Chapter Text
The world both you and I reside in, reader, is bland compared to the tales we listen to.
No magic, no powers, no extraordinary creatures. Due to this, humans fabricate stories of immense fantasy and wondrous phenomena. To satisfy our curious imaginations, a thirst that for some, reality can’t quench.
If only we had the opportunity to travel between realities.
✧ ✧ ✧
It is the second day of your spring break. After completing your midterms, this break is most definitely well deserved! You’re venturing back home after your evening walk, your phone lighting up the darkness, “9:36 P.M.”. There’s nothing better to do. Your parents aren’t home for the most part, and your siblings annoy you. You aren’t even able to drive anywhere, being a highschooler without a driver’s license. No one has time to teach you, nothing is able to entertain you. You’re bored–this world is boring–and to pass the time you bury yourself in novels, mangas, shows, and anything else that holds the excitement you so desperately long to live with.
The house is silent as you turn your key and enter. Your feet padding up the wooden steps towards your room, all you hear is the murmur of your siblings downstairs. You let out a sigh as you unlock the door to your room: everything seems in order for a peaceful night.
But as you softly click the door shut behind you, what seems like ragged breathing enters your ears from across the room.
Hovering near the wall, a relatively tall figure with spiky black hair pierces his gaze into your widened eyes. Grabbing the nearest chair, you raise your arms, a silent threat (or plea for mercy) to this unknown individual.
“Put that down before you hurt yourself,” the boy firmly advised, the night sky casting a deep blue across his face. He looks down at his palms, flexing his fingers as if to ponder something.
“Megumi–what?” you sputter, lowering the chair in disbelief. You knew this boy… a boy in a world full of cursed energy and powers, an interesting world. His eyes narrow at you.
“You…you look like you recognize me…” he huffs, eventually tearing his gaze away. “More importantly–where the hell am I? Explain. Now.”
“I can’t–what–I don't believe this,” you laugh to yourself, “this is totally mental…” You study Megumi a bit further. Hair disheveled, uniform torn, he looks as if he had just come out of battle.
“Did a curse user pull this stunt? Or is Gojo up to something?” Megumi massages his temples, exhaling sharply yet maintaining his composure. “Either way-” he adds, gaze shifting back towards you, “-you clearly know me, so start talking.”
Still skeptical of the current situation, you take a curious step towards him, and he takes a wary step back in return. There’s no doubt about it, the Megumi Fushiguro is in your room! Due to the ridiculousness of the situation, you spill out whatever words come to mind.
“You’re Megumi Fushiguro from Jujutsu Kaisen! This is crazy–Megumi’s one of my favs for sure–or is this some sort of cosplay?” You want to jump up and down with excitement (I mean, who wouldn’t in your situation?), despite the queasiness in your stomach forming, you knew you had to take advantage of this golden opportunity! You finally re-establish eye contact with Megumi, who looks completely dead pan… a slight flush of embarrassment leaks across your face.
“Cosplay? Are you serious right now?” he exhales, pinching his nose bridge. “Look, just tell me where I am.”
The two of you are still in your dark bedroom, with your eyes adjusting to the pitch black.
“I’m just as confused as you are… this is MY room…in MY house,” you reply defensively, arms crossed. (Secretly you’re eternally grateful to your past self for cleaning your room earlier that week.)
“Fine,” Megumi continues, “if you really don’t know why I’m here…then we have an even bigger problem.” His eyes wander around your room, scanning for something in particular, possibly cursed energy, anything that might help. “Where even is this place? It doesn’t look like Tokyo, or Japan for that matter.” A wave of realization chills your spine-Megumi thinks it’s 2018 in Tokyo.
“It’s the year 2026…” you inform him, anticipating his response to the news. You see his entire body stiffen, eyes widening.
“2026…?” he murmurs, deathly quiet. “That’s… but that’s impossible…”
The silence stretches out across the room. You feel bad for the guy, but how else are you supposed to inform someone they’re in some random future?
“Either some form of cursed energy sent me into the future… or–” he pauses, locking eyes with you, “or… I'm not in my world at all.”
The realization sinks in between both of you, a situation neither of you could have ever envisioned occurring. You decide to briefly introduce yourself to Megumi, and then attempt to explain how you know him.
“In my world, there’s this popular anime called Jujutsu Kaisen. You’re Megumi Fushiguro, described to be a Zenin with the inherited Ten Shadows Technique,” you explain, nervously twiddling your fingers. You can’t help but goggle at him, he does look dashing.
“So you’re telling me I’m some sort of…fictional character in your world?” He clenches his jaw, eyes flooding with uncertainty. “Alright, but that doesn’t explain how I got here or how I can get back.” You watch as he crosses his arms and glares at you like you’re somehow to blame.
Yeah… he’s certainly not fond of you…
“You’re going to help me figure this out,” he demands, “starting with everything you know about this.. ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ show I’m in.”
This certainly isn’t the Megumi you know. Based on your prior knowledge–in spite of him being a little grumpy and introverted–he was generally polite. How strange.
✧ ✧ ✧
You’ve explained the following key points that you determined Megumi should be aware of:
Firstly, there is no cursed energy/magic/etc in your world.
Additionally, informing others about the situation wouldn’t be a good idea, since no one would believe you two.
Lastly, you presented him with evidence of the show online to prove your point about him being fictional in your world.
Regardless of how many notions and concepts you explain, the two of you aren’t getting anywhere. You end up making an effort online, scrolling through articles and posting on an anonymous forum.
You didn’t notice how close he was before realizing you could hear his breathing. He hovered over your shoulder, one hand holding the back of your chair, the other on the desk. Megumi then leans in, scanning a new reply that had appeared, his chest pressing into you.
Your attention snaps back to the glowing screen as he clicks his tongue.
The replies trickle in–jokes about ‘Isekai Tropes’ and some suggesting ‘mental health checks’. You can see Megumi’s expression growing more unimpressed by the second.
“Waste of time.” He straightens back up, backing away from your desk. “If your world truly has no cursed energy, there won’t be anyone who can help. Which means…” His eyes flick around your room. “...I’ll have to find a solution myself.”
Before you can stop him, he strides to your door and turns the handle. He then pauses, not looking back.
“Whether you come with me or not is your choice, but I refuse to sit around and–” he cuts off, peering down at you. You’re grasping his wrist, pleading with him,
“Wait–don’t–if my family sees a boy exiting my room–they’ll kill me!” You felt a little silly, but you seriously didn’t want to deal with that.
Megumi gazes at his wrist in your hand, then back at your face. You see his demeanor falter slightly, right before tearing his arm from your grip.
“...Fine,” he sighs. “But we’re sneaking out tonight–if you’re coming, that is.”
You want to respond, yet something alarming makes its way towards you. Footsteps. Approaching rapidly from the other side of your door.
Megumi raises his hands, attempting to summon one of his shikigami in defense. You’re already pulling him further from the door, both of you aware that his technique won’t operate due to the lack of cursed energy in this world.
The footsteps grow increasingly near as both of you trip into your closet, scrambling to slide the door shut.
Your foot slips.
You can’t even catch yourself, the pair of you go tumbling down in the darkness.
“What are you doing?” you hear one of your siblings ask.
“We hear you talking to a boy~!” you hear another chime in.
This was quite literally the worst moment to have your family intrude.
Megumi’s chest rose rapidly, you had fallen onto him. Both of you are out of breath, his heartbeat is raging against your ear.
“Quiet,” he hissed, the door handle turning. You two listen to the commotion as your siblings file into the room. A hand is pressed against your mouth, the other holding you. You feel butterflies rush throughout your stomach, face flushing a deep red. You can’t help but get nervous–you’re literally on top of him–even though you’re positive Megumi didn’t have any intention of this occurring. The both of you remain still, grips tight on one another in the pitch black of your closet.
“It looks like she’s not in here,” a voice sounds.
“Maybe she’s still outside?” someone else comments. You hear murmurs of agreement among your siblings, followed by the door closing shut. Megumi continued to press you against his torso: just until the footfall became stifled. You listen as he moderately slides the closet doors apart, light pooling in. You can see his face now: eyelashes sparkling throughout the light as his eyes dart around your room from the crack in the doorway, his expression appears wary but soft, almost as if you’re seeing through his grumpy demeanor for the first time. You wished you could stay like this, just a moment longer.
“We’re leaving tonight,” Megumi declares, gently pushing you off of him as he gets back on his feet, exiting the closet. You can tell he’s slightly annoyed–at you, or your siblings–you’re not sure.
✧ ✧ ✧