Just a note.

Bold and italicized words are telephatic messages that Kusuo use to plant an idea/sense of foreboding in someone's head.

Bold and italicized words that are in quotation marks are telephatic messages that Kusuo use when conversing.

For our first act, Yamazaki suggested to go to school together. She went to my house that morning to come pick me up.

"Ara, Kohina-chan, you came for Kuu-chan?" Mom asked her.

"Y-yes ma'am." She stiffened, remembering how scary my mom could be.

"Souka, come on in and join us for breakfast." Mom ushered her in the table. "And no need to call me ma'am. Mama would be fine."

"I-I already had breakfast, umm.. Mama..." She tried to politely turn her down.

"Nonsense! You're so thin, you should eat more!" Mom said as she put a mountain of food on Yamazaki's plate. "It must be hard living alone!"

"T-thanks." Yamazaki forced herself to eat the food she was given.

"Mou Kuu-chan, take good care of your girlfriend okay? Make sure she eats a lot." Mom said with her usual sweet voice yet didn't fail to send shivers down our spine.

"Yeah Kusuo, and also you're the one who's supposed to pick up Kohina-chan from her home!" Dad added.

"Ah! N-no! It w-was my idea since your house is c-closer to t-the school!" Yamazaki interjected.

"Even though. Kusuo, you should learn how to be a gentleman." Dad said then turned to mom. "Right Mama?"

Mom leaned on his shoulder and replied, "Hai. Just like papa."

"I feel like I'm gonna throw up..." I heard Yamazaki thought.

I know their sickly sweet but try hold it in.

"Hang on Kohina.. It would be rude to throw up the food they gave you.. Ahhh... I-I'm so full.. I don't think I can have another bite..." I turned to her and saw her eagerly trying to finish the food she was given with tears in her eyes.

Oi. You don't really have to finish the whole plate, if you're that full.

"Ara~ you seem to like the food, have another serving." Mom took her plate to refill but I stopped her.

"Mom, she's already full and we'll be late if she eats more."

Yamazaki turned to me with her eyes glistening, "Saiki-san, you're my savior! I am forever grateful!"

Good grief.

"I'm so full.." Yamazaki thought as she basically dragged her sluggish body as we walked. "I'm starting to feel sleepy too..."

How troublesome.

She isn't really a big eater, I found that out when she barely finished half of her sliced cake when we ate at The Old Shack.

I slowed my pace to match hers, we still have a lot of time before school starts so we can take our time walking.

"Oi, let's bump into those two and get some money from them." I heard a group of delinquents nearby say and pointed at us.

Good grief.

Trouble just keeps coming.

The author must have hated me a lot.

The delinquents started walking towards us as Yamazaki was absent-mindedly walking towards their direction, oblivious to their plans.

I quickly pulled Yamazaki to me and maneuvered our way so that we could avoid bumping into them.

Their plan failed, causing them to get pissed off.

"Oi you two." One of them called.

"Just ign—" I tried to tell her but I was too late.

She already pulled out of my hold and turned to them. "Yes?"

"Who said you could be lovey-dovey on the streets. It makes me sick." Said the other, striking his most intimidating face.

Your face could make anyone sick.

The leader cracked his knuckles, as his underlings circled us.

How annoying.

"How 'bout ye hand us yer money and we'll let ye go." The leader threatened.

"Let's just give it to them to avoid trouble." I told her.

I'll just find a way to get it back later.

"Eh? I just withrawed my allowance for the whole week. I can't give it to them and surely Saiki-san's parents work hard for his allowance, he can't just give it away!"

"No!" She shouted at them. "Go ask money from your parents!"

"Oi. What are you doing?"

What a pain.

She must have not been thinking clearly at the moment.

"Heh?!" The leader stared her down.

She mustered her own version of an intimidating glare; she looked like an angry chipmunk—her cheeks were a bit puffed, making her lips form a small pout and gave the gang leader a pointed look.

"Haghwrgh!" One kicked a nearby trash bin, startling her. "So yer actin' brave jut because yer boytoy's wit ya?"

"Ye want us to beat yerr scrawny boyfriend?!"

Why is he talking like that? A speech disorder?

"No, I can't let them hurt Saiki-san! Think Kohina, think." She put her hands on her pockets, feeling a certain item that she always carries. "My pepper spray! Wait no, if I used it on one, the others might get aggressive and attack. If i can't attack, I have to think of a plan to escape."

She looked at the the surroundings, on each side of us, there's a three meter wall. The only exits are being block by these goons.

"I'm not a fast runner but, I can jump that wall. Then it would surprise the thugs and give Saiki-san time to run away. Yeah. That should do but how do I tell him?"

That'll be no need.

"Oi! Ya think were kiddin' here?! We'll bash yer lover's head in!" The leader went ignored as Yamazaki continues to formulate a plan.

"Ah, I know, I'm going to act all scared and then cling on to Saiki-san and whisper him the plan." And as she was raising her arms to cling to me, a sound of a whistle broke through the air.

"It's the police! Let's run!" One announced and they all took a run for it.

There no need to cling, I called the police via telepathy.

"That was fast, they're already gone. It would have been embarrassing to cling on Saiki-san so suddenly. Lucky~"

And thankfully after that, we came to school without further trouble.

"Kohi's here!" I heard Tomomi's thoughts.

We were still outside the classroom, how did she know she's coming?

"I'm going to greet her with a hug! I hope she's forgiven me!"

I don't think she'll even give you attention, given her state at the moment.

Since her adrenaline settled down, Yamazaki went back to being sluggish and sleepy. She headed over her desk like a mindless puppet, unintentionally ignoring Tomomi in the process.

"Sleep.. So.. Sleepy.." She slumped down and rested her head on the desk then took a nap.

"Is she still mad?" Tomomi thought.

"Yo Tomomi! Good morning!" Kobuyasu greeted her.

"Aren, good morning." She greeted back.

"I guess they haven't made up yet." Kobuyasu thought, glancing at the two friends.

"Your wounds, they're gone." He searched Tomomi's face for the said wounds.

Did this two get into a fight? Kobuyasu's appearance looks a bit beat up. Having a cut near his lip and a few bruises here and there.

"I heal fast!" Tomomi bragged.

"Cool." He replied.

She grinned at him widely. "I'm just kidding! It's just make-up!"

"Let put some on you to cover your bruises!" Before Kobuyasu have the chance to decline, she had already pulled him to his chair.

She put out her concealer stick and began working on Kobuyasu's face.

"Oh, are you allergic? Your face is red." She said noticing his blushing face.

"I.. I should tell her... But what if she thinks I'm a pervert?" Kobuyasu thought, trying to look away from Tomomi. "Ah, no it's... It's just hot."

"Agh! Hot? Why did I say hot?"

"Yeah, summer is coming pretty early and could you stop looking away?" She said as she readjusted Kobuyasu's face towards her.

"B-but!"

"Quit moving!" Tomomi said as she got closer because he was trying get a good distance away from Tomomi.

By this, Yamazaki has already gotten up and was behind him.

~Boing~

The top of his head touched something soft.

"Boing?" Kobuyasu looked behind him to see the half-asleep girl, reaching her hands out to Tomomi's blouse. She let's out a tired sigh and fixed Tomomi's button.

"You're not mad at me anymore?" Tomomi asked, putting down what she was doing earlier.

"I cleared my head at the rooftop and thought that It's not worth it to throw our friendship away just because of a little fight." She answered.

Touched by this, Kobuyasu went ignored as she hugged the small girl—with him getting sandwiched in the process.

"I can't believe that you're more worried about that than flashing your cleavage at Kobuyasu-san." Yamazaki said impassively.

As if remembering that he was between them, Tomomi pulls out of the hug and gave Kobuyasu a teasing grin, "Hot, huh?" making his red face even more red.

She laughed off her own embarrassment and put him into a headlock then proceeded to give him a noogie. "You lucky bastard!"

I had my first coffee jelly and it was amazing! I think it was just made from instant coffee though, I kinda wanna try making one using excelsa coffee or that variety blend I got from Cavite—I hope we still have some left. Lols. Though surely, it would give me sleepless nights.

What I mean is, thank you for reading this chapter!

Leave a review or something!

May you have the coffee jellies that you like but make sure to take it in moderation!