The hallway lighting was dim, as the lights in PK Academy were being switched off. You remained in the library for a much longer time than you should have, getting lost in the books while attempting to study, and now your footfalls echoed through the silent halls as you walked.

As you were heading towards your locker, all of a sudden, one of your schoolmates emerged from a corridor around the corner running at full speed. There was no way to avoid him: the collision was unavoidable.

Before you could even blink, two hands held your shoulders firmly in place. Looking up, you found yourself face-to-face with the green tinted goggles of Kusuo Saiki. The usually immovable statue was looking anything but calm; his breathing was irregular and there were lines between his eyebrows showing obvious tension.

“Sorry.”

he murmured, his voice flat but carrying an unusual urgency.

“Saaai-kiii! Where did you hide?”

The clear, musical tone of Kokomi Teruhashi could be heard from the end of the hallway, along with the rhythmic sound of her footsteps.

The ‘perfect girl’ was hunting again, and Saiki was her prey.

Even before you knew what was happening, you felt the touch of Saiki’s hand, which grabbed your arm and yanked you into the nearest room.

It was the closet, where they store cleaning supplies: a tiny, dark, and dusty room. The door clicked shut as her figure passed by, but she remained oblivious to the scene.

You found yourselves immersed in darkness, surrounded by the sharp smell of bleach. The space was so small that you were forced to press your chest against his uniform. You could feel the warmth radiating from his body and, for a moment, the silence between you felt deafening.

“I’m sorry…”

He whispered close to your ear and caused goosebumps along your skin.

“I’m trying to avoid Teruhashi.”

A couple of moments passed during which Teruhashi's footsteps disappeared. He gave a sigh of relief, then turned to open the door.

He pushed the lever down. Nothing. He shook it harder, but the door didn’t budge an inch.

The lock, old and faulty, must have jammed from the inside. For the first time since you had known him, the incredibly powerful Saiki Kusuo seemed truly vulnerable: he certainly couldn’t use his powers to get out without revealing his secret to you, and the idea of being stuck in there with you, in such forced proximity, was short-circuiting his usual rational composure.

You were stuck. And judging by the way Saiki avoided meeting your gaze in the darkness, you knew this was going to be the longest and most embarrassing day of your lives!