Ridiculous (Toji Fushiguro)

Chapter Five: Red Light District (Act I)

"Red Light District. That's our place."

In front of Toji, Sakimi walks confidently with her head up high, never uttering a word to him. Her pace is fast and relentless, almost as if she wants to finish this as early as possible like Toji. She slips through crowds easily with her smaller frame and nimbler movements, the sound of her shoes' tapping echoing in Toji's ears. This moment, Toji disregards all sounds except Sakimi's. He focuses on nothing but Sakimi.

Her dress swishes behind her as she strides through like not a single person is in her way.

For the longest time, Sakimi had not talked to him nor even turned to look at him, and Toji finds it odd. If it were the usual, she'd be pestering him to go into the bars that she's strongly aware that she's not allowed to go to.

It had been four months since Toji had agreed to this contract, therefore, now used to her flashy behaviour. Right now is very different though he had no complaints since he is a quiet man himself, appreciating the silence she very rarely gives him.

The crowd thickens the deeper they go into the heart of Red Light District and with all these people trampling around, Toji finds it difficult to focus on his client's footsteps let alone see her in this sea of people. He feels Sakimi getting sucked in further away from him and he sighs.

About to push some people off him to catch up and scold her, a soft hand grasps his wrist that Toji noticed it too small to wrap around him. It's slender and well manicured, not one scar on her knuckle. Unexpected of one who fights curses as a lesson and a job though it fits her role as a healer and support.

Toji's greeted with the sight of Sakimi's blindfold. He grunts at the contact, not bothering to hide his discomfort but relaxes when he hears her familiar tone: playful and teasing.

"Don't look at me like that. Kitty might end up straying away if I don't keep ahold of his leash." She subtly pulls him to her, her chest meeting his, stilling for three seconds, before she begins to walk ahead once again with her smaller hand still latched on to his wrist. She says the sentence playfully, though she made it clear with the tightening grip that he should still consider it as a warning to not get separated from her.

Toji hums indifferently at the action.

He watches amused as Sakimi leads the way, turning his focus on her neat hairdo, decorated with a red spider lily designed pin, locking her white hair into a clean bun. Her appearance appears to be elegant and dignified in all ways. The way she walks, the way she stands, hell even the way she breathes screamed respect and manners. But her attitude? Fuck no. It was anything but elegant. She's rude, impatient, and stuck up much like her older brother, taking every chance she sees to tease and annoy Toji which almost never seems to work since Toji is a sensible adult man with a mature mind. Perhaps it's her attitude that made her want to hide her face, so she will not be seen plotting something so obviously.

If it eases Toji, she has a lot more of self-restraint whereas her twin lacked too much. But with all that self-restraint came with too much sadism. Toji has experienced it himself so he would know. She, and Toji, thinks of it as her way of letting of steam without being too violent unlike her brother who would find any reason to pick a fight. Toji would throw in some comebacks as well just to damn his restlessness away. He always longs for a fight, may it be verbal or physical. But he couldn't possibly have a physical fight with someone as gifted as Sakimi, so he rested with verbal.

He reminds himself that if she is able to pull him from the gates of death easily, then she would also be able to send him back just as easy.

As they walked, Toji couldn't help but scrunch his nose in familiarity as he smells the familiar scent of sex, reminiscing about his days when he hasn't married the first woman he ever loved. Toji huffs wistfully, catching Sakimi's attention. She asks him with curiosity what the matter is to which he grunts at.

"Just focus," Toji says, dismissive as always.

Toji never shares anything with her as she never does with him. The two kept their privacy to themselves, content with the wall they created.

Just as they stopped the brief conversation, Sakimi stopped in front of a building blaring with signs and lights of purple, red, yellow, and blue. Toji remembers this building.

Sakimi watches his face tense then slacken before a gruff chuckle rises out of him. She points to the building.

"There's a curse here, apparently. It appeared a month ago and there were some women saying how some of the men who visits here goes animalistic on them before they commit suicide. Some of the poor gals are also injured. Assuming it's the curse's doing, they had me sent here to heal and kill."

"Yeah, sure. Send a teenager in this type of place. Nothin' wrong with that," came Toji's sardonic response, looking at her with a deadpan and rolling his eyes.

A boisterous laugh erupts from Sakimi.

"I know, right?!" She then pushes a finger to his chest, jabbing him with an obvious grin to her tone. "But you, you are an adult."

Toji raises a brow, wanting her to confirm his thoughts.

"So you want me to act as a customer?"

He receives a rewarding pat on the chest at that.

"Correct. Just get a gal and fuck her enough or something and gather enough information. You're real handsome so it'll be easy. I'll be waiting somewhere. I trust you'll succeed?"

Looking away, Toji smirks as he makes eye contact with one woman at the fourth floor. The action didn't go unnoticed by Sakimi and she smiles. "Consider it done. 'Sides, I know some of the women here." Of course he does. He was a regular here long before he met his first wife. Women loved him regardless of his cold behaviour towards them, only using them as an outlet for stress and pleasure. He'll spend money on them, spoiling them, then leave them without so much of a word after their night. It's why he's always broke that time. But who cares? Certainly not him nor his damned to hell Clan.

Brushing reminiscent thoughts away, Toji walks confidently inside the building, leaving Sakimi to fend for herself as she completely erases her presence, disappearing unnoticed by passerby's.

It's been how many years now, but it's clear some of the familiar ones still knew him with the way they greeted him coyly, but Toji is untouchable. He strides towards the counter and leans, offering a flirty close-eyed grin towards the blushing woman in front.

"Hey," he greets with a chuckle and proceeds without letting her greet back. "Is Kaede here?"

He's here for one thing and he's going to get it by doing the thing he knows best.

"Y-Yes..."

"Thanks, call her up for me, will ya?"

Toji leaves, ignoring the woman who calls out to him. "Wait, you don't know where she is!"

But Toji does.

He's memorized it in fact. The man could close his eyes and let his feet lead the way, it's basically muscle memory.

Sniffing the air, Toji chuckles to himself, looking almost wistful. The familiar suffocating scent of sex is thick, just like the last time he went here. If he isn't on a mission, he should've been having fun right now. He discards his thoughts and focuses on his objective, knowing Sakimi's out there somewhere with her watchful blue eyes. He stands in front of the fourth floor's last door with his hand in his pocket while the other on the door, ready to knock.

"Knock knock~," Toji sings as he knocks, smirking when the door opened almost immediately. Greeted with the scent of candles and honey-brown eyes, Toji grins. "Long time no see, Kaede."
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Toji is the only man my feminism would leave for.