Shadows of the Heart • Megumi Fushiguro x Reader

ch. ²

I slumped in my seat, utterly bored, feeling the minutes drag by until something caught my attention—an all-too-familiar figure at the reception, signing papers with a solemn expression. His presence piqued my curiosity, and I nudged Megumi, hoping to break the monotony.

"Come on, we need to talk to that boy," I urged quietly, nudging Megumi.

Megumi glanced at the boy and then at me, nodding subtly. He stood up, waiting for me to follow suit, and together we approached him.

"Itadori Yuuji, correct? We're from Jujutsu Tech," Megumi stated flatly, his demeanor serious and professional.

"Technically, YOU are, not me," I interjected with a smirk, quickly shifting to a more serious expression.

Megumi shot me a sidelong glare before redirecting his attention to Itadori. "Who are you two? I'm in the middle of mourning..."

"Sorry, but there's no time. The cursed object you have is extremely dangerous. Hand it over immediately," I interjected briskly, not allowing for any distractions. Megumi remained silent, letting Itadori process our abrupt intrusion.

"Cursed object?" Itadori asked, adjusting his hoodie nervously.

Megumi swiftly pulled out his phone and showed him a picture. "This. You have it, right?"

Itadori leaned in to examine the image, his expression shifting with recognition. "Hmm, oh yeah! I found it," he replied casually, oblivious to the danger it posed.

"I don't mind giving it back, but my fellow club members have taken a liking to it," Itadori continued, his tone hinting at reluctance.

"I'd like an explanation at least," he added, his curiosity piqued.

I sighed inwardly, preparing for the inevitable tedium of explanations. Megumi fixed Itadori with a stern gaze before launching into a detailed spiel about the dangers of cursed objects and the responsibility that came with handling them.

"Nationally, the average number of unexplained deaths and missing persons exceeds 10,000 annually. The majority are the result—" Megumi started, his voice tinged with a sense of duty.

I zoned out, my attention wandering from Megumi's lecture to his face. In the midst of my boredom, I couldn't help but notice how striking he looked in the dim hospital light. A flush crept up my cheeks as I quickly averted my gaze, chastising myself for such thoughts at a time like this.

"Now before anyone dies... hand it over," Megumi interjected firmly, snapping me back to the conversation. I refocused on the situation at hand, watching as Itadori reluctantly retrieved a small box from his pocket and tossed it towards Megumi. "Like I said, I don't really care," he muttered, clearly annoyed and confused by our urgency.

Megumi caught the box and motioned for me to check its contents. With a sinking feeling, I watched as he slowly opened it, only to find it empty.

"Where are the contents?!" Megumi demanded, his patience wearing thin as he seized Itadori by the collar, pulling him closer.

"Like i said! The Occult Research Club! They have it!" Itadori defended himself, fear and frustration evident in his voice.

Panic gripped me. "Where do they live?" I asked urgently, my voice trembling with apprehension.

Itadori hesitated, clearly shaken by our intensity. "Not sure... somewhere in the Izumi district," he finally answered, his words coming out in a rush.

Megumi released Itadori and pushed him away, his mind already racing with the implications of this revelation. Itadori fell silent, lost in thought.

"What's wrong?" Megumi asked tersely, his concern masked by his usual stoicism.

Itadori hesitated for a moment, then spoke up. "They mentioned something about removing the seal tonight at school..."

Itadori's words hung in the air, the implications sinking in. Megumi's expression hardened, his eyes betraying a flicker of worry beneath his calm exterior.

"Is that bad?" Itadori asked innocently, clueless to the danger he inadvertently unleashed.

"It's not just bad... it's deadly," I exclaimed, my voice laced with urgency and fear as I bolted out of the building towards the school. I glanced back, seeing Megumi and Itadori hurrying to catch up, the latter wearing a shocked expression at my dire proclamation.

"Do seals come off that easily?" Itadori queried, his curiosity unabated.

"No, someone without cursed energy shouldn't be able to remove one normally..." Megumi replied, his voice urgent as we raced towards our destination.

"This time though, the object is too strong! The seal is old as well! It might aswell be normal paper," I frantically added, panic audible in my voice. 

As we arrived at the school gates, a palpable sense of foreboding descended upon us. The weight of the situation pressed down on my shoulders as we braced ourselves for what we might find inside.

"They've already broken the seal..." I muttered under my breath, dread tightening my chest.

Walking towards the gate with Megumi by my side, I turned to Itadori, determination etched on my face. "You stay here. Where's the club room?" I demanded, my tone leaving no room for argument.

Itadori looked offended but also worried. "Hold on! I'm coming with you two! Things are looking bad, right?" he insisted, his resolve surprising given the circumstances.

I sighed inwardly, conflicted by his determination. "It's only been a couple of months, but they're my friends. I've got to do something," he added earnestly, his gaze unwavering.

Megumi's expression darkened, a palpable aura of seriousness surrounding him. "Stay here," he commanded Itadori firmly, his tone brooking no opposition as he helped me over the gate and rushed towards the school building.