This Side of Paradise (Megumi Fushiguro x Y/N)

8

Y/N POV

Tuesday

I follow my checklist to a T.

Megumi brushes off the apology as no big deal and is quite helpful with my questions. If that didn't help my mood enough, I made a delicious dinner and watched Despicable Me while eating my favorite ice cream.

It's now Tuesday morning and I walk into class feeling very confident. I came to school early to review a few things and avoid Brett. The test was as tough as the retake the Friday before but with all the extra practice, I had a good feeling about it. When I walked into bio, I sat down next to Brett and at first, we didn't say anything to each other, but halfway through class, he slid a sticky note to me with a little 'hey' on it.

I look at it for a few seconds before grabbing it and writing "hi <3" back. We passed notes for the rest of the class. During lunch, Megumi texted, saying if I wanted to meet, he'd be in the library after school. I agreed and the rest of the day flew by. Then when I got to art class, I was struck with insane inspiration. I haven't been so locked into painting in a long time. My headphones were in and I was in my own world. It's a place just for me. Maybe that should make me feel sad or alone, but it doesn't. I don't need to worry about school or boyfriends or the future. I'm free to feel however I want here. I set my brush down and look at my piece with a smile. Progress is so satisfying!

"So this is where you are," a voice behind me says. I rip my headphones with a gasp, looking at the clock on the wall. School has been out for 15 minutes. It's Megumi, standing in light-wash jeans and a grey crewneck, his arms crossed over his chest, his usual guarded expression on his face.

"I'm so sorry, Megumi! I didn't even hear the bell ring."

Megumi's brow quirks, " I see how much you care about my time." His voice has an easygoing, dare I say, playful tone to it.

"Pfft, don't be like that," I scrunch my nose. "I guess I got too in my zone." I shrug.

"What are you working on?" He asks, eyes moving to my easel. I look back at my painting with a grin.

"It's my painting for my midterm grade. I made a lot of progress on it!"

"Can I see?"

My eyes widen, not expecting that. Usually, people say, "cool" or "nice!" Then move on with the conversation. A rush of nervousness flows over me—memories from when I was younger flash through my mind.

"Oh... uh sure," I say, surprising myself a little.

Megumi steps closer behind me. I can feel his presence close but not too close to my back. I feel tense as I look over my shoulder, watching him observe my work. I get this overwhelming want for acceptance swell in my stomach. He doesn't say anything yet and I worry he might not understand it.

So I start rambling, "I know it's a little abstract but I was really inspired by Greek mythology. The project has to be based on opposites and Hades' and Persephone's relationships really stuck out to me. I thought trying to show their love would be really interesting because their dynamic and color palettes are so different. I know it's a little silly—"

"It's not silly," he says seriously. "It looks good so far."

My head whips behind me again. Megumi is closer, practically leaning over my shoulder to look at the painting.

"Thank you," I whisper, my heart fluttering.

His eyes lock with mine. Because of his crewneck, they look lighter, like a sky before rain.

"Are you going to submit this to Westbrook?" He asks, eyes moving from mine.

I feel myself grin, "Yeah I think so. As long as I finish it before the application deadline in two weeks."