A/N at the end of the chapter


CHAPTER 19

{POV: Satoru Gojo}

"'So, friends like before?' Yeah, hell no." he cursed silently, feeling a surge of irritation rise within him. For someone who prided himself on being untouchable, unshakeable, this was a humbling experience, and he hated it.

His expression twisted into a slight pout as he tried to convince himself that he wouldn't lose this battle—one that, in hindsight, he had foolishly initiated. He wasn't supposed to be the one caught off guard, the one floundering in the quicksand of his own making. But here he was, feeling like the world's biggest idiot.

That morning had started off wrong, and it was only getting worse. He had woken up late, not because of the usual excuses he gave to Suzue or others to justify his chronic lateness, but because he'd spent half the night tossing and turning, unable to get her out of his mind. It was both ironic and infuriating that the woman now sitting across from him in the car, shy and sweetly oblivious to the chaos she was causing in his head, was the same one who had kept him awake in the first place in the name of friendship.

And if that wasn't enough, when he saw her that morning wrapped in the kimono she had wanted so badly—one he, in a moment of inexplicable self-sabotage, had gone out of his way to find for her—he realized just how deep he'd dug his own grave.

The kimono suited her almost too well, accentuating her natural grace in a way that was both breathtaking and utterly maddening. Of course, he was Satoru Gojo; he didn't do anything halfway, least of all something like this. But he hadn't anticipated the way it would backfire on him so spectacularly.

When he saw her, standing there in that damn kimono, he knew he was screwed. He had gotten too close, breached her personal space, and desperately searched for something sharp, something witty to say to reclaim the upper hand. But instead, all that came out was a lame, «What? I thought you'd wear it just for me! If I'd known it was for those old geezers, I wouldn't have tried so hard.»

It was a pathetic attempt, even by his own standards. And predictably, she blushed all the way to the tips of her ears. Seeing that flush spread across her face had made him smile at the time, a small victory. But now, that tension he had so carelessly stirred up was lingering, stretching out the car ride into an agonizing silence that threatened to strangle him.

Running a hand over his face in exasperation, he scolded himself internally. "You should have just told her she looks great and shut up."

Leaning his elbow on the window, he cast a furtive glance at Suzue, who was sitting on the other side of the back seat. She had her head down, nervously fiddling with her hands in her lap, yet somehow, she still maintained that air of composure. Was it a natural grace, or was it something drilled into her after years of strict discipline under the Zenin clan's rigid expectations?

What was meant to be a quick glance turned into a longer, more contemplative stare than he had intended. His gaze inevitably lingered on Suzue's figure, draped in that kimono.

The way the fabric hugged the curve of her hips, the delicate narrowness of her waist, and the nape of her neck, exposed so vulnerably by the way her hair was tied up… Everything about her seemed to conspire against him. There was something maddeningly intoxicating about knowing he had been the one to put her in that vest, and a dangerous part of him entertained the idea that maybe, just maybe, he could be the one to… undo it, piece by piece, with equal precision.

He gestured nervously, trying to push the thought away, but it was impossible to ignore that natural elegance she didn't even seem to realize she possessed.

"Ah, I knew it though, I really did a great job." he congratulated himself mentally, though with a tinge of bitterness. It was self-inflicted torture, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. Now, his pride was speaking. "She's just—"

«Perfect.» she murmured.

«Perfect.» he reflexively echoed, unintentionally.

At that moment, Suzue turned slightly towards him, catching him off guard. She was watching him, as if trying to figure out what he was thinking, and it only increased his frustration.

"Shoko's right, I'm acting like a virgin!" The realization hit him like a brick. Brought to his knees by a single glance from a woman wearing a kimono he had bought for her. The irony was almost unbearable.

«The kimono. It's perfect, you know, I hadn't thanked you yet.» Suzue's voice was calm, almost shy, as she gestured slightly, waving one sleeve of the kimono to emphasize her words. She seemed genuinely grateful and so... utterly unaware of the effect she had on him, and that ignorance, that innocence, made it worse. It made him feel guilty, frustrated, and pathetically weak all at once

"Don't look at me like that." he wanted to tell her, but the words wouldn't come out. Instead, he just smiled at her, a tight-lipped smile. «The kimono, right. Did you really need to wear it?» he tried to inject some sarcasm to re-establish emotional distance, but he realized his tone came out almost like a plea, a desperate request for a truce.

Suzue's response—a slight pout, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush—didn't help matters. In fact, it only made things worse. «If I want anyone to notice me and take me seriously, yes, it's necessary,» she complained, leaning slightly towards him to make her point clearer.

That simple movement, innocent and unintentional, made his heart skip a beat. He couldn't help but notice how the neckline of the kimono, modest as it was, seemed to open up just enough as she leaned toward him, revealing the delicate curve of her... collarbone.

He found himself instinctively leaning back, trying to create some distance between them, but there was nowhere to go—his back was already against the car door. "Stay away, you dangerous creature-" he thought, half-amused, half-desperate. His eyes were drawn to the soft skin at the base of her throat, and he could feel his throat go dry. He cursed himself inwardly, hating how easily she could disarm him with just a collarbone.

«I don't have an imposing stature or an aura of magnificence like you do... who can afford to show up at these meetings in your usual sorcerer's uniform.» Suzue's words were meant to be a light reprimand, a contrast to her previous shyness, but all Satoru could focus on was the way her lips moved as she spoke, and how her voice carried that subtle mix of insecurity and determination.

Finally, he felt a little ground under his feet, he forced a smirk onto his face, trying to regain some control over the situation. «No doubt I go all out for those people!» he retorted, his usual arrogance slipping back into his tone. It was a lifeline, a way to pull himself out of the whirlpool of inappropriate thoughts and back to the Satoru Gojo everyone knew.

His eyes drifted from that tempting collarbone, wandering around the car until they caught sight of Ijichi in the rearview mirror. He was in his usual state of stress, focused on driving. Sweating.

That familiar, almost comical sight in its predictability, helped him regain his composure fully.

Today was important for Suzue, not for him. He was just there as support, to put any jerks who tried to mess with her in their place. He knew how crucial this step was for her, and how much the anxiety was eating her up.

He saw it in the way her eyebrows were perpetually furrowed, in her stiff shoulders, in those eyes that, despite everything, didn't betray the emotion she was feeling. It was clear that Suzue was fighting an internal battle, and his in comparison seemed stupid. It wasn't fair that he made her day even harder.

So, with a decisive gesture, he quickly pulled his blindfold over his eyes, hoping it would help him push away those lingering, inappropriate thoughts, and focused on the hours of agony ahead.

Meetings with the other clans and the sorcerer society's institutions were torture for him, an exercise in patience that wasn't his strong suit. Especially when they were held in the opulent Zenin estate, a place steeped in arrogance and ostentation, where every meeting turned into a sort of spectacle. In recent years, he had always had Principal Yaga by his side, whose presence managed to soften the sharpest edges of his character, making those meetings at least bearable. But today, the principal had chosen to bow out, perhaps tired of mediating in discussions that seemed to lead nowhere.

Suddenly, Satoru's mind drifted back to the last time he had been at that estate. That meeting had been a little different from the others, perhaps the only one he didn't regret attending. Even though…

«Did you get in trouble that time?» he asked suddenly, genuine curiosity coloring his voice as he brought his attention back to Suzue. «Earlier this year. When you burst out laughing in the middle of the meeting.» He reminded her of that episode with a playful smirk. That had indeed been interesting.

Suzue jumped at the memory, a light blush coloring her cheeks, maybe surprised that he remembered that episode with such irony. «I-I didn't really burst out laughing...» she stammered, trying to justify herself, then her gaze turned slightly more serious. «Disrespect isn't well tolerated in the Zenin clan. Of course, I got a good scolding... and quite a few restrictions for the following months.»

He felt a small pang of guilt, but damn, he couldn't have predicted that it would take so little to trigger her sense of humor in such a serious situation. «Why did you agree to stay with them for so many years?»

Suzue thought carefully about the question, as if searching for the right words to explain. «The Kujou clan has always been tied to the Zenin clan. We were a secondary, minor branch. A vassal clan.» She paused, lowering her gaze, as if she were gathering the pieces of a shattered family history, a story she bore the weight of on her shoulders. «When that night happened… the incident… The Zenin clan was the only one to intervene. We were a small, insignificant clan; the active sorcerers could be counted on one hand. I think no one else had any interest in our situation, and I… I was young, and they were all I knew of the sorcerer society.»

Satoru grew thoughtful, his mind traveling back in time, trying to recall. When had that incident occurred? He seemed to remember it being late in the summer of 2007.

"What an unlucky year." he thought bitterly, while the irony of his own life hit him hard. That was the year he had become the head of the Gojo clan, a burden that had added to the already overwhelming weight of Suguru's betrayal, which had happened... at the end of that summer. Maybe that's why he hadn't paid attention to the Kujou clan's situation? Maybe that's why Suzue's fate and her clan's had slipped past him without him noticing?

No matter how small the Kujou clan was, an entire group of sorcerers wiped out in a single night wasn't something that could go unnoticed. Yet, he didn't recall receiving the news with any particular urgency. Why hadn't there been an uproar? Why had everything been so... silent? Something didn't add up, a detail that eluded him.

As he pondered these questions, Suzue interrupted his thoughts with her calm voice, her tone surprisingly serene. «Regardless of everything, I don't think I had it that bad, you know, in those years with them.» Her face softened with a faint, melancholic smile, as if she were trying to reassure herself as much as him. It was clear, though, that she was trying to downplay the mental, and perhaps even physical, abuse she had endured. «Sure, strict discipline was required, and they knew how to exercise subtle psychological manipulation that could break anyone, but... the clan is very large, and I was always just a background element. As long as I did my duties, no one ever really expected anything from me. I was more like…»

«A piece of furniture?» Satoru looked at her, finishing the thought for her.

«A piece of furniture.» Suzue nodded weakly, her voice barely above a whisper, confirming what he had said.

There was something incredibly sad in that word, a term that coldly and reductively summed up years of life spent in the shadows, relegated to a marginal role, almost invisible. Suzue had been ignored to the point of becoming almost part of the decor, a decorative piece that no one really noticed.

«I know the feeling,» Satoru commented, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Suzue looked at him, amused, appreciating the subtle gesture.

«No, you don't. There's no way you know that feeling!» She responded with a half-smile, almost accusing him playfully of lying.

Satoru raised his hands in mock surrender, accompanying the gesture with an ironic smile. «Busted! Sorry.»

He had never been a piece of furniture; he had always been at the center of everything, perpetually in the spotlight, surrounded by expectations. But Suzue seemed to appreciate the attempt to show empathy. She seemed to relax, her face now only occupied by a grateful smile. And for a brief moment, Satoru felt relieved, as if, in some way, he had managed to give her a little strength.

It was then that Ijichi's voice broke the silence that had settled between them. «Ah—uhm—we've arrived.» he announced, pulling the car over to the side of the road to let the two of them out.

The announcement seemed to snap Suzue back to reality, plunging her back into the anxiety she had been trying to keep at bay, and even Satoru, who had finally found a bit of peace, suddenly remembered that, after all, this was and remained a shitty day.

He quickly got out of the car, trying to regain control of the situation. He walked around and opened the door for Suzue, a gesture that had become second nature to him but which, at that moment, seemed to carry a different weight, almost a silent invitation to muster up some courage.

Suzue seemed to hesitate, peering out of the car suspiciously, as if for a moment she was reconsidering all of her decisions.

With a smug grin, he offered her his arm, initially just to tease her, to coax another smile out of her, but that gesture seemed to give her the final push she needed.

To his surprise, Suzue got out of the car, clutching his arm, and threatening to shatter the self-control he had painstakingly built up during the car ride. Satoru felt a slight tremor run through her as she held onto his arm like a lifeline, but when he saw her lift her gaze towards the enormous Zenin estate, he noticed the determination in her eyes.

"Great, now we look like two idiots arm in arm." he thought wryly, noticing how she didn't seem inclined to let go.

He turned to look at Suzue, wondering if she was really sure about what she was about to do. And, to his surprise, she seemed more determined than ever. There was no longer any trace of the earlier insecurity; she seemed to have found her resolve.

"Good…" he thought. "Looks like things are going to get very interesting."

And he was willing to do anything, to lend many feet to clear her path. He couldn't help but let out a small chuckle of defiance, already savoring the satisfaction of seeing certain faces contort with rage.

«So, shall we go in… miss 'head of the Kujou clan'?»


{POV: Suzue Kujou}

Suzue could feel her body wrapped in flames, but strangely, the sensation wasn't painful. On the contrary, it was almost comforting, like a warm blanket on a cold night. There was a familiarity in that warmth, a deep connection with her own cursed technique. However, upon closer inspection, she realized that the body she felt wasn't hers, as familiar as it seemed. It was like living a lucid dream, where every sensation was real yet simultaneously foreign.

Her vision quickly adjusted to the bright light given off by the flames that roared all around; the luxurious room, originally adorned and which she had seen many times in dreams and visions, was now reduced to a shadow, consumed by the fire produced by Kaede herself. The tapestries and ornaments lay all reduced to ashes, while the smoke permeated the air, making it unbreathable.

The crackling of the flames, so close that it seemed like a second skin, drowned out any other sound, but Suzue could swear she heard, in the distance, echoes of human screams and cries, sounds of suffering that mingled with the fiery chaos.

Then Kaede's voice broke the silence, but it was no longer the calm, cold voice Suzue had become accustomed to. It was broken, laden with emotion. «Tora…»

Suzue paused to study the man before her, the one Kaede was looking at, who stood in the partially destroyed doorway of the room.

The man wore ancient, noble clothes that seemed to belong to a bygone era, one that Suzue had only glimpsed in her dreams and visions. His hair was tied under an elaborate headdress, and a black goatee framed his face. His dark eyes were full of a visceral fear, a terror that almost paralyzed him. The aura he emanated spoke of a respectable, powerful man, but in that moment, he was just a terrified man, completely overwhelmed by the horror of the situation.

But Kaede did something unusual for her, something Suzue had never seen her do. She smiled. A weak, barely noticeable smile. A sad smile.

«Y-Your brother… that man. Was he here? What did he tell you?!» the man asked, his voice uncertain and trembling. His tone betrayed a desperation he tried to hide behind a veil of composure.

But Kaede didn't seem disturbed by his words, nor by the evident fear the man was trying to conceal. Instead, she took a small step towards him, and her smile widened slightly. Seeing her approach, the man frantically backed away, driven by pure terror, but Kaede seemed oblivious to his reaction. «He said some unpleasant things but… He was lying, right? You would never hurt me,» her voice sweet, almost childlike, contradicting the devastation surrounding her.

The man nodded frantically, a nervous smile appearing on his lips as he tried to calm the situation. «O-Of course! You know I would never hurt you.» Seeing her calm and convinced by his words, he seemed to regain his composure. «I love you, Kaede. And I love our children. You know that, right?» The question concealed a certain anxiety and anticipation.

Suzue felt Kaede's eyes fill with tears, and with them, her own. Tears of happiness that clashed terribly with the horror of the situation. The flames surrounding Kaede seemed to weaken, retreating slightly, and even the external screams quieted for a moment, as if the world itself had held its breath.

«I knew it. I love you too,» she whispered weakly, taking another small step toward the man, who in turn seemed to relax, although his eyes still betrayed poorly concealed contempt and terror.

«Good, good, my Kaede. You're always so perfect and obedient.» He approached her, closing the distance with some hesitation, but finally, he gently placed his hands on her shoulders. Kaede allowed it, withdrawing the flames that surrounded her to let the man touch her without harm.

For a moment, they looked into each other's eyes, but that exchange of glances was devoid of sweetness. There was no love, at least not from the man. In his eyes, Suzue could see only calculation, manipulation.

It was as if he were playing a game, and Kaede, with all her strength, was merely a pawn in his hands.

«Kaede, my dear, would you do one last thing for me? You know I wouldn't ask you for anything unless it was truly important to me, right?» the man asked, his voice sweet, but with an urgency that betrayed the haste of a plan about to be put into motion. Kaede seemed to be in a trance, completely enveloped in her love for this man, and she nodded earnestly, oblivious to all the alarming signals her interlocutor was sending. The man's relief turned into satisfaction, a chilling satisfaction reflected in his eyes as the words slipped from his lips with terrifying ease.

«So… could you do it for me? Could you die—»

The words hadn't even settled in the air before the man's head was cleanly severed with a single blow so swift it seemed unreal. For a moment, time stopped. All that remained was a storm of blood splatters staining the air, while the man's lifeless body crumpled to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

Suzue felt the blood spatter on her face, the nausea rising within her, and the disgust knotting her stomach. She shared the horror of the scene with Kaede, as if they were one entity, trapped in a nightmare with no escape. When she lifted her eyes and strained to see, the man's body lay on the ground, lifeless. But all she could see, all that filled her vision, were two red eyes staring back at her.


"Brother...?" The word echoed in her head, laden with a weight she couldn't yet grasp. "It can't be him... right?"

As absurd as it seemed, the pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fit together in a way that sent chills down her spine, threatening to pull her into a vortex of dread—something she could ill afford on a day like today.

The night had been an endless torment for Suzue, with no sleep, haunted only by that raw vision. Even now, she could still feel the phantom warmth of blood trickling down her face, the heat of the flames licking at her skin, the acrid stench of smoke that clung to her nostrils... and most disturbingly, those red eyes, seething with hatred, burning into her very soul.

The urge to talk to someone about it gnawed at her. She wanted to confide in Satoru, to share the heavy burden of these thoughts. But how could she possibly bring up something so outlandish without sounding completely deranged?

How could she explain that Kaede, the ancestor with whom she shared an inexplicable connection, might very well be the sister of the same ancient millenial-old lunatic who had nearly beaten her to death just a few weeks ago?

Was this bizarre connection the reason Sukuna had been unable to kill her? The possibility sent a shiver down her spine.

Considering how that guy had persistently called her Kaede, as if he were staring at a ghost from a past long forgotten, there was little doubt left in her mind. The brutality with which he had treated her, seeing not Suzue but the specter of a woman long gone, suggested a deep, festering hatred.

"Those two must have despised each other." she convinced herself, trying to find some explanation.

She closed her eyes for a moment, willing away the haunting images of that vision, trying to summon the clarity and focus she would need to face the challenges that lay ahead that day.

Until last night, she had managed to convince herself that she was ready, determined, and full of strength. But now, standing on the brink of what could be the most difficult challenge of her life, she felt the weight of her decisions pressing down on her like a heavy burden.

"'Aren't you the last survivor? That technically makes you the head of the Kujou clan.' Yeah, right. This is the first and last time I'll take any of his provocations seriously." She mentally cursed Satoru and his overly egocentric view of the world.

Rebuilding a sorcerer clan from scratch, and doing it alone, was a titanic task. It was something she had mulled over for weeks, trying to find the courage and determination needed to carry it out. But every time she thought about that task, the image of Naobito Zenin, the head of the Zenin clan, loomed in her mind like a menacing shadow. She was aware that the first step, the cornerstone of that reconstruction, inevitably involved him. The Zenin clan had always had ties with hers, centuries-old relationships that could not be ignored.

As if all that weren't enough, Satoru had arrived late at the meeting point, wearing his usual sorcerer attire, with a distracted and foul mood. One look at him was enough to realize that even his support, usually solid and reassuring, was less stable than usual that day.

The day promised only to get worse, and now she felt as stiff as a board, every muscle tensed as her fingers clung to Satoru's arm with a grip that betrayed all her anxiety.

It wasn't the first time she had walked through the Zenin estate. In fact, she had done so many times, more than she could actually count, but never under conditions like these, and certainly never with all those eyes on her. Every gaze she felt on her seemed to weigh like a stone.

Despite trying to maintain composure, it was obvious that she wasn't walking so much as she was being dragged around by Satoru, who, on the other hand, seemed to move with his usual disarming ease. It was as if the entire estate were his personal stage, and he was the undisputed star. Every step he took, every glance he cast, was filled with that self-confidence that defined him and which Suzue deeply envied at that moment.

"Why is everyone staring at us like that? Are they staring at Satoru Gojo? Does he really draw all this attention?" She knew Satoru was an imposing figure, someone who never went unnoticed, but right now, his presence seemed to amplify her own sense of inadequacy.

The thought that she was clinging to him like a little monkey made her shiver slightly. "No… It's not just Satoru. They're staring at two special-grade sorcerers walking arm in arm like idiots!" she lamented mentally, as the pressure of being in the midst of all that unwanted attention slowly consumed her.

When Satoru gently pulled her closer, making it clear he wouldn't let anyone get too close to her, Suzue felt a small wave of relief. Her body relaxed slightly, and her breathing, though still irregular, became a bit easier. "Why do I always have to seem so weak?" she scolded herself mentally, trying to find that inner strength that seemed to elude her every time she needed it.

She was aware of how her image could be compromised if she continued to appear so vulnerable and dependent on Satoru, but at the same time, she knew she couldn't do without his support. Not yet, at least.

"Alright," she thought finally, trying to muster some courage. "We may look like two idiots, but at least I'm not doing it alone."

Thanks to Satoru's lateness that morning, there wasn't much time left before the discussion was set to begin, and the crowd gathered was already nearly complete. Looking around, she couldn't help but confirm the impression she'd had a few months earlier. The average age was absurdly high, and everyone was dressed to the nines. But then, even she hadn't held back that day, wearing the kimono that Satoru had procured for her, which made her feel extremely uncomfortable. She was used to wearing more practical clothes and had never been able to afford such a visibly… expensive garment.

She glanced at Satoru, who, despite his earlier irritation, now seemed to be in a great mood, almost as if he was enjoying the absurdity of the situation. How had he managed to get the size so perfectly right? That kimono really did fit her like a glove. Too well, in fact. Maybe, with the Six Eyes, he could even take someone's measurements just by looking at them?

The thought made her smirk. Maybe he should reconsider a career in tailoring.

Yet deep down, she still felt a twinge of irritation at Satoru's lack of reaction.

Satoru, who usually had something to say about everything, had only made a passing, sarcastic comment about her appearance. There was no real reaction, no acknowledgment of the effort she had put into looking presentable for such an important occasion. It stung more than she cared to admit. It was as if he hadn't even noticed. Or worse, he had noticed and simply didn't care.

The idea gnawed at her, making her pout slightly. "He could have at least pretended or made an effort to appreciate the attempt I made to look presentable." she thought, her mood souring just a little.

«Who are we looking for…?» she asked weakly, trying to be heard only by Satoru.

«An old friend who can keep an eye on you while I have a chat with that old carcass Naobito!» he replied with a lightness that seemed out of place given the seriousness of the situation.

For a moment, Suzue didn't understand what he was referring to. She was the one who had to speak with Naobito Zenin, the head of the Zenin clan. She was the one who would have to face that formidable and cunning man, not Satoru.

The doubt that he might once again be trying to solve her problems for her gnawed at her, but before she could voice that thought, Satoru seemed to read her mind and quickly reassured her. «Don't worry! I have my own business to discuss with him.» He clarified with a grin that hinted at no good intentions.

Suzue frowned. "Great. He's going to irritate him just enough, and then when it's my turn, he'll take it out on me!" she cursed mentally, wondering if Satoru was secretly doing it on purpose and if he was really there to support her or for his own personal amusement.

However, she didn't have time to dwell on these thoughts: they had already reached the entrance to the main hall, and the stares directed at them were becoming more intense.

Satoru had deliberately bumped into some people whom Suzue couldn't identify, then passed them with a subdued, mocking laugh. He really seemed to enjoy annoying those people.

Then, finally, Satoru seemed to have spotted his target. He caught someone's attention with an exaggerated wave, as if he wanted everyone around them to notice the conversation that was about to take place.

A tall woman, dressed in black in a way that conveyed both elegance and practicality, approached them with an enigmatic smile. Suzue looked up, trying to maintain some semblance of composure despite the blush still coloring her cheeks from embarrassment. When her eyes met the woman's, a flash of recognition crossed her mind.

«…The Stalker?» she muttered under her breath, almost without realizing it, the thought escaping her lips before she could stop it.

She felt Satoru stifle a laugh beside her, while the woman narrowed her eyes, clearly amused by what she probably considered an unintentionally hilarious comment.

«You don't mince words, do you?» the woman replied sarcastically, her smile faint but betraying a certain indulgence.

Suzue cursed herself internally, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She couldn't believe she had said something like that out loud.

«No, she's just too honest sometimes!» Satoru quickly clarified the misunderstanding. «Suzue, this is Mei Mei, a first-grade sorcerer. You met her at the Jujutsu Headquarters. An old friend, as I was telling you. Mei Mei, this is Suzue Kujou. She's… the head of the Kujou clan.» The statement came out with a hint of challenge and such naturalness that it seemed surreal, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Satoru had officially introduced her with that title for the first time, and now Suzue felt a crushing weight on her shoulders. It was a title that still felt too foreign to truly belong to her.

Mei Mei, without breaking her gaze, took a step forward, approaching Suzue in a way that was almost intimidating, the distance between them now reduced to a minimum. «Oh, it was a pleasure helping you out last time! Considering how much you were willing to fork out… You do know it'll cost you more this time, right?» Mei Mei's words, though directed at Suzue, were clearly aimed at Satoru, and Suzue couldn't help but cast a questioning glance in his direction.

"Fork out? Does she mean she wanted money? Weren't they old friends?" she wondered, feeling a growing wave of discomfort. The idea that the sorcerers around her might all be equally complex and unpredictable made her feel like she was walking on a thin rope, ready to snap at any moment.

Satoru, sensing Suzue's discomfort, gently pulled her slightly closer to him, putting a few more inches of space between her and Mei Mei. «Sorry, but Suzue doesn't like physical contact!» Satoru declared, his voice carrying a note that sounded more like a threat than a simple observation.

Mei Mei raised an eyebrow, maintaining her smile but casting a questioning glance at the two sorcerers still standing close together. The fact that Satoru hadn't let go of Suzue's arm didn't escape her notice. «I'm the exception.» Satoru added with a cocky grin, as if his presence next to Suzue was something natural, a given fact. Unintentionally, caught up in the unfolding events, Suzue found herself nodding compulsively.

At that moment, she felt as if she had become invisible. The two sorcerers seemed engaged in a sort of silent battle, a dance of power and dominance in which she was just another piece on the chessboard.

Satoru, as usual, seemed to move with the confidence of someone who knew every move in the game, every hidden rule. She, on the other hand, felt like a novice who had just begun to grasp the complexity of this world.

Perhaps, she thought, Satoru was trying to teach her how to navigate this world of mind games and double meanings, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to learn.

"You are learning," she told herself. "Even if it doesn't seem like it, you're learning."

Mei Mei let out a very delicate chuckle of pure amusement. «I can see that.» she said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, then continued addressing Suzue with a familiarity that made her uncomfortable. «Don't worry, I fully intend to take excellent care of your fiancée! After all, I came all the way here just for that.»

The tone of the woman's voice had suddenly softened.

Suzue's heart skipped a beat. «N-no, I'm not—»

«It's always a pleasure to count on you! Although I'm pretty sure… I'm not the only one who hired you today.» Satoru retorted, cutting her off in a lighter tone.

Suzue glanced at Satoru, seeking reassurance, but he merely smiled as if everything was under control. The tension she had felt moments before seemed to dissolve, and she noticed that Satoru's grip on her arm had loosened. It was a silent signal, a way of telling her that she was safe, that she could trust her.

She looked back up at Mei Mei, trying to remain calm. Despite her initial encounter with the sorcerer not being negative, the issue of money had left a shadow of doubt in her mind. However, she couldn't deny that she felt slightly more secure in her presence. «Thank you for… last time. I didn't get the chance to thank you.» She tried to keep her voice steady and calm.

Mei Mei observed her for a moment longer than necessary, and Suzue felt the weight of that gaze as if it were a pending judgment. Mei Mei's smile widened slightly, but there was something different in it. «You know, head of the Kujou clan, even though I do favors for anyone for money, not all of them are done willingly. This is one of those favors I do willingly… besides the money.»

Mei Mei's words were a subtle challenge, a declaration that tested Suzue's reaction. And Suzue, feeling the need to prove to herself that she was no longer the small, defenseless animal of the past, decided to respond in kind. «I see. Let's hope you don't have to spend that money on medicine, then.» Her voice was sharp, a deliberate and targeted provocation.

The silence that followed was icy. Suzue could feel Satoru's eyes on her, as if he was evaluating her move, while Mei Mei stared at her with eyes narrowed to slits. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks and bit her lip, trying not to show any signs of wavering. She felt completely out of her depth in this act of boldness, but it would have to be the first of many. Then, after what felt like an endless moment, Mei Mei's expression softened, her smile widened, and she commented with a note of appreciation.

«Good! I see we have some hidden character here!» she remarked with a certain admiration.

The ambiguity in Mei Mei's words was evident, but Suzue sensed a hint of sincerity in them. Despite the tension of the moment, the sorcerer seemed to recognize and appreciate the courage Suzue had shown, even if only for a moment. For the first time, Suzue felt a sort of connection, as if she had passed a small test she didn't know existed. She found herself smiling back, a smile that tried to convey confidence.

"I'm learning." she repeated to herself again, this time with more conviction.

Finally, she felt some of the tension leave her body, as if part of the weight she had been carrying on her shoulders had slightly lifted. But her sigh of relief was cut short by a sudden shift in the atmosphere. It seemed that the whispers and murmurs of the crowd gathered around them had lowered to the point of being almost imperceptible.

The crowd, once scattered in small groups, began to converge in a single, coordinated, almost ritualistic movement towards the hall.

Suzue swallowed, gathering every ounce of courage as she allowed herself to be led by Satoru towards the hall. Each step was a torment, and the floor seemed to become increasingly unstable beneath her feet. Yet, she couldn't afford to show weakness. She had to keep her head held high, even if she felt her heart pounding in her ears.

"Everything's fine." she kept repeating to herself, "It can't be worse than being thrown against walls like a toy by the King of Curses…" but the mantra lost strength each time she mentally repeated it.

The room was spacious, with high ceilings and walls adorned with ancient tapestries and paintings that told the story of the Zenin clan. But what immediately captured her attention was the man who reigned at the center of the room, like a king on his throne.

Naobito Zenin.

The head of the Zenin clan exuded an aura of unmistakable authority, his piercing gaze seemed to scrutinize anyone who entered the room as if each person there was a pawn to be maneuvered at his will. Just like he had done with her. Suzue felt a chill run down her spine when their eyes met. Naobito showed no emotion, but that simple eye contact was enough to make her realize that nothing about what was about to happen would be easy.

And then, standing beside Naobito, she saw another face that made her blood run cold—

Naoya Zenin.

Younger and sharper in appearance, his features twisted into a mask of disdain as he stared directly at her. His eyes, filled with contempt, seemed to strip away any sense of security she had managed to muster. Suzue wrinkled her nose, a nervous tic that made her feel even more exposed, like a frightened deer caught in the hunter's sights.

Her lip trembled involuntarily, and her legs felt like they might betray her, rooting themselves to the spot and refusing to move. The memories she had spent years trying to suppress, the ones she had casually minimized in her conversation with Satoru that morning, came rushing back with a vengeance. Each memory hit her like a cold slap in the face, leaving her breathless and weak.

Satoru, always attuned to her emotions, must have sensed the storm of anxiety brewing within her. Without a word, he gave her arm a reassuring squeeze, a silent message that said, "I'm here."

He leaned in closer, his breath warm against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine for entirely different reasons. His voice was low, almost a whisper, but it carried the weight of his unwavering confidence in her.

«Go on, Suzue.» he murmured, his lips barely grazing her ear. «Hold your head high. You're incredible in that kimono. An incredible clan head!»

Suzue felt a surge of warmth spread through her, starting from where his breath had touched her skin and radiating outward. For a moment, the oppressive weight of the room, the intimidating presence of Naobito and Naoya, and all the eyes on them faded into the background.

"Here he is, mocking me again."

His words had shaken something loose in her, a mix of embarrassment and a strange sense of empowerment. It was as if he had reached into her very soul and pulled out a strength she hadn't known she possessed.

She loosened her grip on his arm, just slightly, but enough to signal that she was ready to stand on her own.

She was ready.

Or at least... she had to be.


A/N

So basically, someone here is: horny.

Okay, jokes aside, if your relationship resembles the one shown in Suzue's vision, please take action and seek professional help. Stay safe ️

Facts:

-Nothing and no one can convince me that Satoru is not a complete mess when it comes to romantic relationships. He provokes, wraps himself in sarcasm, but when it comes to taking real action? Pff. Disaster.

Curses threatening to wipe out humanity? No problem. Feelings? There's no way he knows how to handle those.

"Oh no, inappropriate thoughts, go away, change the subject, change the subject."

«So, tell me about your slaughtered family and the years you spent under physical and mental abuse»

Sorry, that's canon for me!

-I'm not sure if this whole "clans have a color scheme" thing is actually a thing—probably not, and I've just watched too much Game of Thrones.

Anyway, I had imagined black as a base color that's always present. The Kujou clan is red and black, the Gojo clan is white and black, and the Zenin clan is yellow and black... It seemed like a cute idea, I don't know!

Based on this idea, the fact that Suzue is wearing an all-black kimono in the first chapter indicates that she doesn't feel like she belongs anywhere at that moment.

-Mei Mei is a mercenary, she'd do anything for money, so Satoru hires her as a babysitter. She did well the first time, so it made sense.

-But deep down, she grows fond of Suzue.

With this bits of informations i leave you ️