Kusuo’s head throbbed with an intensity he couldn’t ignore. He sat alone in his room, trying to read a book to distract himself, but it was impossible to concentrate. Every thought, every feeling from the people around him… it was all crashing into his mind at once. His psychic abilities were working overtime, making the normally quiet room feel suffocating.

He could hear everything. The chatter from the hallway. The distant murmur of a conversation outside his window. Even the faintest whispers of someone’s thoughts—it was all too much. He squeezed his eyes shut, his glasses feeling heavier on his face with each passing second. He wanted to shut it out, to block it all, but it never worked. The noise never stopped.

His hands shook slightly as he tried to push it all away with his mind, but it was no use. The more he tried to control it, the worse it became. The buzzing of his antennas only made it worse, and now he was starting to feel physically drained. He couldn’t even get up from the chair.

“Tch…” Kusuo muttered under his breath, trying to ignore the suffocating pressure in his head. “This is... fine. It’s fine.” But his words sounded weak, even to him. And deep down, he knew he was lying to himself.

He didn’t want to burden anyone with his problems, but there was a nagging feeling—someone, somewhere, might have noticed. Maybe they’d heard the soft thud of his head hitting the desk earlier. Maybe they’d sensed his discomfort from the other side of the door.

His mind raced for an excuse. A reason to push them away. A reason to stay hidden in his little world. But there was something in him, something small and quiet, that didn’t want to face it alone this time.