Spin-Off of the Okinawa Class Trip

Chapter 20: Nice To Meet You, Part 3

"Just who the hell are you?" the tall business man scowled with furrowed brows at the teenage boy standing in the entry way of his house.

Saiki was visibly nervous. Sure, he could take on anyone and anything that posed a threat to the world or his peaceful way of life. But that was only with his powers. He knew that if he were a regular teenager, no psychic abilities at all, he would have been no match for the intense protective aura of Akemi's father.

"Uh, hi dad! You're home!" a startled Akemi hurried to Saiki's side and stuttered slightly. "This is my, um, friend ("friend?") from school."

Trying to appear normal and polite, Saiki bowed and decided to mouth the words he was sending telepathically so it would look like he was actually speaking. Synchronicity was not a difficult feat for him, so it looked perfectly natural.

 It's nice to meet you, sir. My name is Saiki Kusuo. I'm in Akiyama-san's class. (A/N: to be clear, he's being polite by addressing her by her last name bc being on a first-name basis is a bit of a big deal in Japan and he ain't gonna try anything funny with her dad around)

The stoic man said nothing. But the two psychics could hear him thinking, "'Nice to meet you' my ass! This scrawny pink-haired weirdo with MY daughter? Absolutely not. He's out of his damn mind if he wants to date her."

It was a difficult feat to pretend everything was fine. So she could only produce a nervous chuckle. "Haha, yeah, he's been showing me around school and helping me with homework and we're in the same friend group and--"

Her mother's soothing voice interrupted Akemi's nervous rambling, "Darling? Is everything alright?"

Akemi didn't realize she was holding her breath until then.

The man only cleared his throat and replied, "Please get some tea ready for Akemi's... guest."

After a few seconds of awkward shuffling, the two psychics sat down at the dining table facing Akemi's parents. The snacks and tea were sitting on the table, untouched, while the awkward silence was becoming unbearable.

The two ladies knew they had to start talking to lessen the tension.

"It's nice to meet you Saiki. I'm Akemi's mother, Sayuri. And this is my husband Kenichi--"

The stoic man grunted, "It's 'Mr. Akiyama' to you."

Saiki nodded.

They all took a sip of their tea to distract themselves from the uncomfortable tension. You could hear the faint hum of cicadas in the distant as trees rustled in the wind. Even with the practice round at the Saiki house, Akemi still felt uneasy. This wasn't something she could talk about with ease since it was such a crazy concept. Her anxiety level was high, but she knew she just had to rip the band-aid off.

"I know this is a bit sudden..." She swallowed her nerves and took a deep breath. "But there's something important we need to tell you."

Akemi's parents visibly clenched their jaws. Their jumbled thoughts were trying to predict of what the important announcement could be; it ranged from "Are they dating?" to the extreme of "Is she pregnant? I'm too young to be a grandparent!"

Akemi cringed inwardly, "Do all parents think like this?"

Seems like it. He would have shrugged, had he not been under the intense glare of Akemi's dad. Saiki figured that any funny business would make him more unlikable than before.

"Then again, not a lot of parents could imagine anything else. Especially since I brought someone home..."

Playing it off casually, her mother asked what the news was.