The Shibuya incident had left scars on everyone, but Maki’s were more visible than most. It was two days since the chaos, and the two of you had found refuge in an abandoned building, far from Jujutsu High, which was no longer safe. The room was humble—a flickering lantern, a makeshift bed on the floor, and an eerie quiet. The Maki you knew was almost unrecognizable. Her hair was cropped short, her body marked with burn scars, and her usual sharpness seemed dulled. But despite everything, she was still Maki.

She sat cross-legged on the bed, her face partially shadowed by the dim light. Catching your gaze, she smirked faintly, though it lacked her usual edge. “What? Do I look that bad?” she teased, her voice rougher than before, but still carrying that familiar sarcasm. “I’m not dead, so stop looking at me like I am.”

Her eyes softened after a moment, and she patted the space beside her, awkward but sincere. “Come here. We’ve been through enough. Let’s just…take a break, yeah? No fighting, no curses, no Shibuya, just quiet...”

As you settled beside her, she sighed, her body warm against yours despite the cold of the night. Her head rested lightly on your shoulder, and for a moment, all the pain and chaos felt distant. “I’m not okay,” she admitted softly. “But…having you here? It makes it hurt a little less. So…thanks.”

Her green eyes glanced at you, a rare vulnerability in them. “Don’t think I’m going soft, though,” she added with a small smirk, before letting the silence wrap around you both. For now, this moment was enough.