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Megumi doesn't know how he keeps finding himself in such situations.
Granted, this happens like every three months but the fact that it's become a pattern and that it keeps on happening is deeply terrifying and concerning. He needs an out.
But for now he is here, stuck. Between a bunch of ladies, from the neighbourhood, ranging from middle-aged to elderly.
"Eat up, dear! You need energy, especially when you are in your 60s." Hanako-san pats him on his back. Megumi appreciates the concern. He’d appreciate less force even more. For someone in her eighties, she hits surprisingly hard.
He mumbles a thank you and takes a piece of Oyaki. He munches on it slowly while listening to the chatter around him. The air is ripe with the pleasant, dewy petrichor of the post-rain early morning. Inhaling it in brings a comforting feeling. He doesn't get addressed for some time but that doesn't give him relief. Because he knows what's coming and that is:
"So Fushiguro-kun, have you found anyone interesting?"
There it is. The question isn't what Megumi dreads but their insistent behaviour. Obviously all the ladies are extremely nice and Megumi would even go as far as to say, doting but they are just very interested in his love life that will never exist.
"No, Mitsuki-san. I'm not interested in romance," he replies politely, repeating the same words he has spoken before. They all sigh at his response. He wonders why they still expect such a thing from him.
"A companion, especially at this age, is extremely important, Fushiguro-kun," Arisa Sato who lives a happy life with her doting husband comments, her cheeks dusting pink.
He gives a noncommittal hum.
This goes on for a while, Megumi desperately looking for a way to escape but not having the heart to reject their caring gazes and actions. It's all Tsumiki’s fault.
Just when he thinks he should give up all hope, which was scarce to begin with, one person comes to his rescue.
"Oh hey Fushiguro-kun! I was looking for you," Ukai-san comes to stand beside the table. He shoots a smile to everyone sitting there who reciprocate it. "Ukai-san," Megumi says in lieu of greeting. "Did you need me for anything?" If some of his desperation to leave seeps into his voice, Megumi ignores it.
Ukai smiles. "Yes, yes, I need your tips for gardening. Could you come with me? Would you mind if I steal him ladies?"
Internally, Megumi breathes in relief. Outwardly, he nods and looks at everyone who let him go without any fuss. He stands up and bows as much as his back allows, which isn't much, and they all immediately chastise him for it.
Bidding them a goodbye, Megumi and Ukai walk away.
When they are at a distance, Megumi says, "You owning a pet would be more believable than gardening, Ukai-san." While Megumi's expression remains passive, there's amusement layering his voice.
Ukai scoffs playfully. "You wound me, Fushiguro-kun. I rescued you back there and instead of thanking me, you are making fun of me."
Megumi's lips pull up in a small smile. "Thank you then Ukai-san."
The aforementioned huffs. "It's okay, I'm used to saving youngsters."
Megumi side-eyes him. "I'm just five years younger than you!" Ukai dismisses him with a wave of his hand.
They continue walking in silence, enjoying the peace that had settled around them.
"Well, this is the spot. I gotta go and teach volleyball to kids," Ukai says in faux exasperation when they pause in front of his house. "You volunteered," Megumi retorts before they bid each other goodbye.
・・・・・
Megumi doesn't dream often. But when he does, they serve as a reminder of the people he has lost—the ones he has killed with his own hands even if his body was possessed. His hands were still stained with their blood, he could see the bright red liquid dripping from his hands if he focused hard in his unconscious state.
Sometimes it's their death, sometimes memories catch up to him in his dreams and there are times when his brain manages to conjure up peaceful moments with Tsumiki and Gojo that had never occurred when they were together. Whenever he wakes up from such dreams, he makes sure to write them down as much as his memory allows.
These kinds of dreams share one thing in common; they always leave him hollow whenever he wakes up.
Today it is the third kind. Even if the unattainable dream was slightly kind, it still left him feeling empty the moment he opened his eyes.
He lays on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, eyes drifting in and out of focus. Sunlight filters through the leaves of an elder tree a few steps away from his house, peeking through the window near his bed and spilling across his legs and torso. The shoji screen parallel to the window captures the komorebi perfectly, making the room glow with soft light. It is a breathtaking view. Megumi would have appreciated it more if he wasn't going through the aftermaths of his dream. His chest feels particularly hollow, empty as if all the organs were forced out of his body, leaving behind only bones wrapped in heavy flesh.
He didn't want to cry. He did want to cry, actually. He wanted, briefly, not to exist at all.
But he never really got what he wished for. After all, how many times have his dreams been fulfilled? Megumi never had any hope to begin with.
In a moment, Totality Dog is beside him.
He turns his head a fraction to bury it in the soft fur of his dog. A weak whine leaves the dog as he tries to nudge Megumi's head with his snout, probably knowing what Megumi feels. Megumi just lets out a shaky breath, feeling suffocated by their absence.
He is missing a life that he never lived.
Megumi spent most of his day in his bed, not having the strength to move, his body feeling particularly heavy. This is what it probably feels like when one dies, Megumi muses to himself, an arm curling around his shikigami. When the soul leaves the body and all that remains behind is a dead weight.
The one unmoving day turns into four that are spent in a similar pattern, laying on his bed and eating minimally.
On the second day, after letting the knocking on his door go unanswered once again, his mobile phone vibrates twice before going silent. Megumi contemplates ignoring that too, but he has an idea on who's texting him and he wills himself to reply.
Takahashi Isamu
Fushiguro-san are you home?
Today, 07:23 A.M.
Are you okay? Please let me know whenever you want
Today, 10:40 A.M.
Yes, I am okay, Takahashi. Thank you for asking.
Today, 11:00 A.M.
I will be away for a few days.
Today, 11:00 A.M.
Great
Today, 11:01 A.M.
You will come back right?
Today, 11:01 A.M.
Megumi freezes. Takahashi, a teenager who has no business with him, is asking if he will come back. Out of care? If that's true, then it's bizarre. A small warmth unfurls in his chest and Megumi decides that's even more bizarre.
Yes, I will be back.
Today, 11:05 A.M.
Yay! I will be waiting for you then
Today, 11:06 A.M.
Please take care
Today, 11:06 A.M.
Reluctantly Megumi sends back, You too.
On the fifth day though, Megumi wakes up with slightly more energy than the previous days.
"You need to eat more Megumi!" Tsumiki scolds when he serves himself a small portion of food.
"Miki is right Fushiguro-kun! You both need food for a functional body at all ages," Gojo comments. He grumbles in response but lets both of them do whatever they want.
That is what he dreamt about. He doesn't know if it's his mind playing games with him or that they both came to visit him in his dream as if they had known about how he was doing. Maybe he has gone crazy. Nonetheless, it is enough to get him out of bed and make something edible and healthy. For the first time in the past few days, Megumi feels like he isn't floating anymore. He feels tethered to reality again.
By the time evening falls, the walls of his house begin to suffocate him.
For some reason he refuses to entertain, he finds himself on a train to Tokyo. With a heavy heart, he makes his way to a graveyard.
As he stands in front of the tombstones of Tsumiki and Gojo - side by side - his feet remain rooted to the ground. He isn't carrying flowers or anything to place there. The sunlit trees cast a comforting, dappled veil over the graves, filtering the harsh day into a quiet, peaceful glow.
He wishes to close the distance, but his body isn't listening to him. He takes in a few shaky breaths, clenching and releasing his fists to get rid of the tension his body seems to wear like a second skin.
He wills himself to move a few steps forward, but then his knees give up and he ends up on the ground. With a trembling hand, he gently dusts off the stones. Even though Megumi has accepted their departure, his traitorous heart still skips a beat at the prospect of this all being a nightmare and that Gojo will show up in front of him with that irritating smug grin of his and say, Surprise Megumi-kun! We are alive with Tsumiki standing behind him with a sheepish smile.
But it isn't a dream. A nightmare, yes but it is also the reality.
At that moment, it isn't the 60-year-old Megumi who has somehow lived up to the years he never imagined but the 15-year-old Megumi, with his head touching the ground and tears streaming down his face as he mourns the death of his sister and Gojo Satoru.
His tears spill and get sucked into the soil. The position causes his nose to get stuffy, making it harder for him to breathe. He tries his best to take in air evenly, to avoid hyperventilating, but it's a taxing task that is taking a toll on his body and Megumi just wishes for everything to end already. Just die.
“I'm sorry,” he chokes out, his voice broken. He feels lightheaded and distantly, he notices tingling in his hands. I'm sorry that I was the one who survived. I'm sorry I said that right now, I'm sorry I want to die. I'm sorry for wanting all your efforts to go to waste. I'm sorry that you both died because of me. I'm sorry—
Vaguely, Megumi wants to bury himself between the two of them. It would be such a relief. But he can't, not right now and at least not willingly. That fact leaves a bitter taste at the back of his mouth, he wants to spit it out instead he forces himself to gulp it.
He flattens his hands, making sure every inch of them is soiled. Wanting to feel somewhat closer to the dead.
Today, he is older than both of them. He has lived through the years, through the life that was snatched away from Fushiguro Tsumiki and Gojo Satoru.
Now with his whole body on the ground, Megumi lies on his side with knees drawn up and arms tucked in. He closes his eyes. Just for a moment, he tells himself, he will let himself have it and then he will go back.
More than forty years have passed, yet the ache never goes away. Megumi has learned to wear the grief and guilt beneath his skin, hidden away from the world but still thrumming through his veins. He's learning how to live with it. He is learning how to live... without any driving motivation. Without the weight of someone else's life placed upon him.
And even though decades have passed, that way of living still feels unfamiliar to him, because Fushiguro Megumi has always lived for others. Now, he's learning how to live for himself.
He doesn't think he will ever truly achieve that, but maybe a new day will prove him wrong.
So he wakes up every day.
(Until the day he won't.)
・・・・・
The mornings have been slow for Fushiguro Megumi. There isn't much to do but he has wormed himself into a routine that plays out everyday.
At the same time every morning, 7 AM, there is knocking on the door. Divine Dog wiggles his tail instantly and walks to the entrance with Megumi, almost eagerly. He opens his door to find Takahashi, standing at his threshold as always. The teenager bows and flashes him a grin when he stands up straight.
No more words are needed to be said as Divine Dog moves to him, bumping his shin and walks outside, his tail wagging. Isamu lets out an endeared laugh and Megumi's eyes soften.
Takahashi turns his attention to Megumi. "Uhm, Ojiisan, can I take him to the fields?"
Megumi's eyebrow raise slightly. The request is odd but he refrains from questioning him, sensing the nervous energy surrounding the boy.
"Are your parents aware of your plans?" That is the only concern he voices.
Takahashi nods eagerly. Megumi comes back with a pack of food for the kid to take with him.
Then suddenly around midday, a person barges into his place without knocking, announcing loudly "I bought souvenirs!" and all he can do is sigh because it has become a normal occurrence for him. 'She's awfully like him,' he thinks.
"Aikawa Ren, you really need to learn that it's rude to enter without permission." Megumi feels like he's wasting his breath but he hopes that Aikawa proves him wrong.
"When it comes to strangers, yes. But I've known you since my childhood sensei, we are basically bonded." She sends a cheeky smile his way. He blinks at her with a done face.
"I wasn’t a teacher," he comments while she relaxes on the sofa. Aikawa counters with, "You were my tutor so you are my sensei."
"Yes I used to teach you and it wasn't even for long. You work in the office now so stop." Megumi wonders what will happen to her if she listens to him at least once. Because there must be a reason as to why she feels the need to always win an argument with him especially.
"Nope. You helped me top my grade. You will always be my sensei."
All Megumi can do is sigh at her stubbornness.
He glances at the clock, Ren following his movement. It's time to cook something. He also has a guest, so it would be two portions of something nice. "I will cook for you," she says with a smile before he even moves to stand up.
Confused, Megumi tilts his head subconsciously. "But you hate cooking and don't know how to cook," he voices out from where he sits, eyes following her as she moves through his kitchen. Her movements seem as if she knows her way through the kitchen. She actually does. She has seen him cook food here for years, subconsciously memorising where things were kept.
She hums. "I just hated how it was introduced to me, as if it's an obligation," Ren starts. Her voice is low, filled with underlying bitterness which Megumi notes. He always does.
"I don't hate my mother for that, she told me what she thought was right because that was what she knew. But you know," her voice lightens at the end and Megumi observes her relaxed body language. "In the city, my girl friends — the girls I rent the apartment with — also didn't know how to cook. It was a relief," she turns to him for a moment, eyes shining, as if wanting to see his expressions and Megumi hums. She returns her attention to her work, satisfied with her inspection.
"We learned how to cook together and it was so fun. I finally started to like it. Also cooking as a love language is dope." She giggles at the end.
"You don't have to cook for me though," he comments at last.
"I know. Growing up while seeing you handle all the house chores yourself taught me that men can do it too."
"Of course. And they should actually, these are basic means of survival," he says as a matter of fact and it makes her laugh.
"Yes, so I'm cooking for you out of love," she lets out, utterly focused on cooking.
Megumi goes still.
For a moment, the kitchen feels painfully familiar.
For a moment, Ren isn't standing there—it's Tsumiki. Who would do things for him out of love and remembering her makes his heart clench.
"My sister was the one who taught me everything," he shares suddenly. The words slip out before he can even think of swallowing them.
"Oh! You have a sister?" She perks up.
"I had."
"Oh..." she stills and racks her brain on what to say. It's the first time Fushiguro-san has ever disclosed such personal information, leaving her speechless.
"It's okay, you don't have to say anything. It's been a long time."
She nods, her lips downturned. "She must have been a great person then," she murmurs.
For the first time in a long while, Ren sees a smile taking over his face. And it shocks her, because he looks so beautiful. Even with the scars, there is a certain air around him that makes looking at him easy. She hopes to look like him when she grows old. Aikawa Ren will never not stop looking up to him. He’s an admirable figure in her life and she deems it a huge blessing.
"She was one of the kindest people I knew," including Yuji, he thinks internally but opts not to say that.
It warms her heart. "I'm happy to know." She flashes him a tender smile and continues to cook. That conversation ends there.
・・・・・
Just as Ren gets up and takes her bag, saying her goodbyes to Megumi, there is a knock on the door followed by an excited howl. Megumi instantly knows that Takahashi and Divine Dog are back, and Ren's face tells that she has realised it too.
They both walk to the door and Ren pulls it open before Megumi. Isamu looks like a deer caught in the headlights as soon as he spots Ren wearing a predatory grin.
Divine dog nips at Ren who smiles sweetly at him, expression changing back to the previous one as she takes one big step towards Isamu and pulls him in a headlock before he can escape. He groans loudly.
Megumi and Divine Dog, standing side by side, just watch the scene unfold.
"Yo, Isamu," she calls out relaxed while nearly choking the boy in her hold.
"Aikawa-san, please release me," he chokes out, tapping her arm. She lightens the hold, grinning, but doesn't let him go.
"You went on a date with my baby sister, huh?" She asks with a scoff, looking down at him.
( 'So that's why he went to fields today.' Megumi smiles internally.)
His reaction makes her gag. Isamu goes still in her hold, his ears and face heating up and Ren swears she can feel that damn heat. Why's he blushing so hard???
She releases him with a defeated sigh. Isamu stumbles slightly but recovers his balance soon.
"That was brutal Aikawa-san." He pouts, narrowing his eyes at her.
She ignores his complaint. "How was the date?" She asks, wiggling her eyebrows.
Instantly, his blush comes back and he giggles. He freaking giggles, Ren can't believe it. "It was so amazing," he replies dreamily. She worries that he might start squealing right there and Ren knows she will combust if she witnesses it.
She makes a move to fake a gag. "Ugh, young love." Her nose scrunches.
Isamu shoots her a smug smile as if saying at least we got it unlike you.
"I will punch you." She glares at him, raising her fist to show him that she isn't joking.
Megumi exhales, standing there as his knees start throbbing slowly. "Okay, that's enough. It's time for you guys to go."
Ren's lips jut out and she crosses her arms while Isamu straightens his posture and sends a salute his way. "As you say, Ojiisan!" He starts walking backward and addresses Ren, "Bye Aikawa-san, tell Rei I miss her." Shooting a wide grin to both of them, he dashes away.
"They just met a few hours ago." She grumbles.
"Aikawa go home, it's getting late. I know you came here before even meeting your parents."
"How do you even know that Fushiguro-sensei?" She tilts her head.
"I just know." He doesn't bother explaining further.
Ren's lips stretch in a wide grin and Megumi knows that utter nonsense will come out of her mouth so he shuts the door closed on her face with a simple bye.
But he doesn't move, just stands there.
Ren laughs loudly behind the door. The carefree sound causes the corner of his lips to twitch.
"Well, I'll be going then, Ojiisan! Take care!" She announces before muttering, "He cares about everyone in his own way, how sweet." Megumi hears it clearly in the silence of his house. His lips remain tight-lipped until Ren's footsteps start fading out. Only then does he move.
"Let's go and relax," he ruffles Divine dog's fur and goes to his room.
Today has been a first for many things and even though Megumi's social battery has died down, causing him mental fatigue, he feels content.
・・・・・
Megumi walks down the paths of Tsumago village with a leisure pace. He is on his way back from his daily evening stroll where, thankfully, he encounters no one to stop him for a chat.
Megumi doesn't dislike the people here but getting too frank with anyone isn't his plan. (It isn't a success as proven by the past events.) Though he is on pleasant terms with most of the villagers because they are all nice.
He glances around everywhere he walks, keeping an eye in case a curse manifests. While encountering curses in this village is rare, he keeps his guard up. Exorcising the curses is the least Megumi can do in return for the generosity they show him even now.
His thoughts are cut short as he reaches his place but what makes him pause in his steps and soften slightly is the unannounced presence of his best friends. The setting sun bathes them in a purplish-orange glow. They look so bright that Megumi almost wants to warm his freezing soul in their light.
Kugisaki and Itadori stop short as soon as their eyes land on him. "Hey Megumi," Nobara greets him with a smile. "Yo Fushiguro Megumi," Itadori addresses him with a wave.
Megumi huffs and shakes his head. "Hey you guys, and stop with the full name Yuuji." He narrows his eyes at Yuuji who smiles sheepishly at him after greeting Nobara.
"Let's get in, people who come without announcing," Megumi says, unlocking the door and stepping aside to let them enter first. Nobara stares at him. "Been friends for 50 years and still need an invitation? Be real Megumi," she deadpans and steps in, without waiting for his response. He huffs in amusement. Yuuji silently enters followed by Megumi who closes the door behind.
The house was small and practical, just enough space for one person and the occasional uninvited guests.
The entryway opened directly into the living room. A worn sofa sat facing a low table scarred by years of tea mugs and careless elbows. Beyond it was the kitchen, open and narrow, where Megumi could cook without taking more than a few steps.
Shoji screens branched off around the room: his bedroom, a guest room Yuji and Nobara had unofficially claimed years ago, the washroom, and one spare room that remained mostly untouched.
"Have a se-" Yuuji and Nobara make themselves comfortable on the sofa before he even completes his words. Megumi's lips perk up in a small smile. He walks to the kitchen and prepares some green tea for them efficiently. Pouring the tea in their designated mugs, he serves it to them alongside Walnut buns. He also takes his seat, angling himself to get to face them.
Yuuji immediately perks up as soon as he sights the new mug Megumi is drinking from.
"This is so cute Megumi! Did you get it customized or something?" He asks, taking a bite of the bun.
Megumi glances at the mug in his hand, a chibi Demon dog staring back at him with its tongue out. He had picked it up without thinking much. "Oh that? Takahashi made it for me," He replies without much thought.
Nobara's lips part in amusement and she covers her mouth with her fingers elegantly. "Ho-ho. He must like you a lot, huh?" She teases. "You are right, Nobara," Yuuji flashes him a lopsided grin.
"Stop it. He just loves the Demon dog." He takes a sip calmly.
"Well still, he must like you. And you like him too, right?" Yuuji insists, Nobara nodding her head along. Both of them taking another piece of the dessert.
Megumi sighs and turns his head to the side, not looking at his friends. "Yeah, well he is a nice kid."
Nobara and Yuuji share a smile at that. It always eases their hearts whenever they get the reassurance that Megumi is surrounded by people (of all ages) who like him and care for him. Even though they visit frequently, they still worry that he might feel lonely. (And as sorcerers, they worry about his safety too.)
Though companionship didn't lighten the burden of time ticking above them.
They let silence take over for some time, enjoying the warmth of each other's presence as they sip their tea occasionally. Nobara suddenly gasps, catching the men's attention. She whips her head to look at them.
"The other day somebody called me his aunt. Aunt Fushiguro!!! Especially his, like?" Yuuji chuckles at the memory.
She slams her hands on the table and the mugs placed there shake slightly. Megumi's heart stutters. "Be careful-"
"Hey, be glad that at least they didn't think you were my grandma." Yuuji quips.
"I will drop kick that person first and then you." Nobara glares at him.
"Ayy, why me?" He recoils in mock offence.
"Because you don't age!" She huffs, crossing her arms.
"Oh so you are jealous of my beauty, huh?" He smirks, knowing that it irks her.
"Why you?" Nobara grits her teeth and smacks his shoulder.
Megumi giggles at their antics. He feels like his heart might burst out of his chest due to the love he feels for them (especially right now.)
Hours pass quicker than Megumi expects. Yuuji cooks while Megumi remains on the sidelines making sure a disaster doesn't happen. Nobara being the taste tester.
By the time night falls—
“Do we really have to?” Megumi asks with a pained expression, staring down at his best friends who have made themselves comfortable on the opposite sides of the bed in the guest room.
“Of course! We still need our bonding time,” Nobara retorts just to tease him.
“Come, come, Megumi-chan. Lie down, the bed is getting cold without you.” Yuuji pats the empty space with a sickly sweet smile aimed at Megumi whose scowl gets more twisted. It's a wonder how he hasn't cursed Yuuji yet.
“Never open that damn mouth of yours again,” he grumbles but lies down between his friends. Oh dear, hopefully his friends survive the night because Megumi is running very low on his tolerance.
“Sleep,” he commands and closes his eyes, not wanting to entertain anything absurd that may come out of their mouths. He hears both of them snicker beside him and fights to keep himself from smiling.
There's silence for exactly one minute. A feat for them, truly.
"Hey Megumi, let's find you a partner," Yuuji says out of the blue.
Megumi smacks him promptly without opening his eyes.
"Ouch!"
"Megumi don't slap his head, he will get dumb." Nobara snorts.
"He already is," he replies dryly. She guffaws at that while Yuuji makes an offended face. "Hey!" He tries to protest but in vain.
"Why do you still have strength at this age, Megumi?" He rubs his head with a small pout.
Smack.
"Megumi it hurts!!"
"Deserved. Tsk."
….
"It's too silent," Nobara says. "Megumi read me a story."
"Go to sleep."
"Ah, I wish it was raining right now."
"Put on rain ASMR."
"Good idea." Yuuji pulls out his phone, from under the pillow, eagerly and clicks on the first video that pops up after his search.
He smiles in satisfaction, places the phone on the side table and closes his eyes.
The video continues.
"This sounds like chicken frying and it's making me hungry."
Megumi sputters before he starts giggling.
"Yuuji," Nobara groans dramatically, dragging out his name before she also bursts out laughing, Yuuji joining in.
Their playful banter continues, Megumi chiming in once in a while and time passes with laughter.
Sometime later, Megumi drifts off despite their chatter.
・・・・・
Megumi is woken by Yuuji and Nobara’s loud babble. 'Those idiots don't even have a decency of lowering their voice when I'm sleeping,' he mourns their stupidity internally. He keeps his eyes closed, wanting to take a minute to himself to mentally prepare for some nonsense.
"Look, his chest moved! He's breathing!"
"Oh yes!"
Sitting on the either side of Megumi, they stare at his chest with disturbing focus.
"You know Itadori, a few years ago Megumi said that he would give all his assets to me before..." Nobara starts after a moment. She tries to convey the last part with her eyes at which Yuuji makes a face. He didn't need a reminder of that reality.
Folding her left arm and putting her right hand under her chin, she wonders, "But does he have that much?"
Yuuji shrugs but still shares his thoughts. "Gojo sensei was his benefactor." He tilts his head, eyebrows raised in a gesture that said 'you know he still got it.'
"Oh yeah, he must have been spoiled as a kid." Her face twists. "That pisses me off slightly."
"But that was in the past. Now I have no idea," Yuuji says, turning his head to look at Megumi. Nobara follows.
Megumi feels their eyes penetrating through him like laser beams. He has had enough, he refuses to suffer more.
"Quit staring, you two," Megumi grumbles before opening his eyes and glaring at them.
Yuuji and Nobara squeal and clap their hands together, "He's alive!"
Megumi frowns. "And why wouldn't I be?"
"You sleep straight on your back with your arms folded together. What else were we supposed to think?" Nobara bellows. Yuuji nods his head along. "That nearly gave me a heart attack, Megumi!"
Megumi sighs and sits up. "There's nothing wrong with that. Sleeping on my side makes my shoulders hurt, that's why I sleep on my back. I'm still alive," I'm not dying yet remains unsaid. He levels them with a reassuring stare.
Yuuji and Nobara breathe out, the remaining tension leaving their body.
"Also Nobara, I never said anything about my assets to you." He looks at her with a blank stare. Yuuji's mouth falls open.
"I believed you!" He accuses with his finger pointing at her. "Your fault. Don't be so gullible, at least not at this age.” She shrugs, lips raised in a sly smirk.
"Insufferable," Yuuji mutters under his breath but Nobara hears him clearly. She gasps. "The audacity," saying that, she tackles him, both of them falling on the bed.
"What a way to start the day," Megumi muses to himself, having pulled his legs closer to his chest and lets them continue.
Insufferable idiots, both of them. Yet they fill his life with color.
