Chapter Text
His feet thudded against the wooden floorboards as he ran, laughter bubbling in his chest as he rounded a corner of the house, his father hot on his heels. Yuji could feel the rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins, making his heart pound with excitement.
“Since when did you get so fast?”
His father’s voice rang out behind him, amusement laced through every word. It only made Yuji giddier. He reached for the handle and flung the door open with a quick twist, just barely tall enough to reach it. Behind him, his father’s deep voice grew fainter as Yuji finally managed to lose him.
He was still laughing, breathless, his little chest rising and falling in quick bursts.
Then he saw the room.
His father’s study.
And it was completely trashed.
The large windows along the far wall stood wide open, curtains billowing in the breeze. Books lay scattered carelessly across the floor, their pages splayed open among torn scraps of paper. Files had been strewn across the desk, their contents in disarray. Even the little pot of colourful pens Yuji had proudly added to the room lay toppled on the floor, as though someone had rummaged through it in a desperate search for something.
Slowly, Yuji’s smile faded.
His laughter dwindled into silence.
“Dad…”
His small voice called out into the room.
No answer.
“Dad!”
.
“Hey, Yuji! Get out of the way!” Sukuna yelled down the corridor, his deep voice echoing off the walls and making Yuji shiver at the irritating familiarity of it.
Students immediately parted like the Red Sea at the sight of Sukuna approaching.
Not worship. Fear.
“Pfft—hah! What a loser—” some random goon who followed Sukuna around like he was God himself—a sheep and nothing more—had the audacity to speak up.
Yuji felt someone knock into his side, forcing him into the lockers with a harsh thud. His body hit the metal with a wince, the cold instantly seeping against his arm and raising goosebumps along his skin. But the laughter around him hit the worst.
The snickers.
Whatever. He wasn’t going to let Sukuna ruin another day with his pathetic antics. Don’t get him wrong, if he were thrown into a ring with everyone who had ever laughed at him, he could knock them out with one hit!
But Sukuna?
That was a whole other story.
He was on a completely different level, one Yuji wasn’t even close to being on par with.
It pissed him off.
What right did he have to bully people just because he was stronger? Some sort of superiority complex? Did he like the idea—the feeling—of instilling fear in others?
Maybe that was why he had targeted him this year.
Because Yuji Itadori didn’t get scared.
And Sukuna was just determined to change that.
Sighing, Yuji began dusting himself off now that the sorry excuse for a suicide squad had waltzed down the hallway. The corridor was filled with chattering students, rushing past like it was a subway station, laughing, talking, and quietly scuffling their shoes against the floors. Textbooks shone beneath the fluorescent lights, the brightness almost sickening.
Yuji swung his bag over his shoulder, letting it hang lazily from his red hoodie before his busted sneakers began falling into step with the bustling crowd.
Making his way to his locker usually wasn’t this much of an obstacle.
Met with the familiar red metal, silver lock, and childishly placed stickers littering the surface—half-scraped-off comics and superhero sketches—he was also met with a couple who were heavily making out against his locker.
Their backs hit the metal with soft clanks between heavy breaths as they uncomfortably ate each other’s faces, holding onto one another like it was their last day on Earth.
And the last time Yuji checked?
It wasn’t.
Oh, man.
With an awkward rub of his neck, Yuji braced himself for the interaction.
Or, more accurately, the interruption that was bound to be more than uncomfortable.
“Uh—excuse me?”
.
The guy’s hand gripped the girl’s waist aggressively, slamming her against the lockers again before diving right back in for round two of a wet, sloppy kiss.
And completely ignored Yuji.
“Pretty sure he said move?! Get a room, you horny freaks!”
A girl with a brown-haired bob, dressed to the max, a purse hanging off her shoulder and nails long enough to stab someone’s eye out, screamed. Her voice was earsplitting, rippling through the halls and causing multiple heads to whip around.
The couple suddenly broke apart with a disgustingly loud pop.
Their faces were stunned and frightened, like they’d been caught at the scene of a crime.
Though that make-out session was the real crime here.
“Yeah, you better scram!” the girl yelled, watching with her hands on her hips as the couple scrambled, fumbling to push themselves off the wall of lockers before running off pathetically into the swarm of students until their heads disappeared.
“Woah… thank you! That was awesome!”
Yuji turned to the girl, who was still scowling at the disappearing figures, more sass in her stance than Yuji had ever seen in his life.
It was a little intimidating, but hey, at least she had gotten him access to his locker again.
His large brown eyes were already beaming, making him look like a golden retriever that had just been told he was being good.
The resemblance was uncanny.
“Yeah, whatever. I’m great and all.”
The girl shrugged, hand extended and waving him off like she was some sort of queen he needed to get down on his knees for and thank repeatedly.
It was mildly amusing.
She had already turned her gaze, attempting to look down at Yuji with her chin raised, but failing to do so because of their height difference. Neither decided to mention it.
She looked him up and down as though she were judging him.
Yuji couldn’t tell whether it was the way he carried himself, him as a person, his attire, his—
“You look like a hobo. Name? You’ve got a forgettable face.”
.
He paused, blinking at her for a moment or two as though expecting anything to come out of her mouth except that.
A hobo?
Aw, man.
Was his style really that bad? He’d just thrown on the same red hoodie he always wore, baggy jeans, and shitty red Converses that looked like they’d seen better days.
It wasn’t a five-star outfit, but still…
The bright smile on his face slowly fell, dropping at the insult that seemed way too sincere and blunt in the moment. That only made it feel worse, like a slap to the face.
Damn.
This girl was harsh…
And rude—
“Hey! I dress fine, thank you… and it’s Yuji. Yuji Itadori.”
“Hmph.”
That was all that came out of her as an answer.
Her hands fell from her hips, long acrylics running through her short bob like it was a subconscious habit of hers.
“Nobara Kugisaki. You’re welcome. You’ve just made your first friend.”
Yuji blinked once.
Then twice.
What?
.
Apparently, Kugisaki wasn’t joking about this whole “friend” thing, because it became a daily occurrence where she’d come up behind him in the corridors and slap the back of his head to get his attention whenever he had his headphones in.
Not for any particular reason, but just to make sure he “knew his place.”
Whatever that meant…
She’d start yapping about her day, how Maki was flirting with her, though Yuji wasn’t sure whether she was aware that he had no idea who Maki was and couldn’t care less, or if she genuinely didn’t know.
Either way?
It seemed like she was down bad for whoever this Maki girl was.
“Oh, man… then she took off her sweater in bio today, and those muscles?”
A low whistle escaped Nobara’s lips, exaggerated as always.
“She’s so built in the leanest way possible for a woman, it makes me wanna ask if she’s actually real. You know? Like—how is it that I’m so lucky to even breathe the same air as her?”
Nobara sighed dreamily like a lovesick idiot on steroids, the two of them walking together toward the cafeteria to make it to lunch.
This so-called “friendship” was only a week old.
A week since they’d met one another, and yet they were already talking like they’d been friends for years. It was so natural, and their conversations were always casual, constantly changing topics and devolving into them yelling at one another without either of them being offended by the end of it.
A lot like siblings, in a way.
Nobara shoved the doors open to the cafeteria, being dramatic with it as always, though not a single person decided to lift their head or stop their chatter with friends at their tables.
The smell of burnt pizza and hopelessness filled their nostrils.
“So then I kept staring at her, and get this—”
Nobara continued, swinging her arms fiercely with every purposeful step, almost smacking Yuji in the process. He narrowly avoided getting hit in the crossfire.
Despite how much he fought with Nobara, he really did like having her around.
She’d just barged into his life without question. Bossy and rude, sure, but she was technically his first friend.
Sure, he was friendly with his classmates and generally likeable, but he’d never actually had a friend to hang out with, you know?
He was more of a floater.
But being a floater wasn’t all that great.
In a way?
He was grateful for Nobara.
“Uh, hellooo? Earth to Yuji?”
Her loud voice snapped him out of his thoughts as he took in his surroundings, realizing they were already standing over an empty table amongst the loud conversations of the canteen.
When did that happen?
“Huh? Oh—oh! Sorry.”
Yuji shook his head, already dumping his bag and letting it slide off his shoulder to slump uselessly onto the floor, leaning against the cold metal of the table leg.
He took a seat opposite Nobara, who was eyeing him suspiciously.
“You’re so strange. No wonder I’m your only friend.”
She shrugged, scoffing before shoveling food into her mouth.
“Wha—hey! I never see you hanging around with anyone else but me. You’re in the same boat, Nobara.”
Yuji defended himself with a frown, folding his arms in an attempt to come across as intimidating.
It was futile when his opponent in this case was the queen of being a bi—
“Tch! How dare you, you pink-haired moron!”
She called loudly, her voice already echoing through the cafeteria and drawing attention to their table of two.
That was becoming a very common thing.
.
Megumi was dealing with Sukuna again.
The same idiot who kept throwing himself at him, apparently convinced that the more he forced whatever the hell was going through his head, the more likely Megumi was to finally let his walls down.
Which, of course, was completely wrong.
He had tutored Sukuna once—and only once—because his professor had forced him to. Apparently, being one of the top students in the class meant he was suddenly qualified to tutor anyone who needed the help.
And somehow, Sukuna had taken that single tutoring session and decided they were a thing.
It was exhausting.
And frankly?
Rather embarrassing to watch, let alone be caught in the middle of it.
It was yet another pathetically miserable day spent sitting in the cafeteria with his blatantly rude and insufferable cousin, Maki, and her friends— Toge, Panda (who had apparently decided that was his nickname rather quickly and had never bothered to explain why), and Yuta.
That was, of course, until Sukuna showed up and somehow managed to make his day even worse.
How the fuck was that even possible?
Seriously, one of these days, he was going to blow this place sky-high—
“Megumi! Yo! You been avoiding me, huh? Cute.”
Sukuna tilted his head, hands shoved into his pockets as he strolled toward their table, his embarrassing little entourage trailing behind him. They sniggered and nodded along to every word that came out of Sukuna’s mouth like a bunch of mindless puppets.
“Get the hell away from him, you piece of shit.”
Maki, bold as ever, was already on her feet, rolling up her sleeves. She raised an eyebrow, tilting her head back to look at Sukuna, whose smirk was already beginning to widen at her attitude. The threat of a fight seemed to amuse him more than anything else.
This was becoming a regular occurrence. Sukuna constantly trying to get Megumi’s attention, and Megumi growing increasingly pissed off by it.
And Maki wasn’t having it.
“Maki, leave it. He’s just pathetic. Don’t encourage his bullshit.”
Megumi rolled his eyes, not bothering to stand as he shot Sukuna the coldest glare he could muster.
“Man, do I love it when you look at me like that…”
Disgusting.
Maki scoffed, fully standing now, her leg slamming against the table despite Inumaki’s silent attempt to grab her hand and pull her back down onto the bench.
“That’s it. Fuck off now, or I’ll break your jaw.”
Sukuna’s grin widened, his cronies behind him bursting into laughter and nudging one another as though that were the most outrageous thing they’d heard all day.
“I’d like to see you try, bitch—”
There was nothing but pure amusement and excitement in his voice, his words dripping with the kind of mocking arrogance that made him utterly insufferable.
And, from any perspective, it was beyond frustrating.
Either way, Maki was strong, sure. But was she strong enough to withstand the force and power behind Sukuna’s attacks and blows? Not even close. Nobody could block, or even dodge, a punch from him at full throttle. Guess that explained why he targeted whoever the hell he wanted as his punching bag.
“Maki, you can’t fight him, he’s—”
Panda interrupted, only for his words to prove true. Just too late, because Sukuna’s fist was already midair, moving far too quickly to block. Her only option was to dodge, assuming she could move fast enough.
But Maki couldn’t. It was too close, and she’d get hit either way.
.
“Quiet down, will you, Nobara?!”
Yuji whispered, though his attempt was futile. He was practically yelling under his breath, much louder than he’d intended, while people had already begun staring in their direction as her insults echoed across the cafeteria.
Still, it didn’t take long for people to stop caring about Kugisaki’s one-sided arguing and whip their heads around towards the other side of the cafeteria.
Huh? That’s weird…
“—which is exactly why I have every right to tell you to shut u—”
“There’s a lot of commotion over there… What do you think is happening?”
Yuji interrupted, unfazed by Nobara’s antics at this point. He was already leaning back in his chair, craning his neck to peek past the heads and bodies of the growing crowd beginning to cluster around a particular area of the cafeteria. The sound of people mumbling mingled with the faint echoes of raised voices, almost argumentative in nature.
A fight?
That was all it took for Kugisaki to stand up, her chair squeaking loudly against the floor as she grabbed her purse, swung it over her shoulder with more force than necessary, and marched around to the other side of the table. She grabbed Yuji by the hood from behind, yanking him upright with a yelp.
“Hey! Wha—be careful! I like this hoodie!”
What the hell was she doing now…?
“Shut up and stop being dramatic.”
Nobara tutted, silencing him after a few mumbled complaints about her being a bitch under his breath. She dragged him towards the crowd, rudely shoving past a few people along the way.
“Out of the way, fatass.”
She elbowed someone aside, earning herself a glare and another comment.
“Watch it!”
A brown-haired guy wearing a worn-out hoodie scoffed when Nobara’s hand smacked him aside like he was nothing more than dust on her shoulder.
“Oh, suck it up. You’ll live!”
Nobara scoffed, shoving past him without a care in the world and continuing to drag Yuji behind her by his hood like some kind of accessory until they finally reached the front of the crowd, giving them a clear view of—
Sukuna?! Ughhh, of course…
But Nobara gasped, looking more shocked than Yuji had ever seen her. From the corner of his eye, he watched as she abruptly released her harsh grip, leaving him to rub at his neck and adjust his collar with a frown.
What was she thinking now…?
“Maki… That bitch is squaring up to MY Maki!”
Nobara shook Yuji by the shoulder, her eyes never leaving the escalating situation. She was fixated on the green-haired girl rolling up her sleeves without a single trace of fear.
So this was the famous Maki she wouldn’t shut up about? She seemed just as cool and tough as Nobara had described, but, in all honesty? She looked even scarier and more intimidating than Nobara had made her sound…
But there was someone else there, too. Behind her.
From the looks of it, she was shielding him, and Sukuna seemed to be glancing at him in a way that felt almost harassing and deeply uncomfortable. He was a guy with spiky black hair that somehow looked soft to the touch, tendrils falling over what appeared to be gorgeous green eyes, shadowed beneath long lashes. Fair skin, a cold glare directed at Sukuna, and not a hint of hesitation in his expression.
Wow… Who’s tha—
“Yuji! Do something! You’re strong, aren’t you?! My— I mean— Maki is strong, but Sukuna isn’t gonna hold back! Go!!”
Yuji hesitated. Not because he didn’t want to help. He knew he was going to step in the second things went south and Sukuna decided to stop being civil and patient about what he wanted: a fight. But he wasn’t sure whether he’d be able to hold his own against Sukuna for too long. He was naturally strong, sure, but Sukuna was a bit of a stretch… Especially when he and his friends already took the piss out of him anyway—
Then he saw it.
Sukuna’s fist drawing back, ready to drive forward with full force towards Maki. Her friends looked worried for her, practically terrified of how things would turn out, just like Kugisaki. That boy did, too… Beneath all that coldness, he was clearly concerned for her.
Ah, fuck—
His shitty red sneakers squeaked against the peeling floor as he shoved his way through the crowd, sprinting before his brain could catch up with his body and realise what the hell he was doing. It was all instinct.
He caught his fist.
And MAN, DID IT HURT!
Yuji stood his ground despite the pain shooting through his palm, his grip tight around Sukuna’s fist. Ignoring the strain, he positioned himself between Sukuna and Maki, his expression colder than usual, though a hint of his typically upbeat attitude still lingered in the faint smile tugging at his lips.
“Awh, man. And here I thought I was special, getting picked on by you.”
Loud murmurs and whispers rippled through the crowd. Most people were simply wondering who the hell he was and how he’d managed to stop a punch from Sukuna himself.
Sukuna laughed, his eyes widening with a mixture of shock and pure rage.
“You just don’t know when to quit, do you?”
.
Megumi knew Sukuna wasn’t going to wait any longer. He was an impatient, cocky fool who was always looking for a fight, so when Maki handed him one on a silver platter? He took it without a second thought. If it were anyone else, Maki could easily take them down. But Sukuna?
Now that was damn near impossible.
Megumi wanted to close his eyes. He was already preparing to look away and cover his face with his hands so he wouldn’t have to see what happened. Or maybe he’d jump up himself and take the hit instead. Either way, it wasn’t going to end well.
Then came the gasps and murmurs.
But no scream of pain.
What?
Megumi opened his eyes, only to find a guy standing in front of Maki. Pink hair, with the roots still black as though he hadn’t bothered dyeing the rest, tanned skin, and honey-brown eyes wide enough to get lost in. He looked pretty strong, too.
That last observation was only confirmed when Megumi’s gaze fell to his hand, gripping Sukuna’s fist so tightly that Sukuna appeared to be struggling just to pull free.
Who the hell was this?
And… how fast would someone have to be to intercept a punch like that?
Why would he do something so heroic? For popularity? Recognition?
No.
Megumi could tell from a single glance that this guy was genuine. None of those vain reasons seemed right. They just didn’t fit him.
Maybe that was why Megumi couldn’t stop staring.
Yeah. That was why.
Maki was staring at Yuji in shock, her eyes widened behind her glasses. The sight of someone actually managing to catch Sukuna’s punch, coupled with the fact that he’d willingly risked taking the hit for her, was so unbelievable that she kept blinking as if to check whether the pink-haired boy would suddenly disappear, leaving her to face a fist to the face when reality caught up with her.
Sukuna didn’t waste a second before shoving Yuji back, then swinging his head forward and smashing it into Yuji’s.
Ah, yeah. That was about right—
Yuji winced, stumbling backwards as his hand flew to his temple. The crowd behind him parted just enough to keep him from crashing into anyone, its members already whipping out their phones to record the scene, accompanied by a chorus of synchronised “oohs” like a bunch of brainless parrots.
When Yuji finally looked at his fingers, they were stained with blood. A warm, wet sensation trickled from his head down his cheek, sliding along his chin before dripping onto the floor.
Fuck, that hurt—
It felt like the entire world was spinning. Was he still conscious? If he was, then barely.
“Holy fuck! Yuji!”
Yuji recognised Nobara’s usually irritating, frustrated voice amongst the crowd. It was loud, but strangely comforting in its familiarity. He tried to find her, scanning the sea of surprised and amused faces. Some looked more horrified than others, but everything was a blur. The people around him seemed to merge into one another.
“C’mon, Yuji! C’MON! GET UP!”
Sukuna yelled, grinning from ear to ear and laughing after every word. His shoulders shook with excitement, like he could barely contain himself.
He was practically itching for this.
The cluster of students began chanting under their breath, something about fighting or “letting him have it.” Yuji couldn’t tell whether they were talking about him or Sukuna.
“Watch out!”
Nobara’s voice rang out again.
Yuji shook off some of the haze clouding his mind after that brutal headbutt and ducked on instinct at the sound of her voice. There was genuine concern in it, pure fear that he’d never heard from her before.
But it was definitely a wake-up call.
He had to suck it up.
Sukuna’s fist sailed over his head.
“How the fu—”
One of Sukuna’s friends muttered from behind him, quiet enough not to draw attention but loud enough for Sukuna to hear. The comment only fuelled his anger.
A nobody had dodged his hit after blocking it earlier?
Yuji?
That pathetic loser?
Red-hot anger boiled inside him, fierce and relentless.
Oh man. Yuji wasn’t sure he could dodge or block another one of Sukuna’s hits. His head was already pounding, and he could see droplets of blood scattering across the floor beneath him.
.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, drop it, Sukuna! Is your ego really that hurt because someone stood up to you?”
Megumi stood up, stepping between Sukuna and the pink-haired idiot who was barely managing to stay upright but was still trying to defend himself so nobody else would have to get involved.
Reckless.
Stupidly reckless.
But sweet.
Maki stepped forward, too, taking her place beside Megumi in front of Yuji.
“You’ve had your fun. Now fuck off, Sukuna.”
Sukuna glanced between the two of them, his grin slowly fading into a frustrated scowl before he scoffed.
“Whatever.”
“Wha— but, Sukuna!”
One of his cronies called out, stuttering and stumbling over his words as though this were the first time he’d ever dared to question Sukuna’s actions or challenge his decisions.
“Shut up. We’re done here.”
Sukuna stormed off, his friends fumbling after him, looking confused and unsatisfied with the outcome. Nevertheless, they disappeared into the sea of students, who immediately parted to make way for them, not daring to make a sound or risk getting in Sukuna’s way.
Slowly, people began to disperse, lowering their phones as a few quiet, half-hearted boos echoed through the cafeteria. They were quickly silenced by Nobara’s sharp glares as she shoved her way mercilessly to the front of the crowd.
“Move, dammit!”
She grabbed a freshman by the hood and flung them aside, sending them skidding across the floor and out of her way.
“Yuji! You okay? Oh, shit, you’re bleeding—”
Nobara reached towards his injured head, the blood on full display, only to pull her hand back almost immediately. A look of disgust took over her face as she remembered that, yes, it was blood, and she had absolutely no intention of ruining her nails with that kind of crap.
Classic Nobara.
Yuji was still breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling as the adrenaline gradually wore off now that the chaos had died down. He tried to straighten up, only for a pounding headache to make him groan. He stumbled forward, reaching for something to steady himself, but there was nothing within grasping distance. The sudden movement sent the world blurring all over again.
Before he could embarrassingly hit the floor, a pair of slender, fair hands caught him by the shoulders. They were cool to the touch, yet somehow comforting against the heat radiating from his body, keeping him steady before he could lose his balance completely.
Yuji lifted his half-lidded eyes from the floor, now dotted with even more droplets of blood, only to find himself staring into the most beautiful green eyes he’d ever seen.
It was like looking into a rain-soaked forest on a dark winter’s night.
It was the boy Sukuna had apparently started all this over.
And, God… up close? Yuji could see why.
Though, maybe he was just too delirious to judge the guy’s appearance properly.
“Relax. You shouldn’t try to stand up so suddenly.”
The voice belonged to the gorgeous-looking boy. It was deep and neutral, almost impossibly soothing, with a calmness that made it seem as though nothing in the world could faze him.
Safe to say, it suited his appearance perfectly.
“M’good… I got it—”
Yuji groaned, forcing himself upright as he tried to ignore the hands still resting on his shoulders. They were firm but not rough or controlling. Somehow, though, their presence only made his head feel hazier than it already was, which really wasn’t helping.
“Quit being stubborn and listen to the guy, will you?!”
Nobara scoffed, attempting to mask her underlying concern with her usual attitude but failing miserably. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest, biting the inside of her cheek.
Megumi tilted his head as he looked at the boy. Seeing him up close, he had to admit that he was pretty attractive. The features, the faint freckles scattered across his tanned skin, dusting his nose and blending into the natural blush of his cheeks as though he’d never quite grown out of it, and that jawline…
God, was he seriously gawking at someone who was currently trying not to collapse?
Since when had he become so stupid? Probably from spending too much time around his cousin and her dumbass friends, who collectively shared one brain cell.
“We should probably get him to the nurse’s office.”
Panda spoke up, glancing over his shoulder from where he was still sitting on the bench beside Toge. Both of them looked equally worried.
Nobara frowned, almost wincing at the suggestion.
“Yeah, this dumbass is my friend, but there’s no way I can take him there. I’ve been banned for…” She cleared her throat awkwardly before mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like “undisclosed reasons”.
Maki sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she adjusted her glasses. She was just about to speak up and suggest taking Yuji herself, considering it the least she could do in return for him intercepting what could’ve been a nasty hit, when Megumi beat her to it.
“I’ll take him.”
Silence.
Yuta choked on a fry. Toge’s eyes widened, and Panda covered his mouth. Even Maki flinched a little before raising an eyebrow, a scoff slipping out before she could stop herself.
“Who are you, and what have you done with Megumi?”
“Shut up.”
Megumi rolled his eyes, shifting his hands to steady Yuji by the elbows instead. Those half-lidded honey-brown eyes met his, and something in Megumi’s chest gave an uncomfortable little stutter.
How annoying.
.
Megumi left with Yuji not long after. The two walked slowly out of the cafeteria, disappearing down the hallway as the doors closed behind them.
“Okay. What the hell was that?”
Nobara interrupted the silence, trying to suppress the amusement in her voice but not having much luck.
Toge shrugged.
Yuta sighed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously before speaking up.
“I don’t know. Megumi never volunteers for anything that requires effort.”
Maki huffed, a slight grin still tugging at her lips as she stared at the doors before turning back to the others.
“Apparently, if it doesn’t concern him, he shouldn’t care.”
Nobara tried to ignore the fact that she was actually standing here, casually talking to Maki. Her insides were already doing somersaults, and she could feel herself growing hot with excitement as the realisation sank in.
Her dream was actually coming true.
And all because Itadori had been stupid enough to listen to her and intervene in that fight.
Man, did she owe him one now…
“Anyway, I’m Maki.”
Maki introduced herself, blunt as ever, with her hands resting on her hips and a faintly proud smile on her face.
Nobara wanted to scream.
Obviously, she knew who this badass was!?
“I’m Yuta…”
Yuta laughed awkwardly, offering a soft smile anyway. Nobara wasn’t particularly fond of him. A little too wimpy for her liking.
“I’m Panda! And this here is Toge.”
Panda spoke up with a reassuring grin, gesturing towards the white-haired boy beside him. Inumaki gave a small wave, his expression neutral.
Must be the quiet type.
.
Yuji’s head was pounding so badly that he genuinely felt like he was dying right there and then. The entire world was spinning, and he could barely function. It was as though his whole body had malfunctioned, completely short-circuited by Sukuna’s headbutt.
Did that actually happen?
“Thanks… by the way.”
The boy spoke.
Man, Yuji could listen to that voice all day.
And he was thanking him? Even though Yuji could barely walk or stand without feeling like he was about to collapse, he was practically walking on air right now.
Yuji glanced at Megumi from the corner of his eye before breaking into a smile. The blood trickling down his face from the wound on his head had already begun to dry.
“I mean… I kinda just got smacked around, but you’re welcome!”
Yuji’s grin widened, teeth and all. It was bright enough to resemble sunshine breaking through the clouds after a storm, and Megumi was almost certain he was going to go blind.
Meanwhile, his heart did another weird little flip.
He couldn’t help the slight quirk of his lips.
The guy really was an idiot. Normally, Megumi found that sort of stupidity more irritating than anything else. He’d never expected to find an exception today—or to find it so amusing.
“You know what I mean. Maki’s my cousin, and I really appreciate it. Sukuna isn’t exactly known for being merciful.”
The first thing Yuji noticed was that Megumi seemed friendlier than he looked. The second was how often he’d caught himself glancing at Megumi, only to immediately look away again, and it was becoming suspiciously obvious. He was sure of it.
Yuji laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand as the two continued hobbling down the empty hallways. Every now and then, they passed a few confused-looking students who did double takes, as if checking whether they’d genuinely just seen someone bleeding while another person carried half their weight and smiled as though they weren’t leaving a trail behind them.
“Yeah, he’s really, uh… interesti—”
“A dick.”
Yuji paused, snapping his head to the side to look at Megumi. He wore a neutral expression, his gaze fixed ahead until he turned to meet Yuji’s eyes and shrugged.
“What? It’s not like I’m wrong.”
Yuji couldn’t help but burst out laughing, turning his head back towards the corridor ahead.
“I guess not, no…”
He smiled, his laughter gradually subsiding, though the amusement still lingered.
Megumi’s stomach felt weird.
Yuji’s laughter sounded like music to his ears.
Since when had he become so sociable? He couldn’t make friends with anyone, which was precisely why he’d ended up tagging along with his cousin’s friend group in the first place. Talking had never come naturally to him, so… why was this guy an exception?
And why didn’t he mind talking to him?
Usually, he’d check out of a conversation after two sentences too many. Most people just bored him.
Eventually, they made it to the nurse’s office, only for a cranky, elderly voice to call out from the other side of the door, ordering them to “get their asses inside already”.
Lovely.
Megumi helped Yuji inside, still supporting half his weight to keep him from collapsing under the dizziness brought on by what was most likely a concussion.
All thanks to Sukuna.
The place smelled like medicine mixed with depression and emptiness.
And old people.
Was that a thing? Well, it was now.
The nurse was an elderly woman with a permanent frown etched across her face. Her eyes darted towards the two boys before settling on Yuji, scanning him as though she could see straight through his soul.
A shiver ran down his spine.
Is it too late to turn back?
“You kids… always getting into trouble and never finishing the fight!”
Yuji blinked once.
Then twice.
What?
Megumi sighed.
“Tch—back in my day…”
Oh, brother.
The woman was already spinning around in her chair towards the drawers behind the counter, yanking them open and sucking her teeth as she searched for a few antiseptic wipes and band-aids.
“Whenever there was a brawl, there’d be teeth scattered across the floor and clumps of hair everywhere!”
She burst out laughing, nearly choking on her own saliva in the process. Beside Yuji, Megumi was already rubbing his temple, his hand pressed against his forehead as though he couldn’t stand another second of this.
He glanced at Yuji, expecting him to share his reaction, only to find the idiot staring at the woman without so much as blinking, his eyes brimming with wonder and curiosity.
What a dunce.
“And no teachers stopped you?”
Yuji tilted his head, looking as though he’d just been told the most fascinating story in the universe.
Growing up with his grandpa raising him, Yuji had grown accustomed to hearing all sorts of stories about his grandfather’s “prime,” as he liked to call it. At first, they’d been rather annoying, but with how grumpy the old man could be, Yuji hadn’t exactly had much of a choice unless he wanted to be verbally abused.
So, he listened.
And before he knew it, he’d grown to love those stories over the years.
“Pfft—teachers? They stood around and watched from the sidelines! Too terrified to intervene, or simply too bothered to care.”
The old woman huffed, staring off into absolutely nowhere for a moment as though reminiscing about the good old days. Then she spun back around towards Yuji, who was sitting on the examination bed opposite her, with Megumi standing beside him.
“Other times, they found it too entertaining! Though, mostly, they just weren’t getting paid enough to feel the need to do anything about it.”
She sighed, tearing open the antiseptic wipe packaging.
“Those were the good old days… Now everything’s a damn drag.”
Ah, so she was pro-violence! That was nice.
Megumi glanced at Yuji again. He was smiling, though not as brightly as before. This time, it was softer. Almost domestic, even. He looked—
Wait. What the fuck was he thinking?
“Try not to move, kid.”
The woman grumbled, pressing an antiseptic wipe against Yuji’s temple. He winced, gripping the edge of the bed so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Megumi felt concern swell inside him. Why the hell did he even care so much about this guy? And why did it hurt just to watch him suffer? Usually, he couldn’t give a shit.
The nurse scoffed, pulling her hand away. Blood stained the wipe.
“What did I just say?”
“Sorry! Sorry…”
Yuji frowned, apologising even though he hadn’t done anything wrong. The nurse merely huffed, apparently not expecting him to actually find fault with himself, even though she was the one who hadn’t given him enough warning. How could someone be so pure and honest? It was almost like a dream.
“Thanks again!”
Yuji called out as they left the office, raising a hand in farewell. The woman grunted in response before slamming the door shut the second they’d crossed the threshold.
Megumi rolled his eyes, but Yuji only smiled, taking no offence.
His head was patched up now, the hair hanging over his forehead finally clean of blood, and the rest of his face was just as spotless. He seemed much livelier now. More like himself.
“Thanks for taking me… uh?”
Megumi tucked his hands into his pockets, glancing over his shoulder as he waited for Yuji to catch up.
“Megumi Fushiguro.”
Megumi Fushiguro… Megumi…
Yeah. Yeah, that sounded good.
Yuji stared at him in silence for a long moment, a stupid smile plastered across his face. From anyone else’s perspective, he probably looked like he’d lost his damn mind, until Megumi finally snapped him back to reality.
“Uh… hello?”
Yuji shook his head, dragging himself back down to Earth. Shit—had he really been staring off into space like that? He’d managed to embarrass the hell out of himself today for a second time.
Megumi stared at him with his usual deadpan expression before raising an eyebrow.
“This is kinda the moment where you say your name?”
Oh.
Ohhh!
“Oh shit—yeah, sorry!”
Yuji cleared his throat, laughing nervously as he fiddled with the hem of his hoodie.
“Yuji Itadori!”
Megumi blinked at him once before the corners of his lips quirked upwards. Then, just as quickly, he turned his back and started walking down the hall, moving slowly enough for Yuji to catch up if he wanted to.
Yuji’s brain was still replaying the moment, reminding him of just how ridiculously uncool he was, no matter how hard he tried to fight it. He only looked up when he realised Megumi was already walking away.
He immediately broke into a sprint, yelling something about “waiting up” as his shitty red Converses squeaked and scuffed against the white floors beneath the fluorescent lights.
Halfway to the cafeteria, the bell rang, and the hallways erupted into chaos. Students flooded out of classrooms, chattering away and yelling over one another as if they couldn’t already be heard from two feet away. Meanwhile, the freshmen huddled together in tight little groups, sticking close to one another and shuffling along in some semblance of an orderly formation, looking absolutely mortified as they repeatedly tripped over their own feet.
“Guess we gotta go to class…”
Yuji sighed, frowning. He sounded far more disappointed than he’d intended, as if the time he’d spent with Megumi had come to an abrupt end just when he’d started to think the guy was letting his walls down around him.
Yet another win for the universe.
Megumi felt a strange flicker of annoyance. He didn’t want to leave Yuji just yet. He didn’t want to stop talking, either. It had been a while since he’d managed to hold a conversation with someone new without getting bored to death or socially malfunctioning after the first few sentences.
Plus, he was kinda cu—
“There you are!”
Nobara’s voice rang out from somewhere in the sea of freshmen. She’d already managed to knock one poor kid over, her purse smacking straight into his face without her even noticing the damage she’d caused. Though, knowing her, even if she had noticed, her reaction probably wouldn’t have been much different.
“You okay? Actually, I don’t really care. You seem fine to me.”
Nobara shrugged, already waving Yuji off while he stood there with his mouth open, clearly about to answer her question. Not that she’d given him much of a chance.
“Thanks for taking him to the office, emo guy.”
She flicked her hair and flashed Megumi a self-satisfied smile, apparently having already forgotten his name and not giving a single shit about it.
Megumi stared back at her blankly, but Nobara didn’t even notice, let alone bother trying to be any nicer.
How could someone be so rude when their friend was the complete opposite?
It baffled him.
Nobara had already grabbed Yuji by the strings of his hoodie and started dragging him towards class.
“Wha—Nobara! Quit it!”
Yuji tried to shake her off, but she was persistent, only tugging harder and forcing him to stumble forward.
“Ah—bye! Sorry!”
He managed to call out to Megumi over the overlapping conversations and scuffling shoes, raising a hand to wave goodbye.
But Yuji had already begun to disappear into the crowd, his pink hair vanishing from sight sooner than Megumi expected.
Megumi raised his own hand in a silent wave, though he wasn’t sure Yuji could even see it through all the chaos.
He sighed and lowered it, shoving both hands back into his pockets.
His mind drifted back to that pink hair and that stupid grin.
A faint smile tugged at his lips, barely noticeable.
See you around, Yuji.