58. Nishimiya, Again
White noise. Peace. The rest of them waiting in the hall just chattered amongst themselves and talked about some random topics. It was counted as a quiet time. Inumaki rather likes it like this. Not too quiet, not too noisy.
Just nice.
"What's up with Maguro?"
And just like that, the momentary bliss is gone.
Inumaki looked up from the veil of his long lashes and stared at the annoying gnat.
Again, it was the broomstick girl.
He really starts to feel ticked off by her voice now. What is it with her and going on and on about Maguro? Was she interested with her? He has nothing against her in the first place but now, oh now its different.
He looked down at Maguro slumbering peacefully in his arms, appearing blissfully ignorant to the chatters. Like a little sleeping beauty. She looks so lovely like this. No frowns, no nightmares and no disturbing thoughts or worries on her face. He wouldn't mind waking up to watching her face like this every morning. He brushes his knuckles against her cheeks and smiles.
And this broomstick girl is about to disturb her rest by drawing all attention onto her.
"She's just tired," Panda explained good-naturedly, watching intently at Inumaki brushing her hair aside gently, as if afraid of waking her up. Oh man, his homie really fell so hard in love with her. Panda understood from the few months they have spent together as teammates that she will only wake up by the command of food or smell. "She healed all of us after all. Give the girl a break will ya?"
Nishimiya looked up from where she is sitting and craned her head around. She remembered there was another asset in the school, another Reverse Curse User present here in the school now. Shoko. Wait, yes. That's her. Ieiri Shoko. Wasn't Shoko supposed to show up somewhere during these sorts of emergencies? She's the prime asset. She should be the one to heal them up, not this newbie Tsukigami Maguro. Hell, even Yuuta would be alright if he is here.
To place Tsukigami Maguro with them as the Reverse Curse User for emergencies is akin to showing disrespect to the Kyoto branch, especially more so when she is still new to the Jujutsu World. Instead of a professional, they get the newbie to heal them. What if something went wrong? What if she failed? The consequences are heavy, and luckily none of them had a life-threatening injury.
None of them in the Kyoto side that is, Nishimiya smirked and thought quietly. "Where's Shoko?" she said, her eyes looking around for the silhouette of another woman roughly the same age as Utahime.
There was almost an instant change in the atmosphere, close to something that you could taste with your tongue in the air. Like tasting snowflakes, the atmosphere becomes a little tense and cold.
The Tokyo side took offence to that single question.
Panda knew with just a glance over at Inumaki that he is not happy Nishimiya is talking about Maguro in that condemning tone, more so after she followed that with asking where Shoko was. Clearly, they don't appreciate a newbie like Maguro in the Jujutsu world to help them.
Maguro doesn't deserve these sorts of treatment after what she has done for them. Not from the broomstick girl, not from anyone. Certainly not from any of the Kyoto side students.
And judging by the high praises Noritoshi Kamo sings to Maguro about her "Lovely golden rain that is, I'd tell you, and you'd missed them all," Maguro certainly is not at a mere newbie class.
Panda shrugged, answering on behalf of Toge "Shoko said this is another training for her. Plus, she's busy with Tengen-sama. She couldn't come even if she wanted to. Yuuta's not around too. So, we're all lucky we have a Maguro here today. Otherwise, all of us would have to wait till tomorrow then we'll each get to see Shoko."
"Lucky indeed," Kamo said from where he is standing next to Nishimiya Momo, who glared up at him for daring to stand on Tokyo's side. "I seem to recall there are some very grave injuries amongst us and it's not even…what? 2 hours?"
"An hour, to be exact," Fushiguro stated, arms crossed as he sat on one of the chairs next to Nobara and Itadori. With a frown on his eyebrows, Fushiguro continued, "She could have done everything much faster if that blockhead over there-" Fushiguro jerked his head towards Todo's direction "-could at least have the courtesy to struggle a little more to keep his hands to himself."
"Ahh," Itadori nodded earnestly. "That explains Inumaki-senpai holding her to him like that."
"Possessively, Itadori-kun," Nobara added, a grin on her face as she narrowed her eyes at Nishimiya. She had picked up the vibe she has been throwing at Inumaki for quite a while now and noticed how often she glances over to Inumaki's direction. The girl likes him, but too bad, Maguro-senpai came first, and even then, Nishimiya with Inumaki? What a joke. "Use that word. Inumaki-senpai already does his best to reign in his Cursed Speech spells when the Hulk there tries to grab Maguro-senpai's hands."
Inumaki frowned and hissed irritably, "Okaka!" He was going to touch her!
Panda looked at Inumaki, noting how he had wrapped his arms around Maguro's sleeping form and held her possessively to shield her from the many eyes staring at her now. Panda understood and nodded his head.
"He said you were going to touch her."
Everyone snapped their heads back to Todo. His mouth fell open in shock.
"I didn't! I swear!" he exclaimed, both hands held up in surrender. He'd be dead if all of them were to attack him at once. Not to mention that Cursed Speech User's angrily glaring at him right now. He's the worst threat here, not the others. One word, and he's a dead man. "I was just going to hold her up because she was wobbling so much."
Fushiguro raised one of his eyebrows. "So, you were going to touch her then?"
Kamo slapped one hand on Todo's shoulder.
Todo jumped and answered quickly, "Out of goodwill!"
Kamo chuckled. "I know, I know. I'd do that too."
Panda heard Inumaki growled at Kamo's response.
Shit, Panda swore quietly. This is bad. Toge is pissed.
The Cursed Doll quickly stood up to pacify the situation. "N-now now, let's all quiet down and say one word less please. We really don't want a Cursed Speech incident to happen again," Panda said, waving his paws in the air to gesture to the rest to stop fanning the embers simmering in Inumaki now.
Nobody ticks off Inumaki without suffering repercussion from his Cursed Speech.
