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The afternoon sun filtered through the curtains of Saiki Kusuo's home, casting a warm glow over the living room. Saiki was enjoying a rare moment of somewhat quiet despite the thoughts from his neighbours. He was playing a game he had been gifted from his mother, Kurumi Saiki, when an insistent knock that he knew was coming interrupted him.
“Mrs. Saiki! Are you there?” Kokomi Teruhashi’s voice called out, cheerful and bright.
With a resigned sigh, he put his controller down and headed to the door. As he opened it, he was greeted by her radiant smile and the unmistakable aura of attention that followed her.
“Saiki! I came to see your mom!” she declared, stepping inside as if she owned the place.
“She’s not here,” Saiki replied flatly, hoping to end this encounter quickly.
“Oh, that’s okay! I can wait!” Kokomi said, plopping herself onto the couch without hesitation.
Saiki closed the door, feeling a familiar annoyance creep into his chest. “You really don’t need to wait,” he insisted, trying to not show he was annoyed.
“That's alright! We should catch up,” she replied, her enthusiasm unwavering. “We can hang out while we wait!”
Saiki felt a twinge of frustration. The last thing he wanted was to “hang out” with her. Kokomi had a way of filling every space with her energy, and it was exhausting. “I’m not really in the mood for company,” he said.
Her persistence was like a nagging itch he couldn’t scratch. Saiki felt the walls he had carefully built around himself begin to tremble under the weight of her enthusiasm. He glanced at her, her bright smile and hopeful eyes, and felt a flicker of annoyance surge through him.
At that moment, the idea came rushing back—the thought that had crossed his mind before but had felt so drastic. What if he just erased her? It would put an end to this unwelcome intrusion once and for all.
He took a deep breath, the familiar psychic energy stirring within him. “You’re.. too much.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, tilting her head, confusion written across her features.
“It’s just… you being here, it’s annoying.” His words hung in the air, and he could see her smile falter slightly.
He focused harder, feeling the connections that tied her to this world. He could sense her energy, the vibrant threads that intertwined with reality itself. This was the moment, he realized, the moment to reclaim his peace.
With a surge of will, he pushed his mental energy outward, severing the ties that bound her to existence. “It’s better this way,” he murmured.
The shimmer of reality flickered, and then Kokomi Teruhashi was gone.
Silence enveloped the room, settling around him like a thick fog. Saiki stood in the living room,. He felt a wave of relief wash over him, a lightness that had been absent for far too long.
Returning to the kitchen table, he picked up his book again. The words flowed effortlessly now, unmarred by the chatter that had filled the air just moments before.
As he read, he glanced out the window, where the world continued on, unaware of the change that had taken place. No one would notice Kokomi’s absence; he erased her entire existence and everyone's memories.
He had made a choice, one that required no justification or regret. Sometimes, the absence of her was the best answer.