DARK RED [ITADORI Y.]

―XXII. CARDIGAN

CHAPTER XXII. I LIKE YOUR CARDIGAN, Y/N.

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YOU would think, that if I collapsed from exhaustion, I would be able to sleep right? Well, I thought that too. But I guess I was wrong.

Wide awake, I paced around the school. After I had been productive and finished all of my missing general work, I still couldn't fall asleep. Laying in bed for the rest of the night just sounded boring, so I decided to wander around the school a little more.

I explored through the halls, listening carefully to see if I had woken anyone up. Once I was sure no one had been woken up by my steps, I slid the door open and slipped outside. It was a little chilly, but the cardigan I had on was enough to keep me warm. So I ventured further outside.

Fall was beginning to settle in, making the leaves covering the trees begin to change colors. I pulled some hair out of my face as I looked around at the many trees that lined a path leading from the dorms. I'd never been around this part of the school; usually, I left straight from my dorm and went through the inside to get to my training ground. I'd never actually taken the time to look around the school.

I paused as I came across a statue in the middle of the path. I quickly realized what it was and placed my hands together, bowing my head down to it. As I raised up, I finally noticed the figure sitting on the bench.

"Are you Buddhist?"

I turned to face the man completely. Legs crossed over one another, his foot swung back and forth to the beat of a forgotten tune playing in his mind. Pink lips pulled into a slight smile, he reached up to adjust the blindfold over his eyes as his opposite arm draped over the back of the metal bench.

"No," I replied. "But it's disrespectful not to acknowledge everyone's religion."

"That explains a lot about you, Y/n-chan," He stated, before motioning to the seat beside him. "Why don't you take a seat?"

"How does that explain a lot about me, Gojo-sensei?" I asked, taking the seat beside him.

"You don't seem like someone to break the rules, someone who is selfless--cares about others more than themselves," He said, his grin fading as he became a little more serious. "You're a real good kid, y'know."

I frowned slightly. "This meeting wasn't coincidental, was it?"

He sighed. "I'm worried about you, Y/n-chan. Megumi told me about how you collapsed in the hall, and Ieiri told me about the exertion on your body."

"It's just taking me a little while to get used to," I said. "I'll be okay."

"Everyone is expressing their concerns to me," He said, drumming his fingers on his thigh. "Which makes me more concerned than I am. You might be under Kazuhiro's training, but you're still my student. Which means I care about you. Everyone does."