Song of the chapter: Wish you were gay - Claud
"Nobara Kugisaki." The young girl stuttered, eyes wide.
Maki stared straight back, admiring the girl's glowing hazel eyes. "Nobara... it means wild rose, right?"
Nobara blushed and quickly dropped her head, she can't let her guard down in front of this strong second-year woman. "No one has ever noticed that before," she murmured quietly, "but yes, it does mean that." Once Nobara lifted her head, she was met with Maki, crouched down opposite her, smirking.
"You hungry?" She asked, gesturing to where the others walked off.
"No, not really." After the news of today, Nobara had lost her appetite. Maki sensed the upset in the ginger girl's voice. Being someone who struggles to know how to comfort others, Maki thought it was best to ask the new girl what she likes to do in her free time, or more specifically when she's not feeling the brightest.
"To be honest, I usually just sit in my room listening to music and staring at my phone. I don't want to bother anyone here. AND they are all guys who barely have a brain cell between them." She huffed, looking troubled.
"Don't like being the only girl in the class, eh?" Maki asked, laughing. "For me, it's easiest. I don't have to talk about my 'feelings' because they just don't understand the same as we do. No matter how much Panda tries to be 'positive'. And poor Toge, saying 'salmon' really isn't that comforting when you've heard it too many times."
The last comment made Nobara chuckle. "Salmon would just make me hungry, honestly." She paused, "It must be hard not talking about how you feel? It would be for me."
Maki shrugged, unbothered. She stood up and reached out her hand, offering it to Nobara. She took it graciously and blushed once again, but this time she couldn't hide it in time.
Maki took no notice of the blushing girl, but inside her mind was very much taking notice. "Where's your dorm? We will go there and you can listen to your music and instead of mindlessly scrolling on your phone, depression-buying clothes, you can talk to me. I'll listen."
Nobara smiled and started leading the way to her room. It took a few seconds to sink in but once it did she yelled back to her new friend, "HEY! HOW DID YOU KNOW I DO THAT?"
"Kugisaki, you're so predictable."
-------------------------------------xxx-------------------------------------
"I'm sorry, it's a mess right now."
Nobara opened the door to her room. It was exceptionally clean, bar a few strewn clothes on the back of a chair. Kugisaki had definitely made the most out of her room so far. Personality seeped out. There were posters on the wall of various musicians and artists, beautiful pink roses bloomed in a vase on the windowsill, a small mint green tea set stood on an elegant golden tray which rested on the standard jujutsu high desk that all rooms are provided with. Strings of fairy lights hung above the bed and across the ceiling, adding a delicate orange glow to the room, almost like it was eternally sunset. Lastly, three paper butterflies were stuck to the wall, each decorated differently. Whoever coloured the first butterfly definitely took their time. It was a mix of black and white, with a red upside-down triangle in the middle of its body. Underneath the name 'Megumi' was written. Maki smiled, of course her cousin has the neatest artwork. She should have recognized it was his from the symbol that appears on his divine dog shikigami.
The second was blank, or so it seemed. Maki moved closer and realized a little black bar on the head of the butterfly. A blindfold. This butterfly must have been Gojo's. Of course that paintbrush-lookin-ass man has no idea that butterflies don't have eyes in the same position as humans do. And that he can't do art.
The last one looked as if a child had gotten hold of a jumbo pack of markers and scribbled away. Colours were out of the lines, the whole 'butterflies being symmetrical' thing was completely thrown out the window, and for some reason, there was a... bite mark? on the lower right wing.
"That was Yuji's. Apparently, when he was drawing, Sukuna's mouth manifested on his hand and chomped on the paper. He tried his best to pull it out and so it ripped." Nobara informed, knowing that Maki was wondering what on earth happened. Maki spun round to face Nobara, "That actually happened?" She asked, almost speechless. "Actually happened." Kugisaki confirmed, shaking her head.
She walked over and sat on her bed, feet up on the duvet with her brown loafers still on.
She patted the space in front of her, signalling for Maki to join her. She gently perches on the edge of the bed. "So far away, hm? You can make yourself comfortable, you know?" Nobara urged, her smile was inviting yet cautious.
"You want me to come sit on you or something, Kugisaki?" Maki laughed. The single bed was hardly big enough as it is, but Nobara lying down limited the space even more.
"Wouldn't mind that," Nobara replied, staring at her lap. "Just kidding."
Maki blushed. Of course this beautiful girl in front of her was joking. 'Why would you even think that there was any token of truth to that statement?' Maki thought to herself, internally beating herself up over it.
Nobara sensed the stress that clouded Maki's eyes in that brief moment.
"Maki-san?" She asks.
"Hmm?"
"Do you like girls too?"
