Wonderful to meet you. [Wonderful? Laying it on a little thick there, aren’t you, Dick? He’s nervous.

[When he opens his mouth to speak again, Whelk cuts him off by clearing his throat. Gansey turns toward him with an attentive albeit slightly apologetic expression. It probably reads something along the lines of “please ask me to leave, please just ask me to leave.”

[Whelk, to Gansey, looks tired. Whelk, to Whelk, feels like trying to set Gansey on fire with his mind. Kunimi’s going to have the hear his teacher voice. He kind of hates that.]

Can we help you? If not, you are excused.

[Gansey nods, then shakes his head, and Whelk can’t tell if he’s confused or just covering all his bases.]

“Sorry agai—“

[Whelk cuts him off again.]

It’s fine. Please. Go.

[That “go” sounds pretty final, so Gansey nods, then kind of bows his head to apologize one more time, both to Whelk and his...friend, Kunimi Akira. Gansey wonders if he’s heard that name around the school at all? He’s not a student student, right? He considers tacking on some sort of “see you later” or “have a good day”, but Whelk is still glaring at him, so he just walks away.

[Under his breath Whelk mutters:]

Jesus Christ. Let’s...pretend that didn’t happen. [He looks so irritated. And so, so tired.]