chapter 4

No one's P.O.V

'Megumi-san?'

'Megumi-san?'

'FUSHIGORO MEGUMI!'

'Huh?' Megumi was jerked out of his thoughts by the voice of a very angry math teacher.

"What on earth were you daydreaming about, Megumi?' Mr Ijichi scolded. "This is so very unlike you.'

'I'm so.... I'm so sorry!' Megumi spluttered, his cheeks going red with shame. Had he, Fushigoro Megumi, actually been caught daydreaming in class? He could feel the eyes of the entire class upon him, and felt like sinking to the floor.

'Nice job, Megumi,' someone whispered, from behind him, and Megumi scowled. Sukuna was beginning to really get on his nerves- he always had, in a way, but having him sit directly behind him and whisper snide comments into his unwilling ear all day long was torture. He had no idea Sukuna could turn out to be this vindictive- it was almost childish, to be honest. But he had no idea why it bothered him so much. People's comments had never really bothered him much before he thought their chatter stupid and mindless, and more often than not he was correct. He knew he was responsible for Sukuna acting this way- and yet, with every snarky comment on Sukuna's part, his heart would drop to its very depths, almost in sadness, as though he had been betrayed. Not that he let it show, though, ever.

Could you just shut upP' Megumi shot back at Sukuna, turning his head to glare at him for a brief moment. 'It's all your damn fault I got into trouble.'

That was unfair. It hadn't been Sukuna's fault, not in the least.

Sukuna's eyes widened and he let out a deep chuckle. 'My fault? How, pretty boy?'

Megumi gritted his teeth. 'Stop calling me that!'

'Megumi!' Mr Ijichi called out, sharply. 'What's all that hushed whispering going on over there? Really, I am most disappointed in you. You were never like this. Come over to the board and solve this problem.'

Sukuna wolf-whistled as Megumi got up and began to walk slowly over to the blackboard, and several of the boys blindly aped him. Megumi cursed under his breath. The problem was easy enough, and he was able to solve it in record tim as always-but he was now officially in Mr. Ijichi's bad books, and he, Megumi, was never in a teacher's bad books. Never.

"What was up with you today in class, Megumi? Nobara asked him, when they were out during recess. "You were so out of it- and what's going on between you and that guy Sukuna?'

'Nothing, Megumi snapped. 'He's just an idiot- a prize idiot, and I wish I never set eyes upon him.'

"Well, what's done is done,' Yuuji sang, coming over to sit beside him. "You dug your own grave, Megumi, and there's no getting out of it.'

Megumi glared at him. You seem much too happy, Itadori.'

Yuuji grinned. T'm sorry. It was just so much fun seeing you get into hot water with a teacher for like the first time since you were born. The look on your face while you were getting scolded was priceless. You should try and do that more often.

Totally,' Nobara agreed. 'But don't go around thinking too much about Sukuna, Megumi. The guy's not worth your attention.'

Megumi glared at her. 'Why would you keep bringing him up? Why would I be thinking of him, of all people?'

"You think he might actually want to be friends with you?' Yuuji chuckled. You and he were certainly getting along thick before.'

"I should think not,' Megumi muttered, aimlessly digging about in his plate of sloppy wet noodles. 'I'd rather die than befriend someone like him- I really wish he'd lay off me in class, though. He distracts me way too much- and he does it intentionally, which makes it worse.'

What were you dreaming about in math class, even?' Yuuji asked, curiously. 'Mr Tjichi had a point- it was very unlike you.'

Megumi blushed bright red. He got to his feet, brushing dust off his knees and tipping his nearly half-full plate of noodles into the recycle bin. 'It doesn't matter. Recess' nearly over, we should go back inside.'

"What, this early? No!' Yuuji and Nobara protested, but Megumi was already walking off, towards the building.

He had no idea what to tell them, honestly. He wasn't even sure what he had been dreaming about- himself- but it definitely had involved- much to his chagrin-a big, muscular guy with lots and lots of tattoos and a horribly annoying smile-

POOF!

'Speak of the devil,' Megumi groaned, as he realized that he had bumped once more into Sukuna, and this time he wasn't even alone. He was with Mr Gojo- Gojo-sensei, of all people,

Why, look who it is!' Gojo-sensel trilled, beaming down at Megumi through his tinted glasses, his crystal blue eyes sparkling through the lenses, his handsome face radiating youth and mischief. 'Fushigoro Megumi, Just the person I was looking for. I must say, it is truly wonderful to have you in my form yet again this year, Megumi. It has always been a pleasure to work with a student like you. However, today Mr Ijichi had a rather serious- and startling- conversation with me about you after your mathematics class.'

Megumi's heart sank to its depths. Had Mr Ijichi told Gojo-sensei? No, please no-

'He told me he felt you were under a lot of stress, and needed to loosen up a little, especially since it was only the beginning of term,' Gojo-sensei smiled down at him. 'And that is why, my dear Megumi, I made a very special effort to go find Sukuna over here- mind you, he's a very pesky brat, always keeps slipping away from my clutches-' he reached over and smacked Sukuna on the head, earning a most irritated yelp- 'and talk him into getting you a place on the basketball team.'

'WHAT?' Megumi nearly yelled out. His heart thundered in his chest, going a thousand miles a minute. What the ****-?

Somewhere nearby, Sukuna snorted loudly. 'Stress? More like he wasn't being attentive, and deserved what he got. Plus, as much as I respect the fact that you are now my homeroom teacher, Gojo-sensei-' there was a hint of derision in his voice, but Gojo-sensei only continued to beam at him, '-there is absolutely no way I'm letting this scrawny little punk onto the basketball team. He'll be ripped apart on the first day itself.' Of course he won't,' Gojo-sensei rebuked him, gently. 'Megumi's played basketball before-haven't you, Megumi? You're nice and tall, and you were actually a very good player back in the day, before you decided to abandon sports of any kind and focus on your studies.'

'Nerd,' Sukuna said, under his breath, but Megumi heard him anyway, and barely repressed the urge to go at Sukuna right there.

'What I'm saying is,' Gojo-sensei's cheerful voice as he probably delivered the most depressing news Megumi had had in a very long time made him feel rather sick, you really should be playing more sports, Megumi-san. It's time you get back into the game. Sharpen your skills. Enjoy yourself, loosen up, have fun. It's high time you get cracking on your extra-curriculars, since you're going off to college next year, after all.'

Megumi hadn't thought of that. Despite everything, Gojo-sensei did have a poin He did desperately need a set of good-enough extracurricular activities on his curriculum vitae for college- but the idea of acquiring those by playing in a basketball team headed by possibly the most annoying guy he had ever met was revolting.

'You fine with our little arrangement, Megumi?' Gojo-sensei's voice barely reached his ears. They had begun to ring faintly, and Megumi wondered for a split second if he was going to faint.

'But, Sensei-' he heard himself say, but Gojo-sensei didn't even wait for a reply- no, he was already skipping merrily across the basketball court in his baggy clothes and brilliant white hair to go over and flirt with the pretty Physical Education teacher. Megumi stared after him, feeling his shoulders slump in defeat. It would have been no use protesting, anyway- once Gojo-sensei made up his mind, there was nothing in the entire world that could convince him to change it. It looked like Megumi would really have to suck it up and do what he said, and god how he hated the idea of it.

He was about to turn around and wearily rejoin his friends, but- not very much to his surprise- found his shoulder grabbed roughly, and a husky voice speak in his ear, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

'See, I don't know how terrible of a player you are....' Sukuna growled into Megumi's ear, 'but let me tell you, I will not tolerate any sissies on my team, and neither will the other members, okay? So you better get your act straight and cut the shit, because from tomorrow morning when you get on that court nobody's going to be babying you the way those two friends of yours do. If you gotta survive, you gotta toughen up. Understand?'

Megumi's lips stretched into a thin, bitter smile, and he looked around at Sukuna with a most uncharacteristic sneer. 'You know, it's kinda funny, you saying that. You know, someone who howled like an absolute baby when he was whacked in the junk this morning.'

Oh, you little piece of.... Sukuna breathed, but just then, thank the gods, the bell rang, signalling end of recess, and Sukuna's huge crowd of devoted fans was swarming him once more, each wanting to be the one to accompany him back to class. He gave Megumi a long, searing last look as he turned his back to him and

let himself be propelled back to the classroom.

Megumi stood where he was in the sun, letting out the breath he had been

holding in a single, long, deep go.

His life had officially gotten worse.

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