CHAPTER 7

Chapter 7: BEACH DAY

The scorching sun hovered that morning in the kingdom ruled by a man of science. Naturally, in this kind of weather, people were less motivated to work and complained about the discomfort of just being outside their house.

Even Senku and the others were very reluctant to work on this particular day. As a compromise for everyone, he decided to let everyone have a cool off from working and hit the beach for a nice and refreshing swim.

"OUCH!"

Apparently, someone is being an extra workaholic, and too stubborn to stop. Loud pants and a series of complaints were heard at the side as bullets of sweat formed at Yo's temple but were immediately wiped off by a clean cloth. "I'm going to die." He groaned.

"Then why did you present to finish the work by yourself?" Rika was currently eating some berries on the sidelines while lying flat on her belly. "Besides, you are not even talented at sewing."

It was actually Yuzuriha's original plan to at least do some work for the hot air balloon. But seeing how exhausted the woman is going to be after, Yo, being the super dog, offered himself to take the work for her without knowing how long and strenuous the process of making cloth is, and now here they are.

"Well can you at least help me with these? I'm really struggling you know." Yo suggests while eyeing the woman near the dock.

Rika just laughed at him, without even batting her eyes at him. "No way dude," She waved off her hands. "Can't you see that I'm busy?"

Yo frowned. "Busy?"

"From relaxing, duh." She sips her freshly squeezed grape juice. "You do what you do and I'm doing what I do. That's just it."

"You are so mean." The man huffed.

Mean?

The corners of Rika's lips were downturned as she finally faced the man currently sitting on the ground. She stood up, towering above him as if an enormous predator appeared right there and started cornering him. 

"Correction Mr. Whose name belongs to a Rap Music," She called out to him with eyes not leaving any sight of him. "I am not the one who presented to do some extra work in the middle of summer heat. Deal with it."

It was straight-up terrifying.

"Yes ma'am!" Yo gloomily went back to his working area beside her. His droopy eyes, snotty face, and frequent sighing annoyed the hell out of Rika as time passes. She shot up and glared at him. 

"Can you stop doing that?" She had enough of it for one day. Yo looked at her with those big puppy eyes and she grumbled incoherent words before having no choice but to finally help the man.

"Where are you going?" The man asked.

Rika didn't bother looking back. "Helping you."

"What?" Yo was left confused.

Rika went back to her hut to get something and sometime after that, she brought back a loom machine—to Yo's surprise. 

"I said help me with this, Rika," He looked at the woman and then back at the machine. "Not get back with something that could help me." 

She looked at him in disbelief. "I thought you wanted my help?"

"Yeah, I mean no. But that's not—," Yo tried to clear up the misunderstanding but he was cut off.

"I can't believe I've wasted 15 minutes of my time getting the 'help' you wanted and still be ungrateful for it." Rika shooked her head in exasperation. She helped this man and that's what she's gettin'? No thank you's atleast? 

"NO! T-that's not it!" Yo frantically shook his head. "I am grateful, believe me! I just thought 'you' yourself will help me with this—"

"Stop right there, cupcake." She lifts her hands to her chest. "One request at a time, Policeboy. This is straight-up exploitation if I even lift a finger.. to help you after giving you a handy-dandy machine to finish it."

He did not reply to her and instead responded with a nod of his head, she then pats his cheeks gently and smiled. "Now don't abuse my kindness and go back to your work."

At that, Yo immediately got on with the work, creating some to no noise and being as careful as possible. Rika, on the other hand, went back to relaxing under the wide range of an umbrella she made just for herself. "This is good." She smiled widely.

Rika knew her limits. Being practical in the Stone world is one of the most logical things to do. She rests when the others were, and she works just as hard as the others too. Nothing too exciting. Exerting too much effort will gain her nothing unless a wager has been made. Now she's living her second time in life, more carefree than she did back in her own time.

On a day-to-day basis, this woman is just another person doing her job based on her expertise, getting along with most of the people she encounters, and finally, simply living her life with much ease and peace.

After all, not all geniuses had to be famous right? Some just wanted to remain as simple as they can possibly be. Sure, the fame that she had back then was unimaginably fun to have nonetheless it's not all rainbows and unicorns. The fun lasts when you least expect it. 

"Rika!" Gen called her. Not far from where she was laying, a set of people was seen happily playing in the water in their swimsuits. "Join us! It'll be fun!"

The woman made no move. "If it came down to you saying that.. then I have to refuse respectfully, I am sooo TIRED."

No, she's not really tired. She flat out refused to comply with the request because it was Gen who called her. Plus, she wanted to piss the hell out of the man. But then a grinning Suika came to her and jokingly splashed water on her face, rendering her outfit wet after. "Suika!" She jolted.

"Come on, Sister Rika! It really is fun!"

"Then if it came down to you saying that," Rika eyed Gen once again before looking at Suika with a sly smile. "I respectfully ACCEPT it."

See? If anyone besides Magma and Gen asked her to join, she would gladly say yes immediately.

She stood up and proceeded to chase the cute child down the shore while two eyes were trailing down their figures at one side. "Wow, I can really see the obvious favoritism between the two of you." Senku's eyes squinted at the sight.

"More like her, being petty with me," Gen replied, shaking his head in response. "But yeah, she's just being herself,"

"Have you done something bad to her? For her to act like that towards you?" Senku voices out his query to Gen, earning a banter scoff from the man. 

For some time now, he started to see some noticeable tension between the two. At first, he thought that it was just playful teasing, yet as time passes, it became somewhat borderline insults with forced laughs and forced smiles.

"Me? You're accusing me of saying something to her?" He pointed himself while looking hurt at Senku. "I thought you knew me well to know that I would never do that."

Senku deadpanned at him.

Gen could only blink in surprise. "So you did think about it huh, Senku-chan?"

"Well I mean," Senku scratches his nape. "You are Asagiri Gen, after all." Spouting nonsense is your expertise. How could I not consider an angle like that? 

"So ad-bay! For starters, I did not say anything to her." He cleared up. "Guess you could say, she knows her stuff and is cautious with meeting one of her kind. It takes one to know one, after all."

"Yes, but a better version of you." The two were startled by a new voice butted with their conversation. It was Ryusui.

"You scared me." Gen chuckled wryly. "This is a private conversation," Senku called the man out. 

"Not when everyone around you could hear everything you two are talking about." Ryusui fired back and then looked at Gen with a grin. "You are way too loud for your own sake, Gen."

Gen paled.

"So as I was saying—Wait! Now that I think about it, I was wrong." Ryusui looked ashamed. "Sorry, I misspoke."

"What?"

"She is not to be compared to you, Gen. She's beautiful, smart, resourceful, logical, and kind." Ryusui's tone did not sound scornful, in fact, it sounded straightforward. It held no malice as the man was barely describing the woman and yet Gen was somewhat offended.

Gen smiled at him. "Are you saying that I don't have any of those you used to describe the lady?"

"I did not say that Gen." Ryusui laughed. "But are you contemplating that you, in fact, didn't have those kinds of attributes yourself?"

Gen's eyes twitched at the man's question. "No, I am not. And you are right, I don't need to compare myself with her or with anyone. I am funny, smart, and classy." He faked confidence as Senku and Ryusui nodded at his answer. Deep inside, this man had him cornered with the most embarrassing situation of his life. He left Gen in question his own capabilities and life. 

The man phrased his sentence as if he alone, wasn't even worth comparing with the greatness that Rika holds, or in a simple manner, he felt that his reputation was being degraded by this man. 

Gen may act petty all the time but in times like this, it'd be best to accept the truth. He knows the limits of his capabilities. He's great at reading people and those abilities that comes with it, but that's just it. Rika, on the other hand, is also great at it, but she can do more than that. 

Senku sighed as he watched the whole situation happen right before him. Even a genius man like him had no idea what was the tension about, but more or less did he care, though? Maybe a little.

He then felt the gentle waves of the sea, encouraging his body to sway along with the flow of the water. Maybe relaxation is what his body needs after long and exhausting weeks he spends on everything but resting. 

The man swam away to oblivion. Floating face up to the sky as the sea warmly covered his face and body. Haah, how exhilarating. He smiled.

A few minutes of silence turned into endless chatters when a certain someone bumped into him. "Hey, chief."

"Hey." Senku nonchalantly greeted, earning a hum from the other person. The man looked at him and immediately, his eyes widened at the sight. "What are you wearing?!"

Rika had a change in wardrobe from the short time Senku and the others spent talking about her. From the lighter outlandish dress to a fresh pair of bikinis. The bikini emphasizes the right assets of her body. She looks good.

"A bikini?" Senku gave her a deadpan look. Of course, he knows it's a bikini.

"What? It's beach day! Did you expect me to wear some sweaty ass jacket on a hot summer day?" She asked, sarcastically.

"You look good, Rika!" The woman looked at the shore, hearing Yo's voice. She gave him a heart sign in return. "I know!"

She then playfully looked back at the scientist once again. "Hear that? He said I look good."

The stick man smiled, forcefully. "Yeah, I have very capable ears."

Rika chuckled at his response. "Anyway, you three gossiped about me, huh? Didn't know you had it in you." Senku looked at her wide-eyed. "How'd you kno—Hey, we're not gossiping about you."

"I beg to differ, Mister." Rika shrugged her shoulders. "Because from what I have heard, I was called beautiful, smart, resourceful, logical, and kind, which I will not deny."

Senku puffed air in astonishment. No wonder, the woman was close to Ryusui. This girl is indeed something. She's so—"Conceited."

"Correction. Stating the facts." she blurted out.

Nothing was said between the two of them for a while. They are both enjoying the calm waves and the comfortable sky above them, while of course, eliminating the noise factors such as constant screaming, chatters, and laughter from the background.

"Do you want to be my lover, Senku?" Rika said out of the blue.

Senku immediately lose balance in the water and proceeded to sink down the sea. He hadn't realize that floating for a long time could lead him, and her, to a deeper part of it. After regaining some balance, he spat out some water directly at the woman's face, unintentionally. 

"Wow, man." Rika looked at him, upsettingly. "Could've just said 'no'. You don't need to spit water on my face."

"Are you delusional?!" Senku was startled. He can't read the woman's mind. One time, she's predictable and too many times, complex. To put it simply, he can't keep up with her.

On the other side, Rika was merely suggesting. Think about it, if she became the chief's lover, wouldn't she be able to have at least a tad bit more lavish life than the others? Plus she can help the man with machines and stuff. A win-win situation.

"Just say no."

"No!" Senku repeated. "Love is illogical.. because it defies a reason. You, of all people, should know that."

What's more, it hinders the brain to think rationally and logically. In love, emotions are always included and one person can't exactly decide something right if love blindly covers its entire being.

"Yeah." Rika nodded. "It seems that you misunderstood my intentions,"

Hah? Senku was confused.

"But once did I not mention anything related to love or feelings, chief. I am simply offering a deal between us. A mutually partner-like type of lover. You can use me, I can use your thing,  just like that."

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Unedited.