"So, Kokomi-chan, how did Ku-chan do today?" his mother chirped. His throat was dry and his stomach was empty. For some reason, he felt that colors weren't as bright.

"He's been good so far, just a little pouty," Teruhashi-san said slyly, casting a sidelong glance toward Saiki. He rolled his eyes and scowled at her, getting a laugh from both women. "By the way, thank you, Kurumi-san," Teruhashi-san winked at his mother.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just knew Ku-chan would have tried to sneak some if you weren't there," his mother said, giggling and waving the comment off.

This is bullying, Saiki said tersely.

"Bullied by your adorable girlfriend? Oh, how cruel!" Teruhashi-san enunciated dramatically, putting the back of her hand to her forehead as if she were in distress.

"Kokomi-chan really is adorable isn't she, Ku-chan?"

Bullying isn't cute.

"Aw, cheer up, grumpy! It's only coffee jelly~" Teruhashi-san cooed. She reached toward his cheek and was swiftly dodged.

Congratulations, you made me uncomfortable. Now give me back my coffee jelly before Earth decides it wants to split in two.

His mother hummed an upbeat tune as she sauntered over to the refrigerator and retrieved a coffee jelly. His eyes glowed and he put his hand up to take the stuff away with telekinesis, but stopped himself before he could make the situation worse. He heard a snicker in his peripherals. His mother took her time retrieving a spoon and leisurely fluttered back over to the table. Saiki's muscles coiled, ready to explode at a moment's...

He jetted over to the table the instant the coffee jelly left his mother's fingers, tore the paper from the top, and ravenously devoured it. A second carton slammed down in front of him as soon as the last bite of the first left his spoon. The women watched on from behind him, giggling delightedly as a third container filed next to the others.

The bitterness from the last spoonful of coffee jelly he took lingered. Now that his mind was relatively clear, he understood why—he really just didn't like that exchange. His mother made no secret of her intentions, and Teruhashi-san's willing participation was no better. He couldn't articulate why, so he could only repeat that it just didn't feel good.

"Saiki-kun, are you done?" He heard a small voice say somewhere in the distance. The voice was distorted at both ends, as if the room had a small echo. He shook the voice away and hastily cleaned up with telekinesis.

"Saiki-kun?" The voice seemed more distant and distorted now. He shuffled up the stairs to his room. A small patter followed behind him. He closed his door without turning around and sat on his bed. He had no idea what he was doing here. He only knew he didn't want to be down there.

He heard a quiet knock. "Saiki-kun? Are you alright?"

He groaned, put his face in his hand, and massaged his temples.

He heard the doorknob turn a few times before stopping. Finally, he heard it open. A presence slipped next to him. The weight on the bed shifted briefly. He felt something reach toward him before recoiling. He didn't care if he was touched as long as he could concentrate. What was he even concentrating on anyway? It felt like a low static concentrated in the center of his face accompanied by a tightness that he couldn't place. It was neither in his face nor in his brain, so where was it?

"I'm sorry..." he heard the voice beside him say.

He could barely make out the floorboards in front of him, and the pressure of his elbows on his legs felt blunted. Hm. He seemed to have retreated inside of himself somehow, as if his mind rejected his own skin. Perplexing, indeed. He did just have coffee jelly…

"Saiki-kun, please come back!" the voice, now panicked, pleaded. It had seemed like it was across the hall from him now and getting further away. Come to think of it, should the floorboards be cracked? This better not be one of that annoying guy's schemes. He'd have to fix it and give that guy a piece of his mind later.

A purple curtain quickly drew over the floor followed by a light pressure on his chest. That must be Teruhashi-san. She laced her arms around the back of his neck and pulled him in tightly. Her thoughts and feelings rushed into his head when she placed her cheek on his. His vision suddenly focused as a tidal wave of negative emotion crashed into him. The rip current of guilt, anxiety, and loneliness thrashed him around, disorienting his sense of self. Why did she feel like that? Her arms wound around him tighter, trembling as she grabbed her elbow behind his back. He felt a nearly scalding liquid pool on his cheek—were those tears?

His head immediately breached the surface of the emotional currents. He felt her trembling cheek on the side of his face and the unmistakable sensation of tears running down his own.

"I'm so sorry, Ku-Saiki-kun," Teruhashi-san said shakily. "I got so carried away that I…" she trailed off. She was saying something unnecessary.

You didn't do anything wrong, Teruhashi-san, he said soothingly. Somehow, though, that seemed to make things worse. She gripped him tighter, her thoughts spiraling down further.

"I hurt you, didn't I? I took advantage of your situation and taunted you, so why aren't you angry with me?" she choked out. She kept her cheek planted against his. "But this isn't about me…" She trailed off, removed her cheek from his, and eyed him pleadingly, as if she needed him to say something.

Oh. It seemed that there were various items strewn about or broken in his room. He must have had another psychic episode. Great, he almost hurt Teruhashi-san again...

No. This wasn't the first time, nor would it be the last. Hurt is hurt, psychological or otherwise. All he could do now is move forward.

When he raised his hand forward, she still jumped despite her anticipation. She expected words, not a simple flick of the wrist. Somehow, though, this felt appropriate. His eyes glowed, and slowly all objects in the room started to reassemble themselves. Even the floor, which had been cracked like concrete hit by a jackhammer, healed itself as if it had never been broken in the first place.

"I know it's just a snack."

She jolted again. "Eh?" She really needed to stop overthinking. Who was she kidding, though—Teruhashi Kokomi and overthinking were more inextricably tied than the sun and the moon.

"Coffee jelly. I'm perfectly capable of making it without a machine, yet I choose not to. It's silly, but coffee jelly is consistent," he said.

"Like a ritual," she murmured. "But why coffee jelly?"

"That I don't know. The author, metaphorically of course, never explained that in the story."

She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow, plunging into her mind for the third time in about a minute as he surveyed her body language intensely. "I guess I don't understand you as much as I thought I did," she said with a sad sigh. "I'm sorry I pushed you so hard."

"It's ok. My love-brained parents still have fights that result in my father getting a shoe for dinner."

"I wonder if people will ever understand each other, then?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Even with telepathy, I don't understand people all that well."

"Telepathy can't fix social skills, Saiki-kun," she said, giggling coyly and covering her mouth with her hand.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, prompting her to reach over and poke his cheek. To her great shock, he didn't dodge it. She stared at the indent in his cheek and her finger in shock as he stared at her intensely. What in the world was he thinking?

"Why is touch so important to you? Your advances aren't exactly subtle."

Her face burst into flame. "I-I-I have no idea what you're talking about!" She laughed nervously and rubbed his brooch between her fingers. "Does it matter why? Is it wrong for a couple to do things together?"

"I just don't understand why things like hand-holding, hair brushing, and indirect kisses are such a big deal."

"Yet you still won't do it."

Because you don't want to? she thought, offering a silent prayer that he wouldn't hear her.

"Because I don't understand why people want to. It seems unnecessary."

She paused. She hadn't given it much thought, honestly. Only Saiki Kusuo could find a way to overcomplicate this.

"Look, do you want more physical contact or not?" he said, narrowing his eyes at her in annoyance.

"Am I not allowed to be frustrated?" Still, she dropped her gaze and smiled gratefully. "I'm just really happy that you're asking me about it..." she whispered, though flowers and hearts popped around her head noisily. Shameless love brain was the appetizer for the dinner she stared at hungrily in front of her. Oh, Saiki Kusuo, how could you tug on a girl's heartstrings like this and expect not to be attacked?

"Wha—" his eyes went wide—he fruitlessly attempted to put his hands between them as she suddenly launched herself into his chest.

She hid her head in his chest while balling up his shirt in her hands. *badump, badump, badump* her heart thudded erratically. This happened way too fast! Where did this boldness come from?

Instead of wrapping his hands behind her back, though, he just held them up in the air awkwardly. had encountered a fatal error. She curled up tighter, waiting and waiting for him to do something. However, his hands still would not move. Oh god, is he...

"T-Teruhashi-san, your—" he stuttered. She jumped in surprise. Did Saiki Kusuo just stutter? She slid her body to stare straight into his eyes, scanning his face for answers. His eyes shone bright and his body tensed, not even daring to breathe. He looked cornered, frightened even.

"Your, uh..." he quickly nodded his head down, causing her to look down as well. Oh, so that's what it was. Her chest was squashed up against him.

"Sorry, sorry!" she said shrilly, shooting up to a fetal position, burying her face as far into her legs as she could get, and covering her chest with her hands. Oh god, stop it, Kokomi! You're 18, not 14! Pull yourself together!

She could, in fact, not pull herself together and instead pulled herself further into her fetal position in a feeble attempt to hide the angriest blush she had ever blushed. This was so embarrassing! What the hell was she thinking? On one hand, she was absolutely over the moon of the fact that he had become much more aware of her body—on the other, why did it have to be her stupid, small chest! She chided herself over and over again, feeling his piercing gaze on her. He seemed unable to figure out how to help her.

"Teruhashi-san, I'm sorry..."

"No, I'm sorry. I'm just really insecure about my chest."

He paused for a moment. "You are, quite literally, genetically engineered to be the prettiest girl in the world. I wouldn't be surprised if god knew you were going to be born and made sure every other girl was less pretty than you."

"But, tell me, do you think I'm pretty?"

"...of course I do. You're my girlfriend, how could I not?"

"No, I mean do you find me, Teruhashi Kokomi, physically attractive?"

I'm insecure, I'm desperate, and I hate it, she wanted to say. Some small part of her hoped he was listening. On one hand, she wanted to grab him, shake him, and tell him, "Make up your mind!" On the other, she realized pushing him right now would probably end in disaster. She should be the most confident in the world, peerless in beauty—the only thing wrong with her was that she couldn't change her cup size at will. Saiki-kun wasn't the type of person to care about those things, though. All she knew was that she put her heart out there for him and showed vulnerability, and she wanted to be accepted, even if it was something as silly as that. Then again, did she even deserve acceptance after what she did earlier?

"You're thinking unnecessary things again. You of all people deserve acceptance. You just refuse to accept it." He sighed, crossed his arms, and looked away. "Yare yare, I do find you attractive, though."

Her eyes shone. She clasped her hands together and put them next to her face, "Really? Really really? What do you find attractive about me?"

Shower me with complements! Give me attention! she squealed.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Don't push it."

"Maybe since we're real lovers now, you can call me Ko—"

"I'm deducting points from your earlier stunt. That's all you're going to get out of me today."

She puffed her cheeks up, folded her arms and turned away from him. She heard a faint chuckle in front of her.

"Why are you like this?" he asked her pointedly.

"The same reason it takes you so long to admit things we both knew."

"You didn't know that," he said, his expression just shy of a glare.

"Oh, please. I'm Teruhashi Kokomi, the prettiest girl in the world! Of course you would be attracted to me. I can see you getting more and more nervous every day~," she said, flipping one of her bangs back with her hand.

"Invading my personal space could send you on an unplanned trip to the stratosphere."

"Yet you don't seem particularly concerned about sending anyone else there, hm?"

He shot her a dour look, then dropped his gaze, shook his head, and chuckled.

"I am really sorry for earlier, though. You didn't deserve that," she said, reflexively grabbing his pillow and holding it to her chest.

He waved off the comment. "No need to apologize. It's normal…"

Normal?

He raised a brow and eyed her quizzically, observing an apparent change in her expression.

Despite their rather strange relationship dynamic, this conversation felt normal in a way. She and Chiyo became friends because Chiyo saw the slightest crack in her armor—not the chaste idol persona, one that was both ice cold and comfortably warm in perfect harmony to control her distance with others. No, Chiyo saw only a girl in love. All the insecurities of a normal relationship plagued her both back then and now. It was easier to pretend that her size was the main reason she thought he rejected her back then and now. She didn't know if she could stomach the idea that the person she loved might never reciprocate what she wanted to share with him. Selfish or not, this was one of her ways of loving him.

So please, look at me!

His eyes glowed and he recoiled as if someone had thrown the Moon at him. "Is that… really how you feel?" he said uncertainly, his brow tightening seriously.

She nodded, pushing her hands into her lap.

He groaned and buried his face into his hands. "I'm sorry for being so selfish."

"In a way, I understand. I don't think even you understand whether you're being realistic or running away. It must make it really difficult to understand what you're capable of, compounded by the pressure I put on you because I'm just a teenager, too."

He slumped over and rested his elbows on his legs, lost in thought. She didn't know how long had passed before he held out his hand for her.

"Here. I want to test something," he said resolutely.

His expression was determined though it lacked any of the answers she sought. She nodded, took his hand, and mentally prepared herself for a teleport. However, none came. Instead, their locked hands slowly descended to rest on the bed between them. Her eyes jumped between their hands and his unreadable face. He stared off into space, as if barely paying attention to what he initiated. She turned away from him as well, catching that he would prefer silence. Minutes passed with no attempt made at conversation. She sidled closer to him, put her elbow under his arm, and leaned toward him partially.

"May I?"

When he nodded in consent, she drew her legs onto the bed, wrapped her other arm around his, and leaned on his shoulder. Butterflies of attraction, excitement, and confusion roiled in her gut and her heart threatened to leap out of her chest. It really felt like just the two of them for more than just a moment, and she would not allow that moment to slip by. She settled more into his shoulder and shimmied herself to get in contact with more of his body. She never dared let that hand go, though. She slowly let go of his arm with her free hand and gently stroked it.

"What are you testing?" she whispered.

"It's hard for me to say," he said distantly. "What is the relationship between physical closeness and emotional comfort?"

She giggled, squirmed, and gripped his arm tightly again. "It isn't a math equation, Saiki-kun."

He looked at her, huffed, and rolled his eyes. "If I can't understand it, I can't control it."

"Then understand that if you never let go, you'll never control it. Was that not what you were trying to teach me?"

"I never said I was a good teacher," he said derisively.

She shook her head and clicked her tongue pityingly. "I think you need to find another way of coming to terms with it. Sitting in full lotus and willing your mind to be clear doesn't seem to be working."

"Clearly, my teaching methods aren't working for you either."

"Oh, it's working better than you think. Please teach me more, Saiki-sensei."

"That makes no sense. Why do women pride themselves on being so cryptic?"

"Rude!" She huffed.

"Hypocrite," he shot back.

"…I suppose I'll let it go this one time, but you're on a short leash, mister!" she said while poking his nose repeatedly.

He scoffed. "You sound like Yumehara-san."

She shrugged. "What can I say? I've been stricken with love brain!"

"Don't admit that."

"Say, where did you get those glasses from? I really wish you could take them off, I'd love to see more of those pretty eyes..."

"Don't be so suggestive. And I'm not 'pretty'," he cut her off.

"I don't need your permission to speak the truth."

"Take it up with the dictionary."

"I, according to you, define 'pretty' so I will use it as I see fit! I, Teruhashi Kokomi, call your eyes pretty and demand to see more of them! Don't you want to see me without that dull green tint, too?"

"I'd be even more plain if I took them off."

"It's ok to move on from things, Saiki-kun." She paused briefly, her heart pounding wildly against her ribcage. There was something she had wanted to do for a long time. Don't think, just do, Kokomi! You've already come this far! First, make up a quick excuse: "Listen, I have dinner with Chiyo soon. Think about it."

Now act! She leaned in, planted a quick kiss on his cheek, and scurried out of the room. She slapped her cheeks on the way downstairs to will away the new angriest blush she had ever blushed, nearly tripped as she put on her shoes, and stumbled out of the door. Was he really surprised or... No. There was no way—right?