Silence

"Shut up! What the hell? I didn't ask you about all that!"

"Aren, calm down!"

"Ah, I apologize, I'm rambling on again, aren't I? Well, I'll continue working on my own experiment."

'Akechi, that tube is empty,' Saiki projected, pointing to the tube in Akechi's hand.

"A-Ah, yes... It is."

'Calm down. I'll go get the chemicals.'

Akechi nodded timidly as Saiki walked over to another table. He pretended not to notice Kuboyasu starting at Akechi before staring back at him. That didn't stop him from following him to the table anyway.

"Hey, Saiki?"

Kuboyasu placed his hand on Saiki's shoulder and shook him gently to get his attention.

'Yes?'

"Uh, me and Shun wanted to ask you about that little blond kid that's always hanging around you," he said, gesturing to Kaidou who flashed Saiki a nervous smile. "What's his name?"

Saiki looked back at his table, watching Akechi skillfully mix and measure various chemicals, while still finding the time to explain each and every one to the people in the neighboring group.

'You mean Akechi?'

"Yeah! Yeah, him. Um, anyway, we thought it was kinda weird the way he acts, you know?"

'What do you mean?'

"I think what Aren meant, is that he's usually acting one way, but now he's acting another," said Kaidou.

...

'Okay, explain what exactly you mean.'

"Well," muttered Kuboyasu, rubbing the back of his neck. "Don't take this the wrong way or anything, but he never shuts up."

"Aren!"

"It's true! He talks non-stop about useless crap that nobody cares about."

That's a bit too far. Besides, are you forgetting your explanation of the Yakuza movie when we first met?

"Aren, now you're being rude! Besides," he whispered, "I think he's Saiki's best friend or something."

There you go, assuming things.

Kuboyasu cleared his throat.

"Sorry. Anyway, we noticed that most of the time, he has no problem going on and on about whatever the hell he wants to, but sometimes, he shuts up."

"A lot."

"Yeah," said Kuboyasu, nodding, "He won't say anything at all, and he kinda just sits there with a weird look in his eye."

Saiki saw Kaidou shudder as he thought about Akechi's far off expression that he was so used to seeing.

"But he only shuts up when he's with you. It's so weird. I mean, sometimes me or Shun will talk to him in class or whatever, but he still talks too much."

"Yeah, but when you talk to him, he just stands there, staring off into space," said Kaidou, matter-of-factly.

Oh, so that's what they meant.

"So, do you know why that is?"

'Oh, that. I think he has a crush on me.'

Kaidou and Kuboyasu looked at each other in nearly humorous confusion before looking back at Saiki.

"You think he...?"

'It seems that way,' he projected, of course, leaving out the part about hearing his constant, amorous thoughts throughout the day.

Kaidou laughed breathlessly.

"You sure?" asked Kuboyasu, grinning.

'Pretty sure.'

"Do you... Like him back?"

'What does that matter?'

...

"Uh, don't you think you should tell him? Y'know, either way. At least, that you know?"

Saiki scoffed.

'Why should I? I love the peace and quiet.'

Kaidou began to frown.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Yeah, I'm sure after a while of him talking your ears off, you'd be annoyed, but you gotta tell him eventually. You know that, right?" said Kuboyasu, smiling weakly.

'I don't have to tell him. See? He's doing fine.'

Kaidou and Kuboyasu looked over at Akechi, who was still talking about the chemical reaction between some blue liquid and another purple liquid that they couldn't quite identify, as the classmates in the other table were threatening to tell the teacher if he didn't leave them alone.

"Alright," said Kuboyasu, snickering. "Do me a favor, pal, tell him. Whether you like him or not. C'mon, Shun, we need to finish our project."

Kaidou nodded as he followed Kuboyasu back to their table.

Saiki walked back to his own table to see Akechi writing something down in a purple notebook.

'What are you writing?'

"Ah! Oh, it's you, Kusuo-kun..." he said, blushing softly. "Notes. For class."

Saiki nodded as he looked back to the notebook, making sure not to accidentally divert his gaze and embarrass himself further.

Saiki watched as he continued writing, then looked back at Kaidou and Kuboyasu's table, where Kuboyasu was giving him a strange look while Kaidou whispered something in his ear, before taking notice that something was spilling on the table and proceeding to scold him about it.

...

I'll tell him tomorrow. The longer I can appreciate the quiet and how cute this is, the better.

Saiki smiled to himself.