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Akiyama feels a bit unnerved.
For once, the dealers look almost..uncomfortable. They're arguing in hushed voices at the side of the room, gesturing wildly and casting discomfitted glances at the players.
He's not in the mood for this. He's exhausted, irritable, a full semester's college tuition in the red, and about one condescending remark away from punching the smirk right off Yokoya's face. Not to mention: he's starving.
The LGT has never been one of Akiyama's favourite organisations, but one of the things he doesn't hate is the food they provide. There was supposed to be a banquet tonight; it's written in black and white on the invitation, he's sure of it.
He sneaks a glance at Nao. She's slumped over in an armchair at the corner, eyes glazed over with tiredness and mouth turned down slightly in an uncharacteristic frown. He has an irrational urge to go over an make some awkwardly affectionate gesture, like, he doesn't know, pat her head or something. What was it they do in the mangas?
Before he can make an idiot of himself, the dealers appear to finally reach a decision.
"Ladies, gentlemen," one of them says in a tone of forced geniality, "I'm afraid there has been a mishap with the caterers tonight."
The room explodes into a cacophony of complaint. "No food?" someone wails.
Akiyama really can't blame them; in fact, he momentarily considers joining in.
"Most unfortunate," another dealer cuts in, appearing to glare at the first speaker, "and so instead we have decided to order..."
He hesitates and grimaces.
"...pizza," he finishes, his tone betraying his evident disapproval.
"What," Yokoya hisses.
For once, Akiyama agrees.
The first dealer raises a hand for silence. "Quiet," he orders. "Us dealers have utmost sympathy with you on this, but I'm afraid we have no choice. So --"
"We will have a vote!" the second dealer interrupts again. "On the type of pizza to order."
"I thought we agreed to order Hawaiian," the first dealer hisses.
The second dealer ignores him pointedly. "Triple Cheese, Hawaiian, BBQ Chicken, or Vegetarian," he continues without pause. "We will call out the names of the pizza one by one, and Nearco here," he indicates the first dealer with a careless wave of the hand, who crosses his arms defiantly, "will record your votes. You may only vote once."
Nearco, the first dealer who evidently prefers Hawaiian, looks rather irritated.
"First," the second dealer continues serenely, "all those for triple cheese?"
About a fifth of the people raise their hands. Nearco writes their index numbers down on the blackboard without looking at it.
One of the dealers looks noticeably displeased at the small number of votes.
"Secondly --" the second dealer begins reluctantly --
" -- Hawaiian?" Nearco cuts in, before the second dealer can say anything, which earns him a glare that is pointedly ignored.
Yokoya raises his hand, and glares around the room. "Well?" he demands, "aren't you voting?"
A third of the hands shoot up immediately after this statement. Akiyama, who in fact rather likes Hawaiian, deliberately refuses to vote.
"I thought you liked Hawaiian," a murmur comes from beside him, almost making him jump.
He scowls halfheartedly. "I don't," he declares defiantly.
Nao laughs softly. "Never would have taken you to be the childish type, Akiyama-san," she teases.
He makes a face, and she giggles. The sound is like a warm fire on a winter's night; he feels warm all over.
He manages to escape his stupor just in time to raise his hand for "BBQ Chicken." Another third raise their hands, which Nearco records halfheartedly.
Finally, the second dealer announces, with much more enthusiasm, "Vegetarian."
There's a moment's silence, before finally, Nao raises her hand.
Everyone turns to her in disbelief. "What?" she asks, bewildered by the sudden attention.
"You like vegetarian?" Akiyama demands, fighting an urge to laugh.
"Nobody likes vegetarian," Yokoya scoffs, temporarily coming off his high horse. "Kanzaki-san, you must be joking."
Nao's eyes narrow. "Excuse me?" she asks, icily.
"Excuse me?" the second dealer echoes. Nobody pays attention to him.
"Vegetarian pizza," Yokoya says again indisbelief. He casts a disdainful glance at Akiyama, "I knew you had bad taste, but.."
Time seems to slow down as the blood rushes to his face.
"Excuse me?" Akiyama repeats. "What, exactly, are you implying by that?"
Nao's eyes move from Akiyama to Yokoya in apprehension. The rest of the room is silent, watching their exchange like a rather intense game of table tennis.
"Well," Yokoya laughs, "aren't you two screwing each other?"
There's a moment's silence, and before he can stop himself, his fist connects with Yokoya's jaw, making a rather satisfying crack. Yokoya's eyes are wide, apparently stunned into silence for once.
"Akiyama-san!" Nao cries in reproach, while the rest of the room watches, spellbound, in horrified silence.
Her voice breaks the spell, and the room explodes into chaos.
"Did you see his face?" Leronira chortles, afterwards, as the players stuff their faces with BBQ chicken (much to Akiyama's delight). "Priceless."
"I can't believe that girl could make Akiyama lose control like that, though," Nearco muses.
Leronira smirks. "Nothing less expected from the girl who appreciates real food."
"Next time," Kurifuji interjects, before another argument can break out, "let's just have ramen."