#( whaaaaaaa

toritsuka who. i assume hasnt rly met saikis parents and just hears mentions in conversations with saiki. almost every mention comes with a ridiculous (at least, to toritsuka) background. saiki's like "im used to it"– toritsuka's bewildered. sure he's had an unusual upbringing as well, being raised in a temple full of monks, but hearing about saiki's parents... if hes being honest with himself, toritsuka doesnt know what he expected.

one day, toritsuka does meet saiki's mom as he stops by saiki's home, hoping to ask him to hang out. its then that toritsuka gets invited by saiki's mom to stay inside the house and wait for kusuo to get home. toritsuka wonders just how far the apple fell from the tree. saiki's mom is so lively in comparison to her son. eh, it's not really a deal-breaker. toritsuka mentally shudders at the thought of saiki with kurumi's attitude.

as how he makes conversation with everyone, toritsuka introduces himself as a spirit medium. he reveals he has powers, though he comments that it is nothing as impressive as any of saiki's powers. kurumi reassures him that any power is impressive. after all, there are only a few of them who are blessed with such abilities, no?

toritsuka can only nod. he doesn't really feel the sentiment resonate with him.

anyway! kurumi is really glad, though, to have found out that kusuo is friends with someone his age who also has powers. she hopes toritsuka and kusuo stay friends for a long time.

toritsuka nods again. this time, he shares the sentiment. he really hopes he and saiki stay friends for a long time, as well. saiki's his first friend, after all. maybe even the only person he can really call a friend. (toritsuka makes a mental note that he means no offense to aiura, he's just worried they aren't at that point yet.)

kurumi tells toritsuka that she was actually in the middle of making coffee jelly for kusuo. she assumes saiki's probably bought his own on the way home, but nothing beats anything homemade with the special ingredient called a mother's love, right?

toritsuka agrees with kurumi's assumption before revealing his living situation. the two talk for a bit, have a heart-to-heart, before kurumi asks reita if he wants to help out in making the coffee jelly for kusuo.

of course, reita says yes. he figures it would be a fun activity.

.

finally, kusuo arrives home. he had gone out to run errands on his mothers behalf and is greeted with kurumi's warm acts of affection. naturally, kusuo softens at such gestures. he doesn't really mind the fact that toritsuka could see this more domestic side of him.

although kusuo pretends he didnt just hear toritsuka think he was cute at that moment.

"ah! reita and i made you coffee jelly"

kusuo turns to toritsuka with a slight surprised look on his face. he doesnt even call him by his name. toritsuka rolls his eyes at saiki and tells him to just eat. the coffee jelly is great. he cant believe toritsuka even had a hand in making the sweet treat. he quickly shoots a half-assed apology at reita for even assuming he'd be shit at anything related to making food of any kind. though he assumes its because his mother still helped.

kurumi reveals that reita made a few cups all by himself, including the one kusuo was eating at the moment.

hm.

kusuo and reita lounge in kusuo's room. still, he cannot belueve that toritsuka reita had made such tasty coffee jelly. it's an easy thing to make, but given reita's history with simple tasks...

"i wanted to impress you." reita grins before asking if it worked, to which saiki would reply with an opening to a different conversation topic (cringe)

reita considers it his victory, and even thinks of baking more sweets in the future for kusuo. reita rarely ever cooks for himself, so its surprising to him as well when the thought even crosses his mind. though, as long as kusuo is involved, he isn't surprised with how quick he is to stick to his idea.