izzy's playlists!
art blog(derogatory)
TVSTRANGERTHINGS
No title available
Keni
★
No title available
noise dept.
will byers stan first human second
𓃗
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
Discoholic 🪩
sheepfilms
I'd rather be in outer space 🛸
Jules of Nature
h
No title available
No title available
Game of Thrones Daily
Sweet Seals For You, Always
seen from United States
seen from Singapore
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from Canada
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Philippines
seen from South Korea
seen from Ecuador
seen from T1
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Italy
seen from Malaysia
seen from Türkiye
@sillyspiderv
pinned intro ⋆‧°𓏲ּ𝄢
about me
lesbian / 19 years old / mixed
artist / writer
oc / multifandom content
fandoms: jjk, mha, csm, mlp, marvel, dc, phm, sonic the hedgehog, mp100, fmab, spiderverse, ddlc, etc
other interests: dungeons and dragons, horror games, pop punk, rock, nu metal, k-pop
my asks are open! i might do writing/art requests, but i also take commissions! dm me if you'd like more info regarding that specifically
here's my master list!! read my byf below!!
byf
DNI: proshippers, homophobes, transphobes, racists, bigots, people who sexualize fictional minors..., etc
i reblog and post a lot at once in small sporadic episodes
i mostly post oc content more than any other kind of content as this is my archive blog of all the media made for them
oc content home page
the post linked above will have a collection of all the information you need to know about my ocs if you'd like to. since this is their dedicated archive, a lot of my content surrounds them so i hope this post will make it easier to navigate!
socials
if you like the content i post here, i also post a lot more of my doodles and dumb silly stuff on twitter! follow me @sillyspiderv there as well!!
Chapter 5: Instincts?
Why don't eggs tell jokes? They might crack up!
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
The city looked different after sunset.
From the passenger seat of the royal sedan, the streets blurred into ribbons of gold and white, reflected against rain-dark asphalt as traffic crawled through the evening. Office buildings gradually emptied while cafés filled with students and professionals alike, conversations spilling onto sidewalks warmed by the last traces of summer.
Megumi watched all of it pass through the window in silence.
Normally, he liked these drives.
The ride between the academy and the palace was one of the few moments during the day where no one expected anything from him. No professors asking for presentations. No reporters waiting outside the gates. No cameras catching every expression he failed to hide.
Just twenty minutes of quiet.
Today, however, quiet wasn't enough.
He rested his temple against the cool glass.
His reflection stared back at him.
Uniform perfectly pressed.
Tie still neatly knotted.
Dark hair only slightly disheveled from the walk to Yuji's apartment.
He looked exactly the same as he had that morning.
It irritated him that he didn't feel the same.
"...Long day?"
Megumi blinked.
Satoru's voice broke through the comfortable silence that usually accompanied the drive home.
The King Consort sat behind the steering wheel, one hand resting lazily at the top as the car idled at a red light. Even dressed in simple slacks and a cream-colored sweater instead of ceremonial attire, there was something unmistakably regal about him.
Not because of the title.
Because of the ease with which he carried it.
Megumi straightened slightly.
"It was fine."
Satoru hummed.
"Mm."
The traffic light changed.
The sedan rolled forward again.
"You know," Satoru continued casually, "every time you say something was 'fine,' it usually means it was one of two things."
Megumi already knew where this was going.
"It wasn't."
"I haven't told you the options yet."
"I know your options."
Satoru grinned.
"And?"
"You'll say it was either terrible..."
A beat.
"...or something happened that I don't want to talk about."
"..."
"...See?" Satoru said triumphantly.
"You did know."
Megumi sighed quietly, turning his attention back toward the window.
Outside, students crossed the street carrying grocery bags and takeaway coffee. Two children chased each other through a small park while their parents watched from a nearby bench.
Ordinary.
Uncomplicated.
For a moment, he wondered what it must feel like to go home without security schedules, state dinners or tomorrow's itinerary already planned weeks in advance.
The thought disappeared almost as quickly as it came.
"You don't have to tell me."
Satoru's voice had softened.
"I'm just checking."
"I know."
Another comfortable silence settled between them.
Satoru had always been like this.
People who only knew him through official broadcasts often assumed the King Consort never took anything seriously. He laughed too loudly during interviews, teased foreign dignitaries just enough to make them smile, and had a habit of sneaking desserts before formal dinners despite Suguru reminding him—every single time—that they were meant for after the main course.
At home...
He was still all of those things.
But beneath the playful exterior was someone who noticed far more than he let on.
Megumi had learned that years ago.
He also knew Satoru wouldn't press the issue.
Not unless Megumi invited him to.
The car slowed before a pair of enormous wrought-iron gates.
Royal guards saluted as the vehicle approached.
The gates opened immediately.
Beyond them stretched the palace grounds, illuminated by rows of warm garden lights that lined the winding drive. The building itself rose proudly against the evening sky, its modern glass wings seamlessly joined to the older stone architecture that had housed generations of the royal family.
Home.
As the sedan pulled beneath the covered entrance, Megumi became aware of something he hadn't noticed until now.
The palace's air filtration system.
The moment the doors slid open, the familiar neutral scent of filtered air greeted him.
Clean.
Cool.
Consistent.
His shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly.
The lingering edge of restless instinct, dulled by the drive, settled deeper into the back of his mind.
Not gone.
Just quieter.
A footman opened the passenger door.
"Your Highness."
Megumi offered a polite nod.
"Thank you."
Before he could step away, Satoru leaned across the center console.
"Hey."
Megumi looked back.
"If whatever happened today starts feeling heavier than 'fine'..."
His smile was smaller now.
"...you know where to find us."
For just a moment, Megumi considered saying something.
The words reached the back of his throat before dissolving.
"...I know."
Satoru didn't seem disappointed.
He simply smiled again.
"Good."
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
The palace was alive in a way few outsiders ever witnessed.
People imagined royalty living in silence.
Long marble hallways.
Echoing footsteps.
Servants who appeared and disappeared without a sound.
The reality was very different.
Somewhere down the west corridor, someone laughed.
Staff hurried between offices carrying folders and tablets.
A television in one of the sitting rooms quietly reported on tomorrow's diplomatic summit.
From the kitchens drifted the unmistakable scent of fresh bread and roasted vegetables.
Life continued.
Titles didn't stop people from living.
Megumi loosened his tie as he climbed the main staircase.
His phone buzzed.
📱 Diplomacy Project
Miwa: I already uploaded today's meeting notes!
Miwa: Please check if I forgot anything 😊
A second later—
Yuji: Looks good to me!
Toge: Everything's there.
Megumi opened the shared document.
Miwa had color-coded the sections.
Of course she had.
He allowed himself the smallest smile before typing.
Megumi: Thank you.
Almost immediately, three tiny profile pictures appeared beneath his message as the others read it.
Yuji reacted with a simple 👍.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Megumi locked his phone.
Why had he expected anything else?
Because there wasn't anything else.
It had been a project meeting.
An ordinary afternoon.
One unexpected moment.
That was all.
It had to be.
He repeated the thought to himself as he continued down the corridor toward the dining room.
For reasons he couldn't explain...
It sounded less convincing each time.
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
The dining room was already occupied when Megumi arrived.
Warm light spilled from the pendant fixtures overhead, reflecting off polished oak and the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the palace gardens. Unlike the grand banquet hall reserved for state dinners and official receptions, the family dining room was intentionally smaller. Comfortable. Lived in.
It had been Satoru's idea years ago.
He had argued—rather passionately—that if they were going to raise children in a palace, they should at least have one room that felt like a home instead of a museum.
Suguru had called it impractical.
Three weeks later, he'd approved the renovation plans himself.
"You're late."
Nanako barely looked up from her phone before speaking.
"We were starting to think Dad got distracted and forgot to bring you home."
Megumi pulled out his chair.
"...I'm five minutes late."
"Six."
"I checked."
Mimiko turned another page of her book.
"She set a timer."
"I did."
"That's weird."
"It's commitment."
Before Megumi could answer, footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Satoru appeared carrying a basket of warm bread in one hand, his car keys dangling loosely from the other. A half-finished iced coffee rested in the crook of his arm, looking suspiciously out of place beside the elegant dinner service.
"I made it!"
Nanako raised an eyebrow.
"Barely."
"I was escorting the Crown Prince home."
"You picked him up from a classmate's place."
"It was an official royal escort."
"It was traffic."
"It was heroic traffic."
Mimiko finally looked up.
"...You got lost again, didn't you?"
"I explored alternative routes."
"There are three."
"I appreciated all three."
Suguru looked over the top of the document he'd been skimming while waiting for everyone to gather.
"You also stopped for coffee."
Satoru froze.
Slowly, he looked down at the cup still tucked under his arm.
"...Maybe."
"You've been holding it since you walked in."
"I thought it completed the outfit."
"It does not."
"I disagree."
Nanako laughed into her glass.
"You are unbelievably easy to read."
"I choose to believe that's part of my charm."
"It absolutely is," Tsumiki said with a smile.
Satoru placed the bread in the middle of the table and dramatically took a bow.
"See? Somebody appreciates me."
"We all appreciate you," Suguru replied.
"That doesn't mean we're going to pretend your coffee wasn't a detour."
"It was a strategic morale stop."
"It was a café."
"It was a strategic café."
Suguru sighed, though the faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips betrayed him.
"I'll allow that explanation."
"You always do."
"I've learned it's easier than arguing."
Satoru beamed triumphantly before taking his seat beside Suguru.
Megumi watched the exchange quietly.
It was ordinary.
Predictable.
The kind of conversation that repeated itself in different forms almost every evening.
And somehow...
He found himself grateful for it.
The familiar rhythm of his family's voices grounded him in a way nothing else had managed since leaving the academy.
For a little while, the thoughts that had followed him home finally fell silent.
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
Dinner carried on much as it always did.
Conversation drifted effortlessly from one topic to the next, never lingering long enough for silence to settle over the table.
Tsumiki spoke first, mentioning the final preparations for the charity gala she had been organizing for months. She had spent the afternoon meeting with designers and local organizations, making last-minute adjustments to the guest list after a foreign ambassador unexpectedly confirmed his attendance.
"It'll be a little busier than we expected," she admitted, smoothing the napkin over her lap. "Security wants to reroute the entrance because of the additional press."
"They always do," Satoru replied, tearing off a piece of bread. "The press gets excited if someone breathes differently."
Nanako snorted.
"You literally trended for sneezing last month."
"I had allergies."
"You had royal allergies."
"They were very prestigious."
"They were pollen."
"They were prestigious pollen."
Suguru calmly buttered another slice of bread.
"I distinctly remember you insisting the palace gardener had declared war."
"He knew what he did."
"The gardener?"
"The trees."
Tsumiki laughed into her glass.
Megumi listened quietly, letting the familiar rhythm of their voices wash over him.
It wasn't unusual for him to remain mostly silent during dinner. His family had long since accepted that he preferred listening over speaking, and none of them ever pressured him to contribute unless he wanted to.
Normally, that was enough.
Tonight, however, he wasn't listening nearly as well as he thought he was.
"...Megumi?"
He looked up.
Nanako was watching him curiously.
"Hm?"
"I asked if your project group decided on a topic."
He blinked once.
Apparently, she'd asked twice.
"...We did."
"What is it?"
"'Social Dynamics and Hierarchical Structures in Historical Packs.'"
"Ooh."
Nanako rested her chin on her hand.
"That actually sounds interesting."
"It sounds like homework," Mimiko corrected.
"It can be both."
Satoru looked toward Megumi.
"Who's in your group?"
Megumi reached for his water before answering.
"Itadori. Inumaki. Miwa."
"The first-years?" Tsumiki asked.
"Mhm."
"How are they?"
"They're..."
He paused.
Not because the question was difficult.
Because, unexpectedly, he wasn't sure how to answer.
Friendly.
Capable.
Easy to work with.
Normal.
His mind landed, uninvited, on Yuji laughing as he searched through the kitchen cupboards for enough matching glasses.
On Miwa reorganizing the shared document before anyone had the chance.
On Toge quietly finding sources while the others talked.
"...They're responsible."
The answer earned an amused smile from Suguru.
"High praise."
Megumi realized how it must have sounded.
"They take the assignment seriously."
"Even better."
Satoru leaned back in his chair.
"I was worried you'd get stuck with the type who disappear until the night before the deadline."
"So was I," Nanako admitted.
"They exist in every department," Mimiko said.
"They thrive."
"They're like mold."
"They're exactly like mold."
A quiet chuckle escaped Tsumiki.
Megumi found himself smiling again.
Only for a moment.
It disappeared almost as quickly as it had come.
Suguru noticed.
He didn't comment.
Not yet.
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
The palace had grown quieter by the time Megumi found himself standing outside Suguru's office.
Most of the family had already retreated for the night.
The lively voices that had filled the dining room were replaced by the soft hum of the palace's ventilation system and the occasional footsteps of staff finishing their evening duties.
Normally, this was the part of the day Megumi preferred.
The palace after hours felt different.
Less like a symbol.
Less like the place everyone outside the walls imagined.
It became what it truly was.
Home.
Yet tonight, the silence felt less comforting.
Megumi stared at the closed office door for a moment longer than necessary.
He could leave.
That would be easier.
He could return to his room, finish his assignments, prepare for tomorrow, and let the entire day settle into something distant and insignificant.
That was what he normally did.
He handled things himself.
He always had.
But his hand still lifted.
Three quiet knocks echoed through the hallway.
There was a brief pause.
Then—
"Come in."
Suguru's voice.
Calm.
Steady.
Exactly what Megumi had expected.
He opened the door.
Suguru was seated near the window rather than behind his desk, a tablet resting beside him and a cup of tea untouched on the table.
The moment he saw Megumi, he set everything aside.
Not rushed.
Not alarmed.
Just attentive.
"Something happened."
It wasn't a question.
Megumi stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
"...How did you know?"
Suguru gave a small, almost amused smile.
"Because you rarely come here without a reason."
That was true.
Megumi didn't visit Suguru's office often.
Not because he didn't want to.
Because he knew this room was where Suguru handled the weight of the entire kingdom. The place where decisions affecting thousands of people were made.
Interrupting that had always felt wrong.
Which meant that when Megumi did come here...
It mattered.
Suguru gestured toward the chair opposite him.
"Sit."
Megumi did.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Suguru didn't rush him.
That was one of the things Megumi respected most about him.
Satoru filled silence because he hated seeing people uncomfortable.
Suguru allowed silence because he understood that sometimes people needed time to find the right words.
Finally, Megumi spoke.
"Dad... Something happened today."
Suguru waited.
"During the project meeting."
Another pause.
"I reacted to something."
The wording was careful.
Very Megumi.
Suguru noticed.
"An instinct?"
Megumi's eyes lifted slightly.
"...Yes."
The room became quiet again.
Not awkward.
Just serious.
Suguru leaned back slightly.
"Tell me what happened."
Megumi looked down at his hands.
For someone who had spent most of his life being trained to speak carefully, to choose every word with intention, he found himself struggling more than he expected.
Not because the situation was impossible to explain.
Because explaining it made it feel more real.
"It was during the project meeting," he repeated.
Suguru nodded once.
"At Itadori's apartment?"
Megumi looked up.
"You know?"
"You mentioned the location at dinner."
Right.
Of course.
Suguru remembered details. He always did.
Megumi looked away again.
"He wasn't using a scent blocker."
There was no judgment in Suguru's expression.
No surprise.
Only patience.
"And you noticed."
"...Yes."
"Did it affect your ability to think clearly?"
Megumi hesitated.
"No."
A pause.
"...Not exactly."
Suguru studied him carefully.
"Then what bothered you?"
That question caught Megumi off guard.
Because he had spent the entire evening thinking about what happened.
About the instinct.
About the unexpected reaction.
About the fact that, for a brief moment, something inside him had felt louder than his own thoughts.
But he hadn't stopped to ask what actually bothered him.
"...That I noticed at all."
Suguru remained silent.
Megumi continued.
"I know how to control myself."
His voice became firmer.
"I've been taught that since I presented."
"And you do control yourself."
"I hesitated."
"That is not the same thing."
Megumi frowned slightly.
"It felt like it was."
Suguru leaned back in his chair.
"When I was younger, I thought the same thing."
Megumi looked at him.
The answer had been unexpected.
Suguru rarely spoke about his younger years in detail. Not because he hid them, but because he had always been someone who focused on the present rather than dwelling on the past.
"You did?"
A faint smile touched Suguru's face.
"Yes."
The room became quieter.
"Actually, something very similar happened with Satoru."
Megumi blinked.
"...Papa?"
Suguru nodded.
"Not long after he presented."
For a moment, Megumi tried to imagine it.
Satoru.
The person who seemed completely impossible to embarrass.
The person who walked into diplomatic meetings with a smile and somehow convinced everyone to relax.
The person who could turn almost any serious situation into a joke.
The idea of him struggling with anything related to instincts felt almost strange.
"You?"
Suguru gave a small laugh.
"Yes. Me."
Megumi stared.
"What happened?"
Suguru looked toward the window.
The gardens outside were dark now, illuminated only by small lights along the pathways.
"It was nothing dramatic."
His voice softened slightly.
"Satoru had forgotten his blocker before a study session. Neither of us realized immediately."
Megumi listened carefully.
"I remember being frustrated with myself."
"Why?"
"Because I thought control meant never being affected."
Suguru folded his hands together.
"I believed that if I was truly disciplined, instincts would never interfere."
A small pause.
"That was unrealistic."
Megumi considered those words.
Suguru had always seemed like someone who had mastered everything.
Politics.
Responsibility.
Leadership.
Even his own emotions.
Hearing that he had once struggled made something in Megumi loosen slightly.
"What did you do?"
"The same thing you did."
Megumi looked at him.
"I focused."
Suguru smiled faintly.
"I reminded myself that instincts are information, not instructions."
The words settled between them.
"Being an Alpha does not mean surrendering control."
Suguru's gaze remained calm.
"It means understanding yourself enough to make your own choices."
Megumi looked down.
"I know that."
"I know you do."
"Then why does it feel like I don't?"
For the first time that evening, his voice sounded less like the Crown Prince and more like someone who was simply tired.
Suguru didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he let the silence exist.
Then:
"Because you care about being responsible."
Megumi looked up.
"That is not a weakness."
"It feels like one."
"Most things feel like weaknesses when you are afraid of failing."
The words hit closer than Megumi expected.
He looked away.
"I don't want to become someone who can't control himself."
Suguru's expression softened.
"Megumi."
The use of his name alone made him look back.
"You have spent your entire life proving that you can."
A pause.
"One difficult moment does not erase years of discipline."
Megumi didn't answer.
Because, frustratingly, he knew Suguru was right.
That didn't mean the thought stopped bothering him.
If anything, it made it worse.
Because now he couldn't dismiss the situation as simply a failure.
It had been something normal.
Something other people experienced.
Something Suguru himself had experienced.
And yet...
His mind still returned to the same question.
Why had it unsettled him so much?
Suguru seemed to notice the direction of his thoughts.
"May I ask you something?"
Megumi nodded.
"When this happened, did you feel unsafe?"
"No."
"Did you lose control?"
"No."
"Did you act in a way you regret?"
Megumi paused.
"...No."
"Then perhaps you are judging yourself more harshly than necessary."
Megumi looked down at the carpet.
Maybe.
But another part of him resisted that answer.
Because something about today had been different.
Not dangerous.
Not wrong.
Just unfamiliar.
And unfamiliar things were difficult.
Especially when they involved someone Megumi barely knew.
"...Thank you."
Suguru smiled.
"Anytime."
Megumi stood.
For a moment, he thought the conversation was finished.
Then Suguru spoke again.
"One more thing."
Megumi turned.
"Do not confuse understanding an instinct with obeying it."
His expression was gentle, but serious.
"That distinction will matter throughout your life."
Megumi nodded.
"I understand."
And he did.
At least, he thought he did.
He left the office with the intention of finally putting the matter behind him.
Of returning to his room.
Of opening his textbooks.
Of focusing on anything else.
But as he walked through the quiet palace halls, one thought followed him.
Not Suguru's advice.
Not the reminder about control.
Not even the explanation that instincts were normal.
Only the comparison Suguru had made.
The fact that something similar had happened with Satoru.
And that thought brought an immediate, unwanted conclusion.
No.
Megumi stopped walking.
Absolutely not.
The situations were different.
Completely different.
Suguru and Satoru had known each other for years.
They were partners.
Family.
Their bond had been built over time.
This was nothing like that.
Megumi continued toward his room.
Faster this time.
It was just instinct.
That was all.
It had nothing to do with Yuji.
Nothing at all.
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
How will Megumi proceed? Did Yuji notice his struggle? We'll never know... Well, YOU'll never know... Until the next chapters at least...
<- Chapter 4 Chapter 6 ->
trapped forever
here is the inspiration. in case anyone finds that interesting
fem megumi and yuji
mob psycho 100 !!!!
i never watch anime but my friend told me to watch this years ago and its insaaaaaane
Chase you down until you love me
Student years
"We can meet again somewhere"
Cozy morning
Yuuji picks up crocheting after Shinjuku. He's always had a problem with fidgeting before, but after the dust has settled, he feels like he's always on the edge of getting up to run a 5k.
Nobara had suggested it on a whim, when he was picking at the blanket on Megumi's cot. It wasn't supposed to be taken seriously, but he did, and it helped.
It not only made him feel calm, but the patterns helped occupy his mind instead of the guilt over his best friend's comatose state, and basically everything that had happened in the past year.
After Megumi wakes, and during his recovery stages, he asks Yuuji to teach him. Yuuji is more than willing to, but Megumi's fingers just don't seem to be working as well as they used to.
He gets frustrated, throwing the ball of pink yarn on the floor and holding back tears. Yuuji is right there, calming him down, but it sucks. The numbness that plagues his hands and legs. He hates it.
Yuuji makes him a soft pair of black fingerless gloves that somehow help with some of the constant chill. He starts to wear them everywhere, because they help, and they remind him of Yuuji when the other isn't around.
left the classes to make out
Satoru's love language is talking shit
Suguru's love language is listening to whatever the fuck this pretty boy says
Art i did for a satosugu zine 🌻
should i have rendered this more? yeah, probably, but why do that when i can just slap another chibi on there
Stay up to date and follow me on insta / bsky / x !
Chapter 4: His Home, His Scent and Other Catastrophes
Gng idk what to say before the chapters so I'll start them with dad jokes from now on...
Did you hear about the circus fire? It was in tents!
... You better laugh.
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
The final bell echoed through the lecture hall, immediately dissolving what little discipline remained.
Conversations resumed.
Chairs scraped across the floor.
Students reached for backpacks and tablets, already discussing weekend plans, club meetings and overdue assignments before they had even stepped outside.
Yuji stretched his arms above his head with a quiet groan.
"My brain officially stopped working twenty minutes ago."
Nobara zipped her bag shut.
"I noticed."
"I was taking notes."
"You drew a dog wearing a crown."
"...It was a wolf."
Junpei glanced at the notebook.
"It was definitely a dog."
Yuji looked down.
"...Traitors."
Before either of them could respond, Professor Yaga's voice carried across the room.
"Itadori. Fushiguro. Inumaki. Miwa."
The four of them looked up.
"I expect your project proposal perfect for next Friday. Don't wait until the last minute."
"Yes, Professor," Miwa answered almost immediately.
Yaga gave a single nod before leaving the room.
For a moment, none of the four students moved.
Then Miwa clapped her hands together.
"Well! Since we're all here..."
She smiled brightly.
"...we should probably introduce ourselves properly."
Yuji smiled back.
"Sounds good."
"I'm Miwa Kasumi."
She offered a small bow out of habit before laughing at herself.
"I guess you already knew that."
"I'm Yuji Itadori."
"Toge Inumaki."
His voice was quiet, though warm enough to put the others at ease.
Finally, three pairs of eyes settled on the last member of the group.
"...Megumi Fushiguro."
No title.
No formality.
Just his name.
Yuji couldn't help but notice.
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
The hallway outside was just as crowded as always.
Students flowed between classrooms in every direction, conversations overlapping into a constant hum.
Miwa carefully opened a scheduling app on her phone.
"So..."
She looked between everyone.
"When are you all free?"
Yuji immediately unlocked his phone.
"I'm pretty open after classes."
"So am I."
Toge nodded.
"I have kendo practice tomorrow, but today works."
Miwa smiled.
"Perfect."
Her eyes landed on Megumi.
"And you?"
Megumi checked his calendar.
The screen was almost painfully organized.
Lectures.
Student council.
Language tutoring.
A charity planning meeting.
An official dinner.
Another lecture.
He quietly scrolled through the list.
"...I'm available this afternoon."
Miwa beamed.
"Great! We can have our first meeting today."
She looked around.
"Now we just need somewhere to work."
"The library?" Toge suggested.
Yuji rubbed the back of his neck.
"It'll probably be packed after school."
"True..."
Miwa frowned thoughtfully.
"The café?"
"It gets loud."
Another pause settled over the group.
Then Yuji spoke.
"...You could come to my place."
Three heads turned toward him.
"My apartment's only like... ten minutes from campus."
He shrugged casually.
"We'd have a table, Wi-Fi, snacks..."
He paused.
"...Actual snacks. Not vending machine snacks."
Miwa's expression brightened immediately.
"Really? That'd be amazing!"
Yuji laughed.
"Sure."
He looked toward Toge.
"You okay with that?"
Toge nodded.
"I don't mind."
Finally, Yuji's gaze settled on Megumi.
"What about you?"
Megumi considered it for a moment.
Truthfully, he preferred working in neutral spaces.
They were quieter.
More predictable.
He rarely accepted invitations to classmates' homes.
Not because he disliked people.
Simply because life became less complicated when certain boundaries remained intact.
Still...
This was a group assignment.
Yuji had offered without hesitation.
Refusing would only make the first meeting unnecessarily awkward.
"...That's fine."
Yuji smiled.
"Awesome."
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
By the time classes ended, the afternoon sun had begun to sink lower over the academy grounds.
Students poured through the gates in every direction.
Some headed toward clubs.
Others caught trains home.
A few lingered beneath the trees, enjoying what remained of the warm afternoon.
Yuji led the way.
"It's not far."
Miwa happily chatted beside him, asking about nearby cafés and whether he had always lived in the city.
Toge listened quietly, occasionally joining the conversation when asked a question.
Megumi walked a step behind.
Not intentionally.
It simply happened.
As they crossed the main courtyard, a phone camera flashed somewhere to their left.
Another.
Then another.
Yuji glanced over instinctively.
A pair of students quickly lowered their phones, pretending to look at something else.
"...Do people always do that?"
Megumi didn't look in their direction.
"Sometimes."
"They weren't exactly subtle."
"They usually aren't."
Yuji frowned slightly.
"...Doesn't it bother you?"
Megumi answered after a brief silence.
"It used to."
There was no bitterness in his voice.
Only acceptance.
"I stopped paying attention."
The conversation drifted away after that.
But Yuji found himself glancing back once.
The students had already uploaded at least one of the photos.
He knew because one of them was laughing while reading comments beneath the post.
It struck him as... strange.
To have ordinary moments become someone else's entertainment.
He quietly slipped his own phone back into his pocket.
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
Ten minutes later, Yuji stopped outside a modest apartment building.
"This is me."
Miwa looked up.
"It's cute!"
"It's small."
"It has character."
Yuji laughed.
"That's a nicer way of saying it's small."
He held the entrance door open for the others before leading them upstairs.
Apartment 3B.
He unlocked the door.
"Come in."
The apartment wasn't luxurious.
It didn't need to be.
A comfortable sofa faced a television.
Bookshelves lined one wall.
The dining table was already covered with neatly stacked textbooks and loose papers.
A hoodie had been abandoned over one of the chairs.
"...Sorry about the mess."
"It looks fine," Miwa assured him.
"I'll grab some drinks."
Yuji kicked off his shoes near the entrance almost absentmindedly.
"Make yourselves at home."
With that, he disappeared into the kitchen.
The apartment fell quiet.
Toge wandered toward the bookshelf.
"You've got a lot of manga."
"I've heard good things about those," Miwa said, joining him.
Megumi remained where he was.
The front door clicked shut behind them.
Silence.
Then—
He inhaled.
And his entire body stilled.
Something warm settled into the air around him.
Not perfume.
Not detergent.
Something softer.
Caramel.
Strawberries.
His Alpha recognized it before his thoughts did.
Omega.
The instinct surfaced without permission.
Quiet.
Ancient.
Simple.
Close.
Megumi's fingers tightened around the strap of his bag.
His heartbeat stumbled once.
Just once.
He exhaled slowly through his nose.
The scent lingered throughout the apartment, woven into the fabric of the space itself.
This was Yuji's home.
Of course he wasn't wearing a scent blocker here.
Why would he?
There was no reason to. The patches collected sweat along with the pheromones. It got uncomfortable over time.
His Alpha, however, cared very little for etiquette or logic.
It only recognized that the apartment carried the unmistakable scent of an Omega who felt safe enough to let the artificial filters fall away.
Comfort.
Home.
Close.
Megumi shut his eyes for the briefest moment.
Enough.
When he opened them again, his expression had returned to its usual calm.
Only the faint tension in his jaw betrayed the effort it had taken.
Behind him, Miwa looked over from the bookshelf.
"Prince—"
She caught herself.
"Sorry... Megumi?"
He turned.
"Yes?"
"You okay?"
"...Of course."
"You looked like you spaced out for a second."
"I'm fine."
She smiled sheepishly.
"Long day, huh?"
"...Something like that."
She accepted the answer without another thought and returned to examining Yuji's bookshelf.
Toge hadn't noticed anything at all.
He was already reading the spine of a hockey manga with quiet interest.
A moment later, Yuji returned carrying a tray balanced carefully in both hands.
"I found enough glasses!"
He smiled, completely unaware.
"Sorry that took a while."
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
He set the tray down on the dining table.
Four glasses.
A pitcher of water.
A bowl of cookies he'd clearly bought rather than baked.
Miwa clapped her hands together.
"Okay! Time to get started."
She pulled out the chair furthest from the hoodie-draped one.
Toge took the seat beside her.
Yuji gestured toward the remaining spots.
"Pick whichever."
Miwa looked between the last two chairs.
Then she glanced at Megumi.
"You probably want to sit here."
She pointed to the chair directly across from her.
"Better light for taking notes."
Megumi moved toward the chair without argument.
As he settled into it, the scent of Yuji's pheromones grew stronger.
The Alpha inside him stirred again.
Closer.
He pressed his knee firmly against the underside of the table.
Ignore it.
It had been years since an Omega's unfiltered scent had affected him this much.
Not since middle school when he first started presenting.
He'd learned control since then.
Discipline.
Focus.
His Alpha was usually a quiet presence at the back of his mind. Useful when needed, easy to dismiss when not.
Now, it paced behind a mental fence, sniffing the air with renewed interest.
Megumi reached into his bag and pulled out a notebook.
The pages were crisp.
Organized.
Neatly divided into sections with handwritten labels.
His lifeline to logic.
"So..." Yuji began, pulling the abandoned hoodie off the remaining chair and tossing it onto the sofa.
"What exactly are we supposed to be researching?"
Miwa unlocked her tablet.
"Social Dynamics and Hierarchical Structures in Historical Packs."
She read aloud from the assignment description.
"Professor Yaga wants us to focus on how traditional pack dynamics evolved in response to modern societal changes."
Toge nodded.
"Makes sense."
Yuji leaned forward.
"So... like, how Alphas used to lead packs physically, but now leadership is more about... skills? Or money?"
"Exactly."
Miwa highlighted a section on her screen.
"The assignment suggests comparing historical examples with contemporary pack models."
Yuji looked thoughtful.
"Okay..."
Megumi remained silent, focusing on the familiar comfort of his notebook.
He could do this.
He could compartmentalize.
The project required research.
Analysis.
Logical arguments.
His strengths.
His Alpha could whine all it wanted about the warm, honeyed scent curling around the edges of his awareness.
The rest of him had work to do.
"I think we should start by dividing the research," Miwa suggested.
"Split the eras between us?"
Toge nodded.
"Sounds good. Pre-Modern, Modern, Post-Modern?"
That works," Yuji agreed.
"I can take Post-Modern. I feel like that's the most relevant to today."
Miwa nodded.
"I'll take Modern. That's like... Industrial Revolution to maybe the 1990s?"
She looked toward Toge.
"Pre-Modern for you?"
Toge nodded again.
Then they both looked at Megumi.
Three pairs of eyes.
He felt pinned.
Exposed.
His gaze dropped briefly to the table.
"...I can handle the historical foundations."
His voice was steady.
Controlled.
"Ancient pack structures."
"Perfect!"
Miwa typed the division into her notes.
"Should we set up a shared document?"
"Good idea."
Yuji pulled out his phone.
"I'll create one and share the link."
As he leaned forward to type, the scent intensified.
A wave of caramel and strawberry washed over Megumi.
Sweet.
Inviting.
Unintentionally tempting.
His fingers tightened around his pen.
Control.
His Alpha pushed harder against the mental barrier.
Good scent.
Safe.
Close.
Megumi's jaw tensed.
He shifted in his chair, the fabric of his uniform suddenly rough against his skin.
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
Once they had a clear plan, the awkwardness of being strangers slowly faded into the background.
Miwa took charge of organizing the shared document, adding sections, deadlines, and reminders before anyone could even suggest it.
Yuji handled the formatting.
Toge quietly searched for reliable sources, occasionally sending links into the group chat before anyone else had finished looking.
And Megumi...
Megumi did what he always did.
He organized.
By the time the sky outside Yuji's window had turned dark, their project already had a structure.
Diplomacy Project — Group 7
Completed:
Topic selection
Research division
Shared document created
Next meeting: Friday after lectures
Miwa leaned back in her chair, looking at the screen.
"Honestly? That went better than I expected."
Yuji smiled.
"Why?"
"Because group projects usually start with everyone pretending they're going to contribute and then one person ends up doing everything."
She looked at the others.
"I don't think that's going to happen with us."
Toge nodded.
"I agree."
Yuji laughed.
"Wow. High praise."
"It is."
The small compliment made him grin.
Megumi quietly packed away his notebook.
He had expected the afternoon to be inconvenient.
A necessary obligation.
Something to complete and move on from.
Instead, it had been... normal.
Not the kind of normal he experienced during official events or academy functions.
Just students working together.
No cameras.
No expectations.
No one treating him differently because of his surname.
His phone buzzed.
A notification appeared.
💬 Family Tsumiki: Are you still at school?
Megumi glanced at the time.
He hadn't realized how late it had gotten.
Megumi: No. I'm leaving soon.
A second later:
Tsumiki: Good. Don't forget dinner.
He stared at the message for a moment before replying.
Megumi: I won't.
"Should we head out?"
Miwa's voice pulled him back.
Everyone was already gathering their things.
Yuji picked up the empty glasses.
"I'll clean these."
"You don't have to."
"I know."
He smiled.
"But I invited everyone over."
Miwa laughed.
"You really are too nice."
Yuji shrugged.
"Someone has to be."
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
A few minutes later, the apartment was returned to how it had looked before they arrived.
The textbooks remained stacked on the table.
The hoodie was back on the chair.
The only proof anyone had been there was the newly created group chat on their phones.
At the door, Miwa slipped on her shoes.
"Okay, everyone exchange numbers properly before we leave."
"We already made the group chat," Yuji pointed out.
"Exactly. Now we need actual contacts."
She held out her phone.
One by one, they exchanged information.
A moment later, four new contacts appeared.
Yuji Itadori
Megumi Fushiguro
Toge Inumaki
Kasumi Miwa
The names sat together on the screen.
A small thing.
Almost meaningless.
But it was the first time their lives had been connected outside the academy.
"See you tomorrow, then," Miwa said.
"Yeah."
Toge nodded.
"See you."
Yuji looked toward Megumi.
"Goodbye, Megumi."
Not Prince Fushiguro.
Not a title.
Just his name.
Megumi paused briefly.
Then nodded.
"Goodbye, Yuji."
The moment was small.
Simple.
And yet, for reasons neither of them understood, it felt different from the first time they had spoken.
The first meeting had been an accident.
This time, they had chosen to stay.
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
The car was already waiting at the curb when Megumi stepped outside.
The window lowered before he even reached the door.
"Took you long enough."
Megumi sighed.
"Hello to you too."
Gojo grinned from the driver's seat.
"How was your first official group meeting?"
"Fine."
"Just fine?"
"Yes."
"Interesting."
Megumi looked over.
"What?"
Gojo's smile widened slightly.
"Nothing. You just usually complain more when something is actually fine."
Megumi ignored that and got into the car.
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
Maybe I should drop another dad joke... No, I won't.
<- Chapter 3 Chapter 5 ->
THSI SERIES IS SO PEAK GO READ IT!!!
Chapter 3: Familiar Faces
Eat up, my children... Warnings apply...
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
The academy had a habit of making yesterday feel distant.
By eight o'clock the following morning, the library, the forgotten notebook, and the brief exchange between prince and student had already dissolved into another ordinary memory among hundreds of others.
At least, for one of them.
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
Yuji's phone vibrated before his alarm had the chance to ring a second time.
He reached across his bedside table with a groan, squinting at the bright screen.
💬 Chaos Trio (3 new messages)
Nobara: don't be late
Nobara: again
Junpei: Good morning.
Yuji smiled despite himself.
Yuji: good morning :)
Yuji: also i was only late twice this week
The typing bubble appeared immediately.
Nobara: it's wednesday.
"..."
"...She's got me there."
He threw the blanket aside and climbed out of bed.
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
The academy grounds buzzed with life by the time first period began.
Students crossed the courtyards carrying coffee cups, tablets tucked beneath their arms and earbuds hanging loosely around their necks. Others hurried toward lectures while trying to finish assignments on their phones, earning more than one disapproving look from passing professors.
Yuji slipped through the crowd just as the bell rang.
"I'm here!"
"You've got twelve seconds."
Nobara checked the time on her smartwatch before looking up.
"I'll allow it."
"You make it sound like you run the school."
"I would do a better job."
Junpei adjusted the strap of his backpack.
"...She's probably right."
Yuji sighed dramatically.
"I need new friends."
"No," Nobara replied. "You need better time management."
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
Across campus, the atmosphere couldn't have been more different.
The royal residence connected directly to the academy's administrative building, allowing the members of the Japanese royal family to avoid the crowds if necessary.
Megumi rarely used the private entrance.
He preferred walking through campus.
Even if it meant attracting attention.
Even if whispers followed him from one building to the next.
Most students were respectful.
Some smiled politely.
Others pretended not to stare.
A few still took blurry photos when they thought security wasn't looking.
Megumi had learned to ignore all of it years ago.
His phone buzzed.
💬 Family
Tsumiki: Good luck on your presentation today! 💙
Nanako: don't embarrass us
Mimiko: He's presenting. Not juggling.
Satoru: You remembered to eat breakfast, right?
A moment later—
Suguru: Your father is asking because he forgot to eat his own.
Megumi looked up from the screen.
Across the hallway, Satoru was indeed walking beside Suguru while drinking what appeared to be his first coffee of the morning.
"..."
He quietly typed.
Megumi: I ate.
Three dots appeared almost instantly.
Satoru: good :)
Megumi smiled—small enough that nobody around him noticed.
He slipped the phone back into his pocket.
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
Second period ended with considerably more enthusiasm than it had begun.
Mostly because Professor Yaga had announced a collaborative semester project.
"The academy believes diplomacy cannot be learned through lectures alone."
A collective groan spread across the room.
"So," Yaga continued, entirely unfazed, "you will be working in mixed groups."
Someone in the back whispered a quiet prayer.
"The groups will include students from different academic departments."
More groans.
"And they have already been assigned."
Silence.
That was somehow worse.
Yaga began reading names.
Yuji listened absentmindedly, only half paying attention until—
"Itadori Yuji."
He straightened.
"...Present."
"You will be working with Inumaki Toge, Miwa Kasumi..."
Yaga continued reading.
"...and Prince Fushiguro Megumi."
The classroom fell noticeably quieter.
Yuji blinked once.
Then twice.
"...What?"
Several heads turned in his direction.
Nobara, sitting two rows ahead, slowly looked over her shoulder with an expression that could only be described as don't make this weird.
Junpei discreetly sent him a message beneath the desk.
💬 Junpei
Breathe.
Yuji resisted the urge to laugh.
Yuji: i am breathing
A second later—
Junpei: You stopped for five seconds.
"..."
Maybe he had.
Not because he was excited.
Just...
Surprised.
There were hundreds of students at the academy.
The odds of ending up in the same project group as Prince Fushiguro couldn't have been very high.
He told himself it was nothing more than coincidence.
Because that's exactly what it was.
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
Megumi didn't react when Yaga read the final list.
Group projects came every semester.
Names changed.
Partners changed.
The work remained the same.
He simply made a brief note in the reminders app on his phone.
Diplomacy Project
Meet group after class.
Divide research.
Deadline: Friday.
He locked the screen.
Another assignment.
Another week.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
He hadn't even looked to see who the other students were.
Not yet.
The bell rang.
Around the classroom, chairs scraped against the floor as students began gathering their things.
Outside, rain clouds slowly drifted across the morning sky, casting soft shadows over the academy grounds.
Somewhere between one ordinary class ending and another beginning, four names had quietly been placed on the same list.
To everyone else, it was just another group assignment.
None of them realized it would become the first time their paths crossed by choice rather than by chance.
º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º------º
Heh... Y'all ain't prepared for what will happen in chapter four...
<- Chapter 2 Chapter 4 ->
Satosugu office AU 💼
[do not use/repost]
so so so so much
