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Maki’s up a bit earlier than everyone else, the benefit of being a Sunday when everyone in the dorms chooses to sleep in just a little longer. She’s finished dressing, her heavier layers and knit cap suited for the winter morning. She takes care to leave her room slowly and quietly to ensure she doesn’t wake Nobara sleeping in her room nearby then makes for the communal area and kitchen.
She has things to attend to for today.
Maki figures she’d be alone considering how quiet and early it is so she’s surprised when she bends the corner and sees him lounging on one of the couches, one arm dangling off the side and his face staring up at the ceiling. She almost thinks he’s asleep until he turns at the sound of her. His face brightens up, his bored expression quickly shifting into a wide, warm smile.
“Good morning,” Yuta says in a hushed tone. He waves enthusiastically after sitting up, signs of bedhead and morning grogginess evident all over him. Maki has to fight back the bubbling feelings in her chest at such a domestic sight.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
“I came back late,” he gets out through a stretch. “I ate after I changed, and I thought I’d just rest my head a little here, but then I fell asleep, and then… yeah. But this is good.”
She’s a little upset when she takes a closer look at him. The dark circles under his eyes have been worse lately, and he clearly isn’t getting enough rest. She’d scold him right now if he wasn’t looking at her with sparkling eyes and rocking slightly back and forth in his seat as if he was itching to say something.
Maki sighs. She’ll talk to him about it some other time.
For now, she crosses her arms and smirks at his overeagerness.
“Got something to say?”
He hums and nods.
“Happy birthday, Maki.”
With that beaming grin, he seems extremely pleased with himself and for her, and that bubbling feeling from before can’t be contained as the warmth in her chest spreads and forces her to crack a smile of her own.
“Thanks, Yuta,” she tells him earnestly. “Though you seem more happy about it than I am.”
“Well, it feels good to tell somebody happy birthday first,” he replies. Maki gives him an unimpressed scoff.
“Who said you were first?”
His buzzing comes to a halt. He frowns.
“Am I not?”
Maki pulls out her phone.
“Nobara texted me. Hard to beat a midnight message.”
She holds it out, and Yuta walks over to read it. His face falls.
“Hm. Didn’t think of that.”
She almost wants to laugh at how he pouts and sulks, but his face lights up with hope when he looks at her.
“Am I the first to say it in person, at least?”
Her eyes roll, but she can’t stop a small, airy chuckle from escaping her.
“Yeah. First in person.”
She gives him a chaste, grateful, congratulatory hug before she moves towards the kitchen. He follows closely behind, re-energized and buzzing again.
Maki grabs a bag where she can place some things inside. A can of soda. A bag of shrimp crackers. Some sweets.
Yuta watches at her back.
“Do you have any plans today?” he asks her.
“Just one thing,” she says. “I’ll probably stay holed up in her for the rest of the day. Sleep in and stuff.”
“Good… That’s good. Have you thought about going somewhere later?”
She tries to pay no mind to the scheming tone in his voice. She finishes packing the rest of what she needs and decides it’s time to leave.
“Maybe after this.”
“Oh. You’re heading out already?” he asks.
“Yeah. I won’t be long.”
“Where to?”
“I’m going to see someone,” she says solemnly. “It’s not just my birthday, you know.”
She sees a wave of recognition wash over his face as he nods slowly in understanding. Maki’s ready to depart when he speaks up.
“Are you going alone?” It’s an innocuous question, but when she looks at him, he quickly stammers when he realizes his possible insensitivity. “Sorry, of course you are. I mean— I get it if you do, and you probably should, I understand. I just wanted to know—”
“Get dressed. I can wait.”
There’s no teasing or underlying emotion in her voice. Yuta stops his stuttering and nods. He swiftly leaves to get ready.
Maki takes the time to move toward the door to the outside and waits.
She planned on going alone, but his company wasn’t so bad.
Jujutsu High’s secluded location in the mountains serves a good function for keeping the place hidden and away from normal society. Its location awards them a wide swath of open areas for their buildings, training grounds, dormitories, and other necessary locations. The swirling mountain paths in and out of Jujutsu High also give access to other sacred or private grounds.
Dressed in their winter’s finest, Maki and Yuta traverse one of the winding paths out of Jujutsu High and to a location nearby, about an eight-minute trip by foot from the dorms.
Their aimless conversations make the walk more tolerable for her. He seems excited when he asks her what new things she wants to do at seventeen years of age, and she tries to explain that there really isn’t that big enough of a difference between sixteen to seventeen that her world would suddenly change. When he starts looking a bit too smug after mentioning that he’s older than her, she makes sure to keep him humble with a swift kick to his backside.
The morning sun shines overhead. Yuta does a good job at talking her ear off. Both things keep her warm against the cold winds.
It’s a good time. Much better than a solitary trek alone, she will admit.
Their talking comes to a halt when they approach their destination.
It’s a wide, flat outcrop that sticks out of the mountainside, wide enough that some buildings could be built here if that were the plan. Instead, the lightly grassy grounds are colored with a myriad of headstones, memorials, and shrines. Some are big, some are small. It’s not meant to be a true cemetery as bodies and remains are not laid to rest here, but its purpose serves as a way to hold the honored remembrance of fallen jujutsu sorcerers. It is hallowed ground placed away from the main campus to ensure the dead are honored peacefully and away from business.
Maki and Yuta stand before their allies at rest. It’s always sobering to see the countless people that have died before them, sobering to know either of them or their friends could be honored here, timely or otherwise. Yuta turns to her to see if she’s okay, and she nods and heads to where she needs to be.
They don’t come here as often as they should. They have one stop on the route to Maki’s destination. The two walk to the middle of the grounds and stop at the foot of two headstones, humble memorials to Nanami Kento and Satoru Gojo. They were placed beside friends of their youth, Shoko told them.
Maki bows her head and pays her respects. She sees Yuta do the same, his eyes closed and his lips quivering just a tad.
Some wounds are still too fresh, she supposes. She should know.
When they’re finished, Yuta lets her lead the rest of the way.
Her steps are measured the closer they get to the small dedicated corner where Maki asked she be tucked away. She stops a few feet away when she sees it, a small headstone all on its own under the shade of one of the few trees.
Maki hasn’t been here since she requested it and oversaw its placement. For some reason, it’s harder to see it now than it was then.
A small, light presence settles on her shoulder, Yuta’s hand gentle and tender. She turns to Yuta who juts his head over to the lone memorial with a smile and gives her a tender push in its direction. She lets the force of it power her first few steps. He hangs back to give them their time.
When she stands before it, she reads the little inscription she asked to be placed upon it.
Mai Zen’in
2002 - 2018
Sister
Maki stares at it for a time. Her sister’s actual resting place is somewhere farther away. She asked for a memorial here if only so Maki wouldn’t need to go so far away if she wanted to see her.
There’s a well of conflicting emotions within her that threaten to break her if she lets them. Instead, Maki breathes in deeply and exhales heavily, the swell of emotions leaving like the vapor escaping her mouth. She sits in front of the headstone and takes out the treats from her bag.
She places the shrimp crackers and gummy candies on the ground and takes out the can of soda. All are some of the favorite snacks they shared.
Maki opens the can, the sharp hissing sound as good a sign as any for a small toast.
“Happy birthday, Mai.”
She takes a sip and places the can on the stone pedestal before she begins eating the rest of the food.
Maki eats in silence. She doesn’t know if this is an appropriate way to remember her, and it feels like she should be doing so much more, but this is the best Maki can think of. She assumed that sharing a birthday as twins would happen in perpetuity, one other person you can share a unique bond with no matter where they are on earth even if they were off doing their own thing.
She never thought it could be celebrated truly alone.
When she finishes the chips, she pops the candies into her mouth. She doesn’t know if she's listening, but something compels Maki to speak.
“Tokyo is still a mess, in case you were wondering,” she starts. “Some parts are better than others. Functionally normal, even. Others are practically hotbeds for curses. Still got our work cut out for us”
The grape flavor isn’t particularly her favorite, but she thinks Mai enjoyed them. She keeps talking.
“Todo told me you were a fan of that idol he obsesses over. I can’t tell if he was being delusional or not, but I saw her on a whim, once. Don’t tell anyone, but I think I get the appeal.”
Maki talks and talks about a number of pointless things. The kind of pointlessness you take for granted until you can’t talk to anyone about them anymore and realize how important it all is for keeping yourself going.
She thinks she’s exhausted all her topics along with the snacks she brought. She sits still, wondering what to do next when she feels Yuta’s watchful eyes on her. She scoffs affectionately.
“I’m actually glad you’re not here right now,” Maki says to her. “I don’t think I could explain him and me to you. Don’t think you’d let me live it down, either.”
With that, Maki feels the list of things to talk about has finally run itself dry. She grabs the empty wrappers and can and stuffs it back in the bag. She rests her cheek against her palm, memories of their childhood running rampant in her head, and she sighs.
“…I’m sorry for everything. I miss you.”
Maki stands and feels their time coming to an end. She looks back to Yuta, his mildly worried gaze giving way to relief, and waves him over. He’s hesitant at first but eventually settles beside her, the two regarding Mai’s headstone together.
“Did you talk?” he asks.
“Yeah. It was good.”
“What did you talk about?”
“Nothing you need to know,” she says flatly, and Yuta chuckles.
“Fair enough.”
She knows she can’t spend her entire day here, but it’s hard to tear herself away now. The chilly breeze has both their scarves waving in the wind as they stare in silence.
“I still wonder why it was her and not me,” she says. Her tone is steady despite the subject. “I still wonder if it had to be this way and not any other.”
Maybe it’s too heavy of a thought and not fair to drop on him, but she had to say it aloud to someone once lest it continue to eat at her. She doesn’t expect a response from him, but she hears him hum in thought.
“I can’t say for certain why it had to be this way, either,” he says. “I know it's not enough, but all I can do is thank her for protecting you. I hope that’s okay for me to say.”
“It’s fine,” she says with a small smile. “I don’t think she’d want to hear it from you, though.”
“I still think we’d be friends.”
“You’re still dreaming, but sure.”
He laughs quietly.
They stand for a couple more moments longer.
“Are you feeling okay?” he asks.
“Yeah. I’m fine.” She reads her sister’s name, letting all their shared memories play through her head. Maki gives her one more goodbye internally. “I miss her. But I won’t stop. For her sake and mine.” She tugs on his arm. “Come on. Let’s go.”
She begins to walk away when Yuta stops.
“Go ahead,” he tells her. “I didn’t say anything yet.”
Maki watches him go back to her sister. He bows his head and puts his hands together.
Even when the wind picks up, even though she isn’t trying to listen in, she can hear him clearly.
“Happy birthday, Mai. Thank you. We’ll take care of her. I promise.”
∮∮∮
When they step outside of the memorial grounds, Maki is shocked to run into two more visitors heading to where they once were, even more so at who those visitors are. Momo Nishimiya and Kasumi Miwa look just as surprised as her if their wide-eyed stares mean anything. Yuta nearly trips over himself at the sight of them.
“Miwa, Nishimiya-senpai,” Yuta says, his voice unsteady. “Um. What a surprise. What are you two doing here?”
“Okkotsu,” Miwa chuckles a bit too nervously. “We were just in the area. You know. What a coincidence. Heh. Uh.”
“All the way from Kyoto?” Maki says a bit disbelievingly.
“The ones monitoring Shibuya requested more manpower, so we’ve been called over to stand by here lately,” Nishimiya says coolly. Miwa nods fervently.
“Makes sense, I guess,” Maki figures, not noticing the wink Momo gives Yuta. “A bit of a trip coming out here in the morning, though, huh?”
“Ah, well, considering the day and the fact that we can’t visit the Kyoto High memorial site, we thought we’d take a chance here,” Miwa says. “Is there…”
Maki smiles fondly.
“I put a place for her in the top right corner. We just saw her ourselves. Just look for the tree. Can’t miss it.”
The two girls bow gratefully, their faces softening.
“Thank you, Maki,” Momo says.
“I should be thanking you. I’m sure she’ll be glad to have friends visiting. Take your time.”
“We will,” Miwa says. “But since you’re here now, too…” The girl hops over to Maki and hugs her before she can dissuade her. “Happy birthday, Maki.”
“Happy birthday,” Nishimiya follows up by patting her back.
“Um… thanks.” Maki can feel her ears reddening. She’s not used to anyone besides her immediate friends being somewhat kind to her. She glares at Yuta who seems to be enjoying the sight a bit too much.
The two girls wave goodbye when they separate.
“I, uh, guess this is it for today,” Miwa says awkwardly. She fidgets uncomfortably for reasons unknown to Maki. Momo shakes her head and drags the girl with her.
“Stay safe, you two,” Nishimiya tells them. “Have a good day.”
Maki waves back and continues on. Yuta shares a nod and a quick thumbs up with them before catching up.
“Wasn’t expecting to see those two of all people,” Maki says.
“Yeah,” Yuta coughs. “Talk about surprises.”
“Uh-huh. Might be the only surprise today.”
There’s an insinuating undertone to her words.
Yuta coughs again.
“You never know,” he says, and Maki rolls her eyes heavily.
They keep walking the mountain path. The way Yuta shifts nervously is too obvious.
“So,” Maki says loudly. “How long do you need to distract me?”
He freezes in his tracks. The way he stares at her with panicked eyes and mind racing is almost comical.
“Uh… What do you mean?”
“Well, I already know there’s some surprise for me later today. Nobara and Yuji talk too loud. You also said ‘this is good’ when we bumped into each other first thing in the morning. And when you asked if I wanted to go out somewhere earlier, I assumed you were planning to take me until they finished setting up.”
“I— I, uh. I don’t know what you mean—”
“I’ll go back to the dorm right now, then.”
He tries to say something, his starts and stops staggered and numerous.
She’s pleased to see him finally sigh and hang his head in defeat.
“Can you at least pretend to act surprised when it happens?” he pouts. “They’ve been planning it for a while.”
“When’s it happening?” she teases him curiously.
“I’m supposed to bring you somewhere then come back at three.”
She checks her phone. It’s a bit past nine. One trip to the city and back should suffice.
“I’ll play along if you take me somewhere nice,” she offers.
“I was thinking crepes,” he proposes.
“Hmm… let’s get fancy, gourmet ones, then. You’re paying”
“Nothing too expensive, please.”
“Hey. Whose birthday is it?”
Maki never in her life has pulled that card out before, but she would be remiss if she didn’t use it on the one person it’s best to use it on.
The feigned pain and reluctance on Yuta’s face make her first time worth it.
“Right… Whatever you want.”
She knows he’s playing up his disappointment, but she also knows he isn’t playing up that sincere smile of his, either.
It’s only fair, then, that she links their arms together, her left wrapping neatly around his right, and lets him take her away.
It’s 3 p.m. on the dot when they make it back to the entrance of the dormitory. They stand before the door, and Maki watches Yuta read a message on his phone, pretenses long past being necessary.
“It looks like they’re ready,” he tells her.
“What did they even do?”
“I don’t know. My job was just to keep you away.” He turns to her with pleading eyes. “Can you pretend to be surprised so I don’t get yelled at?”
Maki thinks of the luxurious crepes they found, reminiscing on the sweet cream and strawberries on the powdered dough. She remembers enjoying her fill and then forcing Yuta to try the rest of the assortment on the menu.
“I guess I can,” she concedes. He sighs in relief.
“Thank you,” he says. With that, he opens the door and beckons her in. “After you.”
When she walks in, the lights are off, already a telltale sign of something afoot. She looks back to Yuta as if to ask if they could’ve been any more obvious. He shrugs his shoulders.
The entrance hall goes straight until it turns into the dorm's main communal lounge. Maki steps loudly and stops right before the corner.
“Psst. Hey. Idiots. She’s coming.”
Wow , she mouths to Yuta, and he puts his hands up in prayer, begging her to play along.
Maki steels herself for whatever’s on the other side and rounds the corner.
She’s immediately met with the bang of party poppers and streamers falling on her head.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”
Maki has to admit, the chorus of cheers does rattle her, as does seeing all her classmates waiting for her reaction. The junior trio is there, Nobara and Yuji practically vibrating with excitement unlike Megumi who holds his blown party popper up unenthused. Toge and Panda are sporting party hats and star-shaped glasses, and she’s still a bit too stunned to stop Toge from slipping a hat on her. Even Kirara is there standing next to a table stacked with a veritable feast of food. Nobara bounces on her feet and sidles up against her.
“Surprised? Are you surprised? You’re surprised, huh?”
Maki’s still absorbing the sight of the “happy birthday!” decorations hanging from the ceiling and the “17” shaped balloons floating around.
“You… um…” Her head tilts slightly towards Yuta who genuinely looks taken aback. “You… sure did, you guys. You got me.”
There’s some spirited, triumphant laughter shared amongst them. Yuta mouths her a very grateful thank you.
“See? I told you my plan was perfect,” Nobara says while poking her elbow against Megumi who continues to look unimpressed.
Maki decides to let her have this one (especially since it seems to be at Megumi’s expense), but she is genuinely surprised when she sees two familiar faces from this morning waving at her.
“You two, as well, huh?” Maki asks when Nishimiya and Miwa step up. The latter bashfully rubs the back of her neck.
“Okkotsu saw we were going to be in the area when this happened and asked us to come over,” she explains.
“You weren’t supposed to see us this morning, though,” Nishimiya says. “An honest coincidence on that one.”
Yuta laughs sheepishly when she looks at him.
“So the whole story beforehand was a cover?” Maki asks.
“Nah, we were actually called up,” Momo says. “Just recently, though. Not any earlier. It ended up working out.” She gives another thumbs up to Yuta who smoothly returns it. “I hope you don’t mind us barging in.”
“We brought cakes,” Miwa adds as she holds up two bags.
“Well… the more the merrier at this point,” Maki tells her as the rest of her friends begin to crowd around her.
“You should be thankful to Maki that she’s letting you stick around with us,” Nobara says pointedly to Nishimiya.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to let her know that most of her friends are kind and hospitable,” she responds with a sickeningly sardonic smile.
They lock eyes and threaten to butt heads much to Miwa’s dismay.
“Yooo,” Kirara calls from the table of food. “Can we eat yet? It was hard to set this up and not take any bites.”
“Tuna tuna,” Toge adds in agreement.
“What the hell did you guys even plan, anyway?” Maki finally asks. Nobara separates from her staring contest and happily explains.
“Well, at first, I thought we would take you on a full-day tour including a salon trip, a spa, and amusement park, then end it at a restaurant with a five-course meal in Roppongi.”
“Too much,” Maki says.
“I told you,” Yuji says, but Nobara prattles on.
“After that, I figured we’d take a flight to the Philippines and relax at one of their beach resorts.”
“Also too much,” Megumi notes.
“But after some extensive planning and re-planning, I—”
“We,” Yuji and Megumi correct bluntly.
“—decided to just buy a bunch of food and games and hang out for the day.”
Maki nods appreciatively.
“I don’t mind that. Good plan.”
Nobara hugs her delightedly and calls for everyone to start eating.
Maki lets the rest go ahead first. She and Yuta watch them gather their birthday-themed plates and utensils.
“That wasn’t so bad,” Maki confesses.
“No kidding,” Yuta says. “They went all out.”
“Not sure how I feel about it all being centered on me, though.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s just you.” He points to the hanging decorations, and she sees the message put up that she missed.
Happy Birthday Maki & Mai!
Yuta slyly places his hand on her back.
“Besides, being the center of attention isn’t always bad,” he says. “That’s what birthdays are for, right? I think you deserve one day.”
As always, his big eyes and wide smile tell her how much he means it.
He’s a tad too sweet for her liking at the moment, so she slips her hat off and sticks it on his head.
“Come on,” she says now that the foods’ aromas have hit her. “Let’s get in on this.”
∮∮∮
Maki and the others walk around the food spread hungrily, the aroma of the many meals growing more and more tantalizing for their hungry stomachs. The more Maki looks at the three tables’ worth of food, the more impressed she gets.
“Wow,” she remarks. “This is some high-quality stuff.”
“It’s the main draw,” Megumi tells her. “They kept saying we shouldn’t skimp out.”
There are meat dishes, chicken, beef, seafood, soups, curry, desserts, and more and more that Maki loses track of.
“I recommend the crab cakes,” Kirara says while munching on one.
“The barbeque stuff is unreal,” Yuji chimes in.
“These cheesecake bites are tasty,” Miwa remarks as Nishimiya snags another.
“Salmon,” Inumaki adds.
“Right, the salmon is fresh, too,” Panda agrees.
Maki begins to take her pick from the assortment of opulent dishes when something dawns on her.
“Who paid for all this?”
There’s a haughty, proud chuckle. Nobara smiles smugly with her hands on her hips.
“Yours truly picked out all the meals,” she proclaims while posing for the imaginary cameras.
“Everything, huh?”
“Yup. The main dishes, the side dishes, the appetizers, the entrees, the desserts, beverages, utensils, even the decorations and balloons. All were my design.”
“And how did you pay for this?” Maki asks again.
Nobara smoothly pulls out a shining credit card from her pocket. She flashes it like heavenly light falls atop it.
“It’s all thanks to this,” she says.
Maki squints at the card, the piece of plastic looking oddly familiar to her.
“…is that Yuta’s?”
There’s a loud, horrified gasp. Yuta holds up a piece of rich beef with mortified eyes.
“Is this A5 wagyu?!”
He seems less hungry and more haunted than the rest.
Maki steps beside him to pat him on the back.
Not before she puts a piece of wagyu on her plate, of course.
∮∮∮
They’re gorging themselves on all the food they’ve collected, spread throughout the lounge and conversing freely. There’s some party music playing in the background and some gorey horror movie thrown up on the TV on mute. Maki is in the center of it all despite her best efforts to stay on the side.
“Where’d Okkotsu-senpai take you, anyway?” Nobara asks.
“We ate crepes. Fancy ones,” Maki says. “Here. Look.”
She pulls out her phone and shows them pictures of the food they ate earlier, all of them leaning in over their own plates of food to see, an act of irony not lost on her.
“Ooh, those look good,” Yuji says with stuffed cheeks.
“Hmph. Not a bad choice,” Nobara admits.
“Send us the name of that place later,” Nishimiya asks.
“Looks costly, though,” Megumi notes.
“It was,” Yuta whispers weakly, the boy looking forward blankly with a distant stare as he nibbles absentmindedly on a piece of steak.
There’s a loud, crashing noise as the sound of the door from the entrance flings open loud enough for them to hear. They watch Hakari bend the corner carrying two large bags and looking all too pleased.
“Yo!” he shouts while placing the two bags on the countertop. “We’re finally partying?”
“Maki just got here,” Kirara tells him.
“Nice, nice. Happy birthday and all that. I got the supplies.”
“And what are those?” Maki asks.
“Well, I brought the fun…” Hakari slides the ends of one bag down to present a litany of games, from tabletop ones to cards. His smile turns mischievous with the other bag. “And I brought the fun.” He reveals its contents, showcasing several cases of canned cold brews.
“Is that beer?” Yuta sighs exasperatedly. “We said no alcohol, Hakari-senpai.”
“Ah, lighten up, it’s a party!” he exclaims. “We didn’t even celebrate after all that shit last year, we got time to make up!”
“We’re underage,” Megumi tells him.
“I tasted beer once, and I didn’t really like it,” Yuji says to nods of agreement from almost everyone else.
“We could get in trouble,” Maki adds. Not that she really cared.
“What Kusakabe doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Hakari insists. He holds out a can to her. “Want one? Birthday girl gets the first sip.”
“I’m good.”
He groans loudly as if he’s disappointed in all of them.
“You’re all boring,” Hakari sighs. His eyes lock on Yuta who’s looking more and more shell-shocked as the seconds pass. “Sheesh, Okkotsu. You gotta lighten up. I got the perfect thing.”
Hakari cracks open a can and heads his way. Yuta holds his hands up defensively.
“Uh, no thanks, I’m actually—”
“Come on, don’t knock it till you try it.”
“It’s— that’s not really my thing—”
“Something tells me you’d be the drinking type.”
“Hold on— wait— please—”
∮∮∮
They’re all huddled around a small table. Cards and cash are stacked messily over the tabletop. The tension in the air is thick, every competitor keeping their hands close to their chest as their narrow eyes dart cautiously from side to side.
“I know you’re not up to snuff, Nishimiya,” Nobara calls out. “Hurry up and fold.”
“Sounds like someone’s projecting,” she coos. “It’s okay to lay down and die.”
They glare at each other and grind their teeth.
“Fushiguro, show me your hand,” Yuji whispers. “Maybe we can team up and win.”
“Do you think I’m stupid or are you actually an idiot?” he spits back.
“I think you all need to give it up,” Panda says aloud. “The dice rolls are in my favor.”
“This is a card game, Panda,” Kirara reminds him.
Their attentions are taken by a deep, rumbling exhale. Beside Kirara, Hakari’s head hangs from the force of his sigh. He begins to shake his head and click his tongue.
“…You feel that everyone?” he murmurs slowly.
“Oh, here we go,” Nishimiya rolls her eyes.
“I feel it in my bones…” Hakari continues. He slowly begins to rise. “My gut’s never wrong.”
“Yeah, yeah, we hear you—” Nobara is interrupted by him shooting to his feet.
“This is it, baby!” Hakari proclaims. “This hand’s a winner! The fever doesn’t lie!”
Hakari slams his cards on the table.
A loud chorus of groans rings out as everyone tosses their defeated hands aside.
“Hell yeah!” Hakari yells while throwing his tank top off and flexing his muscles. “That’s what I’m—”
“Oh. Hey.”
Maki drops her cards next to his.
The groans turn into much more pleased cheers and claps. Hakari falls backward in despair, Kirara catching him and patting him on the head.
Maki takes the betted money and holds the spread up. Nobara snaps a picture.
Yuta watches the antics unfold, confused.
“Um… What game were we playing again?”
He turns to Inumaki and Miwa, the two looking just as befuddled as he is with the UNO cards in their hands.
∮∮∮
“Happy birthday, Maki, to you and your sister,” Kamo tells her. “Apologies that I couldn’t be there.”
“It’s fine,” Maki waves off to the phone Miwa holds up. “This isn’t a serious thing.”
“Are you… sure?” the young man questions when he hears arguing and fighting in the background stemming from whatever board game the rest are playing.
“Positive,” she reassures him despite a slap ringing throughout the air.
“I… see. Well, I’ll let you get back to it. Enjoy yourselves.”
The call ends, and Miwa slips her phone back into her pocket.
Yuji shoots out of the boisterous pile of people fighting over games and ends up in their vicinity.
“Woah. Was that Kamo-senpai?” he asks through panting breaths.
“Yeah. I told him what we were doing, and he wanted to say hi,” Miwa says.
“That’s nice. Actually, that reminds me of something.” Yuji pulls out his phone. “Todo sent me something for you.”
“He did?” Maki asks.
“Yeah. I don’t know what it is, though.” They watch him tap away at his phone, his brow furrowing once he seemingly reaches the message. His head tilts questioningly, but he eventually shows his screen to them. “Um. Here.”
On his screen is Todo standing next to a tall idol. They hold their hands up in the shape of hearts and wink and kiss at the camera. Gaudy pink text and symbols are overlaid over the picture.
˗ˋˏ ♡ Happy birthday! From, Takada-chan ♡ ˎˊ˗
“Wow,” is all Maki and Miwa can say. Yuji scratches his head.
“Do you… want me to send this to you?”
She thinks on it for a moment.
“Send it to Yuta, first.”
∮∮∮
The lot of them are seated on the floor save for Maki who sits in a comfortable chair before them. She insisted that they didn’t need to buy her gifts nor that they make a show of it so it stands to reason that both of those things are happening right now. It would’ve been harder to refuse so she relented easily as she continued to make her way through the wrapped presents.
Maki’s already opened some of them. Hakari and Kirara gifted her a tote of chips and candies. Easy, affordable, and tasty which she respects. Toge and Panda gifted her some extravagant skin cream, a high-risk, high-reward joke that she found funny and useful, to everyone’s relief. The Kyoto girls gave her some nice scented candles, and Yuji somehow gets her a toy replica of what she can only assume is Slaughter Demon (“sorry for breaking it last year, senpai”).
She opens the next box and is met with a handy grip strengthener. She holds it in her palm and tests the weight.
“Not bad, Megumi,” she praises him.
“I figured you could do quick exercises on the go with that,” he explains. It’s very like him to think of practicality.
Maki maneuvers the exercise tool until it’s just right and gives it a cursory squeeze.
It explodes comically in her hand from the strength, pieces of it shooting through the air that some dodge to avoid.
“Oh,” she says deflatedly. “Whoops… Uh…”
Megumi rubs his face and sighs.
“That’s on me,” he mumbles. “I don’t know what I expected.”
He begins to pick up the pieces scattered across the room. Nobara ignores him and excitedly hands her a big wide box.
“Happy birthday, Maki!”
It takes some effort to unwrap the entire thing, but she eventually reveals a box filled to the brim with curated weapon maintenance tools.
“Oils, whetstones, polish, cleaning cloths, thick and microfibre ones…” Maki lists off. “This is pretty extensive. Luxury brands in here, too. It might last me the whole year. Thanks, Nobara.”
The girl nods gleefully.
Yuta looks less pleased.
“Uh, Kugisaki… when did you buy that?” he asks.
“I bought it when I ordered all the other birthday stuff for today.”
“…With the same card?”
“Uh, yeah. Why do you ask?”
Yuta’s face falls into his hands.
∮∮∮
It’s nighttime now, yet there’s somehow more food left to eat and more games left to play. Maki slips away from the others during a game in the main lounge to the kitchen area to pour herself a drink. It doesn’t take long until she feels another’s presence quietly slip behind her.
“Enjoying yourself?” Yuta asks quietly. His hand ghosts the small of her back.
“It’s not so bad,” she tells him, moving slightly backwards to get his hand fully flush against her. “I’m used to quieter affairs, though.”
“Same here,” he chuckles. “But this is good, too. I’m happy you’re liking it.”
“You sure you’re happy?” she smirks softly. “You look like you’ve been through the wringer.”
He holds back a grimace and gives her a resigned smile instead.
“If everyone’s happy, then I can manage,” he says.
It might be the first moment of quiet they’ve had in hours, a little bubble just for them. That smile of his doesn’t go away. If he keeps looking at her like that, she’s afraid she won’t be able to let it go.
“Okkotsu-senpai!” someone calls. “It’s your turn!”
He sighs. It’s a shame he has to separate from her, but she gives him a playful shove.
“Don’t keep them waiting.”
“But I haven’t won a game all day…” he whines, his voice trailing as he walks away. She watches him go before she gets back to pouring a drink.
Her battle instincts flare when she feels the presence of two different people creep up behind her. Before she can defend herself, two girls attach themselves to both sides of her and squeeze her between them.
Nishimiya and Miwa look up at her with sweetly sinister glints in their eyes.
“Sooo, Maki…” Miwa drawls.
“When were you gonna tell us about that?” Nishimiya finishes, her brow moving up and down suggestively.
Maki heaves a deep and heavy sigh.
“About what?”
“Oh, come on,” Miwa says while playfully nudging against her. “We saw what just happened. I had to hold back my voice. It was so cute.”
“I didn’t know Okkotsu was like that,” Nishimiya teases. “And he took you out for a crepe date, too, huh? I didn’t know he knew how to treat a girl. How long has this been going on, hmmmm?”
“That wasn’t a date. And I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Maki tries, but it only seems to excite them more.
“Oh my, is it a secret?” Miwa asks with a hand covering her mouth.
“How adorable,” Nishimiya sings. “Do the others know?”
“They don’t need to know anything.”
The girls gasp dramatically.
“A hidden relationship,” Miwa huffs with girlish glee. “How romantic.”
“Sneaking glances and touches unbeknownst to their friends. Nighttime excursions away from watchful eyes. What a youthful life,” Nishimiya snickers.
“Alright, that’s enough.”
Maki begins to walk off, drink in hand.
“If you need advice, you can talk to us,” Miwa offers.
“We can keep secrets, too,” Nishimiya assures her.
They won’t let go of her arms even as Maki drags them across the floor.
∮∮∮
During a lull in the party, Hakari grabs a case of beer and drops it loudly in front of Nishimiya. Every head in the room turns their way.
“You’ve been hiding,” Hakari says to her with a wild smile. “How long are you gonna keep the act up? Didn’t even say anything when we were all together last year.”
Nishimiya is unphased as she makes a show of checking her nails instead of him.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says flatly. “I’ve been enjoying myself just fine.”
“So little Momo-chan is gonna keep avoiding me, huh?”
She shoots him a wicked glare.
“Is big bad Kin-chan so preoccupied with me that I’m living inside his head so easily?”
It’s a peculiar sight, Nishimiya staring up at Hakari fearlessly, the two engaged in a heated struggle of stares.
“What the hell is going on?” Maki asks for herself and everyone else watching.
“Ohh yeah, you guys don’t know, huh?” Kirara says while rocking in her chair. “Those two have a history.”
“History?” they all echo, some cheeks reddening at the word.
“Oh, ew, not like that,” Kirara clarifies. “We all met at the Goodwill event when we were first-years. Since there weren’t enough numbers, we had to participate, and Kin and Momo got paired off in the one-on-one round.”
“Did something happen?” Yuji asks.
“Yeah, Kin knocked her lights out,” Kirara says. “Not before she ripped up and ruined his clothes and his hair, though. He had to switch up his whole style. They’ve been at it ever since.”
They look back at the two, animalistic grins plastered on their faces.
“What’s the game this time, Kinji?” Nishimiya prods. “Need to shoot some dice again to get a win?”
“I was thinking of something more physical,” Hakari emphasizes while tapping the case of beer. “We down as many of these as we can and see who holds in their stomach the longest.”
Yuta’s eyes shoot wide open in panic.
“Uh, I think we should do something else, actually—”
“Fine,” Nishimiya answers. She begins to roll up her sleeves. “Easy.”
She takes the case to a nearby table and opens it up and lets the cans spill out despite Yuta's protests.
When an equal number of cans are opened on both ends of the table, Hakari on one side and Nishimiya on the other, and Inumaki in the middle ready to referee, Yuta wonders how they managed to get here.
“Attention, Jujutsu High!” Panda announces, the tiny bear riding atop Inumaki’s shoulder. “It’s time for our first annual Tokyo vs. Kyoto drink off!”
There are loud cheers. Yuta wonders why there’s cheering.
“The winner of this bout gets the honor of the second birthday cake slice after Maki!”
There are more cheers. Yuta almost feels betrayed when Maki is included amongst them.
“Guys, I think we need to be a little more quiet—”
“Kick her ass, Hakari-senpai!” Nobara yells.
Yuji and Kirara are waving flags beside her.
“Tokyo! Tokyo!” they chant.
Miwa waves her own flag much less enthusiastically.
“Uh… go Kyoto,” she calls out weakly, a limp fist pump accompanying her cry.
Hakari rolls his shoulders and sneers.
“Try not to puke all over me.”
Nishimiya slaps her cheeks and gives him a challenging grin.
“Try not to puke all over yourself.”
“Our combatants are ready!” Panda says. “Countdown, everyone!”
“Is it too late to stop—”
“3!”
Hakari grips a can with his right.
“2!”
Nishimiya grips a can with her left.
“1!”
Inumaki lowers his collar and clears his throat.
“Chug.”
∮
Yuta waits outside the dorm restroom. It’s unisex and has multiple stalls. That’s one blessing, he supposes.
Maki appears around the corner and goes to join him.
“Are they feeling better?”
The intense sounds of vomiting emanating from within give her an answer. It takes a couple more minutes, but Hakari and Nishimiya stumble out of the bathroom and collapse on the floor. They’re mumbling at each other, slurring their words into incoherent babble.
“You should leave them,” Maki says, but Yuta already places his hands against both of their backs, outputting positive cursed energy and sobering them back up. They cough and shake their heads like they’re recovering from drowning, but they turn to Yuta with deathly serious stares.
“Who won?” they ask, and Yuta and Maki decide that keeping the answer to themselves is punishment enough.
∮∮∮
The night is winding down, now. Nishimiya and Miwa retrieve the two cakes they brought earlier and present them on the table where Maki sits. It’s nothing too fancy compared to all the other food today, but Maki likes that better.
Two simple chocolate cakes, they tell her. One for her and her sister.
Maki raises a brow at the flavor choice, but it’s washed away when they start singing and clapping for her and Mai.
It’s embarrassing, and she tries to hide her face from the cameras recording her. She’ll need to steal Yuta and Nobara’s phones later.
When all the singing is done, someone asks her for a toast. She tells them thank you and to piss off.
They cheer again and let her cut the first slice.
Maki cuts one for herself and quickly cuts a second one before the rest come to take claim. She hopes she’s stealthy enough when she slips the second slice to Yuta.
When they’re all munching away, she walks over to Miwa and Nishimiya.
“Thanks for bringing cakes,” Maki says. “You didn’t have to.”
“It’s fine,” Miwa insists. “It worked out since we knew Mai’s favorite, too.”
“Yeah. I wanted to ask why you got chocolate.”
“Well, they told us you like chocolate and so does she,” Nishimiya says. “So we bought two.”
Maki lets her thoughts settle in her head for a moment.
“You said Mai likes chocolate?”
Nishimiya and Momo frown.
“She does,” Miwa repeats. “At least, we think she does. We got her the same cake last year as a gift. She ate it all with us.”
When she hears that, Maki can’t stop the genuine laugh that bubbles out of her.
“Is something wrong?” Nishimiya asks.
“It’s nothing,” Maki smiles. “But just so you know, Mai hated chocolate. I guess that means she just liked you guys more.”
Midnight approaches, and it’s the first time in hours that everything feels still. It helps when all her friends have passed out for the night, bodies sprawled here and there on the couches and floor. Maki sees off Miwa and Nishimiya at the entrance.
“You sure you can’t stay the night?” Maki asks. “Plenty of rooms.”
“We’re stationed closer to the danger zone and have to be there promptly, so it’s fine,” Nishimiya explains. “Our person’s already here to pick us up.”
“Then I guess it’s goodbye,” Maki relents. “Thanks for putting up with us.”
Nishimiya and Miwa share a glance before nodding.
“We have one last thing to give you,” Miwa says. She begins reaching into her wide bag. Maki frowns slightly.
“I thought I already got something from you two.”
“Okkotsu asked us to give this one to you in private,” she tells her while handing her a hardy plastic case. It’s hefty and durable, and Maki wonders how Miwa managed to hide it.
Maki is confused at what it could be until she realizes it’s a case used to hold a firearm. She breathes in sharply at the revelation before opening.
Mai’s revolver shines under the faint light. It’s in pristine condition.
“When Okkotsu invited us over, he asked if there was anything left from Mai still in Kyoto that we could give you,” Nishimiya says. “This revolver was still in her room. We cleaned it up for you.”
She doesn’t know what to say. Her fingers gently trace the handle her sister’s hands were so familiar with. She remembers the exact conversation they shared when Maki asked her sister why she picked up guns, Mai telling her that they’re easier to use and let her stay farther away and that she should do the same.
“Guns aren’t my style,” Maki whispers with a weak laugh, the same thing she told her back then.
“You can always learn,” Miwa tells her earnestly. “Or you can keep it and stow it away as a memento. Either way, we think it’s best if it stays with you.”
It’s a gesture that leaves her hands shaking lest she let other emotions overtake her. She gently closes the case and bows.
“Thank you, you two. I mean it.”
They smile, and she knows their hugs aren’t just meant only for her.
The door opens and they wave goodbye on their walk out.
“Bye, Maki,” Miwa says. “We had a good time.”
“And we’re serious about the advice,” Nishimiya winks. They giggle amongst themselves as they leave, and Maki deems they’ve done enough for her tonight to let it slide.
∮∮∮
Maki is clutching the case to her side when she returns to where her friends are. There’s not a single waking body between them. All except for one leaning over the countertop a distance away observing them all. His head threatens to loll only to snap up and repeat the process anew. The boy was reaching his limit.
It’s because he’s so tired that he doesn’t notice her slink to his side. When she rests against him, her head settling comfortably against his shoulder, he gasps in surprise only for it to melt into a satisfied sigh.
“You should sleep,” she tells him.
“I was waiting for you,” he yawns. “Did Miwa and Nishimiya-senpai get out okay?”
“Someone picked them up. They left me a little something before they went.”
She holds up her sister’s memento. His eyes light up with recognition. He rests his head on his arms and looks up at her.
“I asked if they could bring something. Last year got so hectic that I didn’t want anything lost in the shuffle. I hope I didn’t overstep by asking.”
“Not at all. I appreciate it, Yuta. Thank you.”
He hums sweetly, the tenor of it filling her up and vibrating within her.
“Are you going to use it?”
“Not sure. I was never a good shot like her. There’s a reason I get up close.”
“I’m sure if you try, you can get it down,” he mumbles. “Maybe we can learn together.”
His words are starting to blend. He yawns again, and he can barely keep his eyes open.
“They wrung you dry, huh?”
“It‘s okay,” he murmurs. “Everyone had fun with you. It’s worth it.”
His tone husky with sleep and filled with care is a dangerous combination, she’s learning very quickly. She’s grateful that the dim lights and his heavy lids hide the deepening shades of her face.
“Come on. Let’s get you some rest.”
“Mm…”
When she pulls for him to move, he stands before immediately falling against her. She doesn’t know if it's on purpose, but it seems like she’ll have to carry him there.
She slings his arm over her shoulders and leads him to the couches. They’re mindful to tiptoe around Hakari and Kirara passed out on the carpet. When they arrive at the sofas, there’s a perfect spot for both of them in the middle of it between Yuji, Megumi, and Nobara all piled up against each other on one end and Toge and Panda fast asleep on the other.
She carefully sits him on the cushions, his head rolling back. Yuta’s fully knocked out.
Maki assumed so, at least. When she sits beside him, slotting neatly into his right side, he slumps against her, his arm thrown lazily around her and clutching her close. His cheek is warm with the way she can feel him heating her up from the top of her head.
All of him feels overwhelmingly perfect.
“Did you have fun…?” he whispers tiredly, barely conscious.
“I did,” she tells him, and she can feel the way his face moves and turns to form a smile.
“Mm… good…”
His weight is becoming heavier by the second.
“…Good night, Yuta.”
“…Maki…”
Her name, said in his husky, low tone, trails off, and it’s the last thing he can manage before he finally lets sleep take him.
Maki takes a deep breath and exhales when she’s sure he’s finally out.
Good. She survived.
Now that she’s the last one left, the last of her energy is about ready to leave her, too. Maki didn’t plan on sleeping with the rest of them like this, but now that she’s stuck here, it’s hard to leave it. His steady breathing makes a good metronome, and his chest makes a nice pillow. She’s certainly in a compromising position that would beg some questions if the others saw, but she can blame it on coincidence.
Her eyes begin to droop. It’s quiet and peaceful. Her friends are all around her, and it only now settles in that this day, its happiness and joy, was all for her.
Maki’s hand rests comfortably over the gun case on her lap, and she hopes some of this reaches her, too.