He sits without being invited and the waitress unhelpfully comes to take his order.
“Why?” Kita asks when she leaves. “Why do you want to hang out with us?”
“I’m tired of putting up with him.”
I snort, even though I don’t mean to.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about… otherwise, you wouldn’t be here. He picks something and uses it to just needle away at you.”
“I’ve noticed.” I say, glaring at my cup.
“I mean, he started being an asshole to you specifically after you stopped smiling at him and fawning over him.”
I blink at him. “What?”
“We all knew you had a crush on him.” Markoban’s lips twist distastefully. “He liked it… he bragged about it.
“When you lost interest… Jesha made a joke about it and that kind of set him off.”
I consider what to say to that. I’m not going to lie and say Ididn’thave a crush. Clearly that was too obvious to deny.
Kita tries, defending me when she doesn’t need to and I place my hand on one of her tentacles to get her to stop.
“I had a crush on a made up person. Not on Agan. Once I realized he wasn’t who he makes himself out to be… there’s nothing attractive about him at all.”
“I think your rejection has started to make that clearer to the rest of us too.”
“I didn’t reject him.”
“That’s not how he feels about it.”
Something draws my attention and I quickly look away, grimacing at my coffee before muttering, “Speak of the devil and he shall appear.”
Kita’s head swings around so fast.
“Does he have you chipped or something?” Kita says as she packs up the drink she got in a to-go cup from the start, just in case. “When you show up, he’s not far behind.”
“I promise I didn’t ask him to meet me here or tell him anything.” He reaches for her like he wants to keep her where she is, but he doesn’t actually touch her.
Oh…
Kita bats his tentacle away and I don’t say what I’ve only just realized. Markoban put up with Agan to be aroundher.
Poor guy.
Great taste, horrible methods.
“We’re leaving.” She wraps a tentacle around my wrist and she doesn’t need to drag me away, I am already out of my chair.
Markoban comes after us, and I take that as further proof that he reallydoesn’twant to be around Agan.
But it’s too late.
Why is italwaystoo late?
“What are you losers doing down here?” Agan blocks the entrance to the cafe.
How did I ever like him?
