Lie 2:

"What Do You Mean I'm a Witch? I'm Normal."

Megumi's Point of View

The ride to school is uneventful as I lost my mind completely in a daydream. My head already remembers all the small alleys I usually take to the nooks and crannies, biking there is just a matter of muscle memory.

Not long after, I slide past the enormous torii gate in the wilderness of giant trees forest. The school buildings are made of concrete and wood, with large windows and doors made of acrylic glasses, styled in a mixture of oriental and western architecture. There are gardens full of Sakura and oak trees surrounding the building, with benches below almost every tree.

I slide my bike right into the parking space especially reserved for bicycles. I walk through the entrance door and stride into the locker corridor. As I open my locker to get my stuff, Nobara suddenly appears right beside me, leaning against the lockers with hands across his chest.

"Don't tell me you're into witchcraft now," he says with a serious voice that surprises me beyond belief.

I close my locker door and look straight back at him with the best poker face I could muster. "Long time no see, Ara. I missed you too. How was your trip to the Mediterranean? And what the hell are you talking about?"

The boy who apparently re-dyed his hair dark orange pops up his bubblegum. His side of the bangs that are not tucked behind the ear sways as he vigorously answers, "The clerk looked at me funny when I asked for the book you wanted. He was so skeptical of me, like almost saying, 'What the heck does this kid wants with this book? Does he even read Latin?'"

"Maybe he did think that."

"No, Gumi, you have to see the way he looked at me!"

"Full of passion and love, like other Italian guys?" I jest, still with a straight face.

"No, bitch! It was the Italian Judging!" He dramatically shoves his face into my personal space, forcing me to retract my neck. "He wasn't exactly saying anything, but I could see it in the way he looked at me! Like when I walked around Rome with a Starbucks in my hand, people would look at me in such a way because I wasn't drinking their Italian coffee in the Italian way just because I'm a tourist. Isn't that kinda racist? Just because I'm not European doesn't mean I couldn't read their body language, you asshole."

I roll my eyes out, somehow feeling insulted even though I know better that he is just venting to me.

"Anyway," he says again, calmer than before, "he said something in broken English like 'forbidden book', 'not for play', or something. I don't know, girl. I was already pissed. But because I already made a promise to you, dear bestie, I bought it anyway. Here, your Latin grimoire."

He reaches into his Prada backpack and hands me a thick book with dark blue velvet hardcover. The cover is decorated with intricate silver ornaments but no title. There are metal plates shaped in three stages of the moon in the middle of the cover. I open it to admire the curvy alphabet written with silvery ink on black papers that give off a scent of mold and a dark humid library. It is the right book.

"Thank you, Ara," I say to him, incredibly sincere. But not so when I say, "But this is a book of classic poetry and anthology of plays, not witchcraft," I lie straight out of my ass.

To look more convincing, I open the book randomly and point, "Look, this one is a play by Sophocles, an ancient Greek play writer who was also known at his time as the 'Father of Tragedy'." I tilt the book in his direction, and he tilts his head in response. I continue, "He was the one who wrote Oedipus Rex, a story about a man who unknowingly killed his father and married his mother."

"Euw, what?!" Nobara exclaims, face utterly in disgust. "So those are the kind of things you're in right now? After dark romance novels and monstrous Stockholm Syndrome, now this? Dear God, Gumi. Get a life."

I get irritated. Now I regret ever sharing the synopsis of one of the novels I read out of curiosity because Mrs. Geto recommended it to me under the table. "Shut up and listen, Ara! Oedipus Rex is a fascinating story with many meanings behind it."

"Sure. A guy who commits patricide and incest sex is very interesting."

"No, listen! Oedipus wasn't aware of the truth when he was doing it. He was just trying to outrun the fate predicted to him by making free choices, unknowingly fulfilling the exact oracle instead."

"Uh, what?"

"I told you it's a tragedy, Ara. The irony is what makes Greek tragedy so compelling, and, as the clerk said, 'forbidden'. Maybe he was trying to say not to put the play on the stage anymore because some scripts indeed come with their own curses and demand sacrifices. Like the famous play, Yotsuya Kaidan adapted from a real-life event. People say the actresses who played Oiwa must visit her grave and pay some respect before the production even begins, or bad luck will befall upon her."

"Okay, alright, I get it." He moves his hands in such a way as if pushing me away from him. "You're a dark-academia type of gal, not a witch at all. Not suspicious, just a nerd who suddenly understands Latin over the summer," he finally says, rolling his eyes. "Totally a normal girl behavior."

I shrug. "I had so much time in my hand. Not everyone had all it takes to go to Europe. At least I can be there in spirit. The difference is, while you were window-shopping and food-touring, I simply sat with ancient great thinkers and artists over a cup of coffee or two."

"What a way to brag and humble yourself at the same time. Only that you were wrong! I spent almost half the time visiting bookstores to bookstores all over Italy just for you! The book was nowhere to be found that I almost thought you were messing with me!"

"Where did you get the book, then?"

"Somewhere in Rome. Nowhere near the Vatican. I'll tell you; the bookstore isn't suspicious at all, and surely not located in the sketchy part of Rome. It was clearly above ground and had enough of the Mediterranean sunshine. Not surrounded by spooky-looking antiques at all. A perfectly normal bookstore."

I laugh at his sarcasm; thank goodness he doesn't press any further. I secretly took a deep breath to compensate for the quick heart rhythm of lying straight to my best friend's face even though some irritations still linger. I've lied to many people before, but few were as sharp as Nobara. But somehow, I still succeed in lying to him, thanks to my random knowledge of classical stories I leisurely read in my spare time.

The book is indeed a grimoire full of ancient spells. But he doesn't need to know that—no one does. White lies and ignorance would never hurt anyone. I put the book inside my bag and walk alongside him down the floor.

Meanwhile, as we had our conversation, the long and spacious wooden hall starts to bustle in lively conversations as more and more students come to school. They fill the space with a wide array of clothing, with many styles and aesthetics, making it their personal impromptu runway show.

The teenage boy to my left is also taking part in the creativity parade. Nobara is always known for his light-academia aesthetic, like with bottom-up shirts, vests, jackets, oversized trousers, and shiny leather shoes, all in earth-tone colors and all from big fashion brands—like Prada, Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Versace, etc. I've never seen him with anything that's not branded. I guess he would have an allergic reaction if he ever as slightly touches a non-branded thing.

Today, for the first day of school, he wears ivory corduroy pants and an open-buttoned light brown shirt with a French cuff. Golden necklaces and earrings decorate his slightly tanned skin now that he's back from Italy. His light brown loafer shoes make a harmonious rhythm with mine, clacking and knocking on the floor announcing our presence to the whole school. His lean figure complements mine, as we are basically the same height but with him still slightly taller.

Walking beside him always makes me feel seen, but not in an uncomfortable way. It's as if people look up to us like we are models on the catwalk, an inspiration. His presence alone could give me a sudden boost of confidence, and it's a pretty amazing experience to have for such a shy person like me.

And speaking of confidence, here is another person who radiates it even brighter than Nobara. Itadori Yuui—but we call her Yuuji—stands at the end of the corridor, having a fun conversation with a shy nerdy boy. They must be talking about the new Marvel movie or something because Yuuji's face is brimming with light and excitement. The boy before her, Yoshino Junpei—who is clearly smitten by her—just nods and laughs and sometimes replies with eyes in heart-shaped adoration.

As we approach, Junpei is the one who notices us. He looks at us in a bit of disappointment, but then gives us a warm welcoming smile. Yuuji then turns her head in our direction. She immediately let out a loud squeal before dashing at us with arms open wide. Both Nobara and I have enough experience with such sudden and forceful hugs, but it doesn't guarantee that we ever are ready when it's coming. We basically have to stand our ground and receive her jump together or we will definitely land on the floor. Which, this time, thankfully we don't.

"Guys! I missed you so, so, so, so much!" says Yuuji, still hugging us close with her firm athletic arms. I can feel her heartfelt longing and happiness each time she leaps slightly from the ground. But it's pretty suffocating. Physical touch is not my love language.

Maybe noticing our discomfort, she moves away a little bit, hands now tied with ours. "I'm sorry I didn't contact you. My big family back home has this weird rule that no electronic devices are allowed in the perimeter. They even still use oil lamps at night! You have to know how much I just wanted to run away to either one of your houses until the summer ends!"

I don't know the detail, but at the very least, I know that Yuuji comes from a very long line of aristocratic family that still upholds the traditions beyond anything else. Every summer and winter break, she and her twin brother have to come back to the rural part of Kyoto where her mother's side of the family lives, and spend time there to learn about how to succeed in the family's business. What kind of business, you ask? Yuuji never says, and at this point, we are too afraid to ask. But from the sounds of it, we get that it's a big deal.

We also know that her family is very strict, or at least, back there in Kyoto. She is only allowed to wear traditional clothes and walks in geta sandals. But here in Tokyo, where Yuuji only lives with her immediate family, she can wear and do whatever she likes.

That's why she takes so much liberty into her style. Like today, she wears white miniskirts that show most of her thick tights and a cute little pink crop top that form-fitting and shows off her entire shoulders. The white platform sandals accentuate her femininity, the long pink hair that is half-tied on top of her head gives the child-like energy, and she smells like strawberry. She is a sight to behold—both cute and sexy at the same time, and she does it deliberately as a rebellion against the repressed persona she has to put up back in Kyoto.

Nobara looks at her and sighs. "I'm glad you didn't come to my house. You wouldn't find anyone there for the whole summer."

"Oh! I forgot you were in France!"

"Italy. But whatever." Nobara rolls his brown eyes. "Anyway, you were also likely not going to see much of this girl either," he points at me with his head, "cause she's been lost in countless romantic escapades with Latin poets."

"What? You have a lover?" Yuuji now turns to me, her clear honey eyes glimmer. "Gumi! Why didn't you tell me?" she whines. "Who is he—or she? Where do you meet them? And how?"

"No, no one, no," I reply sharply. "He meant that I read a lot of books. And it's not just Latin; as a matter of fact, I mostly read them in English."

"Then why do you want me to buy you a book in Latin?"

"What? You bought her a book?"

"Because there hasn't been any translation yet! And that's not a souvenir, Yuuji. I'll pay him back. In fact, where is our souvenir?"

"The souvenir is seeing me again, healthy and in one piece. That's already a gift enough for you."

We keep arguing and bickering like time and space is ours. Somewhere along the line, Junpei takes part in the meaningless ruckus and laughs along with us. At one point, he even asks, "Why do you guys call Yuui as 'Yuuji'?" And we tell him this funny story of her talking on the phone with her grandpa (from her father's side) who lives in Sendai. Throughout the conversation, she keeps referring to herself in third-person narrative as 'Yuuji', because that's what her grandpa used to call her when she was little. We found it deeply amusing, so we use the name 'Yuuji' now more like a pet name, a sign of familiarity and love, because other than her grandpa and her immediate family, she doesn't allow anyone else to call her that.

Not long after, the school bell rings. We say goodbye before scattering to our respective classes. I was just turning my heel and walking when a firm shoulder suddenly bumps into mine. But it isn't that strong of a force that we would fall to the ground, trying to pick up our stuff from the floor while apologizing like in that cheesy rom-com. Instead, we just turn our bodies ever so slightly, barely enough to even say a proper 'sorry', but surely, we lock eyes in that mere split second. And then we walk in different directions along with the streams of people.

But I would recognize him anywhere. The short pink hair, the mean eyes, the strong build—he is Yuuji's twin brother, Itadori Ryou, mostly known as Sukuna. Why is he called like that is one of the school's Seven Mysteries and nobody dares to crack it. He is known throughout the school as the number one bully; a highly intelligent and charming young man, but lacks of empathy towards literally anybody. A walking red flag that oozes dangerous vibes. A cunning manipulator that takes pleasure in the suffering of others. A stereotypical 'bad boy' without any redeeming quality other than his good looks. A sociopath with no sad backstory to make him a sympathetic Byronic anti-hero. He is just… awful.

I've been trying to stay clear of his radar after I heard the rumor, mostly because I don't want to get in trouble and risk losing the peaceful high school life I've been desperately trying to maintain. Even Yuuji herself rarely, if ever, interact with him at school. But now I'm walking to my class with cold sweat dripping on my back, thinking what luck I must have had to be noticed by the king of bullies of all people. I bumped into him and didn't even apologize due to the sheer amount of shock upon looking at his face. But there is no way he will ruin my life just because of that, right? Sukuna could be a lot of things, but I bet he's not petty.

I try to distract myself by thinking about the tarot reading last night. Does one of them ever mention an impending doom or a villain or something? I can't remember. Even after I enter the classroom and sit on the farthest end from the white board, even after the economic teacher, Mr. Nanami Kento, gives a short introduction of himself and the subject he teaches, even after he gives us a project assignment, I am still lost in my own head trying to guess what charm I should cast to myself to deflect the possible bad luck.

It is not until someone moves his chair and table closer to mine that I pull myself back to reality. I raise my head, turning to my right. There, a warm and soft smile welcomes me with a handsome face. "Hi, Megumi. Long time no see. I'll be your economic partner for this semester."

And I freeze like a fool. My jaw drops and my eyes widen, my face must have been completely red. The black hair, the droopy dark eyes, the sweet smile? It is none other than the Okkotsu Yuuta who greets me and sits next to me. The Okkotsu Yuuta who represents our school in national kendo tournaments. The Okkotsu Yuuta who also represents Japan in Tokyo Olympics just months ago. The famously kind, hard-working, smart, and funny Okkotsu Yuuta, who practically is the perfect clumsy main character type in teen movies. The ultimate soft-boy Okkotsu Yuuta. The one I have had a crush on for years Okkotsu Yuuta. That Okkotsu Yuuta is sitting next to me and said what? We are partners for the entire semester? Is this even real?

I try to regain my composure as best as I can, but the only thing that could come out of my mouth is a high pitch, "What?" that sounds like I'm annoyed. I immediately regret my whole existence.

Colors immediately drained from his face. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you. It's just that I lost so many credits last year because of the tournaments, so I need to repeat this class. You are the only person I know here, so I just approached you and thought that you would like to be my partner. I'm sorry I decided it by myself. I should've asked you first. You are free to partner up with somebody else. Please don't mind me. I'm so sorry, Megumi."

By the second he was done rapping 60 km/hour, he already looks like a terrified dog—which is so cute beyond belief! Oh my God! Have I ever mentioned that I love dogs so much? I want to cup his face and pinch it and say, "Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?" But alas, I couldn't, for obvious reasons. So, I really pull back my composure and say, "It's okay, Senpai. You can be my partner. I'm sorry I was lost in my thought just now. Was there anything else that I also missed?"

His face suddenly perks up in joy. He explains the assignment with such wonder and sincerity that I couldn't help but to smile and giggle. In this proximity, I could even smell the cool minty scent of his perfume even though it is faint.

My heart is beating beyond normal rate, making me sweat bullets, and all my senses heightened. My mind involuntarily runs to the tarot reading again, and it brings up one particular card: the Lovers, upright, as I tried to predict what the future holds for me for the following school year. That card means love, harmony, partnership, choices, and values alignment. And from what I can read, it was trying to say that this year I can expect to have a new love or partnership based on shared values that will bring me harmony.

'So, is this it?" I ask myself, highly spirited. 'Is this the new love mentioned for me?'

Well, what can I say? This year might not be so bad after all.

.

.

.

To Be Continued

.

.

.

Characters Introduction:

ITADORI YUUI (fem!Yuuji)
played by Lee Ga-hyeon (Dreamcatcher)
- Yuui / Yuuji / Yuu (only by those who are close to her)
- one of the most popular girls
- Sukuna's twin sister
- airhead but not that innocent
- track-and-field club's MVP
- very athletic and rather muscular
- petit, cute, bubbly
- personality: deredere
- love: everything cute and pink, movies, sport, yakiniku katsudon
- hate: being lonely
- dream: movie director

KUGISAKI SHINOBARA (male!Nobara)
played by: Wang Ruichang
- Nobara / Ara (only by Megumi & Yuuji)
- one of the most fashionable guys
- very rich, half Italian
- love everything branded
- will make you handmade crafts if he likes you enough
- personality: tsundere
- love: fashion, art, sewing, drawing
- hate: tasteless people, Gojo Satoru
- dream: fashion designer

Hi! It's Audrey Lea.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. FYI, Nobara's family from his father's side is half-Italian because I thought it would make sense for his character, you know. And Yuuji is a literal baby girl. Literally.

So, what do you think of this chapter? Please be kind and share your thought in the review/comment box. You can also find some cover arts I made, the wardrobes of the characters, and their 'actors' on my Twitter and Tumblr : /ladyambrose2.

See you in the next chapter!