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Spending a large portion of his childhood on the street, Megumi had seen a lot. Granted, Tsumiki shielded him from a lot. Still Megumi had seen more than a few instances of his sister getting hit on. They were only young, and these men could've well and truly been their father, with an age probably triple her own. Greying hair and still in their suits from work.
Evenings were the worst for it, men coming off their shift for the night offering promises of a hotel room and drinks. Tsumiki was young back then but that had probably been part of the appeal to these men. Nothing bad had ever come from it, thankfully, but Megumi had always felt bad for not being able to protect her from it. Those old feelings stayed with him even when they left the street.
Once they were placed in a public school, and teenage boys flocked around Tsumiki. Megumi had been defensive. There were a few instances of him going head-to-head with boys a whole lot older than himself, because they wouldn't stop flirting with his sister. To most people he just seemed like an overprotective, perhaps annoying little brother. Always stepping in.
Tsumiki understood it though and she promised that this wasn't so bad. The boys here didn't mean any harm with it, she could deal with this much. It dialed down after some time had passed, but Tsumiki was naturally very pretty so there was always at least one boy with their heart set on her. Making heart eyes at her, trying to look impressive in their school uniform and new haircut.
All that comes to his mind as he stares at the customer, very clearly flirting with Yuji. Her tattoo was finished and Sukuna had stepped back to flex his hands. He'd been working on her piece for a few hours now. It started across her upper thigh and branched down the rest of her leg. It was actually quite impressive, Sukuna always seemed to manage highlighting even the finer details.
While Sukuna was stretching out his hands, Yuji had gone over to make sure the customer was pleased with her tattoo. She was looking over it in front of the mirror, and she was turning it this way and that. Hand's lifting the end of her skirt just enough to check out the top of the tattoo where it sat up her thigh. Wearing a bashful smile with red highlighting her cheeks.
She asked Yuji what he thought of her tattoo, holding her skirt up with one hand while tucking her hair behind her ear with the other. Even though Megumi wasn't at all interested in women, he knew an attractive woman when he saw one. This customer was probably a little older than the both of them, taller than even Megumi was, and she had a dyed hime cut that complimented her well.
If Megumi had to guess, she looked like she would probably be Yuji's type. He seemed happy enough to tend to her, complimenting the tattoo's composition. Smiling in the way that always seems to leave customers expecting more. Once he was sure the customer was content with her tattoo, Yuji led her over to the front counter and helped her through the process of paying for it.
By the time she was leaving through the front door, she looked a little shy and embarrassed. But hopeful and she had slid her number across with the cash she paid with, written in neat handwriting with a heart at the end of it. Megumi wasn't sure people actually did stuff like that, but as he leant over Yuji's shoulder at the front counter, he was kind of impressed at how forward people could be.
"Do you think they see it as openly harassing workers."
It wasn't exactly framed like a question, more just Megumi talking out loud as he leans more into the back of Yuji's chair. Yuji still had on a comfortable smile as he folded the piece of paper up and threw it into the nearest bin. He had a look on his face as he turned to face Megumi that was hard to decipher, but he didn't seem to be particularly put out by the situation.
Spinning around in the chair so they could talk face to face, Yuji responded, "I get tips from a few customers as if they don't think 'Kuna is paying me to do this, if I'm honest most of them just see me more as an attachment then an actual worker here. They aren't always this obvious or forward though, some just like me to hold their hand during particularly painful pieces.
'Kuna hates all of it but I told him to suck it up until the payment goes through, making sure they are content by the end of the session and pay is all I care about really. I would hate for 'Kuna not to get paid because he got angry at someone flirting with me. Usually, his presence is enough to deter anything worse than some light compliments directed me way, though."
"Usually? But not always, then?" Megumi was basically standing between Yuji's spread legs as they spoke.
"When we first started out and 'Kuna had a more relaxed walk-in policy, there were a few people who would come in just to hang around and see me. They would expect me to jump at the chance to go out with them, 'Kuna got into it with a few of the more forceful ones. Then he made his clientele more specific and it stopped being too much to handle, now it's more or less just this."
Yuji gestured his hand behind him to reference the woman, who probably expected Yuji to call her up. Continuing on, Yuji told Megumi about different things he had experienced throughout the years. Customers embarrassing themselves and even some of the lighter stories. Bringing up how Sukuna is always so focused on monitoring the customers in regards to Yuji, that he never realizes when he's the one being flirted with.
Just as Yuji was getting into the story the man himself appeared behind Megumi, speaking with an unimpressed tone to his voice, "We have another customer coming in a bit, be more professional brat."
Although Megumi didn't turn around, he could imagine the type of face Sukuna was making at Yuji. Though all Yuji did in return was offer an innocent looking face, his eyes betraying none of the previous mischievousness. It only returned when Sukuna rolled his eyes and left the two of them at the front to prepare his area. Yuji had his tongue sticking out at Sukuna.
The customer appeared as Yuji was in the middle of mocking his brother behind his back. So Megumi nudged his chair back towards the front desk with his leg. Yuji was about to say something before he realized the front door had opened. Turning to face the customer and being as professional as ever, seemingly recognizing the man as a regular at the store.
His eyes seemed to linger on Yuji far too long before he finally made his way over to Sukuna. Yuji swung back around and knocked into Megumi's legs as Sukuna started his part with the customer. Now Yuji had a lollipop in his mouth, smiling around it as he offered one to Megumi who declined. Sukuna was in charge of the music today so Pornograph by Dadaroma was playing through the speakers.
"You think you'd ever get a tattoo done over your ribs?"
It was a question asked just to fill the space, but Megumi considered it, following Yuji's gaze to see the customer had taken off his shirt and Sukuna was checking the positioning across his side. An incredibly big tattoo, no doubt it'll look impressive when it's completed. The size of the piece on top of the placement made Megumi wince even at just the thought.
Shaking his head at the sight of it, Megumi answered, "There's not a lot of Yakuza I've seen that have tattoos on the front, I don't think I'd ever get it done."
A thought seemed to dawn on Yuji, and he started beaming up at Megumi as he excitedly asked, "Do you have Yakuza tattoos done? They interest me but 'Kuna clearly didn't want me to see them so I've missed out on all those chances of seeing them in real life."
"I'm sorry to disappoint but I'm not tattooed at all."
Megumi was on his probation period in the group, and while nobody doubts that he'd make it well in the group. Gojo had made the process incredibly hard to move further into. It's not like Megumi hadn't noticed his probation period dragging on despite how involved he is in group affairs. They hadn't exchanged sake, and Megumi hadn't gotten any tattoos yet.
For all intents and purposes, Megumi didn't look like a Yakuza. He barely had any scars that wouldn't pass as being from something else, even the wound healing on his stomach wouldn't raise that many eyebrows. Megumi understood that Gojo was keeping him at arm's length away from the Yakuza while still keeping him involved. It was a difficult, complicated relationship.
Gojo has taken him and Tsumiki in because he thought it was the best course of action. But he hadn't actively wanted to drag Megumi into the Yakuza. He could've just stayed at the main house as part of the main family. Megumi hadn't wanted to just be taken care of like that. So of course he'd gotten involved as early as he could, in any way he could and Gojo had been forced to accept it.
"Bummer." Yuji said, kicking his legs out further and slipping down the chair in an overdramatic slump.
This time it was Megumi rolling his eyes at Yuji. It was about time for the painkillers to start wearing off and it was as good of an excuse as any, so Megumi started heading back to the stairs leading up to the second floor. Yuji scrambling out of his seat to follow and see wherever Megumi was going as if it was going to be exciting. All the while Yuji seemed happy to just trail behind Megumi like a puppy.
Oblivious to everything around him, including the way the new customer who had come in, was staring after him. Megumi wanted to be disgusted, visibly, but didn't express anything on his face and he disappeared. Not bothering to try push Yuji away to stay downstairs when that man was staring so intently like that. It was enough to make Megumi shiver with discomfort.
It reminded him of the ways those older men had stared at Tsumiki. This customer was probably twice Yuji's age as well, sitting there staring at Yuji like he's some sort of meal. Yuji seemed to not even notice it and for that at least, Megumi was glad Yuji seemed so unaware of himself and worries. Shuffling over to the couch to search around his stuff for the pills.
"He a regular?"
Yuji tilted his head in confusion, "Hm? Oh, the customer? Yeah, he's been here a few times I think, seems to like when I talk to him through his tattoo. Always getting tattoos in what feels like the most painful locations, I wonder if he's used to the pain because he never seems to complain and he never takes a break."
If Megumi had to assume, it was probably some show of masculinity. Trying to prove that he can take a painful tattoo no problem. Some people may try to get teary eyed and sensitive over their tattoos in the hopes that Yuji would worry over them, others probably try to look as tough as possible. This man was getting a massive tattoo across his side, it was way too much.
Having brought Yuji upstairs, he wasn't even down there to sit with the man and be in awe of his pain tolerance. Megumi was glad he could separate Yuji from at least one incredibly uncomfortable encounter. He hadn't been able to do much for Tsumiki. She had never wanted to offend those men in fear of retaliation, though she was usually able to sweet talk her way out of anything they pushed for.
She'd had a talent for it, concerning for her young age. Familiar with what those men wanted and the way they thought. They moved around a lot because of it, not wanting to risk coming across those men more than once. On top of that they tried to stay away from areas those types of men would frequent, but it wasn't always that simple so she'd gotten used to it.
Knowing how to handle those types of men and having to endure it, should never be someone's responsibility. Unfortunate to think that some men genuinely just cannot take no for an answer, disinterest is seen as a slight and not someone's to have their own taste. Always confident that they are being desired, shocked when they aren't. Taking what they want. Megumi shook those thoughts from his head as he swallowed the pills down, taking a seat on the couch.
"When you get your Yakuza tattoos." Yuji started and Megumi switched it with an 'if' in his own head, "Will you let me see them?"
Closing his eyes and not really thinking much of it, Megumi answered with, "You can be there while I get it if you want."
Didn't mean anything to Megumi, it wasn't likely he'd ever be able to receive one. Yet Yuji seemed ecstatic at the thought of not only being able to see a Yakuza tattoo in person but also getting to watch the process as it happened. Basically, bouncing around the room with happiness, Megumi didn't bother to point out he could always just ask Gojo or Geto to show theirs. Maybe he would remind him later. Maybe.