I had to get this idea out of my head, I hope you like it ❤️

An apology for any grammatical errors, this is a translation.

Before you continue reading, here's a slight warning ️

🔞 This chapter contains some vulgar and inappropriate language. As well as mentions of blood.

That being said, I won't take up any more of your time, enjoy the read ❤️

01. An Important But Pressed Question

"That white snow would be tinged with a crimson red..."

January 20.

That day began like any other in the life of that almost graduated student of the sorcery school.

Her alarm went off early as usual, she got up, brushed her teeth, fixed her hair and put on some sporty clothes but that on this occasion would keep as much body heat as possible.

Maki looked out the window of her room.

She was hesitating whether or not she should go for a run as was her daily routine since that particular morning it was getting quite cold and by the way, the sky was warning that a snowstorm was coming soon.

That morning, a strange feeling had invaded Maki since she was dreaming and it seemed to have come along with that cold day. It seemed that the dream was an omen of death.

But it wasn't time to analyze her mind, it was time to get her body going as she had a heavy and busy day ahead of her.

"I need to get moving" she encouraged herself and at the same time wanted to clear her head a bit from that weird dream she had been having. And that's how she ended up deciding to go for a little run before going to breakfast in the dining room.

Maki was still living at the academy, so it was very common to see her in those corridors, just as it was common to see her running on that racetrack.

One, two, three, four, five laps she had already done on that track.

And as she made the sixth lap.
Some specific words that a certain boy had said to her years ago
came to her mind and seemed to rumble in her head louder and louder as she filled her lungs with air.

"If you need help with anything, let me know..." said that voice. Which was mixed with a vague memory of that strange dream she had had that early morning.

As she continued to run. She began to remember more precisely that dream, or rather, that nightmare.

She began to remember seeing a large crowd dressed traditionally as they would for a special ceremony. More specifically for a wedding.

Her hands felt a little heavy, and as she turned to them, she noticed that she was holding a bridal bouquet.

Observing herself subtly, in her dream Maki noticed that she was wearing a traditional Japanese wedding dress, the kind that is as white as the snow that was about to fall from the sky. But as heavy as the sins and regrets she felt on her shoulders.

She remembered that she was walking arm in arm with her despicable father toward an altar.

"This is the only way I can be proud of a mistake like you!" said the gray-haired man, angrily grabbing his daughter's arm and dragging her with force.

"Let me go! I don't want to do it!" Maki shouted in her sleep, she resisted by taking a few steps backwards but it was useless. She felt her father and other shadows dragging her towards the man who was waiting for her at that traditional Shinto altar.

Maki could not make out the face of her future husband, but she felt that his voice was very familiar.

That man was tall, his very presence was frightening, his gaze penetrated her as if it were a dagger against her chest.

Maki really felt afraid, but she did not have enough strength to run away, she felt heavy and was simply dragged by those shadows towards that thing that was now waiting for her in front of the altar. That man had disappeared, now in his place there was a kind of monster, a huge curse.

"Enough! I don't want to marry him! Let me go!" came out of her throat as she was pulled closer to the mouth of that curse in front of her.

"If you need help with anything, let me know. Let's destroy..." that voice said

Still, for that occasion Maki put aside her pride and called for help.

"Help me!, I need you!" Maki cried desperately as she felt the thing clinging to her body.

She remembered in her sleep that, for an instant, she had closed her eyes while that voice boomed in her ear.

Suddenly, that echo disappeared and only the cries of pain of many people could be heard.

Maki opened her eyes to a desolate landscape.

There were too many corpses at her feet, her dress and hands were stained with blood and in front of her, she observed another man, who was also tall, wore gray clothes and his hands were also stained with blood. As was his katana, which he held in his right hand.

She could not make out the face of the man in front of her, but his very presence was frightening.

The cold caressed the body of that girl in that dream, she even began to feel how something sharp was against her skin.

She remembered that a white layer of snow began to cover more of the place, just as it buried the corpses, which had stained that white landscape a bright red.

At that moment, the man who had appeared to help her, was now rapidly approaching with the intention of killing her, just as the storm of...

"Snow..." answered Maki as she felt the condensed droplets coming down in the form of flakes, which crashed against her face.

She stopped dead in her tracks as she watched the icy drops fall from the cloudy sky. Bringing her back to reality.

Maki's breathing became regulated, she could see body steam coming out of her mouth.

"I feel like I'm forgetting something import about this day... besides that was just a stupid dream, nothing bad can happen" she said to herself trying to calm the burning in her lungs.

Remembering that dream made her feel anxious, but what would happen next would put her in a bad mood.

The alarm on her cell phone began to ring, warning her that her forty-five minutes of cardio were over.

At that moment when she turned off that alarm Maki noticed that I had a message in the notification bar.

"MAKI SAN, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Said that message, which was from Nobara.

That message made Maki open her eyes because she had forgotten that this special day was her eighteenth birthday.

"No wonder I felt it was a bad day and maybe that dream was just reminding me of it!" She whispered, looking at the other congratulatory messages from her classmates.

Maki definitely hated her birthday.

11:12 p.m.

Night had already fallen in Tokyo

That day was not as special for Maki as it should have been. On the contrary, it was too busy a birthday because of the missions she had to perform that afternoon as the grade two sorceress she had become.

The closer you got to graduation the more your workload as a sorcerer increased.

After taking a shower and going back to her room to try to rest, Maki decided to call Mai.

Maki had decided to ignore her twin's calls all day. She simply wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone until evening came.

It was time to make that call, so she decided to make a video call. She opened her app and clicked on Mai's number. She answered on the third tap.

"Until you answer! I've been trying to reach you all fucking day!" Mai looked annoyed.

"Happy birthday, Don't make that face! You look so ugly, you'll get wrinkles!"

"Maki, this is serious. I am not playing."

"I'm sorry" Maki stick out her tongue on impulse "I had a very heavy day full of work and that's why I couldn't answer, but here I am, So What's wrong?"

Mai looked very serious through that screen "I have some bad news for you..."

"The bad news can't wait until our birthdays are over?" Maki rolled her eyes.

"What I'm going to tell you next has something to do with us" Mai let out a sigh that sounded so heavy you could almost feel it go through the cell phone screen, "It's about the Zenin clan"

Maki twisted her mouth
"I don't want to know anything more about that damn clan and you know it"

"I know, but unfortunately what I'm about to tell you gets us both in trouble"

"So speak up!"

"It's about Naobito" said Mai.

"What does that fucking old fuck have to do with us?"

"I heard that he wants to organize a party because it seems he already wants to retire from the leadership position" explained Mai.

"Oh, that's good news, isn't it? Besides, that old drunk is always looking for an excuse to drink"

"It's not all good news and what comes next puts us both in a complicated situation" Mai sigh, "It's said that stupid old man is considering Naoya to be the next leader"

"SHIT!" shouted Maki.

"I thought the same thing, and the worst thing is that if he becomes the leader, he will most likely force both of us to return to be his servants" Mai explained, a frustrated sigh escaping from her chest.

"I refuse to do so!" Maki replied angrily. She wanted to punch the wall. "Is there any way to get out of going to this party? Or at least is there a way to get out of Naoya's clutches?" she asked.

"I don't think there is..." Mai answered.

Maki grunted at that answer.

"Although I heard something else, but that's just a rumor" Mai commented, bringing her hand to her cheek.

"And what is it?"

"Well, from what I heard out there, Megumi may be a candidate to be the new clan leader" said Mai.

"What? And how can Megumi be a candidate if he is not a direct family member?" questioned Maki.

"No idea, but Naobito has an eye on him" explained Mai. "But it's more than obvious that Megumi would never accept to be leader"

"Damn, damn Megumi!" cursed Maki.

"So things are more complicated than they seem for us. And even more so because we do not meet any of the three requirements the old man has set for us to be leaders"

"What are those three requirements?" asked Maki.

Mai listed showing her index finger first, "Being a man is the main requirement"

"Naobito son of a bitch!" Maki replied to such a first condition of her own clan. Leaving women aside was typical of them. "And what is the second condition?" she asked angrily.

"That the next leader must be someone with the title of sorcerer in first degree or semi first degree or higher" Mai answered, raising her middle finger to continue listing.

Maki grunted. "Megumi is a first grade sorcerer, but unfortunately he will be on a mission out of town by the time this party is held and Naoya is first grade special. Seriously luck is not on our side it seems"

"It seems so" Mai sighed. "And we don't seem to meet any of the requirements"

"You said there are three requirements, right?" Maki thought about what her sister had said a few minutes before.

"Yes they are, but we don't fit in with any of the three" said Mai, looking at her sister through the screen.

"And what is this third requirement?" Maki raised an eyebrow as she asked.

"I repeat, it is a requirement that we do not enter either, and from what I was told it is optional" said Mai rolling her eyes.

"Say it, I want to know what it is" Maki insisted through the screen.

Mai sighed in annoyance.
"The third requirement is to be engaged or married to someone from the Zenin clan. Although from what was explained to me, this requirement seems to be disregarded because Naobito is only looking at the first two. So that one is just mentioned simply in case someone from outside the clan would like to join. Which I doubt, nobody wants to be in this damn clan"

The older twin wrinkled her forehead at such an answer.
"What did you say?" came incredulously out of her mouth.

"What you heard. In order to enter Naobito's consideration you need to meet two of those three conditions" Mai pursed her lips for a moment "And we don't fit any of the three"

Maki clicked her tongue and then bit the inside of her cheek.
"There must be some way out of this big problema"

"If you ask me, I am resigning myself to return to the clan. We don't fit any of the three requirements and it's not as if we can miss the party since we will be forced to attend" said Mai very discouraged by that screen, "I guess we should enjoy the few days we have left of freedom"

Maki shook her head. She didn't want any of that to happen. The thought of returning to the Zenin clan turned her stomach.

Mai sighed, "Well, it's one minute to January 21" she looked at Maki on the screen.

Her older sister sighed at that comment. There had to be a way out of that predicament.

"Happy birthday Maki... Enjoy the remaining days of freedom ... Good night," said Mai to the serious look of her Twin.

"Happy birthday Mai... I promise I will find a way out of this big problem" Maki answered before her sister could end the call.

02:00 a.m.

Maki tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep as the feeling of uncertainty consumed her, especially with what Mai had told her about the Zenin meeting.

They both knew that perhaps those days would be the last days where they would be free in case Naoya became the new leader and made some changes to the clan and returned them home.

Even that dream she had in the morning still made her uneasy. Watching the white snow turn crimson red was a scene that was difficult to assimilate.

A loud sigh came from her chest.
"I must think of some way to save Mai and me..." she said to herself.

Perhaps because of overthinking things, she had become empty in her stomach.

Maki got up, put on her shoes, grabbed her sweater and left her room for the kitchen.

Arriving at the academy's dining hall, she was a bit surprised to see that someone else was there having a very late night dinner.

Her footsteps alerted the sorcerer, who turned to see who was coming in.

"Dining so late at night?"

"Oh Maki san!" said Yuta finishing eating some of the obento he bought on the train on his way to the academy.

"You just got back?" She approached the table. There she noticed that next to Yuta there was a bouquet of flowers.

Some red roses a bit crushed perhaps from this special grade sorcerer's trip in a hurry.

"Yes, the mission was in a very remote area of Tokyo, and although they asked me to stay overnight in the village, I really wanted to return to be with you on your birthday, although I could not get there in time, I almost missed the last train and as there were no more assistant available at this time of night, I had to walk here" he explained a little embarrassed. He even looked exhausted and his uniform was dirty.

Maki took those roses, smiled when she saw the gift he had brought her. Which she assumed he had bought early in the morning and since their schedules did not coincide all day, the two of them could not see each other until the evening.

I'm sorry if they are a bit wilte," Yuta began to apologize, "I tried to arrive early but nothing came out on this day, so I was taking care as much as I could to make sure these flowers arrived intact. But apparently that's where I failed"

Maki sniffed those roses "They are still beautiful, thank you, I think it is the best gift I got this day" she answered sighing a little and sitting on the chair next to her –"Actually it is the only gift I got"

"I'm glad you liked them, I chose them with you in mind" Yuta replied with a tender smile.

Maki blushed at those words, "Baka!, I still can't get used to you saying cheesy things like that! Besides, we said that for the moment we are only friends with benefits!"

"I know, although I know you would be more embarrassed if I said or did something like that in front of the others," Yuta scratched his head, "That's why I'm taking the opportunity to tell you privately at this moment. And I'm respecting the fact that you asked me to keep all this discreet and that's what I'm doing, although that won't stop me from telling you how much I love you with this kind of details" he answered with a big smile.

Hearing those words, Maki brought her face close to Yuta's to give him a kiss on the lips, which was reciprocated.

After that fleeting kiss, Maki broke away and gently tapped her index finger and thumb on Yuta's forehead.

"Still, let's keep doing this at discretion inside the academy" she pouted before taking a bite of the obento her partner was eating for dinner.

"Ok. I'll try to be more discreet, although maybe once March arrives we can start meeting more often outside the academy, I hope our schedules will coincide more from now on" Yuta answered rubbing his forehead.

"And tell me, how was your birthday?" He asked without taking his eyes off her.

Maki took the opportunity to eat some more of the obento that Yuta was having for dinner.

"Like any other birthday, super busy." Maki swallow before continuing to speak "It really was a busy day with several missions and" She sigh "Well, when talking to Mai she gave me some unpleasant news about the Zenin Clan, so, in theory, my nasty clan is still ruining my birthday even outside that hellish house"

"Something very bad happened?" Yuta asked worriedly.

"Something very bad will happen" she replied, staring at him.

"What will happen?" Yuta asked in a whisper of fear.

"I have to go back to the Zenin residence this weekend because the damn old man is having some kind of family party to choose the next clan leader" Maki sounded annoyed when talking about it.

"You're going back to the Zenin clan?!" Yuta raised his voice a little at what Maki was saying.

"Don't yell! You'll wake everyone up!" She grumble "And yes, unfortunately I must return to the clan" she grunted "This because it is a stupid meeting that takes place in a residence that belongs to the clan, which is on the outskirts of Kyoto, near the mountains, it is those typical meetings that some clans do to celebrate important things "she moved her hand from one side to another "in those meetings a big banquet is prepared, some family challenges are made and those stupid protocol things of the leaders" she lowered her shoulders "and unfortunately Mai and I must go to force"

"That sounds awfu!"

"Too much!" Maki sighed in frustration "Being there is horrible! We women and children have to prepare the food and clean everything! There are drunk old men everywhere! You have to live with obnoxious people! And by the way you hear all the complaints and unpleasant things about your! And now that the old man will elect a new leader, all the candidates who want to be elected as leaders will be unbearable since they have to please that stupid old man in everything!" she sounded super annoyed "And the worst thing is that depending on who he names as the new leader, maybe Mai and I won't be allowed to return to the academy!" She fisted her hands on the table "So we are between a rock and a hard place"

"And isn't there anything you can do to avoid going?" Yuta asked in desperation. He didn't want Maki to go to such a place.

She shook her head.
"No one can be absent because it could be considered treason. And even more so when the new leader is going to be appointed" she answered.

"There must be a way for them to let you and your sister return to the academy!" Yuta replied with concern.

"You know?, if I were the leader of that clan, I would make these stupid family gatherings disappear. And by the way, I would gradually destroy the clan from the inside" she replied, looking at the roses.

"I know you would make a good leader" Yuta replied without taking his eyes off her.

"Thank you, but in order to be chosen I must meet some of the conditions that Naobito imposed, too bad I don't meet any of the three"

"I'd really like to help you with this" Yuta replied, taking her by the hand.

"I'll think of something to get out of this stupid problem" replied Maki, lowering her shoulders.

Yuta's hand squeezed Maki's hand on the table.

"You are not alone in this. I told you that years ago" he gently squeezed Maki's hand, "You know that if you need help with anything, let me know. Let's destroy the Zenin clan! Oh something like that!" Yuta replied with a smile
"Although I don't really know if I can be of much help with this, but if I can help you, don't hesitate to do anything for you"

At that moment, Maki remembered the three conditions to be a leader. And while watching Yuta, her mind began to plan her trump card or at least her next move to get out of that clan with Yuta's help.

As she stared at him, she noticed that he fit perfectly the conditions Naobito had stated for being the leader of the Zenin clan.

Especially since he was a man and had a higher status of sorcerer than she did. But the last condition was left free to interpretation.

"Being engaged or married to someone in the Zenin clan."

What would happen if a man outside the clan married a woman from the main line of the Zenin clan and, incidentally, fit the first two conditions Naobito had set? Would there be a chance that man would be chosen as leader? Or would that give Maki his freedom?

Maki's mind thought of a possible solution to all that and that was a "Compromise or a marriage for convenience".

"If Yuta fails to be elected leader, at least by presenting himself as my fiancé, I have a chance to get out of there because I will no longer be their property..." Maki thought.

If she came to that meeting saying that she was engaged or already married to Yuta, perhaps at the end of that weekend she would be let go from the clan.

It was a risky idea but there was no other way at the time.

"Hey Yuta!" Maki called his attention quietly as she let go of his hand.

"What is it?" he asked, but the following would surprise him.

Maki got up from her chair and approached him slowly. And so, without taking her eyes off him, she sat on his lap. With her legs settled at his sides while her hands wrapped around his neck.

All this made Yuta very nervous. His body tensed. He even became mute as he felt her weight on his body.

"Maki?" asked his partner, his face all red.

"Yuta..." Maki named him again in a whisper while her fingers caressed his lips. Her gaze was enchanting under that little light that illuminated the spotlight on them.

"Yes?" came out with a little difficulty from his throat. He felt his cheeks burning.

They had been this close before, kissing or touching each other over their clothes or occasionally slipping their hands into their clothes, but this time it felt all different.

Maki gave him a first kiss on the lips, making him reciprocate. That kiss deepened little by little.

Yuta's hands rested on Maki's legs. He was undecided whether he should go higher, towards her hips, but something told him that he should control himself. That it was not yet time to move to the next base. And even more so since they had not yet had their first time.

That first sexual relationship between the two of them was being saved for the moment when they would graduate. But even so, they had already had encounters where their hands and mouths did all the work.

After Maki took her lips off his, the two of them pressed their foreheads together.

"Yuta, would you do anything for me?" she asked, looking into his eyes. Passing her hands to his neck.

"You know I would do anything for you, Maki san"

"Would you really do anything for me no matter what? Would you help me in everything I ask of you?" asked Maki, looking into his eyes to detect if there was a lie in his words.

"No matter what, you know that I will help you in any way I can, whether as a partner, as a friend, or as a lover, I will try to help you in any way I can" he said without taking his eyes off her and with his hands on Maki's thighs.

She smiled at that determination.

"Good, because what I am going to ask you is something very important and maybe it will help me to make the trip to the Zenin residence more pleasant?" she answered, passing her hands to Yuta's cheeks to caress him a little, "So your answer will be very important, okay? Think about it very well"

"All right" he answered without taking his eyes off her. He was waiting expectantly. He was curious about whatever he was going to ask her.

Maki took a slight breath, continued to look into his eyes. She moistened her lips and dared to ask.

"Yuta Will you marry me?"

I hope you liked it or that it caught your attention ❤️

Again I apologize for any grammatical errors, this is a translation.

This is the idea I wanted to present to you, where in order for Maki to keep her freedom she will have to pretend that she is already engaged to Yuta.

That's right! Yuta will go to the Zenin clan that weekend! What do you think will happen there?
Will Yuta be welcomed into the clan? Will he be rejected? Who do you think he will get along
with? Will Naobito accept him? How will Naoya treat him? What will Maki's parents say? Will their plan work?

I will be reading your comments.

Although maybe with the title of the fic I already gave you an idea of what this story will be about.

Also to clarify that here Maki and Yuta's relationship is "friends with benefits" but maybe that will change or get worse as the chapters go by, you will discover it little by little. Maybe something spicy will happen between them *wink wink* you know, that first and intimate time between those two, since up to this moment there has been no coitus.

Anyway, as the summary says, this fic will be very slow to update. As well as I hope it will be a short story, I will try to make it about 4 or 5 chapters at the most.

Also to comment that the Shibuya incident and the death games NEVER happened here.

So here the Zenin clan remains intact. For the time being.

Anyway, I hope it caught your attention and that you liked it ❤️