Chapter Text
Yuuji fucked up.
Well, he really didn’t, if you asked him, although nobody did. His PR team was in shambles, but the fans were loving the content so he wasn’t too preoccupied with the consequences.
It all came down to a fateful interview. Curse Eaters, the newly renounced Billboard nominated K-Pop group he was a part of, was invited to a set of interviews right before the awards took place. Everyone was ecstatic, being in America and all. The fans were incredible, constantly waiting for them at every venue they went to, although Toge found it more annoying than endearing like Yuuji did. He didn’t mind, he thought the excitement was something good, and showed them that they were an expected appearance despite what the media might say about them.
He decides to blame the thrill of America for what he said in the interview. It was going regular, just like any other, always getting asked the same five questions of collabs, favorite foods, or even favorite vacation spots. Kind of funny considering they hadn’t taken a break from promoting and touring for the good part of five years, but they still smiled politely and answered every single question with as much honesty as they could muster. Until one of them caught Yuuji’s ear, snapping him out of his daydreams.
“So, boys, who’s your celebrity crush?” The interviewer asked, pushing a strand of her blonde, flowy hair behind her ear. Her eyes sparkled as she took in all five men huddled around her, pushing the mic forward until one of them answered. It was quiet for a few seconds, until Yuuta leaned into the microphone with a small smile on his lips.
“Iori Utahime,” He answered with a nod, and it elicited a few excited laughs from his band members, who elbowed him while wiggling their eyebrows.
“Isn’t she a little too old for you, man?” Yuuji asked, smiling wide at the idea of his bandmate liking a Japanese idol from the late 2000s, who then vanished off the face of the Earth after a freaky accident. Her songs were always catchy, though he remembers seeing her in the old, beat up TV his grandfather used to have back in the day.
“Age is nothing but a number,” Yuuta muttered with a wink to the camera, and they all started hitting him with embarrassed giggles. The bastard was for sure looking to take Twitter down when those clips came to light.
“Alright bro,” Noritoshi beside him nudged his shoulder against his, getting closer to the mic for his own answer. “Mine would have to be Amanai Riko.”
“Ah, yes, from Star Plasma Vessel!”
“Yes, her! It’s my favorite movie of hers,” Noritoshi shrugged nonchalantly, and Yuuji rolled his eyes, pushing Muta forward to stop Noritoshi from going on a ten-minute rant of how Riko’s movie performance was completely overshadowed by the fact her love interest was no one other than Gojo Satoru, and that it was a poor choice from the movie director or whatever he liked to say about it. Yuuji did not want to hear it.
“Miwa from Sorcery Fight,” Muta answered quickly shortly after, scratching his wrist from under his suit jacket, and everyone’s smile took a teasing tone when he stepped away almost immediately.
“I didn’t know you were into girl groups, Muta!” Yuuta slipped into Japanese unconsciously, poking at Muta’s arm with intent. His face grew a deeper shade of red as he whispered a small ‘whatever’ and looked away. The interviewer laughed at his flustered comeback.
“What about you, Yuuji? Toge?” The aforementioned men looked at each other before Toge shoved Yuuji forward, looking triumphant when he tripped and almost headbutted the mic and the interviewer.
“Heh, I think my celebrity crush is, uh…” He had mentally scanned all the famous women he’s ever liked or had a crush on. That one rapper from America. Actresses. Athletes. Idols. Anything. But his mind came up blank. He still had a smile plastered on his face, and he knew that refusing to answer would be lame with a capital L. So before he thought it all the way through, his mouth started moving without him wanting it to. “Fushiguro Megumi?”
Everyone laughed with incredulousness at his response, which led him to also laugh, although a little louder than he would’ve intentionally liked.
“That’s a guy, it doesn’t count!” Noritoshi complained in a whine, his smile wide with shock. Beside him, Yuuta looked exactly the same, but his smile was somehow off. Yuuji didn’t give it much thought at the moment.
“So what? His music is good and his voice speaks to me!” Is all Yuuji said, all smiles and a relaxed vibe. But inside, his heart was thumping against his chest at the realization of what he had said.
Toge successfully managed to avoid the question after that and the interview ended with no issues.
Now, a few hours later, sitting in his hotel room is Yuuji biting his nails nervously as he watches his name and Megumi Fushiguro’s trend on Twitter for its second consecutive hour. It wasn’t even anything that could be considered controversial, just a silly little answer to a silly little question. Something to ease up the crowd and humor them. Not for the timeline of his secret fan account to be painted in pink, purple, and blue colors, or calling him a bisexual king.
Is he the bisexual king now?
Oh, god, no, he thinks before shoving his face between the pillows. He promptly ignores the text messages coming in from his PR and management teams, or his family and friends.
Brother: You know I would never judge you, brother, I actually respect…
Choso-nii <3: Yuuji, you can always come to me for whatever, regardless of what…
Mom :D: Happy pride Yuuji! Dad and I love you for who you are not what you li…
Shoko mngmt: Let’s start thinking before talking, do you need me to call the PR trainers aga…
Yaga PR: You’re giving me a headache.
Gojo-sensei: lol look at this
Gojo-sensei: https://www.kjt.com/news/curse-eaters-live-yuuji-megumi-fushi…
He sneaks a peek at that last text, the link kind of calls for his attention, since it’s both his name and Fushiguro’s in there. He’s actually very curious as to what journalists think of his little fuck up, and as he clicks the link, he notices his stomach is in a knot. Why? He doesn’t even know.
CURSE EATERS’ YUUJI DECLARES HIS LOVE FOR SINGER-SONGWRITER MEGUMI FUSHIGURO!
Written by: O. Toru. June 23rd, 2024.
In an interview for KJT posted online on June 23rd, things got pretty interesting when the interviewer, Yuki Tsukumo, asked the Curse Eaters boys who their celebrity crushes were. Yuuji’s answer? Ten Shadows’ Megumi Fushiguro!
Since their debut in 2019, the Japanese rock band, Ten Shadows, has topped Japan’s and neighboring countries’ charts for years, making them one of the biggest names in the East Asian music industry. The group is comprised of four members: Maki Zen’in, Nobara Kugisaki, Kirara Hoshi, and its main singer, Megumi Fushiguro, who has seemed to take our beloved Yuuji’s heart!
Several of the members laugh at Yuuji’s response, and Noritoshi even tries to invalidate his answer, but Yuuji does not change his mind, and even says: “So what? His music is good and his voice speaks to me!”
If we’re gonna give someone credit, it would have to be Yuuji for possibly admitting to crushing on a man in an interview.
He giggles as he reads along. The journalist is making it seem like he asked Fushiguro to marry him on national TV or something of the sort. Having a little CELEBRITY CRUSH doesn’t mean he’s in love with the guy, which apparently is something that people can’t fathom.
Whatever. It’ll probably blow over during the night and when he wakes up the next day, it’ll be old news, buried under other countless articles of Curse Eaters in America, possibly winning the award of Top Group. Or their upcoming comeback in a month’s time.
—
It does not blow over. In fact, it seems to have gotten more popular overnight, gathering thousands of reactions, tweets, and even official articles from both Japanese and American media.
Fushiguro also responded while Yuuji slept blissfully, tweeting a singular ‘?’ that got at least half a million likes in less than twelve hours. It was an actual nightmare to wake up to.
After the early morning scolding he got from their manager, Yuuji sits between Yuuta and Toge in the van taking them from their hotel to the venue they’re supposed to be practicing in today. He’s clutching his phone in his hand, reading tweets from fans, mostly positive from what he can tell. Wow, people really love to think he’s into dudes now, they’re so creative nowadays.
“What are you doing?” Yuuta asks, leaning his head on Yuuji’s shoulder to peek at his phone with poorly-concealed nosiness. Yuuji sighs.
“Nothing, just reading the responses to yesterday’s interview.”
“Oh…” Yuuta pauses, and sits up straight again, causing Yuuji to raise an eyebrow at the sudden change of demeanor. “What’s up with your answer, anyway?”
“What about it?” Yuuji gets a little defensive without noticing, and Yuuta’s face grows pink. He’s never been one for confrontation, and the last thing Yuuji wants right now is to get into an argument, so he backs down just as fast.
“I just think you should’ve mentioned a woman,” Yuuta pauses, and if his eyes meet Toge’s fleetingly, Yuuji doesn’t notice it. “Like the rest of us.”
“Right,” Yuuji responds, a lump in his throat making it hard to swallow. What’s the big deal anyway? Can’t a straight guy have a celebrity crush on another guy? He doesn’t understand what the issue is.
Yuuta seems to notice the tension that’s fallen between them, and his mouth opens and closes multiple times as he looks for the words to say. Yuuji looks at him expectantly, and it seems to make him even more flustered to get his words out, but Yuuji waits. He wants to know what Yuuta will say.
“I don’t want you to get hurt, by… y’know,” He bats his hand softly, hoping Yuuji picks up what he’s putting down. It takes him a few seconds, but Yuuji lets out a small ‘ah’ in understanding, nodding along. Yuuta smiles at him, like he’s a child. “That’s all.”
They fall silent once more, only Noritoshi’s and Muta’s soft whispers filling the small cabin they have to share. It’s going to be a long day.
—
After practice that same day, while their pants are still echoing in the paneled room’s walls, they’re huddled up to get taken to the hotel again. A routine that they all know very well. Practice. Shower. Get ready. Interviews. And perform. They barely have time to eat before they’re taken to the actual venue, and Yuuji can’t even remember the last time he ingested actual food, but the excitement dulls down his hunger. Now dolled up and wearing at least a thousand dollars worth of clothes each one of them, he’s more distracted by what’s to come of the show.
It’s especially hot, the June afternoon heat relentless as they wait for their turn to be interviewed before they have to go in and to their seats. He’s dreading the moment an interviewer gets too close to them, like a predator scoping out its next prey. But of course, as much as he prays to go unnoticed, it doesn’t happen, the disadvantages of being a best-selling group, he guesses.
By Yaga’s request, he lingers behind his bandmates with an innocent smile, letting Yuuta, the leader of the group, answer questions in perfect English and charm the interviewer to keep her from trying to get her paws on Yuuji.
The tactic is somewhat successful until they’re trying to make their way inside, talking amongst each other quietly in Japanese. An interviewer calls for them, gets in their path, actually, and they have to smile complacently and stop in their tracks.
“Got a second, boys?” The brown-haired man asks, he’s taller than Yuuji expected him to be, and he has to slightly crane his neck up to look him in the eye. He has a glint in his gaze that Yuuji thinks he should fear, but deep down, it feels like a challenge.
“Yeah, hello,” Yuuta answers for all of them, and they fall to their practiced positioning, Yuuji standing behind Noritoshi and Muta, while Toge stands to Yuuta’s left side. The interviewer is still looking at Yuuji intensely, though.
The questions are the same. Collabs, favorite American food, favorite memory of touring, until he finally delivers the punch Yuuji’s been expecting since they got approached.
“I’ve got a question for Yuuji, that actually, has fans dying to know,” The man speaks, and looks at Yuuta expectantly, waiting for him to hand Yuuji the mic. Yuuta does, albeit he does it with a fake smile that can be spotted from miles away.
Once Yuuji holds the mic, shimmying in between his bandmates, the interviewers asks:
“I’m sure you’ve been asked multiple times already, but regarding yesterday’s response to the celebrity crush question, what can you tell us about your relationship with Ten Shadows’ Fushiguro Megumi?”
Nothing, mind your business. Is what he wants to say, very badly. The question is uncomfortably intrusive.
Instead, he smiles, bright teeth showing and everything.
“There’s no relationship, I just really like his music, that’s all,” Before the interviewer has the chance to continue prying for a juicy response that will give him the attention he so clearly wants, Yuuji hands the mic back to Yuuta, who relays it to the interviewer, and he’s forced to end the interview.
They’re barely a few steps away before Muta speaks up.
“God, that guy was fucking annoying,” He mutters, and they all agree with a nod. The mood seems to have dampened, and Yuuta, like the good leader he is, brings out his brightest smile, hugging onto Toge and Yuuji as they walk to their seats.
“Come on guys, cheer up! We’re gonna perform in one of the biggest awards in the world, no time for moping,” He squeals when Yuuji pokes his side, drawing a laugh out of Yuuji. He forgets about the interviewers, and media, and everything for the rest of the night.
—
Everything becomes a blur after they’re set to perform. The adrenaline pumping through his blood keeps him high on the clouds until he’s acting out of pure muscle memory. Stretching, vocalizing, every step of the way he’s so euphoric he can barely register the cheering on the other side of the wall.
“All ready?” He gets asked by a stylist, who’s still making sure the harnesses on his torso are well-secured. The theme that was chosen for their latest comeback, which they’re about to perform in their American debut, was dark. Leather paired with silk, harnesses, heavy eye makeup type of dark. It was a great contrast to their initial themes, boy-next-door and colorful clothing, with songs about wanting to fall in love and hold hands.
Now they’re about to sing about a manipulative relationship they can’t get out of. He can’t believe this is what the public likes.
“Yeah, I’m good,” Taking one step away from the woman still fixing him up, he throws her a thumbs up, smiling wide. She seems pleased enough at her work, because she smiles back, and runs along, looking for another member to do any last minute touch-ups.
They’re all lined up behind the curtains, mics ready to go. And when the track he knows by heart starts playing, he stops thinking, nothing but performing matters anymore.
When he comes back to himself, he’s still in the last pose of the choreography, holding onto Yuuta’s back as he hides his face behind his arm, panting hard against it. It’s not until they’re signaled through their in-ears that they all peel away from each other, still high on the excitement that performing always brings. All elated smiles and wobbly legs.
They go back to their changing rooms, stepping out of their sweaty outfits and back into their suits to rejoin the crowd, and wait for the award they’ve been nominated for to be called.
Not even thirty minutes, and two more performances later, they’re announced winners of the Top Group award, and Yuuta delivers a speech that brings them all to tears. Yuuji bows so low, he gets dizzy when he comes back up, the tears still rolling down his cheeks and reddening his face.
He’s so happy he can’t even speak. So he doesn’t, not on the way back to the hotel, not when they’re sitting around a company phone, live streaming their gratitude in the form of champagne and giggles. Even when Yuuta jumps on top of him, hugging him with great strength, he only laughs and hugs him back equally as hard.
“I love you, thank you for making this possible,” His words come out wet, like he’s on the verge of tears, and he might be. His debut six years ago seems so far away, that little kid full of dreams and ambition that didn’t stop auditioning even when he got rejected from agencies multiple times, until he found his family in one. He’d never give it for granted.
“Don’t get all teary-eyed, I’ll cry!” Yuuta whines, flicking Yuuji on the cheek, and he laughs loudly, drinking his champagne in one gulp to force the tears back down. He wouldn’t change this for anything.
—
A few days afterwards, still wearing the thrill of winning the award and visiting America, they’re on their flights back home. Yuuji’s scheduled to go back alongside Toge and Yuuta, Muta and Noritoshi will follow them a few hours later, for their safety, according to their management team.
He loves his bandmates, they’re family to him, they run thick as blood does in his heart, but he’s closer to both Yuuta and Toge than the other two, so he can’t really hide his wide smile when they’re waiting to board.
“Careful, you’re gonna wear your smile off,” Toge says, looking straight up at Yuuji and then back to his phone, where he seems to be playing some kind of grandpa game, sudoku or something of that sort. Yuuji snorts.
“Can’t I be happy to be with my friends?”
“I guess,” The blonde-haired man shrugs, his gaze still set on his phone. Yuuta just smiles back at him.
“Don’t be so hardheaded, Toge, we know you love us,” Yuuta singsongs, elbowing his bandmate softly. Yuuji’s blind to the look they share right in front of him, but it doesn’t matter.
“Sure.”
Yuuji’s clapback dies in his tongue as he’s interrupted by a notification from his own phone. He looks down to where he’s holding it in one hand to read the text he’s just received.
Gojo-sensei: congrats on winning the billboard award, so proud of u man !!!
Yuuji smiles.
Gojo-sensei: as a reward do u want megumi’s phone number ?
His smile drops.
Huh.
Me: What
Gojo-sensei: what
Gojo-sensei: isn’t he your crush
Me: Yeah my CELEBRITY crush
Gojo-sensei: same thing do u want it or not
Yuuji worries at his lip between his teeth, and he thinks it through. Does he want Fushiguro’s phone number? What would he even do with it? Text him like a loser after their names have been trending together the entire weekend? (Yes, he checked again this morning to see if they still were.)
Me: No I’m good
Gojo-sensei: fr???? why
He doesn’t bother to answer, he needs a second to think. To think it over, and through, and inside out, and every which way he can muster. Why doesn’t he want Fushiguro’s phone number?
Before he can type out a response to overly explain himself, their flight is getting called on the overhead speakers, and he leaves his phone forgotten in his pocket, its presence there burning a hole through the fabric. Yuuta and Toge eye him weirdly.
He’ll deal with it when he’s back in Japan.
—
He, in fact, does not deal with it back in Japan. He reads the text over and over, types out a response, deletes it, and repeats. He feels the obligation to answer, for some reason, even though he really doesn’t owe Gojo anything, he just doesn’t want Fushiguro’s phone number, period. He doesn’t need a reason! Plus, it’s weird to treat Fushiguro like a prize that can just be handed to Yuuji for winning an award, he’s still a person after all! Yeah!
That’s what he tells himself, and his bandmates eventually, who laugh in his face like he’s their personal clown to make fun of.
“You’re just a coward.” Muta says one morning over breakfast, and leaves the table with his plate while he’s still laughing much to Yuuji’s dismay. What an asshole.
“Yuuta, back me up,” He whines, reaching an arm out to the black-haired man sitting across from him at the table. Yuuta gives him a look full of pity and pats his hand, pushing it away so he can retreat.
“It’s okay, Yuuji, I think your reason is very gentlemanly,” Yuuta tries his best to sound supportive, but Yuuji can see through his bullshit. He agrees with Muta deep down, and it just makes Yuuji sigh in defeat. Fine. Whatever.
He leaves the table with a scowl, but then comes back when he remembers he left his dirty plate at the table to clean it up. He still has manners, anyway.
A few more days later, he receives another text, which is not unusual. But this one’s from an unknown number.
Unknown number: hey.
He reads it, and doesn’t answer. Maybe it’s some creepy fan that got his number from one of those sketchy fan-pages that are dedicated to leaking idols’ personal information. It’s happened before, and he doesn’t doubt that after the hectic weekend they’ve had, it somehow got out there. So he ignores it, until another text from the same number comes in within minutes.
Unknown number: sorry, i didn’t introduce myself.
Unknown number: i’m fushiguro.
Unknown number: gojo gave me your phone number?
Oh my god.
Oh my god.
Gojo did what now.
As Yuuji takes in a deep breath, mentally swearing to give Gojo an earful were they to ever cross paths again, he holds his phone with an iron grip. He doesn’t know how to answer, how to greet Fushiguro, someone he’s been admiring for years. He’s not the bisexual king, he’s just a bisexual loser. He’s not even bisexual. That’s what he tells himself, at least.
Me: Hey, I’m so sorry
Me: I thought you were one of those crazy fans
Fushiguro Megumi: it’s okay, i get it.
Fushiguro Megumi: i apologize, i should have introduced myself sooner.
Me: It’s okay!
Me: I’m Itadori Yuuji
Me: Oh maybe you already knew tht sorry hahaha
Oh, he really is a loser. Just looking at his texts is making him cringe and wish for Earth to swallow him whole. Maybe he is bisexual after all, with the way his palms are sweating and his heart is threatening to beat out of his chest, he concludes this isn’t really a response a straight dude would have from sending pathetic texts to another man.
Fushiguro Megumi: i did.
Fushiguro Megumi: so.
Fushiguro Megumi: celebrity crush?
Yuuji suddenly really wants to stop breathing, and at the same time, he’s never felt so alive.
—