dark red |various

XIV

"DISTANCE"

1st

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Maybe being alone isn't the best approach but feeling the presence of other people makes me uneasy. Well, uneasy is an understatement.

There is someone- something, out for me and I don't know when it will strike next, i've been unable to sleep for days and I've nearly failed my exams if Saiki hadn't helped me to get at least an average marking. Oh the loss of sleep is terrible. I've started seeing dark figures, dark figures with glowy red eyes that used to just stare at me during the night. They've crossed over into the day now, staring at me and watching my every move.

I can't live like this, I don't understand how schizophrenic people can do this. Maybe I am one of those people.

"(Reader) I bought you a melon bun, you seem so stressed lately."

Aren truly is a sweetheart, I'm glad I met him.

"Thank you," I say flashing him a weak smile.

He stared at me as he sat down on the bench beside me, the cool early spring air blowing against my face making me shiver. He leans in closer to me and brushes away an unruly curl from my face.

"Have you been getting enough sleep? You're paling." When he said that all I could do was look at him.

I moved his hand to my lap and lean in closer to the crook of his neck and lay my head there. He tensed but relaxed when he realized I had fell asleep on him.

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I was waken to a change in lighting, like something dark loomed over my head. I peak open an eye to see Saiki.

I yawn and rub my eyes as I sit up from my position. But then I realize I was against a tree instead of Arens shoulder.

Did he leave? Maybe he had something to do instead.

"Wanna go eat?"

As he said that my eyes sparkled in awe and shock and I began to tear up a bit. This made the male jump a bit from the random tears.

"Yes please." I nodded and held out my hand for him to grab and hoist me up from my sitting position.

We walked in silence  in the halls of PK academy. Students were either in their afterschool extracurriculars or at cram school. Saiki glanced over to me, and he seemed to move closer. I look up at him with a quizzical look.

"Do i have something on my face?" I ask rubbing my cheek to check for drool.

"Nothing but tiredness..." He responded.

I roll my eyes. Obviously. For someone who seems reserved he sure is sassy. I hate sassy.  I think I hate him too.

"You don't hate me, you're just tired like I said," He responded to my thoughts which I forgot he was capable of, how annoying.

We continued walking in silence; well, silence for me cause I can't read the world's mind. But who's counting? Anyway we soon arrived at this little tucked away cafe. It was cute and had a soft calming vibe to it, not many people were there but I think that's what made the place better. We take a seat at a booth and Saiki hands me a menu.

"I like all types of sweets, but their coffee jelly is good," He points to the brown jelly on the menu.

I nod, "Looks good."

The waiter comes over and takes our orders, Saiki orders his usual, Coffee jelly and coffee.

"Can I get the strawberry shortcake, and a milkshake too?" Saiki looks at me in shock as if I had just betrayed him on the battlefield by digging a dagger straight into his heart. Well maybe not that betrayed, but that's the look he gave off.

"What? I didn't say I was going to get it..." I shrug.

Saiki just looks away in annoyance, "I just shared my favorite dessert with you yet you choose another?"

I roll my eyes, "Why are you being like that? Come on~"

He looked back at me only a brief second when I dragged my words.

"Why are you being like this?" He asks, still looking outside the cafes windows.

I blink and lift a brow, "Huh? What do ya mean?"

"You're distancing yourself from them. Kuboyasu, Kaidou, Nendo."

My head falls as I look at my hands in my lap, "You should know why, you're always invading my brain space."

"Unwillingly," He snapped.

My eyes slowly rise up to make contact with his. I never looked at his eyes this close before. They shine like amethysts.

"If one day... something...awful— no down right horrendous happens to me, I don't wanna be... on their minds," She struggled to form a sentence, her eyes were glossy as she held back her tears.

Saiki said nothing but only nodded his head as he stuffed his face with that dumb brown jelly. I hate coffee, and I really hate him.

"Stop saying you hate me, because no matter how much you think or say, that isn't how you feel."

Don't give me advice man. Makes me feel bad for hating you.

Saiki reached over and grabbed my face, squishing my cheeks in the process.

"You don't know how to hate, you're too full of love."

My eyes begin watering more and i push his hand away, "you don't know that, all you can do is read my mind. You don't know that... you don't know how scared I feel."

I clutch my shirt with both my hands where my heart is. Tears pour down my eyes as I choke on sobs, "Why are you all so nice to me?"

Saiki didn't know either, to him I was really just an anomaly in his world. Something that wasn't supposed to be there. Something that disrupted the balance more than he had.

Instead of answering he just sat there and said, "You won't die here."

A/N: erm hi!👋🏽

slowly getting back to updating this absolute work of trash, but I think I somewhat fixed the storyline??? yeah uh....yeah..