julia

Several hours had passed since Sukuna walked out on Mei Mei. He went straight to his room in the frat house. Surprisingly, he managed to fall asleep despite the loud music and noise downstairs. He only woke up because the noise had somehow gotten even worse. That’s it. Sukuna was done. He was going home. He had reached his limit. He couldn’t stand staying any longer in the noisy, crowded, and irritating frat party, even though he was usually one of the people who led these kinds of parties but not tonight.

Tonight, he just wanted peace. That resolution, however, vanished the moment he stepped out and saw something that immediately caught his attention. His brother, Yuji, was standing on the frat’s stage.

And he wasn’t alone. Yuji was there with his friends… the Loser’s Club and with them was the one person Sukuna had been avoiding the most.

Kobeni Fujimoto.

Some of the sorority members—Mei Mei’s people—were pushing the TLC members toward the center of the stage. They were grinning but it wasn’t a friendly kind of smile. It was the kind of grin that meant they were planning something.

Sukuna immediately pushed forward, trying to get closer. But the crowd was too thick, and the stage was still far from where he stood. People were packed tightly together, blocking his path. He couldn’t get through. He couldn’t move. All he could do was watch whatever fate awaited his brother and his friends.

“Guys, let’s hear it from our very own Loser’s Club! As their debut at the frat party, they’ll perform a song for us!” one of Mei Mei’s sorority sisters announced loudly into the microphone.

Sukuna cursed under his breath.

The members of TLC were clearly confused especially Yuji. Even from where he stood, Sukuna could see the nervousness on his brother’s face.

The people's cheers and screams got louder to the announcement, they found another entertainment. The Loser's Club itself.

“Do we really have to perform?” Nobara asked quietly, leaning toward the announcer.

The announcer looked at her and gave a sly, mocking smile.

“Of course,” she said. “You’d better perform… unless you want to embarrass yourselves even more.”

With that, she stepped down from the stage, leaving the clueless TLC members behind.

Kobeni looked at her friends and let out a soft but nervous sigh. She was thinking of a solution, of what they could do in this moment to not embarrassed their selves even more. They were embarrassed because of the suddenness, the laughing and judging stares of the audience infront of them.

“Sorry, guys… I can try to find and talk to Satoru-san so we can leave. I’m really sorry for dragging everyone into this,” Kobeni said apologetically.

They hadn’t expected things to turn out like this. When they arrived, Satoru hadn’t been able to stay with them the whole time. Some of his frat brothers had called him over because he needed to handle something. Takuma had tried to stay with them, but he ended up getting pulled away too.

So the four of them were left on their own. Then a beautiful woman with bluish hair approached them. She whispered to Kobeni that Satoru had asked them to follow her.

The four of them did but they hadn’t expected what happened next.

Before they realized it, several people had suddenly grabbed them and dragged them onto the stage—where bands usually performed. Musical instruments were already set up there.

Then they were told they had to perform.

This was different from the time Yuji and Kobeni performed on the school grounds. Back then, they had prepared for it, and they had willingly performed.

But now…

They could perform if they had to, but the atmosphere was completely different.

The stares directed at them were harsher—judging, mocking, and openly mean.

Especially from the sorority members. The same people who grabbed and dragged them in the stage.

“There’s nothing we can do now, so stop apologizing and worrying, cutie Beni,” Nobara said. “We came here willingly too, so let’s just perform. Let’s prove to them that we’re not just a bunch of losers.”

The other three looked at Nobara, then nodded.

“I can play the guitar. Kugisaki and Kobeni, you guys can sing. And Yuji?” Megumi said, turning to look at the quiet boy.

They all glanced at Yuji.

He smiled at them.

“I can play the drums,” Yuji said.

The TLC members smiled at one another and began preparing themselves. For them, it was just a normal conversation between friends.

But to the others watching them at the frat party, they looked strange… ridiculous… even dumb.

To the crowd, they looked like a bunch of freaks whispering among themselves.

Most of the people watching already expected the TLC’s performance to turn into a complete mess. Because of that, many of them had already taken out their phones, ready to record.

Just in case.

Something embarrassing was bound to happen and when it did, they would have the perfect video to post later… something to laugh at.

Sukuna felt his irritation spike.

He wanted to stop his brother and his friends before things went any further. The thought of them being humiliated in front of everyone made his chest tighten.

With no better idea, he started pushing through the crowd, elbowing anyone who stood in his way just so he could get closer to the stage.

But he suddenly stopped.

Because the person he had been avoiding the most… had just started speaking.

“Uhm… mic test, mic test,” Kobeni said, lightly tapping the microphone. She scratched the back of her head nervously.

Even before they had started, some people in the crowd were already laughing at them.

Kobeni let her gaze sweep across the audience, trying to observe the crowd. She was nervous, but she knew it would be even more humiliating if they refused to perform.

They couldn’t even leave the stage anymore, the stairs had already been blocked by the very people who had dragged them up there.

She looked at her members.

They all nodded at her, reassuring her silently.

“Let’s go, Pres. Let’s fucking do this,” Megumi said.

Kobeni smiled.

She was nervous but at least she's not alone on this one.

“Right… well, let’s stay positive. This is good exposure for our club,” Kobeni said.

Whoever had set them up by dragging them onto this stage had made a mistake. The Loser’s Club was maybe known because its members were outcasts. Most people mocked them and called them losers but what no one really knew was that their club could do almost anything.

Because their president could multitask. Their president was good at everything.

“We’re going to perform Locked Out of Heaven by Bruno Mars,” Kobeni said awkwardly into the microphone.

“Uhm… we’re the Loser’s Club. I’m the president—Kobeni. I’ll be the vocalist.”

“Itadori Yuji,” Yuji said next, smiling slightly. “Vice president of the Loser’s Club… and the drummer.”

“Kugisaki Nobara,” she said confidently, flipping her hair. “The pretty keyboardist.”

“Megumi,” he said simply. “The guitarist.”

That was the introduction of the Loser’s Club.

Kobeni glanced at Yuji.

Yuji smiled back at her.

“One, two—one, two, three! Let’s go, Pres!” Yuji called into the mic.

Then he started the beat on the drums. Megumi joined in with the guitar, and Nobara followed on the keyboard.

“Oh yeah, yeah—” “Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,” Kobeni began singing. “Ohhh—” Nobara, Megumi, and Yuji added as the second voice.

The audience’s mouths slowly fell open.

They had expected the TLC members to be a disaster—to stand there awkwardly and embarrass themselves so everyone could laugh at them.

But they were… actually performing.

“Oh yeah, yeah… oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,” Kobeni continued. “(Ohhh)” Nobara, Megumi, and Yuji echoed again.

“Never had much faith in love or miracles,” Nobara sang while pressing the keys of the keyboard. “Ohh—” Kobeni, Megumi, and Yuji harmonized.

“Never wanna put my heart on the line,” Yuji sang while continuing the rhythm on the drums. “Ohh—” Kobeni, Megumi, and Nobara responded.

“But swimmin’ in your water’s something spiritual,” Megumi sang while strumming the guitar. “Ohh—” Kobeni, Yuji, and Nobara echoed.

“I’m born again every time you spend the night,” Kobeni sang again.

“’Cause your smile takes me to paradise Yeah, your smile takes me to paradise And it shows Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

At first, Kobeni—and even Nobara, Yuji, and Megumi—had been nervous but with every lyric they sang, their confidence slowly grew. They began to notice something unexpected. Some people in the audience were starting to sing along with them.

Their confidence grew even more when they noticed familiar faces in the crowd. Satoru and other frat members were watching, although Satoru was suprised because no one told him that his shaylas were gonna perform but nonetheless they were cheering for the Loser’s Club. Takuma, too, shouted encouragements, pumping them up from the sidelines.

Choso and Yuki were there as well. Choso was shouting the lyrics along with the band, getting fully into the music, while Yuki was recording everything on her phone. They weren’t alone—two other girls, one with brown hair and one with black, were cheering alongside them, adding to the support.

Fueled by the encouragement, the Loser’s Club kept singing. The energy built within them, and soon their movements matched the rhythm. They started swaying to the beat, banging their heads, raising their hands, and even jumping a little as they poured their hearts into the performance.

"'Cause you make me feel like I've been locked out of heaven For too long, for too long Yeah, you make me feel like I've been locked out of heaven For too long, for too long, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh."

As Kobeni sang those lyrics, her eyes finally caught the gaze that had been burning into her all this time. She had felt it earlier, a presence, a stare she couldn’t quite place but now she noticed it fully.

Sukuna.

He was there, standing off to the side, watching. Busy with the performance and her own nerves, Kobeni had briefly forgotten about him, but now his figure, tense and silent, drew her attention completely. He looked… miserable, yet undeniably good.

Miserably good.

There was something about him—raw, unguarded—that made him impossible to look away from. And just like that, the music, the crowd, and everything else faded around her, leaving only that conflicted, magnetic presence of Sukuna.

"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (ooh) Oh, yeah, yeah Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (ooh)"

Kobeni’s voice jumped slightly, faltering for a moment—her focus had slipped. She tried but, she couldn’t take her eyes off Sukuna. There he stood, unwavering, staring at her with an intensity that pinned her in place. His hair was tousled, his usual sharp smirk replaced by something she couldn’t put a name to—a rare, strange softness that both unsettled and fascinated her.

"You bring me to my knees, you make me testify (ooh) You can make a sinner change his ways (ooh) Open up your gates 'cause I can't wait to see the light (ooh) And right there is where I wanna stay (ooh)"

She had been a fool to mistake Sukuna for his brother, for her friend Yuji. Especially now, seeing him here, standing apart from the crowd, she could finally see how different they truly were. Even amidst the chaos of people, the blaring music, the shadows where Sukuna stood, and the harsh, glaring lights around him—he was unmistakably himself.

"'Cause your smile takes me to paradise Yeah, your smile takes me to paradise And it shows Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Kobeni couldn’t look away. And neither could he. Every glance, every movement felt charged, magnetic. It was beautiful—unexpectedly, undeniably beautiful

She wanted to burn this image into her mind, to remember every detail, to capture it later, stroke by stroke, in a painting only she could make.

"'Cause you make me feel like I've been locked out of heaven For too long, for too long Yeah, you make me feel like I've been locked out of heaven For too long, for too long, oh—"

Sukuna swallowed hard. He wanted to look away.

Because, fuck it, there it was again that unfamiliar rush of feeling he couldn’t name. His chest thumped louder than the music around him, louder than Kobeni’s voice, yet somehow… her voice cut through it anyway.

No. Fuck it. He could hear her voice perfectly. Every note, every slight rise and fall. The way she sang. The way her smile appeared whenever her gaze wandered elsewhere, only to always snap back to him the moment she hit a note.

It felt wrong. Dumb. Stupid. And yet, he still couldn't look away.

"Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, yeah, yeah, yeah Can I just stay here? Spend the rest of my days here? Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, yeah, yeah, yeah Can I just stay here? Spend the rest of my days here?"

Kobeni’s voice carried over the stage as she interacted with the crowd, swaying and banging her head to the rhythm, fully immersed in the music. Behind her, Megumi, Nobara, and Yuji seamlessly finished the last lines of the song, their voices harmonizing beautifully.

"'Cause you make me feel like I've been locked out of heaven For too long, for too long Yeah, you make me feel like I've been locked out of heaven For too long, for too long, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh."

Kobeni stepped closer to Yuji, matching his movements as the song reached its finale. The four of them sang in perfect harmony, their voices blending so effortlessly it was almost hypnotic. Each note they hit resonated with the energy of the crowd, yet for Kobeni, her eyes occasionally flicked to the corner where Sukuna stood, and for a brief moment, the chaotic noise around them seemed to fade.

"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (ooh) Oh, yeah, yeah Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (ooh)."

As the last note of the song faded, the audience erupted into applause. The very people who had come expecting the Loser’s Club to embarrass themselves were now on their feet, cheering, shouting the names of each member. The loudest voices were unmistakably Satoru, Takuma, Choso, and Yuki, who practically drowned out everyone else.

The TLC members bowed their heads humbly and stepped down from the stage, and immediately, the four of them were surrounded by supportive friends, their little circle glowing with warmth.

Sukuna finally let out a long breath. Not because the crowd had moved away—most of them had pressed closer to the stage to get a better look at the performers—but because he realized nothing bad had happened to the TLC members. More than that, Yuji, his brother, was genuinely, undeniably happy.

He could finally sit back on the sidelines, legs spread comfortably, observing the scene before him. His gaze lingered mostly on Kobeni. The smile on her face was huge, unrestrained, stretching her eyes until they almost disappeared, gums visible as she laughed. She was truly happy, and seeing it made something stir in him, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

Sukuna scoffed quietly.

A part of him, however small, was happy too.

He swore under his breath and sank back into his seat. Damn that weirdo friend of Yuji’s—Kobeni had him feeling things he had never experienced before, feelings he didn’t even know existed.

What the fuck is happening to him? He was supposed to hate Kobeni, right?

That was all he could think.

“Fuck…” someone muttered, only to realize the source of the familiar noise beside him. Toji Fushiguro, freshly awake, had also been stirred by the commotion. Like Sukuna, he’d dozed off—passed out, really—after losing in the drinking game he’d played with Shiu. Apparently, Shiu had cheated, and Toji had gone down hard.

Toji didn’t have anything to put over him as he sat beside Sukuna, looking out at the crowd enjoying themselves. A new song had just started over the speakers, and everyone was dancing again.

“Megumi’s there,” Sukuna muttered to Toji, but his eyes couldn’t leave Kobeni. She was bouncing along to the music, even in her long maxi skirt and blouse. The sight should have made him laugh, and maybe it did, internally but before he could respond, Toji spoke.

“And? What do you want me to do? Hug him and ask how he’s doing?” Toji asked, his tone sharp, sour.

Sukuna exhaled through his nose, annoyed.

“Fucking idiot,” he muttered under his breath.

Toji scoffed. “At least I’m not an asshole.”

Sukuna shot him a look, cold and measuring, but Toji only smirked.

“Yuji’s there too,” Toji added, a teasing glint in his eye. “Along with your cutie girlfriend.”

Sukuna snickered, nostrils flaring in irritation. “No fucking way. How many times do I have to tell you? She’s not my girlfriend,” he said, frowning, yet his gaze still lingered on Kobeni.

Toji laughed, unfazed. “Eyes never lie, chico. If she’s not your girlfriend… then I’m pretty sure you’ve got a crush on her.”

Sukuna’s jaw tightened. “Hell no. We’re in college now—who even has crushes at this age?”

“Keep denying it,” Toji replied, shrugging, then stood up. “But your relationship with your brother? Fix it before it’s too late.”

Before leaving, Toji cast one last look at Sukuna. That man… Sukuna had known him since high school, but even now, he felt there was so much about Toji he didn’t know.

Sukuna exhaled deeply, then pushed himself up. He quickly left to go home...

The Loser’s Club was on their way home after one of their so-called study sessions. In reality, it had been about 10% studying, 30% laughing and joking around, and 60% eating food.

Not a single piece of schoolwork had actually been finished.

Even so, the four of them walked together as they made their way out of campus, their steps slow and relaxed after the long afternoon.

“I’m tireddd,” Nobara groaned, stretching her arms above her head dramatically.

Beside her was Yuji, nodding in agreement. One of his arms was slung comfortably around Nobara’s shoulders, while the other rested around Kobeni’s.

“I’m stuffed too,” Yuji said.

Kobeni laughed softly beside him. She then turned toward Megumi, who was walking quietly as usual with a serious expression on his face. Kobeni slipped an arm around his shoulders.

“Did you have fun, Gumi-chan?” Kobeni asked.

Just like that, everyone’s attention shifted to Megumi. Yuji and Nobara both turned to look at him as well.

Megumi frowned slightly when he noticed the three of them staring at him.

“It was… alright,” Megumi replied, before quickly looking away from Kobeni, Yuji, and Nobara.

“Yeah, right,” Kobeni laughed. “You were laughing so much whenever Yuji and I kept dying in the game.”

“I was laughing because you guys were funny,” Megumi replied, crossing his arms.

“You were laughing because you were having fun with us,” Nobara shot back.

“I second the motion. I even have another picture of you smiling, Gumi-chan,” Yuji said as he pulled out his phone and started scrolling through it.

“First of all, I’m not happy. Second, stop taking pictures of me,” Megumi said flatly before flicking each of them on the head—Kobeni, Yuji, and Nobara—one by one.

“What the heck?!” Nobara protested.

“Ouchie,” Kobeni and Yuji said at the same time.

“Hurry up. It’s getting late. We’ll end up stuck here in the dark,” Megumi told the three of them.

Nobara only rolled her eyes, while the Yu&Ko duo obediently followed Megumi. Soon they returned to their usual walking formation.

Together, they looked like a group of penguins waddling down the road.

It was in that exact moment that Satoru Gojo spotted them. He had just finished buying alcohol with Takuma.

“My shaylasssss!” Satoru suddenly shouted before running over and wrapping all four of them in a dramatic hug.

The four of them jumped in surprise. None of them had any idea where Satoru had come from, he had a habit of appearing out of nowhere.

“Meee toooo! Let me join the group hug!” Takuma chimed in as he hurried over.

Kobeni immediately remembered him. She had seen Takuma before—during the time she and Yuji were singing together on the school grounds. Takuma had looked like he wanted to join their dancing, but a tall blond man who already looked exhausted by everything had been holding him back.

Later on, Takuma had introduced himself to them. They ended up chatting for a while together with Choso.

“Satoru-san! Taku-san!” Kobeni called out as she returned their hug. Yuji did the same, wrapping his arms around them warmly.

Nobara, on the other hand, was already trying to pull herself free from the sudden group hug, while Megumi looked like he was fighting for his life. Gojo’s arms were wrapped around him so tightly that he was practically being strangled.

“For fuck’s sake, let us go!” Megumi said loudly.

Only then did they notice that Megumi was actually running out of air. They quickly loosened their hold and stepped away from each other.

Nobara took a deep breath of relief and moved a little away from the group. Megumi, meanwhile, was still catching his breath, shooting a dark glare at Satoru who was now pretending like he had done absolutely nothing wrong.

“Hehe, sorry,” Satoru said. “Sorry for the disturbance,” he added casually.

“As you should be!” Nobara and Megumi said at the same time, clearly annoyed.

“Hehe. To make it up to you, I’m inviting you all to a party,” Satoru announced.

That immediately caught the attention of the Loser’s Club—everyone except Megumi, who had zero interest in frat parties.

“A party?” Kobeni asked Takuma, who was standing beside her with his arm hooked around hers.

Takuma nodded enthusiastically. “Yup! It’s fun there. We can dance and sing.”

At Takuma’s words, Kobeni’s, Yuji’s, and Nobara’s eyes instantly lit up.

“LET’S GO!” Nobara shouted.

“Alright, let’s go!” Satoru said happily.

“If you guys want to go, then go. But count me out,” Megumi said, already turning to leave.

Before he could take another step, Satoru grabbed him and pulled him back.

“You’re going too,” Satoru declared.

“Fuck let go of me, Gojo,” Megumi snapped.

“I’m hurt. What happened to calling me Satoru?” Gojo said dramatically. “Anyway, it’s not like you’ll run into your brother there. He’s probably already drunk.”

“I still don’t want to go,” Megumi said firmly.

“Please, let’s gooo, Gumi-chan. We might even recruit new members there,” Kobeni pleaded.

“Yeah! This is a rare chance, Gumi-chan. Come with us,” Yuji begged as well, giving Megumi exaggerated puppy eyes.

Nobara rolled her eyes, but eventually joined in the pleading too.

“Please, let’s go together. Don’t be such a killjoy,” Nobara said.

Then Takuma joined them as well, making the same puppy-eye expression as he stood beside Kobeni, Yuji, and Nobara while begging Megumi.

Megumi let out a long sigh. He looked at Satoru, silently asking for help—but the traitor was also giving him puppy eyes.

Megumi seriously wanted to curse at that sight.

He had been tricked by his own friends again.

Ryomen Sukuna was in a bad mood tonight. No scratch that. He had been in a bad mood the entire week. Even though there was a frat party going on, he had no interest in joining the more active and extroverted members who were busy drinking, dancing, making out, or disappearing with someone for sex. He simply wasn’t in the mood for any of it. Instead, he sat quietly with the more reserved members—Nanami and Higuruma—who had only shown up because attendance was required whenever their frat held a party. The two of them had come mostly to unwind as well, casually drinking the alcohol that Sukuna himself had bought.Sukuna scoffed.

Nanami and Hiromi both glanced at him because of that.

“What the hell happened to you?” Nanami asked.

“Nothing,” Sukuna replied shortly, his gaze drifting somewhere into the distance.

And it was true, nothing had technically happened to him but then why did he feel so restless? His problem had started because of that weird friend of Yuji’s… his youngest brother. Just to avoid seeing her, he had skipped school for an entire week because of that girl and because he hadn’t shown up for a week, his siblings started asking questions about why he had been missing from school especially Yuji.

“Why aren’t you going to school anymore?” Yuji asked, standing with his hands on his hips. He was looking at Sukuna, who was lying on his bed, shirtless after just finishing a shower. Yuji’s face was full of concern.

“It’s none of your goddamn business,” Sukuna replied.

Yuji pouted and frowned, crossing his arms.

“It is! I’m worried about you. About your grades, and especially your well-being,” Yuji said before sitting down on Sukuna’s bed.

Sukuna groaned and turned his back to his brother.

“Leave me the fuck alone. Stop bothering me,” Sukuna muttered.

Yuji sighed sadly.

“Fine… if that’s what you want. I’ll leave you alone. I won’t bother you anymore,” Yuji said quietly.

Then he stood up and left, gently closing Sukuna’s bedroom door behind him.

Sukuna’s mood only worsened.

Now he had another problem weighing on his mind. Whenever things turned out like this, more often than not because he was the one picking fights with his brothers. He couldn’t help but feel a small pang of guilt.

But his asshole tendencies still won over.

He ignored his siblings and distanced himself from them even more. Instead of going home, he spent his time at the frat house or at Mei Mei’s condo, wasting hours there… screwing around with her.

Sukuna felt a sharp pang in his head as memories of his problems washed over him. He drained the rest of his drink in one go before standing up. Nanami and Higuruma just exchanged glances.

“He’s unusually quiet now,” Nanami murmured.

“For real… feels like he’s not even Sukuna,” Higuruma added, watching Sukuna’s retreating back.

As Sukuna walked, searching for a quieter corner, he caught sight of some of his frat brothers.

Satoru and Shoko were together. Satoru had two girls draped over him, arms entwined, while Shoko held a cigarette and a beer, laughing and chatting away. It was strange. Suguru wasn’t there. Normally, the trio—Satoru, Suguru, and Shoko—were inseparable, constantly together. But Sukuna soon spotted Suguru a short distance away. Suguru was carrying a sleeping woman, he looks stressed while looking at the girl, that girl feels familiar though Sukuna couldn’t place where he had seen her before. Suguru moved upstairs.

Toji and Shiu were in the middle of a drinking contest. From Sukuna’s perspective, they looked absolutely ridiculous, surrounded by cheering girls who were placing bets on who would win. A few steps away, he spotted Takuma on the dance floor. Takuma was confidently leading the crowd, while awkward-looking Ijichi trailed beside him, clearly pulled along by Takuma. Kusakabe shook his head and started moving away from the dance floor, heading back to where he had been sitting earlier with Nanami and Hiromi. He slumped into his usual spot.

Sukuna’s gaze then fell on his brother, Choso. As expected, Choso was accompanied by Yuki—his girlfriend—and Utahime. Sukuna frowned. It was unusual for both his brother’s girlfriend and Utahime to actually participate in the frat party. Somehow, it seems believable that the three of them—Yuki, Shoko, and Utahime—were planning to leave the sorority. He dodn't see them anymore at the sorority house.

Sukuna didn’t bother himself with that; he already had too many things on his mind and didn’t want any extra distractions.

He exhaled slowly and made his way upstairs. Along the way, he passed Suguru, who was talking to Mei Mei. The moment Mei Mei noticed him, she waved cheerfully in his direction, while Suguru just offered a small, calm smile at Sukuna.

“I’ll go ahead. I still need to get water for Himari,” Suguru said to both Sukuna and Mei Mei.

“Okay, Sugu, take care,” Mei Mei replied in her sweet, lilting voice, while Sukuna remained silent, watching Suguru pass.

After Suguru left, Mei Mei gradually approached him.

“What are you doing here, handsome?” she asked, her voice teasing, as she draped her arm over Sukuna’s shoulder and leaned close to hug the side of his neck.

“I just want to” Sukuna muttered, trying to push her hand away, but she only tightened her grip.

“Hey, wasn’t the party enough to get your mind off things? Or do you want me to… distract you instead?” Mei Mei said, her tone dripping with suggestiveness.

Sukuna grumbled under his breath. Mei Mei laughed lightly, then pulled away, guiding him toward an empty room for more privacy.

“Leave me alone, Mei Mei. I don’t want to deal with anyone right now,” Sukuna said, sinking onto the bed.

Mei Mei raised an eyebrow, sitting down beside him.

“Why? Is it your brother you’re thinking about… or is it still that girl on your mind?” she asked, tilting her head, eyes fixed on him.

Sukuna stood up, raising an eyebrow at Mei Mei.

“Oh please,” he said, voice low and sharp. “I’m not thinking about any problems. I’m just in a bad mood, and it has nothing to do with either of the ‘reasons’ you just mentioned.”

Mei Mei frowned, her patience thinning.

“Keep denying it to yourself,” she spat. “Do you think I don’t notice? Even though we’re fucking, your focused isn't on me. You’re distracted by that annoying girl, and yeah,it pisses me off because you let yourself get distracted by something meaningless!”

Sukuna suddenly grips her neck tightly, his eyes locking onto hers.

“Stop talking like you know me,” he snapped, his voice low and dangerous. “We’re just… fucking. I’m just one of your toys, and you’re one of mine. That’s it, stop right there and don’t cross the line. I’ve been polite to you because you’re a ‘respectable person’ on campus.”

The room went dark with the weight of his words, silence stretching between them, heavy and tense.

Mei Mei just grinned, leaning closer.

“Oh, baby, I know every inch of you. I’ve even tasted it,” she purred, pressing her hand against Sukuna’s as he tightened his hold around her.

“Do you want me to destroy that bitch?” she teased, a wicked smirk on her lips.

“Do you want me to destroy you instead?” Sukuna shot back, his grin challenging, eyes burning with seriousness, he wasn’t joking. He tightened his grip on her, making her laugh despite herself.

“See? That’s what I’m talking about. You care about that girl,” Mei Mei said, still smirking.

“Stop being delusional,” Sukuna snapped, his voice low and dangerous. “I just don’t want my brother dragged into one of your schemes”

That’s the reason, isn’t it? He didn’t want Yuji to get hurt too. In a situation like that, whenever someone messed with Yuji’s weird friend, Yuji would be affected as well.

He couldn’t stand seeing his brother sad or get hurt. Because for the first time, even though he was beyond irritated (for reasons he couldn’t fully explain) at Yuji’s strange friend, he refused to let anything bad happen to her or to them.

“Stop meddling in my business,” Sukuna said sharply. “I know there are other guys messing around with you—focus on them.”

Then he released Mei Mei and walked away immediately, his mood darkening even more.

Mei Mei was left behind, smirking, completely unbothered by Sukuna’s grip on her earlier. She pulled out her phone and called Satoru.

“Hey, Tōru,” she said sweetly, “isn’t Kobeni coming? I can’t seem to find her, but I know you’ll invite the TLC because you like them… so please, make sure they get invited.”

“Yup, thank you for reminding me to invite my children” Satoru replied.

“You're welcome, anyway you know those kids—the little weirdos. They’re probably just leaving the university now.”

“Oh really? We were about to buy alcohol anyway—Kuna suddenly disappeared, and he’s our supplier now,” Satoru said casually.

“Hmm hmm… okayyy, take care picking them up and buying the alcohol. Bye, lovelots, Tōru!” Mei Mei said, ending the call with a satisfied click.

She couldn’t wait to meet the infamous Kobeni Fujimoto—the girl who had somehow gotten the Beta Psi Kappa boys to like her, especially Satoru. And now, that same girl was distracting Sukuna, her favorite boy.

No one would notice her plan…

And Mei Mei would make sure to succeed.

She smiled to herself.

It wasn’t the first time she had ruined someone’s life. She had done it before to Maia Zenin, A Zenin, and she could do it again to Kobeni Fujimoto, just a normal girl.