Steps to survival

Chapter 30 : Butterflies

"The Hundredth Tale. I'll tell it now," Ruri calmly said. "Its title is...'Ishigami Senku'," my head spun. Way too much is happening for me to process, like the fact that I will never be able to see my mum again. What about my little brother, where did he go?

"Ever since he was very young, this boy Senku was fascinated by the world's mysteries. Senku loved space more than any other. But he always thinks for himself, and builds things for himself," during the story I begin to lean on the wall and listen intently.

"Science had gotten him, hook, line, and sinker," Ruri eventually got to the end of the tale and it turns out I was right, Byakuya, Senku's father, was indeed in space at the time. I could practically see the clogs in Senku's brain turn faster than ever.

"Turns out, the man who actually founded Ishigamikai Village...was Ishigami Byakuyo. He was also my father," he explained, I could see small almost unnoticeable tears well up to make his crimson pupils glisten.

At the time of the petrification, Senku was running tests and I was just sitting around on one countertop next to him, I'm pretty sure I was messing with chemical vials or something. That's when all the lovey-dovey crap was going on with Taiju and Yuzuriha. Ruri insisted on us following her somewhere, so we did. We trailed up paths and to a cliff where the moon filled up the now, night.

"And exactly as Byakuya had hoped, someone did take an interest in rocks and collect them because of his stories."

"That's our Chrome," Senku chuckled, I clenched my jaw and turned away, hoping to scare away the tears that started to fill my eyes.

"U-huh," Ruri chirped. At the moment it was just us three and I appreciated that the others stayed back, if I do cry, not many people will end up knowing.

"Nice to know my old man wasn't totally useless after all," he chuckled, I puffed out a small laugh as we continued through the path. We soon all stopped in front of a cliffside that had round headstones all over it. The blue iridescent light covered the faces of the gravestones, casting eerie shadows.

"This is the village cemetery. And this small grave marker was brought here on behalf of your father and the other founders," she walked with us in tow and gently placed down a small bouquet of pale purple flowers.

"They bit the dust 3,700 years ago. Even if they were buried right here, you wouldn't find a single bone." This sentence sent a shock through my heart, almost like a pang of sadness and I fought hard to keep the water from flooding my mind. Mom wouldn't want me to cry or let it affect me, she would, of course, would want to be remembered, but not cried for.

"And the last of The Hundred Tales, the hundredth story...is a message from Byakuya," I braced myself for this one since I had met Senku's sweet father many times before. We were pretty close

"Hey there, Senku, Kai, honey! If you're listening to this story it means that either one of you, or both have broken out of the stone, maybe thousands of years from now. I'm doin' great! I mean I'm already dead by now, but, you know. Just as promised, I got you two some souvenirs. The friends the Hundred Tales will connect you with. The post-apocalyptic world was pretty fun actually. But with your science, and the help of your new friends, I know you'll make the world as fun as it was before the collapse," she said with no mistakes and no pauses.

"This is such a Byakuya thing to do," I chuckled. Senku, who was standing beside me, was especially tense and was clenching his fist.

"I think...I'll have a look around before I go back," I hummed to tell Ruri that I was staying too.

"Okay. I'll be at the village with the others," she turned and slowly walked away, we stood in complete silence until she was out of sight. I let out a shaky sigh, not able to hold back the tears, one slipped down my face. I began to hear Senku start talking to himself.

"Right. So that was thousands of years ago now, huh?" He chuckled and clasped his hands tighter and tighter, his head hanging low. More of my tears started to flow as I stood silently staring at the gravestones.

"Really takes me back. Yeah, it really does," he rambled as I watched him break down the walls he had kept so desperately high. I took a double-take as I watch him shake, a tear rolled down his face. He's never cried in front of me before, he's probably more hurt than he's been letting on.

I took a step towards him and didn't hesitate a second to wrap my arms around the back of his torso, leaning my head on his shoulder blade and squeezed him gently and comfortingly. I felt him put his hands on top of mine, I was still silently crying, well that was until I let out a small whimper. I sounded weak.

He delicately peeled my arms off of him, turning around, still holding my wrists. He observed my furrowed eyebrows, puffy sore eyes and dampened cheeks. He pulled me back into an embrace, he wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder.

"I don't think I've ever seen you cry before," he muttered in my ear, his hot breath warming up my figure.

"I could say the same about you, you never cry in front of anyone, including me," I lean up and resting my cheek on his. Eventually, I stopped crying and rested my forehead onto Senku's collarbone. He pulled away with a softened expression.

"We should probably get back," he said in a hoarse, dry voice, I nodded and wiped my face dry with the back of my hand. We began walking and I felt Senku snake his hand into my grip, entwined our fingers, I smiled gently at him and I think he caught me out if the corner of his eye. He chuckled, making my face contort into a confused expression.

"Don't go all mushy on me now."

"Like I would ever," I rolled my eyes, smirking as I backhanded his arm with my other hand. He let out a fake groan and rubbed the spot I had hit.

"Don't go all childish on me now," I mocked him, he smirked and shook his head.

"Like I would ever," he repeated back. The whole walk back to the village was content, and for the first time in a while, I felt my heart flutter in joy.