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❝I HATE YOU TOO . . .❞ Megumi blurted, leaning back onto his seat. But, deep down, he didn't hate her. No, he couldn't. This boy was just exceptionally skilled at pretending, maybe too good for his own liking. His gaze shifted towards Akira, observing her tired form. She leaned back, closing her eyes, taking deep breaths—she was asleep. A cute pout adorned her face, rendering her cheeks irresistibly squeezable.
Megumi marveled at how well she fought, a brave woman through and through. Her personality never ceased to surprise him. From her sweetness to her anger, everything about her was intriguing. She had never been sweet to him, nor had he been to her. He relished the moments when she got mad, yelled at him, got frustrated, irritated, or annoyed.
Bold, sarcastic, and breathtaking, Akira exuded a tomboyish charm that had always captivated Megumi. Even in the simplest uniform—shirt sleeves folded upon her elbows, a mid-thigh skirt, and a pair of black combat boots—she looked incredibly appealing. Her tiny waist seemed like it could be held with just one hand, a thought that sent warmth to Megumi's cheeks.
Clearing his throat, he snapped out of his thoughts, realizing he had once again fallen into contemplation about the girl beside him. Even when he didn't want to, even if he tried to convince himself otherwise, his mind was inexplicably filled with thoughts of her.
It had been around one month since the formation of the group comprising Itadori, Nobara, Akira, and him. They embarked on various missions together, but this was the first time in years that he found himself alone with her for such an extended period. Just him and her—similar to how they were years ago.
Megumi smacked his own head, as if trying to dispel the unwelcome thoughts and deny the feelings that were gradually taking root in his heart. How could he come to love everything about her after claiming to hate her? The internal conflict raged within him—he hates her, but undeniably, he loves her too.
A sudden jerk jolted Akira awake, her sleepy eyes scanning the surroundings. "What... what happened?" she asked, sitting up straight. Megumi, equally surprised, questioned the driver, "What happened, sir?" The driver looked at Megumi and replied, "I don't know... something just stopped the car."
Both Megumi and Akira widened their eyes, exchanging a glance that conveyed the shared dread of an impending curse. They swiftly opened the car doors and stepped out, inspecting the area beneath the car. An old, greasy creature grinned at them with its sharp teeth. "Creepy," Akira blurted, exchanging a look with Megumi. In an instant, the creature vanished from under the car, leaving them gasping. The car stood motionless in the middle of the road, surrounded by the night, with a valley on one side. One push and everything could plummet.
"You wanna fight? See... we're pretty beaten up already..." Akira sighed, attempting to punch the curse. Megumi, pushed back by an unseen force, stumbled near the valley. Akira extended her hand, yelling, "Stop!" as she pulled him towards her.
"Ah..." Megumi grunted, regaining his composure. Suddenly, three of the creatures surrounded them. "What is this..." Megumi whispered to himself, visibly shocked.
Gritting her teeth, Akira attacked one creature, but her hand passed through it. "Megumi!" Akira yelled wide-eyed. "Yeah... illusions," Megumi completed.
With a swift strike, Akira managed to kick the main body, dispelling the illusions. The creature's scream echoed, making their ears numb. Akira let out a shaky breath, her breathing hitched as if someone had stabbed her, using their nails to dig into her back. "Ah..." she groaned, stumbling and holding onto Megumi's arm for support. "Bitch really used nails to stab me!" Akira's jaw clenched.
Despite feeling weak on her knees, Akira persisted in attacking the curse. Megumi summoned his Nue and ordered it to scan the area. As Akira prepared to strike, she saw the curse vanish.
"This... it's a special grade, right?" Akira whispered to herself, exhaling heavily.
Fifteen minutes elapsed, but victory still eluded the two teens. Exhaustion began to take its toll.
Akira spotted a yellow light and squinted to get a better view. A tall lady appeared, hairpins protruding from her body. Akira's eyes widened as the cursed lady aimed her attacks. "How many stabs?!" Akira yelled, deftly dodging the onslaught.
"MEGUMI! YOU'VE GOT THAT ONE CURSE TO HANDLE, OKAY?!" Akira shouted, still engaged in combat, while Megumi grunted in acknowledgment.
Akira unleashed a thunder strike onto the curse's head, but it narrowly evaded the attack. She observed the cursed lady wielding sharp hairpins as weapons. A snap of Akira's fingers conjured a kunai.
"Alright, we're playing stabbing now!" Akira grinned, thrusting the kunai into the curse's stomach, prompting a shrill scream. Megumi skillfully managed the other curse, and it seemed the tide was turning in their favor.
Akira's breaths were deep, bearing the wounds from the cursed lady's nails in her back. Akira gulped hard, her lip bleeding profusely. She glared at the curse, even as the cursed lady grinned, revealing sharp teeth.
"Bye-bye," Akira blurted, plunging the kunai into the curse's neck. However, to her surprise, the curse retaliated, stabbing Akira in the left side of her neck. Akira groaned in pain but continued to attack with determination. The curse vanished, signaling its exorcism. Akira squeezed her eyes shut, the pain intensifying from the wounds on her neck and back. The loss of blood was no laughing matter.
Akira groaned, leaving the kunai, and grasped the hairpin lodged in her neck. With a jerk, she removed the sharp hairpin, her vision becoming blurry. She tried to regain composure but failed miserably. Her head shook uncontrollably, and everything went blank. The last thing she heard was Megumi yelling her name, and another lady giving orders.
