A great weight was thrown onto Ema from behind. A pair of arms wrapped around his neck, and a cheek landed on top of his head.
"Sweet little Yuzuru! I knew you cared about me!"
"Get off of me! I don't care about you! I was just saying whatever came to mind!"
"So I was on your mind? Aw~ I love having a little brother like you!"
"I'm not your brother, you weirdo!"
Kageura Squad and Mizukami watched as Mitsuteru repeatedly rubbed his cheek on the top of Ema's head.
After a moment, they all turned away as if nothing was happening and started speaking with each other.
These guys are no help at all!
He considered this form of teasing to be true harassment.
"That's...enough!"
"Aw~ Yuzuru is angry at me now."
"Who wouldn't be!? Have you actually gotten worse!?"
"I don't know what you mean. I'm the same as ever."
Ema looked to the others for help but found that they were all turned even further away.
These guys are the absolute worst!
"Anyway, where should I sit exactly? And where is Kō-kun?"
"You're sitting over here," answered Kageura.
Ema looked over to find he had been pointing at the spot away from where Murakami and Kanda had been sitting.
Kage-san is actually pretty ruthless at weird times...
After everything Murakami and Kanda had done to ensure Mitsuteru sat next to them, Kageura had come along and become a wall between them.
"And the two idiots went to the bathroom."
"Two? Who else is there?"
"Kanda," responded Mizukami. "Hey, Tokyo. Been doin' well with the info from today?"
Out of everyone at the table, three of them had been chosen as captains for the upcoming exam. If we include the ones in the bathroom, that makes fours. This may have been a way for everyone to complain or give their thoughts on the situation.
It would make sense when this kind of thing was suddenly tossed at them after being called to the main base.
Ema had his own thoughts on the matter. It was strange to him, but he knew that there were things he just would not be able to figure out himself.
I did end up on Amatori-san's squad, so it isn't like I can complain.
He chose to ignore the fact that Ninomiya was his captain this time around.
"Hm... I'm not doing too well. I've been trying to keep my mind off of that topic since I have so many mixed feelings about it."
"I thought you would be excited to be a captain."
"It's not that simple, Kitazoe-senpai."
"Come on, you've helped Hidetaka a bunch. No need to be so formal."
That was right. Mitsuteru had been on a squad with Kitazoe's brother before. To him, there were two Kitazoes in his life now.
So he adjusted himself to it.
"Would Hiro-san be fine?"
"A bit stiff, but it'll work."
The two of them nodded and smiled at each other.
From the corner of his eye, he could see Nire cross her arms and look away.
Now that I think about it, I'm the only one at the table who has always been on a first-name basis with him.
Did that mean he had the advantage when it came to Mitsuteru?
The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he was the one in the worst position.
"So why isn't it simple, Mitsu-kun?" asked Kitazoe.
Mitsuteru gave a sigh and waved at Shitokei, who was on the other side of the room.
"Because I don't want to go against the directors, but..."
"Ya think you're not cut out for the job."
"Exactly," he sighed out. "I know what I'm capable of. Being a leader isn't one of them."
Everyone at the table turned to look at each other, and Ema knew what they were all thinking.
Yes, he really is this much of an idiot.
He had been the one to deal with this the most.
I should probably never do that again...
Murakami felt every piece of regret he should have for what he just did. The curry was still hurting his stomach.
Even from outside the restroom, he could hear Kanda having some trouble.
Maybe I could ask Mei if they have anything for the stomach. Knowing her, she probably has something in case someone is stu-...brave enough to eat her curry.
Not many people would do that. Most would see the shining red of the curry and walk away.
Their group was different.
Mei's curry had become a sort of punishment or a test of bravery.
At least my stomach is more used to it than Kanda's. Otherwise, I wouldn't have lasted as long as I did at that pace.
The water had been gone quickly. Knowing how things would turn out, Mei had left multiple glasses of water out for them.
But this is where the real contest is. And I won! Whoever gets to their seat first gets to have Mitsuteru sit next to him!
Kanda was stuck in the restroom, so it left Murakami to guide Mitsuteru toward his seat.
With a stinging stomach and a smile on his face, Murakami made his way back to his seat.
Once he was a few tables away, though...
"Ow ow ow! That hurts, Kageura-saaaaaan!"
"You idiot! After what we've seen, you aren't allowed to say that!"
"Wha-wha-what do you mean!?"
Murakami stopped at the sight before him.
For some reason, Kageura was pushing down on Mitsuteru's head while everyone else was clapping.
More importantly than that...
Kageeeeeeeeeeee!
While he and Kanda had been in the restroom, Kageura had taken the opportunity to place Mitsuteru at his side. Away from either one of them.
This was a clear betrayal.
Moving on light feet, Murakami made it back to the table without making too much noise.
He wasted no time in lifting Mitsuteru from his seat, wrapping an arm around him, and pulling him in. To finish it all, he made sure to glare at Kageura.
"Kō-kun!?"
"How could you, Kage? I trusted you so much, and this is how you betray me?"
"Wow, he's very dramatic," the ones on the other side of the table said.
Kageura only rolled his eyes and stood up.
Murakami made sure to take a step back and pull Mitsuteru closer.
"I was just messing with you idiots who were fighting over him."
"Then what was with that just now? What did he do for you to treat him like that?"
The collective click of tongues was amazing to hear. Especially from the likes of Kitazoe and Mizukami.
Feeling a poke to his side, Murakami looked to see Mitsuteru with a flat expression.
"Can I sit down now, Kō-kun? Mei might be coming with the food soon."
"Oh, that's true. But you're sitting over here, okay? I don't trust you with Kage."
"It wasn't my fault!"
"It really wasn't," came the next collective response.
Maybe the curry's still hitting me hard? Is that why I think they are answering together?
That could be the only thing that makes sense. Otherwise, Nire and Ema would not be so in synch with the three cannibals.
Well, regardless, Mitsuteru does have a point.
They were at a restaurant. A restaurant run by Mei and her parents. The food that had been ordered should be coming out soon enough.
Nodding to himself, Murakami sat Mitsuteru down on the other side of Kageura.
"What's with that look? ...Tch. Fine. You damn idiots will be too much trouble. I'm moving! I'm moving! Stop with that damn look!"
Whoo! An easy way to get Kage to do something! Yay for emotions!
.
Mitsuteru watched Kageura move one seat over so that Kō could sit in the spot.
When I think about it...Kō-kun has gotten pretty vicious after the incident with Yuki.
Maybe it was just something that happened after dealing with Yuki. Then again, I'm still the same as ever. Others had said otherwise, but listening to them meant that he lost.
Mitsuteru shrugged his shoulders. By this point, he had gotten the hang of what counted as a win and what counted as a loss against these people.
"So what were you all talking about?"
"We were going over what happened today."
"Oh, the exam. Picking our squads came down to a lot, didn't it?"
A bit too much, he thought.
There were a lot of good choices.
But will I be able to push through with them?
Being a supporter, he had been unsure who to choose as a leader.
"Well, we have three captains here, but I doubt any of us really want to talk too much about it."
"We know the general information about what we have to do, but that's all. Speculating's a waste of time if we don't ask Shitokei-senpai 'bout it."
Everyone turned toward the kitchen and saw Mei crowded by girls wanting to take pictures of her.
Oh, Mei's pretty popular, isn't she?
He had heard about this before, but seeing it for himself was strange.
I always knew she was amazing, but I guess I'm a bit desensitized after being on a squad with her.
That seemed to be the case with a lot of people around him.
"Anyway! Mittsuncchi here thinks he can't be a leader for this!"
"I have no experience leading anyone. I'm the one always being led. Right, Kō-kun?"
"What about when you fought against Sekai-san?"
Did that count? At the time, he had been telling the others what was going on, but he had never told them what to do directly.
"I don't think that really counts. Especially since everyone else had helped out a lot."
"See what I mean!?"
But I really didn't lead them!
That fight had been a strange one for him. Far too many things were happening at the time. There was also the fact that Wataru and Hogo had been by his side to protect him during the latter half of the fight.
Overall, it had been a group effort, and he supported others as best he could.
Besides that fight, I am always just supporting someone else. It's just the way I am. Why is Nire-chan always like this?
"Well, the thing is, he's always been like this." Kō lowered his brows in a way Mitsuteru was all too familiar with. "I think you might be misunderstanding here. Mitsuteru is more comfortable when he doesn't have to take charge. You and Ema have seen how he deals with tension, right?"
"That's true... But he was firing like crazy those last few rounds of the B-Rank Wars!"
"Those were by himself, weren't they? Once Shigenaga got there, he backed off a bit, right?"
"Now that you mention it..."
Kō-kuuuuuuuuuun! I knew I could trust you!
.
Mitsuteru threw his arms around Murakami.
"Someone understands!"
"Ha ha! Yes, yes, I know."
Murakami followed the action by patting Mitsuteru's head.
Kageura Squad and Mizukami watched this from their seats but said nothing about it.
A few more seconds went by, with none of them doing anything about the situation.
"Ex...cuse me!"
Until a hand came down.
Mitsuteru was separated from Murakami by a hand coming between them and another one pulling him back.
"Eh...?"
He blinked a few times and looked to see who had pulled him back. As for who it was...
"Kanda-kun?"
"No. Bad."
Kanda gave Mitsuteru's head a light chop and smiled.
"If you're going to call Zoe and Murakami like that, then you have to call me by name too."
"Huh? Is that fine, though? I mean, I know Hide-kun and Kō-kun, so of course I would call them by name."
"By. Name."
Mitsuteru started sweating as Kanda got closer to his face, his smile seeming much more forced now. Even with his eyes closed, the intense pressure he was putting out made it hard to look directly at him.
Next to him, Murakami began to move but stopped when Kageura held him back.
"R-right... Is 'Omi-san' fine?"
A beat passed by without a word.
.
Across the room, girls could be heard, and Mei's eyes wandered over. Between them and the table were people trying to pay attention to both sides.
The noise in the restaurant quickly went from an all-around sound to two particular areas.
One noise in particular had started to overcome the others, gaining the attention of the others in the restaurant.
"Mitsuuuuuu! This is why you're my buddy, no matter what!"
"Hey, let him go, Kanda! Can't you tell he's suffocating!?"
"I thought only Arafune and Pokari had big enough man boobs for that!"
"What's wrong, Murakami? Got something to say?"
A loud sound filled the restaurant once more. This time, overcoming the table.
Everyone saw as one of the people at the table was hit in the face with a bread bullet before falling backwards.
They turned their heads to the origin of the bread bullet to find Mei with her arm stretched out in the direction of the table.
"Oh, was that full power overhand throw!?"
"No, no! That had to be a javelin throw! Just look at the length of the bread!"
"Hey, that guy looks like he's down for the count."
"Good!" said everyone.
.
Ema watched Mitsuteru look down at Kanda while the crowd all around them cheered or admired Takato.
He had not seen her fight, but he was aware of her strength. From that, he knew her throw had not been close to full power.
"Omi-san, are you okay? Mei! Why did you do that!?"
"Because he was getting too close to you," she called out.
All of the girls around Takato began hounding her once more. Ema found it hard not to see how they could view her like a celebrity.
As if to follow up on this, she continued speaking.
"I am an ally to lovely women, Operators, and children. Oh, and my former teammates."
"D-don't say that while giving off that kind of expression! Mei becomes too cool!"
"Okay, everyone. Because my former teammate is so adorable, free dessert for anyone in here. Make sure to thank Mitsuteru here."
"Mitsuteru banzai! Banzai! Mitsuteru banzai!"
"M-Mei!? What about your parents!? Can you really just do that!?"
A male voice called out, confirming that she could. It was followed by a female voice saying that there was no problem.
I'm starting to believe Mizukami-senpai's words now...
But that was neither here nor there. The only thing that mattered was that they would be getting free dessert.
"Ow... She can seriously throw a mean fastball..."
Oh, Kanda-san is getting up now.
That was much faster than he had expected.
After getting back up, Kanda moved to guide Mitsuteru. This time it was clear that he was keeping an eye out for any bread bullets.
"Hey, Mitsuteru... Wouldn't you want to sit at the end here? You can be right across from Mizukami."
"No, no. He wants to sit over here. This way, he's across from Nire."
Neither one was a good option. But as long as I don't have to deal with him, I'm fine with whatever.
"He's sitting over here. I'll be at that end, so stop fighting like kids."
That voice...
Ema quickly threw his head up to see Kageura moving seats again. This time he was moving to the other side of the table, across from where Mizukami was sitting.
Wait, why is Kage-san moving!? If he moves over there and Mitsuteru ends up between these two, that puts him right across from me!
As he thought, Kageura moved to the end of the table, Murakami sat next to him, Kanda went to the other end of the table, and Mitsuteru sat between them.
"Looks like this is how things ended up, Yuzuru."
"Don't talk to me. Don't look at me. Don't even recognize I'm here."
"I saw Amatori-san and her squad before coming here. She said to tell you something."
"Fine, I'll let you do those things. Just don't start patting me again."
Now...
"What did she say?"
"It's really adorable that you fell for that. Don't worry, I'm rooting for you."
"—!"
.
What a reaction, other customers thought.
At the table to the side, a kid had started coughing violently. One of the other members of the table had said something that made everyone else turn away.
There was no doubt about what they had heard.
That was clearly harassment...
The kid was handed a cup from the girl next to him and drank it all in one go.
A loud clang was heard as the final coughs came out.
"Y-you! You never change!"
"Heh heh. Sorry about that. You really are just the closest thing to a little brother to me. So I feel like teasing you."
"Kage-san! Do something about this guy! I don't think I can deal with him for this long!"
"Hm? I'm having fun with this, so I'm not going to say anything."
The table of strange people had quickly turned into a table of ruthless people.
Out of fear of getting their attention, everyone else looked away in hopes of not getting caught.
.
"Okay, okay. You lot are starting to disturb the customers more than usual. Please calm down and eat your food."
"Sorry for the trouble, Mei."
Mitsuteru bowed his head when he heard the light scolding.
The sight he was not expecting to see afterwards was Mei arriving at their table, plates in hand. On each plate was a large stack of food that would put strain on any normal person's arms. Instead of straining, it looked like Mei was doing her best to not put all of her strength into holding the plates.
"Yes, yes, you are forgiven. Now, I have brought the main course for the ones who ordered from the menu. Also, to go along with Kageura's wants, I even brought some for grill use. Yes, here are many meat and vegetable dishes that you are all free to take part in. Oh, and for Kō..."
"Huh? For me?"
Mitsuteru was also curious as to what Mei had for Kō. Everything that had been on her arms had already been placed down, making it hard to see Yuzuru, so what else could she have?
He had to hold back his laughter once he saw it.
"Many bowls of rice. Yes, rice for this wolf. Who would have thought we would see the day?"
"M-M-M-Mei! Thank you very much, Senpai! Oh, but, uh, I don't know if..."
"A special reward will come if you can manage to eat all of this rice. Oh, and feel free to ask for anything to go with the rice."
"—!"
"What a reaction!"
The sudden room-wide shout made Mitsuteru jump in his seat.
When were they all paying attention!?
It made him a bit embarrassed to think that everyone else had seen the way they were acting.
Out of everyone at the table, he knew that the ones in the clear were Kitazoe, Mizukami, and Nire.
"W-well..with the food here, we can get started with eating now."
Everyone clapped their hands and said their thanks.
Oh, Yuzuru is really glaring at me now.
"I am only going to be speaking due to the facts. Don't look into it, and don't bother trying to argue."
"It's fine. I don't care enough to argue right now. Not enough energy for you."
"Oh? Then you won't be fighting back at all."
"I never said that. Pay attention when someone speaks."
Of course, they would still have a bit of their usual fighting. Minoru was glad that this part of them would never change.
As bad as it sounds, them fighting for the pettiest reasons means that everything is fine.
In a way, it was comforting to hear them arguing with each other.
They had said they would not argue while Masataka spoke, but that was due to a miracle agreement they had. Because it was rare for them to come to an agreement, it meant that they were willing to deal with each other just to reach an end point.
But it isn't like this isn't something bad either. No one will dare to say it out loud, but this is also their way of showing how much they respect each other.
Minoru's mind went back to the recollection Masataka had given him about the fight in the underground halls. At the time, he could not go with them. That left Masataka as the only person who could actually keep up with Yuki and his frivolous attitude. Their opponent had been a dragon-type Autonomous Trion Soldier that pushed both of them so far that they had to work together to end the fight. Yuki had been the one to deliver the finishing blow to the Neighbor, but he had never once spoken as if he had finished the fight by himself.
Masataka had many complaints about what happened in the underground, but none of those complaints had ever been about Yuki's fighting. There had been personal jabs, but nothing he said was anything to degrade his partner at the time.
These two are so troublesome, but they work surprisingly well together.
That realization had made Minoru start to wonder.
There had been an incident when the three of them had gone to Germany with some others. During that incident, Masataka had worked with someone else to fend off an opponent, while Yuki had been busy with something. But what would have happened if it had been those two working together on either front? It had been a while by now, but the effects of that trip were still lingering.
Now that I think about it, Yasu-nee is here. Some of the others had talked about wanting to visit.
What would they think if they saw how things are currently in Mikado City?
Maybe I should ask if they have plans to come over.
"Now listen, you fool."
Minoru tuned back in just in time for Yuki to accurately throw a pillow at Masataka's face.
.
"Just hurry up and say what you want. If you don't, then I'm going to call that demon nurse over."
Having to listen to the airhead was already annoying enough. Yuki had given his word that he would at least hear the airhead out.
Most people would have said that his words meant little, the airhead included.
But...
I'm going to try to change that. I know I'm an impulsive and compulsive liar to people I don't know on a personal level, so I need to learn to look beyond how well I know a person.
It would be difficult for someone like him. There would be many times where he would need to lower himself below others.
But that was fine.
There had been a group of terrible people who said they would stick with him and drag him along so that he could be with everyone.
It would all be fine.
So he would start here by letting his personal enemy continue.
"You rotten idiot..."
The airhead handed the pillow to Minoru before fixing his clothes.
There was a bit of satisfaction in knowing that the airhead would not retaliate against him here.
"As for what I need to say... I have already said the short of it. Compared to those two fools, you are the only one who has truly reached anyone. Those cannibals, Minoru here, and Shitokei. You have reached them, haven't you? Those two have yet to even reach the people directly in front of them. So with that being said, it would be those two who have yet to reach you. While all three of you are idiots, you are the only idiot who has decided that the future is something to look forward to and has made any advancements to reach it. You can clearly see your own future ahead of you."
"But those two..."
"They had accepted the fact that they needed to go into the future. They will follow others just fine, look out for others, and not view the world as they have been doing until recently. That is all well and good, but they haven't yet accepted that their future is linked to everyone else's. To them, the future is just an inevitability that has them in it."
That was true. Yuki had seen it in his talk with Sekai.
Sekai had apologized to him, and the two of them had gotten a bit closer. At the same time, he had stayed by Yuki's side because Yuki had given him a reason to do so. That result came about because Yuki had wanted Sekai to be there with him, not because Sekai thought he should have been there.
The same could likely be said about Denji. Since he had not gone out of his way to speak with Denji, there was no reason for Denji to come see him.
"You know," said Minoru. "With how they are currently, I don't think they will ever be able to answer Ketsu's question."
"Ketsu-san's question?"
Minoru waved his hand, but Yuki knew that he would get a better explanation later.
"They took what we had to say to heart, sure, but it's like Taka said. They are doing things more based on fact than feeling it for themselves."
Yuki felt like he could understand that all too well.
While others did tend to exaggerate when referring to him as a ninja, he knew there was some truth in that. The way he held himself gave off that sort of feeling to others.
But there's something I learned from having that title thrown onto me.
When looking at the characters for Ninja, he found something interesting.
It was often said that a ninja must suppress his own emotions because the word ninja is written with the heart hidden under blade.
But...
But...
The word heart has not been removed from the word for ninja.
So even if he were to follow that silly title, he would have no reason not to use his heart in certain situations. All that would matter would be how he would go about using his heart in certain situations. It was rather convenient, but that connivence was what made it all feel so right.
"Oh..."
"Hm?"
"I wonder if this is how Mitsuteru felt for so long."
.
What does Teru-kun have to do with anything?
Minoru wanted to ask what Yuki meant. But before he could, Yuki started chuckling.
"Taking a simplified view of things really can be much better. That guy's normal life has saved him a lot of trouble, even when we throw so much trouble at him."
"Aren't you the one who has thrown the most trouble at him?"
That was harsh, even for Masataka. Minoru started to scold him for it, but Yuki stopped him for a second time.
This time, he did so by smiling.
"Yeah. I've thrown so much trouble onto his shoulders that I think I get it now."
"Then what will you do?"
Instead of answering directly, Yuki shook his head and looked into the air.
There was nothing to look for when he had already found his answer.
"Hey," he said.
"Yeah?"
Yuki gave a nod this time.
"I feel like a lot of us haven't reached a lot of people... Well, I can't say I'm pleased with a lot of things, so I'll say this honestly."
What did he want to say?
"I want to see who really is the strongest between us formers."
"Are you speaking about you former Unneededs?"
He shook his head for a second time.
Minoru thought about it for a moment before it all finally clicked.
"I mean about us former Unneededs, us former teammates, and us former squads. The three of us."
That's right.
"We never got to fight the former Azuma Squad or the former Hatohara Squad."
"You would have never won in the first place."
"That might be true. We were pretty green back then."
Yuki was not agreeing with Masataka, Minoru realized. He was agreeing with the statement itself.
That was what made his next words fully connect everything.
"So why don't we see who is the strongest now? And while we're at it, let's try reaching out so that there's no one missing."
Mizukami could see the city from where he sat.
Kageura and Murakami sat between him and the city, while Nire sat between him and Ema and Kitazoe. Kanda was sitting at the farthest end from him and glanced between the second grill and Ariake next to him.
...But he's keeping good track of the grill.
They had thought there was only one grill, but Shitokei had come and shown them that there were two of them.
The one Kanda's using is for yakiniku, while the one Kage's using is for okonomiyaki. It's no wonder these tables in particular are so large.
It showed just how well Shitokei could manage things when the smell from both the yakiniku and the okonomiyaki were separated and did not clog up the area.
The ventilation is particularly good over here. There's also the fact that we can have these sorts of things and still take it to go.
There was no doubt in his mind that the Shitokei parents were well off.
By extension, Minoru and Yuki would also be well off if they asked for it. It was no mystery that anyone connected to Shitokei herself would have luxury when it came to wealth. Knowing that made him glad that he was in her good books and that he stood up for Yuki before.
...But...
There was one problem.
...Do I want the yakiniku or the okonomiyaki?
"We were really given a lot of food here."
.
The amount of food that had been brought over did not fit with the size of the people sitting here. Mizukami tried to figure out how this would work, but it all came down to what everyone wanted here.
He was not used to seeing this much food put in front of him. Even if he took some of it home, he was unsure if any of it would fit in the refrigerator.
...Shitokei-senpai sure does like doing this to us.
Having to pick between the yakiniku and the okonomiyaki felt like it would also lead to trouble.
From the way she said it, this place has some high-quality stuff too.
The ones on the other side of the table had taken charge of the two grills. Mizukami saw Shitokei pass by with empty plates.
"I know you like homemade stuff and don't really like greasy things, so I made sure to bring the things that would fit with that."
"E-eh!? You didn't need to do that! I would have been fine with it, honestly!"
"Do you want a thick slice?" asked Kanda.
"Listen up," said Shitokei. "The rice is for Kō, and the heavy slices are for Mitsuteru."
That's more than half the things here, silently commended Mizukami before turning to his right.
There, Ariake was adding more and more vegetables to his plate. From where he sat, it was easy to get anything from the table.
...Some boys do need their fiber.
Guessing Ariake was displaying a more normal method of eating than the others, Mizukami began emulating him.
...I'll start with some vegetables.
He looked over and found all the vegetables on the grill. They had also vanished from the large plate in front of Nire. A glance over at Ariake showed his plate was empty too. The boy sighed and then smiled.
"Okay, I ate all the vegetables. Now I can eat as much meat as I want."
...Do we have another dog here!?
"W-wait a second! I didn't get any of the vegetables!"
"Eh? Will you be okay tomorrow morning?"
...Whose fault do you think it is?
Meanwhile, Kageura and Murakami were speaking next to Ariake.
"Shouldn't you be mindful of that guy? ...Look, he's already salivating just looking around the table. I'm fine making more, especially since the utensils are good here, but I don't want trouble from him."
"Kage, he's just pacing himself. Like me. Yeah, the rice is nice and good. White and fried are both good, but Mei decided to bring so much white rice that I can't help it. Oh, and Mizukami? This table eats a lot, so be careful. I've got the rice covered, and Zoe is Zoe, so we can consume a lot with that, and Mitsuteru eats a lot after letting tension out."
Suddenly, another waiter and Shitokei showed up. They both held large plates that required both hands. The plates contained various cuts of meat.
"Hey. My parents sent these over for you all."
.
As she held out the meat, Mei gave a satisfied nod.
"You are a carnivore, Mitsuteru? I will remember that."
"N-no, I'm not exactly carnivorous."
"From the looks of your matches this season, we can just leave it at that, okay?"
Mitsuteru hesitated for a moment but ultimately took the two plates one at a time.
"Do ya love meat that much?" asked Mizukami.
He only asked out of curiosity, but Mitsuteru blushed.
"That is my nature after being tense for so long."
"I can explain," cut in Murakami. "You know how you can end up feeling hungry after being hyper-focused on something and not paying attention to other things, right? For example, going all night finishing homework to the point where you don't even notice the sun rising."
"Yeah, I know all about that kind of stuff. Especially when you people keep me awake."
"Right." Murakami nodded. "Mitsuteru tends to get like that when he's anxious about something but doesn't know what to do. When everything is said and done, he ends up being on empty because his body has been using that energy to be anxious. Dogs are pretty worry-free, but Mitsuteru isn't a dog. That pretty much covers it."
"So..."
...It must have taken a toll on him to go through everything today.
He had not been imagining it when he thought Ariake was acting more jittery than usual.
...He must have been trying to not think about how hungry he would be after everything was said and done.
If Ariake accepted Mizukami's ignorance as an excuse, it showed how tolerant he was.
"So that's why you brought this much food over, Shitokei-senpai."
For someone who always seemed dangerous, she could be extremely playful at times like this. Mizuami wanted to criticize her for not taking things seriously, but it was clear that she was only having fun.
Meanwhile, Kanda had a huge grin on his face.
"Meat beats sweets, right?"
"I-I like to eat sweets too. I really like watermelon after all. I'm just a normal guy, right? ...Wait, Omi-san?"
Kanda was using chopsticks to hold some cooked meat out toward Mitsuteru from the side. He expressionlessly held up the sauce-covered meat.
"Right. Have this entire piece," he said. "Now, say, ah. This is a ceremony to recognize what you have done for us."
.
What is going on here? wondered Mizukami as Ariake blushed and tried to draw back from the meat held up to him.
However, Murakami was right behind him and grabbed his shoulders. He shrunk down, his eyebrows twisted, and his nose twitched a few times as the steam hit it.
"..."
He closed his eyes, opened his lips with a resigned look, and stuck his tongue out a bit as he received Kanda's chopsticks. He pursed his lips and drew in the streaming piece of food with the back of his teeth.
"Nn...?
He lightly bit down and slowly swallowed.
He took a breath.
He stretched up a bit and then relaxed, his expression loosened up."
"~~!"
He leaned forward to escape Murakami's hands and quickly covered his face with his hands.
"Wait, wait! What's wrong, Mitsuteru?"
It was Ema who answered in his stead.
"He's embarrassed and troubled."
Ariake moved to lightly kick Ema under the table, who was speaking out of turn. He then moved back into his chair and spread his legs a bit. He placed his hands between his legs and held the chair.
"..."
With his eyes closed, he raised his chin to look up at Kanda. He looked like a baby bird asking for food, but everyone exchanged a glance as he wordlessly stretched his throat up.
...Is this...?
Before Mizukami or anyone else could say anything, Kanda grabbed Murakami's hand and handed him another pair of chopsticks.
With the griller and feeder roles set, they worked to feed Ariake. Everyone watched as the boy continually narrowed his eyes every time he had meat brought to his mouth.
Mizukami sighed and looked around.
...This got out of hand quickly.
"Hey," he called out to Shitokei. "Can we get some more vegetables over here?"
.
It's been so long since I've seen him like this.
Murakami smiled as he continued to feed Mitsuteru pieces of meat. At times, he would continue eating his rice, but his stomach was starting to argue with that choice.
"This meat is actually real easy to work with. I'm a bit surprised that they managed to get this."
Kanda's reaction was a fair one. At times, everyone had to wonder how Mei and her family were able to do things so easily.
In this case, it was a mystery just how well off they were.
"But you know, I'm glad they had this ready. It means this guy here can't argue when we try to feed him."
"I know what you mean. Sometimes he can be too conscious about this sort of thing."
"I-it's because I'm already old enough to feed myself! Besides that, Omi-san, why are you trying to feed me!? Kō-kun, I get, but you?"
"What do you want me to say? I owe you a lot. Looking out for you whenever I can is my way of thanking you."
Murakami felt his brows crease at hearing this.
Not once had he ever heard of Mitsuteru helping Kanda. As far as he knew, they were simply friends due to Mitsuteru knowing Tonooka.
"I said that it was fine... Besides, what else was I supposed to do?"
"You could have left and had someone else help out."
"Wouldn't anyone do that sort of thing, though?"
"They probably would. But it was you who were there. And..."
And?
"You looked really cool during that time."
Before Mitsuteru had a chance to respond, Murakami quickly held up a piece of meat with his chopsticks.
Still holding a bit of hesitation, Mitsuteru looked towards Ema before opening his mouth again.
Murakami smiled while letting Mitsuteru take the meat from his chopsticks.
"Hey, Mitsuteru. I wanted to ask you something," he said afterwards.
I don't want to lose here...
Out of everyone around him, Murakami was the one who had been by his side the longest. There had been a time when there was distance between them, but that distance had closed up again. Now they could freely talk with each other while Murakami fed him.
"Why do you still address me like that?"
"...Huh?"
"Oh?" came the collective response from the other side of the table.
The entertainment they were getting from his side of the table was likely what had been keeping them quiet this whole time.
"What do you mean? I figured that since things were fine now, I could call you that again..."
"That's fine, and we really are fine again. Well, I hope we are. Feel free to complain to me whenever you want."
"I'll keep that in mind. I actually do have some complaints for you."
Murakami nodded twice. It was good that he felt comfortable enough to say that much to his face.
"Good. But," he said. "I was thinking about it just now. Why don't you drop the honorific with me? We aren't kids anymore, and I see you more as an equal than that kid behind me now. So you can just call me by name now. No need to add anything to it."
From beyond Mitsuteru's shoulder, he could see Kanda stop and slowly turn to him.
A small amount of smugness filled his body at seeing that.
"Wait... You really see me as an equal now? Even though I'm probably the weakest one here?"
"Have I ever cared about that before? Besides, because you were weak, I got to stand in front of you and look cool. And you were always behind me, supporting me when everyone was leaving."
"But Kō-kun was always cool from the start... Hah. But you won't take that for an answer, will you?"
Murakami shook his head, and Mitsuteru smiled.
It was not the self-deprecating kind that others would say they sometimes saw. This was the familiar smile of a child who was looking at someone he knew.
There was still a connection between them that put Murakami at ease.
"Fine. I'll leave 'Kō-kun' behind with the rest of the past. That way, I can keep walking forward. Right by 'Kō's' side."
.
That sounded nice.
"What about you, Kage? Do you want him to call you something else?"
"Haaaah? Don't go dragging me into your annoying issues."
To finally be left behind.
"I don't think I could do that anyway... Kageura-san deserves this kind of respect, right? Right."
"I wouldn't say that..."
"You all can leave whenever you want!"
Ema felt anger begin to form in the pit of his stomach.
The food had been good, the company had been what he expected, and Takato had even been mindful when bringing him his own curry. The food on both grills had also been very good, so there was no complaint about the restaurant itself.
Yet he felt that anger build up rapidly.
"Aren't you looking forward to dessert, Yuzuru? Mei's been considerate of us this whole time, so I'm sure she will bring something really good out."
"Right..."
"Hm? Is something wrong?"
Ema sighed and shook his head.
The anger grew until it felt like it would explode outward.
The anger felt different from anything else. Different from his anger towards Ninomiya and any anger he felt towards things he generally disliked.
I usually just don't care when it comes to him, but this time I'm mad?
It made no sense to him.
"Ah, Yuki sent a message."
"You can just ignore it then. That idiot is supposed to be in the hospital."
"But he said that they let him go. He does need to go back in a few days."
Having heard enough of Mitsuteru's voice, Ema turned his head to look anywhere but in front of him. As he did so, he noticed Takato with her phone out. The message sent to Mitsuteru probably went to her as well. The rest of them had gotten no such message, so it was likely a private chat.
The amount of people have thinned out.
The restaurant would be closing in two hours, but the amount of people left was so small that he could see them all from his position.
There would probably not be many customers after they left. That sounded nice, but he knew that it meant Takato and the other workers would need to stay behind while there was no one else here.
"Oh, he's saying he wants me to stay the night at his place for something."
"Just you? But it looks like Mei also got a message."
"No, it was directed to us two, Shizuka-san and Kawa-san."
"That sounds like it could be trouble..."
It did. But there was no reason for him to get involved.
Mitsuteru could deal with that by himself.
"He said we could bring anyone else, though. Does anyone want to come along? I plan on going."
"I'll go!" came a dual response.
At this point, there was no surprise to Kanda and Murakami answering together. As long as Mitsuteru was there and they were free, they would follow along for one reason or another. When he looked around again, he saw Mizukami and Kitazoe deny the invitation, while Nire was forcibly removed from being allowed to answer.
Then everyone's attention went to the other side of the table.
"Yeah, I'll go," said Kageura. That was a bit surprising, but Ema didn't say anything about it. "I want to talk to that idiot about a few things. Might as well go and crash at his place."
"Then I'll let him know that Kō, Omi-san, Kageura-san, and Yuzuru will be going."
"Wait!"
.
For the second time that night, they heard Ema make a loud noise. This time it was a shout.
"Don't just add me to that list!"
"Huh? But Kageura-san is going. And besides, I wanted to talk to you about some things."
"I don't care. I don't want to go. And besides, I would need to tell my parents."
"No need for that. I already did that."
Mitsuteru held up his phone to show the responses from Ema's parents. They had agreed to allow Ema to go, leaving no room for argument.
The ones on Ema's side of the table began whispering to each other.
"How do you have his parents' number?" asked Kageura with a raised brow.
Mitsuteru shook his head to clear up any misunderstanding.
"I have met them a few times now. In particular, when they come to my family's shop."
"They never told me they went there!"
"Why would they? They needed material, and I knew they were your parents. I had given them a discount. Now they are some of our reoccurring customers."
"Wow... Tokyo really went and bought out Ema's parents like that. That's some new-level harassment."
"What!? No, no! It was normal! Completely normal!"
That was hard to believe for any of them.
"But anyway... We exchanged numbers. This way, I could also keep them up to date with anything concerning Yuzuru."
"Just leave me alone already!"
"No can do. I need to look out for my sibling student."
Mitsuteru clapped twice and called out to Mei.
A minute later, she had brought boxes and bags they could use to take the rest of the food home.
"I won't be going over tonight, so you boys make sure to behave. And I think Oshiro will be out tonight, so you won't be seeing him there."
"Good to know. Thank you for the food, Mei."
"No worries. Make sure that idiot eats some when you see him, okay?"
Mitsuteru and Murakami nodded before tying the top of the bags so that the boxes inside would not fall out or move too much. To their sides, Kanda and Kageura were organizing the utensils on the empty plates for Mei to take away.
"Once we are done here, we can go."