Bai Ying led Saiki inside the the house with the casual ease of someone who had done it a hundred times before. He didn't bother looking back—he already knew Saiki would be standing there, stiff and reluctant, like he was regretting every decision that had led him to this moment.
"You can relax, you know," Bai Ying said, nudging him playfully. "It's just the two of us."
Saiki didn't respond, simply setting his bag down and pulling out his notebook. Bai Ying watched him for a moment before shaking his head with a small smirk. This guy was seriously bad at letting his guard down.
"Alright, let's get this over with." Saiki adjusted his glasses. "The sooner we finish, the sooner I can leave."
Bai Ying laughed lightly. "You make it sound like spending time with me is a burden."
"It is."
"Ouch." Bai Ying pressed a hand to his chest dramatically. "And here I was going to offer you something sweet."
Saiki's fingers twitched. "…Sweet?"
Bai Ying grinned, already moving toward the kitchen. "Coffee jelly, of course."
There was a pause—just long enough for Bai Ying to fully appreciate the fact that he had Saiki's attention.
"…Fine," Saiki said at last, though he kept his expression as neutral as possible.
Bai Ying chuckled to himself. "Knew you couldn't resist."
He disappeared into the kitchen for a few minutes, leaving Saiki alone at the table. When he returned, he placed a perfectly portioned serving of coffee jelly in front of him. "Here. Made it earlier. Figured you'd appreciate it."
Saiki stared at it for a moment, then picked up the spoon and took a bite.
Bai Ying leaned forward, watching for a reaction.
Saiki remained unreadable as always, but the fact that he continued eating was all Bai Ying needed to see.
"Good?" Bai Ying asked.
"…It's fine."
Bai Ying smirked. "You're not fooling anyone. You love it."
Saiki didn't respond. He just took another bite.
Bai Ying let out a soft chuckle, something warm settling in his chest. For all of Saiki's protests, he was still here, still accepting his offer, still engaging with him even when he didn't have to.
Maybe he didn't hate Bai Ying's presence as much as he claimed.
With a satisfied hum, Bai Ying pulled out his own notebook. "Alright, let's actually get to work."
For the next hour, Bai Ying and Saiki worked in relative silence, broken only by the occasional rustling of paper or the quiet scribbling of a pen. Bai Ying had expected to get distracted—he usually did when it came to schoolwork—but having Saiki sitting across from him, steadily working, made it oddly easy to focus.
They split the work efficiently, each handling their assigned sections without needing to argue over it. Bai Ying was surprisingly diligent when he put his mind to it, and Saiki, being Saiki, had already thought of the most efficient way to complete the project.
At one point, Bai Ying glanced up and found Saiki writing in a smooth, practiced manner. His brows were slightly furrowed, glasses reflecting the light. Bai Ying had seen him countless times before, but something about the way he looked in this quiet moment, fully concentrated, made him pause.
It wasn't fair.
Even doing something as mundane as schoolwork, Saiki still looked effortlessly cool.
Bai Ying clicked his pen against the table to snap himself out of it. What the hell was he thinking?
Saiki flicked his gaze up at the sound. "Problem?"
"Nope." Bai Ying quickly looked down at his paper. "Just realizing I should've copied off you instead."
Saiki sighed, clearly unimpressed. "I knew letting you do half the work was a mistake."
Bai Ying grinned. "Kidding, kidding. I'm actually doing it properly, see?" He pushed his paper toward Saiki, who skimmed it with a blank expression before giving a small nod.
"…It's acceptable."
Bai Ying scoffed. "High praise coming from you."
Saiki didn't bother responding, returning to his notes. Bai Ying leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms. The atmosphere between them was oddly… comfortable.
A year ago, Bai Ying wouldn't have thought twice about a school project. He would've handled it the way Makoto Teruhashi always did—by charming his way into getting others to do most of the work for him. But now?
Now, he was actually enjoying this.
He glanced at Saiki again, catching the way his fingers tapped lightly against the table as he thought.
It was weird. Bai Ying had never been the type to focus on someone else's little habits, but with Saiki, he kept noticing things.
The way he adjusted his glasses when he was annoyed. The way he looked away slightly when he was caught off guard. The way he always seemed exasperated, but still never actually left Bai Ying alone.
The thought made Bai Ying bite the inside of his cheek.
Maybe… he liked this a little too much.
"Stop staring," Saiki said suddenly.
Bai Ying blinked, caught off guard. "Huh?"
Saiki didn't even look up. "You keep glancing at me. It's annoying."
Bai Ying huffed a laugh, regaining his composure. "Maybe I just like looking at you."
Saiki froze for half a second—so quick that anyone else would've missed it.
Bai Ying didn't.
He smirked. "Relax, I'm just messing with you."
"…Right."
Saiki went back to writing, but Bai Ying could tell he was a little more rigid than before.
It was a small thing.
But Bai Ying noticed—and for some reason, that made him feel… victorious.
A few hours passed as they worked in relative silence, the occasional rustle of paper and scratch of pens filling the room. It was surprisingly peaceful—comfortable, even.
Eventually, Bai Ying leaned back in his chair with a satisfied stretch, letting out a sigh. "I think we've finally reached the finish line."
Across from him, Saiki adjusted his glasses and flipped through their neatly organized project pages. His expression remained unreadable, but Bai Ying had spent enough time around him to pick up on subtler signs—Saiki hadn't frowned once, which meant it was probably up to his standards.
"That should be sufficient," Saiki finally said.
Bai Ying smirked. "High praise coming from you."
Saiki shot him a glance but didn't respond, simply stacking their completed work. Bai Ying tapped a finger against the table, watching him with lazy amusement.
They had been working for a couple of hours now, and despite the initial awkwardness of being alone in Bai Ying's house, things had gone surprisingly smoothly. No interruptions, no unnecessary distractions—just the quiet sound of pens gliding over paper and the occasional rustling of notes.
It was… nice.
Not that Bai Ying would ever admit that out loud.
He stretched his arms and stood up. "Want something to eat? I think I still have some coffee jelly in the fridge."
Saiki, who had just been about to tuck his notes away, paused ever so slightly. It was almost imperceptible, but Bai Ying caught it.
"…Fine," Saiki said after a moment.
Bai Ying chuckled as he made his way to the kitchen. It was always entertaining to watch Saiki pretend he wasn't interested in food, only to fold the moment coffee jelly was mentioned.
Pulling open the fridge, Bai Ying grabbed the dessert and returned to the table. "Here," he said, sliding the bowl toward Saiki along with a spoon.
Saiki picked up the spoon and took a bite without hesitation. His face remained as blank as ever, but Bai Ying was watching closely. He knew better.
Saiki was enjoying it.
It wasn't obvious—there was no satisfied sigh or anything that dramatic—but the way he took the next bite just a little quicker than the first? That was all the proof Bai Ying needed.
Leaning his chin on his palm, Bai Ying smirked. "You know, for someone who acts so indifferent, you're kind of predictable when it comes to this stuff."
Saiki didn't bother responding. He simply continued eating, not meeting Bai Ying's gaze.
Bai Ying hummed in amusement before turning his attention back to their project. They had already finished the written portion, and all that remained was to make sure everything was in order before submission.
"So," Bai Ying said after a moment of silence, "you think this is good enough to score us a decent grade?"
Saiki nodded. "It meets the requirements."
Bai Ying snorted. "Wow, such confidence."
He expected Saiki to brush him off, but instead, he received a direct reply. "If you wanted a more enthusiastic response, you asked the wrong person."
Bai Ying blinked before laughing. "You're not wrong."
Saiki returned to his coffee jelly, ignoring him.
The peaceful quiet settled between them again. It was strange, really—Bai Ying never thought he'd be comfortable sitting in silence with someone like Saiki. And yet, here they were.
Once Saiki finished his dessert, he placed the spoon down and stood up. "I'm leaving."
Bai Ying blinked. "So soon? You're not even going to pretend to stick around and chat?"
Saiki gave him a flat look.
Bai Ying grinned. "Fine, fine. I won't keep you."
As Saiki gathered his things, Bai Ying watched him with mild curiosity. He had expected the other to leave the moment their work was done, but Saiki was actually taking the time to neatly pack up before heading to the door.
Interesting.
As he followed him to the entrance, Bai Ying tilted his head. "Hey, Saiki."
Saiki stopped, turning slightly.
Bai Ying's smirk softened into something more genuine. "Thanks for coming over. I mean, I know I can be annoying, but this was… not bad."
Saiki studied him for a moment before adjusting his glasses. "It was efficient."
Bai Ying chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment."
With one last glance, Saiki stepped outside.
As soon as the door shut behind him, Bai Ying let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
He glanced back at the empty table, where Saiki's now-empty bowl sat.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
That had gone better than he expected.
The classroom was in complete chaos. With the festival only a day away, students rushed about, setting up decorations, finalizing the menu, and—most importantly—trying on their costumes.
Bai Ying had barely stepped into the room when Hairo spotted him.
"Makoto! You're late!"
Bai Ying rolled his eyes. "I'm on time."
"Exactly! Which means you should already be changed!"
Before Bai Ying could react, a neatly folded maid outfit was shoved into his hands. He sighed in resignation. "You guys are really dedicated to this, huh?"
Kokomi, standing nearby, smiled. "Of course. We have to make sure everything looks perfect."
Bai Ying glanced at her outfit—a sharp, well-fitted butler suit. Unlike her usual overly feminine appearance, the suit gave her a refined, handsome look. He whistled. "Wow. You pull that off surprisingly well."
Kokomi chuckled. "Thank you."
"Alright, everyone!" Hairo clapped his hands. "Get changed and meet back here for inspection!"
Bai Ying sighed and headed toward the makeshift changing area, a sectioned-off part of the classroom with fabric dividers hastily strung up to provide some privacy. Inside, several classmates were already in the middle of changing, the air filled with rustling fabric and complaints.
"This is so embarrassing," Kaidou muttered, struggling with the ribbon on his uniform like it was a life-or-death battle.
"Don't worry, you look pretty," Bai Ying said with a smirk, holding up the maid dress. "Like a very confused princess."
Kaidou scowled. "I—That's not the point!" He yanked at the ribbon again, somehow making it worse. "This is clearly an attempt by an evil organization to humiliate us!"
Bai Ying chuckled, giving Kaidou a once-over. "If that's the case, they're doing an excellent job."
Shaking his head in amusement, he stepped into one of the curtained stalls, pulling the fabric shut behind him. With practiced ease, he slipped out of his uniform and into the maid outfit. The smooth material settled against his skin as he adjusted the waist ties, his fingers moving with familiarity.
Glancing at his reflection in the small standing mirror propped against the wall, he took a moment to assess the look. Way too natural.
He paused.
It was a little too concerning how well it suited him.
The black fabric hugged his frame in all the right places, the lace trim adding just the right touch of elegance. The dress flared out just enough to give it a balanced silhouette, and the overall effect was…
Well. It was no wonder the class had insisted he wear it.
Kaido, standing beside him, struggled with the ribbon on his uniform. "I feel like we've been tricked."
Bai Ying smirked. "Oh, we definitely have."
Just then, the curtain shifted. Bai Ying turned, expecting to see another classmate.
Instead, he saw Saiki Kusuo.
In a dress.
Bai Ying froze.
It took a second for his brain to fully process what he was looking at.
Saiki's usual stoic expression remained unchanged, but there was no denying the absurdity of the situation. The soft fabric of the dress draped over him effortlessly, the delicate lace framing his face. His pink hair, slightly tousled from the change, somehow made the entire look work.
Bai Ying felt his heartbeat stutter.
Oh.
Oh, no.
Heat crept up his neck before he could stop it.
Kaido coughed. "I—uh—I think we need to reset reality."
Aren, standing nearby, let out a low whistle. "Damn, Saiki. Didn't think you'd actually wear it."
Bai Ying, still recovering, managed to clear his throat. "Yeah, uh—wow. I mean. I didn't think this was part of the plan."
Saiki, as usual, remained utterly unbothered. "…They wouldn't let me refuse."
Bai Ying swallowed. He needed to pull himself together. This was ridiculous. He was not about to start blushing over Saiki in a dress.
And yet.
Yet.
Saiki adjusted his glasses, eyes meeting Bai Ying's for the briefest second.
Bai Ying looked away, scowling at his own reflection. Get it together, Makoto.
He was so doomed.