{You Can Tell Me Anything} ~ Oumasai

Empathy

*Saihara's POV*

Saihara is awoken by a soft tapping on his door. It echoes around his room with a loose hollow sound, breaking the detective out of his tranquil slumber. He glances over at the clock sitting on the bedside table next to him, squinting to read the bright red letters shining back at his face.

2:17

He doesn't even bother with wondering why someone is knocking on his door this late at night. This wouldn't be the first time it's happened since he's been here, after all. Whether it be from a somnambulist with no control of their actions in their sleep or a close friend needing someone to speak to after a rough dream. He's been up awoken time after time, filled with concern for whoever it may be, but this time, on this night, he could care less who is at the door.

Tonight, all he wants to do is sleep, no interruptions.

"Hey, Saihara-kun. Are you awake?"

The voice is muffled through the walls, and the words come across with urgency. He isn't sure whether it's from the person themself or from the wall's effect on the speech. Whichever it may be, the person clearly wants to talk. However, Saihara wants to do the exact opposite: tell the person to leave him be and to go to bed.

Then again, he wonders if he will be able to deal with the fact that he simply brushed aside someone in need for his own selfish reasons.

With an exhausted sight, he lets his guilt get the better of him and climbs out of bed. Part of him hopes that the person is sleepwalking so he can escort them back to their room, no conversation needed.

"Who is it?" Saihara mumbles, rubbing his eyes gently.

"Oh, I didn't wake you up, did I?" The voice asks. The detective identifies the voice as a male's. As for who the voice belongs to, he is unsure

"Yeah, but it's okay," Saihara lies. He doesn't want to make whoever is on the other side of his door feel too upset about coming to him. "What's the matter?"

"I can't sleep. I wanted to talk to someone. Is that okay?"

Saihara hesitates for a few long moments, wondering how he should respond to that. He honestly doesn't want to talk to the man, but at the same time, he wants to help them out in any way he can. Damn it conscience.

"Of course," He replies. "Do you want to come in?"

Saihara gets no response to his question, making him worry. Did he say something wrong? Maybe the man went back to his room. Saihara tries to convince himself that that is what his happening, attempting to relax his anxious mind.

He's startled back into focus a few moments later by a reply from the man's muffled voice.

"Come on out."

The sentence comes across as ominous, causing Saihara to hesitate. The detective brings a hand to his forehead.

I should have stayed in bed...  

Saihara pushes a button on the control panel next to his door, resulting in the metal door to open with a screech. He winces at the sound, now fully awake. The need to ease his consciousness suddenly sounds ridiculous compared to sleep, making him internally facepalm.

When the door finally opens, he is shocked to see Momota standing there, arms folded with a carefree grin on his face, as if this is completely normal. Of all people to be at his door, Momota was not the one he would have guessed. In the three months Saihara has been attending the academy, the astronaut had not once come to him late at night. Heck, Hoshi had even shown up a few times, but never Momota.