#super lovers manga

[fumifooms]

You're always so on point with your posts. On that note, it made me realize that; Considering the themes of desires in DunMeshi. It's also to say that what you think you want isn't what you actually want.

Like, Marcille thinks she wants the handsome prince from the novels she reads... But what she actually wants is someone maybe more like her father who she admired so much. Kind, virtuous, caring to a fault, a family man. Things she later finds in Chilchuck.

Because as traumatizing as it was to see her mother's spiral after her father's death; Her memories of her father itself are some of the most important to her. And it fits with her pursuit to increase her loved ones' lives, because she does want what her mother and father had.

Sipping. I do go over ‘what you think you want vs what you actually want + what you need’ in my (upcoming) Marcille & Chil arc analysis ;) It’s a part of Dunmeshi that I really like and is super fascinating, I’d honestly like to make an analysis-post on the topic: all the different threads and characters in canon that reflect that, desires vs wants and themes of idealization in Dunmeshi, but it’s one of those things that’s just so huge to make. See this is the freaking problem with doing Dunmeshi meta you start talking about the themes or a narrative and everything is so interwoven you get distracted with tangents BUT IT’S ALL COMPELLING AND RELEVANT

I know that’s something laimar does a lot too, the dad thing, with Marcille in a post-canon comic knitting beside him paralleling her parents and whatnot. I don’t know if I fully agree on the angle but there’s definitely stuff to dig at there…

Like I know that I’d like to analyze Marcille’s succubus more, it comes up in my analysis draft but it’s not the point I’m trying to make there so I focus on other stuff but… I always saw the focus of Marcille’s succubus as that she sought out an emotional connection most of all, it’s romantic and courtly in nature but more importantly there’s personality and behavior there and it’s a character she already loves and knows deeply from having read the series, so it’s not like Chil where it’s just a pretty face whose identity doesn’t matter. A friend of mine though, @room-surprise, goes with the angle that it shows she isn’t ready for a relationship and that the appeal is very self-centered, and I def think compelling points are made…

Point I was trying to make, the succubus is definitely at the crux of figuring what it is Marcille wants and craves in someone I’d say, where she’s emotionally at wether consciously or subconsciously, or how she sees herself being involved in romance at least… It’s true Marcille is enthusiastic about romance, but always someone else’s, never hers, and she seems unwilling to examine her own relationships with people. She oversteps boundaries either obliviously or carelessly and doesn’t like change…

And then there’s how complex people’s relationship to fiction can be on top of that and graaaaah

Edit in bc I forgot I wanted to mention this like an idiot: OH and I do think the Daltian Clan serves a role in the general tapestry of Dunmeshi as well, sometimes in in depth ways that Room-Surprise will tackle in their research paper way better than me I’m sure. My understanding of the importance of general Hagreus in a more general narrative sense is that he reinforces the theme of idealization/fantasy vs reality that’s super present through the manga. Beyond just Marcille’s arc and his importance to her he’s designed uncannily close to Mithrun, it parallels real elves and their very flawed military system and the broken people it cultivates vs the romanticized elves put on an aesthetic pedestral in novels, especially considering it’s "general" Hareus

To give some previews of the analysis wip: Thus the succubus targets Marcille’s wish for a perfect knight who could cherish her forevermore, someone safe and known and fantastical, just hers in a way, free to see and construct however she wants because he’s a character to interpret Dungeon Meshi is in part about resisting desires, the irrational cravings, mostly through the character of the demon. I mentioned needs earlier, and to ideals vs wants we also add vs needs, both emotional and physical. And needs alongside wants are what Dungeon Meshi wishes to promote for a healthier person. Dungeon Meshi illustrates very well with the dungeon lords that you can be a slave to your desires. Dunmeshi prones the important of balance for both a healthy body and a healthy mind, and the arc of optimism vs pessimism with Marcille & Chilchuck is one such case <3

Ouuuugh how flawed relationships with flawed people can still be made into somehing good and healthy that make the world brighter…

We’ve gone far from the topic of how her family shaped what she seeks in relationships haha, I think you put it well already though I don’t have much to add on that front Edit in 2: SIKE! I’ll add that there’s an interesting thread in the manga of Marcille maturing and becoming more like her mother, which would be interesting and fun to pair with the fatherhood of Chil. Because Marcille is sometimes a mother figure as well: she’s the mom friend. I go over it here, and since when I made that post I’ve seen more interesting analysis on the topic too, like noticing she hides behind her mother’s portrait in the nightmare chapter, perhaps the inspiration behind her more mature reserved academic persona she sometimes has. Her parents are def important to her so it’s interesting to see how all the dynamics and her own psychology fit into that….

But yeah I think what she (thinks she) wants out of romance has a lot of layers, both conscious and subconscious… I haven’t gone into the bigger picture of how fiction affects her relationships here but it’s the central topic of my Marcille & Chil arc analysis so. She idealizes the trope of the prince charming and finds it attractive but is that what she would actually latch onto… Is it fully superficial, is it more about herself than it is about her potential partner... Is it mainly because she wants to get validation, from being special that she typically gets from high academic performance… We do see she can be rather insecure and worried about others’ perspective of her, that they think she’s not useful or capable enough, especially in the mandrake chapter… Unconditional love perhaps

What is your emotional landscape Marcille. How emotionally intelligent are you. I don’t think she knows what she wants romantically. I think she has a job so she don’t really care about that rn I’m just not sure if we can figure out what she ~actually~ wants on her behalf that might be too many levels of interpretation but idk idk, thinking on it still

[animenekos]

Boku no Tsuma wa Kanjou ga Nai; My Wife Has No Emotion - Episode 9

[cult-of-husbandos]

Hello, I wanted to request something. I'm still new to your blog, I saw that you had a deredere character! If you can could you write one where him and the reader have already been dating and him and they celebrate valentines day together. I hope my request makes sense. Either way keep up the good work and I love your writing!

asahi haruka [deredere] - Boba Tea & Cats

a/n: okay sooo i started writing this in march and now it's may (•O•) aaaaaand honestly i could blame it on work, or my adhd, or laziness and forgetfullness, or blame in the fact that the tumblr app doesn't fuckin' notify me when i get a request in my inbox like tf! or i can blame all 4 and you can just blame me lmao. anyway, i hope you like it! sorry if it's not what you wanted. instead of valentines day, i made it into a cute anniversary date with a clingy, femboy twink boyfriend.

genre: fluff, high-school sweetheart vibes

word count: 3.9k

warnings: none

You let out a yawn as the school bell chimed, signaling the end of after school clubs and tutoring sessions. You lazily stretched and watched as the other club members gathered their bags and talked about their plans for the weekend. You pulled out your phone, scrolling through missed messages.

“Bye, Y/N-chan~!” called one of the club members. “See you Monday.”

“Yeah, bye~.” you waved as the last club member left.

You went back to your phone. Trying to catch up on your texts before the teachers started circulating. Your phone buzzed, signaling that you got a new message. You opened the text and smiled softly.

‘Did you already go home? (ó﹏ò｡)’

Giggling, you text back.

‘Nope. I’m still packing up. I’ll meet you by the gate.’

Ever since you were children, Asahi Haruka had been by your side through thick and thin. You both grew up next door neighbors, attended the same schools, and shared so many memories that you can’t even imagine going a day without him. Asahi is the embodiment of a golden retriever with bright colored hair – adorable, affectionate, and endlessly optimistic. His infectious laughter is like music to your ears, and his boundless energy is like a puppy touching grass for the first time.

However, there was something undeniably magical about the transition from friends to something more. You two are dating. And both of you are complete idiots for each other. Asahi Haruka had stolen your heart completely.

You don’t know when you started having feelings for Haruka, but you can’t imagine a world without him. It sounds cliché, like it came out of a crappy Lifetime movie, but before either of you knew it you had become each other’s confidants. Sharing small touches, talking about your hopes, dreams, and fears, sneaking kisses in your room. By the time you reached high school, you both confessed. At the same time. You could always read his mind and he could read you like a book. It was as if you were two halves of the same whole, inseparable and bound by an unbreakable bond.

He’s your sun.

Just as you were finished packing and about to stand up, two soft hands covered your eyes and the scent of sweet cologne made you smile.

“Guess who~?” called a voice, a slight mischievous giggle practically giving him away.

You feigned a gasp. “Oh woah! Who could it be?”

You formed a mischievous plan of your own. Time for your favorite activity: teasing your boyfriend.

You hummed. “Judging by the six rings on each hand, it must be Kuro-kun!”

“Bzzt! Wrong!” said the voice. You could tell he was pouting slightly. “You better be joking! Try again!”

“Of course I’m joking!”

“Then, guess my name!” the voice said cheerfully.

“Hmm~, is it… Lina-chan?”

“Wrong again!”

“Oh! I got it now! This is definitely Kou-kun!”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Totally gotta be Haru.”

“Noooo~!!”

“Well, with whining like that, it must be Tsumiko-kun!”

“N/N-chaaaaaan~!”

You couldn’t hold back your laughter. Teasing Haruka was not only easy, but incredibly funny. Even with his fingers and rings pressed to your eyes, you could tell he was pouting up a storm. You tenderly stroked his fingers and laughed again in feigned revelation.

“Oooh! It’s you, Haruka~.” You removed his hands from your eyes and looked up at him with a smile. “I knew it was you.”

Staring up at your boyfriend, you could clearly see that you were right and he was pouting super hard. You kissed his hand and his pout melted into a silly grin. Yet, his eyes still held a grudge.

“N/N-chan! That was really mean…” he pouted. “You shouldn’t call your boyfriend another guy’s name.”

You giggled, leaning forward in your seat. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it. You’re just too cute when I tease you.”

Haruka blushed. You finished packing up your things and stood up from your chair. You grabbed Haruka’s hand. “Come on, let’s go home.”

Haruka smiled. We could. Or…” He bumped your shoulder playfully. “I can take you somewhere awesome!”

You raised an eyebrow quizzically. “Somewhere awesome, huh? And where would that be?”

Haruka smiled and gave your hand a slight tug. “It’s a surprise! It’s also close to the station so afterwards we can go home together.”

“Haruka, we’ve been going home together since primary school.”

“That’s not the point!” he huffed playfully. “Besides, today is super duper special!”

“Really?” you asked. “What’s today?”

“Today is…” he paused for dramatic effect, making you roll your eyes in the process. “Our 100 Day Anniversary!!”

Ah, of course. How could you forget?

Anniversaries were nothing new in this relationship. Especially when it came to Haruka. He celebrates everything. Friendiversaries, childhood traditions, milestones, etc.. Ever since you two started dating, he’s even added monthly anniversaries to the list. You didn’t mind it. Every milestone, tradition, and anniversary with Haruka made your heart skip a beat and cherish those memories even more.

“Wow. Today is special.” you smiled, opening the classroom door. “Well, let’s get going before we get scolded. I wanna see this super awesome place. If Haruka likes it, it must be good!”

Haruka smiled brightly and With his hand in yours, you left school and you couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement in your chest.

*****

“And then, Sensei blabbed for an hour about how I should be paying attention…” Haruka complained. “It’s not my fault I always fall asleep in his class… if he wasn’t so boring…”

As you walked through the bustling streets, you both talked about things going on with friends and school. Of course, Haruka vented to you about how he fell asleep twice in class. You chuckled.

“Hmm… if only someone had listened to my advice and not stayed up playing otome games all night.” you hummed.

“Dreamhunter has an event that allows you to collect 12 SSR cards, each with unique date timelines and rare CG’s and I’m supposed to pass on that?!”

You laughed. “Oh, I’m sure your waifus and husbandos appreciate your determination. Maybe they can help you next time you need to study for an exam.”

“Noooo~. I want N/N-chan’s help!”

“Then, you better stay awake. We're in our 3rd year now. If we wanna get into the same university, we gotta work hard.”

Eventually, you arrived at a quaint little building that immediately caught your attention. Your eyes widened and Haruka smiled brightly. “We’re finally here!”

Nestled on a charming trendy street, the light pink café exuded an inviting aura from the moment you laid eyes on it. A sleek LED sign adorned with whimsical paw prints and the café's name, "NyaNyuBo," hung above the entrance, imitating a slow glow in the afternoon sun. Flower boxes overflowed with vibrant strawflowers and multi-colored milkweeds, adding a burst of color to the café's exterior. A few white wrought-iron tables and chairs sat beneath the pink and white canopy, inviting customers to indulge in a garden party aesthetic.

The windows were adorned with hand-painted murals of playful kittens, each with a unique personality showing. Posters are also put up showcasing deals and kitten mascots advertising discounts. A chalkboard easel stood by the door, displaying daily specials and cat puns in colorful chalk lettering.

“Is this… a cat café?” you ask, looking over at your beaming boyfriend.

“Yes! Isn’t it adorable? I saw a bunch of influencers post about it on Twitter and Instagram! And I immediately thought of you! I know how much you love cats and I wanted to make our 100 day anniversary extra special!” Haruka grinned, his eyes lit with joy.

Entering the café, you had to stop yourself from making a scene. The interior was just as cute as the outside.

You were greeted by the warm aroma of freshly brewed coffee, sweet bubbly fragrances of bubble tea, and the soft sound of purring and tiny meows. The interior of the café was a cozy haven, with soft pastel armchairs and plush sofas with low coffee tables, decorated with scented candles and tiny plants, arranged near the walls and windows, creating intimate seating areas perfect for relaxation. In the center of the café were wooden tables and chairs, each with decorations and cards about each of the cats. Some of the tables had cats declare the tables to be theirs as they stretched and laid across.

The afternoon sunlight streamed in through the bay windows, casting a golden glow over the room and illuminating the mellow decor and sleepy kittens. Shelves lined with books and manga and knick-knacks adorned the walls, while potted plants mounted to the walls and roof.

You and Haruka walked to a table and you basked in the cute little cards and small mason jars full of delectable treats shaped like cats and adorned with adorable edible decorations. On the card it read: ‘Please do not feed our kittens any human food. While we work hard to provide our customers with delicious food and use ingredients that both humans and animals can eat, some of our kitties' tummies might not agree. So please, feed them a couple homemade kitty treats that help them stay happy and healthy.’

You gazed lovingly at the jar of treats for the cats. They’re shaped like kitten faces with “frosting” faces of different cats.

‘Super cute!!’

You were snapped out of your thoughts as Haruka handed you a menu. You tenderly grabbed it and let out a gasp immediately after opening it.

“Everything is so cute! The sandwiches, burgers, curry – they’re all shaped like cats! Even the donuts, macarons, and ice cream parfait have 3D art! I’m in heaven~!”

Haruka giggled. “Me too! It’s like a cozy cat heaven. I wanna live here.”

“Me too!” you sigh. “I’ve been in this area so many times and I never knew there was a cat café here. Was it always a café?”

“I don’t think so. We passed by this building so many times, but I never noticed what it was originally.” Haruka reflected. “Anyway, have you decided what you want?”

You nod. “I’ll have the Smoked Salmon Baguette Sandwich and a strawberry boba tea.”

Haruka nodded and left to go place your order at the front counter. The counter was adorned with even more cat-themed decor and accessories for customers. Behind it, baristas bustled about, preparing steaming cups of coffee and boba tea and artfully crafted cat-themed desserts. Behind the baristas, you saw a small window leading to the kitchen where the chefs were working equally as hard.

You took the time to really look around the café, soaking in the mellow and chill vibe. In one corner of the café, you noticed a towering cat tree where 3 cats slept and played with the dangling toys affixed to it. You looked down at the floor and noticed colorful cat toys littered about and a few customers on the floor completely immersed in playing with the kittens.

You sat back in your chair and listened to the soft k-ballad instrumental music playing in the background and customers chattering quietly amongst themselves, their laughter mingling with the gentle purring of the resident cats.

‘I’m so grateful for Haruka.’ you thought to yourself. ‘He really knows me throughout. If I hadn’t met him…’ You felt a pang in your chest at the thought.

Soon, Haruka came back with the drinks and sat down with a sly grin. “They said our food will be out shortly.” he informed you, giving you your drink. It was even cuter in person. A smiling white cat sat atop of your boba and you felt conflicted about drinking it. “Soooo, in the meantime, I bought us these!” He pulled out two cat ear headbands, one cinnamon and one chocolate brown. He handed you the cinnamon colored cat ears and put on the chocolate brown cat ears with a huge smile. “So we can blend in!”

You stared at him for a few seconds before laughing. “You are such a weirdo!” You laughed even harder as Haruka put on the cat ears and striked various poses.

“Come on~! Put it on!” he urged.

“Alright, alright.” you sighed. Swallowing your pride and cringe, you put on the cat ears and posed awkwardly using your hands as paws. “How do I look?”

Haruka’s face exploded into a plume of red and dramatically clutched his chest. “Too cute! My heart… ah!” Just as quickly, he pulled out his phone. “Give me a little ‘nya~’!”

“Pfft-! What?” you giggled, covering your face.

“Y’know�� Nya~!”

You laughed again. “No way! I’d die of cringe.”

“Boo~!” he pouted, putting his phone away. “You should take more advantage of your cuteness!”

You rolled your eyes playfully. “Right back at you, babe.”

After a bit more back and forth teasing, a waiter comes by with your food. With a smile, she sets your food down and bows, telling you to enjoy your food.

Your eyes widen and you immediately salivate at the delicious and gorgeous food in front of you.

“This looks amazing!” you exclaim. You took a whiff. “And it smells sooo heavenly~.”

Haruka nodded eagerly. “For real! Ah! Wait!” He scrambled to pull out his phone. “We gotta get a pic!”

After your boyfriend took a few pics, you two finally chow down.

*****

“…and it was really smelly too!”

“Oh my god! Did you say that to his face?”

“I had to! I’m telling you, it was disgusting-”

Your words are cut off as you feel a tiny ball of fur leap onto your lap. Pulling back a little, you look down and see the most adorable munchkin kitten with cream coating looking up at you. You let out a short, high-pitched squeal/gasp, drop your food on your plate, and scooped up the fluffy kitten.

“Ohmigosh! Haruka! Look at the baby~!” you cooed, showering the kitten in affection and holding it like a porcelain doll.

Haruka’s laughter filled the air as he cooed along with you. “Wow~! They’re so tiny. They must be a baby baby.”

You placed the kitten gently on your lap and bombarded the cutie with scritches along its back and behind the ears. Melting in your chair as you heard tiny purrs coming from the kitten.

Haruka stared at you. “You really love cats, huh?”

You nod fervently, unable to tear your gaze away from the adorable creature, making cute kissy noises and baby talking the kitten.

Haruka soon pouted from the lack of attention. “Baby~. Shouldn’t you be paying attention to your kitten right here?” he whined.

You looked up to see your boyfriend pointing at himself, pulling out his infamous puppy eyes. You giggled.

“Then maybe you should be the one on my lap, hm~?”

Haruka, not expecting such bold words, blushed bright red and struggled to find a flirt back. You laugh again.

Your attention is brought back to the kitten that is actively trying, and failing, to jump on the table. Its little pink beans were desperately pawing at your plate, gazing hungrily at your salmon baguette sandwich.

“Aww~. Is the baby hungry?” you ask. You pick out a piece of salmon and dab your napkin on it to get rid of any of the dressing on it. You bring it towards the kitten's mouth and it eagerly devours it, letting out small little mews and purrs all the while. “Wow. You were hungry, huh?”

Haruka giggles and gushes along with you at the kitten’s eating noises. “The staff probably keep the kittens on a strict kitten food routine. This is probably its first time eating human food.” he whispered, looking around the staff. “You shouldn’t give them anymore. I don’t wanna get kicked out because my love is a rule breaker.” he winked in a teasing tone.

You agreed, turning your attention back to your food and boyfriend as the happy kitten nestles in your lap.

After you both finished your food, Haruka led you to the open cat play area, where you spent the afternoon surrounded by playful and curious kitties. Haruka's boundless energy matched that of the kittens as he chased after them, played with various toys, and sprawled on the floor dramatically meowing. You never laughed this hard.

“I’m glad you brought me here.” you sigh fondly. “This is the best date ever.”

“Is it in the top 5?”

“It’s first place.” You leaned against him, foreheads touching. Under the soft glow of the café's lights, you and Haruka found yourselves drawn into a tender moment, your gazes locked in a silent exchange of affection.

“I love you.” he whispered.

“I love you too.” you whispered back, smiling.

His warm hand cupped your cheek and his breath mingled with yours. Time seemed to stop as your lips met in a sweet, lingering kiss – a slow and gentle kiss that made your heart pound in your ears. In that moment, you wanted this moment, right now, to last forever. And as you both pull away, your foreheads resting against each other, you sigh blissfully unaware of how much time has passed in the tender embrace of your boyfriend.

Peeking from your eyelashes, you notice the warm orange glow flowing from the windows.

“Oh woah… it’s that late already?” you whisper in awe.

“What~?” Haruka whined. “Noooo~! I wanna stay here longer! With you and the kitties!” He flopped on the floor dramatically with a pitiful cry. You laughed and rubbed his chest.

“Come on. If we don’t go home quickly, auntie will get worried and scold you for hours.”

Haruka pouted, but reluctantly stood up and went to the front to pay for the meal. You giggled quietly at his silliness when you felt a small fur ball brush up against you. It was the baby that jumped on your lap. You picked up the kitten, giving into the cuteness. You then felt a pang in your heart at the thought of leaving it here. The more the kitten purred against you, the more you felt the urge to stuff the kitten down your shirt and run out the door. But, you wouldn’t do that.

“Okay, baby. Let’s–”

“Excuse me!” You called out to the employee behind the counter. “Could I see an adoption application?”

The female employee behind the counter smiled brightly and clapped her hands. “Yes, of course! Would you be adopting that kitten you're holding?”

You nodded. “Yes. Does that application process take long?”

“Of course not. Please wait right here. I bring you the adoption paper and a kitten goodie bag full of essentials and a carrier.”

“Thank you!” The employee left towards the back and you softly squealed at your decision.

“Are you really going to adopt the kitten?” Haruka asked, just as excited as you are.

You nodded gleefully, covering your new kitten in kisses. “Of course! Look at this baby! It was love at first sight.”

“Hey~! No fair! I want kisses too!” Haruka whined, puckering his lips towards your face. You laughed, trying to maneuver out of his way.

“You’ve been getting kisses all day! Learn to share, Haruka.”

“Huuh??? No way! I don’t wanna share N/N-chan!”

“Too bad~.” you teased.

*****

The sun had dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of deep purple and soft pink as you both stepped out of the train station. As you and Haruka began your walk home, the streets were quiet with only the sounds of cicadas buzzing in the trees,the sidewalk illuminated by the gentle glow of street lamps. The cool evening breeze rustled the leaves, creating a soothing spring aesthetic that accompanied your footsteps.

You walked with a skip in your step, smiling in content, holding hands with your boyfriend and holding the cat carrier that held your new family member: Naoko or Nao for short.

You smiled down at the kitten curled up in the transparent carrier. “We’re almost home, Nao.”

Haruka glanced over, a soft smile playing on his lips. "Look at her. Already so comfortable with us."

You gazed down at the sleeping kitten, your heart swelling with affection. "I know right~? She's soooo adorable. I can't wait to get home and set up a little space for her with the stuff they gave us. She’s going to love it. I’m gonna make her the best meal she’s ever had in her tiny life!"

Haruka pumped his arm, flailing around Nao’s bag of essentials. "I've already got a bunch of ideas! We could set up a cozy, extra fluffy bed for her by the window so I can see her from my window, and maybe get some of those climbing trees. And a bunch of toys that she’ll be buried in! She'll have so much fun!"

You laugh softly, bouncing off his enthusiasm. “You’re gonna spoil her rotten, aren’t you?”

He winked playfully. “Absolutely! Anything for Nao! She’s our little princess!”

“Woah. Little princess, huh?” you hummed melodically. “I think I just caught a glimpse of Haruka being a lovesick dad.”

“D-Dad?!” he sputtered, his cheeks turning red.

“Yeah. I think you’d be an amazing dad, Haruka.” you stated, smiling nonchalantly.

“W-W-W-Whaaat?!” Haruka yelped, stuttering and getting even redder. “Y/N! It’s too early for us to be thinking about that! We haven’t even graduated yet! A-And I don’t have a job! You also have to be married before thinking about that stuff! We shouldn’t rush things!”

“Huh? What’re you talking about? I’m talking about the future.”

“H-Huh? O-Oh, yeah! That’s what I meant! Yeah! Totally!” he stammered, avoiding your eyes.

“Hmm~? Were you thinking of making a family right now?”

“N-No! Of course not!” He whipped his head away from you, hiding his face.

“Are you sure~? You’re blushing a lot, Ha-ru-ka-chan~.”

“Noooo~…”

“Tonight would be the most romantic day to propose, Haruka. Should I be expecting something soon?”

“N/N… please… I didn’t say anything… please stop…” he mumbled.

You laughed and decided to put a hold on the teasing to save the reputation of your boyfriend. After a few minutes of walking in comfort silence, you turned onto your street and approached your house first. You turned to your boyfriend with a smile.

“Thank you for the amazing date, Haruka. Today has been perfect. Every anniversary you always seem to one-up the dates every single time.”

“Of course, angel~. You deserve only the best.” He pressed a gentle kiss on your lips and you melt into his arms, humming in serenity. As he pulled away, he turned to walk towards his house, but you didn’t let go of his hand. You turned back, looking back at you in confusion.

“Y/N?”

“Oh, did you think you were sleeping somewhere else tonight? Absolutely not. Stay the night.”

“E-Eh? Stay the night? B-But…” He peeked at your house.

“My parents are out of town for the weekend. It’ll just be us.”

“W-What?! Really?”

“Yeah! Plus, the baby will be sad if you go home.” You raised the carrier to show the kitten, slowing waking up from its nap. “And it’s not like we haven’t slept over at each other’s houses before. It’ll be like a sleepover!”

“Oh yeah! It’s been awhile.” he noted. “Yeah, okay! I’ll have to get some stuff from my house and tell mom that I’ll be staying over tonight.” He peeked down at Nao. “And it’ll give me some quality time with NaoNao~.”

As you both walked up the pathway to the house, you smiled. “Yeah, and with Nao here, we can play house.”

“Play house?”

“Yeah. You, me, and the baby.”

Haruka’s face erupted in blush and stammered a nonsense string of words as you led him into the house, laughing at his whinings.

—

another a/n: hey. sorry. it's been awhile. i've seriously been lacking. i got really hype fixated on learning blender animation and minecraft. also, work shit sucks. i hope you enjoyed asahi haruka. it's nice that this fic is the first intro to him. i hope you guys like him! it's been a while since i've written cutesy stuff. i hope i didn't make it too cringe or cheesy or plain.

[hatsumishinogu]

SUPER LOVERS Vol.18

[konohamaru-sensei]

cant believe the bleach high school warfare is only an april fools joke and not a real otome game when the designs are this fire

[fudgesoup]

The Stars are Cheering for You

Chapter 4: Determination

Rated: Teen - 4.1k - Rena Natsukawa x Original Character

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Tags: Hokkaido Gals are Super Adorable, Rena Natsukawa x Original Character, Rena Natsukawa x OC, Rena x OC, Fuyuki Minami, Natsukawa Rena, Shiki Tsubasa, Original Character, Rena Natsukawa, Minami Fuyuki, Tsubasa Shiki, Akino Sayuri, Manga & Anime, Alternate Universe, College/University AU, Fluff, Friendship, College, Romance, Eventual Romance, Slow Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Fate, Drama, Light Angst, Tokyo, I didn't sleep to write this, Gossip, Love Confessions, Confessions, Crushes, Dating, Falling In Love, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Kendo, Plot, Slice of Life, Canon Spoilers, Tension, Family Drama, Plot Twists, Idiots in Love, post-epilogue

Finals came and went in a whirlwind, leaving Rena feeling triumphant, as if she had just slain a beast. Each test that had once stood in her way, now lay defeated. She had slayed them all: every problem, every essay, and every equation, claiming what felt like an inevitable victory over Akimitsu. In the week that followed, she allowed herself a rare indulgence: a well-earned break. With the semester officially behind her, Rena found herself in a state of restless anticipation, eagerly awaiting the moment when Akimitsu would reveal his scores. She had been chasing this moment for so long, desperate to see all her efforts pay off..

During those carefree post-finals days, Rena often took walks through her neighborhood, occasionally with Umi and Hikari at her side. Unlike before, they went relatively unnoticed during their outings, a stark contrast to the unwanted attention that had once been a constant nuisance. However, Rena had begun to notice a peculiarity. Whenever she arrived at a place, any men who appeared to be university students mysteriously vanished. For someone of her petite stature, who didn’t exactly exude an intimidating presence, this sudden avoidance was strange.

One afternoon, curiosity got the better of her, and she turned to Umi with a puzzled expression. "Hey, have you noticed how guys just seem to… vanish whenever we show up?"

Umi raised an eyebrow, clearly not having given it much thought. “Huh. Now that you mention it, yeah, that is weird. I hadn’t really paid attention until you pointed it out.” She shared Rena's confusion, glancing around as if trying to catch one of these disappearing men in the act.

“Bizarre, right?” Rena mused, shaking her head with a soft laugh. "Not that I’m complaining. It’s actually kind of nice not to be harassed every other time we’re out."

They both laughed, but Rena couldn’t shake the peculiarity of it all. Ever since that incident when she was rescued, when those miscreants had assaulted her, and someone had stepped in to help, things had been different. Odd, yet refreshingly different. She could go anywhere now without constantly being on edge, without glancing over her shoulder.

On one particularly bright and sunny afternoon, Hikari was busy with drama club, leaving Rena and Umi free to wander the bustling streets of the shopping district. Their walk led them to a cozy little bookstore tucked away in a side alley, one of Umi’s favorite hidden gems. Umi, an avid reader with a love for historical and romantic novels, had brought Rena here before, but today she was especially animated. As they browsed through the shelves, Rena couldn’t help but notice Umi’s eyes light up when she spotted a series she adored. 

“Oh my gosh, you have to read this!” Umi exclaimed, clutching a book to her chest as if it were a precious treasure. The excitement in her voice was contagious.

Rena raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Umi’s enthusiasm. “What’s it about?”

“It’s about these two lovers from different social classes who meet in secret, despite the risks. It’s so tragic but so beautiful!” Umi’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she spoke, clearly lost in the story already.

Rena chuckled, watching this new side of her friend with amusement. “Wow, I didn’t know you were such a romantic,” a playful grin spread across her face.

Umi blushed, laughing a little at her own giddiness. “Well, I guess I can be,” she admitted, glancing down at the book with a shy smile. “But Hikari isn’t really into the lovey-dovey stuff, you know? She’s more into the… uh, steamy, adult themes.” Umi squirmed as she confessed this, clearly embarrassed.

Rena couldn’t help but laugh at the contrast. “Really? Hikari’s into that?”

Umi nodded, still a little red. “Yeah, but it’s fine. I mean, it’s not really my thing, but I’m glad she doesn’t judge me for being, you know… more of a hopeless romantic.”

Rena gave her a playful nudge. “Hey, no judgment here. Besides, someone’s gotta balance out all the steam with some pure, heartwarming love stories.”

Umi was relieved, laughing off her earlier embarrassment.. "Thanks, Rena. I’ll leave the steamy stuff to Hikari, and I’ll stick to my tragic romances." 

They both laughed, Umi grabbed a couple of books and they found a table to sit and read the back cover teasers.

Umi leaned in just a touch closer to Rena examining her, her eyes gleamed with mischief. “So,” she began, voice dripping with curiosity, “what’s your take on romantic novels, hmm?” Her question seemed innocent enough, but the undertone gave ulterior motives. Umi wasn’t just idly wondering about Rena’s reading habits—she was fishing, trying to unearth something deeper, a suspicion that had been brewing in her mind for a while now.

Much like Akino and Minami before her, Umi had started to notice little signs, small shifts in Rena's demeanor whenever Akimitsu's name came up. It wasn’t anything over the top though, just small instances noticed in their time in class. Rena, after all, was nothing if not composed, but there was definitely something there; A flicker in her eyes, a hesitation in her speech. Umi, ever the detective, was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Rena played it cool, though the question had caught her off guard. She tapped her fingers lightly on the table, a thoughtful look crossing her face as she considered her response. Umi, however, was having none of her aloofness. She raised an eyebrow and went to work. “Oh, don’t think too hard about it, Rena. Just tell me, do you swoon over all those grand romantic gestures, or are you more of a realist?”

Rena narrowed her eyes playfully. “And what exactly are you insinuating, Umi?”

“Oh, nothing,” Umi said feigning innocence with a shrug.. “Just that… maybe, just maybe, someone we know has a secret soft spot for a certain someone. You know, someone tall, rugged, and easy on the eyes?”

Rena felt the heat rise to her cheeks before she could stop it, and Umi, ever observant, did not miss the faint blush. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Rena shot back, trying to maintain her usual calm. But her attempt to deflect only made Umi more convinced she was on the right track.

“Sure,” Umi teased, an expression of complete amusement sprawled on her face. “But you know, they say that romantic novels tend to reveal more about what we want in real life than we think. Just a thought.”

Rena tried to hold her composure, but Umi’s probing had clearly struck a nerve. “Romantic novels, huh?” she echoed, leaning back slightly as she pretended to mull over the question further. But in reality, her mind stalled at her questions. Why was Umi digging around this subject? This wasn’t just about books anymore, and Rena could feel the unspoken topic hanging in the air between them.

Of course, Umi wasn’t going to let her off easy. She had a glint in her eye, she was onto something and wasn’t about to let it go. “Come on, Rena,” Umi pressed, “Are you telling me you’ve never been swept off your feet by some grand romantic gesture in one of those novels? Or at least imagined what it’d be like?”

Rena scoffed, her fingers now drumming a steady rhythm on the table as if that might distract her from the creeping chills she could feel rising up her neck. “Swooning over some fictional prince charming isn’t exactly my style,” she replied, trying to sound dismissive.

Umi wasn’t buying it. “Really? Not even once? I mean, what about someone who’s not fictional? Someone… real?”

Rena rolled her eyes, but she could feel Umi’s gaze on her, sharp and unrelenting. It was obvious now that Umi wasn’t just talking about some random love story, she was digging for something far more specific.

“I think you’re reading too much into this,” Rena said with a sigh, but her voice didn’t carry the conviction she had hoped for. There was a slight waver, and Umi’s smile only grew wider.

“Am I, though?” Umi tilted her head, her voice turning sing-song. “Because, you know… you’ve been acting a little funny lately. Especially when a certain someone’s name comes up.”

Rena stiffened, and Umi pounced. “Akimitsu,” she said, dropping the name with a dramatic flourish. “You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed how often his name gets brought up in conversation these days. And how you always get just a little, what’s the word, flustered?”

Rena felt her heart skip a beat, but she refused to let it show. “Umi!” she scoffed in an attempt to play it cool but failing miserably. “That’s a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?”

But Umi wasn’t backing down. “I don’t know… is it?” she teased. “I mean, come on, Rena. You’ve been locked in these ‘fights’ with him forever, right? And now that finals are over, you’re just sitting here, waiting for him to reveal his scores like it’s some kind of life-or-death showdown. Don’t tell me there isn’t more to it than just who scored higher on the math test. You've been at each other's throats all semester.”

Rena’s fingers paused mid-drum as Umi’s words sank in. It was true, she had been obsessing over Akimitsu’s scores more than usual. But wasn’t that just part of the deal? Part of the competition she thrived on? She tried to convince herself that’s all it was, but Umi’s knowing smirk was making it harder to believe.

“His deal is a big part of it,” Rena said after a moment, her voice carefully measured. “I’ve been dying to find out why he only goes by his first name all semester. Of course, I want to know how he did even though I hate him”

Umi let out a dramatic sigh, leaning back in her chair. “Yeah, yeah, The Deal. But you know what they say, right?”

Rena blinked. “What?”

“There’s a fine line between hate and… something else.” Umi gave her a pointed look, one that said she wasn’t fooled by Rena’s cool exterior.

Rena crossed her arms, leaning back herself as if mimicking Umi’s posture might give her some control over the conversation. “I think you’re confusing this with something it’s not,” she replied, but the defensiveness in her tone was impossible to miss.

“Or maybe you’re not ready to admit that there’s more going on here. It’s fine, you know? You wouldn’t be the first person in history to develop feelings for the person they’ve been beefing with,” Umi added.

Rena opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out. She wasn’t sure why Umi’s words had gotten under her skin the way they had. It wasn’t like she hadn’t thought about Akimitsu before, he was boorish, carefree, and unmannered. All things she despised. Feelings of romance toward him? That was a complete stretch. Wasn’t it?

“I don’t have feelings for Akimitsu,” she bluntly stated, the words feeling strange on her tongue.

“Of course you don’t,” Umi replied smoothly, but the sarcasm cut through Rena’s statement. She leaned forward, her tone playful but pointed. “I’m just saying, if you did, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.”

Rena narrowed her eyes. “I don’t.”

“Uh-huh.” Umi stood up, her smile still firmly in place as she stretched and grabbed her bag. “Well, when you finally figure out what’s going on in that overachieving brain of yours, let me know. I’ll be waiting.”

Rena watched her go and purchase the books, her mind spinning in the wake of the conversation. She didn’t have feelings for Akimitsu… did she? It was just a competition for the sake of information. Just fighting and irritation. That’s all it had ever been. But as she sat there, her fingers tapping absentmindedly on the table once more, she couldn’t help but wonder if Umi had a point.

With a frustrated sigh, Rena grabbed her things, bought a book that caught her attention, and headed out of the bookstore. Umi’s words had disturbed a side of her that lay dormant inside. 

Days later, Rena found herself lounging on her sofa, trying to lose herself in the historical novel she had picked up during her last outing with Umi. The summer heat was at its peak, but her thoughts were elsewhere, constantly drifting to Akimitsu. His scores still hadn’t come in, and the waiting was gnawing at her. She had done everything she could to distract herself from the anticipation, but it lingered like a shadow in the back of her mind. She needed to know that she had succeeded. To her, victory over him was inevitable, a confirmation of her hard work. Damn it Umi… She thought to herself as she was reminded of her friend's analysis from the other day. But speak of the devil and she shall appear:

The universe had heard her inner thoughts, her phone buzzed on the armrest beside her. It was a message from Umi: Meet Hikari and I at the diner in half an hour. I have something for you. It’s from him.

Rena’s heart leapt into her throat the second she read the message. This was it—the moment. The triumph she had been waiting for. She shot up from the couch, her heart pounding. Her hands were trembling as she hurried to change into something more suitable, opting for a nicer top, fitted shorts, and her white sneakers. She hesitated for a moment before grabbing her fan, the one she never left home without these days. It was her comfort, her shield, the thing that always steadied her when the world felt too chaotic.

Once she was ready, she set off for the diner, the tension and excitement building with every step. She couldn’t wait to finally claim her victory over Akimitsu, to throw his smugness back in his face after enduring his ridiculous attitude for the latter half the semester. As she walked, her fingers subconsciously tightened around the fan, clutching it close to her chest.

When she arrived at the diner, she spotted Umi and Hikari sitting at their usual booth, the same spot they always gathered for late-night talks and spontaneous get-togethers. Rena crept up behind them, sliding into the booth without a sound, grinning mischievously as she caught them both by surprise.

Hikari jumped, nearly spilling her drink. “Jeez, Rena! Could you not be a ninja for once? Say something next time!”

Umi burst out laughing, wiping a tear from her eye as she tried to catch her breath. “I swear, Rena, you’re way too good at sneaking up on people! Poor Hikari didn’t stand a chance.”

Rena grinned, pleased with herself as they exchanged greetings, but she quickly cut to the chase. “Alright, enough messing around. Where is it?”

“I’m happy to see you too Rena,” Umi joked, “I'm kidding, I know exactly how much you've been wanting this. Luckily I saw him out in the wild and badgered him for it.” 

Umi’s playful expression softened, and she reached into her bag, pulling out an unopened envelope. She slid it across the table towards her, a glimmer of curiosity in eyes. On the front, it read: To Natsukawa 

Rena’s fingers shook slightly as she tore open the envelope, and inside were two sheets of paper. The first was a letter labeled ‘READ THIS FIRST’, while the second, folded beneath it, could only be his results. Her instincts screamed at her to skip the letter and dive straight into the numbers, to see the proof of her victory, but something about the letter demanded her attention. Why would he write a personal note? What is he playing at? Her curiosity won out, and she unfolded the letter, eyes darting over the words.

To Natsukawa,

I do hope there aren’t any hard feelings. I know how much you wanted to win this little competition of ours. I respect your dedication, and I’m sure you gave it your best. As promised, my results are enclosed. But, as you’ll soon see, there was only ever one outcome.

This semester has been… entertaining, to say the least. Watching you get agitated at my presence was amusing. You tried so hard not to show it, but I could tell. You snuck more than a few glances my way during class—don’t think I didn’t notice.

Unfortunately, this is goodbye. At least for a while. I won’t be around to enjoy your attempts at scolding me or that adorable blush that matches your pink hair.

Until fate allows us to meet again, -Akimitsu S.

Rena's heart hammered in her chest. The arrogance in his words was maddening, but that wasn’t what froze her in place. It was the way he’d written his name at the end…that final hint... Akimitsu S. The letter had given her something she hadn’t expected, a small clue about his family name. She was a step closer to figuring out who he really was.

But her mind barely had time to process it before she remembered—the results. She quickly unfolded the second page, her eyes scanning the numbers, and then… her breath hitched.

She had lost.

The numbers didn’t lie. Akimitsu had beaten her by a narrow margin, just enough to rob her of the victory she had been so certain of. She sat there, staring at the page, her heart sinking. The smugness in his letter made sense now—he had known. Of course, he had known all along that he had won. And now, he was rubbing it in her face, his final words taunting her: until fate allows us to meet again.

For a moment, Rena couldn’t speak. The shock of her defeat was too fresh, too sharp. She had worked tirelessly, pushing herself past her limits all semester. How did this happen?

Umi and Hikari exchanged concerned glances, noticing the change in Rena’s expression. Umi leaned forward, waving her hand in front of Rena’s face. “Rena? You okay? What does it say?”

Rena blinked, still numb from the shock. She swallowed, forcing her voice to work. “I… lost.”

The silence that followed was palpable. Both Umi and Hikari stared at her, disbelief flickering in their eyes. Hikari was the first to speak, her voice soft but incredulous. “You lost? To Akimitsu?”

Rena nodded, barely able to process it herself. “By a tiny margin… but yeah. He won.”

Umi leaned back in her seat, folding her arms with a sigh. “Well, damn. I thought for sure you had this one.”

Rena sat in stunned silence for a moment, she switched back to the letter and kept on rereading his final words. The way he signed it—Akimitsu S.—was maddeningly vague. His family name was within her grasp, but that single letter wasn’t enough. Not for her. She had to know more, to uncover the full truth behind this elusive, frustrating guy who had gotten under her skin.

“S? Just S? What kind of ridiculous hint is that?” she muttered, her fingers tightening around the letter.

Hikari, always quick to jump to conclusions, scoffed. “Honestly, are we even sure he didn’t cheat? I mean, it’s Akimitsu! He seems like the type who would do anything to win.”

That accusation made Rena’s blood boil. She snapped her gaze to Hikari, eyes flashing. “Cheat? No way. Akimitsu may be obnoxious, but he wouldn’t cheat. He’d want to win fair and square, just so he could rub it in my face.”

Hikari raised her hands defensively. “Okay, okay, just saying! You don’t have to get all fiery about it, jeez.. Anyway, whatever, don't worry about it, what are you going to do now? You’re obviously not going to drop it.”

She was right on the money, Rena gritted her teeth. She couldn’t just accept this loss, not without at least finding out who he really was. She stood up abruptly, startling both Umi and Hikari. “I need to find him.”

Umi frowned, a flicker of concern in her eyes. “Really? Right now? Sit down and I'll order you a milkshake or boba.”

“No,” Rena responded. “I’m not thirsty… I’m so lost right now, I’ve never felt this way before. I want to find him and I don’t know where to start.”

Umi examined her with the utmost concern and took Rena’s hand in her own. 

Hikari bit her lip as if deep in thought before her face lit up with sudden realization. “Actually… wait a minute. I think I have a lead.”

Rena faced her, her heart skipping. “What lead?”

“Well, I know someone who dated him back in high school,” Hikari responded calmly. “My friend Mai’s older sister went out with Akimitsu for a little while. You know I always thought he was a jerk, but maybe she knows something useful.”

Rena’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

Hikari nodded, already pulling out her phone. “I’ll text Mai and ask.”

The minutes dragged by slowly. Rena’s pulse thrummed with nervous energy as she waited. It wasn’t long before Hikari’s phone buzzed, and she glanced down at the screen, eyes widening.

“She says she knows where he goes often, a rec center nearby. He goes there for some kind of regular event.”

“Event?” Rena asked, leaning in, eager for details.

“Yeah. Mai says it’s something extra. Hold on, let me get more info.” Hikari typed furiously, and after another tense few seconds, she raised her head with a smirk. “It’s a kendo tournament. Apparently, Akimitsu is really into it. She even sent me a link to the event’s website.” Hikari scanned the website thoroughly, “Hey, there’s a tournament coming up soon, and you can buy tickets. And there’s a catch: formal traditional attire is required for spectators.”

“Kendo?” Rena blinked, the pieces of Akimitsu’s hidden life clicking into place. Kendo? Of all things, she hadn’t expected that. He didn’t strike her as the traditional, martial arts type. “There's so much I don't know about him,” she murmured, both surprised and intrigued. This was a side of him she hadn’t anticipated before, one that added more layers to his mysterious persona. And formal attire? That detail had stirred her personal interest. She had always loved traditional dress, the grace and poise it required. Now, she had even more reason to go.

Without missing a beat, Rena pulled out her phone and quickly looked up the event. The tournament was happening in just a few days. She scanned the page, taking in the details. This was her best shot at finding him, at getting some real answers.

She let out a determined huff and couldn’t risk waiting any longer. This was the perfect opportunity to confront Akimitsu, to finally get the truth about his family name and maybe, just maybe, to understand why he had been so enigmatic and difficult all semester.

Rena clenched her fists, her stubbornness and determination swelling within her. “I’m going,” she declared, the fire in her eyes burning brighter. “I have to go to this event. It’s the only way.”

Umi leaned forward, mingling with curiosity and concern. “Are you sure about this, Rena? What if he’s not even there?”

“He’ll be there,” Rena said firmly, her gaze locked on the website. “He wouldn’t miss this. I just know it.” 

Hikari grinned, clearly enjoying Rena’s fiery determination. “Wow Rena, you have it bad. In that case, you’d better go all out then. You’ll need to get your hands on some formal attire. You can’t show up to a kendo tournament looking casual.”

Rena didn't pay any mind to her comment, her actions were beyond rationality. She was already mentally planning her outfit. “Don’t worry, I know exactly what I’m going to wear.”

Knowing her next step, Rena was finally able to relax and socialize with her friends in a normal fashion. Umi and Hikari offered their support and teased Rena about her newfound determination to track Akimitsu down. 

Umi couldn’t help but give Rena an encouraging pat on the shoulder. “You’ve got this. Just… don’t kill him when you find him, alright?”

Rena laughed, the fire in her eyes had not dimmed. “No promises.”

With a final round of thanks to both of her friends, Rena stood up, determination radiating off her. She knew what she had to do next—prepare for the tournament, plan her outfit, and, most importantly, confront Akimitsu. She couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

As she left the diner, her mind buzzed with plans. The clock was ticking, and the tournament was fast approaching. She only had a short time to prepare, but that only made her more determined.

This wasn’t over… not until she had her answers.

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[blmangaprof]

A Classic Very Cute but Brothers but Not Related Two Adopted Brothers Transform from Family to Lovers

Name: Super Lovers

Trope: Host Cafe Accident Trauma Bonding Brothers Coming of Age

Author: Abe Miyuki

Ch: 68

[archie257]

Was no one going to tell me that Haru Kaidou from Super Lovers was exactly like White Fang or was I just supposed to figure it out by believing Abe Miyuki when she brought it up in story?

Like I know SHE said it, but why didn't Y'ALL tell me?

Smh, you think you can trust people on this hellsite.

[kakusu-shipping]

Soulmate AU, and Childhood Best Friends AU? :3c

Oh I'm about to show how little I actually understand about Shin's character... but also I love you two and MUST ramble

Ask from here (still open to Moots)

Soulmate AU

Shin feels like the type to assume the worst out of a Soulmate based world. He'd assume his soulmate must be someone awful, or maybe they're already dead, or he'll just never meet them. Maybe he's the only person in the entire world who doesn't have a soulmate. He feels the type to be real gloomy and depressing about it.

Until he meets Emmy when she's introduced as the new hire at his job and there's suddenly color to his world and everything just feels so much warmer.

It's love at first sight.

But he'd really struggle to do anything about it, he'd fall into a "if she's so great then I must be the bad one" kind of spiral and try to avoid you... But it'd probably fail because he wants to do more than just look at you across the way so badly.

This feels very Office Comedy skdjfjkd Your co-workers find out your soulmates and start melding to get you closer together, he thinks your an all perfect angel sent from the heaven to be out of his reach... I imagine he eventually finds out otherwise of course as he's forced to get closer to you, see you as more than just an unreachable ideal and more as a person... It heals him so he starts seeing those around him as more than just background characters and more people as well...

Love Heals style manga... Something like that...

Childhood Friends AU

Emmy has a lot of Girl Next Door energy. The pretty girl who has a ton of boys who like her in elementary school because she's nice and cute and that's all you care about in a girl in elementary.

Shin then would be the nerdy best friend type. You and him just happened to watch the same anime when you were little, and bonded over it in first grade, and stuck together from then on.

By 4th or 5th grade he'd start getting self deprecating and wondering why such a nice person like you would hang out with a gloomy guy like him, and you just remind him that you're his friend, you like him, of course you wanna hang out with him!

He'd probably get bullied by the other boys who like you a little bit, and then get a bit of a shitty ego about it after you worry about him over it. He'd like to taunt them. "Yeah go ahead and hit me, less competition for me. Emmy'd never go out with jerks who beat up other kids." He'd act so cocky in front of them just to piss them off.

This sounds like the kind of manga where you'd get split up for a few years in middle school, and meet back up in Highschool again but one of you's changed. Either something bad happened to you in middle school and you lost that sunshine smile Shin remembers, so he has to work to bring it back, or Shin completely shuts down without you and refuses to talk to anyone, so you have to coax him back out of his shell.

More Love Heals but in more.. Reach out kind of ways? Reach out to people you think need it style... It'd be cute, and kind of sad, and real and emotional... I'd read it.

[yuukonatsumi]

Хару — замечательный старший брат.

「Super Lovers」

[rangerzath]

My new video is out! I hope you enjoy watching my Spring 2023 manga haul!

[m-lovers]

_supercute

[hatsumishinogu]

SUPER LOVERS Vol.18 (Special Edition)

[akiymgc]

[fudgesoup]

The Stars are Cheering for You

Chapter 3: Unexpected Presence

Rated: Teen - 5.4k - Rena Natsukawa x Original Character

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Tags: Hokkaido Gals are Super Adorable, Rena Natsukawa x Original Character, Rena Natsukawa x OC, Rena x OC, Fuyuki Minami, Natsukawa Rena, Shiki Tsubasa, Original Character, Rena Natsukawa, Minami Fuyuki, Tsubasa Shiki, Akino Sayuri, Manga & Anime, Alternate Universe, College/University AU, Fluff, Friendship, College, Romance, Eventual Romance, Slow Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Fate, Drama, Light Angst, Tokyo, I didn't sleep to write this, Gossip, Love Confessions, Confessions, Crushes, Dating, Falling In Love, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Kendo, Plot, Slice of Life, Canon Spoilers, Tension, Family Drama, Plot Twists, Idiots in Love, post-epilogue

The next morning, Rena woke up with a slight headache, her mind clouded and disoriented. It took her a few moments to piece together the fragments of the previous night, and then, all at once, it rushed back to her— the confrontation with those men, their jeering voices cutting through the night, and the mysterious figure who had come to her rescue. His soft, calm voice echoed in her memory, soothing but distant. She groaned as she pushed herself up, her muscles aching from the struggle. Though she hadn’t been seriously hurt, the tension of the encounter clung to her body.

As she replayed the events, her thoughts kept circling back to him— her rescuer. He had appeared out of nowhere, a fleeting presence in the chaos, and then disappeared just as quickly. Why had he helped her? Who was he? The questions gnawed at her as the remnants of fear lingered in the pit of her stomach. 

Over the next few days, time seemed to slip by in a blur, yet Rena couldn’t shake the unease. Her steps were quicker now, and she made sure to be home before nightfall, the memory of the attack haunting her with every step. It wasn’t just fear anymore; a new wariness had settled into her, a heightened awareness of her surroundings that she hadn’t needed before.

Though the street had become a source of anxiety, the image of her rescuer stayed with her, like a strange light amidst the darkness. She caught herself thinking about him constantly— his silhouette, his voice— almost as if she were looking for him in every passing figure. But these thoughts were complicated. They brought a sense of security, yet they also highlighted her vulnerability, reminding her of how quickly things could spiral out of control. Whether she was walking to class or sitting in lectures, Rena's mind drifted, caught between the lingering trauma and the bizarre comfort she associated with the stranger who had saved her. 

The trauma grew more pronounced as days went by. She started missing class, which for Rena, was unheard of. Nights were the worst; sleep didn't come easily. She found herself waking up from vague, disjointed dreams where she was running, always running, and those men were right behind her. Whenever her mind drifted back to the moment of her rescue, it stirred a mix of emotions. There was relief, even a strange sense of warmth, but it clashed with an unsettling reminder of her vulnerability. Thinking of him brought a confusing comfort— something good in the midst of fear— yet it also made her question why she couldn’t let go of the memory, as if clinging to him was both soothing and troubling at once.

More time passed and Rena began to feel like herself again, though it was a slow and uneven process. The nightmares became less frequent, and she no longer felt the constant weight of fear pressing down on her chest. With each passing day, she regained some of her old confidence, convincing herself that the incident was behind her. She started going out with Umi and Hikari again, though she still kept an eye on her surroundings, and her steps were always a little quicker when she was alone. The sense of unease still lingered, but it had dulled, like a distant echo rather than a sharp, immediate fear.

When she finally decided to go back to class regularly, Rena felt ready, as if she had turned a corner. Walking into the familiar space brought a sense of normalcy, and she found herself looking forward to catching up with Umi and her other classmates. That feeling came to an abrupt halt the moment she entered the classroom.

As she stepped inside, she noticed that everyone seemed unusually quiet, their attention focused on someone sitting towards the back of the room. Murmurs filled the air as her classmates exchanged glances, their eyes darting to the same spot. Umi hurried over to Rena, tugging her sleeve gently.

"Hey, did you see him?" Umi whispered, nodding towards the back.

Rena followed her gaze, and in an instant, her stomach dropped. Her eyes landed on him— an invader. He sat there, relaxed, as if he belonged, while everyone around him gossiped in hushed voices. Rena's breath caught in her throat. She recognized him immediately, Akimitsu, noticing his smug presence.  But instead of feeling glad that she had finally encountered him after weeks, a wave of frustration surged through her.

Her thoughts raced: Why was he here? Did he know she was in this class? Her mind buzzed with unanswered questions, and a knot of anger tightened in her chest.

Rena groaned, muttering under her breath, "You’ve got to be kidding me."

Umi tugged at Rena’s arm, quietly pleading with her to let it go, but Rena was  already on the move. Completely ignoring her friend's warnings, she made a beeline for him. Her irritation bubbled up with every step, the unresolved emotions from the diner now mixing with this unexpected and unwelcome surprise. Her eyes narrowed as she approached him. She crossed her arms over her chest as she stopped in front of his desk, her presence demanding his attention.

He was sitting there casually, leaning back in his chair as if the whole world revolved around him, completely unbothered by the curious glances and whispered chatter from the others in the room. His long legs were stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles, and his posture was one of effortless ease. When he finally glanced up, their eyes met, and for a split second, she caught something unexpected— a faint redness and intrigued look on his face, just barely visible beneath his composed exterior. But, just as quickly, his expression shifted, that familiar, insufferable smirk taking over, like he hadn’t just been caught off guard.

Rena narrowed her eyes, stepping closer, her fan resting securely in her hand, a physical reminder of her own resolve. She wasn’t about to let him off easily. 

“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice edged with irritation, cutting through the quiet air between them.

A lazy eyebrow quirked up as he met her gaze head-on, unflinching. For a brief moment, he seemed to consider her question, his lips curling into that trademark smug grin. 

"What, no 'hello'?" he teased, his voice smooth and infuriatingly calm. "You know, you could at least pretend to be happy to see me."

Rena's jaw tightened, her patience wearing thin, but before she could fire back a retort, he continued, that smirk of his growing more pronounced. 

"Hey Pinky," he muttered, his tone casually teasing her, he found the whole situation amusing. "Believe it or not, I’m part of this class now."

Her teeth ground together at the nickname, but before she could speak, he shot her a look that was all too knowing. It was as if he was daring her to rise to the bait, to challenge him.

"Pinky? Really?" she shot back, her arms tightening in frustration. "That’s what you’re going with again?"

"What? It suits you," he smirked. 

She rolled her eyes, trying to rein in her rising temper, "That’s not the point. Why are you here? You don’t just show up in a class out of nowhere."

"Relax." —he leaned back in his chair with a shrug— "Transfer. Simple as that. Guess that makes us classmates now."

Rena’s frustration spiked. Of all the places…

"Right," she scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "And I’m supposed to believe that it’s just a coincidence?"

"Think whatever you want, Pinky. But I’m not here for you," he met her gaze with a challenge in his eyes. 

Rena huffed, the tension between them so thick it was almost suffocating. Why did he always have this effect on her? Her pulse quickened, not from fear or even rage, but from the way he looked at her, so smug, so certain of himself. She hated that he could rile her up so effortlessly, like flicking a switch.

Umi, ever the voice of reason, slipped in behind her and gave her a gentle nudge, her presence grounding Rena for just a moment. 

“Rena, maybe this isn’t the time,” Umi whispered, her voice low and cautious, sensing the impending clash. There was a nervous edge to her tone, as if she knew exactly where this was headed and hoped to stop it before it spiraled.

Rena took a breath, her lips parting as if to respond, but her eyes stayed locked on Akimitsu’s, the challenge in them unmistakable. She knew Umi was right, but there was something about this moment that made her reluctant to back down, especially with the smirk still plastered across his face.

"This isn't over" Rena muttered, her eyes not leaving his. She turned sharply and walked away, her heart racing.

"Well, I have to pass this class too," he remarked in a testy manner "So no, I won’t be leaving anytime soon. This history class is one of the most important ones for my degree. But apparently, they’re not letting me take it outside anymore like I was."

Rena spun back toward him, her eyes narrowing into a fierce glare. She could practically feel the heat rising to her cheeks as Akimitsu’s smug expression dug under her skin like a thorn. Every inch of him radiated arrogance, from the slight tilt of his head to the lazy way he leaned back, like he had already won some unspoken game between them. She hated that he could affect her like this, that with just one look, he could ignite a fire she had trouble controlling. The air around them felt charged, like a storm on the verge of breaking.

Akimitsu leaned forward slightly, his grin widening as if he could sense her rising frustration. 

“I had no idea you’d be here. It was definitely a surprise,” he smirked with self-satisfaction. His eyes gleamed with a teasing light, one that Rena couldn’t ignore even if she tried. “What? Do you think I’m following you or something?” The way he played it so cool only made her temper flare hotter, her hands balling into fists at her sides.

Her patience was reaching its breaking point. 

"Of course, of course. A total coincidence, huh?" She retorted as if insinuating that he was a creep and a stalker.

Akimitsu's eyes flashed with annoyance, his usual composure cracking for a moment. He straightened up, his jaw tightening as he glared at Rena. 

“Watch yourself!” he snapped, his voice sharp. “This has nothing to do with you. I’m only here because they forced me into this class for the rest of the semester.” The smug amusement in his voice was gone, replaced by a raw edge that surprised Rena.

For a split second, Rena considered backing off, sensing that something deeper lay beneath his sharp words. But her own irritation flared just as quickly, and she wasn’t about to let him off so easily. 

"Well, aren’t you just a pleasant one," she shot back, her sarcasm stinging. "I feel so bad for the professor, having to deal with you for the rest of the semester. Must be exhausting keeping up that attitude all the time."

"You’ll eat those words, Pinky," he muttered begrudgingly. The nickname was still as bothersome as ever but she noticed the slight shift in his tone.

Rena’s eyes gleamed with a new sense of satisfaction, her smirk widening as she tilted her head slightly, watching Akimitsu's reaction. His usual cocky demeanor, which once grated on her nerves, was now becoming more entertaining than annoying. It was like a game to her now, watching him struggle to maintain his cool while she chipped away at his facade.

“So, what’s the matter? Not as sharp when someone gives it back to you?” she teased, her voice light but laced with a challenge. “You always seemed to enjoy pushing my buttons, but now that I’m pushing back, you’re the one getting all riled up?”

She could see the faintest twitch in his jaw, a clear sign that her words were hitting their mark. For the first time, Rena found herself enjoying the banter more than she expected, the irritation that usually accompanied his presence fading into something closer to amusement. Is this what Minami meant by getting back at him? If so, she reveled in it and continued her assault against him.

"Oh, I’m so scared of you," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Your words are just so intimidating. How will I ever survive the rest of the semester with ‘scary you’ sitting back there?"

He clenched his jaw, glaring at her with clear frustration. "Just you watch... PINKY!"

“Would you stop calling me that, you child!” Rena was feeling drained of the same old thing. “It’s starting to lose its effect”

His head flung back and he stared at the ceiling for a moment before thinking of a comeback. It did not take him long to turn the tables on her once more.

 "And what would you have me call you, huh?” He started. “You keep butting into my business without even introducing yourself. Talk about rude!" 

Her retort was on the tip of her tongue, but his words stopped her cold. He was... right. She hadn’t introduced herself. But she didn’t want to be on friendlier terms with him— he didn’t deserve that right now. Still, the fact that he had a point irked her to no end.

With a reluctant sigh, she lowered her arms and stared directly into his eyes. "Fine. I’m Rena Natsukawa. And I’m not rude. You just don’t deserve the pleasantries."

He raised an eyebrow at her, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then, with deliberate emphasis, he replied, "Who are you to determine what I deserve, Rena?"

Hearing him say her first name like that, without the usual teasing or hostility, took her breath away for a split second. Her eyes widened, and to her dismay, she felt a flutter in her chest. The unexpected shift in tone threw her off balance, and though she tried to hold onto her annoyed demeanor, her cheeks betrayed her, heating up slightly.

She quickly tried to recover, but the shift in the air between them left her feeling uncertain. In an attempt to regain her control, she shot back, "Don’t think using my first name changes anything. You're still a pain."

He knew she had lost her grip in the situation. "Whatever you say, Rena."

Her lips tightened, she had nothing more to say, she marched back to her seat, Umi leading the way. But even as she walked away, his voice lingered in her mind, the way he said her name echoing longer than she'd like to admit.

Rena had resigned herself to the fact that every Monday and Wednesday, she would have to deal with Akimitsu. It had become an inevitable part of her routine, and every single time, without fail, they ended up at each other’s throats. It wasn’t like her at all—normally, Rena was calm, composed, the perfect girl with perfect grades. But something about Tokyo, and Akimitsu in particular, had a way of pushing all the wrong buttons, turning her into a woman who was constantly on edge, simmering just beneath the surface.

It didn’t help that, despite how much he infuriated her, her heart insisted on betraying her every time she was near him. Her chest fluttered whenever he spoke, and she hated the effect he seemed to have on her. It made things worse because Minami’s plan— an attempt to mess with him and throw him off— had completely backfired. Instead of getting under his skin, he was getting under hers. And though she refused to admit it, the confusion of it all left her flustered.

But one day, after enduring his endless teasing for what felt like forever, Rena decided she’d had enough. She wasn’t going to let him keep calling her by her first name without giving her something in return. She mustered up the courage to confront him, determined to force him to introduce himself properly. It felt ridiculous that they’d been sparring like this for weeks without so much as a formal introduction.

"W-well," she started, her voice faltering just slightly, betraying her nerves. "Aren't you gonna say your name? All you do is call me by my first name, but you never introduced yourself." Her tone was laced with frustration—she’d taken enough of his attitude without even knowing what to call him.

Akimitsu, of course, leaned back in his chair with that insufferable smirk of his. "I have a feeling you already know mine," he said with a lazy drawl, as if the whole thing was some kind of joke.

Rena groaned, shaking her head and rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Of course I know it. Everyone knows who you are. You're trouble," she shot back, her voice rising with each word. "But why should I be the only one introducing myself? You’re the one using my first name all the time. You should return the favor."

For a second, it seemed like he might actually take her seriously. But then, with a dramatic sigh, he shrugged. "Fine. My name’s Akimitsu. A pleasure," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "But you only get my first name. No family name. Not that you didn’t already know that."

Rena’s eyes flicked toward the ceiling as she rolled them yet again, her patience already worn thin. His tone, the way he always managed to undercut every serious moment with that sarcastic edge, made her want to scream. She let out a long sigh, trying to rein in her frustration.

"Of course," she muttered, her tone now resigned as she glanced back at him. "How could I forget? Mister Mysterious, too cool for a last name."

He chuckled, clearly enjoying the way he was getting under her skin. "You get it, Pinky," he said with a wink, knowing full well the nickname still irked her.

She shot him a glare, but it lacked the intensity she’d intended. Somehow, the more she sparred with him, the harder it became to keep her annoyance genuine. There was something about the banter that, despite everything, felt… almost fun. But she wasn’t about to admit that out loud.

"Whatever," she said with a dismissive wave, though the small smile threatening to break through her frustration gave her away. "Just don’t get too comfortable with my name. You’re still a pain."

"And yet, you still can’t seem to stay away," he teased, leaning forward with that trademark smile.

Rena felt her cheeks warm slightly as her heart gave another unwelcome quiver. She hated that he wasn’t entirely wrong. She hated even more that some small part of her was starting to enjoy these exchanges. "Shush you," she shot back, quickly turning her attention to her notes as if the conversation hadn’t gotten to her at all.

But deep down, she knew better. Akimitsu had wormed his way into her thoughts, and despite everything, she couldn’t shake him—no matter how much she wanted to.

Akimitsu was always the first to duck out when class ended. The moment the professor dismissed them, he was already halfway out the door, disappearing before anyone could blink. He never said a word to anyone, not even Rena. By the time she realized he was gone, his seat was empty. At first, it didn’t bother her much— he was always a bit aloof, after all— but as time went on, she couldn’t help but wonder: Why does he leave so fast? The thought nagged at her. Did he not want to be around her any longer than he had to?

The ideas swirling in her head made her uneasy. It wasn’t like Akimitsu was one to care what others thought, but the idea that he might actually be avoiding her left a bitter taste in her mouth. The more she mulled over it, the less she liked where her thoughts led. Was it her? Was he just trying to escape from her, specifically?

The next day, she sat through the entire lecture, only half paying attention. Her gaze kept drifting toward him, her thoughts miles away from whatever the professor was saying. There was something that came back to mind that had been bothering her since she met him at the diner: he doesn't have a family name. It was odd and no matter how hard she tried to focus on the class, that detail kept floating to the surface of her mind. It just didn’t make sense still. 

Despite her best efforts to focus on her upcoming finals, Rena found her thoughts straying to Akimitsu more often than she’d like to admit. She helped Umi and Hikari study whenever she could, hoping that tutoring them would serve as a distraction for her own restless mind. She was confident about the material, but her curiosity about Akimitsu had only grown. She found herself stealing glances at him more frequently, unable to stop the questions bubbling up inside her. It was driving her mad.

One day, after yet another unproductive study session in class, Rena let out a frustrated grunt and ran her hand through her hair, brushing a few stray strands out of her face. She had to stop this. If she didn’t ask him directly, her mind would keep spinning in circles, and she couldn’t afford to be distracted like this. Against her better judgment, she made up her mind.

Just ask him. What’s the worst that could happen? she thought, though her pulse quickened at the idea. She stood up, glancing over at Akimitsu, who was, as usual, minding his own business. Her palms were clammy, and her heart raced, but the need to satisfy her curiosity was stronger than her nerves. She walked toward him, closing the distance with each determined step.

When she stopped a few feet from his desk, he didn’t even bother looking up at first. “I’m starting to think you like me, Rena,” he said, his tone dripping with dry amusement. “I can’t think of any other reason you keep coming up to me.”

She scoffed, rolling her eyes at his smugness. Typical Akimitsu. Of course, he would say something like that. Still, she wasn’t about to let him get under her skin. With an exaggerated sigh, she composed herself, her voice coming out cool and indifferent despite the wild beating of her heart.

“In your dreams,” she shot back, folding her arms. “I just... have a question. It’s been bothering me for a while now, and I want an answer.”

She glanced away for a moment, taking a deep breath before finally meeting his eyes again. Her expression was firm, a mix of stubbornness and determination.

“Why do you always leave so fast after class? No parting remark, no last-minute insult? Do I really bother you that much?”

"Don’t you worry your pretty little pink head, I’m not avoiding you," Akimitsu said, leaning back in his chair and finally meeting her eyes. "I enjoy our little spats. It gives me something to look forward to. But I’ve got other priorities, things to take care of." He chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Now it really sounds like you like me."

That signature smug smile of his crept across his face, the one that always made her want to either punch him or… well, something else. "I have a feeling this isn’t the only thing you want to ask me, though." 

He wasn’t wrong, but how he knew this was a mystery, it was as if he could read her like a book. She’d been dying to know his full name—the one topic that had eluded her for so long. It was strange, like some kind of puzzle she couldn’t solve, and now that she was standing right in front of him, curiosity took hold of her even more. She hardened herself, summoning her courage.

"My question is about your name. Your full name. I want to know..." Her voice was firm, her determination clear as she locked eyes with him. She expected another smirk, a sarcastic retort, something to brush her off. But for a split second, she saw him falter, his expression slipping. He looked surprised—caught off guard by her seriousness.

Without realizing it, Rena had taken a step closer into his comfort zone. Her usual composed demeanor cut through his playful nonchalance, leaving him momentarily flustered. He quickly tried to recover, straightening up and forcing his smug grin back into place, but she had already seen the shift.

"You really do want to know, huh?" he said, his voice betraying a hint of nervousness as his heart raced. But he wouldn’t give in that easily. No, he’d make her work for it. "Alright then, how about this? I’ll cut you a deal."

Rena raised an eyebrow, sensing some sort of trick coming. Sure enough, his facial expression turned playful, and he looked at her like she was the most amusing thing he’d ever seen.

"If you can top me in the final exams, I’ll tell you my full name. That’s my deal."

Her eyes widened in surprise. Was this… a challenge? And if so, was he actually serious? The guy who barely took notes, who spent most of the class with his head down, napping, was challenging her in academics? There was no way he was serious. It had to be some kind of joke. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, a frown forming on her lips as she tried to make sense of it.

"Why do you always have to be so difficult? Can’t you just answer the damn question already?" she snapped, her frustration bubbling to the surface.

Akimitsu leaned back again, lacing his fingers behind his head as he shrugged casually. "I truly hope you do your best in the finals, Rena Natsukawa. Good luck." His voice was dripping with amusement, and without another word, he closed his eyes, clearly signaling that the conversation was over—at least in his mind.

Rena stood there, speechless, her jaw clenched in frustration. He had completely ignored her question, again. She gritted her teeth, glaring down at him. How could one person be so infuriating?

"You’re unbelievable, you know that?" she huffed, her voice sharp with irritation. "I’m trying to get a straight answer from you, and all you do is dodge the question like it’s some kind of game to you!"

Akimitsu didn’t even flinch. He didn’t have to try; just by existing, he had a way of ruffling her feathers. It was maddening. He was the one person who could rile her up without even lifting a finger, and it drove her absolutely crazy.

Rena didn’t approve of Akimitsu’s challenge—of course he had to make it difficult—but if this was the only way to get him to answer her, then fine. She’d do it. She’d give it her absolute best. The thought of him outperforming her was laughable. Ridiculous, even. She had always been top of the class, and there was no way she was going to let some lazy, smug little shit beat her.

With just a week left before finals, Rena found herself more determined than ever. This wasn’t just about maintaining her rank anymore—it was personal. She threw herself into studying with a renewed intensity, even tutoring Umi and Hikari until they were nearly on par with her. By the time finals rolled around, the three of them had practically become study machines.

The night before the exam, they had decided to blow off some steam and headed to a karaoke bar. It turned out to be the perfect antidote to their week of cramming. After days of relentless studying, this was their well-deserved night filled with singing, laughter, and absolutely no talk of exams.

They took turns belting out their favorite songs, the tension from the past few days slowly melted away. Rena, Umi, and Hikari were in high spirits, their laughter ringing through the air as they playfully teased one another about who could hit the highest notes. At one point, they even video chatted with Minami and Akino, who joined the fun from a distance. Rena had been raving about them for ages, so it felt great for her friends to finally "meet" her other friends— even if it was through a screen. Akino’s light teasing and Minami’s infectious laughter only added to the joy of the night.

For the first time in days, Rena felt completely at ease. No worries lingered in her mind, not even the nagging thoughts of Akimitsu’s challenge—just pure, unadulterated fun. She desperately needed this moment: a perfect night with her friends where nothing else mattered.

“Hey, Rena!” Hikari called out, nudging her as she struggled with a high note. “If you keep this up, you might just summon a dog from the next block!”

“Please, Hikari, I’m clearly hitting all the right notes,” Rena shot back, feigning offense. “Or at least more than you are!”

“Yeah, well, I’m not the one who’s been bragging about how I’m going to crush Akimitsu,” Umi chimed in with a playful roll of her eyes. “You might want to save some of that confidence for the exam.”

Rena laughed, feeling the warmth of friendship envelop her like a cozy blanket. Little did she know, however, that this light-hearted banter would be the calm before the storm.

As the night continued, the karaoke bar buzzed with energy. Rena, fueled by her friends' playful jabs, decided to pick a particularly challenging song, one she had always dreamed of belting out perfectly. “Alright, everyone, watch and learn!” she declared, winking at her friends as she scrolled through the song list.

“Oh, this should be good,” Hikari said, leaning back in her chair. “I hope you brought your A-game!”

With the mic in hand, Rena launched into a spirited rendition, her voice rising and falling with dramatic flair. The others joined in, adding harmonies and making exaggerated faces as they cheered her on. Laughter bubbled around them, and for that moment, it felt as if nothing else existed outside the colorful lights and booming music.

Midway through the song, Rena paused for dramatic effect. “And this is what winning sounds like, Akimitsu!” she teased, winking at the camera where Minami and Akino were still connected. She sat back down and grabbed the phone to hear them better.

“Is that your strategy? Distracting him with your karaoke skills?” Umi shot back, laughter in her voice.

“It might be the only way to give him a fighting chance,” Rena retorted, reveling in the back-and-forth.

It was Hikari’s turn to start another song, but Umi glanced at her phone and frowned. “Hey, guys, we need to keep an eye on the time. We can’t be up all night singing. We have an exam tomorrow!”

“Oh, come on! We still have plenty of time!” Hikari protested, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “One more song won’t hurt!”

Rena waved one hand dismissively, her phone in the other. “It’s fine! We’ll sleep after the exam, right?” she quipped, earning another round of laughter.

“Yeah, right. Just don’t sleep during or you'll lose for sure!” Minami chimed in from the screen.

“Okay, okay, let’s do one more,” Umi relented, feeling the momentum of the night pull her in. “But then it’s time to go home and rest!” She scanned the list again, her eyes lighting up. “How about a duet, Hikari?”

“Absolutely! Let’s give them a show!” Hikari grinned, and they hopped up to the stage together, ready to steal the spotlight.

As they sang, Rena felt a spark of hope and joy, a feeling she hadn’t let herself indulge in during the grueling week of studying.When the song ended, they jumped up in excitement, the duo breathless and exhilarated. 

“I can’t believe how good you two sounded!” Rena exclaimed!

“Best stress relief ever,” Umi agreed, giving Rena a playful nudge when returning to sit next to Rena. “Just don’t forget: tomorrow, we’ll need to channel all this energy into our finals”

“Don’t worry! I’ve got it all figured out,” Rena insisted, radiating confidence.

As the evening came to an end, Rena couldn’t shake the determination building inside her. There’s no way I’m losing this bet, she thought, a strong expression plastered on her face. She was feeling borderline cocky about it. After all, she had been studying tirelessly while, from what she had observed, Akimitsu hadn’t even bothered to take notes. The very idea of him beating her was simply absurd. 

Yet, unbeknownst to Rena, she was blissfully unaware of how complicated her challenge with Akimitsu would turn out to be. Something was brewing beneath the surface, something she had completely overlooked in her perfectly laid plans. And when it finally emerged, it would catch her utterly off guard.

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[prettyboykatsuki]

HELP ME FIND A WAY TO BREATHE | M. FUSHIGURO

♡ tags ; afab + fem!reader, aged-up characters (20s), mutual pining, friends to lovers, canon-typical violence, canon divergent, sex pollen, dubious consent (they are both very enthusiastic to fuck but it is still sex pollen), brief one bed trope lol, light femdom, praise kink, penetration, unprotected sex / creampies, making out, not beta'd we die like [REDACTED MANGA SPOILERS] 18+

♡ wc ; 14.1k (???)

♡ a/n ; hello! happy june, and welcome to my first of three installments part of my @ficsforgaza intiative. please go check them out and join us in fundraising for the people of palestine.

no other really notes on this one other than it's egregiously horny and even more sappy. a super lovey-dovey pining fic. title from sleep walking by bmth

♡ synopsis ; megumi has loved you for as long as he's known you and then some - which is why he avoids going on overnight missions with you at all cost. he's going to kill gojo-sensei when he gets back.

“You should be more firm with Gojo-sensei about stuff like this,” Megumi leans back, eye twitching as he voices his complaints. “You know he always puts it on you because you won’t say no.”  

You’re sitting next to Megumi reclined in your seat. He doesn’t even have to turn his head to know what face you’re making - a forgiving smile, your eyes crinkled at the corner as you shrug unbothered.  

“It’s fine with me,” You turn your head to look at him a little better, pulling your eyes way from the window. “Just how it goes sometimes, you know? Plus, Sensei was nice enough to upgrade us and sending us on these expensive seats. When else are you gonna ride in one of these?”  

Your smile reaches your eyes, light filtering through the windows in quick motion bursts as you speed along the rails. Megumi knew that’s what you were going to say. He shakes his head.  

“Don’t make excuses for him,”  

“Don’t be so prickly,” You reprimand, a long sigh leaving your lips. You reach across the armrest and pat Megumi’s shoulder “If we finish up early, we should go sight-seeing. There’s lots of temples in Sendai I’ve never seen before.”  

Megumi doesn’t say anything to that. You haven’t moved your hand from his shoulder either. The touch is subconscious and friendly - and makes Megumi want to light himself on fire. He’s almost sure this is one of Gojo’s famous schemes, since there’s little to no reason he couldn’t handle a request like this one by himself. Or at least, Megumi could’ve gone alone and prevented himself from being alone with you on a trip for several consecutive days.  

(He’s got a special talent for avoiding this exact thing - always planning ahead and switching things around so this kind of incident never occurs. He’s had a ninety-nine percent success rate. Without Gojo’s meddling, it’d probably be one-hundred) 

There’s not a lot of information about the mission at present. The case files were barely filled out when he got them - only three papers tucked away neatly in a manila folder. On those pages are a few reports of cursed energy in the area and a map - outlining the general perimeter. From what intel the two of you do have, the concentration of said cursed energy in an abandoned commune. Megumi thinks it spells trouble, but some part of him is holding onto hope that it’s an easy to deal with curse. Something quick - so the two of you can be back on the next train ride to Tokyo.  

Pitiful yearning fills him when your hands float away from his shoulder and settle back into your lap. You’re lost in your own thoughts, eyes lidded as you stare outside of the window. He doubts you got much sleep last night. You always stay up before long trips. He sighs a little.  

“We’ve still got,” He checks his watch. “At least another hour and fifty minutes. Now’d be the time to get some rest.”  

You startle at the sound of his voice, a yawn escaping you. “No,” You whine, lips formed into a soft pout that makes the corners of Megumi’s lips twitch. “Won’t you be lonely without my company, Megumi-kun?”  

He gives you a long suffering sigh. “No. I have a lot to read. Get some sleep.”  

Your frown deepens but Megumi doesn’t budge. The both of you make prolonged eye-contact until you final give in after another yawn interrupts your protesting. Your eyes are barely open as is. How stubborn of you.  

“Wake me up like fifteen minutes before we’re there, please?” You relent.  

Megumi just nods. You smile at him and his heart beats loudly at the sight as you close your eyes and succumb to exhaustion. He starts scrolling on his phone, opening his library app to read when your head falls onto his shoulder. He goes stone stiff - body locking up and blood pressure sky-rocketing before he regains control of his senses and loosens his muscles so you don’t end up waking. He leans his head back against the cushion of the seat and takes a deep breath.  

His phone buzzes in his hand, mood dropping as soon as he sees who it’s from.  

don’t respond: my dearest megumi-chan ! have the two of you arrived safely? 

Megumi thinks about not responding, quickly reminded of the fact Gojo-sensei would not only keep texting him but abuse the ‘Notify Anyway’ option given half the chance. Ignoring the oncoming migraine, he types back carefully in order to leave you undisturbed.  

(sent 6:58pm) we’re on the train now.  

The reply is instant.  

don’t respond: oh my… how late. was there a delay.  

(sent 6:58 pm) yeah.  

don’t respond: tsk…why pay all that money for the good seats if this was the outcome... 

don’t respond: well. nothing you can do now. get a hotel in Sendai and check out the location during the day. 

Megumi squints at his phone, scowl forming instantly.  

(sent 7:02) a hotel?? what for??  

don’t respond: megumi-chan… i raised you better than this. you are going to let a beautiful young maiden walk around the dark unknown at night?  

He makes a face of disgust at the phrase. Not that Megumi thinks you aren’t beautiful, but hearing the sentiment from Gojo-sensei’s mouth is truly nauseating.  

(sent 7:02) … we’ll get the hotel. 

don’t respond: wonderful ! and if i may offer you some advice my dear boy  

(sent 7:03) please don’t.  

don’t respond: do not miss your chance ! this beautiful gift your sensei has bestowed upon you to make progress in your youthful love 

Megumi scowls. He knew that was it.  

(sent 7:04): You disliked “do not miss your chance ! this…”  

dont respond: [IMG ATTACHMENT]  

Megumi stares at the attached meme (a dog gyaru posing) with a grimace - no doubt borrowed from Itadori or Kugisaki. He frowns, disliking that one too before putting the messages between them on mute and opening the app to read his book. He’s been reading a lot of his usual nonfiction. Lately it’s an autobiography of a famous Japanese author - Soseki, the father of all modern novels. He’s gotten farther into it than he thought he would since he’s only had it for a few days. The writing is engaging.  

He bought it per your recommendation too, so he wants to finish it. The sudden memory of that makes Megumi blush again, his skin prickling under the fabric of his uniform. 

 You’re still sound asleep beside him, your breathing even and steady. If he focuses, he can see you clearly from the corner of his eyes. The soft plumpness in your lips, and each of your lashes sitting against your cheek. 

He keeps focused on reading, though - and prays that the train ride goes a little faster.  

__ 

“Hey,” His arm feels stiff as he moves it away from you gentle, making sure to keep your head upright and steady on the seats headrest as he wakes you from your sleep. “We’re almost here.”  

He sees your eyes stir behind your lids, nose crinkling as you regain consciousness. He’s grateful you can’t see him smile at you as you wake up. Quickly getting his face back to it’s baseline neutral, he waits for you to wake up as you pull away from him and sit up. You let out a long yawn, rubbing underneath your eye as to not smudge your makeup. Blinking the sleep away from your vision, you finally open your eyes. Megumi watches on in silence, trying not to look too endeared.  

“Good morning,” You say as a half joke. Megumi doesn’t bother hiding his laugh. 

“Morning.”  

You smile at him, pleased by his response. You pat around your body looking for your phone, visibly relieved when you find it. Megumi continues watching you as you pull it up, resting your hands on the pull-out table in front of you. You chuckle at your screen. Megumi raises his eyebrow in interest.  

“Did you talk to Gojo-sensei?”  

He nods. “Couple of hours ago. Why?” 

Instead of replying, you pull your notification center down and show Megumi the barrage of texts sent two hours-ish prior. Your phone must’ve been on DND while you were asleep since Megumi hadn’t heard them either. There’s at least ten messages. Megumi scowls in displeasure, and you break out into a terribly lovely laugh seeing it.  

“See what I mean? If you give sensei an inch, he’ll take a mile. Why is he texting you this student this much?” 

You can’t suppress your giggles. “Don’t be so hard on him. He’s a little lonely now that you’re old enough to do things by yourself - that’s all.”  

“Then he should bother me instead of you,” Megumi grumbles. Your smile doesn’t fade.  

“He texted you afterwards, so I guess it’s a start.”  

“Stop being so nice to him.”  

You laugh again. Megumi tries not to smile and ultimately succeeds.  

You study him for a brief moment before reclining a bit.   

“Guess I’ll have to be extra nice to you, then.”  

A blush crawls up the back of his neck almost instantly. Your grin has a crooked edge, a touch of mirth and amusement that makes Megumi want to crawl into somewhere dark and disappear. Warmth and restless makes home in his ribcage, your perception endlessly tormenting. You don’t tease him more than that, allowing Megumi catch his breath.  

“I don’t even know how that’d be possible.”  

“Really?” You say without missing a beat, not even looking at him as you gather up your things. “I can think of plenty of ways to be even sweeter to Megumi-kun, though?”  

He can feel the blush deepen. His cheeks are undeniably crimson by now, he’s sure - and he can barely stand the soft quality in your voice long enough to breathe. You’re still calm, the words genuine but undeniably tilted along the axis of teasing. If Megumi were any less stubborn, he might even beg you for mercy. He is, of course, incredibly bull-headed and refuses to do so. He huffs a little instead. 

“You make it sound like there’s some quota for it.” He says, kind of lamely. Your eyes flutter, something passing in your gaze - gone before Megumi can get hold of it and know what it is. You make an impassive noise, but don’t say anything in reply. Your non-answer makes him think that you might really have one. He tries not to blush any more than he is now and shakes the thought off.  

“You all ready to go?” You ask finally. He lets out a sigh of relief.  

“Yeah. Should be.” Megumi replies, looking down at his phone for the time. It’ll be closer to 9:30 by the time you get out of the station. “Dunno if you read Sensei’s messages but he told us to stay the night at a hotel first since it’s already this late and it’s nothing urgent.”  

Your brows raise in surprise before you nod. “That’s probably smart. As much I’d love to be done sooner, probably not the best idea to go lurking around in the night. We’ll do that, then.” 

“I’ll start looking at hotels,” Megumi adds.  

“Thanks for being so helpful, Megumi-kun.”  

He rolls his eyes. “Uh-huh. You’re welcome.”  

__  

“This is…really the only place with available rooming for tonight?”  

Megumi looks at you with an absent grimace, affirming you with a curt nod. You glance at each other, sharing mutual disbelief and basking in the solidarity of your absurd situation for a bit. A long silence stretches over you both, a weighted quiet that makes Megumi wish a giant curse would literally swallow him into the ground.  

He wishes he had some explanation for this. His name meaning blessing feels like a spit in the face given how deeply unlucky everything about this mission has been so far. 

Of all the hotels in Sendai, the only one within reasonable distance of your mission site that is accepting last minute is a love hotel. A love hotel is something of a non-issue. It’s a tourist misconception to view them as kinky paradises. More modern love hotels are usually just short stays - last minute bookings with cheap prices and always adult. The full blown kinky stuff tends to stay in the several entertainment districts scattered across Japanese metropolitans.  

It’d be nice if that was the case here, but based on various reviews and the neon flashing blue sign at the top of the building - this is definitely the kind of love hotel for couples. The kind used for sex. It’s the only one in proximity accepting last minute bookings, and the only hotel for miles. Megumi lets out a long suffering sigh. He can see you smiling sympathetically from the corner of his eye.  He pinches the bridge of his nose as a new wave of regret settles in his bones.  

“I’m sorry,” Megumi says, unsure of what else to say. He is truly and deeply sorry for the level of misfortune he seems to have around you. You shake your head in reply, shrugging.  

“Let’s make the best of it,” You respond, pausing before going on. “Sensei is going to be really annoying about seeing this charge on his card, huh?”  

Megumi must look as distraught as he feels because you laugh immediately at his expression. You squeeze his shoulder sympathetically, though you clearly find it funny. “Sorry, sorry. It’ll be fine. Maybe he won’t notice.”  

 Gojo-sensei tends to keep tabs whenever people are away on missions. It’s a common precaution for sorcerers, and when more experienced sorcerers relegate their own work - they are solely responsible for that task. Megumi can only hope he’s too busy to keep watch on it for the night. Realistically though, it means Sensei will definitely see.  

Megumi decides to overlook this information as best he can. At least for now. 

You trek into the hotel with your away bag, Megumi in-step behind you with his head hung low. 

It sounds corny to him retroactively (he can’t help but cringe when he says it aloud), but Megumi had foolishly hoped he could be somewhat useful to you in this mission. Every fight the two of you have been in together, you’ve saved Megumi’s skin at least once. He’s incredibly aware of the increasing debt between you. Thank you’s and paid dinners stopped being enough a long time ago. He wasn’t…hoping to be a knight in shining armor or anything like that - but he really wanted to do more this time since you’re already going together.  

You probably understood that talking to the front desk in these conditions would give him a hernia and took the responsibility on without complain. You make these acts of consideration look easy and natural - smooth like the flow of water. Megumi has yet to learn how to swim against the tide instead of getting swept up in its motion.  

Despite Megumi’s countless attempts at repaying your kindness, he’s never been able break even. He reflects on this as you speak to the woman at the front desk.  

The lobby of Hotel:SAPPHIRE is exactly what someone might expect from an actual love hotel. The lights are dim even up front and there’s a lot of glittery, mildly gaudy decor. Aside from the front desk, the first floor hosts some kind of amenities store and a lounge or bar.  

 Megumi’s awareness of his surroundings is making his blush worse. He’s not concerned by being seen in a love hotel, as much as he’s hung up on the idea that people are assuming you’re both a couple. Rationally, he knows that means nothing. You’re two people of the opposing gender and similar age - of course people would think that.  

Still, it makes him so…ugh…shy, he could genuinely die of misery.  

He tries his best to zone out, but ultimately can’t. He tunes in to listens to you talk to the woman at the front desk instead.  

“There’s probably no double beds here, huh?” You ask. The woman at the front desk gives you a confused look of both sympathy and apology. You shake your head with a pleasant smile.  

“Yeah. I thought so. What’s the nicest room you have?”  

“We have a queen room, with a queen bed, couch and a jacuzzi. It has one of our more spacious bathrooms as well.”  

Megumi closes his eyes. Your reply is chipper. “Sure! We’ll take that one.”  

“And how long will you be staying?”  

“About five days?”  

His eyes snap open. Megumi gives you an incredulous look from where he’s standing. You turn back with a small smile as if having predicted it and then shrug again.  

“I still wanna go sightseeing.”  

He can’t say anything to refute you in the moment, despite how much he’d like to push back on the idea. You’re definitely enjoying yourself, at least. Maybe he should’ve expected that. You’re not exactly the type to get easily embarrassed. Even getting the words of complaint out feel too humiliating given the context. He sighs.  

“Whatever,”  

The woman at the front desk, increasingly baffled by the nature of your relationship, puts you down for five days before handing you two room cards.  

She briefly explains some of the perks, and gently points you to the small store which freely offers things like lube, condoms, scented lotions and oils, and bath products. It’d be great if some meteor hit Earth right now and killed him (and only him) instantly. You give her your kindest thanks and take the two room cards, turning around to pass one over to Megumi. He gives you a long look. You reply with two thumbs up and goofy grin.  

“Let’s go to the little store place!”  

“Why the hell would you want to do that” Megumi hisses, blushing profusely. You are predictably nonplussed by his reaction.  

“I want to see the scented lotions. A souvenir. If you will.” 

It’s truly imperative to to him in that moment he remembers how often you’ve saved him from mortal peril. He relents easily after that, trailing along behind you.  

It’s less of a store and more of a display case of possible lewd items on four sides of a centered wall, with just enough space to walk around. Megumi stonewalls as soon as the two of you are within five feet of it. You take your time looking through the different thing and snickering at the display case.  

At one point, you tug Megumi’s sleeve and snap him out of his trance. He begrudgingly follows your gaze, eyes widening at the display case of condoms. There are so many condoms. He didn’t even know they made that many kinds.  

“Maybe we should bring one? You know, just in case.” You do a stupid wiggle with your eyebrows. Megumi is painfully aware it’s just jokes, closing his eyes with a deep sigh, elbowing you lightly.  

“Fuck off.” 

Your voice is sing-songy as you continue your tirade.  

“You never know, Megumi! What if end up in a condom emergency trying to fight curses?”  

“Please shut up.”  

Your laughter sounds again behind your closed fist, but you’re merciful and turn the corner to look at everything else.  

You indeed pick up two scented lotions and a bath bomb before you finally agree to retire to the room.  

__  

Megumi is rendered speechless when you finally unlock the door to your room.  

He isn’t sure why. He should’ve expected much worse.  

The room is big as promised. Probably three times the size of his own dorm at Jujutsu Tech. There’s one bed in the middle (certainly king-sized, not queen) - with a couch and glass table adjacent to it along the back wall. The couch is upholstered with a creaky, gold fabric and the walls are painted mostly white with the exception of one wall being painted sapphire blue, decorated with a rose mural. The throw pillows and complimentary blanket share a familiar loud pattern, incorporating all three colors and stitched with gold threads.  

There’s rose petals everywhere. On the bed, floor, and the table. The glass table accompanying the couch even has two champagne flutes and complimentary bottle to go along with it. There’s a present box on the bed, wrapped in shiny white wrapping paper and a sickly sweet, red bow.  

Megumi doesn’t want to know what’s inside.  

You shut the door behind him after dragging in the rest of your luggage.  

The two of you take in the view together for a minute before Megumi hears you break out into a long fit of laughter, making him jolt. He looks over at where you’ve dropped down into a squat, giggling hysterically beside him. He feels suddenly winded from the days events as you break the tension.  

After you gather yourself you stand to your feet and look at him warmly, wiping tears from the corners of your eyes. Megumi wishes he could take it as easy as you.  

“Ahh…hehehe..” You put a hand over your mouth trying to suppress the sound as you turn away. “Okay, sorry. Uhm. Hah. Do you want to shower first or should I?”  

Megumi responds reflexively. “You can shower first.”  

You nod, yawning as you stretch your arms up. He forces himself not to look at the way your shirt rides up over your stomach. Patting his shoulder after collecting yourself, you shoot him a tired but reassuring smile. At least he knows you’re both exhausted.  

“Thanks, Megumi-kun. Do me a favor and order room service, please? I’m starving.”  

He nods. “Do you want to look at the menu?”  

You wave your hand dismissively, taking your bag and turning to the bathroom. “I trust you know me well enough to know what I want.”  

The instant preening internally makes Megumi want to crawl in a hole. He’s glad you can’t see him.  

“Yeah. Go shower, already.”  

“Mm,” You make a noise as you stretch. “Will do.”  

__  

The room is unnaturally dim.  

There’s a movie playing in the background as both you and Megumi sit on the bed. You’re doing some work on your laptop - typing in short bursts every few minutes. Megumi has no idea what you’re working on. You’re oddly meticulous with paper work but aside from the disaster of finding room and board - there isn’t anything to report on.  

Whatever it is though, you’ve been working on since you finished dinner an hour ago - nursing your beer while typing away.  

Megumi glances at you from the corner of his eyes, heart unfairly racing at the lack of distance between you. He really should be past this. Your skin is damp from the shower and you smell like the scented lotion from earlier which makes him feel weird and warm. He decided to drink with you, but his tolerance is much worse than yours so he feels a little tipsy. He isn’t sure if that’s better or worse. Dealing with everything sober hasn’t been very fun.  

He’s staring at you openly but you’re too preoccupied to take notice. He’s kind of grateful. His fingers tap the sides of his can as his eyes flits up to the cheap action movie playing on the TV.  

After a little longr, you stretch your arms over your head and shut your laptop. 

“All done with your work?”  

You blink rapidly, momentarily taken aback before smiling. “Yeah. Finally.”  

“What were you actually doing?” 

“Started on the report and then dug around some old archives for information on the commune.”  

“Did you find anything?”  

You laugh humorlessly. “More or less? But nothing we couldn’t have figured out on our own. The commune was more like a curse cult but it ran functionally for almost ten years. They did some type of curse breeding.”  

“Curse… breeding? As in like…?” Megumi asks, making a face.  

“It’s what it sounds like? I think. There’s not really any more information. The uploaded documents were barely legible. How it works, why they did it, and if it was effective - we have no information on that. Just that there was some powerful curses in the area in the late nineties.”  

“In the nineties? So it’s been what, decades since any activity? Why now?”  

You shrug. “Best guess is that the sudden uptick in tourism caused it. You know, Sensei had some business in Sendai a few years back. It was right before Itadori-kun got hold of Sukuna I think. It’s not impossible for all of it to be connected.”  

Megumi sighs. “Don’t know if that makes it better or worse.”  

“I want to look into Gojo-sensei’s case right now but,” A yawn interrupts your train of thought. “We’ll need to be up and at ‘em early tomorrow.”  

“Right,” He says, immediately preparing to sleep on couch and praying you won’t notice. “Goodnight, then -“  

His plans are foiled fast of course. Before he can get up, you tug at the sleeve of his robe. Your face is flush from beer and sleep. You’re so effortlessly alluring to his brain he’s irritated. The motion picture casts a soft glow on your features, picturesque in how pretty you seem to be with no effort.  

“Where are you going?”  

“To sleep on the couch.”  

“I can’t let you do that,” You shake your head. Megumi says nothing. “I’ll take the couch.”  

He purses his lips. “Did you think I was gonna say yes to that?”  

You press your lips into a flat line. “No…not really. But.. I can’t let you sleep on the couch. It’ll be a long day and you need rest,” You smile at him sleepily “I don’t mind sharing the bed.”  

“Absolutely not,” He replies instantly. You pout at him. Damn it. 

“Megumi-kun, please? We can just put one of the pillows between us.”  

Megumi stares at you with a hardened brow. He knows from experience that a pillow would barely resolve the issue. A lesson he learned at fifteen where a similar incident had you both sleeping in the same tent.  

You move in your sleep. A lot. As a result, fifteen year old Megumi spent an entire night with you, paralyzed by the lack of distance and missing an entire night of sleep. Every muscle in his body in his body had set rigid like early onset rigor mortis from stress that night.  

He barely slept. Worse, the next morning Sensei had practically harassed him about his disheveled state. Megumi couldn’t look you in the eye for the rest of the mission, though he got over it eventually. Only because you seemed very troubled when he didn’t talk to you.  

You’re making a similarly distressed expression now at the thought of making Megumi sleep on the couch. He winces, swayed with embarrassing ease. The feeling fades after he sees how brightly you smile.  

“Thank you,”  

He wants to ask why you’re thanking him, but doesn’t know if he can handle hearing the answer so he says nothing. You turn the TV off and finish your beer and toss the can before returning to bed and undoing the covers. Megumi sits on the edge, watching as you rearrange the various pillows. You place a body pillow in between the both of you and fluff up another pillow to give to Megumi. You smile as you hand it to him, and he takes it with a soft blush.  

He reminds you to go brush your teeth and watches you pad off to go do it, sighing and trying to meditate before it’s his turn to do the same. The alcohol is wearing off quicker than he hoped.  

The room is nearly pitch black except for a single dim light when Megumi comes back from the bathroom. You’re already in bed, and you smile when Megumi emerges with a stupidly cute giggle following. He’ll never get used to you, he’s sure.  

Megumi craws into bed beside you. The bed is wide and spacious - and there’s plenty of room seperating you. He isn’t any less self-conscious of the fact he’s still sleeping in a bed next to you though, for better for worse.  

“Night, Megumi.” You mumble, barely awake. You’ll fall asleep fast. Megumi reaches over and turns off the lights.  

“Night.”  

He lays in the dark, facing the other wall and waiting for your breathing to go even. Compelled to turn towards your back, Megumi does so as quietly and unobtrusively as possible. He can make out your silhouette in the dark, tracing the outline of your shoulder with his eyes as he continues to feel incredibly nervous and lovesick. He’s been pining like this for so long, he finds it pathetic.  

 You’re less than a few feet away but he can barely bring himself to look at you. Oddly overwhelmed, he lets his eyes close and tries his best not to think too much about the next few days.  

__  

Against all odds, Megumi sleeps well and wakes up feeling better.  

You, of course, moved around a bunch in your sleep - ending up on his side of the bed with a single arm thrown across his waist and your face in his chest. He woke up earlier than you, thankfully - and carefully pried himself from your touch to take a cold shower in the bathroom and not die of embarrassment at the resulting morning wood. 

You were awake by the time he got out. After you were both ready for the day, you ate breakfast together and had coffee before leaving the hotel. The whole situation was more embarrassing during the daylight.  

Your hotel is a twenty minute drive from the site location of the mission. A quick taxi cab ride to a small temple. Navigating isn’t exceptionally difficult. The temple itself is somewhat obscured, not marked on any online maps. It’s well known locally though, enough that a taxi driver could take them towards the bottom of the hill where it’s located. It’s listed as a temple, but on further inspection it’s a small and worn shrine. The details about the shrines origin or history are unclear even.  

After arriving, you were both relying on the provided map. The commune itself is away from civilization. A couple hundred meters Northeast from the temple sight is a path through the forest - leading out to the clearing where the commune is supposedly located.  

The communes ruins are a one straight distance after that. If someone was taking a short hike, it wouldn’t be hard to find.  

So it isn’t difficult to find for the two of you either.  

Megumi’s shikigami follow along side him, divine dog sniffing along the trail. You’re up front, checking the path and making sure the trail is correct, as well taking notes for your report later on.  

You turn your head and share a look with Megumi - no doubt feeling the same thing he does. There’s cursed energy around here, but it’s weird and hard to trace. Neither him nor the Shikigami can make sense of exactly where it’s coming from.  

Eventually, you come across stone - laid deliberately like a pathway, and glance at Megumi with hopeful eyes.  

A clearing comes in view. Ruins, with cursed energy brimming somewhere within them fall into his sightline. It’s a bigger location that Megumi thought it’d be - stretching out far despite hosting so few residents. There are dilapidated cabins and other buildings, the place filled with overgrowth and ivy. Shattered windows, graffiti, and trash affirm to Megumi that this place was found by other people at one point or another.  

Megumi stands besides you as you assess the situation, silently taking the lead. You step forward, further in. A sigh leaves your lips as you turn to Megumi.  

“We’re here but,” You scratch the back of your neck. “What to do now is…”  

“What are you thinking?”  

You sigh. “Part of me wonders if we should split up to check the buildings, but the information is so vague that I don’t know if it’s a good idea.”  

“It’s fine.” Megumi assures. He’s not thrilled but splitting up for now is the best course of action. He can handle himself. He’s sure you’re worrying about that. “As long as we can hear each other, it should be fine.”  

Your concern muddles your features, brows drawn together as you frown. You relent eventually though. Megumi feels the corners of his mouth twitch up at how long you think about it.  

“Okay then,” You use your fingers to point towards the left half, right at what looks like an abandoned dormitory. “I’ll go look in there. Megumi-kun can go that way. And if anything sticks out, call for me immediately.” 

“Don’t worry so much.”  

“If it’s Megumi, I can’t help but worry,” Your reply comes in the same beat. He feels himself blush, casting his gaze to his Divine Dog with a frown.  

“I’ll be fine so let’s hurry up and look around already.” 

You still hesitate to part ways with Megumi, but you budge eventually. He waits for you to summon protection for yourself, watching in awe as you unzip a deck of cards from the side pocket of your uniform. Beautiful, steel enforced hanafuda cards shine in the daylight. You shuffle them with your eyes closed, feeling along the backs for the right one before sliding the set back into your uniforms compartment.  

You make a gesture to follow along with the command two-handed tanzaku, ten points - and Megumi watches the curse manifest around your arms. A strand of bi-colored tanzaku paper appears in your hand, razor-sharp with cursed energy. You coil it around your wrist before turning to Megumi with a small smile.  

Despite how often he’s seen you do it, the appreciation in your face at the newly summoned curse make his emotions bubble and swell with impossible longing.  

“Let’s meet back here if we get lost,” You say precariously. Megumi huffs.  

“We won’t get lost. It’s barely that far.”  

You pout at him. “It’s better to be safe then sorry.”  

He wants to ask when you’re doing when you drop down to your knees - but the words die in his throat as your hand comes up to pet his shikigami affectionately. You give it a small smile. “Please take care of Megumi-kun in my absence.”  

The Divine Dog lets out a pleased chuff that makes you smile.  

“….We’ll be fine,” He says - because as much as he would like to make fun of you for it, he finds it all terribly cute. You stand back up to your feet, seemingly more reassured. That’s good at least. “I’ll go ahead, then.”  

Megumi turns to leave before you can get another embarrassing word in edgewise, blush crawling up against his skin. Once he hears your foot steps fall lighter and lighter in the opposite direction, he takes moment to steel himself and prepare for the mission.  

It’s easier to tear his mind away from you when the threat of mortal peril looms - so for once, Megumi is just a little grateful to be a sorcerer.  

He takes a better look at his surroundings, shikigami sniffing along the crumbling pathways of the ruined commune and searching for a scent. It’s a strange place with a strange aura, aside from the curse. There’s not much way to describe other than tiny village. The half you’ve gone to explore seems to be nothing but houses and communal living - with some kind of central house if Megumi had to guess based on it’s layout.  

Where Megumi is walking along though seems to be amenities. On the right is open space - rustic wood stakes stuck into the ground with clothes-wire with a rotted fence separating it from another big patch of dirt. There’s signs tacked onto some of the structural poles along the outside, but they’re too dirty for Megumi to read. It’s easy to tell from how crude everything is that all of it was hand-made.  

On the left of him are storage sheds and old-crates that have somehow stood the test of time - covered in dust and dirt and moss. One of the storage sheds has a completely collapsed roof 

It’s entirely uninteresting, and that feels unsettling. The cursed air still lingers, but the familiar acrid scent doesn’t seem to be there. It’s something else, something new - and it’s simmering under the surface. Neither he nor his Shikigami seem to pick up on anything clearly. 

After a few minutes of walking, Megumi thinks they start to close in on the end of the trail. His shikigami suddenly comes to life. He looks forward.  

At the end of the trail, obscured by more forest and trail is a greenhouse. It’s made with all glass, and there’s moss and condensation surrounding it. Something about it feels alive, but Megumi can’t tell if that’s just his well-developed paranoia.  

“Go find her,” Megumi says. The shikigami makes an affirmative noise and darts off in the opposite direction as Megumi closes into the building and surrounding structures.  

The front door of the structure is pried open and pushed against the wall. It’s an interesting shape - a half-dome and much bigger than how it looks from the outside when Megumi steps in. Too big. It’s weird.  

All of the hair stands on the back of Megumi’s neck as he stands inside of it. He fits with plenty of space to move his limbs. There are raised beds along both sides of the facility - the material boxing them in now covered in dirt and dust. Overgrowths and some kind of small plant crush underneath his feet and surround him. It smells… sweet. Very sweet but distantly. Megumi can’t figure out what it is. Towards the back are gardening tools and a table with things on it.  

It’s here. This is the center of whatever unusual cursed energy he’s been feeling since they’ve been within one-hundred feet of this place. It’s in here, surrounding him.  

His skin starts to feel hot. He figures the presence of the glass might be concentrating sunlight and brushes it aside.  

He doesn’t get much time alone in his assessment of the place. A few minutes pass before you find him again, smiling at him upon your return. Megumi’s heart does a soft pitter-patter as you enter, his shikigami proudly behind you. There’s a sudden leap in his affection laying eyes on that doesn’t make sense. It’s unusual and unprofessional for him to get so caught up on it during a mission. He’s had enough with you to know how to tamp the feeling down. He has a hard time with it this time thought but shakes it off.  

“Did you find anything?” Megumi asks. Your tanzaku is wrapped around your wrist like a bracelet, Megumi notices.  

“Yeah, actually. Notes. I didn’t get much time to check and a lot of them were too water-damaged to read, but I think curse breeding might’ve been an inaccurate,” You say, scratching the back of your neck. “It seemed like something else. With different kinds of cursed energy, or something to create more output.”  

Megumi doesn’t know what that means, and it must show on his face because you laugh in understanding. “Yeah. It wasn’t clear to me either but I haven’t seen everything yet. I thought I should come here first so we can expel whatevers here.”  

“That’s the problem, though.” Megumi says. “Can’t figure out what exactly is here. The cursed energy is…”  

“Obscured,” You say easily. Megumi nods.  

“Exactly,”  

“Never seen anything like this before, honestly.”  

Megumi is surprised by that. You’ve been a special grade for a long time, the extent of your abilities equal to Okkotsu-senpai He doesn’t know how worried he should be. You’re focusing hard as you look around. 

He tries to do the same, wants to contribute more to the conversation but his mind feels strangely cloudy. He slept well he thought. Maybe the heat is bothering him more than expected. The uniforms have always been stuffy during summer.  

You step around around him to look at your surroundings better, but find the same problem.  

After a minute or two of aimlessly searching, something seems to click in. You drop down to your knee. Your fingers caress whatever is sprouting in the ground underneath you. Plucking one from the soil, you bring it up to your face and frown. You’re gentle with the petals. It looks like a clover of some kind, but the color is too bright - more like a small flower maybe. He’s never seen anything like it.  

Megumi feels his skin go hot again watching you touch it. It’s odd. Too sudden and almost nonsensical, how much magentism he feels towards your innocuous gesture.  

There’s another shift in the air, deliberate - and something moves underneath Megumi’s feet. Your voice is panicked as some sudden realization dawns on you, his shikigami barks loudly.  

Everything moves around him in a daze. His ears are ringing suddenly, heart thumping hard against his chest as the flowers beneath him move and distort into tendrils, curling around his ankles.  

“Megumi-kun, we have to get out of here. We have to—“  

Your words are cut short before he can heed them. A scream rips from his chest as the ground opens up and swallows him whole. 

__ 

He falls for a long time. It seems endless.  

His voice is trapped in his throat, despite his attempts to scream. His body weightless, crashes through empty space for what feels like hours. Despite the situation, all Megumi can worry about is you. You aren’t falling beside him though he’s sure you came in together. The whole that ripped the ground was too big for that not to be true. The thought of you dying is so familiar, but it makes Megumi want to throw up mid-air.  

The crash comes eventually. Bracing himself for impact as he falls backwards , he lands onto something like grass. It’s not painful in the least. His skin prickles at the sensations surrounding him. Saccharine sweetness distorts the air, an artificial scent clogging his lungs as he gasps and opens his eyes.  

He senses a presence next to him and turns to find you beside him in the grass. His body aches, both wanting to find relief in the fact you’ve appeared beside him and feeling uncertainty at the same fact. Cursed energy seeps through every inch of this place, and part of him worries you’re some kind of illusion or mirage. Regardless, he calls out for you and hopes you’ll answer.  

“Hey,” He tries saying your name but you don’t budge. He nudges your arm but retracts just as quickly, hissing - the sensation making his skin burn at point of contact. A hole sears in your uniform where he touches you. “Wake up, shit. Please wake up.”  

After another minute, your eyes open. Megumi lets out a breath he wasn’t aware he’d been holding. You groan as you sit up. Megumi sits up with you.  

“Fuck,” Your voice is thick as you sit with one leg up, a pressing a knuckle to your temple. “My head is pounding.”  

Megumi makes a noncommittal noise. “Yeah. I can’t tell what kind of domain this is.”  

“These were just apart of the curse, then. I felt something off of them but..,” You pick a flower up from the grass and it..moves. He frowns. “They must just be apart of the domain. Which means there’s a special grade behind this.” 

Right. Megumi has been too hung up on everything else to make proper note of that. He rubs the back of his neck as he tries to absorb his surroundings. The air around him is hazy pink. He can’t acclimate to it, breathing shallow. From the flower-curse you picked, to the plants on the trees nearby. It’s lush and humid, but the makeup in the surroundings is dreamlike. A woodland forest of some kind, maybe. There’s a waterfall and round body of water, a short distance away and trees on every side. It’s alarming in how beautiful it is, disconcerting since the cursed energy inside is potent enough to make all the hair on Megumi’s neck stand straight.  

“My, my. What delicious sorcery I’ve stumbled upon,”  

Megumi looks around to try to find the source of the voice but comes up with nothing. You and Megumi share a look in silent understanding.  

“An unregistered Special Grade in the underground of Sendai.” Your voice is resolute. It sounds so different to how you usually speak, firm and cold. “How did you obscure your cursed energy like this.”  

“So many questions. Don’t be so hostile to your host,” The voice is soft and feminine but deeply distorted at the same time. Grating. “I’m a benevolent spirit, little sorcerer - so I won’t kill you right away. Keep in mind you are in my domain. To attack me would be unwise. And I promise, you’ll feel good until the very end.”  

You quiet, assessing the situation. There’s so little about the curse that either of you can make out. The curse is intelligent enough to bargain - to reason, which means the danger you’re both in is substantial enough to be incredibly cautious. You realize it quickly, Megumi is sure. He shoots you a look, your brows furrowed as you try to make everything make sense.  

“What are you after?”  

“You must know, little sorcerer. Human desire is filthy thing. Money, power, fame.” The air changes around you - flowers besides you blooming higher and higher until you’re all but surrounded. The sickly sweet scent becomes stronger and headier. Megumi’s lungs fill with the strange gas, burning the back of his throat. He coughs, trying to expel it. “What beautiful curses are born from pent-up and unspoken wants.”  

“Fuck this is so irritating,” You seem to be in a similar condition, holding up your first to your mouth as you cough along side him 

“Human beings are so foolish in the face of lust, so inducing such a fever is easy. But the results can be so lackluster.” The curse is taunting, giddy at the prospect of you. “How lucky and I to come across such talented jujutsu sorcerers with such ripe energy, hm?’ 

“An underhanded method like this,” You talk mostly to yourself. “Your physical form must be weak, then. To obscure yourself inside of your domain.”  

Megumi can feel the cursed energy amplify, a sneer in the Special Grade’s voice.  

 “How clever.” It remarks sarcastically. “But not clever enough. It’ll be staring any minute now. Fight it to your hearts content, little sorcerer. I’m looking forward to the show.”  

It’s only a split second before the heat starts to sink into Megumi’s body. He burns so intensely, so suddenly - it makes every other sensation feel trivial. It’s painful, searing, and all-consuming. Breathless, he feels his vision blur as a strong wave of physical arousal completely dominates him. It’s like an injection, nerves on high alert as he pulls at the neck of his uniform and gasps. The flowers surrounding you bloom into something grotesque, an open mouth in the center hissing out more of the pink hazy gas that’s surrounding you before turning again, until you can barely see a few feet away from each other. Megumi can feel the cursed energy course through his body, like pure fire in his blood stream. His cock is hard as steel, makes him feel like he’s going to pass out if he doesn’t touch himself.  

Forcing himself to remain steady for as long as he can, he searches for you. Your condition isn’t better as you lean back on your palms - your chest heaving in out as visible arousal paints your face. You share the same pain, the same lust, the same fever. The thought of it makes Megumi’s cock stir again shamefully.  

“I’m sorry,” Megumi can barely make out his voice. It’s so painful. His entire body feels like it’s screaming but  he can’t bear the idea of forcing you to touch him. These conditions, this situation - this terrible heat. Whatever loose threads of rationale are keeping him afloat in these few minutes are begging him to find a way out of this. 

He knows it’s the circumstances. No one understands things like this more clearly than him but he feels deep resentment anyway. Mostly towards himself. “I’m sorry.. aah, fuck - I don’t want to force this.”  

“Megumi-kun.” You manage to voice some of your lucidity like he has, the brunt of it closing in. He feels like he’s only deluding himself, biting the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood. “Come here.” 

“No,” He almost screams it. He wants too. But he can’t find his voice to speak to you like that. He hopes the urgency reaches you. “I’m sorry. Shit, shit—”   

He doesn’t want to shatter the thing he’s so desperately protected - to ruin the relationship he’s felt so precious about so many years of his life. He doesn’t want it to happen this way. He can feel the self-loathing as he bites his tongue. 

 He’s dreamed of it so often, to touch you and kiss you and hold you. But at the hands of a curse feel so unfair.  

“It’s okay,” Your voice is so soft - a salve to his nerves. A balm to ache of his whole life, calm and smooth and so kind. He burns so deeply he wants to scream.  Your expression is somber but still assured. “It’s okay. It hurts right? So it’s fine.”  

He closes his eyes. Such a pure despair. Fuck. Tears well up his vision. The pain is unbearable without you. Perhaps it’s always been that way.  

“Please,”  

A desperate attempt to no one to wake up from this.  

“Megumi-kun,”  

It’s the sound of your voice, calling his name so assuredly even in the face of death, that finally makes Megumi shatter. The heat overtakes him. Posesses his sense and forces  him onto you like a lifeline.  

He throws himself at you in the grass, almost knocking you back with the force of his body. Both hands clasp your face as he presses his lips with yours with nothing but desperation. It’s less of a kiss and more of crash landing. He can feel his own conflict stirring inside of him but the relief of your touch drowns out his surroundings. All else in the world becomes silent except the taste of your mouth and the feeling of your face. How much he’s longed to this very thing, dreamed of it. Years. Over a decade of his life hiding in your beautiful shadow.  

You pull away from Megumi with a gasp and your face makes his entire body jolt. A flush dusts along your cheekbones as your hands reach for his shoulders. His head feels light. He can feel his cock twitch at the contact, suddenly gaining awareness of just how hard he is.  

“Megumi-kun,” You sound so serious it jolts him awake. His eyes open wide as he watches you undress hastily. You’re stumbling in your movements as you take everything off as quickly as you can - grabbing Megumi by the collar as he sits stiffly. “Take it off. All of it. Now, please.”  

At his wits end, he does. His hands tremble. His rational mind is fighting him at every gesture but his clothes feeling so constraining, binding him. His skin prickles, an itch skipping over his whole body as he takes everything off as fast as his hands allow. His vision is distorted from the heat. His uniform is sticky as he peels it off, drenched in sweat. He doesn’t see where they go, only feeling the relief as they come off his body. He looks for you unconsciously, immediately wanting to pull away from you as he finds you naked. The feeling is so primal it strikes fear in him. Another wave of unimaginable want pours over his skin like magma spilling across rock.  

He can’t count how much time he’s spent shamefully wondering what you look like naked. You exceed his expectations just like always, unbearably gorgeous. Soft edges and curves, scars and stretch marks - so unfairly enticing to his senses. He groans at the sight of you, eyes lidded in unadulterated, carnal want as you crawl over to him.  

Your hand pushes his shoulders back lightly towards the bed of grass underneath you both, until he’s flat on his back. He’s overwhelmed  when you crawl on top of him. You’re fever-sick just like he is, and Megumi is sure that you’re in just as much pain. 

But the face you make when you look like you want him is so fucking unfair.  

You’re beautiful and tricky and cunning and Megumi wants and wants and wants. Wants so fucking bad he might die, wants you so bad the heat in his body threatens to kill him without you. He needs you to touch him. Needs to feel your pretty hands slide across his body and touch whatever you want. 

 You lean forward to kiss him again much harder then before. Desperation makes kissing feel so pleasurable, so good. You feel so damn good. His mind is a blank slate, your tongue carving his wants into, rewiring his conscious to pine after you until the end. Your lips are soft - pillowy and plush against his own despite how much the kiss feels like little more but tongue and teeth. He wants to forfeit it all for the sake of this lasting a little longer, just as he has his entire life.  

Your existence a proof of his namesake - tongue and taste a blessing.  

Your body is soft and hot against Megumi’s skin but together the temperature cools comfortable. It’s sensual how slippery the sweat makes your bodies as you rub against each other. A mutual oasis, your tits squish along his abs and chest as Megumi holds you tight. Each time your nippls brush, his cock floods with precum.  

You slip your tongue into his mouth, and kiss Megumi sloppily. His cock pulses awake at the wetness, a strong wave of arousal backing him into a corner. Your pussy is barely hovering against his cock but Megumi strains. It gets pulled from him, an involuntary reaction. Cum spurts out of him, splashing up against your skin - dripping as it sticks to your pussy in hot spurts. He groans into your lips.  

“Did you cum from us kissing?” You ask, your voice completely gone. It’s you but it’s not. It matters but it doesn’t.  

He makes an affirmative noise and you giggle into his mouth, teeth bumping together as you kiss more. “Megumi-kun is cute.”  

He’s still so painfully hard. Electricity flares through everyone of his nerves as he slides just barely against your cunt. Fuck. You’re so wet. It feels so good it makes Megumi want to buck his hips and be inside of you already. Impatience makes his grip on your hips tight. His brain feels like it’s weighted with lead. He’s losing himself, losing his fucking mind like this. You taste sweet against his tongue as you sink your pussy down and grind against his length. You’re throbbing so hard Megumi can feel every pulse, the desperate spasming of your sex approaching orgasm.  

The filthiness of your arousal mixing together makes Megumi’s cock twitch against your clit hard. You moan loudly into his mouth and the sound sends him over edge, a life-time of pining make it hard to breathe as you take initiative and pleasure yourself with his body. He’s incredibly eager to allow you. Over and over, you slide your soft pussy over the length of his cock and balls - aimlessly covering it with slick, hips rutting and shivering with motion. Drools drips along the corners of your lips as you kiss him.  

He already wants to cum again, wants to take you in such a primal way it makes him dizzy. He feels whole thinking about what it might feel to cum so deeply inside of you. He’s thought about before, but the thought holds so much more weight in the state of his fever.  

But now it’s the only thing he wants. His teeth ache at the mere prospect. Of filling your pussy with his cum until it overflows and drips. Wants to see it pulse and push and spill and fuck it into you at your request. He wants to hear you praise him for it just like he always does, the desire much stronger than ever. Easier to admit in this curse induced sex.  

You’re breathless as you orgasm above him, on top of him - sliding along his cock and soaking his lower half with stickiness of your pussy. You pull away from his mouth to laugh delightfully. He’s so hard. He wants you so much he doesn’t know how to express it other than kissing you desperately - still restraining himself.  

It’s so much easier to catch his breathe now that you’ve both cum. Even painfully highstrung from the high with such a horrible temperature, something settles before it builds back up again.  

The relief is burdensome almost.  

“So we,” You’re breathless, more yourself and Megumi has never been happy yet so sad to see this glimpse of you again. “We both have to…haah.. cum. For the fever to slow...That’s something to work with.”  

Your expression is more serious as you lean forward, sweaty forehead touching his. It’s you doing it, not the curse forcing you both and that makes his body react. “Megumi-kun. Everything will be okay.”  

“I’m sorry. I didn’t,” He screws his eyes shut hard. “I didn’t want this to happen. This is..”  

He wants to say the worst possible outcome, but he doesn’t. You smile at him. “It’s okay because it’s you.”  

Even in the middle of all of this, you manage to get his hopes up in the worst possible way. He can’t do anything but laugh at that, genuine exhaustion starting to make him lose sense. Another wave is coming quickly, steadily. Taking a serious look at his face, you hold him close to you.  

“We’ll survive this. We’ve fought worse.”  

“You’re comforting me at a time like this,”  

You just smile at him. The heat spikes again, even more intensely than before and both of you stare at each other as the lust glosses over your expression. A pit forms in his stomach, the arousal spiking so high he chokes on it. You’re kissing again - no build up as you slide your tongue sloppily against his mouth and rub against his cock. It’s not enough this time, not even close. His chest is tight as he gasps the words against your mouth.  

“Inside.” He breathes the word between kisses, spit and saliva dripping down the sides of his face. “Need to be inside. Please, shit. Please.”  

“I want it inside.” You say and Megumi groans as your hands reach between your bodies - sticky from the mess. His cock twitches as soon as your hand wraps around the base of his shaft. You pump it twice as you sit up completely to get better accesses to it. The absence of your body makes him needy again.  

Pre-cum dribbles pathetically from the tip as you guide his cock to your pussy. Without any prep at all, you lean back and slam your weight down onto him with full force. It slides with no resistance - as you take him all the way down to the base with complete ease. Your body collapses into a shiver when you take him inside. You both cum at exactly the same time, your pussy sucking him in with a vice-like grip as he shoots another load into you. Inside of you so deep he’s aroused all over again. His cock is still hard as he fills you - and you ride your mutual high out before another brief moment of sobriety takes you. He’s briefly sated as you pas back down against him, littering bites along his neck.  

You smile at him when you pull back, suddenly lucid - bending down to meet his mouth in a kiss sober. He can feel himself blush as he joins you in the brief lucidity.  

“Megumi, you’re so big.” You say with breathless laughter. He almost wants to scream he loves you but buries it immediately.  

He groans. “I can’t believe you’re being like this given the situation.”  

You hum pleasantly and Megumi feels his heart tug.  The moment lingers to briefly before it’s interrupted again. It’s abrupt and makes you lean into his chest.  

“You sorcerers are boring me to tears,” The curse starts again, making you both stand to alert almost immediately. “Don’t be so shy now.”  

The Special Grade repeats the incantation of a technique.  

Cursed Technique: Hidden Desires.  

The air around Megumi changes suddenly. Instead of the lush oasis, he’s surrounded by a vague, all encompassing darkness similar to when he had been falling. He’s standing in it though he can’t see anything, not even himself. The fever has subsided despite him being inside the domain. Hidden Desires…from the speech the Special Grade went on earlier, he’s sure it’s related. He stands still, unsure of what to do before something appears in front of him.  

A sphere of cursed energy, a memory of some kind - at the brush of his fingertips. Despite his attempt to retract his hand, an outside force makes him touch it.  

Several emotions course through his entire body at one, passing through his mind steadily. He connects to your body, your cursed energy seeping into him as he touches whatevers in front of him. His skull throbs from the exposure of someone elses memories, the fever returning to his body one-thousand times hotter than normal. A life time breaches his mind but he doesn’t get to sift through any of it. 

 It comes to a sudden halt, and Megumi hears a whisper in his subconscious. He can’t make the words out properly.  

Arousal spikes into his body as what seems to be your desire manifests in his head. 

He does not know what reaction to have when memories and images of himself appear. Himself from your perspective, in perpetual motion - memories over the course of years crossed over with manifestations of your desires. All of it is him. Tied up, blindfolded, all other things. But him, always. Some visions are more tender than the rest. He can barely process the information, increasing stimulation making his brain fog once more.  

Fever spikes through him again. Confusion, embarrassment, and uncertainty make his stomach flip. He remains cautionary and assumes it’s another trick of the light.He doesn’t get to recover when he’s thrust back into the domain in the same position he was before he left. You look just as confused when he comes back.  

There’s not a moment to speak to each other, as the curse gets amplified ten-fold the minute he steps back into the domain. His entire body breaks out in a cherry red blush as arousal twists through his gut, curling up his neck. Claims his whole body all in on forceful gesture. The sensitivity is cranked so high, he can barely feel your hand your hand on his chest without his cock spilling pre-cum.  

Furious lust overwhelms him as you lean forward and meet his mouth again. It feels different somehow, the kiss. You press your tongue against his lips as Megumi’s cock twitches inside you. 

“Megumi-kun,” Your voice is shot. “Want you to fuck me. Fill me up. Be good and do it, okay? Fuck me so good,”  

The words alone are enough to break him from his state of mind. He takes one more look at you after you’ve granted him permission before flipping you over onto your back. He shudders as you wrap your legs around his waist - hands on either side of your head staring down hard, as he positions himself as deep as he can go inside of your cunt. It’s indescribable, the sensation of needing to fuck you. He’s never been one to chase his base instincts like this unless it’s life or death - but it feels so fucking good to let go. It feels like life or death to sate you with hi cum. Megumi is used to sitting on his hands and playing at indifference, but right now you let him take and take and take. Your hands cup his cheeks, your expression hazy with pleasure. He drops his head down to your shoulders and fucks you with every ounce of strength in his waist - animalistic and desperate to scratch the skin deep itch. He bites into your shoulder as you hips slam, the sound of wet-skin slapping against each other ringing in his ears - cum frothing white at the base of his cock and dripping down your ass each time. He needs to cum again, until the heat subsides.  

He barely gets a few thrusts in before his body strains in the familiar wake of an orgasm. The words to warn you come out choked as his hips slam against the backs of your thighs harder than ever- cumming inside of you again in what feels like seconds. It goes forever, balls emptying as he pumps his seed inside. You cum alongside him, at the same time - pussy throbbing hard around his shaft as he fills you with spend. It’s not enough, doesn’t give him the same relief this time. He needs more.  

“Fuck that’s so good,” You praise making him groan. “You’re so good, baby - fuck, Megumi.”  

You moan his name against his neck. Possession settles itself into his chest at the sound as you tell him to give you more, your hands on his ass to push his cock further into you. He fucks into you again - harder, faster, deeper - cumming every time. Pure adrenaline sends him careening down a cliffs edge, unspeakable fervor making it all but impossible to part from you. Scorching like the desert sun along his spine, a solar flare inside of his stomach as you cum together in constant motions.  

He can’t stop fucking you. He can’t. His body wont allow him even a minute seperated from the euphoria of your swollen cunt sucking in him like it needs his cum more than anything in the world. His brain feels like liquid matter in his skull, thrashing uselessly when he tries to will himself away from you. Delirium drives his every movements as Megumi fucks his cock into you over and over and over.  

You goad him with every thrust of hips - wrapped tight around his waist, fingers tugging at his hair. Praise bubbles from your mouth - champagne light against his skin but so impactful each time. His dick throbs every time you call him good, call him perfect as he fills you with his cum again and again and again.  

“My perfect fucking boy. Fuck me, that’s it.”  

It goes on like that for what feels like forever.  

He loses track by the time the heat starts to subdue again. The curse still simmers under his skin but he finds grounding after unloading a few more times. By then, he can feel how much he’s cum in you and can’t help  but blush. The hint of another wave tingles in the back of his head, and he can’t pull away from you without feeling sharp pain.  

But he does sober again eventually. He waits for you to join him, and tries not to feel sick at the intimacy of it. He’s back to his senses enough to feel utter embarrassment.  

Your voice is soft and exhausted. “Megumi-kun,” You’re so gentle to him. “What did you see?”  

He knows what you mean immediately, sensing you must’ve seen the same thing. “I think it might be another illusion of the curse.”  

“Why do you think that?”  

He can feel his blush darken all over his body. “It was uh, me. In the technique. Tied up and uhm. Anyway. I thought it might be something to provoke the other party into sex.”  

Your eyes go wide at the confession. “….Yours was me, too.”  

Oh. He blinks. You look at him again, too suddenly - peering at him through your lashes.  

“It wasn’t wrong,” You say. You seem scared, just a little. He’s never seen you like that before. “…If you saw yourself and some… kinkier stuff. It wasn’t wrong about that.”  

His throat suddenly feels so dry. 

 “What was…what did you see?” He asks.  

“It was me,” You say bashfully. “Mostly romantics and stuff. And some other stuff, but I don’t know if I should tell you, hehe.”  

He finds the action mercifully. He wonders if this whole thing is made-up when it dawns on him. Some type of fantasy. Maybe he was the only one down here from the start - and that’s why everything has felt so alarmingly right. 

Otherwise. Otherwise it would mean that you…  

“Megumi-kun,”  

He can’t breathe, but it’s for an entirely different reason. He wonders if he’ll die from his heart beating too fast.”Hm?”  

A bated breath follows a sweet smile.  

“Love you,” You mumble it against his mouth. The air is so vulnerable - more fragile than the wings of a dragonfly, more fragile than blown glass. ��In that way….have for a long time. So long.”  

His reply is reflexive.  

“No you don’t,”  

You pause before bursting out into giggles. So beautiful and clever. He loves you with painful devotion. “That’s your reply to my love confession?!”  

“Shut up,” He hisses, though he can’t bring himself to make the words sound any meaner. He feels high.   

“I love you, Megumi.” You say more clearly. Your eyes shine with familiarity he’s adored for years. Even with all the fog and haze surrounding you, they’re clear and gorgeous. “More than anyone else in the world, I think.”  

He buries his face against your neck, struggling to get it out. He’s afraid to say it. Afraid if he confirms it that everything is going to collapse here. Like a dream that’s gone on too long. Megumi doesn’t want to wake up.  

He wants more than anything, for all of it to be real - even if it means he ends here.  

He won’t curse you after death, that way.  

He can’t find his voice.  

“Me too,” The weight of one thousand deaths, a thousand days of longing and loving and pining. It’s too burdensome to say. He’s afraid of what will happen to him - mind and soul, should he let himself admit what he kept so well-hidden. “I love you. You…”  

When he manages to meet your gaze, your eyes are welled up with tears. He panics. “Don’t cry. Sorry,”  

“You too. Don’t cry,”  

“I’m not—“ His vision blurs. Damn it.  

“I love you,” You say again and Megumi feels something inside of him mend. “I’ll say it as many times as you want.”  

He doesn’t sense a fever this time. But he braves himself to kiss you one more time. It feels more intense than all else. He kisses you soft and slow, lets himself melt into your affectionate touch and gaze. There’s love behind it so obviously it makes him want to cry. He might really start sobbing, but he’s distracted by your mouth.  

He feels boneless, throat tight.  

“I don’t feel any fever.” You tell him when you pull away from him. He presses his forehead to yours. “I like kissing you.” 

So embarrassing. “Yeah…”  

“Let’s make love one more time.” You offer, and Megumi looks at you in disbelief. Just as always, you’re collected but ridiculous. It’s oddly comforting. Megumi wants to believe in you, so he does. “Just one more.”  

The fever is no longer there, but the sensitivity is still strong in his body. Your mouths meet in a chorus of affection. Megumi is still hard, somehow. But he can feel everything much more clearly. Can understand the taste of your lips and the feeling of your pussy pulsing - that it’s for him and he feels so elated he wonders if it will ever go away. He kisses you gingerly and lets himself slide out as your hand goes to his nape.  

“You’re so good to me, Megumi,” Your words make him ache. A whimper leaves his lips. “My beautiful boy. It must’ve been lonely, huh?”  

“Yes,” His words meet a thrust, slow but deep. A communication of needs so raw he can barely show them to you without feeling shy. “So long. Loved you for so long.” 

“Me too,” You mutter. The praise pierces his heart, suffocates him in such a euphoric feeling he can’t help but gasp at each reminder. “I love you so much, baby. And we’re gonna get out of here and be together, right?”  

He feels his head fill with nothingness. Relief like cold air brushes along his skin. Like being bathed in cool water. You’re his cure - but that’s always been true. “Yeah. Please.”  

“You can’t run away, okay?”  

“I won’t,”  

“Even though I want to monopolize you?”  

He blushes but grunts with affirmation following another slow roll of his hips. “I want to be with you. Nothing else matters. A-and I didn’t hate it… or anything.”  

You smile at him. He loves you. He loves you, he loves you, he loves you. It’s all he can come up with - watching your eyes crinkle in the corners with nothing but delight. “Mm.” You slide a hand between your bodies, rubbing your clit soft as you moan a little. “Sensitive. Gonna cum soon.” 

“Me too,”  

He’s barely holding it together as is. It takes a little more to push him over the edge one last time. This orgasm feels different. Feels rooted in reality. The mutual pleasure grounds him completely, relieving his ailment despite the remaining hints of fever. He kisses you as he cums inside of you one last time, shuddering as you cum right alongside him. He whispers the words against your lips as you let go. He loves you. 

The fever cools down. It takes a while for him to slip away from you after everything, but he manages.  

“Sorry,” He mumbles, watching the cum leak out of you in embarrassment. You just laugh, patting his cheek.  

“It’s okay, promise.” You stand to your feet as Megumi tries not to be self-conscious about the way it’s dripping down your thigh. “I can’t feel the presence of the Special Grade. It must be watching from somewhere inside the domain.”  

“Yeah,” Megumi says, trying to find his clothes.”No idea how the curse broke. Maybe since we’re already curse users?” 

You hum noncommittally. “Yeah. Let’s… clean up best we can and get outta here, yeah?”  

Megumi smiles, soft and relieved. “Yeah.”  

__  

“Are you interested in hearing the details of the curse, my dearest Megumi-chan?”  

Megumi grimaces.  

“No. Why are you even here?”  

Gojo-sensei feigns a look of offense that makes Megumi want to strangle him. He wants to go home and bathe properly already but there’s always a lot of hooplah with unregistered special grades. He’s relieved in one sense of the word, though it’s not like Gojo’s appearance made any difference since you two defeated the curse together and promptly passed out.  

He woke up clothed, and not as sticky as he was during the fight. Apparently Gojo had found you both first and once you were awake, you cleaned him. 

He sits on a tree stump in the forest nearby, his eyes flitting over to to you. You’re debriefing an archivist for Jujutsu when he catches your eye. His heart pounds, blushing at the happiness on your face. 

He feels six-eyes on him and glares at Gojo, who’s currently hiding his mouth behind his hand.  

“How long have we been out?”  

“Mm,” Sensei holds up three fingers. “About three days? I only got here on the third and found you. I was here before, several years ago - for a related case. It took some time, but we fond information of the curse in one of the houses. Are you curious?”  

He’s surprised for a minute, groaning right after. “Just tell me.”  

“Special Grade Kuroyuri uses a technique called Fever, to induce what’s essentially heat - forcing all  parties into extreme physical discomfort that can only be alleviated by sexual contact - no matter the party,” He spouts off, pretending to push his glasses up. Megumi frowns at him.  “Fever works by inducing conditions related to inner  desires and producing cursed energy that way. However, as a result, should two people experiencing Fever - be capable of sating the others desire deeply, they are able to break free from it. As the condition is vague and difficult to achieve, it’s very rarely met which is what has allowed the domain to get so strong.” 

Megumi makes wide eyes. “So you’re saying…”  

“Megumi-chan, the stairwell to adulthood and true love saved you! How wonderful!”  

Megumi blushes as Gojo giggles, glaring at him. He should kill him someday.  

Gojo-sensei pretends to wipe a tear from his eye. “The painful years of pining were worth something Megumi-chan. To think your desires were so pure…” 

“Shut up! I’m going to kill you!” Megumi groans, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing. “Do we have any idea why the curse was created?”  

“Seems the cult worshipped cursed energy as a measure of human experience. A curse intending to induce more cursed energy as evidence of their belief. Something like that. The details are vague, but we’re still looking.”  

Megumi sighs again. “Right. Thanks,”  

He puts a hand on his shoulder  as Megumi feels the exhaustion tamp down on him. He feels better and embarrassed as you pad over to him after you’re done.  

“Megumi-kun,” You smile at him before nodding to Gojo-sensei. He smiles back.  

“I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone,”  

Megumi shoots one last glare at Gojo before looking towards you. You sit down beside him on the ground, resting your head on his lap in a way that makes his whole body break out into a blush. He’s happy though.  

“I love you,”  

“What are you saying?”  

You look up at him. “Just want to make sure you know.”  

He looks down at you from where you lay and frowns. “How could I not?” And then, a little softer. “…It’s mutual.”  

You reach a hand towards his as you giggle to yourself. “That’s good.”  

Megumi squeezes your hand and closes his eyes. Better than good, maybe.  

__  

PROLOGUE:  

[ SEPTEMBER 4TH, 2018 | 4:45pm] 

Megumi waits a while before going into the courtyard, hoping that you’ll move and practice elsewhere if he waits long enough.  

He’s been sitting behind the wall for the last half-hour at least. No luck.  

He feels bad about avoiding you, but it’s the only course of action he thinks helps both parties.  

He doesn’t exactly like you. It’s easier to say he finds it difficult to get used to you is all. Your personality eludes him, and you remind a little too much of Sensei in how you act. Not to mention you’re already so strong. You get along well with everyone else, especially the other first years. You’re a nice girl so it’s obvious Kugisaki-san would favor you, and Itadori-kun can get along with basically everyone.  

But you and him have been at odds since your arrival to the Tokyo branch months prior. Megumi can’t figure out how to bridge the gap between you, and finds it hard to force himself to like you. He doesn’t dislike you, either though. It’s not something he can put words too.  

He feels guilty about it since you haven’t done anything to him to cause his discomfort. He just… doesn’t know what to do.  

Lost in thought, he nearly jumps out of his skin as someone stands over him where he sits, casting shadow on him from above. He opens his eyes to see you standing over him, an unreadable look on his face.  

“How long did you plan on waiting here, Fushiguro-san?”  

Megumi stares up at you before frowning, rubbing his neck awkwardly. “Sorry for disturbing you.” 

You’re hard for him to read, though you’re smiling. You seem amused as you step back, allowing Megumi to stand up at full-height and glance at you.  

“I don’t mind. I know you don’t want to train with me, but it’d be kind of pointless to try and find somewhere else so it’s better to just bear with it a bit.”  

He stares at you. You smile knowingly.  

“You’re surprised I know you were avoiding me?” 

He nods.  

“No offense Fushiguro-san, but it’s hard not to notice something like that when our grade is four people,” You’re a little smug but it’s not mal-intended, though it kinda pisses him off. “No hard feelings.”  

You say that then sit next to him behind the wall. He stares at you feeling more uncomfortable - but can’t will himself to get up.  

“What are you doing?”  

You smile again. 

“Messing with you,”  

He stares at you. You stare back until you break out into laugher.  

“Pfft, I’m sorry. I really am. You make it so obvious on your face when I make you mad..hah.”  

“It’s that part of you I really don’t like.”  

“Mm, yeah - thought so.” Your reply is nonplussed but not unkind. “You’re the moody, serious type. Sensitive.”  

Megumi watches you shuffle through your deck of cards - the ones you’d been practicing with for the last few hours. You peruse through the thick boards of your Hanafuda deck, silently stacking them into different matching suits and using them with your cursed energy. Megumi watches on as you manifest different thing. He wants to ask you about it but can’t find the wil. You’re so strong, despite how you act. The strongest of the first years even outclassing him.  

“It’s fine if you find me hard to be around, but don’t avoid me so blatantly.” You reason coolly. “It’s best we get along.”  

“…Do you want me to get along with you?”  

You laugh at that but he isn’t sure why. It’s nice.. the sound of your laugh when it’s sincere. This is the first time he’s ever properly talked to you, he realizes.  

“Of course! I like getting along with everyone, even someone as brooding as you.”  

“Why.”  

“It’s good for my public image.” You say seriously. He deadpans as you perk up and laugh again. “Kidding, I’m kidding!”  

“I’m going to leave.” He threatens flatly.  

“Fine, fine. Do you want to know the real reason?”  

“I don’t really care,” He responds. You smile at that.  

“I’m more than happy to tell you,” You say, completely ignoring him. “Despite your various character flaws, I think Fushiguro-san is kind of innocent.”  

“Huh?”  

You smile warmly. “Your philosophy to only save people you think are good I thought was cute. It’s a very simple way to think about jujutsu. I like that part of you, I guess? You were raised with a lot of love, I think. Since it’s a difficult way to live.”  

Megumi thinks of his life - thinks of Tsumiki and his sensei with some begrudging. He doesn’t know what else to ask you. He’s a little uncomfortable that you seem to know him so well with the little information you have.  

“Why are you a sorcerer then?”  

Megumi watches you stack your cards into a card house and collapse them, humming to yourself. You seem deep in thought for a while. The sunlight moves away from the clouds briefly, a beam of line brushing against your skin. Your lashes cast shadow on your cheeks. He’s never seen you so clearly.  

You answer with utmost clarity and confidence - all shiny grin. “Ah, well why not, you know? Since I’m super talented.”  

He stares at you, dumbfounded before the corners of his lips twitch. Somehow he understands you a little better than before, and he thinks that might’ve been what you wanted.  

“You’re an idiot.”  

Your grin goes even wider.  

“Let’s be good friends, Fushiguro-san. Okay?” 

“Sure,” He relaxes his back against the wall and shuts his eyes with a small laugh. “Why not.”