Chapter 14

"You HAVE to get this, it's SO YOU"

Nobara was in the full swing of it. As she dragged Junpei around for clothing, Fushiguro hung back with Yuuji as they watched on. "The poor bastard…" he muttered.

Yuuji looked like he was laughing, but not a sound came out of him. But Megumi knew Yuuji was happy to see his friend getting something good to wear. "So… this was the guy you were talking about before huh? The one you couldn't save?" he whispered.

There was a sad look in his eyes. Taking out his phone he texted him. 'Yeah, he was, and was killed by the curse that tricked him,'

"Shit, that must have hit you hard…" Then again, Junpei already told him the whole story. At the same time, he wondered if Yuuji had always wanted to tell him what had happened himself. But couldn't since the memory was painful for him.

He merely nodded. 'We connected over movies, his mom was really nice and invited me over for dinner… I felt like I knew him forever just after having a meal with him. His mom was killed by a curse shortly after, he was tricked in assuming it was people from his school that did it'

Fushiguro nodded. Strangely enough, he felt the same way Yuuji did when they first met, a connection was made and he couldn't quite explain it. Despite how immature he was, his heart was in the right place. He just wanted to keep everyone safe, and yet did something stupid about it.

Nobara had Junpei by the arm the whole time in the store; he tried on different clothing and got some nice new sets of outfits thanks to her. Yuuji opted to pay, but then paused as he looked into his wallet and found a different card. He took it out oddly enough and tapped it. The transaction went through! He appeared confused to it all, but shrugged and tucked it back into his wallet.

Fushiguro remembered earlier that Suiryu went into Yuuji's room and got his wallet. He tucked something into it before leaving, perhaps that's what it was.

Either way, they continued to shop.

For a strange reason, Yuuji went into a bedding store and was interested in all the soft and warm blankets they possessed. He was rubbing his face against them oddly, and then stroked them to test the material. "Uh… is he okay?" Nobara whispered.

He shrugged, but he knew something wasn't right the moment his friend went to the cash register with a massive amount of soft blankets and plush pillows! His main arms were now full with bags of his odd purchases, but he appeared rather pleased with it all. "We just started and you already got your hands full!" Nobara protested.

"Oh, I can fix that. Over here!" Junpei said. They ducked into an alleyway, from his hands he expelled a orb of blood but then turned it into a massive bird! With that he gave the bird the bags. "Back home please," he said.

It flew off with their purchases in an instant. "Like my shikigami…" Fushiguro said with some admiration.

"I learned that from my big brother Tanso. I can only make a few like he can at a time." Junpei explained.

They continued on.

They stopped by a music store at Junpei's request, from there they looked over the selection. Fushiguro paused but smirked as the store was playing a music video of Ryomen Sukuna. Junpei was front and center in the video but no one in the store knew it was him to say the least.

Junpei didn't even notice it himself, was listing to the store sample on a headset, as Yuuji went over the movies.

"Hey, it's him isn't it?" he paused as he heard whispering behind his back. For a moment, he thought there were stalkers once more, but there was no curse energy coming off of them. He turned to Yuuji who shook his head and made a cutting motion over his throat, they we're divine users either.

"It is, it's Junpei!"

His guard lowered, but at the same time, he didn't like the tone they were speaking. They were snickering and laughing at him behind his back. "Let's go haze him for old time sake!" one of the teens whispered.

Instantly, Yuuji turned and glared at them. They paused for a moment as Junpei took the headphones off, when he turned and saw the students. He froze. But then, sighed aloud to them. "I still can't get rid of you can I?" he muttered.

"JUNPEI! Long time no see! You're not groping any girls are you!?" one shouted aloud.

It made the store pause and stare as Junpei glared at them. "Leave me alone, okay, you had your fun, back off!"

"Whoa, where's the attitude coming from? And since when did you EVER talk back to us?" one demanded as they gave him a firm shove. He stumbled back a little, Fushiguro figured he doesn't want these guys to know how strong he is just yet.

There were two girls snickering, while there were four boys trying to intimate him. But Junpei stood his ground and appeared rather disinterested in their game. After all, he knows he has the power to kick their asses! But Fushiguro was admiring how calm and composed he kept himself.

"Hey guys!" Megumi called out. "Let's go,"

Yuuji nodded, as did Nobara. Junpei tried to get by but they blocked him. So Megumi took matters into his hands, he started to approach them but gave a hard shoulder check to the four. They stumbled back from his strength and allowed Junpei to pass with ease. Yuuji followed up with one of his own, but this made them fall to the floor!

Nobara took the rear as she glared at the girls before they took their leave. They were barely out of the store when they were quickly approached once more by the teens. "HEY!" they shouted angrily. "What's your deal!?"

"What's yours?" Nobara demanded. "We're just trying to have a good time out here, why do you have to be such assholes?"

They smirked and snickered at her comment. "You're friends with a loser!" one shouted. "He was NEVER popular at our school, just leave him be and let him catch up with us!"

Their smiles were getting annoying. Fushiguro sighed aloud. "Mind if I…" he asked.

Junpei smiled as he stepped back. "Do whatever you wish,"

Yuuji was looking to get in on it too as he cracked his knuckles, but was stopped by Nobara. She grabbed hold of the collar of his hoodie, wrenching him back. "Ah, don't even think about it!" she said in a commanding tone.

He hung his head and nodded to Megumi.

He then turned to the four. "Tell you what, you beat me, you can do whatever the hell you want with my friend there. I beat you, you never look in his direction again."

The four smirked. "Dude, we're on the football team!"

"So what?"

They sneered as the four came at him at once.

For the first time Megumi felt the same way Yuuji does when he faces off against weaker opponents, he even dares to think it's like how Sukuna feels when he fights those beneath him.

It was a quick strike.

One, two, three, four.

They dropped like rocks as the girls stood there mortified.

That was when Nobara stepped up. "You looking for a fight too?" she asked. They shook their head fearfully. "Good, this is a warning, next time… we let Junpei take them out…" she said and smiled wickedly.

They walked off shortly after.

Junpei was smiling but sighed. "God, I wished I had you guys as friends the first time around…" he said offhandedly.

Yuuji patted his shoulder, and there was a twinkle in his eyes. It was silently telling him. 'Well, you do now!'

Fushiguro muttered. "Guys like those piss me off… thinking they are strong enough that they can bully those below them… next time, I say you clean their clocks."

Junpei laughed nervously. "Uh… I don't really know how strong I am at this point. I may accidently kill them, it's a good thing the brothers aren't here… they would have done that!"

"Just for mocking you?" Nobara asked in disbelief.

Yuuji nodded his head as he sent everyone a text message.

'According to Suiryu, they confronted him when he transfigured Junpei's hand to show him he needed help training and to overcome his fear. They attacked him without hesitation!'

"Whoa…" Megumi muttered. "Hardcore brothers…"

"Tell me about it, they were really over protective of me, the moment we met… It's weird though, before the war, I began to feel the same about them. Despite what we are, I felt the kinship and I always felt welcomed since."

Yuuji texted again.

'Despite where they came from and what they are, when you get to know them, they aren't bad guys!'

"It's true, everyone has their own thing, quirk if you will, but, that just makes them all the more unique… I do admit, I just got Eso to wear something more… appropriate to say the least!"

That got everyone laughing.

But just as they enjoyed the moment, Yuuji froze.

His eyes widened to something, and he looked to them in panic. "Yuuji? What's wrong?!" Nobara asked.

He typed feverishly, but just as the message was sent, Fushiguro felt the world fall into a haze. His eyes couldn't keep open as he suddenly passed out!