Chapter Text
The first Friday of every month was always a building-wide luncheon. All floors and every department were crammed into the lunch room, a room that had a legal max capacity of 85 persons and could not comfortably seat an entire office building. This did not stop Yaga from trying.
Masamichi Yaga, president of the Tokyo branch, was a good person at his core. Satoru got along well with him, banter and all. They had a fine working relationship for as little as their jobs intersected. As far as Satoru was concerned, he was a good boss. He let Satoru get away with things other company presidents probably wouldn’t, and for that, he held Satoru’s favor.
The lunches were for no other reason than company morale and an excuse to brag about company market share, sales, and whatever else. Satoru didn’t often pay attention to Yaga as he spoke at these lunches, if he even attended. Often, Satoru deemed other tasks more important and skipped lunches altogether, much to Shoko’s disapproval.
That being said, Yaga probably wouldn’t mind if Satoru sat this lunch out. And all others for the foreseeable future.
“It is statistically improbable that you will go the rest of your employment here and not speak to him,” Megumi groaned. “You’re being difficult, just rip the band-aid off and say hi. You’ve been so weird about this dude.”
Megumi and Satoru sat facing each other as always. The morning drew to a close, and it was time to start thinking of heading down to lunch. Megumi was not happy with how Satoru put up a fight against seeing the new guy.
“You’re one to talk, Fushiguro,” Satoru chuckled, flicking his pen back and forth. “I just don’t feel like eating lunch with the entire office. It gets crowded in there. You, of all people, would hate that. I don’t know why you push so hard to go to them.”
“Because they’re not optional, Gojo. Some people try to follow the rules,” he grumbled and leaned back in his seat. “And not everyone gets to do whatever they want just because they’re special.”
Satoru smiled. “They need me.”
“You’re a jackass.”
Satoru turned back to his computer to finish typing his email to Nanami that should’ve been sent last night. The fact that his door was still intact was a miracle. Nanami loved to come knocking.
“Sure, I might be. I still don’t wanna go.”
Megumi put his face in his hands. “You’re unbelievable and a bad role model. If I did what you do, I’d be fired.”
“A shame you’re not me!”
Satoru was met with a loud, petty sigh. He loved poking at Megumi. He loved poking at everyone, but Megumi was special. He was not easily baited into getting heated, mostly because he was used to Satoru’s behavior by now. However, when they did go back and forth, it was always a joy to squabble.
“You love people, so don’t act like crowds are the issue. You’ve held my ear and thrown me into those lunches. Geto is the only new variable,” Megumi complained. “I’m starting to think you guys had beef in the past.”
Satoru just chuckled and shook his head. “No beef!”
Megumi’s face soured further. “Then what the hell is the issue? What did he do to make you a pansy?”
“I’ll tell Gakuganji you’re talking back to me and make him sit you down for a chat.”
“I don’t know why I put up with you,” he seethed, huffing back in his chair and earning a toothy grin from Satoru.
Satoru picked up his phone and played a block game for a while, listening to Megumi’s angry typing and heated sighs. The email could wait. Satoru decided he would probably hide in Shoko’s office once Megumi left, just in case someone came looking.
A few loud knocks interrupted their standoff.
“I’ll get it,” Megumi said flatly. He rose to open the door in a snit, flinging his chair behind him. He grabbed the doorknob and swung it open, and Satoru watched his attitude melt instantly.
“Hi Megumi!” Yuji beamed, reaching out to ruffle Megumi’s collar. “And hi Mr. Gojo!”
“What are you—”
“I came to grab you so we can walk to lunch together. Nobara is trying to save us a seat.” Yuji smiled and turned towards Satoru. “Wanna walk with us?”
Satoru really, really wanted to say no. He planned to escape and hide and brood in the corner until lunch ended. There was no room in his schedule to actually go. But the sweetheart in his office doorway with puppy-dog eyes threw a wrench in his scheme. Saying no to Yuji felt like putting a cat outside in the wintertime. Satoru didn’t have the heart to say no to a face so earnest and delightful. He had a soft spot for these kids.
“Uh, yeah. Sure, that’s fine,” Satoru agreed, cursing himself for being so soft. Yuji’s face lit up at his acceptance, which didn’t help.
“Awesome! Glad to see you again, Mr. Gojo! I wish I worked up here more. Megumi says you’re great!”
“I don’t say that,” Megumi grunted and jabbed Yuji in the side.
“Just Gojo is fine, you know.” Satoru raised a smile. “You’re always welcome to work in my office if you want! I can always get another desk.”
“Don’t rent out my space to other people,” Megumi muttered, holding his hands to his forehead.
“Three’s a party, Fushiguro!” Satoru snickered.
Yuji laughed and turned to leave. “Come on! Let’s go find Nobara, I told her we’d be there quick. She’ll hit me if we’re late.”
The three filed out the door and down the hall, with Yuji jabbering about how Mahito and Choso, who Satoru just recently learned was Yuji’s half-brother, got into a fight and had to get Yaga involved yesterday. Satoru was surprised Shoko hadn’t mentioned it to him, she was usually the person those reports got filed through. Despite Mahito working on the fourth floor and Choso, as well as Yuji, working on the second floor, Satoru knew that Mahito had a sickly aura that permeated the walls of the building. Mahito could piss anyone off. He hoped Choso cussed him out.
Satoru stopped in front of the elevator, going to push the call button, when he watched Megumi and Yuji continue walking further to the right. “Where are ya going? Elevator’s right here.”
“Yuji likes to take the stairs,” answered Megumi. Yuji nodded and agreed with a hum.
“It’s good for you! Being in an office limits physical activity, so it’s best to use the stairs over an elevator unless you broke your foot or something.” The two paused at the stairwell entrance, looking back towards Satoru. “Come walk with us Mr. Gojo!”
Satoru shrugged. “I mean sure, I don’t mind.” He started towards the stairs. “But for the record, I go to the gym. I get plenty of physical activity.”
“So do I! But a few extra steps are pretty much always good for you.” Yuji encouraged and pushed the door, propping it open with his foot. Megumi bowed his head and stepped through.
“He’s lazy, Yuji. He’d sit on his ass all day if he didn’t like bothering people so much.”
“Nuh uh!” Satoru said as he reached the stairs. “Not true!”
Yuji laughed and let go of the door.
They descended the staircase, dress shoes scuffing and clacking on the linoleum tile. The stairwell was echoey and sound carried far. Satoru could hear voices below them and doors opening and closing. Yuji filled in more noise with suggestions of what he, Megumi, and Nobara should do during the weekend, Megumi agreeing to none of it. It made Satoru smile behind them. He listened to Yuji explain why ice skating would be a great idea, and Megumi reminded him that it was April and there was no reason to do that kind of activity at this time of year.
With every step, Satoru became aware of the impending dread of his reality. Yes, it was fun to walk with Megumi and Yuji, but now he had to face the fact that he was probably going to walk into the lunchroom and meet the face that broke his heart years ago.
He swallowed the lump in his throat and kept walking.
They reached the bottom of the stairs, Yuji once again holding the door for everyone. The group stepped into the thin hallway leading to the lunchroom, Megumi going first. Satoru turned to follow, gazing at the people walking further down. He spotted Nanami with his back turned in the distance. Yuji was still stating his case, loudly.
“Okay, well, if ice skating is out of the question, we should do something else inside. It’s supposed to rain, I think. We could go back to the arcade?”
Yuji let the door swing shut and jogged to catch up with Megumi, brushing past Satoru to leave him in the back of the pack. They walked a few yards, Satoru still idly listening to Yuji and looking down the hallway.
“Nobara said she wanted to go to the mall.”
Yuji shrugged. “I’m okay with the mall, as long as you’re okay with it.”
“I don’t care.”
“Well, I want you to have fun too. If you don’t wanna go, we can talk it over with her once we sit down.”
“I liked what we did last weekend. Watching movies and eating food.”
“We could go to a new restaurant! I’ll look some up later and we can talk it out as a group.”
Megumi looked over to the man next to him. “Yeah, we can do that.”
They continued, talking like Satoru wasn’t there. There were several paces in between now, and Satoru had fallen behind. He hummed to himself absentmindedly, focused on his gait. He thought of sitting with Shoko and Utahime like they usually did. Shoko would scold him for being late, and Utahime would agree with her. He hadn’t seen Utahime in a while. She hadn’t been in Shoko’s office for lunch recently. The reverberation of Yuji’s voice clogged the hall.
He paced forward, eyeing the lunchroom doors.
“Hey, Satoru! Long time no see!”
Satoru’s spine chilled, halting him in his tracks. The voice caused Megumi and Yuji to pause as well, turning around with curious stares. Needles pricked at his skin, and a slimy, bitter feeling welled in his stomach.
Yuji must have been talking so loudly that Satoru couldn’t hear the sound of footsteps following them in the hallway. Satoru turned around.
Hauntingly, Suguru’s smiling face greeted him. His hair was long, so long, yet immaculately kept. He wore all black, his ear gauges to match, and a few rings on the hand that was raised to wave hello. Satoru should have booked it down the hallway right there.
“I—what—” He stammered, suddenly woozy. “Hi? Hey, uh, nice to see you?”
Suguru’s smile never fell, burning into Satoru’s eyes. “I was wondering when I’d finally get to say hello.”
Satoru stood dumbfounded. “But how did you know I worked here?”
“I didn’t, at least not when I interviewed. I heard about you from your intern.” Suguru pointed to Megumi, who was silently observing a few steps away. “I came to say hi.”
Satoru ought to have smacked Megumi upside the head.
“Ah, yeah, okay.” Satoru cursed himself for being so wordless in front of his juniors. “So, how, you know, how have you been?”
Before Suguru could answer, another voice pulled attention from behind them once again.
“Yuji. Fushiguro. Come to lunch.”
Satoru didn’t bother to turn around to see Yuji and Megumi off. He recognized the voice as Choso’s and internally prayed a thank you to him for taking them away from the awkward sludge he was creating with Suguru. Satoru instead tilted his head back in acknowledgement of their departure, Megumi mumbling a “See ya.”
“Anyways, yeah, how have you been?” Satoru asked again. “And how did you end up here?”
“I’ve been good, thanks.” Suguru flipped a piece of his hair back over his shoulder. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity, and my old job was getting boring. Thought I’d try something new.”
Satoru nodded, thinking. “Nice. Cool. It’s nice here, yeah. You really didn’t know I worked here?” Suguru shook his head.
“I had no idea. Cool bonus, I guess.” He laughed and it made Satoru’s chest hurt. Bonus?
Like he figured, there were a million things Satoru wanted to ask him. To yell at him about. His heart was beating out of his chest, and he was surprised the hallway was still empty. He heard the lunchroom door open and close, Yuji’s fleeting voice finally dying.
“Cool bonus,” Satoru repeated. “Your first days been good?”
“I’ve liked it so far. I’m still trying to explore the building and meet people, but everything is pretty inviting and I like it.” Suguru smiled again, and Satoru wanted to slap it off his face.
This was too robotic and cordial, far too much like coworker chit-chat. Too similar to how they left off.
“I’m glad you like it. I’ve liked it too. Met a lot of cool people, you know.”
Suguru nodded this time. “I hope to meet cool people as well.”
The hallway drew quiet, Satoru fully accepting how embarrassing this was. He was caught off guard, which normally wouldn’t bother him like this. Suguru always drew atypical reactions out of him. Always had. Personal history got in the way.
“You cut your hair,” Suguru observed, looking him over. “Undercut?”
“Yeah, did it a while ago. It’s kind of grown out now, though.” He ran a hand up his neck. “You kept growing your hair out.” Satoru focused his eyes on Suguru’s hair, prying himself away from his face. “Looks good.”
“Thanks,” Suguru returned his smile. “I get a lot of compliments on it.”
“I’m sure. Looks good. Yeah.” Satoru repeated, feeling a bead of sweat form on his temple.
“Should we go to lunch? I don’t want to be late, it’s my first time at one of these.” Suguru suggested, motioning his head behind Satoru down the hallway and putting his hands in his pockets.
“Ah, yeah. First week. For sure.” Satoru agreed and turned on his heel. Suguru joined him at his side as they walked.
He felt lopsided and queasy. Suguru’s absence had been normal for so long that it became natural to walk without him. The hallway was tight; Satoru feared bumping against him.
“I don’t usually go to these.” Satoru broke the silence. “I just eat somewhere else.”
“Aren’t they mandatory?” Suguru asked, looking over to him. “That’s what Iori told me.”
“Lots of things are mandatory and I don’t do them. I was just going to be a good role model to my intern.”
Suguru chuckled. “That seems about right.”
“You’ve met Utahime then?” Satoru asked.
“Mhm. She did some of my onboarding training with company policy, stuff like that. She was also showing me around for a bit. I like her. She’s straight to the point. I appreciate that.”
“Yeah, that’s one way to describe her.”
Suguru’s formality shook Satoru’s brain. The last time they’d spoken, Suguru had done the same thing. Satoru was pretty sure there was a hive of bees living in his chest, the way his body felt like it was buzzing.
They reached the double doors of the lunchroom, Satoru opening and holding the door for them both. Closing it behind himself, Satoru soaked in the cafeteria noise and cringed. He stood and scanned the available tables, or lack thereof. Should he sit with Suguru? He debated the thought. It would probably be rude not to, but there was no desire to have lunch with him. He looked over at Suguru, who was also scanning the area.
“Where do you usually sit?” He asked.
“Satoru! Bring him over here!” He heard Shoko call, sitting at a nearly full table.
“With her, usually,” Satoru answered, pointing her out. Suguru nodded.
They headed that way, dodging the lingering people still up and milling around. Shoko was chatting with Utahime when they arrived. Haibara and Nanami looked up to see them sit down.
“Welcome to special lunch, Geto.” Haibara smiled up at them. There were two seats available at the round table, meaning Satoru would be left to sit directly next to Suguru. He looked back around the lunch room for anyone else to be around, and saw Megumi with Yuji, Nobara, and Choso at a table that was too far away to reasonably get to. Even Ijichi’s table was full.
They took their seats, Satoru being careful to slide in without any of his body brushing against Suguru’s.
“Thank you. I appreciate you guys for inviting me to eat with you.” Suguru nodded his head at the table.
Satoru stuck his tongue out at Suguru’s agonizing formality. He sounded pretentious and dull.
“Gotta initiate you somehow,” Shoko told him with a smile. Suguru grinned and waved at Utahime.
“So, Geto, where are you from? Where did you work before here? Tell us about yourself! We weren’t told much,” Haibara asked, setting his elbows on the table in interest.
Satoru didn’t get to have many in-depth conversations with Haibara, so he couldn’t quite get a read on him. He was rather friendly and happy to chat in passing, specifically on the days he had to pay Nanami a visit on the fourth floor, so Satoru liked him enough.
Suguru looked over to Haibara. “Well, I worked in Kyoto for a while. Actually, I was over there since college, so for quite a while. I did more supply chain management there. I liked it, but it was time for a change.”
“Oh, that’s cool! Supply chain seems fun. I’m sorry I haven’t gotten to talk with you more, we’ve been super busy,” Haibara said, shrugging.
“Yeah, it was sort of fun. As fun as a job can get,” Suguru paused. “I’m happy to be in Tokyo.”
“Tokyo is great! I’m sure you’ll like it. I don’t know as much about life in Kyoto, but I’d imagine they’re similar. At least in the bigger part of the city.”
“I had a great time there,” he hummed.
“I see you met Satoru,” Nanami chimed, eyes switching between the two. Satoru, who was notably silent, sank deeper into his seat.
“Ah, no, I didn’t just meet him. Satoru and I went to college together. I’ve known him a long time.”
Every word Suguru spoke hammered the nail harder into Satoru’s chest. It was unpleasant to be at lunch already, and hearing the start of a conversation that he wanted no part of was making it worse.
“Really? I had no idea. He didn’t say anything about it.” Nanami’s eyes widened.
Artificially, he was happy Nanami didn’t comment on what he’d said previously. Satoru tried his best to read Suguru’s face. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other. We don’t get the chance to talk much nowadays.”
“Yeah, it’s been a while,” Satoru blurted in agreement. His shoulders sagged, and he shot a confused look at Shoko.
“Has he told you how late he always is to hand in his work?” Nanami continued. “Where’s that email, Gojo?”
“In my drafts, Nanami.” Satoru shot back. His spine was electrified, sending jolts of spikey heat to his arms and legs. “You act like you’re my supervisor.”
“That should’ve been to me last night. I can’t do my part of my job when I don’t have yours.”
“Yep.”
Shoko waved a hand and cut in. “Quit it, be nice in front of Geto.”
“He’ll experience this enough, get him used to it now.” Utahime snickered.
“You’ll have it by five.” Satoru huffed, turning his body to face towards Shoko and Utahime. He heard Suguru laugh beside him.
“Satoru never mentioned that you went to school together.”
Satoru turned as far as he could and flashed wide eyes at Shoko, doing his best to communicate his disapproval with where this was heading.
Suguru answered just as Shoko caught on with a nod. “He didn’t?” He laughed. “I don’t blame him, it’s been years.”
“How funny you guys both ended up here and didn’t plan it.” Haibara chimed back in. “Isn’t that a crazy coincidence? Tokyo is huge! What are the odds?”
The table was big and seated enough people that Satoru could opt out of most of the conversation and not get weird looks, though he felt Shoko’s eyes bore into the side of his head from beside him. Yes, it was unlike him not to engage in group discussion, but he could maybe play it off as taking a shot at just listening for once.
“Not big enough if he landed here.” Utahime nudged Shoko next to her, the two sharing a look.
“It’s not the city-city, so maybe he just got lucky.” Haibara continued. Satoru chuckled dryly to himself. Lucky.
“I didn’t want to live in the heart of Tokyo, it's too busy for me,” Suguru explained, shifting his legs under the table and brushing his knee against Satoru’s. Saotru quickly pulled his back, shuffling even further to the side.
“This is a good area, then. Most things are still within a reasonable bus or train distance, but there are trees outside of designated parks. You could walk if you really wanted to,” Haibara answered. The two were now the main components of conversation, allowing Satoru to focus on not throwing up and scrubbing his leg of where Suguru had touched it.
They carried on for a few minutes longer, Satoru so deep in his own head that he tuned out the topic, only being brought back whenever Shoko spoke up.
“Go get lunch, we got little sandwiches.”
Satoru couldn’t place whose voice yelled it out to the lunch room, but bodies started rising to get to the banquet table loaded against the wall. He felt like a beaten dog that was thankful to be interrupted.
Standing up faster than the rest of his lunchmates, he figured he’d put distance between himself and Suguru again. Their arms had been far too close for his liking at the table. He stepped away, looking to see where Megumi went so he could tag along while he grabbed his plate.
“Satoru, could you show me where to go?” Suguru called to him. “It’s my first time here. Mind if you helped me out?”
Satoru wanted to ask him how he was ballsy enough to ask for help from him of all people. He turned around to meet Suguru’s eyes.
“Follow me then.”
Satoru led both of them to the wall, filing in line with everyone else. He eventually spotted Yuji, Megumi, and Nobara further behind them in line and wished that he was there bothering them instead of stuck here with Suguru.
“What kind of cuisine do they normally offer here? Is it usually stuff like this?”
Satoru turned behind him to face Suguru again, who had his hands in his pockets and a smile too-sweet on his face again. He glittered under the harsh LEDs.
“It depends. Sometimes it's this sort of thing, sandwiches. Cheap stuff they can easily get lots of. Or sometimes it's nicer, like a fish or meat thing. It flips around, you never know what it’ll be,” he shrugged. “Unless you ask Shoko or Utahime, sometimes they know in advance because they help coordinate it.”
Suguru looked confused. “Who is Shoko?”
“Shoko? She was at the table with us. You spoke to her. Shoko Ieiri, the long dark hair. The one that’s not Utahime.”
“Oh! Yes, I’m sorry. I’ve mostly spoken to Iori, not so much—Shoko, you said? I guess I wasn’t familiar with her given name.” Suguru tugged at his shirt sleeve, almost embarrassed. “Are you all that close?”
There were two answers Satoru could give him. The truth, or a mean comment. The lunch room was loud again, louder than it felt when they first entered. Satoru’s eye glanced back over to Megumi, who was smiling at Nobara as she spoke.
“Yeah, we’re close. Shoko is my good friend. We got hired here at the same time. We hang out, and Utahime comes a lot. We’re all close.” He looked back at Suguru, eyes tilted.
Suguru didn’t respond right away, so Satoru took to filling the awkward silence again. “Nanami and Haibara hang out with us a lot, too. We go out for drinks and food, and sometimes we hang out at each other's homes. Honestly, it feels like grade school, going to your coworkers' apartments and stuff, but it's fun. It makes it fun to be here, working with your friends, you know.”
“That sounds like a lot of fun. I’m glad you get along with them, Satoru.”
The line moved up, forcing Satoru to turn back around to walk with it. Shoko and Nanami were nodding along to what the other was saying, a few bodies down the line.
“Yeah, it is fun.”
Suguru’s eyes bored into Satoru’s head, like he almost didn’t approve of what he just heard.
“What have you been up to, Suguru? Done anything cool?” The line moved again.
“I moved here, is that cool?” He said, suddenly fine. “I’ve been unpacking boxes for the past week. Moving alone is difficult.”
“Tell me about it,” Satoru muttered a little too snidely. “That’s boring. Tell me something else.”
“What do you want to hear? I’m a boring person.”
Satoru narrowed his eyes and faced Suguru head-on. What kind of a statement was that? Suguru was the most interesting man Satoru knew at one point. “You are not boring.”
“How would you know?”
His words stung more than they should have. Satoru felt himself physically wince. Sure, maybe it had been a while. A long time, even. But Satoru didn’t think it warranted that kind of reaction.
“That wasn’t necessary.” Satoru stuck his nose up, turning his whole body away to stare forward. The food table was coming up, and the girl in front of him had a very interesting head of hair.
“I’m just thinking out loud, Satoru. It’s been a while, forgive me.”
Without looking, Satoru knew Suguru was staring at him with raised eyebrows and an antagonizing expression. At least he was pretty sure he was. Back then, he would have been.
“I don’t think you’re boring.”
Suguru sighed. “Alright.”
They gathered their food without another word. Satoru focused his ears to pick up Shoko’s voice from behind him instead of the sound of Suguru’s movement at his side. His arms brushed the fabric on his torso, his hair slid across the back of his collar, and it all sounded too loud. He stared at the sad slice of deli meat slapped onto crumbling yellow bread. Shoko’s green office sounded like heaven.
Satoru let Suguru go to sit back down first. He set his plate down next and drifted away to find Megumi at his own table.
“You told him about me.” Satoru loomed over the seated man. He could see Nobara’s face crack a grin.
“I did.”
“And you didn’t tell me that you told him.”
“I did not.”
Satoru took a deep breath. “Why?”
“I didn’t think I had to.”
“You’ve been omitting a lot of information from me lately, Fushiguro,” he sang out. “I don’t like that.”
Megumi shifted below him. “I don’t think it’s my problem to work around whatever issues you and Geto have. Don’t blame this on me. Go talk to him like a normal adult.”
He got him there. The conversation was had with both of them looking in the same direction. Satoru was standing over him and bending down to speak closer to Megumi’s ear.
“Geto’s a nice guy. I’ve talked to him a few times already. Just go say hi,” Choso commented.
“Yeah, he’s really nice to me and Haibara,” Nobara added, looking at Satoru. “He’s usually just in his office, he said he’s doing training modules on his computer. Megumi said you guys knew each other. Why not just talk it out?”
“It’s complicated, Kugisaki. But I do appreciate your advice.” He turned his head back down to Megumi. “Be nice, Fushiguro,” Satoru hummed and stood back up to return to his seat.
There was a silent pause from their table as he marched away before he could hear Yuji yelp. “Dude, your face was ghost white! You looked horrified!”
The rest of his colleagues were well into their food when he returned. Suguru pushed Satoru’s plate to him as he swung his legs under the chair.
He took the sign to eat and took a bite.
“I needed that attachment last night.”
Satoru looked up at Nanami. It was his own fault that this was happening, but Nanami had already brought it up.
“I told you already. It’s headed your way soon. It’s rude to micromanage.”
Nanami grumbled. “It’s not micromanaging, it’s asking for your portion of the work to get done so that I can do mine. It is beyond frustrating to have to wait for you all the time.”
“We already talked about this.”
“Let’s be nice!” Haibara shouted to interrupt. “Don’t get snippy in front of Geto, let him warm up to us first.”
“I’ll write him up, Nanami,” Shoko giggled with Utahime.
“Thanks,” Nanami huffed dryly.
Haibara smiled over to Suguru. “Kento and Satoru get along much better outside of work arrangements, I promise.”
Suguru laughed. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“You’ll see, they do actually like each other, it’s just the work setting that brings out the worst in them,” Shoko pointed out. “It’s like brotherly love.”
Satoru made a gagging face, and Nanami scowled.
“Don’t insinuate that I'm related to that fool.”
“Shut up or I’ll write you both up,” Utahime piped in, wiping her mouth with a napkin,
Yaga got up on the makeshift table stage, cutting them all off, and announced something that Satoru didn’t feel like paying attention to. The heat radiating off Suguru beside him kept him preoccupied, and he was more focused on not throwing up his sandwich.
The lunch room quieted down to listen to Yaga’s spiel, and Satoru got a good look at Suguru from the side. He looked a little older, but not by much. More mature, maybe.
The speech went on for too long, Satoru had zoned out. Yaga finally stepped down from his table, and the volume rose again. Everyone flipped back to sit properly in their seats.
“Satoru, you’re sure you’re okay?” Shoko called to him. “You don’t look right.”
“I’m fine, thank you,” he replied and stuffed another bite down. “Sammich sucks.”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full, that's gross,” Utahime scolded him.
Satoru hummed but didn’t look up.
“Your eyes look glossy.” Shoko started again, leaning over the table to get a better look. “Drink some water.”
He swallowed and shook his head. “I’m really fine, Shoko. There’s no dessert.”
“You didn’t bring your own?” She tilted her head and glanced over at Utahime.
“You sure you’re not dehydrated, Satoru? You look pale.”
Satoru grimaced at Suguru’s comment. “I’m always kind of pale. I’m really okay, guys.”
They eventually let up, and Shoko warned him to drink more water before they went back to work.
He finished his food and crumpled the paper plate in his hands. Nanami and Haibara were deep in conversation on the other side of the table, fortunately not pressing Satoru. The lights were too bright and Suguru’s presence was too overwhelming and the sandwich tasted like paper and Yaga spoke too loud and it was all just too much.
Satoru excused himself early and left the table without another word. He should've seen this coming; this was not the right setting to have any sort of meaningful conversation with Suguru, not that he needed one in the first place. Satoru was pretty sure there wasn’t much left unsaid anymore that he hadn’t already processed and gotten over.
Punching the lunchroom doors open, he broke into an awkward half-jog back to the elevator. He pushed his thumb into the up button far too many times, impatiently waiting for the doors to open. When they did, he stumbled into the cabin, gripping the handrail for stability. His blob reflection returned, and Satoru stood watching it inhale and exhale. Taking a few steps closer, the definition of his eyes grew out of the white silhouette of his hair. He looked scared.
He made it back to the third floor and bolted back to his office. The halls were perfectly empty due to lunch, and Satoru was eternally grateful for it. Packing his bag in haste, he stared out the window. He flicked his phone out of his pocket and shot a text to Shoko, letting her know that he didn’t feel good and that he was heading home. The fleeting thought of how that didn’t add up to what he had just said in the lunch room crossed his mind, but the ringing in his ears trumped that worry.
Shoko replied shortly after, telling him to feel better and to let her know if his symptoms worsen. Satoru was sure that she was saying that just to be nice. It was more than obvious what the issue was. He knew that Shoko could sniff him out.
He wrote a note to Megumi, reminding him to shut the door and close the blinds when he left later, and got himself out of the office.