18. | paranoia
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Something doesn't seem right. There is a knot stuck in his stomach and it keeps tightening, refusing to dissipate, and he has yet to make sense of why.
He doubts it's a stomach problem. His eating schedule has been fixed ever since he quietly left his godforsaken house for high school, and today, he wasn't even late to eat lunch. Hell, he's eating right now, and yet the persistent tightness lingers, defying his comprehension.
This suffocating feeling inside his chest remains, even as he looks upon the smiling faces of everyone around him. They chatter away about another stupid joke Gojo made as he quietly eats at the edge of the table, picking away the vegetables on his plate with both brows pinched together.
Something doesn't seem right.
"You're not eating your vegetables?" Suguru asks, and his hand comes to a stop from picking away another green item on his plate. His gaze locks on the other sorcerer.
Suguru gives him a knowing smile.
He blinks, then twists his expression into an unamused smile. "No. Do you want it?" he asks back, offering the vegetable hanging on his chopstick, ready to throw it on the other's plate.
Suguru sighs, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. "That's not what I meant. You're just much more of a picky eater than I initially thought."
"Heh." Amanai suddenly cuts in, laughing as she says, "And you say I'm the childish one, [Y/n]. Look at you, can't even finish your own food because you hate vegetables!"
"..."
Two hours since her bounty's been lifted and she's already acting like this. It's a wonder he's stayed this long on this stupid babysitting mission.
Personally, he can't wait to be rid of everyone here and get some good rest after all this is over. He's been surrounded by far too many idiots—Amanai and Gojo, maybe even Suguru for agreeing to make this mission longer than it should—that he's scared of becoming one himself soon enough.
He offers Amanai a forced smile that should be loosely interpreted as you're not getting away with that kind of comment, before quickly throwing the piece of vegetable to her respective face.
It lands magnificently right on her forehead with a small thunk.
Gojo immediately explodes with laughter, reaching out to him to give him a pat on the back as he points gleefully at Amanai's frustrated expression. "Great job there, [Y/n]! Your senpai thinks you should aim for her nose next time though."
"Noted, Gojo-senpai."
As the table is filled once again with more and more boisterous and loud chatter, his mind drifts away, thinking once more of the strange text he received yesterday. Strange text...
Wait, that's it!
His eyes widen at the realization, and his hand quickly navigates his pocket to swiftly find and fiddle open his phone. He kind of forgot about it due to yesterday's tiring schedule of fun with the others.
He scans the messages sent by the unknown person and sighs.
So he's right, this is the thing that's been bothering him since he woke up drooling on Gojo's shoulder. That last part can be ignored, thank you very much, he doesn't want to think about that again. He's been trying his best to erase it from his mind.
"Hmm." His thumb hovers over the messages, silently reading back each and every message with his eyes wide open. He notices how the way the unknown person texts reminds him of a certain way someone talks to him.
He also notices the fact that he's not blocked anymore. How wonderful of him to let [Y/n] message him once again. He can't help the exasperated smile that plays on his face as he quickly sends out another text to the man.
[Y/n]
Good afternoon, Toji-san
I don't remember giving you my phone number for you to be sending me death threats
The least you could do was say 'hi' first, don't you think?
He heaves out a heavy sigh after waiting a long minute for an immediate response back from the man. He doesn't get one, of course, and he doesn't expect someone like Toji of all people to do so. But hey, a boy can dream, right?
From the edge of his vision, he can see Suguru giving him a pointed look. He sighs.
He looks away from his phone and gives the other a raised eyebrow in return. "What is it, Suguru-senpai? If you keep giving me looks like that I'm going to take back your title as my favorite senpai."
Gojo suddenly announces, "Keep at it, Suguru! I'm the one who wants that title!"
"That's not very threatening at all," Suguru answers after giving Gojo a much-earned eye-roll. Turning back to face him, Suguru continues, "Are you not feeling well? You're ignoring your whole plate of food now."
"You're acting very motherly right now, Suguru-senpai."
Suguru gives him a blank stare, and responds with a wary tone, "...And you're ignoring my question. Is the person you're texting really that important?"
He doesn't know how to respond to that. Does texting someone who might be after their lives, including Amanai Riko, to stop what they're going to do sound important enough? He doesn't know, so he settles it by responding with, "Uhh."
"Is it that Zenin friend of yours? The one Satoru was complaining too much about?"
"Ugh, you should block that piss-haired Zenin bastard like I told you to! Actually, you should just stay away from anyone in that clan. Ugh, they're the most annoying people I've ever met," Gojo comments dramatically.
"...I'm not texting Naoya. Don't worry."
"Have you blocked him?"
"Of course not."
"Dammit, the great Gojo Satoru has failed to convince you then," Gojo curses then wails dramatically in response to his harsh unblinking stare. A sleep-deprived Gojo is an annoying species to deal with, that's for sure.
After he and Suguru finish giving Gojo the side-eye, the two lock their gaze back on each other. Before Suguru can say anything, he parts his own lips to speak first, "Don't worry your pretty head on this, senpai. I'm just responding back to the random weirdo I told you about."
"Ah, that unknown text you got yesterday?"
"Yeah, that one. I figured out who it is," he answers before his eyes drift back to his phone. Oh, it seems like Toji actually responded back to him. He ignores Suguru's searching gaze and opens his phone.
Toji
So, you finally figured it out
Took you long enough brat
[Y/n]
You didn't exactly give me much hints
I guess it's obvious enough but I still wanna ask
You're after Amanai Riko as well huh?
Her bounty's been lifted, old man
Toji
And you still haven't left her side
So, let's talk
Just you and me
[Y/n]
Fine
Where to?
Toji
Just be alone
I'll come to you
He frowns, chooses not to respond back, and promptly closes his phone shut. He picks back up his chopsticks to continue eating the food on his plate, mind still whirling with an emotion he himself can't quite place.
Fear? Confusion? Excitement?
He ignores his own racing heartbeat that threatens to leap out of his chest, ignores the suffocating need to tell this to someone.
The bounty for Amanai has been lifted, but Toji still remains a danger despite that very fact. There's a chance that Toji might have been hired specifically by another party to kill her.
"Something wrong?" This time, it's Gojo who asks him. He holds back a sharp laugh that bubbles in his throat.
Does he look so shit that both Suguru and Gojo must ask him that question?
A pair of [e/c] eyes slowly roam themselves on Gojo's face, lingering on the heavy eyebags beneath those beautiful cerulean eyes. Despite how tired Gojo is, the white-haired sorcerer still manages a smile.
Gojo's been activating those eyes of his for so long, that he wonders how the teen hasn't keeled over and passed out. If he tells them about Toji... would they come with him? Would they all fight once again to protect Tengen's precious vessel?
If he asks Gojo to fight Toji in this state, who would emerge victorious?
The man with no cursed energy. Toji has an unpredictable advantage in any fight against any sorcerer with that heavenly restriction of his. Would they all be able to protect Amanai during the fight that's to come?
"Oi, [Y/n]. Stop spacing out."
He blinks, dumbfounded at the hand waving itself in front of his face. "Nothing's wrong. I just have a few family problems I got to take care of," he says, the lie passing through his lips so easily like a liar.
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
Gojo and Amanai frown at his words, Suguru gives him a questioning glance, and Kuroi understandably raises an eyebrow. His expression twitches before a fake smile appears on his face, hoping to reassure them of the suddenness.
"Don't worry, I'll quickly catch up to you guys once it's over. It shouldn't take that long."
Gojo pouts, crossing his arms together. "You think me and Suguru are gonna let you leave us to this babysitting mission alone? Besides didn't you promise to give this kid a wave goodbye before she leaves?"
"Oh, please. The two of you will be fine without me. Just wait for me by the entrance, or maybe just don't if I take too long. Amanai's safety is the most important, I wouldn't want to jeopardize it."
Suguru, perhaps tired of his constant dismissal, sighs for the last time and relents. "Fine. Just don't be too late, alright [Y/n]? We'll wait for you," Suguru replies, and despite how much the dark-haired sorcerer seems like he wants to say more, he keeps it to himself.
He nods, appreciating Suguru's indulgence in his obvious lie, then swiftly pushes himself away from the table, straightening the nonexistent folds of his shirt before making his way to the exit.
"Ah, before I leave. Amanai," he calls out to the girl and she quickly shoots a glance up at him. Confusion. But also, interest.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Amanai Riko. You remind me of the sister I once had in my memories."
He doesn't know if it's his words or his expression, but Amanai's eyes visibly widen and her lips part to make way for a small gasp.
A blink.
And then her expression morphs, a genuine smile makes its way to her face and he finds it in himself to give her a final smile back.
Goodbye, Amanai Riko.
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He stands alone in the middle of the forest, leaning his weight on the bark of the tree as he crosses his arms, patiently waiting for Toji's arrival.
The wind in the summer has a touch of heat to it that does nothing to soothe away his thundering heartbeat.
Can Toji hear that thunder with that awfully good hearing of his? What is it, he wonders, to have such a heavenly restriction placed on one's body? To have no cursed energy at all, and yet be oh-so-powerful.
He's curious, desperately so, and the grip he has on his dagger tightens, imagining the blood that will soon flow on its metal body.
Toji's text was a clear warning, and he runs past those red flashes knowing full well what's on the other side. He came here for a fight, and he made it clear with the dagger he leisurely plays with as he waits.
Time passes by, and nothing has happened yet. The only thing he hears is his own heartbeat.
He twirls the dagger around one last time before he shifts his weight, eyes boring into the man who has suddenly appeared in his peripheral vision.
They both stare at each other in silence.
He hasn't let go of his dagger, but he hasn't attacked with it either. "Toji-san," he voices out, breaking the silence with a call of the man's name and a small smile on his face.
"You're alone, brat."
Toji's words are like cold steel, a silent threat hanging in every sentence. He keeps smiling, ignoring all the warning signs, and walks forward to the older man.
There is a hint of amusement in Toji's piercing green eyes, and the man walks to him as well. He notices Toji is carrying a weapon as well, and he smiles wider, almost manic-like.
"I'm all alone now, you old geezer," he says, brandishing the dagger in Toji's direction. "What was the important thing you wanted to say to me, huh?"
A sharp laugh escapes his lips as he continues with a playful expression, "Although, you don't look like you came here to talk to me at all, you know? I wonder why that is?"
Their feet plant themselves on the ground, and they stare each other down with an equally sharp dangerous glint in their eyes.
"Could say the same thing to you, brat."
He shrugs, glancing away from those unblinking green. "Hm? What else can I say? A dangerous sorcerer killer told me they wanted to talk. It sounds awfully suspicious, don't you think so as well, Toji-san?"
Toji remains silent for a moment before a half-smile finds itself on his face. "Yeah, I agree. It sounds pretty suspicious to me."
"Right?"
"Heh, you should have left by yesterday, brat." A dry harsh laugh escapes Toji's throat, and the tension that hangs in the forest looms heavier. He continues, "I knew you were stupid, but I didn't think you were blind as well. Sending that warning went past your thick skull."
He chuckles in response. "Yeah, it did. So now, you've come to deal with me yourself, huh?" he says, then takes a step back, and then another. Toji follows after him, stepping closer. The murderous smile on Toji's face is confirmation enough.
"Got any last words? I'll give you at least the privilege to say them first."
"Hahahaha!" He replies with a toothy grin, "How nice of you. But there's really no need for something like that, Toji-san."
"Oh? And why is that, you overconfident brat?"
"Because," he starts, shifting his weight, readying himself for the fight, "there's nothing you can do to kill me. I'm sure you already knew that, though. You're smart even with those rusty skills of yours."
That insult seems to be enough for the older man as Toji looms closer with a posture that screams danger. "Heh. We'll see about that."
He grins savagely in return, [e/c] eyes glowing dangerously even under the dark shade of the looming trees. There is only one target in front of him.
A second passes, and the two of them lunge forward to each other. The sound of metal rings heavily in the forest as their weapons clash together, his dagger against Toji's own. No words are exchanged as they slice and dodge.
Only one of them will leave this forest intact.
And they both know it.
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! author's note!
Enjoy the bloodbath that is to come pookies <3
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