left the Zenin family after the abuse and torment he experienced at a young age.

He'd get pushed into a dark room with no escape as low grade spirits attacked him, spirits planted in there by his evil relatives. He was left with a scar across his lip, a reminder of the trauma he endured.

Maki Zenin would go through similar trials since the day she was born, along with her twin. The two were spoken about, ashamed how one had low curse energy and one had none at all.

It was like hell, she thinks now. The way they spoke about her as if she wasn't family at all. The way everyone stared daggers at her and hoped she'd just leave.

So that's what she did.

The drunken Naobito laughed at her face when she said she would leave but then return,

as the next head of the Zenin family.

"Please, as if you can do that! With what power?" The man cackled at the girl who held her ground. Her face never faltered.

She stayed strong,

"I'm going to prove you wrong. Just you wait."

She turns her heel and he calls to her,

"Hm, you know if you do this, Mai will get punished."

"She has nothing to do with this." She locks eyes with him. His smile further widens,

"That's not just it though. Once you leave, we will make your life a living hell you claim it to be." The man says, "Even if you try to rise to the ranks,

We won't let it happen."

"That's not going to stop me from trying."

Who knew they would start away so soon.

-

Haru Hatsumi grumbled to himself after a parent of one of his Kendo's students informed the man he would not attend again. This was large part of suspicion of his hangover behavior.

The man complained as he walked downstairs to his hidden inventory. He was the only one who thought he was fine and still capable of teaching kids.

But this has been the third time a student had to be dismissed because their parents don't think his behavior is suited for them.

As he heads down, he doesn't realize that someone was walking behind him. He then hears the wooden floorboards creak and he turns out,

"Maki Zenin.." He says as he stares at the girl.

"Oh I'm sorry, it's just Maki now right?"

The girl bit her lip.

'Drats, looks like news has spread fast.'

"Your father has told me of the decision you made, and truth to be told, you were better off with them. Even if you can't imbue energy, there's still lots of ways to make yourself useful."

"Shut up." She nearly growls at his conservatism. In a way, he was like his father. It's no wonder since the two have been close buddies for a long time.

"Why are you even here?" He asked and she knew she had to get to business.

"I'm here for a weapon..father always said you make the best curse tools."

Haru rolls his eyes and throws the rag to aside before standing before weapons on display.

"And I'm here to tell you that you can't."

"And why not?" She asked.

"You're no longer Zenin anymore. I only make the best for the noble and elders, or the ones who can give up a big sum of money. But for you? I could never...

Besides, think of the trouble I would get into with your father. You think that's a wise choice?"

"You don't have to tell him." She takes a step back and he still looks hesitant. She then reaches for her pocket and takes out a small bag.

She unwraps it and then reveals golden coins. His eyes then shimmer at the sight.

"Gold...?" He breathes out.

"If you trade it, you can get lots of yen out of it." She notes, "Now I need this. I know you refuse to help but I will be out of your hair if you could just offer me one weapon. It's all I ask..."

He looks at her until his head goes down and sees her pressing the bag of gold further into his palm.

"This money can suffice, I'm sure.."

He thinks of Tamaki right away and the mortgage they had to pay for the house.

Many possible things running in his head until he makes the decision.

He grunts,

"Fine, I'll give you a weapon. But promise me this, stay away from me afterwards. If your dad finds out that I helped, I can get in trouble for all I know. I've been loyal to your family, who has helped me build a life outside of Jujutsu High, and I don't want to jeopardize that..."

"Don't worry. If they find out, you can say I stole it..."

He thinks long and hard before sighing, pushing his leaned body away from the table. He looks at his inventory before plucking the Naginata off the wall.

He looks at it, spinning around the light pole.

He then looks at her,

"Payment first."

She gives it without a second thought before he exchanges the weapon for the money.

"I never want to see your face again, you hear me?"

She nods, looking at her new weapon before taking it away with her.

Who knew she'd bump into that man's son days after.

-

Tamaki remains silent the whole time she tells her story. But after she finishes, she looks at him.

"I'm sorry I'm not the amazing sorcerer you thought I was." She takes out her glasses and look up the sky.

"I can only see the spirits with glasses. I've only been given physical strength compared to curse energy. It's a burden I had since I was a baby, so I'm not exactly gifted as you think I am.."

"Maki.." He calls out to her and doesn't want to stay silent anymore. She glares at him,

"." He utters and she looks with eyes widened from the surprise.

"What?"

He nods, "What you're saying to me now isn't going to change what I think of you. Maki, you are a great sorcerer. Your family is blind to see that."

"But you don't get it. I don't have an innate technique nor do I have its inherited abilities. All I have is raw strength-"

"And so what?" He cocks his head at her, silencing her with that question. "You don't need to have those fancy, inherited power-technique or whatever crap you call it. You already prove you can do so much better. Take me, for instance,

If it weren't for you, my father would've been mourning for me. Sure, he's crappy most of the time but I still love him and I can't imagine what he'd do without me.."

He continues,

"I may not be a sorcerer myself and I don't have to be one to know that you are already far superior than everyone else."

She scoffs at Tamaki and shift her body away,

"You're too kind, Tamaki.." She admits, "But others say another thing."

"And who gives a shit about what they say! Think of yourself, think of the people who want to support you instead of criticizing you....Look at me, Maki."

She's reluctant at first but she decides to be brave and looks into his honey-like eyes. They're so big and pure of innocence. And she can't help but admire them with her own eyes.

"What do you want to do, Maki?"

"I want to spite my family by being head of the Zenin clan." She slightly chuckles at that and so does he, before displaying a bright smile.

"And you will, Maki. I really think you can. Once you become a first year in that school you mentioned, I know you will do great."

She smiles with him. A sensual feeling erupts in her heart, something that makes her have hope and slight joy in a long while.

She looks at him without saying anything but her eyes had questionable features.

"Tamaki..

Why are you so kind to me?"

He looks confused by the question before flashing another innocent smile of his. He nudges her at the shoulder,

"Because you're my friend of course! I mean, yes, you're my savior too but I feel like I can call you a friend too."

"I..agree." She responds with a nod, "Even if you are nerdy about all the conspiracies and video games of yours, I see you close to me too."

He laughs at the joke at the end but his attention shifts when the gray sky starts to make rumbling noises, a lightning bolt from afar is seen from afar.

He gets up from his bench,

"I think we should head back, Maki."

"What? But your dad said I can't be seen by him! I can't go back to your place.."

"He said he can't see you, but I still can~" He points out and Maki sort of looks at him blankly, before realizing the hole in their agreement.

"You definitely got a point."

--

Tamaki refused to put her in the garage. It was going to be chilly and as they walked back, the rain began to pour cats and dogs.

He quickly took up a ladder near the garage before plopping it against the wall, urging Maki to climb into the window to his bedroom.

She does so and he follows behind. He almost finds it funny that his dad still had no idea he was gone the whole time.

Loud music plays in his room as a distraction the whole time, so his dad probably thought he was trying to calm down up there.

"The old man had no idea you left your stuff and your weapon in my room, so he won't find anything suspicious."

Later on,

Tamaki would go downstairs and see his dad eat by himself. He had made them spaghetti and Tamaki goes and grabs a bowl and put as much as he can in it.

"Tamaki, are you okay now?" His dad asked while his son's back was turned. He was reaching for the parmesan at the cabinet before looking his way.

"Yeah, dad. I'm fine now." He lied. "But, I just want to be alone for tonight. Is that okay?"

His dad had a little hope to see that his son had calm down,

"Y-Yeah, of course.."

Tamaki nods at him, going up the stairs and closing the door behind him.

He goes over to Maki and hands her the bowl,

"Here. You must be hungry, considering you didn't get to have breakfast."

They stayed in the room all day with the music playing in the background to lessen suspicion of the dad. He stayed downstairs, where his bedroom was.

Tamaki quietly spoke to Maki and tried to kill time during their "quarantine" moment. Maki and him found themselves laying together, looking up at the ceiling.

They were playing a series of twenty questions.

"Okay, what if there was a zombie apocalypse, and you can only bring three things, what would it be?

Maki ponders,

"Hm, well I'll definitely my trusty spear." She says looking at it with a quick glance,

"Perhaps, a map...and I don't know a medical kit?"

"What about you?"She asked and Tamaki gives a cocky smile,

"Easy! A canteen, a knife and a backpack for the things I find on the way!"

"A canteen?" She asked.

"Yeah, to drink water of course."

"Oh right." She facepalms herself. "I forgot the part where we have to eat or drink to survive."

He laughs that that.

The two continue their ongoing game before watching some more conspiracies before the night ended. Maki felt safe around Tamaki but she was definitely worried if the dad will catch up to his secret.

Though, fortunately, they've been lucky.

Tamaki was exploring the mess inside his closet while Maki dressed into her pajamas now that his back was turned.

Once she finished, she noticed he was trying to reach for his sleeping bag above the racket of clothes.

"What are you doing?" Maki asked and he looks at her,

"Oh since I'm letting you sleep in the bed, I'm going to sleep on the bag for tonight."

"That won't be necessary." She says with narrow eyes,

"You're sleeping on the bed with me tonight."

"W-What?!" His face turns pink by her statement. "B-But.."

"Oh, don't be like that!"

"How could I not?!" He asked with a frantic voice. "I-Isn't it a bit weird to you?"

She shakes her head nonchalantly,

"Of course not. The bed is big enough for the both of us, right?"

"Right.." He says a bit hesitance. She rolls his eyes at him and flops down to the bed. She pats the empty side next to her.

"Come on." She insists and he looks at the spot before sitting right next to her. When h took the seat, it actually wasn't as bad as first.

To be honest, he would've been so cold sleeping on a single sleeping bag. It was pouring and the chill spread across the room. He had to cover it up with the blankets on his bed.

Maki settles her glasses down to the side and turns to Tamaki, looking at him without the glass covering her eyes.

"See, this isn't so bad, huh?"

"Y-Yeah, I guess not." He chuckles nervously as the two then looked at each other quietly.

She smiles,

"Goodnight, tomato face."

"H-Hey!"

She turns her body to look up. Her eyes start to close. He does the same and let sleep consume him.

The two fell asleep to the sound of rain crashing down, with many droplets hitting the window on the side of Tamaki. Suki sleeps between their legs as Maki and Tamaki find themselves leaning closer, inwardly.

Their foreheads bumping each other and hands rested right next to each other.