Zenkichi didn’t rise to the bait this time. Didn’t even twitch.
He just stared at her with the unimpressed deadpan of a man who’d fought wars bigger than her ego—and didn’t have the time or patience to indulge petty needling anymore. Or so he thinks.
"Yeah, well," he rasped, voice low and even, "the Thieves probably got to call me that ‘cause they earned it. You?" He gave a lazy, sardonic tilt of his head. "You’re just background noise."
Maruki blinked once, took stock of the tension crackling between them, and offered an easy, practiced smile—the kind you wore when you were two steps ahead of a workplace meltdown about to happen over the copy machine. Or even before your colleague and your boss.
"Background noise, huh?" he chuckled warmly as he turned his head to blink at her deliberately, like they were all in on the joke. Are you insane? "Well, background music’s what keeps a party lively, isn't it?"
He expertly held onto his plate with one hand as he picked up a few skewers of takoyaki with the other, pretending like Zenkichi's LED wasn't blaring red.
No panic, no stammering. Just smooth deflection.
"Speaking of lively..." he continued, gesturing with his chopsticks, "Now that I think about it you two are seriously putting the rest of us to shame. I’ve never seen sushi disappear this fast. You should be proud! True warriors of the buffet."
"Seriously?" Zenkichi huffed- like he was being harassed by an actual parent. "Are you seriously doing this?"
no subject
Didn’t even twitch.
He just stared at her with the unimpressed deadpan of a man who’d fought wars bigger than her ego—and didn’t have the time or patience to indulge petty needling anymore. Or so he thinks.
"Yeah, well," he rasped, voice low and even, "the Thieves probably got to call me that ‘cause they earned it. You?"
He gave a lazy, sardonic tilt of his head. "You’re just background noise."
Maruki blinked once, took stock of the tension crackling between them, and offered an easy, practiced smile—the kind you wore when you were two steps ahead of a workplace meltdown about to happen over the copy machine. Or even before your colleague and your boss.
"Background noise, huh?" he chuckled warmly as he turned his head to blink at her deliberately, like they were all in on the joke. Are you insane? "Well, background music’s what keeps a party lively, isn't it?"
He expertly held onto his plate with one hand as he picked up a few skewers of takoyaki with the other, pretending like Zenkichi's LED wasn't blaring red.
No panic, no stammering. Just smooth deflection.
"Speaking of lively..." he continued, gesturing with his chopsticks, "Now that I think about it you two are seriously putting the rest of us to shame. I’ve never seen sushi disappear this fast. You should be proud! True warriors of the buffet."