Satoru reached his arms behind the back of his head, stretching out his limbs and hearing a satisfying 'crack' of his joints.

"Finally done with another stupid report." He muttered to himself as he hit send on his computer screen. Masamichi was definitely going to ask him to come to his office to discuss the document in person, but he honestly didn't give a shit anymore.

After cranking out a bunch of reports yesterday, running out for missions overnight, coming back to draft up the report for said missions, he was satisfied to say he is essentially caught up with everything, finally having time to breathe. Maybe he can finally-

How long has it been? It had been weeks, WEEKS since he last saw her. Weeks since they last spoke, when they had their last "conversation"… per se. He, for one, had been swamped with trying to balance missions, work, and teaching- mainly preparing for the winter finals. And, based on observing Shoko zooming back and forth between her office and the medical room, Qian must have been as well. If her mentor was in a frenzy, there was no way Qian wouldn't pick up any extra slack that laid around.

He plucked out his phone to check the time. One hour before class starts. Finally, he has time to see her. He took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders back as he gazed outside his window to see the familiar dirt path just beyond the courtyard that led to the lab.

Honestly, he should've asked for her number way earlier, then maybe they could make time to see each other. But he never bothered keeping any women's contact information if they gave it to him. Rather, he'd give them his info if they asked- in case they wanted to have a "good time" and he happened to be in a "good mood."

Now, it has been ages since he's bothered answering their calls or replying to their texts. With this girl… he gave a wry grin... she was not just "any" woman.

He closed his laptop and stood from his desk, walking into the hallway when, lo and behold, the person haunting his mind rounded the corner, her head hung as she held her notebook tightly to her chest.

Satoru couldn't stop himself from smiling. She was wearing a simple, auburn long-sleeved turtleneck and skinny jeans. But as she drew closer, he noticed her dark hair was quite disheveled, sloppily pulled back into a bun that looked more like a knapsack clumsily knotted behind her skull. She kept adjusting her glasses and rubbing her eyes, as if trying to hide- why are her eyes puffy?

"Hey." She was right about next to him when she practically jumped a solid foot in the air upon hearing his voice, her gaze snapping up at him in mortification. Clearly she was not watching where she was going. His brow furrowed upon seeing her fumble with placing her glasses back on the bridge of her nose, noting her wide, bloodshot eyes. "Are you-"

"I-I-I- Sorr- I- was- Ieiri-sen-" She was scrambling backwards. In seconds, she was retreating back down the hallway. "G-g-gotta go- bye!"

"Qian- wait-" But she had already disappeared around the corner. He rolled his fingers into a fist, taking a few steps forward to follow. What the hell was that? Was she avoiding me?

"Satoru." He faltered and turned to see Vivian behind him, her hands placed on her hips as she regarded him quizzically. "Principal Yaga wants to see you."

"Not now, Viv." He raised his hand dismissively as he continued down his path towards where Qian had fled. Why is she running? Is she okay? What-

But the silver-haired woman flicked her wrist, and a rush of air blew into his face, causing him to stumble back. He coughed before glaring at the woman. "Seriously? Using Bending?"

"You used your cursed ability on me before, it's only fair I return the favor." She replied sardonically, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I'm serious, sensei is getting impatient and he needs you to summarize the latest mission in person."

"I already emailed him the report." Satoru growled, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he turned his heel back towards-

Another blast of air hit him square in the face. He stiffened and blinked before wrinkling his nose disdainfully. "Again? Twice?"

Vivian gave a sly smirk. "Come on, you know between us, once is never enough." She winked as she came forward and straightened his collar, giving his chest a soft pat. "There, now you look less like a mess. Now, let's go." She turned her back and sauntered down the hall, her high heels clicking against the hardwood floor.

He groaned under his breath, absently brushing off the parts of his shirt where she touched. He shot one last look behind him before following suit.

—-

Unbeknownst to him, from around the corner, Qian had sunken down to the floor, clutching her notebook to her chest so tightly that the bindings had begun to tear. She was gasping, shallow breaths coming out of what felt like collapsed lungs. She couldn't breathe.

Originally, she had come up to provide Shoko with an update to her research. Well, more like notifying her mentor that there was a lack thereof. Nonetheless, she didn't realize she would run into him here. She heard that he was busy preparing for the winter finals, at least that's what Nobara told her the other day during lunch. In addition, she's been seeing Yuji and the others studying (or attempting to, in regards to the aforementioned) in the library.

She even double checked with the second years. Panda had mentioned that the man seemed barely on campus due to an increase in missions.

"Since it's almost winter, we get more and more cursed spirits popping up. Ya know, due to seasonal depression and such." He commented while she visited one of their training sessions.

All in all, she seldom saw him meandering around campus like he normally would. So what are the chances of running into him today? She wanted to tear her hair out at the odds and her stupidity. And of course they were together, I mean… After seeing that exchange… She swallowed the painful lump in her throat. It was obvious they were… together. And probably have been for a long time.

She buried her face into her hands. This means everything, everything, that they did together was… not real. He must have felt lonely while that beautiful woman was abroad, that's why he had so many other partners in the meantime. It was such a classic cliché: he always had her in his heart, constantly pining over her, using other women to get over his lost love. And now that she's back, they can have their happy ending.

And that was why he… with me… he- Qian gave a bitter chuckle as she took off her glasses, covering her swollen eyes as she took a deep, shaky breath. It makes sense. There was no other reason why he touched me. She was just some lovesick… fangirl who was at the right place and right time. A simple convenience, that's all it was.

She grudgingly opened her crumpled notes, which had barely had any useful information in them anyways- save for the few scratchy, poorly written blurbs about the failed experiments from this morning. She sniffed, hot tears finally streaming down her cheeks. Who was she kidding, with the way she is now, she was just wasting money and resources. She was completely a burden.

How could she continue doing this if everything reminds her of him? How can she even finish her work if she can't even control her own emotions… if only she could just forget, then all this pain would go away.

Forget… Suddenly, an inkling of an idea began to formulate in her foggy mind. If she could forget, then she would be able to do her fucking job. If she could forget, all this pain would go away and she would be able to move on. If somehow, she could just erase her memory of him-

And there was a way. She crawled over to her phone, typing in a familiar hot springs resort in the Maps search bar.

—-

Satoru closed the door behind him, heading directly to his bedroom. He was absolutely exhausted- ripping off his uniform and sliding the door open to his closet. Turns out, unsurprisingly, he was not caught up with everything. After meeting with Masamichi, he had to run and teach back-to-back classes before being called into a last-minute mission. Can't fucking catch a break.

After shifting through his hangers, internally cursing at the fact that all his comfortable loungewear had been sitting in his washer, neglected for over a day now. Whatever. He settled for a gunmetal gray and white flannel shirt, buttoning it up over his black tank top and dark jeans. He returned to the kitchen, grabbing a glass from his cabinet and running the tap water to fill it to the brim. With an exasperated sigh, he pulled out one of the high chairs under his marble countertop, plopping onto the cushion in exhaustion.

He folded his arms onto the counter, resting his head into the crevice of his elbow. At least he finally saw Qian today… after so long. Upon stumbling into her in the hallway, even though she looked disheveled, he felt his chest grow tight. What was she doing now?

God, he missed her. He should've just followed her, fuck what Masamichi needed.

Come on, Satoru, quit acting like a lovestruck idiot. He chugged his glass in three gulps, letting his hand drop onto the countertop with a thud. But he couldn't help it and… honestly… he didn't care to deny it anymore, even the simple memory of feeling her soft arms hugging his torso ignited a burning feeling in his chest.

He lifted his face and rested his chin onto his forearm. When she told him she loved him, his entire body felt like it was electrocuted with raw hope and… happiness. He always thought Love was a stupid emotion; every movie he's seen about it felt superficial and, frankly, full of crap. Parents sacrificing themselves for their children, lovers dying for each other, he would laugh out loud at the notion. And even when his past companions would utter that four-letter word, he would immediately feel disgusted, even disappointed.

But when she did, he felt conflicted. And when he thought her emotions were misdirected, he felt sad. All these tumultuous feelings, and having no answer… he was fucking Gojo Satoru for God's sake- he never cared about such trivial things. And yet, he constantly yearned for her. Being around her brought him some sort of reassurance.

And now that she was gone, that solid, steadfastness was gone. It wasn't even her body that brought him relief- he learned the hard way that trying to find a physical replacement was a big mistake.

He shouldn't have followed Vivian. There was an empty room at the end of the hallway, a few paces around the corner. He should've just grabbed Qian right then and there, dragging her into that room and doing what they both wanted. He had easily discovered all her weak spots from their previous encounters: her neck, behind her ears, her shoulder, her collarbone…

He harshly bit down on his forearm, forcing himself to take a deep breath. Calm down, Satoru. He practically growled to himself. What am I, some sort of dog in heat?

He reached into his pocket for his phone to check the time. However, right as he pulled it out, the device began to buzz. He peered at the screen, quirking a brow in confusion upon seeing the Caller ID.

He pressed the green button. "Adalaine, this is a surprise." He pushed himself off the chair, heading to his loveseat to collapse into the plush pillows. He leaned into his sofa, throwing an arm around the back.

"Satoru, listen." Her voice was oddly solemn. "You might want to come over."

He gave a sardonic smirk. "Ah, sorry, I actually don't do that sort of thing anymore-"

"No, it has nothing to do with that. One of your students just checked in."

He abruptly sat up, resting his elbows on top of his thighs as he quirked a brow. "Who?"

"The medical assistant- Qian." The hairs on the back of his neck prickled as he heard her sigh. "And she made the strangest request that… I don't know if I should grant-"

Request? Satoru pushed himself to his feet, his stomach churning with apprehension. "What request?"

He was eerily silent as she responded to his question. Suddenly, the wooden ceiling splintered with a loud CRACK as an explosion of cursed energy was released from his body. The air became scorching hot, rising in temperature as the atmosphere around him grew heavy with suffocating pressure. His eyes glowed bright blue with fury.

"Make sure she stays there." Was all he could utter in his rage before he disappeared out the door. "Don't let her leave."

—-

When Qian arrived at the inn, Adalaine just so happened to be talking to her receptionist at her front desk. Unlike in their first meeting, her outfit was more western- wearing a simple pencil skirt and floral blouse with her blond curls tied back in a high ponytail. She heard the jingle of the door opening and turned towards her, her violet eyes wide in recognition and surprise.

"Oh! You're… Qian, right? Jujutsu High's medical assistant?" She walked around the counter to greet the girl, pausing upon seeing her puffy, bloodshot eyes and sullen expression. "Are you alright?"

"A-Ah yes, it's been a while, Adalaine-san." Qian bowed her head deeply as the blonde shook her head.

"Oh please, Adalaine is just fine." She gestured to the seating area, giving a quick nod to her assistant to remain behind the counter and help the other customers.

"So what can I do for you?" She sat down on the leather bench, crossing her long legs.

The girl seated herself on the couch across from her. "I-I know this is a strange request but…" Qian nervously clutched the fabric of her pants as she bit her lip. Don't falter. This is for the best. Just say it- "C-Could you erase my memory?"

"Oh dear." Adalaine paused, folding her hands together as she pondered the request. "I'm not sure-"

"J-Just a little bit, like how you helped that one gentleman!" Qian bent forward pleadingly, her forehead practically resting on her lap. "P-Please, it's affecting my work, my life… I can no longer focus. I feel like I can't do anything… please."

The woman regarded her soberly before nodding cautiously. "I can try, but my cursed technique only works on specific memories. Is there something specific you want me to erase?"

"I-I-" Qian swallowed, slowly straightening her back as she remained fixated on the hexagonal pattern in the carpet, unable to meet the woman's gaze. "I-I need you to erase Gojo-sensei."

Adalaine recoiled in shock as she blinked incredulously, her brows furrowed while she took a moment to register her words. "Qian, what on earth-"

"P-Please, it's too much to explain I just-" Qian bit back a sob as her eyes welled up with tears. Adalaine's heart sank upon seeing the girl bring her fingers to her face, digging them into her eyelids as if trying to physically stop herself from crying. "I-I need to do this."

"Oh goodness, okay, take a deep breath." She immediately rose and sat next to the girl, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder and rubbing it comfortably. "It's okay, let it out."

The girl gulped as she tried to stifle her hiccups. "I-I'm sorry, I just-"

"You fell in love with him, didn't you?" She blinked incredulously as she looked up at the blonde, who gave her a wry grin in return.

"Trust me." Her violet eyes softened as she glanced away, seemingly lost in a memory. "You're not the first to have her heart broken by him."

Qian couldn't help but gape as she slowly processed her words. "Y-You? But you're beautiful."

The woman giggled demurely with a sigh. "Well thank you, that's very kind of you to say. But what I'm trying to tell you is… love hurts. Especially when he's involved. And trust me, I know more than anyone how painful it can be- simply erasing it won't help"

The dark-haired girl sniffed, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand. "B-But I don't know what to do otherwise. I feel like my heart is torn apart. My mind is filled with him and only him so how… how the f-fuck do I move on?" Her tongue stung with her uncharacteristic curse, but Adalaine didn't seem perturbed, simply continuing to caress her back.

"It will take time. One day at a time." She replied with a sad shrug. "But all you can do is push yourself by taking a step forward. And some days you'll take a step back. Maybe even two. Any step forward counts. I know it's easier said than done, but it's just something you have to do."

When Qian didn't respond, Adalaine let out a sympathetic smile. "Love isn't easy. Life isn't easy. Try to focus on other things that bring you joy and happiness. You have your friends and family right?"

The girl was quiet for another moment, before nodding her head. Adalaine pressed. "And you have people who are relying on you and your work, right?"

She nodded once more. However, she then shook her head adamantly. "I-I don't know, I just feel so overwhelmed."

"And it's totally okay to feel that way." Adalaine rose to her feet, gesturing at her assistant with a raised hand. "Here, how about you stay here for the night and think about it. Use the springs, relax, unwind if you can. If you still want to do this tomorrow, then come talk to me and I'll help you. But try to get some rest. I'll come over and let you know when dinner is ready."

Qian hesitated, remaining silent at first. However, upon seeing the assistant approach them, a hotel key in hand, she finally nodded her head gratefully. It would be a long journey back to campus, and she did not want to accidentally run into the man even though the chances would be small. Furthermore, she didn't tell anyone she was coming here, so she should be safe.

"Okay thank you so much."