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Saiki wasn’t entirely sure how his holiday had turned out like this. His once perfectly free school vacation had ended up so filled with random activities and clubs that he didn’t actually have a single day to himself. No, actually, that wasn’t entirely true. He knew that he had agreed to Toritsuka’s Occult club activities in hopes that it would lead Hairo away from trying to convince him to join in with the tennis club's training camp. And if it meant that he got to spend some additional time with the friend he seemed to have developed some sort of feelings for, then all the better. However, he had severely underestimated just how much the Gods must hate him and how tenacious Hairo could be.
What he hadn’t anticipated, an oversight on his part, was for Toritsuka to shout out the dates of the excursion instead of just transmitting the information directly to his mind through Saiki’s telepathic abilities. Though it was more to make sure that Saiki couldn’t back out at the last minute; Toritsuka was most likely using Hairo as a witness to his anti-social friend actually agreeing to their camping trip. Hairo had immediately taken the dates into account and reassured Saiki that the Occult activities would not interfere with the tennis club’s spartan training camp, and he had run off to sign Saiki up without another word. Despite Saiki’s protests that he had never played tennis before or his complete disregard and disinterest in anything even remotely physical. After that, his peaceful summer schedule filled up with absolutely no free time for him to secrete himself away in his bedroom away from his daily annoyances.
He couldn’t even begrudge the Occult club activities entirely either. He would never admit it out loud to anyone, but he was looking forward to the walk of courage a little bit. Just this once, Toritsuka had, unknowingly, handed Saiki the perfect opportunity to spend more time with the friend he recently discovered that he held more than friendly feelings for. A completely unprecedented occurrence and a realisation that took Saiki, himself, a few days to work his mind around. He was not usually one for feelings and affection. But he had found himself daydreaming about what a relationship with this person would lead to and if said person would ever actually like him back. Though careful observations have not been all that receptive.
In the beginning, Saiki had tried to force himself to disregard these new feelings and try to think of his friend as just another one of his daily annoyances, but the more time he spent around the guy, the stronger his feelings seemed to become. He had even had to try to fight off a smile the other day because he had spotted them doing something so utterly adorable that he almost hadn’t been able to help himself. However, despite his best efforts, his feelings had decided to disregard his logic and progressed from tolerance for one of his daily annoyances to a full-blown crush. There was just one major problem preventing Saiki from trying to weasel out a tentative relationship with the object of his affections and that was that the boy in question was 100 percent straight. Saiki had never heard even a sliver of gay thoughts slipping through their mind which was disheartening in itself, but Saiki thought that it was probably for the best. He didn’t know how he would have reacted if they had been gay or even bisexual and just not found him attractive.
“Oi, Saiki!!!”
Rolling his eyes and sighs inwardly when his thoughts of his disobedient feelings are abruptly cut off by Toritsuka’s greeting. Glancing across the way, Saiki almost rolls his eyes again when he spies the wide smile stretching across the Mediums face, a hand waving frantically above his head as if he were afraid that Saiki wouldn’t be able to see him standing right outside the temple with the rest of their ‘club members’. Glancing from the various expressions of his friends one by one, Saiki has to employ his Cryokinesis to fend off a rising blush when he catches sight of the grin focused solely on his approaching figure. Before he berates himself, that is.
“You’re late! I can’t believe you are the last one to arrive. I almost thought you weren’t going to make it.” Toritsuka grips and Saiki has to deny the almost pout which replaces the smile on Toritsuka’s face when he finally arrives and stands beside the medium. Saiki merely smirks, he would let his friend think what he would. He really didn’t want any of them to find out that he had been ready two hours before he was actually due to leave because of his rising nerves.
He doesn’t deem Toritsuka’s reprimand worthy of any other response as the group of teenagers are quick to follow the medium into the temple for a quick tour around. Though Saiki had to admit that Toritsuka’s room looked more like a bachelor’s pad than a monk’s bedroom, but he couldn’t deny that it suited Toritsuka perfectly. Then again, he shouldn’t be all too surprised. Toritsuka wasn’t as perverted as many people thought him to be despite his constant flirtations and attempts to find himself a girlfriend. Saiki was probably one of the only ones who knew that Toritsuka had never actually been in a relationship before and had just about as much experience in the field as Saiki did. Even now, Toritsuka’s thoughts were a little too focused on Arisu to be anything but a mild infatuation or even a weird passing interest. Saiki bites his lips to keep a scowl from twisting his lips.
This is my chance. A night under the same roof as Kaidou is a once-in-a-lifetime chance!
Saiki raises an eyebrow as he turns to glance at Yumehara whose gleeful thoughts overpowered the rest of his friends’ thoughts for a moment. Saiki shakes his head when he sees that her face is flushed a deep red, and a gleam enters her eyes as she stares across at Kaidou. Saiki could only feel a mild sense of sympathy growing in his chest when he caught the tail end of the girl’s plans to make Kaidou fall for her during their walk of courage. Kaidou wouldn’t know what hit him if Yumehara got her way. Oh well, it wasn’t like it had anything to do with him anymore, he was just relieved that Yumehara had finally moved on from himself and found someone else to focus her fickle feelings on.
Wishing that he could somehow turn off his telepathy, Saiki resigns himself to the next couple of hours listening in on Yumehara’s insane and slightly creepy ploys to trick Kaidou into falling in love with her. Though her complete disregard for the blue-haired boy’s crippling fear of the dark and just about anything even remotely scary was ridiculous. He was marginally looking forward to watching her plans fall through once they set off through the woods. However, what does cause a furrow in his brow is the shared smirk he sees shaping hers and Toritsuka’s lips, their eyebrows twitching minutely at the mental collaboration happening between them. An unease settles in his stomach at the thought of those two meeting up at some point before their excursion to plan out some devious methods to rig their activities.
Not much happened for the rest of the day. Their group simply hung around the temple talking as they waited for midnight to arrive. The time Toritsuka had set up the main event for their camping trip/test of courage. Something which Saiki thought redundant with his telepathic abilities being able to hear any creatures or people surrounding him. His X-ray vision allowed him to peer around corners and through the thickets of trees blocking their way. He would be able to tell if anything was about to make its way toward him without anything having the chance to sneak up on him. However, Toritsuka put a lot of time and effort into such a mundane activity, so Saiki didn’t really have the heart to scoff or go home. He would power through.
“Many people go missing in this forest. In the dead of night, the members of a murder-suicide family appear and drag…”
Saiki hates to admit that he is rather impressed by the story Toritsuka has managed to narrate especially for today, not that most of their members actually believe such tripe. No, it was highly amusing to Saiki that his medium friend, who was capable of seeing real spirits and ghosts would make up such a story just to scare Arisu into clinging to him on their walk through the woods.
Saiki doesn’t look interested…
Such a soft-spoken thought brings Saiki up short and he shoots a surreptitious glance around at his friends trying to pinpoint just who had been observing him closely enough to read his facial expressions. It certainly wasn’t Kaidou, the boy could barely stand up straight he was trembling with nerves so much, it was a surprise that the boy was still able to form a coherent thought, granted they were all about how terrifying such a walk was going to be, but they were coherent. It wasn’t Yumehara either, her thoughts were all filled to the brim with ideas that just sent shivers down Saiki’s spine, and he truly felt sympathy welling up in his chest for Kaidou. Arisu was too focused on trying to sense some form of spirit in the woodland behind them to focus on something else which meant that it could only be one person. But that wouldn’t make much sense. Why would Toritsuka be worried about whether he was having fun or not? Shouldn’t he have been focusing on Arisu and trying to make some progress with their relationship… or lack thereof?
A smirk makes its way to Saiki’s lips, pushing away his confliction as Toritsuka brings a candle he is using for light to his face to try and heighten the ambiance. He shifts his fingers and ends up burning them, wincing in pain though his delivery of his made-up story doesn’t falter much to Saiki’s amazement. Toritsuka was really dedicating himself to his role.
“This is not the place for games. I can feel many dreadful spirits.”
She sounds like one of those mediums from television. Saiki sighs, shaking his head at the girl. If he wasn’t a psychic himself, and if he didn’t already know who the true medium was then he may have fallen for her ‘instincts’, but he knew that she couldn’t actually sense ghosts or spirits, not in the same sense that Toritsuka could anyhow. She didn’t know that there probably were spirits roaming around all around them at this very moment, she was merely trying to mask her own unease and fear.
“I was born in a temple, you know? Don’t worry I will protect you, Arisu!” Saiki.
Saiki is drawn up short again by Toritsuka’s reassuring words, the first part sounded as insincere as one could while trying to show off to a girl they were supposed to like. But the second part. The reassurance, as unneeded as it was, sent a small spark of jealousy and confusion through Saiki’s mind. He had hated how confident Toritsuka felt declaring his abilities to protect a damsel in distress, but his mind had, unknowingly replaced Arisu’s name with his own and he wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Nor how to take it. A light flush does snake across his ears, however, and his heart picks up speed just a little.
“Alright, let’s start the test of courage! We will walk down this path in pairs.” Toritsuka clears his throat, his face slightly paler than it was before and his voice wavering just enough for Saiki to pick up on. He points with a shaking finger down a pitch-black footpath leading straight through the forest with a strained smile stretching his lips. Saiki tries to home in on the medium’s thoughts wondering what could have caused his behavioural shift, but his thoughts were such a jumbled mess that he could discern anything of importance.
“Let’s go with the flow and make our own pairs.” He continues sliding over to Arisu. Saiki doesn’t know if it is his imagination or wistful thinking that makes it seem as if Toritsuka is reluctant to wrap his arm around the girl, but he quickly shakes the thought from his mind.
I shouldn’t have lied about liking Arisu. This is so hard.
Or not. Saiki snaps his gaze over to Toritsuka, eyebrow raising in question at the shift in Toritsuka’s gaze. He could have sworn that the medium was glancing his way before dropping his eyes to stare at the ground as his feet shuffled as if he were guilty of something. Something which he thought Saiki would not approve of but the psychic still could gleam anything from the other’s mind and it was setting him on edge.
Yumehara, unaware of the rising tension, is quick to follow Toritsuka’s lead and practically jumps on Kaidou who squeaks, his own eyes widening in fear as he desperately tries to wiggle his way out of her grip which only strengthens around his shoulders.
So I guess that plan was to send me on my own from the very beginning, but I don’t think I am going to allow their ploys to continue so smoothly. There is something I need to confirm. Saiki shakes his head, his gaze still not moving from Toritsuka who is still refusing to meet his gaze.
“Hold on. I want to go with Saiki!” A quiet voice breaks through his chaotic thoughts and Saiki feels his mood dropping even further. He would much rather go by himself than with Arisu, they weren’t particularly close, nor had he ever spoken to her before. Besides, she was one of the weirder people he had ever encountered, which was saying much when it came to his friends.
“I want to be with Saiki as well!” Another voice breaks through and Saiki rolls his eyes. He didn’t understand why he was so popular all of a sudden. Usually, he could go through the entire interaction without people remembering he was there, let alone having several people actually call out to him or even wish to spend more time with him. It was unusual.
No, if I can’t go with Saiki then none of you are allowed to.
The familiar voice floats through his mind and this time Saiki is pretty sure he understands the subtext and unspoken feelings hidden beneath such words. Allowing the corner of his mouth to lift up in amusement, and slight nerves, Saiki finds the blush that explodes across Toritsuka’s cheeks when their eyes meet, adorable. It would seem that the spirit medium hadn’t wanted or realised that he had even thought such a phrase until he had seen the self-satisfied expression softening Saiki’s features.
It didn’t mean anything, Saiki! I didn’t say anything. Stop reading into my thoughts, I like Arisu!
Saiki’s eyebrow raises even further, his smirk deepening. Toritsuka defending himself wasn’t helping as much as the other thought it was going to. In fact, the more flustered Toritsuka became and the more he denied the double meaning behind his words, the more confident Saiki became in his abilities to read the situation at hand and the lighter his chest felt.
“What? Why Saiki?” Toritsuka shouts, a little too loud as he shoots an offended glance at Arisu who shrugs his hand off her shoulder.
“Well, Kaidou is kind of helpless,” Saiki inwardly nodded his head, Kaidou was terrible with anything scary but hated appearing weak in front of those he considered his friends so he always tried to overcompensate which would just get him into a bigger mess. However, that didn’t mean that he wouldn’t throw himself in danger to protect his friends and those he cared about. Like the time that snake got into the classroom.
“And you’re a little weird. So, it was a process of elimination.” Arisu continues.
She is right. I am a weirdo. It is probably why I will never get the chance to confess everything to- No, Toritsuka you told yourself that you would never bring it up again. Serious. He is never going to like you back.
Toritsuka tried to brush the shoot down off with a loud laugh, but Saiki wasn’t the only one who saw the droop in his shoulders or the forced smile stretching across his lips. It took all of Saiki’s restraint to stop himself from walking over and pulling the medium into his arms, to tell him that he wasn’t weird, that he wasn’t a letdown or as alone as he thought. Besides, if Toritsuka, a teenager who thought he had to hide his true feelings and self away from his friends was weird, then what was Saiki? He was the only psychic in the world; the only person who could manipulate time, and change human nature and DNA with a single thought. Someone who could destroy the entire world with a sneeze if not for his limiters. If Toritsuka was weird, then he was no short of an abomination.
“Then let's draw lots to decide. Those who get the sticks of the same length will pair up.”
“Then let’s do that! We have plenty of time!”
Now wait just a minute, weren’t you the ones who said it would save us time if we just picked our own pairs earlier?
“Saiki, you can go first.” Saiki glances down at the sticks in Toritsuka’s trembling hand contemplating which one he would like to choose before his eyes flicker up to Toritsuka who is staring down at the ground.
I really hope that I get to be paired up with Saiki. I know he finds me annoying and probably hates me, but I can’t help how I feel… No, I am supposed to like Arisu…
Saiki raises an eyebrow, Toritsuka was perfectly aware that he could read his thoughts, which was probably how Toritsuka had been able to hide his true feelings for so long. He couldn’t help but question why the medium was allowing his thoughts to spill over now. Then it dawns on him. Toritsuka wasn’t aware that his thoughts were being projected as loud as they were.
I think I deserve to do something for myself for a change, Toritsuka. His thoughts are a quiet whisper against the schemes of Yumehara and Kaidou’s frantic worries, but he allows a small smile to form when he pulls out one of the chopsticks nestled between Toritsuka’s fingers. He allows his hand to rest around the others for a moment, fingers trailing along his knuckles before he closes his hand over his chosen stick.
“Alright, Arisu it’s your turn! Ah, you got the Short one!” Toritsuka quickly moved on to Yumehara, their expressions fixed but Saiki could tell that he wasn’t much into helping set up Yumehara and Kaidou anymore. Not now that his feelings had taken a direct hit, and he was struggling to sort through his own muddled thoughts. However, it was still a little odd just how in sink Yumehara’s and Toritsuka’s thoughts seemed to be on the matter.
“Next is Chiyo. What will you get?” Yumehara pulls out a medium-length stick and frowns down at it, her wide smile disappearing at the ambiguity she feels over not knowing for certain who she would end up going with. Especially seen as Saiki refused to show the length of his own.
“Alright, Kaidou it is your turn.” Toritsuka hands the two remaining sticks to Kaidou who blindly reaches for one and almost bursts out crying when he does, indeed, pull out a medium chopstick. Much to Yumehara’s delight.
However, it is Toritsuka’s reaction that Saiki is watching. It takes a moment for clarity to settle over the medium but when it does a pale flush dusts across his cheeks and up to his ears. Oh my gosh. I am going with Saiki! I actually get to go with Saiki. This is incredi- No, this is bad. Bad. Bad. What if he knows? Oh, who am I kidding? Of course he knows. This is a disaster!
Saiki shakes his head and rolls his eyes at the internal debate riding through Toritsuka and so, to save his friend from further torment he makes his way over to the medium and places a calming hand on his shoulder. Withholding a smirk when Toritsuka jumps a little, his blush darkening when he meets Saiki’s gentle expression and soft smile.
Looks like we will be walking together, Toritsuka.
Oh my gosh, that smile is so adorable. I want to just- No, Toritsuka get a hold of yourself! Saiki is right there! Maybe if I ask Arisu to come with us, I will be able to make it thro-
“Arisu? Would you like to walk with us? I don’t think anyone should be going through those woods alone.” It was too late. Kaidou’s tender nature and fear of Yumehara had prompted him to invite the other girl to go with them as a trio.
It doesn’t take long for the two teams to get settled and for Yumehara, Arisu, and Kaidou to set off down the path with a torch in hand. Saiki rolls his eyes when he can hear Kaidou’s frantic thoughts getting progressively louder and more muddled the further they go but he can’t focus on that right now. No, he had something else he really wished to do and he would need to use all his patience and wit just to try and achieve it.
Turning to glance down at Toritsuka who had calmed down a little from earlier, Saiki lets his hand slip from the other's shoulder, down his arm and to his wrist where he pauses for a moment to allow Toritsuka the chance to pull away. When all Toritsuka does is glance down at Saiki’s wandering hand, Saiki finally allows himself to slip his hand into Toritsuka’s before he guides the other to the start of the pathway.
Saiki is holding my hand. I wonder if he would mind doing this more often. It feels nice… Saiki tightens his hand around Toritsuka’s at the other’s thoughts causing a flush to explode across his cheeks. It isn’t what you are thinking, Saiki. I promise!
Really? That is a shame. Saiki responds, his eyes scanning the woodland around them to keep an eye out for any potential dangers that could jump out at them. Well, any animals that didn’t want some noisy humans trampling through their territory so late at night, he would leave the ghosts to Toritsuka.
What did Saiki mean by that? Could he want to hold my hand more? Maybe he is disappointed that I told him that it wasn’t like that… but why would he be disappointed? Is he just messing with me right now?
I am not messing with you, Toritsuka. I just want you to feel comfortable enough around me to act like yourself and not you, you think everyone wants to see.
“What do you mean, Saiki? This is who I am.” Toritsuka’s tone is nervous, his hands sweating lightly but he doesn’t pull away, in fact, his grip only tightens around Saiki’s hand, and he takes a small step closer.
I know that it isn’t Toritsuka. You are scared to show people who you truly are. For reasons I cannot discern but I know that you are a wonderful person. You are not as perverted as you portray, nor are you as confident in yourself as you like other people to think. I also know that you don’t like Arisu.
How does Saiki know all of this? I have been careful to not think anything like that when he is around… “I don’t know what you mean, Saiki… I do like Arisu…”
If you liked Arisu as much as you claim, then you would have been disappointed when she drew the shortest stick. You would have immediately offered for her to come with us, but you didn’t. Besides, correct me if I am wrong, but I don’t think you set up this excursion because you wanted to get closer to Arisu.
Saiki coaxes as gently as he is able, a comforting smile on his lips as he glances down at Toritsuka. He didn’t want to push too hard and cause Toritsuka to withdraw from him, but he knew that he needed to push a little bit in order to help Toritsuka break out of this vicious cycle of self-doubt and falsehoods.
“You are right, Saiki. I didn’t set this walk of courage up so I could win over Arisu. In fact, I didn’t even set up the Occult Club so I could make my own Harem. I did it because I wanted somewhere we could hang out and talk about your powers without it being weird. Without you having to worry about other people listening in. I knew that if I told Kaidou he couldn’t join then Yumehara would leave as well…”
Saiki freezes for a moment. He hadn’t known that. He wasn’t aware that Toritsuka created the Occult club just so the two of them could hang out together. He hadn’t known that Toritsuka was trying to create a safe space for him so he could talk about his powers, and no doubt his grievances with them to Toritsuka without any worries. His heartbeat increases at the selfless action, and he tightens his hand around Toritsuka’s squeezing in thanks.
I wasn’t aware. Thank you, Toritsuka. But why are you going through all this trouble to pretend you like someone who you don’t? Why can you not tell the person you truly like that you like them?
“Because it is disgusting! I was born in a temple, Saiki. Do you know how often I have to sit around and listen to the monks insulting and throwing derogatory comments around about Gay people? Do you know how terrifying it is to realise that you like guys when you live with a bunch of homophobic uncles who would kick me out if they ever found out?” Toritsuka tries to pull his hand away from Saiki’s, but the psychic doesn’t let him.
Saiki frowns down at Toritsuka, dropping his hand only after he has managed to wrap an arm around the other’s shoulders in a warm embrace. Resting his forehead against Toritsuka’s Saiki breathes in before his other hand snakes around Toritsuka’s back and holds the other boy close.
I am sorry, Toritsuka. I didn’t realise. That must have been so hard for you to deal with and I am so sorry that you didn’t think you could come talk to me about it.
“It isn’t your fault, Saiki. I was just being a coward. You have nothing to apologise for.” Toritsuka explains as he buries into Saiki’s embrace, dropping his head down onto the other's shoulder. He wraps his arms around Saiki’s back, trembling hands gripping hold of Saiki’s jumper.
You are so brave, Toritsuka but you don’t have to pretend anymore. You don’t have to pretend around me or any of our friends. They will not judge you, Toritsuka. I promise.
“But what if the people at the temple find out?” He whispers out, voice muffled by Saiki’s shoulder and the psychic tightens his arms around his friend.
If they find out and kick you out, then you can come and live with me. My parents won’t mind.
“I couldn’t ask you to do that, Saiki. I don’t want to be a burden to you or your parents.” Saiki could hear the give in Toritsuka’s voice and knew that he was just moments away from giving in, but he just needed one last little push.
You could never be a burden to me, Toritsuka. You are one of my best friends. The person I feel most comfortable around. The one person in the world who fully accepts me for who I am without trying to change anything about me. You know about my powers, yet you have never once tried to take advantage of them. You know just how unfavourable my personality can be and yet you still decided to be friends with me. You would never be a burden to me, Toritsuka.
“Saiki…” Tears cling to his eyelashes and Saiki almost chuckles at just how adorable Toritsuka looks cuddled up against his chest and clinging to him seeking comfort. It was as heartwarming and pleasant as Saiki had always imagined and he couldn’t stop himself from dropping a feather-light kiss on Toritsuka’s head. The action spurred something in Toritsuka that Saiki hadn’t anticipated.
“I like you, Saiki! It was never Arisu whom I fancied. Nor did I like any of those other girls I flirted with. It has always been you. From before I even met you!”
Saiki freezes, eyes widening as he glances down into Toritsuka’s startlingly clear eyes and he has to stop himself from placing a kiss on plump lips being abused under sharp teeth. His expression softens, a gentle smile dancing across his lips and he slips both arms down to wrap more securely around Toritsuka’s waist.
I like you a lot as well, Toritsuka. I just didn’t think you would ever like me back. You never gave any indication…
“I didn’t? I was sure that you knew about my feelings. I tried so hard to hide them from you because I didn’t want you to be disgusted with me and stop being my friend.”
You were exceedingly good at hiding your feelings, Toritsuka. Until tonight that is. Saiki smirks giving in to temptation, he brushes their lips together in a very brief kiss, but it is enough to bring a flush to both of their cheeks.
“You really mean it? You really like me back… I can’t believe this.” Toritsuka chuckles, his expressions lightening and he leans up to brush a return kiss to Saiki’s cheek.
“Be my boyfriend, Toritsuka?” Saiki speaks out loud, his voice slightly scratchy from lack of use but Toritsuka recognises the significance of the gesture and sniffles a little. His arms creep up Saiki’s arms, settling around his shoulders so he could drop another chaste peck on Saiki’s lips.
“I would be delighted to, Saiki, but can I ask you to do one thing?”
What is it?
“Call me, Reita?”
Only if you call me, Kusuo
“I would be honoured, Kusuo.”
You really are going to be the death of me, Reita. I like you. Saiki sighs, dropping his head to rest against Toritsuka’s shoulder as he clings to the boy he has been crushing on for so long. He allows the events of the night to replay through his mind and can’t help but feel grateful for Toritsuka for making him join to walk of courage.