1 day until Sukuna's arrival
Megumi's POV
I watched silently as Gojo sensei handed Yuuji a few more of Sukuna's fingers. They'd managed to collect more of the grotesque digits over the past two months. They wanted Yuuji to consume as many as possible before tomorrow, so that they would be destroyed when he died.
I gripped the armrests of my chair, my knuckles turning pale. I could feel anger boiling up inside me as Yuuji popped the first finger in his mouth, swallowing hard. No one was trying to save him, no one was trying to come up with a plan. Their only concern was pumping him with fingers and then killing him.
Yuuji looked up and met my eyes from across the room, his lips forming a soft smile and his eyes crinkling together. I gave him a concerned look, completely unsure as to how he was staying so optimistic and calm right now.
'It's okay,' he mouthed to me before turning and taking another finger from Gojo Sensei.
I stood up and exited the room, leaning hard against the plain white wall in the hallway. I let out a shaky breath, my mind spinning. Watching that was making me sick to my stomach.
"Hey, Fushi," I heard a familiar voice from further down the hall.
I looked up to see Nobara walking towards me. Her short orangey-brown hair a little less straight and perfect than usual.
"How's it going in there?" She gestured to the door.
"Fine, I guess. Sensei is giving him the fingers they've been collecting".
She let out an exasperated breath, flopping back against the wall next to me. Her shoulder was just barely touching mine.
"Won't the extra fingers just make Sukuna more powerful?" She tilted her head to the side, a confused expression written across her face.
"Yes, but Sensei is fairly certain he can beat him no matter how many fingers he has," I turned to face her, lowering my voice, "They're not even trying to save him, Nobara".
"I know," she frowned and reached up to pat my shoulder, "but I don't think they have much of a choice. And trust me, I understand how hard this is for you and it's not easy for me either. All we can do is put our faith in Yuuji and Gojo Sensei. They're making the best choices they can".
I turned away, pressing my shoulder blades back against the wall. I knew she was right. Yuuji had spent the past few nights explaining the same things to me. I just haven't been able to fully comprehend the fact that there is nothing I can do to help him.
The door swung open, Gojo Sensei's head poking out. His eyes landed on Nobara.
"Good, Kugisaki you're here too. Both of you get in here".
I met Nobara's eyes for a split second. Her big orange eyes were laced with worry and concern, more than she was letting on. I walked in first and she followed behind me.
Yuuji was sitting at the table, a stupid smile on his face as he waved his hand at us. I was relieved to see that nothing had gone wrong while he ate the artifacts, but I rolled my eyes at his unnecessary optimism.
"Sit down, guys," Gojo instructed.
The two of us found seats. I sat next to Yuuji, Nobara sinking into a chair across the table from us. Gojo stood at the head of the table, a grim look on his face.
"So, tomorrow..." he started, the usually overconfident man faltering for just a second.
"Tomorrow, Sukuna will overcome Itadori. He's arrogant so he might try to fight, but he's also smart so there is the possibility that he will try to flee. In the case that the latter occurs, you two and the second years will work at all costs to keep him on campus grounds until we can execute him".
His eyes were safely hidden beneath his mask, but I could tell that he turned his attention to me when he spoke again.
"Tomorrow you will need to put any person feelings you have aside. Our objective is to confine and kill Sukuna. If he were to escape, it would be detrimental".
I pulled my gaze away and focused on a piece of lint sitting on the table. I felt Yuuji's hand move to my lower thigh, his thumb rubbing small circles into the fabric of my pants. His way of telling me to relax.
"At midnight tomorrow we will all be gathered in the courtyard. Sukuna will most likely come as soon as the clock strikes twelve, so we need to be punctual. Until then, I will tell you to please enjoy your last day," His words softened as he spoke to Itadori directly, "Everything you have done and the sacrifice you will make tomorrow has been of great help to Jujutsu tech and it's sorcerers. Although things did not go exactly according to plan, you have given us the opportunity to destroy a fair number of Sukuna's artifacts. Thank you."
Gojo Sensei bowed his head to Itadori, who's face was covered in shock.
"You don't have to say that," he said sheepishly, "honestly I've been nothing but a problem for you guys".
"Nonsense," Gojo Sensei stood straight again, his voice wavering slightly, "I'll take my leave now. I'll see the three of you tomorrow. If you need anything please find me".
With that, he walked out the door. It swung closed behind him, leaving the three of us sitting in silence. I could be mistaken, but I feel like he might have been tearing up beneath that mask.
The quiet lingered for a few seconds before Nobara shattered it.
"Okay, you two," she stood up and grabbed each of our hands, practically dragging us out the door.
"For the next few hours, we're going to forget about tomorrow, okay?"
She gave us a big smile, "I planned out the perfect last day for us! Go change into some nice clothes and meet me at the bus stop. We're going to the City!"
*****
I looked at Nobara and Yuuji, both of which had gotten ready faster than me and beaten me to the bus stop. Yuuji was dressed in his typical sweatshirt and sweatpants, with a white jacket over top. He had on white high-top shoes, and his hair was woven with gel, even spiker than usual. Nobara was wearing a pair of light washed jeans, a lacy black top, and a baggy white jacket. They both looked good, although their definitions of 'nice' clothes were definitely different. I looked down at my outfit, wondering how we all interpreted that word so differently. I wore a pair of black pants, a black shirt, and a big white and black plaid jacket.
"Megumi!" They both called simultaneously, their hands waving through the air.
I waved back, walking quickly towards them.
"You look good!" Yuuji looked me up and down, his eyes wide, pink across his cheeks.
"You look SO good!" Nobara chimed in, reaching out and pinching my cheek between her thumb and pointer finger.
I batted her hand away, warmth creeping across my cheeks as well, "Shut up, you guys".
Nobara giggled, and Yuuji immediately grabbed my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. We all sat down on a bench, the bus arriving just a few minutes later.
The bus ride felt shorter than usual, Yuuji's and Nobara talking each other's ears off the entire time. The two of them seemed as if they had actually forgotten about tomorrow, but I was having a much harder time. The thought of losing Yuuji was overwhelming my mind. I couldn't just not think about that.
"Megumi!"
Nobara's voice shook me out of my thoughts.
"We're here!" she cheered, her and Yuuji already getting out of their seats.
I nodded and quickly followed, exiting the bus. The engine creaked and sputtered as the bus drove away, revealing our view of the city. It's been a long time since we were here, the giant buildings towering over us. Bright lights flashed and loud noises echoed on every street. Billboards and beautiful murals covered the sides of each building.
"Where are we going first?" Yuuji laced his fingers through mine again, turning to look at Nobara.
"We're going shopping!" She squealed, grabbing Yuuji's other hand and pulling us down the side walk.
We ended up at a gigantic mall. The hallways were filled with colorful and overdecorated store fronts, a savory smell wafting from a nearby food court. Nobara led us into the first shop which was filled with rows and rows of clothing. It seemed as if the store was split in half, masculine clothes on one side, and more feminine clothes on the other.
"I have a fun idea," she turned to face Yuuji and I, "Let's all pick an outfit for each other. I'll pick for Yuuji, Yuuji can pick for Megumi, and Megumi will pick for me. I trust your style more than his," she winked at me after saying that last part.
I found a small smile tugging at my lips as I nodded my head. That did sound kind of fun.
"I'm SO going to pick a better outfit than both of you," Yuuji said arrogantly, taking off into the store.
"Pick me something cute, Fushi!" Nobara giggled before running into the store after him.
I made my way into the more feminine side of the store, scouring the racks and shelves for something that would look good on Nobara.
*
"Okay everybody has to come out on the count of three!" I heard Nobara's voice chirp as I finished the final touches on my new outfit.
I look at myself in the mirror, my eyes wide. It was definitely different than what I would normally wear. I was head to toe in pastel colors, which was the complete opposite of what I like. My shirt was a light lavender color, my pants a soft tan, and a cream colored bucket hat with a small daisy on it sat on my head. What was Yuuji thinking?
"Three!" Nobara yelled, jolting me out of my trance.
I hesitantly stepped out of the fitting room, a small part of me excited to see the other's outfits. Nobara was dressed in the clothes that I picked for her: a black and pink t-shirt tucked into a black skater skirt that had a couple chains dangling from the side, finished off with a pair of chunky black boots. Yuuji was wearing Nobara's pick for him: a very stylish combination of gray pants and an oversized beige sweater with a long darker beige trench coat. He looked a lot smarter than he usually does.
It seemed like all three of us were pretty out of our comfort zone, wearing clothes that were nothing close to what we usually wear.
Nobara squealed at the sight of us, fawning over how 'cute' and 'handsome' we both looked.
"I'll be honest, this isn't something I'd usually go for, but I do feel like a badass in these shoes," Nobara commented, lifting up her foot and examining the big black boots.
Yuuji looked down at his outfit, making a face, "Honestly Nobara, I'm not sure what you were thinking with this. I look like the most boring person alive; like a librarian or something".
"Your outfit sucks too, idiot," I rolled my eyes at him, "this is way too much color for me. And a bucket hat... really?"
"I think you look good in colors!" he pouted at me with big eyes, making my heart flutter, "and bucket hats are cool!"
The three of us stayed a bit longer, making fun of each others outfits until we ultimately decided to change back into our other clothes. None of us bought the outfits we picked for each other, but as much as I hate to admit it, the whole thing was kind of fun.
We stopped by the food court and got some takeout before finding a nice table to sit at outside. We chatted and watched people walk by, laughing and eating for what felt like forever. The sweet moment with my friends enveloped me so much that I almost forgot about tomorrow. Almost.
After the sun set we caught a bus home, the three of us sitting along the backseat together. Nobara sandwiched herself between Yuuji and I, wrapping one of her arms around each of our necks.
"I love you guys so much," She tried to smile, but it quickly faltered, tears welling in her eyes, "I wish we could relive this day forever".
*****
art credit: @ trssusi on twitter
i put so much effort into this chapter so please love it!!!
anyway thank u for reading. next chapter is the finale probably so!!! be ready!!
<3