The Science of Connection (Senku Ishigami x Reader)

Crackling static filled the air, followed by a sharp click. And then—

"SENKUUU!!!"

The sheer volume of Taiju's voice nearly made you jump, but your attention snapped to Senku instead. His grip on your hand tightened just slightly, his normally sharp gaze softening as his eyes glossed over.

It had been over a year.

A year of silence. A year of wondering, of calculations and planning, of trusting that his best friends were still out there, fighting to reunite.

And now, they were here—just a voice away.

Senku let out a small chuckle, thick with emotion he wasn't quite used to showing. "I missed you guys so much, I could almost start crying. Even your ridiculously loud voice, ya big oaf."

From the other end, Taiju was openly sobbing, his words tripping over themselves. "I—I am... Senku... I am— I am Senku!!!"

Senku let out a wet laugh, and you couldn't help but laugh too, tears stinging your own eyes at the sheer rawness of the moment.

"No, you're not, 'cause I'm Senku. Get it together, dumbass."

Taiju let out a choked laugh between sniffles, and you could hear Yuzuriha giggling in the background, her voice just as warm as you remembered. "Senku, we're... we're so happy you're okay."

Senku exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face, as if trying to shake off just how much this moment meant to him. "Tch. Of course I am. What, did you guys think I wouldn't survive out here?"

Taiju sniffled again. "We knew you would. But it's still..." His voice cracked, and for a second, none of you spoke.

You glanced at Senku, watching the way his expression softened, a rare crack in his usual unshakable confidence. His mind was always running ahead, always thinking ten steps forward—but in this moment, he was still.

For the first time in over a year, the distance didn't feel so vast.

Senku cleared his throat, voice quieter now. "Yeah... It's been a long time."

~~~ Few days later ~~~

Magma's footsteps pounded against the dirt as he sprinted into the village, breathless and sweating. "Bad news, Senku! Chrome's been captured!"

The air grew tense in an instant. The chatter among the villagers fell into a hush, all eyes turning to Senku, waiting for his reaction.

Senku barely flinched. Instead, his lips curled into a smirk. "Tch. I figured something like this would happen eventually."

You frowned. "Senku, this is Chrome we're talking about. We have to do something!"

He shot you a confident look. "Oh, we are." He turned to the rest of the village and raised his voice. "The Kingdom of Science is mobilizing our army."

A wave of murmurs spread through the crowd, a mix of nervousness and excitement. The time had finally come to go on the offensive.

With Homura out of the picture, the advantage was theirs. They could move freely without worrying about being tracked. But there was still a massive problem.

"How the hell are we supposed to carry all this junk?" Magma grumbled, crossing his arms. "We can't just walk up to Tsukasa's place carrying a mountain of material!"

You and Senku exchanged a look before grinning in unison.

"Nope," you said. "We build a car."

The villagers gawked, but Senku was already sketching on paper, his brain firing on all cylinders