New Chapter. Hope it's enjoyable.
The Butterfly Effect
Chapter 15
[Flashback]
October 7th
11:20 PM
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Megumi growled and rolled out of bed. He knew it was Gojo, who else would come to his door at this hour. He lazily walked over to the door as he adjusted his already wild bed hair. He grabbed the handle and prepared himself for a headache. Late night conversation with his idiot sensei never went well.
Click!
"What is it?" Impatience dripped from Megumi's voice.
Gojo's eyes were dead serious, even somewhat sad. He didn't bother saying hello in any sort of extravagant manner. This was a clear sign he was in something he didn't want to hear. Which was a very bad thing.
Megumi buried his face into his palm, rubbing his face. "Alright get on with it."
For one of the few times in the decade that they had known each other Gojo couldn't look Megumi in the eyes. It was guilt on his shoulders that pulled his eyes towards the floor as he sat on Megumi's bed. "Megumi. This is going to be hard for me to say, but I need you to listen carefully. This is the last thing that I am going to tell you before I leave. I want you to hear it from me instead of from anyone else."
Megumi shook slightly, discomfort evidently present. "So it's about him again?"
Gojo quickly raised a hand to halt Megumi. "Just listen to me. Alright. This is…going to be tough for both of us."
Megumi stiffened. His heart shook just a bit in his chest. He hated when Gojo wasn't normal. "What are you talking about? I'm not in the mood for games. I need to sleep, idiot."
"Yeah…but I just…I have so much I need to say to you now. Especially now."
"Don't worry ab-"
"Megumi. Just listen."
Fushiguro's mouth clicked shut and he criss-crossed his legs on his bed. It was almost nostalgic. Back when he first met Gojo when he was trying to break the deal between his fath-Toji and Naobito, he would smuggle him and Tsumiki in and out of the Gojo clan estate. They Still had to sleep on the floors, but the blankets were good and the carpet in the room was actually very soft.
It felt too nostalgic. Too emotional. Megumi redoubled his apathy, hating the feeling of weakness. "Alright, what did you need?"
Gojo showed rare nervousness, running his hand in his hair. It was probably something he did when he was stressed, which was almost never. "I don't know where to begin."
"Stop being dramatic."
Gojo let out a joyless snort. "Megumi, I tried my best to be the guardian you wanted. I didn't try to be your father figure. I know that wouldn't have wanted that. I just tried to be there whenever possible."
Megumi's mouth was slightly agape. This conversation was about to hit like a freight train.
Gojo continued. "Megumi, I know you disagree, but now I know I should've told you about Toji years ago. Regardless of how much of a piece of shit he is. It's your right to know."
Megumi groaned, "we've been over this. I don't care. I won't ever care."
"I know. But if you don't let me tell you know then you'll learn this from someone else when you don't want to."
Megumi stilled, his breathing stunned for a second before he swallowed with rising nervousness.
Gojo had sadness in his eyes. A frown on his face as it hung in shame. "10 years ago I was sent on a mission. A very important mission. Everything seemed fine before it went sideways. The ramifications of that one mission changed everything…I still think about it today."
Gojo didn't wait for Megumi to see if he had kept up. He knew he did, it was just how Megumi was. "Toji...he was a serial killer."
Megumi's eyelids rose. 'A serial killer? What?'
"He was known as the 'sorcerer killer.'"
"Why are you telling me this..?" Megumi asked blankly, his anxiety and unease masked well. "Wait…he…?"
"That day we were about to complete the movement of the Star Plasma Vessel to Tengen. But it was all for not, Toji killed her and beat me." Gojo fists clenched at his sides. Gojo's voice becomes more hollow as he continues speaking, "I had to get back up, Megumi. As things were, I couldn't let it stand."
Fushiguro looked at Gojo with widened eyes, an expression that let the limitless user know that Megumi already knew the ending. "You killed him. My bastard father. He sold me and my sister. You killed him only a week later." Megumi had never expected to hear news like this.
"Yes. I did that."
Megumi hung his head in his hands. He didn't want to know this. He should've told the dumb fuck to just leave. Fuck. This hurt. It had been so easy to fill his mind with contempt for his father and how he left him and Tsumiki, but there was a small sliver of his soul, a small insignificant amount, was asking 'what if he had changed his mind?' Would it even have been possible? Did his father ever love him? Why does Megumi wish he had? It was so much easier to pretend that his father did care about him, but now a deluded part of his mind was craving the possibility that maybe his murderer of a father could've loved him and Tsumiki. He hated Toji.
"Gojo, does Tsumiki know any of this?"
"No."
"Good. I'll tell her when the time is right." Megumi said simply, another moment passed and Megumi asked a new question, "How much did you manage to learn about my mother?" Asked wishing that information on this new topic would help move his mind to better places.
"All her information is unfindable. I think Toji destroyed almost any record of her after she passed."
Megumi breathed heavily out loud. "I….I don't know what to say."
"I'm sorr-"
"No. Don't be sorry. He was a cruel man who got what he deserved." Megumi said softly, almost a whisper.
"…"
Megumi faced Gojo with tired eyes. It was too late for stuff like this. "Is that all?" Megumi wished that was all, he knew that a ugly dream of what could've been was awaiting him on the other side. He'd cherish it and then burn it up upon waking. But things weren't so simple, Gojo seemed to already be preparing himself for more of this conversation.
"Megumi, while I'm gone you need to watch out for yourself, your sister, and Maki."
"What's the matter? Other than you being exiled, what 's wrong?" Megumi asked with trepidation, he already had come to terms with assuming more responsibility for Tsumiki and improving as a sorcerer in his absence. Why would he worry about Zen'in?
"All 3 of you, despite everything the Zen'in clan still sees you as their own. I have no clue what their game is. I don't even know that I'm right, but I do know that to them your name is Megumi Zen'in."
Megumi half snorted, "why the hell do I care? What does Zen'in have to do with this, she hates them and they hate her?"
Gojo's look turned distant, recalling all the conversations he had been having with Maki for months about her restriction. "I worry she will do something stupid. Put her faith in the wrong person."
"Wrong person? Who?"
Gojo rubbed his face in his hand again at the question. He hadn't wanted to tell Megumi this, ever since he had seen Toji on the Camera his mind wondered how Megumi would react to the information. "Megumi. I don't know how it is possible but it still remains the truth, that mystery man who you all described in the forest many days ago, that was Toji. That was your father."
Megumi gasped and began to breathe heavier and quicker. He leaned back on the frame of his bed absorbing the information. His father was alive. Through some means he was alive. It was unthinkable, this couldn't be possible. Gojo had no reason to lie to him though. It was the truth. Why? Why does everything keep getting more difficult for him? Everytime Megumi wished to forget the past and move on he was grabbed by his shirt collar and forced to see more.
Megumi couldn't say anything anymore. The hopeful dreams turned into dreadful nightmares, a fateful meeting with his father on the horizon.
The former clan head of the Gojo took the initiative and kept on talking, knowing Megumi would be attentive enough to listen. "Maki was gone for 40 hours supposedly. She was captured by Toji and then she returned after only about 2 days."
Megumi figured out what Gojo was getting at. "The restriction. She said she was going to train her restriction. Toji has a heavenly restriction as well."
"Yes. Only us two have the information needed to piece this together."
"Why not tell Okkotsu?" Fushiguro asked with great curiosity. "If anyone can convince her not to go it's definitely him."
"No. It's definitely not him. I've already saddled Yuuta up with so much of my baggage and responsibilities. He can't be trusted to make an objective judgment in this case either."
Megumi snorted mockingly, "So you trust me, the 1st year underclassmen, to talk some sense into her?"
Gojo tried lightening his mood by chuckling but that didn't seem to do the trick either. "Maybe. I won't confront her because I know for a fact she won't listen to me. The only other person who knows as much about this as me is you. Whatever you decide to say is up to you."
Gojo then sat up from the bed and walked back towards the door. "Just keep it in mind Megumi. Keep this conversation in your mind. I've already said my goodbyes to everyone except Kugisaki and Yaga. Take care of yourself and Tsumiki, alright?"
Megumi nodded. His head was still spinning from all that had been revealed to him but he knew his answer regardless. "Worry about yourself. We'll be fine."
With one final smirk Gojo exited his room and clicked the door shut.
Present time…
October 8th
8:32 PM
Maki's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What did you say?"
"I said we need to talk. If you don't come, I'll tell Okkotsu your plan to learn from a killer."
Maki clenched her fist tightly. "You know huh?"
"You knew and you decided to keep me in the dark about it." Megumi said accusingly at her. Yet his facial expression and tone held no emotion, they were neutral.
"I did that for you. I didn't want to make your life harder than it is, so why are you trying to make things hard for me?" Maki asked back in annoyance.
"All I asked for was to talk. Okkotsu won't be back for another 30 minutes. Let's talk and then you can have your final conversation with him like me and Nobara suggested earlier." Megumi rationally explained.
Maki just grit her teeth and stormed past Megumi. "Fine. You want to talk, let's talk."
She didn't wait at all for Megumi, she just marched right through the halls to the students' lounge. Once they got there she wasted no time, roughly yanking a chair towards her and sitting down. "Y'know you've got some nerve holding me hostage by using my feelings against me."
Megumi swallowed. This was going to be rough. "Please understand that I want to do is help-"
"Don't you dare say you want to help either me or Yuuta. Telling him this would only make him worry endlessly, and you clearly had no problem conforming to Gojo's stupid plan back at the Zen'in gathering. You gave them information that could get him killed."
Megumi could only respond saying, "that's not what I said." But he could say no more due to the vow he willingly signed into when he entered that meeting room.
"Tch. Sorry but it's hard to take you at your word now." Maki didn't know how much she believed what she was saying but she dared little. She needed to get some of this off her chest. She had been trying to let what happened at the Zenin clan compound go and she almost had, but now Megumi dared to use her emotions for Yuuta against her. It pissed her off.
"Zen'in I've apologized. In the future I will try to atone for my actions against Okkotsu." Megumi offered. It was all he could say really.
"Let's just get this over with. Speak."
Megumi wouldn't let Maki intimidate him. He knew she was using this as a defense mechanism, she didn't really want to leave jujutsu high either but she had convinced herself it was the only way. "I guess the right place to start with is what your reasons are for leaving."
"You know my goddamn reason. You saw the inside of that hellish compound. That's where my sister lives some days. That rotten place." Maki's voice began to crack and her volume increased, "She is there alone. She is waiting for me to help her. This is how I can help her!"
Megumi took her words in. He calculated his response, wording it carefully. "And if there was another way to save her would you take it and stay here?"
"…", Maki didn't answer. She didn't want to answer that question. She hadn't considered it because she didn't like the idea of pushing her problems onto others.
Megumi knew another reason why. It made her confront that selfish part of herself that yearned for her own liberty and complete freedom from the Zen'in. Maki wanted to save Mai, but she also wanted to live her life as free as possible.
"…t-there is no other way Megumi. I have to do this."
"I could become the clan head Maki."
Maki looked at him in shock. "Excuse me?"
"I have the most valued technique in the whole clan. I bet I could secure the spot if heir away from Naoya. Once I have that power I could free Mai." Megumi explained to her.
The sharp glare re-emerged on her face. "Don't be stupid Megumi. You know you couldn't do it. You don't have the heart to see little girls get beaten for acting improper or scrubbing the floors wrong or see monkey children with no cursed energy being spit on."
Megumi shuddered minutely as she painted a vivid image with her words.
"I see you reading books all the time on the steps during training. You haven't read the shit I've read. You don't know the shit I've had to go through. At least your father is someone who can somewhat understand it!" Once she finished the last part Maki gasped and looked away in shame. Cursing herself for speaking foolishly and without thought.
Megumi didn't let the words get to him. He took a deep breath in. "You feel stuck, Maki. You want this for yourself but you also want help Mai. This is the way you can do both. I get it."
Maki didn't have the heart to look at Megumi, feeling guilty for comparing Megumi to his father. "Please Megumi, I…know it's selfish, but I need this."
"Maki. I will go to Naobito and effectively join the Zen'in clan for good. I'll still be able to remain at Jujutsu high and complete missions handed out until I graduate. I will work my way up and become clan heir. I'll free Mai."
Maki couldn't believe Megumi was still suggesting it. After what she had said he still considered it? "Megumi, how could you possibly do that?" A while ago Maki had dreamed of destroying the Zen'in clan from within as the clan head, the reunion a week ago changed her whole perspective. It wasn't feasible, if she wanted to get back at her family she'd have to find some other way. So she had to question how Megumi could attain that status in an environment he had so little experience in.
"You the reputation the 10 shadows has in the Zen'in clan. Gojo told me about it years ago. And if I need to be more than just my ability to become a clan head I'll become what they need me to be."
"Why Megumi? You have no reason to bring yourself back to that hell." Maki asked with cutting seriousness and harsh warning.
Megumi recognized the question himself. All last night he layed in bed wondering what he would do to secure his sister's safety and the safety of his friends. He thought about his conversation with Kamo during the Goodwill event. He always did what he thought was right, he didn't compromise for others. Right now he was in the same boat as Maki, it's why he couldn't judge her for her selfishness.
Outside of the Zen'in he held little influence as nothing more than a 1st year sorcerer who hid behind the shadow of Gojo, protected from the clutches of the Zen'in. He didn't have that assurance. If he wanted to maintain autonomy and have control over who he could protect and save then he would have to be proactive and take control for himself.
"I'm going back because it's the only way forward for me. The same way this is for you."
Maki was silent. "If you knew this then why did you come to talk to me at all?"
"You trust Okkotsu with everything. Right now all of us are looking to him for answers to some extent. I think a kind and honorable person such as him has enough on his plate already." Megumi placed his elbow in his rest and rested his chin on his fist. He looks at Maki with a serious expression of his own, not as ferocious as one she could conjure but it got his point across.
"I will correct the unfinished business I left at that compound. An honorable person like Okkotsu deserves to have a valued ally. I will undermine the Zen'in and be the perfect spy. And a determined, courageous person like yourself shouldn't have to worry about your sister being captive. My code is telling me it would be the right thing to help both of you, however possible."
Maki was astonished. She couldn't form words. She hardly ever expressed gratitude, a common 'thank you' here and there but the gratefulness she was feeling at the moment was overwhelming. "You…you would really do that?"
"Yes. I think it's the right thing to do. That's all that matters."
Maki was filled with gratitude. She knew better than anyone the sacrifice that Megumi was making not just for his sisters sake but for her's and Yuuta's. Megumi was someone she could trust to help Mai, regardless of what happened prior she would put her faith in her underclassman. He was giving her his word that he would help Mai.
"Thank you Megumi. This means so much to me and Yuuta will greatly appreciate your help as well. Please, however, you can help Mai. She needs it."
"I can worry about Mai. You just try not to get yourself killed. You have friends here who care about you and a guy who adores you." Megumi finished with a deep sigh. He could subtly feel Okkotsu's cursed energy nearing, a slight fizzing in the air contrasted with the chilling air. He rose from his seat and moved to leave the students lounge. "Now go sleep with Yuuta one last night before you leave."
Maki blushed hard and stuttered, "I was t-tired alright!"
5 minutes later…
Yuuta had been approaching his room. Sword on his shoulder.
And a stack full of papers in another hand. Apparently clan heads do paper work. Which sucked. Yuuta technically dropped out of highschool to learn magic so it was correct to say his education was lacking in certain areas. Especially when his learning was impaired because he cursed his childhood friend.
Thankfully, these papers held no mathematics-his long division still needed polishing-so he was good in that department. What they contained however was endless bloviating.
So when he saw Maki waiting outside his bedroom door. She looked gorgeous even when leaning against his room door, he soon himself caught in a trance just from looking at her from down the hall. So of course he then dropped the stack of papers on the ground like a moron.
"S-shit!" He stammered and blushed nervously as he scrambled to pick them up. He didn't realize Maki had been laughing at him and had come over to help him until he breathed in her scent. This only made his blush harder and they picked up the loose papers scattered on the floor.
"You look cute when you're flustered Yuuta." She teases affectionately.
Yuuta didn't show any signs that he heard her words, if he tried to respond he'd say something stupid.
Once they finished collecting the paper they held eye contact for a moment. Then Yuuta said something stupid. "Would you like to sleep in my room again?" He was about to drop the stack again and flail his hands around as he tried to clarify what he meant but Maki settled his hands by placing her own small ones on top of his.
"Tch. At least ask a girl how her day has been before inviting her into your bed." The teasing was almost effortless, it wasn't an attempt to get under the skin of someone with playful banter and teases like a friend, but more of a flirtatious exchange of words that would send goosebumps down the others skin. Whether Maki was conscious of what she was doing or not, it was definitely working on Yuuta.
"I-I'm sorry Maki I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable I just saw you outside my room and I just wanted to make sure you were alright and check if you needed something and I just said it."
Maki smiled genuinely at Yuuta, even as he talked fast and nervous like that. He was such a dumbass it hurt, But she was just as stupid for liking him that way. "Alright Casanova, I'll give you some help." Maki said with a roll of her eyes. She dragged him into his room herself. It wasn't hard, Yuuta weighed less than you'd think and with her restriction she could probably toss him out of his window from the doorway.
Yuuta stumbled onto his bed, falling on his back onto his mattress. "Aright…is there something you need, Maki? I can help you if-"
"No idiot. I just want to spend time with you. I'm leaving tomorrow morning."
The realization hit Yuuta like a pile of bricks. She was leaving tomorrow. "Oh….yeah." This conversation was now the center of his universe, if this was the last time he'd get to talk with Maki in person for a bit then he would make the most of it. "Maki, come sit on my bed."
Maki flushed red. Yuuta just told her to sit on his bed with him. Of course he didn't mean it as a command but…the assertiveness in his tone was different, and it wasn't anything unpleasant either.
Maki came by the bedside and took a seat. Of course it was then she realized that it was probably a bad choice to wear shorts to sleep in when Yuuta's room was very cold. Thankfully she was wearing a soft hoodie to cover her top, or else she would be shivering. Still, she was grasped by the urge to retract her legs and move them underneath the covers of his bed. But that would be imposing on him, she would only do it if he allowed it.
"You must be cold, Maki. You shouldn't have worn shorts, it's below 40 degrees tonight." Yuuta said while totally maintaining eye contact like a honorable man and not looking occasionally at her legs like a stupid teenager. Yep.
"Y-yeah."
"You can get under the covers, I can lay on the cover itself. I actually spent most of my time in Kenya during its winter months, nights aren't as cold as this but they get chilly enough, I've adjusted to it." Yuuta explained with a smile, reminiscing over his time abroad. Made him wonder how Miguel was doing.
Maki looked away slightly, "W-what if I'd rather you weren't cold."
"What do you mean?"
"Get under the covers with me. I…want to be warm with you." That sounded so nonsensical that Maki thought she'd faint. But of course Yuuta obliged her without thinking twice. Firstly, he discarded his white sorcerers' coat and set it on the cold wooden floor along with his discarded shoes. He kept his socks on his feet. He then peeled back the covers and easily slipped in. And then they looked at each other, cheeks rosy and pink with slight embarrassment.
For a long few minutes they lay there, staring at each other. Yuuta watches how Maki's golden eyes burn in the darkness of his room, even if only slightly visible. He didn't think he could go any longer without confessing to her.
"Maki…should we address this? I think I owe you that much." Yuuta says quietly.
Maki was surprised when he opened her eyes wider and found herself almost pressed against his collarbone. Had she moved closer to herself unconsciously? "Address what?" She asked, trying to play dumb. She knew what he was talking about but she also had no idea how to answer that.
"Maki. I….I'm sorry but I can't stop thinking about you. Even while I was abroad I dreamt of coming back here."
Her heart was pounding now.
"It's probably always been there. When you asked me what my ambitions were the day we met you told me what to do to live the life I want. I exercised curses over and over, I fought until I had important friends who gave me the confidence to live."
Maki was caught between the desire to get closer and let her heart take control from there and build up her defense with double the protection. Was she ready for what he might say if he kept talking?
"Over time as I learned how to be a jujutsu sorcerer I admired you more and more. I thought you were incredible….you…you shined like the sun to me."
"Yuuta." Maki breathed out with a ghost of a gasp.
"You were like something untouchable, so powerful to me. So beautiful too. Soon I realized that I wanted more. I wanted to talk to you more, spend time with you more, touch you more. Even if the last part requires getting my ass kicked." Yuuta said as his smile grew.
Maki quickly rose from her position laying down on the bed, taking off her glasses and setting them off to the side. What she really did this for was to get away from him if only for a second so she could calm her heart down. He was too much, she couldn't take it. Too much affection being thrown her way.
"Maki, that day in December last year shook something inside of me. I can't explain the anger I felt. It was like I had been hurt because you were."
Maki tried to stay seated upright on the bed, but her mind lulls her back down onto the softness of his pillow and his mattress and the warmth under the covers.
Yuuta's mind falters, he wonders if it is a good idea to keep up his long winded confession. He's already said too much though, no point in stopping. He wouldn't be able to hold onto these feelings for another couple weeks anyway. He needed to let it all out to her.
If he were less oblivious he'd see the awestruck look on her face. Her lips slightly parted. Her position was as close as it had been originally;almost to his collarbone. She wasn't uncomfortable at all.
"Months passed while I was in Kenya and I thought about you and that day endlessly. I never wanted to see you like that again. I couldn't quite place why until you disappeared after the exchange event."
Maki had reached the limit she could take.
"And the thought that I might have lost you after the event made me angry, sad, and empty. Now that I had an impression of what life could be like without you it only made me crave you more. Maki, I…I realized that I L-"
Maki quickly moved her hand up to clamp it over Yuuta's mouth. "Don't finish that sentence. Please. I…I…if you do I won't be able to leave. Just…let me go for now, Yuuta." She was trembling, her heart rate was through the roof.
Yuuta was the same. He was shallowly and quickly against her palm as it lay over his mouth.
Maki looked him in the eyes with a ferocity not born from dislike or contempt but out of passion and desires. "Let's put all of these emotions in a box for now. When I get back we can open it. Please do this for me Yuuta." She asked with a pleading expression.
She couldn't afford to explore these feelings, at least not yet. She thought she was ready to face them but she wasn't. She needed to be focused for her journey tomorrow.
Yuuta nodded against her hand. His eyes reflected the moonlight that snuck in through the blinds.
She retracted her hand back underneath the covers. They lay in the quiet atmosphere of the chilly night for a long while.
"Yuuta. Can you hold me?"
"Yes. Of course, Maki."
The Next morning
October 9th
Yuuta blinked twice, bright sunlight peeking through the blinds. He moved his left arms closer to him, as if clutching someone, only to realize there was no one.
Yuuta quickly sat up straight and looked at the clock. Only '6:32 AM', but she had left.
He should've assumed as much. Maki told him that she had a limited amount of time to get to a specific location and she was working off a hunch basically.
By the other side of the bed though, where she had laid, there was an envelope.
'A letter?'
Yuuta wondered why Maki would go through the trouble when they could communicate through text messages
Yuuta,
Letters aren't my style, I think I already messed it up with the greeting.
This isn't a "goodbye" letter because this isn't a final goodbye.
The "box" we forged last night is a promise to both of us that once I am back we will indulge in the affections we have for each other. I won't leave you in suspense about whether it's mural or not. It is. But it would be for the best if we put our desires and emotions off to the side, if only for a couple weeks.
I'll miss everyone. I'll miss you especially.
If you have questions about why I have decided to write a letter you should probably ask Fushiguro the next time you see him.
I won't die so I expect you to live as well.
I'll see you in a couple weeks, Yuuta.
Sincerely, Maki.
