.☾

Toya didn't really like the afternoons in this strange world. When the sun was no longer blinding, the wind usually had a salty taste.

.☾

The pale yellow of the setting sun reflected on the wooden roof, flowing down the porch, dripping onto the rope ladder, and pooling on the ground. Senku sat next to a pile of pottery still being fired, his eyes focused on the reactions of the experiment in the furnace. His face was calm, but his mind was like a machine, always running.

Not far away, Toya perched on a low branch, carefully weaving threads to form a small net. She wasn't in a hurry, not paying attention to anything else around her. Every time the wind blew, a few strands of white hair would fall over her eyes, but Toya didn't bother brushing them aside. She liked how her hair draped over her shoulders, no matter how annoying it was.

"Senku-san," Toya suddenly spoke, her voice soft as a breath. "Do you think everyone has a dream inside them?"

Senku didn't look up, his hands still busy checking an experiment. "Of course. But most of them are stupid."

Toya chuckled softly, a smile that was unclear whether it was agreeing or mocking. She looked down at a small bowl of soap bubbles she had just made, not afraid to touch it, and blew out a cluster of bubbles. The shimmering bubbles floated gently into the air.

"Each one is a dream," Toya said, her eyes following the fragile bubbles. "Do you see? They carry hope... but then they disappear."

Senku raised an eyebrow, glancing at Toya as if evaluating her. "What disappears is meaningless. A real dream needs science to make it come true."

Toya didn't reply, only tilted her head, watching the last bubble burst in the air. She returned to her work, as if Senku's answer wasn't enough to break her wandering thoughts.

.☾

Night fell over the forest, and everything became quieter. The fire crackled in a small campfire near the humble treehouse where Senku was experimenting with something else, trying to make something useful out of crude materials. Toya lay on the roof, hands behind her head, staring up at the starry sky.

"Hey, do you know?" Toya suddenly broke the silence. "If you look long enough, you'll see the Earth rotate."

Senku stopped what he was doing and looked back at her with a puzzled expression. "That's an interesting lie."

"It's not a lie," Toya replied calmly. "All you have to do is close your eyes, then open them again, and you'll see the stars in a different position. Doesn't that mean the Earth has rotated?"

Senku smirked, a glint of interest flashing in his eyes. "I'll assume you just invented a way to simplify all of astronomy."

Toya smirked but didn't respond. She stretched her hand toward the sky, as if trying to grasp the distant stars.

"I can reach the whole Milky Way," she said, her voice soft but certain. "As long as I believe my hand is longer than it really is, everything becomes easier."

"Sounds like the cheap philosophy of a dreamer," Senku remarked, his voice flat.

"Dreaming is the foundation of science," Toya shot back immediately. "If no one dared to think they could reach the stars, do you think humanity would have ever walked on the moon?"

This time, Senku didn't reply. He returned to his work, but there was a strange flicker in his eyes. Senku, whose mind was usually as calm as a flat sea, suddenly felt waves stirring with Toya's words.

.☾

The next morning, Toya stared at a small puddle of water. Senku happened to pass by to check the water source for an experiment and found her sitting silently, like a statue.

"What are you doing?" Senku asked, his voice full of curiosity.

"Looking into the future," Toya replied without looking away from the puddle.

"You're really strange," Senku said, his voice light.

Toya looked up, a faint smile forming on her lips. "Are you saying you're not strange?"

Senku chuckled softly, a rare smile that Toya had never seen before.

"Fair enough," he said, turning and walking into the forest.

.☾

That afternoon, the faint sunlight filtered through the tree canopy, painting the whole forest in gold. Senku had gone deeper into the woods to find materials for his experiment, leaving Toya, Taiju, and Tsukasa near their shelter. Taiju, always eager and energetic, decided to help Tsukasa check the hunting traps. But unexpectedly, while crossing a dense thicket, he suddenly screamed in pain.

Toya quickly turned toward the forest. A few minutes later, Tsukasa came back carrying Taiju on his back. Taiju grimaced, clutching his right leg, where there were two small bite marks and blood oozing out.

"A snake bite," Tsukasa said briefly, setting Taiju down near the fire. "Do you know what to do?"

Toya didn't answer immediately. She quickly grabbed a clean cloth and knelt by Taiju.

"Taiju-san, did you see the snake?" Toya asked calmly but clearly. Her usual calm demeanor disappeared, and she became oddly swift and sharp.

He grimaced, nodding. "It... it was green, small, long... I think it came from the bushes near the water."

"Green?" Toya repeated, her eyes quickly scanning the wound. She crouched down to examine the bite, using the clean cloth to wipe away the blood to get a closer look.

"Do you feel anything in your leg? Numbness, tingling, or sharp pain?"

"Sharp pain," Taiju grimaced, gripping his shirt tightly.

Toya nodded. "Alright, I think it's a bamboo viper."

She turned to Tsukasa. "Did you see any bushes nearby? These snakes usually live near moist areas and dense vegetation."

Tsukasa nodded, his expression still serious. "Yes, that's right."

"Then it's okay. You're safe with me here."

.☾

Toya pulled a small knife from her pocket, one Senku had made for the group to cut ropes and food, sterilized the blade with the nearby fire, and quickly made a small incision on the bite, just enough to let the venom flow out.

"Taiju-san, I need to drain the venom from the wound. It will hurt, but you have to endure it. Don't move, understand?"

Taiju gritted his teeth and nodded firmly. "I understand... I can take it."

Toya began to squeeze the venom out of the wound, her movements decisive but not too forceful. Dark blood oozed out little by little, and she kept wiping it away with the cloth.

"Alright. Keep still here." Toya pulled out a thread from the basket she had been weaving and tied it above the bite to prevent the venom from spreading further.

Then she looked around, searching. "Tsukasa, do you have any water? I need clean water to wash the wound."

Tsukasa immediately handed her a bamboo water bottle. Toya accepted it and carefully washed Taiju's wound.

"Bamboo viper," she repeated, about to say something else, but then just thought for a moment. "Its venom is a mix of hemotoxins and cytotoxins, destroying tissue and blood, but it doesn't attack the nervous system."

"If you feel dizzy or nauseous, let me know immediately."

"I'm... fine," Taiju gasped, sweat dripping down his forehead.

.☾

Toya finished her work in about ten minutes. She scooped water from a large jar nearby and washed her hands, grimacing slightly at the unpleasant smell on them. Then she looked at Taiju.

"You'll be fine. But you need to rest for a few days and avoid moving your leg too much. I'm not sure if any venom is left, but we've minimized the risk."

Tsukasa, who had been watching from the start to the finish, looked at Toya with a complicated expression. "Where did you learn to do all this?"

Toya smiled faintly. "You get used to it after doing it a lot. You think I'm useless?"

She casually threw in, her voice light but sharp enough to break the tension. "Don't worry, I'm 'harmless,' not useless."

Tsukasa frowned, his sharp eyes seeming to probe the meaning behind her words. He didn't respond right away, just stood there, his back straight like a motionless rock. Finally, he sighed, his voice low but not without a hint of recognition:

"The 'harmless' person you speak of... knows more than I thought."

Toya chuckled, not even glancing at Tsukasa. She climbed back into the tree, fiddling with the small flower crown she had been weaving. "Is that a compliment?"

Tsukasa didn't answer immediately, his gaze distant as he looked out at the darkening forest. "Not really," he replied, his voice indifferent as if he didn't want anyone to see him wavering. "But at least, you've proven that you're not someone who just sits still."

"Oh, so I should thank you for such a motivating compliment," Toya responded, shrugging with a hint of sarcasm.

The two fell silent for a moment, still sizing each other up. Only the rustling of the wind and the crackling of the fire provided a backdrop to the uncomfortable tension between them.

Taiju, still under Toya's care, frowned but then let out a weak laugh. "You two really do get along."

"Stop talking nonsense," Toya and Tsukasa both responded in unison, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before quickly turning away in opposite directions.

.☾

That night, Toya was once again sitting on the roof, her eyes deep in thought as she gazed at the starry sky. She sighed, her gaze seeming to sink into the void.

From a distance, Senku approached, holding a figurine of a swallow. He glanced up at Toya, his tone cold but with a trace of concern.

"Not sleeping? Or still watching the Earth spin?"

Toya closed her eyes, as usual, hardly looking at anyone when speaking. "What about you? Not sleeping to dream about science?"

Senku just shrugged, not replying. But instead of walking away as usual, he chose to sit down beside the roof, looking up at the sky.

"Why don't you say anything?" Toya asked, her voice slightly surprised.

"Because sometimes," Senku replied, still looking straight ahead, "some dreams are worth watching, instead of analyzing."

Toya chuckled softly, a smile faint as a passing breeze.

"Then go ahead and watch with me," she said, her voice vague as if she wasn't speaking to Senku at all.

And she didn't need to say anything else.

.☾