Chapter Text
Yuji had realized he forgot to get Fushiguro’s number. He was in such a rush that not only did he hug the man without warning, but he forgot a substantial step in hanging out.
So the next day, he looked-as some would say- high and low. Scouring every classroom during lunches and going to bathroom breaks just to look for Fushiguro.
He had no such luck.
Thankfully, if anybody wondered where he had been all day, they didn’t say anything.
Yuji had contemplated stopping looking for Fushiguro during the last period of the day, wondering why he was nowhere to be seen.
But then, a girl with flowing dark brown hair and chestnut eyes walked up to him.
“Hi! Are you Itadori Yuji?” Yuji thanked whatever God was in the heavens for the miracle standing before him.
“Fushiguro Tsumiki right? Fushiguro’s sister?” She smiled, her face brightening up the space around them.
“Yeah! You can just call me Tsumiki though. I’m your other photographer.” Her eyebrows lowered in a playful way as she poked Yuji’s chest. “Of course you wouldn’t notice me, you like my brother too much.”
Yuji’s cheeks flushed faintly, the pink matching his hair.
“I didn't not notice you.” Yuji felt uncomfortable as he anxiously tapped his fingers against his thigh. “But would you know where he is?”
Tsumiki laughed, the sound reverberating throughout the empty hallway. Yuji tilted his head in confusion, the anxiety slowly disappearing. Were Fushiguro and this girl really related?
“Yeah,” She took a deep inhale, trying to catch her breath. “Sorry, it’s just I can’t believe I’m wingwomaning for my brother.”
Tsumiki placed her hands on her hips, her school blazer slightly crinkling. “He’s in the newsroom. He’s probably editing the photos from yesterday.”
Of course. Yuji knew that they were both photographers, but he never would’ve thought to check the place where most journalists and such work. Am I an idiot?
Yuji dragged his hands across his face, groaning in disgust with himself. “Right, that should’ve been obvious to me.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” She grinned. “He hides himself pretty well.”
“Thank you.” Yuji smiled, starting to turn around. He stopped. “Wait, where is the newsroom again?”
Tsumiki laughed again, this time it was more of a chuckle, but bright all the same. “It’s in the west wing, on the first floor.”
“Right. Again, thank you!”
Yuji ran towards the location, his long legs carrying him swiftly. He rushed down the stairs, almost tripping over as he forgot a step. He looked around all of the classrooms in the west wing before landing on the one labeled–
Newsroom
He didn’t have any classes in this wing, which explained why it took him a longer time to get here. But as he opened the door into the newsroom, he abruptly stopped.
Fushiguro was sitting behind a desk with a huge monitor. The school was well funded due to its location in Tokyo, but the screen wasn’t what captured Yuji’s attention– it was what was on it.
Whenever anyone sees themselves on a screen or hears their voice when it’s recorded, it's natural to be critical about whatever you don’t like. But when Fushiguro was staring so intently at this photo of Yuji, he didn’t feel embarrassed at all. He felt… admired.
As if Fushiguro was admiring Yuji.
Yuji closed the door. The click echoing throughout the room. Fushiguro jumped. Coincidentally, there was no one there except for the two of them in the dimly lit space. If Fushiguro thought someone was trying to kill him, Yuji wouldn’t be surprised.
“Relax, it’s just me.”
Fushiguro turned around, surprised features resting on his face.
“Oh,” A blush trailed furiously down his cheeks, contrasting against his eyes. “Hey.”
“I’m not trying to kill you, you know.” Yuji raised an eyebrow teasingly, reciting the line he had said in their first meeting.
“Yeah, yeah.” Megumi shook his head, giving a small smile. He turned back to the photo on the screen. “Do you want to come see?”
Yuji walked closer to the desk. There were a series of desks and monitors alike all throughout the room, each one stored in a cubby like space. They also all had the spinning chairs Yuji loved as a kid. He almost grabbed one, but there wasn’t enough space for two chairs to fit.
So instead, he opted to rest one of his hands on the back of Fushiguro's chair, the other on the desk. He leaned forward towards the screen.
Fushiguro cleared his throat, starting to explain the purpose of the camera angles, lighting, etc. All Yuji could notice was how peaceful Fushiguro looked when he was explaining it. Similarly to how Yuji’s passion was boxing, Fushiguro seemed to admire photography just as much.
It made Yuji happy to know that Fushiguro was happy.
Megumi was internally screaming. Itadori was so close to him that he could hear the thump-thump of his heartbeat and the respiration of his breaths. Megumi didn’t know how Itadori had found him in here, but he was just about to leave before Itadori had walked in.
He had been in here for the past two periods, not caring about slacking off on his schoolwork. He already had good grades, and it was practically a free period anyways. But as the minutes went by where Itadori seemed to hang onto his every word, he gradually regretted his decision of being here.
As much as he loved Itadori’s presence, it was both a blessing and a curse. He had decided that the small distance between them was making him go insane.
Somehow, he was able to keep his breathing stable, but he couldn’t help but notice how Itadori would slowly get closer to him. He didn’t know if it was intentional or not, but it was messing with him all the same.
It had been about 15 minutes since Itadori had walked in. Megumi had the decency to keep his hands to himself, and the only thing he was hanging onto was the conversation about each photo.
He really hadn’t needed to edit the photos that much, despite the hollow luminescents of the gym. They somehow all seemed to catch Itadori’s beauty in their own ways.
That was another thing that bothered Megumi. The fact that Itadori was right here, staring at himself on the screen, was unnerving. He was peaceful, listening to Megumi respectfully without trying to make him uncomfortable.
“–but yeah, the lighting plays an important part in photography. It can really set the mood for the type of photo you want to take.”
Once he had finished his explanation, he heavily exhaled, closing his eyes. He turned towards Itadori. By the time they were facing each other, Megumi could feel Itadori’s breaths hit his face as previously stabilized ones became labored.
Megumi stared into Itadori’s soft, honey eyes, drowning in them yet trying to take another breath. The tension between them grew stronger by the second.
It felt as though that another wall was being teared down as his heart rate spiked up to dangerous heights.
Itadori grunted, stepping out of the small space. “I’m, uhh, I’m sorry.”
Megumi stared at him, wondering what that small interaction between the two meant.
Clearing his throat, Megumi got out– “No, it’s fine. I should have noticed how close we were.” Before standing up.
He stared into Yuji’s eyes once more with question, wondering why he had come in the first place.
“Ah, you must be wondering why I’m here.” He stated, reading Megumi’s mind. He placed a hand on his hip, the other waving around in the air. “Well you see–”
Just as Yuji was about to answer, a loud shriek came from the door to the newsroom.
“MEGUMIIIIIII, YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT I JUST–” Itadori turned around just as Megumi annoyingly rolled his eyes.
Kugisaki Nobara, a fellow first year here at the high school along with Tsumiki’s close friend. She thought Megumi was close with her when they really weren’t.
She was impossibly loud– and she gave Megumi terrible migraines.
“Oh!” She squeaked out, looking back and forth between Megumi and Yuji, a smirk slowly creeping up her mouth.
“Ahhh, this is why I can never find you.” She observed. “So, how long have you been together?”
Itadori turned back around to face Megumi before quickly defending himself. “Who– Us? No, No we’re not together. We’re just friends–”
“Yeah, Yeah– whatever you say.” She walked over towards Megumi, reaching her arms around his shoulders. “Just so you know, you two, I won’t tell anyone.”
Well that was a lie, and by the incredulous look on Itadori’s face, he could read that too. So he’s not that gullible– Megumi thought to himself.
“Are you sure about that?” Megumi mumbled, the words barely audible.
“What was that?” Kugisaki asked, leaning into Megumi more. He tried to shrug her off, clearly uncomfortable. She persisted.
“Do you think you could maybe get off of him? He looks pretty uncomfortable.” Kugisaki swiftly turned her head towards Itadori.
She lifted her arms from Megumi’s shoulder, wiping down at her frontside as if she was the one that needed to be cleaned.
“Well, I didn’t do that because you told me to, only because I noticed it too.” Kugisaki said arrogantly. Megumi had the urge to roll his eyes again.
Itadori raised his arms in defense, smirking. “Whatever you say, Ms…?”
She reached out a hand towards Yuji. “Kugisaki. Kugisaki Nobara.”
“Ms. Kugisaki.” He finished. Raising his eyebrows towards Megumi, he asked– “Do you two know each other?”
Nobara said ‘Yes!’ at the same time Megumi said ‘No’, though it was disgustingly obvious that they knew each other.
“Well, I’m done with you guys, I’m gonna go look for Maki-senpai.” She threw a peace sign up at the two before running out the door.
Itadori looked at Megumi. “I’ll say, that was certainly something.”
“Yeah.” Megumi replied, his mood now ruined by the interaction with both Yuji and now Nobara. “What were you saying earlier?”
He looked towards Yuji, waiting for the man to finish his thought process before they were interrupted. Itadori tilted his head in question. “What thing— ohhhhh, that.”
Yuji placed a hand on his chin, pondering how to ask his question.
“I was wondering if I could have your number? Or is that too blunt?” He paused, trying to correct himself. “What I mean is that we planned for a hangout but never really– you know, exchanged numbers.”
Oh. Megumi didn’t expect that. He guessed it made sense, but it felt oddly intimate, even though it was a simple exchange in numbers.
“Also, I wanted to ask, are you gonna be at my match next week?” Yuji questioned, tilting his head once more.
“Yeah.”
“Really?!”
“I’m your photographer, you idiot.”
“...I guess that makes sense.”
Yuji scratched the back of his neck, and Megumi realized Gojo had a similar tendency to do that whenever he was nervous or questioning something.
“I think I’m gonna go now, but I’ll see you later!” Itadori waved goodbye, turning around and running out the door.
Why is he always running?