dancing on bones (our souls of iolites and emeralds)

Chapter 19

Kusuo was sure school books for four year olds weren't supposed to have words. More associations to go along with images, words and colors. Not all these. Kusuo knew what Yuuta learned during his pre-KG age. It sure wasn't this.

"Diddykins," Kusuo said calmly to his chubby cousin sitting obediently to his front. "You're too young to learn this stuff."

Dudley pouted. "Everyone knows some in class."

"You are not everyone," Kusuo pointed out. "Remember how many tries it took to speak properly?" Dudley nodded. The younger kid remembered it very clearly. Once he taught Dudley a word, he either had to use it clearly or get ignored. Kusuo had no patience to listen to the inane babbles of an infant in their learning age. This went for Harry and Dudley. Baby Misa was enough for once. Baby Harry was the second, and Dudley was third. Thrice, Kusuo could not tolerate. He was neither a Saint nor had the patience of one.

Dudley was okay with it. He was the best well-spoken gentleman in the neighborhood, especially since Kusuo still hadn't deigned to speak much in front of others and Harry was shy, and Dudley enjoyed the praise and attention it brought him. He still was the best spoken student in his class. Dudley just wasn't the best in learning anything else.

It didn't take long for Kusuo to hit upon the answer. He had taught Dudley to speak clearly from a young age. Dudley did so in front of his cousins and also in front of his proud parents. Said proud parents had taken that as the sign of their darling Diddykins being more mature and intelligent than children his age and enrolled him a pre-KG program for gifted children. A recipe for disaster, if Kusuo ever saw one.

Dudley Dursley was not well-spoken because of his intellect. He just tried very, very hard because otherwise he'd be ignored by his cousins (Both because what Kusuo did, Harry copied. It was cute).

The psychic sighed. There was no easy way out of this. He could help Dudley learn but one, he really didn't want to, that would only delay the inevitable. Dudley would eventually get dropped from the program and be advised to go to a school for normal children. Dudley would be happier but Vernon would be disappointed and Petunia would only cry foul. Not a healthy environment and mindset for a child to grow up with.

It seemed that in this household only he, Saiki Kusuo, resident all powerful psychic with clinical depression, was the one who could contribute to the proper development of a four year old kid. What exactly had his life come to?

A/N

Hi!

How have you been?