Chapter Text
The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the air seems really fresh today.
“It’s a good day!” Nobara declares as she skips along from one mall to another, intent on spending a hefty chunk of her latest check on the newest fashion trends.
However, Yuji, the one who’s in charge of carrying everything that Nobara buys, would beg to differ. It’s barely 10 in the morning and he’s already carrying way too many bags. Not to mention, the sun’s heat which is especially unrelenting today and the foul air that seems to be everywhere in Tokyo just adds to his misery. Yuji thinks to himself that it’s a bad day and dares to voice his grievances out loud. Nobara immediately rounds upon him and calls him a party pooper which leads to some unintelligible yelling.
Megumi tunes out the clowns he begrudgingly calls his friends, never once lifting his eyes from his phone. He sighs inwardly when he realizes that their squabbling is attracting attention from passersby and mentally prepares himself to intervene. However, Nobara goes silent mid-squabble. That is something that has never, ever happened in the history of Nobara.
She suddenly points at something in the distance and squeals so loud that Megumi genuinely worries for a second. However since it’s Nobara, his worries dissipate into thin air before he can turn to look at whatever she’s squealing at. He barely manages to catch a glimpse of whatever Nobara was pointing at before she takes off running in your direction.
“It’s a sunny day, a really sunny day….hm a really sunny sunday” you think to yourself, barely having the energy to laugh at your own “joke” as you trudge along the roads of Tokyo with your friends, Rei and Asuka.
It was the first free weekend you guys have had in a long, long time and Asuka decided that it was high time that all three of you updated your wardrobe, especially you. To say that Asuka was flabbergasted in your choice of clothes would be an understatement. So here you were,walking in the sun for the first time in forever, trying to find some clothes that won’t get you “socially ostracized”. You think that Rei came along not to buy clothes but to rather laugh at your misery judging by the choked guffaws that she fails to hide every time Asuka shoots down your choices.
You can literally feel your body start to shut down when Asuka points in the direction of another shop which supposedly has the cutest clothes ever! Nope, nuh uh, you want to go back to your dorm and rewatch your favorite movie for the umpteenth time, not dry out in the sun! Also you’re hungry! You’d kill for some pancakes right now.
Hmm, maybe you should fake a heart attack. Hmm, maybe not, a heart attack is way too over the top and not quite believable. What about faking dehydration? Hey, you didn’t even need to fake it seeing that you feel parched and slightly dizzy and also, you haven’t drank water in like forever. Feeling proud of yourself for coming up with a plan -even if it was less of a plan and more of an actual predicament- you start to pull Rei and Asuka towards the cafe that’s in the exact opposite direction of the shop that Asuka was babbling about, listing out your symptoms.
”Should we go to the hospital?” Asuka questions, coming to a stop. She checks your eyes and pries your mouth open to squint at your tongue. She lets you go when Rei offers you her water bottle and you take it gratefully and help yourself to nearly all of her water before speaking up.
”Nah, Asuka-chan, it isn’t that serious. I think some pancakes will fix me right up.” you say, shooting her your best puppy eyes(TM).
Rei starts to speak up when you hear some yelling in the distance. All three of you turn towards the sound and you grow slightly concerned when you see something hurtling towards you.
No, not something, but rather someone.
No, not someone, but rather it’s Nobara fucking Kugisaki?!
”NOBARA, MY LOVE, IS THAT YOU??” You yell as you run towards her, arms outstretched without even realizing it.
In the blink of an eye, she jumps on top of you, smothering you in a tight hug. You hug her right back, barely managing to keep both of you upright.
“Holy smokes, I haven’t seen you in like, forever! How have you been? How is granny doing?” You ask her, feeling your eyes grow slightly misty. God you've missed her. It has been two whole years since you two last saw each other. School has kept you busy, leaving you with no time to have a social life, let alone visit your hometown. You’ve been keeping in touch with each other through calls and texts but it was never enough for you. Last time you talked, Nobara mentioned how she really, really wanted to go to some high school in Tokyo - with a really weird name that you can’t remember right now- for her studies but her granny wasn’t on board with the idea and as a result, they were having arguments pretty often. Looks like granny finally gave in.
”I know right?! It has been way too long!! I’m all good, granny is as loud as ever.” Nobara replies with a grin so bright that it warms you from the inside out.
“Did you miss me?” She asks, batting her eyes. Puppy eyes(TM) were your thing. She’s using your own technique against you, like hell you’d fall for it.
”No, I didn’t.” you reply, but you panic once you feel the overflow of tears in your waterline. You start blinking rapidly to hide your tears but since you have the shittiest luck in the universe, all that blinking actually causes a tear to slide down your cheek.
Nobara just smirks knowingly and you admit to her begrudgingly that you may have missed her a teensy bit. Damn you, traitorous lacrimal glands.
”So, granny accepted defeat huh?”
“She never stood a chance against me.” Nobara says with a cocky smile to which you can only shake your head and laugh.
”Oh, so this is the infamous Nobara that we keep hearing about.” Asuka chimes in, finally having caught up to you, Rei not that far behind.
You and Nobara finally untangle from each other. Not willing to let her out of reach yet, you curl your hand over Nobara’s shoulder and introduce her to your friends.
”Yes, yes this is the one and only Nobara Kugisaki. Nobara, meet Asuka and Rei.” Asuka and Rei wave at Nobara and she returns the gesture.
”She talks about me? It all better be only good things.” Nobara levels a glare in your direction but it isn’t that effective, paired with her poorly concealed smile.
”Either it’s about how much she misses you or it’s about how cool you are, so I’d definitely say it’s all good things” Rei says with a cheeky smile. Damn you, Rei. You feel your cheeks warm up. In an attempt to hide your face, you turn to the other side only to get nearly startled when you notice two boys standing awkwardly.
Nobara turns around and seems to finally remember that she didn’t come alone.
She introduces them to you, “Nerd, meet Itadori and Fushiguro. Itadori and Fushiguro, this is nerd-chan.”
“You say it like it’s my actual name.” you scowl at her and introduce yourself to Nobara’s friends.
One of them has the wildest hair you’ve ever seen. It sticks up in all directions possible and it actually reminds you of a sea urchin (?) You’re wondering if it’s a fashion statement or a really bad case of bedhead when he nods his head and gives his name.
”Fushiguro Megumi.” he says and you nod back politely.
The other guy has pink hair which actually looks natural and goes along well with his complexion. Hmm, must have been a really good dye job. He has some sort of markings (?) under his eyes that look like both tattoos and scars at the same time? Maybe it’s a tattoo which looks like a scar? Or is it the other way around? And his eyes-
Oh god, his eyes.
They are the warmest and brownest eyes you’ve ever seen. If you look closely, there are little flecks of gold too. His eyes look so kind. How can someone’s eyes look so-
Your heart beats a bit too fast for your liking and you hastily clear your throat to snap yourself out of the trance-like state you’re in. You're such an embarrassment! Who starts to write poems about a stranger's eyes???
He raises his hand and introduces himself, “I’m Itadori Yuji and I like girls-“ He interrupts himself with a loud wheeze and clutches at his foot. Fushiguro just rolls his eyes as if to say ‘ignore him, he’s a drama queen’ but Itadori actually sounds like he’s fighting for his life which makes you worried for him a tad bit. However Nobara bulldozes past him, not giving him even a second of her time.
”Why don’t you ever attend your calls?? I understand that you have a “heavy coursework” but would it kill you to text me a simple ‘hey Nobara, I’m not dead’?” There’s a dangerous glint to her eyes that makes a shiver run up your spine. You raise your hands placatingly at her.
”My phone fell into the pond in my school months ago and I got it replaced just last week! I wanted to call you right away but then I realised that I don’t have anyone’s number memorized so I just thought that I’ll visit home as soon as I get a free weekend, which is today, and get your number. Also I do have a heavy coursework! Why did you use air bunnies? I’ll let you know that this is the first time I’m walking in sunlight in literal months!”
”What do you mean that you don’t have anyone’s number memorized, you idiot??? What would you do if you were in trouble?? Also who takes months to replace their phone? I swear to god, you’re the dumbest person I know and I know him! Atleast he has survival instincts!" Nobara points at Itadori and he lets out an affronted gasp protesting about how he’s not that dumb.
“You’re right Nobara-chan and I’m sorry. Give me your number, pretty please with a cherry on top!” You flash your infamous puppy eyes™ extending your phone towards her.
She turns away with a ‘hmph’ and refuses to look in your direction. You realise that she’s actually upset with you, so you drop your puppy eyes (TM) and clutch her hand in yours.
“I’m sorry, Nobara. Swear I’ll be more careful in the future. Please forgive your bestest friend in the universe.”
She sighs out loud and lets her lips curl into a little smirk.
“Why would I need to forgive Fumi-chan?” She replies and now it’s your turn to let out an affronted gasp.
You stare at each other before breaking into laughter. God, you missed her. She takes your phone from your grasp and enters her contact details, saving her name as “It girl Nobara ;) ” which makes you fondly roll your eyes at her.
Suddenly you hear Nobara’s, Fushiguro’s and Itadori’s phones get a text ping at the same time. They all check their texts and frown at each other.
“Hey, so, something came up. We’ll catch up later?” Nobara asks, coming up to you and enveloping you in a hug once again.
“Yeah, sure. Give me a call when you're free.” You reply, swaying with her for a moment before both of you let go.
You part ways, waving goodbye to Nobara and her friends.
Out of the corner of your eye, you catch a flash of Itadori's pink hair and you forcibly turn your head in the other direction, chalking up your heart’s irregular rhythm to dehydration. Yeah, definitely dehydration.