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[Motherfucker.

Maybe this is why he wasn't given a name.

Baren raises a brow when Shuji approaches and he hopes that it looks more interested than judgmental, but he's also not going out of his way to fix his face if it comes off differently.]

Oh.

It's you.

[is that... a good or a bad thing....]

[Obviously it's a good thing, given the way Shuji lights up at hearing those words.]

You remember who I am!

[Not only does he get to have dinner with Baren but Baren actually knows who he is! This is the best day in Shuji's life!]

[ . . . . it's gross, it's so gross. Look at this lighting up and excitement from someone who doesn't even know him aside from his work, which is where he's arguably the tamest. Sort of. God. God.

Still, Baren refrains from rolling his eyes - barely - and gestures to the spot opposite him from the table.]

Guess so. Take a seat.

[how will he survive this]

[Shuji sits across from Baren, still glowing with happiness. If he weren't concerned with making a good impression, he'd be bouncing in his seat.]

Thanks for agreeing to do this.

[you know, like he had a choice about it]

Ah - yeah, well I haven't done something like this in a while...

[Or like.

Ever.

It's not really his gimmick to make himself available to the public more than he has to, but whatever. Regardless he's just gonna tilt his head and evaluate Shuji and

to be honest get right to the point:]

So you're like - a superfan? How many photos of me do you have again? 20-something?

[shuji should've picked someone to obsess over that doesn't like to read his own gossip when his friends try to put bounties on his head]

Thirty-one.

[He got a couple between now and his conversation with Zoro.]

I'm not a superfan or anything like that, I just follow your career...

[Really closely? Really, really closely? But he doesn't do anything special or weirdly stalkery.]

[that's a little over halfway of a trading card deck

lord

still baren just raises a brow and lets a smile that he doesn't really feel play across his lips]

Hmm... I think I'm supposed to say thanks?

[!! Baren almost kind of thanked him?]

I-it's really not a big deal! You don't have to thank me!

[almost kind of

yup]

I don't know, my agent always tells me to be more grateful...

[continues to beat around the bush without saying anything]

Agents are all about that public image thing, but that doesn't matter to me. I'm just happy I got to meet you.

[The date thing is beyond what he could ever dream of. Or even really process now that it's happening.]

[ . . . huh. Baren tilts his head and just openly asks:]

Why?

Just a sucker for a pretty face, huh?

[he's... curious. and that makes him more blunt, apparently.]

No, that's not - I mean, you are really, really handsome, that's true, but - this is kind of embarrassing...

[He's not going to lie about it, though. Even if he does have to look at the floor when he says it.]

You were on the cover of the first fashion magazine I ever bought. Back then I was kind of - plain-looking - and I didn't really know anything about clothes, but I liked your look so much that I bought that magazine anyway. If I hadn't, I don't know if I'd have ended up getting interested in fashion at all.

[Whether it's a change for the better is debatable, but it's certainly a change.]

[Shit, someone's being sincere at him.

Instant discomfort.

It makes his face scrunch unattractively, so maybe it's good that Shuji's looking at the floor, because it does take a second for Baren to get over his stunned silence and school his face into something more acceptable. Then it's a shake of his head as he brushes his bangs to the side.]

You.... You're definitely a piece of work.

You really let other people you don't know have that much influence over you?

Everyone's like that!

[Shuji's head snaps up when he goes on the defensive.]

Why do you think firefighters and policemen go around to schools and talk to kids? Why do you think NASA is half people who used to watch Star Journey? Everybody gets inspired by people they don't know, on TV, in magazines, whatever! There's nothing wrong with that!

[Now that's a more fun reaction.

Baren ends up grinning, his discomfort forgotten as he managed to push on someone's buttons without even trying this time. His eyes light up - which is probably the wrong response to having someone be angry at him, but also it's easier to stomach than...

Whatever it was before.]

You sound like you had that prepared, too.

Touchy, huh?

It's gotten commented on before. I've pretty much standardized my answer by now.

[He's heard worse than 'a piece of work', and he doesn't even think he's that bad...]

[Baren actually manages a laugh at that, amused.]

Yeah, Z was giving you some shit for it, huh?

[but apparently it's even more than just zoro....]

Well you know, it's hard to say what moves people these days. Actual inspiration or just cheap celebrity shots.

I don't know why everyone's so weird about it. It's not like I'm a creepy stalker.

[because that would just be ridiculous]

I've had a couple. You share some traits.

[honesty]

But it's not like I mind. You're less gross than some fans, at least.

...That's a compliment, right? You just complimented me?

[He's never going to forget this moment for as long as he lives.]

[after calling him stalkery

and the compliment itself was "you are not the grossest person i've met"]

.... Well, if you wanna be optimistic about it, I guess...

Thank you! Thank you so much!

[It's not much of a compliment but it's from Baren Kaiyou so Shuji will absolutely be optimistic about it. His ahoge would wiggle if that were a thing that didn't just happen in anime.]

[ . . . . ]

So would you say that you're easily pleased too?

You make it sound like a bad thing...

[Yes, yes he is, especially if the compliment comes from the right person.]

It takes a certain kind of person to have such a low threshold for happiness.

[how about

answering the question without really answering the question]

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