Caught in Between | Sukufushi | Itafushi

chapter 21: on the roof

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It was morning, a few minutes before school was scheduled to start. Yuuji had just arrived and was walking through the hallways to get to his first period class, when he spotted him. 

It was Megumi.

He was leaning against the wall, right next to the door frame, looking down at his phone. 

Yuuji gulped. I know I promised myself that I would tell him the next time I saw him, but isn't this too soon? He thought. School just started. It wouldn't be romantic if I just confessed to him, right here and now.

"Hey Megumi!" He called out and waved to him. Megumi looked up, waved back, and then put his phone away. Yuuji began walking towards him. 

Yuuji started to feel anxious. Am I really going to say it now? Really? What if he doesn't have enough time to respond, and then I spend the whole day in class thinking about it? I really should have thought this through more, he thought.

"Hey Yuuji," Megumi said casually, as if they didn't share a kiss the other night. Although what was Yuuji expecting, for him to suddenly act all lovey-dovey and start calling each other pet names as soon as they saw each other? It's too early for something like that.

Yuuji shook his head. Stop overthinking. 

"So, um," Yuuji scratched his head. "I need to talk to you. And it's important. So do you think we can talk later? Like on the roof top at lunch time?" He suggested. He realized that he just ended up postponing it, but it was better later than right now. 

Megumi smiled. "Yeah, sure. Then I'll meet you on the roof for lunch." He said.

Just then, the bell rung, signifying the start of class, and everyone started entering the classroom, along with Yuuji and Megumi. 

Looks like it's happening during lunch, Yuuji thought. Hopefully it goes well.

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Yuuji was at the base of the staircase, mentally preparing himself to walk up the stairs and talk to Megumi on the roof. 

"Come on, I've got his," He told himself. "I'm not backing out now. No matter what it takes." He took one step up, and then other, walking and slowly and quietly up the stairs.

Yuuji couldn't help but think of that one thought. What if he rejects me? He's already dating someone. But then he shook his head again. Stop it. If you don't say it now, you might not say it ever. So just do it. 

He was at the top of the staircase. It's time. He opened the door, and walked a few steps forward. 

When he walked a few steps more and turned the corner, he spotted Megumi, sitting on the ledge. But it wasn't what he was expecting. 

Megumi wasn't alone. He was with Sukuna. And not only that, they were kissing. Deeply kissing. Like a full on make out session. Sukuna's arms were wrapped around Megumi's waist, as he continued to kiss him deeper. 

He saw Sukuna open one of his eyes, and he looked directly at Yuuji, all the while he was kissing Megumi. Almost like he was bragging. Like it was his way of showing him that Megumi was his, and would always be his.

Yuuji's resolve immediately crumbled. He took a few steps back, and ran back down the staircase, wanting to get away from the roof as fast as possible.

"What did I just see?" Yuuji said to himself. "I thought that- I thought maybe..." He shook his head. Did his kiss with Megumi that night mean nothing? 

He was running down the stairs so fast that he ended up tripping on the last steps, and falling to the floor. But he didn't even bother to get up. He lifted the hem of his pants so that he could see if he got bruised. Nothing. But it felt like he did. 

He held his face in his hands. "Well, what do I do now?" He wondered. So in the end, was Megumi truly not interested in him, and were they just going to stay as friends? 

He got up, and started walking back to class sadly, heartbroken at being rejected before he even got officially rejected.