Nobara's Earrings

teehee

Fushiguro Megumi glances at Kugisaki Nobara, sitting at the other end of the cafeteria table. He watches as she constantly fingers her brand new ear studs, which are a dull grey colour and probably cost some ¥500 from a corner shop. She had recently gotten her ears pierced, and now she wouldn't stop fidgeting with her new ear studs.

Megumi bites into his sandwich thoughtfully. He vaguely remembers Nobara spamming text messages to him the year before about the fact that it was her birthday on August the 7th. Yeah, that gave him a migraine. He couldn't even mute her because she'd barge into his dorm room and start blabbering on about her birthday face to face. Megumi rubs his head annoyedly, as if feeling an echo of the past migraine Nobara had given him.

Last year he hadn't given her a birthday present, nor had Itadori Yuji, and Nobara hadn't stopped pestering them about it. This year, Megumi decides to get Nobara a gift -- at least so that she would stop bugging him.

So that's how Megumi finds himself at a jewellery store, one that's a little too sparkly and a little too bright inside. It's currently the 5th of August, two days before Nobara's birthday. He tries to act as nonchalant as possible in there, keeping his hands in his pants pockets and occasionally taking them out to inspect pieces of jewellery. Though, it's slightly hard to keep his composure when there is also a certain guy he remembers as one of the delinquent boys from back in middle school, whom Megumi had beaten up like the rest. Beating up delinquents isn't exactly something to be proud of, though.

Megumi vaguely recalls when he, Nobara, and Yuji had visited Megumi's middle school to ask for information, and seen the delinquents there, who had been held back a grade and were still at the school. They had recognised Megumi and addressed him as, "Fushiguro-san," and had started panicking at the sight of him. Nobara had dubbed them "Baka A" and "Baka B."

The one in front of Megumi now seems to be Baka A.

The guy's eyes widen as he sees Megumi. "F-Fushiguro-san! It's good to see you again."

Megumi shrugs nonchalantly and tries not to make eye contact.

"May I ask why you're here, Fushiguro-san?" asks the delinquent guy.

Megumi doesn't say anything. He just keeps his hands in his pockets and scans the overly sparkly jewels in the glass cupboards.

Baka A fidgets with his fingers, before clearing his throat and murmuring, "I could help you look for whatever it is you're looking for."

Megumi pauses and looks up at him. "Maji desu ka? (Seriously?)"

Baka A nods meekly. "I come here often to buy gifts for my little sister."

Megumi instinctively raises an eyebrow, almost amused. This delinquent guy comes to a fancy jewellery store to buy presents for his younger sister? Though, he doesn't question it. He finds it rather sweet, actually.

"Yeah, sure," Megumi replies. "I'm thinking of getting earrings for someone."

"A girl or a boy?"

"Girl."

Baka A leads Megumi over to a section in the corner of the store, where there are glimmering earrings of all shapes and sizes.

"There are some cheaper ones over there. I usually buy things for my sister here."

Megumi nods.

"Though," Baka A adds, "you should buy jewellery according to the person's likes and dislikes. Y'know, their favourite colour, or their usual preferences. Or their personality, if you want."

Megumi nods again, making a mental note that Baka A is surprisingly intelligent. He also has shocking manners for a bad boy.

He scans the earrings thoughtfully. Nobara isn't a simple person, so she wouldn't wear tiny golden studs that no one would notice. At the same time, she isn't the type to wear overly pretentious golden hoop earrings or barbells. She'd find them rather irritating.