Manga spoilers ahead

Kohaku was furious, after witnessing all of her friends being broken apart she managed to snap the rope holding her down. Her friends followed pursuit, worried that her recklessness may get the best of her. Once she got to a close enough distance which was the edge of the cliff, Kirisame - the petrification device wielding warrior immediately showed up in front of her.

Having sensed the blond's battle stance, the opponent unleashes multiple attacks against her. Kohaku attempts to dodge, only for her foot to get caught by the length of her dress. Her head throbbed as it got thrown back against the rocks behind her. She puts her arms in front as a defense while the enemy keeps attacking with no intention of stopping. After sustaining multiple injuries, the girl realizes that she couldn't possibly fight adequately and begins to commence her plan.

"Laaaabbb! Give me my lab, please that's all I need!" She completed her goal to scream what they had needed from the ship, hopefully alarming any possible survivors left. However, the problem was how she was going to retreat from her relentless opponent. The warrior was more powerful than she expected, perhaps they were an even match had she been in her usual clothing armed with her katana.

Stupid dress, it's getting in the way of my movements.

"Come on now, Mr. Lab. Hurry up and get your girlfriend~." She heard Gen holler, prompting Senku to approach her. She looked at Gen in utter confusion, the attacks cease and Kirisame observes in suspicion.

"Sorry, sorry~ This girl is just soooooo protective and possessive! If her boyfriend Lab wasn't around she'd get crazy and start picking fights on spot!" He continued with exaggeration, setting them next to each other.

"Geh." How terribly cliche. Senku thinks as he continues to scratch his ear with indifference.

With him acting like that Kirisame might not be convinced, I have to go a step further. Kohaku thinks and takes a deep breath.

"That's right! Lab and I are lovers!" She announces to the warrior and grabs Senku by the neck and musters up the courage to give him a kiss. Of course she would only aim for his cheek, but from their onlookers' perspective it would seem like a full on smooch.

That was the plan anyways, till her dress decided to mess with her once again.

Shit.

She could only imagine that she mirrored the look of horror showing in Senku's face realizing the inevitable that was to come. And the worse part?

Her weight had caused them to stumble, with her falling on top of him.

Their lips touched, seemingly igniting chills all throughout her body. Her lips tingled from the unusual sensation, and never moved from its place. With her eyes completely wide open, she was forced to look right into Senku's deep scarlet orbs-causing her even more discomfort. Perhaps she was imagining things but she could've sworn his eyes had a dazed look.

Hyper-aware that her heart was picking up its pace. She decides to close her eyes hoping that maybe she'd be saved from the awkward staring. But her loss of vision only succeeded to heighten her sense of touch, further ingraining the memory of contact into her brain.

Furthermore, she just realized that his hand was holding her waist.

How long do we have to do this?

"F-fine! Just hurry up and get back to your village. And don't ever come back to this area again." Kirisame walks off, embarrassed to see the shameless display of the supposed couple. After hearing her footsteps disappear they immediately separate, confronting the very shocked faces of their comrades.

Silence ensues, both not making the effort to speak nor get up. Contemplating how the hell they ended up in this situation.

"Stupid hormones." The male next to her mutters silently to himself and refuses to glance at anyone.

"Huhuhu! Senku-chan and Kohaku-chan, I never knew you guys were fantastic actors. You both looked so natural~" Gen teases, a mocking smirk plastered on his face.

"Shut up, mentalist! Don't think I forgot that you caused all this." Senku crossed his arms along with a menacing glare.

"Eh, me?" The tall male acts in pretend shock. "Yes, I established the idea of you pretending to be a couple; hoping that you'd follow through but...I didn't remember insinuating you should pucker up." He continues, giggling at their misfortune. "Who would've thought that behind all that cold exterior hid such a lovestruck teenage boy?" It was clear that Gen was not going to let this go but at least he had the decency to spare Kohaku. They both stood from the ground, the girl unable to process anything except what she had just experienced.

"Ha? I'm beginning to doubt your abilities if that was enough to fool even you, mentalist." Senku rolls his eyes, the initial heat of his emotions from earlier simmering down. "You do realize, that would've been for nothing if no one survived right?" He notes with a deadpanned look to his face, probably finding recent events to be unnecessary.

Kohaku averted her eyes on instinct, her heartbeat ringing in her ears. "Someone, has to have survi-" She trips once again, but was saved from colliding with the earth once more courtesy of Senku. She notes the feeling of her hands clutched against his chest and his hands that held her in place, reminding her of everything that had just transpired.

Not again! Now it just seems like I'm doing it on purpose.

"Alright that's it! I need a better dress." She fumed, pushing him away from her; a little too harshly but not enough for him to fall. Kohaku walks away, not believing the day's events: her friends get petrified, broken and tossed into the sea, she had to act "feminine" to be chosen for that harem, her dress kept causing her inconveniences leading her first kiss to come from the cold, logical and sometimes sadistic scientist.

It wasn't like she was planning to save it for someone special. In fact she doesn't have plans for any sort of romantic relationship. If anything, she would probably stay out of the entirety of love.

Then why is my heart still beating so fast?

Little did she know that the scientist just had the same trail of thought.