Teruhashi woke up bright and early on Saturday because she couldn't contain her excitement. She couldn't believe she was finally going to get the alone time with Saiki-kun that she had desired for so long! It was a very long road; the last few days were some of the longest in her life. She had crossed the finish line for the beginning; all she had to do was not mess up.
In the past she likely would have lost her cool and spent the entire time trying to get an offu out of him, but she had mostly abandoned that quest now. He had helped her become an uglier version of herself, and she couldn't be happier. It was incredibly rewarding seeing his tough shell finally starting to crack as well. She didn't know if they could consider themselves friends yet; but she was very much looking forward to spending time with someone without the mask, especially him.
She had chosen a restaurant in the next town over close to the sweets shop she went to with him years ago. She thought about going somewhere farther and more picturesque, but she decided that the more normal place would be a better choice. Even if they could go anywhere in the world, it wouldn't be quite right. They could get to where they were going via normal means, but the risk of being seen together was far too great. Besides, it was fun sneaking around and having him all to herself. She had done plenty of problem solving in her life to navigate social situations, but what they were doing was new territory for her.
She didn't want to stay in bed for too long; being punctual was an essential part of being a perfect pretty girl after all. She went to the kitchen to have a light breakfast, worked out, and then showered off. She, of course, took all the steps necessary to make sure she left no mess. Thankfully, Makoto was out again today for filming. Sneaking around was fun, but this particular problem was not one she wanted to deal with. Her luck had pulled through once again.
Thanks again, god. Now I just need you to make sure this "business agreement" goes well.
She decided that she wouldn't put on makeup again. She wanted to keep the "normal" theme and she would draw attention regardless, so she might as well not waste the effort. She allowed herself to relax, basking in the silence. It felt great to finally rest after everything had happened the past few days. She slept well the past 2 nights, but she hadn't really taken any time for herself while she was awake.
It was getting close to time now. She decided to wear a summery yellow square necked chiffon dress with ruffled sleeves that hugged her figure nicely at the top but hung loosely at the skirt and tied up the outfit with a white belt and modest white flats. After she finished dressing went back to relaxing in silence again.
What am I, a dog waiting for its master to get home?
She giggled.
I do what I want. I AM the master. Don't you dare forget it.
Saiki teleported into Teruhashi's room, eliciting a small squeak from the girl who reflexively covered her mouth with her fingers. Her effort to quickly seal her cracked mask was completely ineffectual.
"Not used to that yet. Need to put a bell on you or something," Teruhashi huffed. She eyed him with just barely perceptible chagrin. He must have planned it this way on purpose.
You should learn to fear me at some point. I have allowed your insolence to go on far too long, he sneered, turning up his nose ever so slightly to accenuate the shadow he cast on her face. She scrunched her brow at the cheap shot unbecoming of a powerful psychic.
"Ok, funny guy. If I recall correctly, you're in no position to make demands of me. This is a business arrangement after all," Teruhashi fired back. "I never took you for a bully. I guess I'll just make a note of that in your file..." she took the tone of a bored secretary and motioned to head toward her desk.
That won't be necessary, he flatly stated, his mocking tone completely evaporated. Plain he could deal with, bully he could not. He had no interest in making further conversation about his personality flaws.
After Saiki truncated that conversation with his silence, the two regarded each other with nervous anticipation. They dared each other to make a move. Both of their hands hovered over proverbial leather holsters as a rolling tumbleweed cast a shadow from the high noon sun. Teruhashi drew first and shot her shot.
"As much as I'd love to tease you until the heat death of the universe, we should probably get going," she sighed, blowing away the smoke from the muzzle of her revolver.
Agreed, Saiki grumbled, casting his eyes away from hers.
He scoped out the back alleys close to the restaurant for potential trouble. He didn't have to look far as there was one right next to the restaurant with no one in it and no trouble in the vicinity.
God certainly hasn't forgotten who I'm with, he said, being careful not to reveal the iota of mirth she had afflicted him with.
Ready? He asked in a tone more consistent with staring down the apex of a high ski slope than an invitation to a yakiniku joint.
"Yes," she assented, nodding as if she shared the same vision of the high mountain blanketed with unblemished snow. No one should ski without a buddy to bail them out, after all.
He touched her shoulder and instantly found himself in that back alley. They were able to get into the restaurant without incident. There were only a few people in the restaurant who were laughing as they drank sake and grilling up their next round of thinly sliced food. The pleasant smell of grilled meat and various sauces graced his nose. This place felt much cozier if only because he didn't have to share it with a clichéd baseball team.
Luckily they had both a hostess and a waitress and easily secured a booth. Women were not immune to Teruhashi's charms as Rifuta had shown, but they were less likely to fall under her spell. Of course, they would ultimately succumb if given the time though. Teruhashi's diligence in choosing the venue had paid off. Now that they were seated, her thoughts alternated between nerves and happiness. She shifted her weight and fidgeted nervously, her eyes darting to and fro.
"Saiki-kun, even if this is a favor I can't put into words how grateful I am that you indulged my selfish request. You know I've been trying to get close to you for a long time, and you could have stopped it at any time. Despite all my teasing about forcing you to be around me, I'd stop in a second if you didn't want me around anymore. I don't understand the full extent of your powers, but I can understand why you would want to keep them hidden. I know that I represent a huge threat to the safety of your secret. In case we don't end up doing this again, it's been a joy getting to know you."
She smiled warmly, not a hint of pretense or ego to be found. Saiki furrowed his brow and crossed his arms, taking a brief moment to consider his reply.
Like I said before, I never hated you. I always admired your persistence and work ethic. Even if your thoughts weren't the nicest, you had every right to think them. That's the trouble with having cheat abilities, they warp your perspective on how to move through and understand the world around you. You could have easily coasted by using your ability to use people to get your way, but instead you decided to work hard and make the world a better place in your own way. Sure, it was extremely egotistical and self-aggrandizing to think that any interaction with you was the pinnacle of someone's life and revel in the praise; but even in the beginning you still went out of your way to talk to someone that would likely be of no significant use to you. Besides, other peoples' thoughts were not much better. You have proven to be more than a match for me, so stop acting like I'm gracing you with my presence, he replied. He chided himself when he realized that his look of consideration probably presented a little too similar to his garden variety scowl.
He heard Teruhashi's thoughts short circuit.
"He needs to work on his phrasing, but I think I get the point," she thought with grateful contentment. She was beaming ear to ear.
Ugh. I'm glad she didn't take it badly at least. I don't know what possessed me to say all that, he mused ruefully.
The waitress showed up right on cue and asked to take their order. They picked out a good assortment of meats and vegetables and sent the waitress on her way. There was a bit of an awkward silence after the waitress left.
"Uhh, what do I ask him about? Hobbies, hopes and dreams, favorite foods? I don't really know where to go but I do want to learn more about him," she wondered as her eyes wandered.
"Since you already know everything about me, I want to try learning about you. Enlighten me, what could a powerful psychic find enjoyable to do besides avoiding social interactions," she pointedly asked him.
I don't find avoiding social interactions enjoyable, I just want to go home and not be around nuisances, he remarked with fabricated derision.
"So what's at home that's somehow more enrapturing than hanging out with someone as enchanting as myself," she said through a coquettish grin. She added excessive emotion through fluttered eyes and a dramatic hair flip.
I play bad video games, watch bad movies, and sleep, he remarked with a deadpan expression befitting Kusuo Saiki, giving the impression of a practiced response.
"Sounds pretty boring," she replied, her amused face resting in her palms supported by tabled elbows.
Boring is good for me. Every second I spend outside is time where I could slip up and reveal my powers, he replied with a nearly imperceptible twinge.
"I guess that's understandable," she mused as her eyes trailed off for a second before meeting his again. "Why bad games and movies?"
My telepathy always spoils good games. I can't go into a movie theater without any spoilers either because either the people coming out of the movie I want to watch or the theater staff spoil it for me, he replied disdainfully. He was reminded of yet another pleasure not afforded to him.
Her expression changed from one of amusement to one of concern. She pursed her lips tightly.
"So why did you end up sitting next to me in the theater that one time?" she asked with a air of uncertainty.
It turns out germanium attenuates my telepathy when I wear it, so I wanted to see a movie with impunity. I had a germanium ring from some huckster my mom got roped in by and discovered that property so I wore it to the theater.
"My assumption is that you sat next to me because you couldn't hear my thoughts, correct?" she finished his thought, her eyes now those of determination.
Correct. I stopped wearing the ring because I didn't like surprises like that, he said matter-of-factly.
"Ugh, of course it's my fault," she sulked as she folded her arms. "I'm offended by the fact that you didn't want to sit next to me, but given how you reacted after your powers were gone I understand how jarring it was to essentially have a sense taken away from you."
Well it would have been much more bearable if it was just you there, but your annoying brother made me regret it a lot more than I would have, he replied, deadpan as ever.
She smiled a little bit, but was met by Saiki's scowl. She couldn't help but giggle at his interesting choice of words. "Yeah, he's really annoying sometimes. I get that he's protective of me, but he goes way too far. Who goes to someone's house to 'clear up a misunderstanding' when all they did was stand near me?" she remarked, rolling her eyes.
He didn't want to ruin her mood by mentioning that her brother was a siscon. How she did not know was beyond him. The waitress showed up with the food at just the right time to save him the trouble of responding to her comments about that unwelcome pest, which he was very grateful for. Teruhashi greeted the food with a cheerful smile and polite gratitude toward the waitress on as she put the vegetables and some of the meat on the grill. He seized the opportunity to change the subject.
So why yakiniku? I thought that only the finest cuisine could grace your palate, he needled.
"I only wanted expensive food for optics. A perfect pretty girl deserves only the best, no? It's almost like you forgot I have a huge ego," she teased, side-eyeing him with playful mirth. However, it was now her turn to unearth unpleasant memories. Makoto's discussion of her eating habits without her consent intruded her mind. Her eyes widened when she realized Saiki was listening to her. She started minding the food, checking the thinly sliced meat and vegetables for imperfections far too diligently.
Saiki bowed his head and closed his eyes. He was empathetic to her mighty struggle to keep her life the way it was. He had the luxury of having parents that, while annoying, actually cared about his well-being. Her parents could be good people, but they weren't around enough to have a normal relationship with their kids. Having to maintain the act and speaking in such a sanguine manner even at home was not a fate he would wish on anyone. Her daily routine was tough enough. He had stepped in when he needed to, but the day to day was obviously exhausting to her. He regretted that he wasn't able to help her more. For all his power, he felt uncomfortably powerless. He thought back to when she collapsed from learning everything about every guy in school.
For the most popular girl in the world, she sure gets bullied a lot.
He felt his expression soften. Please, enjoy yourself. You've more than earned it, he gently reassured her, gesturing toward the lightly sizzling slices.
She smiled gratefully and served him, then herself. They both rendered the proper ritual before starting to eat. She dug in, hummed a happy tune, and moved her shoulders to the blissful melody as Saiki watched her.
He couldn't hear emotions, but her feeling of elation and relief felt louder than anything she could have said. She had changed so much in the past few days it made his head spin. Or was this always there and waiting to be discovered? It would make sense that her last and ultimate safe haven being breached sent her self-awareness into overdrive. He didn't hate this change. He quietly observed her a bit longer until he broke out of his trance and noticed that his x-ray vision had lingered on her actual face a bit longer than it normally did. He had only regained his powers a few days ago, so some fluctuation was to be expected.
"Watcha starin' at? Like what you see? My muscles looking pretty muscular today?" She shot him a smug grin, her face resting in her palms once more. He returned the favor with a glare.
I'm about to take back everything you liked about what I said earlier.
She waggled her finger, clicked her tongue, and said, "Nuh uh, I already heard it. You can't take it back anymore."
Yes I can, one of my powers is memory erasure, he fumbled. He tried to do damage control to prevent her from noticing his dismay and was just barely able to keep his expression under wraps. It was for naught, however, as her mind was elsewhere. Her thoughts went back to when his mom had accidentally revealed his powers and her memories were replaced with "trust issues".
"Ah, finally a potential explanation for the 'trust issues' bit. Well, my point still stands. Since god loves me so much, even if you erase that I'll just keep coming back so you have to praise me more, friend," she said, pointing her chopsticks at him with a smug grin.
He was stunned. That power reveal had been an accident. He expected that if he revealed powers like that, people would be understandably terrified. Why was she not? She didn't have any discernible thoughts so he couldn't get a proper read on her.
We're not friends. Once this is over I'm going to keep avoiding you just like I always have, he rebuffed, topping his comment off with an indignant scowl.
He couldn't get a full read on her thoughts because she was thinking about social instincts in a way he couldn't understand, but he gleaned that she had noticed something about his expressions.
"Mhm," she let out through an amused grin and cocked eyebrow.
I'm going to start eating now, he remarked sourly.
"Oh, please, go right ahead."
She made an exaggerated gesture toward the rest of the food she had cooked. Saiki groused at the fact that she was able to do all of this right under his nose. Of course, all the food was cooked to perfection; one of her many skills happened to be cooking. The meat was of normal quality but her cooking had elevated it to a level far beyond that. He had no idea how she did it, but it was very good. They ate in silence. The waitress saw them finish eating and handed them the bill. They had decided against dessert because none of the choices seemed very appealing. It was a normal yakiniku restaurant, after all. Teruhashi got up to pay at the register.
No, this time I'll pay for it. You paid for our other outings. I owe you, he said, raising an open palm at her.
"How else are we going to get the pretty girl discount?" Teruhashi said as she struck a cutesy idol-like pose.
Fine. You go get the discount and I'll give you whatever you paid, he sighed.
"Well since we're equals, how about we go dutch? We're just acquaintances anyway, right?" She giggled and covered hef mouth with her fist.
Business partners, you mean? he fired back, raising his eyebrow and crossing his arms.
It was his turn to shoot her the smug grin.
You're such a pain to deal with," she said as she rolled her eyes at him.
That's my line, he shot back sourly.
"That was completely coincidental, can I not use my words to describe what I think?" she fired back with equivalent mischief.
He stewed in his irritation that someone used his words against him as she stuck out her tongue at him and twirled around to glide up to the register. He wanted to move on, so he distracted himself by keying into the thoughts of the staff and the other restaurant-goers. He was so focused on her that he forgot to pay attention to his surroundings. The two of them had tried to minimize their presence as much as possible, but of course she had turned heads. There were not a huge variety of thoughts as expected. Pretty much all of them were either jealous or plotting his death, often both at the same time. Thankfully, none of them had thought of them as boyfriend and girlfriend because most were blinded by her beauty and thought he was too plain to be with her. He felt a little insulted by the latter, but realized it was for the best. It was his own fault for trying to be as unremarkable as possible.
Teruhashi returned from the register with a cloying smile.
"You owe me 200 yen. They just so happened to be having a 90% off sale that was only happening while I was at the register." She winked at him.
So unfair. He smirked and handed her the money.
"Shall we go?" she said. As much as she didn't want this to end, sticking around would compound the things that could go wrong.
Yes, let's, Saiki assented with a nod and got up to leave as Teruhashi followed.
They walked back into the alley and teleported back to Teruhashi's house. Once they arrived, reality kicked in for her and she became visibly sad. Her eyes widened and she started to brush her hair behind her ear. She had been so caught up in the moment, she never thought about how to say goodbye.
"Saiki-kun… That was the most fun I've had in a very long time. Thanks again for indulging my selfish request. I understand if you…" she stuttered, unsuccessfully attempting to control a fearful shudder.
Saiki bowed his head, but allowed a mischievous grin to peek out from under his nose. He cut her off.
You know, I just realized I owe you for trying to get you to go with one of the models, so you have another favor from me. What do you want to do with it?
She gasped. Her face shone with the radiance of a floodlight, but did not hurt his eyes at all. Her aura was larger than he'd ever seen it. If they weren't inside, someone definitely would have seen her and come running. She was bright enough to put Saiko's father to shame, but he could just barely make out the biggest smile he had ever seen on her. Once the initial euphoria passed and her light settled into a warm glow, she spoke.
"You already know what I want."
The smug grin remained plastered on his face.
Hmph. As you wish.