After hurrying out of that bakery, repulsive taste still on my tongue and wad of napkin still in my hand, I knew it was one of my all-you-can-eat chocolate days.

My metabolism is pretty average, and the only exercise I get is walking down my school's hallways. So if I want to continue wearing the same size pants, I do need to watch how much chocolate I satisfy myself with. However, there are days when I allow myself to gorge on as much chocolate as I want. I won't specify what kind of days those are because that will make my feelings right now too obvious. Although, you can probably guess.

I dump the offending wad of napkin in a trash bin and, without a moment to lose, rush to the nearest store. I buy as much chocolate as I have money. I mean, I don't make a habit of carrying around a lot of cash, but the amount of chocolate I get with what I do have will last me a little while. At the very least, it's pleasurable to have a small tower of it sitting next to me, each bar waiting for their turn to be eaten.

I settle on the ground, leaning against a tree, and munch furiously on my third chocolate bar that day. After leaving the convenience store, I had walked back to the park since the multitude of trees would make me feel sorta hidden. Not that I would be noticed anyway, but there's something comforting about the fact that this time, I'm purposefully hiding. Plus, there's a trash can not too far away. I'm upset, that doesn't mean I want to litter.

There's a crinkle of grass from behind me, around the tree. I don't think much of it, the park is a public place after all, but out of curiosity I lean around the tree trunk. I have to crawl around a little (it's a large trunk) and then I freeze from shock.

It's Saiki.

I wonder if it's too late to subtly scoot back to my original sitting position (maybe he doesn't know I'm here?) but I know that it'd be pointless. And even if I didn't know, he turned his head to look at me a moment later, locking eyes before I awkwardly broke it. But I don't particularly feel the need to say anything, so I stand, brush off my clothes a little, and go to pick up my stack of chocolate.

I don't want to be here anymore. Maybe I'll be able to ask him about my sister another time. Today, I feel like being alone. But before leaving, I linger for a moment, wondering if he was going to say something. I think I know why he's here, but maybe he'll have something to say despite the reason.

He doesn't. Clearly. Why would he? To be honest, I'm surprised he even managed to find me. Special talent of mine to blend into the background and all that.

"Did my sister ask you to find me?" I hear myself blurt. Ugh. I need to work on that habit.

He doesn't respond, not really, but I know it's a yes.

"Sorry, then," I say. "But it must have been cool to receive a personal request from her."

I wait for a moment. Still silence. It seems that I'm not going to receive any sort of answer.

It suddenly occurs to me that I've never heard this person speak.

He didn't "oh!" or respond to my sister, but Kokomi didn't seem bothered at all. Actually, she looked as if this were a regular occurrence. Which I know for a fact that it isn't, and I know that she would be extremely bothered if anyone of the male species were not to immediately worship the ground she walked on. Not that that's ever happened before, and it probably never will, but…

Is this kid mute?

It's possible.

Everything lines up. He wouldn't be able to respond to Kokomi and he might be able to gasp, but certainly not the "oh!" that she can draw out of everyone.

"Are you mute?"

Hm. Maybe that was rude? Perhaps I'll start trying to create a filter for my words.

He gives me a look, one that says I'm an idiot, which kinda stings and I don't understand. Like, sure, I know that I shouldn't have asked, but it was just a question.

"Good grief. No, I'm not mute."

Huh?

Oh, wait, no, nevermind.

For a moment, it hadn't looked like his mouth had moved at all, but I literally must be blind because the movement of his lips became apparent to me once he finished.

Geez, first going insane over a gross taste, and now thinking people can talk without moving their mouths? Today is not a great day for me.

"...okay then." I hesitate. I want to ask, but should I? My mouth opens, but I don't know where to start. But maybe I don't need to.

"You know everything, right?"

"Huh?"

"You're a psychic, aren't you?"

A confused look. A very strange confused look, but a confused look nonetheless. I grip the chocolate in my hand, unfamiliar uncertainty filling me as his eyes bear into me with absolutely no understanding.

"You're a psychic." The words don't come out very loud, so I try again. "You're a psychic! Why aren't you saying anything? You know everything, but you've barely said a word!"

His face went back to being emotionless stone, but it was too clear he had no intention of confirming the truth.

"Fine." I spit. "I'm leaving. You can report back to Kokomi that I went home."

I turn to stomp away, but feel a little bad for yelling at him. Maybe there's a reason he can't tell anyone, not even a perfect stranger like me. Maybe he's being hunted, or has some tragic backstory, or…

I turn and face him again, meeting his eyes, but before I can do much else, I feel a wash of truth flows over me, like a rush of ocean water down the back, and I know, I know that he's a psychic. The truth actually hurt, a little, pinching my brain like a sudden but sharp headache. It causes my hand to twitch, as if glitching, and I drop the chocolate in my hand.

Saiki did not look at me as I hurriedly bent to pick up the chocolate bars, but I still felt like he was watching. I don't like it. I don't like being watched. I send him one last look before running away, mind swirling.

I've never had the same realization twice about a person. And it's certainly never hurt before. I glance down at the chocolate in my hands and make a quick head count.

1, 2, 4, 5…

There's no sixth?

2, 3, 5…

There's only five.

Shoot. I lost one of them.

I stop running, panting now, and glance behind me in the direction of the park. It's probably laying on the dirty ground, sad and lonely. I think about going back to retrieve it, re-provide myself with chocolate, but one thought of that pink-headed guy turns me away. If he's still there, then the chocolate bar will have to be abandoned.

A/N

Short chapter, but I have a reallllyyyy long chapter for you guys next, so bear with me for now, haha