Chapter Text
PREFACE
“... This is the most powerful thing that can be done: Surrender.... And love is an act of surrender to another person. Total abandonment. I give myself to you. Take me. Do anything you like with me… So, that’s quite mad because you see, it’s letting things get out of control. All sensible people keep things in control.... Therefore, the course of wisdom, what is really sensible, is to let go, is to commit oneself, to give oneself up and that’s quite mad. So we come to the strange conclusion that: in madness, lies sanity.”
- Alan Watts
Itadori Yuuji had never given much thought to how he would die. The world had given him plenty of time - and too many reasons - in the past few months. But, he never would have imagined it like this.
He stared across the long dark room, breath caught in his throat, into the eyes of his hunter. The man looked pleasantly back at him.
Surely it had to mean something - dying in the place of someone else, someone he loved. It was noble, even. That had to be a good way to die, especially for someone like him.
Yuuji knew that if he’d never come to Forks he wouldn’t be facing death now, but even staring that fear in the face he wouldn’t regret his decision. Life had offered him a dream so far beyond any of his expectations. How could he grieve it’s end when the world had let him experience such love.
The hunter smiled, in a friendly way, as he sauntered forward to kill him.
Yuuji took a taxi to the airport and kept the windows down. To the rest of the world, it was a freezing January winter. In Phoenix, Arizona - where he’d been staying for the last few weeks - it was a hot seventy-five degrees and the sky was a vivid blue. Yuuji had been shuffled between foster homes since his grandpa's death two years ago. He was wearing faded jeans that had somehow survived half a dozen foster homes, a white t-shirt, and red converse that’d seen better days.
In the Olympic Peninsula of Northwest Washington State, sits a small town named Forks, under an almost constant cover of clouds and rain. The rain falls more frequently over this small town than any other place in the united states of America. At least, for as far as Yuuji himself had seen. It was to this small town that Yuuji had been banished to. Maybe he was being a bit dramatic, surely it couldn’t be that bad.
Yuuji was a little excited for his move to Forks. He was here to finish his high school education after all, just a year and a half left on the clock. It felt like a prison sentence, in a way, Eighteen months. Hard time. When the door slammed behind him as he got out of the car, the clang of the door reminded him of iron bars locking into place.
It was a three hour flight from Phoenix to Seattle, and another hour in a small plane to Port Angeles. Topped off with another Hours drive down to Forks. It was that last hour that worried Yuuji. He had never been nervous on planes, but that one hour alone in a car with his foster father was worrying.
Nanami had been nice about the whole thing, and he seemed to be excited - genuinely pleased - that Yuuji would be living with him for a while. He had already registered Yuuji at the nearby high school, and was planning to help Yuuji get a car soon.
When Yuuji arrived in Port Angeles it was raining. He didn’t think that it was a bad omen, just inevitable. He had long since said his goodbye’s to the sun. He spotted Nanami waiting for him from the cruiser. This was exactly what he wanted to avoid, the main reason for his immediate investment in a car of his own. Nothing slows down traffic like a cop after all.
Yuuji stumbled from the plane and into Nanami’s waiting arms for an awkward, one-armed hug.
“It’s good to see you, Yuuji,” He said as he stepped back from the embrace. “You haven’t changed much, how’ve you been?”
“Alright. It’s good to see you too,” Yuuji offered a somewhat relieved smile, Nanami was trying to be welcoming.
“You really feel okay about staying here?” Yuuji didn’t know if this was an observation about himself or the area. Nanami hadn’t insisted Yuuji move to Forks, though he had requested it, so he should be the last person to question it; but Yuuji didn’t feel like pursuing that.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t sure about it.”
“Fair enough.”
Yuuji only had two duffle bags with him. Most of his clothing had been suited for a Phoenix summer, not the cold wet moss-covered forests of Forks, Washington. He had pooled his resources into investing in a winter wardrobe, but it still wasn’t enough for that much. He could handle his bags, but Nanami insisted on taking one. It threw his balance off a little, not that he was ever really balanced. His foot caught on the lip of the exit door and the duffel bag swung out and hit the guy trying to get in.
“Oh, sorry,” Yuuji said.
The guy wasn’t that much older than him - and he was a lot shorter - but he stepped up to Yuuji with his chin held high. There were tattoos on both sides of the mans neck, and the sneer on his lips only made him look more dangerous. A small woman with slick solid black hair stood somewhat behind the man, staring menacingly at Yuuji.
“Sorry?” She repeated, like the apology offended her.
And then the woman noticed Nanami, still in his uniform as his shift had ended only half an hour before Yuuji’s flight had gotten in. Nanami didn’t need to say anything, he just looked at the man and took a small step in his direction. The guy took a step back, and in that moment he looked a lot younger to Yuuji. He and Nanami just shrugged as the two made themselves scarce. It was funny how they seemed to have some of the same mannerisms at least.
“I found a good car for you,” Nanami announced when they were strapped into the cruiser and on their way.
“What kind of car?” Yuuji asked.
“It’s a truck, a Chevy.”
“Where did you find it??”
“There’s a family nearby, their son - Sukuna - like’s to talk when he’s not making more paperwork for me,” Nanami paused before he continued, “He told me his father is in a wheelchair now, so he can’t drive anymore. He offered to sell me his truck.”
“I don’t know anything about cars. I wouldn’t be able to fix anything that broke, and I couldn’t afford a mechanic…”
“It runs well, you won’t be needing a mechanic any time soon.”
“How much is it?” Yuuji asked after a moment's thought, after all that part was the deal breaker.
“Well, I already bought it for you. As a homecoming gift.” Nanami looked proud of himself, a soft smile on his lips in contrast to his usually stoic look.
“You didn’t need to do that.” Yuuji protested, though it was more for the sake of it. Free was free. “I was going to buy myself a car.”
“I don’t mind. I want you to be happy here.” He was looking ahead at the road when he admitted this. Nanami had never been one to openly express his emotions in the time that Yuuji had known him. So Yuuji knew that this was a rare moment, and in a way he was touched.
“That’s amazing. Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“Well, you’re welcome.”
They exchanged a few more comments about the weather, and that was the end of their conversation. Yuuji looked out his window instead. The outside world was probably beautiful. To him, however, everything was green: the trees were covered in moss, the trunks and the branches, the ground was blanketed in ferns. Even the air seemed to turn green as it filtered through the leaves. It was too green- an alien planet.
Eventually they made it back to Nanami’s place. He still lived in the small house that Yuuji remembered from pictures his case worker had shown him. Only, the place seemed to be bigger in the photos. Nanami had bought the house before he made the decision to take anyone in, so it was expected. There in the street, in front of the house, was Yuuji’s new truck. Well, new to him.
It was faded, a rusty red that Yuuji immediately fell in love with. The truck wasn’t special, and it wasn’t easy to look at, but the gesture was quickly wrapping around his heart and squeezing tightly. Maybe it was the bulk of the car, it’s age a badge of honor showing how the truck had survived. How even if it was old it would protect it’s driver. Yuuji could see the love in that gesture.
“Wow, it’s awesome! Thanks!”
“I’m glad you like it.” Nanami said, pleased with Yuuji’s excitement.
It only took one trip to get both of Yuuji’s bags inside and upstairs. He got the West bedroom, the one that faced out over the front yard. The wallpaper of his room was a faded blue that matched the dark oak flooring, a pinched roof ceiling. The only modern inclusion Nanami had made was the addition of a new desk in the corner of the room. It had been fitted with a laptop, most likely an invitation for Yuuji to use it for his school work.
There was only one small bathroom at the top of the stairs that he would have to share with Nanami. Yuuji didn’t actually have that many bathroom supplies. He had been told by some of the girls in his old school that he was at least a little attractive. But that was either a trick of the light or something he could chalk up to natural luck because Yuuji didn’t do anything out of the ordinary when it came to personal hygiene. All that to say, he wouldn’t be crowding Nanami out of the bathroom with his things any time soon.
The best thing about Nanami was that he didn’t hover. Once they were both inside he had left Yuuji alone to unpack his things and get settled in at his own pace. That task would have been completely impossible for his previous families to do. Yuuji found it nice to be alone for the moment, to not have to worry about putting on a fake smile and saying he was comfortable. It was a relief to sit by the window, stare out at the rain, and let his thoughts become honest for a moment.
Forks high school had just three hundred and fifty-seven - now fifty-eight - students; there were more than seven hundred people in his junior class alone back home. All of the kids here had grown up together, have known each other since they were children. Yuuji would be the new kid from the strange big city. He would be something for everyone to stare at and talk about.
Maybe if he had been more popular, he could make it work for him. If he had actually made friends with all of the kids who wanted to hang out with him at his old schools he may have been fine on his first day in Forks. But there was no hiding the fact that he was not that guy anymore. He was the guy who looked like he should be good at sports, until he started walking. All thanks to a stupid knee injury a few years back. He was suddenly too quiet, too fragile, too weak. And his friends slowly started to move on without him.
Sometimes Yuuji wondered if he saw the world through the same eyes as other people. No one had ever understood him, but maybe that was his own fault. Maybe he saw green when everyone else saw red. Maybe he smelled vinegar when they smelled coconut. Maybe there was a glitch in his brain.
But the cause didn’t matter. Just the effect, and tomorrow would only be the beginning.
Yuuji didn’t sleep well on his first night. After he finally got his thoughts to simmer down the constant whooshing of the rain and wind against his window wouldn’t fade into the background. It was so loud that even pulling the thick old quilt over his head didn’t muffle the noise enough. He didn’t fall asleep until well after midnight, when the rain finally settled to a quiet drizzle.
Thick fog blanketed the world outside Yuuji’s window the next morning. He felt a shiver run up his spine, it really was like prison here. No one could ever see the sky.
Breakfast with Nanami was quiet. He wished Yuuji good luck at school, and apologized for leaving so early in the morning. Yuuji still had at least an hour before he needed to leave for school, but a small town sheriff’s job was never done and Yuuji could understand that Nanami was needed elsewhere. He enjoyed having the house to himself for that last hour. He didn’t have to worry about anyone rushing him out, nor did he need to entertain company as he got ready.
Yuuji didn’t exactly want to be early, but after a while he couldn't stand to be in that house any longer. It was beginning to make him feel claustrophobic. He slipped on his jacket - which was a thick red vinyl material that made him feel like he was wearing a biohazard suit - and stepped outside to his truck. It was only drizzling as he made his way out to the truck, and the inside was warm and dry.
Finding the school wasn’t difficult, like most things in the small town it was just off the highway. It wasn’t obvious at first that it was a school, only the sign announcing that this was indeed Forks High School clued Yuuji in on the building. It had looked like a collection of houses, built from maroon bricks and surrounded by trees and shrubs. The building didn’t remind Yuuji of his old school at all.
He parked in front of the first building labeled Front Office. No one else was parked there, so he was sure it was off limits for students, but he decided to go in and get directions instead of circling around in the rain like an idiot.
Inside it was brightly lit, and much warmer than he’d liked. The office was small, and almost gave off the feeling of a smaller clinic than the main office of the town’s largest high school. The only thing that brought it from the stark hospital feeling were the potted plants that filled the room with that dark green that Yuuji was beginning to hate. The room was cut by a long desk, with three chairs on the opposite side aligning it. Yuuji approached the first person he saw, an older balding gentleman who was sitting in the only occupied seat.
“Can I help you?” The balding man looked up.
“I’m Itadori Yuuji,” He informed the man, and saw the quick recognition in his eyes.
“Of Course!” He said, digging through a leaning stack of papers. Yuuji didn’t know if it was because he was new or because Nanami was the town Sheriff, but he wished the man would slow down a little now. “I have your schedule right here Mr. Itadori. And a map of the school.”
“Um, Yuuji is fine.”
“Oh, sure, Yuuji.”
The man went through Yuuji’s classes for him, highlighting the easiest route on the map. He gave him a slip with his locker combination on it, though Yuuji doubted he would actually use it. He tried to keep his backpack as light as possible before even leaving home. The man smiled at Yuuji and hoped, like Nanami, that he would enjoy his time here in Forks. Yuuji smiled back as convincingly as he could.
Other students were finally starting to arrive by the time Yuuji made it back out to the parking lot. It was a relief to him that nobody was driving anything fancy. His old school was notorious for its elite students, so a new Porsche or Mercedes had been common in the student lot. Here, though, the nicest car that Yuuji could spot was a seemingly brand-new silver Volvo that definitely stood out.
Yuuji examined the map he had been given, trying to memorize it now. He didn’t want to be that new kid, with his nose stuck to the small sheet of paper all day. It wasn’t like the school was that big after all. It won’t be that bad, He lied to himself. Seriously - it was just high school. There was no animal ready to pounce around the corner. Even so, Yuuji pulled the hood of his jacket over his head as he walked to the sidewalk.
His first class was located just past the cafeteria, a small building with the number “3” painted in the top right corner above the door. The classroom itself was small. The people in front of him stopped just inside the door to hang their coats, Yuuji copied them. They were both girls, and fairly pale. At least he wouldn’t stand out too much here.
Yuuji took the slip up to his teacher - an older woman with thinning hair - to sign. She gawked at him when she saw his name, and Yuuji could feel the blood rush up to his cheeks. His teacher - Mrs. Mason - sent him to an empty desk in the back of the classroom without making him introduce himself to the class, he was thankful for that.
Yuuji thought it would be harder for his classmates to stare at him from his spot in the back, but he was wrong. He distracted himself from their stares with the reading list his teacher had given him: Shakespeare, Bronte, Faulkner. All names he had read before. It was comforting… and boring. When the bell rang Yuuji was approached by a tall, slender girl. Her hair was black, glossy.
“You’re Itadori, yes?” She spoke softly, but he could tell she wasn’t meek.
“Yuuji is fine.” His voice caught the attention of everyone within range.
“Where’s your next class?” She asked.
“Um, Government. With Jefferson.” He spoke after checking his schedule.
“Building six. I’m heading to building four, it’s on the way. I could show you?” She gave off a chess club vibe, but she was friendly despite that. “I’m Maki.”
“Thanks.” Yuuji gave her a smile.
The two of them gathered their jackets and left. The trip wasn’t a long one, but it seemed like the conversation between them was stunted. Any jokes that Yuuji would make seemed to either go over her head or just not land. A few months of this and he would probably lose his sense of humor. That being said, Maki was still a nice presence - in her own way of course. She seemed to draw the same unwanted attention that he did. Instead of paying any mind to the boys who threw their affection at her, she ignored them completely. Perhaps there was something to be said about the birds of a feather argument.
They parted ways with small smiles. Though the short walk was awkward, Yuuji thought that he would come around to really appreciate Maki’s friendship in time. The rest of the morning passed in about the same way. After a few classes Yuuji started to recognize some of their faces. There were a few that were braver than the others, that would come up and ask him how he was liking Forks so far. Yuuji tried to be diplomatic about it, but he found himself lying a lot.
There was one girl who had approached him and not left his side since. He thought she said her name was Momo, but he hadn’t been paying that much attention. She was short, not even up to his shoulder. But, she walked with him to lunch, that was the main reason he hadn’t ditched her yet. Walking or sitting alone at lunch on his first day of school would be social suicide. He didn’t want a flock of people surrounding his table trying to get to know him. So instead, he let Momo lead him to a table that was already half full of her friends.
It was there, sitting in that lunch room - trying to make conversation with seven strangers - that Yuuji first saw them.
They were sitting in the corner of the Cafeteria, as far away from where Yuuji sat as possible in the long room. There were five of them, but none of them were speaking, or eating for that matter. Though they each had a tray of food in front of them. They weren’t gawking at Yuuji, unlike any of the other students. So it was safe to stare at them for a moment. To take in their… uniqueness.
There were three boys and two girls, three seated together and two opposite them. The first was tall but young looking, with short black hair that reminded Yuuji of the girl who had walked him to class that morning. Though she was seated, Yuuji could make out the slight weight the intimidating girl placed in her feet - like she was ready to spring at a moment's notice. The second person was tall and muscular. There was some kind of danger in his eyes though, as if he were naturally daring someone to come close. To test him in some way.
The look unnerved Yuuji, so he was quick to ignore the other boy on their side and glance across to one of the others. On said other side of the table were the two seated together. There was a small girl with orange hair, leaning against the boy next to her, her hands under the table likely fidgeting with a phone. The boy beside her was the tallest he’d seen yet. He had cropped hair that seemed to be lazily parted, as his bangs fell half into his eyes. Though he looked intimidating, something about his posture told Yuuji that he wasn’t the biggest threat at their table.
The last boy - the one seated beside the guy Yuuji was ninety percent sure was a psychopath - was not looking at anything in particular. His hair was black and spiked up, it almost made Yuuji chuckle. He was as different as the other four, his muscles firm but relaxed, his expression calm yet his arms were crossed defensively. Yuuji didn’t know what to make of him.
That all is to say, they were all different from each other. In every physical sense of the word they were each uniquely their own. Yet, they were all exactly alike. Every one of them was chalky pale. The palest of all the students in the town that Yuuji had met so far. They all had dark eyes - from his spot they almost looked black - despite the range in hair colors and styles. There were deep shadows under their eyes - almost like bruises. Maybe the five of them had just pulled an all nighter. Maybe they were all recovering from broken noses.
But that wasn’t why Yuuji couldn’t look away.
It was because their faces, despite being so different, so similar, were all insanely, inhumanly beautiful. All five - beautiful. Yuuji knew what it meant to admit that to himself. Yet he couldn’t feel ashamed. They were the faces you never saw in real life - just airbrushed in magazines or in movies. Maybe painted by an old master as the face of an angel. It was hard to believe they were real.
Yuuji let his mind wander, and decided that if he were going to think of them as beautiful, he should at least pick a favorite. The last boy, the one with the jet black hair that spiked up was his type. The calm opposed his own high strung nature, and Yuuji would be lying if he said he didn’t like the way the boys biceps just slightly stretched the fabric of his shirt. Though he expected the female half of the student body would disagree with him, more than likely favoring the scary guy seated beside his own favorite. To each their own he supposed.
As he watched, the red-haired girl put her phone away and stood, lifting her tray. She didn’t wait for anyone to follow, simply tossing his unwanted food and leaving. As if on cue, the boy she had been leaning against got up to follow. His own tray left behind on the table as he followed in step behind the girl. It reminded Yuuji of a dance, and made him wonder if they were perhaps partners in some way. After they left Yuuji’s eyes found the others who hadn’t changed.
“Who are they?” He asked the girl, Momo.
As Momo looked to see who Yuuji meant - though she could probably guess from his tone - suddenly he looked at them, the beautiful one. He looked at Momo for just a moment, and then his eyes met Yuuji’s. Dark, black eyes that locked him into place. He looked away quickly, before Yuuji could even respond. Yuuji looked away, cheeks flushing with a sudden embarrassment that he didn’t want anyone to see. Momo giggled beside him in what sounded like relief.
“That’s Mai Zenin and Aoi Todo.” She spoke as she pointed them out, “The ones who left were Nobara Kugisaki and Junpei Yoshino. They all live together with their adoptive parents.”
“They are… very nice looking.” Yuuji said, probing for the general opinion on them.
“Yes!” Momo giggled again, “They’re all together though, like together.” Her voice held the connotations of small town gossip; but from his own experiences this would have held weight no matter where it happened. Small town or not.
“That’s impressive. Taking care of all those kids.” Yuuji hummed.
“I guess so.” Momo said with a shrug, eyeing Yuuji as if what he said was weird. “I think their mom cant have kids, though,” She added, as if that lessened their kindness.
“Have they always lived in Forks?” Yuuji asked. He kept his attention on their table as he listened for the answer. The three continued to look elsewhere, their food still untouched.
“No,” Momo said, in a tone that made it sound obvious, “They just moved here two years ago from Alaska.”
Yuuji felt a strange mix of pity and relief. Pity, because as beautiful as they were, they were outsiders and he knew all too well the experience of being “other”. Relief because he wasn’t the only newcomer here, and definitely not the most interesting by any standard.
As Yuuji examined them, the beautiful one looked over at him again. When their gazes locked this time, they held. Yuuji could see the curiosity in the other boys' gaze as they looked into each other's eyes. Yuuji looked away first this time, but he could make out some kind of unmet expectation in his eyes.
“Who’s the one with the black hair? That sticks up, not the depressed looking guy.” Yuuji asked.
“That’s Megumi Fushiguro, but don’t waste your time. He doesn’t really talk to anyone, let alone date. Apparently no one here is good enough for him.” Momo said in a tone that implied another story all together, one that Yuuji wasn’t actually all that interested in hearing.
Yuuji bit his bottom lip to keep from smiling at the thought of Megumi turning Momo down, it was clearly just a case of sour grapes after all. He risked another glance at Megumi and though the other boy's head was turned his cheek was lifted, as if he had been smiling about something too.
After a few more minutes the three that were remaining at the table had gotten up to leave, walking just as gracefully as the other two had before them. Even the dark haired Todo had a control to his movements that Yuuji could only describe as balanced, almost stalking. Yet, still poised. It was unsettling to watch. Made worse by the fact that Megumi didn’t glance his way again.
Yuuji met back up with Maki by coincidence on his way to Biology. Apparently the two of them shared that class together as well. They walked together in a comfortable silence, one that he definitely appreciated after spending lunch with Momo and her friends.
When they entered the building Maki went to sit at her desk, pulling out a chair beside a guy with white hair that Yuuji somewhat recognized from their lunch table. If he hadn’t been so distracted by the five people across the cafeteria he probably would have remembered this guys name. As Yuuji walked further into the room -towards his teachers desk- he spotted the only empty seat, open beside none other than the infamous Megumi Fushiguro.
Just as Yuuji passed the desk, Megumi suddenly went rigid in his seat. He stared at Yuuji again, meeting his eyes with the strangest expression on his face. It was hostile, furious. Yuuji looked away quickly. Shocked to say the least. He stumbled over a book left in the walkway and had to grab onto the corner of a desk to balance himself. The girl sitting there giggled at him, and his cheeks flushed red again.
Yuuji noticed one thing, though, before he had forced himself to look away. Megumi’s eyes were black. Coal black.
When his teacher had returned his schedule to him, along with his textbook for the semester, he sent Yuuji on his way. Of course, he had no choice but to sit himself down in the only available seat. Yuuji kept his eyes down as he went to sit by him, still confused by the antagonistic stare he had been given.
Yuuji didn’t say anything as he took his seat and pulled out his book. He noticed Megumi’s posture change out of the corner of his eyes. The other boy was angling himself away now, seated at the very edge of his chair and averting his face like he smelled something bad. Yuuji pulled the collar of his shirt up, taking a discreet sniff. It smelled like detergent, and when he sniffed the air he caught the slight scent of strawberry from the spare shampoo he’d packed last minute. A bit sweet, but nothing offensive.
Yuuji shifted to his side and propped his elbow on the table, his cheek rested on his hand and his head tipped forward to block his eyes. At least if he sat this way it was like putting up a metaphorical wall. Megumi wasn’t gone but at least he wouldn’t have to look at him.
He couldn’t help peeking through his fingers occasionally at the strange boy seated next to him. Megumi didn’t relax once during the entire class period. He stayed propped on the edge of his chair, still sitting as far away from Yuuji as possible. His fist was clenched tightly on top of the desk, his muscles bulging further against the thin black shirt he was wearing. Yuuji could tell he wasn’t nearly as slight as he’d appeared from across the cafeteria - and he thought Megumi was pretty well defined back then already.
The class dragged on forever with the two of them locked in that tense position. Yuuji never let himself relax in his seat as long as Megumi stayed coiled up beside him. He didn’t know if he was waiting for Megumi to attack or not, if the ringing of the bell would save him or if it would be the call to attack. Now Momo’s behavior was beginning to make sense. Clearly something was wrong with Megumi if this was his reaction to meeting new people. Maybe it didn’t actually have anything to do with Yuuji at all. They had never met after all, so he couldn’t know Yuuji enough to hate him this viciously, right?
Yuuji risked one last glance at Megumi and regretted it. The other boy was staring him down again, his gaze full of disgust and rage. As Yuuji flinched away from him and sunk further into his chair the phrase if looks could kill was in the front of his mind.
At that moment the bell rang, and Yuuji would have jumped five feet in the air if he wasn’t frozen in his seat at the moment. Megumi was out of the building before Yuuji could remember where he was. As he sat, eyes staring ahead at the blackboard almost in shock, the only thought in Yuuji’s mind was He’s so mean. It wasn’t fair. Yuuji began to gather his things, trying to block out the anger that was gathering in him, for fear his eyes would tear up. His temper was hardwired to his tear ducts, so he usually cried when he was angry. And he knew he was an ugly crier.
“Aren’t you Itadori Yuuji?” A male voice asked. He looked up to see another black haired boy. He was lean, and smiled in a friendly way that contrasted his tired, almost sinister appearance.
“Just Yuuji.” He corrected, gentler than he’d been earlier in the day.
“I’m Yuta,” The boy offered, “Do you need any help finding your next class?”
Yuuji didn’t know if Yuta was just being nice, or if he wanted to get on his good side, but he took him up on the offer anyway.
“I’ve got Gym next, actually.” Yuuji said, “I think I could find it, but..”
“That’s my next class too,” Yuta said. He seemed thrilled, though it wasn’t that big of a coincidence in a school this size.
The two of them walked to class with friendly chatter. Yuta had lived in Japan until he was ten before his family was uprooted and moved here, so he missed the sun the same way Yuuji did. It turned out they shared English class together, which gave Yuuji something to look forward to there. If he knew all the material he might as well make a friend to talk to instead. And Yuta was the nicest person he’d met that day.
Yuta, however, decided to ruin that by opening his mouth when they entered the gymnasium. “So did you stab Fushiguro with a pencil or what? I’ve never seen him like that.”
Yuuji cringed, apparently other people had noticed Megumi’s glare. And if it was that noticeable, then it must have been outside his normal behavior. Yuuji decided to play dumb.
“Was that who I was sitting next to?” He asked, an innocent lift to his voice.
“Yeah,” Yuta nodded, “I thought he was in pain or something, then he’s glaring at you for almost an hour straight.”
“I’ve never spoken to him,” Yuuji shrugged. “So I wouldn’t know.”
“He’s a weird guy…” Yuta seemed to sigh, “If I’d sat with you we could have talked or something, had fun during class.”
Yuuji gave him a smile before he left to speak with the Coach. Yuta was nice, and clearly admiring, but at the moment any mention of Megumi would put Yuuji on edge, so he wanted to steer clear of Yuta for now. The coach didn’t make him get dressed for class today, since he was still waiting for his gym uniform to come in. That also meant he would get to sit out for today's class. Usually he was a fan of sports, his mother used to have to drag him off the volleyball court, but ever since his knee injury the idea of getting back into games made him hesitant. He watched as four Volleyball games ran simultaneously of each other, and wished he could be out there.
The final bell rang at last, and Yuuji gathered his things to bring back to the main office. All he had to do was return the paperwork with his teachers signatures and he could escape for the rest of the afternoon. It was cold enough outside that Yuuji wrapped his arms around himself and made a mental note to bring a warmer jacket tomorrow. As he stepped into the main office the warmth was barely enough to keep him inside as Megumi Fushiguro stood at the main desk.
Yuuji would know that spiked black hair anywhere, but it didn’t look like Megumi had noticed him yet. Or, if he did, he hadn’t bothered to look up yet. Yuuji didn’t push his luck, he stood - back to the wall - as he waited for the receptionist to free up. Megumi was arguing with the man that had helped Yuuji that morning. As Yuuji listened he caught the jist of their argument. Megumi was trying to trade his sixth hour Biology class to another time - any other time.
Yuuji couldn’t believe that this could be about him. Clearly something else had to have happened in that room before he came in. The aggravation on Megumi’s face had to have been about something else entirely. How could a stranger possibly hate him this much?
The door opened again behind Yuuji, and a gust of wind blew in from outside. It ruffled the papers in his hands and fanned his hair around his face. The girl who had opened the door simply dropped a slip of paper into a wire basket and left without a fuss. Not realizing that she had just alerted Megumi to Yuuji’s presence. His back stiffened suddenly, and he turned slowly until his gaze locked with Yuuji;s again. He was still beautiful - even with the hate-filled glare he gave - but for a moment Yuuji felt genuine fear. Like he was actually in danger. The look lasted for only a moment but it chilled him.
“Nevermind then,” Megumi spoke politely under his breath, “I can see it’s impossible. Thank you for your help.”
He was out the door faster than Yuuji could register yet again, almost as if he were running as fast as he could to get away from Yuuji. Yuuji went meekly to the desk when he felt the room safe enough to move in again. His face flushed white instead of pale as he passed his slip off to the receptionist.
“How was your first day of school, then?” The man asked.
“Fine,” Yuuji lied, his voice weak.
When Yuuji finally made it back inside his truck it was almost the last car in the parking lot. It felt like a haven, already the closest thing to home he had in this small town. His place to recover from the shock that was the last few hours of his life. He sat inside for a while, just staring out the windshield and relaxing. But soon, it became cold enough that he needed the heater. So, he turned the key and started his truck. He kept his breathing steady as he drove back to Nanami’s house, keeping the tears that threatened to spill from frustration at bay.