Chapter Text
“Are you sure we’re not gonna get caught?” Yuuji breathed. Megumi cautiously opened the sideways metal gate from her house, leaving it slightly ajar for when they would make their return trip.
“Yes, we’ll be fine, don't worry about it.” She whispered back, pulling up her long black maxi skirt, scrunching it in the front. Yuuji soon followed, exiting through the gate as well. Nobara and Maki carried on behind them. A tote bag with water, juice, spirit, shot cups and vodka was being cradled within the orange-haired woman's arms. When they finally managed to sneak off the gojo property, they made a break for it, running down the street wearing nothing but comfortable sleepwear and socks, laughing all the way down the hill.
“Holy shit, I can't believe we’re actually doing this!” Nobara exclaimed excitedly.
“Dude, we've gotten drunk before, what's new?” Maki returned, slowing down to catch her breath at the bottom of the hill.
“The first time, we only got tipsy and strolled around town. This time we’re going to a secluded place, plus I don't wanna remember what I do tonight in the morning.” Joked Nobara. She turned her head to look at Yuuji and Megumi, who were already looking for a spot where they could sit and relax. At the very bottom of the slope, there was a bridge they could sit underneath; one side was a sewer grate, and on the other was a high school field. Around the area was soft grass, slightly wet from the rain shower from before.
They all headed down, drifting slowly down the dirt path that led to the entrance. Once they got down there, they all took a seat near a small drain that still dripped water. Yuuji sat on Megumi's right side, Nobara on Megumi's left and Maki in between both of them.
“Wait, did you guys bring the other stuff?” Yuuji asked, leaning forward. Maki looked over to her. Digging through her zipped-up black jacket, she brought out tea light candles, incense and tarot cards.
“Of course I brought it, we do it every time we sneak out, dumbass.” Retorted Maki. She gave a tea light to everyone who was participating and put one down in the middle, in the centre of all of them.
“Crap. I forgot a lighter, though.”
“Don't worry, I have one.” Megumi offered her own red lighter, which she had stolen from the gas station just a few weeks beforehand.
“Seriously? You're a lifesaver, dude.” Said Maki while lighting her own candle and hovering the flame over the one in the middle. Once the wax was warm enough, she stuck the end of the incense rod into the heated wax to let it stand upright. She continued to light the top of the brown powdered stick on fire, then blew it out.
“Gimme the lighter.” Nobara urged. Making hand grabby motions. Once she got her hand on the lighter, she lit her own candle and passed it over to Megumi, who passed it over to Yuuji, who finally passed it back to Megumi once her own light was ablaze.
“You guess ready?” Megumi asked.
“Hell yeah! Read my fortune already.” Nobara yelled excitedly.
“I need to know what my month’s gonna be like, hurry up.” Complained Yuuji, ruffling her white skirt and bringing her knees close to her sweater-covered chest.
“Yeah, whatever, just start.” Megumi looked around at the group before landing on Nobara. “You first?” She asked. Pulling the cards from the box, she swung her hand around the incense quickly and said aloud. “Show us Nobara's future!”
5 cards flew from her hand as she shuffled the deck. Nobara picked out 3 of them and placed each in front of herself in a line.
Reversed ten of wands.
Upright the lovers.
Upright chariot.
“Reversed ten of wands…” Megumi flipped through the small booklet that came along with the cards. “Inability to delegate, overstressed and burnt out. I'm guessing from exams? We do have a lot of things to do this term.”
Nobara sighed. Leaning in toward Maki and wrapping her arms around the green-haired teen next to her.
“You can get through it. I believe in you.” Maki comforted, patting the other girl's shoulder lightly.
“Ew, anyways, upright the lovers, partnership, duality and reunion.”
“Think you might get a girlfriend next month?” Yuuji teased, hiding her mouth behind her hand. She snickered at the girl sitting opposite her.
“Shut the fuck up! Megumi read the last one already." Nobara yelled, unlatching from her crush to shout at the pink-haired.
As she was told, Megumi flipped to the corresponding page. “Upright chariot, direction, control and willpower. Honestly, I think you'll pass your exams if you study and believe in yourself enough.”
“I think that was the most supportive I’ve ever heard you be.”
“Okay, fuck you, I hope you fail then.”
“No! Help me with your great witch power, Megu! I need to pass, otherwise dad’s gonna kill me.” Nobara begged, slapping her hands together and looking pitifully over at the one reading the cards.
“Oh, please, Nanami wouldn't be mad, he’d just give you the disappointed dad look every time you went by him.”
“Exactly! I can't handle that.” Whined Nobara. Megumi simply snorted at her reaction and moved on.
“Anyways, who's next?”
“Me! Please, I wanna get mine read. I can't wait!” Yuuji scrambled in her seat, moving to sit on her knees instead of her ass. The black haired teen pushed her bangs from out of her face to do the card properly. “Alright then, show me Yuuji's future!”
Reversed eight of cups.
Upright ten of swords.
Reversed nine of swords.
“Well, shit.” Muttured Megumi.
“Uh, what?” Yuuji asked. Getting worried over the expression on the painting of the other girl's face. She just said nothing. Instead, choose to open the booklet to the correct page.
“Reversed eight of cups, avoidance, fear of chance and fear of loss.” Oddly personal, Yuuji had to say. Her grandpa had just been admitted to the hospital for pneumonia a week prior; maybe her future fear would have to do with her watching the man who raised her, Sukuna and Choso, all on his own, slowly deteriorate with her own eyes.
“No way.. That's too specific.” Why did she have to get such a shitty card on the first try? Especially one that called her own family problems right out. “You know what? Maybe it'll get better.”
“Hopefully.” Megumi looked over to the next card. “Upright 10 of swords, failure, collapse and defeat.” They all looked over to Yuuji, who had her mouth agape.
“You've got to be fucking kidding me, am I going to lose my basketball game or something?! Jesus, why do all my cards suck?” She yelled angrily. Throwing her hands up to express her displeasure.
“I'm sure the last one won't be that bad,” Megumi said as she slowly flipped over to the very last page she needed. “Reversed nine of swords. anxiety, hopelessness and trauma.” Yuuji looked as if she was going to turn into a hot pile of mush.
“You know what? These are just some silly little cards! Who knows if they'll actually come true.” Said Nobara, trying her best to comfort her best friend.
“You wanna try Maki?”
“Hell no. You think I wanna get stuff like that? You're delusional.” She retorted sassily. Sneering at the purple and gold deck of cards, Megumi was shuffling in her hands.
“Suit yourself, I'm not gonna do them tonight. So pop out the vodka already.”
“Yessir!” Nobara reached behind herself and swiped a bottle of Smirnoff 700mls. She placed it in the middle as the other 15-year-old started to clean up the area already. Megumi took back the blown-out candles while Nobara poured everyone a shot in the disposable, plastic shot cups they bought a few days prior at the supermarket. Everyone took their assigned glass and brought it up high.
“Cheers to sneaking out,” Maki exclaimed happily. They all took a straight shot of vodka at the same time. Yuuji could feel it going down her throat. A bit spicy, kinda tasted like cough medicine, and it felt heavy on her tongue as it slid down.
“Augh. It tastes so weird!” She yelled, putting down the glass to wipe her mouth. Tugging her hair behind her shoulders and bringing it up mid-way, Yuuji twisted her hair tie around her bi-coloured hair to put in a ponytail, a fist full of hair wrapped in black elastic.
“You’ll get used to it after a while. Let's mix it with some juice now, I really wanna try that." Megumi admitted.
“Sounds good.” Nobara pulled out a separate empty bottle. She poured a few shots of vodka into the bottle as well as a roughly equal amount of shots of orange juice. Mixed it and then served it up to everyone yet again. This time, Yuuji took a liking to it. Megumi even poured her another shot for her trouble.
“Have we run out of orange vodka? We should mix it with Sprite this time.”
Nobara followed the raveonettes' demands and quickly washed out the bottle with some water. This time, pour the alcohol with soda instead of the orange juice. Yet again, she served everyone their shot. By this point, they all had a slight tinge to their cheeks; the only reason Yuuji could see this was because of the orange street light just a few metres above them. Megumi looks cute with it.
Suddenly, she felt her face flush redder; she wouldn't be able to blame it on the alcohol this time, and thankfully, no one asked about her sudden colour change. They continued to take shot after shot. Getting more tipsy and touchy-feely with each round. At this moment in time, Megumi had been resting her head on Yuuji's shoulder, Nobara had snuck her way into Maki's crossed legs and was lying horizontally to the woman.
“H-hey, pass the bottle.” Nobara tossed it over. “Thanks.” Yuuji then grabbed the bottle by its neck and chugged several mouthfuls. Megumi, awakening from her light rest, tore the bottle from her hands and glared at Yuuji.
“Jesus Yuuji, calm down. It's not gonna go anywhere.”
“Right, sorry.” She had the nerve to look down, ashamed of her previous action. But it wasn't her fault! She was under a lot of stress right now, with exams right around the corner, a basketball game against the Okinawa Curses and her grandpa, who had just been recently admitted to the hospital. Maybe it wasn't a good way to cope, but it was something, alright. Yuuji hadn't even been able to get out of bed for the past several days, unless it was for school or the toilet; she was just lying in her bed, scrolling through Twitter and TikTok, rotting in her sage green and white sheets. Her hair was ever so slightly greasy from not washing it for a week, and her teeth had been starting to stain a familiar cigarette yellow.
“I'm not letting you have any more tonight.” Megumi gave the bottle over to Maki, who sat still, just petting the silky orange hair in her lap.
“Fine, whatever, you do, Megumi. I'm gonna- gonna go over to that grassy area, alright? Lemme frolic.” She complained while pointing over to the area she was talking about, shoving Megumi's head off her shoulder, standing up angrily and stomping over to the small field of grass.
“Fuck..” Megumi mumbled.
“You too really need to fig- fag- figure out youre shift- shit.'' Maki dozed off. Already falling under the influence. Failing to fight against the alcohol level in the bloodstream.
“Mind your fuckin’ business.” She hissed, pushing herself up from the stone pathway they were all sitting on.
“H-hey! Do-ont talk to my girlfriend like that! She's perfect.” Nobara snuggled deeper into the warm thigh she had been atop of for the past 20 minutes.
“I'm your girlfriend, huh?”
“No homo though, n-no homo. Unless you wanna be homo?”
“I would LOVE to be homo. I'm already hoe- homo.”
Megumi raised both of her middle fingers as she got up. Glaring at both of them as if they each took a shit in her shot before pouring it down her throat. Walking over to the grassy area where Yuuji was lying down for the past few minutes, she fixed the sweater she was wearing and sat next to the pink-haired teen, just a few inches away from her.
Neither of them spoke. Megumi paid close attention to Yuuji's facial features, taking in every detail that her eyes would allow her. Bags slowly formed under her brown eyes. Sparks of orange, yellow and golden amber exploding near the iris. Dry, pink lips that were constantly being licked. Warm red-tinged checks, pulsating because of the alcohol. Yuujis' eyebrows furrowed deeply into her forehead as she talked to Megumi.
“What do ya’ want now?'' Megumi said nothing for a few seconds, trying to think of an adequate answer for the interrogator.
“Needa’ make sure you ain't gonna go off an’ get hit by a car.” She answered seriously. Her knees hugged close to her chest. Megumi wanted to make sure that Yuuji wasn't going to go off away from the group and find herself in trouble. For the past several weeks, she hadn't been acting like her usual happy, bubbly self. Either from her grandpa or her next tournament, it was obvious that it was weighing her down and making her even more depressed.
“Remember Flat Stanley? Wassn’ he from a book we ha’ at primary school? Ahh, I miss those times.” Admitted Yuuji, reminiscing about the past. “And now loo’ at me.. Drunk on a grassy ass hill. For what? Fuckin’ shits and gigs? H-ah Fuck knows. I jus’ wan’ everythin’ to be quiet.'' The other girl sitting next to her planted herself over Yuuji's body, both of Megumi's arms resting next to each side of her head as she stared directly at her eyes. Her knees were on each side of Yuuji's body.
“Yes, I remember fla’ stanley, and you’re perfect, you’re cute, you’re athletic, you’re hot as fuck, and if I were a guy I’d totally fuck you. I don't think I know a single person who hasn't been into you at some point. Trust me, Yuuji, it'll get better, it'll be easier. For drinkin’n? I dun fuckin’ know, call it auntie lore or some shit.”
“You have really nice eyes, didja’ know? Really pretty, pretty eyes. I could pluck ‘em out and wear ‘em as earrings, huh. But I would do that because they look so nice in your sockets.” Yuuji lay flat, spread out like a starfish across the thin green blades of grass.
“That's… kinda disturbing,” Megumi said sheepishly. Sweat was forming on the side of her face.
“Oh…” Tears slowly formed in Yuuji's eyes. Some of them are falling down her face already. “I'm sorry- I just love them so much. I- I don't think I've ever seen eyes as pretty as yours. Everything about you is just so-so damn pretty! God, I don't deserve to be your friend. I'm not perfect, like what you say, I'm sorry I can't live up to that. I'm sorry, I'm just wasting my life like this. I'm so sorry, I'm so fuckin’ useless right now.” She apologised, her voice wavering from the heavy crying. Yuuji had been bottling up all her negative emotions for weeks at this point. It was high time she let herself be open to others.
“Oh my god, just shut up already. Why can't you accept the fact that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me? I'm in love with you, I have been for years, you're just so irritatingly oblivious.”
“I'm irritating? I'm sorry- '' Yuuji said, but Megumi cut her off as she squished Yuuji's soft cheeks with her pale hands, making the hazel-eyed girl's lips stick out.
“Shut up— just–- zip it. I can't bear to hear you talk about yourself like this. It hurts so fuckin’ much, so please just say to yourself, ‘I am fine, I'm perfect’ because you're so damn perfect. I can't believe you're my best friend.”
“But I'm not.. I'm sorry-”
“Ah? What did I say? Say it, say it now.”
“Im- im fine, im perfect’.” Yuuji reluctantly said. Her life had been going downhill for a while now, and she felt like she couldn't even compare herself to Megumi. A literal angel sent from the highest tops of heaven to bless her presence. It was unfair that Megumi was so pretty because how could she fall for anyone else? No one could ever rival Megumi. Least of all Yuuji, with her rough exterior, built body and the usual injuries that came with playing sports. But if it was Megumi who was telling her she was perfect, then maybe she could allow herself to be worthy of calling Megumi her best friend. It was just so sad she wasn't more.
Wait.. didn't she say she was in love with me?
“Good. Imma gonna check up on Nobara an’ Maki. Who knows what they're doing while we’re gone? Probably gettin’ pregnant and shit, sluts.'' Megumi announced, getting up from her knees slowly as she tried to regain balance and her centre of gravity. Yuuji felt her grind on her hips ever so slightly. While the taller girl stumbled back over to the pathway, Nobara and Maki were sitting near, borderline on each other.
“Are you guys alright?" She asked. Nobara turned her head to face Megumi and Yuuji, who decided to follow the ravenette.
“She fertilised my eggs! I'm gonna get pregnant.” Nobara cried. “What do you guys wanna do with the secon’ bottle? Me Maki, and I already took some from it.” She admitted, handing the glass bottle over to Megumi.
“We can finish most of it. Why not?" Yuuji whispered behind her.
“Eh, whatever, fuck it,” Megumi said right before she swung the bottle above her head, her mouth on its spout and its contents drowning in her throat. Just as she finished her swig, clear liquid gushed out of her nose.
“Ah- fuck! Fuckin’ vodka just went through my nose. Shit!” She aspirated, pulling a hand up to cover her flushed nose. Its stinging effect is still lingering within each nostril. Honestly, she couldn't tell if it was worse than nasal spray, but it was still annoying as shit and definitely added a sour mood. Nobara had gotten off of Maki's lap and stood up, resting her hand on Megumi's shoulders. She bent over and laughed. In the background, Yuuji swore she heard hyenas.
“Y-you gotta be shittin’ me. You for real? That's hilarious!”
“Oh fuck off!”
“Damn, I didn' expect Megumi to be this out goin’ while dru-unk. Makes ya think what other sides of her w-we haven't seen.'' Maki stuttered, leaned back on her hands and spread her legs out. Mansplaining at its sluttiest.
“We should get home. I'm sure we’ve all had enough to drink now, and there's only a bit of the bottle left. Sorry.”
“Dude, that was fuckin’ d- sick! You swing the bottle and drink that much straight vodka? Fuckin’ hell, I'm surprised our livers haven't gone out on us yet.” Yuuji jokes. Swinging her muscular arm around Megumi's shoulders and bringing her close. Megumi could feel the warmth and pulsating blood through her sleeve.
Fuck why is that so hot?! This is so unfair.
Nobara wiped away the spit that had gathered on her cheek; this was no doubt from the full-on make-out session she had with the green-haired girl who just so happened to wrap her arms around her torso.
“Yeah, let's go home. I'm tired.”