Chapter Text
"Ugh, worst day ever."
That day, Gojo was walking alone through a back alley in the bustling city district. As one of the hottest young actors of the moment, Gojo Satoru was a name almost everyone knew. Under normal circumstances, he would never be caught dead walking alone in a place like this. In short, today had been nothing but bad luck.
It all started with the shoot. The crew had visited a nearby café for filming an upcoming drama when they were suddenly caught in an unexpected downpour—a thunderstorm that hadn’t been in the forecast at all. Due to lighting issues, the shoot was scheduled for nighttime, and the staff scrambled to protect the equipment in the dark. In the chaos, Gojo had been left behind when the location bus hastily departed. His manager, Ijichi, had called to arrange a car to pick him up, but Gojo had refused, too annoyed at the thought of riding with an unfamiliar driver. He figured he’d just wait out the rain somewhere and take the train home once it stopped. But within minutes, he realized how naïve that plan had been.
Gojo rarely went out alone. Ever since his childhood as a child actor, he’d known that walking around in public would only invite trouble. Maybe that was why he’d foolishly assumed the night would be safe.
"Wait, isn’t that Gojo Satoru?"
A young woman’s voice reached his ears, and before he could stop himself, he turned around—his first mistake. His rare white hair and blue eyes caught the streetlight, and before he knew it, people were swarming around him. In seconds, he was trapped. For the first few minutes, he managed to smile and play the part of the gracious celebrity, but his patience quickly wore thin. After all, Gojo was soaked to the bone. His half-ruined set makeup was irritating him, and all he wanted was to get home and take a hot shower as soon as possible.
Seizing a moment of distraction, he slipped out of the crowd and bolted down an alley. By now, photos of him and the nearest station were probably spreading like wildfire on social media. There was no way he could return to the main streets. As he wandered deeper into the deserted backstreets, he realized he was completely lost.
"Great. Am I gonna have to sleep outside? If I catch a cold, I’m gonna get chewed out~"
His schedule for tomorrow was packed with filming. The rain was getting heavier, and with a sigh, Gojo pulled his hood back up. Even though it was spring, the nights were still chilly. This was bad. Maybe he should’ve just endured the fans and prioritized finding shelter. But the dark alley offered no buildings with decent cover. As he aimlessly wandered, a faint glow caught his eye up ahead. Filtered through a window, the light was dim but warm.
After checking his surroundings, he approached. About two meters before the door where the light spilled out, something caught against his body. A creaking sound followed, and when he looked down, he saw a waist-high gate had been closed. Upon closer inspection, the light seemed to be coming from some kind of shop, with a narrow path leading beyond the gate. The door was further ahead.
He couldn’t exactly trespass. Just as he was about to give up and leave, the door swung open.
"Hey, you okay…?!"
A figure holding a black umbrella stepped out and froze in surprise. Gojo raised his hands in a gesture to show he wasn’t a threat.
"Sorry, I kinda ran into your gate."
The person who responded with a quiet "Ah…" and stepped closer was a young man.
"Are you all right?"
Seeing Gojo drenched, the man extended his umbrella toward him. Raindrops fell onto the young man’s shoulders. He looked about five or six years younger than Gojo, his slender frame almost boyish under the streetlight.
"It’s fine, I’m already soaked."
Gojo refused the umbrella, feeling a little bad about the way the guy’s fragile-looking body was getting rained on. The young man frowned slightly before gesturing toward the door he’d just come from.
"Um, I run a shop here… If you’d like, you can wait out the rain inside?"
Gojo hesitated for only a few seconds. His chilled body was too tempted by the warm glow of the shop.
"Thanks, I’ll take you up on that."
Gojo stepped over the gate and onto the narrow path.
"Come in…"
As the young man opened the door and turned back, his eyes widened. Oh. Right. It had been too dark earlier, so he probably hadn’t noticed. Maybe I should ask him not to post about this online. Hopefully, he’s the type to listen. A flurry of thoughts raced through Gojo’s mind in an instant.
"You’re completely drenched."
Contrary to his expectations, the young man seemed more surprised by how wet Gojo was than by his identity.
"Huh? Oh, yeah… just a little."
Wait, does he not recognize me? Gojo answered vaguely, inwardly sweating. This was a whole new kind of bad situation—a soaking-wet man out in the dead of night. And Gojo knew he had a pretty imposing build. There was no way he didn’t look suspicious.
"Hold on a second."
The young man disappeared into the back with a pattering sound, followed by a surprised "Ah!" Gojo wanted to peek inside, but he couldn’t exactly drip water all over the place. Instead, he took in the shop. It wasn’t very large, but it was neatly organized and looked cozy. What kind of shop was this? There were tables, so maybe a restaurant? Or a café? Come to think of it, the guy had been wearing a black apron over a white shirt. As Gojo pondered, the young man returned with a towel.
"Here, use this."
"Thanks… Hey, does this smell kinda nice?"
Catching a whiff of something fragrant, Gojo asked, and the young man’s cheeks flushed slightly.
"Sorry, I kinda forgot…"
He shoved the towel at Gojo and hurried back inside. After wiping himself off, Gojo followed him. The back of the shop turned out to be a kitchen, where the young man was pulling something out of the oven.
"Apple pie? Looks delicious."
Peering over his shoulder, Gojo startled him so badly his shoulders jerked. He must’ve been really focused not to notice Gojo approaching.
"Uh, this is just a test batch… I was checking how it baked before serving."
The lone apple pie on the large commercial baking sheet had slightly burnt edges. It must’ve happened while they were talking. Oops.
"Ah, sorry. My bad."
The young man shook his head frantically.
"No, no, I was planning to take it out anyway."
Come to think of it, when he’d first called out, his tone had been casual, like he was talking to someone he knew. Now he was speaking politely, but Gojo was pretty sure he’d said "Hey" earlier.
"Were you expecting someone?"
If he’d been waiting for family or a lover, Gojo had made things even worse. He glanced at the door, considering leaving, but the young man quickly shook his head again.
"No, nothing like that… It’s just, um… a cat."
Gojo blinked.
"A cat?"
The young man awkwardly averted his eyes.
"There’s a stray around here… Sometimes it comes by when it rains. I heard the gate, so I thought it might be that one."
Ah. So Gojo had been mistaken for a stray cat.
"…Pfft—hahaha!"
Gojo burst out laughing, and the young man stared at him in shock. Unfazed, Gojo kept laughing. It had been a terrible day, but running into this guy might’ve just made up for it.
"What’s so funny?"
The young man straightened up, glaring at Gojo with sharp eyes. The expression made him look a little rough around the edges. Then again, knowing he’d come out with an umbrella just to check on a stray cat made him seem anything but intimidating.
"So, what, were you talking to the cat earlier?"
Still grinning, Gojo asked, and the young man’s cheeks instantly turned red. His fair skin made his blushes obvious.
"…Is that a problem?"
The way he pouted made Gojo want to call him cute. He held back, knowing it’d be rude, but suddenly, the guy in front of him seemed even more endearing. Gojo mentally revised his estimate of the young man’s age downward.
"Mmm, nope. Sorry for not being a cat~?"
He joked, and for some reason, the young man let out a small laugh.
"Huh? What?"
Gojo couldn’t help but ask, and after a quick "Ah, sorry," the guy explained.
"That stray… its fur color kinda looks like yours, just a little."
Gojo burst out laughing again. So he’d been waiting for a white cat. Still, being treated like a cat was a first. It was weirdly refreshing.
"Did you think I was some kind of cat spirit? Just so you know, I’m fully human."
Maybe the tension had eased, because the young man replied in a more casual tone, "What are you even saying?" as he placed the pie on the counter. His gaze was deadly serious as he carefully scraped off the burnt parts.
I want to know more about this guy. The thought came naturally.
"So, you run a cake shop?"
Gojo waited for him to finish before speaking.
"I run a pâtisserie. Ah, um…"
The young man stepped behind the counter and handed Gojo a business card.
Pâtisserie la Grâce
Fushiguro Megumi
"Grâce… 'Megumi,' right?"
Vaguely, Gojo remembered seeing that French word in some role he’d played before. The young man’s head snapped up.
"Huh? Did I get it wrong?"
Tilting his head at the guy’s stunned expression, Gojo watched as he lowered his eyes.
"No, you’re right. That’s… my name."
Gojo checked the card again—sure enough, the given name was "Megumi." So he was the owner? The slight hesitation might’ve been because people had teased him about his feminine-sounding name before.
"Huh, so you’re Megumi-kun. This is your place?"
"Yeah. It used to be my sister’s shop, but…"
The young man—Megumi—trailed off. Sensing there was more to it, Gojo changed the subject.
"You run it alone?"
"Yeah. I have a few regulars who come by."
Judging by the shop’s atmosphere, it was probably a hidden gem of a pâtisserie. The cozy vibe made it easy to imagine female customers flocking to the place, especially with a young guy like this running it solo.
"I see. So that’s why you were testing recipes."
Gojo’s gaze returned to the apple pie, and Megumi hid it behind his back, looking embarrassed. As a professional, he must’ve been ashamed of the burnt edges.
"I’ve got a sweet tooth, by the way. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Satoru."
He deliberately didn’t give his full name—not that he could deny the ulterior motive. Since his stage name was his real name, he’d considered giving a fake one, but that felt wrong. He wanted to enjoy this strange guy’s company a little longer, even if it meant being treated like a stray cat.
"Satoru… san."
Megumi repeated it quietly, showing no sign of recognizing Gojo as a celebrity. Guess he really doesn’t know me, Gojo thought with an inward sigh. For now, that was a good thing, but as the No. 1 most desirable actor, it was also a little complicated.
"Yep. The 'Satoru' with the heart radical."
Megumi traced the character for "Satoru" in the air. Nodding, Gojo leaned in.
"Hey, if that’s a test batch, can I try the apple pie?"
Megumi immediately hid the pie again.
"No, this isn’t something I’d serve to customers… It’s burnt."
Gojo grinned.
"Come on. I’m not a customer—I’m a stray cat, remember?"
"What are you even saying…?"
Megumi looked exasperated, but Gojo didn’t care.
"Meow."
He even threw in a cat impression, and Megumi’s eyes widened slightly. Good reaction. Gojo smirked. Leaning down slightly, he met Megumi’s gaze.
"Meeeoow~"
He’d learned the impression for some variety show ages ago. Gojo was good at most things he tried, and this was no exception.
"…Cats don’t eat apple pie."
Megumi was stubborn. The cat impression seemed to have won him over, though—maybe if Gojo mimicked a cat in heat, he’d laugh and give in. But making loud noises this late at night wasn’t ideal. After a moment’s thought, Gojo crouched even lower, dropping below Megumi’s eye level and looking up at him with pleading eyes.
"(Meow.)"
No sound this time—just the mouth movement. Megumi’s lips twitched.
"That’s cheating…"
Someone unfamiliar with animals might’ve been confused, but Gojo had expected this. The silent meow—a cat’s way of begging its owner for attention. Apparently, Megumi knew about it.
For the finishing touch, Gojo mouthed the meow one more time. Playing a cat was a first, but it was oddly fun. He found himself idly thinking that being taken care of by this guy wouldn’t be so bad.
Megumi sighed.
"…Fine. Sit down and wait."
"Wait, really? Awesome!"
Instantly switching back from cat to human, Gojo earned a deadpan stare from the pâtissier. Unbothered, he hummed as he took a seat. Moments later, Megumi emerged from the kitchen with the pie on a simple plate, along with a hastily brewed cup of tea.
"Here. Chausson aux pommes—French-style apple pie."
Placing the plate down with practiced ease, Megumi watched as Gojo picked up his fork. When Gojo glanced up, he saw Megumi’s tense expression.
"You gonna stand there watching me the whole time?"
Teasing, Gojo reached out and grabbed Megumi’s sleeve as he tried to retreat silently back to the kitchen.
"If you wanna see my reaction, stay right there."
He pointed to the chair opposite him, and after a brief hesitation, Megumi sat down. Maybe because he wasn’t used to sitting in the customer seats, he fidgeted restlessly, his gaze darting around.
"Thanks for the food~"
Gojo cheerfully cut into the pie. Stabbing a piece with his fork, he popped it into his mouth. The flaky crust crumbled, releasing a rich, buttery aroma.
"Mmm! This is amazing!"
He wasn’t just being polite—it was genuinely delicious. Across from him, Megumi’s expression softened in relief. Still smiling, Gojo took another bite.
"Mmm~ So crispy! The cream’s great too! There’s raisins and… walnuts? Fancy."
"Yeah. The filling’s my sister’s recipe… I tweaked the crust a bit, but getting the ratios right was tricky."
As Megumi explained, Gojo kept cutting the pie.
"The crust is great too. Crispy and fragrant."
"Really…? I’m glad it suits your taste, Satoru-san."
The earnest pâtissier had clearly been nervous. His shoulders visibly relaxed, and Gojo smiled faintly.
"Hey, Megumi, are you the type who’s okay with sharing drinks or eating from the same plate?"
The sudden question made Megumi tilt his head. "Yeah, but…?"
Gojo nodded and held out a piece of pie.
"Huh?"
Megumi’s emerald eyes widened in confusion. With that expression, he looked almost like a teenager.
"If I eat the whole thing, you won’t get to taste it, right? Sorry it’s a half-eaten piece."
He’d meant to split it from the start but had gotten carried away by how good it was. Offering a bite from the middle of the now-smaller pie, Gojo urged him on.
"Come on, hurry."
"W-Wait, I don’t—"
"It’s gonna fall."
Making it clear he wouldn’t back down, Megumi finally leaned forward with a resigned sigh.
"Say 'ah~'"
Megumi faltered slightly at Gojo’s words before obediently opening his mouth. Catching a glimpse of the red of his tongue, Gojo popped the pie in.
"Mmph."
Megumi managed to fit the slightly oversized pie piece into his mouth, his expression turning serious. As he chewed thoughtfully, his gaze drifted somewhere far away. Gojo quietly finished the rest of his own pie, watching the younger man's squirrel-like puffed cheeks while careful not to disturb the patisserie's contemplation.
"...That saved me. Thank you," Megumi finally said after a pause, nodding slightly.
"No, thank you. I know I pressured you, but you still shared with me," Gojo replied with a bright smile before reaching toward Megumi's mouth. A bit of custard had spilled at the corner during his enthusiastic bite. Gojo wiped it away with his thumb.
"Ah, sorry," Megumi apologized, seemingly unaware of the mess.
"I'll get something to clean it—"
"Nah, it's fine," Gojo interrupted, stopping him with one hand before licking the custard from his thumb.
"Wh—huh?!"
Megumi's face instantly turned scarlet. Huh, more innocent than I expected, Gojo mused, eyes crinkling in amusement.
"You've got such a small mouth... cute," he murmured, lowering his voice slightly. Megumi only reddened further.
"~~~! I-I'm getting a napkin!" Megumi shot up, spinning around so fast his ears peeked through his hair. Seeing them flushed pink too deepened Gojo's grin. The flustered patissier bumped into a chair on his way to the kitchen, his panic only growing—so obvious it made Gojo finally burst out laughing.
"No need to rush~!"
"I'm not rushing!!" Megumi's shrill denial lacked all conviction. Gojo watched his noisy retreat with delight.
"Excuse me," Megumi muttered minutes later, returning with a sullen expression and a damp towel. As Gojo wiped his hands, he studied that face intently.
"...What?"
Under his gaze, the faintest blush crept back onto Megumi's cheeks, now mostly faded. The sight inexplicably thrilled Gojo. "Secret," he sang in reply.
"Ah, your tie's loose."
Gojo noticed the apron strings hanging undone. They'd been neatly tied in a bow earlier—probably snagged in Megumi's earlier haste.
"Huh?"
Megumi twisted to look over his shoulder. Gojo's pulse jumped at the slender waist visible through the thin shirt as he reached for the delicate back.
"It's in a tight knot now. Here, let me fix it."
"Wha—no, I can—" Megumi tried to pull away, but Gojo's reach was longer. He swiftly grabbed the strings and circled behind him.
The moment Gojo scratched at the knot with a click, Megumi stilled in resigned silence. Tense from having his back exposed, the nape of his neck visibly tensed.
"...Hah, trickier than I thought."
"Should I just take it off over your head?"
Megumi turned. At close range, their eyes met, and Gojo's narrowed playfully.
"Nah. This way's more exciting."
Megumi faced forward again, bewildered. Though Gojo had meant no ulterior motive—only genuine helpfulness—the younger man's back suddenly seemed unbearably alluring. The same youth who'd shown such innocence moments ago now carried an unexpected allure. Where this encounter would lead, even Gojo couldn't yet predict.
The rain stopped thirty minutes later. After arranging for a car nearby through Ijichi, Gojo rose to leave.
"Really saved me today. Thanks."
Megumi, who'd come to see him off, softly replied, "Not at all."
"I've been stuck on recipe testing lately... Watching you enjoy it so much was a nice break," he added, now genuinely smiling despite earlier irritation at being teased. The openness was disarming. Hesitating briefly, Gojo lightly touched the wild black hair.
"Thanks for picking me up."
He ruffled the strands before withdrawing. As he turned to leave, "Satoru!" stopped him.
"Yeah?"
Megumi faltered briefly before speaking. "That pie you ate was experimental... so, um, if you'd like... come by again. Next time, I'll serve one that's not burnt."
Gojo's face lit up instantly.
"Next time, I'll come without getting soaked."
Something's beginning, he sensed.