My body was aching.

That was basically all I could think about these days.

I'd been at Jujutsu High for nearly two months and every single day aside from the occasional Sunday was spent training physically. It was exhausting.

I had become more proficient in my healing, even going as far as healing Inumaki's bruise a week ago which he got from training with Maki. But my healing took a lot out of me, leaving me tired and my bones sore. My combat skills were definitely improving, but when you're fighting against basically superhumans, it's not the easiest. I could see my body changing day by day, but I tried not to think about it too much. I was barely even used to looking at myself in a mirror.

It was coming to the end of the day and Gojo was concluding his teachings but again, I could hardly listen because all I could think about was the warmest bath possible to relax my muscles. Although, Nobara would probably be there too and she'd shout at me if I had it too hot again. I did like it near enough boiling. My skin had adapted to handle it. I also couldn't get enough of showering. Growing up without ever having one, it was a luxury I never thought I'd be able to indulge in, let alone do it on the regular.

In my haze of fantasizing about relaxation, Gojo called out, "Ayane, Megumi, you're on a mission together this weekend. Nothing too crazy, just a couple of reports of strange happenings in an abandoned warehouse, you know the drill. It is special though, because this will be your first mission, right Ayane?"

My brow twitched on its own, I swear. Gojo had come to realise that Megumi and I had our differences out of everyone that went to Jujutsu High. 'Differences' I suppose was maybe too strong of a word, it was more that Megumi was selectively mute around me since our first interaction nearly two months ago. I tried not to let it get me down, especially when I'd see him interacting or working with other students and getting along with them just swimmingly. But at least he wasn't bullying me, so asking for anything more would probably just be selfish.

"That's right," I smiled, "Let's do our best, Megumi."

"Yep," he stated plainly as he took his books and exited the classroom quickly.

"God damn, I thought you were exaggerating, but I think he truly does hate you," Nobara laughed, leaving the class just slightly behind Megumi. I sighed and put my books into my bag and looked up to see Yuuji and Gojo staring at me with sad eyes.

"I don't think he hates you, Ayane," Yuuji said, "Kugisaki is just dramatic sometimes."

"It's okay, I'm past the need for comfort about it. Can't be liked by everyone, right?" I smiled sadly, shrugging my shoulders. I tried to not admit it but it was getting me down that I had such a good relationship with everyone else in the tight-knit school and Megumi was the only anomaly.

"I'm sure your mission will bring you closer and make you best pals," Gojo laughed, "He's a tough nut to crack, but he's a great guy deep down!"

I nodded, not believing a damn word that man was saying and took my leave, catching up with Nobara and Maki in the hallway.

"Tough nut to crack?" I said incredulously, out of earshot of Gojo, "Try drawing blood from a stone."

Maki laughed and patted me on the head affectionately, something she'd do to me often, "You'll be fine, don't worry. Fushiguro can't resist a damsel in distress so make sure you really milk it if you get hurt."

"Don't make that a premonition!" I rolled my eyes.

Nobara giggled and linked arms in the middle of both of us, "Come on, I want to go shopping for this shitty summer ball."

We headed out to the shopping district of the city, neon lights and fashion models galore. No matter how many times I'd come out to Tokyo with the girls, I could never get used to the fast paced and futuristic atmosphere it held. Our time was spent going into boutique after boutique after boba shop then to another boutique. Maki had made her findings and Nobara had most of her look coordinated but I was struggling to find anything.

"Right, try these ones on," Maki insisted, handing me a pile of long dresses as she and Nobara sat comfortably on the changing room chairs, boba cup in hand. I nodded and made my way into the cubicle.

"I truly don't know anything about style or whatever," I said through the curtain of the changing room.

"We know," They said in unison.

"Ouch! Forgive me for not being the pinnacle of fashion, I was too busy trying to survive for sixteen years."

They both laughed, Nobara asked casually whilst swirling her drink and looking down at her phone, "That reminds me, Ayane, when is your birthday?"

"It's in August."

"Oh, are you a Virgo August or a Leo August?" Maki asked.

"Why did you say the Leo one with such disgust?" I asked, almost insecure.

"Definitely a Leo reaction," Maki nodded, eyes glued to the complementary magazine she was flipping through.

"Oi, don't diss August Leo's, thank you very much," Nobara sighed, "What are we doing for it? We can do a joined thing. Mine is on the 7th."

I smiled at the conversation. I had almost gotten used to having such casual conversation over the past few months, but sometimes it took me a minute to get to grips with the fact that I was actually in a position to be able to talk about things as menial as birthdays and summer balls. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

"I've never actually done anything for my birthday before. What kind of things do you do?" I asked, still in the middle of getting changed.

Unbeknownst to me, Maki and Nobara shared a look outside of the curtain, "Don't worry, Ayane. We'll figure out something special to do, okay?"

"Okay, sounds cool," I said, excited to see what they came up with, "How's this one looking?" I asked, exiting the changing room.

I wasn't expecting them to have the reactions they had. For the past two hours, they had been pretty underwhelming, but it seemed this particular dress had hit the spot. It was light blue and flowy, complimenting my skin colour. Not too extra or frilly, and with just the right amount of cleavage, according to the girls. I had never pictured myself in such an outfit before, but it made me feel a different emotion than I ever had, something I couldn't quite put into words.

"You look HOT!" Nobara shouted, leaving the cashier and some customers turning around to look. I became very quickly embarrassed.

"I don't know about that, but I do think it's nice?" I said unsure.

"It's the one. Job done. Let's go, I'm beat," Maki sighed, pushing me back into the changing room unceremoniously and picking up her drink to start heading out.

I took the opportunity alone to take a look at myself in the mirror, just one last time, soaking in whatever feeling it was that I was feeling.

I am hot.

We made our final purchases and headed back to the dorms.

"It's unfair how good you looked in that, actually," Nobara directed to me, "I feel like we should mess up your hair or something to make it even."

I just laughed, "I feel like if I do my own hair then that probably will happen."

"You've been doing well with your hair recently!" she complimented, "Don't think I didn't clock your fishtail braid the other day."

"Don't listen to her," Maki said, "She just wants to be on her A-game for any potential suitors and she doesn't want any competition."

"Oi! That's so untrue! Like I'd ever get a potential suitor from that other damn school. Options for sorcerers are very limited."

"Other school?" I questioned.

"Oh, did no one tell you? There's another Jujutsu Tech, they'll be coming to the ball as well," Maki explained.

"I see...Have you ever thought about Yuuji or Megumi as suitors, Nobara?" I asked innocently which resulted in her spitting out the remnants of the boba she was drinking onto the street, leaving Maki in hysterics.

"You are surely joking, right?" she asked as if it was the most ridiculous thing in the world.

"Is that crazy? Am I wrong?"

"Sweet, sweet Ayane," Maki said, wiping her tears, "Maybe they'd be suitable for you, but I think Nobara wants something different."

I didn't really understand what she was getting at, "What's wrong with those two? They are both handsome and..."

"They are BOYS!" Nobara shouted, "Mere children who can barely tie their shoelaces."

"I mean, I feel like that's not true. Yuuji is stupidly strong and Megumi is, well..."

They both looked at me as if to continue, but I couldn't quite find the words to describe him.

"I'm not sure what Megumi is."

Laughing hysterically, they pounded me on the back as I smiled at their antics.

"To me it's kind of sounding like you want to get with Yuuji," Maki smirked, "Childhood lovers and all that?"

I shook my head quickly, "No, not at all. He's super nice and stuff but, I guess I just haven't thought of him that way."

Maki nodded in understanding whilst Nobara feigned puking behind her, "Well, Megumi is a pretty nice guy as well, what about him?"

"You are joking, right? Mr. Can't Even Look Me In The Eyes?"

"It's probably 'cause he likes you," Maki remarked, finishing off her drink and tossing it in the recycling bin.

"Don't be ridiculous," I scoffed, "He wouldn't touch me with a ten foot barge pole."

"Maybe that could be the case!" Nobara shouted, a bit too loudly for my liking, "I mean, he is a bit anti-social, but never that anti-social! And what's there not to like about Ayane?" she directed to Maki, "Right? I mean, she's beautiful, smart, powerful, a chosen one?"

"Do you want to go out with Ayane, Nobara?" Maki laughed.

"You know what I mean, though!" she replied to Maki, ruffling my hair.

"Please don't call me a chosen one," I laughed.

"Being humble will not get you anywhere!" she proclaimed loudly as we got to the steps of the school, "In fact, I think you should embrace your inner power more, miss Phoenix!"

I cringed at the nickname. It was what people kept calling me when we found out the true nature of my inherited technique. I hated it.

"That's even worse than saying 'the chosen one'."

"Nah, it's fucking cool," said Maki, "Nobara's right. I mean, about the embracing it part. Not the humble part."

"I'll take that on board," I sighed, finishing my ascension up the stupid amount of steps.

"What was it that Megumi even said to you originally for you to feel like he hates you?" Nobara asks.

"He basically said I'll never last here and essentially that I should go do something else," to which they both cocked their heads at me, "What?"

"He's always saying stuff like that," Nobara sighed, "He has this thing about good people and bad people. All moral and shit."

I looked at her, slightly confused, "What does that have to do with what he said?"

"She means that he probably saw you as a good person and he doesn't like to see 'good people' so-to-speak to become sorcerers."

"Oh," I said thoughtfully, taking in the new perspective, "And that means he thinks I'm a good person?"

"I think he probably thinks you deserve a better life than this."

My brows furrowed as they walked ahead of me, but they stopped when I opened my mouth, "Maybe he doesn't realise because he's not actually bothered to get to know me at all, but this is the best my life has ever been..."

They smiled and pulled me in between them, "Well it's only up from here!" Nobara laughed, "That is until we have to kill people and shit."

---

...oenix, phoenix, phoenix
Huh?
phoenix, phoenix, phoenix
What? Who's there?
Phoenix, Phoenix, Phoenix
Hello?! Wha- HELP!
PHOENIX PHOENIX PHOENIX

I woke up clutching my chest, feverishly looking around my bedroom.

My heart was pounding. My mind racing. Tears streaming down my cheeks.

I pressed both palms to my face to try and cool myself down and looked over at my clock to see the time.

03:03

Fucking hell.

I let myself breathe for a moment, desperately trying to forget that dream. I was tied up, blinded and all I could feel was hot breath down my neck, chanting at me. My hands and feet were bound, I was incapacitated. Terrifying.

I shook my head of the thoughts and stood up, getting a feel for my surroundings.

"You're here. You're okay. You're present."

That is something I would always say to myself when I woke up from nightmares, a common occurrence really. But none of them were usually like that.

I decided I was going to grab some water from the kitchen, so I threw on my cardigan over my vest and shorts and put on my slippers as I headed down.

The last thing I was expecting to see was Megumi to be sitting on the couch, staring into space. He was so out of it he didn't even hear me coming and I didn't want to give him a fright either.

"Megumi?" I asked, instantly knocking him out of his daze.

"Hm? Yeah?"

"What are you doing up at this time?" I asked, genuinely curious.

He just shrugged his shoulders and stared ahead again, no sign of moving. I decided to grab my water and sit on the couch beside him, looking into the illuminated fish tank.

"You've really been taking care of that," he stated, looking at the tank with me.

I tried to hide my shock at him actually talking to me and showing some sort of interest, "O-oh, yeah. I like fish."

Really? That's the best you can come up with?

"I can see that," he said, "They looked like they were dying before. You came and saved them."

"I wouldn't go that far," I said shyly, "Fish can adapt to survive really well. Although I do admit, I was a bit scared for them at first."

I took my eyes off the tank to look at Megumi, who, to my shock, was smiling.

"I'm sorry, Ayane."

Huh?

"What?"

"I'm sorry. I've not treated you fairly."

Introspection from none other than thee Megumi Fushiguro at three in the morning? Was I still sleeping?

"U-uh, it's okay. You don't have to apologise. You've treated me just fine."

"No, I haven't."

Okay, so I guess he doesn't back down. Good to know.

"I was too harsh the first night we met. I had just came back from a mission where one of the sorcerers lost their lives. I was being negative about everything."

My eyes softened at his admission, "Oh, I'm so sorry, Megumi. I never knew."

He shook his head as if to say it didn't matter, "Don't be. Happens all the time. It's just hard when there's a new face who doesn't know that truth yet."

I nodded in understanding, "I see. Well, I'm sorry as well then." He looked at me and for the first time, I got a good stare into his striking blue eyes, complimented by the LED lights of the fish tank. I looked away and tried not to blush, clutching my bracelet for comfort, "I'm sorry for saying you had to learn kindness. You are a kind person, aren't you Megumi? That's why you tried to ward me away?"

He moved his gaze back to the fish tank and I saw him nod in my peripheral.

"Do you think they are happy?"

"Hm?"

"The fish, do you think they are happy, Ayane?"

The way he said my name made me feel hopeful. He hadn't said it before.

"What I mean is do you think they are happy because all they know and all they have ever known is that tank? They probably wont come into any major conflict, war, anything like that. They are blissfully unaware. Do you think they are satisfied?"

I could see what he was trying to get at, he was basically asking the age old question of would you rather know nothing and be blissfully ignorant or know everything but be weighed down by it. But frankly, it was far too late at night for me to be dealing with that level of existentialism.

"I think they would be more satisfied with an air stone, or something."

He laughed.

He actually laughed.

Megumi Fushiguro laughed at my comment.

"Fair enough," he said, "We should probably get them one, if the fish maestro recommends it."

"I prefer the term 'hobbyist'," I smirked and finished off the rest of the water that I originally came in the room for. "We're all good, right? We can work on this mission tomorrow, as a team?"

He smiled, but the smile most definitely held sadness in it. He was probably thinking of his fallen comrade. That's probably the reason he was even awake and reflecting alone at this time.

"Sure, a team."