Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Toge was out of his mind.

He must be because why else would he do something so stupid? He didn’t know what came over him when he gave in to his urges and succumbed to his temptations. Usually, he would have more restraint and discipline. If his mother knew about this mishap, she would certainly disown him.

Or lock him again in their basement.

Either way, he fucked up.

Jujutsu Academy was a prestigious magical school that only those with an affinity to magic could attend. Most of its students come from powerful families with an extensive history in magic. Occasionally, there are a few exceptions like students who come from non-mage parents but are gifted with a talent for magic.

Inumaki Toge, however, falls under the first category. He comes from the infamous Inumaki Clan which bears the mark of the Snake eyes and fang—the same sigil that adorned his face. But unlike most families, their clan does not have a good reputation among the mage world. They were outcasts—unwelcome, shunned, and feared because of the nature of their inherent magic.

Cursed Speech.

The words that come out of Toge’s mouth are capable of bending others to his will. With more power, perhaps he could even reweave the fabric of reality itself. In the hands of a good mage, this magic could be considered a blessing. But in the hands of a selfish mage, it would be a disaster. Unfortunately for Toge and the rest of the Inumaki clan, their history was filled with the latter.

Often times, it’s the present that pays the price for the sins of the past.

Miraculously, Toge was still granted admission to the academy under the condition that he behaved. He must keep his sigils covered and never use his family’s magic unless given permission. While other prominent families were allowed to boast their inherent abilities without repercussions, Toge was asked to hide away his.

That didn’t bother him though. He was happy to simply be allowed to attend the academy and learn about magic. He didn’t care if other students stirred clear of him, or if some of his professors looked at him with disdain. Toge was used to those looks—they didn’t hurt him anymore.

All that mattered was that he was learning. He enjoyed gaining insights into the history of magic, Wand Crafting, Casting theories, Geology of Ley lines, and even Thaumodynamics and the Laws of Conservation Magic. But despite all these grand knowledge and concepts, the subject that Toge loves and excels in the most is Potions.

He loved the chemistry of it all. It was fascinating to mix different concoctions and sprinkle them with magic to create various possibilities. A potion to aid in one’s sleep, a potion to help concentrate in studying, a potion that boosts physical strength, and so on. Toge loved creating them and enjoyed discovering what other potions he could make with various formulas and other combinations.

But even with his endless curiosity, Toge had always been very careful.

After all, one wrong move could get him kicked out of the academy, especially with the prejudice against him. The rules of the mage society were ingrained in his mind since he was a child—how could he not be cautious when he was reminded every day of the consequences if he messed up? Along with that, he now had a vast knowledge when it came to potion making. That meant he knew which potions were off-limits for him to try, even if he was capable of making them.

That was why he had no valid excuse for making a love potion.

Anything that takes away someone’s agency or free will in any manner or form was prohibited not just in Jujutsu Academy, but in the world of magic as a whole. Casting a spell, hypnotizing, or concocting a potion that alters and interrupts another person’s freedom or forces them to make life-changing decisions against their will was strictly prohibited. It was a grave sin—one that could be punished by exile.

Toge didn’t know what got to him. Most of the time, he was careful and disciplined. And as someone who was very wary of what his own Cursed Speech could do, he always made sure not to break any rules, especially that rule. He didn’t want others to fear his ability to take away their freedom—whether it was through cursed speech or any other method.

But if there was anything that could make a person blind to reason, it was love. And it just so happens that Toge had that in abundance. There was someone in his heart—someone very special. Someone he loved so much that it hurts, especially when they probably don’t feel the same way.

That someone was Okkotsu Yuuta.

He was Toge’s best friend. A man who was more potent than a poison, more surreal than a dream, and more ridiculous than the worst joke Toge has ever heard and so much more. It’s almost absurd because Yuuta was clumsy, stuttery, and had dark circles under his eyes that no spell could ever fix. Yet even like that, Okkotsu Yuuta captured his heart.

And the hearts of many—far too many—others.

While Toge was an outcast, Yuuta was somewhat of a school prince. His fans and admirers spawned and flocked everywhere—from the blushing freshmen to the flirty seniors. He was born with power and fame. It was like the world was at his feet before he could even take his first steps. Despite having non-mage parents, Yuuta was a distant relative of Gojo Satoru—a living legend in the world of magic. 

As if that wasn’t impressive enough, he was also a young prodigy. He excelled in all his classes, could perform the most difficult spells with ease, and had a lot of other amazing feats. His reputation as the strongest student —and second strongest in the whole magic society—was established when he obliterated all his competition in last year’s Grand Magic Tournament.

On top of all that, Yuuta was kind, compassionate and good-looking. He came so far from the once timid and lanky boy Toge befriended during their freshmen year to the now tall, broad, and confident senior who has everyone’s admiration. Of course, he would be loved. Of course, people would fall in love with him.

But before they all did, Toge was the one who loved Yuuta first.

He thinks he has always loved Yuuta from the very beginning. When they were first years, no one wanted the outcast Inumaki to be their partner in a school project and it just so happens that Yuuta was a transfer student with no friends, so the teacher paired them together. He loved him even more when the boy ignored all rumors about Toge and chose to stick by his side even after the project was finished.

(“I don’t care about what they all say,” a younger Yuuta had once said with a determined look on his usually timid face. “Inumaki-kun is kind and amazing! That’s all that I need to know to want to be your friend.”

‘They might bully or isolate you too if you stay with me,’ First-year Toge wrote in the notepad while trying to keep his calm composure. He liked Yuuta and knew that the other was genuine in wanting to stay friends. But he didn’t want to drag him down with him. ‘I’m sure you’ll find other friends.’

“No,” Yuuta had said stubbornly which was surprising. During the short period Toge spent with him, he had always been timid and easily swayed. But not that time—that was the very first time Toge got to witness how tenacious Yuuta could get once he set his eyes on something. “I want to be your friend. I don’t care what anyone else says or thinks. Besides…” He trailed off, the determined look on his face softening as he added, “I’m so much happier when I’m with Inumaki-kun.” )

He loved Yuuta when he used to be too scared to walk into the dark hallways and always relied on Toge’s calm presence to comfort him. He loved him when the clumsy raven’s wand had backfired on him because he couldn’t control his magic yet and Toge had patched him up afterward with his badly made healing potions.

(‘Sorry,’ Toge signed as he watched Yuuta scratch his now-healed skin. They'd been friends for months then and Yuuta had learned the sign language so that they could communicate better. The two of them were also practicing how to cast Contego when his friend’s spell backfired. Yuuta got his hands scraped and Toge tried to stop the bleeding by using the healing potion he made during class.

“It’s okay, Inumaki-kun!” Yuuta tried to dismiss his apology. While Toge’s potion may have worked, there was an undesired lingering effect. The raven was now having something similar to a mild allergic reaction to the potion that Toge gave and couldn’t stop scratching his hands and arms. “My wounds were healed thanks to you!”

‘Yeah but now, you’re feeling itchy and uncomfortable.’

No matter how guilty Toge felt, Yuuta reassured him that everything was alright. He expressed nothing but gratitude to Toge even if he was suffering from the itch. And as kind as ever, Yuuta told him, “Inumaki-kun, you’re really amazing! You’re smart, talented, and good at potion-making. You’re always helping me too. That’s why I’m going to keep working harder so I can repay your kindness one day!”

Toge’s heart skipped a beat and it was then that he swore he’d get better at making healing potions for his clumsy best friend—because Yuuta looked up to him when no one else even spared him a glance. Somewhere deep down, he wanted to work harder for Yuuta too.)

He loved Yuuta when he couldn’t control his flying broom yet and was hanging upside down with his face red from embarrassment. He loved Yuuta when he spent nights crying on Toge’s shoulder over a grief that nobody else knew about—nobody else but Toge.

(“Her name was Rika,” Yuuta confided to him. It was during their second year and they were huddled in Toge’s room, wrapped in blankets as he let the raven cry onto his shoulder. He didn’t even care that it was already past curfew, all he wanted was for his best friend to feel better. “I didn’t know I had magic and I had accidentally cursed her.”

He listened as Yuuta poured his heart out. There was a car accident and his feelings were all over the place, so he had unknowingly put a curse on his dying childhood friend. Things escalated from there and Yuuta accidentally hurt people, his parents abandoned him and he isolated himself from the world out of guilt. Then Gojo Satoru found him and took him in, helped him free Rika’s soul, and brought him to Jujutsu Academy where he could learn how to control his power.

“If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here. I’m grateful for Gojo-sensei and owe him my life. But most of all,” Yuuta turned to Toge, deep blue eyes shining with tears, resembling the ocean under the light of the moon. “I’m grateful to have you, Toge. Ever since I met you, I feel like…I feel like I can be happy again…That it’s okay for me to be alive.”)

They were quite the odd pair. Inumaki Toge the outcast and Okkotsu Yuuta the quiet kid who was scared of his own shadow. Nobody spared them a glance but that was fine because they had each other. Then suddenly, things changed and Yuuta was now beloved by many. Toge was happy for him but—

He had loved Yuuta—and still does—when no one else had.

Toge loved him first.

There was an irrational possessive feeling—maybe it was jealousy— growing inside of him and somehow that scared him more than he could admit.

They were in their senior year now and while he spent the last few years always having Yuuta by his side, they weren’t alone together anymore. Over time, their social circle grew when they met Maki and Panda, then their three juniors: Megumi, Yuuji, and Nobara. They have so many friends now but deep inside, Yuuta was still Toge’s favorite person.

But he was scared that it might not be the same for the other anymore.

In less than three weeks, there was going to be a Celestial Dance. It is called such because it’s a ball that happens during the night of the planetary alignment. It’s an event that occurs about once every thirty years and it was truly lucky that Toge could experience it before he graduated.

Parties and events were a norm in Jujutsu Academy. After almost four years of being a student here, Toge has had his fair share of attendance to those fancy gatherings—only because it was required. Normally, he wouldn’t care about them and would spend the time either on his phone or with his friends.

But the Celestial Dance was different.

Legend says that whoever you’re with on that night is your one true love and if you dance under the moon together, your fate with each other is sealed. It was cheesy, very cliche even. But alas, a wise man had once said a cliche is called such because it doesn’t cease to leave a mark. And it does leave a mark on Toge’s heart. He wants to dance with Yuuta on the ball.

He wants to be Yuuta’s one true love.

But so do many others.

He spent the past few weeks enduring as he witnessed various faces—both familiar and unfamiliar— come up to his best friend and ask him to be their partner at the Celestial Dance. It took all of Toge’s patience not to glare at them or challenge them to a magical duel. The only thing that kept him in check was the fact that Yuuta had rejected all his admirers.

But who knows how long it will stay that way. Eventually, Yuuta might say yes to someone. He might find somebody he fancies and agrees to go to the ball with. He might find his one true love and that person will not be Toge. The thought of that had pained his heart more than he could admit.

Their friends—Maki, Panda, and Nobara especially—have been pestering him to ask Yuuta out and he has been shutting them down with all his might. But after yesterday, when a very beautiful sophomore invited the school prince to the dance, he saw a momentary hesitation on his best friend’s face. That was when Toge realized he was running out of time. Eventually, Yuuta will get tired of saying no and will probably say yes to someone just to stop the confessions from coming.

If that happens, Toge will forever lose his chance.

So that’s how he found himself baking in Room 307 on a Tuesday morning during his free period. Students weren’t normally allowed to be in class or club rooms without a teacher’s supervision but Toge was an exception in this case. Since he was the only one who enrolled in the Advanced Potions class last year, plus chose to join the Baking Club, he was given special permission.

Both of those were handed by Utahime-sensei and she allowed him to go in the Potions room (which was also kind of an alternate kitchen) and use its facilities whenever he liked, as long as he cleaned up after himself. After that, she continued to encourage his interest in those activities and allowed him to experiment with new potions here. Oftentimes, he’d try mixing his concoctions into the desserts he made—an idea that Utahime-sensei herself introduced to him. So it was not strange to find Toge baking inside that room whenever he had no classes.

This time, however, he worked on something that would break Utahime-sensei’s trust on him if it were ever discovered. He made a love potion and mixed it in the cookies he had baked. Never had he thought of doing this before. He always told himself that he loved Yuuta and if his crush ever reciprocated those feelings, he wanted it to be genuine.

But he had panicked.

He initially came here to bake cookies and only that. He figured that he could give Yuuta a gift before he confessed—an idea he got after seeing so many people do it to his best friend. Perhaps a part of him also wanted to prove that he could do better than those people. That if anyone can impress Yuuta, it will be him.

However, it was easier in theory but harder in actuality. He has made so many batches of sweets but was never satisfied with anything. What if Yuuta won’t like them? What if they were so-so and someone else gave a better gift? What if his cookies would be his downfall and Yuuta would reject him which would even ruin their friendship in the process?

But if he doesn’t confess, someone else will have Yuuta. Someone else will be dancing with his longtime crush under the moon. Someone else will be his first love’s destined one. Someone else who wasn’t Toge and that realization was more painful than he could admit.

Toge spiraled down and that led him to succumb to temptation.

But now that he was staring at the cookies that he carefully packaged in a box, he hesitated. Should he give this to Yuuta? What if he gets caught or someone discovers what he is doing? What if people find it suspicious that Yuuta would choose to accept someone like him as a partner and they investigate it? Not only will Toge lose his friendship, but he’ll be expelled from school too.

It was a grave situation—one that Toge could avoid if he threw the cookies away now and gave up on his confession plan. But does he want that though? He wants to be with Yuuta on the Celestial Dance. However, he also doesn’t want to be expelled if he gets exposed for using a love potion. Yet the mere thought of confessing to Yuuta without the reassurance of the love potion sounds scary.

What a mess.

“Hey, Toge-senpai!” Nobara’s voice greeted him, taking him out of his internal dilemma. Because Toge was often found in Room 307, most of his friends dropped by to visit him whenever they were free, eventually turning the place into their unofficial hangout area. Due to this, his friends were often the ones with the privilege to taste his baked sweets or test his potions for him—especially his juniors. This was why Nobara casually just reached for a cookie when she saw them, “Oh, you made chocolate chips this time!”

But instead of letting her have a piece like usual, Toge’s eyes widened in panic as he pulled the box out of her reach and he violently shook his head. It was so sudden that it almost made him dizzy. He couldn’t let her have a bite on this one because of the love potion. It was already bad enough that he made one, it would be even worse if he accidentally lovespelled Nobara. It's not only the school but Maki, too, will definitely have his head.

Nevertheless, the girl was quite sharp and her eyes squinted at him in suspicion. While Yuuta was his best friend, Nobara was his confidant. She was also the first person to know about his feelings for the other. So when he panicked, Nobara was instantly on him. “Hmmm,” She hummed, staring at him as he actively tried to avoid her gaze. “My BFF senses are tingling. Are you hiding something from me?”

Toge quickly put the box of cookies at the table away from Nobara before turning around to sign, ‘No.’ He tried his best not to falter under her scrutinizing gaze. After all, he may be able to lie with ease to most people but Nobara was a challenge. She always knew how to read him well and he usually would give in and tell her. But not this time! ‘It doesn’t taste good.’

”I think I’ll be the judge if it tastes good or not,” She said, tilting her head as she continued to analyze him. “Unless…you’re hiding something from me. Are you playing a prank on me again? Because if you are, I’ll be sure to send Okkotsu-senpai that picture of you in Maki-san’s skirt.”

Toge’s face instantly paled at the threat. There was a time when he was messing together with Panda and they decided to wear the girls’ uniforms. Granted he got hit on the head by them but it was funny enough to be worth it. What wasn’t worth it was the picture Nobara took of him that could now be used as ammunition against him.

It was a silly photo of him posing with a skirt on but in no way does he want it to be seen by Yuuta. Even if his best friend has already seen him in more ridiculous situations before, Toge’s not thrilled at the idea of him seeming like a clown right now. Not when he plans to confess anytime soon.

He didn’t know whether it was the anxiety of having to confess or panic at the thought of being discovered for breaking rules but he quickly signed towards Nobara, ‘I made it for Yuuta.’

The girl paused for a moment, blinking as she processed those words before her lips curled into a smirk. She put her hands together, rubbing her palms like a villain as she slowly walked towards him, “Oh, is this what I think it is? Are you planning to ask him out to the dance? Are you finally  making a move?”

‘No,’ Toge lied, refusing to look at her in the eyes as he backed away from her. Perhaps he should try to bring up Maki, or the fashion trends or something—anything to divert the topic. But alas, luck was not on his side today. ‘It’s just a gift between friends. I do it all the time.’

“Yeah, you’re not fooling me with that one,” She said, pushing past him and heading straight to the box of cookies with a thoughtful look on her face. “You're using a plain white box? Can’t you make it cuter? Like you could decorate the thing, put ribbons on it—come on, senpai! Be creative! You’ve seen some of the extravagant gifts Mr.Prince Charming has received so you gotta step up your game!”

Toge vehemently shook his head, mind racing at those suggestions. If he makes it look cuter, it’ll seem like he’s trying too hard to impress him. Although yeah, he is truly trying to impress Yuuta but he also didn’t want it to seem too obvious. He wanted to play it cool. But at the same time, he wanted to impress his crush!

But then again, Toge was also not good at decorating. What if it was too ugly? Or what if he goes overboard and it’s too fancy? Besides Yuuta preferred simpler things. Maybe plain white is the best. But what if it’s too plain that it’s forgettable?

What a dilemma.

As if reading his inner turmoil, Nobara sighed and suggested, “How about this? I’ll help you!” She pulled her phone out and scrolled through something. Toge was about to ask her what she was doing but he didn’t have to as she shoved the phone screen close to his face. “Here! There are a lot of cute cookie packaging ideas on Pinterest! We can find some inspiration!”

He repositioned himself so that the phone wasn’t too close for comfort before he carefully scanned through the pictures that Nobara was showing him. With every swipe of her finger, his thoughts went from “I don’t wanna do this” to “Hey, maybe this isn’t so bad.” and then “Wait, that’s cute. Yuuta would love that.”

Nobara was good at many things and one of those was her ability to drag Toge into anything. Not that it took much effort to convince him to join her shenanigans, but they got along well and he trusted her a lot. Whether it was the confidence on her face or the determination to help him, Toge found himself entrusting the task of decorating the packaging to her.  With a triumphant smile, she held her hand out, “Good, it’s decided then! Now, gimme those cookies!”

Toge hesitated for a moment, wary of letting her near the forbidden sweets he made. But a part of him also knew that this was Nobara—even if she teased him a lot (and to be fair, he often teased her back), she was someone who never let him down. Thus, he set the box on the table and signed to her, ‘Okay but I’m still gonna bake a new batch of cookies. You can practice decorating with this one but promise me, do not take a bite.’

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. You think it tastes bad,” She said with a roll of her eyes as if she didn’t believe his excuses. She waved her hand nonchalantly before pointing out. “Although these cookies don’t look bad to me, senpai. They smell really good, you know.”

‘No, it’s really bad.’

“You’re overthinking. Nothing you make is bad.” Nobara said with a pout and he couldn’t tell if she was genuine or just trying to sway him into giving her a bite. Nevertheless, she shrugged and added, “Besides, even if you give him burnt cookies, I’m sure Okkotsu-senpai will eat them like it’s the best thing in the world.  You’re obviously his favorite person—ugh, it makes me wanna gag.”

Toge looked away, holding back a retort. That was not true at all. Yuuta was just a very kind guy. Even if Toge gave him food poisoning, his best friend would still finish it and say it was good. He was just that kind and selfless. He would rather hurt himself than hurt Toge’s feelings. That was one of the many reasons he fell for that idiot.

And that is why Toge cannot give him the cookies laced with a love spell.

He can’t do that to Yuuta.

If his best friend rejected him, he should just accept it. Even if it breaks his heart, it’ll be better than forcing himself on him. It’s true that he wants to be more than just friends—he wants it so badly—but he must also not forget to be happy with what he already has. Don’t get ahead of yourself, he mentally chided.  A voice that sounded so much like his mother’s echoed in his thoughts, You’re lucky to be even given a chance.

He’s lucky to even be considered Yuuta’s friend.

Before he could spiral down, he decided to push away his thoughts for now and focus on baking a new batch of cookies. He made sure to make lots of extras as a silent gratitude for Nobara’s help. The two of them worked together with the junior occasionally asking him for his input on the decorations she made.

“Blue or red.”

‘Blue.’

“Would you rather that I put this onigiri charm on it, or will the heart be cuter?”

‘None. Just the ribbon will do.’

“Ugh, boring. But fine, it’s your gift.”

By the time they were finished, it was almost lunch. Toge had carefully chosen the best-looking cookies to put in his gift while Nobara was already nibbling on some of the misshaped leftovers. Instead of a box, the enthusiastic girl had opted to go for a fabric wrap that was enchanted with magic for extra protection—"So that the cookies remained warm," she said. "You know how Okkotsu-senpai is. He eats late! You don't want him to be eating cold and dry cookies."

He didn't argue with that because he knew she was right. She had also originally wanted to use a glass jar but Toge thought that was too fancy and inconvenient. Even if she suggested that she could cast a spell so that the glass wouldn’t break.

Anyway, they went with a blue fabric to match the color of Yuuta’s eyes and tied it with a simple white ribbon. However, after a small debate between them and a lot of insisting from Nobara, Toge finally relented and added a little onigiri charm to the finalized gift to make it more personalized.

Despite all the scowls and exasperated sighs Toge made during the process, he admits that he quite liked how his gift ended up looking. It’s certainly an upgrade from the plain white box earlier but it's also not too exaggerated. Nobara seemed really proud of her achievement too so she decided to place the gift on the table and took several photos of it to commemorate its existence.

Toge let her have her fun for a while as he wiped the counters and washed everything he used. He also made sure to clean all the pots—erasing all evidence of the love potion he made before anyone got suspicious. Although he was doing all of these half-heartedly. In his mind, he was screaming in panic at the thought that oh shit, I’m actually gonna ask him today.

He had tried to back out but Nobara insisted that there was no better time to confess than now. If he waited for another day, someone else might steal his “Prince Charming” away from him—Nobara’s words, not his. Yuuta had Combat Theory classes this morning—only he and Maki were crazy enough to actually enroll in one— and Toge had to give him the cookies before all those crazy fangirls and fanboys swarm him by lunch.

When the phone alarm they set started ringing, reminding him of the last fifteen minutes of class left, Toge almost jumped out of his skin. A part of him wanted to back out again but one look at Nobara told him that there was no escape. It was now or never. Taking a deep breath, he took the gift off the counter and ran out the door to go to Yuuta before he changed his mind again.

He heard Nobara yelling good luck before he ran down the hallways and made his way to his best friend’s class.

Just as he had suspected, he could already see a small crowd forming at the door outside the Combat Theory class. Biting his bottom lip, Toge felt doubt creep into his mind again. So many people wanted Yuuta, what if he never stood a chance? What if there was someone in this crowd who deserved Yuuta more than he did? What if Yuuta rejected him?

This feels almost absurd.

Before falling in love, he never considered himself an insecure person. He may have his shortcomings and misfortunes due to his lineage but when it came to himself and his abilities, Toge was always confident. Even back when they were first years, he was always the one who uplifted his shy and awkward best friend.

But then Yuuta started growing out of his shell—becoming taller, broader, and more powerful. He had grown from his boyish charm to having a more mature and hot allure, and that was when Toge was royally fucked. He was happy for his best friend. He was so proud to see him become so confident in himself after years of self-depreciation.

He was truly happy for Yuuta.

But just like how light and shadows always intertwined, there was an ugly feeling that manifested in his heart along with that happiness. He realized that he never had to be insecure back then because there was no need to. Even with all the prejudice, he excelled in a way that no one could deny his abilities. Even when he was an outcast, he had a group of friends that accepted him.

And most of all, he knew Yuuta liked being with him. Perhaps it was selfish but a part of Toge was always happy with the fact that Yuuta relied on him a lot. Despite being so shy and awkward, he would follow Toge around like a lost little puppy and would pay attention to every word he signs as if it were the gospel. Yuuta had looked up to him and admired him so openly.

Toge liked the feeling of being so important to someone.

Yet now, Yuuta had grown so much that Toge was afraid there was no more space left for him. Sure, they were best friends. But one day, the crowned second strongest mage might realize that he could do so much better than hang out with the Inumaki outcast. One day, he could realize that Toge was not as great as he had thought. That he deserved so much better.

Toge was never insecure as a person. He knew what he was capable of and was proud of his achievements. But now, he was afraid that it was never enough for Yuuta. That he would never be enough. What if Yuuta looked at him one day and realized that he was exactly what the rumors say? A filthy, treacherous Inumaki snake.

“Toge!” A familiar voice pulled him out of his thoughts and purple eyes looked up to meet deep blue ones. In an instant, Yuuta beamed at him as he cheerfully greeted, “Hey, were you waiting for me? I was gonna—”

“Okkotsu-senpai?” The taller’s words were cut off by the sound of a timid voice. Both Toge and Yuuta turned to find a sight that was so painfully familiar nowadays. There was a blushing girl, shifting on her feet as she nervously held what looked like a love letter in her hands. “Do you have a moment?”

Toge’s heart wavered and he was thankful for his face mask hiding his scowl. He held his gift in his hand, now hesitant to even offer it. Behind the girl were many others who were clearly waiting for a turn to talk to Yuuta. Knowing his best friend, he would be too polite to turn them down so they might be stuck here for a while. Maybe Toge should just back off. He could always give this gift later if they hang out after class.

He was just about to step away and give them space but to his surprise, Yuuta turned to the girl and declined, “I’m sorry. But I am busy right now.” He had a polite smile on his face as he gestured towards Toge, “We were just about to head out.”

“Oh!” The girl blinked, looking at Toge as if she had just noticed him now. Her cheeks were dusted pink as she bowed in apology for disturbing them. For a moment, she looked like she was hesitating whether to still give her letter or not but in the end, she didn’t have a chance to make another move.

Yuuta had grabbed Toge’s hand and led him away from the others, not giving any of them a second glance. Once they were a bit further away, the taller turned to him with a sheepish smile, “Sorry about that. I hope they didn’t bother you too much, Toge.”

Why would it bother me? Toge had wanted to retort. Although it does upset him to some degree, he thought he was good at hiding that away from Yuuta. So instead, he brushed it off and signed, ‘It’s okay. I don’t mind.’

“Are you sure?” Yuuta frowned, concern etched on his features as he added. “I feel really bad though. I know you don’t like being in a crowd and because of me, you’ve been forced to be around so many people lately. I know it upsets you.”

Well, yeah. Toge internally agreed. Of course, it upsets him but not for the reason Yuuta thought. Nevertheless, he assured the other. ‘It’s okay. I guess it just comes with being friends with the school prince.’

“Oh my god,” Yuuta’s cheeks instantly turned red—ah, there he is. The Yuuta that Toge always knew. Occasionally, his confident self cracks and the easily flustered Yuuta peeks through whenever he is teased. Groaning in embarrassment, the taller buried his face in his hand, “I don’t even know why they still keep calling me that. I thought they’d eventually forget.”

‘Wasn’t it because of the GMT? Or was it your grand entrance?’ Toge asked with a giggle. When Okkotsu Yuuta won last year’s Grand Magic Tournament, he garnered a lot of attention. But what truly skyrocketed his fame was the ball celebrating his victory held after, which Yuuta had attended wearing a white tux with a golden belt and epaulets. His entire getup made him look so much like the popular Prince Charming character, hence his current school nickname.

Not to mention that he had a very dramatic entrance—courtesy of Gojo Satoru who didn’t hide how proud he was of his cousin’s win. Yuuta stole the spotlight as he, instead of walking down the stairs, made a grand entrance by mounting a majestic pegasus— looking all dignified and stunning as the bright light made him look like he had a halo.  It was over-the-top and unnecessary but it swooned nearly everyone, Toge included.

But it’s also a memory that Yuuta desperately wanted to erase. Maki and the others didn’t stop teasing him about it and kept referencing his extraordinary entrance in their jokes. “Prince Charming?” Maki had laughed, “Well, if you changed the charming part with awkward and sleep-deprived then sure, the nickname would suit you.”

The rest of the school population thought otherwise though and that’s how Yuuta got his reputation as Jujutsu Academy’s Prince Charming.

“I can’t believe I let Gojo-sensei talk me into doing that,” Yuuta groaned, still regretting that he agreed to his distant cousin’s suggestion. It can’t be helped though—he has a huge respect for the guy so of course, he’d say yes to his antics. “Some people still come to me to ask about the pegasus. I thought people would eventually forget about it.”

‘Doesn’t look like they will,’ Toge replied before patting Yuuta’s shoulder in comfort, despite the amused glint in his eyes. A part of him does feel for the other. It was funny at first but over time, it just became annoying whenever a crowd formed around them. He knows their friends thought the same as well, especially Nobara who didn’t hesitate to voice it out. 

(It also may have been her motivation to encourage Toge to confess, hoping that getting Yuuta into a relationship will stop all the annoying admirers. Toge doubts it'll work though because Yuuta needs to like him for that to happen.)

Anyhow, pushing those thoughts aside, Toge was about to ask Yuuta whether he wanted to have lunch at the cafeteria or if he preferred the privacy of Room 307. But before he could say a word, he saw something shift in his best friend’s deep blue eyes as his gaze landed on the packaged cookies, “Toge, is that—did you…Did someone confess to you?”

Ah, For a moment, Toge had forgotten about why he came here in the first place. He held the gift closer to his chest as he hesitated. To confess or to not confess—based on how Yuuta reacted to the girl’s attempt earlier, he might not appreciate this after all. He tried to gauge the other’s expression—weighing his decision based on those deep blue eyes.

“Y-You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to though!” His best friend quickly added, shifting slightly so he was fully facing Toge. It was clear in his expression that he was conflicted with something but Toge didn't know what. Maybe he found it hard to believe someone would like Toge? Because Toge would be too. “I just wanted to uhm… Well, if you—I mean, that’s great, yeah? Are you…going to the dance with them?”

Watching him stutter and ramble nervously reminded Toge of the days when Yuuta could barely finish his sentences and his heart clenched with fondness. A part of him wishes this never changed. That at the very least, this endearing part of Yuuta will always stay. With a smile, he held the gift out to his best friend and signed with his free hand, ‘It’s for you.’

“Eh?” was Yuuta’s immediate response. His expressions swiftly shifted from confusion to relief, and then to joy. He accepted the bag of cookies with gratitude, beaming as he exclaimed, “Oh, it’s for me? You…You made this for me?”

Toge nodded, relieved that his mask hid half of his face. He could feel his cheeks burn as he willed himself to stay rooted on the spot and maintain a cool facade. He only hoped that Yuuta could not hear his heart beat so loudly as if he had just ran a marathon. It was now or never. He was going to ask Yuuta to the dance, he’s going to confess his feelings, he was going to— ‘It’s a token of our friendship.’

His brain-to-mouth (or in this case, hands) filter was broken.

Realization came late and before he could try and salvage it, the damage was already done. He took a shot and missed the target by a huge fucking mile. He watched in silent horror as Yuuta’s shocked face morphed into a happy expression, holding the bag of cookies close to him like a child would to his favorite teddy bear, “Thank you, Toge! You’re my bestest friend!”

If anyone listened closely, they could hear the sound of Toge’s heart breaking into a thousand pieces and he had no one else to blame but himself.

“There you are, Yuuta!” a familiar voice called from a distance, interrupting the moment and giving him an excuse to look away from his best friend’s ecstatic reaction, “Oh, you’re with Toge! Hello!”

Never would have Toge thought a day would come when he would be happy to have Gojo Satoru interrupt his moment with Yuuta. There was a silent relief that came when the eccentric teacher asked to borrow his best friend (ouch) for an hour or so. Usually, he’d make an effort to keep Yuuta with him a little longer, but today, he made no such move. He tried to act nonchalant when the raven-haired mage apologized, genuinely looking sad that he couldn’t have lunch with Toge.

He would’ve felt bad too if he wasn’t feeling so stupid at the moment.

With a wave goodbye and a perfectly placed mask on his face, Toge found himself walking down the hallways with a cloud of regret forming in his mind. It dawned on him how badly he fumbled his chance. He made those cookies to confess so he could take Yuuta to the Celestial Dance. And yet, he fucked up so badly.

People always say that the worst thing that could happen in a confession is if your crush said no. But Toge thinks the worst part was him being stupid—especially after all the effort made.

A part of him didn’t wanna return to Room 307 where Nobara was certainly waiting. It would be for sure that she’d chew him out for being pathetic. As if Toge wasn’t already feeling like shit himself. But he also knew that he had to go back. He needed to throw away those lovespelled cookies. It would be too dangerous and irresponsible to leave it out there.

In hindsight, maybe he should have taken it with him before he left the room and got rid of it sooner. But alas, he was just too out of his mind today, making too many mistakes and not thinking ahead of time. Love truly does make a person blind and stupid. With a sigh, Toge willed himself to keep walking back until he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket.

His friends were probably looking for him, or it could just be Nobara asking for details on his confession. He knew that Maki couldn't be with them today due to a remedial lesson and Panda was with Principal Yaga. So that only leaves the juniors, Nobara especially.

He had half a mind to ignore it but decided to fish it out and see if he got anything important. But as his screen lit up, he saw notifications from their silly group chat and a username that made Toge’s heart skip a beat while filling him with dread at the same time.

Idiots Next Door

PegaSUS Yuuta:

Look guys!!!

[cameraimage.jpeg]

Toge gave me friendship cookies!!! 

Pandamnit:

What

Wheres mine

Makiroll:

wow you guys are insufferable

are you two together rn?

PegaSUS Yuuta:

no

Gojo-sensei kidnapped me :((

Mochibara:

?????

wtf

Not soon after that, his phone vibrated with a new notification from Nobara sending him a private message.

Mochibara

Wtf was that

Did he friendzone you???

Want me to kick his ass?

Togesushii:

No

I friendzoned myself

Mochibara:

????

Tf is that supposed to mean

Come here rn

ASAP

Heaving a sigh, Toge pocketed his phone and picked up his pace. He was not looking forward to talking about this, but he knew that if he delayed it, Nobara would message Yuuta about it instead. That would be too awkward. Besides, he’d rather that she heard the story from his point of view.

When Toge returned to the room, he was expecting to sulk over his stupidity. What he did not expect was for his heart to nearly jump out of his chest—not because of heartbreak but because of sheer panic—when he saw not only Nobara but Megumi and Yuuji there. Although it wasn’t their presence that unsettled him, it was more on what they were doing.

They were eating his cookies.

Not just any cookies, it was the ones with the love potion. To Toge’s horror, he watched as the blue fabric Nobara used as a practice for the first packaging was now laid open on the table—there was nothing but crumbs left. Nobara noticed him first and said, “Senpai, you better answer my questions!”

Toge’s mouth hung open and he couldn’t help the choked sound that came out of him. In an instant, he slammed the door closed with a loud thud and locked it. He didn’t even bother grabbing his apron as he quickly pulled the pots out and frantically took several ingredients out of the cupboard.

“Inumaki-senpai, are you okay?” He heard Megumi ask, a voice laced with concern at the sudden urgency in his actions.

Toge was not okay. Thoughts of Yuuta were pushed away as his mind raced, berating himself for his mistake and putting his focus on making an antidote as soon as possible. He wasted no time grinding the oregano and rose geranium together until they were a mush. Pouring them onto the pot and sprinkling some fairy dust. It was a premium ingredient Yuuta gifted to him last year but he had never used it cause he was too scared of wasting them—though it didn’t matter now.

This was an emergency. His hands were shaking as he started making his concoction. He poured all the necessary ingredients into the pot and cast a quick spell on the ladle to keep it stirring. He was hoping to speed up the process and was being more careless than usual. All the steps were already ingrained in his brain but due to anxiety, he found himself frantically turning the pages of his potions guidebook to double-check.

The three juniors were staring at each other in confusion and with slight concern over their frantic upperclassman. Yuuji hesitantly asked, “Senpai? I-Is there anything we can help with?”

Toge turned to them and signed so fast that they had trouble reading what he was saying. Noticing their confusion, the oldest took a deep breath and tried to stop his trembling. In a slower, hopefully calmer manner, he signed again, ‘Which of you ate the cookies from the pouch? And if you all did, how much did each of you have?’

According to their Magic Theory class, casting a spell is often easier than undoing its effects. For example, it’s faster to pass out from a sleep spell but takes more time and effort to wake up from it. Thus, it is believed that 1:2 is the golden ratio, meaning it often takes twice the amount of magic and skill to cancel a spell’s effect. The same rule applies in potion making.

Love potions are very potent and since Toge had accidentally lovespelled his juniors, he needed to make an antidote with twice the quantity or potency to negate the powerful effects. That also meant he had to know how much they each consumed so he could give them the exact amount needed to cancel the spell. Thankfully, his juniors didn’t seem to be showing any signs of weird behavior so he can assume that the potion has not taken effect yet.

There a some cases of delayed effects and even immunity to potions but it often varies on a person’s awareness, skill, and magic.

That is also why he used the fairy dust he has always been saving. It’s an S-class ingredient that increases the potency of the concoction and enhances the effectiveness of the antidote he’s brewing. They were also very expensive and Toge almost cried in joy when Yuuta gifted it to him. It’s likely the perks of being a Special Grade Mage. In fact, Yuuta has given him a lot of premium materials that he was too hesitant to use but that’s beside the point right now—Damn it, Toge. Now is not the time to think about him.

“Uhm,” Yuuji scratched his head, blinking in confusion before he obediently answered. “We all did. Nobara and I had two each while Megumi ate the last one.” He paused for a moment before starting to look worried, “Wait, were we not supposed to eat them, senpai? But Nobara said—”

“It was fine!” the accused girl shrugged, crossing her arms together as she said. “He was just making cookies for Okkotsu-senpai and since he already gave the final product, that makes these leftovers. Which by the way, don’t think you’ve escaped from me! You need to tell me what the hell was Okkotsu-senpai saying. What did he mean by friendship cookies? I thought—”

“Inumaki-senpai?” Megumi interrupted with a concerned look on his face. Always so perceptive, the dark-haired boy was staring at Toge as if he knew something was up. And like most times, his intuition was always correct. “Is there something going on? You don’t look well.”

“Of course, something is going on. He was supposed to confess to that stupid idiot but somehow he got friend zoned,” Nobara said with a frown, hands up in the air in mild frustration. “So I need to know how badly I should hit Okkotsu-senpai’s head. I want the juicy details cause—Senpai? Are you—You’re panicking.”

Is there something going on? Yes! But can he talk about it? No! Absolutely not! Was he panicking? Maybe? He’s not even sure if he’s breathing right now. Okay, inhale and exhale. Inhale and Exhale. Inha—Shit, his antidote. Did he get the measurements right? Where the hell was the goldenseal? Fuck, he needed that one, or else the antidote won’t work!

Stupid, so stupid!

Toge mentally berated himself as he grabbed the still-stirring ladle but winced at the electrifying sensation that came upon touch. Right, he needed to cancel the spell first before touching the thing. He surely kept messing up today. Ignoring the concerned voices behind him, he tried to blink away the wetness in his eyes. He does not cry—he never cries. Even when he broke his left arm last year, or when his mother talked him down—Toge never ever cries. He stopped crying when he was eleven years old.

But today, he felt like crying—was on the verge of crying.

He felt frustrated! At himself, at Yuuta, at the people who liked Yuuta, and even his own juniors for eating the cookies. But he knows that if anyone was to blame, it was him. He was the one who foolishly made a love potion and even worse, he left it unsupervised.

He can’t blame his juniors for eating them. It was a long-time arrangement they’ve had, a silent rule that his juniors get to eat the sweet he makes. It was no secret how much he enjoyed spoiling the younger trio. For years, it was always his self-proclaimed job to keep them fed and for them, to eat anything Toge made—even the leftovers or failed baked goods.

He should have known this would happen.

How could he fuck up so badly? The day was not going well for him—making a love potion, fumbling his confession, leaving the cookies unattended, and lovespelling his juniors. All because he had a hopeless crush on his best friend. He had always been so careful yet all it took was one wrong move and now, he might be expelled from Jujutsu Academy, disowned by his parents, and exiled from the world of magic.

Love makes one blind and so so stupid. But more than love, the only one that Toge can really blame is himself. He’s probably just making excuses to justify his mistakes. Love only makes you blind if you allow it to blind you—and Toge did just that. He allowed this mess to happen. He’s exactly like what his mother said: foolish. No matter how hard he tries to be careful, to be cautious, to keep his mouth shut and his mind sharp, all it takes is one slip-up for all his efforts to go up in smoke.

“Senpai?” He felt a hand on his shoulder—it was gentle yet it felt so heavy against him. But it was all he needed to get his head out of his spiraling thoughts and back to the present. He noticed that Megumi had taken over the stirring of the pot while Nobara was kneeling down on Toge’s eye level—when did he even get on the floor?—with Yuuji hovering over them, “Breath, senpai. Take a deep breath.”

Almost as if he was compelled by a cursed speech, Toge did just that. With every inhale and exhale, he suddenly became aware of the tightness in his chest, the lightheadedness and trembling of his fingers. He suddenly became aware of the conflicted look on Yuuji’s face as if he wanted to help but didn’t know what to do. He’s now aware of a gentler side of Nobara that rarely appears or the way Megumi glanced at him but continued to stir and did not ask anything.

They were giving him a moment to gather his thoughts.

The room was silent except for the sound of his heavy breathing. Little by little, Toge allowed his mind to clear up. He pushed away the thoughts of being expelled, of the consequences of his action, of his mixed feelings about Yuuta. He gathered all his fear, worries, and frustrations in one box and pushed it away to a corner of his mind as he reorganized his thoughts.

As his mind started to clear up, he gradually became aware of more things. One, his juniors didn’t show any signs of lovesick behavior yet so he can assume that it’s either their resistance must’ve gotten up or his love potion was not as potent as he had thought. Two, it’s a good thing if the love potion won’t take effect or if the effects are delayed. Three, whether or not the potion works, Toge cannot escape or lie his way out of this situation. Yuuji may be convinced but Nobara is persistent and Megumi is perceptive.

And especially since Megumi was the one stirring the pot now, Toge knew that it was only a matter of time before he’d start asking questions. Since they liked to hang out with Toge whenever he was baking or working on his potions, his friends naturally became familiar with some recipes.

Antidotes were something Toge frequently made, often by request of other students or some teachers. Accidents happened everywhere so it made sense that it was highly demanded. But as to why he suddenly made one now, plus the questions he was asking, it was only a matter of time before—

“Senpai,”  Nobara started once she saw that he was coherent enough for a conversation now. She crossed her arms, staring directly at him as if she were trying to analyze his expression. He was once again thankful for the mask covering half his face. For a moment, she seemed to hesitate, trying to find the right way to form her sentence. But alas, patience wasn’t Nobara’s strong suit so she groaned and asked directly, “What happened? This is the first time I’ve ever seen you panic. That’s usually Okkotsu-senpai’s thing.”

A beat of silence.

It’s not that Toge doesn’t trust them with the truth. It was going to come out one way or another—whether it was because of Megumi’s sharp mind or Toge’s current inability to think properly. But he has always had a complicated relationship with words. Perhaps it’s because he’s lived his whole life in forced silence, but oftentimes, Toge finds it difficult to properly convey his thoughts.

That was one of the reasons he liked Yuuta. The boy was patient and kind and he understood Toge even if there were no words between them. It’s as if he could read Toge’s mind, could see through his soul, and—damn it, now’s not the time to think about him again!

“Is it Okkotsu-senpai?” Nobara asked, reminding Toge of his ongoing problems. She had a nasty scowl on her pretty face as if she was insulted on Toge’s behalf, “Did he say something awful to you? Oh my god, did he actually reject you and tried to friendzone you? I should beat—”

“You won’t win against him,” Megumi bluntly said, staring at her pointedly before sighing. “Besides, that doesn’t sound like Okkotsu-senpai. He’s always careful with his words, even more so if it’s Inumaki-senpai.”

Nobara grumbled something incoherent under her breath before shoving that aside to wait for Toge’s answer. Yuuji was shifting over, clearly wanting to help but unsure as to what he could do for him. Meanwhile, Megumi had stopped stirring by then. He had a thoughtful look on his face and it was only a matter of time before he finally asked, “You were making an antidote. Was it a last-minute order, senpai?”

“What? But I thought senpai wasn’t accepting any orders for a while,” Yuuji said, joining in the conversation to voice his confusion. “Unless…they offered to pay a huge amount?”

Since Toge was arguably the best potion maker in the academy, he occasionally accepted requests and commissions from his peers and sometimes, his professors as well. But ever since he started having trouble with his feelings for Yuuta, he had stopped accepting them under the excuse that he was focused on studying. It was thankfully a believable lie since he was in his senior year now.

But it backfired on him now.

“No, you know Inumaki-senpai doesn’t do that. Once he says no, you can’t change his mind.” Megumi said, aware of the other’s stubbornness once he had decided on something. The dark-haired boy then turned to his senior and asked, “That’s why I want to know why you’re making one now, senpai. And it’s not just any antidote—you added fairy dust into it.”

Fuck, he should have known Megumi would notice that and get more suspicious.

“What could possibly warrant you to use an S-class ingredient on an antidote? Are you gravely hurt? Did someone cast a powerful spell on you that you can’t cancel on your own?” Megumi’s eyes hardened with a protective glint as he continued, “Is someone threatening you? If they are, we can—”

Toge stood up quickly, cutting his junior off with an aggressive shake of his head before he’d reach an elaborate conclusion that he might be in trouble of some sort. Or well, he was in trouble but it wasn’t the kind of trouble Megumi was heading towards. With shaky hands, Toge slowly started to find the right words to sign, ‘I’m not hurt and nobody is threatening me.’

He saw Megumi’s shoulders relax slightly at this, and Yuuji visibly looking relieved. Nobara still had a suspicious look on her face but opted not to say anything. They allowed Toge to explain himself without interruption yet, ‘But I may have done something awful and I needed the antidote to reverse that.’

“Oh,” Was Yuuji’s response. He looked more relieved now as he smiled encouragingly, “It’s okay, senpai! Accidents happen and it’s understandable if you make mistakes. At least you’re trying to fix it now! Do you want us to help you with anything?”

Yuuji was so naive and kind that it was almost painful. This sentiment must’ve been obvious in his eyes because Megumi briefly glanced toward the pink-haired mage before turning his attention back to their senior. He nodded at him, encouraging Toge to go on. Thus, he did, ‘It’s not like that. It’s just—I have done something awful to you three.’

The trio’s reactions were instant yet varied. Yuuji had a confused look on his face, Nobara scowled as she mentally recounted what he could have done and Megumi instantly glanced at the brewing pot and then towards the cookies, mind working fast. After a moment, the latter pieced it together, “Was there something in the cookies?”

Hesitantly, Toge nodded. It was now or never—the day he might lose his friends. He could only hope they’d at least honor the past few years of their friendship by keeping this incident a secret. But then again, if they threw him aside, he wouldn’t blame them too. Trying to manipulate someone’s feelings was a deplorable act.

“It’s that one, right?” Megumi turned to the blue fabric where only crumbs of the lovespelled cookies remained. “The cookies you intended to give to Okkotsu-senpai. I assume whatever it was isn’t intended for us then.”

“Oh, so that’s why! No wonder you were so adamant about not letting me have a bite. That was really weird of you,” Nobara exclaimed as her eyes lit up in realization before she looked a bit guilty. “Sorry for eating it, senpai.” She was sheepish for a moment before she had a teasing grin on her face, “But what did you mix on that cookie? A sleep potion? Oh, did you give him that potion that enhances his good mood? That’s so sweet of you!”

“But I don’t feel anything right now though,” Yuuji muttered, scratching his head as if he was trying to gauge if there was any change in his emotional state. “Maybe it wasn’t potent enough?”

“Idiot, potions hardly work on you, remember?” Nobara shoved the pink-haired mage playfully. “Did you forget that you had a high resistance to them? That’s why Toge-senpai doesn’t pick you to test his potions, remember?”

“Oh, right.”

While the other two bantered, Megumi kept his eyes on Toge. If you looked closely, you could almost see the cogs turning in his brain. It won’t take long before he gets to the bottom of the situation. “If it’s a good spell, why would you want to make a powerful antidote to counter it, senpai?”

It was useless to hide things from Megumi. Yuuji, he can easily convince. Nobara was a little difficult but if he gave her a satisfying answer, she might believe it. But Megumi was much harder to convince and under his gaze, Toge found himself crumbling.

“Although senpai,” Megumi started, faltering when he saw the conflict on Toge’s face. It didn’t take long before his expression slowly softened as he looked away. “If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to though. I’m sorry for pushing. I just…I wanted to make sure you’re okay. That’s all.” He paused for a moment before adding, “As long as you’re not in trouble, I guess you don’t have to tell us.”

The same hammer that forges the steel shatters the glass. In the same manner, everyone’s reactions have a different effect on Toge but the last push for him to confess was Megumi’s sincerity.

‘I made a love potion,’ Toge quickly signed, hands shaking in his admission. He kept his eyes on the floor, unable and unwilling to see the disappointed faces of his juniors. He had just admitted to doing something that was considered a crime and he was afraid to see how his friends would react.

The silence that followed was so loud that he could hear a pin drop.

Toge gave it a few minutes, allowing the information to sink in before chaos erupted. He expected to be scolded, to be faced with disappointment or disgust but as seconds passed, he heard nothing. It was then that he braved himself to look up.

They were all frozen in shock by his admission and then, upon meeting his eyes, the first one to speak was Megumi, “You did what?”

“Ew, wait. Did I get lovespelled?” That was Nobara.

“Oh no,” And then Yuuji. “Senpai, are you gonna get expelled?”

Toge took a deep breath, hesitantly nodding his head to answer all three questions. Yes, he did that. Yes, he accidentally lovespelled them. And yes, he might actually get expelled for this. Scratch his feelings for Yuuta, now he was never even going to see his soon-to-be ex-best friend ever again. He managed to make his pathetic crush into a bigger problem. Way to go, Toge.

“No,” Megumi said, shaking his head as he snapped out of his initial shock. “If we don’t say anything, Inumaki-senpai won’t get expelled.” Then he turned to Toge and asked, “Did you at least get rid of all evidence, senpai?”

What?

Dumbly, Toge nodded and then gestured towards the table. ‘I have. All except for the cookies you guys ate.’

“Well, we already ate it so at least they can’t use that.” Nobara also said, crossing her arms in thought. “Although to be sure, we’ll help you clean this place to make sure there’s nothing they can find. We’ll also take your antidote before the love spell takes effect.”

“Yeah,” Yuuji added, a relieved smile on his face now. “This way, senpai won’t get caught!”

Toge stared at them dumbly for a moment. Did they—Are they seriously helping him cover all of this up? They’re not mad at him? Or are disgusted by him? All bad actions have an equivalent punishment, and he knew he did a terrible thing. Are they seriously not going to admonish him or report him to the authority?

As if reading his mind, Nobara looked insulted, “Wait, why do you seem so surprised? Do you seriously think we’re going to tattle on you?”

Yes, Toge wanted to say. After all, it was the most logical thing to do, right? Inumakis had always had a history of doing bad things—of being the villains. So when an Inumaki like him does something horrible, it only makes sense to report it so that they can remove the thorn in their side as quickly as possible.

Making a love potion was like the magic society equivalent of that sea witch who used a magic seashell and attempted to steal the prince from that red-haired mermaid—Toge forgot the name of the movie but he remembered watching it with Yuuta before. He had never watched a movie his whole life before enrolling to the academy so when Yuuta learned this, they decided to have a movie marathon of mixed genres.

Why does his mind always circle back to Yuuta?

Anyway, he stared in shock as the juniors talked among themselves. Megumi recounted how much each of them ate and then asked Toge, “I’ll go grab cups for us. Can you tell me the measurements so that we know how much antidote we need to drink, senpai?”

Toge could only nod dumbly as his body moved mechanically. He only relied on muscle memory as he worked through the measurements and poured the antidote for his juniors. He didn’t even react when Nobara whined about how bitter the antidote tasted while the other two drank it without any complaints.

He continued to stay stupified for a while so his juniors decided to assure him.

“We’re not mad, senpai,” Megumi placated him, placing his cup down. “Sure, you can be a prankster sometimes but we know you’re not a terrible person like you think you are. It’s just that sometimes,” He looked away as if hesitant to share. Megumi has always been a reserved person but he was caring. “Love can make us do stupid things.”

“Yeah,” Nobara said, crossing her arms. “You think you’re hiding it well but we kinda noticed you’ve been feeling down nowadays. I’m sure it was annoying to see so many people swarming over Okkotsu-senpai. I know I would be annoyed if Maki-san suddenly had so many suitors.”

“And we don’t want you to get expelled,” Yuuji added, a worried look on his face before he gave a genuine smile. “It’s so much fun when you’re here! Besides, it was Nobara’s fault for telling us it’s okay to eat it when you told her it wasn’t.”

“Idiot,” Nobara hit his head with her fist, an embarrassed blush on her pretty face as her mistake was pointed out. But Toge doesn’t blame her for anything. “I thought it was okay! But uh…I guess that makes sense as to why you were so insistent on making a new one. That’s good, right? That means you didn’t actually intend to love spell Okkotsu-senpai in the end.”

“That’s a brave thing to do,” Megumi added. It was weird to have him so talkative but Toge knows what they were doing. They were trying their best to make him feel better. “You could have easily given it to him but in the end, you didn’t. It makes you better than most people. You've always been careful but everybody makes mistakes.”

"Besides, if it were any of us," Yuuji beamed. "You won't turn your back on us too."

‘Thank you,’ Toge signed once they were all done. He knows that if he remained unmoving, they would keep spouting encouragements until they ran out of words. They were all just kind and sweet like that—even if sometimes they were menaces together. 

Toge often liked to joke that Nobara, Megumi, and Yuuji shared one braincell (mostly owned by Megumi). It’s true because the juniors were just a group of smart and talented mages whose maturity instantly goes down when you put them in a room together. But at the same time, when it comes to situations like these, the three of them work like one unit that banded together to achieve one goal. That’s how Toge knew he shouldn’t have doubted them.

As he finally got his feelings in check, he nodded at them to let them know he was alright. After that, the four of them worked like clockwork in cleaning the room. Making sure all evidences were removed just in case there was an inspection. With every second, Toge’s heart started to feel calmer and before he knew it, the room was now spotless.

For the remaining time, they ate their lunch in silence and when the bell rang, they went their separate ways to attend to their respective classes.

Toge spent the rest of his day in his quiet reflection. He was grateful to his juniors for being understanding and was also happy that he narrowly avoided disaster. Maybe he could take this time to plan another way to confess to Yuuta, or maybe he could just accept that his best friend may never become his. That thought still hurt but hey, at least he now knows that he has friends who’ll be there for him if his heart gets broken.

But that little happy bubble popped when Utahime-sensei met up with him later. For a moment, he was scared that she might’ve discovered his blunder—though he didn’t know how when they had thoroughly cleaned the place and removed all evidence. But thankfully, all she said was, “I dropped in the room today. Thank you for keeping the place clean, Inumaki. I knew it was good to trust you.”

He smiled in part gratitude and part relief. He was also happy that she allowed him to use the place and its facilities whenever he wanted. He’s also happy that she doesn’t mind that he and his friends kind of turned the place into a hangout spot but she knows that Utahime-sensei was kind and understanding.

His relief was short-lived however when she said, “Oh, by the way, I saw this onigiri charm on the floor. I came here 'cause I thought you might’ve dropped it. Celestial Dance is in a few weeks, right? You might want to use that if you ever make a gift for someone you fancy. It would be cute. Anyway, have a good day, Inumaki.”

His thoughts all screeched to a halt once the onigiri charm was on his hands. At that moment, Toge's mind started backtracking on the events of the day.

First, he made the love potion and mixed it with the cookies. Second, Nobara came in and he tried to not let her eat those cookies. Third, he made a new batch of cookies while Nobara made the initial decorations on the lovespelled ones. Fourth, they finalized the design and he added the onigiri charm to the gift he planned to give to Yuuta. This means the gift he was supposed to give to Yuuta should have an onigiri charm.

So why was the onigiri charm left in the room?

Did it accidentally fall when he was rushing? Or did he—oh god.

He quickly opened his phone to send a message to Yuuta, praying that he was only overthinking.

Togesushii

Yuuta

PegaSUS Yuuta

Toge!

What’s up?

Aren’t you in class right now?

Togesushii

It just finished

Anyway

About the cookies from earlier

PegaSUS Yuuta

Yeah?

It was delicious by the way!

But then anything you make is good

You're the best 🥺

like seriously the best 🥺🥺🥺

I should get you a gift too :DD

Togesushii

…

You don’t have to

Anyway

Do you remember if the pouch had an onigiri charm?

Fuck, that’s a stupid question. Toge thought to himself. He had the onigiri charm in his hands right now, didn’t he? But maybe—just maybe, Nobara placed a charm on the first package too?

PegaSUS Yuuta

No, there wasn’t

Why?

Toge?

Togeeeeeee

There was no onigiri charm

That would be cute tho

it would be so like you 🥺

But I already like the cookies you gave me :DD

It’s really yummy and cute

Toge?

Togeeee

…

Sorry for spamming you

I hope I’m not bothering you :((

Togesushii

No, it’s okay

I was just leaving class

But anyway, I need to go

See you later

PegaSUS Yuuta

See you! 

Take care! 🥺

Good luck with class!<3

Toge stopped for a moment, staring at the heart emoji. He was about to overthink for a moment until he remembered that yeah, Yuuta was an emoji type of guy. He should not overthink about the heart. It’s a Yuuta thing anyway.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Toge made a beeline towards his dorm. He lied a bit because he didn’t actually have a class anymore. His last period, Arcane Ethics, got canceled due to the professor being busy—probably a good thing cause it won’t be pleasant to hear about the do’s and don’ts of magic after his recent blunder.

He pulled his phone out and created a new group chat with his juniors.

Group Chat

Togesushii created a new group chat.

Togesushii added Mochibara, Itadorizz, and megumi to the chat.

Mochibara

Ew can’t you think of a more creative gc name

Itadorizz

Hello senpai!! 👋👋👋

Oohh a new gc! 🤗

megumi

senpai

Do you need us for something?

Togesushii

help

megumi

What happened?

Mochibara

What happened

Itadorizz

Are you hurt

megumi

Are you okay?

Mochibara

Are you dead?

Togesushii

Guys guys I’m fine!

Dw dw

But anyway

Don’t freak out

But I think

I may have swapped the gifts

And the love potion cookies might be with Yuuta

Mochibara

WHAT

megumi
WHAT

Itadorizz
SENPAI

ARE YOU GONNA GET EXPELLED

megumi

For the last time Yuuji

He won’t get expelled unless we tell on him

Which by the way

@togesushii: How did you know?

You said ‘might’

So you’re not yet sure?

Togesushii

Utahime-sensei came here cause she found the onigiri charm in Room 307

@mochibara: did you put the charm on both or???

Mochibara

No

Fuck

Only in the final one

Itadorizz

Maybe you dropped it?

Togesushii

Yeah I was thinking that too

But now that I think again

It’s strange that none of you had a reaction to the cookie

Unless the potion wasn’t as potent as I thought??

But Yuuji aside, Megumi and Nobara don’t have a high resistance

So you two should’ve felt the effects in at least five minutes

…

I could be wrong though

Mochibara

…

Fuck

megumi

Fuck

Togesushii

Fuck

Itadorizz

Fuck

megumi

Yuuji don’t say bad words

Itadorizz

:(((

megumi

Anyway

Maybe Okkotsu-senpai hasn’t eaten it yet?

He usually doesn’t eat that much

Togesushii

He already has :((

[screenshot.jpeg]

He said so

Mochibara

@megumi: This is OKKOTSU-SENPAI

It’s a gift from Toge-senpai

Ofc he’s already eaten it

Also, ew

Does he always text like that with you?

Togesushii

There’s nothing wrong with how he texts >:[

Anyway, so far Yuuta isnt showing any signs so maybe

My potion is not potent enough

It was my first time making it too

Itadorizz

Hopefully

I don’t want you to get expelled D:

megumi

Yeah and

This is Okkotsu-senpai

He’s a special grade mage

He has a high resistance

Might even be immune

Maybe the potion doesn’t affect him?

Togesushii

Yeah that makes sense

megumi

So don’t panic, senpai

Besides, if anything goes wrong

We’ll help you

Togesushii

[cryingcat.jpeg]

Ilyyyy

Best juniors ever

Mochibara

Ew

Sorry im taken

Togesushii

I don’t mean it like that >:[

I'm not interested in you 🙄

Mochibara

stfu

Togesushii

Anyway

Yeah

Thanks

Toge turned his phone off and heaved a sigh. A huge part of him was relieved, reassured by his juniors. He wondered how he got lucky to have such good friends. Sure, they were annoying but they were also good people. And he was also lucky that—in case Yuuta did get his lovespelled cookies— his potion was either not potent enough, or that the special grade mage had a high resistance to it.

However, somewhere deep down, there was a tinge of disappointment. Either towards his potion-making skills being lacking or…the thought that not even a love potion can make Yuuta fall in love with him. But alas, he brushed that thought away as quickly as it came. He shouldn’t be sad over that—that would be too selfish.

He’ll find another way to confess…maybe.

Or he could just wallow in self-pity for the rest of his life and become celibate. Maybe if things go wrong, he could live in an isolated forest, baking cookies like a recluse witch, or be a hermit. Sounds like a good plan, yeah. He didn’t like people anyway. He only liked his people so maybe he’ll give Maki, Panda, Nobara, Yuuji, and Megumi a special privilege to visit him.

Maybe Yuuta if…if they’re still friends after his confession.

But anyway, that’s a problem for another day. Future Toge will deal with that because right now, he’s totally drained. All the panic and anxiety throughout the day has sapped all his strength and Toge wanted nothing more than to collapse in bed and call it a day.

So he did exactly that.

The next day was utter chaos.

Toge woke up to a ruckus outside his dorm room. He assumed it must be a group of students playing around in their dorm hallways. Or another hopeless romantic trying to serenade someone for the dance. If anything, this Celestial Dance thing was as bad as Valentine’s Day—if not maybe worse since people have been confessing and making grand acts of love here and there for the past few weeks. 

All for the sake of asking someone out.

Though Toge was not one to complain when he had the same problem too. But anyway, that's not the issue right now. Not being a morning person in the first place, he grumpily got off his bed and marched to his door—intending to glare at whichever noisy idiot was out there until they got the message and shut up. But upon opening the door, Toge realized that it wasn’t just any noisy idiot outside his door.

It was his noisy idiot.

Although noisy was not a word normally used to describe Okkotsu Yuuta. Just like how it was not normal to see the usually reserved special grade mage intentionally drawing attention to himself. Toge watched in disbelief as his best friend—instead of his usual special white uniform and black pants—was wearing a semi-formal attire.

He wore a button-up shirt in the same shade as his eyes and a pair of white slacks. His hair was slicked back, making him look just like the prince the whole school calls him. With one knee on the ground and a guitar in hand, he strummed a chord as he stared at Toge with the most tender, lovesick expression.

“Toge,” He said, with a honey-smooth voice and enamored eyes. “Before I begin, I just want you to know that every note I play is a whisper of my feelings for you. I will sing you a song that comes straight from my heart, and I hope it touches yours too.”

What?

Before Toge could fully process what was happening, he hears Yuuta strum a familiar tune—holy shit, since when does Yuuta play a guitar? Toge isn’t sure if he knew what song it was, but it sounded so familiar. Like the ‘hanging around with Yuuta after class and leaning against each other while listening to music’ kind of familiar.

And when Yuuta started singing, he was entranced.

“Wise men say ‘Only fools rush in’.” It’s the song that his best friend liked to listen to on repeat! That one from the, uh, Elvis guy! A popular singer in the non-mage world that Toge has never heard about because he sadly lived under a rock for over a decade of his life. “But I can’t help falling in love with you.”

Oh god, Toge has always thought that Yuuta’s voice was nice. But now, he thought it was absolutely beautiful. He didn’t even know his best friend could sing—the guy was often too shy and awkward whenever Toge pulled him for a dance when they played songs in whoever's dorm room they decided to hang out in. He could still remember the way Yuuta’s cheeks turned bright pink as they swayed off-beat within the four corners of his dorm room. Yet now, he was singing in public.

“Shall I stay? Would it be a sin?” Yuuta sang, eyes closed and voice heartfelt. It’s as if he was pouring his whole heart into the music. His long, slender fingers strummed the strings with precision, coaxing out melodies that spoke volumes. “If I can’t help falling in love with you."

Listening to him, Toge almost fell into a trance, slipping into a daydream where he and Yuuta could be dancing under the moonlight and professing their undying love to each other. But he instantly snapped out of it, shaking his head as he realized that something like that could never happen. Ugh, too sappy. He told himself. He was a cool guy—a tough one. He doesn’t do cheesy romantic things.

Well, maybe he would if it's with Yuuta but that’s beside the point!

“Like a river flows, surely to the sea.” The said source of his turmoil continued to sing so earnestly, unaware of the storm in Toge’s mind. “Darling, so it goes. Some things are meant to be.”

Oh gosh, is Toge still dreaming? It was too early for him to be awake so maybe. After all, this can’t be real. His left hand instantly went up to pinch his cheek and—yeah, okay that hurts. This isn’t a dream. Oh god, it’s real. He thought to himself both in awe and confusion. Because why the hell was Yuuta here trying to serenade—wait, oh my gosh. Is he serenading Toge? There’s no way!

“Take my hand. Take my whole life too.”

It’s not just him. He could hear the murmurs of shock and disbelief around him. Some of the students in his dorm hall were now peeking out of their rooms, watching the whole thing unravel before them. How could they not? The most desired guy in school right now—the Prince Charming—was serenading someone. And not just anyone, he’s serenading…the outcast.

There was a sting in Toge’s heart that he tried to ignore.

“For I can’t help falling in love with you.”

Is Yuuta playing a prank on him? Surely not. He was too kind to mess with Toge like this. But then why? Why would he do something so cheesy and romantic towards Toge as if he was a lovesick—Oh no. Realization quickly dawned upon him, fully waking him up this early in the morning.

The enamored look, the honey-smooth voice, the sudden choice of sweet words, and serenading Toge in front of this many people? All these out-of-character actions could only mean one thing: the love potion. Yuuta must’ve eaten those five cookies and fell victim to its love spell.

I thought he had a high resistance. Toge thought to himself. But then again, resistance doesn’t mean immunity. Just because Yuuta doesn’t normally get affected by his potions doesn’t mean he never will. And love potions were especially potent. Maybe it just took time to take effect and that’s why Yuuta was now serenading him, hours after he had eaten the cookies.

When the song ended, Yuuta remained kneeling in front of him. He set his guitar down and pulled out a box as if he was proposing. He opened the box and inside lay a beautifully made pendant with a bright, glimmering amethyst gem. “Toge,” Yuuta smiled, looking at him as if he was the whole world. “You are the light of this world."

what the fuck what the fuck what the fuc—

"The sun rises and sets with your smile. Every time I see you, my heart does a happy dance. You're like the cheese to my macaroni, the peanut butter to my jelly, and the sunshine on my rainy days." Yuuta said with honey-smooth words that only laced Toge with the sweetness of a youthful crush mixed with the poison of panic. "So what I'm trying to say is: Will you be my date at the dance?”

Toge cursed his heart for skipping a beat because that was such a sappy confession—and he knew it was his fault because Yuuta was obviously under a spell but Toge was a lovesick fool. He said yes.

Group Chat

Togesushii

Goodbye everyone

It was nice knowing you

Mochibara

What are you yapping about

megumi

????

Itadorizz

Senpai its early 😮

Why are you awake

Togesushii

I’m gonna be a hermit in some secluded forest now

if anyone wants to visit me

I'll send the address after six months

or a year

Mochibara

Isnt it too early for you to be a drama queen

Togesushii

Check the school app

First article

Mochibara

….

….

….

megumi

….

Wtf

Itadorizz

Oh

Congrats senpai :DD

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Breaking News: School Royalty and Heartthrob Okkotsu Yuuta asks Inumaki Toge out to the Celestial Dance.

Article written by xxxxx

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