9 - bear
They were both sitting at the kitchen table at home, across from each other. Megumi was turned away, his back facing towards Yuji. He was quiet.
"Megumi I'm sorry." Yuji said. "I didn't mean to bring them there. I didn't know we were going to your café. I didn't think they would say those things to you either." Megumi heard the pain in his voice as he struggled to form his thoughts.
"Whatever, it's fine." Megumi responded.
Yuji asked hesitantly. "Are you still mad at me?"
"Yeah but I'm trying not to be," Megumi said honestly. "I'm not really mad at you, I'm just mad in general. If it was unintentional then I don't blame you." He turned towards Yuji and looked at him straight in the eyes. "But if they tell other people, my life at school will be hell."
Yuji got up from his chair and stood right in front of Megumi. He rested his hand on Megumi's shoulder. "Don't worry, I won't let them say anything bad about you," he assured. "If they do I'll beat them up. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."
He leaned down and brought Megumi in for a hug. Megumi reciprocated and wrapped his arms around Yuji.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
⤜-------⤛
It was morning. Students walked into the classroom.
Yuji and Megumi were already at their desks. Megumi was reading his textbook, trying to study a bit more, meanwhile Yuji was lost in thought.
But as soon as Tanaka and Nishinoya walked into the room, Yuji immediately avoided eye contact with them. He wanted nothing to do with them.
And it stayed that way for the rest of the week.
Yuji continued to hang out with Megumi all the while pretending that his former friends didn't exist. He didn't need them anyway. They finally showed their true colors. Who would want to be friends with people like that?
⤜-------⤛
It was lunch time. Megumi and Yuji were eating lunch together on the roof. Their lunches were both homemade, curtesy of Yuji who had prepared their food the night before.
"Maybe they think I'm gay," Megumi blurted out. "Because I always hang out with you and I dress in feminine clothes when I work at the maid café. Now that I think about it, it kind of looks like I have a crush on you. Maybe that's why they don't like me."
"Who cares about what they think?" Yuji dismissed him. "But don't worry, if they try anything or spread any rumors I'll end them. And I mean it."
Megumi looked down pensively. "Actually I feel bad for you. You've been friends with them for a long time. And now you have to choose between them and me. And picking me would probably be your last choice, right? I already know that I'm boring as hell."
Yuji shook his head. "You're wrong. You're completely wrong. You're always my first choice. Always." He looked straight into Megumi's eyes.
Megumi turned away out of embarrassment. His ears turned red. "If you say so."
As they were eating they heard footsteps coming up the stairs. They both looked at the door to see who it was. It was Tanaka and Nishinoya.
"What are you doing here?" Yuji accused them. "There are plenty of other places you can eat. Go somewhere else!"
Tanaka jittered nervously. His hands were behind his back. "We came here to talk." He said slowly. "Specifically to Megumi."
Megumi was surprised they wanted to talk to him. But he didn't feel like listening to anything they had to say. "I don't want to talk to you," Megumi refused them.
Nishinoya sighed. They walked closer to Megumi. "Megumi, I know you're probably not going to forgive us, but we're sorry. We regret everything that happened that day."
Megumi eyed them in disbelief. "Are you really sorry? Or are you just saying that. You looked like you had a lot of fun insulting me that time."
Megumi and Yuji were sitting on the ground so Tanaka and Nishinoya both crouched down to meet their eye level. There was silence for a few seconds. Then Tanaka spoke the next words.
"We we're jealous." He admitted. "We felt like you were taking our best friend away from us. Before you came along, it's always been the three of us. Me, Nishinoya, and Yuji. But ever since he started hanging out with you, I don't know, it felt like Yuji had left us for you."
Megumi kept silent. He didn't know what to say. He looked over at Yuji who was looking down.
Tanaka continued. "So we made fun of you. Partially because yeah, at first we thought it was weird to see a guy dressed up in girls clothes, but mostly because it was our way of getting mad at you for hogging Yuji all to yourself." He scratched his head. "I know it doesn't excuse anything. But we still wanted to say sorry."
More silence. And then finally Megumi spoke.
"I forgive you." He said.
All three of them, Yuji, Tanaka, and Nishinoya were shocked. Nobody expected Megumi to forgive so quickly.
"Really?" Nishinoya questioned. "Are you sure?"
Megumi answered. "Truthfully I'm still mad, but I understand why you did it. You guys were lonely right? Without Yuji. I, uh, know what that's like. To feel lonely and abandoned by someone and wanting to lash out and find someone to blame because of it. So even though I'm still mad, I forgive you." He stated.
"Thank you so much," Nishinoya replied graciously. He reached out to grab Megumi's hands.
Megumi pulled back. "But!" He announced. "On three conditions."
Nishinoya and Tanaka looked at each other. They both gulped nervously.
"First," Megumi started, "You have to take back everything you said at the café. I still feel pretty insulted by it."
"Of course." Tanaka remarked. "We take back everything we said. None of it is true."
"Yeah!" Nishinoya agreed. "If you wanna wear feminine clothes, do it! There's nothing wrong with it. We were wrong for making fun of you for it. Wear whatever the hell you want, we won't judge you for it ever again."
Megumi nodded, satisfied with their answers. "Second," Megumi held up two fingers, "You have to promise not to tell anyone about my job."
"We promise." They said in unison.
"And lastly," Megumi held up three fingers, "You have to keep being there for Yuji."
"Huh?" Nishinoya said in surprise.
"I don't want him to chose between us. I want to keep hanging out with Yuji. But I also want you guys to be there for him as his best friends. So that he's not lonely. After all, there's really no limit on how many friends you can have." Megumi clarified. "So do we have a deal?"
"Does that mean we're going to eat lunch together?" Nishinoya asked. "The four of us?"
"Maybe, but it'll probably be awkward." Megumi admitted. "I don't really know how to talk to you guys. I'm not good at talking to people in general."
"Well," Tanaka spoke. "Let's start with an ice breaker." He looked around for something, and then he spotted his bag. He grabbed it and zipped it open. "Here. An apology bear." He offered it to Megumi.
Yuji recognized that bear. Tanaka won it at the arcade.
Megumi took the bear from Tanaka and held it in his arms. "It's so big." He observed. "What am I going to do with it?"
"Snuggle with it!" He answered. "It helps with loneliness. So you'll never be lonely when you sleep ever again."
"Pfff," Megumi started laughing. What a silly answer. But still, he appreciated it. A lot. "Thank you." He said. And he looked at them and smiled.
Nishinoya and Tanaka were awe-struck. They had never seen Megumi's genuine smile before.
He should smile more, Tanaka thought. "Actually there's one thing I said at that café that I won't take back!" He added.
Megumi looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean? What is it that you won't take back?" He asked.
"You really did look cute in your angel outfit." Tanaka stated. Nishinoya gave him a thumbs up. And Megumi turned as red as a tomato.
Yuji felt a pang of jealousy on the inside. He knew that his friends weren't hitting on Megumi, but why did it feel like they were? So my friends think Megumi looks cute too? I don't know how to feel about that..
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