Chapter Text
Megumi Fushiguro was a weird kid growing up. Often expressing his anger in unhealthy ways, and then locking his sadness in a cage where his want for romance had died years before. The only things he cared for were: His sister, his adoptive father (though he didn’t want to admit it), his two dogs, his very costly viola, his depressing book collection and lavender. Lavender? Not many knew about Megumi’s love for Lavender, the smell, the taste in teas or lemonades, or how the color contrasted his normal looks. Everything lavender had to be and would be his.
♬⋆.˚☕︎⋆.🪻🍋༘⋆
The spring had hit and Megumi was on his way to the bookstore he normally would visit, the only place he felt home. That might be because of the warm presence that is his sister's bright smile, Tsumiki was chronically ill with a heart disease that was holding her back. Tsumiki’s dream was to write a romance novel perfect and inspired by her life, though it’s predicted she won’t live to see its completion. Megumi tried to believe she would live forever, but he knew she wouldn’t. So instead he desires to create a piece just for her. Each section of music acknowledges her impactful life. But before that he must complete university.
“Gooood afternoon Meg-Chan!” Tsumiki’s nickname always made Megumi cringe at the sound of it.
“Afternoon Tsumiki,” Megumi wasn’t one for nicknames, regularly just referring to someone by their real name no matter how much they push.
“Satoru-San said he was going to visit you at uni’ today, whatever that meant.” The time was 12 PM, late for Gojo to be seeing Megumi.
“He’s probably going to surprise me somewhere?” Megumi says wandering over to his favorite shelf of books scanning for one to read.
“Well on another note! There’s a new coffee shop opened next door. The owners are this sweet old couple I met earlier!” Clearly Tsumiki is the more enthusiastic out of the two siblings.
“Can you go order us some drinks! And when you come back you can go up and unlock the loft, maybe study?” Tsumiki’s statement was followed by her sitting down and then opening the cash register to complete her task.
“Can I have this book?” Megumi picks up a book not normally in his non fiction setting.
“They Both Die In The End? I’ve heard good reviews, but that’s not your genre? Done with poetry and moving into depressing romances?” Tsumiki takes the book from Megumi and scans the bar code. “You gotta help me restock these new releases later!” Tsumiki says handing back the book freshly bought and put on Megumi’s ‘tab’, but between Megumi and Tsumiki it was just a list of books he bought that Gojo covered, and Tsumiki profited from.
“That’s fine, you want tea or something?” Megumi asks for Tsumiki’s order before he goes to the new coffee shop.
“Mm, a vanilla oatmilk latte!” Tsumiki says sweetly.
“Okay, I’ll be back!” The door dings as he walks out of the bookstore.
♬⋆.˚☕︎⋆.🪻🍋༘⋆
“Welcome to the Lemon tree!” The bright boy at the counter greets Megumi as he walks into the cafe. Girls surround him as he works standing or sitting near the counter just watching him work. Megumi ignores the girls and walks up to the counter looking quickly at the menu above and then back down at the boy standing in front of him smiling large. A slightly damp towel lays on his shoulder staining his apron just a smidge, something that could be removed with a simple wash.
“Hi, can I get a medium iced Vanilla oat milk latte, and a small hot Lavender tea with soy milk please.” Megumi was pleasantly surprised with the selection of lavender drinks along with the ever lasting list of lemon options.
“Will that be for here or to go?” The worker asks Megumi while typing something into the register.
“Ah, to go please.” Megumi had become very polite over the years using please vividly, saying it multiple times to correct his past years.
“And what's the name?”
“Megumi, M-E-G-U-M-I.” After he spelt out his name Megumi reached for his wallet to pay.
:”Hey, do you go to the music school down the street?” Was it obvious due to the hoodie I’m wearing or are you just a stalker? Was what Megumi wanted to say.
“Not a stalker, just a cafe boy.” And indeed that was what he said.
“Oh sorry, do you go there?”
“Nah, I just have a friend who gose there.”
“What’s her name? I might know her?” How had Megumi become fully involved in a conversation he didn’t want to be in? No one knows.
“Nobara Kugasaki! She plays the flute? Ring a bell?” Yeah that name did ring a bell, Nobara was Maki’s girlfriend.
“Yeah I know her, but what’s your name?” Megumi felt as if he was only inclined to ask his name.
“Oh I’m Yuji Itadori!” He says before tending back to his job. “Oh yeah, will you be paying with cash or card?” Megumi grabs the cash from his wallet.
“Cash.”
“The total’s ten, eighty-six” Yuji says before taking the twenty dollar bill from Megumi’s hand. “Thank you, your change is nine, fourteen.” Megumi takes the cash back, then drops two dollar bills into the tip vase along with the coins. “Thank you, your order should be out soon!” Yuji and Megumi’s conversation ended just like that.
♬⋆.˚☕︎⋆.🪻🍋༘⋆
Megumi sits down at the stool waiting for the drinks, pulling out his book and flipping to the first page. Megumi had always been a strange reader; as a child he read lots, books, after books, and as he grew older that love for books only intensified. As he read, he quickly picked up on characters and settings.
“Megumi!” A woman called out Megumi’s name, cutting off his reading. Page 15, page 15, page 15. Megumi repeats the page number to not forget as he shuts the book with no bookmark.
“Thank you,” Megumi takes the drinks from the woman, and starts to walk off.
“Wait Megumi!” A familiar voice stops him in his tracks. “Here, and also tell Nobara I said hi!” Yuji hands Megumi a receipt with smugged ink on it.
“Will do.” Megumi says before turning around to deliver the drinks.
♬⋆.˚☕︎⋆.🪻🍋༘⋆
“Wait, he gave you his number?” Tsumiki takes another sip from her latte before scribbling something down. “He so wants to get to know you, If you know what I mean?” Tsumiki giggles and then grabs something from under the counter.
“Shut up, can I get the key?” The key Megumi was so desperately wanting was the one to the loft above the store. He seemed to always enjoy sitting up there and reading for hours as people entered and exited.
“Here! Also I had a question." Normally Tsumiki was very independent and didn’t need much, so when she did Megumi always was a bit scared. “So because of the new opening of the cafe next door, we’re going to have a book and coffee night! So I was going to ask you if you could perform tonight? Just some simple songs, once you’re tired we can play some records!” Tsumiki was and has always been enthusiastic, which made it feel almost impossible to turn her down.
“Okay, what time?” Megumi looks down at his watch, the Rolex he wears just because Gojo had bought it and begged him to wear it.
“It starts at seven thirty, but I want you to perform at eight PM instead!” Megumi didn’t question it, only nodded and then went up to the loft to continue reading, on page 15.