It was none other than Magma who was oblivious to the blonde's stare since he was busy staring at her sister instead. Smirking, he said, "Ruri, huh? Well, she's got a year at most. I don't want to take care of her. If she'd just go ahead and croak, I could take the elder's seat without all the trouble. Maybe I ought to make it look like she drowned herself out of despair in her sickness."

No one but Kohaku heard those words and the second she heard them, she was overcome by rage and without hesitating, she leapt at Magma who fell onto his back in surprise and was pinned to the ground in an instant – Kohaku's shield mere inches away from his eyes.

With no choice and out of fear, Magma conceded. "Mercy!"

"The winner of the Grand Bout is Kohaku."

Just like that, Kohaku was declared the winner of this year's Grand Bout.

Still seething with anger, the blonde growled in her opponent's face. "Magma, I cannot allow a man like you to have Ruri-nee."

'Kohaku...This kid...' Magma thought to himself, trembling with unrestrained fury beneath said blonde. 'She joined the Grand Bout just to stop me!'

"Wait, what happens now?" Suika asked while confusion aroused from the spectators, their whispers filling the air as they wondered what would happen now. "The rules say that the winner is supposed to marry Ruri-nee, so..."

Meanwhile, the only person to be excited by this outcome was none other than Ginro whose mind was in the gutter as he mumbled to himself, a light blush dusting his cheeks. "Ruri-chan and Kohaku-chan are going to get married?! It's forbidden love!"

"Ouchie!" He cried out as some sense was smack into him, literally by Turquoise who gave him a disapproved look.

"Obviously not." She scolded the young teen before letting out a small sigh as she turned her attention back to the scene in front of her. "Jeez, what do we do now? Who's going to marry Ruri-sama?"

[End of flashback]

Laughing, Senku asked, "Is that why your old man, the elder, disowned you?"

"Senku!" You exclaimed, frowning in disapproval at your friend's bluntness. "Don't be so rude."

However, Kohaku wasn't offended as she replied, looking a bit embarrassed. "No...well, that was the last straw, but..."

"Kohaku has caused a ton of trouble ever since she was little." Chrome supplied helpfully.

You blinked once, then twice and said, "Well, I'm not surprised since this is Kohaku that we're talking about here. Anything is a possibility when it comes to her."

The girl in question shrugged at your statement as though saying you weren't wrong before returning to the topic at hand, her lips twisting into a grimace. "Of course, the Grand Bout is set to be redone. It's going to be held next month."

"Are you saying that Magma killed Gen to win the Grand Bout?" Chrome asked as the graveness of the situation dawned upon him.

"Eh?!" Suika let out a panicked cry. "So, Gen really is dead?!"

"No, he's not dead." You were quick to reassure the girl with a firm pat to the top of her watermelon mask when a thought occurred to you, causing the corners of your lips to curl into a frown. "Then, wouldn't it be really bad news if a guy like Magma became the elder?"

"Yeah," Senku confirmed, a thoughtful expression on his face as he contemplated the possible outcome. "If Magma were to become the elder, it might be hard to even get the medicine to Ruri."

"It's also an opportunity," Kohaku added, blue eyes filled with determination as she went on to explain. "If a man from the Kingdom of Science defeats Magma and wins the Grand Bout, marries Ruri-nee, and becomes the elder, it'll solve everything."

"When you put it that way, it does sound like the most logical thing to do." You remarked, brows furrowing in consideration. "If this plan works and the chosen person becomes the next elder, rounding up citizens for the Kingdom of Science and giving Ruri the cure-all medicine would be easy."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and with that, the plan was set into motion but first, the Kingdom of Science needed people who could actually fight other than Kohaku, and you just knew who to ask.

***

Standing at their posts on either side of the village's main bridge were none other than Ginro and Kinro, the latter narrowed his eyes in suspicion as all four of you, minus Suika who had to stay back at the science shed to look after Gen, approached them with Kohaku leading at the front.

Before either of them could ask what the group wanted, the blonde spoke up, jumping straight to the point as she asked, "Kinro, Ginro, there's something I want to ask you. How do you view Ruri-nee? Would you like to take her as your wife?"

The brothers were taken aback by the unexpected and sudden question and stared at Kohaku with wide, incredulous eyes, their jaws dropping open in shock.

However, out of the two, Ginro was quick to recover while his brother was still reeling with shock as he started to consider Kohaku's question.

"I-I've never even thought about it." The blonde wore a thoughtful expression which slowly morphed into one of eagerness the longer he mulled over the idea of taking Ruri on as his wife. "But Ruri-chan—Ruri-sama is pretty, and I mean...her face is almost the same as yours, but...But she's busty— I mean, she's really graceful and cute, and she has big, round eyes..."

'It's that all he can care about when it comes to choosing a girl that he likes – the looks? You folded your arms in annoyance and glared at the blond, feeling offended by his words even though they weren't about you. 'Such shallow thinking! Us, girls are so much more than just our outer appearances!'

Next to you, Senku let out a chuckle when he saw the look of disdain on your face – the corners of his lips curled into an amused smirk.

Meanwhile, Kinro shared the same sentiment and his tone was one of chastisement as he turned to his younger brother with a disapproving frown. "All you've talked about is about her face. Do you only ever look at a girl's appearance? You're utterly shallow, Ginro."

"C-Come on, I said she's bus—she's bu—she's graceful!" Ginro protested.

The brunette stared at the lost cause also known as his younger brother and after deciding he wasn't worth his time; he turned to Kohaku and gave his answer. "My answer is simple. The gatekeeper doesn't ask questions. Rules are rules."

You let out a small sigh of disappointment, knowing that there was no convincing of this guy. However, you spoke too soon for Kinro hadn't finished talking yet.

His next few words took everyone by surprise as he went on, "But listening to one murmur to themselves is not against the rules. I already understand that Senku and (Name) aren't evil. You can skip the explanation, as usual. What's your objective?"

There was a moment of silence as no one said anything after that. Then, in a voice no louder than a whisper, Kohaku spoke up. "I want to save my sister's life."

Seeing the look of helplessness in those blue eyes and hearing the plea in her tone which was so unlike the blonde, Kinro and Ginro felt their hearts aching for her and understanding the need to do anything just to protect a sibling, the brothers finally agreed to help the Kingdom of Science.

"All right."

"You don't need to explain further."

Time skipped

The day was slowly coming to an end as the sun sunk lower over the horizon, making the sky an artist's palette of oranges and blues left to swirl into each other. The clearing where the science shed stood was filled with the sounds of heavy breathing and clashing of weapons as the trio of warriors trained for the upcoming Grand Bout.

"Too shallow!" Kohaku shouted as she swung her wrapped daggers at the brothers, her arms moving so fast that her weapons became a blur in front of their eyes. "Do you really think you can defeat Magma like that?"

Kinro and Ginro were taken aback by the stamina and strength of the blonde, with the latter running away in fear as he cried out, "Let's take a break!"

"No!" The other teen scolded, even though it was clear that he was trying to escape as well. "Finish three more sets first!"

"Hold it!" Kohaku called after the pair but let out a sigh when it was of no use. Then, from her peripheral vision, she noticed a forlorn-looking Chrome leaning against the entrance of the science shed as he stared out into the distance, lost in his thoughts.

"Chrome." She called out to the brunette who snapped out of it at the sound of his name, his gaze travelling down towards the blonde who was staring up at him with a serious frown. "I'd really prefer to train you more than anyone. But Kinro and Ginro are the only ones who have a chance of defeating Magma. I'm sorry."

Just then, another voice piped up and it was none other than Senku who had just returned from collecting more firewood with the help of Suika.

"Yo, Chrome, she's being all 'sorry, sorry!' about our plan to get Kinro or Ginro to marry Ruri because you're in love with her." He exclaimed in a loud voice, the corners of his lips curling into a teasing smirk.

Sweat dropping at his blunt remark, Kohaku commented, "You're as brutal as ever."

Meanwhile, you let out a snot snort at the scientist's words and mumbled to yourself as you tended to Gen, whose condition you had been keeping an eye on in the shed, changing and reapplying the medicinal paste to his wounds. "And you're one to talk, Senku."

Your words caught Chrome's attention and he turned to look at you, his head cocked to one side in curiosity. Feeling his eyes on you, you lifted your head and when you met his questioning gaze, you flushed a light pink in embarrassment over your comment being heard by the teen.

"It's nothing." You waved his silent question away and returned to your task at hand. "Just pretended that I didn't say anything."

The brunette's brows disappeared into his hairline at your clear dismissal but didn't push for more and instead went back to his brooding, his gaze staring out into the distance once more – looking but not really seeing.

The next few minutes were spent in a comfortable silence between the two of you as Chrome continued to fret over whatever was on his mind and you finished up with the mentalist who was still sleeping through his injuries.

After checking your work that was to your satisfaction, you turned your focus onto your troubling friend and couldn't help but ask, your voice filled with concern for the teen. "Chrome, are you okay?"

"Yeah," He answered with his back facing you.

'Yea, he's definitely not okay,' You noted with furrowed brows, rolling the bottom of your lips in between your teeth as you tried to figure out what was eating away at the younger's mind. 'Is he upset with the fact that either Ginro or Kinro is going to marry Ruri instead of him like what Senku said or is there more to it?'

"Chrome," You called the brunette's name in a soft tone and this time, he did turn to look at you with a questioning gaze.

You hesitated slightly, unsure if you should say what was on your mind in case you might push things too far but decided to just go for it in the end.

Taking in a deep breath to calm your nerves, you asked, "Chrome, if you don't feel comfortable giving me an answer, it's fine. I won't push you for one, but I'm worried about you. Ever since we asked for Ginro's and Kinro's help, you've been very quiet which is unlike of you considering how you're always driving Senku up the wall with your endless questions and fascination about science."

The last part of your sentence drew a small smile out of the otherwise blank expression on the male's face but just as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared. Chrome didn't reply straight away and the longer he remained quiet, you began to panic, thinking that you might have crossed the line.

However, much to your relief, the brunette let out a deep sigh and said, "Did you know that I spent most of my childhood days with Ruri?"

You shook your head but said nothing and Chrome went on, his face sporting a faraway look in his eyes as he reminisced his past with the priestess; his lips curled into a nostalgic smile. "We would spend our days frolicking and chasing each other through meadows filled with beautiful white flowers that seemed to go on forever and those days would always be the highlight of my week. I knew Ruri was sick, but I didn't know the extent of it. Yet, it didn't matter because I was a kid and all I cared about being free without a single worry for anything else. Then..."

He trailed off, the grin that was growing wider with each word as he thought about the good time he had with Ruri, the girl he had loved for the longest time, fell and was replaced with a grimace.

Seeing the despondent look on his face, you got up from where you seated next to Gen's bed and moved over to Chrome's side, settling down next to him before placing a hand on his shoulder; squeezing gently while saying softly, "Chrome, you don't have to say if you don't want to."

The said person shook his head at your words, took in a deep breath to calm himself and returned your act of comfort with a weak smile. "No, it's fine. It's just that I haven't really told anyone about this before."

You nodded your head in understanding and squeezed his shoulder once more, Chrome taking as his cue to continue with his story.

"Things were going great until it took for the worst. One day, as we were out in the meadow, Ruri started coughing and didn't stop for quite some time, unlike previous times. Concerned, I asked if it was the same thing, thinking it was just her sickness acting up on that day; only to learn the truth that it wasn't the case, that Ruri wasn't going to get any better. I was shocked when she told me she wasn't going to live to become an adult and I became scared because I was going to lose a close one and I didn't want that. So, with a determination of a kid who was just learning about the world around him, I made a bold promise to Ruri that I would take care of her problem, that I would do whatever I could to cure her someday and ever since then, I had been searching non-stopped."

After hearing all that, you had a newfound respect for Chrome; filled with a sense of awe over his selfless desire to help someone, his determination in finding a cure for Ruri and most importantly, his dedication to keeping a promise he made after all these years.

And you told him so.

"Chrome, that's really admirable of you. It's not every day that people keep their promises, let alone one from years ago. Yet, you beat the odds. Not only do you keep your words, but you also went the extra mile to make sure you do. Sure, the road to finding a cure for Ruri isn't easy but you didn't give up and because of that, look at where you are now – you have a remedy, and you aren't alone in this so cheer up, we'll definitely cure Ruri!"

Instead of being encouraged by what you said like you had hope, the brown-haired teen looked even more disheartened and you frowned when you noticed the tight clench of his fists, his eyes fixated on the ground.

Confused, you gently nudged your friend and softly asked, "Chrome, what's really on your mind?"

The brunette lifted his gaze off from the floor and gave a wry smile, saying, "I just want to help Ruri, that's all I ask for."

(E/C) eyes softened with understanding and you thought to yourself, 'Oh Chrome, all this time, you aren't disappointed that you won't be able to train and participate in the Grand Bout but rather, you are upset that you aren't able to help Ruri like how the rest are doing.'

"Chrome, remember what did Senku and I told you about our world when we met for the first time?." You smiled when the teen nodded his head, his brows furrowing with confusion as to where you were going with this.

Chuckling at the puzzled expression on his face, you went on. "Science takes a lot of time and effort because it involves a lot of researching and experimenting, a lot of trial and error before achieving the result that you want. Sometimes, it can take up to years for a scientist to discover something new or succeed in an experiment. Even back in my world where technologies and science are advanced and ahead of its time, it still requires a lot of time and energy. That is something that I was taught in, but there's a knowledge that's far more precious than you can't find in books, only with experience."

"And what's that?" Chrome asked, brown eyes glittering with curiosity.

With a small smile, you replied, "While many spend years studying science, not all make it to the end of their journey, and do you know why?"

The teen shook his head and smiled knowingly, you explained, "The reason is simple. Science requires not only your time and energy but also patience and perseverance which is something I learn from Senku."

Looking out of the science shed and towards where the said scientist was, the corners of your lips curling into a fond smile when you saw the green-haired teen watching Suika with a soft look on his face as she played with her dog, unaware of your gaze on him.

"The truth is, Senku hadn't always been this knowledgeable about science. In fact, he was just like you and I, only knowing what's being taught to him at that time but because he dreamed of wanting to go to space, he fell in love with science and started to read many books on it as well as trying many different experiments and inventions. But most importantly, he didn't give up even when he couldn't understand things or when he failed in an experiment. People made fun of him for being that weird kid who loves science so much, but he didn't let that stop him from achieving his dream. And because of that, he became who he is today – someone who is going to save humanity with science."

Tearing your gaze away from Senku, you turned to Chrome and pointed at him, saying, "And you, Chrome, you're just like him. You didn't stop looking for a cure for Ruri all these years even though I'm sure many have told you there isn't one, but you didn't care. Furthermore, you're just as keen as Senku is to learn all you can about science and even though I say you drive him up the wall with your endless question, I can say without a doubt that he welcomes your interest of wanting to learn as much as you can."

Your face softened when you noticed the stars in his eyes as he hung onto every word that you said. Smiling fondly, you reached an arm around his shoulder and pulled him into a side hug. "You're brilliant, Chrome and with both yours and Senku's genius minds put together, the two of you will do wonders that no mankind has seen before. Why not start now by putting your mind into helping Senku with making the cure for Ruri?"

There was a hint of doubt on the brunette's face as he asked, "Do you really think I can save Ruri?"

With a knowing grin, you replied, "I'm ten billion percent sure you will."

Chrome hesitated as he mulled over your words but as he thought back to the promise that he made with Ruri as kids and when he remembered a pair of blue eyes looking up at him in awe when he told her that he would cure her someday, he knew what he had to do.

"Yeah," The teen turned to you and your eyes shone with happiness at the determined