dauntless

2016

When Megumi's mobile vibrates, she casts a clandestine look around her, taps the phone's screen, and checks the message.

I'm back.

Unbidden, Megumi smiles; it is nothing like the slight upturn of her lips and a flash of teeth when her friends say something ridiculous or her Mona Lisa smile, polite and apathetic. A few of her classmates notice; they pause mid-sentence and stare.

It transforms her; pierces the air of mystery that followed the aloof and taciturn omega, and turns her cool but detached beauty into something painfully beautiful.

"What is she looking at?"

"Woah, I didn't know she could make that expression."

"Fushiguro-chan is so pretty," someone squeals.

"I-I think I've fallen in love," comes the awed response.

"Don't be stupid enough to confess; she'll reject you."

"H-how would you know!?"

"You're ugly; you look like a squid."

"Hey!"

A close acquaintance takes note of the sudden attention and shields their eyes at the sight, momentarily blinded by the sight. "My poor mortal eyes!"

"You should be immune by now, Kyouya," he's gently chided.

"I'm not, Megu- why are you wearing sunglasses !?"

"Protection against the sun." They give two thumbs up.

Kyouya opens and closes his mouth, at a loss for words. Ami is a ridiculous person.

"Smart, huh?"

Kyouya doesn't bother responding and decides to run interference. Beautiful things dazzle people, but what glitters isn't always golden. Megumi's appearance glitters, but her personality is seldom golden. In some respects, she is the ideal omega; in others, she exceeds expectations. Her personality is at odds with her appearance.

It is a point of contention. She abhors the attention it creates and the consequences of it.

But today seems especially sensational; this is the first time her classmates have seen her in months. Even if he breaks the spell, brings them back to earth, they'll think she's approachable, and cast expectations on her.

He does it anyway; Megumi hates gawkers.

"Neh, Megu, what are you thinking about?"

Megumi's smile diminishes and settles into its customary flat line. She looks up, her gaze settling on him. "Dinner, I think I want curry."

"Ooooh, wanna go after school? I'll skip tennis!"

Megumi frowns, "I have fencing."

Brows furrow, "I thought you were in kendo?"

"I thought you took karate," Ami pipes up.

Megumi shakes her head, "I do all three."

It's a challenge considering her usual workload, but it all helps with the mastery of weapons. Megumi will never match the brute strength of an alpha. She is slight; to bridge the gap, she relies on speed and curse energy to augment what she lacks.

"Why don't we go this weekend?" Kyouya inquires.

"I can't this time."

She's busy. Her schedule is flexible in the afternoons, but the mornings and evenings are busy. Weekends are reserved for social events, training with Satoru-san, time with Tsumiki, meet-ups with the friends she made amongst the Gojo clan and personal time.

Since leaving school, she's gotten a taste of what life will be like; she doesn't need the 9-to-5 conditioning. Of course, when she attends College, she will revert to workforce indoctrination, but Megumi knows her trajectory.

"Next weekend?" Kyouya proposes.

Megumi hesitates; there's an opening, but she wonders if she should blend friend groups. Friendship is a strange endeavor, and Megumi is cautious. There are few she calls friends, some she calls acquaintances, and she exists in a crowd of people that she barely knew and were often a friend of a friend. Those ladder connections were disingenuous, skin deep, relying on proximity to her, her appearance, and her apparent social standing. Megumi might be a degenerate, but she has principles that put the spotlight on her and a face that is at odds with her behavior. It makes her a controversial figure; it makes her an epicenter of intrigue.

"Sure," Megumi replies.

She'll make time, but this weekend is reserved.

Satoru-san is home.