Steps to survival

Chapter 27 : Almost there!

Hi, guys, I'm back sorry for the wait! I'm back and all better!

Anyway, enjoy!

The villager's murmurs filled the tense air. I was awkwardly backing away because there was absolutely no way that I was getting involved. I crept away until I was standing next to Kohaku and Kaseki. During the whole interaction, I had kept a straight face although it was killing me not to frown, I let myself become dazed and stared at the floor. I ignored everything, including the tense interaction.

I was snapped back to reality when a violent cough erupted next to me, I glanced down to watch Ruri on the floor while clutching her hand onto her bloody mouth. I kneeled down beside her vibrating form and examined her, it definitely looked internal. Pneumonia maybe? I kept a straight face again, trying not to look too worried, that might ease her family.

"Get away from the priestess, outsider!" The female guard screeched in my face, causing me to stumble backwards, only for Kaseki to grab my arm and hold me steady.

"Thank you," I mumbled.

"No problem."

"Yeah, in that case..." I heard Senku speaking in the background, "I want a divorce." Everyone grunted as he tilted his head.

"Ouch," I whisper, mainly to Kohaku and Ruri, who held a completely deadpanned expression. What the hell is happening? I hadn't even begun to process what had just occurred before I was yanked at the hand by Senku and was dragged across the bridge, Kaseki was being dragged by the collar, his feet not even managing to touch the ground.

"We've scored a ton of alcohol and vinegar!" I chuckle.

"I should've expected something like this to go down," Senku and I chuckle.

*time skip*

"What's this?"

"The force from the waterfall is making the bamboo spin around," Suika observed. We were all stood at the foot of the waterfall watching Kaseki's bamboo contraption, he sat in the shoulder height river.

"Haha! And I nailed it on my first attempt! Pretty cool, huh? Are you charmed by my talents, ladies?" I smiled gracefully at the older man, he smiled back.

"Impressive. I usually botch my first few attempts at building anything," Senku complimented. Kaseki bobbed his head towards him.

"Thank you. But I wasn't trying to charm you," he grunted.

"So... What does this allow us to make?" Gen spoke up. I didn't actually realise this at the time, but Gen had shown up the last few matches at the Grand Bout, he just watched that's why I wasn't aware of his presence. Weasel.

"Well, I know it spins, but what it's for, I dunno," Kaseki answered plainly.

"Don't worry," Senku chuckled, "you're going to find out tomorrow," he cheekily glanced at me, I couldn't hold back a smirk.

"God, you two look evil," Gen groaned, I snickered. We both began to walk away and Gen got held back by Kaseki, forcefully being held at his shoulder, he walked further as we walked away from the bickering two.

Soon we were dragging Chrome's unconscious body quickly into the lab, I carried the alcohol, meanwhile, Kohaku grabbed his shoulders and Senku carried his legs. They dropped him on the floor and Senku proceeded to stick something into his two nostrils.

"Wake up and smell the ammonia, buddy," Senku chortled as Chrome began to scream hysterically.

"You're despicable," I gagged.

"We're gonna need you on team science, let's go! We don't have much time left." Senku snatched a glass bottle from one of the shelves dramatically, "All we have to do is put everything together and we're done. By morning tomorrow, we'll have it. The cure-all sulfa drug," he stated confidently.

"Tomorrow?!" Chrome asked, now being fully conscious.

"That quickly?!"

We worked pretty much all night, I noticed a tinge of blush a few times coating Senku's cheeks. He looked so joyous while working that it was kind of hard to look away. Of course, it was probably only me thinking that though, since no one else had seemed to notice. I also caught Senku glancing at me a few times as well, each time I met his eye, he had already turned away.

He's been a bit weird since that night were he fell asleep on my shoulder but I chose to take no notice of this, or at least I tried to. I can't seem to get it off of my mind though, nevertheless, I managed to work at a quick pace and by morning, we had created our sulfa drug.

By around 4 am the boys were asleep on the floor, literally out cold. I grabbed some thin blankets and placed them on the on both of the passed out figures. I chuckled as I lay them both down and examined their messy, tangled hair. I sat down myself in a corner and placed my chin on my knees while resting the side of my head on the wall and I soon drifted off.

*another time skip * -_-

The next morning we were all gathered around a small beaker of see-through the liquid.

"It took a long, bad half-year," Chrome tightened his fists like an exhilarated child.

"It's a sulfanilamide. Or you could say...the fruits of our labour. The cure-all sulfa drug," Senku held up a beaker containing a powder-like substance. Most of us began cheering, but once again, I was daydreaming and blurring out my surroundings.

"We finally have it. Now Ruri will..." Kohaku trailed off, I hesitated before hugging her gently as she teared up, she gripped onto my back tightly and sniffled into my bare shoulder. I could tell that this startled Senku since I wasn't a touchy person, but this time was an exception.