Chapter Text
Saiki Kusuo hated Toritsuka Reita.
Or, he thought he did.
He had every reason to: Toritsuka was everything he despised. Pushy, arrogant, lazy, and up until recently, a perv. Kudos to Aiura's psychological torture counselling, he had come to respect women's bodies. Unfortunately, her brainwashing guidance didn't alter the other undesirable facets of his personality.
Still, Saiki felt a strange, little-expressed emotion whenever he thought of the monk (which wasn't very often, mind you) especially in regards to Toritsuka's surprising loyalty to Saiki. Even though his conniving brother Kusuke brainwashed him for over a week, when Toritsuka realized that Saiki was in danger he immediately came to his senses. It was a mix of sympathy and graditude.
Saiki felt moved by Toritsuka's faithfulness, and he also felt the slightest twinge of regret for previously showing the boy such coldness. True, he perpetually ignored everyone like that, but his disdain for Toritsuka was painfully obvious.
He's an asshole and a creep. It's not like people call him "Germ" for no reason. Saiki was lying in bed, contemplating Toritsuka's change in character over the past few months. He still flirts with every girl he sees, but at least he doesn't try to get ghosts to look up their skirts. He frowned – was Toritsuka really so far gone that gaining basic human decency was considered a milestone for him?
I wonder if he's learned his lesson or if he's still letting ghosts possess him whenever... His thoughts trailed off. Why did he even care? If Toritsuka loses control of his body, it's his own fault for not heeding Saiki's warnings about reckless possession. Still, Saiki considered Toritsuka a friend, no matter how much of a pain in the ass he was. Saiki decided that whenever Toritsuka inevitably accosted him the next day, he would ask if the medium had been using his abilities responsibly.
I sound like my parents right now.
It was true – after the near-death experience of the meteor, Saiki felt a duty to look after his friends. It was easy: even though he explicitly told them not to, after the shock of learning he was psychic wore off, his friends were constantly asking him to do menial favors with his powers. Toritsuka and his father had been enough of a pain; he didn't need Kaidou, Nendou, Kuboyasu, Teruhashi, Yumehara, or Mera asking for help with things they could easily do themselves. Still, however reluctantly, he obliged: it made him feel useful, something he realized he needed after losing his powers.
Good grief, I'm going soft.
His thoughts drifted back to the monk. Does he even have friends? The Psi-Kickers were the closest thing Toritsuka had to a friend group, and within that both Saiki and Aiura kept their distance. No one would willingly become friends with Akechi, which left him utterly alone.
No wonder he's always trying to get with a girl. It's also his downfall... the reason why no one talks to him is because they all think he's a creep. Which he is. Good grief, talk about a double edged sword. Still, he recalled the events from Season 3 and felt a creeping sense of pity. When he bothers me tomorrow, I'll try to make an effort.
And with that, he fell asleep.