Pay it no mind

Part V

"Geto says they are on their way." Shoko put away her phone and looked at the waiter you had been stealing glances at while he was taking the order at a nearby table.

You had found that coffee shop not long ago one day you had been out on your own, but you had dragged Ieiri there several times since then. It started as...

"I found this nice place near that store you liked the other day."

"Oh, really?" Shoko had said.

"I think you would like it. We should go together next time."

Once there, Shoko had realized rather quickly that the waiter was particularly friendly towards you. That is how you had to tell her he had noticed the anime keychain hanging from your bag the first time you stopped by (he was a fellow fan), and then small talk turned into a nice conversation, and next thing you knew was you were telling him you would see him next time. And you had, many times after that.

So, whether you were coming alone or with Ieiri, he always served your table and chatted a little with you. Had school been rough that day? Had you seen the last episode of that anime yet? He was reading something new, maybe you would like it too.

Shoko would participate in your conversation just enough not to make you feel like you were excluding her, but she was not really interested in all of that. Your likes differed. She did not want, however, to prevent you from making friends with people who shared your interests.

"I'll admit that he is cute, but is he cuter than me?" Shoko sighed. "He must be if you are ignoring me for him." She rested her face on her palm and looked at the table the guy in question was tending to.

You smiled at her fake jealousy. "Stop it..." you said shaking your head lightly and beaming at her. "No one is cuter than you."

She gave you a side smile. Gojo would kill me if he heard you, you know?

Young as she was at that moment, Ieiri had never tried to analyze the depth of Gojo's feelings in any circumstances. She had always thought it pointless. So, when he had introduced you and said you were his close childhood friend, she had just accepted it. The possibility of him holding deeper feelings would only cross her mind later, but one thing had been evident to her since the beginning: Gojo liked your attention more than anyone else's.

"Are you going to ask him out or are we just going to keep coming here until I have tried everything there is in the menu?" Shoko's voice was soft, but a flushed color rose to your cheeks at the thought that Ikeda may have heard her.

"Well, is not like that..."

"Oh, good, you ordered something already," Gojo said plopping down on the seat next to you while Suguru greeted both of you and sat next to Shoko.

Satoru then took a long sip of your iced tea.

"That's mine! Get yours," you complained but only received his silly smirk in return.

"Excuse him, [name], you know how he gets when he is outside," Suguru defended calmly, looking at the menu Shoko had handed him.

"He is like this all the time." You sighed, and Gojo nudged you. Shoko looked amused by your situation.

Gojo rolled his eyes. "Why did you invite me if you did not want me around?"

"You invited yourself," you hissed. "I am glad you are here, though, Geto." You smiled at the latter.

Gojo was going to claim he had been your friend for longer and it was unfair Geto always got better treatment, but then he saw Suguru and Shoko looking up to the figure that had materialized next to your table.