among their friend group about the validity of these claims, but both Senku and Kohaku denied everything. Nothing had changed. They were just friends.

However, the more Kohaku tried to deny it to others, the less convincing she sounded to herself.

Uncertain about her own feelings, she decided to pay a visit to the newly opened Stone World Museum to think things through.

She walked around aimlessly at first but eventually came to an exhibit of tools, where she was drawn to one tool in particular, a stone hatchet that Senku used to carry around religiously. She stood there just staring at it for a good hour, wondering if it was the same hatchet Senku used to save her the day they met, when suddenly someone came up next to her.

"You know, Lioness, if you like it that much, I can just make you your own."

"Senku… what are you doing here?"

"What else? I came to nag Ryusui to take down that damn video for the ten-billionth time. All these rumors about us are a real pain in the ass."

Kohaku immediately turned her gaze downcast to hide her hurt expression. Then, after a long pause, she spoke again.

"Does it really bother you that much if people think that we're together? So long as we know the truth, who cares what they think?" she argued in a harsh tone that took him by surprise. "Is the mere thought of being with me so awful that you need to squash the idea from everyone's mind? Well, if that's how you feel, then maybe I should just spare you the trouble and get out of your life altogether."

Kohaku was about to storm off when Senku grabbed her by the wrist and refused to let her go.

"Kohaku, wait! What the hell are you saying? You should know by now how much I depend on you. The last thing I want is for you to leave my side."

"But staying would just perpetuate the rumors. I wouldn't wanna burden you with that."

"Screw the rumors!" he shouted a bit too forcefully. "You're too important to me to just let you walk away, Kohaku."

Kohaku was stunned to hear this. He'd never said anything like that to her before.

"But… but I thought you were ashamed of me."

"Tch, is that a joke? I couldn't care less if people wanna ship us and make some demented fan club where they fantasize about our future offspring… What pisses me off are the people talking shit about you like you're not good enough for me. But to hell with them! What's between us is no one's damn business but our own."

After taking a moment to process everything he just said, she just had to ask.

"And what exactly is there between us? Are we just friends… Or is there potential for more?"

Senku found her choice of words to be both interesting and ironic. He couldn't resist chuckling.

"Well, if you want my opinion, I'd say that in life, just like in science, there's always room for progress."

.

"And that's how you two fell in love?" asked a little voice excitedly, interrupting the flow of the story and bringing them back to the present.

"Tch, guess again, genius. Weren't you paying attention? They obviously fell in love way before that," said a second little voice.

"Hey, Hisui, I thought you didn't wanna hear this story," exclaimed the first voice.

"What other choice did I have when I'm in the same room and obviously within earshot? Use some common sense, would ya?"

The younger of the two stuck her tongue out at her elder sister, and Kohaku couldn't help but giggle at their exchange. Then, placing a hand on the younger girl's head, she smoothed down her tousled white hair in a soothing manner.

"Hisui's right, Akari. That wasn't so much the moment we fell in love… but more like the moment we realized we were already in love and agreed we wanted to be more than just friends."

"Aww~" Akari swooned.

"Hey, what are you two still doing up?" Senku popped his head in the room when he heard talking from out in the hallway as he walked past.

"Daddy!" Akari's crimson red eyes lit up the moment she saw her father. "Mom was just telling us your love story."

Senku furrowed his brow in confusion, having no idea what his youngest daughter was talking about, but shook his head, deciding it was better not to ask questions.

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but storytime is over. It's time for bed."

"But Daddy~ Mom was just about to tell us the ending," she pleaded with a pout.

"We already know the ending, genius. They got married and had us. The End."

"What?! That's no way to end a story. You're a terrible storyteller, Hisui. I wanna hear Mom's version. Pretty pleeeease~?"

Senku looked to his wife for support but found none. She only shrugged, seeing nothing wrong with heeding her request. He sighed in resignation, having to resort to plan B.

"Hisui, can you tell me what happens when you don't get enough REM sleep?"

"Oh, that's easy. Your neuroreceptors lose their sensitivity to serotonin and norepinephrine."

"Right. And what does that lead to?"

"Impaired cognitive function," she answered proudly and confidently.

"Exactly. Now do you understand why it's important to get a good night's rest, Akari?"

"Uhhh…"

"It means your brain will start to rot," said Hisui with a devious, feline-like grin comparable to that of her mother.

"What?! I don't want my brain to rot!" Akari cried with panicked tears in her eyes.

Hisui snickered to herself but went dead silent the moment she saw her mother's expression, which sent a shiver down her spine. She gulped, knowing she had crossed the line.

"Akari, I was just kidding. All it means is your brain can't operate at its full potential, like, uh… trying to power an engine by burning coal instead of gasoline," she explained, attempting to make an analogy her little sister would better understand. "It might get the job done, but it's far less efficient."

"No, it couldn't get the job done at all 'cause you can't use coal in an internal combustion engine," she immediately corrected.

"DAD! A little help here!"

Senku sighed again and went to kneel at his youngest's bedside.

"A more accurate example is how resistors dampen an electrical current in a circuit. In which case, a lightbulb can't shine its brightest."

"But what if it's an LED lightbulb? Then aren't resistors important for controlling the current so the diode can work without burning out?" She countered, batting her eyes innocently.

"Not if the 'resistors' in question make your sleep-deprived brain place the diode in reverse bias, which would mean what?"

"That… the bulb wouldn't light up at all," she reluctantly admitted. "Okay, I understand."

"Good," he nodded with approval before ruffling her already tousled hair. "Now go to bed."

"Can I at least have a goodnight hug first?"

Senku didn't even need to answer. He simply gave his daughter a warm smile and took her in his arms before they wished each other goodnight.

Kohaku then kissed each of her daughters on the forehead and wished them both goodnight as well, before she and Senku shut off the lights and left the room.

"So what was that nonsense about a love story?" Senku asked Kohaku the moment they were out in the hallway.

"Oh, I was just telling the girls about the interview we did for the museum."

"Tch, you mean the interview that you talked me into doing to supposedly inspire future generations of scientists but in the end only made everyone think that we were a couple? Talk about a ten billion percent waste of time."

"Well~ I wouldn't say it was a total waste of time. I genuinely believe that that interview opened both our eyes to what was in our hearts," she admitted, encircling her arms over his shoulders and interlacing her fingers behind his nape. "If not for what happened afterwards, who knows if we'd even be together."

"Think about it. In some other world we could be at this age and still only be friends. Or I could've walked out of your life completely."

Senku donned a smirk as he took Kohaku by the waist.

"Heh, a timeline in which you're not by my side? I have a hard time imagining a reality where that's even remotely possible. In fact, I'm of the firm belief that even if we were fifty and still just friends, so long as you're in my life, there's always the possibility that we'll eventually get together, regardless of some interview."

With his hands on her waist, Senku brought her in closer and kissed her to prevent her from arguing against what he already knew with absolute certainty. They quickly grew so engrossed in one another that neither noticed their daughters' bedroom door open while a certain pair of crimson eyes spied on them from the door crack.

When they finally broke apart, Kohaku gave him a contented smile.

"Hah, maybe you're right," she conceded. "Maybe that interview didn't accomplish what it was originally intended to, but so what? I'm still glad I made you go through with it, 'cause now we've got two amazing daughters who are just as incredible as their father," she expressed before giving him another brief kiss.

"And if nothing else, I can think of at least two young scientists who are inspired by you every day. Well, three if you count Kotetsu," she added, remembering her nephew. "Knowing that, can you really say you regret it?"

"Heh, you make a strong argument, Lioness. But given your logic, it would seem that the next generation of scientists is solely dependent on our families' bloodlines. And if that's the case, then maybe it's time to consider expanding," he proposed with a salacious smile.

Kohaku blinked in surprise, fully understanding what he was alluding to. Then she smiled back at him and leaned in close to whisper in his ear.

"You know… I can think of at least one other positive thing that came out of that interview."

When all he did was look at her with a raised brow, she elaborated.

"Did I ever tell you how much of a turn-on it was to hear you talk about your first six months alone in the stone world? To this day, I can't watch that portion of the interview without getting hot and bothered."

Senku blinked in surprise at her sudden admission but quickly caught on to her unspoken request.

"Well, come with me, and I'll recite the entire speech by memory as many times as you want," he offered, taking her hand and guiding her to their bedroom.

When her parents scurried off, Akari shut the door and got back in bed, but not before making one final remark to her sister.

"You were wrong, Hisui. Mom and Dad's love story isn't over. It's still in progress."

The End.