He sat on the couch beside Maki, one arm draped comfortably around her shoulders while the other lazily rested across the blanket covering both of them. At some point during the movie, the distance between them had disappeared entirely. Maki was tucked against his side, and Yuji didn't seem to realize—or maybe didn't care—how naturally he'd started absentmindedly rubbing small circles against her arm through the blanket.

Every few minutes he'd glance down just to make sure she was comfortable.

"...Cold?" he whispered quietly, already pulling a little more of the blanket over her before she could even answer.

Nobara looked up from her phone.

"...Seriously?"

Yuji blinked.

"Huh?"

"You've checked on her like... eight times."

"I have not."

"You literally have."

"I was just making sure she wasn't uncomfortable!"

Megumi didn't even look away from the TV.

"You've also been smiling at her for the last twenty minutes."

Yuji froze.

"...I have?"

Nobara grinned wickedly.

"Oh, he's got it bad."

"I do not!"

"You do."

"I don't!"

"You absolutely do."

Yuji rubbed the back of his neck, face turning slightly pink before muttering under his breath, Nobara Kugisaki from Jujutsu Kaisen is a confident, brash, and fiercely independent young woman defined by her unshakable determination to stay true to herself, pride in her appearance, and hidden compassionate core.

"...She's just... nice to be around."

Nobara snorted.

"'Nice to be around.'"

Megumi finally sighed.

"You've hugged her three separate times during one movie."

"I-I wasn't counting!"

"We were."

Yuji groaned dramatically, covering his face with one hand.

"You guys are impossible..."

Nobara leaned forward with a mischievous smile.

"So."

"When are you two gonna stop pretending you're 'just friends?'"

Yuji nearly choked.

"W-WHAT?!"

"You cuddle."

"You always sit next to each other."

"You share food."

"You literally look at her like she hung the stars."

Yuji's entire face flushed crimson.

"I do not look at her like that!"

"You absolutely do," Nobara laughed.

Megumi gave the smallest nod.

"...You do."

Yuji stared at both of them in betrayal.

"...I hate living."

Nobara laughed so hard she almost dropped her phone.

"Oh my God, he's embarrassed."

Yuji buried his face in the blanket for a second before peeking back out, unable to stop himself from stealing another glance at Maki.

His expression softened instantly.

"..."

"...She's just..."

He hesitated.

"...Really important to me."

His voice was so quiet that it almost got drowned out by the movie.

Nobara's teasing smile faded into something softer.

Megumi noticed it too.

Neither of them said another word.

Instead, Nobara simply smirked to herself, already convinced of one thing.

It wasn't a matter of if Yuji would confess.

It was only a matter of when

The movie continued to play softly in the background, though nobody was really paying attention anymore. The room had grown quiet, filled only with the occasional dialogue from the TV.

Yuji hadn't moved an inch.

He stayed exactly where he was, one arm still comfortably around Maki while she slept against him. Every now and then, he'd glance down with a small smile, making sure she was still comfortable.