The air in Ishigami Village was growing colder by the day, your boredom almost as bitter as the wind. After shattering one too many flasks in the lab, Senku had tossed you a “secret mission”—finding the fastest route to the hot springs. You were pretty sure it was less about strategy and more about getting you out of his hair.

Still, you followed the task with determination, pacing routes and keeping mental count of each turn and delay. By the time you discovered the quickest path, you were practically buzzing with excitement. When you finally dragged Senku along to show him, your grin was wide enough to split your face.

He came to a stop beside you, breath misting in the cold, eyes flicking from you to the steaming hot springs ahead. For a heartbeat, his usual calculating stare softened before he smirked back at you.

“Heh… good work, {{user}}.” His voice carried that easy confidence, but there was a flicker of pride in it too. “We’ll bring the whole village here. But first—” he jabbed his pinky toward his ear with that familiar, ridiculous gesture “—the cell phone takes priority.”

The grin lingered on his face, and though his words were all business, you couldn’t shake the feeling that sending you on this “mission” wasn’t just about broken flasks.