At night, many sounds could be heard. So dark and in the clearing it felt dangerous to be. The sky was the most beautiful. There was no denying that fact. Out in the open there were stars that shined incredibly bright and in a dark immense sea they were visible. It was a beautiful view that many didn't appreciate when the modern world existed. But now, they were in the stone world. Their new home.

Taiga woke up breathing fast as she sat up. Her knee up, placing her elbow on it and digging her head into it. She tried to control her breathing, surprised at what had happened.

"Taiga"

She jumped at his sudden voice and immediately turned towards the sound. She wasn't aware he had been awoken. She dropped her knee and sat in a way her dressed covered her correctly.

"Sorry, I woke you up"

He didn't respond as he looked at her. His deep red eyes that were darker at night stared at her small shaking figure. "Are you okay?"

Her face had no expression as she turned taking her eyes off the tree to look at his preying eyes. The long stare was kept up for an extended time with a deadly silence, and it seem as if the whole entire world had become quiet before the presence of predator ready to ambush. Who was the predator?

"Yeah just going to do my needs" she stood up and faded into the dense forest. Allowing him no other word as he watched her walk away silently. He stayed looking at the myriad of stars. Concerned.

Next day. Like always Senku woke up first, and Taiga lightly snored laying in the dirt as their bed. He allowed her to sleep more, but she was awoken when he began to cut down a tree.

She stretch in the ground like a cat and stayed there feeling the little particles of dust that would inevitably rub to her pale skin. There was a feeling of a knot stuck on her, energy, or laziness. She couldn't define, but she instinctively figured that stretching would undo it.

She stared at the sky when she finalized her stretch. Her dress up to her hips, showing her bruised thighs. The sky was entirely blue. "What a beautiful ocean" she thought as she dove into the immensity of the world. Hypnotized by its beauty. He had stopped cutting and had been looking at her stretch, now laying in the ground with her arms above her head with searching eyes.

"Morning"

"Good morning" she wiped her eyes, feeling her bad breath. "How much I slept?"

"A whole day"

She gave him a deadpan face and he laughed "3 hours and 32 minutes more than yesterday." he answered accurately, she stood up and took a few mushrooms to make the bad breath go away. Making faces when she chew them, thinking about the number the science boy had mentioned.

"What's the plan captain?"

"Home" he pointed to the hatchet he made for her. Taiga wondered what else he did during the time she was asleep knowing that hatchet was recently made.

"What have you been doing?" She asked curiously as she stood in front of him.

He stared at her eyes full of curiosity. He noticed the yellow, and brown of different shades on her irises, it was a pretty sight at the light of the sun. He was caught off guard and he kept staring attempting to decipher the why of color change until he realize it was because her eyes were being exposed to the sun which caused more melanin. He was captivated by it, and he kept staring at them without hiding it. Just like she stared at his deep red eyes that made her thoughts to get lost to him.

He looked down and back up to her eyes and back down. Hesitantly. "...I placed a few traps to catch food. I made another hatchet too." He said. "Taiga, refill the water pots"

"Yes, captain~" she smiled. They worked the whole day on their house. Orders coming from him and she helping out. She had brought, and boiled the water, and he had done stuff before she woke up. They both made progress making a steady ladder to get up the tree and also making half the base of their house.

Senku and Taiga then went to check the traps. None had anything. He then squatted and raised his hand with a smile on his face. His eyes shined and he looked innocent. He was cute when he smiled, just like a little kid that is excited.

The deer ate the violets flowers set intentionally, and it got caught by one leg. The deer hung up from the tree.

"I'll use ingenuity to take in everything the universe has to offer" he made a triumphant move, his hands in front of him in fists "I'm the master of science!" He happily yelled turning to look at her with a smirk.

Senku killed the dear not allowing her to do it by doing it himself without hesitation to not cause the deer fear, for her, and to finish quickly. He had pushed the deer back and stabbed it, blood dripping into the dirt soon to be stained. She had derive her look away from it and Senku noticed how she tightly closed her eyes and her eyebrows formed a worriedly pain expression. She bit her lip and her shoulders raised at the sound of the spear.

Senku then released the rope and let the body fall gently down. She recuperated gradually pulling off a smile retuned by his. His smirk, he was always showing off that smirk. She smiled at the thought of it.

He pulled the deer with the rope they had brought. Taiga helped too in pulling the deer with the rope that as well tied to the deer. Taiga aid, but Senku was the main power source. He exerted and simply had more physical power than her, but he really appreciated the help she gave always. It would have been a longer way home without her company, and more effort he would have had to input.

"How you do the trap, captain?" She asked

He explained the process he did to make it. Such as tying the rope to a branch of a tree to the point of bending it, and placing two stick down where the stick, at the end of the branch, will be held. Adding edible plants into the the plank and then hope for dinner. He had explained as he pulled and she seem enthrall at his explanations he always gave, and he loved to explained them. Sharing his knowledge was simply of his liking.

"You'll gain some muscles for sure" she teased sticking her tongue out.

"What I'll get is some rope marks in my shoulders you want to say" he said as he pulled.

"That too."she pulled with effort, laughing while Senku smiled affected by her laugh.

It was a small walk back, with her laugh filling the air. Senku observed her as she ran slightly ahead, leaving the rope behind. She began walking gently with much tenderness that it was as if she was attempting to not break any branch. A foot ahead of the other in a tip toe sensual walk. She peeked out of a tree and look ahead. Her curves were emphasize now by the grass rope she tied around, and they were shown every time she moved that way of hers. She was small and she was thin, but she was still pretty and a complete mystery to Senku. She had leaned down and aside to peek out, her butt sticking out and her hand gently laid on the tree. It was nice. The female backs as well as their hips were nice Senku thought disinterestly. She then realized an insect beside her. She cupped her hands and stared at them with a innocent smile.

"Lady bug" she said as she turned to look at Senku.

She then let the lady bug go, struggling to place on the tree since the lady bug kept crawling up her arm. She returned to her place. Senku was curious why she had gone away. It wasn't for the ladybug because she didn't know it was there until she looked beside her at the tree. So he was curious.

"Why did you go there?" He asked.

She looked back "there was a bunny" she smiled sweetly "white one"

Bunny. He looked around wondering where it went, he thought about how rapidly bunnies reproduced and the fur he could extract from them, but it still made Senku sick to think about killing. Especially a bunny.

"Senku, how many days have we spent here, in this world, together?"

"Haven't you counted?"

"I forgot, I wasn't interested in remembering that with all this." she looked down at the ground with a strange look, she pulled "I must confess that I have bad memory in certain things. Especially with numbers" she stepped pulling the rope "so I remember by feeling"

Senku pulled, his face beginning to turn red "Five. We're in day five. With 480 minutes and 28,800 seconds" Senku pulled, his shoulder getting red from the rope whose texture was harsh "What do you mean by feeling?"

"You have been counting?" She asked at the same time as he asked her. She was amazed at his capability, she remembered the number he had given her when she asked how much she slept.

Senku smirked and pulled, leaving a dirt trail behind.

"I mean by feeling. Feeling, feeling. Like feeling" she said as she turned to look at Senku who could not understand "it's by feeling like. I felt I moved this here, then to here. I feel it wasn't here. I feel it's been four days" she attempted to explain.

"I see" he said getting the grasp of the concept "So numbers is what causes you most trouble to remember?"

"Yup, numbers" she had a small faded frown converted to a smile as she said that

"That's the easiest for me" he bragged with a witty smirk

"I can see" she said insuating the numbers he just gave her for the date as she laughed at his face. The rest of the way back home was quiet. He enjoyed it. He enjoyed her happiness and her sudden move to silence. It wasn't uncomfortable.

They got home and the sky was dark, they left the deer aside and they ate from the one before. They stared at the fire and Senku began a conversation. Feeling now unease by her silence.

"Your last name is Matsuki, that's a Japanese last name" he asked in a statement

She raised her brow and looked away "my father. He changed our last names when we got there"

"Why?"

"It's my turn to ask" she smiled gently "how old are you?"

"Fifteen"

"When's your birthday?"

"January 4, 2004"

"Oh your birthday already passed while we were petrified" she said. Her hand removed her hair from her face and she began to braid it with effort since it was a tangle mess.

"You look like a nerd"

"Says the celery?"

"Huh? I thought it was onion" he mocked

"You look more like celery. No. Actually like lettuce" She held her laughter and laughed when she analyzed him thinking of the vegetables.

"When's your birthday Taiga?" He questioned out of the nothing.

"It's in September 20, 2004"

"Fifteen you are then" he made the easy calculation

She nodded as she finished braiding her hair, leaving it loose at the end since she had no rubber band to tie it with, hoping it would not unbraid itself.

"Tell me now then" he demanded

She raise her look and saw him staring back. It intimidated her. She sighed and took a moment to think of the words to say "My father thought it would be nice to adjust into the Japanese culture"

Senku stared at her. Was it that why she avoided the question? Was she hiding something? "I don't believe you"

She smiled and smirked at him "why is that Mr. detective?" She cupped her cheeks as she lean forward. Her elbows on her knees.

"You avoid certain questions. It's obvious. It's hard to trust someone who doesn't say all the truth"

"You wanna trust me then?~" she asked

"We will be coexisting together, so it would be a good idea to do so" he closed his eyes disinterested in her teasing at that moment.

"I agree with you. But I wasn't lying Senku. That's the truth." She looked genuinely at Senku "Though, I did leave another reason out, but that one was unimportant, so I didn't add it. There's no reason for you to distrust me, I gave you a logical answer" she said kindly getting more serious at him.

"What was that reason you left out then?" Senku asked, as he distrusted her. Affected by her lie she said. He usually wouldn't have pushed further, but he could and he was was unease, so he did.

She sigh as she removed her hair and looked away. "We moved for his job...and that influence us to change our last names, to adjust. Though what I left out was that we wanted to start a new life for that to say."

Senku stared at her and she knew it was because that reason she just mention didn't sound unimportant.

"Senku, it was a family problem I had. When we moved, we wanted to start a new life. Like game over. Same people, same..ways. Just a new start. If I didn't tell you that was because I don't think you should know that. We're not friends, and I have gotten used to not telling my life to people. Because bad things can happen." She explained more bona fidely.

"We can be friends. You are helping me after all build civilization up" he said after realizing her reasons. He had soften again, as he took a sip of his water.

"Yes, we can be." She looked at him with a sweet smile. And he smiled back. "But, that takes time. I mean to be good friends. And I would like to be good friends, if you don't mind. You are an interesting person." She said

He was dumbfounded but he soon nodded back. He soon began a conversation. They had a long talk until they decided to sleep. They both acknowledge deep inside that it was their first long talk they ever had so to each other, and it wasn't bad.

Taiga woke up first, and decided to take a bath at the river taking advantage of the burning sun. She turn the fire up, and left a bowl of mushrooms and an empty pot beside Senku's sleeping body after she ate, as a note for him to know where she was.

She adventure herself to the river. The river where they found clay and where they gather their water. It was wide and calm, and certainly deep.

She slowly took off her clothing and instinctively covered herself despite no one being there. She took a step into the water and felt it's sharp cold sting against her skin, but there was no choice. She placed her other feet in and gently got in by walking into the deeper areas. Taking deep breaths that were taken away at the bitter temperature of it. She cleanse herself with her hands. Cleaning her face and feeling glad to finally clear the dust off her. The heat in the air aid her to get accustom to the water which she now felt to be at the right point.

She tries to untangle her hair, which she accomplish with lots of hair ripping. She knew her hair would tangle up again, but she did her best to not leave it all tangled up. Feeling a timer beside her as she felt the obligation to be back soon.

She took her time though. She washed her body carefully and she had the impulsed to swim in the river. She smiled. It had been a long time since she remember how swimming felt, the touch of water against her skin, soft and transitional adjusting to her her body as she paddle to stay afloat. As she swam supine, she appreciated to have his company, she was glad as she swam alone in silence. It would have been frightening if she had woken up alone, and she doubted she would have survived for long.

She had watched him once in a while before, and learned how he would be so emerge in his own scientific experiments at school or reading his own books that the whole world would go down as he went in his own little science planet. He always excel at everything, topping every exam and class. He was admired by teachers, and he had privileges that no other student had due to his intellect. Due to his privileges he opened a science club where he was elected to be the president of the science club where he directed his own science experiments and helped other students to love science. This made Taiga to become competitive in grades as she always read the scores posted on the board that were located outside the classroom. Where the science club was held, which was their chemistry class. She happened to always pass by there to exit the other way towards the bus. Stopping always to read the grades. It became a sweet habit.

By doing so she always got the chance to see him work in his science lab coat. Doing each day something new. The little scientist would pursue ambitious experiments always. Failure or success would result from them, but he always perfected them never giving up. She always stayed looking out from the class window to watch them work, but her eyes fell on the captain of the boat. Him. She at times lost the bus and decided to stay after school to work on anything extra, getting picked up by her parents afterwards.

She thought of his friend Taiju, who he always demonstrated to love to tantalize, but he was very fond of him. She could sense that. He was a very attractive male and his intellect was simply captivating. Therefore he had many love confessions, but he never corresponded to them. He was kind despite his disinterest in an attempt to not hurt the girls' feelings when they confessed to him. By observing she learned that it was rare when he smiled, even if it was compelled. But when he did, she always felt it was beautiful, and felt grateful for being witness of them. His intelligence amazed her and it was a trait she admired. His fascination for science was well known and it was something that made Taiga be fascinated by. His love for science. He was merely what fascinated her.

She swam back, thinking of him. Now that she lives with him, and coexist together to survive. She had come to learn more about him, and yet she didn't allow to get influence into foolishly becoming his friend. He was a guy who was kind. Though he clearly distrusted her and she did the same. She dressed again returning to the camp where he sat eating mushrooms concentrated. A knee up and the other laying down with a hand to lean down.

"Good morning, little scientist" she greeted

Senku was taken off by her nickname but soon shook it off smiling at the sound of scientist. "Mornin'" he noticed her being clean. She showered. He should too. So he did after eating not before telling her.

They got to work building half of a good amount of base for their home. And began to build the sides of it. It was a hard task, but they made it.

"It's a peculiar tree" she mention out of the blue.

Senku turn to look at the source of sound that her voice, since she was quiet when she worked. She always got concentrated when she worked. At times she made a funny face as she thought, her eyebrows deepening, and she bit her lips a lot. A good helper.

"Yeah. It's big and it's roots stick out"

"It's beautiful"

"Ten billion percent" he said as he looked at it.

Soon it became dark and they couldn't work without light, but they slept for the first time on their home. Undone, but it was getting there. The advances they had made together was amazing. Cutting the tree and shaping it was the hardest part they both could agree. Six days now.

"Good morning, lettuce with science lab coat"

Senku again woke up last to a strange nickname which he chuckle, and soon enough got to work. The whole day she was quiet, and so was Senku as he worked devotedly as much as her. He began to notice her way of moving, and he figured she was an enigma to him. Most conversations were