Chapter Text
Megumi woke with a jolt, disoriented by the sudden movement around him. Opening his eyes, he was surprised to find a young boy sitting in front of him.
Where am I? The last thing he could recall was being surrounded by his friends while he was–
Oh. Wait.
The abrupt memory caused him to stand up too quickly, his head connecting sharply with the metal railings. He was on a moving train, and he had no idea how he'd gotten there.
“Easy there, spike head,” the young boy commented.
Clutching his head, Megumi demanded, “Where am I? And how did I get here?”
“You don’t know?” the young boy asked, tilting his head.
Megumi couldn't stop himself from retorting. "Why would I ask if I knew?!" The last thing he needed was to try to think straight when he was already disoriented from the sudden rush of realization about where he was supposed to be.
“Why are you yelling! I just fell from my bike, and suddenly I’m here! You’re a mean spike head!” the boy says as he stands and runs away.
Megumi’s eyesight followed the boy when he realized that there were other people inside the train too. Some of them are also disoriented, and it seems like they also don’t know where they are.
Megumi pressed a hand to his temple, a headache throbbing as he observed the bewildered expressions around him. It seems that everyone here doesn't know where they are, he thought. He glanced out the window, and the reflection startled him. His once white hair was now jet black, his wrinkles gone, and he felt a youthful energy course through him. He was young again, though the scars from his darkest times remained recognizable.
He stared at his reflection for a long moment until the train came to an abrupt halt. The chattering within the train ceased as everyone waited for what would happen next, but then the doors suddenly opened. Every person, Megumi included, hesitated to step out of the car.
He instinctively made the hand shadow for ‘Divine Dogs’ and whispered the command, but nothing occurred. A wave of unease washed over him, realizing this place might have deactivated his curse technique.
With nothing else to do, he carefully stepped off the train onto a deserted platform. Ahead are several escalators ascending into the unknown. He stepped onto one, joined by the few other passengers also heading up. As the escalator carried them, the walls were covered with various advertisements. One promoted a chance to 'live in the 90s,' while another invited people to 'live in a disco world and dance forever until their legs fall out.'
Upon reaching the top, he was overwhelmed by a scene of booming noises, colorful structures, and a dense crowd. Advertisements were shouted, and people were aggressively trying to pull others toward unknown destinations. The chaos made him want to tear out his hair and find somewhere quiet, but he was completely disoriented in this unfamiliar place.
Suddenly, a person in a brown suit grabbed his arm. "Hi, are you Fushiguro Megumi?" the person asked, examining his face.
"Yes, but who are you? And where am I?" he countered, attempting to break free from the stranger's grip.
"I’m Ryan, your AC!” the man, Ryan, as his name plate confirmed, announced.
“AC?” Megumi questioned.
“Afterlife Coordinator! And this is the Junction!” Ryan says as he waves his hand around him.
Megumi struggled to process the flood of information. "The Junction? The Afterlife? So... is this purgatory? Hell? Heaven?"
Ryan's smile never faltered. "As I told you, this is the Junction! A brief transition between life and Eternity. And you, Megumi, have earned a life worth an Eternity!"
So he’s dead, number one. Like officially and definitively. And number two, he’s not in Hell nor in Heaven. He’s in the afterlife or the Junction, as this Ryan says."I... I was 65 years old when I died. What happened to me then?" Megumi asked, looking at his hands, that’s young once again.
“Well, when you get here, your form reverts to its happiest self. It could be any age!” Ryan explained, prompting Megumi to stand up. As Megumi was still processing this news, a piercing alarm suddenly blared across the terminal-like space. They heard a man screaming to be let go, saying he was "sick of looking at the pictures." Two individuals in security guard uniforms dragged the man toward a door.
"Hey, what's wrong with him? Where are they taking him?" Megumi asked.
"Well, he went through a red door, which means he escaped from his chosen Eternity. Let's head to your room, and I'll explain more to you!" Ryan answered, pulling Megumi toward an apartment building.
They walked past various rooms and stopped in front of one. "Well, this is where you'll stay!" Ryan announced. As Ryan opens the door, a simple one-bedroom apartment welcomes him, with a window overlooking the chaos outside where he first stepped in.
“So this is where I live from now on?” Megumi asks as he inspects the room. There’s a television full of advertisements just like the ones from the outside. He opens the cabinet and sees some of his personal clothing… especially the Jujutsu high uniform. He smiles as he carefully caresses the familiar clothing.
“The cabinet stores some of your favorite clothes, and nope, just like what I said: this is just a temporary place for you to stay as you need to choose which Eternity you would like to go to!” Ryan says as he sits down at the single bed. “So come here! Let’s discuss some things, especially from the people who went here before you!”
A surge of excitement went through Megumi. Of course, his loved ones! He sits beside Ryan. "Well, where are they? Can I visit them?"
Ryan grabbed four letters from his clipboard. "Unfortunately and fortunately, they already went to their Eternities! However, we allow them to at least write a letter to someone in the future, as long as the contents don't threaten someone to choose a specific Eternity!"
Megumi took the four letters. Ryan continued, "Let’s just say that Eternity is the paradise that you’ve been dreaming of. That one happy place you can spend the rest of your life–I mean, afterlife. Once someone has chosen an Eternity, there's no going back! Remember the guy from the lobby? He’ll be taken into the Void, where there’s infinite darkness.”
“So this is not Heaven because why would you guys do that?” Megumi retorted.
Ryan stood up. “Again, I didn’t say that this is Heaven! You know what, I’ll give you some time. My file says you're intelligent, so I'll let you process all this first. But to sum it up, you have only one week to choose an Eternity–the place where you’ll spend the rest of your afterlife. Think of it as a chance to live the life you missed out on! Remember, once you choose an Eternity, you can’t come back to the Junction. So, I’ll let you think for a while.”
Ryan walked to the door and waved goodbye. “See you tomorrow!” As he said this, the sun outside the window theatrically set, and the moon rose.
Megumi sank onto his bed, still reeling from the day's events. Could it all have been a dream? As he struggled to process the overwhelming information, exhaustion finally claimed him.
Megumi wakes up in an unfamiliar room. He jumped from his bed, questioning the unusual lightness he felt. A glance in the mirror confirmed the reality of yesterday's events: he was dead and had arrived in the afterlife, or as the man named Ryan had called it, the Junction. He’s young once again, reverting to his happiest form. However, as he touched his face, the scars from the darkest part of his life brought that feeling into question.
He shrugged off the feeling and started to get ready to explore the Junction. After a quick shower, he wears his Jujutsu high uniform again. He smiles as he remembers his high school life… especially with…
No, it’s not the time to think about him. He says to himself as he grabs the four letters and turns to exit his room.
He once again wanders into the main area of the Junction. The advertisements are much clearer now–they’re advertisements to different Eternities.
“You can read all kinds of books here at the Library Eternity!” That sounds tempting! Though I wonder if there are mangas there?
“Let’s cook and create unlimited recipes!” That sounds fun, we can make different kinds of meatballs.
“The vast field will help us train together! Let’s train with unlimited stamina!” That takes me back to my Jujutsu high days. I miss sparring with… my old classmates and senpais.
“Come here at the Arcade eternity! The games and levels are limitless!” I bet I can beat him at different levels even though he says that he can bea–
No. He said as he stopped and took a deep breath. The headache is splitting his head as it tries to cover the noise.
I can’t keep thinking about him. I can’t let him influence my Eternity. And besides, he left me. He never came back.
He sighs as he leans into a wall when he hears something crumpled from his pocket. Right, the letters. He knew he had to read the letters. Seeking a quiet spot, his eyes settled on a nearby cafe. "Perfect," he murmured, heading inside.
The aroma of coffee and warm pastries welcomed him as he opened the door. He settled into an empty booth. A waitress, as he guessed by the uniform she’s wearing, walks to his table.
“Can I take your order?” the waitress asked, opening her notepad.
“Just one black coffee,” he replied. “But how will I pay for—”
“Coming right up!” the waitress interrupted him and headed to the back kitchen.
Megumi decided to assume the coffee must be complimentary, seeing as he was already in the afterlife. In just a few seconds, the waitress returned with the piping hot black coffee.
“Enjoy!” the waitress said as she went back again into the back kitchen.
I wonder if she has to choose an eternity, too? Megumi thought to himself. But then he decided to focus on what he came here for.
He grabbed the four letters and flipped them over. He was surprised to see the senders of the four letters: one from Tsumiki, one from Gojo, one from his mom, and one from… Toji.
He stared at the last envelope for a few minutes before storing it away, not knowing if he was ready to read Toji’s letter.
After contemplating, he opened Tsumiki’s letter first.
Megumi,
If you’re reading this, it means we're both dead. But I'm the first one to be here because I'm the eldest one! Kidding. I wish I could say these words to you personally, but since I can’t, I hope this letter can carry the warmth of my voice and the love I’ve always had for you.
Do you remember when you came home with a scraped knee and bruised cheek because you got into another fight at school? I remember standing there with my hands on my hips, scolding you like I was the strictest big sister in the world. I kept telling you that fighting wouldn’t solve anything and that you had to learn to walk away! You looked so annoyed at me that day, but later, you still followed me around the house as if nothing had happened. Even then, I knew that no matter how much I scolded you, we would always be on the same side. I’ve always been proud of you, even during the times when you thought I was just nagging you. Everything I said came from love. I only wanted you to grow into someone kind.
There’s something very important I need you to remember, though. Whatever happened… whatever led to this… it is not your fault. Please don’t carry that weight in your heart. You’ve always tried your best, and that has always been enough for me. I would never want you to blame yourself for something you couldn’t control.
As you're reading this, I might have gone into an Eternity already. You're probably wondering where I've ended up, and honestly, I'm not going to spill the details. Not because I don't want to share with you, but because this journey is completely and totally yours. I don't want my experiences to influence your decision. Whatever direction you head in, whatever you decide to believe, I hope that it brings you peace and happiness. Even if I’m not there beside you anymore, I hope you’ll still feel that I’m cheering you on from somewhere. I’ll always be your big sister, and you’ll always be the little brother I loved more than anything.
Goodluck, Megumi. Live an Eternity you think you deserve.
Love, Tsumiki.
He smiled at the content of the letter. Tsumiki, I miss you so much. And thank you. Megumi thought to himself as he hugged the letter.
He folded the letter and tucked it again into the envelope. He took a few sips of his coffee before proceeding to the next letter. Gojo-sensei…
Megumi Chan! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡
By the time you read this, I may have already started walking a different path for a while. A very dear, old friend has been waiting for me, and I think it's finally time for me to join them. (˶˃𐃷˂˶)
If you read the letter I gave to Yuuji, again, GOMEEEEN (╥﹏╥) I will not further explain that because you already know what it means!!! You know, people sometimes ask me if adopting you was a difficult decision, especially by Nanami and Shoko. I usually laugh, because the only difficult part was getting used to your antics when you get annoyed by me. ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀) But really! The truth is, I have never once regretted adopting you. Not for a second. If anything, it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Being your dad, officially or otherwise, has been an honor I wouldn’t trade for anything.
Also, don’t blame yourself, kiddo. I’m bummed I couldn't set you free. But hey, I really believe in everyone I left behind, especially Yuuji. I hope that you get to live a peaceful life at least. I know that!!! Because I know the kind of person you are
So, this is really a goodbye, Megumi! I hope you choose an Eternity that doesn’t annoy you!
Your favorite sensei, Gojo ₍₍⚞(˶˃ ꒳ ˂˶)⚟⁾⁾
P.S: Do you think they can take orders from the Sweet Eternity to my Eternity? (つ╥﹏╥)つ
Megumi quietly laughs as he folds Gojo’s letter. That man can't stop drawing his stupid emojis. He thought to himself. But really, he’s happy and grateful that Gojo decided to adopt two scrawny kids.
He hesitated, clutching the last letter. Should I read it? He longed to, yet the person who wrote it, his mother, was a stranger to him, having died before he could form his earliest memories.
After a few seconds of hesitation, he decided to open the letter.
My Megumi,
If you're reading this, it means time kept moving without me by your side, which is the one thing I always wished I could change. I dreamed of watching you grow up, seeing all your first big wins, the slip-ups, the laughs, and those quiet times that would shape the man you'd turn into. Even though I didn't get to stick around for those days, please know that loving you was the absolute best part of my life.
From the moment I held you, I knew you were someone special. I imagine you now. Stronger, taller, wiser, and I hope the world has been kind to you. And if it hasn’t always been, I hope you learned that you are stronger than the hardships that come your way.
There are so many moments I wish I could have shared with you: cheering for you when you succeeded, comforting you when you were hurt, and reminding you that you were never alone. Even without my presence, please know that my love remains with you. You carry it forward in the quiet strength you possess, the kindness you extend to others, and with every choice you make for the life you build.
Wherever life takes you, remember that I’ll always be beside you. I hope you choose an Eternity where you can be truly happy, my blessing.
Tears start forming in his eyes. How I wish I could’ve been with you, Mom. He hugged the letter against his chest before storing it again in the envelope.
He spends the rest of the time sipping his coffee and taking in the contents of the letter, not yet ready, though, to open the fourth one. Until someone barged into the doors of the cafe.
“There you are!” Ryan shouts as he walks to Megumi’s booth.
“What do you want, Ryan?” Megumi says, annoyed by Ryan’s energy.
“What I want AND need from you is for you to choose your Eternity already, Fushiguro Megumi. So tell me, do you already have an Eternity in mind?” Ryan asks as his face gets closer to Megumi.
“Not yet, and stop crowding me!” Megumi pushes his face away.
“What? I did give you some time to think and explore! I see that you also read the letters already.” He gestured at the letters in front of him.
“Well… It’s not that easy.” Megumi says. Unsure of his tone.
He doesn’t know what’s keeping him from choosing an Eternity. When really, he could go to Tsumiki’s Eternity because that’s always been his dream, right? To have a peaceful life with his sister? No curses, no clans. So really, what’s stopping him?
“Are you perhaps… waiting for someone?” Ryan asked.
Itadori Yuuji. Immediately, the familiar name and face popped out of his mind. “N-no. I’m… I’m not. I guess. I just need more time to think.” He buries his face in his hands as his mind is clouded by the familiar pink figure. The one that left him… but also the one that made him the happiest.
“Well, maybe this can help you to decide, Megumi.” Ryan then gave him a paper. A paper that resembles a movie ticket. “There’s a place here in the Junction called The Archives. You can go through different moments of your life. Maybe this can help you decide, don’t you think? Also, you can only go once! So keep that ticket safe. You can only access The Archives again in your own Eternity.”
He grabs the ticket and asks, “But what if going to the Archives doesn’t give me an answer?”
“Do you mean, extending your stay here in the Junction?”
“Yeah, like maybe… just a few more days? Months? Or I don’t know how time works here.” Megumi scrambles for an answer.
Ryan pointed one of his fingers up, “Well, if you’re past the one week, then you’ll have to move from your luxurious upper-story apartment,” then he points down, “...to the basements. Like you know, bathroom-sized bedrooms, limited space.”
“That’s all?” Megumi asked. He thinks… he doesn’t mind living in a very small basement room for a while. Am I waiting for someone?
“And you also have to work as a janitor or bartender here in the Junction! You have to work for it, Mister!” Ryan says as he leans on the couch.