It was obvious that neither of them was willing to yield, so they finally drew a silent accord to stop their inane bickering.

"So," Teruhashi said brightly, clapping her hands, "I bought some B movies for us to watch. Would you like that?"

He started to feel a little uneasy, but gave his assent by folding his legs and sitting on the floor as she set up her TV. Why did she make her own cake and buy movies that he liked for them to watch together? Why did she go through all of the trouble to buy a game console, play a game, level up a character, and then discreetly join him in a session while keeping her thoughts hidden the entire time?

...or had he just not noticed them? She knew he wasn't great at small talk so she brought things for them to talk about just so she could spend time with him while he never went to visit her of his own volition even once. It was obvious she still wanted to be with him romantically, but it still felt almost cruel how one sided their relationship was in some respects. Even though she had done her best not to worry about the implications of telepathy, it was obvious that the dynamic of it had still managed to coil itself around every facet of their relationship. She still had to keep secrets anyway. Why?

She was more concerned about him anyhow.

She was very brave considering the fact that the only safe haven she ever had had been breached.

She had changed so much in the past few days it made his head spin.

I'm my own person, so why do I feel alone?

To what do I owe the pleasure of you contacting me?

So this is what a normal family is like? This is… really nice...

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.

Of course, you'll always get the most imperfect version, so you better feel special.

No, you're right. I have been more than a bit willful recently.

So this is what I've sown, his mind boomed, crashing against the sides of his skull like a tidal wave. The sound reverberated through his cranium, nearly making him clutch his head to ground out the sound of his failure.

She wasn't as afraid of him up and leaving her as she used to be, but that sense of urgency still persisted. In many ways she had to act even more perfect than before despite her less than perfect personality. He knew how flawed she was and yet he demanded perfection from her in a different coat of paint. She broke down her walls only to have to put new ones up right behind the old ones.

Despite her power relying on social skills, she was just as isolated and unaware of relationships as he. She was thrashing around in the dark on a hope and a prayer, hoping to get scraps of attention from him and yet considered that one of the few positive things in her life. What a sham. He thought of himself as trying earnestly to let down his walls and open up to her, but now he saw it for what it was: a delusion. He had been seeing her true face more often and painted a picture of her to subtly commend her, but the cruel irony was that in many ways he had pushed her further away from him than ever.

So what could he do to help her? The main source of tension between them was his awareness of her desire to be with him. He couldn't promise her that just yet; she'd immediately know he wasn't being true to himself and would call him out for his fiscal lens on relationships. In mending this gap he would still be doing something for her, but this time it would have to be unconditional.

She really was too good for him. Someone else deserved her love (whatever that was) more than he; but she had made her decision as the last months had proven. He always thought he knew better; but her persistence had more than proven that the depths of the human heart held many secrets that could not be dragged out even by telepathy. She had instilled several new feelings in him that neither were very familiar with; yet she opened up her heart anyway while he lazed around being fed grapes as a roman emperor, forcing her to wait on him hand and foot while knowing he could execute her at any time.

The simple solution was to put effort into planning things and taking interest in what she wanted to do, but it didn't fix the core of the problem. He needed to open up to her as well, but how? How could he? He couldn't even be honest with himself let alone her. He told himself he'd muster up the courage, that he'd do better, that he'd think less. All he had done with that wish was to drag someone else along with him.

Teruhashi's house started to rumble.

He needed to make this stop. He couldn't lose control and hurt anyone. Not again. He couldn't spiral out of control. It would be a disaster if he did.

The house shook ever more violently, failing to heed his attempts to pacify it.

But he couldn't.

Grow. Up.

Who ARE you, Kusuo Saiki?

The house's supports started to complain and loose objects were lifted and shaken as if the disaster were of a seismic nature.

"Saiki-kun!"

Without warning, he felt a small frame wrap its arms around his shoulders. Its weight shifted onto him and in doing so almost knocked him over; but he righted himself when he remembered that he was a psychic, taking the form now recognizable as Teruhashi along with him. He felt tremors ripple through her body on tempo with her ragged breaths and a wetness on his shoulder as her tears suffused his shirt. She had fallen in between his legs and curled hers into a half fetal position, resting her side on his chest.

Normally he only tolerated physical contact, but he knew this moment was crucial. No matter how much damage he had done, he knew what he needed to do and decided to follow his gut. She shivered and gasped as his left hand gently but firmly touched her side, lightly creasing her golden sundress. He felt the soft but slightly fibrous texture beneath his fingertips until they reached their terminus. He hoped it was enough. She maintained her position as her breaths slowed down to a normal level and the loose items in the house settled into their resting spots.

"W-w-what happened?" she stammered, now looking straight into his eyes. Concealer perfectly matched to her skin tone smudged with running black streaks of mascara tracing tributaries from her eyelashes.

He looked down. I'm , -he met her gaze- sorry.

"W-why?" she said as her voice fell to a trembling whisper.

It's your birthday, and yet you made the cake and bought movies that I wanted to watch all because you wanted to spend time with me, he said carefully, pausing at times to ensure that his wording was at least passable.

She merely swallowed and nodded.

You've done all of these things for me and pushed down what you want, even going so far as to deliberately hide things from me so you could get closer to me, he said cautiously. His brow knit momentarily. He felt as though he said something wrong, but couldn't place it.

She shivered as he readjusted his fingers on her side, burying her face in his makeup saturated shoulder.

You allowed yourself to be hurt while I gave nothing other than my continued presence and small things here and there. I want to repay you, but really this time. No more hiding under the 'balanced checkbook' excuse. Even if I were to take that route, it would take far too long to repay you.

She nodded into his shoulder. "I-I just wanted to be friends, t-that's all. "

You've done enough, we're... we're friends.

Her hold grew tighter, burying her face deeper into his shoulder. He felt her warm, shaky breaths on his neck and through his shirt.

"T-thank you for finally telling me," she said.

He nodded. Well, what do you want to do? It's your birthday, after all.

She switched her head to face away from him and tightened her grip.

"You're going to laugh," she nearly whispered in a shaky, embarrassed tone.

Maybe.

She huffed and pushed him away to cast her eyes to the side. "I want to make tea for us and watch a stupid trashy rom-com while we sit under a blanket. No running away this time," she said mischievously.

He really wanted to make fun of her, but figured she had earned the right to get away with it at least once.

"Why are you so annoying," she mocked in her best Saiki impression. He scowled, refusing to entertain her. He got up to make the tea, but stopped when he felt a tiny tug on his sleeve.

Teruhashi had used Serious Series: Ultimate Perfect Bishoujo Move: Seraphim Sleeve-Pull™, a never before seen technique that channels all of Teruhashi's bishoujo energy into her target's sleeve, compelling them to obey her every command. There is no known way to resist this technique, especially when combined with Angel Upward Beam™.

"B-But, I wanted to make the tea, Saiki-kun," she whispered, gently leading him to the optimal position to view her perfectly angled face, shimmering eyes, and longing expression. The ruined makeup did not have an appreciable effect on its efficacy.

Saiki complied immediately, though not without an exasperated huff and deep scowl. She stuck her tongue out at him as she skipped her way into the kitchen after he had stopped at the couch in her living room. He heard her melodic humming as she finished up the preparation for the tea, prompting him to grab a blanket from her closet, fluff it, and put it over their legs as she returned with their tea. She set hers on the coffee table in front of the TV and went to put in the correct movie, turning around with an exaggerated twirl as the disc slid into the player.

Her modern art masterpiece of a face was on full display as she sauntered back to the couch and slid under the blanket next to him, keeping a chaste distance between their thighs. He finally peered down at his mug as she sat down and noticed the silly dog pattern, which was a bit ironic as he heard her cat lapping up some water behind him. It was obviously tired as he heard a soft yawn and purr as it presumably curled up in its bed.

As she turned the TV on, he debated whether or not to tell her about the origin of the mug. He grimaced internally, but he decided that telling her was better than not. He said he would do his best not to keep as many secrets from her, so he decided to power through. This didn't mean that he wouldn't cover it with layers of military-grade Saiki obfuscation.

Interesting mug, he quipped, lifting it to clue her in.

"Oh, that?" she said off-handedly. "Makoto got it for me. It's my favorite mug and currently the only gift from him that I actually like. He was oddly angry when he pulled it out though. I don't know what that was about," she remarked, confounded by how to make sense of such an outlier.

I think I have an idea, he chortled.

"Do tell," she pensively replied. She was too engrossed in problem solving to check the rug under her feet for wayward hands.

It wasn't his gift; it was mine, the rug puller said noncommittally, but kept a sense of amusement to himself.

"W-w-what," she stammered, dropping her mug. Saiki easily caught it and floated it to the table in front of her.

Normal people would probably have felt some sort of heart pang, but Saiki schooled his expression to one of borderline malicious mischief.

"You're such a bully," she pouted, punching his shoulder. His heckling certainly did not hinder the angry blush overtaking her face. "I knew something was wrong with it but I couldn't figure out what..." she mused.

Is there something wrong with my gift? he replied quickly, taking bait that had not even been intentionally lured out. She reeled him in.

"The only thing wrong with it is that you didn't tell me about it! You're such a tsundere, you little weasel," she cooed mischievously, leaning closer to him with pursed lips. He scowled disdainfully at her.

Don't flatter yourself. It was only because that pest asked me for help and then insulted my taste in gifts, he grumbled.

It's going to take our petulant psychic a bit more elbow grease to change his ways, it seems.

"Well let's see if you did better than him this year..." she teased, pausing the movie's excessively lengthy intro sequence and heading toward the sack Makoto had left behind.

Lingerie, weight-loss pills, and the mug I exchanged the dog mug for last year, he said tersely, rankled by the fact that he even had to lay eyes on those "gifts".

She immediately sat back down. "Blech," she said, scrunching her face in disgust. "The only thing he did right was waiting until my actual birthday this year. Do I even want to know what that mug looks like?"

Think Crash Bandicoot tiki mask but blue, he flatly stated.

"Why in the world would he pick that?"

Because it was blue.

"You can't be serious," she remarked, her shaky brow knit with abject incredulity.

I wish I wasn't, he said flatly.

"It's like he doesn't know anything about me," she scoffed derisively.

He doesn't.

...Beyond your 3 measurements and information you could get from a dating profile.

"Well, I might as well move it somewhere..." she said, motioning to push off of the couch. Her instinct to clean up trash was right on the money.

Save your energy, I'll dispose of the toxic waste, Saiki said, telekinetically depositing the sack into the proper receptacle.

"Oh, you know what's going to happen if he comes back and finds his gifts in the trash," she said disdainfully, rolling her eyes at the thought of dealing with that later.

Suit yourself. He roughly jammed the bag into a nearby closet.

"Well, we should probably watch this movie at some point," she sighed, settling into the couch and under the blanket.

Agreed.

Teruhashi wasn't lying; this movie was pretty bad. Thankfully he hadn't heard spoilers for it or where she even got it from. It was about a prince and a princess staring longingly at each other from afar, trying to get together by any means necessary. The only source of conflict was some derivative of getting separated by some heavily contrived circumstance related to their royal duties.

The "com" part was a bit of a misnomer: the jokes were so shoehorned in that they fell into an uncanny valley of intentionality; you couldn't be sure whether to laugh with them or at them. The worst of the bunch was an overly sexual depiction of the main couple eating some sort of strawberry shortcake which was somehow supposed to make them more comfortable with each other physically despite their puritanical upbringing.

He felt a small weight rest on his shoulder as locks of blue draped his chest. Soft breaths escaped her mouth in time with the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest. While Saiki couldn't quite bring his arm around her like he knew she wanted, he still scooted her to a more comfortable position with telekinesis.

It was his fault that she was so tired anyway. Just like the time when her dedication to perfection led her to learn everyone's biography, so too had he caused her to collapse after the perfection he had thrust upon her. Why she had fallen to him again despite his comically similar obliviousness had to be the punchline to some joke.

Saiki settled into the couch, resigning himself to his fate. He might be here for a while; waking Kokomi Teruhashi was considered a war crime in most countries. He couldn't say he hated this, though. Despite the tension between them, their conversations had indeed improved. She was growing ever closer to becoming a telepath when it came to him. Perhaps it was best he let it happen at this point. Well, if she was going to be around anyway it would probably be good to learn how to make small talk. It would probably take some of the weight of perfection off of her shoulders, he conjectured.

She roused as if she had heard him think that, which nearly made him jump. Her waking eyes slowly blinked open as she gently pushed off of his arm, brushing his hand with her fingers as she righted herself and blushing furiously when she was cognizant enough to realize what had happened. Her hands waved around as if she were a crossing guard at the world's busiest intersection and her eyes had taken on the confused and embarrassed spiral that only appeared when she was extremely flustered. Her noises and thoughts only consisted of stutters.

It's fine. You were tired; I let you sleep. Simple as that. His tone suggested that he couldn't decide on teasing or soothing her.

She tried to calm herself by taking deep breaths, but it seemed like she could use some help.

So... how do you make small talk?

Her brain tried to process what he had just said, but after it timed out her sympathetic nervous system took over.

"I-I-I-m-m, uh, going... to... clean up now," she stammered as she scurried off to the nearest bathroom with makeup wipes.

Saiki chided himself on the fact that he had essentially blurted that out right as she woke up, failing to consider her languor and embarrassment in his timing. He stewed while she gradually stilled her tremulous hands in an effort to properly remove her makeup. The Teruhashi that returned was very different from the one that left. She angrily stalked back to the couch and scolded him with her eyes while he avoided her gaze.

"You could have picked a much better time to ask. If you're going to learn small talk, we need to work on that awareness," she said with a scowl. He could almost hear the loud crack of a ruler on her hand. Saiki did not know if he was going to like Teruhashi-sensei.

All I did was ask a question, I don't understand what the big deal is, Saiki said, obviously not enthused with the method of discipline of his new professor.

"You asked me to teach you, so I'm going to teach you. I think we both know you won't find anyone better than me," she reprimanded him.

He shook his head, grinning slyly.

So bossy.

She was ready to admonish him further, but stopped to stare off briefly. She lost her train of thought as the second time he had teleported her to the training ground played on her mind. She couldn't suppress a giggle when she remembered that she had torn him apart for a similar issue. It seemed that those old wounds would take longer to close, she thought.

I'll work on my awareness if you work on your grudges, he said, resuming his condescending head shake.

"It's your fault I have them," she complained.

Deflecting blame. Interesting, he replied, eyeing her with a devilish grin.

"At least I don't avoid everything like you do. In fact, I wouldn't even be here if you didn't," she huffed.

What? he shot back. His eyebrow twitched, his thoughts oscillating between the sting of the accusation and the rare surprise of an eventuality he had not considered.

"If you had come downstairs the day I discovered your powers, I would have just tried to get through that brick wall of a personality," she scoffed, crossing her arms and levying an annoyed scowl at him.

His brow furrowed as he attempted to rectify his lack of perspective. She would have been back the next day, but he at least could have controlled their interactions. If she was going to be around on her own time, then what would he have done differently? He would not have dared break the status quo, so it followed that his rigid conservatism would have kept them at a comfortable distance until they quietly parted ways at the end of the school year.

Would that really have been better?

The truth made him nervous. His parents actually turned out to be right about something for once. Even a card-carrying master of denial could not reason that these months would have been better without her.

"What's so funny?" she said, her gobsmacked face losing its perfect symmetry as she observed his deep belly laugh. He muffled the sound behind his lips and the back of his hand, but it still had a presence that demanded attention. Her thoughts told him that she had noticed something about his expression, but he couldn't care less right now.

Your stupid face.

Indeed, her disproportionate eyes, flared nostril, and uneven lip line did look pretty stupid in a way only Kokomi Teruhashi could ever hope to achieve.

"I'm the prettiest girl in the world, how can my face be stupid?" she said incredulously, maintaining that pretty stupid expression. Her disbelief ran so deep that she couldn't stop the bile from an insult on her appearance from running out with her tone. Unlike the other times, she paid the imperfect fluctuation of her words no mind.

It's pretty stupid, he glared at her with malevolent mischief.

She heaved an exasperated sigh, throwing her hands up in the air as if it were all she could do to keep herself from throttling him. Of course, Kokomi Teruhashi would never ever consider using violence against anyone.

"Why did the guy that I like turn out to be the most infuriating guy in the entire world?" she whined.

"We should probably get moving along with these 'small talk lessons'," she said after collecting herself, breathing a resigned huff.

Agreed, he assented. He lorded his victory over her with a nearly mean-spirited look of smug condescension. She shot him a dirty look.

"You do realize almost everything we've done tonight is small talk, right?" she fired back.

...Huh? Whether his brain activity shut down or accelerated to the point of paralysis was not immediately apparent, nor was it important.

"Mhm," she crossed her arms and nodded sagely.

That couldn't be it, that was way too easy, he doubled down, clawing for a piece of his easily shattered worldview.

"It was," she said, nodding serenely as if she were an angel guiding him along a spiritual journey.

Most of it was... he doubled back, still unable to face the truth of her revelation.

"Bickering like an..." she drew out the last syllable unnecessarily, placing a finger near her lip. Her eyes darted around as she pretended to find the words to finish off her annoying comparison.

I'm putting a stop to this now.

His rebuke did not put a stop to that. They continued their small talk lessons for the rest of the day. Saiki graduated with an A+.

Happy Birthday, Teruhashi-san.