"Good afternoon, Kokomi-chan," Saiki's parents exclaimed as they came into view from the stairs.
No greeting for me? What am I, a side character?
Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Saiki!" Teruhashi greeted them cheerily.
"So, Kokomi-chan, will you be staying for dinner?" His mother inquired.
Yes, she will be, Saiki interrupted tersely.
Saiki glowered at his parents as they tried unsuccessfully to suppress laughter. Teruhashi put her hand up to her mouth and giggled as well. She didn't show a hint of her usual coyness, instead choosing to relax and enjoy the moment as it was.
"We're having curry rice tonight! I'm sorry, Kokomi-chan, if I had known you were coming over I would have prepared something more elaborate…" his mother announced, contrite for not preparing for a situation she had no way of knowing about.
"No no, it's fine, Mrs. Saiki! That's perfect!" Teruhashi said as she awkwardly closed her eyes and frantically waved her arms in a "no" gesture.
Once she had relaxed a bit, she allowed herself to feel at home, if only for a moment. She hadn't had curry rice very often, but she had fond memories of it. He heard her parents serving it to her and her grateful responses. He felt his features soften as he heard her genuine happiness and contentment.
"Please, Kokomi-chan, join us at the table," his mother cheerily requested, but he knew her well enough to know it was more akin to an order.
"Oh, of course Mrs. Saiki! Thank you for allowing me into your home!" Teruhashi said as she bowed politely toward both of his parents.
"It's nothing! We're just happy Ku-chan is spending time with friends!" his mother chirped back while making a dismissive hand motion.
He would let that slide, as she spoke about Nendou in the same way. They sat down and rendered the proper ritual, but didn't start eating just yet. Saiki knew he wasn't going to like what was coming next. They sat in silence before embarking on the conversation that could no longer be avoided. As expected, Teruhashi's mind was turning while his parents sat uncomfortably. She couldn't figure out how to tell them that the two of them were together more often because he felt like he wronged her and that she didn't know if it was going to be permanent.
"I'm really sorry about this whole situation," she started, brushing her hair behind her ear. "I must have put you all through so much stress these past few days. I understand why you wanted to keep Saiki-kun's powers hidden, they really are world-shattering. If I hadn't imposed on that day…"
His father cut her off. "It's fine, Kokomi-chan. It is what it is. Obviously, we're very happy that Kusuo is getting closer with people and we've been trying to push him to be more social for a long time, but we try to respect his boundaries because we want him to be able to live his life on his own terms. Slip-ups are bound to happen," he said gravely. It was jarring to Saiki to hear him so poised and focused.
I AM right here, you know, he growled to no one. He felt like a child at a holiday table spectating their parents exchanging pleasantries about them.
"Both of you are very good people. Thank you for taking care of Saiki-kun; I imagine that a lot of who he is is thanks to you two," she said warmly. Saiki was starting to get uncomfortable.
Why are you picking now to be a parent, idiot? Aren't you supposed to be saying something stupid or making light of situation? Why do you suddenly act like this when she's around or you're talking about her? Do you really want a daughter-in-law that badly? Go bother the annoying guy…
He stopped when the thought of his weariness of the act forced itself into his mind.
Is it so wrong that someone else knows?
He regretted that he had once again torn someone down without a second thought, even if that person was extremely annoying.
…Why am I so upset?
He didn't hate being around her, and she seemed to be genuinely having fun. Interacting with her just felt… natural? He watched her talk to his parents. While he was lost in thought, they had moved onto another topic; the three of them were all laughing and smiling. The invader fit right in, and that shook him to his core. He felt waves of terror similar to the ones he experienced when she discovered his powers. He didn't mind troublesome things as much anymore, but this was too far outside of his comfort zone.
Then again, seeing her instinctively want to take care of him was also far outside of his comfort zone. She had stayed by his bedside on Saiko's cruise, but this felt different. He always put people into boxes because being able to encroach on their heart of hearts showed him that most people had the same thoughts with just enough variation to make it significant enough to compartmentalize. Yet, people showed their true colors in ways he couldn't predict more and more as time went on, especially her. He sighed. The only way he could go about this was one step at a time, trying not to think too much. She would just always find a way to come back around even if this were to be the last time they would talk to each other like this.
I guess it can't be helped.
His mother whispered, "Ku-chan… Are you ok?"
They had noticed him sighing and looked toward him before he made himself aware of his surroundings. He felt an uncomfortable uncertainty from their thoughts.
I'm fine. I was just doing some thinking is all. I know I'm not always the best at these things, so let's do our best to enjoy the rest of dinner.
Teruhashi thought for a second and then spoke.
"So, Saiki-kun, top 5 favorite desserts of all time?" She winked at him and flashed him a sly smile. His parents burst out laughing. Their laughter was infectious, and he couldn't help but break into a smirk himself as he shook his head.
Be more specific. Favorite types of desserts or times I ate desserts? Any particular order?
She placed her finger on her lower lip pensively.
"I think times would be better to talk about experiences as opposed to the nuances of flavors that only he would understand. Out of order is better because it doesn't force him to rank experiences so we can focus on having fun talking about the experiences themselves."
He couldn't understand how someone could come up with a competent plan so quickly. His understanding of people had a long way to go. She removed her finger and returned to a neutral position.
"I know you already heard it, but I'll say it for everyone: favorite experiences in no particular order."
First one is simple. It's not a particular time but getting the coffee jelly at Café Mami is a good part of my regular routine. I always look forward to it and it helps take the edge off.
"That reminds me, why didn't you show up when I was making coffee jelly there then? I was really looking forward to seeing you enjoy it."
More like getting me to say offu from it. The crowd prevented me from getting in and your brother showed up too, so it made it pretty much impossible.
"Of course he did," she huffed. "I shouldn't have worn that stupid maid outfit either, I probably would have had to work way less hard. I assume you had something to do with me suddenly getting a burst of energy?"
Bingo. You always make things too hard on yourself for no reason.
"Oh, hush. You know Kokomi Teruhashi never compromises on anything."
Ideally you shouldn't compromise on referring to yourself in the first person either. The match starts! Saiki initiates an argument with non-commital banter that comes off as an ad hominem attack.
"You're one to talk about conceit. Imagine being so full of yourself that you won't say a single word. At least I know who I am," Teruhashi fires back, not willing to let him worm his way out of his blatant contradiction. He unfortunately was able to slip through her fingers momentarily.
I think it was at least somewhat justified because somebody who refers to herself in third person wanted to hear it. Saiki counters with more ad hominem attacks to dodge the question.
"Ok, tough guy, you wouldn't even be here right now if you had said it, so who's the real idiot?" Teruhashi draws attention to the situation as a whole in an effort to break down his argument. With this strategy she performs a 2 pronged attack to expose his contradictions: 1. He still keeps her around despite her conceit and 2. That she is around in his life despite his best efforts. This, of course, comes with the implication that he will still interact with her should she will it. Faced with no further options and out of time, Saiki would normally be forced to declare checkmate. However, since he is a sore loser, he deflects his loss instead of knocking his king over and shaking his opponent's hand.
We're not doing this right now. My parents are going to catch on. Saiki, ever a master of avoidance, deflects his loss by calling attention to a pressing but unrelated matter. He constantly keeps himself abreast of exit strategies to split his opponent's focus and slip out unnoticed while they deal with the emergency of his creation, the mark of a true professional.
"Just admit it, you lost again," she gloated. Teruhashi attempts to follow her petulant opponent and force him to shake her hand, but unfortunately her time has run out. Her attempt at sportsmanship is thwarted by outside interference.
"Oh, I see what's going on…" his father interjected, bringing Teruhashi's victory celebration to a screeching halt.
Great, Saiki groused. He donned his most threatening glare to prevent what was about to happen, but his efforts were for naught.
His father broke into a smug grin and said, "Oh, you two lovebirds! Just because we can't hear you doesn't mean we don't know you two are whispering sweet nothings to each other."
Teruhashi turned beet red and Saiki glowered at his idiot father.
"N-n-n-no, what are you talking about? We're just friends, I mean acquaintances after all! N-n-n-nothing like that would ever happen!"
She was waving her arms around and making facial expressions in the same pathetic manner that she did when she tried to explain away Saiko's bathroom swap confession. Saiki tried to use the lack of time to his advantage by deploying it when the moment was right, but unfortunately it was too late. Even with the effects of Saiki's rapid think mind control, they were too engrossed in their battle of wits to maintain full situational awareness.
This is all your fault. Saiki deflects blame even though he was the sore loser.
"Fine. It's my loss. Happy?" The contrast between her inner voice and outer behavior was quite amusing. Teruhashi's part in this was taking the bait by allowing her pride and righteous indignation to guide her actions. In today's match, both Teruhashi and Saiki lose.
His mother slapped her hands on her cheeks and shouted, "Oh my god are you two dating? I had no idea, congratulations!"
She bore no hint of comedic timing at all. Her inability to read the room was all the humor she needed. Hadn't she heard Teruhashi moments ago?
He caught a glimpse of Teruhashi's face as she wore the same vacant stare she did the first time his mother told her about his powers, evidently impressed by his mother's lack of situational awareness. His father burst out laughing again. He tried to point at Saiki, but abruptly lost his balance and fell out of his chair. Teruhashi noticed his eyes glow and a smug grin.
His mother screamed, "Ah, Papa! Are you ok? Please be more careful, you'll seriously hurt yourself if you make a habit of falling out of your chair after laughing at our son!"
His father curled up on the floor writhing in pain.
"Owww, why me?"
Saiki's father was well acquainted with the stability of the chair from his "clumsiness", so he figured out the culprit immediately. Teruhashi tried her best to suppress a giggle, but couldn't stop it from escaping. She shook as she tried to prevent herself from full-on laughing.
"So this is what a normal family is like? This is… really nice…" She smiled from the bottom of her heart, but panicked when she realized Saiki was listening and did a very poor job pretending like it didn't happen.
Be careful unless you want me to give you the chair treatment too, he said with a devilish grin. She settled back into her chair as a big smile embraced her countenance. His father was still whining as his mother frantically tried to to treat his battle scars.
Don't have anything funny to say? Aren't you supposed to be making jokes? he said as he eyed her through is peripherals.
"... No. I'm just really happy right now."
He watched her as she smiled, lost in thought. She was thinking about something that he couldn't understand very well. She had thoughts of gratitude, elation, and comfort. Though the emotions were clearly delineated through words, he felt that they were leading to some higher feeling that he couldn't quite grasp. He felt a less intense version of it in Kaidou after they went bowling.
I'll give you this one. Putting my dad in his place usually leaves me in a good mood as well.
They realized they should eat at some point. Saiki begrudgingly restored his father and reheated all of their bowls. Teruhashi melted into each bite as she enjoyed her first lovingly cooked home meal in a very long time. She felt comfort beyond her wildest dreams. She didn't want to go just yet. They said their goodbyes to Saiki's parents and headed upstairs. She realized what might be next to come and started to shake a little bit.
"I don't want to go, but it's extremely selfish of me to stay as long as I want. I've come so far, I just don't want to mess it up…"
Saiki ducked his head and turned away from her, darkening his eyes. She didn't notice.
So this is what I've sown.
As they reached his room, Teruhashi piped up. She needed to address the elephant in the room from earlier. They had put it off while they were playing Monster Hunter, but now it was time for the same comeuppance as the conversation with his parents.
"Are you ok? You fainted earlier…" she all but whispered.
I'm fine. It was a one time thing, he stated firmly.
"I know I've tried to not push too hard in the past, but please allow me this one selfish act before I go. What happened? I need to know for my own sanity," she said as she bowed her head and pushed her clasped hands toward the hem of her dress. Her thoughts started to whip up into the hurricane that she felt after she discovered his powers.
I'm not entirely sure what happened. All I know is that when I heard the word "trust" it kept repeating in my head until I became tunnel visioned and passed out.
She noted his contradiction but seemed relieved that it wasn't something more serious. She understood that his word choice did not always match his true intentions.
"That's good to hear. I'm also sorry about breaking your personal space and grabbing you and touching your head. It felt really good, and I couldn't stop myself," she apologized, ashamed that she allowed herself to do something so willful.
That's also ok. It was understandable given the shock you must have felt seeing me collapse. How long was I out for? Saiki spoke calmly to help ease her anxiety.
"Only a little bit, maybe about 30 seconds at the most. I couldn't help but think about the worst possible situation while you were out, so I felt the need to apologize. Why "trust"? It's understandable given how dangerous your powers are and how much pressure it was to keep them hidden," she said gently.
Hurting someone with my powers that didn't deserve it was something so important to me that I refused to believe that anyone could trust me. It's one of the main reasons I tried to keep them hidden, so hearing that likely triggered the reaction that made me pass out, he explained. A rush of negative emotions coursed through him. Fear, anger, regret, sadness, all were one in the same swirling in his mind.
"I… I you for telling me." She unclasped her hands, reclasped them behind her back, and bowed her head.
"I guess it's time for me to go."
Saiki stood as still as a statue, his thoughts only white noise. After a while, he realized what she said and wordlessly complied with her request.
They appeared in Teruhashi's room. They both stood in silence for an eternity. She spoke first, making him jump in surprise. When he looked up at her, she was shaking like a leaf, choking back tears. She looked similar to how she did after he appeared in front of her when he gave up on erasing her memory.
"S-S-Saiki-kun…" She couldn't get anything else out.
"I'm so selfish, all I can think about is how much I don't want to leave. I guess I changed a lot less than I thought. Why am I acting like this? I lived my entire life before this on my own, and I can do that until I die. I'm not just a love interest; I am my own person. I've made real friends for once, so why do I feel so alone?" she thought, her tone becoming increasingly despondent the further she went on.
He shouldn't have teleported her. It drove her anxiety through the roof. He now owed her one final debt. He needed to swallow his pride. He needed to tell her what he was really thinking. He didn't notice it initially, but he felt the troublesome reality build throughout the past few days. Just as she said, he was in denial. There was nowhere else to run. Maintaining the status quo was no longer tenable. He felt his heart start to beat out of his chest. He spoke without thinking.
Teruhashi… I… I had a lot of fun tonight, more than I have in a very long time. I wouldn't mind seeing you again even if I'm done paying my debt.
Like the scenario where they had discovered his powers when he stopped the volcano, he genuinely smiled at her. Her eyes went wide and her legs bowed. It was her turn to collapse.