Saiki K PeePee

Ch. 3: Uncertainty

Teruhashi slowly trudged down the street with her head in the clouds. However, inside her head was a raging storm. Suddenly her peripheral senses tingled and snapped her out of her reverie. She couldn't even place the stimulus that demanded her attention, which immediately plunged her into fear unlike any she had experienced before.

Why does it feel like I'm being followed? she thought. She started to tremble and took a path toward a more open area. No one was around to help her, but this was her best chance.

Her feet picked up the pace to lock step with her racing thoughts. She had been tailed plenty of times before but this one felt different. It felt like she truly had no way to escape. Despite the fear growing quickly inside her, she started to connect some dots. She had to get to the bottom of this.

Mrs. Saiki spoke in a similar way when she talked about Saiki's trust issues and fumbled in a very similar manner after she said it at Saiki's birthday. Were they related somehow? How did I know that Makoto was at his house? Why did I see him dragging Makoto out when I was sick? Why did Saiki's brother say he was "out of my league"? What in the world happened to that meteorite? It starts to make a bit more sense when you put it together. The appearance of the supplies while we were stranded was a little too unbelievable even for me. Some of them were still in shopping bags!

...Was Okinawa really a dream?

Who ARE you, Kusuo Saiki?
_________

Saiki had been tailing Teruhashi with his invisibility, trying to figure out the right moment to strike. Just when he thought he had an opportunity, she perked up and became aware of her surroundings.

Her ability to tell when people are following her is uncanny. I need to wait for a better opportunity.

He listened to her connect the dots and became nervous.

Why did I not consider that? She remembers too much, and trying to wipe out all of that memory could cause permanent damage. There's been too much time since Mom told her I have powers. I made a mistake. Why did I follow her and cause her unnecessary trouble? Now she's terrified of me. I should have come clean from the beginning. Why did I not do that? Was I afraid?

He breathed a sigh of resignation.

I have been defeated. Eat your heart out, annoying brother. The girl you said was nothing before me defeated me before you did.

...I guess it can't be helped.
_______

Teruhashi's ears perked up when she heard something that sounded like a sigh. This was definitely not the wind. Her eyes darted around nervously as fear tightened its grip on her. She felt herself start to sweat. Her breaths became more labored. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she felt herself quake ever more violently. Her perfect pretty girl act was unraveling before her very eyes. She lamented the loss, but she had more pressing problems. Something was in her danger zone behind her. She spun around just in time to witness Saiki Kusuo apparate out of thin air much closer to her than should have been possible. She yelped and ungracefully fell on her butt, unfortunately not able to catch herself before her hair swept up some of the dirt from the sidewalk.

"S-S-Saiki-kun?" she said, unsure of what this new Saiki might do to her. She shuddered in abject fear.

"Yes, Teruhashi, it's me. I'm not going to hurt you," he said. He seemed unsure of himself, as if he were struggling to understand how to comfort someone.

"I assume by the fact that you appeared out of thin air, you know that I know about your powers?" Teruhashi asked, eyeing him uncertainly.

"Yeah," he responded with an uncharacteristic lack of decorum.