Megumi Of Ten Shadows: CH033

-CHAPTER 33-

-FUSHIGURO MEGUMI POV-

-Game Corner, Akihabara, Tokyo-

Come on, lady luck don’t fail me now! I bit my cheeks in intense focus as I fully concentrated on the supremely important task in front of me.

Besides me, Maki stood with the same concentration as we looked down at the barrel-like machine in front of us, a toy plastic hammer in each of our hands.

The screen above it counted down as we gripped the hammers in anticipation…

3…

Unlike what many would believe, a lot was riding on this simple arcade machine…

2…

It was a battle for honor, respect and reputation…

It was a bet for bragging rights.

1...

GO!

Bam! Bam! Instantly a mole popped out of the barrel and we brought our hammers down to crush it. But-

““Shit!”” A miss from both of us… But the onslaught continues.

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

And finally after a bunch of misses and a few hits, the result was…

WINNER!!!

“YES!” Maki yells in joys as she jumps up, throwing her fists in celebration as I slump down in defeat.

“How?!” I whined like a child, half acting and half serious. “How could I lose?!”

Maki smirks at me, and laughs smugly. “Skill issue I guess!”

I couldn’t stop my lips from quirking up at that. Standing up, I shook my defeat and nodded with a smile. “I guess it’s your victory then.”

“Let’s go to the next one!” Maki smiles excitedly as she unknowingly grabs my hand and leads us towards a Street Fighter arcade machine.

Ba-dum! My eyes widen and a soft smile graces my lips, feeling the warmth of her hand. How lewd Maki!

I don’t even think she realizes it but she has started to bring her walls down bit by bit. I guess going to an arcade was a good idea. She would be bored if we went to a traditional date spot.

Maki is special after all. 

“So who’re you choosing?” She idly asks as she swipes the game card on the machine. 

“It’s Ryu of course!” I puffed up my chest. I like Ryu, even if he was the most basic character in the game-

“The most basic character in the game?” Maki raises her eyebrow, the dark neon lights around us making her beauty shine even more.

I pouted. “You’re no fun Maki!” Shaking my head, I gasped in mock-outrage. “You don’t know the chadness of my boy, Ryu!”

She giggles. “Yeah sure. Just don’t cry when I beat you black and blue!”

I continue, not even hiding my smile at our back-and-forth. “You might’ve been able to defeat me on the rigged mole game but you can’t defeat me on this! I’m a 30 year old pro veteran of this game!”

She deadpans. “… You’re only 15, Megumi.”

“Details.” I waved her off, but then smile devilishly. “How ‘bout we make a bet?”

Her eyes narrow in suspicion, but the glint of her competitiveness shined right through. “About what?”

I pointed at the arcade machine and confidently announced. “Whoever wins the game can order the other person to do any one thing they want!”

Maybe it was the winning streak she was on, or her natural will but the glint in her eyes told me her decision instantly.

“Deal!” Maki slapped her hands with me in a handshake, her features set in a determination that threw me off. “You can’t take it back now!”

Why do I feel like either this is going to be a big mistake or huge step forward? But I wasn’t the backing off type either, so I was going to live and die by this decision.

“I won’t!” I smirked in challenge, our eyes staring into each other as our battle intent shined through.

…

“That was fun!” Maki stretched as she smirked looking down at my hollow-eyed slumped form as we walked out the arcade into the sun.

I ranted to myself in mock-outrage. “Those machines were rigged! Rigged, I tell you! There is no way I could’ve lost at Street Fighter of all things!”

Maki pats my head, ruffling my hair, and smiling smugly. “Aww! Is Megumi’s pride hurt? Maybe you just lost your touch huh?”

I pout childishly. “That’s mean Maki!”

-Not being able to keep the act any longer she giggled. “Pfft- Hahahaha!”

She laughs in a refreshing way, her voice echoing through the air as the sun shined behind her and our eyes met. Her hazel one with my dark ones. Her warm hand still on my head and our faces and breaths close.

Ba-dum! Ba-dum! Ba-dum!

Instantly the tension between us skyrockets.

“I guess now I’ll have to do anything you want right?” I said, the distance between us growing closer as I brought face forwards.

“Yeah…” Maki lets out, her smugness forgotten as our faces come close and our lips brush against each other-

“AHEM!” A passing middle aged lady with a particular haircut loudly coughs as she looks at us with a scandalized expression.

Ah right, in Japan PDA is heavily frowned upon by most people. I clicked my tongue. And she looks like the Japanese equivalent of a Karen too.

Besides me, Maki freezes as she turns her head to look at the woman who was starting to look like she was going to start ranting at us. Maki’s expression darkened, as if preparing for a screaming match.

At lightning speed, my mind started thinking. Okay… If she starts ruining the moment any more then this could really become a black mark at a pretty good date. So can’t let her do that…

My first option was violence but I quickly discarded it- because it was never the answer… it was the question and the answer was always yes.

Joke aside I don’t want to look like a brute in front of Maki so that was out.

So mind latched onto one thought. What would Gojo do in this situation?

He was in a way, my teacher after all. No matter how annoying he could be, sometimes he really gave good advice.

A chibi-Gojo appeared in my mind. “Remember Megumi! If some old fart tries to but in your personal enjoyment time always annoy the shit out of them until they are outraged!”

And the thing was… That was absolutely something he would say.

The best way to throw her off is… I look at the woman and-

PFFFFFFTTT~! I blow a raspberry in her face.

Both Maki and the woman look at me in shock for my daring, the building explosion of tension instantly snuffed out, but I remain unfazed as I pointedly said outloud. “Old hag-!”

“Listen here you delinquent-!?” The woman screeches out, but at lightning speeds I grab Maki’s hand and run away in the opposite direction while laughing outloud. “MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

Maki look at me in both wonder and fond exasperation as she easily keeps up the pace with me. I giggled, unexpectedly feeling ten times as lighter- maybe that was why Gojo annoyed people. “DID YOU SEE HER FACE!? IT WAS HILARIOUS! HEHEHE!”

“Pfft-! HAHAHA!”

-Even she isn’t able to contain her laughter at that. And as we run away from the arcade, the streets are filled with the sounds of both of us laughing our hearts out not caring about the onlookers.

I looked at her, admiring her laughter and joyful smiles, hoping to god that I could see them every day for the rest of my life. Because right now? Right now was the moment that I was the most happy in either of my lives.

I guess I’ll have to work ten times as hard now to protect it all…

…

-ZENIN MAKI POV-

Huff… Huff… “I honestly don’t know if I should appreciate you for your audacity or berate you for it.” She said but couldn’t help but admit deep inside that it was the most fun she had had in years.

Megumi looked at her with a smirk as he looked at her, not-winded at all from their little running escapade, and announced. “Audacity is my middle name!”

The audacity of him... Maki couldn’t stop a smile from coming up to her lips.

Megumi looked up at the skies that were starting have an orange hue as the sun set, a cold summer breeze blowing on the bridge they were standing on. He said seriously but his voice was lighter. “I had a lot of fun today Maki.”

She looked at him and stuck by the sight. He looks more relaxed and at ease than I have ever seen him…

It warmed her heart seeing him like this. Remembering the days he looks grim and burdened, yet keeps trying to hide it with his jokes and humble mask.

“I had fun too.” A smile graced her lips, the setting sun turning the atmosphere magical as it peeked from between the buildings. “Let’s do this again sometime, yeah?”

A huge smile erupted on Megumi’s face and he threw his hands in open celebration ruining the moment. “YES!”

A blush erupted on her face as the hushed whispers of the bystanders reaches her ears, making a fast decision she grabs Megumi’s hand and quickly walking towards an ice cream stand with him. 

“Don’t make a scene you idiot… Let’s go get some ice cream.” She muttered, hiding her smile and red blush from him.

Megumi gained a shit-eating grin at seeing her failed attempt at hiding her blush, nodding as he followed her. “As you say Maki.”

...

Why is he gone so long? Maki tapped her foot impatiently as she waited on the train platform.

Megumi had gone to the washroom saying he would be back in a couple of minutes and had not returned even after the count had passed ten minutes.

At this point she was starting to worry he gotten into some kind of trouble. Did he encounter a Curse Spirit or a Curse User? But he should easily be strong enough to defeat them on his own-

“I’m back!” The idiot waved his hands as if he was a kid as he walked up to her.

-Her worries were soon put to rest when his voice called out to her from within the crowd. 

She narrowed her eyes, silent worry in her eyes. “Why did it take you so long? You could’ve missed the train!”

Megumi calmed her down with a smile. “Relax Maki even if I was late another would’ve come just a few minutes later. More importantly, I was late because on my way back I saw this!” He said taking out an intricate steel bracelet with rings connecting to each other, a bigger centre piece with fiery designs at its middle holding a bright amber stone. 

“As soon as I saw it I remembered your eyes.” He scratched his blushing cheek nervously. “Do you like it?” 

How can he be so cute sometimes? Her face felt like I was blushing red as she silently nodded, giving her hand to him as Megumi puts the bracelet on her arm.

Ba-dum! Ba-dum! Ba-dum!

She looked down on it, seeing her own reflection in the stone and quietly said. “I love it.”

ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM~! At that exact moment the rain arrived zoomed past them, as they looked into each other’s eyes silently, a small smile on each of their lips.

On the train ride back she rested her head on his shoulders as they sat, looking down at the bracelet and remembering the memories she had made today. Their meeting, the fun they had in the arcade, their interactions and back-and-forths, the beautiful sunset, and the bracelet…

Those small treasured moments would live rent-free in her mind forever.

She was sad it was all over. Yet… She gripped Megumi’s hand, enjoying the warmth as he turned to look at her in question.

She shook her head and just smiled. I’ll be happy as long as I spend those moments again with you…

…

A/N: I didn’t want to do overdo it, but I think I did a pretty decent job with this chapter. From next chapter we return to Jujutsu things and his technique comes back! Share your thoughts in the comments!

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[EDITED FOR SPELLING MISTAKES]

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