Chapter Four
I give her five minutes; five counted minutes before I flush the toilet, wash my hands, and exit the bathroom.
She's eating like she's never going to again.
I stay in the doorway, watching her.
On any other occasion, I would try to convey to her that slowing down would be best, but…
I don't want to ruin this moment. It seems fragile.
I didn't know what to expect when Gojo-sensei started asking the others and I for help with his depressed, bedridden little sister. He went to Maki first, and then me.
Your situations are similar, he had said.
Were they?
Was she also isolated because of what flowed through her veins? Did she also have to be extra careful, because one wrong move could kill someone?
In some ways, maybe. In others, no.
I rake my eyes over her thin, curled up form. Her pale skin, her matting hair, her hollow cheeks and lightless eyes.
This girl was abused and mistreated, far different from isolation.
She got attention she didn't want, compliments that only made her hate herself, and special treatment that probably made her feel like her skin was on fire.
I saw the signs. From how she stayed far away from me, treated her room and bed as her untouched sanctuary, and watched my every breath and move.
Disgusting, I think to myself.
Not her, but what was done to her.
I may not know the details, but I can't ignore the signs. I can't…ignore someone who is so clearly hurting. Who's drowning.
She moves onto her water when she's done devouring the meat sticks. The meat probably made her realize how parched her throat was.
Her eyes, lightless yet keen, flick to mine and narrow. "What?" Her voice is hoarse from disuse.
I shake my head and walk over to her closet, where I open one of the doors to show her the new clothes Maki got her. On the bottom were two pairs of shoes Gojo-sensei bought a while ago. I gesture to them, hoping she can read the words I'm trying to convey. Surprisingly, she's been understanding me from the start. It usually takes a person a while to understand me.
She doesn't look like she cares, so I close the closet door and make a motion with my hands that looks like I'm swinging something. Training.
Her lips purse. "No."
I figured. Gojo-sensei said she should train, that it would help her, but she wouldn't. I angle my head. Why?
Maybe I'm asking that question too much, because something in her eyes spark. "Get out."
I would, but there's one more thing I need to convey. I put a hand on my chest, making sure to hold her gaze. To show her the emotion I'm trying to transform into silent words. I'm sorry.
She blinks, as if no one's ever apologized for something like that before. Pity, with a mix of anger on her behalf, forms in my gut. She looks like she doesn't know what to do with that, or what to say. She seems to master herself, however, and says to me, "It…it's fine. Just don't do it again."
I smile, walking over to hold my pinky out. Promise.
She looks at my hand, then huffs a laugh. Her hand reaches up, hesitating before her own pinky wraps around mine in the most delicate manner. "I'll hold you to it," she states.
I gesture to her tray. Done?
She nods, pulling her hand back and no longer pressing herself into the wall. She's actually closer now, as if kindness was all it ever took to get past her walls, to earn her trust.
I take the tray and turn to leave, but as my hand brushes against the door handle, I hear her say quietly, "Thank you."
I look back at her and smile. I hold up a peace sign, then open the door and walk out, closing it behind me.
I'm surprised to come face-to-face with none other than Satoru Gojo, who leans on the wall across from his sister's door, his arms crossed. Because of his blindfold, his face yields nothing. But he murmurs in a tone of quiet disbelief, "She laughed."
That's right. It was the smallest of any, but it was still a laugh, and a laugh required a form of smiling. That was a good thing, right?
Gojo-sensei's head tilt's down, and I feel him looking at the tray in my hands, noting the lack of food on it. He swallows. "You got her to eat."
I nod. "Salmon." It was easy.
I almost think he didn't hear me, from how silent he is, until he pushes off the wall and walks towards me.
I don't know what he's doing until he hugs me. Tightly. "Thank you," he whispers.
I awkwardly pat his back. "K-kelp." It's all good.
I've never had a brother, though I grew up with many cousins. It's natural when you're born into a clan. I was never close with any of them, though. Mainly because of my cursed speech. No one could understand me, so it was hard to play with people, or connect with them. It only bothered me for a while until I learned to live with it. Besides, I have Maki and Panda now. Gojo-sensei, too.
In this moment, however, I can certainly feel the love Gojo-sensei feels for his little sister. I start thinking, If I had a little sister, and she was like that, I think I'd feel this way too. I'd probably feel helpless if she wasn't eating or taking care of herself.
He pulls back, and I give him a thumbs up. Any time. I meant it.
He grins. "Think you can come back tomorrow, then?"
E-eh?
