* * *

Yuuji and Megumi were dating. For real.

But nothing much had really changed between them. For the most part, they acted the same as they were when they were fake dating. Except that they were a lot more open with their affection now than before. 

Yuuji was walking down the hall, when he saw Megumi exit a classroom. His back was turned away from Yuuji.

Maybe I should surprise him? Yuuji thought. "Hehehe," he laughed mischievously. 

While Megumi was still unsuspecting, Yuuji ran up to Megumi and hugged him from behind. Megumi flinched for a second in surprise, but then he realized.

"Guess who?" Yuuji asked. 

"A ghost." Megumi replied sarcastically. But then he smiled. "Of course it's you Yuuji. It wouldn't be anyone else." He said.

"Correct!" Yuuji exclaimed. "And as a reward you get a kiss!" 

He gave Megumi a peck on the cheek. 

"Ugh," someone snickered from across the hall, looking at Megumi and Yuuji. When Yuuji turned to look in their direction, they just looked away, avoiding eye contact.

"That was rude," Yuuji commented. "It was just a kiss on the cheek, it's not like we started making out in the hallway." 

But Megumi looked down. "I think no matter what we do, people will be disgusted that we're together. As long as I'm with you, everyone is going to think that we're cursed." 

Yuuji saw that Megumi had a pained expression on his face. He got worried.

And then Megumi shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I don't care. As long as we have each other, everything will be okay." He smiled at Yuuji.

But Yuuji could still see the pain behind his eyes.

"Let's go." Megumi held Yuuji's hand and they walked down the hallway together.  

Yuuji could tell; that as much as Megumi tried to hide it and say that it was okay, as much as Megumi insisted that this situation was what he asked for, to no longer be treated as special or have to be forced to date his soulmate, Megumi was hurting inside. He knew that Megumi was in pain, being hated by his family and being scorned at by the people around him. 

Megumi was hurting. And it made Yuuji hurt too. 

⤜-------⤛

It was a normal Saturday. Yuuji was in the park, going on a jog to get some exercise. 

Megumi's probably still taking a nap, Yuuji thought. Let's see if I can make it home before he wakes up. 

He continued running, until he noticed a guy giving a speech at a gazebo. He had a microphone and speakers, and was standing on top of a wooden platform. On top of that, he was surrounded by people listening to his every word.

It looked a bit interesting, so Yuuji decided to check out what was going on. He joined in with the crowd and tapped one of them on the shoulder. "Is there some kind of event happening right now?" He asked someone.

They responded. "Here, have a pamphlet. Mariko Fuse is a famous speaker and he's giving a free sample speech in the park as a treat." They handed Yuuji the brochure. 

The brochure read: 

Mariko Fuse

psychic, divinations, and messenger of the goddess

So he's a psychic, huh? Then let's hear what he has to say, Yuuji thought.

Yuuji folded the brochure and put it in his pocket, then he turned towards Mariko Fuse. For a few minutes, he did a microphone check while a few of his people ushered in and controlled the crowd. Then it started. 

"There is nothing in this world that is a coincidence. There is only the inevitable," Mariko began. "And that inevitability exists through soulmates."

Yuuji gulped, wondering where this was going.

"Soulmate couples are the happiest. A literal match made in heaven. Blessed love given to us by the goddess herself, manifesting in the form of marks. Soulmates always have wonderful chemistry, amazing sex, beautiful children, and there is never any fighting, or any cheating! I can go on!" 

Then he pointed at a man in the crowd. "You there, how are your parents?" He asked.

The man responded. "They aren't together anymore." He said sadly.

"Interesting, interesting," Mariko repeated. He held up a crystal and displayed it to the crowd. "I will perform some divination, so you disbelievers can see that I am legit." He clutched the crystal in his hand, and when he unclenched it, it vanished. The crowd gasped.

He turned back towards the man. "Your dad, he cheated on your mom correct? And then he died 10 months ago, correct again?" He asked.

"Yes, that's right," the man confirmed. The crowd gasped again in awe.

"It's because they weren't soulmates!" Mariko yelled

He addressed the crowd. "True love only exists for soulmates. No one else. That's why your father died early. If he was your mom's soulmate, he would've lived as long as her."

People were murmuring in agreement.

"That's why people cheat. If you were soulmates, it wouldn't have happened. That's why people fight. If you were soulmates it wouldn't have happened!" He shouted. 

"Non-soulmate couples must experience the hardships of life, but what can you do? Not everyone is blessed." Mariko said. 

The crowd started mumbling. 

"But non-soulmate couples may still have the potential to still work out unlike...those who decide to commit the taboo."

Yuuji heard unease from the crowd.

"I know I know! It's unheard of isn't it? Who would dare go against the soul mark and commit the taboo? You'd be surprised though, because throughout history, there have been a number of people who have committed the biggest taboo in our world."

The crowd became uneasy, along with Yuuji.

"A number of people, have abandoned their soulmate and pursued someone else. And this has always ended in terrible misfortune....and death."

The crowd went completely silent.

Mariko continued. "An example, the incident of 1313, where a man left his soulmate for another. He lost his land, and his entire fortune. All of his children caught terrible diseases and died during childhood. His soulmate, in grief, hanged themselves because they could not take the loneliness. And then that man died within the same year."

Yuuji got nervous. That's just one incident, he thought. I don't believe it that much.

"Don't believe me?" Mariko asked.

Yuuji flinched. Was he talking to me?

Mariko continued. "The incident of 1466 and 1923 all resorted in diseases and deformations of all children born from these mishappenings. And anyone who has left their soulmate for another has died within two years. If you don't believe me, look at the history books," he directed. 

"They deserve it!" Someone from the crowd yelled. Everyone cheered out.

"That's right, they do deserve it!" Mariko agreed. "Misfortune and death always follows those who go against the soul mark. This is what happens when you go against the blessing created for the happiness of humanity." He declared. 

"Yeah!" Everyone cheered.

Yuuji turned around to leave. He didn't want to hear anymore of this bullshit. He pushed through the crowd.

"This is what will happen to Fushiguro Megumi." Mariko said.

Yuuji stopped.

"You can already see what's happening to him can't you? He's been cursed. His family's been cursed. No one wants to be around him because he's been cursed. Misfortune has already befallen on him, and it will continue to get even worse."

"Mark my words, Fushiguro Megumi's fate will end in tragedy, possibly a tragedy worse than death." He predicted.

"And I've never, once, been wrong." He warned.

But then someone happen to take a glance at Yuuji's face and recognize him. "H-hey," they stuttered, taking a few steps back. "I-it's him isn't it? The guy that Megumi left his soulmate for! G-get him away from me! I don't want to touch him! He's cursed!" The guy near him yelled and moved away from him like Yuuji had some sort of disease.

The people in the crowd also moved away from Yuuji and started yelling. "No I don't want to go near him!" "I don't want to touch him he's cursed!" They caused a commotion. 

Yuuji ran away before something even worse happened. He ran all the way home, to his grandpa's house. 

He hesitated before entering the building. Everything that guy said is bullshit right? There's no way any of that's true. Something like that isn't going to stop me from being with Megumi, he thought.

But then Mariko's words replayed in his mind. Megumi's fate will have a tragedy worse than death.

Yuuji clenched his shirt. There's no way right? There's no way. There's no way, he repeated to himself.

But then he remembered again. Megumi's dad lost the first prize lottery. Megumi was ostracized and hated by society in just a week. His family wouldn't talk to him anymore.

Megumi had lost everything. And it was all because of his relationship with Yuuji.

What if...

Yuuji gulped. Megumi's fate will have a tragedy worse than death.

What if it actually comes true?