- currently editing - not the only one || saiki kusuo no psi nan

chapter eight

Author's Note: better late than never!

"First and foremost," Saiki said, catching Bell off guard. They had hardly had a conversation before this, and it wasn't for Bell's lack of trying. He seemed to take that attitude with everyone around him, so she was surprised to see he was taking a lead on the conversation. "Earlier today, in the cafeteria." Bell cringed.

"I'd really rather not talk about Saiko," she said, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. "I came to Japan so I wouldn't have to think about Saiko, but that completely backfired."

"It's not about him," he said. "It's about what you did." Bell furrowed her brows.

"What I did?" she asked.

"Did you really not realize?" he asked, and Bell shook her head. "You were using pyrokinesis. I had to cool you down before Nendou caught fire, or something."

"Now why would Nendou out of all people-"

"Wishful thinking," Saiki interrupted her. Bell frowned at that but decided not to pursue it. Nendou out of all people treated Saiki the best, frequently referring to him as his best buddy and looking out for him. Bell could see that after having spent only a few days at the school. Were Saiki's feelings towards him really so negative? Sure, the guy was weird, but wishing he would spontaneously combust is a little outside of the "best buddy" category.

"I didn't realize I was doing that," Bell said, looking at the ground. "I don't really have much experience using my powers. And I wouldn't set Nendou on fire, he gave me half of his cookie." It was quiet for a moment, and Bell looked up at Saiki. His eyes were darting around her face, his face scrunched up a little. "What?" she asked.

"I'm trying to figure out if you're joking," he said.

"Saiki, oh my God, I would not set Nendou-"

"Not about that," he said, waving her off. "About not having experience using your powers."

"I've never really been allowed to use them," she said. "My parents pretend like I don't have them half of the time, except when they want me to read someone's mind." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the geranium ring, and all the background noise of people's thoughts ceased. She held it up. "I don't know if you know what this does, but it's essentially blocks people's thoughts out. For me, at least." Saiki nodded.

"I have one," he said. She started rolling it around in her hand, looking at it thoughtfully.

"I have to wear it most of the time when I'm at home," she said. "I only started taking it off occasionally when I got here, but hearing all those thoughts is really overwhelming. So, I still wear it a lot." She glanced up at him again. "Do you wear yours often?"

Saiki grimaced. "No," he said. "It's like there's a bunch of Nendous around me at all times." Bell tilted her head to the side, furrowing her brow.

"Is that why you don't like him?" she said. "Because you can't read his thoughts?" He seemed caught off-guard by the question and Bell realized that to him, she was a Nendou too. Was that the source of his general bad vibes? Or were bad vibes just his way of life?

"I'm used to hearing people's thoughts all the time," he said, avoiding the question. "To have someone whose thoughts I can't read is frustrating for me." Bell hummed her understanding, even though she didn't understand at all.