I DON'T LIKE COFFEE [SAIKI K.]

[09] I DON'T LIKE BUTTERFLIES

Slapping herself in her mind, [Y/N] blushed to her ears, still not believing how uncomfortable the previous situation was. Her smile weakened, and her index fingers started fidgeting.

Okay, I'm an idiot. I should probably go home and scream to my pillow now.

Not on my watch.

"I feel like eating coffee jelly," Saiki insinuated with a monotonous voice. "Can you take me to the shop you mentioned yesterday?"

You sure are straightforward.

[Y/N]'s heart skipped a bit upon hearing Kusuo's words. She definitely did not expect him remembering her invitation, nor he accepting it.

With sparkling eyes, she started nodding frantically. She didn't care if she looked desperate while her euphoric behavior started showing up. She was too excited to worry.

"Yes, of course!" she exclaimed loudly, her heart racing faster and faster. "Sorry... that was kinda abrupt, haha. But yeah, I can take you there."

Saiki 1, Toritsuka 0.

Kusuo smirked swiftly and then began walking to the exit without any word left. [Y/N] took it as a sign to follow after him, and so she did.

The two of them paced to the exit, hearing whispers gossiping around the halls. As unfortunate as it had to be, the dating rumors about them started resurfacing. Though this time, she didn't feel too bad about it.

At this moment, dating Saiki Kusuo seemed like a distant and hopeless dream. [Y/N] understood that letting those rumors grow could damage their recent —but lovely— friendship. However, very deep inside of her, she believed that Saiki might start thinking of her in that way if they reached his ears.

Maybe like a big revelation that he had always liked her but just didn't realize it until then.

Except, she completely ignored the fact that he had already heard those rumors and that he thought of her... differently from what she imagined. And still, before those things were even spreading.

Once outside the school, Saiki kept walking, and (not) surprisingly, in the right direction. His pace was slow, not as he usually was when around people, waiting for [Y/N] to catch up. He certainly knew the way to shop —he is a psychic after all—, but he wanted 'our girl' to guide him.

So romantic!

[Y/N] noticed Saiki's feet were kind of reluctant, so she rushed. When she arrived by his side, she unwillingly made her hand brush against his. There were a few seconds of panicking before she quickly put it inside her jacket's pocket as nothing had happened.

She opened her eyes widely upon remembering his cold hand touching hers and could still hear her heart pounding inside her ear.

Saiki glanced at her by the corner of his eyes but said nothing. He felt his stomach shrink again and cursed the "damn butterflies" under his breath. He had to find a way of getting rid of them.

"Is this the right way?" Kusuo suddenly broke the silence, acting as he didn't know where he was going, yet saying nothing about the hand-brushing situation.

Coward.

"Oh, yes. Sorry, I didn't say anything sooner," [Y/N] avoided looking at Saiki, keeping her eyes on the floor. "For some reason, I thought you knew where we were going... We have to walk a few more blocks in that direction, and we'll be there!"

"Stop apologizing," Saiki abruptly said. Her head quickly turned right, with her brows furrowed, confused by his sudden reaction. "You apologize a lot, even when you don't have to. It's annoying."