Work Text:
"She was crying on my shoulder, all I could do was hold her"
Luna never imagined she would witness what her eyes were seeing: Kohaku wasn't crying like other people. It wasn't dramatic or out of control, just unusual. Despite having absolute control of her body in the most difficult situations, at that moment, her body trembled, her sobs almost inaudible, making the silence weigh heavily on the shoulders of anyone nearby.
She watched her for a second. She had taken her hand, but she knew it wasn't enough, so carefully, she put her arm around Kohaku's shoulders, as if that would prevent Kohaku's world from completely collapsing.
They weren't friends, at least not in the common sense of the word, but they were women, and they couldn't look away from each other. There was something profoundly human about supporting another girl who was completely broken, especially for the reasons Luna understood all too well.
"Kohaku…"
"It's not your fault," Kohaku interrupted, as if she needed to say it out loud to convince herself.
Luna didn't answer because she knew that, even if it wasn't her fault, she wasn't entirely innocent either. She had fallen in love with Senku, and she had used her wiles to get her way and become his girlfriend, but, in truth, she had long suspected that this arrangement was causing discomfort to both her boyfriend and the stronger woman.
So, keeping a certain distance so as not to make her uncomfortable, she held Kohaku for a few seconds as she broke down in tears. Luna could do nothing more than be there for her, even as guilt began to choke her.
"I see her in the back of my mind all the time"
Later, when Kohaku went hunting, the camp was once again filled with noise, and Luna watched Senku from a distance.
He wasn't doing anything different. He was talking about science with Chrome, gesturing energetically in front of Suika, and arguing with Ryusui and Gen, as usual. But now, Luna saw something she had previously overlooked unconsciously, or perhaps hadn't wanted to see it that way.
"Don't you think Kohaku and Hyoga have gone too far?"
Ukyo's innocent question annoyed the scientist, who, without looking up from his work table, tensed the muscles in his back. Tsukasa noticed this reaction but pretended not to and answered the archer. "They must be looking for the best prey to feed us all. Or are you just hearing them from a considerable distance?"
"That's exactly it. I feel like they've really gone too far. I hope they haven't encountered any danger."
“Well, maybe they’re just taking advantage of the distance to have some time alone,” Ryusui commented.
“You’re absolutely right, Ryusui,” Gen chimed in. “After all, those two have become inseparable. The same goes for you, isn’t it, Tsukasa?”
“It’s obvious we get along well, but those two have a different connection. Hyoga sees Kohaku differently than I do.”
“What do you mean by that?” Senku asked, his tone quite challenging.
Luna didn’t want to listen. It wasn’t as if Tsukasa’s answer hurt her, but Senku’s reaction was disturbing her peace. She didn’t feel capable of witnessing that scene any longer. She went to help Suika and Chelsea sort seeds for Francoise’s meal, while they chatted about their adventure and what was to come.
But the heart doesn't listen to reason when it's tormented, and instinctively she turned her attention in Senku's direction. She saw him working, creating tools, and theorizing about how Medusa functioned. However, she also saw him shift his gaze, searching for a certain figure hidden among the trees. There was no doubt he was waiting for Kohaku's arrival.
It was more than obvious that Senku's concern for the girl wasn't just about her safety and the danger Hyoga might pose to her; there was something more, something he couldn't put into words. It wasn't normal for his tone of voice to change every time Gen or anyone else mentioned her, especially when it was meant to stir something in him, which always happened when the girl's name was accompanied by Hyoga.
It wasn't declared love, there was no hint of romance, but something more subtle and, therefore, more dangerous—at least that's what Luna thought.
"Kohaku! Hyoga! You're finally back!" Suika's excited shouts lightened the atmosphere.
Luna didn't want to look at those who had arrived, as her eyes were fixed on the boy who, even with Kohaku far away, had that girl very much on his mind. It was more than obvious that Senku's eyes shone with relief at seeing her again, the peace of mind of realizing she was unharmed, and also, unease at seeing the smiles shared between Hyoga and Kohaku.
"Relax, Lioness, you can tell everyone here about your battle with the wild animals later. Now I need your strength to pulverize this." Senku had intervened with the sole intention of calming himself down.
Luna didn't notice, as she didn't know him well enough to reach that conclusion, but it seemed Gen and Chrome did, and that was the conversation she overheard.
"He could have asked Taiju, couldn't he?" Chrome teased. "Senku is so predictable sometimes."
"He tries to keep a low profile, and maybe he succeeds sometimes," Gen pointed out, "but he can't expect to fool all of us. That request to Kohaku was nothing more than an excuse he invented to keep her away from Hyoga."
"Kohaku doesn't seem too bothered either."
She didn't want to hear any more. It was enough; she wasn't going to let herself be disrespected like that. It wasn't as if she had any right to complain to Senku, since she knew perfectly well that he didn't see her the way she saw him. For him, they weren't a couple, but rather a political arrangement to have Carlos and Max as allies, and her, of course, as the doctor.
Despite always being present, Kohaku was the persistent thought in Senku's head, and he was always drawn to her as if he were being pulled into her orbit. From what Luna had seen, she knew very well that, even if Senku resisted, Kohaku's attraction was even stronger, with the same intensity with which gravity keeps us grounded.
Luna understood, with painful clarity, that she had never occupied that place.
"Did I cross the line?"
That night, while checking the first-aid kit and tidying things that didn't need tidying, Luna asked herself the question she had been avoiding from the beginning: Had she crossed a line?
The possible answers appeared in a list in her head: yes, no, perhaps, it's not possible, maybe. But she hadn't lied about her intentions and interests, nor had she forced anything, since the agreement with Senku had been clear, logical, almost cold, and he had accepted it.
At the time, when she began working with Senku's scientific kingdom, she was unaware of the intentions behind the agreement. Luna genuinely thought that Senku would be interested in her, that they would do boyfriend-girlfriend things and things like that, but as she rearranged the gauze in the first-aid kit, she remembered the day when, tasting a wonderful cocktail made by Francoise, she expressed her concerns about Senku's lack of closeness and how those present suggested she not get the wrong idea.
“Luna, Senku isn’t a bad person,” Yuzuriha told her, “but he’s not the kind of guy who’s expressive enough to hug or kiss someone. I’ve known him long enough to know he’s not interested in that kind of romance.”
“Maybe he could change, right? If you think about it, that’s what he told you when you were teenagers.”
“He hasn’t changed one bit.” Yuzuriha’s smile was as genuine as her words. There was no doubt about it, Senku wasn’t and wouldn’t be interested in romance; at least not at that moment, at least not with her.
She slammed her fist on the table in frustration and stood up, determined to go talk to Senku. She knew she’d find him in the lab with Kaseki, since they were researching Medusa. She entered quietly, asked permission, and Senku’s gaze quickly fell on her.
"What's wrong, Luna?"
"Oh, uhm, sorry to interrupt."
"Did something happen?"
"No, no, I mean, actually, yes," she began to hesitate, as Senku's gaze reflected all his frustration with the investigation, and that made her very nervous. "You see, I need..." Senku sighed, so Luna immediately fell silent.
"Look, if you need more supplies, I suggest you talk to Chrome or, failing that, to Francoise. I can't get you any more supplies, at least not right now." His expression shifted to one of concern. "Or did something happen? Was anyone injured?"
"No, no," she quickly replied, "no one's hurt. I just..."
"Luna, please."
He wasn't being humiliating or ungrateful; he was simply being cold because of the work he had to do. His priority at that moment wasn't talking about his feelings; it was recovering the petrifying weapon. It was a race against time, and talking to her would only delay the mission. Luna understood this perfectly. She apologized, saying she would go get Chrome, and left the lab with a heavy heart.
After a while, Tsukasa asked Luna to change his and Hyoga's bandages, which she gladly did. But as she was finishing bandaging Hyoga, she heard Suika and Kohaku laughing. Instinctively, she looked in the same direction as Hyoga and realized that Suika was on Kohaku's back as she tried to balance.
It was an innocent moment, just a distraction for the girl. Luna noticed that both Hyoga and Tsukasa had their eyes fixed on Kohaku. She also realized that Senku was no longer in the lab, but was standing with his arms crossed, watching Kohaku, just like the other two boys. While Tsukasa seemed to be missing something, Hyoga and Senku shared the same gentle, calm expression, and every time Kohaku laughed, Senku lowered his gaze slightly to hide a smile. Luna wondered if he was aware of his behavior toward that radiant girl.
“Thank you so much for your work, Luna,” Hyoga said once the dressing change was complete. “You’re quite diligent.”
Luna accepted the boys’ thanks and set about putting away the medical supplies. She noticed that the boys had decided to join Kohaku. Without waiting long, her gaze returned to Senku, who, upon seeing Hyoga take Kohaku’s hand to help her balance, looked away and his mouth tightened.
“Who’s the naive one?” she muttered.
She was. She had agreed to stay, her distracted gestures, her closeness, and her efficient work. She was the one who had decided to fill a space that wasn’t empty, just neglected due to a lack of importance.
What weighed more heavily on Senku: a girlfriend or a doctor?
She thought of Kohaku crying and how she had taken her hand without reproach, without anger. She felt she would never forget that heartfelt conversation, for it had been the clearest display of love she had ever seen from the girl. And seeing Senku's reactions, she couldn't help but think that perhaps he was going through the same thing.
Luna sat by the fire, and during the few minutes she was alone before Chelsea joined her, she thought that perhaps her mistake hadn't been loving—no one could blame her for that—but rather staying when the truth was already emerging like spring water: clear and in its purest form.
She had simply filled her head with the wrong ideas.
"But everytime you touch me I just wonder how she felt"
Senku appeared beside her without warning, as he often did. With a genuine smile and calm eyes, he approached her.
"Good work today," he said, briefly placing a hand on her shoulder.
It was a minimal, almost automatic gesture, lasting no more than a second. Senku did this with everyone: with Chrome when he made a breakthrough, with Taiju when he refused to give up, even with Gen when something went according to plan. There was no exclusivity in this touch, because Senku didn't believe in that concept.
And yet, Luna felt the weight of that hand as if it didn't belong to her. It wasn't rejection that hurt, but clarity.
In that gesture, there was no refuge, no choice, o desire to stay a second longer. Only functional recognition. Gratitude for a job well done. Nothing more. Luna understood then that Senku didn't see her as indispensable in the way he saw Kohaku. Not because she wasn't fulfilling her role—she was, and doing it well—but because something imperceptibly changed with Kohaku. The contact was the same, but the smile wasn't.
With Kohaku, Senku's expression softened without him noticing; his shoulders relaxed, his voice lost its rigidity, as if his body knew something his mind hadn't yet articulated.
That thought tightened in her chest. Had Kohaku ever sensed it?
Luna glanced at her. The girl held the plate of food Francoise had given her, observing it intently, as if it held something more than just sustenance. Perhaps she was tired. Perhaps thoughtful. Perhaps, like Luna, trying to make sense of emotions that had no name.
Kohaku smiled slightly when Senku congratulated her as well. A small, honest, unpretentious smile.
Luna couldn't help but smile at the sight; it was the expected reaction, the one anyone would have upon being recognized. But inside, she felt something slowly closing, like a door being gently pushed shut.
It wasn't that she'd stopped believing in love; it was that she was trying to hold onto, against her will, something that had never truly been hers.
"Do you see her in the back of my mind? In my eyes?"
The first night after breaking the petrification that had saved them from Stanley's massacre was a night of revelation. That night, Luna became absolutely certain about what was happening with Senku: he didn't see her completely, not because he didn't want to, but because he was capable of seeing right through her.
There was no malice in it, only emotional indifference. Senku had no intention of formalizing the bond Luna had imagined in her mind, while she clung to a false hope that would never materialize.
What happened was that, at the celebratory banquet, Luna mustered up enough courage to throw herself at Senku and hug him. She fully intended to make that contact happen. She decided that the perfect moment was right then, when he was sitting peacefully talking with Gen, with no possibility of escape.
She stretched out her arms and closed the distance between them, but Senku backed away, spilling some food. Despite that, he didn't avoid Luna's hug, but he broke it immediately when he stood up.
Luna regained her composure, and her smile faded when she saw the uncomfortable expression on Senku's face.
He didn't say anything, nor did she apologize. There was something strange about Senku's expression, but no one could quite decipher it. Without a word, he walked away from everyone. Luna was left there, exposed, waiting for the earth to open up and swallow her. Chelsea quickly pulled her away so she could calm down.
After a while, and once her nerves had subsided, Luna returned to the campfire as if nothing had happened, laughing at the situation because, well, it was Senku, what else could someone expects from him? He wasn't going to react well to any display of physical affection, even from his girlfriend.
But she overheard a conversation. It was Gen, Suika, Chrome, Ukyo, and Kohaku, but the latter seemed ready to leave.
"Only a few of us have been able to hug Senku without being pushed away, right?"
At Suika's comment, Gen sighed wearily.
"Speak for yourself, Suika. I wouldn't have hugged him, no matter how happy he made me, and he did make me happy when he gave me that cola," Gen said. "But if you want to put it that way, Kohaku is the other lucky one."
"Don't put it that way," Kohaku remarked, drawing her sword and giving the group one last look. "Those are just gestures of gratitude. Luna is his girlfriend; she should have more right than any of us to hug him. Oh well, never mind. I'll go with the others."
"Are you going to patrol? But there's no danger anymore," Suika pointed out.
"You never know." Without another word, Kohaku ran to join Tsukasa and Hyoga, who were already waiting for her to head into the forest.
Everyone remained silent until Gen decided to speak again:
"Luna's concept of being his girlfriend is very different from Senku's. I'd venture to say that Senku doesn't really see Luna as one; he just wants to please her."
"That's more than obvious," Ukyo said, almost embarrassed. "But Luna seems comfortable with that arrangement. To be honest, I always thought Senku would be interested in a girl like Kohaku."
"Don't say it so loudly, Ukyo; that wild animal might hear you," Chrome teased, referring to Kohaku, which made Gen and Suika chuckle.
"She's not the only one who can. Oh, they're gone now."
Luna turned to go to bed and drown her sorrows in the company of her pillow. But she stopped to gaze at the natural satellite that dominated the sky. It was in its waning phase, yet it stood out beautifully, reflecting the sunlight. It was then that she realized she was its counterpart, and that Senku was the Earth.
She was always orbiting the planet, a constant presence even considering the phases it went through. She was ever-changing, but according to the stages determined by the Earth's own movement, just as Senku was when he needed her help.
She was a reflection and a companion, but she wasn't something so precious, for she had no light of her own, and even when she did, the brilliance wasn't the same; moreover, she wasn't a unique landscape.
In contrast, that blonde girl laughing with the other warriors, captivating the scientist who couldn't take his eyes off her for a second, she was a precious stone. Her brilliance was comparable to that found in the jewels of the modern world, and while she wasn't the most beautiful of all, she certainly didn't go unnoticed, especially when the sun's rays struck her directly. Kohaku was like a jewel set with amber.
Everyone could have a picture of the moon, but few could possess a jewel set with amber, brighter, more real, impossible to ignore, just as Senku felt about Kohaku.
Kohaku. Luna wondered if there was a hidden meaning behind her name, because just as hers referenced the natural satellite, surely Kohaku's carried a similar significance, especially considering that she was part of the lineage of descendants of those who survived petrification.
Luna didn't cry, nor did she get angry, much less complain. Sitting there, gazing at the sky, she made a decision. A serene silence accompanied her reflection, and she seemed to agree: she wouldn't stand in the way of what was inevitable any longer.
She loved Senku, or at least the idea she had of him, but he didn't reciprocate her feelings, and everyone knew it. So she decided she had to step aside, for herself.
To love is also to know when to withdraw, and if she truly loved Senku, she wasn't going to impose her feelings on someone who, no matter how much she insisted, wasn't going to return them.
Some stories don't end, they simply don't continue, and that was the case with the two of them. It was impossible for them to continue in a charade, especially considering that the feelings Senku might harbor in his heart were connected to that girl who had once cried with him.
"I'm letting you go, Senku," she murmured, fighting back tears.
She looked at the moon, but lowered her head. Her heart wouldn't find peace that night, but she hoped that when the moon was waxing, the wound from that unrequited love would begin to heal.
"You never were and never will be mine."
That night, two hearts learned to let go, while the third continued to orbit a truth it still couldn't name.