Hey peeps, comment and vote on this chapter if you like it! More drama ensues here <3
Kei swore to Megumi not too long ago that he'd never walk the campus of Jujutsu high again, but he contradicts himself when Yuuta guides him back there along with the others.
Kei informed everyone of the culling games that will take place in a few days and so Yuuta believes the group should all meet up with Master Tengen, the one who holds the barrier around the school.
They believe he might have the answer to defeating Kamo and saving Gojo from the box.
The walk was awkward for Yuji as he noticed Nobara and Kei were not speaking to each other, while Megumi remained stressed over the fact that his own sister will be a participant in the death games.
Prior to seeing Tengen,
The group rushes to the hospital to see Maki now fully conscious. She awoke from her slumber with her hair, now cut like Mai's but her burn marks right across her right side.
She feels emotionless without anyone in her room, until her twin sister came to see her with a bouquet of a red roses. Mai sits by her side, happy to see her sister is alive and well intact.
"How do you feel?" Mai's hand tightens around hers.
"I-I still feel a bit numb," She says moving her jaw around until she flinches from the hardened pain on the side of her cheek.
"Where are the others?" She asked and before Mai can speak, her reunion comes so fast.
Nobara squeezes her way in the room and runs to give a big hug to Maki, who groans a bit from the rough embrace but she wraps her arms around her too.
"Maki-senpai, I'm so glad to see you're in one piece."
"Same goes for you. Looks like the both of us got new signature looks, huh?" The two admire each other's battle scars before they laugh it off. Yuji, Megumi and Kei came into the room to greet her.
She looks at Kei and Mai stands up with her eyes focused on him. She hadn't seen him since his last stand with Kamo.
"Kei..you're here." Maki tells him with a smile. "I knew they couldn't keep you captive any longer. You're too stubborn."
"Yeah, they were no match for me," He lies, faking a smile that didn't match his eyes. Mai knows he's broken underneath it all though. He was pulling an act and she could see it.
She looks at Nobara and finds herself hurt when Nobara avoids Kei's glare. His presence in general, because the first-year girl does her best to keep a distance from him.
'What happened?!" That's all she could think of. The group began to chat with Maki, catching up with her. They all witness a tender moment with Yuuta and Maki. They haven't seen each other for an entire year.
Everyone smiles to see them hug it out. Yuuta's guard is down and it makes people content to see this sight.
But Mai doesn't pay attention and sees Kei sneak his way out of the room. She finds herself walking over to see where he was going. He stood in front of an elevator, making his way to the top of the building.
He felt claustrophobic in that room. As happy as he was seeing Maki, he felt the situation with Nobara and then with everything else going on was overwhelming him a bit.
He felt nauseous, wobbling his way up to the solitude gardens above the building. A place where patients or workers were able to relax in a quiet setting.
Mai then comes into the room, beckoning to Nobara.
"Hey, can I speak to you?"
Nobara believes its going to be another one of her taunts but she makes her way outside with her to get it over with.
Mai began to say her words,
"Hey, what's going on between you two? I clearly see that you're ignoring him."
Nobara remains silent for a moment before telling her truth,
"Him and I are no longer together, for now." She admits with a pout. "After what he did, I can't bear to see him the same way as I once did before.."
Mai is baffled by her words and crosses her arms, now looking a bit annoyed.
"And what exactly did he do to make you feel that way?"
"Well for starters, he almost went on a killing spree on ALL of us because I died. It made him crazy, Mai."
"Yeah but you're here now. He won't do it now, will he?" She scans her face and sees Nobara still giving her the hopeless look. Mai wants to roll her eyes at this instant.
"It's not just that, Mai. Him and I have other problems that need to be discussed. But honestly, I don't want to talk to him."
"Are you kidding me.." Mai growls under her breath, looking at Nobara like she betrayed her. "Do you realize how stupid you sound right now?"
"WHAT?!" Nobara snarled at her.
"We're in the middle of war, all united to fight against that Kamo guy and you think now's the right time to push him away?"
"He pushed me away too-"
"TO PROTECT YOU!" Mai exclaims, stunning the staff around in silence. Even some people from their rooms look out to see the girls bicker.
"He does it not because he hates you, he loves you. He told me himself one time. He does it all to protect you from all sorts of harm!"
"And do you even consider what he's been through?! He went through endless torture, he was brainwashed and had to kill people even when he didn't want to! He was forced to kill innocent children and I saw in my own eyes, he tried to fight back!"
Mai felt emotional for Kei. He was up in that building all by himself, feeling so alone that Nobara or his friends did not know how to talk to him.
Kei was hyperventilating. He tried to gasp for air but he felt so tight regardless of going outside. He felt lonely.
"You can't expect all of that to go all the way! He's only a teenager like us and that type of shit does something to you! The poor guy needs help, not his damn girlfriend backing away from him."
She was pissed at Nobara and the younger girl can tell, seeing the fire in her eyes. Mai loved Kei, sure, but even someone with common sense should know that Kei needs the comfort more than ever.
"I mean, you ARE his girlfriend, right? You don't just abandon him. You're suppose to help him!" She barks at her, silencing the girl even more. She doesn't let Nobara speak.
"He almost killed, Megumi, Mai. Your own family.." Nobara whispers and Mai realizes she needs to dig deeper into her skull.
"He thought about it without a second thought. He was going to get his hands stained with blood, yours too I bet."
"But he didn't right? You claim he is going to do all of these things and you say he's likely gone psycho, but has he actually committed any crimes? Tell me, Kugisaki. If it were the other way around, you would want to go on a rampage too right?"
She looks down to her feet,
"Yeah, that may be true."
Nobara would take her revenge on Kamo but genocide? Perish the thought. There was no way she'd gone that insane.
"He was devastated, Kugisaki..devastated that the one he loved died in his arms. It's a traumatizing thing really and it affects people in many ways. He acted upon emotion and felt that if he ended everything, things would get better...
But you're here now and it won't happen. It's just ashamed that even though you are alive, you won't speak to him or let him speak to you. What's the damn point of having a relationship if you guys can't talk it out.."
Mai turns her heel and walk up to the elevator. She was going to take care of Kei.
"Where are you going?" Nobara asked. "Trying to go steal him again?"
"Oh please, I'm trying to be the person he needs right now. Cause' clearly you're not capable of doing that right now." She shoots back with an upset visage.
"You say that you think he's gone crazy, but I think it's the opposite. That blow to your eye made you a complete fool."
The elevator door closes behind Mai and she leaves a now, guilty Nobara.
'What have I done?' Nobara is left in her own thoughts. She's right. She should have held onto Kei and try to help him recover from his post traumatic disorder he has now but instead, she labels him a villain and now, he might as well convince himself he is one.
Mai quickly walks out, only to be greeted by the hospital's garden. She walks past the small trees and bamboo fountain until she finds Kei with his head on both of his hands, looking down.
He sits on a stone bench and Mai reaches for him lightly. He grows hostile and turns his body fast to see her.
His demeanor falters a bit, back into a despair look.
"Hello, Mai.."
"Kei..are you okay?"
He chuckles dryly over the question,
"Does it look like I am?"
"Of course, you're not. Sorry, it's a habit of mine." Mai scoots her way next to him and the both look at each other.
"Shouldn't you be with your sister?"
"I came to see you.." Kei shakes his head at her answer.
"Don't worry, I'll be okay. I promise, I'll try to work it-"
"Kei, it's okay not to be okay." She shuts him down and he lets her continue,
"No one understands what you've been through, and I'm sorry that everyone has been treating your issue like a simple bruise. But it's not so simple, right? Please, talk to me.."
And that's what he needed. Kei felt like Megumi was trying to make him forget like it was that easy, but it made him upset that no one was really checking to see if he was okay, internally.
He looks down to his lap and he starts to tug his school pants he got back from Megumi with his fists.
"People are acting like they could have gone through it themselves, as if the pain I went through is something so easy to fix..."
"But Mai, it was hell!" He cried out to her, looking at her with tear-stained eyes. "I-I relive it everyday of my life now. I tried to forget but there's some instance, like even the smallest sound, the torture flashes in front of my eyes."
She listens quietly as he talks of his pain. No one has given Kei the luxury to ramble on to what has happened to him those weeks of him away from Jujutsu high.
"T-they laughed when I cried or scream. I felt so lost and lonely without anyone to help me! I kept thinking about Nobara and the others, Gojo-sensei. EVERYONE!"
"And then the children..oh the children, the little boys and girls the curse womb would kill with my own body. It was like watching something that I could not back away from...
Mai, I still hear them begging for their parents. I still do! I feel like a monster for what has happened."
He starts to sob uncontrollably, reminded of the binding vow he made with Sukuna. He can feel the devil grinning into his soul
"And I'm still a monster!"
"You're not a monster, Kei. There's plenty of good things you did that overweighs this."
"N-No.." He sobs once more. "And then when Nobara died, killing was all I could think. More explicitly, with Kamo."
He looks at her again, moving his hands frantically as he spoke about how at the time it seemed like a simple solution.
"I admit, I sounded crazy with my encounter with Megumi, but I thought if I did what I decided back then, then maybe these screams..these voices in my head would just all go away!"
"I don't blame Nobara, I understand how I went loose might've discouraged her but if only she could've helped me cope with it. Megumi, bless his heart for trying, but ultimately he didn't want me to think of it and it was hard not to, you know? It takes more than just forget...and Yuji was out on his own.."
"But maybe they're right.." He mutters. "Maybe I shouldn't ask for help. Help is for the weak, after all.."
Mai looks at him for a brief moment before putting her hand on his shoulder again, making him look at her once more.
"You told me something at the Kyoto event...you said asking for help is the opposite of weak. That in fact, it was strength because it allowed you to open your heart to someone...
That takes alot, Kei. I know that by experience." She chuckles at him and he sadly smiles.
"I needed this, you know." He admits, "Just someone to hear me out. I felt like no one wanted to and I felt isolated with my own thoughts, I suppose."
"You're strong but not invulnerable," She says. "Please, allow yourself to talk about the trauma you went through. It's no good keeping it to yourself. And I want to help you the same way you helped me back then."
"T-Thanks, Mai.." he croaks out, wiping away his tears before he puts his arms around himself. Almost as if he's hugging himself.
"It hurts so much!" He closes his eyes and trying to endure the pain. "I'm so scared but I know I need to continue to fight. Cause if I don't, more people will just die...
"But it's so hard for me."
"And it's okay if its hard at first, Kei. I know it hurts you so but I'm not letting you go through this alone."
She hugs him, the same way he did in the goodwill event. She props herself up on the bench and has her hovering over him just before wrapping his arms around his head and upper torso and pulling him close to a tight embrace.
"I'm going to help you, step by step....and its okay to let it out, Kei. Please, just do that."
He leans to the soft warmth around her and he closes his eyes once more, feeling himself break down against her shirt. She doesn't mind and let him pour those feelings out. She stood still, not breaking her lock any sooner on him.
-
She notices the black circles in his eyes and she guides his face using the end of his chin to pull him to face her.
"You haven't slept well, huh?" She asked and he sighed, saying 'no'.
She pouts before gently grabbing his hand and taking him away from the garden.
"You should get some sleep." She advises but he refuses to sleep in the hospital bed again.
"How about we go back to your room?
He felt like he hasn't been to his room for ages. Must have been dusty or dirty, but heck, anything is better than this.
"But what about Tengen. I need to be there-" He tries to push away and try to meet up with the others on the second floor but she stops him.
"It's okay. The others can tell you about what happens later, but your health matters first right now." She soothes. She takes out her phone, sending a quick message to Megumi.
"See, I'm telling them that you need to rest for a little bit." She shows off the text from her screen. "You'll catch up with them later, okay?"
He doesn't fight it. Truth it, he has been feeling tired as of late. Maybe sleeping in his own room will bring comfort.
"Let's go, then." He says and the two sneak away to his bedroom.
He felt uncomfortable being treated like a little baby. But he did feel grateful over how she was helping him.
He settled down to his old sheets and something about being wrapped in them made him at ease. He sighs and looks around his things like his tv or other decor in his room, and he felt like he was in the earlier stages of Jujutsu high.
Mai sits next to him, watching over him.
"If you need anything, just call to me, okay?" She says. She was going sit outside the hall but he kinda felt frightened she was leaving him alone.
"Mai..is it okay if you just stay in the room.." He felt super suspicious someone in the school, or any of his enemies would try to attack him in his sleep.
"Yeah, no problem." She nods her head and lets out another relief sigh.
"T-Thank you, Mai..that's-"
He notices how close her face has gotten to him. She smiles, leaning against his cheek.
"Its alright Kei, I got you." She reassures with a blush creeping on her cheeks. He looks at her, curious what she was going to do.
"I won't let a single thing happen to you again." She says. "Can I promise you that?"
He looks at her eyes widened and then they melt away in solace.
"Yes."
She kisses him as a promised seal and he remains froze by her action. But he closes his eyes and let himself get taken away.
He kisses her back not out of love, but for the need of reassurance he wanted all along.
--
uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
lmk what you guys think lmao