Stars | Ishigami Senku (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter Twelve

"Senku, tell me a scientific fact," you say.

You lied on the couch with a bored expression while flitting through TV channels with the remote. Nothing in particular was entertaining. The coffee table was infested with empty candy wrappers, the faint smell of chocolate lingering in the living room.

Senku, who was on the floor leaning on the couch, turns his head to look at you. "Chalk is made from trillions of microscopic plankton fossils," he informs you before fiddling with his phone again.

"Do you have one about animals?" You ask, prodding his head with your foot.

Senku sighs exasperatedly. "I don't know. Do I?"

"I'm going to kick you for using sarcasm."

"I'm busy, idiot. And what's with the sudden interest in scientific facts?"

You shrug, placing the remote on the coffee table. You noticed that you had stopped on a cooking channel. You turn off the TV before hunger kicks in. Sitting up, you inch towards Senku's head.

"I'm just bored. What are you busy about, anyway?" You lean forward to see his phone. You fix him with a look.

"Seriously? You're already studying when school hasn't even started yet?" You spoke in a flat tone.

"It's only a week away," Senku said, not taking his eyes off his phone. "Don't bother me when you're having a hard time dealing with your homework."

"But you always helped me with my homework!" You frowned. "You know I won't live through high school without you."

Going to high school was still unnerving on your part. Time was something you barely noticed when you spent almost every moment with your friends. Fuzzy memories of your childhood would flicker in your mind sometimes, but you can barely remember them now.

You like to dwell on old memories, but every day it felt as if they become faded and forgotten. The old was replaced with the new. Everything was still in its place, but change was something not everyone could avoid. It was simply inevitable.

Does that mean you changed as well? You have been noticing recently that you liked to question your existence, but maybe that was just puberty talking. You delved deeper into your mind for more philosophical thoughts for your own amusement.

Existentialism and a possible early midlife crisis was prevented when you hear Senku speak.

"It's funny how your definition of help means I do everything myself while you laze around and wait for me to finish," Senku deadpans, clearly not amused. "Your dependence on me is quite irritating. While I'm ten billion percent sure you would not last a day, I'm still not helping you."

You huffed, throwing a pillow at Senku. He deflects it with ease. "So, you're going to make me study?" You inquire. It was his turn to give you a look.

"What else can you do besides that?"

You shrugged, before saying the first word that came to your mind. "Cheating?"

Senku looks at you with equal disappointment and disapproval.

"Bribing?" You tried. You fell on your back when Senku threw the pillow at you.

"You're trying to have it easy, when school is supposed to measure your knowledge and capability for your desired career," he scoffs, his gaze stern as he continues to lecture you. "If you proceed to face high school with this kind of attitude, you're probably going to end up not getting a job and be a janitor or something."

"But," you intervene with a smile. "If you become a CEO or a mad scientist with a large lab, I can become your janitor." You laugh when Senku's face contort into mild disgust. He seemed very disturbed at the thought.