Chapter Text
Megumi POV:
Megumi walked into the banquet hall, the loud chatter of high school aged kids with the smell of Italian food overwhelmed his senses. The venue is sunlit, the large room's third wall was fully glass. In front of the glass wall there is a podium for the long-winded speeches that are to come. Waiters rush around the room, carts full of plates, food, and other items that Megumi couldn't quite make out. Coaches and classmates alike stroll around the venue, dressed to the nines in sundresses and suits.
So loud…
Megumi fidgets with the cufflink on his tuxedo sleeve habitually. This is his first cross country banquet as well as his first year on the team. Well, team, it doesn't quite feel that way to Megumi. It's been a struggle for him to make friends while on the team, so for now, he stands alone near the entrance.
“Meg!” A voice behind him yells. Megumi whips around and is greeted by a slightly shorter pink haired boy of the same age and the anxiety in Megumi's chest releases.
Yuji, thank goodness, I thought I was gonna be alone.
“Hey Yuji,” Megumi responds, his voice much softer than Yuji's, almost a whisper in comparison. Megumi's eyes gaze down to Yuji's lower half. A navy blue blazer covers a white dress top with matching pants. His suit accentuates Yuji's muscular build that he tends to enjoy to show off. On his neck there is a funky little tie with a tiny cat print.
How…in character.
“Yo! We’re matching, dude!” Yuji exclaims, pointing at Megumi's suit. Megumi looks down, as if he doesn't know the clothes on his own body. He happened to also wear the same shade of navy. Well, actually, he read Yuji's text that he was going to wear navy, and thus decided to match. However, Megumi's suit as well as his dress pants was a bit baggier.
“Yeah, seems like it.” Megumi agrees.
“Let's go sit!” Yuji grabs Megumi's hand, his warmth startling Megumi’s cold hands. Practically dragging Megumi, he jogs towards an open table. They quietly take their seat at a table near the food display.
He looks so nice in blue…
He looks up at Yuji's face, admiring how the sunlight hits his pale skin and how his pretty brown eyes turn hazel in the sun. His hair, despite being dyed and bleached, is soft and is perfectly imperfect, as Megumi would say.
“Meg? You ok?”
Megumi zones back in, realizing how long he's been staring at his best friend.
“Yeah—yeah sorry. Just…zoned out.”
Yuji laughs, shining his bright smile at Megumi.
The universe is torturing me today, isn’t it?
“Woah,” Yuji stops his laughter, “Your hair looks so good like this!” he exclaims, a bit too loud, as always.
“Really?” Megumi breaks eye contact for a moment, now staring down at the beautiful folded napkins instead of Yuji. “It took me a long time to slick it back and style it…too long,” he mumbles.
“Well it was worth it! You look hot!”
Megumi's body tenses at the last sentiment.
I wish he actually meant that—
He begins to feel his ears heat up. He chews on his upper lip in an attempt to calm his body.
Yuji's mouth opens to say something else, but an obnoxious voice at the speaker's podium interrupts him.
“Hello athletes! Thank you for attending today's 2025-2026 cross country banquet!” Their coach, Gojo Satoru, happily greets all of the attendees with an excited wave.
He reminds me so much of—
Megumi's eyes shift to Yuji at this thought. Yuji, stars in his eyes, stares at their coach.
“Isn't Coach so cool? He's so fast and he's fourty-eight! I hope that's me one day!” Yuji said, his eyes full of admiration.
Megumi chuckles softly at the endearing wish.
They really are like each other.
The rest of the banquet was rather boring. The coach made speeches about the varsity team and each graduating senior. Megumi questioned why he even came, only to realize that Yuji would probably be alone otherwise.
Well, actually, Yuji gets along with anyone he talks to—I bet he wouldn't even care if I didn't come.
He presses his lips together in discontent.
Finally, the last speech concludes and the athletes are dismissed to explore the venue.
I need fresh air.
Megumi gets out of his seat and walks towards the back door. Opening the door, he is greeted with the beautiful, open garden. White roses created a circle around a bright green patch of grass. Over towards the back of the rose circle there lay a wooden display for group photos.
It would be pretty cool if I had a group of people to take photos with. Well, not just photos, just to be around in general. I like my quiet, but lately I've felt…lonely? Not quite lonely but just like something's missing—
His thoughts are interrupted by small voice behind him.
“Megs?”
Yuji.
“Where are you going?” Yuji asks, his voice unusually soft and sweet, while a bit sad as well.