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The guy with pink hair was here often. There’s a lot of regulars at the student-run dining hall Megumi worked at.
He watches the pink haired guy browse the food options. It’s not weird he notices him. He's not a stalker, okay? There was only so much to look at here. With the school being a huge campus, there's multiple food options everywhere. With his being more of a boring location, it's understandable why he noticed the cute guy.
It was more boring than tiring just to stand around at the cash register. But hell, it pays enough to keep him afloat. It wasn't something he…overly… enjoyed.
Back to the cute guy.
Cute… was one way to put it. This guy was built like an athlete. There's a major chance that he was one. There's tons of people who join on scholarships or just play sports for fun.
But it wasn't that that made Megumi pay attention to him. Something about his smile and confident demeanor that was still boyish and cute. And it wasn't like everyday that he saw someone with such natural looking pink hair…? It had to be dyed. It had to.
Watching the guy make his selection is amusing, he seems to pounder the choices a little but settles with something. Before Megumi knows it, he’s right in front of the cash register.
For a second he even forgot that he works at this shitty store, with the way his puppy-dog eyes flash at him, it's easy to forget what he was standing around for in the first place.
He’s standing there, pushing the plate onto the table. “Uhm, I’d like this.” God. He’s a little awkward, it’s even endearing. But then, he flashes a smile with teeth . God. Megumi is done for.
“Uh. yeah sure,” he goes to type in the code, his fingers jittering a bit. He could smell the light cologne on him, that has worn out with the day, but still leaves a nice smell.
He needs to stop smelling this random man and just get him to pay for his damn food, that's it. That’s what he needs to do.
“Okay, that’s going to be 560 yen,” already hitting the pay now option and jumping his eyes back onto the guy. Now he could at least admire him before he scans his card–
There he goes again sounding like a kid with a crush.
Pink hair guy scans his card, Megumi is already getting the utensils and napkins for him ready as the machine beeps…Just not with the usual ‘accepted’ sound. Declined. Damn. Now he has to ask for another method of payment?
“Oh, uhm, shit.”
Megumi doesn't know what possesses him, but there's only so much that he could do in this situation. Fuck. It’s barely even 600 yen.
And he opts for sliding the food back over in the guys direction. What is he really gonna lose? This school sucks absurd amounts of money out of everyone anyways, let this guy have dinner.
“Have a nice day.”
“Huh–?” The look in his eyes grazed down on his food and the decline on the machine. “The payme–”
“I said have a nice day.”
It seems like the pink haired guy's stomach was taking the lead with this one, as the sound of his stomach grumbled. The fluster of red cheeks on the man’s face sends Megumi into a spiral of his own. What was he doing? Giving out free food like this is going against the one rule of his job…
But the look of his flustered smile as he brushed his hair back with his hands made it worth it.
God, he had it bad .
♡
It’s not like he went out of his way to investigate the random guy. Sure, he comes in once in a while, but what happened was a one time thing. A fluke. A spur of the moment.
Pink hair seems to walk in, but scans the room first before going for the food special table like he usually does. How Megumi knows this– don’t ask. It’s easy to remember people’s habits in a place this boring.
Once his eyes fall onto Megumi, they widen a little bit with a soft flush. Cute. He’s probably embarrassed about his card declining.
Pink hair walks over to the stand right in front of him, picking something with speed and ease, and makes his way to the counter that Megumi stands at.
“Hey, I’d like this–” He pops the pre-packaged salad onto the table. It’s automatic as his hand goes to scan the item as the price pops up. Megumi almost feel’s flustered as the other man’s eyes are on him.
“1200 yen,” Jeez. 1200 yen for a salad? That’s foul.
“Yeah, uhm, debit,” Surprisingly the payment goes through. Perhaps the pink hair guy doesn't expect it either, with the way he just stays standing in place. It’s not like he can even tell him to get moving with absolutely no one else in line. Finally, pink hair coughs a little. “I just wanted to say thanks.”
“It’s fine.”
“No, really! That was really nice of you,” there’s a warm look in his eyes, as he gazes at Megumi. “I uhm, I was thinking–” Suddenly, he stops and swings his backpack in front of him, “Maybe you’d like this,” as he pulls an item out of his bag, gesturing it over to Megumi.
Huh. It’s not like he’s necessarily wrong. It’s a cute-tsy looking keychain. It’s nothing that Megumi himself would personally buy, but it’s nice to look at, but the speed of his heart started to speed up. Ugh. Why is this stupid little keychain getting him frazzled? He shouldn’t even take it… “I like it.”
The smile that lights up make’s Megumi feel like cracking one of his own. “Thank you…uhm,” Fuck, he doesn’t even know his name.
“Itadori,” the other boy supplies.
Megumi is about to respond on his own, before he hears a cough and a “excuse me,” from a student behind Itadori. Damn, he forgot he was at work for a second.
Itadori’s eyes shot up for a second, “I'll be back!” he rushed out, as he grabbed his food, looking bad at the other annoyed student.
Damn. And he didn't even tell him his name.
.
♡
.
“I’m telling you, he’s so cute…” Yuji sighs dreamily as he shuffle’s food on his plate, “It’s unfair.”
“I think,” Nobara, his best friend, reaches over and flicks in on his forehead, “that you're a star athlete, and everyone would die to date you.”
“You think?” The boy doesn't seem like someone who’d be impressed by athletics, but hell…If Nobara says so. Usually she has better intuition. Suddenly, an idea comes to mind. “You should come with me and watch as we interact, maybe you could give me some ideas! How about that?” Brilliant. That could work—
“Are you dumb? I doubt that’d help, if anything he’d think we’re dating–”
“Just because a girl and guy are friends doesn't mean they're dating! You should know this!”
“Quit educating me before I wack you again.” Yuji stops for a second, before Nobara huffs again, “Just slip him your number.”
“And harass him at work!?” As he pauses and silence fills the space, before he starts up again, “I bought him something–”
“And that’s not harassment?” Shit. Was that harassment? Does he seem like a weirdo now…”Well, are you gonna show me or what?”
‘Show what?”
“Show what you got him!”
“Oh, I already gave it to him,” he tucks his hair behind his ear, a little sheepishly.
“You’re useless.” Another pause, before she sighs in defeat, “So what is his name? Maybe I know him. ”
He doesn't even know the name of the guy he’s crushing on. What kind of guy is he? “Uhm… I’m not sure.”
“What does he look like…?”
“Uhm. Kinda tall, but not too tall? Green eyes, black hair…”
“I’m right, you're useless,” she flicks at him again, “That could be anyone with that vague description.”
“It’s fine,” he groans, “he probably thinks I'm straight anyways.”
“And?! What kind of problem is that? If you ask him out, it’ll be obvious you're not.”
“So should I ask him out?”
“Obviously, idiot!”
♡
The next day, he wanders into the food hall that his crush works at. God, calling him his crush sounds so… childish.
He spots his lean frame and spiky hair before he feels a smile reach his chest. The only reason he wanted into this dinning hall was out of convenience, but God did the food suck.
Trying to find something appealing from the lackluster selection always takes a second but usually he gets antsy and chooses the next best thing. God. He wished he lived alone. He could actually have spices on a regular basis then.
He tries to have everyone in the hall go before him, as he wanders into line eventually. The cashier, his crush, has a monotone response for every interaction, almost robotically.
When he approaches the cash register, he flops his food on the counter. “Hey…” He’s so pretty.
“Hello,” the boy scans his item. Yuji watches as his hands fall around the scanner they're lean and veiny, even his hands are pretty. It’s unfair.
“How was your day?” Small talk. Small talk is good, right? That’s how everyone gets to know each other.
“Fine,” maybe he isn't a conversationalist? As he keeps his eyes on the bento box Yuji is purchasing. But Yuji’s eyes are hardly on the food, as he watches as the boy’s cheeks start to heat up. “Yours?”
“Better now.” Gushes out of his mouth before he stops himself. Shit! What does that even mean? He’s definitely gonna think he’s a weirdo–
But the other guy just laughs, which boosts the adrenaline in Yuji. “Since I’m here,” he adds, before he stops himself. The other man looks a little surprised. As his eyebrows shot out a little before he composed himself.
“Oh,” the warmth on his cheeks are definitely visible now, it seems like he’s taking a second to respond, “That’s cute.”
Now Yuji is the blushing one, cute , huh? He’d take that. He’ll definitely take that. “Cute enough to get your name?”
“It’s Fushiguro.”
“Nice to meet you Fushiguro,” Yuji barely wants to grab the food from the counter, more mesmerized by the fact that this guy is acknowledging his existence. He should think before he says something stupid.
“Fushiguro!” A voice calls behind them, “If you are your friend are done chatting,” someone says with a negative connotation, “I have a task for you.”
His eyes don't leave Fushiguro, as the other boy does a slight eye roll, “I’ll see you around.”
“Definitely,” Definitely is right. He’ll be back tomorrow. There’s nothing more important on his list of priorities than finding out more about Fushiguro.
Getting Fushiguro’s number was his next goal.
.
♡
.
“Fushiguro, I can’t have you chatting with your friends on the job. I know you're all students, but, our priority is running a quick line—”
Yeah, yeah, yeah. The words his boss is saying don't register in his head. It’s not like they’ll fire him for anything. The only thing that’s on his mind is Itadori. Shit. What was he thinking saying he’s cute? Fuck though. It seemed like the other boy liked it.
God, he feel’s a blush coming up. Cute . He called him cute.
He swore the other guy was straight?? He couldn't have misread that interaction, they were definitely flirting — right?
“---I won't write you up for a strike this time, but be more considerate next time. Time theft is a serious issue—”
God. What nonsense is this dumb conversation?
His boss does end up leaving him alone and Megumi goes back to the standing round at the cash register. God. Before he hears a sound and the door cracking open behind him.
“Is he gone?” A low whisper, “Sorry I felt bad.”
The pink-haired guy was back with a sheepish look on his face. Ha. He just looked easy enough to fluster. “Well, you're not helping my case by coming back.”
The expression on Itadori’s face drops with concern, “Shit–”
“It’s fine,” he feels a warm smile gracing his face, “I'm joking.” There’s something about him wanting to get more reactions out of the man, seeing how he’d react to a joke, or hell, asking him out.
“Oh, I…” as the other boy scratched his neck, “Thank God.”
Megumi doesn't respond at first, neither does Itadori. But he did come back. He definitely likes him, right? He should ask him out. It’s not guaranteed that this guy will come around forever.
“--So i was wondering–” Megumi starts just as Itadori rushes out words at the same time.
“Do you wanna go out with me!” His eyes wide as he look’s at Megumi like he’s worried the boy would say no. Why in the world would he say no? “I mean, if you want of course—”
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
“Oh,” a smile flashes through his face, “Nice!” Suddenly he rummages through his pocket, “I found this while I was loitering outside.” It's a rock. But the more he looks at it, it’s in a heart shaped. Megumi was probably taking a moment to respond, before Itadori babbles, “It’s a rock! But like in a heart, I thought of you. Do you want it?”
“Sure,” it’s dumb. Definitely dumb. Though the feeling in his chest begs to differ. God. He can’t believe he’s finding a dumb rock endearing. “I think it’s cute.” Maybe his reaction is a little dry, “like you.” He adds for good measure.
With the way Itadori flushes and looks away, he knew he said the right thing.