Chapter Text
Megumi
Tuesday
As Megumi rolls over in bed, the morning sun shining right into his eyes, the first thing he notices is a pink butterfly perched on the flower basket outside his apartment window. It is lazily fluttering its wings, sucking on a flower’s nectar closest to the window. The edges of its wings fade into a colour between maroon and brown, and its antennae are spiraled perfectly over its head. Megumi quickly blinks the sleep from his eyes, and scrambles for the camera on his nightstand. Switching it on, he sits up in bed, and tries to creep over to the window without startling it.
Holding his breath, as though the slightest wind will scare the butterfly away, he brings the camera up to his eye, adjusts the focus, and takes the shot. The camera clicks, and he pulls the camera away from his face, pressing a few buttons to see the photo. As he is checking the photo, he realizes out of the corner of his eyes that the butterfly is starting to fly away. He quickly pulls the camera up to his face again to try and capture another photo, but the butterfly is gone before he can click the button.
Megumi sighs, taking a look at the photo he managed to capture, admiring the shade of pink on the butterfly. This kind of butterfly is rare in Tokyo, let alone bustling Shinjuku, he thinks, turning his camera back off and standing up to get ready for the day.
His apartment isn’t big, but it suits him. There are shelves and windowsills neatly lined with plants, two couches with just the right amount of cushions, and the minimalistic cozy kind of wall decor that anyone who knows Megumi well would say is exactly his vibe. As he moves around, making a simple breakfast of toast and eggs, he relishes the silence. The clock on his wall ticks, and he checks the time, seeing that he has just enough to finish his breakfast before he needs to leave for class. His phone buzzes with a message from his Dad, asking if he has any extra money to spare, something that he has come to expect at this point. Megumi promptly ignores it, and puts his phone back facedown.
As he finishes his breakfast, he flips through a recent photography magazine left on his coffee table by his sister, Tsumiki. She always keeps an eye out for little things like this, especially books, saying Megumi needs to read more. But his eye is immediately drawn to the photos in the magazine. They’re all entries and winners for a contest based in Tokyo. As he flips through them, his creative brain gets switched on, and he’s itching to go to his photography class. He packs his backpack for class, and turns off all the lights in his apartment. Megumi takes a glance around before shutting the door, and although he is excited to hear about the new assignment that Professor Geto promised he’d introduce, he already can’t wait to come back to the comfortable silence of his apartment.
His walk to the University isn’t long, so Megumi always makes time to stop for coffee at the place around the corner. It definitely isn’t the best coffee shop in Shinjuku, the best is across the city, which he doesn’t have time for in the mornings, but it is good enough for his needs. He always gets the same americano, and all the cashiers that work there know him well, so he doesn’t need to say much when he gets to the counter, just the usual pleasantries. His coffee is ready quickly, and he grabs it as he checks his schedule for today on his phone. Photography, Math, and a call with Tsumiki later tonight. Most people don’t like math, but Megumi understands it, and enjoys working out problems. They often have clear, concise steps, different from real life.
The bell dings as he swings the door to exit the coffee shop, and he walks down the sidewalk, sipping his coffee and listening to a song from Weezer’s “Pinkerton” album. He’s lost in thought, and not paying attention to the people around him. His camera swings loosely from where it’s hung around his neck, ready to capture the next moment in Megumi’s day. His laptop case swings against his leg, and he tries to stop it, not wanting it to get damaged. He focuses back in when he accidentally almost runs into someone, dodging quickly to the right to avoid crashing into them. He looks back to apologise but the person is already further down the sidewalk. He looks back up along the sidewalk ahead, and his eyes catch a flash of pink in the steady stream of people. It’s around half a block ahead of him, and appears to be someone’s hair. The sight transports Megumi back to that bright hue of the butterfly that gave him his scrambling start to the day. The colours match perfectly.
Something draws Megumi to the sight, maybe it’s because the hair colour reminds him of the butterfly from earlier, maybe because he is curious to see the person who stands out in this sea of people, or maybe it is something else entirely. Whatever the reason, he starts to speedwalk, doing his best to slip his way through the pedestrians. He bumps a few shoulders, apologising, but not really looking at the people, his eyes fixed on the pink haired stranger. A crossing light flashing red causes him to catch up fairly quickly, and his hands drift to the camera around his neck, reflexively switching it on, and bringing it up to his face. The back of the stranger's head is in view before he looks through the view finder, but when he searches for it through the lens, the light has turned green and in the chaos of people moving across the crosswalk, he loses the pink haired stranger.
He stays there on the sidewalk, not moving for a few moments, staring through his camera. The people he bumped into earlier pass him, giving him distasteful glares and one person purposely bumping into his shoulder. Megumi stumbles but returns to his spot, and finally puts down his camera. He can still picture the shot, how he would edit it to have the pink hair stand out in a sea of black and white scenery and people. He switches his camera off and starts walking again, almost not making it to the other side of the crosswalk before the light turns back to red, and cars start driving by again. He shakes the daze from his head, and wonders why he wants the photo so bad.
…
Megumi’s first class is an advanced darkroom photography class, led by Professor Geto. Megumi always carries a digital camera with him, a gift from Tsumiki for his 18th birthday, but he has a special appreciation for darkroom photography. The meticulous steps of developing photos is exactly what he needs after this confusing morning. As he walks into the classroom, it is mostly empty because he is early, even after the delays with his walk to the University. Professor Geto is writing on the board, and Megumi sets his bag down, sliding into a chair in the middle of the room. He idly clicks through photos on his digital camera, not really paying attention, and finds himself staring at the picture of the butterfly. Its wings are half-open, and Megumi can see its tongue out, sampling a flower's nectar. More students are filing into the classroom as the bell rings for class to start, and after a few minutes the last student takes their seat, and Professor Geto clears his throat to start the lesson.
He starts flipping through some slides he has prepared, and talks about composition and lighting for a bit. Megumi pays attention, jotting down a few notes for some techniques he wants to remember. None of the photos really stick out to him, but that is usually how it is with assignment introductions. As Professor Geto starts to talk about the assignment requirements, Megumi is for once stumped about the direction he wants to go with it.
“With this new assignment, I decided I want you to go in the direction of a passion project.” Professor Geto states clearly. “I have very few guidelines for this assignment. I just want the photos you end up turning in to be a reflection of yourself. Aim for 5-10 strong photos, and as usual a few practice ones. You should be proud of what you turn in, and the composition you choose should tell me a story about yourself, even something or someone that has meaning to you. Use all the techniques we learned throughout this semester, and be sure to have fun with it!”
Most students start talking with one another, jotting down ideas and brainstorming excitedly. Megumi stares at the few notes that he has written down, idly fiddling with his lip ring, one of the many piercings he is sporting. What is a good reflection of myself? He thinks, and glances around the room. Everyone else seems to have very clear ideas of how they want to portray their stories, and Megumi comes up short. Professor Geto is making his way around the room, checking in on everyone to see if they need help. When he gets to Megumi, he gives him a knowing look and asks,
“Having trouble with the assignment? You have a few weeks to work on it, so no need to rush ideas. I find going out with a camera and just wandering gets my creative juices flowing.”
Megumi nods, and admits honestly, “I don’t really know what a good reflection of myself is.”
“I’m sure you will find it.” Professor Geto reassures him. “Oftentimes a good photo can be found in the most unlikely places, and a good reflection of yourself can probably be found there too. Keep your eye out.”
He drifts away from Megumi, moving on to check in on other students, leaving Megumi lost in thought for the rest of class.
…
On Megumi’s lunch break he buys a tray of sushi, mindlessly eating at one of the benches on the campus lawn. The trees planted around the grass are blossoming, scattering petals and buds all over the courtyard. Not many other students are outside, because it is still a chilly day for spring. Megumi huddles in his sweater, not willing to sacrifice the quiet for warmth. The wind blows through his dark hair, and he shivers, trying his best to ignore the cold.
He scrolls on his phone as he eats, replying to a few emails from various professors about classes, and one text from Tsumiki confirming their call later tonight. He notices around ten notifications from Nobara, which he promptly ignores, knowing that it is just going to be some random memes, or her telling him about how annoying someone was in her class this morning, which he doesn’t have the energy to reply to. The time goes by quicker than he expected, and before he knows it he is getting up to go to his next class, linear algebra.
Megumi plans on being a photo-journalist after he graduates university, and although he is forced to take academic classes other than his programs classes, he probably would have taken a math class anyways, as he doesn’t mind the work, and enjoys a challenge every once in a while.
He walks into the classroom a few minutes before the bell, and sits near the back. A few students are pulling textbooks and laptops from their bags, which reminds Megumi to grab his out from his own bag.
He brushes past the notes he took in photography earlier, reminding him that he still doesn’t have a clue what to do for the assignment. The bell rings just as he finishes getting out all his supplies for the class, and Professor Yuki Tsukumo rushes in, giving a wave to the students in their seats and breathing a sigh of relief,
“I’m just on time!”
A few students giggle and reply to her,
“We were getting worried. Don’t scare us like that next time!”
Professor Tsukumo rolls her eyes, and sets down her bag and keys. More students walk in, apologising for their tardiness as they walk to their seats. Megumi’s friends are among the few students coming in late, and they greet him loudly. He gives them a wave, and goes back to signing into his laptop, which he had started before his friends walked in. The classroom fills up, and the empty spaces by his seat are filled up by his friends, all except for one right next to him.
As the class starts, he focuses on the lesson, using his laptop for notes this time. Professor Tsukumo playfully dances around the whiteboard, connecting dots on a graph with lines that she gave examples on how to solve. She is known as the fun math professor, and many students try to get into her class for that reason. Megumi is indifferent, and sometimes gets annoyed by her tendencies, but most of the time he appreciates her effort.
The click of keys on his keyboard soothes him, and he is so lost in thought he barely notices when half of the class goes by. The entire class is quiet, working on the problems Professor Tsukumo gave them to work on from their textbooks. A few windows are open, the blinds flapping from the draft entering the room. All of a sudden, without any warning the door bursts open, slamming against the wall.
Everyone looks up from their work including Professor Tsukumo, and stares at a very out of breath, dishevelled, pink haired god.
“I’m so sorry Professor Tsukumo, my brother forgot his lunch and he’s halfway across town. I had to get it to him, and I tried my best to get back on time, but you see how well that went.” The pink haired guy pants, and bends over, putting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. A few girls whisper in the corner, and Megumi can’t help but wonder if they are as starstruck as he is. He hopes not. Why does he hope not?
“No problem Yuji, I’m glad you could join us, even though you beat my record for the latest arrival. Next time, could you enter a bit quieter, we are in the middle of class right now.”
He nods quickly, and glances around, shoulders still heaving from the effort of presumably running to class. His eyes rest on the only seat left, right next to Megumi. Megumi feels his heart quickening as Yuji walks up to him, his amber eyes moving from the seat to Megumi in the seat over. His face settles knowingly, a sparkle twinkling in his eye as he makes eye contact with Megumi, as if he has him already figured out without even saying hello. Megumi is in shock, and can feel his mouth hanging slightly ajar. How in the world could the pink haired guy that he saw this morning end up being not only in the same school as him, or the same building, but the same exact class?
He plops down in the seat, and Megumi gets a whiff of warm vanilla and aloeswood from Yuji’s cologne. It is mixed with something else, maybe bubble gum? Megumi inhales almost without realizing, and feels his face flush when he notices. He also can’t help but notice his arms peeking out from his t-shirt. He is ripped. He forces himself to look away, cursing himself for thinking in such odd ways. He gives a curt nod to the new student, and notices that the smattering of sunkissed freckles on his face compliment his honey brown eyes. And of course, the pink hair, standing up in every which way, probably since he rolled out of bed right before getting here. Yuji, Megumi thinks. Yuji is his name.
Megumi tries to go back to work, but before he can even reread the problem, the distraction making him forget, he hears a voice coming from next to him.
“Hey, the name’s Itadori Yuji. Just my luck on my first day of class in the middle of a semester, I end up being late because, well I assume you heard me up front.” He rubs his pastel pink hair embarrassingly. “What’s your name?”
Megumi gapes at him, not sure whether to curse or thank his guardian angel for seating this pink-haired god next to him. “Fushiguro Megumi. How is this your first day here in the middle of the semester?”
“Oh, my brother and I moved from Sendai about a week ago. I was going to be here for the start of the semester, like I mean I was accepted and everything, but my brother's old job asked him to stay for an extra few months because they were shortstaffed, and he said yes. I didn’t want to move here on my own, so here I am now.” He grins at Megumi, most likely waiting for a reply.
“That’s cool I guess.” Megumi doesn’t really know what to say to that, and frankly wants to get back to work so he can have a distraction from his still frantically beating heart. Just when it seems like Yuji will pull out his textbook and get caught up, he starts talking again.
“Since I’ve been away for the first few months, there was only so much I was able to get done online, so I was wondering if you could catch me up?” He flashes a smile that has clearly gotten people to say yes to him before, probably assuming that Megumi will fall head over heels to help him. Megumi won’t sacrifice his dignity that quickly, but he doesn’t want to be rude and refuse, so he gives another nod and tries to get back to work.
Megumi hears a small sigh escape from Yuji, and sees him lean over and grab a textbook from his bag. From the corner of his eye he watches as Yuji pulls out a pen shaped like a worm, of all things, and a laptop covered in stickers of all colours, shapes, and sizes; none of which he recognizes, although they are clearly references to films and such. Megumi slightly shakes his head, and tells himself to get back to work. He is only able to solve a few more problems before he is interrupted once again, by Professor Tsukumo.
“Before you all go today, I would like to strongly suggest if you haven’t already, to join or develop a study group to work on assignments, test studying, and the final exam prep. This course isn’t for the lazy, as I have previously mentioned, and working with others, especially if you are struggling with the material, will help you succeed in this course. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them now or later.”
A few hands go up, and as Professor Tsukumo starts to answer questions about upcoming tests and other things, Megumi can feel without even looking, that Yuji is staring at him, about to speak.
“Hey Fushiguro, wanna be study partners? I don’t really know anyone else here, and you seem smart.”
Megumi ignores the compliment, and replies quickly, “I’m already a part of a study group.” He takes some pleasure in seeing Yuji's face droop. See? Megumi thinks to himself. You aren’t all that.
“Don’t be mean Megumi, he can join!” Nobara leans over her desk behind him, and the girl sitting next to her, Maki, nods too. Toge and Yuta turn around from where they are sitting in front of Megumi, and wave at Yuji.
Yuji grins, and Megumi sighs. “Fine, you can join. Just don’t drag us behind.” Nobara smacks his shoulder, causing Megumi to turn around and glare at her. He sees a gleam in her eye that he doesn’t like.
“Don’t listen to Fushiguro, Itadori. He can be gruff but he means well. We usually meet once or twice before tests, and more if needed. We can exchange numbers to keep in touch, right Megumi?” She wiggles her eyebrows, and Megumi clenches his jaw. Somehow she always has a sixth sense for anyone that catches Megumi’s eye. He doesn’t like it, it’s almost creepy.
Nobara passes her phone to Yuji first, and the rest of the group get out their phones as Yuji types his number in.
“Thanks for being so welcoming!” Yuji smiles as he passes Nobara’s phone back to her. “I think I would have been screwed if I didn’t have people to help me catch up.”
“No problem, happy to help.” Nobara replies. “Oh, I forgot to introduce everyone, and Megumi rudely forgot to remind me. Next to me is my gorgeous girlfriend Maki Zenin, all knowing and all powerful, and in front of you are Yuta Okkotsu and Toge Inumaki. Inumaki mostly communicates through sign language, so don’t be offended if he doesn’t say much. And of course you have Fushiguro, the most frustrated person you’ll ever meet.”
Megumi rolls his eyes, and Nobara points at him. “Don’t try to deny it, rolling your eyes only proves my point.”
Megumi doesn’t bother replying, he just hands his phone to Yuji for him to type his number into. He doesn’t say anything, but Megumi notices a shadow of a grin on Yuji’s face. He gets his phone back, and not even a minute later, he receives a text from Yujiiiii :)))))))
Yujiiiii :)))))))
Heyyyy this assignment looks hard, you should help the poor soul sitting next to you :(
Barely glancing at his phone, Megumi shuts it off and starts to pack his bag up, the time in class passed quicker than normal with everyone talking. He is disappointed that he isn’t able to finish all the work before class ends, but figures it will be a good thing to occupy him later. The bell rings as he swings his bag onto his shoulder, and he leaves without saying goodbye to anyone, he can’t bear to look into those amber eyes again, and seeing the stupid, smug look on Yuji’s face, thinking he has Megumi wrapped around his finger. Megumi’s not like that.
…
Megumi settles on the couch, moving a pillow aside and covering his lap with a fuzzy blanket. It is a few minutes before Megumi and Tsumiki’s agreed time to call, and he is more eager than usual to call his sister, wanting to talk about his strange day. Tsumiki is good at giving advice, and Megumi could use some of that older sister magic right now.
He scrolls on his phone while he waits, liking a post that Nobara made earlier that day, containing a photo of Maki who clearly wasn’t ready for it and had a mouthful of ramen. The caption says, in Nobara fashion,
Best girlfriend ever! (I promised I would pay for the meal if I got to keep the photo, she didn’t say I couldn’t post it muahahaha…)
Part of Megumi wishes he has a special connection with someone like this, but at the same time he is glad nobody he knows dares to post horrendous photos of him. He’s spaced out at the wall, ignoring his phone, when it starts buzzing in his hand, making him jump.
He focuses back on his phone, and accepts the incoming call from Tsumiki. It connects after a few seconds of loading, and he sees Tsumiki’s face smiling back at him.
“Hey Megs, how’s it going?”
Megumi smiles at her, and replies, “Not too bad. I had a pretty weird day though.”
Tsumiki gasps, clapping her hand to her mouth. “Tell me everything immediately. This is a rare occasion, you know, I don’t take this lightly.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Megumi brushes her off, preparing to start. “This morning, there was a pink butterfly on my window.”
“Uh huh…” Tsumiki’s excitement is rapidly dropping with each word.
“And then when I was walking to school, I saw someone with pink hair.” He leaves out the part where he tried to get closer and see this person, really Yuji, not deeming it important. “And then I got a photography assignment, and I don’t know what to do for it.”
“Don’t see how the person with pink hair is important, but I’ve never heard of you getting stumped over a photography assignment, of all things. That was quite the let down Megs, I have never been more disappointed in my whole life. Go on, I guess.”
Megumi sighs. “In algebra it was the usual, except someone came in super late, a new student, and it turned out to be the pink haired guy I saw earlier this morning. He seems pretty full of himself, so I’m not enthusiastic that he is sitting next to me. Nobara took a liking to him immediately though, so I think I’m stuck with him for now.”
Tsumiki nods along with what Megumi is saying, but doesn’t seem like she is understanding the gravity of Megumi’s situation. “I wouldn’t pay much mind to him, I’m sure he isn’t all that bad. You just need to get to know him better. And for the photography assignment, I haven’t heard of anything that has stumped you for long. You’ll figure out what to do, I know it.”
“Yeah, you're right ‘Miki. How are things over there?” Megumi asks, not particularly wanting to hear about Toji, but not wanting to be rude.
“The usual.” She sighs. “Work isn’t that bad, and the patients I’ve been dealing with the last few shifts have been nice. Dad is still the same. He thinks he will get a big break soon, a friend of his from his college days apparently told him.”
Megumi resists from rolling his eyes, not wanting to make Tsumiki upset. Megumi’s relationship with his Dad is complicated, growing more negative in recent years with his gambling addiction becoming more prominent. Megumi tries still because his sister Tsumiki still holds out hope for their Dad. But Toji is a hard case, even for someone as forgiving as Megumi. He has resorted to replying only to the most necessary messages from his Dad, and often only communicating through Tsumiki who lends her couch to their Dad.
“You can’t let him walk all over you ‘Miki. He needs to learn that luck won’t carry him through life, and you don’t have unlimited money for him to ‘borrow.’”
“Yeah,” Tsumiki replies hesitantly. “He’s our Dad though, I can’t just throw him out.”
Oh well, as hard as Megumi tries to protect Tsumiki from getting disappointed by their Dad, he understands where she comes from. He is their Dad, whether Megumi likes it or not.
“Okay, I should get going. I need to sleep, I have an early shift tomorrow.” Tsumiki starts to say goodbye, and Megumi smiles at her.
“Stay safe ‘Miki. Love you.”
“Love you too, Megs. See you later.”
Megumi hangs up, and looks up around his apartment. It may seem lonely, the silence filling up every corner, the shadows cast from dim lights casting an empty glow over Megumi. This is how he likes it, he tells himself. He is fine.
Yuji
Wednesday
Yuji Itadori has never seen a more angelic man in his entire life, he thinks as he waits for his anatomy class to start. His head keeps on replaying his interaction with Megumi the previous day, and he can’t help but smile to himself. How did he get so lucky, that on the first day, he is placed in a class with Megumi.
He can still picture Megumi’s long eyelashes, almost touching his eyebrows when he rolled his eyes. How can someone so grumpy and apathetic make Yuji so giddy, from one half-hour class? Technically the class would have been longer, if Yuji had been on time. He didn’t lie, his brother really had forgotten his lunch, Yuji just failed to mention that his brother was older than him, and perfectly capable of getting his own lunch.
Yuji also just really didn’t feel like doing a lot of math that day. It’s not like he is bad at it either, he got some of the highest math grades in his class when he was in high school. It just doesn’t really interest him, the straightforward steps, the orderliness of it all. He prefers subjects that involve him doing stuff other than sitting at a desk, that don’t bore him as easily. Anatomy however? That is more interesting, especially when they do labs, or hands-on learning.
The class starts as he is in a daze, and he just barely notices other students getting out notes and laptops. The professor, Haibara Yu, has instructions on the projector of a new assignment, and Yuji quickly focuses in and grabs out his laptop and notes, dropping a few wrinkled papers on the floor. He really needs to get a binder.
Thursday
Yuji has been messaging Nobara a bit for the past few days, mainly about random memes that Nobara has found and insists are the funniest things ever. They eventually started talking about classes that they have this semester, which made Yuji realize that he is in the same organic chemistry class as Nobara, and her girlfriend Maki.
Nobara says the professor is actually the devil's spawn, and normally Yuji would give him a chance before making up his mind, but when he walks into the class and sees the list of assignments due, as well as test on Monday! written on the board, he is inclined to agree with Nobara.
The further he gets into the class, the more he realizes Nobara is right. Professor Zenin Naoya, the most feared and hated professor in the university, is up front at the moment, talking about stereochemistry, and it makes Yuji want to rip his ears clean off his head. Professor Zenin has a way of talking that sounds like he is a stereotypical bully from a kids movie, and he probably was one when he was younger, considering how much it seems that he likes to torture students.
Some people have their heads down on their desks, and others are frantically writing notes down. Yuji tried at first, but he quickly gave up. Maki is really smart, and before Yuji arrived, she and Nobara had a system where she would take notes, and they would go over them after class to catch Nobara up. She is also cousins with Professor Zenin, so she hears him talk about the material enough during family gatherings to impress all the aunts and uncles, that she knows what she is doing. Yuji is really grateful they included him in this, he thinks he would have been screwed otherwise.
As Professor Zenin wraps up the class, he reminds everyone of the test on Monday, earning him a handful of disapproving grumbles, nobody respecting him quite enough to keep quiet. Yuji packs his laptop and notes up, and is chatting with Nobara and Maki about the rest of their days. He still has English and Boxing left in his day, so while they are talking about going home and relaxing because they are all done with classes for the day, he sighs and says goodbye to them as he leaves to grab lunch before English.
…
English is one of the required classes that Yuji has to take in University, and he is indifferent about the subject overall, until he sees spiky black hair and the person with the longest eyelashes he’s ever seen sitting at the back of the room. All of a sudden, it is one of his favourite classes, and he tries and fails to keep a smile from stretching across his face as he walks towards the empty seat next to Megumi Fushiguro.
Megumi doesn’t notice him until Yuji is standing right in front of him, and even then he barely looks up from his phone. Yuji isn’t deterred though, he asks if he can sit in the seat and doesn’t wait for an answer before plopping down next to Megumi.
“Hey Fushiguro, fancy seeing you here!” Yuji grins, and Megumi finally looks up from his phone.
“I didn’t know you were in this class.” He says bluntly, pulling his laptop out of his bag that Yuji recognizes from the previous day.
“Yup!” Yuji replies, popping the p. “Any advice for this class? I heard the professor is nice, which is a nice change from my morning class.”
Megumi seems to quickly debate replying to him, before deciding to respond. “What was your morning class?”
Yuji sighs, tipping his chair back and dangling an arm towards the ground. “Organic chemistry with Professor Zenin. I already have a test on Monday, and a bajillion assignments, and he explains everything horribly. Luckily Nobara and Maki are in that class, and they agreed to help me catch up.”
“That’s good that Nobara and Maki are there.” Megumi says, fiddling with one of his shirtsleeves. “Sorry you have Professor Zenin though, I have heard my fair share of horror stories from them already.”
Yuji was so excited that Megumi was in his class, he didn’t get a good look at him. Megumi is wearing a black t-shirt that hugs his body in the perfect way, and a pair of dark wash baggy jeans. A simple outfit, but it suits him really well. Yuji also notices that Megumi has a few ear piercings, including a double helix on the ear Yuji can see, and a lobe piercing. Yuji also notes that Megumi has a lip ring, which leads him to staring at his lips. They are smooth, and he is so caught up in how perfect Megumi is, he doesn’t realize he has been openly staring at Megumi for a long time, while Megumi is waiting for him to reply.
Embarrassed, and trying to control the redness blooming up his cheeks, he rubs the back of his head and asks Megumi, “What class did you have this morning?”
“Photojournalism.” Megumi turns around as Professor Nanami walks to the front of the room. Yuji is about to ask more, like how did the class go, or does Megumi want to become a photographer, but Professor Nanami starts to speak, and he doesn’t want to be rude.
As Professor Nanami delivers the lesson, talking about a book they are studying right now, Yuji gets a genius idea about how to keep talking to Megumi. It is a little juvenile, he admits to himself, but he is desperate to keep talking. He rips a piece of paper out of his notebook, and starts writing, after a moment of debating what to say.
Have you heard of the Human Earthworm movies?
He folds up the note smaller than necessary, and slides across the desk to Megumi, who looks over at the paper, at Yuji, and back at the paper. He opens it up, quickly scans it, then turns back to Yuji, mouthing, are you serious? Yuji smiles at him, aggressively nodding. He is dead serious.
Megumi sighs, and starts writing. He doesn’t take long, and folds it up before handing it back to Yuji. Quickly grabbing the paper, Yuji opens it, and it takes him less than a second to read what Megumi has written.
No, pay attention to the lecture.
Yuji won’t give up so easily though, and he starts writing quickly.
It’s my favourite movie series ever, you should watch all of them. It is about a mad scientist who turns a human into an earthworm. It starts out more horror, but it turns into a love story when the human earthworm escapes and falls in love with an animal rights activist. That’s how the first movie goes anyways, there are 5 more, but my favourite is Human Earthworm 2.
He hands the note back to Megumi, who rolls his eyes, but opens the note nonetheless. His face morphs into an expression unreadable to Yuji as he reads, and he passes it back after a few minutes of writing.
No offence, but that sounds like the equivalent of slowly bleeding out, and I mean it when I said pay attention to the lesson, Prof. Nanami is a good teacher until you aren’t paying attention or distracting people in his class, which you are doing both.
Yuji quietly sighs as he reads it, and writes one more reply before giving up for now.
Ok fine, I haven’t given up on convincing you to watch them though…
He passes the final note to Megumi before turning back to the lecture being delivered by Professor Nanami. He can’t help but glance every now and then at Megumi out of the corner of his eye, admiring how gorgeous he is. Yuji can’t believe how lucky he is to have Megumi in multiple of his classes. He won’t be deterred by Megumi’s annoyed attitude, Yuji has a chance yet.
…
Yuji is glad that he has boxing to blow off some steam after his horrible chemistry class in the morning. He is a little nervous because he hasn’t met anyone at the boxing gym yet other than the coach, who recruited him when he was in Sendai. Satoru Gojo, possibly the strangest man Yuji has ever met. With the build of a WWE wrestler, white hair, and piercing blue eyes, he attracts a lot of attention. Also with the way he talks, jokey and loud. Yuji has witnessed firsthand a crowd of girls literally swarming Gojo during one of Yuji’s matches, all begging for his number and for him to take off his glasses. Gojo loves the attention, and obliged to the request of taking his glasses off, which resulted in screams so loud it distracted Yuji’s opponent, causing Yuji to win the match. Not that Yuji would have lost otherwise, but it definitely helped.
When Yuji first saw him, it was at one of his matches in Sendai. Gojo was there to scout people for his team, and after he had won his match easily, Gojo had come up and asked Yuji to join his team. He had thought about it, and until he had given Gojo an answer, he had shown up at every one of Yuji’s matches. He was persistent, and in the end he accepted, leading him and Choso to move to Shinjuku. Choso didn’t mind the move, he needed a change of scenery, he said to Yuji when asked.
Since Yuji had said yes to joining Gojo’s gym, they had been messaging back and forth occasionally when Yuji had questions about the team, or when Gojo would congratulate Yuji after a win. So Yuji had a sense of what it would be like when he walked into the gym for the first time, but was completely unprepared for a big, unfamiliar, burly dude to hug him the second he stepped in.
“Yuji Itadori, right? I’ve heard so much about you.” He booms, squeezing Yuji so tight Yuji has to gasp for breath. The dude lets go, and stares seemingly right into Yuji’s soul. “Before we become best friends, I must ask, what’s your type?”
Yuji is so stunned, he finds himself at a lack of words. He opens and closes his mouth like a goldfish, and stands still until he hears another man’s voice behind the dude that ambushed him.
“Don’t mind Todo, he means no harm.” The person steps out from behind Todo, revealing a man similar in height to Yuji, with blond hair and a white wifebeater tank top. “The name’s Hakari. Pleasure to meet you.” To Yuji’s relief, he goes for a handshake, instead of a bear hug.
“Yuji Itadori. I’m excited to be a part of the team!” Yuji replies, following Hakari and Todo when they start walking further into the gym.
The boxing gym is fairly big, with a main room Yuji assumes is for matches sparring, along with other smaller rooms that have training equipment for individual training, and at the end of the main hall, a few offices. Hakari and Todo lead him to the office at the very end of the hall, which Yuji quickly discovers is Gojo’s office. He looks up from his phone when they enter, his face quickly molding into a wide grin.
“Yuji, great to see you! How’ve you been?”
“Not too bad,” Yuji replies, adjusting the gym bag that he brought on his shoulder. “Me and my brother are all settled in now, and I just started classes at the university.”
“Good, good.” Gojo looks at Hakari and Todo. “Give him the tour yet?”
Hakari shakes his head, and beckons for Yuji to follow him. Yuji waves bye to Gojo, and starts to follow Hakari out of the office. Todo turns around from where he has been lurking in the doorway, and starts walking slowly down the hall, pointing to each room and explaining its use to Yuji.
“This is one of our training rooms, you can sign up for any of them on the clipboard on their respective doors.” Todo says to Yuji. “Even though I’ve heard nothing but good things from Gojo, you haven’t fully earned my respect. Fear not!” He exclaims loudly, causing someone using one of the training rooms to jump. “There are two ways to earn my full respect, and become my honorary brother, Yuji Itadori, so pay attention. You train a lot, show passion for boxing, and you beat me in a match. Do both, and we will get along just fine.”
Yuji nods along, deciding against pointing out that he had mentioned three things, not two. Todo seems intense, but Yuji doesn’t mind, taking a liking to him already. Hakari is a lot quieter than Todo, but Yuji guesses he means well, and if he has Todo’s respect, he probably cares a lot about boxing.
They end the tour of the gym with the main room by the front, where Yuji was right in assuming that’s where matches and sparring sessions are held. A few other members of the team are throwing practice punches at each other, the smacks of their gloves bringing a sense of comfort over Yuji. He hasn’t practiced in a few weeks since the move, so he is especially geared up to start again.
“This practice we are scheduled to spar with one another in the team, and I volunteered to spar with you today.” Todo explains to Yuji, a gleam in his eye. “You can warm up in the empty practice room at the beginning of the hall.”
Yuji nods, expressing his thanks to Todo and Hakari for the tour. Hakari is already gone, watching the other team members spar, and giving them tips. Todo pats him on the back, knocking the air out of Yuji.
“See you here in about half an hour Yuji, prepare yourself.”
“I’ll do my best.” Yuji replies, smiling at Todo. Yuji walks over to the practice room, not needing to change since he’ss already in his boxing clothes.
Yuji warms up with some stretching, push-ups, and practicing with a dummy conveniently located in the middle of the room. His boxing gloves smack the dummy with precision, knocking it over and over again. He hasn’t lost his touch, and he is grateful because he is fully expecting Todo to put him on his ass in a few minutes, and will need all the skill he can get.
When he steps out, boxing gloves still on and light pink mouthguard held by his teeth, Todo is waiting in the main room, arms crossed with his boxing gloves also on, and grins widely when he sees Yuji.
“Gojo spoke highly of you, Yuji, so let’s see what you’ve got.” Todo says before tilting his head side to side, cracking his neck.
Yuji is confident in his boxing abilities normally, but when facing a 6’3 boulder of a human, he can’t help but gulp, his heart starting to beat faster. The pre-spar buzz is hitting, and he tries to hide his nerves with a grin, and retorting to Todo,
“Well Gojo didn’t say anything about you, so I’m not expecting much.” Yuji thinks he’s overstepped when the entire room goes silent, and he can feel his life flash before his eyes. Just when he’s debating what his last words should be, the silence is broken with Todo bursting out in big, booming laughter.
“So you’ve got balls, Itadori! You are becoming more of a brother by the minute.” He lets out one more guffaw before putting his mouthguard in and nodding to Hakari, who is supervising the sparring. Yuji adjusts his own mouthguard, making sure it’s secure, and also nods his readiness to Hakari.
“Everything is fair game, just remember we are on the same team, no need to put anyone out of commission. Good luck to you both.” Hakari explains, and brings his hand up to signal the start of the spar.
When he brings his hand down, Yuji immediately dodges to the side, avoiding a punch to the face from Todo. Yuji quickly follows up with an attack of his own, managing to land a hit in the middle of Todo’s ribs. He smiles but doesn’t have time to celebrate before Todo lands a hit on the side of his head. His ears start to ring due to the force behind the punch, but he shakes it off as they start to circle each other, like a pair of sharks.
Todo grins, wiggling his eyebrows at him, just as Yuji goes for a fake. It works, and Yuji takes the opportunity to try and land as many hits as possible. He aims for Todo’s sides, then his stomach, which he manages to block with his arms. Yuji gives him a second, backing up to catch his breath. He can feel his hair sticking up in every direction, and sweat drips down his forehead.
After a few seconds, Todo seems to have caught his breath, and makes a move towards Yuji. Having not moved his eyes from his opponent, Yuji ducks under the arm extending in his direction, and lands a hit on Todo’s back. The leather smacks pure muscle, and Todo turns around, a focus in his eyes that Yuji didn’t see before. He doesn’t wait before taking another swing at Yuji, and gets a direct hit on his chest. Yuji gets the wind knocked out of him, and stumbles back.
Todo unloades a barrage of punches on Yuji, connecting one after another. Yuji moves his gloves up to block the hits, but it isn’t enough to protect himself against Todo’s powerful punches. Hakari steps forward, about to stop the sparring match, but Yuji shakes his head at him. He isn’t done yet.
A few other members of the boxing team have gathered for the match, and are cheering for both Yuji and his opponent. Not wanting to embarrass himself in front of his new team, Yuji stretches his neck, feeling his spine crack and releasing some tension. His and Todo’s eyes are trained on each other, and Yuji darts forward quick enough that Todo doesn’t have time to block. Yuji moves his arm up, his glove connecting with Todo’s jaw. The man stumbles back, shaking his head. Even though Yuji put everything he had into that punch, Todo is still grinning like a maniac. Todo nods to Hakari, and Hakari brings his hand up, signalling the end of the sparring match.
Todo takes his mouthguard out, and holds out his glove to fistbump Yuji. Yuji reciprocates, and Todo starts to speak. “Great job, brother. You have earned my respect. One more thing, you haven’t answered my question from earlier. What’s your type?”
Yuji laughs slightly uncomfortably, but seeing that Todo won’t leave it alone, he says something random, even though a flash of black hair and long eyelashes crosses his mind. “I suppose I like tall women, with big butts.”
“My man!” Todo claps Yuji on the back, making him cough. “We will get along perfectly! Have you by chance heard of the celebrity Nobuko Takada?”
Hakari clears his throat, causing both Todo and Yuji to look up at him. “Congratulations on beating Todo, Yuji. You seem like a promising team member, I can sense a fever in you.”
Yuji doesn’t know what Hakari means by ‘fever’ but accepts the compliment nonetheless.
“We’re going to a party later tonight, Hakari is bringing his girlfriend Kirara. You should come, and bring someone if you want.” Todo says, taking off his boxing gloves and draping a towel across his broad shoulders.
“Sure! I don’t have anyone to bring though.” Yuji replies, thinking to himself that Megumi would almost certainly refuse if he asked.
“No problem.” Hakari nods towards Todo. “He’s not bringing anyone, and you can chill with us.”
Yuji nods, and starts to pack up his bag. He decides to shower when he gets home, mainly because he forgot to bring his usual supplies. He waves goodbye to Hakari when he leaves, and decides to check on Gojo before leaving himself. He walks to the end of the hall, and knocks on the doorframe before entering.
“Yuji!” Gojo exclaims. “I heard from a little birdy you beat Todo sparring today. I knew you had it in you!”
“He put up a good fight,” Yuji admits, rubbing the side of his head where Todo landed a hit. “I’m excited to train more with everyone.”
“That’s what I like to hear.” Gojo says, glancing down at his phone sitting on his desk as it starts to ring with an incoming call. Yuji catches a glimpse before Gojo picks it up, and sees a profile picture of a man with long black hair, along with a string of emojis, definitely put there by Gojo.
“I have to take this, sorry. Goodbye Yuji, see you next practice.” Gojo rotates his office chair as Yuji leaves, accepting the call and saying hi to whoever Suguru Geto is.
Yuji spots Todo on his way out, and Todo quickly approaches him, giving him one more pat on the back.
“See you tonight, brother!”
“Yeah, see you Todo.” Yuji replies, grinning at him as he opens the door to leave, the bells chiming as a farewell. Yuji thinks he will really like this gym, and all the people in it. He’s missed putting people on their asses.
…
Yuji is already a bit tipsy when he arrives at the address Todo gave him, having done shots with Nobara, who happened to be going to the same party. Maki is staying sober, being chosen as the designated driver, and as she drives past the house, Yuji sees people all over the lawn, and can hear music pumping from inside. This sight isn’t unusual to Yuji, who has been to plenty of parties in Sendai. He never went with anyone, but oftentimes left with someone. He doesn’t plan to tonight, but you never know, with the amount of alcohol he has already consumed, and more waiting inside. He grins at the thought.
They all clamber out of Maki’s car when she is finished parking down the street, and Nobara and Maki immediately link arms when she joins them on the right side of the car. Yuji stretches, being stuffed in the backseat of Maki’s small car isn’t for the weak, or tall. As they walk down the street, the music gets louder, and they can already hear the buzz of people inside.
Yuji moves out of the way as a group of girls run outside giggling, and steps inside the house. Nobara and Maki immediately swerve into what Yuji thinks is the living room, and Yuji is left by himself. Normally he doesn’t have a problem with this, he can find people easily enough. Todo, Hakari, and Hakari’s girlfriend are also around, so he will probably run into them tonight. His first thoughts are to locate the kitchen, where he can find more to drink. Even for Yuji who likes socializing, being around so many drunk people can’t be enjoyed to its fullest unless he is also drunk.
He maneuvers his way further into the house, locating the kitchen without much trouble. There are a bunch of different drinks stacked on the island, and Yuji grabs the closest bottle, not bothering to read it before pouring himself a cup. He takes a swig and winces. Shitty grocery store vodka. Figures for a party like this, hosted by a random frat house. He isn’t complaining though because it does the job.
Yuji finds the nearest couch that isn’t occupied, and plops himself down, being careful not to spill his drink. He absorbs the chaos around him, watching people run past, playing beer pong, and a few couples aggressively making out in various corners. He nurses his drink, feeling the liquid burn as it travels down his throat. He’s far too lazy to mix in some juice to dilute the vodka in his haste to get more and more of it in his system. The more drunk he gets, the better he feels. His space-out session ends when he feels the couch sink slightly next to him, and hears a girl’s voice talking to him over the pumping music.
“We’re matching!”
Yuji turns to his right, making eye contact with a girl around his age, sporting almost exactly the same colour hair, light pink. He would think he’s seeing things if she didn’t say that they were matching. She smiles at him, and introduces herself.
“I’m Dea. I came here with some friends, but they all paired off. Same happen to you?”
Yuji nods. “Yeah, I came with friends and was supposed to be meeting others here, but I guess I kinda forgot to look. My name’s Yuji.”
The pink haired girl chuckles at him, a hiccup or two making its way into the mix. “Mind hanging out with me until we find our friends? I don’t really feel like bumping into a million people trying to find them.”
“Of course, I was thinking the same. I don’t want to have mystery drinks spilled on me either.”
“Exactly.” Dea giggles, taking a swig of her own drink and making a face. “I prefer the mystery drink in my stomach, thank you very much.”
Yuji laughs with her, and only really now does he clock that they are matching hair. He must be a lot drunker than he thought. “How long have you had your pink hair?”
“Hmmmm, I’ve had it since high school. I’ve changed it up a bit since I used to have dark red underneath, but it’s not that much different. What about you?”
“I’ve had pink hair since freshman year, a dare from my friend back in Sendai. I ended up really liking it, and have kept it ever since.”
“Oh that’s cool,” Dea replies, tucking her hair behind her ear and not so subtly looking at his lips. “Why’d you move?”
“I got invited to be part of a boxing team here, and I didn’t have many ties in Sendai, so it was a pretty easy decision to move with my brother.”
Dea grins. “You box? That’s really cool. I bet you’re really strong.”
Normally when Yuji gets compliments, he accepts graciously and moves on. But when Yuji gets drunk, like really drunk, he responds very differently to flattery. He once did 50 push-ups for a dude that was hitting on him at a party, and by the end had half of the people there cheering him on. So naturally when the pretty girl sitting next to him on the shitty frat couch starts buttering him up, he can’t help but show off.
“Yeah, I’m pretty strong. I’ve been on a winning streak the last few months, I can’t remember the last time I lost a match.”
“I bet.” Dea slides closer to him, until they are pressed up next to each other. “You said you had no ties in Sendai, right? You single?”
Yuji nods, tossing an arm over the girl’s shoulder. Funny, he could have sworn she said her name just a minute or two ago, but his memory has become hazy. She moves her head closer, and, with almost no reason other than that they are close, Yuji closes the gap between them, not bothering to think anymore. The girl moves her hand to rest on his arm, and the other to the back of his head, running her fingers through the short hair of his undercut. He moves his one hand up to support her head, pulling her closer, leaving the other propping them up on the couch. Her hair is long, he somehow forgot.
Yuji parts his lips to deepen the kiss, and as he slides his hand into the girl’s hair, he gets a flash of black hair. Shaking the thought from his mind, he moves it to cup her face. She doesn’t have as many piercings as he thought, just a few earlobe piercings from what Yuji can feel. His stomach churns, and everything in him is screaming that this isn’t right.
He tries to turn his head away, but the girl is still pressing her lips into his, too drunk to catch on. He is desperate to end the kiss, so he gently but firmly moves her away from him by her shoulders.
“What are you doing?” She looks at him confused.
“I’m sorry! I can’t do this, it doesn’t feel right.” Yuji is still out of breath from the kiss, and is darting his eyes around the room, avoiding the girl’s hurt stare.
“Did I do something wrong? Was the kiss bad?” She asks him, balling her hands into fists in her lap.
“No, no, it wasn’t that. I just need to find my friends and go home.”
He pats his pockets until he finds his phone, and takes a few tries before he gets the right passcode. He can feel the girl staring at him with concern, but he focuses on finding his contacts. He debates for a few seconds on who to call, then decides on Maki, remembering that she was the dedicated driver. He clicks the call button, and waits until the voicemail tone starts. He can hardly hear it over the music, which he swears has gotten louder with time, but Yuji thinks he can hear Nobara yelling in the voicemail. He sighs, and looks at the girl sitting next to him. She shrugs, almost as drunk as he is, and yells at him,
“I’ll wait here with you until you see someone you recognise! Are you sure you don’t want to keep going?”
Yuji nods, and leans his head back on the couch, closing his eyes. He doesn’t get a chance to rest his eyes for long though, because he hears a voice that even after only two days, he has permanently memorised in his brain.
“Is he okay?”
Yuji shoots up from where he is lying, and comes face to face with Megumi, the most angelic man he has ever met.
“Megumi?” Yuji yells, confused but happy. “What are you doing here?”
Megumi sighs, not drunk enough to lose the attitude apparently. “I can go to parties too, idiot. I’m not just an uptight loser. And don’t call me that, it’s Fushiguro.”
Yuji grins, dramatically flopping his arm over the side of the couch. “Come relax with me, Megumi, I’m too lazy to get up.”
Megumi’s eye slightly twitches, but he makes no further comment as he looks over at the girl sitting next to Yuji.
“He’s lying, Fushiguro, right?” She asks, slightly giggling. “He’s too drunk to stand up by himself. Do you know him?”
“Yeah, unfortunately.”
“Rude!” Yuji exclaims, smacking Megumi on his arm.
“Can you drive him home? He was acting weird, and I think he’s had enough to drink for like three nights. I would myself, but I clearly cannot be on the streets right now.”
Megumi and the girl sitting next to him are talking like Yuji isn’t there, but Yuji doesn’t mind. He doesn’t feel like adding anything to the conversation.
“Yeah, I'm sober enough to drive.” Megumi replies. “Do you have a ride?”
The girl replies as she pulls out her phone. “Yeah, I have friends here, they said they would find me.”
Megumi nods, and grabs Yuji by the waist, wrapping Yuji’s arm around his shoulders. “Let’s go home, Yuji.”
Yuji trusts Megumi as he maneuvers them both through the crowd of people. They are jostled a bit, but not enough for Megumi’s grip on Yuji slip. They finally arrive outside, and slowly make their way down the street to where Megumi has his car parked. There are a lot less people outside than there were earlier, and it has cooled off a lot. Yuji shivers, and slides into Megumi’s car when he opens the door.
As Megumi gets to the other side, Yuji slouches in his seat. “Thanks for driving me Megumi.” He mumbles, closing his eyes once again.
Megumi doesn’t answer, but when Yuji peeks one eye open to see if he heard, he could swear he sees blush on Megumi’s cheeks as he starts the car.
The drive is mostly silent, with the radio playing quietly in the background. The streetlights illuminate Megumi, and Yuji takes the opportunity to take a good look at him. He really wasn’t lying when he said this man is angelic. He is wearing a fishnet top underneath a black t-shirt with a band logo on it, and dark wash jeans that are ripped, but in a way that makes them seem expensive.
Yuji notices that Megumi’s mind seems occupied more than usual. He is cinching his eyebrows and biting his lip ring, which Yuji can tell means he is deep in thought even after only knowing him for two days. Yuji doesn’t put much more thought into it though, because he is feeling himself grow more tired as the minutes tick by, muffling the occasional yawn with the back of his hand. Yuji is so happy where he is, he fails to remember what is awaiting him at home, among the many things he forgot tonight.
When Megumi opens the apartment door thanks to Yuji’s key that he luckily had in his pocket, he comes face to face with a tall, intimidating man, with spiky messy buns in his hair, and dhot pink pajama pants.
“Heyyyyy Choso!” Yuji exclaims, embracing him with a half-hug, half-collapse situation. “This is Megumi, he goes to my University, and guess what? He was at the same party as me! What a coincidence, huh?”
Choso’s glare turns to a look of amusement. “We will talk more about this tomorrow Yuji, you can’t just expect to be gone almost all night without explanation and not have me worrying out of my mind. Thanks for driving him home, Megumi. I’ve got it from here.”
“No problem.” Yuji hears Megumi reply, and he waves Megumi goodbye as Choso shuts the door.
“Sorry for worrying you Choso, I didn’t mean to.”
“I know you didn’t mean it, Yuji. Let’s get you in bed.” Choso gives him a loving smile, and carries Yuji up to bed. Yuji flops down as soon as he enters his room, and doesn’t bother changing before closing his eyes. The last thing he feels is Choso planting a kiss on his forehead, and he hears the door shut. He wonders if Megumi got home safe, but passes out before he can text and confirm.