everything is embarrassing
megumi fushiguro x reader
tags/cw: fluff, mentions of suicide, anxiety, nerves, awkward teenage romance, crushes, yuji & nobara are good friends, megumi is awkward, maybe ooc, slightly ooc, kissing
desc: you have a crush on megumi
a/n will be at the end :)
The wind brushed gently through your hair whilst rustling the blooming petals from the trees creaking branches around you, cicadas buzzing in the distance, echoing the sound you feel that the constant heat brings. Birds whistle and sing talkatively to one another, singing in time to the flap of their wings. A scent of plum blossoms and pine wood is carried by the breeze, the notes of a cologne youâve become intimately familiar with since starting as a student here.
Fushiguro. He must be nearby.
Looking up from your textbook, you watch the footpath at the top of stairs behind you, following as Megumi walks along it, hands in his pockets, slowing his steps for the sake of allowing Yuji to catch up with him. Glancing over his shoulder, he locks eyes with you for a moment, expression going soft for the smallest moment until Yuji pats his shoulder, pulling Megumiâs attention away from you and back to his best friend.
Youâre wishing youâd done something. Waved, smiled, something. You groan in annoyance, turning back to the open textbook in front of you, trying to follow along with the paragraphs of what feels like incoherent gibberish.
âGod! Stop pining after that loserâ Nobara groans from across you, rolling her eyes so hard youâre worried sheâll burst a blood vessel.
âHeâs just one of those moody, âI'm better than you because I don't talkâ types, donât waste your time on himâ She scoffs, flipping the page of her own textbook.
You sigh at your friend's strong and stubborn stance about him, knowing she wonât let up on that opinion.
A part of you is worried sheâs right, that every conversation youâve had with him, every shared glance, exchanged snicker and smile was never anything at all. The thought dampens your mood a whole bunch, so you tend to avoid it.
âYouâre rightâ you close your textbook, knowing you arenât studying anymore. âHeâs not that special, itâs just a crush, Iâll get over it.â
âYou betterâ Nobara huffs, crossing her arms in disbelief of your statement. âOr Iâll make you get over it.â
· · â ·đ„žÂ· â · ·
The bell signaling the end of the school day rings through the quickly filling hallways and you follow the lines of students eager to get to whatever plans the afternoon holds for them, keeping your head down as you do so.
Nobara had already left to go shopping. She had been talking about how good the first day of summer break sales were going to be. You planned to join her after stopping by your home to drop your bag off, wanting to get the literal weight off your shoulders and change into some nicer clothes.
Plus, the walk gave you a chance to think over, well, everything.
· · â ·đ„žÂ· â · ·
Finally heading towards the city to meet Kugisaki for dinner and shopping, you look around you, admiring the cherry blossom trees and the fruitful bushes of hydrangea blooming brightly in the warm summer weather.
The flowering bush lingers in your vision whilst your feet continue down the smoothly paved walkway. The sweet but dull scent of cherry blossoms seems to slip between the more obvious notes of fresh, dewy greenery.
Itâs a welcomed fragrance, reminding you of the boy you ought to start forgetting. Lively chatter from the approaching city can be heard faintly behind the sound of your music blasting through your headphones, reminding you of your waiting friend.
The reminder urges you to quicken your pace a little and you pull out your phone to text Nobara and tell her that youâll be at the meeting place shortly. By the time youâve pocketed your phone once again, you spot said girl waving and jumping up and down in the crowd, making sure you can see her.
Smiling, you wave back, setting your headphones back in their case.
âHey!â Nobara beams at you as you approach, pulling you into a side hug, since it is all she can manage while holding the bags filled with her many earlier purchases. âFunny story, I ran into Yuji and Megumi while shopping earlier, they were hanging out together too.â
Nodding in acknowledgement of her story, you hum as she talks, ignoring the disgustingly joyous leap your heart makes at the mention of Megumiâs name. âSo theyâre doing well I assume? Did you guys talk much?â You ask, showing genuine interest in what she has to say.
âIâm doing pretty well, yeah!â A cheery, familiar voice says from beside you, making you whip aroundâ Only to be faced with Yuji Itadori and his friend Megumi standing with his hands in his pockets a little behind the boy.
To say your mind went blank would be an understatement. All your thoughts ceased to exist as soon as you made eye contact with Megumi.
Nobara, seeing your very obviously surprised expression, rushes to save your ass from total embarrassment. âI ran into them!â She quickly explains. âLike I said! And I was just about to mention that I invited them to hang out!â
Reeling your shock back in, you try to smile welcomingly, though youâre sure it looks pretty horrific. âOH! Alright! That makes sense, sounds fun!â You force a small laugh, glancing down at your feet.
Yuji grins, not seeming to notice your very terrible job at trying to mend the situation, and hands both you and Nobara a bubble tea. She mustâve sent them to buy one before you came, which is actually really sweet. For her to think of that and for him to go do it. You forget how caring Nobara is at times.
Gratefully, you take the drink from him, feeling the flush on your face ease as you sip on the cold, sweet tea. Nobara clears her throat, diverting the conversation to another topic.
âSo, what was everyone thinking for dinner? I could go for some hotpot right now, but Iâm open to suggestions,â She smiles, glancing between the three of you for some input. Both you and Megumi shift on your feet, refraining from interfering with the decision.
Yujiâs eyes light up at the mention of hotpot, nodding eagerly in agreement. âI know a really good and affordable place! Itâs nearby actually!â He says, grabbing Nobaraâs wrist and pulling her ahead, assuming you and Megumi will just follow behind.
He runs off too quickly for you to keep up and you somehow manage to lose both of them in the crowds of people, even with Yujiâs vibrant coloured hair. The shifting and moving crowd does nothing to help.
âShitâ both you and Megumi curse once youâve realised the predicament youâve found yourselves in. Glancing beside you, Megumi looks towards you, annoyance etched on his generally unreadable features. However, the annoyance is not directed towards you and heâs somehow able to convey this through his expression alone.
âAny idea you know the place heâs talking about?â You ask with a soft huff of exasperation, hoping Megumi knows where Yuji and Nobara are headed. Your hopes are quickly trampled when he shakes his head, grabbing your wrist to guide you through the crowd until you reach the outskirts of the street, where youâre able to stop without being shoved into constantly. How had you forgotten about the summer festival?
Megumiâs eyes dart around once you reach the safety of the sidelines, trying to spot Yuji and Nobara even though you both know theyâre long gone. âIâm going to punch himâ He mumbles with a huff, pulling his phone from his pocket to text the boy. You mimic the action, sending a string of panicked messages to Nobara. They all fail to deliver. The amount of people must be interfering with the signal.
Megumi also seems to make this conclusion, shoving his phone back in his pocket, shoulders stiff with tension.
âNo reception either?â You ask, also putting your phone away. He nods slowly in response to your question, trying to figure out the next step from here. He inhales slowly, standing up a little straighter.
âCome onâ He beckons with a small wave of his hand. âWe may as well get some food ourselves. I doubt theyâll show up anytime soon.â
Slightly flustered at the thought of having dinner alone with Megumi, you canât argue with his reasoning. You nod and follow closely behind him, matching his quick pace, weaving through the bodies of people until he slows to a stop, causing you to do the same at a break in the crowd. Standing in front of a small mom and pop restaurant, you cast a sideways glance towards Megumi.
Heâs quick to meet your gaze, nodding towards the building and starting inside, holding the door for you in a polite manner. The restaurant is filled with a warm, musky aroma. The unmistakable smell of incense fills your senses, covering the scent of smoky meat and mouth-watering vegetable steam that lingers beneath.
The waitress at the front door smiles in an inviting manner, seeming to recognise Megumi as she looks between the two of you. He shoots her a sharp look, which she giggles in response to.
âGood evening!â She greets, leading both of you to a booth. Thereâs a few other patrons in the store, but not so many that itâs loud or crowded. âJust the two of you?â The waitress asks, a subtle tease in the lilt of her sweet voice that makes you instinctively defensive of the assumption, as if you need to explain why itâs only the both of you.
However, before you can panic and blurt everything out, Megumi speaks; âYeah, just usâ He says, casually and dismissively.
Nodding, the waitresses eyes glint with mischief as she hands you both a menu and leaves you tableside. Scanning the menu, you read the meals offered, biting the inside of your cheek.
âSheâs my sisterâ Megumi speaks up after a moment of busied silence. âTsumiki.â
Oh. That makes a whole lot more sense. For some reason, your chest feels a lot lighter than it did five minutes ago. How odd.
âOh, alrightâ you hum in response, glancing at him over the top of your menu. You want to talk, to say something interesting and make some sort of conversation. Nothing interesting comes to mind.
Pressing your lips together, you internally curse your terrible conversational skills. âA-are you and Nobara close?â You eventually ask, laying the laminated menu on the smooth, granite tabletop, following the chunks of iridescent shards set into the clear coating with your eyes, watching the lights from the restaurant gleam off them.
Megumi raises a brow at your (very random) question but purses his lips together to consider a response nonetheless, mimicking your actions in setting down the menu.
âI guess..â He responds after some consideration, gaze fixed out the window you were seated beside, watching the crowds pass. âYeah. We are pretty close. I think Yuji would consider her to be more of a friend than I do, but I think sheâs pleasant to be around.â He says, tone a little softer now that you were indoors. âWhen she isnât shopping, that isâ He adds with a brief exhale of a snicker.
Youâre pleasantly surprised at the thought put into his response to your seemingly lackluster attempt at a conversation starter. âI seeâ You reply with a hum.
Megumi turns his gaze back to you, cocking his head in the smallest way, a subtle display of curiosity. He feels he should say something to you, keeping the conversation going and save the both of you from sitting in awkward silence.
Hesitating momentarily, he moves to speak, immediately gaining you attention. Heâs surprised by your attentiveness, internally admiring the careful observation you give to life around you.
âWhatâs your deal with spirals anyway?â He asks, keeping his tone neutral but not uninterested. At least, thatâs what he thinks heâs doing. It comes out a little harshly.
You flinch slightly at the perceived annoyance in his tone but answer him cheerfully nonetheless. Youâre more than familiar with tone miscalculations, itâs a daily occurrence for you. Whoâs to say he doesnât have the same issue?
âSpirals? Oh yeah,â You smile, casting a brief look towards your spiral phone case and the various spiral jewellery you wear regularly. âMy favourite book at the moment is Uzumaki by Junji Ito, have you heard of it?â
Megumi furrows his brows for a moment, shaking his head. âCanât say I have. The name rings a bell, though,â He says, eyes fixed on you in genuine interest in what you have to say. Being under his intense gaze makes you shift in your seat ever so slightly.
âItâs good,â You smile, wringing your hands together under the table restlessly. âIâd recommend it, but I donât want to spoil it by talking your ear off,â You chuckle a little nervously.
âI wouldnât mindâ He quickly adds, gaze searching your face until his eyes meet your own. âThis is the most weâve ever spoken, I think..â He trails off for a moment, looking to the window in thought. âIâm interested now, you canât leave me curious.â
Megumi tries to reason nonchalantly, attempting to hide his actual interest in what you have to say. Your nerves settle at the reassurance he offers you just by telling you he actually cares about what you have to say.
You, oblivious to his internal battle, jump at the chance to talk about your current interests. âWell.. alright,â You smile, sitting up a little straighter and clasping your hands together on the table in front of you.
âBasically the plot follows this girl, Kirie, and her boyfriend Shuichi through a series of events that happen in their small coastal town,â You begin to explain, all your nerves and restlessness replaced with the desire to explain the plot of this story. Passionately.
âThe first few chapters all continue off each other, and set the scene for the remainder of the book. The chapters at the start explain that Kirieâs boyfriend, Shuichiâs, father has become obsessed with spirals and the spiral shape. So much so, all he does is sit in his office and study, draw, and read about them.â You say, hands waving around as you talk to accentuate the feelings of passion you have towards this book.
âIt gets to a point where, one day Shuichi and his mother return home and find Mr. Saito has attempted to contort his body to fit into a circular box as a spiral, killing himself in the process.â You continue, pausing to gauge the reaction Megumi has towards that disturbing detail.
Megumiâs eyebrows furrow at your last detail, the raw fascination in his eyes remains all the same. His posture is relaxed, leaning forward slighting in interest for the rest of the plot to follow.
He hates how easily youâve captured his attention. And he hates how blissfully unaware of it you are. Youâve done nothing but be yourself this whole time and heâs completely fascinated by it.
You finish explaining the plot, taking a deep breath after talking so fast. During your incessant rambling, the waitress (not Tsumiki) had taken your orders.
Glancing up at Megumi, you eye him curiously. âQuestions?â you ask, sensing the slightest bit of uncertainty in his expression.
He nods, sitting back against the cushioned seat in the booth. âYeah,â he confirms with an exhale, staring at the table as he processes. âSo.. you really like spirals because the symbol serves as a reminder of the uncertainty we as humans face when it comes to our own existence and the infinite flow of time we all eventually fall victim to?â he asks, crossing his arms over his chest and he repeats your words back to you. His tone is both teasing and somewhat confused.
Grinning, you nod. âYeah basically!â
âPlus, it just reminds me of the book. Which is a simpler explanation,â You offer with a shrug.
âThat's⊠not what I was expecting,â Megumi responds honestly, lips pursed in slight thought.
You canât help but snort at the expression he wears, eyebrows drawing together in subtle confusion. âWhat did you expect my answer to be?â You ask curiously, resting your chin against your hand.
He looks vaguely surprised by your question, eyes narrowing briefly in thought. Hesitating momentarily as he mulls over a response. âI donât know, actuallyâ Megumi answers quietly. âI sort of expected something less.. Well, thought out. I assumed you just liked the pattern or something along those lines.â
âIâm sorry I disappointed you,â You snicker with a teasing tone, playing with the spoon resting in your bowl of soup.
âOh shut up,â Megumi grumbles, covering his face with one hand as his ears burn with embarrassment. This makes you laugh even more, earning a few glances from other patrons towards the two of you.
Megumi burns red, sinking into the collar of his jacket and beginning to eat a little faster.
You find yourselves leaving the restaurant shortly after.
· · â ·đ„žÂ· â · ·
The sun is setting, the sky shifting from that warm afternoon blue to a gentle gold and yellow glow. You end up towards the summer festival, since you were planning to meet the other two there later once getting some signal and being able to call them.
The festival is busy, bustling with excitement and a sort of romantic atmosphere that you feel you could be imagining. The twinkling warmly lit lights adorning each ride and market stall make the event hum with an irresistible pull towards all the festival has to offer.
You give in, dragging Megumi towards anything that catches your eye. The stalls with a beautiful assortment of candles, food stalls, jewellery stalls, trinket stalls, fast rides, slow rides, mirror mazes, face painting, anything and everything. Your cheeks hurt from smiling so much and your nerves from the beginning of the evening are completely gone, replaced by the sort of carelessness only a teenager in love can have.
Itâs almost time to meet with Nobara and Yuji but to your surprise, Megumi gently grabs your arm and leads you to the ferris wheel, handing the employee a ticket for each of you and sitting down across from you in the small carriage. Your knees are touching from close proximity.
âThe ferris wheel?â You ask Megumi with a soft laugh, face paint you had convinced him to get, an array of swirls and dotted spirals emerging from the outer corner of his eye in various shades of blue and white. You have a similar design, but in a purple colour scheme.
âI love ferris wheels, itâs always been a favourite thing of mine to look above the whole festival whenever Iâve come before,â he explains, tone fond as he reminisces, looking out over the glittering lights that illuminate the dark night sky as the machinery begins to move. The sun had set almost an hour ago.
âThatâs sweet,â You murmur, following his gaze towards the festival thatâs growing smaller beneath you. âI see why⊠Itâs beautiful.â
Megumi looks over at you as you whisper this, gaze softening at the awe in your eyes. âYeah..â He breathes out quietly. âIt is.â
Looking up at him, his eyes already on you, you fidget, getting shy all of a sudden. The ferris wheel stops when you reach the top.
âLucky us,â You chuckle, fidgeting with your hands in your lap, feeling heat flush your body.
âHmm, yeah.â Megumi hums in quiet agreement, feeling the tension between you grow thick and desperate to be snapped. Thereâs a quiet pull, strongly tugging at your chest and making your stomach do flips.
Youâre leaning closer to him subconsciously and heâs doing the same. Both your attention is completely on each other, the view that the ride provides is forgotten the moment your lips brush his.
He smells like plum blossoms and sandalwood, his lips taste faintly of miso from the dinner you just had. Your senses are overwhelmed with him and you canât help but bathe in it.
Megumi leans in, gently tugging you a bit closer to continue to kiss, eyes closing blissfully as he breathes in everything you have to offer him with each delicate brush of your lips.
Pulling away almost feels criminal, but you part eventually, eyes locked on one another. Your heart beats so hard in your chest you fear you might pass out. Megumiâs hand gently clasps yours, thumb absentmindedly running over the bumps of your knuckles.
You both laugh shyly after a minute of silence, unsure of what to say after such an overwhelmingly enjoyable shared kiss.
âCan we do this more often?â Megumi eventually asks, face burning red once again, eyes averted from your own. âI.. really like you.â
Surprised by his honesty, you struggle to contain your enthusiastic response. âYes please,â you laugh, squeezing his hand. âI like you too. A lot.â
· · â ·đ„žÂ· â · ·
The ride eventually comes to an end, but youâre still beaming with the memory of the kiss you shared and the hope of more to come practically leaves you glowing.
Meeting up with Yuji and Nobara, they quickly notice the shift in dynamic and tension. They exchange a knowing glance, smirking with pride. âOur plan worked!â They high five, cheering in unison.
âPlan?â You ask, eyebrows furrowing, you turn to Megumi, but he seems to have figured it out already, eyes narrowed in annoyance as he steps towards a celebrating Yuji.
Lifting his hand, he smacks the pink-haired boy on the back of the head, who just groans with deserved pain, pouting in response. âTold you Iâd punch him.â Megumi murmurs, looking back to you with a slight smirk.
a/n: yo yo yo im back you guys but probs not 4 long, i got other shit going on unfortunately :/ thank you guys for all the support recently, its been so cool that we reached 200 followers! genuinely such an honour to have my fun little hobby be recognised and enjoyed by other people, so i'll try my best to write and post as often as I can manage with the constant bustle of life. i hope you guys enjoyed this longer(ish) one
also, i listened to 'everything is embarrassing' by sky ferreira on repeat while writing this idk why it just fit the vibe imo.