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Saihara knows it’s going to be a long day when, a few seconds before the bell rings for lunch, Ouma cheerfully announces that the world is flat.
Momota and Iruma’s simultaneous yells of indignation are cut off by the bell, but that doesn’t stop them from keeping pace with Ouma all the way to the dining hall. Really, he can barely get a word in edgewise to actually explain his theory, for all their talking; though Saihara is decently certain that Ouma doesn’t actually think the world is flat. He’s probably just saying that to get a rise out of them, but while on her own Iruma would probably be okay, Momota’s righteous anger is probably enough to spur a similar reaction in her. It’s… mildly entertaining, but Saihara still can’t blame Harukawa when she splits off from the group before reaching the cafeteria, probably to eat lunch in her own room.
Upon entering the dining hall, Saihara finds himself split between going to get lunch and following Momota, Ouma, and Iruma to a table, but eventually he opts for the former. It won’t be much of a different scene over there in a few seconds, and anyway, Saihara skipped breakfast this morning. He’s hungry. He serves himself a bowl of tomato soup and grabs a sandwich, shooting Toujou a quick, grateful smile before he turns and heads over to claim his seat next to Momota.
When Saihara sits down, they’re still bickering, their voices lowered slightly now that the argument has been going for a while, but their tones still passionate.
“--sten, you annoying shit,” Iruma is saying, jabbing her index and middle fingers against the table, as though to emphasise her words, “you say a lot of bullshit sometimes, but you’ve really outdone yourself with this. Hell, I’m even siding with this moron!” She throws her arms in the air, gesturing wildly at Momota, who nods seriously before stopping, an annoyed look crossing over his expression.
“Yeah, y-- wait, I’m not an idiot!” he protests, letting out a huff. “Fuck off, Iruma.”
“Awww, c’mon, Momota-chan!” Ouma grins. “Don’t’cha know you gotta give some things away in order to gain them? That’s what compromise means!”
Momota makes a face. “What’s that got to do with any of this?”
“In order to form an alliance with Iruma-chan and take down the bigger enemy, you have to admit the truth!” Ouma beams, pushing himself up to poke Momota on the nose before plopping back down into his seat. (Momota leans away, wrinkling his nose, like he’s split between sneezing and scowling.) “Momota-chan is an idiot! For sure!”
“I am not!” Momota insists, louder this time, irritation flickering over his features. “You talk a lot of shit for a guy who thinks the earth is flat!”
“Nishishi, see? That’s even more proof that you’re a moron!” Ouma gestures with his hand, his grin widening. “You’re stupid enough to fall for my bait!”
“Damn right you-- wait, hey!” Iruma huffs, turning on Ouma now, scowling. “You were baitin’ us?”
Shaking his head, Ouma lets out a sigh. “Looks like Iruma-chan’s finally met her intellectual match… how romantic.”
“Can it, you twit!” Iruma groans, cuffing Ouma lightly in the back of the head. Ouma ducks with a little nishishi, and Iruma rolls her eyes, continuing, “There’s no way this peabrain is on the same level as the Gorgeous Girl Genius!”
Momota’s face goes red. “Peabrain?” he repeats, sounding flabbergasted. “I’m not a peabrain! Stop calling me an idiot, I’m serious!”
“Momota-chan is so sad,” Ouma pouts, and really, Saihara wishes that he would stop, they’ve dragged this on long enough, “I really hate people who lie to themselves, y’know? It breaks my heart! I could cry!” With a wail, he falls into Iruma’s arm, and Iruma squirms away from him, scrunching up her face.
“Ew! Get your nasty virgin snot off of me!” she yells, pushing Ouma away, before looking at Momota. “Listen, Homota, I dunno what you want me to say! If you want me to stop callin’ you an idiot, maybe stop being an idiot! It’s that simple!”
“It would be that simple, if I was, but I’m not!” Momota repeats, and he almost sounds genuinely upset this time, his brows knitting together. “I’m not an idiot, right, Shuichi?” Momota turns to look at him, and Saihara straightens up, surprised at having been brought into it. It’s not that he likes watching Iruma and Ouma pick on Momota, or anything, but it’s the sort of conversation that he’d feel weird participating in-- and anyway, if Saihara tried to get involved in Momota’s arguments with Ouma all the time, he’d barely have a moment free of conflict.
He’s almost a bit frustrated at Momota for putting him on the spot-- which is kind of mean, Saihara realises, but Momota can be a bit thoughtless at times, a bit irrational, a bit hotheaded-- but he tries to respond anyway, swallowing and opening his mouth.
Only for Ouma to interject, “See? Even your sidekick simp can’t deny it! Maybe Momota-chan should just accept it, y’know? Or read a textbook!”
“That’s not what I--” Saihara starts to say.
Cackling, Iruma cuts him off, “You don’t gotta deny it, Sai-e-boy! It’s not like you’re tellin’ some kinda lie, y’know? Sometimes people are beautiful and brilliant and superior in every way, looks, personality, and brains,” Iruma’s face flushes slightly, like she’s flustered by her own praise, “and then you get Momota.”
Despite the jab, Momota doesn’t seem to hear Iruma’s comment, his gaze focused on Saihara for a moment, his brow furrowed more than it was before. His expression is… heavier, than Saihara is familiar with, something undecipherable flickering in his eyes before he turns away, letting out a huff and making a retort at Iruma.
Saihara swallows, and looks down at the floor, tugging down on the brim of his cap. He doesn’t feel good about what just happened, but what was he supposed to do? Nothing he could’ve said would’ve dissuaded Ouma or Iruma… for Iruma, it’s probably just banter, but Ouma just likes getting reactions out of people, and there’s no way logic or reason is actually going to trip him up. Still, that look that Momota gave him just now was… upsetting. Maybe Saihara should ask him about it.
Ugh, but what would he even say? It was an idiotic argument about the earth being flat. It’s not Saihara’s business. He wasn’t even participating in the conversation! What would Momota have had him say, anyway?
Swallowing again, Saihara picks up his sandwich and tries to focus on lunch. It’s… fine. Momota bounces back easily. The argument will end, and they’ll start a conversation about something else, and it’ll be fine. Saihara decides to just tune them out for now.
Iruma and Ouma don’t relocate even after the conversation calms down, but Saihara tries not to listen to them either, only turning his head to glance in that direction when the two of them stand up, bickering about what Saihara thinks is some Kiibo-related topic. They leave the dining hall, Ouma with his arms behind his neck and Iruma gesturing wildly with a hand, and Saihara’s eyes linger on the door for a moment before he glances at Momota.
His expression is unreadable, but he isn’t looking at Saihara, so it might just be lingering frustration from the argument. Saihara would feel weird starting a conversation right now, but the silence is a bit uncomfortable too, even underneath the chatter of the dining hall.
He sneaks a glance at the clock on the wall and sees that there are ten minutes left before afternoon classes, then returns his gaze to Momota.
“Um… Momota-kun, if you’re done eating, would you--”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Momota interrupts, turning to look at Saihara. That weird look on his face is still there, and after a moment, Saihara realises that the expression isn’t unreadable so much as it is unfamiliar. Momota has never made that face at him before, and Saihara has to take a moment to try and figure it out, swallowing thickly.
There’s nobody else here to interrupt, though, so eventually Saihara has to reply, even before he’s managed to parse the emotion in Momota’s eyes. “U-Um… well, ah, I wasn’t expecting to be brought in? It wasn’t really any of my business, you know?” He looks away. Momota’s gaze is too heavy for him right now, sitting solid on his shoulders, and it makes his chest feel a bit tight for reasons he doesn’t understand. “Did you… want me to?”
“Of course I wanted you to,” Momota scoffs, “I asked, didn’t I?” He shakes his head, and looks away for a moment, his brows furrowed.
Saihara stares at him. “Are you upset at me?”
“Upset? No, I’m not upset, why would I be upset?” Momota asks, but even as he says that, he’s standing up, hands curling into fists at the edges of his plate. “It’s not like I hate being called an idiot, or anything.”
“I didn’t call you an idiot!” Saihara protests. “I don’t think you’re an idiot, Momota-kun, you’re very sm--”
“Then why didn’t you say that to them?” Momota looks up at Saihara, his gaze suddenly sharp, his tone fierce. Saihara freezes, his stomach clenching, and swallows thickly, trying not to cower. He’s seen Momota angry before, but never at him, and it’s not something he knows how to navigate. “Would it kill you to stick up for me? For once? To try having my back?”
That makes Saihara a bit angry. “I have your back,” he says, frowning, his own brow furrowing. “You call me your sidekick all the time! What part of that isn’t me having your back?”
“It’s just a fucking word, it doesn’t mean anything unless you actually act like it,” Momota snaps. “And hell, maybe you do act like my sidekick sometimes, because I know there’s no way in hell I’d ever let someone talk that bad about you, but I guess that doesn’t go both ways.” With that, Momota turns, starting over towards the kitchen, his expression tightening into a scowl.
“What do you want me to say, Momota-kun?” Saihara calls after him, a hand bracing himself on the edge of the table. “Do you want me to go chase down Ouma-kun and Iruma-san and tell them I don’t think you’re an idiot? The conversation is over! Why do you even care what they think?”
Momota stops walking, for just a moment, his shoulders tight, his breathing even, and turns to glance back at Saihara, his gaze… odd. Not heavy, like before, but distant, cold. Nothing like the warm, friendly gaze that Saihara is so used to from him. After what feels like an eternity, Momota says, “I think I need to be alone right now, Saihara,” and then turns back around, finishing his journey to the kitchen.
In the silence, and alone at the table, Saihara finally realises what that look was on Momota’s face, before, when Iruma and Ouma were still here. How Saihara must have made him feel, when he didn’t say anything.
...Fat lot of good it does him now, though, knowing that Momota was hurt.