Chapter Text
Itadori Yuji was undefeated. Whether he was walking the halls of Tokyo Jujutsu high school or stepping between the ropes in the boxing club, he was the strongest.
He had never really considered any of his supposed “opponents” to be a genuine threat to his streak. From a young age, he was a renowned boxer; for he had been known as “the Tiger of West High Middle”, before he transferred to Tokyo.
The thing that was different about today, though, was that someone was watching him. And not in the usual, cheering-crowd kind of way, either. It was an intense, unwavering focus that felt heavy on his skin.
It was unsettling.
That single distraction was what led him to his first loss of the new season. Thankfully, it was only a practice match, but the sting of defeat still burned hot in his chest. Aoi Todo– one of his upperclassmen whom Yuji usually had no trouble trading blows with– had caught him off guard and beaten him. All because of the black-haired boy standing on the sidelines, staring so intently with a camera clutched in his hands.
Yuji had never considered himself someone who revolved around romance, let alone crushes. Ever since he was a kid and witnessed the match between Ryomen Sukuna and Gojo Satoru on a TV screen, boxing had been his one true passion. The sweat, the rhythm, the sheer willpower– it had changed his life forever.
“Hello? Earth to Yuji!!”
Gojo Satoru’s booming voice snapped Yuji out of his daze. After suffering a career ending injury, Gojo had retired from boxing– leading to him becoming Yuji’s coach.
A white towel was thrust into his face. Yuji blinked, accepting it, and began to pat down the sweat beginning to bead down his forehead.
“Thank you, Gojo-Sensei.”
“No problem, kid, but you need to get your head in the game.” Gojo rubbed the back of his neck, looking unusually agitated. It wasn’t that their coach never got annoyed, but seeing him without his usual carefree grin was rare. “Listen, I don’t know what’s up with you right now, but normally you would’ve smashed the shit out of Todo.”
If Yuji was being honest, he didn’t really know why he was so out of it either. The gym was alive with its usual chaotic symphony– the rhythmic thumping of speed bags, the sharp squeak of sneakers on the polished floor, and the heavy smell of leather and sweat. Even when crowds surrounded the ring during tournaments, Yuji never got overwhelmed.
But those green eyes staring at him from across the gym? They were completely throwing off his rhythm.
Yuji tapped his finger repetitively against his thigh, using the familiar nervous habit to soothe himself. “Hey, Gojo-sensei? Who’s that guy with the camera over there?”
Gojo paused, looking back and forth between Yuji and the boy, a sparkle lighting up in his eyes. “Oh, you don’t know? That’s our new photographer– Fushiguro Megumi. He's also my son.”
Son? Yuji blinked. They didn’t share a last name, so it had to be an adoption. Maybe that explained why the photographer’s stare was so intense; he must’ve picked up the habit from his dad.
“Did you and Geto adopt him? How come you’ve never told me about this?” Yuji questioned, wondering why this Fushiguro guy was suddenly the only thing he could focus on.
“I didn’t really think you needed to know about my domestic life.” Gojo said, his eyebrows raising as a look of genuine confusion crossed his face. He leaned forward, blue eyes narrowing with sudden, keen interest. “Anyway… is that the real reason you were so out of it in the ring? Todo absolutely handed you your ass.”
“Well, kind of,” Yuji admitted, deciding honesty was better than trying to make up an excuse to his coach. “It’s just… it felt unsettling. The way he was looking at me.”
“He kind of has to look at you, Yuji. You know, with the whole ‘photographer’ gig.” Gojo teased, placing his hands on his hips. “Plus, we’ve had school photographers come in before, and you never blinked.” Gojo paused, a wave of realization hitting him. “Unless… Are you attracted to him?”
The sheer, unfiltered bluntness of the question made Yuji choke on his own breath. Gojo’s complete lack of a filter was incredibly stressful, though Yuji supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised.
“Kind of? I don’t know, I don’t really think about those things, if I’m being honest.” Yuji stammered, his cheeks warming. “And besides, you know my type. Tall girls with–”
“–with big asses, yes, I know the speech by heart,” Gojo cut him off with a loud laugh, his eyes crinkling. “That doesn’t mean you can’t be attracted to a guy. But regardless of your love life, you need to get your head back in the game.”
Gojo reached out and playfully flicked Yuji’s forehead. “We all know Todo is strong. But we also know you’re stronger. Get back out there.”
Yuji sprayed some water onto his face, wiped it clear, and stepped back onto the canvas.
Fushiguro Megumi was entirely captivated by the pink-haired boxer in the ring.
Through the lens of his camera, he watched Itadori throw punch after punch, getting knocked down only to bounce right back up with a strong determination. Uppercut, cross, hook– the kid was a force of nature. Honestly, Megumi didn’t know if he was more attracted to the raw resilience radiating off the guy, or just his looks.
Itadori Yuji was bruised, drenched in sweat, and sporting a faint smear of blood on his cheek, yet he still managed to look like the finest man Megumi had ever laid eyes on. Every time he threw a punch, the muscles across his back and shoulders flexed under the harsh, fluorescent gym lights. Sweat dripped from his pink colored hair, the strands sticking against his face. It framed his sharp jawline as it clenched with each swing and throw.
“Megumi!”
He turned to find his sister, Tsumiki, skipping toward him with a bright smile. She looked like a burst of sunshine in the dim gym. He couldn’t ever understand how she came to be so happy all the time.
As she shed her jacket, Megumi noticed her uniform was slightly crumpled. “Hi, Tsumiki. Did you completely ignore my comment about ironing your uniform this morning?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.
“My uniform is perfectly fine, thank you? You’re so sweet for caring, my dearest brother,” Tsumiki smirked, reaching up to pinch his cheeks.
Megumi swerved backward to avoid her grasp but a sudden, sharp grunt from the ring drew his attention.
He looked back, and immediately regretted it.
Itadori Yuji had just taken a heavy blow to the ribs, but instead of focusing on his opponent, his brown eyes were locked dead-on with Megumi’s. The stare was magnetic, holding Megumi in place. There was no warmth in Itadori’s eyes right now– only a hot, burning intensity.
The silence between them felt like it stretched on forever, until Itadori’s gaze flicked slightly to the side, landing on Tsumiki. A faint, defensive frown crossed the boxer’s face.
Did he think… Tsumiki was Megumi's girlfriend? Megumi pondered that for a moment, a faint blush coating his cheeks.
“Yuji! Look at your opponent, please!” Gojo’s voice roared across the court.
Itadori snapped back to reality, turning quickly to face Todo. Before Megumi could process the interaction, Tsumiki grabbed the collar of his shirt and dragged him back a few paces.
“Okay, you have got to tell me what the hell that was,” she squealed, practically vibrating with excitement.
Megumi forced his expression into one of total indifference. “What was what?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, Megumi! You know exactly what I’m talking about,” She said, pointing towards Itadori. “You and that boxer dad is coaching just had the most intense, romantic stare-down I have ever seen. It was practically glowing!”
Megumi opened his mouth to protest but found himself completely speechless. He knew how it felt on his end, but there was no way a guy like Itadori felt the same.
“Anyway, we are absolutely finishing this conversation later,” Tsumiki warned. She glanced over her shoulder, then looked Megumi up and down before suddenly turning on her heel. “Actually, I’ll be right back! I forgot my spare lens in the newsroom!”
Before Megumi could stop her, she darted away, leaving him standing completely exposed near the edge of the ring.
Suddenly, the back of his neck began to prickle. He didn’t need to turn around to know who was walking up behind him.
The heat of Itadori Yuji’s presence was already closing the distance.