A missing piece (itafushi) |itadori × fushiguro|

Chapter23

Chapter 23: a perfect dream

*****

Two days before execution.

"Itadori," says Fushiguro.

"Yes, Megumi?" says Itadori.

"You can’t see the sode boshi anymore," he replies, pointing up at the sky where Orion should be.

Itadori, however, only sees Fushiguro. He sees the olive face hidden in the shadows of nighttime, the curve of the arm pointing towards the darkness. He sees the ripped sleeve of Fushiguro’s uniform. He sees his own hand grasping his.

Itadori runs a thumb over that rough skin, feels warmth underneath the cool exterior. He feels the wind on his face. His other hand smooths over the cotton of his pants. If he were still at his old high school, he would have switched to his summer uniform by now.

He pays attention to Fushiguro’s voice, which is soothing. Itadori tries to think of what he can smell now.  Ah yes — Fushiguro’s smell though he kinda smells of medecine and bandages now. Even being sick, Fushiguro smells very comforting.

Then there’s the smell of the wind, the air; it really has only just now turned into the warmer months of the year. Itadori recognises it clearly now: the air just smells different in summer. It coats your body in a different way than winter air. It’s Itadori’s favourite time of year, mostly because he can go on runs in the mornings with a refreshing feeling, and because iced water always tastes best when it’s blazing hot out.

Itadori’s hand clenches tighter around Fushiguro’s when he realises the two of them cannot share the rest of this summer together. At least, he thinks, they’d had summer when they first met. Making hotpot, teaching Fushiguro how to make meatballs in the best way. Dying in front of Fushiguro. Coming back.

But there is nothing to be proud of himself for today. The reason why the sode boshi is fading, and the reason for the crashing and burning, is all him.

Today is the first day of summer. The day of Yuuji Itadori’s execution is near.

Itadori hadn’t wanted to die but he was ready for it anyway. Fushiguro had been acting strange that entire week leading up and, over breakfast — rice with eggs and miso — Fushiguro had said the strangest thing Itadori had ever heard him say in their year of knowing each other — "Hey. Screw all this. Let’s run away and destroy it all."

Itadori had thought he was joking.

"Hey, if the sode boshi has faded, more stars will come to replace it, right?" Itadori says suddenly.

Fushiguro furrows his brow.

"That’s not…", he begins.

"What if the new stars become Yuuji constellations, Fushiguro? Wouldn’t that be so cool?"

"I…"

"Then you can sit by the beach sometime this summer, watch the stars until the sun rises. Don’t you think that would be fun?"

Fushiguro stops. Takes it in. He didn’t know…

"Come on, Fushiguro. Promise me you’ll come to the beach with me...", Itadori rubs his thumb over Fushiguro’s palm.

Fushiguro looks at him, into his eyes, swimming in them, then nods, once.

"We can ride our bikes there."

Yuuji beams.

"Right? Oh, it’d be so good. You like watermelon, don’t you, Megumi? You guys can buy a huge ones from the market"