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Yuji Itadori is a unique student.
He doesn’t study much, he’s actually the sporty type who just can’t get to studying. Just the thought of sitting by the desk and reading boring books causes Yuji to doze off. People describe him to be a jock, just without the jock character traits. His face might look intimidating at times; but the moment he speaks up—his voice rats out his kindness.
In Megumi’s eyes; he’s a lazy bum who forgets to do the dishes far too often.
“I already told you.” Megumi crosses his arms, standing over Yuji. “Wash the dishes. That’s all I want you to do. Why can’t you do it?”
Yuji looks up at him, he’s sitting on the couch and he was just watching a TV show before Megumi came up to him. “I’ll do it this time. I promise.” He scratches the back of his neck. “It just.. Flies out of my head. Sorry.”
“I want you to do it now.”
“But my show is running..”
“These days you can find TV shows anywhere. No excuse.”
“I’m tired after my training. I always try extra hard for you.” Yuji mutters out, really, really, wanting to finish his show first. “Are you coming to my game this Saturday?”
“If you do the dishes.”
Yuji stands up, walks around Megumi and into the kitchen. Their small apartment gets a little cramped sometimes, but it’s more than homey. Megumi’s parents did pay in a little, which helped them tremendously. Megumi calls them every week and every week they receive photos of Megumi and Yuji all around Tokyo. The latest one was of Yuji at the Shibuya crossing.
But despite Megumi’s parents’ help, both of them work part time jobs.
Megumi works as a waiter at a rather fancy restaurant whilst Yuji does warehouse work; lifting stuff up. He’s physical in every sense—he’s even going to Tokyo Fire Department Academy!
Or something like that.
Megumi can’t be bothered to remember the name of the place Yuji ‘studies’ at (it’s embedded in his brain).
Toji did appear to be pleased with Yuji’s choice of work, while Megumi is more concerned about him and his health.
Megumi studies veterinary medicine at the University of Tokyo. It’s a grueling process of learning everything, but Megumi enjoys the monotony of doing homework and studying everyday just to pass.
“Don’t look like a kicked puppy.” Megumi utters out, his eyes trailing up Yuji’s posture. “It’s housework. I’ll do the dishes next week. We switch, it’s fair.”
“I’m just upset about missing out on my show.” Yuji replies, his hands diligently washing the dishes and putting them out on the dish rack. Foam runs up his arms, almost to the sleeves he pushed up to his upper arm. “I’ll throw out the trash at the usual time. That fits you?”
Megumi slowly moves towards him, settling down to lean against a counter. “Sure. Just remember to do it today.”
“I’m thinking I should quit basketball. I’m good at it, buuuut.” Yuji drags on, the corners of his lips quirk up as he glances at Megumi. “I want to spend more time with you.” He moves the sponge on the plate, scrubbing the dry ketchup stuck to it. The water turns a light red.
The water stays in the sink, not getting sucked up by the drain. Megumi sighs whilst Yuji hums under his breath and scrubs the plate. His hands sometimes submerge in the reddish water. Seeing the water drip down Yuji’s hands..
It rubs Megumi the wrong way.
“It’s clogged.” Megumi murmurs, he reaches out to sink his hand into the water and he scoops up the bits of food that forced the water to stay. The water disappears. “More trash for you to throw out.” Megumi throws it into the garbage bag that’s already next to the door.
“What do you think?”
“About what?”
“Y’know, basketball. Quitting.”
“You love basketball.”
“I love you too.”
Megumi glances away, his cheeks redden just a little; it’s as if soft waves of sunshine brushed his pale skin. Yes, Yuji might be his sun. “Still. I don’t wanna force you to quit something you love. You should stay.” Megumi dries his hands on the small towel hanging by the sink. He then brushes Yuji’s hair out of his face. “You’re a part of an amazing team as well. Without you, will they still be amazing?”
“Probably.” Yuji places the last cup on the dish rack, he turns the water off and turns towards Megumi. “They wouldn’t lose much if I were to quit.” Yuji flicks the water from his hands at Megumi. “A date sounds better than a game, too.”
Megumi rolls his eyes, wiping away the water from his face. “You’re disgusting.”
“You’re the one who’s learning about genitals and organs. And cutting them open!”
Megumi scoffs. “You’re the one who wants to save people from fires.” He leans closer to Yuji, looking into his eyes. “Well, let me tell you something, save me first before all those victims waiting for you.”
“They’re not my victims.”
“Who knows? You might drop them.”
“Have I ever dropped you? I think I saved you lots of times.” Yuji taps his chin. “Like, when you couldn’t finish the sushi at the all you can eat buffet. I ate it all. When you went to the bathroom. I wasn’t hungry but I also didn’t wanna throw it away and pay extra.”
“..I thought you took it in your pocket.” Megumi smiles. It’s that rare, soft smile Yuji cherishes so much. “I saw you take sushi from your pocket and eat it.”
“It was just one.”
Megumi leans in even further and pokes Yuji’s lips with his. It’s a quick gesture that never fails to leave Yuji all giddy and smiley.
“Go throw out the trash.”
“I might throw myself out by accident too.” Yuji murmurs, his head moving in to steal another kiss. That kiss turns into another kiss, before it turns into four kisses which turn into a full make-out. “I like this life.”
“I do too.” Megumi chuckles, eyes gazing into Yuji’s. “Go off. Just come back without tripping into the dumpster like last time.”
“I saw really nice mice. I wanted to greet them—”
“Just go.”
“..okay.”
Yuji wipes his hands on his pants, he presses one last kiss to Megumi’s cheek before he grabs the garbage bag and walks to the backroom. He throws on his shoes and soon he disappears behind the door.
Yuji whistles softly as he walks down the countless stairs, one hand in his pocket while the other holds the bag. The cool, stale air hits his cheeks and fills his lungs. The specific humidity seeps into his skin and clothes; while the scent of musty cigarettes fails to force a reaction out of Yuji.
‘I like days like these.’
Yuji opens the front door and is immediately hit by the fresh, warm air. He stands there, allowing the door to close with a slam. He looks up at the sky, admiring the May evening. It’s still bright and warm, the smell of plants and freshly mowed grass accompanies his smile that only widens in those great conditions.
He heads into the small alley next to the building, which contains two garbage containers. He opens the lid and throws the trash in. Yuji glances inside just to be met with the sight of… garbage bags.
The lid closes with a slam, presumably scaring off any animal that had enough courage to come close to the city. The hum of cars reminds Yuji of tomorrow.
Before Yuji could show any displeasure at the thought of school, studying and training, the lamp in front of him flickers a few times; despite it still being bright. Yuji tips his head to the side, his eyes catching a glimpse of.. nothing. Just a simple alleywall with dumpsters.
“...come, help me.”
Yuji shrugs his shoulders, completely unaware of the presence right behind him.
...
“Why should we leave Tokyo now?” Megumi murmurs into the phone, sitting down on the couch and surfing through the many useless channels. “We visited two weeks ago. We don’t have any time, we already planned everything.”
“I don’t care.” His father replies. Something in his voice irritated Megumi, its bold and demanding sound naturally made everyone do what he wanted. But it also seemed.. Desperate. “Get back home. I don’t want you at Tokyo.”
“Right now? I have classes. Yuji too.”
“Get home, Megumi.”
“Listen,” Megumi replies, he grits his teeth before muttering out a continuation. He allows the remote to fall onto the couch next to him. “You’re not going to tell me what to do. You lost that. I’m an adult. I have responsibilities, too. I can’t just leave out of nowhere.”
Toji sighs. “You’re still that bratty kid.” Toji stays quiet, almost as if unsure of what to say to his son. He knows him, but at the same time he doesn’t anymore. “It’s about that technique of yours. You remember?”
“...yes?”
“Cursed spirits—”
The call cuts out. Everything cuts out. The power goes out. Megumi sits in the dark. He uses the flashlight on his phone to lighten his way towards the window for him to sweep the dark curtains away. It’s way brighter now in the room, but the sun is starting to set outside.
It’s hard to say whether no building has power or whether they do.
Megumi glances back at his phone, he has no signal. Sighing softly and setting his phone on the windowsill, Megumi walks away; right in the moment when a large creature flies around the buildings.
“He’s crazy..” Megumi murmurs, pushing his hair up and covering his forehead with his warm hand. “He must be. Leaving Tokyo.. Right now.. For no reason..” Megumi scoffs, sitting back down on the couch and staring at the black screen of the TV. “No, he wouldn’t call me without a good reason.. He never does.”
The door opens and Megumi straightens up, his hands instinctively curling into each other into a specific sign; the shadows cast by his hand reveal a nice shadowy wolf on the wall. His hands go down when he sees Yuji.
His Yuji.
“The power went out.”
“Hah?” Yuji tips his head to the side. “That’s, like, impossible.”
“It really isn’t.”
“No earthquake? No tsunami? Why else? I mean, there’s no way some electrician accidentally severed the wrong cable, right?”
Megumi stares at him. “Not funny.”
“Is it just us? Our building? Or does everyone have no power?”
“I don’t know.”
“I can ask around. Maybe then we'll have an idea why there’s no power.”
Megumi shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. Just sit down.” Megumi looks up at him, his voice quietens. “I want you here.”
“Uh, okay.” Yuji smiles sincerely, sitting down on the couch next to Megumi. He nuzzles up to him, his hand slithering to grasp Megumi’s. “Did something else happen?”
“No.”
“Just asking, you know. But if anything did happen, you do know that I’ll always be here for you, right?” Yuji grins, his white teeth shine in the setting sun. His entire face is lit up by the orange lighting. “Megumi, Megumi, Megumi. Those are my three wishes if a genie were to come over to me right now.”
“You already have me, silly.” Megumi softly smiles, staring at the love of his life. The orange. It’s such a lovely colour. “You should wish for world peace, safety for everyone, and for no ghosts or spirits to exist, cursed or not.”
“You believe in ghosts?” Yuji sticks out his tongue. “Aliens are much better.”
“You’re just saying that to annoy me.”
“Yeah.”
The orange slides off of Yuji as the sun sets further. The darkness envelopes the living room, but for the first time in a long time; Megumi didn’t feel scared nor ashamed. Shadows—he doesn’t need to know about them nor does he need to step in as a sorcerer. Toji never wanted him to do so, either.
‘I’m happier this way, too.’
“Hey, Yuji.” Megumi starts to say, his fingers moving his black hair behind his ear. “We should go out for that date. Anywhere. Or everywhere.”
“I know the perfect place—!”
A cursed spirit destroys the building complex, eating the two of them and many more.
Cursed spirits cause chaos around Tokyo, destroying it and tearing everyone apart.
Two tickets to the movie “Human Earthworm” fly with the wind, away from the now destroyed building complex.