[ For someone as busy as he is, you'd think it'd be harder for him to become bored. The problem is, for all his abundant intelligence, he hasn't yet figured out a way to weasel out of his TA duties. The perks make it worth it — his classes are a breeze, he gets paid enough that he doesn't have to worry about other part-time jobs, he's got connections in all the right places — but he still has mandatory responsibilities each week that take up much of his days off. Namely, tutoring.
It's truly a curse to be as talented as he is, sometimes; if he was worse at tutoring, maybe he wouldn't have to do it as much. Too bad, such is the hand he was dealt! So, he must endure...at least until the end of the semester. Then he can move on to other subjects, another set of teachers, maybe ones that will let him slack off a bit more...it's not as though he isn't still learning and assisting!
He's alone during today's office hours, too, grading papers on behalf of the professor, who had to cancel his plans due to "car trouble" — more like he didn't want to hear any more of Satoru debating his theories loudly and pointedly, and this is his punishment. Complete and utter boredom...he hasn't even had any walk-ins for tutoring in the office today.
There's only so much paper-grading he can take. Soon enough, he takes to the white board, doodling, playing hangman and tic-tac-toe against himself (it doesn't work great), drawing penises and Digimon and complex equations, until finally...
He sits back down at the desk in the office and falls asleep. Whatever. This is a better use of his time for sure! He can always grade these later, at, like, 4 a.m. For now, he lets his head rest on his crossed arms, and closes his eyes for a nap. Maybe he'll dream of something more fun than this... ]
[ Sumina, for her part, does have to worry about other part-time jobs, on top of trying to stay on top of her academics and continuing to help with the family business... it's truly a marvel that she's kept on all this time, though the few friends she has would all too easily say that they almost never get to hang out with her, these days, when she's always zipping to and fro.
Like today, when she's zipping to office hours; despite her best efforts, she was unable to get out of having to take this core science course, even after having delayed its inevitability. A hard science like this isn't by any means her strong suit, and also despite her best efforts, she feels like she's falling behind a bit.
She's practically breathless when she walks into the office, having come all the way from the other end of the campus where her previous lecture. ]
Professor! I'm sorry— do you still have time to... ah?
Though Satoru has indeed fallen asleep, he's not particularly deeply asleep, and only dreams about more paper-grading, which is a tremendous disappointment when he stirs at the sound of a voice and remembers that there actually are more papers to great. Shit, why can't he grade papers in his sleep without having to do any work? That'd be nice...
But before this can become a Severance AU, he opens his eyes to find a girl standing in the office doorway, distracting him away from that line of thought. She looks a little familiar — and not just from class, but he can't put his finger on it right away. Well — regardless of where else he knows her from, there's no question why she's here...which really puts a damper on his nap plans.
His head tilts to one side, arms crossing over his chest, long legs propped up on the teacher's desk. ]
Oh, him? He's playing hooky today. Can you believe it? Good thing I'm so responsible. So, what, you want the answers to next week's test?
[ Why does she look like she ran here? Tutoring can't be that exciting...unless she came to see him. He's absolutely worth running all the way here for. ]
He may not place her immediately, but she certainly recognizes him; his shock of white hair and the bright blue eyes framed behind glasses would make him stand out anywhere he goes, she imagines, but above all, it's that voice of him that she's able to pick out...
...Because she's heard it so many times from behind the counter at work, regularly espousing a latte order so complicated that they have its most optimized preparation steps written on a note and taped to the bar, so that no one could possibly forget exactly how to make it. Written by Sumina herself, even.
Is he really the professor's assistant? She doesn't even know if she's ever seen him at one of the lectures... Should she pretend to not recognize him from the café? And moreover— ]
You can't seriously just... give a student the answers to the test, can you? [ A beat. ] Is this a test?
[ His feet slip off of the desk, as he sits forward, scrutinizing her from over the frames his glasses. Really, where does he know her from...? It's gonna bug him until it comes to him. ]
Maybe. You tell me. Is it?
[ A long, pregnant pause. ]
...You passed. I would've given 'em to you, for the record. Is there something else you need?
[ It would have been easier on them both if she just asked for the answers to the test, but he'll entertain any other requests she has, if she's determined not to do things the easy way. ]
[ Sure enough, Sumina doesn't look particularly impressed by his offer to straight up give her the answers to the test... Even if she's not particularly interested in or even required to be proficient in working out physics formulas in her eventual line of work, she's not one to half-ass anything. Especially in such a dishonest manner!
...Anyway, he definitely doesn't recognize her, it seems. Maybe that's a good thing? She's not exactly sure. It's always a little awkward running into customers in other contexts, especially when some people take it as a sign to act too friendly with her, as if being their barista makes them entitled to her friendship right away. So— keep pretending she doesn't know him either, then... ]
Actually, I was hoping to go over a part of the last lecture with the professor. I had some trouble following along...
[ And it definitely wasn't because she was so tired from all of the things she's juggling that she fell asleep for a little bit (it was). ]
[ Fortunate for her that he hasn't been observant enough to notice she fell asleep in class, or he wouldn't let her hear the end of it. As it is, he exhales a none-too-subtle groan, glancing towards the doorway as though he hopes the professor might come in at any moment to relieve him of his duties (that he absolutely agreed and volunteered for, mind), but...
No, no such luck. ]
Ehhhhh....he's hiding from me, so I guess I can go over it with you. As long as you're ready to learn it much better than he could ever explain it, anyway.
[ It is truly a mystery why the professor might want to avoid him...... ]
[ Wow, he really doesn't want to do this, does he... what's more, is that he's claiming to be better at teaching than an actual professor? She's always got the impression that he's not exactly a humble kind of guy, and you don't have to look more than a few seconds at him to just know he's really confident, but still....... Does she want to deal with this, actually?
Growing up helping with her family's inn and building herself up to take over the business, though, there's one thing that truly hates doing, and that's inconveniencing other people. And goodness, does this seem inconvenient for him. ]
I-I mean, I can come back another time when the professor is actually here, if you'd rather not.
[ She reaches up to tuck her hair behind an ear - it had fallen loose from her ponytail when she power-walked across campus to get here... ]
After you came all the way here? Ehhh. I was bored to tears, anyway.
[ And he can make it into a competition to prove how much better he is at explaining this stuff than the professor is. If she needs further convincing, he kicks one of his legs under the desk to scoot out the chair opposite him, encouraging her to sit. ]
C'mon. Now I'll be offended if you don't wanna learn from me! You don't wanna make me cry, do you? I'm a louuuuud crier!
[ As if to intimate the reality of this threat, his voice grows louder as he speaks, wavering just so slightly, despite the fact that he shoots her an impish wink. ]
[ You're just loud all-around, she almost says, but she thinks the better of it for the sake of keeping up this charade, as if she hasn't overheard so many of his conversations from behind the bar simply because of how loud he is in the café when he's taking calls or yapping with (at?) a friend...
She doesn't manage to hold back the sigh that escapes her, however, as she sinks into the seat he's offered her in perhaps the least chivalrous way she's experienced. ]
Alright, then...
[ Is this really going to be helpful...? She's not so sure yet, but even as resigned as she is to her current fate, she dutifully fishes her textbook and impeccably-kept and organized notebook for class. ]
Ah, I'm Sumina, by the way.
[ He probably doesn't remember the name of the barista that usually makes his drinks, though, or so she thinks. ]
[ She sits, and he starts to scribble down some equations on a piece of paper, but as soon as she mentions her name, something fires in the back of his mind. Sumina...he's read that name a lot. Of course, on the nametag of the girl at the cafe who —
Immediately, he sits straight up. ]
Heyyyyyyy! I thought you looked familiar! You're the only one who can get my drink order right!
[ She's actually kind of a big deal for that reason alone, and he levels her with a starry-eyed look, like he's meeting an icon. He's just very passionate about his sugary, caffeinated beverages... ]
[ Ah, the jig is up— though at least this way she can stop pretending she doesn't recognize him, when he's probably one of the most recognizable people on campus, let alone at the café.
Which only makes it all the more unsettling that he's leveling that kind of look at her. Yes, she's the only one who can get his impossible drink order right and consistently so, but that's not something that warrants that kind of reaction, is it...?
In any case— ]
It's... Gojo, right?
[ She couldn't possibly forget, but she says it tentatively all the same, if only because she learns a lot of names and drink orders during any given shift. ]
[ Ordinarily, some might be perturbed that their barista remembers their name, but for Gojo, it's only natural. Of course she would remember him. Who wouldn't?
No one worth his time, anyway. With a toothy grin, he offers her a cheeky bow of his head. ]
The one and only. I'm pretty memorable, aren't I? Sooo, now you know you're in good hands, learning from the Great Tutor Gojo!
[ How he leapt from point A to point B there is anyone's guess, but at the very least, he does seem a lot more enthusiastic about tutoring her now, as though this is the least he can do to pay her back for understanding implicitly just how he likes his whipped cream and cinnamon. And caramel, and chocolate drizzle, and vanilla cream... ]
[ Memorable is certainly one way to put it, when she really only knows him as the guy with the single most expensive drink anyone can order with his whipped cream and cinnamon and caramel and chocolate drizzle and vanilla cream and whatnot.
But, he seems to be sincerely interested in helping her out now compared to moments ago; she's not in a position to refuse any help, anyway. She hasn't exactly bothered to get to know her classmates well enough to do any study groups...
Sumina starts to settle in, then, taking out her textbook and notebook and pens to get to work. ]
Alright, then... I'm in your hands.
[ ...And to her genuine surprise, once they do get started, Gojo proves himself to be a fantastic tutor indeed. He's able to explain all of the more nebulous concepts from the professor's lecture to her in simpler, less jargon-y terms, allowing her to grasp them that much easier. She never could have expected this from him from how he tends to act around his friends at the cafe, but it's... a pleasant surprise.
Maybe she won't end up flunking out of this class, after all. That would be one less stressful thing in her life. ]
[ ...And sure enough, thanks to a few more sessions of Gojo's tutoring, Sumina manages to ace the next big test. While she would have been content with a simple, passable score, she certainly won't say no to a score that might help her breathe a little easier for the rest of the semester, too. It's a huge relief, if she's completely honest, so much so that she'd like to personally thank him.
Or she would, if she knew how to actually get a hold of him. It seems Gojo doesn't like to actually be around for lectures, nor could she find his contact information anywhere in the course materials, which leaves...
...Well, the option she'd hoped she wouldn't have to take. The most embarrassing option, really, and one that she cannot believe she's resorting to, after side-eyeing so many of her coworkers at the cafe for such an approach.
--
The next time Gojo visits the cafe while Sumina happens to be working a shift, he'll find his usual iced latte with vanilla cream and whipped cream with cinnamon and caramel chocolate drizzle slid over the pick-up counter to him with some extra writing on the cup: ]
[ Of all the days he wasn't able to stop and make small talk at the counter with her while ordering, of course it would be the one she decides to give him her number. That's probably by design, so Sumina can slip it to him unbeknownst, but also, because he's in a hurry, he doesn't...actually see the number. Oops.
So Gojo picks up his drink from the counter and heads out the door with only a customary wave given to Sumina on his way. Welp.
He doesn't notice as he sips his syrupy latte, either. He doesn't notice it as it sits on his desk, or later, when in transfers to the cupholder of his car, where is sits for several days. Preparing for midterms can be a bitch, and unlike Sumina, the students occupying his hours this week are utterly hopeless. Can't he just blow them off and let them deal with the consequences? But — no, despite everything, he can't quite bring himself to do that, either. He actually does enjoy seeing people succeed, especially when it's due in part to his own efforts.
...Come to think of it, he hasn't had a chance to ask Sumina how her exam went, has he?
It's only at the end of the week, after his empty latte cup has sat in his car for several days and he finally picks it up to toss it, that he realizes there's digits on there.
And instead of use those digits for their intended purpose, to text Sumina as a means for getting in touch with her, he instead returns to the cafe that evening, when he knows she has a late shift, approaches the counter, and slams down the cup for all to see.
...And hear. ]
Excuuuuuuse me! May I please have your attention — do you know what this is?!
[ To no one in particular, and so to everyone working. Oh dear. ]
Sumina, naturally, has no choice but to assume that the reason he hasn't messaged her is because he, in fact, secretly hates her. Maybe it's the stress of midterms talking, but also, maybe it's true. Maybe it's enough for him to have tutored her for a few sessions and to be a regular at her workplace and nothing else. And that's— that's more than reasonable, isn't it? She's busy, and he must be busy, too. It shouldn't bother her at all... only that it does.
Better not think about why. Maybe the stress of the week really is getting to her.
And being that it is midterms season, it's quite unfortunate for Sumina for reasons that are yet to be revealed to her that the shop is still packed at this hour, when it ordinarily would be empty enough for her to get a head start on closing up or even work on her own assignments. Tonight, there are more than a few fellow students lingering, pumping themselves full of caffeine for what is sure to be a long night of cramming ahead.
And they are all, unfortunately, the captive audience for whatever the hell Gojo - who secretly hates her, obviously - is here to pull. The only other barista on shift decides to duck into the back-of-house the moment he strides in with seemingly great purpose, traitorously leaving Sumina to fend for herself.
Of course, she also has no reason to assume straight away that this empty cup he's slammed down onto the counter is, in fact, the very same one she'd written her number on almost a week ago. So— ]
[ Yes...he secretly hates her, that's why he's here to make such a big spectacle revolving around her in particular. Okay, maybe that is what he would do if he hated her, but he'd do it in a very different way! It'd be mean-spirited, while this is...
Well.
Flashing Sumina an impish grin, Gojo lifts the cup between his hands like it's a relic from some video game, even going so far as to give it its own little theme music, which he hums out loudly, obnoxiously. More than a few cramming students shoot him disdainful looks, while others just roll their eyes — the ones that recognize him, no doubt, as a permanent resident of the idiot-genius quantum zone. ]
Not just any empty cup! What, don't tell me you forgot, Mina-chan! Waaaah, noooo way!
[ His bottom lip puffs out in a pout, as he makes a near approximation of the pleading emoji face. ]
[ She has no choice but to indeed take closer look, and sure enough, it's the very cup she'd left her message on.
Her message... from nearly a week ago. The message she's been stressing over, that she's been regretting leaving for fear of looking too desperate or like she's one of the countless other customers who've definitely tried to chat him up whenever he's sitting here or even just waiting for his coffee vying for his attention which— now that she has it undividedly so— she's entirely unsure what to do with. ]
Ahh...
[ He's pouting at her? He's the one who left her hanging all this time..! She meets his :pleading_face: with a :face_raised_with_eyebrow:— ]
You're the one that forgot, aren't you, Gojo? That was almost a week ago. Why do you even still have that cup? Just hurry up and throw it away if you're not going to do anything with it. And— would you keep your voice down? People are trying to focus...
[ People are actually more interested in whatever is going on here now, actually, but some are still pretending to try to focus. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
It's truly a curse to be as talented as he is, sometimes; if he was worse at tutoring, maybe he wouldn't have to do it as much. Too bad, such is the hand he was dealt! So, he must endure...at least until the end of the semester. Then he can move on to other subjects, another set of teachers, maybe ones that will let him slack off a bit more...it's not as though he isn't still learning and assisting!
He's alone during today's office hours, too, grading papers on behalf of the professor, who had to cancel his plans due to "car trouble" — more like he didn't want to hear any more of Satoru debating his theories loudly and pointedly, and this is his punishment. Complete and utter boredom...he hasn't even had any walk-ins for tutoring in the office today.
There's only so much paper-grading he can take. Soon enough, he takes to the white board, doodling, playing hangman and tic-tac-toe against himself (it doesn't work great), drawing penises and Digimon and complex equations, until finally...
He sits back down at the desk in the office and falls asleep. Whatever. This is a better use of his time for sure! He can always grade these later, at, like, 4 a.m. For now, he lets his head rest on his crossed arms, and closes his eyes for a nap. Maybe he'll dream of something more fun than this... ]
no subject
Like today, when she's zipping to office hours; despite her best efforts, she was unable to get out of having to take this core science course, even after having delayed its inevitability. A hard science like this isn't by any means her strong suit, and also despite her best efforts, she feels like she's falling behind a bit.
She's practically breathless when she walks into the office, having come all the way from the other end of the campus where her previous lecture. ]
Professor! I'm sorry— do you still have time to... ah?
[ where is the professor 🧍♀️ ]
no subject
Though Satoru has indeed fallen asleep, he's not particularly deeply asleep, and only dreams about more paper-grading, which is a tremendous disappointment when he stirs at the sound of a voice and remembers that there actually are more papers to great. Shit, why can't he grade papers in his sleep without having to do any work? That'd be nice...
But before this can become a Severance AU, he opens his eyes to find a girl standing in the office doorway, distracting him away from that line of thought. She looks a little familiar — and not just from class, but he can't put his finger on it right away. Well — regardless of where else he knows her from, there's no question why she's here...which really puts a damper on his nap plans.
His head tilts to one side, arms crossing over his chest, long legs propped up on the teacher's desk. ]
Oh, him? He's playing hooky today. Can you believe it? Good thing I'm so responsible. So, what, you want the answers to next week's test?
[ Why does she look like she ran here? Tutoring can't be that exciting...unless she came to see him. He's absolutely worth running all the way here for. ]
no subject
He may not place her immediately, but she certainly recognizes him; his shock of white hair and the bright blue eyes framed behind glasses would make him stand out anywhere he goes, she imagines, but above all, it's that voice of him that she's able to pick out...
...Because she's heard it so many times from behind the counter at work, regularly espousing a latte order so complicated that they have its most optimized preparation steps written on a note and taped to the bar, so that no one could possibly forget exactly how to make it. Written by Sumina herself, even.
Is he really the professor's assistant? She doesn't even know if she's ever seen him at one of the lectures... Should she pretend to not recognize him from the café? And moreover— ]
You can't seriously just... give a student the answers to the test, can you? [ A beat. ] Is this a test?
no subject
Maybe. You tell me. Is it?
[ A long, pregnant pause. ]
...You passed. I would've given 'em to you, for the record. Is there something else you need?
[ It would have been easier on them both if she just asked for the answers to the test, but he'll entertain any other requests she has, if she's determined not to do things the easy way. ]
no subject
[ Sure enough, Sumina doesn't look particularly impressed by his offer to straight up give her the answers to the test... Even if she's not particularly interested in or even required to be proficient in working out physics formulas in her eventual line of work, she's not one to half-ass anything. Especially in such a dishonest manner!
...Anyway, he definitely doesn't recognize her, it seems. Maybe that's a good thing? She's not exactly sure. It's always a little awkward running into customers in other contexts, especially when some people take it as a sign to act too friendly with her, as if being their barista makes them entitled to her friendship right away. So— keep pretending she doesn't know him either, then... ]
Actually, I was hoping to go over a part of the last lecture with the professor. I had some trouble following along...
[ And it definitely wasn't because she was so tired from all of the things she's juggling that she fell asleep for a little bit (it was). ]
no subject
No, no such luck. ]
Ehhhhh....he's hiding from me, so I guess I can go over it with you. As long as you're ready to learn it much better than he could ever explain it, anyway.
[ It is truly a mystery why the professor might want to avoid him...... ]
no subject
Growing up helping with her family's inn and building herself up to take over the business, though, there's one thing that truly hates doing, and that's inconveniencing other people. And goodness, does this seem inconvenient for him. ]
I-I mean, I can come back another time when the professor is actually here, if you'd rather not.
[ She reaches up to tuck her hair behind an ear - it had fallen loose from her ponytail when she power-walked across campus to get here... ]
no subject
[ And he can make it into a competition to prove how much better he is at explaining this stuff than the professor is. If she needs further convincing, he kicks one of his legs under the desk to scoot out the chair opposite him, encouraging her to sit. ]
C'mon. Now I'll be offended if you don't wanna learn from me! You don't wanna make me cry, do you? I'm a louuuuud crier!
[ As if to intimate the reality of this threat, his voice grows louder as he speaks, wavering just so slightly, despite the fact that he shoots her an impish wink. ]
no subject
She doesn't manage to hold back the sigh that escapes her, however, as she sinks into the seat he's offered her in perhaps the least chivalrous way she's experienced. ]
Alright, then...
[ Is this really going to be helpful...? She's not so sure yet, but even as resigned as she is to her current fate, she dutifully fishes her textbook and impeccably-kept and organized notebook for class. ]
Ah, I'm Sumina, by the way.
[ He probably doesn't remember the name of the barista that usually makes his drinks, though, or so she thinks. ]
no subject
Immediately, he sits straight up. ]
Heyyyyyyy! I thought you looked familiar! You're the only one who can get my drink order right!
[ She's actually kind of a big deal for that reason alone, and he levels her with a starry-eyed look, like he's meeting an icon. He's just very passionate about his sugary, caffeinated beverages... ]
Heh, that means you already know my name, too.
[ She couldn't possibly forget it...right? ]
no subject
Which only makes it all the more unsettling that he's leveling that kind of look at her. Yes, she's the only one who can get his impossible drink order right and consistently so, but that's not something that warrants that kind of reaction, is it...?
In any case— ]
It's... Gojo, right?
[ She couldn't possibly forget, but she says it tentatively all the same, if only because she learns a lot of names and drink orders during any given shift. ]
no subject
No one worth his time, anyway. With a toothy grin, he offers her a cheeky bow of his head. ]
The one and only. I'm pretty memorable, aren't I? Sooo, now you know you're in good hands, learning from the Great Tutor Gojo!
[ How he leapt from point A to point B there is anyone's guess, but at the very least, he does seem a lot more enthusiastic about tutoring her now, as though this is the least he can do to pay her back for understanding implicitly just how he likes his whipped cream and cinnamon. And caramel, and chocolate drizzle, and vanilla cream... ]
C'mon, let's get started already!
no subject
But, he seems to be sincerely interested in helping her out now compared to moments ago; she's not in a position to refuse any help, anyway. She hasn't exactly bothered to get to know her classmates well enough to do any study groups...
Sumina starts to settle in, then, taking out her textbook and notebook and pens to get to work. ]
Alright, then... I'm in your hands.
[ ...And to her genuine surprise, once they do get started, Gojo proves himself to be a fantastic tutor indeed. He's able to explain all of the more nebulous concepts from the professor's lecture to her in simpler, less jargon-y terms, allowing her to grasp them that much easier. She never could have expected this from him from how he tends to act around his friends at the cafe, but it's... a pleasant surprise.
Maybe she won't end up flunking out of this class, after all. That would be one less stressful thing in her life. ]
no subject
Or she would, if she knew how to actually get a hold of him. It seems Gojo doesn't like to actually be around for lectures, nor could she find his contact information anywhere in the course materials, which leaves...
...Well, the option she'd hoped she wouldn't have to take. The most embarrassing option, really, and one that she cannot believe she's resorting to, after side-eyeing so many of her coworkers at the cafe for such an approach.
--
The next time Gojo visits the cafe while Sumina happens to be working a shift, he'll find his usual iced latte with vanilla cream and whipped cream with cinnamon and caramel chocolate drizzle slid over the pick-up counter to him with some extra writing on the cup: ]
Gojo—
Thanks for the help.
Sumina
[ ...along with her phone number. ]
no subject
So Gojo picks up his drink from the counter and heads out the door with only a customary wave given to Sumina on his way. Welp.
He doesn't notice as he sips his syrupy latte, either. He doesn't notice it as it sits on his desk, or later, when in transfers to the cupholder of his car, where is sits for several days. Preparing for midterms can be a bitch, and unlike Sumina, the students occupying his hours this week are utterly hopeless. Can't he just blow them off and let them deal with the consequences? But — no, despite everything, he can't quite bring himself to do that, either. He actually does enjoy seeing people succeed, especially when it's due in part to his own efforts.
...Come to think of it, he hasn't had a chance to ask Sumina how her exam went, has he?
It's only at the end of the week, after his empty latte cup has sat in his car for several days and he finally picks it up to toss it, that he realizes there's digits on there.
And instead of use those digits for their intended purpose, to text Sumina as a means for getting in touch with her, he instead returns to the cafe that evening, when he knows she has a late shift, approaches the counter, and slams down the cup for all to see.
...And hear. ]
Excuuuuuuse me! May I please have your attention — do you know what this is?!
[ To no one in particular, and so to everyone working. Oh dear. ]
no subject
Sumina, naturally, has no choice but to assume that the reason he hasn't messaged her is because he, in fact, secretly hates her. Maybe it's the stress of midterms talking, but also, maybe it's true. Maybe it's enough for him to have tutored her for a few sessions and to be a regular at her workplace and nothing else. And that's— that's more than reasonable, isn't it? She's busy, and he must be busy, too. It shouldn't bother her at all... only that it does.
Better not think about why. Maybe the stress of the week really is getting to her.
And being that it is midterms season, it's quite unfortunate for Sumina for reasons that are yet to be revealed to her that the shop is still packed at this hour, when it ordinarily would be empty enough for her to get a head start on closing up or even work on her own assignments. Tonight, there are more than a few fellow students lingering, pumping themselves full of caffeine for what is sure to be a long night of cramming ahead.
And they are all, unfortunately, the captive audience for whatever the hell Gojo - who secretly hates her, obviously - is here to pull. The only other barista on shift decides to duck into the back-of-house the moment he strides in with seemingly great purpose, traitorously leaving Sumina to fend for herself.
Of course, she also has no reason to assume straight away that this empty cup he's slammed down onto the counter is, in fact, the very same one she'd written her number on almost a week ago. So— ]
It's... an empty cup?
[ wtf ]
no subject
Well.
Flashing Sumina an impish grin, Gojo lifts the cup between his hands like it's a relic from some video game, even going so far as to give it its own little theme music, which he hums out loudly, obnoxiously. More than a few cramming students shoot him disdainful looks, while others just roll their eyes — the ones that recognize him, no doubt, as a permanent resident of the idiot-genius quantum zone. ]
Not just any empty cup! What, don't tell me you forgot, Mina-chan! Waaaah, noooo way!
[ His bottom lip puffs out in a pout, as he makes a near approximation of the pleading emoji face. ]
Take a closer look...
[ He holds the cup out towards her now. ]
no subject
Her message... from nearly a week ago. The message she's been stressing over, that she's been regretting leaving for fear of looking too desperate or like she's one of the countless other customers who've definitely tried to chat him up whenever he's sitting here or even just waiting for his coffee vying for his attention which— now that she has it undividedly so— she's entirely unsure what to do with. ]
Ahh...
[ He's pouting at her? He's the one who left her hanging all this time..! She meets his :pleading_face: with a :face_raised_with_eyebrow:— ]
You're the one that forgot, aren't you, Gojo? That was almost a week ago. Why do you even still have that cup? Just hurry up and throw it away if you're not going to do anything with it. And— would you keep your voice down? People are trying to focus...
[ People are actually more interested in whatever is going on here now, actually, but some are still pretending to try to focus. ]