Dinner Party

Itsuki walked beside Minato, arms loosely crossed, a small pout sitting stubbornly on his face.

He didn't say anything at first

But it was obvious.

Something was bothering him.

Minato glanced over, slightly confused by the sudden shift in mood. "...What's got you all pouty?" he asked.

Itsuki let out a quiet huff.

"Oh, nothing\~" he said, clearly meaning the opposite.

There was a short pause before he spoke again, unable to hold it in.

"...What do you even like about Ren so much, anyway?" he asked, his tone just a little sharper than before. "He's a total ass."

Minato blinked, caught off guard.

"Huh? Oh—well..." he started, thinking for a second.

Itsuki braced himself.

Please don't start a whole speech...

"You just have to see his gaming skills," Minato said casually. "Then you'd get it."

Silence.

Itsuki stopped walking for half a second.

"...Hah??"

That was it?

"That's your reason!?" he shot back, disbelief written all over his face. "So what if he's good at games? He's still-"

His rant was cut off.

Minato's phone started ringing.

He glanced down.

Caller ID: Soma

Itsuki noticed the name but didn't think much of it.

Minato answered almost immediately, a soft smile appearing on his face.

"Oh, hey, Soma," he said, his tone noticeably lighter. "Yeah... uh-huh... really?"

He paused, glancing at Itsuki for a brief second.

"Mind if I bring my boyfriend along?" he asked.

Itsuki blinked.

A small flicker of curiosity sparked.

"Okay\~ yeah, that sounds good."

And just like that, the call ended.

Minato slipped his phone back into his pocket like it was nothing.

Itsuki raised a brow. "...Who was that?"

"Soma," Minato replied easily. "He's in one of my classes. I met him not too long ago."

Itsuki nodded slowly, listening.

"We kinda bonded quickly," Minato added with a small shrug. "He likes guys too, so... yeah."

Itsuki didn't react much to that, just gave a small nod.

"Okay... so what did he want?" he asked.

Minato stretched his arms slightly as they kept walking.

"Nothing big," he said. "He was just asking if I wanted to come to a dinner thing with some classmates."

He paused, then added,

"And he said you can come too."

That--

That immediately changed Itsuki's mood.

His eyes lit up.

"For real!?" he asked, all traces of annoyance gone in an instant. "When!?"

Minato chuckled softly at the sudden shift.

"Around five."

Itsuki grinned.

"Okay, now I'm excited," he said, practically bouncing a little as he walked.

Minato just watched him, amused.

-------

Later that evening, around five,

Itsuki and Minato arrived at the dinner gathering.

The place was already lively, voices overlapping, the low hum of conversation filling the space. A group of guys were seated together, laughing over something Itsuki couldn't quite catch.

And right in the middle of them,

Soma.

He noticed them almost immediately.

His face lit up as he stood, pushing his chair back with a soft scrape against the floor before walking over.

"Hey, you made it\~!" Soma greeted, his voice light and cheerful, his smile almost too perfect.

Then his eyes shifted.

Landing on Itsuki.

Just for a split second,

There was something there.

Cold.

Sharp.

Gone just as quickly as it appeared.

Soma's expression softened instantly, switching back like nothing had happened.

"And you must be Itsuki\~!" he continued smoothly, stepping a little closer. "Nice to meet you, I'm Soma\~"

His smile was bright. Friendly.

Convincing.

Too convincing.

Itsuki blinked, slightly thrown off.

Did I... imagine that?

"...Uh--yeah," he replied, a bit slower than usual. "Nice to meet you too..."

Before he could think more about it, Soma had already turned back to Minato,

And casually grabbed his arm.

"Come sit here," he said, pulling him along without hesitation.

Itsuki paused for half a second,

Then followed.

They settled at the table, Soma sitting on one side of Minato

Itsuki taking the seat on the other.

Close.

But not as close.

Minato leaned slightly toward Itsuki, lowering his voice.

"Oh, by the way," he whispered, "Soma's a year younger."

Itsuki blinked.

A year younger...?

So--

Eighteen.

Something in his chest loosened slightly.

A quiet breath escaped him before he even realized it.

Okay...

Minato didn't date younger guys.

He knew that.

Which meant--

Soma didn't have a chance anyway.

Not that Itsuki didn't trust Minato.

He did.

Completely.

It wasn't Minato he was worried about.

It is Soma he is worried about.

"So\~ how long have you two been together\~?" Soma asked, tilting his head slightly as he took a casual sip of his juice, eyes flicking between them with curiosity.

Minato opened his mouth to answer,

But Itsuki beat him to it.

"Since 10th grade," he said smoothly.

His tone was calm.

But there was a slight edge to it.

Like he was making something very clear.

Soma paused for a second before setting his drink down gently.

"Oh... wow," he hummed, his smile still in place. "That's a long time."

His eyes lingered just a second too long.

"...Interesting."

Itsuki didn't miss that.

Not one bit.

Minato, completely unaware of the tension, leaned forward slightly.

"What about you?" he asked. "Have you dated before?"

Soma perked up instantly, like he'd been waiting for that question.

"Mm\~ yeah!" he said brightly. "I've had, like, three exes\~"

He pouted slightly, resting his cheek against his hand.

"But they were all so mean to me\~"

His tone was soft.

Innocent.

Almost fragile.

Itsuki stared at him.

...Why does his face look so punchable?

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom," Itsuki suddenly said, pushing his chair back.

Minato nodded without question. "Okay."

Itsuki stood, exhaling quietly as he walked away.

He needed a second.

Just--

A second to breathe.

The noise of the table faded as he moved down the hallway, his thoughts finally catching up with him.

Something's off...

He couldn't fully explain it.

But Soma...

There was just something about him.

Itsuki sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, too caught up in his thoughts.

And then--

Thud.

He walked straight into someone.

"Ow--" he muttered, stepping back slightly.

He looked up,

And froze.

Ren.

Standing right in front of him.

With a girl hooked onto his arm.

Of course.

"...Oh," Ren said, his expression shifting into mild annoyance. "It's you."

Itsuki's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Yeah," he replied flatly. "It is."

His gaze flicked briefly to the girl,

Then back to Ren.

"...What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone laced with quiet judgment. "On a date?"

Ren didn't even hesitate.

"No," he said simply. "A mixer."

Then his lips curved slightly,

Not quite a smile.

"But," he added, glancing down at the girl on his arm, "Since I found someone I'm interested in..."

He looked back at Itsuki.

"I was just about to leave."

Itsuki stilled.

He knew what that meant.

Ren knew what that meant.

There was a brief silence.

Then Itsuki stepped aside.

Letting him pass.

Ren walked past him, close enough for their shoulders to nearly brush again.

A faint smirk tugged at his lips,

Gone just as quickly as it appeared.

And just like that--

He kept walking.

Like nothing happened.

Leaving Itsuki standing there, staring ahead,

Annoyed.

To be continued.

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