i'm not a child anymore | MOB PSYCHO 100

Chapter 5

Throughout the whole day, Shigeo's eyes had seemed to be fogged over. The only thing he could think about was what would happen after school. Today, he didn't even bother trying to pay attention in class. The distraction that Reigen had formed without knowing or even lifting a finger in his mind overrode everything else. Through the mist, he caught a few words here and there. If his teacher had mentioned any due dates though, there was no chance that Mob remembered – or even heard them. Definitely not the smartest move, since he still had to study for college exams.

Twice, he was called on by a professor and sat there staring into space like a complete idiot. His female admirers giggled and teased him for it, while the male students joked and clapped him on the back. The oddness of other people so friendly with him was almost enough to snap him out of his stupor.

Now, he stood in the door of his shishou's apartment, unable to make a move. Was it normal to be this nervous just to see somebody else's house? Surely it couldn't be. Mob hoped he wasn't the only one in the world who was so anxious about walking in a home.

"What are you waiting for?" Dimple asked.

Mob almost yelled out loud. The potted plant that sat near the door beside Reigen's hovered in the air for a heartbeat before landing. The sound of it hitting the floor made Shigeo wince. He hoped he hadn't broken his master's neighbor's plant. Far from a good first impression, though they would never know who did it. "Why are you always appearing out of nowhere?" Shigeo gasped when he managed to calm himself.

"I'm very fast," the spirit said casually. "Anyway, why are you just standing there? You do realize that almost four minutes have passed since you arrived, right?"

"You were watching me?" Mob said, startled.

Dimple shrugged. "Well, yeah. I wanted to see how this would play out. You didn't even notice me, and I was hovering beside your head the entire time!"

"Oh," was all Shigeo could say.

"Go on!" Dimple urged him, gesturing toward the door. "Reigen's half-dead in there! He was moaning about his back the entire day! Shit, his voice is still ringing in my ears even now."

"Langauge," Mob breathed. "Reigen-shishou doesn't like it when you swear."

Dimple rolled his eyes. "That rule's only effective when you two are around each other. For god's sake, you're not a kid anymore."

If only Reigen thought that too. Dimple huffed when Shigeo didn't move. "Hurry up!"

Mob gulped. Relax. Just relax. He used his psychic powers to feel around the doorknob's inner mechanism for a moment. A few long seconds of Dimple scowling passed before a click ran through the air and he was able to twist open the door. He stepped in, all the while gnawing on his bottom lip.

He should have expected it, but he still tensed up at the smell of his master. The scent of cheap cologne mixed with the lemony-smelling waft of air that always hung around Reigen. In his apartment, it was so much more obvious despite being muted and buried under all the other scents. It was not unlike a drug. Mob felt a little guilty that he liked the smell of his master so much. Shigeo wet his lips and took in the scene in front of him as he slipped his shoes off. Reigen's home was small and neat. Mob thought it would have been messy, with papers and dishes scattered everywhere, when in fact, it was the complete opposite.

The cushions on the small couch his master owned were perfectly arranged, just like the bookshelf beside him that was organized in alphabetical order by the last name of its author. There was a cup of water, half-empty, sitting on the coffee table. Two tissue boxes sat on opposite ends of the room, one on a small stool that served as a table, and another on a stand beside the couch. Everything was placed with such calculation that seemed so unlike Mob's master. But at the same time, perfectly suited to the inner-most thoughts of Reigen.