Title: Soba
Word Count: 711
Summary: The Great Soba Debate's humble beginnings.
"You never order soba," he said one day.
Tokio sent him an amused look.
"Well, you order it everyday—it evens out."
"I'm serious," he said. "Do you not like it?"
Tokio shrugged; Saitou frowned.
"What kind of answer is that?" he demanded.
"It wasn't an answer," she replied.
"No kidding," he said dryly.
"It was an acknowledgment that you asked a question."
"The question only has two answers Chiisai—yes or no."
She twitched and sent him a venomous look that he ignored, and after a moment she impatiently said,
"But I didn't answer the question—I acknowledged it."
"No, acknowledging it would be making a sound like 'Hm'. You shrugged; that's not acknowledging anything."
"I didn't feel like answering the question."
"So you shrugged?"
"Uh-huh."
Saitou decided that this line of questioning was fruitless. And also, you know, stupid.
"Order soba."
"I already ordered my lunch, Saitou-san."
"Well order it tomorrow."
"No, I don't think I will."
"You have to order it eventually."
"Actually, I don't."
"So you're going to order everything on the menu eventually except for the soba."
Tokio shrugged again.
"See, now that's an appropriate response," he couldn't resist saying. "It tells me absolutely nothing, of course, but at least you're using it in the right context now."
"Has anyone ever told you you're neurotic?" she asked dryly.
"Several times," he assured her.
"As long as you're aware…."
"The soba isn't bad, you know." he said, deciding to ignore that.
"I'm sure it isn't," she diplomatically replied. "Shiori-san's food is always good."
"Order it."
"I already ordered my lunch, Saitou-san."
"Then order it tomorrow."
"…Didn't we just have this same conversation not two minutes ago?"
"Don't change the subject."
"Why so insistent on me ordering the soba?"
"Why so insistent on not ordering the soba?"
"Who's not answering the question correctly now, hm?" she asked wryly with a faint smirk and a raised eyebrow and he resisted the sudden impulse to grab her and kiss her.
Honestly. She'd be the death of him.
"Don't change the subject."
"I'm just making an observation," she said mildly.
Shiori finally came back with Tokio's lunch, and Tokio thanked her and then reached over and grabbed a pair of chopsticks from the container and snapped them in half and handed them to him. He took them, dropped them into his bag and rolled the top down, then looked back at her.
"Order the soba," he said, and she rolled her eyes, turned around and began chatting with Shiori, apparently deciding that ignoring him was the best route.
When he strolled in the next day, she hadn't arrived yet, and he mentioned the argument to Shiori, who rolled her eyes.
"What is it with you and soba?" she asked, sounding truly stumped.
He shrugged.
"Just like it."
"Maybe she doesn't," Shiori pointed out, and Saitou looked offended by the comment.
"I bet I get her to order the soba one of these days," he said, and Shiori snorted.
"Yeah right."
"I'm serious."
"Saitou-san, not everyone is as big a fan of soba as you are."
"Twenty-five hundred yen says I do it in less than ten years."
"You couldn't do it in twenty."
"Are you taking it or not?" he challenged, and Shiori eyed him, then shrugged.
"I hate to rob a man blind like this, but if you insist, fine."
Saitou smirked.
"Start saving up Shiori-san," he drawled. "I don't take checks."
"Oh be quiet," the older woman muttered, moving away to take the order of a man who'd just walked in.
Tokio arrived a few moments later and greeted him cheerfully, which he returned (just, you know, not cheerfully because that wasn't his style), and then said,
"So, ordering the soba today?"
She paused, and sent him a dry look.
"Oh we're not going to do this again, are we?"
"Are you going to order the soba?"
She smiled sweetly.
"Mmm…no," she said finally. "Curry rice please Shiori-san," she called to the older woman as she breezed by on her way to the kitchen to deliver an order.
"She wants the soba," Saitou said, and Tokio sent him an incredulous look.
"Curry rice," she said.
"Soba."
"Curry rice."
"Soba."
…This was going to be a long ten years.