In the debilitated greenhouse, Rozu carefully stepped through the aisles of what remained of the rooted human bodies, scanning the growing bulbs protruding from their chests for any abnormalities besides the plants themselves. The shadows of the cursed spirit embryos inside each were pulsating with life, however…
He gritted his teeth upon seeing the miniscule sizes; the victims providing their nourishment were dying rapidly, the cultivation of their life force only creating 3 feet tall spirits at best. Ever since they encountered those pesky Jujutsu sorcerers so many months ago, more of them came and warned city officials afterwards, causing not only Gunma but also its surrounding provinces to grow sparse in inhabitants. Those who remained were old and frail, barely having any life force left in them to produce viable spirits.
He turned to face the back of the greenhouse, where three monstrous bulbs towered over the rest, practically piercing through the open ceiling. He glanced at the roots, the young captives groaning in agony as they laid beneath.
"Hinamori better fucking find more or else… we're toast." He muttered to himself as he returned into the warehouse, lying down on the couch. His thoughts traveled to his usual verbal sparring partner, who was sent away as instructed by Kurofiru for this exact reason. She seemed to be all but fully recovered, eager to prove to herself useful despite her prior life-threatening injury. Though he would never admit it out loud, without Hinamori constantly badgering him, the place seemed quiet-
…almost too quiet.
He furrowed his brow, staring up at the debilitated ceiling where the stars were partially peeking out through the dark night sky.
Suddenly, a loud boom echoed from the other side of the warehouse. He shot up, raising his arms and protruding out his silver spikes, before his shoulders slumped in relief upon seeing the portal, with Honshoji and Kurofiru appearing out of the dark abyss.
"Kurofiru-sama!" He leapt off the cushions, jogging over to them. "Are you-"
"I'm fine, Rozu." Kurofiru grumbled, strolling past him. He plopped himself down on the couch. "I just need to rest."
Rozu glared at the cursed spirit upon seeing his exhausted state. "What happened?"
"Oh nothing baaaad." Honshoji drawled, raising his hands up in defense. "Just your beloved 'big brother' decided to get himself caught and tortured for information-"
"Tortured?!" Rozu interjected incredulously, right as the other opened his mouth.
"I'm not his big brother." Kurofiru replied, seeming to ignore his subordinate's exclamation. As Honshoji gave him a skeptical look, Rozu went to the other room, grabbing a first aid kit, before returning back.
"Where did they hurt you?" He knelt before him, reaching out to check his arm. Kurofiru released a sigh at his unusual demonstration of maturity. "You don't even know how to use this thing." He patted the boy's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I'm not hurt. I'm going to go rest."
As he rose to his feet, he departed into his room. Rozu watched his retreating figure forlornly, his mind inadvertently traveling back to their first encounter.
He was running, scrambling through the bushes that scraped his face. He could feel the blood gushing out from his abdomen where the bullet had pierced.
How did it all go wrong so fast?
"Don't worry, trust your Aniki." He remembered his older brother's smile as he patted his shoulder. They were staking out a gas station bodega, hiding behind the dumpsters as the last few customers trickled out of the store. Rozu glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Haru was only five years older, but he always took on a fatherly role, treating him like he was his own son, especially since their parents had been gone for as long as he could remember.
They had a measly life. The orphanage where they were abandoned was practically in shambles; the adults running the place had spent all the government funds on themselves while the children were left to starve. It did not take too long for them to realize that to survive, they had to leave and be on their own.
Fortunately, with Haru's street smarts and Rozu's nimble hands, the two of them were able to search and steal as a means of living.
"It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, little bro." He told him once. "But as long as we have each other, we'll be okay."
And he believed him. Despite their poverty, Rozu never felt short of wanting, as long as his brother was with him.
Finally, the lights shut off. "Alright, wait for it…" Haru muttered from beside him. The stout, greasy owner hobbled out the door, reaching into his back pocket and fumbling for his keys. He turned around, exposing his back as he jiggled the keys to lock the doors.
"Okay… NOW." The two of them leapt over the trash bags, running up to the man. Rozu immediately switched open his butterfly knife, jabbing the back of the owner's hips with its point. "Don't scream, or we're going to make you hurt." Haru instructed as the man began to blubber. "P-PLEASE D-DON'T HURT ME."
"We won't if you listen to us." He nudged the man forward and they entered the store.
It was, quite frankly, a pathetic store. There was a meager variety of snacks, a couple of chocolate bars and candies on the shelves. There was a single fridge, half filled with water and cheap soda. The walls and floor were stained with grime and dirt, clearly the place was falling apart as is but… Rozu's stomach grumbled… they were running low on cash and haven't been able to eat properly for several days now. They didn't really have a choice.
"Come on, move it." Haru shoved the man forward, who stumbled behind his counter. He was visibly trembling as he struggled to open the cash register, his pudgy fingers twitching as he fumbled with a couple bills and spare change.
"Hurry up." Haru looked away, peering through the foggy windows to make sure no one was watching.
"I-I'm tryin'!" The store owner yelped as Rozu jabbed his knife deeper.
However, a bright light suddenly shone through the muddied glass, illuminating the darkened room with a yellow glow.
Haru cursed under his breath, recognizing the white and blue vehicle that pulled in beside one of the gas pumps. "Seriously, a fucking cop just happens to show up?"
Even though he muttered inaudibly, the man's ears perked up at his words. Keeping his head low, his eyes flickered outside and he also recognized the police vehicle. His gaze traveled quickly to the boy behind him, to Haru next to him, before his hand snuck beneath the register, pressing the button underneath the counter.
An ear-piercing alarm shook throughout the entire store, causing Rozu to stumble backwards in shock. The owner immediately spins around, tackling the boy to the ground. The knife falls out of his grasp.
"SHIT!" Haru shouted, whirling around to scramble over the counter, racing towards the door.
"ANIKI!" Rozu screams after him, attempting to punch and shove the man off of him.
But he was heavy, and Rozu's body was weakened from hunger. Despite his clear exasperation upon using any ounce of energy, his blows were dense like a sack of bricks. A beefy fist pummeled his nose, causing the boy to fall back, his head hitting the tiled floor with a hard thud.
Dazed and vision blurred, Rozu's eyes traveled to the silhouette of his knife that was a mere foot away. He had to keep fighting, or else- Haru needs him, he can't die here-
Mustering up as much strength as he could, he claws at the owner's face, managing to scratch his eyelids.
As the man reeled back, howling in pain, he crawled towards the knife, his fingers closing upon the familiar handle.
He flips around, weapon in hand as the man roars, charging forward and reaching for him to grab his face-
But suddenly, he freezes. Rozu blinks in confusion, his eyes watery from pain. After several seconds, his vision clears and he looks down.
His knife was impaled squarely in the owner's chest. As he released a gurgle, Rozu gasped, dropping his hands as he scrambled backwards, his back hitting the wall as the man fell forward with a sickening crunch. A pool of blood began to spread from under his body, seeping into the floor.
Rozu began to hyperventilate. His brother gave him the knife for his birthday. He never killed anyone before, his role was just to scare them into doing whatever he and his brother needed. He never meant to-
He grappled with the shelves, climbing to his feet as he crawled over the countertop, scrambling to the door.
"A-Aniki- help!" He yelled as he pushed the door open. However, he was blinded by brightness shining against him.
"That's him, officer, see?" He blinked groggily as he shielded his eyes, peering through the light to see Haru standing between a pair of police officers holding flashlights. "He was robbing the store, and he had a knife on him."
Upon seeing the blood on his shirt, they immediately raised their guns. "Don't move, kid." One officer said, pointing it directly at the boy. "Get on your knees and raise your hands."
"A-Aniki?" Rozu stammered, glancing at his brother in fear.
But Haru's face was stone cold, impartial. His eyes held an eerily shade of disdain, the usual shine now dulled with indifference. "I don't know you, who are you?"
"On your knees!" The other officer ordered, gesturing the gun towards the ground. "NOW!"
It finally hit him. His brother was throwing him to the wolves, letting him take the fall.
"It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, little bro." His words echoed in his mind as everything began to fall in place.
He should do as the man ordered. But instead-
As if in slow motion, Rozu turned his heel and began to run. He heard a loud BANG, an excruciating pain hitting his gut, but he didn't falter. He leapt over the dumpsters, nimbly climbing over the fence and escaping into the forest behind the rusty fence.
He could hear them yelling, but he kept racing through the leaves, the branches piercing his skin.
He didn't know how long he had been running, but soon the pain was too much to bear. He collapsed face-first behind a grove of bushes, hollering in pain. He could feel the grass grow wet, no doubt from the blood coming out of his wound.
This was it, this is how I die. He managed to roll himself onto his back, staring up at the night sky. The stars were growing dim as he struggled to keep his eyes awake. It hurts so bad… he couldn't tell if it was just the wound anymore, but the betrayal… Aniki… why?
It really was a dog-eat-dog world, huh. His eyes slid shut, his breathing growing shallow. What a pathetic life-
Suddenly, there was a crunch of leaves- the sound of footsteps. He groggily turned his head to the right, to see someone kneel down beside him.
"You sure we should help him?" A feminine voice asked from a distance. He felt something warm touch his shoulder. "He's just a kid, I don't think he can help us much."
"Have to agree with Hina-chan here." A cheery voice added. "Plus, again, he has barely any cursed energy."
"He didn't deserve this." A voice, much closer beside him, replied simply in response to the other two.
Rozu immediately felt something stab into his ribs and his eyes shot open. The boy choked, but couldn't release a sound from his lips. Eyes wide, he stared helplessly at who appeared to be a young man, who's hand was inside his chest.
A soothing sensation began to envelope his entire body, the pain ebbing away like a receding ocean tide. His consciousness drifted off into peaceful sleep.
"Rozu? Hello? Earth to Rozu?"
He blinked his eyes up to see the sun shining high above through the broken ceiling. Hinamori was leaning over him, a hand on her hip as she quirked a brow quizzically.
He must've fallen asleep and he sat up, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he stifled a yawn. "What d'ya want, Hinamori?"
"You were sleeping? You never sleep." She snapped in reply as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"It was a long night, what can I say?" He glanced at her newly constructed limb, jerking a finger at the knotty tendrils. "Besides, that ugly thing can really put anyone to sleep once they see it."
"YOU-" She shrieked, stomping her foot in anger. "KUROFIRU-SAMA SACRIFICED HIS ENERGY FOR THIS-"
He plugged his ears with his fingers, sticking his tongue out at her. "La, la, la, I can't hear you!"
"YOU." She raised a fist and he leapt off the couch, jogging away as she began to chase after him.
"Guys, quiet down." Kurofiru was leaning over the second-floor balcony, arms resting on the bars as he regarded the pair. His wounds had been tended and, despite the tired expression on his face, his eyes shone with attentiveness.
"He started it, Kurofiru-sama!" Hinamori cried with a pout as she continued pointing at the kid. Upon seeing them gallivanting about, Kurofiru simply rolled his eyes and turned away with a sigh.
Rozu glanced behind him at the woman, and then at Kurofiru's retreating figure. He couldn't help but release a small smile, unbeknownst to the two.
It was a dog-eat-dog world, sure. But some dogs stick together; some, in fact, form a pack.
Maybe he finally found his.
—-
A lone tear dripped down her chin, and Qian angrily wiped it away with the back of her hand before shoving her eyes back into the lens of her microscope.
Trial #2, same effect was able to be replicated and observed. She scribbled into her notes, desperately trying to focus on the experiment in front of her. More blood added resulted in greater luminescence and-
The high pressure of her written strokes suddenly caused the tip of the pencil to break, a chunk of graphite flying off the countertop. Of course. Of fucking course, why wouldn't this happen to me right now? She bit back a sob, climbing off her stool and kneeling on the floor to search for the piece.
The image of Vivian and Satoru kissing flashed into her mind, as it had been for the past day and night, nonstop. The memory of her arms snaking around his shoulders were imprinted in her brain, causing Qian's lip to tremble once more.
Stop. Don't cry. Don't. She took in a shaky breath as she palmed the floor, searching in the dark shadows. You knew he was like this, why would he care about you? You're nothing compared to those women.
But there were moments… right? Those… moments when he held her. He was warm.
And there were his tender kisses, his gentle hands as they caressed her face…
Yet- she swallowed, shaking her head. Maybe it's a misunderstanding… maybe they weren't… what she had imagined. Maybe her eyes were just fooling her-
Suddenly, a knock was heard at the door. She pushed herself to her feet, dusting off her knees as she headed up the steps.
"W-Who is it-?" She asked as she opened the door. She faltered upon seeing Vivian, wearing a dark jacket- no doubt belonging to a familiar male as it was clearly too big for her: the sleeves hung loosely over her hands, the waistline resting well below her hips.
"Hey, have you seen Satoru?" The woman gripped the jacket closely over her ample bosom, giving a faux shiver. "We were in his office and he gave me this jacket after we-" She gave a light cough, pretending to clear her throat. "-I mean, when I… dozed off. I was hoping to give it back?"
So… it is true. Qian's heart plummeted to her stomach, crumbling into bits as she couldn't stop herself from staring at the article of clothing.
Vivian inwardly smirked, tilting her head as if confused. "Um…Qian? Did you hear me-?"
"O-Oh, um…" Qian harshly bit her tongue, forcing the tears to remain at bay thanks to the pain. "I-I'm not sure, did you check the library? Sometimes he works there."
"Oh, I haven't. Thanks! I'll check it out." She winked at the girl as she turned away. After taking a step, she paused, turning on her heel. "And uh, don't tell anyone okay? We're trying to keep it on the down low since I just came back."
All she could do was nod in response, staring despondently at the woman's retreating figure.
She wasn't sure how long she stood there. Finally, her neurons fired down to her muscles and robotically, her body moved on its own to close the door behind her.
When she made it down the steps, the hot tears finally began pouring down her cheeks as she sunk to the floor. The fact that she was wearing his clothing, clearly comfortable in it. The fabric, even though it wasn't hers, its looseness around her voluptuous figure seemed like it was almost made for her. The image of Satoru and Vivian intertwined… she covered her face in her palms, sobbing quietly.
I'm so stupid. So, fucking stupid. She hiccuped as she hunched over, burying her face into her elbows as she hugged her knees.
Suddenly, there was a soft 'ding' in her pocket. Her head was pounding as she knew who the sender was- she was behind in her work, her mentor was no doubt asking for updates. She had to respond. Somehow, she mustered the strength to pull out her phone, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand.
Hey! Any updates with your research? Principal Yaga was wondering if you'd be able to present to him and the other teachers your findings so we can come up with a plan of attack.
Shit. She had completely forgotten that Yaga was also seeking a status report from her. She can't be distracted now- she has to come up with the next experiment. She had to find the cure, she had to save those people, she had to-
She scrambled to her benchtop, trying to re-read her notes. Okay, if this effect can be replicated, then the next experiment to validate this has to be… has to be…
But, the vivid memory of seeing Satoru and Vivian… what they must have done in his office… what they do together outside of school… the thoughts plagued her mind like an infestation. I can't… I can't. She screamed as she tossed the phone aside, digging her palms into her eyes.
She knew she was being immature… not being able to focus. So what? He and her were never in a real relationship, it was just a fling, she knew in her heart that there was nothing more. There are lives at stake and she needs to focus, she made a promise to her team, to this school.
But the pain… It hurts so much.
She slapped her tear-stained cheeks, pushing herself up to her feet and scrambling to put away her equipment. It's late… I just need sleep, that's all. She took a shaky breath. Tomorrow is a brand new day, I'll be okay. I'll figure out new experiments and collect more evidence, and then I'll show Ieiri-sensei, and it'll all work out.
**Author's note** Hi guys! Thank you as always for your continued patience with me! I know you are all wanting more QianxSatoru scenes so don't worry- they'll be coming 3 Just wanted to flesh out the rest of the story so it doesn't seem rushed!
So far I've been doing alright with sticking to monthly updates as my timeline (fingers crossed), so I'm going to keep doing so- I'll update sooner if I can! I really appreciate each and every one of you for continuing to wait and follow my story :) See you next month!
PS. I finally made an instagram :D I'm getting in the times y'all lol! Follow me if you want alili_arts! I'll be posting chapter updates/previews on there - gonna try to be more active!