The same sidewalk. The same time. The same girl.

Megumi didn’t mean to make it a routine—he wasn’t the type to “plan around a stranger,” as Gojo smugly accused him of once—but the universe seemed determined to place her on the street corner every afternoon at 5:13 PM. And his shikigami—his shikigami—seemed determined to drag him toward her like badly trained sled dogs.

Today was no different. They trotted ahead happily, tails up, ears perked, acting like they hadn’t been summoned from shadow two minutes ago. To the average civilian, they just looked like absurdly large, absurdly well-trained pets.

Megumi tugged lightly at their leashes, jaw tight. “Stop pulling,” he muttered, voice flat as pavement. They ignored him. As usual.

And then he saw her.

She stood at the bus stop, earbuds in, swaying a little to whatever song she was listening to. When she spotted the dogs—his dogs—her whole face lit up like the sun broke through the clouds just for her.

Megumi felt his stomach drop. Not this again.

“Oh my god, they’re here again!” she said when he got close enough, crouching to scratch behind the white dog’s ears. The dog leaned into it, traitorous. “I swear, they’re the cutest things I’ve ever seen. What breed are they again?”

Megumi blinked once. Twice. Already over his daily social limit. “…Large,” he deadpanned.

She laughed like he’d told a joke. “Yeah, I can see that.”

The black dog nudged her hand, practically throwing himself into her lap. She giggled and Megumi felt his soul leave his body.

“You walk them every day, don’t you?” she asked, looking up at him. “It’s cute. Responsible religious-school boy hours.”

Megumi stared. “…What?”

“You go to Jujutsu High, right?” she continued, smiling. “That fancy temple-looking place? You guys are like… monks? Or disciples? Or whatever?”

Megumi inhaled slowly, choosing violence internally. “…Something like that.”

She beamed again like he’d confirmed it.

Meanwhile, the divine dogs were absolutely no help. The white one sat at her feet like a loyal guardian, and the black one nudged her hand again like “say something, idiot”.

Megumi cleared his throat. “Um.” Smooth. Excellent start.

She tilted her head. “Yeah?”

“…They like you.”

Her smile softened in a way that made Megumi look away immediately. “I like them too,” she said quietly. “And… I don’t mind seeing you every day, either.”

Megumi blinked. Hard.

The divine dogs wagged their tails. Traitors, the both of them.