Stars | Ishigami Senku (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter Nine

Senku surprisingly grew fond of the musty smell of the library.

Every time he would enter the room, he would always take in the vanilla mixed with the moldy scent of the books, a welcoming fragrance whenever he would visit the library. It was there where his mind would perceive and conjure ideas and thoughts. It was there where he found his solace surrounded by a pile of books.

And just like any other day, Senku decided to spend his free time in the library. After being around preschoolers who never had the same cognitive capacity as he did, and only chose to socialize and stick their pencils up their nose instead of developing their minds, the library was a means of comfort.

Now that Senku thought about it, he never understood why he spent all those free time he had at home just vegetating on his bed and reading comics. If he had known that science was way more fun, he would have dropped his comics in a heartbeat. But he still enjoyed skimming through some of them every now and then, even if they were a bit ridiculous in his opinion.

Senku nodded his greetings to the school librarian, before going straight to the assemblage of books in the Science section.

He quickly read the familiar titles of each book, and grabbed a handful even if he had already memorized their contents. He liked rereading through some of them, finding every word and detail fascinating.

Anything related to Science would always excite Senku, like he had just discovered a treasure trove of knowledge over and over again. Science was, without a doubt, amazing and he just couldn't get enough of it.

And the experiments. It was always trial and error, but Science was about being diligent and patient throughout the process, and that was what Senku liked the most. He would take it one step at a time. There were no shortcuts to Science, and a successful outcome out of many failed attempts would always leave Senku feel as if he owned the world.

It was exhilarating.

Just when Senku had a bundle of books in one arm, and was ready to settle in a nearby table, a single book managed to stop him in his tracks. His red gaze scanned the familiar hardbound cover featuring stars and planets, the word 'Astronomy' printed on the spine.

He takes his time to stare at it indignantly as unwanted memories played in his mind like a film reel. After that, he huffed and left shortly.

A lot had changed throughout the span of three months. Senku refused to dwell in the past, when he believed that he had suffered greatly due to your annoying presence. You were loud and very irritating, and the silence that prompted after you left was welcomed with open arms.

Now, as the days stretched to weeks, and the fact still remained that you showed no signs of ever showing yourself again, Senku wasn't sure what to feel. He was happy, sure, but his father had made the situation look as if his nonexistent friendship with you was a sacred bond that should never be severed. Byakuya, at first, took it as a joke, because he believed that you had slowly changed his son for the better.

But then Byakuya remembered that this was Senku he was talking about, and that the chances of him having a perfect relationship with you was as slim as him passing the upcoming astronaut exam.

Immediately, he preached about the importance of friendship, followed by a few cheesy lines that made Senku cringe and wilt on the inside ('If your heart was a compass, then it would point directly to (Y/n)' was one of them, and Senku had to keep himself from vomiting).

As much as Byakuya wanted his son to make amends with you, Senku had already found another idiot's company, and his obliviousness was already a handful for Senku. If he had to add yours in the equation, he was ten billion percent sure he wouldn't last long before he starts regressing in both of your presences at once.