mamoritai | f. megumi

十三

With the news of Yuji's passing greeting last night as she got back into her dorm, Momoka didn't know what to feel - while she is showering, while eating dinner and even while she lays down in bed, eyes staring up at the ceiling.

It's true that time continues to go on and that it doesn't wait for anyone. Even the sun is a daily reminder that we too must rise up again and live another day.

But what did it mean to live another day?

"As expected from Little Nanami!" Momoka heard a familiar voice call out to her nickname, smiling softly to herself as she sees the person who spoke to her.

A few feet from her is her father's best friend, Yu, waving his hand at Momoka. "Good job about yesterday's mission! Heard all about it from your father too." He says.

"Thanks." Momoka replies, smiling a little as she stood before him. "My father tells me to tell you that he'll be waiting inside the car. Something about a mission in an abandoned Shrine in Tokyo?"

"Ah! I almost forgot about that!" Yu exclaims, checking the time on his phone before placing a hand on Momoka's shoulder.

"Keep doing a great job, Momoka! You'll get that grade up in no time!" He says before jogging towards the gates of the school. "See you again, Momoka!"

Sighing softly to herself, it only occurred to her that she had never given herself a little wind down. Always focused on getting the goal, straightening the roads that are curved before her, diminishing what needs to be diminished.

And now even sitting on one of the stone steps of the school all by herself while feeling the wind breezing past her by, felt foreign for her.

"Takana?"

As the blonde haired girl turn her head to the side, she found her senior, Toge Inumaki walking closer and then sitting down beside her.

"I'm alright, Inumaki san!" Momoka says, sandwiching her hands between her thighs.

"Okaka" Toge spoke, pointing at her.

"Ah?" Momoka blinks. "I'm really okay, Inumaki san! I just have a lot going on inside my head. But I'm not shaken at all!" She said, slowly nodding her head.

"Huh? I didn't know you two would be here!" Panda says, happily skipping to sit besides Toge. Behind Panda were Maki, Nobara and Megumi following him.

"Those knives in your suit are a killer." Maki says, grinning down at the younger girl before sitting down beside her on her left. "How many do you bring on a daily basis?"

As she hears Maki's question, Momoka smiles, taking a hold of her coat before showing them the inner part of her suit, a five pairs of eyes peering and then widening at the glimmering sight.

"Fourteen on either side, a total of twenty eight." Momoka says, stretching her legs in front of her. "I want to carry a blunt knife like my father too." She adds.

As Momoka asks how well Nobara is doing after rushing her into the hospital, Megumi's eyes lingered to her frame. Just how strong is Momoka? The Momoka that he knew from Urami East High is so different from the Momoka of Tokyo Jujutsu High. It was as if something really shifted in her during the months that they aren't together.

"How are you now?" Megumi found himself unconsciously asking her that question, hands tucked inside the pockets of his uniform.

"Well" Momoka begins to say, "I'm maybe doing much better now." she says, wrinkling her nose. "I'll go a little easy for today and then do my best again tomorrow!"

"Don't overwork yourself." Megumi tells her. "A hospital gown doesn't suit you."

Momoka grins, "But does a wedding gown suit me?"

Megumi placed a hand on top of her head, not answering her question. "Let's just have dinner."

And with that, as the two of them walked up and entered inside the dorm building together, the remaining four were left behind.

"Did I just hear that right?" Panda asks, his ears perking up. "Fushiguro and Nanami?"

"You got that right." Nobara says, crossing her legs. "They've known each other for so long yet haven't made a move!"

Panda gawked at this information and immediately stormed inside the dorm building, running to where Megumi and Momoka are.

"I didn't know Megumi had a mellow side" Maki says.

"Shake" Toge agrees.

Inside the dorm building, while Momoka was making tuna mayo rice balls for them in the kitchen, Panda wrapped his arm around Megumi's shoulder from behind.

"Fushiguro~" Panda sing songs his name, "Do you like older girls or younger girls?"

Megumi irked at this question, his shoulders tensing at the question. "I don't care if she's older than me or younger than me" he responded. Now that question was brought up to him, Megumi was reminded that Momoka is older than him by nine months.

Panda giggled before twirling towards Momoka's side. "Oh Nanami~! You have a chance!"

"Hm?" Momoka hums, looking up at Panda while blinking her eyes twice. "What chance?" She asks, her hands momentarily stopping molding the sticky rice into a triangle shape.

"With F-" Panda wasn't able to finish his sentence as Megumi clamped his hand over his mouth.

"Please just call the others instead." Megumi spoke. "Dinner will be ready soon."

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

When the following day arrived, Momoka felt much better. Wearing her suit uniform, she brandished her new revolver and loaded it with six new bullets. To which afterwards, she hid it inside the pocket of her coat and a dagger hidden inside her sock, her deck of cards hidden in another pocket.

Stepping out of the dorm building before hurriedly running towards the school campus, Momoka was surprised to see her father and Gojo with a luggage in their hands. "Are you two going somewhere?" she asks them, stopping in her tracks.

"Yes we are!" Gojo enthusiastically responded, whereas Nanami just kept quiet. "I may not have you all a souvenir the last time, but this time, expect a souvenir!" He happily chirps to her.

"To Hokkaido" Nanami says, his eyes landing on the slightly lose tie of Momoka, taking two steps forward before standing in front of her as he fixes it himself.

Momoka's eyes widens in surprise, clasping her hands together. "Can I go?" She begs. "Please! please! please!"

"Stay here and train." Nanami spoke firmly, smoothing her coat by her shoulders. "I'll get you a souvenir from Hokkaido."

With that, Nanami began to walk towards the car while Gojo happily raised his hand and waved at her happily. Slightly sulking, Momoka whipped her head and continued to get inside the school.

edited: 121422