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Although Michiko had heard Megumi refer to them as friends multiple times while she was in the changing room, it was different to hear it from him face to face. She could tell saying it even made him feel a little awkward too. Before she could respond, she got a phone call.
"Hello?"
"Where are you guys? The mall is less busy now and Itadori wants to go eat." It was Nobara. She looked outside of the store and saw that it was a lot more empty than it was before.
"Uh, we'll meet you guys by the entrance. We're almost done."
"Great! See you there."
Michiko put her phone back in her bag, then remembered that she still had the perfume in her other hand. "Shall we go?"
Megumi nodded, but pointed at the perfume. "After we buy this."
She couldn't help but laugh. "Of course. Thank you again."
"It's really no problem."
They began walking toward the front desk to pay for their items. It still made her feel horrible seeing him purchase something expensive for her, but that brought the question of how he was able to afford all of this.
"Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Hm?"
"How do you have the money to buy all of this?" Even though he told her to not worry about it, she just had to know.
Megumi sighed. "My job does pay well, but I guess I'll also say that my guardian is pretty wealthy and won't stop lending me money, even when I ask him to stop." He handed her the bag with her new perfume and they started walking outside of the store. "I guess I'm still very grateful otherwise I would've have been able to pay for your rent."
Michiko chuckled at his explanation until he reached the end of his sentence. "What? You're paying for my rent?" She stopped walking.
"Ah, another thing Nobara didn't tell you." He sighed and turned back around upon her stopping.
"She just told me to stop worrying about it, so I did! I feel even more horrible!"
"Don't be. I agreed to doing it."
"You just bought me a bunch of stuff and you're also paying for my rent? I'm leeching off of you!" It was always hard for her to receive help from Nobara, but it was even harder when it was someone who barely knew her.
"Trust me you're not. I'm doing this as your friend. Not out of pity." He said it again. Friend. This time it felt even more sincere and Michiko could hear her own heartbeat quicken.
She smiled, unsure of what this new feeling was. "Well, thank you. I don't know how I'll ever repay you for this."
"You don't have to. Seeing you less stressed about moving here is my repayment."
