I give myself a moment to clench and unclench my fist as I set my pen down. Stiff fingers. And all that. I've been glued to this desk for, what, two hours?

Maths is... not a subject I'm bad at by any means. It's just that – I glance over to the sheet on my desk – numbers aren't particularly interesting to me?

A decent score somewhere between eighty and ninety, lest I appear too negligent, or intimidatingly studious, is probably perfect - for a perfect pretty girl.

I should still have – I look over to the wall clock – some fifteen minutes till the bell. I've rechecked my answers twice already. It should do.

I feel myself already slipping out of exam mode at any rate…

Exams.

I can't admit to liking them more than your average person. I tend to have enough on my plate without it. Although…

My eyes happen to meet the teacher's as I leaned back. Good old Tanaka-sensei from the Home Economics class. Acting invigilator for today's exam. I flash him my customary smile and I catch him straightening himself just a bit as he returns it.

Oh, look at that little blush. Hehe.

Exams are hectic, sure. For students and teachers alike. Arguably more for the former. Undeniably more for the students on the final legs of their, how many was it again, seven or eight years at high school?

It's a... strange thought. A part of me tells me that there's something off about that figure but I can't quite place it...

I'm not really one for nostalgia, but there's a part of me that can't help it. Second year felt like it dragged on and on. Across how many new New Years. How many cultural festivals. How many seasons. So carefreely, all of it.

In comparison, this last year's flown by in a heart-beat.

A few more months to go. That's what it boils down to. Essentially. Just a few more months of these overfamiliar halls, in these well-worn uwabakis, staring at the same old faces, going through the same old motions.

Just a few more months till finals. Then college entrance exams. Job hunting for some.

Just a few more months till graduation.

...Am I perhaps getting sentimental? Quite a thought.

Who ever will watch over the rest, if even I end up succumbing to the season's blues?

Sleep deprived, zombified, stressed out of their minds - my holy attribute magic comes in clutch.

*Resists snickering to herself.*

It is fun. I'll give you that.

The attack pattern you need differs person to person, and it's not necessarily the easiest thing to figure out.

'You'll do just fine!' Isn't that quite an irresponsible thing to say?

'Best of luck on the exam!' Damned to your fate, then?

Some people play it off like they don't particularly care about the exam results, but you can tell it nags them somewhere in their head. It's not the easiest thing to address.

But when you do get it right, do find the perfect words to offer, and find just the right amount of force to put behind it, you might just catch the moment the life returns to their eyes.

Their eyes, they just light up!

It's delicate work, but someone's got to do it.

All in a day's worth for PK's one and only.

*Resists snickering to herself a second time.*

…Speaking of difficult to understand attack patterns, though.

Stepping out of exam mode feels like un-submerging your head out of water. The noise becomes all crisp all of a sudden, filling up your awareness.

The soft, monotonous scribbling noises that characterize an exam hall. The soft rhythm of inhalations and exhalations. The occasional stifled groan or sigh.

The environment is soaking back into me, filling me up. And of course, the boy sitting so proximally to me hardly eludes me…

It's a blessedly fortunate seating arrangement. The gods have my thanks.

All I can make out are vague shapes of pink and green in my peripheral vision, blending in with the linen white of his face, but they're his vague shapes of pink and green.

Without even looking, I'm distinctly aware of that vaguely annoyed, sort of blank, expression on his face. There's that usual light hunch of his shoulders. The little noises of his pen scribbling along - I get the sense he's on the matrix problem. Second to last.

Make sure you simplify the second matrix before taking the determinant, Saiki-kun. I wasted five minutes trying to do it as is.

Not that he can hear my mental counsel. But it's fun to pretend. Like, when his pen halts for just a moment as the words crossed my mind, I can pretend my feelings reached him somehow.

...Kidding.

It's... not like I'm even trying to notice him. It's just become a habit.

It's been, what, seven months already? Since our third year began? I still haven't quite gotten over the novelty of sitting right next to Saiki-kun, if I'm being honest.

Memories of my second year at PK just drag on and on. In comparison, the last few months really do feel like they passed in the blink of an eye...

Summer went by without me being able to do anything, break and all. In class, I try to talk to him, I really do. It's easier since I sit right next to him. I try to bring up homework and quizzes and the things he's been up to, and the books he's been reading, and the shows he's been watching, and the things he's been thinking. Everything that I could come up with.

And I can hardly get him to care. He doesn't like talking about school. He doesn't like talking about studies. Or his home life. Or his hobbies. There was this brief period when dropping a "Coffee Jelly" in there somewhere would momentarily get his attention, but he quickly grew immune.

Such a shame too. The way he'd perk up was kind of cute.

As I think that, I notice his pen halt a second time. I make out a frown. I wonder if he's double checking his matrix multiplication. You can really lose track of your numbers if you're not careful, Saiki-kun.

In time, he goes back to writing.

And as always, I never could tell what was on his mind.


[ ~Three Weeks Ago ]

The scent of freshly cut lemon and the rich savory aroma of sizzling duck fat filled the Saiki kitchen.

The girl's face was a look of concentration. With a handy pair of saibashi, she gently turned the pieces on the pan, carefully eyeing them brown.

Saiki Kurumi watched from the side, absently nodding to herself.

A minute or two later, the girl pulled a paper-towel lined tray next to the pan, before moving the pieces onto it one by one.

"Oh, it smells delicious, dear," the woman remarked, stepping in beside her, while the girl finished sprinkling them with a pinch of salt.

The girl returned her compliment with a beaming smile.

"Shall I set it on the plate?"

"Ah, yes. But before that," the woman said, producing a small jar from the overhead cabinet.

The girl watched curiously as she sprinkled its contents over exactly one-fourth of the tray. Grabbing a pair of chopsticks from the counter, she plucked a piece and blew gently.

"Try it," she urged. A little abashed at the gesture, Kokomi nonetheless obliged, gently leaning forward to take a nibble.

As she finished it, she took a moment to process the taste. "Was that soy-chili vinaigrette that you added? But it's a little different than what I was expecting. A bit too..."

"Sweet?" Kurumi smiled. "It's a special version just for Kuu-chan." Kokomi cocked her head, but made a mental note of that little tidbit.

Setting the jar back, the woman then plucked another piece, one that she hadn't sprinkled the contents on, blowing on it gently, and taking a nibble herself.


"Hmm~," let out the woman, almost wiggling on her seat as she did. "Isn't this amazing, papa?" she said.

"Hmm~~," the man across from her mirrored her expression. Too caught up in savoring the taste to reply, but his agreement to her assessment was clear enough.

The click-clacks of active cutlery continued a few moments longer when Kuniharu paused, noticing the thinning aroma of the karaage replenish.

"I'm done with the second batch." The two looked up to see Teruhashi Kokomi emerge from the kitchen, a soft accomplished smile on her face as she set down another tray's worth of freshly cooked karaage.

"Ah~" Kuniharu breathed in the soft, luscious scent wafting from the tray. "It looks delicious!"

Kurumi nodded in affirmation.

"Kokomi-chan. Oh, it was exquisite!" she said. "I can't believe how quickly you picked it up. It must be even better than how I make it."

"You're too kind," the girl said, the radiant smile still on her face, as she undid the strings on her apron. Well, Kurumi's, but she was borrowing it for the time being.

"I only managed because of your instructions, Kurumi-san." She delicately slipped the garment off, putting it aside.

"It was incredibly fortunate running into you at the grocery store. I really did learn a lot. Once again, thank you so very much for having me over!" She finished with a light but polite bow.

The woman was absolutely swooning.

"Oh, it was nothing dear." She waved it off. "I've said it before, but please come over whenever you want. We're glad to have you."

Leaning back into her chair, she sighed dreamily. "You know papa," she said, "I've always wanted a daughter."

Kuniharu made some noise of acknowledgement at the sentiment but said nothing more as he continued stuffing himself.

Kokomi seemed to take a pause. She took a moment to gather the right words.

"I think... Kuriko-chan would be a little sad to hear that," she said, as she was unmaking her updo. She turned around. "I'm sure she also regrets missing out on being able to take cooking lessons with you."

Her hair gently cascaded back onto her neck and shoulders as she finished undoing her hair. "I wonder when she is coming back from Paraguay? I think it'd be lovely if we could have taken cooking lessons together."

Observant as she was, the girl didn't fail to notice the Saiki couple stiffen up the moment she mentioned Kusuo's female alter-ego. Though her social acuity also meant she was quick to draw the (right) conclusion that their reaction had something to do with a familial issue that they wished not brought up.

"O-Oh, r-right. Ku-Kuriko-chan...," the woman replied. "Y-yeah, I w-wonder when she's coming back. I-I m-miss her so much! D-Do y-you have any i-idea, p-papa?"

He shook his head jerkingly. "I-I think K-Kusuo might know."

At the boy's name, Kurumi seemed to forget her momentary jitteriness.

"That boy..." she pout-slash-frowned, "Kokomi-chan takes the trouble to come over and he can't even come greet her. Where are his manners?!"

"It's alright," the girl attempted to assuage. "I can hardly catch him without a book in his hand when we're at school nowadays. I'm sure he has his hands full with the coming exams."

Saiki Kurumi made a face. "I'd hope that's all there is to it."

"..?"

"Oh, it's nothing dear." She waved it off, back to her bubbly self. "At any rate, busy or not, I'm sure he'd love to give your karaage a try." she said, readying to get up, "Why, I'll go fetch him for you."

"Ah-"

The woman paused at the girl's reaction.

"I-If it's all the same to you, c-can I fetch him myself?"

The light flush on her face, the fiddling of her knees, the sudden loss of composure... The woman was absolutely swooning. She was just barely composed enough to utter her assent.

"O-ffu course, dear!"


Swiftly. Gracefully. And not a little tentatively.

Teruhashi Kokomi steadied herself in front of his door, taking a deep, long inhale. Exhaling, she gives it a light knock.

It moved slightly ajar at the contact.

"S-Saiki-kun?"

No response.

"Saiki-kun? Are you there?" She tried again, her hand on the knob.

When no response was forthcoming, she finally decided to take a peek, gently pushing the door open.

It was not her first time looking into Saiki Kusuo's room, but she couldn't still help but take a moment to gawk.

It was presently vacant. That much she expected.

There was paraphernalia littered on the bedside drawer. A pair of socks are lazily strewn next to the bed. Her gaze lingered a moment on his shelves and his collections, before moving on to his bed.

A book, or rather a manga from the looks of it, laid open by the sheets, while a crumpled bag of chips sat on the study table.

Before she could inspect any further however, her attention was drawn to the sound of a door closing from the end of the hallway.

Saiki-kun. He was watching her as he let go of the knob. Her heart skipped a beat.

Perfect pretty girl that she was though, it took her hardly a second to recover from her surprise. Not missing a beat, she fell back on her customary smile. Which he customarily failed to acknowledge, before she customarily side-stepped to allow him passage.

He continued ignoring her, all the way till taking his seat on the bed. Kokomi managed to keep up her smile somehow. Eventually, he looked back, as if to ask, 'What is it?'

Imperceptibly, as it might have been, the girl's smile widened.

"Kurumi-san asked me to fetch you for lunch. We made some karaage... I can let her know if you'd like me to bring it over though."

The last line seems to grab the boy's attention. Kokomi wondered if she imagined the minute hint of urgency in his voice when he replied.

'No, that won't be necessary.'

As she watched the boy set aside the book lying on his bed, she chanced asking, "what were you reading, if it's alright with me asking?"

She was half-expecting to have her question brushed off like usual, but he seemed to consider it for a moment. Grabbing the book, he came up to her, simply handing it to her, before walking past, to the stairs.

The girl eyed the title for a moment, before turning around to ask. "Is it any good?"

Without looking back, the boy gave her a thumbs up. She raised a brow, but her smile was an order of magnitude brighter.

"If you finished reading it, can I hold on to it?"

The thumbs up remained, disappearing only as he did down the stairs.


[ Back To The Present ]

It's kind of strange to think. That such a small thing would make me so unbelievably happy. But it did.

I finished reading it before the day was done. And maybe part of it was because I just wanted it to be so, but I thought I actually enjoyed it.

'So this is the sort of thing Saiki-kun reads?' The thought was on my mind the whole time. It's odd, but I've never really been able to figure out Saiki's taste's, have I?

Chiyo-chan loves rom-coms and soap operas. Nendou-kun's into comedies, especially those with Ecchi elements. Kaidou-kun's a dark fantasy person. Kuboyashu-kun seems to like thrillers, action-flicks and period dramas. There's Hairo-kun, who really loves watching sports and reading the occasional Shonen manga. There's Rifuta-chan who prefers following anything that's popular. There's Aiura-san who likes Western movies and pop music. Mera-san who seems to prefer non-fiction.

I think I sacrifice depth for breadth, but I do pride myself in being fairly widely versed.

Classic Literature. Manga. Anime. K-Dramas. Pop Idols. Hollywood movies. South Asian Soap Operas. Sports News. News in Science and Technology. History. Trivia. Anything, really.

You talk to someone, and there'll always be that one topic that really opens the flood-gates for them, you know? Get them raving about their favorite player of this year's baseball season, or all their fan-theories about their favorite shows. Tell me all about their favorite characters, and their speculations for an upcoming chapter.

God only knows how many times I've made the mistake of inadvertently getting Kaidou-kun to try to explain the lore behind his 'Jet Black Wings'.

Good conversation topics make like chess-openings. It's something you really want to get right, if you want to control the pace of the rest of the conversation.

I like to think that I generally have a very good intuition for the kind of things someone is into, and how to get them to talk about it. Which is why I think I've always found it so frustrating trying to figure out Saiki-kun.

What kind of shows does he like? What sort of mangas does he read? Something light and casual? The type that you unwind to? Or does he prefer something more fast-paced? More mature? Something more of an emotional rollercoaster?

Is he the sort that fusses over plot-holes? Or is he the type to overlook them?

I… wonder if he's ever smiling by himself when he's reading? Laughing even. Imagine that. I certainly can't. I can't even begin to imagine what it would sound like…

What about… when he's watching some sappy family drama on the TV? I don't think it would be his cup of tea, but a part of me wants to make him suffer through one, just for the reactions…

I can't imagine anything being able to move him to tears. But, it wouldn't kill you, you know. If you look a little moved, every now and then, Saiki-kun.

I have the urge to shake my head. But…

Saiki-kun smiling. Saiki-kun laughing. Saiki-kun smirking. Saiki-kun scowling. Saiki-kun blushing. Pretending that he isn't crying when he is. God, what I would give to see.

All the different faces that I want to see him make. All the different sides of Saiki-kun. All the different sides that he shows when I'm not looking…

I blink when I hear someone clear their throat. I take a second to make sure all's good. I... think I got side-tracked for a moment.

I'm almost tempted to sneak a glance of him. But of course I won't. It's still an exam, even if I'm done with mine.

From the sounds of it, he's almost done too.

Ne, Saiki-kun.

I'm sorry if it's a little rude of me, but after all the research I've put into it, (and not a little bit of help from Kurumi-san, god bless her), I must say, Saiki-kun, you've quite the strange taste for content.

Saiki's writing, I notice, slows down a second time, just as the remark crossed my mind. Obviously, it couldn't have anything to do with it, but it's fun to imagine. It almost feels like a conversation that way.

I glance over to the wall clock.

I sure hope you're on the final question already, Saiki-kun…

At any rate.

Obscure.

Saiki-kun is into obscure things.

That is my current running hypothesis.

Obscure mangas no one has ever heard off. From publishing houses buried under years of non-relevance. Obscure anime. Obscure games. Obscure B flicks. The sort of stuff that would ordinarily be collecting dust in some musty cabinet deep inside a rental shop. Aside from the occasional live show on TV, pretty much all the shows, mangas, games and anime that Saiki-kun follows, share only one key similarity - their sheer obscurity.

The genres themselves are pretty random. Comedies. Sci-Fi. Westerns. Horror. Mecha. Fantasy. Slice-of-life. Historical. Psychological thriller. Mystery. Documentary.

Yet, always skirting around all the more prominent titles in each genre. Isn't that just bizarre? Why would someone go out of their way to dig up obscure horror mangas from the 80s, but not bother reading Junji Ito? Why would someone go out of their way to dig up some obscure RPG game from nearly a decade ago, and yet never have played any of the Final Fantasy games?

I spent a while deliberating it all, a sincerely good while, and in the end, I could really only think of two possible explanations.

One – someone was, on purpose, recommending such obscure titles to him to poke fun at him.

Saiki-kun doesn't really talk to people a lot, so he might not have a good sense of what's good, what's popular, and what's not. And he might be getting duped by someone who doesn't want Saiki-kun to get along with his classmates or something.

(Maybe that mean brother of his...)

I would think Saiki-kun would be the type to see through something like that, though.

That only left the second possibility.

That, for Saiki Kusuo, obscurity itself was the genre of interest.

It would certainly be in line with his personality. Saiki-kun is not the type to try and fit in with the prevailing mood of a place, and I can see him being stubborn about not getting swept up with anything mainstream.

Or maybe he just doesn't like the idea of other people watching the same things as he does? It's not a stretch. I imagine it can be disheartening when other people disagree with your take on a show, criticize you over liking one character over another, and whatnot. There will be people on the internet that brazenly say it sucks. And then there will be others that make it cringy trying to make it their whole personality. Maybe Saiki-kun's sensitive to those sorts of things?

Or, is it...

I feel my eyes wandering over to the boy again but I stop myself.

Is it just that, he likes the idea of, how do I put it… getting lost? Wandering into some hidden gem buried in the 167th page into a search result. That sort of feeling?

Anything that's trending is something that's already getting a lot of love and attention. Supporting the less well-to-do creators for whom the viewership would actually count, that... would actually be really sweet if that was the case.

Whatever the rationale, it does seem the case that it matters to Saiki-kun that the things that he reads and watches, are things that not a lot of other people also read or watch.

I'll still be watching out for people trying to dupe Saiki-kun though.

As the thought crosses my mind, I hear Saiki-kun's scribbling come to a halt. I glance at the clock.

Seven more minutes? Saiki-kun, that's barely enough time to double-check everything. You have to manage your time better than that.

Not that he can hear me. But it's fun to pretend.

Nevertheless...

Speaking of the sort of things Saiki-kun is into…

Despite myself, I've the odd urge to smirk. I don't, of course.

I'm tempted to glance over.

Ne, Saiki-kun. Did you know? There's this new Cafe opening right next to the train station, the next town over. And get this, they're theming their opening week all around Coffee-Jelly!

Coconut-Cream Coffee Jelly. Spiced Chai Coffee Jelly. Honey Lavender. Black Forest. Even Mango-flavored Coffee-Jelly.

Not only that, but they're even offering a special discount for Christmas Eve.

(A couple's only discount, but as if I could tell him that.)

Eve.

Oh, Christmas Eve.

Just a week away.

It's ordinarily quite the busy day for me, you know? Everyone and their grandmas will be out there inviting me over for their Karaoke outings and Christmas parties. Even though the third-years will probably hold back a bit , considering everyone's out there preparing for college entrance-exams, that still leaves the second and first-years. And even though I'm a third-year myself now, I can't very well afford to make myself scarce on Christmas. Considering that it's my final year at PK, it's all the more pertinent that I make the most of all the time I have left to interact with the first-years.

That said. I've an agenda far more pressing this year.

This time, I can't help but sneak a glance.

Saiki-kun is looking at his paper with a bored look on his face. I wonder if he's actually not bothering to double-check at all. He's so nonchalant about it…

There's his usual green tinted glasses, and his usual pink hair clips.

That one time he'd lost his glasses and hair-clips, I thought he actually looked really sleek. But I can't say I mind this more… dorky looking Saiki-kun, either. That color scheme would look so awkward on anyone else, but on him, it's just… him. I don't know a better way to put it, but it suits him.

For a second, I almost feel the scenery shift.

The air fogging up in front of me. The cool winter air on my cheeks. The sting as it fills up my chest. The snow as it drifts through the curtain of night. The Christmas lights playing on his eyes. His breath, taking shape in the chilly air. His expression tucked behind a warm looking muffler. I wonder if we're on a date...

He slips his hands into his coat, rummaging for something. A present, I think. He fixes his eyes on me, a very casual, nonchalant look. And yet, there's a certain softness to them that I don't usually see. I almost wonder if he's shy...

"Five more minutes to go." I hear Tanaka-sensei call from up ahead, drawing me out. The picture crumbles apart, just like that.

And we're back in the classroom.

Except for his eyes. They're still looking at me. He's... looking at me.

S-Stupid.

I can feel the heat rising up my cheeks, even as I quickly avert my eyes.

I-I can't believe he caught me staring… Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

*Shaky Inhale*

I can't believe I was caught staring…

*exhale*

What was I thinking…

*inhale*

*exhale*

It takes me a second to recover my composure, but I manage it somehow.

I hope Saiki-kun didn't think too much of it...

Taking one last long exhale, I try to fix my thoughts one more time.

...This year, I've an agenda far more pressing than my usual Christmas duties. I almost look back, but stop myself.

Graduation's a stone throw away.

I'm not even sure what I want from him anymore. Once upon a time, all I thought I wanted was to make him go 'Offu!'...

I know I want to spend Christmas Eve with him. I know I want to have my first shrine visit of the year with him. Winter break starts tomorrow, and I know that I want to spend as much of it as I can with him.

I know I want him to look at me. I know I want him to fall for me. I know I want to learn more about him.

I know that I want to see him smile. At me, preferably. That I want to watch movies with him. And maybe read books sitting next to him. See what faces he makes. What he looks like if I tease him over spoiling what he's reading. Nag him about my favorite characters. Hear him nag about his.

I know that I want to hear him laugh. That I want to poke him on his nose, and be able to tickle his sides, and play with his hair, and hear him talk about his dreams, and... And...

...What…

What is it… that I want from Saiki Kusuo?