Author's note: you know theirs something to be said about taking note of the characteristic, and I did: YOU ever get an idea for a chapter and realize that the story hinges on you getting the time right, that's where this chapter comes in. I own nothing but my own plot.
Saiki's Perspective
My parents had already left at daybreak for their day trip and leaving me on my own. I noticed the mess my dad left when he made them breakfast. I felt the innate desire to clear it up, knowing it would make mom happy that I was helping clean up. I was moving behind the fridge to clean it. I noticed the roaches. Nope! I teleported out of the room, barely a thought. Opening my eyes, I was sitting at Mikoto's windowsill, and she was sparring with a dummy her headphones on. She lifted one of the buds but not opening her eyes. As she was rapidly punching the dummies' stomach. A smile creeping on her face I assuming she knows why I was here at all.
"You know I said you can hide out here, but I didn't think you take the offer that quickly." She had this sarcastic lilt to her voice. Changing her stance against the dummy.
"Their bugs in my kitchen."
"Seriously, that's it? The great Kusuo Saiki can be defeated by some bugs!" As she threw a few haymakers at the dummies' face.
"You act like you're not afraid of them. You couldn't handle them either last I checked." Rolling my eyes remember her and the pervert unable to kill a bug in that café.
"That's because I'm not." She had the most severe deadpan voice I've ever heard from her. I was nearly taken back.
"I'm from New York City." She said with a shrug not missing a beat with her dummy pummeling.
"Roaches are daily experiences everywhere, from a hovel to the swankiest and cleanest places you have ever seen. I know babies who stomp them the moment they spot them. I'll kill them if you want?" She offered softly while throwing a right cross at the dummy.
"Seriously?" He raised an eyebrow, wondering her angle in all this.
"Sure, but when I do go over to your kitchen, plug your ears for me, okay?" Looking through her shoe collection. Her thoughts on the fact she has people showing up soon to work out.
"Okay, either way, I'm going to know what you're about to do."
"Yeah yeah, I don't want you getting caught up in my siren's call. Open the door to your house, and I already picked up the shoe I was going to squash the roaches with."
"Fine." Hearing the click of the door opening. Her window and the window to the kitchen was wide open regardless. I was keeping my eye on her though, I could hear her thoughts, which mostly consisted of her plans for today's meeting up and hanging out with friends.
Hmm, the perfect song to sing for this? Though theirs a bunch of different options. Regina is a good option. More fun, at least for me.
She was clearing her mind taking a deep breath to allow the words of the song to tumble out.
"Ba dadum, ba dadum, ba dadum," She softly sung. I felt that tug on my heart, emotions I have never felt before seeming to spark up at that moment.
"What the heck, Mikoto!" I telepathic demanded angry I had heard sing before, and she didn't do this I wasn't affected. Like I would follow her and whatever she wanted her power is exactly that a siren's enchanting and dammit
"I warned you." She continued to sing as if I hadn't interrupted her, stuffing my fingers into my ears, trying not to hear her sing.
"This is how it works."
"It feels a little worse."
"Then, when we drove our hearse."
"Right through that screaming crowd."
"While laughing up a storm."
"Until we were just bone."
She stops singing, so does that pull her singing was giving me. Shutting my ears did nothing to stop it. Shaking my head, how my emotions just shifted so quickly. Siren's Call is an accurate name for what she just did. She went to the sink to clean the dead roaches. I could hear the sink running, and she quickly wiped down the area down. Clairvoyance just to make sure she doesn't stay longer than needed it right seems like an invasion, but she is someone even if I can read her mind was now a wild card that I didn't know as well I as I thought I did. For all the powers I saw, and she mentioned, that's one I didn't realize or recognized her having. I noticed she left the spotless floor and her walking back to her house.
Mikoto's Perspective
I was walking back to my room. The song was still on my mind and reminds me that I need to update my music playlist for Spotify with more bands. I feel like it was stagnant recently.
"Well, your foe is vanquished."
"Thanks, I owe you a favor."
"Forget it; it's no big deal go back to your house. Your mom's delivery guy is two houses down."
He teleported back to his home. Shaking her head not knowing what more she can expect out of him.
Rude didn't even say goodbye after I helped him. Men. I started to chuckle... Never expect gratitude then you won't be disappointed right?
"I said I was apathetic," he said without a hint of sympathy.
"Yeah yeah."
"Lucky you, I might as well be on house arrest for the rest of the week; he has a premiere in Milan and that's my only reprieve. Why did you have to be right about Teruhashi, older brother!"
Shaking my head, the anger burning me that this is something I now have to put up with his attentions whether I like it or not he hasn't stopped bothering me though
"Because destiny hates me and hates you too apparently. Welcome to hell. I'd say I was sorry, but he has been harassing me." Since Makoto met her, he somehow realized I was her neighbor and has been sending harassing messages duct tape and sometimes nailed to the door before I wake up; if I were normal, I might have been scared, but right now, this was annoying and grating on my nerves.
"He tells me on a daily basis to stay away from you because you belong to him. He doesn't even see his sister as a goddess anymore, so progress at least." Shaking his head that he's still after a minor can't he find a model or some attractive actress to swoon and fall in love with. Someone who will love him back?
"Nendou is on his way. Would you like me to take care of him?"
"Please?" He said for once using the etiquette I know his mother taught him. Knowing their no point in bringing it up, I shook my head, a wry smile on my face.
"Now you actually owe me," I said with a laugh as I notice him already nearing the door next door. As the friends I invited walking up, all three started chatting on the sidewalk, perfect storm considering everyone minus Nendou was in workout gear though she had prepared for this plan. Quickly to drag out the last workout dummy to the backyard. Allowing something to play out like they normally would have. A snicker slipping out as I set up the last of the dummies in the back yard. I had planned a workout day with friends for a while now.
Saiki's Perspective
I hear knocking on the front door realizing she hadn't dealt with him yet. Knowing that I can't get annoyed
I should have just stayed in my room; no good has ever come from me leaving my room like the predicament I find myself with the person I can't stand most was at my door like a giant dumb obstacle in my path to having a normal and relaxing day at home. If my mom sees him for a moment, I knew what my plans for the day were going to be.
"Hey, buddy, I was wondering if you're like to get some ramen with me."
I was already particularly annoyed at the fact I knew what today was supposed to be. And the list of things I knew was supposed to happen. Seeing Nendou was always at the bottom of things that I wanted to happen. Considering Aiura was trying her absolute best to be inconspicuous coming out of her home in her workout gear, sweatbands on her forehead, and her head up in a ponytail. She was dress more like I had imagined she would be dressed in wearing skimpy shorts, a tank top, and her sneakers tied. She was ready for something that was I had no clue about. But reading her mind, she planned to work out with Hairo and Yumehara again today. They planned to meet at her home today to work out. They wanted to work out today.
"Well, hello there, we haven't been formally introduced. Rikki Nendou, and who are you beautiful?"
I haven't, in a long time, seen him try to pull the suave gentlemen routine. But I think in his head, he sounds as smooth as silk, but it was just creepy like his voice sounded like he was mentally undressing her.
"I am Mikoto Aiura. I just recently moved in next door to Saiki here." She said, tilting her head in my direction. She tried to appear distracted, ignoring the tone he was giving off. Knowing her, she was reading his aura, and she didn't want any part of this, but if she didn't want to be here, she should have left earlier. She is here now and Nendou being a consistent pest is something that was going to happen sometime.
"Nice to meet you, sorry, but I got plans to work out with a friend." Realizing she had inadvertently given me an excuse to ditch Nendou, I decided to dress the part quickly changing into workout gear while Rikki Nendou was talking to her and giving her his full attention.
"Oh, really, I wanted to invite you to get some ramen with us, but if you have plans with friends, I won't stop you!"
"Wait, Nendou, I forgot I'm invited to go with them; maybe we can go get ramen another time?" I said while doing exaggerated stretches.
"Yeah, buddy sure another time, I'll catch you later!"
"My lady till we meet again," taking her hand in his and kissing it.
"Uh, likewise wait, what is this?" She noticed she couldn't pull her hand back.
As I tried to look away, I notice that Nendou Rikki and Aiura were, stuck to each other. Her distress seemed real.
"Dang, it, I thought I removed the super-strong adhesive I was using earlier. I can't believe it's still stuck on my hand. I swore I washed it off, but I apparently, I didn't!"
Saiki, please help me! Her eyes looked wild and shocked not nervous or panicked, but from the running commentary, it would be endless hours in an ER until they got a solvent to remove the glue from them.
Realizing I now had an opening away from both of them I took full advantage realizing that I could just that and have them both out of my hair for the day.
"That doesn't look good; you should go to the emergency room. They might have the solvent you're looking for to free you two."
"I hate you so much right now Kusuo."
"Uh-huh, next time you make me drive that creep out of your yard? This is your punishment for not telling your own mother to deal with him by now."
"Wait I got an idea! Hey Kineshi, I think they sell the solvent at that nearby store can you get for me please? I'll pay you for it when you get back, I promise!" I say hoping that he could be fast.
Mikoto's Perspective
Without answering he took off and I saw a quick opportunity as annoying Kusuo was being. Especially since he already took off to shoo away the salesmen from his home. I saw the opportunity that I could slightly and subtly while talking to a dull but sweet guy that is Rikki Nendou. Taking the time to pass information about innocuous things in his mind. Since I was stuck to him anyway? And somehow what he just did I didn't foresee he might just be a long time probably for me if he is that unpredictable even to me. Knowing that the best way to make someone less dumb is for them to have general knowledge. Which he lacks and what makes him so unreadable. Teach a man to fish and all that jazz. That way he'll actually note the world around him and not just force his wants and attention on others as much. A jump start to the mind was all he needed. As his conversations seemed to take a different turn as he was more contemplative than I had ever remembered him being at this moment. Knowing that he would overall be easier to read if he was the teensiest bit smarter.
I noticed a spark of something in his eyes as he apologized that he should have the solvent to make double sure that his hands didn't have glue on it still. As Chiyo Pippi showed up and I had to explain what happened and Hairo was getting the solvent. He even apologized that he couldn't shake her hand. That he was sure there was glue on that hand too. Realizing that what I was doing was working. Finally noticing Hairo had come back sweating buckets as he held a jar that had the solvent which he thankful helped place some of the solvent on our conjoined hands finally free my freeing my fingers. I didn't care about the sweat all I cared about was the fact he did something nice for me for no other reason than the desire to help. Giving him a big hug as Nendou seemed to put solvent on the other hand.
"Nendou maybe next time? You can work out with us?" I say with an air of friendly because now that he has more intelligence he might easier to be around in general.
"Yeah, I'd like that we may have met your pretty nice. I should head home I forgot I had summer homework I need to do. Have a nice rest of the day." As Rikki waved at us and walk away.
"Alright, guys now that weirdness is over, I got the equipment and the yoga mats set up in the back? So, follow me!"
"Alright, nice to see you, Ciyo Pipi, Kineshi, sorry about everything. I hope you guys are ready?"
"As I'll ever be!" Hairo said with that enthusiasm that was so infections.
"We know it happens but that's ok as long as we get to work out together right? Thanks for inviting me!"
"Thanks for thinking of me. I know you don't know me very well. I'm glad to be included!" Chiyo said with that shyness that she was shocked she was invited at all.
"Ciyo, Kineshi? I promise you both are my friends. I am excited and glad both of you can make it, and I hope that all of the stay friends for a long time and can get to know each other, alright? Today is about getting healthy and feeling the burn."
"Yeah, today is about pushing the limit as friends and getting stronger!"
"I brought out the dummies and the yoga mats. I know that we all agreed to a full body work out, right?"
Both nodding Hairo smiling like a happy maniac. He was ready to work out and burning calories.
For the next few hours, we were able to build up a sweat and my body felt really nice and ready for anything. As I show Chiyo sparing moment and tips for self-defense. While nudging her to want self-improvement. Because I have seen her life and her own unhappiness. At being a five-time divorcee. You should want your friends to be happy right? And if you can steer them in the right direction you should. Asking her if she wanted to work out like twice a week which she happily agreed with. And it would have been the nicest day in a while. At least until I swept up in a vision of something that shocked me giving both Chiyo and Hairo their goodbyes and that she hoped to see them soon she noticed a package on her doorstep that had a rose and a letter attached that she knew she didn't want to read.
Final note: I'm honestly going on vacation so I decide to upload this a bit earlier than what I wanted.