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“Why are you weeping? You knew this was bound to happen.” A familiar voice interrupts Megumi’s newfound peace in seclusion, sending chills to his back; yet he still makes an effort to remain cool. Even when every fiber of his body tells him that he should run.
“Shut up. And why the hell are you here?” He inquires, trying to put up a brave front, looking up to meet the other who now stands before him.
“It’s only for a minute. The brat wanted to check on you,” Sukuna blatantly lies.
“Bullshit. I should call Gojo.”
“You won’t. You don't want anyone seeing you like this.”
Megumi frowns upon the comment but doesn’t attempt anything to fulfill his threat. The curse is right, they both know that. That’s the reason he went out of his way to find such an unfrequented place in the school grounds; because the last thing he wants right now is company. Much less Gojo’s or Itadori’s.
After that exchange, and deciding that Sukuna probably wasn’t planning to wreck the world today, he lowered his head and shoulders once more, fixating his eyes on the ground. Megumi stayed silent in that position for a few seconds to then speak.
“I just...What does he…?” The sorcerer mumbles in a shy attempt to vent.
“Well, he is dead. Do you know how to compete with the dead?” Sukuna asks, without waiting for an answer. “Exactly, you can’t. Humans tend to idealize them. Plus, the brat, he is more into girls,” he explains.
That last bit makes something inside Megumi ache. Of course he was already aware of it, but hearing it come out from Yuuji’s body, even if he isn’t the one speaking, makes it worse. He tries to cover up the harm done with sarcasm.
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
“Hey, I’m just trying to help here.”
“You could’ve fooled me.”
“Did you know? You can die from a heartbreak,” Sukuna says, trying to make good use of the little time he has by keeping the conversation alive.
“What are you? 8facts?” Megumi teases but the other doesn’t go along with it. Instead, he pulls out Yuuji's phone and begins reading out loud.
“Well according to this article: ‘broken heart syndrome is a condition with symptoms that may feel like a heart attack, like chest pain, and shortness of breath, but it’s caused by going through an emotionally stressful event, not by clogged arteries’.”
“You know, you shouldn't trust everything you see on the internet.”
“So is this false?”
“I don't know. I don't care.”
“You should, Fushiguro Megumi.”
“Whatever.”
“Fushiguro Megumi,” he calls getting the other to raise his head and meet his gaze this time. “There is nothing wrong with you. In fact, there is so much that’s quite right.”
“Like what?” Megumi thinks he must be crazy for asking that to a curse. Worse, to the King of Curses.
“You are strong. Worthy to be head of the Zen’nins, if you wanted to. And your technique is remarkable. One of the best I had the pleasure to face and witness.”
It’s not like Megumi thought the other was lying. After all, Sukuna had never been one to flatter someone out just for the sake of doing it; he just couldn’t see it the same way. The last time they had fought couldn't be considered a match, it went down as a one sided massacre; and regarding the Zen’nins he had seen Maki’s strength and heard about the others, so hearing the curse say he believed he could lead them left him astonished.
“And aside from your talents,” Sukuna went on after failing to hear Megumi’s response. “You are very pleasant to the eye.”
That did it for Megumi. So far he had been able to keep himself collected but that composure fell the moment Sukuna pronounced those words. Suddenly, he felt heat scatter all over his body; as if he were having a fever or something of the sort. Could it be…?
“I...you…” He attempted to form a coherent sentence but failed to be quick enough.
“Oops. My time is up,” the other observed after the screen of Yuuji’s phone had lightened up. “See you soon, Fushiguro Megumi. Do look less gloomy next time.”
Without even granting him room to reply, Sukuna disappeared the same way he had shown up: in an instant. Megumi was left there in the dark. Full of questions, yet devoid of answers. Was there other purpose to what Sukuna did other than to provide consolation? It should be. He couldn't just picture the other caring for him only out of worry. Still, that didn’t bother him. Everyone had hidden intentions, even Megumi; and if that warmness had meant anything was that deep down, as messed up as it would be, being looked after by the curse felt good somehow.