Author's note: A big thank you to the guest who mentioned that the format was ruined on the first chapter. I used the copy-and-paste method since this story is cross-posted on Wattpad under the same title. I hope you enjoy the new chapter as well!

'Saiki-kun, help me!' Kana shouted in her thoughts knowing Kusuo could hear her.

'No thanks.' Kusuo deadpanned and ignored how she squeaked in her mind as the rest of the class got into her personal space.

As soon as the teacher left the room, the entire class had gathered around her. The girls were enthusiastic and were in awe at her appearance. The boys were no better, most of them already asking weird questions.

'Yasuda-san, are you a model?!'

'A what?' She leaned back into her chair as the myriad of faces inched into hers.

'Yasuda-san, are you a fairy?!'

'No!'

'No, you dumbass. She's obviously an elf!'

'I'm not that either!'

'Hah?! What are you talking about?! She's an angel!'

'Saiki-kun! They can't identify my species. What's wrong with them?'

'That's Teruhashi, you moron!'

'Who?'

Speaking of Kokomi, Kusuo can hear every bit of her vicious quips about Kana. He watched the "angel" slowly implode in her mind.

'It's a girl!' Her mental image shrieked and pointed accusingly at Kana.

Obviously. Kusuo blankly read his book.

'She's taking all the attention from my beautiful self! Me! The perfect girl! Look at me, you fools!'

Kokomi advanced into the crowd and they naturally part for her like the Dead Sea. Kusuo watches as Kana takes in her presence, her timid smile automatically hiding her displeasure.

'Saiki-kun. Saiki-kun. She's shining.' She spluttered in disbelief.

'Hello, Yasuda-san! I'm Teruhasi Kokomi. Nice to meet you.' Kokomi smiled, the light around brightened.

'Is she a saint?' Kusuo noted Kana's tone, she sounded unimpressed.

'Far from it. She looks like one I guess. Though I've never met one myself.' He replied.

'Hi, Teruhasi-san. Nice to meet you too.' Kana smiled her usual smile. Inside she was still sputtering in disbelief. Kokomi is beautiful, she might be the prettiest in all of Japan. But the glow was unsettling and so was the fact her classmates treated it like it was an acceptable thing.

Kana was pulled into the conversations surrounding her for the whole period. Kusuo would only chime in when she asked questions about their classmates.

'Looks like you were wrong.' He told her during one of their classes.

'About what?' She inquired without looking back at him from where he sat diagonal to her.

'How confident are you that they're going to let you off after school?'

'Eh?'

'Ne, Saiki-kun. Are you really set on staying away from me?' Kana asked him. They sat two tables away from each other during lunch.

'You draw too much attention.' Kusuo replied as he slurped his udon. His eyes find her briefly, she wore her timid smile as she pretended to listen to the girls and played with food.

'I want to hang out with you though.' For some reason, he could hear the pout in her voice.

'We can do that when you don't look like an elf anymore.' He drawled back at her.

From her seat, Kana stole a look his way, a grin discreetly forming on her lips. Kusuo raised an eyebrow at her but she looks away and goes back to listening to her conversation. He blinked at her, not sure what to get from that look. He couldn't read her mind either.

What the fuck. Kusuo pauses from slurping his noodles. In his perspective, Kana's skin had dissolved into nothing revealing her muscles. He cringes inwardly, already used to seeing her without his x-ray vision. This was exactly why he doesn't look at anyone when he eats.

'I'm going to lose my appetite.' He tells her but got no response in return.

Fortunately, Kana put the block up when class started. He now had one less lump of meat in his view.

Yey.

Kana played with fingers under her desk. She just needed to ask right? But she still felt nervous. She and Kusuo were still mere acquaintances at best but she didn't really have a choice.

'Saiki-kun. I'm new around the prefecture. I don't have family here and I'm too shy to ask anybody else.' He could practically hear the incoming plead in her voice. 'Can I ask you to accompany me to buy some a few things?'

'No.' He deadpanned.

'Please! I'll make you any dessert you like!' She pleaded.

You drive a hard bargain, ally.

'Deal.'

They scheduled the trip on the weekend since Kusuo knew she would be hounded all week by her female classmates. Kusuo looked at the address Kana had texted him.

She lived four buildings down from Cafe Mami. It was on his way when goes there. The building itself was bigger than most of those nearby. Judging from the spacious lobby, the indoor pool, and the gym, the place was costly.

Kana waves at him from one of the lobby seats.

'Good morning, Saiki-kun!' She greeted.

'Morning.'

He noted how stylish she looked. Back at the cafe, he noticed that she somehow dressed like most of the well-off young female roles on TV. Though he didn't particularly care much for the female aesthetic, he could tell that Kana put some effort into her looks. And that's bound to attract unwanted attention.

'Let's head to the hardware store first.'

People stared at her. Kusuo made sure not to be in the picture with her and remained five feet back. He sharpened his senses, making sure none of their classmates were nearby.

The things on Kana's list were easy to find. He glanced at it back in her apartment lobby and told her he'd find half of the items on the list. Kusuo noted that Kana listed some power tools as well.

'Are you redecorating?' He asked her. They met at the cashier and the items were being scanned.

'More like decorating really. I told you, I just moved in.' She replied, placing a paint roller on the cashier's table.

'Ah! Saiki-kun get the ebi!' Kusuo took the plate of the ebi sushi and handed it to over Kana.

'Thank you!'

They were in a sushi train restaurant down the block of the plant shop on their itinerary. Kana had suggested it when she saw Kusuo glance at it a few seconds longer than the other places they passed by. Turns out it was a little pricier than your usual sushi restaurant.

When Kusuo saw the prices at the entrance, he almost turned around to leave. But Kana was quick to pull him to a seat and stated that it was her treat.

You're an amazing ally. He gave her a thumbs up while he took a katsu sushi and cream puff from the train.

Kana who had no context of what he was thinking could only mirror his hand awkwardly.

Kusuo carried most of what they've bought. Overall, they've been to the hardware store, a plant shop, a furniture shop to buy curtains, and now they were heading to the grocery store.

'Will you really be okay waiting outside?' She asked him as they near the store. Both of his hands held plants, two plastic bags dangled on one arm and one on the other.

'It's fine. Consider it a thank you for the meal and putting up a sound block while we ate. Besides I'm actually levitating all of these.' He explained.

'Oh? Then I'll be quick, Saiki-kun!' She disappeared into the double doors of the building. Kusuo stood there thinking of how to pass time. Using his clairvoyance, he sees his mother inside the store. This is why didn't he want to enter. Hopefully, Kana finishes shopping before his mother.

Kurumi was currently in the sweets aisle.

Chance! Kusuo focused on his mother and sent her a message telepathically.

Coffee jelly. The message was immediately delivered into his mother's brain. She piped up like a sudden lightbulb lit up in her head. He can see her making a beeline for his favorite treat.

Success!

Next, he tried to use clairvoyance on Kana. He wasn't really sure he could do it because of her power. To his surprise, he finds her in his vision. She treaded through the baking supplies area. She stiffened a little as if feeling his gaze at her.

Kana glanced around finding no one in the aisle. She brushed off the feeling deciding it didn't hold any malice and picked up the last of her supplies.

She rounded the corner while checking the list on her phone.

'Ah!' Kana reacted quickly and used the hand holding her phone to catch the person she collided with.

'Oh my!' The woman clutched her chest as she looked up at Kana.

'I'm so sorry!' Kana pulled the woman up using the arm she used to catch her by the back.

'Oh no! It's my fault as well for not watching where I was going.' The woman said, a slight blush blossoming on her cheeks. 'I'm sorry, dear. Did I hurt you anywhere?' She asked.

'Not at all, Miss' Kana smiles sheepishly, glad that the woman seemed kind.

'Miss?' The woman blinks at her and laughs. 'You flatter me! My name's Saiki Kurumi. I'm already married but I guess I look young?' Her cheeks brightened as waves her hand in a bashful manner.

'Saiki? As in Saiki Kusuo.'

Kana takes in the woman's appearance. Kurumi looked rather young, she did not look a day over 30. Her way of clothing was mature but it was common for a woman in their late 20's to wear the same. She had little to no wrinkles as well and had a youthful demeanor.

'I guess she did call me "dear".'

The longer Kana looked, the more she saw the similarities between her and Kusuo. If he had the same hair and eye color they would look like copies except for their eye shape. Kana concluded who Kusuo took after in terms of appearance. Saiki definitely got lucky in the gene lottery.

'Dear?' Kurumi questioned noticing Kana's distracted expression.

'Oh, I'm sorry. My name's Yasuda Kana and I was just thinking about my classmate. He has the same surname as yours.' Kana said. A small blush peeked through her pale skin.

'Eh? Could you be in the same class as my Ku?!' Kurumi gushed taking Kana's wrist.

Kana's nerves were automatically triggered. She wasn't around adults much and lacked the appropriate conversation skills.

'Ne, Kana-chan- I can call you that right?' Kana found herself nodding, unable to say no to the older woman's shining eyes. 'Then Kana-chan, would you like to come and eat dinner with my family?' Kurumi asked, her face showed more enthusiasm than Kana could show using her entire body.

'Um... actually-'

When Kana bumped into something or someone, she disappeared from his vision and a sharp pain traveled through his head. He winced and tried to rub his forehead but stopped when he realized he couldn't even reach his face with the number of things he carried.

I almost dropped them. He gazed down at the Kana's plants with pots and all. His levitation ceased for a second because of the pain. He positioned them closer to his body noting that they were considerably expensive altogether.

'Now to find out what happened to her.' He crossed his eyes again, his clairvoyance activated but he only saw what resembled a TV static.

Good grief.

'Ku!' To Kusuo's surprise and horror, his mother and Kana exited the store together.

'How did this happen?' Kusuo asked Kana pointedly.

'So, she's really why you wouldn't go inside.' She only shot back at him.

'My Ku is such a good boy! You went out to help a friend!' Kurumi just about teared up at the sight of him carrying Kana's things.

'Don't sound so surprised.' He responded with a sour look but she only ignored him and continued to fuss.

'My Ku really went out a friend and a very pretty friend at that.' Kurumi dapped her eyes with a handkerchief that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Kana could feel herself puff with the amount of heat radiating from her body.

'Why are you blushing? Tell me what happened.' He asked her.

'How am I supposed to react? We bumped into each other inside.' She replied, still redder than the tuna sashimi he ate earlier.

'Is that why you blocked me out earlier?' He asked, completely neglecting his sputtering mother who kept up her rambling of how he was budding into a man.

'Blocked you out?' Kana fanned herself and gave him a quizzical look.

'My head felt like it was hit by a bat when you bumped into my mother.' He told her.

'But I didn't. Ah, but now that I think about it I had to put down a lot of blocks while I was talking to your mother. I didn't know how or when they activated?' Kana's eyes shifted to the upper corners of her eyes as she thinks. This has never happened before.

'Is your mother also a psychic?' She asked.

'Heaven forbid, no.'

'You believe in heaven?'

'Don't miss the point.'

Kurumi appears within Kusuo's line of vision and she sticks her face towards his direction. Her eyes were glimmering almost as much as they would when she dallied with her husband. Kusuo backs away instinctively, already detesting what she was going to do or say. Stop giving me that look, woman.

'Ku! I asked Kana to have dinner with us and she said yes!' Kurumi exclaims.

'You said what?' He glared at Kana sharply.

'She was so convincing, Saiki-kun. She had the entire galaxy in her eyes, who could say no to that?' She argued in her most defeated tone.

'I can.' He deadpanned.

'Ku, help Kana get her stuff back to her apartment, okay? I'll expect you both at home for dinner.' Kurumi tells her kid making sure to express her eagerness by casting a shadow on her eyes.

'Fine.' Kusuo grimaced at her.

'Great! I'll see you then. Kana-chan I'll see you later as well, okay?' She turns to Kana with the same expression on her face.

'Hai, Mrs. Saiki.' Kana agrees but her gaze was downcast and her cheeks still a bit flushed.

'I'm really sorry, Saiki-kun. I didn't know she would just invite me over.' Kana says on their ride in the elevator up to her apartment.

'It's fine. I can't blame you for being polite. Should've told you she was there.' He watched as Kana pursed her lips and cast him a remorseful look.

'I'm also sorry about the block. I still have no idea how it happened.' She states.

'I'm more surprised that it hurt.'

Kana explains to him that her powers can hurt anyone when she forces her power to combat theirs.

'There was this kid back in Korea. I met him when we moved there for my father's job. He had the power to understand animals. I was fine with him and he didn't have any wrong intentions.' She explains while playing with the lock of hair that escaped her ponytail.

She seems to have moved a couple of times.

'One time, at the park, he used his ability on the cat I was playing with. My body reacted and blocked him out. And since it was the only time it happened to me, I couldn't control my power. My block pushed against him more than necessary and he fainted on the spot.'

The elevator dinged and opened on her floor. Kana held out her hand to Kusuo, wordlessly offering to help carry her stuff.

'I got it. Go and open your door.' He told her and stepped out of the elevator.

Kana promptly followed and walked faster in order to lead the way.

'In both examples, you experienced some kind of danger. That might be it.' Kusuo maintained a pace that matches her. He looked around the hallway and mindfully spied how far apart the door was. Each of them had a keypad.

'So, it may have been a subconscious reaction?' She reiterated the idea of his statement and he nodded.

'I guess it helps that I have something to compare now. I wish it didn't hurt you thought.' She sighed for what he thinks the ninth time within the 30 minute journey to her apartment building.

'I'm fine and it's not your fault you can't control your power. No one really teaches us about it.' He states. He could feel himself getting irritated every second she had that solemn look on her face. Makes it look like she was the one the got hurt.

'I'll hold you to that, Saiki-kun.' Kana replies, making sure to clear her tone of bleakness and to make eye contact. She had chosen not to mention his somewhat bitter yet lonely tone.

'Ah. This is me.' Kana points to the next door to their left. She enters the key to her room.

Kusuo tried his best not to look amaze and mostly succeeded.

Her place was not an apartment but a loft. It had huge windows in front of what looked like an entertainment area. Beside him by the door was the kitchen, complete with a kitchen aisle and a dinner table. The stairs were to his right, it was black and split to lead to what looked like a mini garden and where he assumed would be her bedroom. The walls were a mix of pale orange bricks and plain white.

She's more well-off than I thought. He absentmindedly settled Kana's stuff on the kitchen aisle. Other than basic furniture, her place was still quite empty though.

'I'll change tops before we go. Please help yourself to anything in the fridge and get comfortable.' She taps his shoulder before heading towards the stairs.

Kusuo scanned the items in Kana's double door fridge. How excessive for one person. He noted that she had pair or just one of each kind of drink she had. There were more juices than there were carbonated drinks. He opted for grape juice while he continued to rummage through the fridge. He just used his x-ray vision really, hands too busy with his drink.

She had more fresh ingredients than she did frozen food. A health junkie? But she had a lot of ingredients for sweets too. Maybe she just likes to make food. She does say she can make him coffee jelly.

Speaking of coffee jelly, he could see the coffee beans she bought from the store through her shopping bag. He reached in the bag but decided it should stay there so he can pretend to not have seen it at all.

Was coffee always that expensive?

Kusuo and Kana arrived at the Saiki residence at half-past six. Kurumi had barely finished cooking.

'Welcome home, Kusuo! Ah, nice to meet you Kana-san!' Kuniharu greets them at the door.

Kana observed the man and noted that Kusuo does, in fact, take after his mother. 'Good evening! I hope you don't mind the intrusion.' She bowed politely. She sees his eyes widen as big as saucers. He audibly gasped before turning to his son who already rid himself of his outside footwear.

'Kusuo, how did you ever become friends with such a beautiful girl?' He asked him while Kusuo just walked past him and headed straight to the dining table.

The couple was seated beside each other on the table in front of the two teens. Kusuo was content to leave Kana under the mercy of his parents. At the back of his head, he was hoping they'd scare her off.

But the events did not unfold that way at all. They conversed with a light air around them. His parents mostly told stories relating to every question she'd answer. To make things worse, they were mostly talking about him. They praised him openly but to him, they sounded like they were selling off their son to a person they just met.

'You sound like you're enjoying yourself.' He only addressed Kana.

'They're really nice. I was bit nervous at first though. I don't really have casual conversations with adults.' She told him, eyes still focused on his parents who were connected by their hands as they doted on him. 'They really adore you, Saiki-kun.' She adds.

Kusuo casted his eyes discreetly at her and regarded her expression. She did looked genuinely delighted. 'I can't believe how much they've almost slipped about your powers.' She giggled.

'They share one brain cell.' He distastefully shoved another bite of his karaage into his mouth. 'By the way, have you been putting up your block whenever I don't talk to you?' He asked Kana.

She took a sip of her miso soup and nodded to whatever his parents we babbling about. 'Not exactly. I've put up a weaker block on me. It's like a filter I guess. We can talk but you just can't read my mind. Glad to know it works. I've never done it before.' She replied with a complacent tone. 'It's one less account you need to be worried about.'

'Ne, Kana-chan, you said you just moved here.' Kurumi asked Kana.

'Hai, I moved here a week before the start of the semester that's why I got into school a little late.' Kana responded.

'Did your parents transfer jobs here? Is that why you moved in.' Kuniharu chirped in.

Kusuo saw the flash of emotion in Kana's eyes for a second but she masked it with a timid smile. 'Mama's working in the US. I went back here since things didn't work out for me back there. Mama grew up in this prefecture.' She stated.

Don't pry. Kusuo discerned that she neglected to mention her father. He pointedly conveyed his message with a glare. Hoping the shared brain cell of his parents caught on.

'How about Kana-san's father?' Kuniharu asked her, completely dense to the look on Kusuo's face.

Good grief. Kusuo exasperated. Should he at least got some of his mother's common decency from that cell. Apparently not.

'Ah, Papa passed away when i was younger.' Kana replied, her smile not faltering. It did not really bother her anymore. It's been years and she was always somewhat prepared for the topic.

The couple's shoulders sagged and they slowly separated. Kurumi gave her husband a weak glare before turning to Kana and reaching for her hands across the table. 'I'm so sorry, Kana-chan.' Kurumi told her as she clutched their hands tighter. 'You must be lonely living alone by yourself. You can visit anytime you want.'

No, she can't. Kusuo held back the thought. He'd rather not be on the same level as his father who slumped dejected in the corner of his eyes.

'Oi. Apologize.' Kusuo told him. Kuniharu tensed at his son's tone.

'I'm sorry, Kana-chan. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories.' If possible, he slumped more into his seat.

'Oh, you don't need to apologize Mr. and Mrs. Saiki. It was a long time. It doesn't bother me anymore.' Kana holds her hand up to try and appease the couple. She did not want to ruin the mood.

'Just accept the apology.' Kusuo told her.

'It really is nothing though.' She sighed.

Kurumi started to berate her husband. She made sure to tell him that he'd be on dishwashing duty for a while.

Kana watched them and turned back to Kusuo. 'I should really accept that apology, huh.'

'On second thought, don't. I would like to be free of dish duty.' Kusuo told her nonchalantly.

The dinner ended with Kana accepting the apology and the warmth between them returning. Kuniharu was still on dishwashing duty though, much to Kusuo's pleasure. Kana said her goodbyes and Kurumi made sure to tell her again that she was welcome any time.

'Stop inviting people you barely know over.' Kurumi ignored his not, preferring to shower Kana with warm farewells and well wishes.

'She's not going to disappear after she leaves out the door.' Kusuo tried again but received no reply either.

Once he got Kana out of the house, he slammed the front door to cut off whatever his parents were saying.

He turned towards her and saw her still facing the door with her usual smile. 'Let's go.' He told her.

'Okay.' Came her hushed reply.

'I'll teleport us back into your place. Watch your power.' He offered a hand out to her which she hesitantly took.

'I've never done this befo-' She was cut off as he teleported them away. Kana felt her body almost push against Kusuo's ability. It felt like a voice was repeating the word "danger" like an emergency alert. She pushed down the feeling of a force threatening to escape her chest.

They were back at her loft in a literal blink of an eye.

'Saiki-kun, please let me finish next time.' Kana said as she patted her chest willing herself to calm down.

'You controlled it.' He states indifferently.

'I almost couldn't. We would have ended up somewhere else or stuck in some subspace.'

Kusuo raised an eyebrow at Kana. 'How did you come up with that idea?' He questioned, genuinely curious about her statement.

'I don't know. Just sounded right to me.' She responded and poked his side. 'Seriously, Saiki-kun, let me prepare next time.'

He nodded at her but somehow she could tell that he wouldn't. She gave her a disbelieving look.

'Consider it as some sort of shock therapy.' He said.

She blinks at him before letting out a defeated laugh. 'Are you telerporting back?' She asked him.

'Teleportation has a cooldown of three minutes.' Kusuo replied and her smile widened.

'Are you some kind of game character?' She pressed her fingers against her lips trying to hold her bubbling laughter.

We're both TV series characters actually. He didn't actually tell her that, he was the only one allowed to break the fourth wall.

'You can stay and watch me make your coffee jelly.' She offered when she realized he had gotten quiet.

'I'll do that. I've never seen it made in person before.' He nodded at her.

'I'll go change into something comfortable. Please move everything off the counter except the tote bag.'

Kusuo sat on one of the tall chairs by the kitchen aisle, sipping a cranberry juice, and watched Kana take out a large glass container and an unfamiliar contraption.

She noticed his questioning gaze and pointed at the contraption. 'It's a coffee grinder.' She pointed to the glass container. 'This is a pour-over coffeemaker.'

Huh, she's really going all out.

'Mama and I are coffee enthusiasts so she bought me these even before she got me pans.' She explains.

'You could've used coffee in a can though.' Kusuo pointed out.

'I wouldn't. It goes against my identity.' She retorted. 'You also helped me out a lot today. I would've made a lot more trips to get everything.' She added as she plugged the contraption under the countertop.

Kusuo observed her during the whole process of making the coffee. She gave him a cup and set aside one for herself and made the batch to turn into jelly.

'Ne, Saiki-kun, do you prefer your coffee jelly jiggly or firm?' Kana asked him. She held two packets in her hand, one labeled gelatin and the other agar agar.

'I've never had firm ones before.' He admitted.

'Both it is then.'

After a complicated discussion over if whether Kusuo could just speed up the cooling process of the jelly, they both decided against it. Kusuo attempted to do the same on a jug of juice once and ended up freezing over the glass and breaking it.

He teleported back to his room that night, completely forgetting the time. He had stayed over for two hours and three minutes.

He tolerated being alone with an individual for two hours and three minutes.

Kusuo had just been watching at first, mid-way she started talking about the people in their class and he responded candidly.

The fact that he couldn't openly read her mind made the conversation more authentic. Both of them only grasping what the other was willing to show or tell. This is how normal people communicate, huh.

The next morning, Kusuo found Kana on his way to school. Her disgruntled figure peering at her phone, her other hand holds a basket.

'What are you doing here?' He asked her.

Kana snapped her eyes up and Kusuo took note of how she sighed in relief.

'Good morning, Saiki-kun.' She smiled at him.

He looked at her indifferently and observe how her cheeks were slightly flushed, a bead of sweat littered on her forehead.

'I was on my way to your house to deliver this.' She explained and raised the basket in his direction. 'But I got lost.'

'How long were you lost exactly?' He asked her.

She wiped the sweat off her forehead and sighed again. 'That's not the point, Saiki-kun.'

'I'll take that back home. You go on ahead.' He reached for the basket, inconspicuously using his x-ray to spy the coffee jellies inside. They look glorious.

'Uh... Saiki-kun.' Kana started, her fingers began to fidget.

'Spit it out.'

She looked down and held the strap of her bag at her shoulder. 'I don't know how to get to school from here.' She confessed shyly.

'Good grief. Are you a child?'