* * *

"Did you hear? Megumi got kicked out of his house because he's cursed!"

"Yeah, his dad and his sister won't talk to him. His own family doesn't want to be near him anymore."

"I heard from Himari that Megumi's dad used to always win the first prize of the lottery but now that Megumi's cursed, their family luck is fading away, so now he's disowned!"

"I really hope that I don't have to talk to Megumi and Yuuji today."

Yuuji walked down the hallway, listening to people talk shit about him and Megumi again. The rumors got even worse, despite Yuuta telling them off a while ago. 

He tried saying something again to try and stop them, but nobody would listen or talk to him. In fact nobody would even go near him.

Because he was now cursed, along with Megumi. At least in their eyes. 

Everyone would avoid Megumi and Yuuji in class, after school, and at lunch. Even the teacher's stopped giving Megumi special treatment and tried to avoid him as much as possible. At this rate, Megumi would get voted off the student council next semester, but in fairness it didn't matter to him since he was forced into it in the first place. 

"It's actually kind of funny," Megumi told him at lunch. "They're all acting like we don't exist. They don't even want to go near us in fear that they might get cursed. It's almost like we have a disease." He laughed.

"Are you really okay with this?" Yuuji asked him, concerned. Yuuji didn't really care that it was happening to him, but he was more worried about Megumi, who went from being school's golden boy to having all status stripped away from him at the drop of the hat. 

"It's fine, I'm not too bothered by it. Since they act like we don't exist, it kind of feels like me and you are the only two people in the world," he joked. "I was tired of people treating me like I was special. I don't care about the other people. I only need you by my side." 

Yuuji blushed hearing those words. I only need you by my side.

"Well, then if you're okay then it's okay with me too!" He proclaimed. "It's you and me against the world." 

Yuuji punched the air in front of him with his fist to show that he would fight the world for Megumi.

Megumi smiled. "Yeah," he agreed. 

"It's you and me against the world."

⤜-------⤛

There was an upside to the situation too. Megumi and Yuuji spent all their time together, just the two of them. They kept hanging out at lunch and after school, although they couldn't go to fancy restaurants anymore because Megumi's allowance was cut off. 

But even if it was sad that they were ostracized by society, they had each other. 

Megumi and Yuuji were sitting on the couch together in Yuuji's grandpa's house after they had eaten dinner. Yuuji cooked a full hot pot meal for them, and then they ate until they were stuffed, which was rare for Megumi since he didn't have much of an appetite. After eating, Yuuji's grandpa went straight to sleep. 

While Megumi was flipping through channels on the television, Yuuji was looking through the cupboards. And then he found something.

"Hey, guess what!" Yuuji said mischievously.

Megumi looked at him skeptically. "What is it? Are you stealing from your grandpa?" He asked.

"What? No!" Yuuji said, offended that he got accused of such a thing.

 Megumi raised an eyebrow.

"...Maybe," Yuuji admitted.

"Then put it back." Megumi ordered him. 

"It'll be fine!" Yuuji assured him. "Grandpa has a bunch of beer. I'll just pay him back later. But I really want to try it!"

"Yuuji we're minors." Megumi reminded him. "We can't drink yet."

"Pleaseee!" Yuuji insisted. "Just one beer, come on. You have to try it!"

"No." Megumi refused again.

Yuuji just scoffed. "What, is Mr. goody-two-shoes afraid of some alcohol? Still trying to be a model citizen even though everyone is treating us like shit?" He egged him on. "Come on, no one will care. Just have one sip!"

Megumi got up and snatched a beer from Yuuji. "Fine," he gave in. "But only one!"

⤜-------⤛

It was around 1:00 AM in the morning.

Yuuji and Megumi ended up getting carried away and drinking all the beer Yuuji's grandpa had in the cupboard. 

"That beer..." Megumi hiccupped "...tastes so nasty. I hate beer." Megumi said in a sleepy voice. He took another sip.

Yuuji was sitting beside him on the couch while Megumi was trying to stay awake and sober.

He touched Megumi's forehead. It was warm. Megumi's face was flushed pink. Yuuji was feeling a little dizzy but he was alert for the most part. Megumi, however, got drunk after 3 beers. 

"You really have low alcohol tolerance Megumi." Yuuji observed.

"Shut...shut up..." Megumi's words were slurred. "I've never drunk alcohol before. Unlike you. You're basically an alcoholic!" He hiccupped again. 

Yuuji just sighed, "yeah, yeah, let's get you to bed Megumi. I'll bring you-"

"No!" Megumi interrupted him. He grabbed Yuuji's arm before he could get up, forcing Yuuji to stay on the couch with him. "I want you to stay here with me. Don't leave me Yuuji."

Yuuji just rolled his eyes. So Megumi was the clingy type when he was drunk. But it was actually pretty cute. 

"I won't leave you," Yuuji assured. "I'm just getting up to go get a blanket-"

Megumi interrupted again. "If you get up it means you're leaving me!" He declared unreasonably. "Even if everyone in my life leaves me I don't care. Fuck all of them, they don't even really like me." Tears started welling in Megumi's eyes. 

"But I don't want you to leave me. You can't leave me!" He yelled. 

Yuuji was shocked at Megumi's declaration. So he really was affected a lot by what was happening to him, he was just hiding it this whole time. Megumi just hiccupped again.

Yuuji stayed on the couch. "Okay, I won't leave you," he promised. "We can stay right here, just like this." 

Megumi scooted closer. And then unexpectedly, he sat on Yuuji's lap and wrapped his arms around him. 

Yuuji got flustered, "Uhh, Megumi, what are you doing- mmpphh-"

Megumi cut Yuuji off by kissing him on the lips.

Yuuji blushed a bright red. "Wha-why? Uhh!?" He didn't know to respond. 

Megumi just leaned in and kissed him again, and again. But it was more like Megumi was moving his tongue and his mouth against Yuuji's while Yuuji didn't have any clue what do to. 

Then Megumi pulled away from the kiss and tugged at Yuuji's shirt. "Take it off," he ordered. 

But then Yuuji got over his embarrassment and was able to respond properly. He shook his head, "I can't do that Megumi." He refused.

Megumi pouted, "Why not? You don't like me?"

It tugged at Yuuji's heartstrings because of how cute Megumi looked in that moment. But he still shook his head. "You're drunk. I don't want to do anything with you while you're not sober."

"But I'm giving you my consent. See look-" Megumi was about to take off his own shirt but Yuuji stopped him.

"It's not consent if you're drunk." Yuuji picked Megumi up off of his lap and laid him down on the couch, so that his head was resting on a pillow. 

Then Megumi smiled. "You really are a good guy." He hiccupped. "I always knew it. It's why I trust you so much. You're the only one for me, Yuuji." 

He got up again and sat beside Yuuji, leaning sideways on the couch and resting his head against Yuuji's arm. His breath smelled like alcohol and cherries. 

He's really really cute, Yuuji thought. I really am in love with him. I like him so much. I want him to be mine for real.

"But can we really be together? Since I'm not your soulmate?" Yuuji said out loud. Drunk Megumi looked up at him and he hiccupped again.

Yuuji ran his fingers through Megumi's raven hair, admiring how soft and nice it felt against his skin. 

Then he leaned down, brought his mouth to Megumi's ear and whispered, "I'm in love with you." He confessed. "But I don't know if I should tell you. I don't even know if you like me back."

He looked over to see Megumi's reaction. But Megumi's eyes were already closed. And then he started to snore. He was asleep now.

Yuuji just sighed. 

If only I was your soulmate instead. Yuuji thought. 

And then he closed his eyes, and tried falling asleep too.