The Disastrous Life of Saiki

(It's a sunny day at PK Academy. Saiki is sitting in the cafeteria, quietly eating his coffee jelly, hoping no one will bother him. But, as usual, his peace is short-lived.)

Toritsuka: Saiki! Saiki, my man! You gotta help me!

Saiki (thinking): Yare yare. Here comes trouble in a Hawaiian shirt.

(Toritsuka puts his tray down and sits across from Saiki. He looks unusually serious, but Saiki knows better.)

Saiki: What is it this time? A girl rejected you again?

Toritsuka: No! Well… yes, but it's deeper than that!

Saiki (thinking): I highly doubt that.

Toritsuka: Listen, man. It's like no matter how hard I try, girls just don't see me. I put in the effort! I wear the cool shirts, I throw out my best pick-up lines

Saiki: You called a girl "cuter than a limited-edition anime figure."

Toritsuka: Exactly! And yet, nothing!

(Saiki stares at him, unimpressed. Toritsuka goes closer, his voice dropping as if sharing a great secret.)

Toritsuka: Do you know how hard it is to be a man of my talents, Saiki? To see spirits, to be surrounded by beautiful girls,and yet, none of them are interested in me. It's like a curse!

Saiki: It is a curse. You brought it on yourself by making that deal with the spirits.

Toritsuka: Details, details. The point is, you wouldn't understand how I feel!

(Saiki pauses, not because he's shocked, but because Toritsuka is being unusually dramatic, even for him.)

Saiki: I don't understand?

Toritsuka: Exactly! You're Saiki Kusuo! You're perfect at everything! Girls love you without you even trying. You don't have to beg for their attention. Meanwhile, I'm out here scraping the bottom of the floor, trying to get someone anyone to notice me!

Saiki (thinking): This guy is really out here comparing my psychic powers to his inability to flirt.

(Toritsuka suddenly looks away, his usual goofiness fading a little.)

Toritsuka: But it's not just about girls, you know. It's about… being seen. Feeling like you matter.

(Saiki raises an eyebrow, mildly intrigued. Toritsuka continues, his voice quieter now.)

Toritsuka: I mess up a lot. I know that. I act like a clown because, honestly, if I didn't, who'd care? Who'd notice me? At least when I'm being annoying, people remember I exist.

(Saiki stops eating his coffee jelly. For once, Toritsuka's words feel genuine.)

Toritsuka: But you… you're different. People love you just for being you. You'll never understand what it's like to feel invisible.

(Saiki doesn't respond immediately. Instead, he looks at Toritsuka, and for the first time, he doesn't hear a single thought in his head. Toritsuka looks back at him, waiting for a response.)

Saiki: You're wrong.

Toritsuka: Huh?

Saiki: I do know what it's like to feel invisible. I've spent my whole life hiding who I am, trying not to stand out. The difference is… I don't want to be noticed.

(Toritsuka blinks, caught off guard by Saiki's honesty. Saiki stands up, ready to leave.)

Saiki: But I'll give you this. You're not invisible, Toritsuka. Not to me, unfortunately.

(Toritsuka watches as Saiki walks away, his usual deadpan tone somehow making those words hit harder. He sits back, scratching his head.)

Toritsuka (muttering): Not invisible, huh? Guess that's something.

(Saiki, walking down the hallway, sighs.)

Saiki (thinking): Yare yare. Now he's going to turn this into some dramatic character arc. At least I got to finish my coffee jelly.