Love's Curse - Megumi Fushiguro x Reader

Dream, dream

- Chapter 20 -

A gentle throb in my cranium soon turned into a very painful pounding in the depths of my head, so loud I could hear my own pulse strumming in my brain. My eyes stung when I tried to open them, my pupils not willing to allow the powerful UV rays of the direct sunlight into them.

I heard the sound of shuffling footsteps in the distance, but when I shifted my neck to see what was happening, a dull pain throbbed profusely in my head, nearly immobilizing me. I reached my hands out to my sides and I ran my fingers along the cool dirt, feeling frail sprouts of grass tickle my skin. I soon realized that I was on the ground.

All of a sudden, I heard the once distant footsteps approach me, the thudding of approaching shoes vibrating the ground underneath me.

"Y/n- Y/n! Are you hurt? Can you get up?" I heard an all too familiar voice call out to me. Through my eyelids I noticed shadow tower over me, followed by the presence of someone crouched near me. The shadow blocked the sunlight from my eyes, allowing me to slowly open them. My vision revealed Megumi, who with panicked eyes, crouched next to me, wrapping my right arm around his shoulder to help me up.

"W-what happened?" I asked him in a dazed voice, truly confused as to why I was on the ground and why my head was throbbing terribly. I focused my eyes on his face, a few cuts and bruises were sprawled across his cheeks. A deep gash along his nose trickled with blood, causing my eyes to widen as I suddenly became alarmed.

That's right. The curse. We're in the midst of a battle with a curse. God, wake up y/n.

"You were thrown on the ground by that... thing," he said lowly, scanning the forest around us as he led me with his arm. "That damn monster," he gruffly mumbled under his breath, his eyebrows furrowing.

Memories began filling my mind at his words. I recalled a few blurry images of myself charging at Jogo, followed by a horrible pain in my head when I met the ground. Then everything went black. So... I hit my head on impact and went unconscious, then I woke up and here I am now, in the middle of the forest with lord knows where Jogo is at. At least I have Megumi with me.

"Do you think you can walk?" he asked, implying at my knees. I began noticing an unpleasant sting come from the skin on my knees as I limped forward. I took a look down at them and saw that my school pants had been ripped open, exposing my knees, some blood from the wound trickling out onto the fabric.

It didn't come to my attention at first, but later on, I would be confused and frustrated out of my mind. These clothes... they're not the clothes I had on earlier in the booth. Why am I wearing school pants? What happened to the skirt?

I looked into his frustrated and sorrowful eyes as he took a breath in and looked away from me. A small frown appeared on his face as he began pulling me with him. "C'mon, we need to find that curse. I have no clue where that bastard appeared off to." I limped quickly behind him, my eyes scanning all of the tall trees of the forest around us. I listened as our footsteps crunched the dry leaves under our feet and as the birds sang their afternoon song.

I had always wanted to come to the forest, but what lurked inside always made me decide otherwise. Since I live in a society of curses and I didn't believe that I had the strength to kill one, let alone face one if I were to come here alone. But now, things are different. I'm a different person, I have gained some control over my energy and my technique. Now it's time to put it to use.