Chapter Text
“ - st come with me, please?”
Megumi adjusts his cell phone where it’s pinched between his cheek and shoulder as he continues to fold his laundry.
“You might even meet someone!”
He scoffs just then, neatly piling his underwear together to transfer to his drawer. “Why would I want to do that?”
“Money. Duh.” There’s shuffling on the other end of the line, as if Kugisaki is also preoccupied, probably with choosing an outfit.
Kugisaki Nobara is a friend he’s had since high school, now attending the same university as him. She’s one of the constant fixtures in his life, though her tenacity is a large part of that. Megumi doesn’t necessarily try to chase anyone away, but they end up leaving him either way. They initially bonded over beating up bullies, then discovered they had more in common. For instance, like him, she has to work to pay for living expenses. How they do this is completely different.
“I’m not flirting with some old geezer -”
“It’s not just flirting, although there’s some of that!” More shuffling, then a huff. “Some guys honestly have way too much money and just want to spend it on someone cute. You’d be popular, you know.”
Megumi does part time work such as food delivery and cafe barista. Nobara, on the other hand, is a sugar baby. He works approximately 15-20 hours a week and makes just over $300. She goes out every weekend and gets her rent paid in full or gets extra spending money for whatever she wants. Megumi would have never guessed that she likes getting dolled up and chatting up wealthy men, based on her modest dress and casual way of behaving any other time of the week. She’s been doing this for a few months, ever since a friend invited. Now, she’s trying to get Megumi to go, as if there’s some ‘bring a friend, get a bonus’ special.
“What would I even do?” Megumi says, putting the last of his clothes into drawers, sides up for easy identification and access. “I’m telling you, I’m not flirting with anyone.”
“That’s fine! Most of the time, you just want to look pretty and available. I’ve never been to this place before so it’d be nice to have a pretend boyfriend if people get too creepy.”
“Ah, so you’re using me.”
“You can benefit too!”
After more back and forth, Megumi concedes because - what does he have to lose?
–
The bar is in an upscale part of the city, attached to a five star hotel that is owned by one of the wealthiest men in Tokyo. Megumi feels out of place walking in, but Nobara chose his outfit of navy blue suit with a white silk button down, and he looks like he could be part of the pretty decorations in the bar. The first couple buttons of his shirt are undone, exposing the pale column of his throat, and she gave him some of her light pink lipgloss to add more color to his face. She insisted on a smidge of brown eyeliner to bring out the green of his eyes, but he adamantly refused. Next to him, she’d dressed in a fitting coral pink dress and gold heels with the straps winding up her calves. They gather a few looks as they find a seat in the corner.
“So, the trick is to look bored - which, you have no problem doing,” Nobara explains, taking out her cell phone. She brings up her camera to take a selfie. Megumi watches, trying to keep the look of disdain from his face. “If you notice someone looking at you, give them some sort of signal to approach you. Never approach them.”
“Got it.” Megumi says disinterestedly. He’s scanning the crowd, curious more about the type of people who frequent the place rather than how much money they have. It's a Friday night, so the place is fairly busy. There's a mix of older and younger patrons, most looking like they came from a black tie event, and others looking as if they’d finished their high paying job for the day.
No one in particular catches his eye.
A few minutes pass before an older man approaches Nobara to talk with her. Megumi taps on his phone, trying not to eavesdrop as Nobara assumes her role as a cute university student needing a father figure, and god, does that make Megumi think. If anyone needs a father figure, it's him.
Acting bored is easier than he thought it would be. He gets up to use the restroom, aware of someone following behind him. An older, chubby man stands at the urinal next to him, even though there are several others available. Megumi ignores him even as the guy clearly checks him out.
Megumi finishes and washes his hands before heading out, dodging the man’s attempt at a conversation. Why did he let Nobara convince him to come? This isn’t too different than what he expected.
As he approaches the table, he sees the man and Nobara standing, as if ready to leave the bar. He has his hand on her elbow, but Megumi can tell that Nobara is politely trying to refuse him based on her body language, with her leaning away and the man trying to get closer.
“Come on, there’s a private party in my suite,” the man says, trying to tug Nobara along while leering at her breasts. Nobara laughs coquettishly.
“Ah, Tanaka-san, tonight isn’t good,” Nobara tries, her arm visibly flexing. “Another time.”
“I promise a good time -”
“She’s not interested,” Megumi cuts in, inserting himself between him and Nobara. The man, shorter than Megumi, glares up at him, his beady eyes becoming bloodshot with anger.
“Who the hell are you?! Don’t touch me, you -”
A large, tanned hand claps Tanaka on the shoulder, causing the latter’s words to die in his mouth. Megumi feels the presence of the newcomer before he sees them, imposing in the way their shadow seems to loom over him.
“Tanaka-san, shouldn’t we treat our young friends nicely? It’d be bad for all of us if you scare them away.” His voice is like honey over gravel, but sinister in its message. Megumi looks up to see a tall, broad man with sleek, light brown hair and wine colored eyes. He feels Tanaka’s grip loosen then release.
“R-Ryoumen-san! My apologies for my behavior just now.” He brings his hands together and bows his head politely. “You’re absolutely right.”
“Apologize to the young lady, not to me,”
“Absolutely!” The bumbling man turns to Nobara, who’s shooting a stunned look at Megumi. “I’m very sorry, Nobara-chan.”
“Thank you,” she says, still shocked. Tanaka bows to Ryoumen again and quickly shuffles away. Megumi blinks after him, then looks back up at Ryoumen, who already has his eyes on him. He’s extremely handsome and doesn’t look older than forty. Dressed in a black suit and shirt, he looks like he came straight from a photoshoot.
“Are you alright, young lady?” Ryoumen asks her. Megumi watches as Nobara struggles to form words, then blushes, then nods and excuses herself, practically running to the restrooms. Ryoumen chuckles then focuses on Megumi again, his gaze intense in a way that makes Megumi hot under his collar. “How about you?”
“I’m fine,” Megumi says, adrenaline bleeding out of him. He almost punched the guy. “Thanks for stepping in, but I would have handled it.”
“I know you would have,” the older man says quickly, confidently. “But you shouldn’t have to.”
“Good thing you were around then.” Megumi feels fidgety, his heart pounding in anticipation or fear. He tries to play it cool, not let Ryoumen’s presence, scent, voice - everything - affect him, but its hard when he’s large enough to take up most of his field of vision.
“I’m Ryoumen Sukuna. May I buy you and your friend a drink?”
Megumi glances back towards the restrooms, debating. He should wait for Nobara, rather than speaking for her. He doesn’t know a thing about Sukuna, but judging by the way Nobara reacted, she might. The comment he made to Tanaka earlier suggested that he knew why Megumi and Nobara were there. Sukuna must be someone who also seeks out sugar babies, although Megumi can’t imagine why - he must have someone (or several) people waiting at home for him.
Unless he does this kind of thing regardless of being in a committed relationship.
Nobara returns just as Megumi says, “No, thank you. We will be leaving.” Wine red eyes widen slightly in surprise as Megumi wraps his arm around Nobara and steers them towards the exit. Nobara has half a protest on her lips, looking back as they step into the chilly night.
“Megumi!” she complains, securing the strap of her purse over her shoulder. “What the hell? Do you know who that was?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Megumi replies, hailing a cab. After one stops, he pulls open the door and practically shoves Nobara inside. He slips in after her, unaware of the hungry gaze following his movements.
Later, once Nobara slides out of her dress, removes her makeup, and chugs a beer on her couch, Megumi learns that Tanaka is the CEO of one of the major banks in Japan, and Sukuna is the president of the Itadori Financial group, a successful hedge fund worth billions (after a quick internet search). Megumi continues down the internet rabbit hole after Nobara’s passed out and continues to read about Sukuna.
He’s thirty eight and recently single after dating an actress for several months. His grandfather was a fisherman who created a business from the trade, then his father turned it into an investment company from there. Sukuna inherited the business after his father died, but his grandfather is alive, waiting for him to get married. He studied at prestigious schools, has a younger brother who’s name is listed without a picture, and he donates to recreation centers focused on helping at-risk youth.
Megumi feels a little silly for rejecting him now that he knows Sukuna is single, but their encounter was not guaranteed to move further than a drink.