Was this a lecture? They hadn’t even bit into the meat of this meeting and already its beginning to grate. It is sure as an outing with Mitsuru without all the same pleasantries and grace, and ten times harder on the eyes. His half-alert scowl faded, blanching suddenly on her name. in which he had to purse his mouth to keep from showing his discontent.
Arisato’s voracious appetite proved far more detrimental to his wallet than a single meal shared with a normal peer that did not have a void in place of a stomach. The experience is another thing entirely. Out of the two, despite everything, he thinks he’d much prefer her company over this. Akihiko looks away, draping an arm across the back of his chair as the epitome of indifference.
“ No, ” he counters sharp. “ …Don’t worry about it— ” How did one convey the acute sense of paranoia without sounding like an absolute fool? Their dumplings are silently served before he can, ( piping hot, crisp and paired with a simple vinegared sauce,) and the aroma of savory sesame oil ensures he forgets his train of thought in favor. He’d whisper words of gratitude to the one already between his teeth were it pertinent, as it alone saves him from an attempt to bring her name into conversation for another couple of precious minutes.
“ You really think I have ‘ulterior motives’ for all this? ” he snorts, foregoing the added insult of an eye roll. “ You give me too much credit. You threatened me… but I was out of line.” The plate is nudged forward via held together chopsticks. “ It’s an apology, ” he assures. A modern peace offering.
A hardened stare told the other to take it or leave it; for its all he had to give. There wouldn’t be anything else from a man with so much pride to uphold, but he tries, no matter how backhanded or snide. It’s his peace for the misunderstanding; for letting things get out of hand. It was finally time to concede with grace.
So he leans forward, quashing basic etiquette with his crossed arms upon the table.
“ … So, you can stop playing that victim card already. Why would I pick a fight with someone who can’t even defend himself? There’s no honor in that. Especially over… her, ” he says as if he would not bend at the knee for anything she asked, despite finding a collar around more than just his neck.
Shinji had been right, as always. He sighs.
♚ ❝ Did I? ❞ Honestly, the two weeks that had passed him by had made his mind completely and utterly distracted, so his comment hadn’t meant to sound as dismissive as it did ; but he conceded as well -- a mere action of consequence by not wanting more...disputes. It sounded enough like himself to actually have happened -- or he might have threatened him with disciplinary action and there were just sour grapes involved... Two weeks for someone as busy as him might as well have been a year. Top it off with: academics, chores, odd jobs, that teacher still threatening him at any chance when he walked by or attended his class... A pause, a grimace at the thought, then he shook his head to throw away the very thought.
❝ If you say it’s true, then I’ll believe you. I can’t exactly recall half of our conversation, but, perhaps, that’s for the best. ❞ For better or for worse. ❝ I’ll say it here: I apologize for my mannerisms and allowing our conversation to turn into something so near violent, even if it was your side that was conducting the violence. As a member of the student council, it’s best to...avoid letting situations become that way ; had you struck me, anyway, I doubt anything would have effected you too harshly -- well, untrue. I’m sure Kaicho would have done an EXECUTION on you. ❞
Was that a proper apology?
❝ ... ❞ Irises fell down to the table, noticing the meal, then he moved his head down, bowing it to mumble his own gratitude. Chopsticks, however, were quick to remove half from his serving to give back to the other. How any human could eat NEARLY this much was beyond his understanding. Perhaps the sheer fact of the man burning enough energy for seven people helped, but it just turned his stomach to a mess -- already feeling full and nauseous by the thought! ❝ I accept your apology. ❞
❝ Ever since I came to high school, it shocked me how much changed ; she’s the first person I grew close to and who had a profound change in me. ❞ Picking up one dumpling, he stared down at it, not exactly with any emotion involved -- absentminded. How funny that she’d hardly done anything to help him ; it was really his own resolution that changed him, but he’d grown to trust her. Silence, then he put down the dumpling, still letting it cool. ❝ Let’s not fight over her again ; it was ridiculous in the first place -- who cares who or what she did for the other person? It’s no competition...er, that’s what this was about, right? ❞
Slowly the memories were returning to him, but the stress of remembering everything from so long ago had him rubbing at his forehead, until hand slid down the side of his head and rested back into his lap. ❝ You were wrong about one thing entirely that I never managed to correct ; it wasn’t about her being nice to me that made me want to stand up for her, but it was her being loyal to my cause -- rather her standing beside me through it all when nobody else would. ❞ A few stray nods, then a smile finally appeared. Coated with relief as his mind FINALLY caught itself up again, he removed his chopsticks from where he’d sat them. ❝ She’s probably done that for you, too, but...it wasn’t worth causing all of that strife ; we should have talked in private and more civilized! Something more like this setting would have been better, wouldn’t it? ❞
❝ ...well... ❞ Dumpling is removed from the plate. ❝ I’ll try to eat quickly. I’ve kept you long enough here. Nobody really does something like this for an extended period with me for enjoyment of all things! ❞
