When he had met eyes with Ichinose far earlier, his expression had grown serious. Careful. Contemplative as he always was, his plate filled to the brim with assortments as he was about to make off with the sushi as well- only to find most plates suspiciously empty.

He wandered up to the sushi table with a plate in hand, blinking at the tension so thick you could slice it into sashimi. Zenkichi’s entire body was tight with leashed fury, still chewing on eel like it had insulted his ancestors, and Ichinose looked ready to either bolt or brain someone with a serving platter.

Maruki gave a bright, painfully earnest laugh.
"Ahaha, wow...!" he said, a little too loudly. "You two are getting really... into the food, huh?"

He edged closer, very much like someone trying to approach a feral animal.
His smile strained at the edges but held.