I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER BECAUSE I LOVED IT MYSELF!!!!!
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THURSDAY ARRIVED QUITE fast. Almost like classes ended just as quickly as they had started... Weirdly enough. Maybe someone is messing with the timeline.
It's obviously you.
No shit, Sherlock. Of course, it's me! I have to be careful though, I don't want the TVA to come and find me.
Not that I really am a person with bones that they can actually destroy, to be completely honest.
These pop-culture references are getting way out of hand. What if people don't understand them?
I'm sure they will, Saiki. They have good taste, after all.
Kusuo was already walking throughout the halls, waiting for [Y/N] to magically appear. She always seemed to do that; emerge out of nowhere. So it was a matter of time before they met.
[Y/N] had her head over the clouds, not paying too much attention to her surroundings. A few students walked past her, crashing with her figure, but not apologizing after. However, she didn't realize nor complained. Her thoughts wandered too far away for her to do it.
Saiki watched her without being noticed, still marching to where she was. His sight inspected every move she made while he managed to catch some of her thoughts. It seemed that [Y/N] was nervous about an exam she had the next week, and she understood nothing about the subject. Therefore, she was thinking about asking a classmate to tutor her. But it couldn't be Toritsuka. He sucked at whatever school-related.
Saiki had yet to ask her to take him buying the coffee jelly, as he was waiting for the perfect opportunity to appear. Nevertheless, [Y/N] still thought about her invitation, embarrassed that she even asked in the first place, but nothing about that seemed reasonable. Or realistic enough for it to actually happen.
He saw how [Y/N]'s cheeks redden once their eyes met, and he chuckled inside. The so-called 'unwanted emotions' made a big entrance inside his stomach, and Kusuo wondered if those were what people described as "butterflies."
At least he has done his research lately.
It's common knowledge.
It took you some time to figure it out, though.
"Saiki, hi! It's been a while," [Y/N] said once she arrived by his side, a big smile spread on her face. "Well, since yesterday, but it's good to see you today, too... I mean, it's not like I-I missed you or anything. It's only been a day. Twenty-four hours, so it's not a lot, haha... Yeah... I'm going to shut up now. A-anyway, how are you?"
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."
[Y/N] blinked a few times, getting her eyes off his face and back to the ground. If before she felt like Saiki could think of her as more than a friend in some distant future, now she felt nothing.
Nothing that could make her full of hope again.
"I'm sorry..." her tone was not as cheerful as before, which definitely caught Saiki's attention.
He thinks I'm annoying. Saiki hates me.
[Y/N] repeated that sentence in her mind over and over. She started trying to find ways to make him think highly of her.
Trying to find ways to stop being annoying.
"The problem is that you're too nice," Saiki started. He freaked out a bit inside, trying to recover from the incident. He immediately realized he had awfully phrased what he said when he read [Y/N]'s thoughts. "You don't see how kind you are, and people take advantage of that. That situation is what annoys me. So, stop apologizing."
And then, falling out of character and feeling that the butterflies were about to explode, Saiki put his hand over her shoulder, giving it a squish.
[Y/N] tensed up when she felt his hand —for a second time today—, but when she looked at him and saw a tiny grin on his lips, she finally eased... Though her heart didn't seem to notice that.
With every second that Saiki was making contact with her, it became faster and louder. She wondered if he could hear it from where he was since it was merely a few feet, if not inches, away. Blood ran through her body a thousand miles per hour, reaching her face in just seconds. But this time, she didn't look down. She wasn't embarrassed —or at least, not too embarrassed. A bolt of joy hit her.
Saiki certainly caught the sound her heart was making, and he found it too familiar... His heart was doing precisely the same.
[Y/N] gave him a smile herself, and Kusuo immediately removed his hand from her body, satisfied with the outcome —but still trying to calm down his beating heart.
Saiki was almost going to alter her mind if she was still upset by his earlier words. He wouldn't want her to be like that, of course.
Good grief. How can I win against Toritsuka if I make [Y/N] cry the first time we go out?
No way.
A quiet sigh of disappointment left [Y/N]'s mouth without her noticing. Since she had realized her feeling towards Saiki, she longed to be touched and held by him. So every time she had the opportunity to be close to him, she could only wish it would never end.
Yet, clearly, good things always come to an end.
Then the two of them were embraced by a semi-uncomfortable silence. Saiki continued cursing his "damn butterflies" and glanced at [Y/N] from time to time to see if she was seeing him too. However, she never looked back at him. She was too self-conscious of the past situation and didn't have the guts to confront him.
"We're here," she called, pointing at the small and colorful shop. "Wanna go inside?"
The answer was obvious, and [Y/N] knew that, but just as a mere act of politeness, she asked. Saiki did a simple nod. He had been expecting this since the previous day.
He was reunited with his precious coffee jelly at last.
Entering the store, [Y/N] and Saiki were welcomed by a distinctive sweet smell. It was not the normal 7-Eleven, just something Kusuo had never seen before. He knew where it was, but he hadn't come by to see it before.
The walls were pink, and the floor was a luminous white. It was like a small child's bedroom. The front desk had hundreds of cakes and pastries of different sizes. It was kind of sickening. Anyone could be nauseous just from being there.
Especially after eating one of those delicacies, they seemed too cloying to eat.
However, Saiki felt as he was in paradise.
"Hi, welc- Oh, [Y/N] dear! I didn't know you were coming today," a rather old lady came out from the back of the store, greeting them with a gentle smile. Once Saiki read the owner's mind, he completely regretted coming there. "And who might be this handsome young man who's here with my beautiful granddaughter?"
'I'm going to kill him if he hurts her!'
Damn, granny [L/N]. You sure were hiding your evil side... Not that I disagree, though.
"Agh! Saiki, I forgot to tell you, "[Y/N] whispered, with her face full of regret and a shameful smile. "My grandma owns the shop, haha!"
How could you forget to tell me such an important detail, [L/N]?!
And more importantly, why didn't I notice that while reading your mind? I'm sure it's the damn butterflies' fault!
You know that they aren't actually real, right?
"My name is Saiki Kusuo," said Saiki. He wanted to eat that coffee jelly, after all. So why be impolite? "[L/N] and I are classmates... and friends, also friends."
[Y/N]'s grandma smiled sweetly on the outside but was burning inside. She didn't trust Saiki had good intentions. He could effortlessly steal her granddaughter from her arms! She couldn't let that happen!
She and my grandfather could easily be best friends.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kusuo," the old lady offered him a smile, which had other intentions hiding beside it. "Can I call you Kusuo, dear?"
This woman is pure evil, God!
[Y/N], are you sure you're blood-related?
Oh, shut up, Narrator! She is the most loving woman you'll ever meet. She wouldn't hurt a fly!
... Yeah! Because she'd be too busy hurting me!
Saiki quickly nodded a few times. She reminded him of his own mother. Both of them were so scary.
"Grandma, remember when I came here asking for the coffee jelly?" [Y/N] started, noticing a bit of tension in the air. "Can you give us one right now? You could definitely sell it to me with the discount too."
Saiki heard [Y/N] giggling, and he smiled involuntarily. Though then he felt the old lady's eyes staring furiously at him again, so he erased it in just milliseconds.
"Of course, love," she went to the back store and came back a few minutes later with the same little box [Y/N] gave Saiki some time ago. "Call me surprised. I never thought you would start liking coffee! I remember you throwing it up when you were a kid."
"That was an unnecessary piece of information, grandma!" [Y/N] said, placing her hand on her flustered face. "... Anyhow, the coffee jelly is not for me. Saiki here loves it, so I figured out I could get one for him. The one from the other day was also for him."
... Are you trying to kill me, [L/N]?
"I see... then I'm afraid I can't provide him the discount. He'll have to pay for the original price," the old lady said with a fake gentle voice. "Discounts are only for family members. Kusuo, I'm sorry."
A shiver went down Saiki's back when the grandma addressed him.
"He's not buying it, granny," [Y/N] interrupted, realizing the shop owner's real intentions. "I am. So please, I'll take the discount. Thank you!"
The old lady's eyebrows frowned. She didn't get what she wanted in the first place. However, Saiki was not too happy about it either.
"No," he said, breaking his long silence. "I can't let you pay. I'll do it myself."
"Don't be an idiot, Saiki," [Y/N] replied, shooing him away with her hand. "You are my friend, and I care about you. Caring is sharing... I don't really know if that phrase applies here, but you got me!"
'I care about you...' Oh my.
"Then, I'm getting one for you, too," Saiki took out his wallet from his bag. "Of course not the coffee jelly. Just tell me what you want."
[Y/N] started shaking her head from side to side, but when he saw Saiki's determined face, she stopped. And on the other hand, the shop's owner admired the situation with shimmering eyes.
"Are you sure? You don't have to..." she pleaded, still waiting for Saiki to take the offer back. Still, he didn't change his mind. "Fine. I'll get my regular, grandma."
The old lady went once again to the back of the store and then brought a box similar to the one they kept the coffee jelly. She then handed them both sweets.
"There, take them. It's on the house," loving eyes stared at them. "And before you can complain, I just want to say... I was young once, too. Now go before I regret it!"
'I'll still kill him, though.'
"Thank you, grandma," [Y/N] replied, with a soft smile. "I'll see you later! Love you!"
Saiki and her left the shop seconds after saying goodbye, and Kusuo getting a resentful look from the owner.
"What did you get, anyway?" asked Saiki, trying to prevent himself from using his psychic powers.
He hated using them around her —not that he could actually use them at their 100% capacity when he was with her, though.
Instead of speaking, [Y/N] opened the little box and showed it to him.
"It's a butterfly cupcake!" she excitedly announced. "It's been my favorite since I'm a kid! You can eat the butterfly too. It's sugar, after all."
How ironic.
Saiki felt the damn butterflies again by seeing [Y/N]'s happy smile while eating her cupcake. He started to hate them; the real ones, the ones inside his stomach, and even the ones made from sugar.
"I care about you, too."
But just like that, the butterflies seemed to disappear for only one second.
And so did [Y/N]. She disappeared from Earth.
RIP [L/N] [Y/N].
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WHY I HAVEN'T BEEN POSTING:
I feel like I owe you guys an explanation of my 2 week-ish absence. First of all, I went on vacation for a week and I couldn't post there since I forgot my laptop :( but then... THE WORST THING HAPPENED: someone was copying my story.
Thankfully, a beautiful and kind person reached out to me and told me what that meanie was doing >:| Wattpad listened to me and deleted their copied story, yay!!!! However, I was kinda depressed for like 4 days wondering if I should completely delete the story :(
Anywayyy, here I am. More than happy to continue!
My socials are on my profile. So please, if you see someone posting a similar/same story, please reach out to me!!!!
Thanks to everyone who commented under the copycat's book. This chapter was for you <3
Specially frecklixxx because they literally flooded their profile with comments! Ilyyy