Discovery
Chrome walked into the guest room, or what had turned into an impromptu lab, with a sigh. Piles of research papers, half-assembled gadgets, and various tools littered every surface. The once cozy room now looked like an abandoned science facility, with Senku at the center, bent over a desk covered in blueprints and mineral samples.
"Senku," Chrome called out, trying not to trip over a stack of notebooks. "You’ve really taken over the place, huh?"
Senku barely acknowledged him, too absorbed in his work. "Hmm?"
Chrome waved a hand in front of Senku’s face, but it only seemed to draw a blank stare in return. “I said, you’ve really turned my guest room into your personal lab.”
Senku sighed, finally looking up. "Don’t be dramatic. It’s just temporary. I’m in the middle of something important.”
Chrome glanced around the room at the scattered papers, his curiosity piqued. “Yeah, about that… What exactly are you researching? It’s not just some random science project, is it?”
Senku leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "It’s not just any project, Chrome." He tapped a finger to his chin, eyes narrowing in thought. "It’s a cave."
"A cave?" Chrome repeated, eyebrows raised. “What, like a spelunking thing? Are you planning on becoming a cave explorer or something?”
Senku’s eyes gleamed, and he shifted slightly, leaning forward with intensity. “Not just any cave. This cave is special. It holds rare minerals—ones that could change everything. The kind of minerals that could revolutionize energy, technology, maybe even space exploration.”
Chrome’s expression shifted from confusion to excitement. “Wait, wait, wait. So, you’re saying there’s a cave with super valuable materials hidden somewhere in Hoshikawa!?, and you’re the only one who knows about it?”
Senku nodded,picking his ear. “Correct. I’ve known about it for years. It’s a place I remember from my childhood, a memory that’s burned into my mind...”
Chrome paused, sensing something off in Senku’s tone. "So, what's the catch? You don't sound too sure about this."
Senku’s expression faltered, and he leaned back in his chair, looking almost frustrated. “The problem is, I can’t remember exactly where it is.”
“What do you mean, you can’t remember? You’ve known about this cave for years, Senku!"
Senku pinched the bridge of his nose, his red eyes flickering with irritation. "I know, I know. It’s just the exact location... it’s slipping away from me. I remember the way it felt being there, the minerals, the way the light reflected off the walls—but the details of where it was? Gone."
Chrome’s brow furrowed, concern creeping into his voice. “So, you’ve been chasing after something you can’t even find?”
“I’m not chasing,” Senku corrected him sharply. “I’m researching. I just need the right clues to put everything back together.” His eyes lit up once more. “But that’s where you come in.”
Chrome blinked. “Me? What do I have to do with this?”
Senku smirked. “You’re going to help me find the cave, obviously. After all, you’re the one who always drags me out of these messes.”
Chrome let out a breath, rubbing his temples. “Great. Just great. You’re the genius, but I’m the one who gets stuck in these crazy adventures.”
Senku chuckled lightly. “That’s what makes it fun. Now, help me find this cave, and I’ll make it worth your while,get excited!.”
Chrome sighed, shaking his head but smiling despite himself. “This is going to be wild, I can already tell.”
_____________________________________
The familiar chime of the convenience store door rang as Kohaku stood behind the counter, lazily tapping her fingers against the register. It was another slow afternoon, just like yesterday—except today, she was prepared for anything.
She had already stocked the shelves, wiped down the counters, and even organized the impulse-buy snacks near the register. Ruri would be proud of her efficiency. Kohaku, on the other hand, was just waiting for her shift to end.
She glanced at the clock. Still a few hours left. Ugh.
With a sigh, she leaned against the counter, staring outside. The streets were quiet, save for a few passersby. She was just about to grab a drink from the mini-fridge when the doorbell rang again.
In walked the one person she didn’t want to see.
The guy from yesterday—Dr. S.
Kohaku tensed slightly as the white-haired scientist strolled in like he owned the place, hands in his pockets, his red eyes scanning the aisles with disinterest.
Great. Him again.
She had met him yesterday, and she already didn’t like him. Something about his attitude—the way he spoke, like he was analyzing everything and everyone—rubbed her the wrong way.
Still, she was working, and she wasn’t about to let some smug asshole ruin her day.
She put on her best customer service voice. “Welcome,” she said, though her tone was flat.
Senku barely acknowledged her as he headed straight for the snack aisle.
Kohaku narrowed her eyes. Tch. Rude.
She watched as he picked up a few energy bars, a pack of nuts, and—of all things—a ridiculous amount of caffeine drinks.
He placed his items on the counter without a word.
Kohaku scanned them slowly, eyeing him. “Didn’t take you for the junk food type, Dr. S.”
Senku smirked, picking his ear. “A scientist’s brain burns a lot of energy. Gotta refuel somehow.”
Kohaku rolled her eyes. “Right. And the five cans of caffeine?”
“Necessary.”
“For what? Staying up all night doing nerdy things?”
“Exactly.”
Kohaku scoffed, placing his total on the screen. “That’ll be 2,400 yen.”
Senku pulled out his wallet, handing over the bills without hesitation. As she gave him his change, he tilted his head slightly, observing her.
“You seem annoyed.”
Kohaku frowned. “You’re very observant, aren’t you?”
Senku chuckled. “It’s part of the job.”
She handed him his bag, crossing her arms. “Well, you should do your job somewhere else.”
Senku grabbed the bag, his smirk never fading. “Not possible.” He turned to leave but paused at the door. “See you tomorrow, Lioness.”
Kohaku felt her eye twitch. Lioness!?
She watched as he walked out, her hands tightening into fists.
“Oh, I really don’t like that guy.”
2:00 pm
The afternoon was slow, and Kohaku was once again stuck behind the counter, absentmindedly tapping her fingers against the register. She was half-listening to the soft hum of the refrigerator and half-counting down the minutes until her shift ended.
Then, the doorbell chimed.
Kohaku looked up, expecting another random customer, but instead, she saw a familiar face.
“Chrome?” She raised an eyebrow as her childhood friend walked in, looking around like he was searching for something. “What are you doing here?”
“Yo, Gor–kohaku!” Chrome grinned, walking up to the counter. “Just needed to grab a drink. Also, uh…” He scratched the back of his head. “Figured I’d check on you.”
Kohaku gave him a skeptical look. “Check on me? Why?”
Chrome laughed awkwardly. “Well… Yumi said you were pissed yesterday... Something about a certain white-haired scientist?”
Kohaku groaned, leaning against the counter. “Don’t even start. That guy—Dr. S—he just pisses me off. He acts like he’s the smartest person in the world and doesn’t even have the decency to be polite.”
Chrome chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds like Senku.”
Kohaku narrowed her eyes. “Senku?”
“Huh?” Chrome blinked, realizing his mistake. “Oh—uh, I mean—uh…”
Kohaku crossed her arms. “Spill it, Chrome. What do you know about him?”
Chrome hesitated for a moment, then sighed in defeat. “Fine, fine. His full name is Ishigami Senku. He’s kind of a big deal in the science world. Genius-level smart, runs a huge research company, yadda yadda.” He waved a hand dismissively.
Kohaku frowned. “And why is he in this tiny town? Don’t tell me he’s one of those eccentric rich guys who decided to ‘experience the simple life.’”
Chrome snorted. “Pffft, no way. The guy would rather live in a lab than anywhere else. He’s here because he’s looking for a cave.”
“A cave?” Kohaku repeated, suddenly interested.
“Yeah, but not just any cave,” Chrome said, lowering his voice slightly like he was sharing a secret. “Senku says he knows there’s a cave around here filled with rare minerals. But the weird part? He doesn’t actually know where it is.”
Kohaku tilted her head. “That makes no sense. How can he know about a cave but not know where it is?”
“That’s the thing,” Chrome said, tapping his fingers on the counter. “He says he’s been there before. A long time ago. But for some reason, he can’t remember where it was.”
Kohaku’s fingers twitched.
Something about that felt… off.
She wasn’t sure why, but hearing those words sent a strange sensation through her, like an itch in the back of her mind.
A cave. A place someone had been to before, but had forgotten.
Why did that sound familiar?
She shook her head, dismissing the thought. “Well, good luck to him, I guess. Hope he enjoys wandering around aimlessly.”
Chrome laughed. “Yeah, well, knowing him, he’s probably already got five different plans to track it down. But hey, if you hear anything about an old cave around here, let me know. It’d help a lot.”
Kohaku rolled her eyes. “Fine, whatever.”
As Chrome paid for his drink and left, Kohaku found herself staring at the door long after he was gone.
That strange feeling still lingered.
She hated to admit it… but now, she was a little curious.
In Chrome's house, Senku sat in the cluttered guest room, papers and maps spread out across the desk in front of him. His phone buzzed beside him, and without looking, he answered it.
“Yo.”
“Senkuuuu! Guess what? I have some very interesting data for you!” Chelsea’s excited voice came through the speaker.
Senku smirked, picking his ear lazily. “Alright, let’s hear it.”
“So, I went through every geological record I could find, and I think I’ve narrowed down your mystery cave to a few possible locations,” Chelsea said. “A lot of the terrain has changed, but based on your vague childhood memory—which, by the way, terrible recall on your part—I found some mineral deposits that could match what you’re looking for.”
Senku leaned forward, his eyes sharp with interest. “Go on.”
“Well, most of the caves in that area are pretty standard, but there’s one that stands out. It’s near a collapsed volcanic tube, which means it could have rare mineral formations inside. Not super well-documented, but I found an old survey that mentions some unusual rock compositions. If I had to bet, I’d say that’s your best shot.”
Senku’s smirk widened. “Now that is useful.”
“I know, right?” Chelsea said proudly. “Buuuut, there’s a problem.”
Senku raised an eyebrow. “Of course there is.”
Chelsea laughed. “The problem is… I have no exact coordinates. Just descriptions and rough estimates. You’re gonna have to do some old-school exploring.”
Senku clicked his tongue. “Tch. Figures.”
“But hey, look on the bright side! This just means more adventure! Isn’t that exciting?”
Senku rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I love wandering around blindly looking for rocks.”
Chelsea giggled. “You’ll figure it out. You always do. Anyway, I’ll keep digging for more info, but for now, this is your best lead. Have fun, Dr. Senkuuu~”
She hung up before Senku could respond.
He let out a short chuckle, shaking his head. Chelsea was as unpredictable as ever.
But now, he had something to work with.
His fingers tapped against the table as he stared at the rough map Chelsea had sent over. If this was the right cave, it could change everything.
Now, he just had to find it.
END OF CHAPTER