Play Hell With ✔ // MEGUMI X SUKUNA

[ 5 ] *Punches You* Hug Me.

The success of Nobara's plan could not be understated and came with an unexpected bonus: Megumi started to feel, bit-by-bit, a little better, too.

"This must be a side effect," Megumi wondered aloud. Itadori wasn't well enough to join them at the gym yet, but they were on their fourth day of the meal prep plan.

"What side effect?" she said.

"Nothing. Just thinking out loud," he said. He felt more awake than usual, had stopped slapping the snooze button in the morning, and was more in control of his circadian rhythm than before. Slowly, he'd begun to slip helplessly into bad patterns.

And now, it wasn't a fight against will to stop himself from lying awake on his phone late in the night researching.

He cleared his throat. "I think the food's working, though. We should buy pork tonight and make ramen with the leftover vegetables."

"I like the way you think," Nobara sang, pleased.

That evening while they were making the broth, they were interrupted. Megumi, an unsuspecting victim, was leaning against the counter passively tending to the pot and reading on his phone when the newcomer arrived.

He looked up.

Itadori stood there in the flesh peering in.

Megumi spasmed so hard the spoon fell out of the pot and splashed boiling broth everywhere. He cursed, tossing his phone on the adjacent counter and scrambling for a towel.

"Wah! Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you," Itadori said.

"You're alive!" Nobara said.

Itadori groaned, slumping up beside her to hang his head off the top of her own. "Hardly. My tummy's growling though... And Megumi's been bringing me yummy food I was wondering if there's leftovers."

"Oh! Well, we're making ramen for you," Nobara said. And then, to Megumi, who was still recovering, said, "How much longer?"

"Ten minutes if you help with the vegetables," he said. He lifted the side of his palm to his mouth to taste test a dot of broth that got on him and, mid-lick, made eye-contact with Itadori.

He lowered his hand.

"I-I thought..." Itadori said. He hurried to the stove, peering into the pot. He swung open the refrigerator door and, braced like a wild animal, stared back at Megumi. "You've been cooking me food this whole time?!"

Megumi crossed his arms, rolled his eyes, and felt completely exposed. He may as well have been the one naked this time.

"It's not a big deal."

When Itadori did nothing but sniffle a little, Megumi squinted at him. Itadori's eyes had gone glassy.

"Megumi..." Itadori fake-sobbed (or perhaps genuinely sobbed), and reached for him.

Megumi tensed up, grimacing, as Itadori went in for a hug. Over Itadori's head, he caught Nobara gesturing once again for him to go in for a headlock.

He patted Itadori's head gingerly and said, "Seriously. We—"

" He, " Nobara corrected.

He glared at her. " We should have done this sooner. I didn't realize you weren't eating well, so..."

"I don't care what anyone else says," Itadori sniffled against his shoulder, pathetic as ever. "You're the nicest person ever!"

Itadori's praise sent a fluttery wave of delight through Megumi. His gratification, however, was dampened by the smugness of Nobara's grin.