50. Manipulating Flight and Food
03-12-2024
A/N: Oh my god I finally posted--SORRY GUYS, I GOT SICK (still sick) AND FELT SO MISERABLE (still miserable but its tolerable now) I COULDN'T EVEN WRITE!!!
(((ï¿£â½ï¿£;) BUT IT'S HERE (off schedule) YAYYYY!!! PLEASE ANSWER THE QUESTION AT THE END!!
But 50 chapters done! I haven't made it this far since 2019!
Q: How are you enjoying these chapters so far?
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"That's what he told you?!"
"Yes! What the hell am I supposed to say to that?!"
You met up with Senku and Gen after your conversation of the day with Ryusui, which happened days after the fashion show by Yuzuriha. The sailor had followed you as you were there to discuss certain topics while the balloon was finished. While you were with them, you explained to the both of them the conditions of what Ryusui wanted if Senku were to need him to co-pilot the hot-air balloon. It wasn't such a simple favor either.
"We don't have one million drago to give him...besides, I can't pilot it by myself. He is the only one who is able to read patterns of the wind," said Senku as he rubbed the back of his head.
"I know that. He even told me that himself. He's just waiting for me to give him the signal that you'll let him go under his conditions," you informed them as you glanced over to the man, who was looking over the completed hot-air balloon cloth.
The three of you were silent, forced to think of a solution of letting the man fly without having to negotiate. Then, Gen had pulled out a deck of cards seemingly out of nowhere.
With a mischievous smile on his face, he told the two of you, "I have an idea...this is our chance to rip off Ryusui-chan for more cash! But I'm going to need your help, (Y/N)-chan. Especially now that you mostly have him wrapped around your finger..."
You nodded. "Alright. What do I have to do?"
The man hastily explained his plan to you by whisper, which you understood perfectly. The three of you then gathered everybody around in a group, hoping that the plan would work.
"Gather around, everyone! We still need to pick two people to ride the balloon, so we're going to decide with drawing cards~!" The mentalist announced to the Kingdom of Science. "Whoever gets one of the two Jokers in the deck gets to ride!"
Using this tactic, he would be able to force a hand on the people, and Ryusui of course. Those who had pulled before you did not get the Joker, and when it was time for the sailor himself to pull one from the deck, there was a card sticking out made to look as though he should pull it out. A smirk appeared on the man's face as he looked at you.
"Hmph! I see! If you really wanted my help, you should've just asked like how I told my dear (Y/N) to do! But since you went out of your way to pull this dirty little trick, I'll charge you a million drago for my piloting fee--" the moment the blonde man pulled the card from the deck, he flipped it over and saw that it was not, in fact, a Joker. This caused everyone to be confused, and Senku to slowly realize what was going on.
Gen then held the deck in front of you for you to pull a card. This time, you pulled one that the mentalist was urging you to pick. Because Ryusui had lost something that he thought he'd desperately win, it did not matter how well your acting was. The amount of stress and loss that the sailor had gotten would overcome it.
With a fake look of shock, you whined as you held the card up, "Whaaat? I got the Joker! No way! I thought for sure that Ryusui-san would get it!"
"Wooow, slowpoke! I guess that you're coming to fly all over the skies with me!" Senku joined in on the tactic, wrapping his arm around your neck and pulling you closer in front of the sailor. He had one eye open to watch the reactions of the said man, hoping that this would work. "You must be so happy that you get to go with me, huh?"
You turned your head toward him, all while making glances at Ryusui. "I am! But I don't know how to read the wind, Senku~! You need somebody trustworthy enough to guide you...someone who is smart enough to pilot the balloon!"
"Kukuku...that's fine! If, by some chance, nobody gets the second Joker, it'll just be the two of us on the balloon!" Senku exclaimed with an evil tone. You could see the sweat dripping down the sailor's temples.
As you hoped it would happen, Ryusui joined in the conversation with the snap of his fingers, "If that's the case, I will gladly take it off of your hands and help guide Senku, my dear (Y/N)!"
"Really? You'd do that for me?" You stood up and Senku had let go of you. Your (E/C) eyes widened enough for the man to see the sparkling hope that you gave him. You waved the card around his face as you watched him follow it--it was as though he was in a hypnotic trance. That trance broke the moment you pulled it away from him. Continuing your act, you added as you crossed your arms, "But...this is a limited ticket that I was lucky enough to get... I can't just give it away for free, you know...? Maybe you can give something valuable in return, won't you, Ryusui-san~?"
Ryusui instantly turned to his mansion and ran off. He came back with a massive treasure chest with drago, which he had hopelessly dumped at your feet to get the joker. With a close-eyed smile, you had given him the card with grace as you accepted the money. Off to the side, your boyfriend and friend were laughing hysterically, knowing that you were a wolf in sheep's clothing. Your other friends didn't think the same thing.
"Great job, (Y/N)-chan! You really got him wrapped around your finger~!" Gen praised you as the three of you were out of Ryusui's sight and ears.
"We're lucky that he's desperate to be the first to travel this new world," you told them with a laugh.
"And is unfortunately infatuated with you." Senku sighed, but had a smirk on his face. "Still, you got the job done. You did good. He was like a dog waiting for a treat."
You smiled pleasantly as he gave you a head pat; something that he didn't do that often. But then you wondered, "So, who's gonna be the third person to go? I mean, I'd go but I just gave my Joker to Ryusui-san."
"We'll just chalk it up to luck--"
"OKAY, I'M REARING TO GO! LET ME PULL ONE OF THOSE TOO! I'LL PUT ALL MY GUSTO INTO IT!"
The three of you looked in the direction of the loud voice and saw Chrome, who was dirtied up and sweaty. He had come all the way from Ishigami Village just to ride in the hot-air balloon. Nobody expected it, but it should have been.
"Chrome?! You came all the way from Ishigami Village just to ride the balloon?!" The villagers were shocked to see that he was trying to get a shot at the cards.
With determination and patience, the boy told everyone, "With these eyes of mine, I want to see what the world is really like from the sky. I heard from Senku and (Y/N) that the Earth is round. But all we ever do at the village is hear things from those two. That's exactly why I want to see it myself..."
You, Senku, and Gen all looked at him with a warm smile on your faces, then glanced at each other in silent agreement. The mentalist allowed Chrome to pick a card. With all his gusto, and with a little help from your friend, the boy was able to pick the Joker out from the pile.
"ALL RIIIIIIGHT!" Chrome screamed from the top of his lungs as he held the card up. He was showing it off to the rest of the Kingdom, who had praised him for having insane luck.
You let out a soft laugh. "I didn't even know you guys told him about the hot-air balloon. Now that the three passengers have been chosen, what's going to be your destination?"
Senku replied, "Just to test it, we're going to Ishigami Village. It'll take us about two hours by flight to get there. If you want to meet us there, you should start your marathon ahead of us in the morning."
"Marathon? What, are you gonna run all the way there?" Gen looked at you with shock.
You grinned proudly. "Of course I am! I need to work on my endurance anyways because I haven't been able to train since I completely healed my leg."
The green-haired boy added as he looked at you, "She can handle it. Before any of this happened, both her and the big oaf were gonna carry us all the way to Hakone within five hours."
With sweat dripping down his temples, the mentalist replied, "Sometimes, I forget how strong you are, (Y/N)-chan...all I've seen from you lately is you practicing your manipulation skills for Ryusui-chan."
"Yeah... figured I've been neglecting some stuff ever since we revived Ryusui-san...so this is a good start for me," you told him. "I'll be fine! Just give me a backpack with some water and snacks, and I'll be good to go! Seriously, don't worry about me!"
~~~
Starting an early morning run was something that shouldn't be new to you, but you were a little bit behind schedule due to your lack of consistent training beforehand. It would have been easy if you were up in top shape, though you made sure to have precautions before going. You checked up with both Ukyo and Kohaku before going over just for a heads-up.
"Hey (Y/N)!"
You raised your arm up and waved as you made it to the entrance. You were tired, but it helped that the humid wind had kept you cool, as well as keeping you feeling fresh. The warm sun beamed down on you as you approached. "Hey Kohaku... hey Ukyo! It's nice to see you again, Turquoise, Jasper! Hi everyone!"
You met everyone at the bridge, where all the elderly villagers and children had greeted you.
"(Y/N), it's been months," Jasper said his hellos as with a smile, handing you some cola that was stored away.
"Finally! How's Chief Kokuyo doing?" Turquoise had asked you. "It's been so boring here!"
"He's doing fine! We're sorry for leaving you guys here!" You apologized to them as you kept yourself hydrated. "I made it ahead of Senku and the others, right?"
"Unsurprisingly, though you are behind schedule! We thought something happened to you!" Kohaku sounded as though she was scolding you. But you could tell she was worried for your well-being.
"Especially with that storm above too. Sounded pretty bad," Ukyo added with a nod.
"Hehe...sorry. I'm just behind on training after what I've been doing with Ryusui-san. If we have time, let's spar like we used to, Kohaku," you offered with a grin.
"Ryusui? Are you spending time with him now?!" The blonde lioness was shocked, ignoring your offer.
You had forgotten that you never told her or Ukyo what was going on with Ryusui. It was expected, especially since you blatantly told the girl that you disliked the sailor and his typical, greedy self. Explaining yourself and your plans was the best way to go for the situation, which you did in the most detailed way possible. In the process, you were also cooking a large meal with them so Senku and the others could eat after they had arrived.
"So, you're Gen 2.0? Only, you're not as much of a mischievous person," Ukyo said as he held a plate filled with food.
"You can't call her that! They're like the complete opposite of each other!" Kohaku told him while she was helping the elders cook as well. "But I'm surprised Senku was the one that suggested the manipulation in the first place. How is he handling it?"
"He's been rubbing it in Ryusui-san's face that I'm still his, so that's his way of coping, I suppose..." you informed her as your eyes rolled nervously. As your eyes had rolled, you saw a floating device in the corner of your eye. You stood up and squinted your eyes to see that it was the hot-air balloon. "Look, they're back! And...SENKU?!"
You quickly hopped up from your spot and immediately ran over to the balloon, Kohaku and Ukyo following after. The reason being: Senku was about to fall off. He was gripping the handles for dear life, and it seems like Ryusui and Chrome hadn't noticed him. They both threw ropes overboard and your two friends grabbed them to slow down its flight.
"Senku, come!" You called out as you held your arms out. The moment the balloon flew close overhead, he let go and you caught his falling body as though he were a bride. He seemed to start shivering with shock the moment he relaxed in your arms. "I'm glad to see you safe, but what even happened?!"
"Kukuku, we went straight into the eye of the storm..." he replied with a nervous grin. You were a bit confused until you remembered that there was a massive storm above that Ukyo had mentioned way earlier.
"You've got to be careful!" You lectured him with slightly furrowed eyebrows. With a sigh, you added, "Though, I can't exactly blame you if you got blown off...your body is small and weak."
"I don't know if you're insulting me or you pity me..." he stated. "But I'm home. That's what matters, right?"
With a warm smile, you replied as you hugged him tighter, "Yeah. Welcome home."
You carried him toward the village and met up with Kohaku and the rest of them. Putting him down so he could walk, you led them toward the chief's hut so they could eat their fill. Meanwhile, Ryusui was being introduced to the others for the very first time.
"HAHAAH! I'm truly grateful for the hospitality of these beautiful women!" Ryusui heartily laughed with a snap.
"Oh, my! He called us 'beautiful'!" One of the elders, Arumi, said in a bashful way.
Chrome entered first to see all of the food. His mouth started watering and his eyes grew large with hunger. "This is insane! What the hell is this?! This is way too fancy! It looks delicious!"
"Well, this is a banquet, after all. For the triumphant return of both Senku and (Y/N) to Ishigami Village," said Shou, another elder that was left behind. They all looked at you and Senku with a look of thanks, happy to see the two of you safe together.
"Oh?" The sailor headed inside to see this so-called feast, only to be met with just grilled fish everything. "Oh... this is--"
"Hope you guys enjoy it! We prepared it together!" You happily exclaimed as you looked directly at Ryusui. Your eyesight bore holes into the man's head to make sure he wouldn't insult the villagers' hard work. "If you have an issue, you can just eat outside and look for your own food!"
That had Ryusui stay quiet as the entire group circled around to eat the meal. You sat in between him and Senku just so you can keep them in line.
"Jasper, Turquoise, the two of you alone were able to protect all of the old folks?" The scientist questioned them.
Turquoise responded with annoyance, "We didn't even get into a single battle. Like I was telling (Y/N), it was boring! We wish a bear had attacked...then we could've gotten it's meat!"
"Instead, we spent the last few months eating nothing bit fish, all day every day," Jasper continued.
With that, the sailor started standing up with a grim look on his face. "Senku, (Y/N)...how long are we going to stay in this village...?"
"Who knows? Until we find oil?" Senku responded honestly.
You held in a laugh as you heard that. A man like Ryusui, who has a refined taste for fine dining, wouldn't stand for that. With a small snort, you spoke, "Based on how long we've been working, we're going to be here for a year or two... We don't really have anything other than fish so... I'm ready to embrace pescetarianism, whether I like it or not!"
It seemed like you had struck a nerve because he was now full of conviction. "IF THAT'S THE CASE, WE'LL FIND FOOD! FROM THE SKY! WE CAN DO IT! WE WILL DO IT! WE'VE JUST GOT TO!"
Senku realized what you had done, and another evil smirk formed on his face. "Oh, is that so?! Well, you'd better get to it then, Mr. Pilot!"
"YES! Anything so that we don't have to embrace it!"
-To be Continued-
A/N: I hope you liked this chapter!
AGAIN, I'm sorry for posting off schedule!
BECAUSE it is off schedule, would you rather wait until next week for me to post a long chapter or would you be okay with a bit of a shorter chapter this upcoming Saturday/Sunday?