"(Y/n)," whispered Satoru, his tone unusually soft.

(Y/n) paused mid-step, glancing over her shoulder. For a heartbeat, her eyes widened in hope, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. Her expression hardened, as if she had just made a difficult decision. She resolved to bury her feelings for Satoru for the sake of their friendship.

"It's nothing," she muttered hastily, quickening her steps. "Sorry."

She pushed the door open and slipped inside, closing it right after. Her heart was beating uncontrollably as she tried to control her emotions. 'He's only being kind. That's all this is. He doesn't actually care.'

But Satoru wasn't one to let things go. How could he, when he felt responsible for what she went through after dragging her into this mission? A grin spread across his lips as he approached the door she had tried to shut on him, preparing for his act. He didn't knock. Instead, he eased the door open with that casual confidence only he could pull off.

"You know what we need? A sleepover party!" he declared, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Come on, (Y/n), imagine the fun. Pillow fights, ghost stories, and—wait, do you have snacks in here? Please tell me you have snacks."

Before she could protest, he stepped inside, hands shoved into his pockets as if he had every right to be there.

(Y/n) blinked at him, her carefully constructed wall of control beginning to crumble. "Satoru," she started, her voice trembling, "you can't just—"

But she couldn't finish. Her chin quivered, and the tears she had tried so desperately to hold back began to fall.

"W-w-why are you doing this?" she choked out, her words breaking apart with sobs. "I d-don't deserve this... this kindness."

Satoru froze for a moment, uncharacteristically serious as he watched her fall apart. Then, without hesitation, he closed the distance between them and pulled her into a gentle embrace. One hand rested lightly on her back, the other on her head, fingers threading through her hair.

"Shh, (Y/n). That's not true," he said softly, his voice soothing in a way she rarely heard. "You didn't do anything wrong. That bastard deserved what he got. I know how wrong it feels after a first kill, how you must feel—"

"No!" Dani cried, jerking back from his arms. She looked up at him, her tear-streaked face distorted in anguish. Now she understood why he was kind. This wasn't her first time. She wasn't innocent. "You don't understand, Satoru. This wasn't my first kill. I... I did something even more horrible."

Satoru tilted his head slightly in surprise but stayed quiet, giving her space to continue. His thoughts were racing, trying to understand what could possibly be worse than killing.

"I absorbed his cursed energy," (Y/n) whispered, her voice barely audible. "I felt it... inside me. It was evil. Addictive. And I—I liked it. For a moment, I liked it, and it makes me feel sick to my stomach."

She broke into fresh sobs, her hands clutching her arms as if she could scrub the memory away. "I didn't even know I could do this to a human. It felt like I was absorbing part of his soul. I can still feel him—his thoughts, his feelings. And even though it's fading, it's taking too long. I feel like I'm going crazy when I'm alone. But then I remember how powerful I felt. The control I had over that man. What if I do it again? What if I get addicted to it?"

Satoru's expression didn't waver. Instead, he crouched slightly so he was at eye level with her, his gaze steady and unflinching. "(Y/n)," he said softly, "you did what you had to do to survive. You're human. And humans... we screw up. We get tempted. But what matters is what we do after. That's what makes us who we are."

Her sobs quieted, though the tears didn't stop. She stared at him, searching his face for any sign of judgment. There was none—just a surprising depth of understanding.

"And for the record," he added, a smirk creeping back onto his face, "you're way too stubborn and annoying to be a junkie."

A startled laugh escaped her through the tears, and Satoru grinned triumphantly. "There it is," he said. "Now, about that sleepover... You've got to have snacks somewhere, right? Don't make me call room service."

Feeling more like herself again, (Y/n) hugged Gojo tightly. "Thank you for not judging me."

He patted her head gently. "No need to thank me. Now let me change out of these clothes so we can sleep."

The light pink spreading across her cheeks made him laugh before he reassured her, "I'll just go change into my pajamas."

Eventually, after their respective nightly routines, they lay down. (Y/n) had argued with Satoru about it, but he paid no attention and simply waited in her bed until she joined him.

"Good night, (Y/n). Now rest for our last day here."

Somewhat curious, she asked, "What are we going to do tomorrow?"

"Oh, you'll see." With a mischievous smile on his lips, he turned his back to her and went to sleep.