Chapter Text
Saiki Kusuo was born a psychic. However, his powers didn't show up all at once. First, it was telepathy. Then he gained levitation, teleportation, etc, etc. As he grew up, he gained even more powers. Some he deemed useless, like making coffee bitter, and others he recognized as more powerful, like mind control. His powers grew daily; at this point, it wasn't surprising to discover new powers seemingly out of nowhere.
But this power, well, Saiki just had to ask if this was too powerful?
It started in his last year of high school. His friends were all preparing to go off and chase their dreams, and Saiki did the same. Kaidou invested his time to become a script writer, something his friends had recommended him when he started to show interest in writing. Kuboyasu and Hairo were both on their way to becoming teachers, teaching art and physical education, respectively. While she had started as a ploy to get a boyfriend, Yumehara's passion for exercise led her down the path of becoming a personal trainer. Mera was on her way to becoming a nutritionist, having developed a love for food throughout her many years of being poor. Nendou planned to own a ramen shop, which while many doubted his capabilities, was actually starting to look possible. Teruhashi was already starting to sign up for modeling opportunities, some of which were taking place abroad. As fortune telling was already her calling, Aiura was saving up to start her own business. Toritsuka didn't know what to do, but he had managed to get a scholarship to Tokyo University, where he had decided to study Sociology. Akechi was looking to get a job as a detective, working specifically in homicide. Siaki himself was looking into business, hoping to do a simple, boring office job at some company.
Now, Saiki wasn't an idiot. Despite how many times he has said they were “not his friends”, there was no denying their relationship. These people had been part of his life since the start of anime, and the manga. Kaidou, Nendou, and the others were his friends, Saiki realized, and they deserved to know the truth about him and his powers.
Saiki called everyone to Cafe Mami, his favorite restaurant, where he had never invited anyone to before, and told them everything. From his powers to his rescues, Saiki was laid bare before his friends. It helped, albeit only slightly, to have the self-proclaimed PK psychics, who knew already, by his side the whole time. The interaction wasn't simple– Kuboyasu stormed out once or twice to gather himself and everyone could swore Kaidou didn't blink for over half an hour– but eventually everything came together. Saiki might've lied to them, and he might be a powerful psychic, but most of all, he was their friend. In the end, they were touched he told them about his powers, even if they were a bit upset.
Then everything changed.
Graduation came and went without a hitch. Everyone did their own things– going to college, finding work, etc– but they were still a close-knit group. They met up frequently; individually, in groups, and all together. It meant a lot to Saiki, though he would never admit it. He didn't bother to make many friends in college or at his job, he didn't need to, after all. It was during one of the group's meetups that he finally realized it.
It was Akechi, unsurprisingly, that pointed it out, that being the fact that Saiki still looked like he was eighteen while they were all well into their twenties. It never occurred to him before, but the small observation made Saiki think. He was a psychic, after all, strange things like this could have some alternate meaning.
His friends grew up, as people did, but Saiki didn't. He could change his appearance, of course, to appear older or younger, but it didn't happen naturally like before. It became a routine to manually change himself to look older once a month, and on his birthday. It wasn't completely unnoticed by his friends, but they didn't mention it. Saiki's powers were never an issue after the reveal from years ago, it was just part of their lives, another thing Saiki was grateful for.
Years of doing this led to some questioning. What was happening for Saiki to stop aging naturally? It had to be another power, but what type of power would cause him to remain the same despite the passing years? The answer, of course, was immortality.
Saiki has realized this with the help of Kusuke, his brother, and his own observations. He knew that he could never be killed by anything besides old age, before, due to him being a powerful psychic and all, but if he didn't age anymore, old age wasn't a possibility. It shocked him, of course, knowing that he would live forever. Saiki had lived all these years believing that death was in his future, like it was for everyone else. Now, he learned that his entire life was just never going to end? It was surprising, to say the least.
This led to Saiki's next big reveal; on his thirtieth birthday, his friends and family all gathered at Saiki's single-person house (Kusuke bought it for him when he first moved out) to celebrate. After they all had a slice or two of coffee cake and ice cream, Saiki sat them in the dining room and told them he would never die. It was silent, upon hearing the news. Then, Nendou broke the tense atmosphere with a “congratulations, pal!” and Saiki spent over an hour answering every question and reacting to every comment.
Saiki's newfound immortality was accepted slowly, over the years, and soon, it became common knowledge to the little group. Saiki, of course, was now dragged everywhere with the excuse being “you're immortal, you can miss some time to come hang out with your friends!” and “you can always make up this time later!”. While he pretended to be annoyed, Saiko never actually minded the little outings. After all, part of him, the part he chose to ignore, knew that they wouldn't last forever, not like he would. Kaidou, with his childish mind and faux confidence, Nendou, with his never-ending kindness and stupidity, Teruhashi, with her beauty and ego, and all his other friends were not going to be constant in his immortal existence. They had the expiration date he lacked, and despite never saying so out loud, they all knew it.
So Saiki enjoyed the little moments where they only talked about their lives. He found comfort in his friend's presence and cherished the memories he had. And as they grew up and got old, Saiki aged with them in the same manner he always had. They took pictures every time they saw each other, and wordlessly, everyone sent them all to Saiki. And if, whenever they visited his house, they noticed the growing collection of photographs and memories on his walls, they never mentioned anything.
His grandparents were the first people he mourned, old age coming to get them first. His grandmother died first, his grandfather following only a month after. Their funerals were both short and sweet, and for the first time, Saiki felt the loss. Grief clung to him at every moment, old photos and places a reminder of the family that left him. His parents were the ones to comfort him most afterwards.
The next to go were his parents, both dying in the same week, with his father going first. They were buried next to each other, and, as per their request, they had a joint funeral. The grief that hung over him, a shadow from the loss of his grandparents, came back, stronger and deeper than before. It left him despondent and lost for months on end, he saw his parents every moment of every day. His brother, who shared his grief, was his biggest help this time.
And it continued, this pattern of loss and grief, for every person he lost. His brother, who left behind a beautiful wife and daughter, went next. Then it was Mera, who had lost her husband just a year before. Hairo, who left behind an adopted son and daughter. Nendou, who left behind a small ramen shop and his son, who he had with an ex-wife. Kaidou, who had married Kuboyasu and adopted twin daughters with him, died next. Aiura, who left behind her fortune telling business. Kuboyasu, who left his daughters and joined his husband. Toritsuka, who left a wife and their three dogs. Akechi, who left behind his husband and two adopted sons. Then it was Teruhashi, who left behind an ex-husband and many fans from her modeling career. Finally, Yumehara died, and left behind her husband, two daughters, and son.
The kids were all grown up by the time their parents died, and had all grown up considering Saiki their godfather. They were Saiki's biggest comfort after their parents’ deaths. The husbands and wives his friends left behind were also there for him, and each other. The kids and spouses suffered the same fates, leaving Saiki a god-grandfather to their children, and the cycle repeated. It was then one of his god-great grandchildren gave him an idea.
“Your powers are really cool, Saiki-ojiisan!” Amara, one of Nendou's descendents, said. “Why doesn't everyone have powers like yours?”
The girl was small, only five years old at the time. She wore a light pink dress with blue flowers, and had black hair with green eyes. She was a cute child, which surprised Saiki considering her ancestry.
“That's just not how the world works, Amara” Saiki replied telepathically, “My powers are an anomaly; why I have them in the first place is a mystery.”
Amara scrunched her eyebrows together and looked down at her feet, lost in thought. Saiki had taken her and her parents out to the zoo for the day. He knew from experience that it was important to meet up up your loved ones often, after all.
“My mom says you're all powerful because you're a psychic.”
Saiki looked down at the child, an eyebrow raised, prompting the young girl to continue.
“Why don't you give everyone cool powers like yours?” Amara looked up at her god-great grandfather, curiosity and hope sparkling in her eyes.
Saiki considered this, for a bit. Giving everyone powers, like his? Well, that would be complete chaos. It was stupid, and for a second Saiki saw her resemblance to Nendou. But then he thought more. Powers like his would be chaos; he already had too much power for the average person, why would he even consider giving this power to the entire world? Small powers, however, weaker versions of his? That just might be possible.
Amara smiled up at her god-great grandfather. Silence meant he was thinking about her idea, considering the possibilities. Her parents had told her Saiki-ojiisan was powerful enough to destroy the world, to change reality to his will. Amara was young, but she knew Saiki had a soft spot for his family.
Saiki looked down at the small, and smiled, something small and soft. And Amara smiled back, wide and childish.
“Maybe,” Saiki told her, “Just maybe, I'll give people a small taste of power.”
Later that year, a baby in Qing Qing City, China was born with the power to glow, something that reminded Saiki of Teruhashi, and Amara laughed with joy as she hugged her god-great grandfather.