Trapped Behind Words: InuOkko

Chapter 29: Tea

Megumi felt a pair of eyes on him, emanating from a familiar gaze he hadn't encountered in a long while, at least not solely from that individual.

"Hey, kid," Gojo's voice rang out.

Megumi glanced down at the few boxes occupying the trunk and backseats of his sedan. Just as Toge had mentioned, Megumi had lost his job and was now relocating to Gojo's apartment near Okkotsu. The idea of being so close to the man who had captured Toge's heart still caused a twinge of pain, but Megumi had grown accustomed to such discomfort.

"What's up?" Megumi grumbled, turning to see Gojo's smirking face.

"I hope you don't mind that I brought on a new guy you might know," Gojo said.

As was typical of Gojo Satoru's visits, the white-haired man was dressed casually. Beneath a pair of sunglasses, his brilliant crystal irises gleamed like ice – cold and unyielding. His jacket hung unzipped, revealing a light gray t-shirt underneath.

"Who would that be?" Megumi inquired.

"You two went to high school together. Remember Itadori Yuji?" Gojo asked.

Megumi pretended to ponder for a moment. Deceiving Gojo was always a priority. It was the Friday following Toge's date with Okkotsu, which likely meant they were discussing Muta Kokichi's revelations. The date itself had been difficult to digest, but learning about potential contingencies involving Okkotsu and Itadori only added to the complexity. Nevertheless, Megumi remembered Itadori quite vividly.

"Oh, the blonde from the meeting the other day? Yeah, he punched a hole through the club room wall," Megumi recalled.

Gojo chuckled. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, he blamed it on a game they were playing. Didn't make sense because it was an occult club or something. I had the feeling he just joined because he liked creepy stuff," Megumi shrugged.

"Ah, that makes sense. He's a big fan of horror movies. Gave me a few recommendations. Also mentioned something about a JLaw movie. Silver something. I'll look it up again," Gojo said.

Megumi sighed. "So, when you say you hired him, you mean we'll be working together?"

"Yep! And you'll be neighbors. I told him to drop by if he had time and lend you a hand with settling in. He helped me move out some of my stuff so you could move in," Gojo explained.

Rolling his eyes, Megumi muttered, "Great."

"You don't sound too thrilled for someone who invited him over," Gojo remarked.

"But I didn't invite him," Megumi groaned, already resigned to his fate.

"Oops, did I do that? Anyway, I've got a date. You two have fun and all that jazz," Gojo said, departing with a wave of his hand.

Megumi felt a wave of relief wash over him as he watched Gojo leave. Working with Gojo was sure to test anyone's sanity. Then again, Maki worked there and managed to keep a level head. Itadori didn't seem like a bad guy, just overly friendly – the kind of person who could smile through anything.

During the drive to the new (or rather, repurposed) apartment, Megumi found himself contemplating Itadori's existence once again. Who was he, really? Gojo seemed to trust him a fair bit, and Okkotsu did too. Apart from making Toge slightly uncomfortable, Itadori seemed to be on good terms with everyone. He was an ally, along with that Kugisaki girl.

Upon pulling into the parking lot, Megumi spotted the familiar blond man standing in a hoodie with a smile. Megumi immediately groaned. He had hoped for some time to settle in alone before facing social interaction, but of course, Gojo had to ruin that too.