"You know her heart stopped twice.." Maki says in a low tone of voice with watery eyes.
She got there moments after everything happened so she wasn't there to witness everything that had gone down.
She was informed by Gojo of everything that had occurred, but she can't seem to wrap her head around anything, because she simply doesn't believe that you knew who Sukuna was, and she won't believe it until you wake up and tell her the truth out of your own mouth.
Luckily, Maki got there before the police did and only found your body laying there heavily injured. Gojo and Mai had made it out alive with minor injuries, and Sukuna somehow escaped.
Maki doesn't know much of what happened, and Gojo was supposedly knocked out most of the time to see what went down after you expanded your domain, which is something that Maki was shocked to hear because something in his explanation wasn't adding up.
Thankfully Maki called Nobara who brought her car and helped drive you to a hospital two hours away. Maki had some contacts there who specialize in care for injured sorcerers and they owed her some favors so they agreed to keep quiet of your presence there until you were discharged.
"I don't care" Gojo whispers with his head lowered.
"You don't care? You don't care that our best friends heart stopped ? You don't care that she's wanted by the police? That she's being treated like a criminal?!" Maki asks starting to fume.
"That's what she is Maki" Gojo says with a lack of emotions.
It's been two entire weeks since everything happened and Gojo hasn't eaten, Slept, or gone to any of his classes. He's refused to go on any missions and the only human interaction aside from this conversation with Maki that he's had, has been occasionally hooking up with someone to try to forget you but it was useless because he couldn't get you out of his head.
Gojo had started to resent all the love he had for you, He also started resenting himself for falling in love with someone like you, a liar, a traitor who used him just to set him up to die, all over some weird infatuation you had with becoming a curse, at least that's the explanation that Mai had given him and of course he believed it, he believed every single one of her lies about you.
He felt like shit for being so weak, for allowing love to blind him and he's supposed to be the strongest alive? His doubt started growing more and more as the days went by and no matter what he did he couldn't get the last few moments he had with you on that Ferris wheel out of his head.
"She died twice and you don't even care" Maki tells him. "Did you even let her explain?" Maki asks him.
"There was nothing for her to explain, She was a liar" He deadpans. "And I suggest that you tell me where she is so I can inform the authorities or I'm going to make sure you go down with her" Gojo says.
"Then do it, report me" Maki encourages him. "But I'm not telling you shit until she wakes up" She says.
Gojo really didn't have any intentions on telling the police that Maki knew about your whereabouts all he wanted was for you to be arrested, simply because it was his job to find out where you were just like it was everyone else's in the organization to do the same but he didn't want Maki to be accused of anything.
He knew that she was keeping you somewhere because a few days after everything happened he started to notice that Maki would disappear for a few hours throughout the day and that she didn't seem as mad as everyone else when your name was brought up in meetings and that's when he started to suspect that she knew something that everyone else didn't.
"Satoru, I can't believe you-I really can't, You left her side when she needed you the most, you watched her get humiliated over and over by Mai and two spirits and you don't see how you were wrong here? You practically sided with the same spirits that we are supposed to be exorcising and now you're telling me that you don't remember what happened inside of her domain but when I found her she was barely clinging to life?" Maki says getting heated.
"How is any of this my fault? She was caught in her own lies and I'm glad that I was there to witness it because now I know that I was being played" He tells Maki.
She knows that something went down in there and she won't rest until she finds out what happened. The fact that Gojo and Mai got out of there with minor injuries and the fact that Sukuna escaped means that something was done to you by one of them. Someone obviously tried to kill you in there and nobody can convince her otherwise, especially with how badly in shape your body was when she found you.
"I'm not going to rest until I find out what was done to her in there, and I'm not going to tell you anything about where she is until she can wake up and defend herself" Maki says standing up from his couch.
"You're making a mistake Maki, You're really going to let her brainwash you more than she already has?" Gojo asks her annoyed.
"I'm not brain washed, I'm just her friend" Maki says "And you know what? I promised her that I would never tell you what I'm about to tell you but maybe--just maybe it'll open your dumbass eyes" Maki says resentfully.
"Not that you care but she was In love with you for years, 5 to be exact." Maki admits to Gojo who for the first time in a week has finally felt some sort of emotion, the emotion being anger and shock.
"You're lying" He whispers, after a few minutes of silence.
"I have nothing to gain from lying about this" Maki tells him.
"You just want me to forgive her" He says refusing to accept Maki's words.
"No, you already made your decision to abandon her and I have no right to change that, I just thought you should know that now that there's a huge possibility that she might not make it" Maki sighs.
"It's not true-- it was all a lie Maki, Our friendship, our moments all of it- and you expect me to believe you?" He says.
" Look I don't care if you believe me or not--our friendship went to shit as soon as I found out that you chose the wrong side, but she was in love with you for years and she never said a thing to you" She continues.
"She thought you deserved better than a stripper who couldn't even perfect her domain, she thought you were out of her league.. those were her exact words" She says as her eyes start to water again.
Gojo's heart suddenly starts to feel something, not happiness or love but anger, more anger than it already feels, The anger mixes with the numbing pain he's been feeling in his chest and all it does is make him feel shitter than he did before.
He doesn't know if he believes Maki and as of right now he doesn't want to, but a tiny part of him deep down can't help but think that maybe what she was saying was true.
"Look I just came here for answers about what happened to her and also to tell you that our--my best friend died twice, because you left her there to die.." Maki turns away from him as he sits in silence.
She heads towards the door and gives him one last look before nodding her head in disbelief "You look like shit by the way" She adds rudely before closing the door behind her and walking past your dorm.
Tears stream down her face as she heads outside where Nobara waits for her to take her to the hospital to visit you like she does every single day.
Maki and Nobara have been the only people to visit you on the daily, they'd bring you food, even if you couldn't eat it. They'd sit and talk about anything new and sometimes Nobara would stay late and read some of her favorite books to you.
Even though you and Nobara only met once she knew how much you meant to Maki, and if Maki believed you Nobara did too.
"You okay?" Nobara asks with concern written all over her face as Maki puts her seatbelt on in the passenger seat.
"He didn't care" Maki replies looking down at her hands.
"I'm sorry babe" Nobara holds Maki's hands.
Maki stares out of the car window as a single tear runs down her cheek. She's never been the type to show emotion but it's been getting harder and harder with everything going on lately.
"She's all alone, she's wanted by authorities and probably wanted by Sukuna—and I feel like I'm not doing enough" Maki says.
"Hey, that's not true" Nobara rubs Maki's shoulder with her other hand.
"Y/N would appreciate you so much, you're doing so much for her and honestly you're doing enough by sticking by her when nobody else has" She reassures her.
"It's not enough" Her tears start to spill some more.
"It's more than enough, and she'll tell you how much she appreciates you when she wakes up" Nobara tells her.
"You think so?" Maki asks.
"Absolutely!" She smiles trying to make her girlfriend feel better. "Now c'mon let's go see her!" Nobara kisses Maki on the cheek and quickly pulls off as they make their way over to you.
-
-
"Hey" Maki whispers running her hands through your hair.
"Sorry we took so long to come, I had something to do before coming here" Maki says to your almost lifeless body.
"But I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere" She whispers to you. She hated seeing you like this. With tubes in your mouth, and wires all over your chest that are working every second of the day and night to keep you alive.
The only thing that kept Maki hopeful today that you would wake up was the fact that your wounds seemed to be healing fast, and the doctor had ran some tests, all of them which came back with positive feedback. All that was left was for you to wake up but that would have to be out of your own mental strength.
"Nobara went to go get you some soup, your favorite kind too" She says in a low tone. "She's been doing that everyday you know!? She's been super supportive of you" Maki mentions hoping that you would just wake up and answer her.
"Sometimes She stays behind and reads books to you, not the ones I read-- the ones that you call sex books" She laughs with watery eyes.
Her laugh fades away slowly as reality settles in, that reality being that you're not going to answer her and that you may honestly never answer her, and all she can hear is the last thing you said to her over the phone when you called her to come to the carnival.
"I'm sorry I didn't get there in time.. I would have believed you, I do believe you" Maki Sobs out taking her glasses off and wiping her tears. Maki doesn't remember the last time she cried this bad over anything, because It had been years since she truly cried and allowed the emotion of sadness to take over her.
The last time she had cried was when she left her family behind due to their harsh treatment and abuse. Since then she had vowed to never shed a tear again, she vowed to protect her emotions and never let them get the best of her, but she broke that promise when it came to her best friend.
Her best friend that constantly reassured her that even without cursed energy she was still enough to become the best, her best friend that always made sure that she was okay and confident. Yet the title of Best-friend would be an understatement when it came to you. You were the sister she's always wanted but never got.
Nobody could ever fake a friendship that well right? Maki thinks to herself.
"Please just wake up and say something" Maki pleads throwing her head back while catching a sob in her throat. She wipes her nose on her sleeve when suddenly the door to the room creeks open.
"Maki" The doctor comes in cautiously.
"Yes" She wipes her tears quickly and puts her glasses back on.
"We need to talk" The doctor says seriously.
"So, talk" She says after wiping her eyes.
"Would you be more comfortable if we spoke in my office?" The doctor asks.
"No Inumaki, we can speak here" She says looking at the tall handsome doctor, who after many years has learned to control his cursed speech and use it when he wants to.
"Alright" he says shutting the door behind him.
"Look" He says lowering his voice "The cops were here earlier" He says almost whispering.
"What?" She says her eyes widening in fear and confusion.
"They were asking if we had seen y/n or heard about her" He sighs.
"Well- what did you say?" She asks worriedly.
"I told them we haven't and that we'd remain on the look out" He says. "But.."
"But what?"
"But they were still suspicious and asked if they could search around"
"Did you let them?" She asks worried.
"No, Of course not. I told them that I'd prefer if they didn't disturb my patients by conducting a search without a warrant" he says. ".. I don't think it really helps the situation but it should give us time to move her elsewhere" he continues.
"Fuck.." Maki mutters in thought.
"Look I have a warehouse a few hours away we can take her there and monitor her" he says.
"Did they say when they were coming back?" She asks.
"No, but it usually takes them a few days to get a warrant" he says clicking his pen and writing on a small sticky note.
"This is the gates passcode and the address, start packing up her things immediately, I'll have one of my employees drop it off" he says handing her the note.
"Thank you— I owe you so much" she says.
"No, Maki for as long as I've known you I've never seen you care this much about a friend.. seeing how you're willing to put your life at risk must mean that she's been a good friend to you" he gives her a half smile.
"And any good friend of yours is a good friend of mine" he adds.
"Thank you, Inumaki" she smiles at him.
"Alright, I'm going to go and have extra meds packed and shipped to the warehouse as well as other essentials for her but Maki promise me one thing?" He says sadly.
"Depends on what it is" she says in thought.
Inumaki hesitates to speak because he knows how hot headed Maki is, but he knew that this was something that had to be said, especially because he knows how protective Maki gets.
He knows how much she would go out of her way to protect those that she truly cares for and that would include dying to protect everyone she loves.
"If things go left and she gets captured.. promise me you won't get caught" he says.
"Are you asking me to leave her?" She asks starting to get standoffish.
"Yes, because she would want that" he doesn't back down.
"You don't know shit about what she would want" Maki says spitefully.
"Considering how much you care for her I'm assuming she wouldn't want you to get caught in this mess" He says.
"Look just please— think about it, if she wakes up to find out that something has happened to you she might not take it well.." he says nodding at her and making his way out of the room and shutting the door behind him.
Maki plops down onto the seat where she thinks about Inumaki's words, and as much as she doesn't agree with what he's saying she knows that it's true, if it came to it, Maki knows that she would have to leave you behind and not because she wants to but because if she gets caught she won't be able to help you.
"I'm sorry if I have to leave you" she whispers with her head in her hands feeling disappointed in herself.
"But I promise that I'll prove your innocence no matter what it takes" She adds standing up. She gives your hand one last grip before leaving the room to go find Nobara and see what is taking her so long.
-
-
After She found Nobara in a very long line at the cafeteria they both came back to the room to spend a few more hours with you while packing your things before they had to leave. Maki had some important business to attend to regarding the goal of proving your innocence, but to do that she had to go talk to her sister who unfortunately kept dodging her.
Maki decided to gather enough information and try to connect the dots before confronting Mai about anything, and all she had to do was try to find something to blackmail her very own sister with to get her to talk, but what could that be?
She had no clue yet but she knew that Mai was up to something Evil, like always. Mai had an obsession with watching you fail and Maki never understood why. At first she just thought that it had to do with her feelings towards Gojo but after a while it seemed that her obsession with tearing you down or watching you suffer got bigger and bigger, and Maki had to find a way to prove that.
How did Mai even get in contact with those cursed spirits? Especially with a special grade like Sukuna? and what exactly did he offer her to get her on board with whatever plan they had going on? Maki thinks to herself.
"You're doing it again" Nobara Sighs.
"I know, I just can't help but try to figure this whole thing out" Maki sighs.
"Then do it. You're THE Maki Zenin, you're the same woman who wants to become the best just to show your family that you did it without them and that you're better than them" Nobara smiles keeping her eyes on the road.
"Keep your foot on their fucking necks until someone gives you an answer" She continues. "You are feared and respected, use that to your advantage" Nobara smiles.
"You're right" Maki says feeling her confidence coming back.
"Of course I'm right, Now let's go have some dinner then we can go to your house and rest because tomorrow we'll be spending the day looking for more information okay?" Nobara says planting an amused kiss on Maki's cheek.
"Yes ma'am" Maki replies staring out of the window deciding to put everything aside for the night and focus on Nobara, who she probably wouldn't be able to do any of this without.