Chapter Text
Chapter 1: What Almost Was Lost
The common room lights buzzed faintly in the quiet of the dorm, casting a dim glow over the couch where Megumi sat, rice bowl forgotten in his lap. It was late—too late for anyone else to be up. But he couldn’t sleep. Not tonight.
It had been weeks since the Kyoto Sister School Exchange Event.
Weeks since Yuji returned from the dead.
Two full months of believing he was gone. Of walking past the empty space at the dining table. Of watching Nobara act like she was fine, like they were fine. Of feeling Gojo's careful silences, like he knew Megumi was holding himself together with threads.
Now Yuji was back.
Alive.
And somehow, that made things harder.
[Flashback – Megumi’s POV]
Two months.
I lived for two months thinking you were dead.
You don’t get to smile at me like that and pretend nothing happened. You don’t get to walk back into my life like you didn’t leave a crater behind.
When you walked onto the field during the Goodwill Event, my heart stopped again.
For a second, I thought I was hallucinating. I thought stress finally broke me.
But then I heard your voice. You waved at us like an idiot. Like you were the one shocked we weren’t throwing a party.
I couldn’t even look at you properly. Not at first.
I’d spent every day convincing myself you were never coming back.
[Back to Present – 3rd Person]
The door creaked open, pulling Megumi out of the memory like a splash of cold water.
Yuji stepped in, yawning as he rubbed the back of his neck. His hair was messy, hoodie pulled over his shirt like he’d gotten dressed half-asleep.
“Oh—hey, Fushiguro,” he said, blinking when he saw him. “Didn’t know you were still up.”
Megumi gave a quiet nod. “Couldn’t sleep.”
“Yeah… me neither,” Yuji said, plopping down on the couch beside him. The cushions dipped under his weight, and for a moment, neither of them said anything. Just the soft hum of the vending machine down the hall.
“You’ve been up late a lot,” Yuji finally said, nudging him. “Nightmares?”
“Sometimes,” Megumi muttered.
Yuji leaned back with a soft sigh. “Same. Mine had Gojo doing backflips in a cursed domain again. It’s terrifying how flexible he is.”
Megumi huffed a weak laugh. “That’s not a nightmare. That’s just reality.”
Yuji grinned, then turned a little more serious.
“You okay?”
Megumi paused. His eyes drifted down to his half-eaten rice bowl.
“You know… I really did think you were dead.”
Yuji blinked. “…Oh.”
“I mean it,” Megumi said, barely above a whisper. “I watched Sukuna kill you. I saw your body. And then… nothing. No goodbye. Just—gone.”
The silence that followed was heavy.
Then Yuji’s voice, quieter than usual: “I didn’t want to disappear like that. I didn’t have a choice.”
“I know.”
They sat with it for a while—long enough for the air between them to shift. Not awkward, just… thick with everything unsaid.
Yuji’s fingers tapped lightly against the couch cushion.
“You know I’m here now, right?” he asked. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Megumi didn’t reply. But after a second, he let his hand drift just slightly to the side. His pinky brushed Yuji’s knuckle.
Yuji didn’t move away.
And that was enough for tonight.