49. Cosplay
03-02-2024
A/N: This chapter explores more of the MC's relationships with other characters :)
Q: What's your favorite song? If you don't have one, what is a song you're currently enjoying now?
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"So, what's all this for?" You asked as you approached Senku and Gen. Seeing as to how desperate some of the people were when piling up the weeds and reeds, you assumed they somehow used a few tricks up their sleeves.
Your partner replied, "We're gathering all of these to make hemp cloth for a hot-air balloon."
You widened your eyes in surprise and enthusiasm. "A hot-air balloon?!"
"Yup! We'll be able to look for oil from up high! But we needed to convince all these guys first with the help of the mentalist," said the scientist.
Gen cheerfully piped up with a mischievous grin appearing after, "Of course! If we don't get oil, then everyone's drago is simply useless...so we had time ensure that all the hard-earned drago doesn't go to waste~"
Senku then looked over to you. "And how was your talk with our captain here?"
You replied honestly, "I think we're on the same page, but I could tell that he knew what I was doing."
"Oh? You do a pretty good job convincing others. Maybe you need a little training from Mr. Mentalist here, kukuku..." the green-haired boy slightly snickered.
"Honestly, I believe (Y/N)-chan doesn't need my help. Compared to me, her charisma surpasses the both of us," the mentalist told the both of you with a close-eyed smile.
"Wow, I am touched," you chuckled, placing a hand on your chest. You then added, "Have you told the others about what you're making? ...especially Yuzuriha?"
"Not yet. I'm sure they'll think we're crazy though."
You all laughed before your group actually told them the ideas that Senku had. Surely to say, their reaction was expected from them.
"THAT'S CRAZY!"
The entire villager gang was looking at the three of you like you were joking. But obviously, you were serious. Hell, even Magma couldn't even say anything about it to you. Or he was too busy getting mocked by Yo before he could even do anything.
"How amazing would that be...to fly up in the sky like a bird..." Suika softly mentioned as she looked up at the sapphire skies above.
"Well, this is gonna be our long, tedious road map to get us airborne," Senku said as he unrolled a scroll with his instructions. Everyone was prepared to go all out to create complex science tools for the sake of flying, but the only thing needed was cloth. "Kukuku, this balloon's the just about the simplest thing imaginable. You could just pack up the entire flight kit and shove it into a car!"
"But if it's cloth, wouldn't the air leak right through?" Nikki asked.
"Nope. Earliest balloons were made that way, and there's a theory that the ancient Nazca lines were observed that way by their creators," the scientist explained.
You then started, "But our biggest hurdle though..."
"...we're gonna need a ton of cloth..." Yuzuriha finished as she had a worred look on her face.
With his devilish look on his face, the green-haired boy laughed in an evil tone, "Well, whaddaya know?! Looks like it's up to our handicrafts pro again! Didn't think of that! Not even for one millisecond!"
You lightly smacked the back of his head as you sided with Yuzuriha. You scolded him with crossed arms, "Senku, that's not how you ask for help. Do it properly."
You had him and Kaseki grovel before your friend, so they could beg and earn her help. Your boyfriend then requested, "The science team will be busy planning for actual flight. Can we leave the whole cloth-making job to you and your handicrafts team, Yuzuriha?"
"If you need any tools, just say the word," Kaseki added.
You then awaited her answer. She looked over at you with a satisfied smile--sign of thanks--and had given you a high five. With a look of confidence, she replied, "You got it! Just leave it to me and the handicrafts team!"
Not even a second later, she had gotten everybody to work with her to create the cloth needed for the hot-air balloon.
"While they're working on that, you already know what to do, slowpoke," Senku mentioned as he watched them head off with your friend.
You answered, "Yeah, I know. I'll do what I can when it comes to our dear sailor here. But just drag me out of there when you need me, alright?"
"I won't hesitate to do so," he replied with a snicker.
~~~
A few days of working on creating cloth had gotten everybody worked up. While everyone was working together, you had been visiting Ryusui for the past couple of days to have short conversations with him. Just because you needed to manipulate him, doesn't mean it had to be on a grand scale. With you cutting the time short, you felt as though he was leaning more into you, yearning to have you with every word you dropped.
"After the process of making the hot-air balloon, we're going to use it to look for our oil. This way, we can be able to fuel the ship and you can explore the world all you want."
"Ah, but we're going to do it together."
"Right... we're doing it togeth--"
"(Y/N)-chan!" You heard Yuzuriha's voice calling out to you as you were in Ryusui's domain once again. Looking back at her, you saw her with a wide grin and stars shining in her eyes as she was running toward you. "I need your help! Do you have time?"
You looked up at the sailor, who you were in the middle of talking to, with a regretful look in your eyes. "Ah, I'm sorry, Ryusui-san. We need to cut this conversation short again..."
The man let out a disappointed sigh, then a crossed his arms as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "That's okay, my dear (Y/N). I know you have things to attend to, and that I understand! It raises the people's need for you, in which you can use them for something greater!"
"You get it," you chuckled, then turned to Yuzuriha, "Lead the way! I'll help with whatever I can."
Yuzuriha, who had a close-eyed smile, grabbed your hand and started dragging you the moment you agreed without knowing what was going on. She was being a little rough, and you wondered why.
"Yuzuriha, can you slow down a bit...? You're kinda rough with me right now," you told her when you were out of earshot from the sailor.
With an apologetic look, she stated, "Ah, sorry, (Y/N)-chan! It's just that I did not go through all these years of supporting you and Senku-kun just to see you spending all your time with Ryusui-kun!"
Dumbfounded, you had an awkward smile on your face. "'All these years'?"
"Yes 'All these years!' I told you before that there were so many signs, even before your dance with Senku-kun!" She reminded you as a matter of factly, her finger pointed upward. "You aren't two-timing, are you?"
"What?! Why would I when I'm literally smitten with Senku?!" You admitted. Then your face was flushed when you realized what you said, causing her to giggle a bit. "I-I'm really not. Did Senku not tell you anything?"
"No! He only said that you're going to be spending time with Ryusui-kun for the next few days to weeks..." she replied.
A small drop dripped down your temples as you let out an aggravated sigh. "Look, Senku and I have a plan, and that is to sway Ryusui-san over to our side of the decision making. It includes me, with Senku's permission, actively seeking him out and persuading him."
"Ohhh! Well...good! I don't want anything happening to my long-time friends! Especially when I've waited so long for them to get together..." the brunette let out a silly laugh, causing you to sweat some more. The last thing you want is to get in the way of your friend's happiness, even if it involves your relationship.
Soon, Yuzuriha led you to a tent in the middle of the Kingdom. The girl went inside, you following after her, and saw drawings of clothes designs of different kinds. It spanned from men to women, adults to children, and people of all sizes.
"You're designing clothes?" You wondered as you picked up one of the sheets of paper, admiring her dedication.
She turned around with a smiley grin on her face. "Yes! And I need you to be my model, just like back then! Senku-kun and Gen-kun had asked me to design clothes and we're going to use it for a department store."
You widened your eyes. "So, that's what we're doing with the extra cloth? You got anything I can try right now?"
"ABSOLUTELY! I already know your measurements, so I created a couple outfits that I wanted you to try!" She cried out with joy, and then dumped a massive pile of different garments in front of you.
Your eyes went up and down as you looked to see some familiar apparel, as well as a few new kinds to be introduced. Beads started dancing down your temples as you realized that Yuzuriha went all out after not being able to do this for so long. In a way, you felt that this was her releasing all of her stress and energy on something she enjoyed.
"By the way, I'm also going to get some other people in on this too!" Yuzuriha squealed happily.
You looked at her as you picked up an outfit to wear. "Like who?"
"Ruri-chan for an elegant, mature style, Kinro-kun for a possible slim-fit look, Suika-chan to show off cute, street-chic clothing, Kaseki-san to introduce suave, adult flair, and Haru-chan for casual wear," she listed from the top of her head, pointing her finger into her cheek.
"Haru, too?!"
"Yes! Though, I will be having you model everything for me...especially since you look great in any gender clothing," the girl added with a nervous laugh.
"...Like this?" You raised an eyebrow as you held up a recognizable piece of apparel on a hanger. It was a white-collared dress-shirt with a pair of black slacks--a pink coat with a blue diamond design was plastered on the front laid on the shoulders. In the middle of the hanger, a blue pendant hung from it and sparkled as the finishing piece. "This is cosplay, Yuzuriha! All I'd need is blonde hair!"
"Oh, that one isn't for you, so don't worry!" She giggled, causing you to raise an eyebrow. "And the villagers don't know the story; it'll be okay. Besides, I made a matching pair with it that I want you to try first!"
The brunette then held up a puffy, blue dress with a white collar and three black buttons on the chest. In her other hand, there was a sun hat with a red ribbon and pink brochette. But you specifically noticed that it was in your size.
"I don't think Sophie's dress is going to look good on me," you mentioned blankly.
She immediately went up to you and gripped your shoulders tightly as she looked directly into your eyes with darkened ones. "It will look good on you! I made sure to create clothing that fits everybody! Now, put on the dress!"
~~~
Night had fallen and the stage was filled with spotlights pointed at it. Drums were being played in the background as Gen, who stood on the stage, was the host of the fashion show that Yuzuriha held for her new clothing line. Everybody in the Kingdom of Science attended to lay their eyes upon the new apparel for Senku's upcoming department store.
"Ruri-san looks so pretty! The stupid headband guy should get a grip and confess to her already!" Haru angrily whispered out, then added, "But she's walking a little too slow..."
You and your friends were behind the stage as Ruri was doing her runway walk in the front of the stage. She wore a loose, sleeveless shirt with a skirt that went all the way down to her ankles. As the mentalist had said, her stole made her look elegant.
"As much as we all want him to, he's too foolish for his own good," Kinro sighed as he adjusted the turtle neck he wore. Suddenly, Yuzuriha started pushing the man to walk the runway as Ruri started to come back. "Wait, wait, how am I supposed to walk?!"
"Just relax, Kinro-kun!" Yuzuriha quietly cheered him on.
You added, "But make sure you show off the clothes too!"
Kinro froze up and started walking like a robot down the runway. You looked at the crowd, who were impressed by the clothing he had worn. But some were also laughing at his rigid movements.
"On one hand, we have a traditional, slim-fit look. On the other, a knitted sweater and casual accessories for a man who knows what he wants!" Your friend said. The mentalist had sweat dripping down his temples as he saw the look on Kinro's face.
"HE'S SO STIFF!" Haru groaned. "He's swinging his arms with the leg he's stepping with, too!"
"You can't blame him...he and the other villagers have never done this before," you told them.
Yuzuriha happily exclaimed with a clap, "But at least he's showing off my work! Now, Suika-chan, I need you to be careful out there."
She looked at the brunette as she squinted her eyes. "But Suika can't see!"
"That's okay. When you can't see the edge if the runway anymore, you stop for a few seconds, then come back," she reassured the girl.
"And it's not as bad as it looks out there too!" Ruri added to make her feel better when she had returned.
The little girl nodded appreciatively. When Kinro started coming back, Suika went next. With tears in her eyes, mainly because of her lack of vision, she walked hesitantly for everyone to see her outfit.
Gen started, "Trying staying fashionable in modern times? Add a dash of street chic to a style that screams 'I'm so cute!'"
Haru then mentioned as they looked through the curtains, "She's doing a little better than Kinro-san... Look, there's a few people that want what she's wearing."
"Well, what could I have done? Especially since you're telling me I did awful," Kinro questioned the young teenager as he overheard them when returning.
"You could've not looked like a robot, that's for sure," the child told him without batting an eye at the man. "You can't swing your arms too much--just do it naturally. If you can't do that, just keep your hands in your pocket. Walk forward with your chin down and eyes forward."
The seamstress told them,"Suika-chan is coming back now! I need you to go next, Haru-chan."
"Show them how it's done, kid!" Kaseki told them with a grin.
You noticed the bold grin on their face as they were feeling up the clothes that they wore. With an "okay" sign on their hand, they stepped onto the stage. Keeping their hands in their pockets, their walk exuded a load of confidence by how straight their posture was, and their mouth curled across their face as they looked forward. Kaseki was watching them with a proud smile on their face as he was waiting to go next.
"Not a fan of tight clothing? Over-sized wear is also an option for both men and women alike to show off that teenage attitude~!" Gen cheerfully announced as Haru would strut around.
"Ah, since it's almost my turn, I'm getting a bit nervous now," you mentioned as you gripped the sides of your clothing. "Do I really have to wear this...?"
"It's one of the special, limited custom works that won't be sold out right away, so I wanted to show it off on the most beautiful person I know," the seamstress informed you.
You were a bit caught off guard by her comment, then you started tapping your foot against the floor anxiously. "But did it have to be this one...? Why couldn't I wear Sophie's dress instead? Ruri could've worn this one!"
She replied with pleading eyes, "You told me you didn't want to wear it! But don't be so anxious, (Y/N)-chan, it'll be okay!"
"You being anxious is a bit surprising, considering how confident you are when fighting," the golden wolf mentioned as he pulled the collar to his turtle neck. Ruri nodded in agreement.
"Fighting is completely different to modeling! If I mess up, at least I could die while I fight and not live with shame!" You argued against him. "Don't you remember what happened when I lost against Senku during the Grand Bout? Public humiliation lives with you forever!"
Everyone who witnessed your loss had sweat dripping down their temples as they remembered the tickling incident. Haru suddenly burst through the curtains with one of their hands covering their face as their bucket hat laid low to hide their silver-like eyes. You heard Gen announcing Kaseki's outfit after he had started walking down the runway at the same time.
"Why'd she have to embarrass me..." Haru mumbled through their fingers, then looked at you. "...Better bring one of these if you wanna properly show that off."
They then handed you a bouquet of flowers that someone had given them. You raised an eyebrow and asked, "And who did you get these from?"
They turned their head away as they replied, "...my mom."
You pitied them and started speaking as you stepped onto the stage, "What did I tell you? Public humiliation is worse than death. The shame is enough to nearly kill you!"
"You better hurry, (Y/N)-chan~ Kaseki-chan is coming back and I really want to do this announcement!" Gen pushed you forward.
You almost stumbled, but inhaled deeply as you tried to compose yourself. You held the bouquet in front of you as you took slow steps down the runway after the curtains had opened. Jaws had dropped the moment the spotlight had aimed itself at you.
"One of the special works by Yuzuriha-chan: an outfit for the happiest day of your life! White will show off your purity and your beauty~! This will make you the center of attention as a bride~" The mentalist announced with a wide grin.
"Oh my God!"
"A wedding dress made out of hemp?!"
"She's so beautiful!"
Your vision began darting around the crowd, and you saw all of the shocked and surprised expressions littered around the crowd. You couldn't help but feel embarrassed with having all these lingering eyes on you. The bouquet of flowers wasn't enough to hide yourself from the longing stares from the people around the stage.
Suddenly, you spotted a very familiar sailor in the back of the mass of people. His honey-colored eyes had suddenly met with yours the moment you had spotted him. A smirk spread across his face when he noticed that you found him. He lifted his hand up and pointed two fingers at you with one hand, as if he was saying "I want that!" With that, you returned a teasing grin for him to receive, and curtly turned around to head back. Now you felt more annoyed than anxious, but he might've taken the bait.
Then, without warning, you saw Senku at the end of the runway entrance after turning around. Widening your eyes, you froze in place; your heart begun beating faster as you saw him standing with Gen. His longing gaze trailed themselves up and down your body, and a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. You had no idea what he was thinking.
Lord, have mercy on my soul. Please don't look at me like that, you thought to yourself as you saw his face. The heat remained on your face as its color darkened severely.
Suddenly, he started heading straight for you, marching as though nothing was going to stop him. You took the bouquet and covered your face with it to avoid his fixed stare. He hastily wrapped an arm around your waist--planting a hand on your lower back--and looked at the audience with a pinky in his ear. "You've gotten a taste of Senku's Department Store, so line up and give us your drago tomorrow! Maybe you'll look as good as this slowpoke here!"
You turned your head toward him as the people had cheered and talked amongst themselves. "You couldn't be more subtle with that...? You just called them ugly indirectly!"
"Better to be direct than to tone it down. Besides, they're already interested in the new line of wear," the scientist chuckled as he watched everyone beginning to leave. He then slightly leaned his head over to you and spoke in a hushed tone, "And what are you doing, covering your face like that? I can't see how beautiful you are behind those flowers of yours."
"S-Senku--!" You blurted out.
You couldn't even continue your sentence with how much he threw you off, but noticed how his expression changed as he looked through the crowd. It wasn't until you felt him pull you closer that you turned back to see him giving Ryusui a look that meant "what are you gonna do about it?"
You started, "And what do you think you're doing, provoking him like that?"
"Kukuku, with this, King Midas over here will empty his bottomless pockets out for us," Senku sneered with an evil look on his face. "But I'm showing him who is rightfully mine."
"Senku, you are being too smooth for me to handle!" You whined as you shoved the flowers into his face. Looking back at Ryusui, you watched as his eyes grew even more determined before he had walked away. There's no way he's going to give up now.
"Kukuku, now he's really taken the bait. Next time he tries doing something, it'll work out in our favor," your boyfriend explained with a grin, dropping the flowers onto the ground. He turned back to you as he placed he hands on your waist. "Now that he's gone, I can enjoy you all to myself. Let's get out of here."
An embarrassed smile slowly worked its way onto your face as you looked into his ruby-red eyes. They were full of love and desire, just for you and you alone. "But what about the dress?"
"Just keep it on for now. I don't mind seeing it on you," he said with the ends of his lips curled upward. "Unless you just wanna take it off right now."
"Wha--"
"Just kidding."
"Hey!"
You started to lightly hit him with your hands balled up in a fist. All he could do was laugh as your soft hands would touch his back. Meanwhile, the rest of the group was just watching you and Senku fight playfully as they stared from behind the stage. Best to leave the two of you alone for now.
-To be Continued-
A/N: This chapter may have felt more like filler, but I wanted to have a way to set some things up for future chapters. But I hope you enjoyed, despite Senku not being in it a lot!
Next chapter should have more Senku and Ryusui too!