*Sorry for the late posting! I had to travel a ton the past week- thank you for your patience and hope you enjoy!*
Satoru landed in front of a dampened fire pit, which laid a few feet away from a rusty, old souvenir shop. He forgot to activate Infinity… again… and he was soaked once more, albeit not as much as before since the rain had finally died down. He ripped off his shirt in frustration, hating how it still remained drenched and clung to his skin in a slimy mess despite having draped it over the railing for so long.
Fuck this. He snapped his fingers and a fire was lit. Grabbing a few sticks nearby, he stuck them into the ground beside the flames and folded his shirt over them. Now it should finally fucking dry.
He raked a hand through his hair in frustration. "What the hell is wrong with me? 'You can cry as much as you want'- God, what am I, her therapist?"
He sighed, crossing his bare arms over his chest as he began to pace around the fire. Usually, tears irritated him. Even when it came from his own students, it was a gesture of weakness.
And yet… a weird sensation washed over him as he recalled their conversation.
Did he feel…concerned when he saw her tears?
Why did he feel… drawn… to her?
And what happened before that? When she made that comment about his eyes… he felt… offended?
He blinked, shaking his head. He never got this emotional, especially with nonsensical feelings like vexation and…sympathy?
This girl…what is she doing to me?
"WHOA! Gojo-sensei, where's your shirt?!" He turned and saw Yuji pop his head out the window of the shop. The other students had opened the door, giggling upon seeing his bare chest. He suddenly saw a flash and turned to the door to see Kasumi quickly hiding her hands behind her back, giving him an innocent grin. He quirked a brow and opened his mouth, but before he could question her, Utahime walked up to him and chucked a bright pink t-shirt, which he narrowly caught right before it smacked him in the face.
"Cover yourself up, you're embarrassing." She sneered, adjusting her sunhat as she walked past him, stretching her arms behind her head as sunlight scattered the sands once more. Her students followed suit, with Mai and Momo glancing at him approvingly.
"We picked it out for you!" Nobara sniggered, skipping past him as she flung her towel over her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll love it!"
He unfurled the cloth to witness a grinning cartoon whale with the words 'Whale, hello!' printed across the front. He smirked and gave his students a thumbs-up. "Nice! With this I can definitely say I…'shore' will. Eh? Right?"
His remaining students gave him a deadpan stare, choosing to silently walk past him. Panda, in particular, shook his head solemnly.
"Oh, come on guys, it was brilliant!" He protested, throwing the shirt over his head.
"Um, Gojo-sensei?" He turned to see Kasumi, with Mechamaru giving a small wave on her shoulder. "Do you know where a pavilion could be around here? I just called Qian and can't seem to figure out where that could be."
The man pointed towards the other side of the shore. "That way, past that grove of trees."
"Thank you!" She bowed once more and raced off. He sighed as he placed his hands on his hips, staring at the ocean before him as he tried to recollect his thoughts. He felt like he was forgetting something…
…Wait. He whirled around but the girl was already out of sight. Did she take a picture of me?
—-
Qian sighed as she sat on the edge of the railing, kicking her feet out beneath her. Kasumi had told her to stay where she was over the phone, so she remained in the same spot.
Fortunately, her leggings were dry enough so she was able to cover her legs once more. She snuggled deeper into her jacket, unconsciously feeling her head where his warm hand had been.
She groaned, palming her face in exasperation. She can't believe he saw her in her bathing suit, and then she ended up yelling at him, and then he… she swallowed- dare she say it- comforted her?
She cupped her hot cheeks, taking a deep breath to calm her giddy heart. It doesn't mean anything. I need to compose myself. She swallowed, clenching her fists determinedly. Pull yourself together.
And yet, she couldn't help but miss the feel of his touch… his softer voice as he spoke to her… God! Why am I so pathetic? She slammed her face into her hands once more, releasing a muffled scream.
"Qian!" She looked up to see a familiar blue-haired student rush towards her, with Mechamaru dangling off the chest pocket square of her romper."There you are!"
Qian pushed herself off the railing, giving the girl a friendly wave. "M-Miwa-san! Thank you so much for coming to find me!"
"How did you end up all the way here?" Mechamaru queried, crawling back into her front pocket.
"W-Well, a dog was running loose and I went to help catch her." Qian laughed, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.
Kasumi placed her hands on her hips in defeat. "You're too nice sometimes, Qian. Wait, so you were waiting here all by yourself?"
Qian faltered for a moment before nodding, and Kasumi tilted her head quizzically. "Hm, I could've sworn I heard you say you were with someone…"
"M-Me? Oh no, nope, no one at all! You must have misheard me…" The dark-haired girl chuckled nervously.
Kasumi shrugged. "I guess so… OH-!" She immediately whipped out her phone. "You'll NEVER guess what I just took! Here, I'll send it to you right now!"
Mechamaru sighed, shaking his head, as Qian regarded her in confusion. She soon felt her phone buzzing in her bag and she shrugged off a strap, reaching in to pull it out. She almost dropped her phone in shock as all the blood rushed to her head.
"Y-Y-You actually took a picture of him?! L-L-Like this?" Qian cried, covering her eyes with one hand.
"Well DUH! That was the main mission of coming here, was it not?! I thought we went over this!" Kasumi reminded, her eyes twinkling as she stared at her phone screen once more. "This is going to make me SO much money once I post it!"
"B-B-B-But-" Qian blubbered and Kasumi giggled, pulling the girl back to the beach. "Come on! Let's go see if we can get any more shots!"
—-
In the dark warehouse back within Gunma county, Kurofiru paced around his room anxiously, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
By the doorway, Hinamori nervously shifted her stance. "Kurofiru-sama, are you alright?"
The young man rammed his fist through his dresser, cracking the wood into bits and pieces. The woman flinched as the humanoid spirit standing beside him guffawed gleefully. "Oh don't mind him, he's just annoyed he hasn't been able to find this girl from his previous life."
The amber-haired woman shot a look at the man. "What girl?"
He shot a dirty glare at Honshoji, who simply ignored him and grinned maniacally. "Oh…his first looovvveeee! The one who always tried to help him." He examined his nails with mocking pensivity. "And now he can't find her."
Suddenly, there was a loud thud and they turned their heads towards the entrance of the building. Hinamori approached the railing and looked down towards the first floor to see Rozu arrive, with an unconscious elderly man draped over his shoulders.
He looked up, cupping his mouth as he shouted. "Kurofiru-sama! I got another one!"
Hinamori rolled her eyes. "Idiot. Don't you remember why we don't go for anyone above sixty? They're old and frail, and won't cultivate properly."
"Shut up! He was the best I could find!" The teen grumbled, throwing him to the ground roughly before jerking a finger accusingly towards her. "Ever since those weirdos who beat you showed up, the whole city's been on alert and scurrying out of here like there was some sort of plague."
"They DIDN'T beat me! They just caught me off guard!" Hinamori stomped her foot angrily. She then turned to the young man behind her, bringing one knee down and bowing her head. "Kurofiru-sama… I will take care of her and bring her here immediately. You have my word."
"WHAT!? Oh hell no." The teen leapt onto the railing and rushed forward to kneel beside her, placing both knees and his fists onto the ground as he gave a deeper bow. "Kurofiru-sama, please let me do it. Don't let this failure get another chance to fail."
She rolled her eyes again. "You just used the same word twice in the same sentence." She hissed.
"Shut the fuck up!" The teen snarled furiously.
The spirit clapped joyfully, his chains rattling. "Oh goodie, look at that! Slaves numbers One and Two will find her for you!"
Kurofiru snapped his head towards them, suddenly pulled out of his tumultuous thoughts. "No. I'll deal with her myself. You need to focus on your recovery, and Rozu, remember our mission."
"But, sir!" Rozu snapped his head up but the man was already out the door. Hinamori, meanwhile, kept her gaze fixated on the ground before her.
Whoever this bitch is… she will pay for whatever she did to Kurofiru-sama. She swallowed, narrowing her eyes in anger. I will succeed. I promise you.
—-
Two weeks later, Qian yanked out her earbuds in frustration, slamming her head down on the lab bench.
"Of course, another failure." She grumbled, raising her head to rest her chin on the metal surface. She opened her notebook and flipped through the pages to an empty sheet. She sighed before clicking her pen.
Cells were unable to expand with human blood sample. Require more nutrients than human blood, regular soil, carbon dioxide, and minerals. She scribbled. Further analysis, preferably on a source closer to original specimen, necessary to determine independent growth functions.
She sighed once more, leaning back in her chair as she folded her arms across her chest. She had been trying to grow the cells to see if she could replicate whatever that cursed user did, but to no avail. She originally tried normal plant nutrients, no success. Then, she figured it needed a "human" host, so she tried adding some of her own blood to the culture but…
She glanced at the microscope beside her before releasing a dejected sigh. Nothing. Again.
She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes in exhaustion. It was clear that these needed something beyond simple plant nutrients and human blood, but what?
She glanced at her phone and pushed herself off the bench. It's time for a break.
She opened the door and the sunlight streamed in, causing her to blink vicariously against its bright rays. Shouldering her bag, she walked quickly towards the courtyard. I need to focus. If I could just figure out how these cursed spirits are grown… we can find a way to stop that user all together.
Amidst her thoughts, she ended up by the training grounds and heard a series of cries and yelling. She faltered in her steps and peered down at the track, seeing the sorcerers-in-training sparring each other in a light skirmish.
She regarded them forlornly as she observed their abilities and fighting techniques. They're amazing- I wish I had cursed energy so I could fight like them, without having to…cheat… She shuddered, recalling her transformation from months prior.
She blinked. Wait, cursed energy? She palmed her forehead in realization and quickly reached into her bag to pull out her notebook. I'm so stupid: of course they need cursed energy. She paused in her writing, staring at the page. But not any cursed energy- it has to be from the user… She groaned and closed her notebook, smacking the front of it against her face repeatedly in deep thought. Annnd back to square one: how do I go about getting that-
"Spying on us and hitting yourself, are you secretly a masochist?" She jumped two feet in the air and stumbled backwards, inadvertently losing her footing at the crest of the hill.
His hand shot out, nimbly grabbing her wrist swiftly in a stern grip. Satoru's eyes twinkled with amusement behind his sunglasses as he pulled her back onto the sidewalk. "I take that as a yes."
"G-Gojo-sensei!" Qian spluttered, quickly dipping her head in greeting as she straightened her thick sweater unconsciously with her free hand. "I-I apologize. I got distracted and-"
He turned to his students with a fond smile. "I understand, they're pretty great aren't they?"
"T-They really are!" He curiously turned to stare down at her as she peered up at him with excited eyes. "T-They're so strong and I really wish I was like them!"
His smile faltered as he met her gaze. Upon seeing her bright green irises meet his with sparkling expectation, he suddenly looked down, realizing his hand was still bound to her wrist. He immediately let go, unconsciously wiping his hand on his shirt and shoving it into the pocket of his uniform. "Right. Too bad you don't have any cursed energy. You could never be like them."
Qian's smile fell and she folded her hands together, turning her gaze towards her feet as she shifted her stance awkwardly. "Y-Yeah, it's a shame…" She sighed, before shaking her head, forcing away any negative thoughts. "S-So, how is your day so far?"
"Fine, just taking a quick break from helping them with training." Satoru rubbed his sore neck. "What about you?"
"I-I was just going for a walk to clear my head…I hit a bit of a bump with my research." She admitted dejectedly, before ducking her head to give another bow. "I-I don't want to keep you so I'll see you-"
"What happened?" She shot up to face the man in surprise, stunned by his interest. He tilted his head as he met her incredulous gaze.
"O-Oh nothing important! I just…" She sighed once more. "I've been trying to determine how these spirits are created and trying to replicate their growth, but it hasn't been working, at least not with the tissue I have now. I think if I could just get a blood sample of that cursed user, I could better understand how exactly she's been creating these things and maybe figure out how to stop her."
"Or, you know, I just kill her the next time I see her." Satoru offered, a cocky smile spreading on his face.
Qian snapped her face up towards him. "B-But… wouldn't it be better to maybe…incapacitate her and ask her questions? It can't be quick and easy to grow these cursed spirits if she's using…" She gulped nervously. "...people. W-What if she's keeping other people captive somewhere?"
The man stared down at her. "So what's your plan? Wait till next time she shows up, grab a sample of her blood, and schedule your next playdate?"
Qian furrowed her brow, biting the inside of her cheek. "N-No, of course not! I just don't think immediately killing people is the answer!"
"...You're kidding right?" The man crossed his arms. "You do realize she's probably murdered hundreds of people, and you even said it yourself, keeping many more as captives."
The girl regarded him with a frown. "W-Well, yes… and I think she needs to be stopped, but we also need to find her victims and help them if we can."
"You can't save everyone." Satoru muttered, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Isn't it better to ensure that the threat is neutralized before more people get hurt."
"Y-Yeah so if we can capture her, we can have her tell us where she's hiding them." She countered, gripping her notebook tightly. "A-And then I could analyze her blood to maybe… I don't know… figure out a way to save these people AND we can keep her away from hurting others."
"Right, because she's just going to tell us if we ask nicely." Satoru took off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "It would be so much faster if I just searched for them myself."
The girl shook her head. "T-There's no way you can scour the entire country alone."
"I can do anything I put my mind to." He grinned with a shrug. "It's kind of my gift."
"E-Even if that were true…" She stared down at her feet. "I-It'll take too long and these people don't have that much time and-"
"So what's your point?" He smirked grimly. "She doesn't deserve to die and deserves a second chance?"
"M-Maybe?" She raised her chin. "W-We don't know and can't just attack every situation the same way."
"Okay, I'll play along." He placed his glasses back on his face as his grin twisted sadistically. "And then what? We keep her like some sort of lab rat? Or better yet, we make a prison for all curse users?"
"I-I don't know. Have you ever just…taken a moment to think about why these people become the way they are?" She clenched her hands, facing away from the man. "Y-Yes, some of them are monsters and deserve to be punished. But maybe others aren't. Not all of them are innately evil."
"And yet, here they are, actively destroying innocent lives and all of humanity." Satoru barked a harsh laugh. "God, you're so naive."
She bit her lip, cheeks red in frustration. "A-At least I still have some faith. I'm not saying you're wrong, but not everything is black and white, and we shouldn't approach every problem the same way."
"Faith in this world will get you nowhere." He scoffed, crossing his arms firmly over his chest. "Stop acting like a child."
Qian gritted her teeth and bit her tongue, turning her heel to walk past him. He shifted to stand directly in front of her, scowling in anger. "Where are you going?"
"W-Well, since I'm such a child, I'm leaving." Qian tilted her chin up to meet his glare with her own. "H-Have a good day." She moved to the left and he again stepped in front of her.
"We're not done." He growled, causing her cheeks to redden even more in frustration.
"F-Fine, I'll go a different way." However, he moved closer and she snapped her gaze up in shock, her voice caught in her throat upon seeing his darkened eyes staring down at her. "G-Gojo-sensei…?"
"Your ridiculous ideals are what is going to get us all killed." He muttered, leaning down as he glowered at her. She almost went cross-eyed upon his close proximity, a shiver running up her spine as his voice grew cold- causing painful memories of their initial encounter to return.
"Next time something happens, you deal with it your own way. I won't be there to help you."