The boy next to me [itafushi]

5. Clichè

Time passed quickly. It was now mid-December and the Christmas holidays were about to start. The weather was chilling and the city of Tokyo was covered by snow.

"It's freezing, isn't it?"

"Yes, I just can't wait for the holidays to start."

Yuuji and Megumi were walking down the street coming back from school. They were going to spend the afternoon together.

...And, just so you know, the tall guys didn't show up since then, but I don't think because Yuuji scared them, probably they are planning something... And between Megumi and Yuuji, well... nothing much happened. They only hugged that day in the classroom during the break and high-fived tons of times... but nothing more.

"So, first we have lunch at the cafè, then the cinema and..."

"Don't forget that before the movie we have to do our homework."

"Aren't we going to copy them from Kugisaki? She said we can one more time."

"But we have exams by the end of the year."

"Megumi! Why care so much when Christmas is coming?" he said smiling. "Listen to me! We are going to the mall after the cinema and buying some mangas from the bookshop and then we can go to my house and read some."

"But-"

"Shush. Say it." Yuuji covered Fushiguro's mouth and then pointed his finger straight to the boy's face.

"Ugh, fine!"

"Yay! Now let's go, I'm starving!"

At the cafè, Yuuji ate two bowls of ramen and Megumi went for some grilled cod.

"You are so weird, Megumi."

"Am I?" Megumi frowned.

"Yeah, but I like it! I like how you always stand out from the crowd. You are cool, Megumi."

"I-"

"Oh, look at the time! We're going to be late for the show. We have to go!"

"Sure, let's go!"

"What is this feeling in my belly?"  Megumi thought."Why does my stomach feels lightweight when our eyes meet or when you compliment me? I have to tell Gojo..."

They entered the cinema and took their seats in the room. 

"The last row is always the best one, what do you think?" Yuuji said stretching and getting ready for the movie, with a pack of popcorn in a hand, a drink in the other one and a pair of 3d movie glasses on.

"I- I guess..."

"Hey, hey, hey! Is about to start! Wear the glasses and enjoy the movie!"

It was an action movie, starring Jennifer Lawrence. "She's my favourite!" whispered proudly Itadori. "Same for me!" Megumi lied. He didn't know who Yuuji was talking about. On the other hand, he couldn't take his eyes off him. Megumi retraced Yuuji's side profile as many times as to print it in his brain, just to rewatch it whenever he felt like doing it. "Is this wrong?" he repeated to himself keeping his eyes on the other boy.

"Ah, kiss scene!" Yuuji whispered, turning to Megumi.

"Shit, he caught me!" Megumi scolded himself and looked away.

"How long has he been staring at me?" Yuuji thought. He felt his cheeks burning up.

"Hey, Uhm..." he started but Megumi seemed to not be listening. He turned around, hiding his face. Yuuji bit his lip and did the same.

They just stayed silent until the end of the movie. That was when Megumi got up and ran away.

"Hey, Megumi! Wait- Megumi!" Yuuji ran after him but Fushiguro disappeared into the crowd. "Where he might be? This way for sure! He doesn't like crowded places."

Yuuji ran outside and toward the way back home. He was fast, he just had to think which way Megumi had taken.

"Why was he looking at me? Did he want to tell me something and I stopped him? Was it something important? Probably he just wanted to leave and I didn't realize like every time we hang out. I'm a horrible friend, for sure! I guess this is the last time I can call myself his only friend."

He was still running as fast as he could, when he saw a little figure sat in the darkness of a blind alley, leaning his head on his knees. Yuuji got closer with silent steps and sit.

"Are you okay?" "Of course, he's not, Yuuji, what kind of question is that?"

Megumi raised his head slowly, only to show his eyes that were filled with tears. Yuuji wasn't surprised, he just dried them all and stroked Megumi's hair. 

"Soft..." he whispered. "Megumi, I'm..." he started.

"I'm sorry." Megumi said quickly.

"What? Why?" 

"I should have never..." Megumi uttered. "Thought about you in that way..."

"Uh?"

"It's just that you were my first friend, the first to come and talk to me without trying to make a fool out of me, that I started seeing you in that way, and I hate the fact that I tricked you."

"I don't... I don't think I get it." "You dense!" a voice shouted in his head.

"I'm sorry." Megumi said getting up, his voice was broken. "Just don't talk to me anymore..."

"Megumi..."

"Sorry, I'm not good at being your friend..." he said.

"That's not true... You're the best friend I've ever had!" Yuuji admitted but Megumi looked away. "Ehi, Gumi! I don't understand what's going on in your little head, but-"

"I hate you." He said with a straight face.

"What?" Yuji whispered, his bottom lip trembling.

"I never actually liked you. You are noisy and dumb, yeah... you're are a lazy bones dumb and noisy kid who stuck around me, but now I'm done with you."

Yuuji shut his mouth and frowned. "You're kidding, aren't you?"

"Not at all. I don't know why I kept you on my side when I didn't even wanted to be your acquaintance. Now let me go!" Megumi shaked Yuuji off and got up, proceeding to leave.

Yuuji stayed silent, feeling the urge to cry but then something came up in his head. It was like a light had suddenly switched on. Where did the teary eyes go? Where's the urge to shout coming from? Is not just shouting... he felt his own blood boiling.

"Then why would you ever let me in, in the first place?" Megumi, who hadn't walked out of sight already, paused, keeping his back turned on Yuuji. "Is not like I forced you! You were the one to put a leash around your neck and pretended I was the one holding it." Yuuji shouted, narrowing his eyebrows and gesturing frenetically. He then paused and smiled. "Ah, it's funny how you are so easy to figure out... You call me dumb, noisy and lazybones... You asked me out today, didn't you?" But Megumi didn't react. "Answer me! Why were you staring at me earlier in the cinema? C'mon say something!" Yuuji pressured the other boy, but Megumi was petrified.

"What if I hate you?" He then said in a low voice, but that Yuuji could still hear. "Does it hurt your pride?" He was still turned around.

"My pride? I don't give a fuck about it!"

"Cool." Megumi paused and then kept on. "I won't bother you anymore. Bye, Yuuji."

"W-wait..." Yuuji stretched his arm forward the other boy who was leaving him behind. "Why am I not running after him? He's not leaving me, is he? Should I go and hug him?"

"""I hate you."""

"He was lying... I could see it on his face... Is not like I don't know him at all by now..."