Trapped Behind Words: InuOkko

Chapter 2: Toge

Sending the first text to Okkotsu was more difficult than Inumaki Toge had imagined. It wasn't that there was any inherent reason to give Yuta his number. However, that black-haired man sent the first message pretty soon after the meeting.

Inumaki didn't dare open the notification without reading the preview. Okkotsu was like most others. He didn't see a problem with speaking his mind to those he felt obligated to speak to. That was the blond's plan, after all. The group was spawned by Satoru Gojo, a meddling family friend who had invited Inumaki soon after its creation. According to Gojo, no one showed up to the first meeting, which meant Inumaki had to take it with a grain of salt.

Yuta's message was pretty basic: "Hi, this is Okkotsu Yuta, or well, you can call me Yuta. Most people do. I'm from the group you gave me your number."

Okkotsu had been cornered by Inumaki again. The plan was to say something seemingly meaningful so the new people would talk. Inumaki didn't plan for it to be so effective on Yuta. But that was the curse of having venomous words - if he used them, people could either curl up or react violently. It made sense why his family crest was a serpent with fangs.

Snakes still had their weaknesses, though, especially the Inumaki family. Both of his parents were afflicted by the cruel mute mark, adorned with silence at conception. Mutism was Toge's birthright; that much had been made clear.

A lamp lit most of his small two-bedroom apartment, tinting everything in yellow. The smaller of the rooms had been transformed into a gaming den and home office. Remote work was a lot easier to handle than talking to customers or coworkers in person. Most people didn't know how to communicate with someone nonverbal, mainly due to them not understanding that Inumaki could still process and comprehend information fine.

What most people found strange was that he could use voice-to-text when messaging. It wasn't the same as talking to a human being. His mind didn't feel flooded by all the information happening around him. It was easier to speak when no one was listening. However, sending voice messages was the same as talking face to face.

Inumaki took his shoes off at the door and dropped his jacket over them. Those were the perks of living alone. His first mission was to jump on the cold flesh of his worn-out leather couch. There was significant damage, which meant it was a lot cheaper to buy than any of the cloth couches for sale online. A dog had scratched the cushions and the base, as well as leaving gashes in the wood grain feet.

The main question on his mind was how to address Yuta. Gojo knew him pretty directly, which could have been good or bad. His body language seemed sporadic, especially when focused on directly. The black-haired man seemed as if he didn't know what to do with his hands.

Inumaki texted back, "Hey, Okkotsu! Glad to hear from you so soon!"

This was partly a lie but also had traces of truth. Not many people in the group were honed in on by Gojo. He seemed to be particularly interested in those who had some tie to his political career. Okkotsu didn't have an impressive family name, at least not to Inumaki's knowledge.

Yuta responded almost immediately, "I don't really know what to say. Haha."

Inumaki said, "Don't worry, I understand. I was one of the first people Gojo asked to go."

"Yeah, about that... Gojo kind of forced me to," Yuta said.

"Forced you?" Toge replied.

"He broke into my house," Yuta said before quickly adding, "But he didn't drag me there. He just told me I needed to."

Yuta was more of a pushover than Inumaki expected. Gojo breaking and entering was not too much of a surprise considering he had "let himself in" on many occasions. No home was impregnable when Gojo was around.