Chapter Text
Monday, May 15th, 2017
“Did you eat eggs this morning?”
“I had some cereal.”
“Come on, Megumi-kun. I know it’s kinda late to start now, but you’ve gotta get some more protein on you. You look too stringy. Yaga said that, not me.”
“I think I’ll be fine, Gojo.”
“Just boil an egg. Do it right now.” Megumi can hear Gojo reclining. “I’ll wait.”
With an exasperated sigh, Megumi stops tidying his kitchen. Gojo’s pestering was distracting enough that Megumi could end up spilling milk all over the countertops if he wasn’t careful.
Gojo had called him at the god-forbidden hours of 7 AM, just as Megumi was coming home from a run. His muscles were still twitching and pulsing beneath his skin when his phone had started vibrating, and the selfie Gojo had taken on Megumi’s phone had taken up the entire screen. Every time Gojo called, Megumi swore he was going to delete all of the heart emojis Gojo had entered on his own contact name; but Gojo’s contact information had stayed as it was ever since he got Megumi this phone 6 years ago, and there was no hope in Megumi ever finding the energy to change it. If 15-year old Megumi had not cared, 21-year old Megumi would never find the energy to give two shits.
Megumi listened to Gojo’s dramatic telling of his paramedic shift the day before as he kicked his shoes off at the door. He hummed and grunted in response each time Gojo paused for dramatic effect, and took opportunities to spoon cereal into his mouth when he knew a part of Gojo’s monologue would be especially long.
Then Gojo had gotten to the real reason he was calling: today was Megumi’s physical agility test with Shinagawa City’s Emergency Medical Services. He wasn’t too worried— his gym sessions and runs probably left him more worn and winded than the test would, but one could never be too sure. He could have asked Gojo about the test, but it wouldn’t feel right.
Megumi had put great amount of work and effort into his studies to become EMT certified— and he was going to be starting a hybrid paramedic program this upcoming fall. The summer months would be a good time to begin with Shinagawa City’s Emergency Medical Services team— come Fall, he’d have to get the hang of both class and internship time.
And Megumi wanted to get this position with the Shinagawa EMS team because he had earned it— not because Satoru Gojo was the EMT team lead and his legal guardian.
Gojo understood that, and respected it.
But that didn’t stop him from calling at this hour to lecture Megumi on his nutrition.
“I’m really not hungry anymore. I just finished eating, I’ll be fine,” Megumi explains, resuming his current zigzag through the kitchen to put away dishes. “But thanks for calling me stringy. That was a lovely sentiment.”
What Gojo’s doing on the other end of the line, Megumi isn’t sure. He’s quiet, and he almost wonders if Gojo hasn’t hung up. Megumi clears his throat as he leans his hip to the bare counter. He’s desperate to fill the silence.
“…are you going to be there? At the test, I mean?”
Gojo answers almost immediately. “Yeah, me and the other lead. We want to see all three of you, see how you measure up. If you’ll mesh well, too.”
“All three of us?”
“Well yeah, you didn’t think you were the only recruit, did you? The other two are from outside of Tokyo, from Tohoku. Sendai and— somewhere else, I can’t remember where.”
Megumi nods, picking at a crusted piece of something on his counter. He needs to do a deep clean when he gets home later.
“So Yaga isn’t going to be there?”
“Nah, we told him we’d be fine. He trusts me and Utahime.”
So Yaga trusts Utahime, Megumi thinks. Other than his name, Megumi doesn’t know much about Chief Yaga. Well, that and that the man thinks Megumi’s stringy.
The thought gives Megumi pause.
“…how does Yaga know what I look like?”
“Hm?”
“Gojo, you said Yaga thinks I’m stringy. How does he know w—“
“Don’t you have eggs to boil? I’ll leave you to it. Eat at least three!”
The resounding click of the call ending confirms Megumi’s suspicions of Gojo flipping through his Megumi-kun album for Yaga. He must’ve shown Megumi’s first day of high school photos.
Megumi sets his phone on the counter with both hands, his fingers warming against the back of it after the long phone call. He slides it far from him across the surface of the counter to stretch his arms out; he stretches his back as he hinges at the hips and presses his forehead to the cool countertop. Instead of releasing the groan he was suppressing, he heaves a sigh.
Satoru Gojo will be the death of his young, barely born career.
Megumi had taken a quick shower after his run. He had dressed in a simple plain t-shirt and shorts with some sneakers for the test. He hadn’t done much with his hair, but it never failed to stick out in all directions, whether he tried applying product or not.
…and he ate three eggs. Just in case.
He’s thankful that the test requires athletic attire— the warmth of the summer wasn’t overwhelming, but feeling a nice breeze was always welcome. Megumi relishes in the gentle current cast his way now, just before crossing the street to reach his destination.
Megumi had only done a double-take once at the address he was sent by Gojo. Meeting at an abandoned school doesn’t seem all that surprising when it comes to Gojo’s preparations, but Megumi knew Gojo and knew this was on par with his guardian's planning. He can’t imagine how confused the other two EMT applicants are.
He finds out soon enough when he rounds the corner and comes face to face with the relieved expression of another guy.
“Oh! Are you here for the EMT agility test for Shinagawa City? I hope so, you’re the only other person I’ve seen—“
The male’s wearing similar attire as Megumi— a ratty old t-shirt poking out of a yellow hoodie, plain shorts, and sneakers. The guy looks about Megumi’s age… maybe a year or so older? His features are certainly boyish, though. His hair is an odd dull pink, sticking every which way just above a brown undercut.
…did this kid dye his hair? It can’t be natural, Megumi thinks.
He clears his throat, and Megumi’s green eyes flicker back to the wide brown ones across from him. “So… are you? Here for the agility test, I mean?”
“Yeah,” Megumi answers, deciding to withhold on asking about the hair until another time. “Yeah, I’m here for the agility test. My name’s Megumi Fushiguro.”
The smile the stranger casts Megumi is blinding— strangers didn’t typically smile this… genuinely. “Sweet! Nice to meet you, Fushiguro! I’m Yuji. Boy, I was really worried about the directions. The guy who gave them to me sounded like he made them up on the spot, I was worried he’d change his mind and forget to tell me.”
“That wouldn’t be out of character,” Megumi sighed, checking his phone. He hasn’t received any word from Gojo since his dietary guidance this morning, but the man tended to run late.
“Yeah? You know him?” Yuji asks, kicking a pebble across the concrete, towards the tall flights of steps leading up to the school courtyard. Megumi hesitates on his answer as he makes his way to the stairs, taking a seat alongside the railing.
“You could say that,” he answers finally, analyzing the back of Yuji’s head when he plops himself a couple of steps below Megumi. Before he can accidentally blurt out the real question he wants to ask, Megumi asks something else to fill the silence. “Is Yuji your family name? Or your given name?”
“Oh! Sorry, given name,” Yuji answers, twisting at his torso to look at Megumi. Another award winning smile in his direction. “My family name is Sukuna, but if I get in, my brother said I can’t be referred to as Sukuna too, it’ll be too confusing. He’s a firefighter with Shinagawa City. So might as well just introduce myself as Yuji starting now.”
Megumi makes a face at the mention of the firefighter, but thankfully Yuji’s head turns just in time. A shadow engulfs them both, the fashionably late source at the top of the stairs with his hands leisurely in his pockets. Megumi could just punch him.
“Look at that! Looks like you two’ve already gotten acquainted!” Megumi doesn’t turn around to watch Gojo make his way down the steps. He watches the man’s shadow bounce this way and that. “I’m Satoru Gojo, the EMT lead. Well, one of them.” Megumi only forces himself up when Yuji snaps into a full-blown bow.
“Good morning, Gojo-sensei! My name is Yuji Sukuna, it’s a pleasure to meet you!”
God, Megumi can feel the bile rising in his throat. He nearly grabs Yuji by the collar to pull him upright from his bow. Anyone but Gojo deserved to be called sensei, and by the look on Gojo’s face, it’s gone straight to his head.
“Look at that! I already like you, Yuji! You know a master when you see one. Fushiguro, you’re not gonna bow for your sensei?” Gojo clicked his tongue at Megumi’s bored expression. “I’m gonna have to dock some points.”
Megumi’s on the verge of telling Gojo exactly where he can shove those points, when a second shadow overtakes them, this time with her hands on her hips.
“Oi! You gave me the wrong directions and sent me across the street, you crazy sack of—“
“Utahime!” Gojo whirled around with a grin. “You made it! Oh, and Kugisaki’s with you! Perfect, everyone’s here!”
Sure enough, Utahime wore a similar uniform as Gojo— a navy EMS team button up, tucked into navy cargo pants and black boots. Her dark hair was pulled back in a bow, only her wild bangs loose across her forehead. Kugisaki, presumably the other EMT student candidate, had gone a step further than Yuji and Megumi and had worn a tracksuit to their test. She looked much more put together than they did, her blue and white flowered hoodie matching the simplicity of her leggings and pristinely white shoes.
“Gojo, you’re lucky Kugisaki found me wandering on the sidewalk like an idiot!” Utahime huffed, each word jumping out of her as she stomped down the stairs. “Why’d we come here anyway? The station would’ve—“
“No time for that Utahime, we’re already late because you decided to take a stroll around the block,” Gojo scoffed. He didn’t give Utahime a chance to respond before he gestured between where Kugisaki glared from and where Yuji and Megumi stood shoulder to shoulder. “This is Nobara Kugisaki. And this is Yuji Sukuna and Megumi Fushiguro. Oh, and Utahime Iori, of course. I’m Satoru Gojo. We’re both paramedics with Shinagawa City and we’re both in charge of the EMT trainees.”
Megumi and Yuji both bowed to Utahime, though Yuji more enthusiastically than Megumi did. Most of Megumi’s attention was on Kugisaki’s analyzing glare. Her eyes were like flashing hazard lights, flickering between them both from under her sweeping hair. She couldn’t seem to focus her annoyance between Yuji and Megumi— even Yuji noticed, and whispered mid-bow, “dude, does she already not like us? We haven’t even said anything— did she just sigh? She looked at us and sighed?!“
“Alright, welcome to the Shinagawa City EMT agility test!” Gojo exclaimed, his arms outstretched to either side. “This shouldn’t take long, if you’re worth anything to an EMS team. Follow me and Utahime up to the courtyard, and we’ll start.”
The second Gojo is close enough to Utahime, she’s nailing him on the back and yelling at him for making her look unprofessional. Gojo’s taking it in high spirits as always, pretending to shield himself and running up the last flight of stairs. It leaves Yuji and Megumi walking alongside Kugisaki, and an odd silence falls between the three.
Naturally, as Megumi is learning quickly, Yuji breaks it.
“So how do you know my brother, Fushiguro?”
“What?” Megumi nearly comes to a halt, confused by Yuji’s easy smile and question.
“You made that face when I mentioned him. So you must know him, right?”
“Oh… no.” Megumi shrugs as a pretense to his words, trying to hide the tint of his ears by scratching the side of his face. He didn’t think Yuji had noticed. Why was he smiling so broadly when Fushiguro had cringed at the thought of his brother? “No, I don’t know him at all. I’m just not a big fan of firefighters and their cocky attitude in general… does your brother tend to elicit a lot of negative reactions?”
“Oh yeah,” Yuji spits out with a laugh. “Hard to meet anyone who doesn’t grimace at the thought of him, that’s why I figured you knew him. He’s… a handful, I’d say. He’s probably the spitting image of a cocky arrogant firefighter.”
Megumi nods, though it’s hard to imagine anyone related to Yuji being anything other than this— kind, good natured, positive. “Well… there’s some decent firefighters, I guess. My cousin’s a firefighter— her name’s Maki. She’s pretty cocky too, though.”
“A female firefighter has to be cocky, given the line of work,” Kugisaki interrupts from the right of Megumi. At his left side, Yuji cranes his neck forward to peek at Kugisaki. She’s picking at her nails; then picking a loose thread off her tracksuit. “Otherwise she’d get left in the dust by booger eating, high and mighty, seagull terrorizing men.” Another glare is shot in their direction. Something feels oddly targeted about the comments, and Yuji scoffs before retorting.
“Hey, I don’t know where you got that impression! Fushiguro and me don’t eat boogers or terrorize—“
“Holy shit, if your speed now is any indicator of your speed when you work,” Gojo calls from a distance, “you’re all doing terrible right now! Come on, pick up the pace! Utahime might have all day, but I don’t!”
With Kugisaki and Yuji sprinting up the steps, Megumi can barely hear Utahime’s heated response to Gojo in the distance. He makes his slow way up to the top of the steps and sees the various pieces of equipment laid out in the courtyard— Utahime is waving towards the eagerly approaching pair of candidates.
“Hey.” Megumi turns to Gojo, who’s watching him beneath his rounded sunglasses. Megumi always thought it was a stupid look, and he was sure his expression showed the sentiment now. But the tone Gojo used was one Megumi rarely ever heard, so he forced his opinion down. “You better show some spirit. Utahime’s calling the shots on these hires. And she doesn’t know anything, as you requested.”
Megumi’s facial expression softens. He had asked Gojo not to reveal their guardianship years ago— he didn’t want any treatment, whether good or bad, based on Gojo. It was bad enough his father had also gone by Fushiguro and had served as a firefighter in Shibuya.
Keeping Gojo’s guardianship private meant sacrificing being able to visit the EMS centers in the city, and being able to observe Gojo at work, but if it meant he could work here, for a city as big as Shinagawa, it was worth it. Megumi needed to know whether he was worth being on an EMS team on his own.
So Megumi nods his thanks, and turns away from Gojo to follow the lead of Yuji and Kugisaki, towards Utahime.
The agility test is, as Megumi expected, less straining than one could imagine. First, a run up and down three flights of stairs twice, carrying a medical box and an airway bag. Together, it was 15 pounds of extra weight that was not allowed to be set down and could not touch the ground.
Kugisaki complained the second time around, noting that the stairs were uneven; otherwise, none of them broke a sweat. The second part of the test was similar, but with an emergency evacuation chair tucked under the arm. The chair on its own was 25 pounds— Megumi and Kugisaki were breathing unevenly by the end of it. Unsurprisingly, Yuji remained cool and smiley.
The third part of the test was a partner exercise— a dummy was laid out on a stretcher, and they needed to carry it around a cone some distance away, then back to the stretcher safely. No dropping or setting the patient down allowed.
Megumi and Kugisaki were up first, and Megumi struggled with the legs, but found his balance in their weight and under Kugisaki’s threatening stare.
When Megumi partnered up with Yuji for the test, he took to the head of the patient this time. Yuji had picked up the legs easily, and as Megumi began backing up towards the cones, he stumbled for half a second— Yuji practically rammed him backwards with the doll.
“Yuji, not so fast! I nearly dropped him!”
“Huh? What do you mean? I was barely moving. And he’s not even heavy!”
After some adjustment, they were able to get around the cone, but Megumi had to continue shooting glares at Yuji when he shoved too hard.
Megumi hadn’t been paying enough attention when Yuji carried the supplies up the stairs, but now he could feel it— Yuji was abnormally strong. So much so, Yuji couldn’t even tell Megumi was struggling to keep up at his pace under the weight of the doll. Yuji smiled apologies at him every time he caught sight of Megumi’s frown, and they made it back to the stretcher in one piece once they got the hang of their communicative expressions. They began walking away from the doll towards Utahime, when Gojo stepped forward.
“Yuji.” The pink-haired trainee turned to the lead. “This isn’t part of the test. But can you pick up the doll on your own and do the test?”
“Huh? I mean— yeah, I guess so. But isn’t it a team effort?”
“Yeah, it is. I just wanna see what you’re made of.”
Yuji looked confused, but obliged, and with far less effort than Megumi would have required, he scooped the 150-pound doll from the stretcher and walked it around the cone at a pace that made even Kugisaki’s jaw loosen. When he set the doll down, he turned to Gojo expectantly. The chirp of nearby birds filled the silence, until Gojo spooked them with a sudden laugh.
“Geez! You’re stronger than your brother, maybe. Remind me why you’re not interested in becoming a firefighter?” Gojo asked, making his way back towards Utahime— she was just as curious about Yuji’s answer as the rest of them. After all, someone who could carry an average sized human and not break a sweat would be beneficial to have in building evacuations.
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Yuji laughed, brushing a hand over the back of his neck. “He’s a lot stronger. But he’s also got enough firefighter ego for the both of us.” Yuji tilted his head to acknowledge Megumi when he said this, then shrugged at Gojo. “Besides, I just want to be where I can help the most people. I think I’m more useful to the community as an EMT.”
“Oi,” Kugisaki whispered. Megumi turned to see who Kugisaki was talking to— and was shocked to see she was leaning in his direction. Megumi leaned closer as Utahime utilized Yuji’s strength to help set up the last task. “That’s not his natural hair color, right? He dyes it that color?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“…I mean I don’t know. I met him three minutes before you did.”
“And you didn’t utilize those three minutes to ask if that’s his natural hair?”
Megumi leaned back to look at Kugisaki in bewilderment, but she rolled her eyes at his naivety and strolled forward.
“Oi! Yuji!”
“Uh? What’s up, Kugisaki?”
“I have a question for you.”
The final task had been easy enough. Yuji had helped strap the doll to a backboard, and they had to wheel the patient around a cone without dropping the head of the board. All three of them passed easily, with Yuji still in the lead as the most freakishly strong out of all three of them. It was hard to imagine what that strength would be like on a cocky firefighter. Could anyone even rival a strength like Yuji’s?
“Well, that’s it!” Utahime announces, her hands clasping together. Gojo’s figure towered alongside her, his hands in his pocket as he eyed each candidate. “Chief Yaga will contact you individually in a week if we want to offer you an internship.” Megumi heard a breath of air escape Yuji, but Utahime put a hand up to stop him. “We won’t give you assignment details until you’re offered a position, though. Any questions?”
Yuji’s question seemed to have been taken care of— or written off, more like it. With a final bow and thank you, the three trainees begin the trip back down the steps from the courtyard, leaving Gojo and Utahime to their cleanup. Megumi was already looking ahead to the split in the sidewalk where they’d hopefully go their separate ways. Kugisaki and Yuji didn’t seem to mind, but the silence felt heavy on Megumi’s shoulders.
“Crap,” Yuji sighed as he reached the bottom of the steps, hot on Megumi’s trail. “I should’ve asked how many internships they had available.”
“Three,” Kugisaki answered firmly, passing Yuji and turning back to look at him. “I asked when they first called me. And we were the only three applicants they had do a physical test. So I figure unless we bombed entirely, which we didn’t, we’ll all be getting a call.”
“Nice, Kugisaki! You thought of it way ahead!”
Even Kugisaki seemed flattered by Yuji’s simple compliment— she had warmed to him quickly. And had found out the answer about Yuji’s hair. She had yet to share the information with Megumi, though.
A rumble interrupted the silence that had begun to coat the air again.
“Geez, Yuji! Was that your stomach? Have you not eaten?” Kugisaki gasped, poking at the other man’s front hoodie pocket.
“No, I haven’t,” he replied glumly after swatting the girl’s hand away. “I was hoping to check out some food in the area, fill up on that! Fushiguro, you’re from here right? What’s good? Do you know? I’m in the mood for sushi, if you’ve got any suggestions!”
“Ohh, let’s go together! We can make a little outing out of it!” Kugisaki exclaimed, to Yuji’s delight. Both had turned to Megumi expectantly— he stuttered for an answer over their bickering.
“Make sure it has five stars in terms of atmosphere, I want some cute photos there!”
“I don’t care about the atmosphere, but if there’s revolving sushi, that’s even better!”
“What? That’s so tacky.”
“Tacky! What’s tacky about sushi coming straight to you, not even having to order, not even having to decide what to get based off photos? You can base it off of how good the real food looks! It’s like seeing someone else’s plate and saying ‘I’ll have that’ and immediately getting it!”
“…you make good points. Fushiguro! A revolving sushi place! What’s taking you so long to suggest one?!”
Megumi can’t think of the last time he’d been out with anyone other than Gojo. Sometimes Geto would join, but it had been at least a year since Megumi had seen the man last. Otherwise, he’d pick up food to take back to his apartment or cook at home.
Yuji and Kugisaki didn’t seem to be used to it either, with the way they acted at the sushi restaurant. At their booth, Kugisaki had directed Yuji to sit on her side for photos— he had a naturally perfect smile, and Megumi couldn’t argue with that. Not that he had wanted to.
The pictures came at the price of Yuji and Kugisaki elbowing each other and arguing as Yuji reached around the girl to grab sushi from the conveyer belt.
“Just tell me what you want, moron! I’ll get it for you, stop shoving your arms over my head!”
“If you get the sushi for me, it ruins the magic of the revolving sushi restaurant, stupid!”
Megumi was able to eat in silence most of the time, save for when he had to get clarification from Kugisaki on how she wanted a photo angled, or when he had to be the tiebreaker in their arguments. But as loud and obnoxious as they were, Megumi felt at ease with them— the silence was gone now, and the conversations he was pulled into were far less demanding than the ones with Gojo. It was a peaceful balance for him.
Until Kugisaki abruptly turned to Megumi and pointed her finger at him.
“Alright, so spill, Fushiguro. What’s your deal with firefighters? It can’t just be that they’re cocky.”
“Yeah, Gojo’s cocky and you seem to be fine with him,” Yuji muttered over a mouthful of rice. “So why firefighters? It can’t be your cousin either, it didn’t sound like you hated her.”
Megumi chewed slower now, savoring the sushi in his mouth to avoid the questions. Two sets of brown eyes stared him down though, and he could only avoid the question for so long. He swallowed the food, along with the lump in his throat.
“My, uh… my dad was a firefighter. He wasn’t all that great of a person.”
“Your dad?” Yuji’s brows furrowed, before the arches shot up and Megumi’s stomach twisted. “Wait, Fushiguro!? As in Toji Fushiguro? Isn’t that the guy that—“
There was a resounding stomp beneath the table, and the entire booth jolted upwards from Kugisaki’s side. Her face remained stone cold. Yuji winced, but said nothing more.
“…yeah. That’s the guy,” Megumi confirmed after a beat of silence. What he hated most about his dad was the result of his actions. Any time someone identified Megumi’s family history, the same look Yuji was giving him would make his skin crawl. People meant well, surely. But it never came off genuinely.
At least, not from anyone but Yuji Sukuna. He seemed to hesitate on his next question, meeting Megumi’s eyes. Megumi didn’t look away the way he always did— he’d let Yuji ask him.
“…she was your sister then? The girl in the stories?”
Megumi nods, forcing his hands to move and begin stacking up their empty plates. Kugisaki broke the short silence.
“That sucks. A lot.”
Megumi’s head snapped up when he looked at Kugisaki. He was taken back by the simple statement. No one had ever simply admitted the bottom line— it sucked, losing his sister like that. The pain had been unbearable, but instead of understanding and patience, all he’d get was false motivation to keep going, no matter what. To always move forward. That things would get better, get easier. Nothing more.
“Yeah. It sucks.”
“Well. It sorta makes sense then, why you hate firefighters,” Kugisaki pondered aloud, watching the revolving belt for another item she may want— and Yuji watched from behind her shoulder, ready to swoop in and snatch it away. “What doesn’t make sense is why you decided you want to go into the line of work that probably spends the most time with firefighters. What’s that about?“
Megumi watched as a fresh piece of nigiri on a plate made its slow way into their line of sight. He had watched them all throughout their time at the restaurant. He knew the pattern— Yuji liked anything that looked tasty. Kugisaki liked anything that looked cute in a photo, and would be tasty while she snapped a photo of herself mid-bite.
And for these reasons alone, Megumi leaned back in his seat to avoid the battle as they began the tug of war over the plate. Throughout their war for the nigiri, both of them kept their eyes and ears open for Megumi. It made the corner of his mouth twitch upward.
“I was raised by an EMT,” Megumi responded after a deep sigh. “Well, a paramedic I guess. And I liked science in school. It’s something I can see myself doing. I just have to avoid places that house all of EMS together.”
“Those places still exist?” Yuji questioned, just before standing to hover and lick the sushi on the plate to deter Kugisaki. The fish on top of the rice was slightly askew now— Kugisaki’s interest was ruined. “I thought all cities had to either get a big enough space to house both or separate firefighters from EMTs and paramedics.”
“They’re supposed to,” Kugisaki sighed, accepting her defeat with another kick to Yuji under the table. She brought her elbow onto the table to rest her chin in her palm. “But in the village I’m from, it’s all housed in the same building. And there’s no hope in that changing.”
“Yeah. But a place like Shinagawa is a major city. It can’t get away with housing everyone in one place,” Megumi reasoned. With Kugisaki distracted, she had not seen another fresh nigiri plate coming by their table, this time with two pieces— the salmon and tuna fish both rich in color and perfect for a photo.
And Yuji was distracted with the piece he was currently devouring.
Megumi continued talking as he reached for the plate, setting it in front of Kugisaki and withholding his smile at her delighted gasp. “So I’ll see firefighters during some calls. I can handle being around them for work calls, I think. I just can’t handle living with them.”
“Yeah, I lived with my brother a while,” Yuji mutters over the nigiri. He adds the empty plate to the stack Megumi had started— then shuddered at whatever memory of his brother was brought forth to his mind. “I’ll never do that again.”
Megumi scoffed a small laugh, analyzing the aftermath of Yuji’s table manners— he certainly wasn’t the cleanest eater. He wondered whether he was the dirty roommate or the clean roommate in that arrangement. Geto and Maki were always pretty clean.
As the silence dragged among them, Yuji watching the people passing the restaurant outside, and Kugisaki swiping through her phone, probably analyzing the photos she’d taken of her plates, Megumi began to grow restless. They probably wanted to leave, and he was holding them up. Well, not really— they could go whenever they felt like it. Still, Megumi cleared his throat, and both pairs of brown eyes dragged lazily back to him.
“Well, I should probably get going. If we all get accepted maybe we’ll—“
“Woah, we haven’t even had dessert yet!” Kugisaki interrupted. Yuji nodded in agreement, his mouth gaping open as if Kugisaki had stolen the words right out of his mouth. Megumi glanced to the conveyer belts, then back to Kugisaki and Yuji in confusion. He had warned them already that this place didn’t have any desserts.
“But they don’t serve any here—“
“Well duh, I’m looking as fast as I can!” Kugisaki flashed her phone towards Megumi— he could see the long list of cafes, the photos of cakes and mochi flashing in his direction. “Hold your horses, Fushiguro! Sit back down.”
Kugisaki and Yuji had argued over where to grab dessert, and Megumi served as the tiebreaker. After 20 photos of their crepes clustered together in front of various backdrops and some selfies, they wandered Shinagawa City together, picking and munching off pieces of their treats. They continued to talk about everything and nothing. As it turned out, Yuji had been considering the paramedic program Megumi had enrolled in— Kugisaki seemed to have no interest in it, and Megumi leaned around Yuji to look at her.
“Kugisaki, why are you becoming an EMT? You haven’t mentioned much about it.”
She answered quickly, waving Megumi’s question off with her empty hand. “Because there’s not much to mention. Like you, I’m good at anatomy and stuff, so the class work to get EMT certified was easy. It’s decent pay. And it’s a great way to exist in the city. I wanted to get out of the sticks. Village life would have been the death of me. I couldn’t stay there another minute. But this—“
She directed her fingers towards the barely bustling streets— on a warm Monday, with most people at work, the streets were as active as any large city would be at any time of day. “This is always different, and I get to see it at all hours of the day if I’m an EMT. I want that. Shibuya’s the end goal, though.”
“Street cleaners get to see the city all the time too, you know—“
“Christ, no one’s love interest is a street cleaner, Yuji!”
“You never said anything about romance! And that’s not true, there’s a bunch of foreign films where the street cleaners get love interests!”
“Name three.”
“The King of the Street Cleaners! 7th Heaven! And—“
Megumi had fallen quiet, surveying the streets as he walked a couple of steps behind the other two. For as long as he had lived in Shinagawa, he’d never really considered how lively it always was. It was true— they’d get to see the city during all hours of the day. Megumi could only recount a handful of times he’d seen Shinagawa at night. There were many areas of Shinagawa he’d never been to before too— so many things he probably had yet to experience, yet to enjoy. But he had been counting on Gojo for help and guidance along the way.
He turned forward again just as Yuji glanced back to make sure Megumi was still with them. The pink-haired male slowed his steps. Megumi caught up in a couple of strides— then Yuji continued his steady pace again with a quick smile to Megumi. A silence stretched among them, and this time, Megumi’s shoulders felt light. He felt relaxed.
Maybe he wouldn’t have to count on guidance from Gojo. Maybe Megumi could be left to learn with his fellow trainees.
Monday, May 29th 2017
After exchanging numbers, Yuji had created a group chat for the three of them to keep in touch. Kugisaki had shared the photos she had taken of them together— as expected, Yuji’s smile seemed to take all the glory. Both Yuji and Kugisaki commented on Megumi’s ‘resting bitch face’ when he insisted he had smiled.
The following Monday, none of them had gotten a call from Yaga. Megumi never asked Gojo about it. That was that, he assumed.
He had expected the other two to stop using the chat, but Kugisaki and Yuji continued to blow up Megumi’s phone. Megumi only responded to the chat with one or two sentences a day, but he read all of their messages— somehow, they kept him looped into the conversation without requiring much effort from him. Most of that was thanks to Yuji.
Two weeks after their test, Megumi was in his apartment hallway, folding laundry above his dryer when his phone went off on the kitchen counter, just below the hatch. At first he assumed the multiple vibrations were Yuji and Kugisaki blowing up the group chat.
He stilled his hands to listen closer when he realized it was the vibration pattern of a phone call. It must’ve been Gojo then, calling to torment Megumi. He made his leisure way to the table and swiped his phone, not bothering to look at the contact when he answered and threw himself down onto the nearby couch. “What’s up?”
“…hello, this is Chief Masamichi Yaga with Shinagawa EMS Station 4. Is this Megumi Fushiguro?”
Megumi bolted upright on the couch, mentally cursing Gojo for being the only person to ever call him. He wouldn’t have been so casual if he expected anyone but his guardian.
“Hi, yes Chief Yaga. This is Megumi Fushiguro. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Megumi put the phone on speaker, quickly opening his group chat with Yuji and Kugisaki. Neither of them had messaged today. Had they not gotten a call yet?
Today 11:12 AM
I just got a call from Yaga.
-Megumi
WHAT? WHAT DID HE SAY?
-Kugisaki
OMG DID YOU GET IN
-Yuji
We’re on the phone still. He hasn’t said anything.
-Megumi
Megumi forces himself to focus, but Yaga was explaining all of the reasons he had not called sooner. As Megumi half listened, he realized he had an unread message from Gojo.
Today 11:11 AM
“What’s up?” - Megumi Fushiguro
You should have seen Yaga’s face. I think he thought about hanging up on you LMAO
-Gojo <333333
Megumi sent a middle finger emoji to Gojo, one of his most used emojis thanks to his guardian, as he forced himself to listen to Yaga. He wondered if Utahime was in the room as well or if it was only Gojo loitering in the background.
“…but it’s better late than never, obviously. I take it you’re still interested in our EMT position. I noticed you’re hoping to become a paramedic too. You’re in a program, is that right? How long until you complete it?”
“Yes sir, I’m in an online program. Everything’s virtual and on my time with the exception of labs twice a week. I’ll finish the program December of next year, if I’m able to complete an internship.”
“I see. Well Fushiguro, we do want to offer you an EMT trainee position. We can work with your class schedule. Obviously, we like seeing our EMTs move into paramedic positions with our station.”
Megumi hadn’t been worried, per se— but he hadn’t been confident in getting accepted either. His heart swelled in his chest— he had done this, on his own. His own work and efforts had gotten him here.
He pulled up a note on his phone. He wrote down the questions he was already searching for answers to: why did Yaga keep saying station? Were Kugisaki and Yuji getting offers?
“…but do you have any questions so far?”
“Yes,” Megumi cleared his throat. “You said station earlier. Is the EMT paramedic center referred to as a station? And it sounded like there were multiple stations as well. How does that work?” Knowing Gojo was listening made him feel awkward. Especially with the ‘you sound tense’ texts taking up the top of his phone. Yuji and Kugisaki were still blowing him up for answers.
“Well, there’s 7 EMS teams in all of Shinagawa City. Depending on the region, the EMS teams within those regions are broken up into a firehouse and an EMT and paramedic center. Firehouse 4 houses the EMTs, paramedics, and the firefighters. It’s not ideal and it can get crowded sometimes, but it’s the best we can do to serve the…”
What?
…what?
Megumi’s phone buzzed in his hand. He didn’t know whether it was his shaking digits or a text until he opened his chat with Gojo.
Today 11:13 AM
Don’t turn it down just because of that Megumi
You better tell him yes
If you turn this down or ask to be at an EMT center he’ll never consider you again
-Gojo <333333
Gojo, you never mentioned that EMTs were housed with firefighters.
-Megumi Read 11:14 AM
You never asked :-)
-Gojo <333333
“…it works for now, but we’ve been pushing for an EMT paramedic center here, too. Anyway, any other questions for now?”
“Yes, sir. You said we’re housed in the same building, but do we have different living quarters?”
“….I don’t quite follow, Fushiguro. Can you explain your question?”
Megumi cleared his throat, ignoring Gojo’s texts to shut the fuck up. He was about to elaborate, but even he didn’t know what he meant. He couldn’t say he wasn’t comfortable being around firefighters. Yaga would laugh in his face and hang up. An EMT would never be able to avoid firefighters their entire lives.
He was also risking coming off as high maintenance, needing separate quarters. He rolled his shoulders and forced a silent sigh.
“Nevermind, I think I was confused. I don’t have any other questions.” Yuji and Kugisaki had fallen silent in the group chat, but Gojo texted him again.
Today 11:14 AM
Good boy. Just accept. I promise it won’t be bad Megumi
I wouldn’t put you in a shitty situation, you know that
Please trust me
-Gojo <333333
Megumi sighed again. Gojo might’ve done a lot of things that made Megumi question his ability to be a guardian, but he never once left Megumi in situations he couldn’t handle. Horrible situations, sure. But never anything he couldn’t maneuver on his own.
Gojo wouldn’t let Megumi down. Especially not with something like this. Something this important and something so personal.
“Perfect,” Yaga decided. “Well, if there are no further questions. I’d like to officially offer you an EMT position. If you become certified as a paramedic next December, you can be reclassified as a paramedic on our team. As far as benefits…” Megumi listened, but watched as Kugisaki and Yuji began blowing up his phone again. Apparently three minutes was the limit of their patience. He shot them a quick ‘I got an offer’ and a slew of excited screaming came from their chat. Megumi held his phone tighter, afraid Yaga could hear every single vibration. But Megumi smiled at their reactions nonetheless.
His leg was shaking from anticipation to ask his last question. Of course he’d still take the position, but he’d feel a lot better knowing Yuji and Kugisaki would be with him.
“…and you’d start this upcoming Monday. With all that being said, do you accept the position?”
Megumi knew it wasn’t his business, but he had to ask—
“I’m sorry, I do have one more question… are Kugisaki and Yuji also going to be starting with me?”
There was a silence on the other end of the line, and Megumi watched Gojo begin to type in their messages.
“I’m sorry, I can’t confirm that,” Yaga replied.
Today 11:16 AM
Yes
He’s calling them after he’s done with you
So stop asking so many fucking questions
-Gojo <333333
“I understand, thank you Chief Yaga. Yes, I accept the position.”