New Customers Are A Pain

7

He expected it.

Saiki fully expected it.

Really, it was the only reason he did it in the first place.

Saiki was bit confused when he walked into the cafe without hearing Akechi's flood of thoughts, but he was reassured when he saw Akechi sitting in his chair, asleep. His hands were folded under his face, and his bangs were covering his eyes. He was crossing his legs and snoring softly.

And coincidentally, he was dressed in purple.

Coincidentally, the same shade of purple Saiki was wearing.

Saiki got his food and sat down next to Akechi, being careful not to make noise. It was a rare moment, getting to experience him so quiet, and Saiki wanted to cherish it as long as possible.

'I wonder why he's so tired. Maybe he stayed up late. It's so nice seeing him like this. Now I don't have to deal with his brain vomit.'

Akechi looked different when he was sleeping. Usually, he was perky and energetic, spewing out information; but now, he was calm and still. Saiki felt an odd sensation as he looked at him, and he couldn't decide if he enjoyed it or not, but luckily it didn't last long.

Saiki could hear Akechi's thoughts slowly grow louder.

"Mmm. Kusuo-kun?"

'Good morning. Why were you sleeping on the chair?'

Akechi's head jerked up.

"I wasn't asleep!"

'Don't lie, yes you were.'

"No! I had my eyes closed, but I wasn't asleep."

His hair was messy on the side that had been pressed against his chair, but he didn't seem to notice it yet.

'You were drooling.'

Akechi lifted his hand to his face to wipe his mouth. His face flushed.

"Ah, forgive me Kusuo-kun. I came here a bit earlier than usual, and I slept a bit less than usual..."

Saiki could've sworn Akechi's face turned even redder.

"I like your shirt..."

Oh, right. That.

'Thanks.'

"I finished Silent Cyborg. I enjoyed it. It was entertaining and kept my attention, which is a good thing, because if I get bored with a book, I'll rarely continue reading it until the end. I do try to at least finish two chapters before I stop, because there's always a chance that it'll get better further into it. The psychological battle between the cyborgs and humans was certainly intriguing, especially with the protagonist being a reformed cyborg himself. I must admit, I was a bit upset when I finished it.

'Volume one?'

Akechi shook his head.

"All of it."

...

'All of it?'

"Yes. I suppose now you understand why I was so tired. I finished the series days ago, but I was rereading my favorite volumes, and I got a bit carried away. I am certainly excited for next week's chapter. I did stay up later than usual, so I didn't get a full eight hours of sleep, which is the recommended amount for a person my age. I can't seem to sleep longer than eight a.m., no matter what time I fall asleep. Good thing I have coffee, huh?"

Saiki felt defeated. Akechi had somehow managed to not only finish, but re-read Silent Cyborg in a week, when it took him hours to read one chapter. And it's not like he could use Akechi's thoughts as an excuse, because Akechi had to deal with them too.