𝐕𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 & 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 Reader / 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 Gojo Satoru / 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭 Shoko Ieiri / 𝐃𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 Geto Suguru
The fluorescent lights of the backstage hallway buzzed overhead as the final chords of the performance still echoed in your ears.
"Let's go to the backstage, they invited us," Satoru said, his voice carrying that familiar lilt of excitement. His blue eyes were practically sparkling behind his dark shades.
You hesitated for just a moment, glancing at the tall figure standing slightly apart from your group. Choso had been hovering near the edges all evening, his dark eyes taking in the scene with that quiet intensity that always made you feel like he was seeing more than everyone else.
"Can Choso come with us?" you asked.
Satoru's head tilted like a curious cat. "Hmm." He cupped his own chin with his hand, leaning his face uncomfortably close to Choso — personal space was clearly a foreign concept to him. Choso stood frozen, looking like a deer caught in headlights as Satoru's eyes roamed over him with obvious assessment.
"Yeah, he can come," Satoru finally declared, breaking into a smile. Choso exhaled, not having realized he'd been holding his breath.
The backstage area was a chaotic maze of equipment cases, discarded costume pieces, and people rushing past with urgent expressions. Your group followed the signs until you reached the green room, where the band was already celebrating.
The members —Kenji, Daiki, and Ren— all rushed forward to hug Satoru one by one, their genuine affection obvious. But your attention caught on something else. When Satoru reached Suki, his hands lingered on her waist longer than necessary. His head dipped closer to hers as they exchanged quiet words you couldn't hear, and something twisted in your chest.
Satoru pulled away eventually, gesturing toward your group. "These are my friends Shoko, Suguru, and (Name)."
Introductions were exchanged with polite smiles. You can't stop staring at Suki. She was beautiful in that effortless way that made you feel like you'd never quite measure up.
Then Choso's hand found yours.
Warmth spread from where his fingers intertwined with yours, and you looked up at him in surprise. His expression remained calm but a faint flush crept up his neck. You didn't pull away.
A hand landed on your shoulder. Squeezing just hard enough to make you aware of its presence.
"(name) wanna go out for smoking?" Suguru's voice was smooth as ever, but his hand remained on your shoulder, fingers pressing slightly.
"I don't smoke anymore," you told him, trying to keep your voice light.
"Why?" The question came out flat, his dark eyes fixed on you with an intensity that made your skin prickle.
"I just don't want to." You laughed nervously, hoping to dispel the strange tension that had suddenly crystallized in the air between you. "Bad for health, you know? All that."
"Is that the reason?" Suguru's voice dropped, something dark flickering across his features.
"Ah— I'll be back" you said quickly, extracting yourself from his grip and heading for the door. Choso followed without hesitation.
The hallway was quieter, just the distant thump of bass from other rooms and the echo of your footsteps on the linoleum.
Why was Suguru acting like that? You'd never seen that side of him before — that tension, that edge of something that felt almost like possession.
"(Name)!" Choso caught up to you, falling into step beside you. "Um, you wanna go on a date again tomorrow? Maybe?"
You blinked at him, surprise pushing aside the uneasy thoughts about Suguru. Choso looked almost painfully hopeful, his dark eyes soft.
"Yeah, okay," you heard yourself say.
"Um I'll pick you up at 8." A small smile tugged at his lips.
"Yeah, okay," you repeated, warmth blooming in your chest.
Choso moved closer, and you did too. The kiss started gentle — his lips soft against yours — but deepened naturally, your body responding before your mind could catch up. His free hand came up to cup your jaw, tilting your head as the kiss grew more urgent. You closed your eyes, losing yourself in the sensation, in the way his thumb traced your cheekbone, in the quiet sound he made against your mouth.
Neither of you noticed the figure standing at the far end of the hallway, perfectly still, watching.
Later that night, you lay in bed staring at the ceiling, your fingers touching your lips as if the kiss might still be there.
'(Name), the way you closed your eyes while kissing Choso is very suspicious.'
Your imaginary devil self perched on your shoulder, her voice a knowing purr.
'Is it because you were thinking of someone else? Were you imagining it was Satoru?'
"No," you whispered to the empty room.
'Oh please. You're so obsessed with him it's pathetic.'
You squeezed your eyes shut, but all you could see was blue eyes behind dark glasses, a teasing smile, a hand lingering on someone else's waist.
Sleep didn't come that night.
The morning light was too bright, too cheerful for your exhausted state. You dragged yourself through your morning routine, arriving at the café with just minutes to spare. The familiar scent of coffee and baked goods usually comforted you, but today it just made your stomach churn.
Choso was already there. The shift passed awkwardly. Every time you pass him, you felt his gaze on you.
Shoko's apartment was chaos in the best way —instruments scattered everywhere, sheet music covering every surface, the faint smell of incense and takeout. Practice sessions here were always intense, always cathartic.
Everyone was already there when you arrived. Shoko was tuning her bass, Suguru sat behind the drum kit idly spinning a stick between his fingers, and Satoru was sprawled across the couch, scrolling through his phone. "You're late," Satoru announced without looking up.
"Unacceptable." He finally looked at you, and that smile —that stupid, beautiful smile — made your heart stutter. "I'll let it slide this time."
You rolled your eyes and grabbed your guitar, the familiar weight of it settling you. You adjusted the microphone stand, checked your tuning, and took a deep breath.
"Ready when you are," Shoko called out.
The first notes crashed through the room like a wave. Your fingers flew across the strings, muscle memory taking over as the music consumed you. Shoko's bass line rumbled deep in your chest, a heartbeat made of sound. Suguru's drums thundered — he was always aggressive when he played, putting his whole body into every hit, sweat already beading on his forehead.
The final chord rang out and faded into silence.
No one moved. The last vibrations of sound seemed to hang in the air, shimmering. Goosebumps raced down your arms, and from the look on Shoko's face, you weren't alone.
"Holy shit," she breathed.
Satoru broke the spell by clapping his hands together. "Damn, we're good."
You all collapsed onto whatever surface was available —Shoko onto the couch, you onto the floor, Suguru leaning against his drum kit, Satoru somehow taking up an entire armchair by himself.
"Y'all wanna go to drinks again tonight?" Satoru asked, stretching like a cat.
"I've got plans," you said, not meeting anyone's eyes.
"Wyd?" Satoru asked curiously.
"Um, Choso asked me for a date again."
"Oh that's nice" Shoko grinned, genuine happiness in her expression. "He seems really sweet, (Name). I'm happy for you."
Suguru's expression, however, was completely unreadable. His dark eyes fixed on you with intensity.
"Ehhh?! A date again? Noooo, what if he steals our dear (Name) from us?" Satoru launched himself at you, wrapping his arms around you in a hug. He smelled like expensive cologne.
You chuckled, your face pressed against his shoulder, heart racing. "What if he did?" you joked.
The sound of wood splintering cut through the room like a gunshot.
Suguru stood by the drum kit, pieces of a broken drumstick in his hands, splinters scattered at his feet. His face was calm, too calm.
"Oh sorry, I broke it by mistake." He tossed the pieces aside casually. "Must have been a defective one."
Satoru's arms had loosened around you, his head turned toward Suguru with an expression you couldn't read. Shoko looked between them, her brow furrowed.
"Um, maybe I should leave," you said quietly, extracting yourself from Satoru's hold. "Got some work to do at home anyway."
The walk home gave you too much time to think. Suguru breaking that stick — it had to be an accident, right?
You did your chores. Dishes washed, laundry folded, floor swept. The evening stretched ahead, empty and quiet.
A knock on the door startled you.
You opened it to find Suguru. He was drunk, really drunk —swaying on his feet, eyes glassy, hair escaping its usual neat style. He smelled like whiskey and cigarettes. "(Name)," he slurred.
Before you could respond, his legs gave out. He fell forward, and you caught him instinctively, his weight pressing you both against the doorfram. His head dropped to your shoulder, arms wrapping around you in a clumsy hug.
"Please stay with me," he mumbled into your neck.
This was so unlike him — Suguru was always controlled, always composed. You'd never seen him like this. Gently, you guided him inside, half-carrying him to the couch. He collapsed onto it, pulling you with him.
He grabbed your arm, tugging you down. You lost your balance, landing half on top on the couch. Your eyes widened, body frozen —
And then you heard snoring.
You lay there for a long moment, listening to his even breathing, feeling the rise and fall of his chest beneath you. Carefully you tried to move. His arm tightened around your waist.
Eventually, exhaustion won. You stopped fighting, letting yourself relax against him. Just for a moment. Just until you could gather the energy to move. His heartbeat was steady beneath your ear, warm and surprisingly comforting.
You didn't mean to fall asleep.
A knock on the door jolted you awake. You were still on the couch, still half-draped over Suguru, who hadn't moved.
The knock came again, more insistent.
You scrambled up, smoothing down your clothes, running fingers through your sleep-tangled hair. Suguru stirred but didn't wake.
Choso stood there with a bouquet of flowers. He looked so good, so put-together, dark hair falling perfectly, eyes warm.
"Hi, sorry I'll get ready in a few minutes," you said, rubbing the back of your neck self-consciously. "Can you wait?"
Choso said with a gentle voice. "I'll wait as much as you want."
Suguru's voice came from behind you, rough with sleep.
He appeared in the doorway to the living room, hair disheveled, shirt wrinkled, looking every inch the man who'd just woken up on your couch. Choso's expression shifted. The warmth drained away, replaced by something cold, eyes narrowed, his brows drawing together sharply.
Suguru, still clearly drunk, stumbled toward you and wrapped his arms around you from behind, chin dropping to your shoulder.
"What's going on?" Choso's voice was flat.
You laughed nervously. "He just showed up really drunk! I couldn't just leave him outside—"
Choso's hands clenched at his sides. His frown didn't disappear — it deepened, carving lines into his usually soft expression.
But he was already moving toward the door, bouquet still in his hand. He paused at the threshold, not quite looking back. The door clicked shut behind him.
You stood there, frozen, Suguru's arms still around you. After a long moment, you pulled away. He let you go without resistance.
"I need to... I'm going to my room," you said numbly.
You didn't see Suguru's eyes open fully once you'd gone. Didn't see him sit up, push his hair back with both hands, light a cigarette with steady fingers. Didn't see the cold calculation in his expression.
Oh, Suguru knew what he'd done was wrong.
Did he feel guilty? Hell no.
He exhaled smoke toward the ceiling, watching it curl and dissipate. Suguru couldn't let anyone take you. Ever.
Morning came too fast. You woke groggy, the events of the previous night crashing back. You rushed downstairs, but Suguru was gone. Just a faint smell of cigarette smoke and an indent on the couch cushions.
You got ready, ate breakfast you couldn't taste, and left for work.
The café was busy. You spotted Choso immediately— But he walked right past you without another glance.
The rest of your shift passed in a blur of avoidance. Choso never looked at you again. When he left, he didn't say goodbye.
Practice was in a few hours. You stopped at the convenience store on the way, grabbing snacks — for yourself and your friends.
The crosswalk signal changed. You stepped off the curb.
On the other side of the street, Satoru stood outside a café. He was laughing, head tilted back, that beautiful sound carrying even across the traffic noise. A girl stood with him— slender, elegant, with long dark hair and a smile that lit up her whole face.
She was stunning. Satoru bent down and placed a kiss on her lips.
The bags slipped from your fingers. Food scattered across the pavement. The world stopped spinning, all sound fading to a distant roar.
You couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't do anything but watch as he pulled back and looked at her like she was the most precious thing in the universe.
A hand grabbed your arm and yanked you backward.
The truck roared past, so close you felt the wind of it, heard the blaring horn like it was coming from very far away.
"Tch, can't you see? You were going to die."
You blinked, slowly returning to your body. A pink-haired man stood before you, glaring with obvious annoyance. His grip on your arm was painful.
"Thank you for saving me," you heard yourself say. Your voice sounded strange.
"Tch. Whatever." He released you and walked away without looking back.
You turned to the other side of the street.
Satoru was gone. The girl was gone.
Tears burned your eyes. You blinked, and they fell, hot tracks down your cold cheeks.
You pressed your hands to your face, but the tears kept coming. People passed you on the sidewalk. You stood there alone, crying in the middle of the street, and wondered when everything had gotten so complicated. When had you fallen so hard for someone who would never look at you the way you wanted him to?
The sun was setting by the time you could move again. Practice. You were supposed to be at practice. You wiped your face, took a shaking breath, and started walking.
Your phone buzzed. A message from Shoko.
Shoko: You coming? Everyone's here.
Including the boy who'd just shattered something inside you without even knowing it.
Your fingers trembled as you typed your reply.
What else could you do? The show must go on.
꒰ Dividers: @uzmacchiato ꒱