The Ultimates

Sixteen

The moment I saw the fanciness of the restaurant the four of us would dine at, my panicking increased. I was already nervous considering Gundham forced me to drive over with him and Sonia, leaving Nagito to drive behind us in his own car. Other than the radio playing heavy metal, the car was silent. Surprisingly, Sonia was the one who sang along, clearly enjoying it more than Gundham was. However, based on his smile over listening to her sing, I knew he played it specifically for her.

I'd heard of the restaurant we were dining at. It was Teruteru's family restaurant, which was quite famous and popular among the aristocrats. I knew the moment I stepped out of the car that I was screwed. I wasn't sure what the point of taking me there of all places was for, but I had to suck it up. I was there because Sonia was practically a sister to Nagito, so her inviting me out with them had to mean a lot to him. It was all for Nagito.

He pulled his car into the spot next to Gundham's car and glared at her as he slammed his car door shut. Crossing his arms, he raised his eyebrows, and Sonia mimicked him. Clearly, it was some sort of unspoken language between the two, and I didn't plan to intervene.

"Do not worry, mortal," Gundham spoke as he approached my side. "The two behave like this often. I believe their closeness has allowed for them to speak telepathically. They will stop in a mere moment."

Nagito rolled his eyes and walked up to me, placing his hand on my mid-back and leading me into the building. All of my nerves faded in an instant, suddenly overcome with shyness from having Nagito hold me so protectively. I desperately wanted to snuggle my head into his shoulder, but I resisted.

Looking up at him, though, I noticed how vacant his eyes grew. He stared ahead at nothing in particular as we stood in the lobby. Grabbing his hand on my back, he looked at me as I interlocked our fingers and smiled at him. His eyes seemed to soften as he tilted his head and smiled at me.

A hostess led us to a table away from the main lobby and into a private room. Gundham pulled out a chair for Sonia and she sat down. Nagito pulled out the chair across from Gundham for me, and I sat down. Looking down at the eloquently set up table, I tried to think back on all of my Ultimate training in order to prevent embarrassing myself, but since I wasn't sure what half the utensils were specifically for, I knew I would.

"I specifically asked for a private room to ease your nerves, Hajime," Sonia spoke, and I looked up at her. "I know it can be intimidating being in a place like this while you're still a novice to fine dining, so I wanted to help ease your nerves. Tonight is my treat, so order whatever you'd like."

I was going to argue and insist I paid for myself, but everything in the restaurant was even more expensive than what our patrons could order at the café. "Thank you," I whispered in relief.

When the server arrived, I wound up ordering the cheapest meal on the menu which was a small steak. Everyone else ordered their own meal, regardless of price.

"Hajime," Sonia spoke once the server left the room, "you've been part of the Ultimate Club for over a month now, haven't you?"

"Uh, yes, I have."

"I find it strange that the two of us haven't talked much yet, especially considering you're so close with Nagito," she explained, waving her hand towards him. "I thought it would be wonderful if we all got to know each other better. Now, the three of us know each other very well, and while I am sure you and Nagito know a lot about each other, neither Gundham nor myself do."

This was an intervention. I was spending so much time with Nagito that she was getting worried. Whether she thought I was like all the others with ulterior motives or genuinely wanted to know more about myself, I would happily tell her whatever she wanted to know. I knew where my priorities laid, so I had nothing to hide.