Stuck In The Life Of A Psychic Teenage Girl

16

The rain had stopped by morning, and for once, the air felt lighter. Kuriko Saiki lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, the faint glow of early sunlight creeping through her curtains. She rolled over, half-expecting to see an envelope waiting for her on her desk like it usually did after she completed a task.

But this morning, there was nothing. Just silence.

Ginger stretched lazily at the foot of her bed, yawning wide. "Looks like you get a break today," he muttered, his tail swishing lazily. "Maybe you can actually act like a normal high school student for once."

Kuriko didn't respond. It was strange to not have a task looming over her, but the absence of it wasn't unwelcome. After the chaos of the previous night in the old school building, she could use the quiet. But even without a new task, her mind wasn't at ease. She could still feel the tension from her encounters with Sano and Asano the day before, especially with Asano.

She sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. "I guess I should head to school."

The school grounds were buzzing with the usual chatter of students, and for once, Kuriko felt like she wasn't walking under a cloud of impending doom. It was a strange feeling, but not unpleasant. She made her way to her locker, trying to blend into the background as usual.

But, of course, that wasn't going to happen today.

"Kuriko!" Sano's voice called from down the hall, loud and clear.

Kuriko inwardly sighed as she shut her locker. Sano always seemed to appear at the most inconvenient moments. She turned to face him as he approached, his black hair slicked back and his usual overconfident grin plastered across his face.

"I was hoping to catch you," he said, leaning casually against the lockers. "You disappeared on me yesterday. I figured you'd want to hang out after school today instead?"

Kuriko stared at him, her expression as unreadable as ever. "I'm busy."

"Busy?" Sano echoed, raising an eyebrow. "You always say that."

She didn't respond,She kinda felt bad tho, already turning to walk toward class, but Sano fell into step beside her.

"You know, we could—"

Before Sano could finish his sentence, Asano appeared from around the corner, his calm, collected presence instantly filling the space. His red hair caught the morning light as he approached, his gaze steady and focused, as usual. Unlike Sano, he didn't demand attention, but his presence was impossible to ignore.

"Good morning, Kuriko," Asano greeted, his tone respectful, as always.

Kuriko felt a subtle shift inside her, the same flutter that had started to surface whenever Asano was around. She glanced at him, nodding slightly in return.

Sano narrowed his eyes at the red-haired boy, his easygoing grin fading just a little. "Oh, great. Asano's here. How... convenient."

Asano ignored the jab, his focus entirely on Kuriko. "I noticed you left in a hurry yesterday. Is everything alright?" he asked softly, his concern genuine, though he kept his distance.

Kuriko paused for a moment, not used to this kind of attention. Asano always knew when something was off, even if she didn't say a word. And that unnerved her in a way she couldn't explain. But she wasn't going to admit to anything in front of Sano.

"I'm fine," she said simply, her voice as monotone as ever. "Just tired."

Asano studied her quietly, as if weighing whether or not to press further, but he ultimately nodded. "If you ever need help, you know you can ask," he said, his voice gentle.

The way he said it—so calm, so genuine—made her chest tighten slightly. She wasn't used to this. Sano's interest in her was overwhelming and obvious, but Asano's quiet attentiveness had a way of slipping under her guard. She didn't know how to deal with it, especially when she was starting to realize that maybe—just maybe—she cared more than she thought.

Before the conversation could go any deeper, the bell rang, signaling the start of class. Kuriko silently thanked the interruption and made her way into the classroom, Sano and Asano following behind.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of ordinary school life. For once, there were no supernatural threats to worry about, no dangerous tasks waiting for her at the end of the day. Just the usual routine—classes, lunch, the occasional awkward encounter with Sano.

By the time school ended, Kuriko was exhausted, not from any psychic task, but from navigating her feelings. She had never been good at expressing herself, and the growing tension between Sano and Asano was making things more complicated than she liked.

As she packed her things into her bag, she heard the familiar sound of small footsteps approaching. She glanced up to see her little brother, Kusuke, standing in the doorway of the classroom, his big eyes wide with excitement.

"Kuriko! Mama said to come home early today!" Kusuke announced, grinning up at her.

(His Kindergarten is right across from Kuriko's school)

Kuriko couldn't help but soften at the sight of her little brother. Kusuke was one of the few people she truly cared about, and his innocence always made the weight of her responsibilities feel a little lighter.

"Alright, let's go," Kuriko said, ruffling his hair as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

As they walked home together, Kusuke chatted happily about his day at school, completely unaware of the complicated world his sister was navigating. Kuriko let him talk, content to listen to the simplicity of his life.

When they arrived home, their mother, Kurumi, greeted them with her usual warmth. "Welcome back! How was school, you two?"

"Like always." Kusuke chirped, running off to the living room.

Kuriko nodded quietly, slipping off her shoes and heading to her room. She wasn't sure why, but the lack of an envelope today had made her feel... off-balance. She had grown so used to the constant tasks, the pressure of hiding her powers, that a normal day felt strange.

As she sat down on her bed, Ginger hopped up beside her, purring contentedly. "Weird, isn't it?" he murmured, his sharp eyes glinting. "No envelope today. Almost like someone's giving you a day off."

Kuriko lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. "I don't like it."

Ginger snorted. "Of course you don't. You've gotten so used to playing hero that you don't know what to do when the world leaves you alone."

She didn't answer, her mind drifting back to Asano. The way he had looked at her today—so calm, so understanding—it unsettled her in a way she wasn't used to. She wasn't sure what to do with these feelings. Sano's crush was obvious, easy to push away. But Asano? He was different.

She closed her eyes, letting the quiet of the evening wash over her. There were no tasks tonight, no envelopes to worry about.

But her heart? That was a different story.

DID I EVER TELL YOU ALL HOW MUCH I LOVE U 💕💕