Steps to survival

Chapter 9 : A Great Plan

We sat patiently surrounding a comforting fire waiting for Suika to wobble over to us and sit herself down.

"I went around the village all day and I found out what most people want," she told us excitedly while holding a cooked fish on a stick.

"First off, here's what the sparkling sisters Garnet, Sapphire and Ruby had to say," we listened intently.

"Oh, boy, they're the most beautiful girls in the village," Kohaku intervened.

"They were talking about what they want more than anything." I let out a faint yawn and covered my mouth.

"I hope it's something we can create with our limited available technology," Senku uttered sceptically.

"They want boyfriends!" I ducked my head, concealing my quiet laughter.

"There's no way in hell we're making one of those!" Senku freaked, Kohaku joined my incessant laughing and leaned on my shoulder. And surprisingly I let her, it actually felt comfortable.

"Well, at least they're all being honest about what they're looking for. Heh. You're not bad-looking, Senku. And you do have a certain kinda charm about you," I ducked my head easing my breath while Kohaku leaned back. I had to agree, she was kind of right.

"But I don't think you're the type of handsome that Sapphire's talking about," I'm pretty sure I caught Kohaku giving me a side-eye while she blabbed on.

"Aw, girls are always flappin' their jaws about what they want in men. It gets really freakin' old," while Chrome babbled on, I swiftly picked up a piece of fish and played with it in my free right hand.

"And that's precisely the reason why I can't stand any of em-" he was cut short with a half a fish launched at his face. He watched in terror as it slid casually down his forehead and screeched.

"Sorry, Chrome. What was that?" I tilted my head sassily at him. Kohaku and Suika were wheezing while Senku collapsed onto his knees cackling completely surprised that you did that, usually, you'd just throw a glare! Chrome was on the floor utterly humiliated with grease and fluid coating his face. We all managed to settle down soon enough.

"The girl who wants food could work for me. She might be our only shot. What does she want?" Senku's face lit up.

"A big feast with game and stuff!" Suika said enthusiastically.

"Oh! That reminds me of something. I overheard Gan'en the village glutton. He was complaining to his parents that he's bored to death of eating fish all the time. So all he really wants is to try something new!" Suika ranted on.
Senku reciprocated with a chuckle.

"I knew that you could pull it off, Great Detective Suika. That's to your intelligence-gathering skills, now I know what kind of science we can use to win them over to our side," he leaned forward, catching my interest.

"So are you gonna cook for them or something?" Kohaku turned in his direction.

"But what does cooking have to do with science?" Chrome asked, Senku looked to me suggestively.

"Everything, actually. Food is science, after all," I reminded myself of how it works for a second.

"Its glutamic and inosinic acids," as soon as I finish my sentence I hear a small bark. When I look over I spot Suika dallying along with a puppy.

"Suika, what're you playing with over there?" Senku asked.

"Oh, this? Check it out. It's my little buddy Chalk's favourite toy ever. Dogtail millet!" It took myself a second to understand what it was.

"Oh, you mean foxtail millet?" I ask.

"Ya know, that could actually be just the thing we're looking for," his eyes seem to light up excitedly but wouldn't show it. You smirked, it was amusing that only you noticed this.

"We might be able to take that stuff and make a ridiculously tasty dish. Something that everyone in my old world used to drool over," I didn't quite catch on, but none-the-less everyone helped collect the foxtail millet the next day.

We all ended up exhausting ourselves by beating the bristles off of the ends. That brings us up to speed.

"We're really gonna eat these? Because foxtail millet is super gross. So... you can count me out, Senku," Kohaku questioned clearly appalled.

"The reason we're whacking the hell out of it is to remove the husk so we can eat it. Foxtail millet is ten billion per cent grain. Albiet an unrefined one, but still," he said, still beating the plant onto a rock platform. It took another few hours before we had removed all the husk and placed it into a weaved basket.

"Ugh. It looks so nasty," Kohaku gulped repressing a gag. Both she and Suika were leaned over the basket.

"And it's completely covered in furry stuff," Suika whimpered, I shook my head. Kohaku had begun to pour the plant into the jug of water Chrome had filled with water for us.

We later were stuck grinding the plant into fine powder individually.

"Senku what exactly are we making?" I asked giving in to my curiosity.

"I thought you would've caught on by now," he smirked. Damn it that smirk. I felt my body heat rise dramatically. He chuckled at my embarrassment.

"Stop making me feel stupid, you leak," I heard a few snickers though I couldn't tell who they were coming from.

"Damn asparagus," I mutter and Senku bursts into an joyus fit of laughter, he loved teasing me. I end up biting my lip, drawing blood, trying not to chuckle. Once he calmed down he continued to crush the foxtail.

"When you think about it, food is a perfect example of science. We have flour. It's not wheat, but it'll have to do," he smiled chaotically.

"Way to go guys!"

Hi guys sorry this chapters a little bit shorter, but of course you can blame this on the bloody Corona Virus! Anyway stay safe and for the love of god wash your hands!