(Saiki walks home alone, enjoying the rare moment of peace. For once, he managed to finish school earlier than usual, meaning no crowds, no annoying classmates—just quiet. He sighs, relieved.)
Saiki (thinking): Finally, some time to myself. No distractions, no unnecessary conversations. Just a straight walk home.
(But of course, peace never lasts. From behind him, footsteps approach. A familiar voice calls out.It's the Big Teeth guy,from Satoshi Special chapter)
Big Teeth (grinning widely): Hey, kid! Fancy seeing you again. Finished school already?
(Saiki, without thinking, answers immediately.)
Saiki: Yes.
(The moment the word leaves his mouth, he freezes.)
Saiki (thinking): No. Why did I answer? Why did I engage? I should've just kept walking!
(The man, now encouraged, picks up the pace and walks alongside Saiki. His huge teeth—now fixed—gleam in the sunlight.)
Big Teeth: Nice, nice. So, how was school? Got any plans for the evening?
(Saiki refuses to say another word. Instead, he nods vaguely, hoping that'll be enough.)
(Unfortunately, it's not. The man keeps talking.)
Big Teeth: You don't talk much, huh? That's cool. I respect that. Some people just like to keep to themselves. I get it. I used to be like that. Well, not really, I've always been a talker, but you know what I mean—hey, you listening?
(Saiki nods again, his expression blank. Inside, he's screaming.)
Saiki (thinking): Stop talking. Stop following me. I don't need a conversation. I don't need company. Just disappear.
(Up ahead, there's a street he could take. Normally, he'd go that way, but he hesitates. If he goes down that road, will the man follow? Maybe if he takes another way, the guy will lose interest.)
(Saiki subtly shifts direction, choosing a different path.)
(The man follows anyway.)
Saiki (thinking): Are you serious? He wasn't even heading this way! He's just following me now!
(Minutes pass. The man keeps rambling, and Saiki keeps nodding, answering with the occasional glance or meaningless hum. He doesn't sense anything threatening about the guy—just overwhelming and persistent. Still, that doesn't mean he wants to deal with this.)
(Then, finally, silence.)
(Saiki turns his head slightly. The man is gone. No sound, no footsteps. Just… disappeared.)
Saiki (thinking): Huh? Just like that? He's gone?
(He looks around, confused. There's no sign of him anywhere.)
Saiki (thinking): What was even the point of that? Why does this kind of thing always happen to me? What is the meaning of these weird experiences? Some kind of lesson? A sign from the universe? No, that's ridiculous.
(He exhales, shaking his head, deciding it's better not to think about it too much. It's over, and that's all that matters.)
(Without another thought, he continues his walk home, hoping the universe will leave him alone for the rest of the day.)