Old Beats | Gojo Satoru x Reader

XVII

The fragments of Gojo's phone, now rendered useless, scattered across the floor of his hotel room in Amsterdam. He opened and closed his hand several times, aching from the force with which he had shattered it, but it didn't occur to him that he could heal it with his technique. At that moment, he couldn't think clearly. His mind was miles away.

He rarely paid attention to work emails. Whenever possible, he asked Ijichi to read them for him and then relay any relevant information. However, for the past few days, he had a nagging feeling that something was wrong. Even though you had assured him everything was fine, your apathetic and distant behavior following the mission in Toshima hadn't done much to dispel it.

So when he saw the notification for the new report, signed by Nanami, he clicked on the file immediately and froze upon seeing his worst fears confirmed. You had been hurt. He only realized the force with which he had been gripping the phone when it crumbled into a thousand pieces in his hands.

He had never covered such a long distance before, but he couldn't wait for the flight that would take him back to Japan that night. He unleashed his full power, and his hotel room in Amsterdam transformed until it became another entirely different one: yours.

You were standing by your desk, safe and sound just as you had promised, and he finally felt like he could breathe again. He could sense your cursed energy flowing strongly throughout the room, like undeniable proof that you were there and that you were okay.

However, as he savored that feeling, he experienced something he shouldn't have felt.

Something was wrong. There were traces of cursed energy that shouldn't be in your room.

It was a faint trail, almost imperceptible. Hopefully, it was just a mirage in his imagination. With a finger, he removed the black blindfold and scanned the room with his six eyes until he located the source of the energy. It was emanating in waves from a set of your uniform, like toxic gas, and he felt his insides twist as he saw it so clearly.

But there was more.

He turned his head back towards you, now with his eyes uncovered, and froze. There were more traces of that energy radiating from your body: from your hair, your hands, your arms, and...

Gojo clenched his jaw tightly. There were traces of that cursed energy in the form of handprints on each of your cheeks.

And he had no doubt. It was Suguru Geto's cursed energy; he could distinguish his essence among a million others.

Gojo uttered your name with a growl.

"What happened?" he asked.

Upon hearing his voice, you straightened up and turned around with a placating smile, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

"Satoru," you greeted him and tried to ignore the sweetness with which you pronounced his name. "I'm really okay now."

You looked at him with doe eyes, and Gojo had to look away, feeling like he was about to lose his mind.

He couldn't understand why you hadn't told him right away, why he had to find out from Nanami's report. If you had seen Geto, why didn't you just tell him? He looked at the handprints again and wrinkled his nose, wondering what position you must have been in to leave such a trace.

Suddenly, Gojo wished he was anywhere else but in front of you. He would rather go back to Amsterdam, continue his mission, and deal with the special-grade curse with his own hands.

"What did he do to you?" he asked.

You brought your hands to your abdomen, pointing to your right side.

"He just got lucky and caught me off guard on the street, then stabbed me here. But Shoko has already healed it," you explained, brushing the spot where you had been wounded. "Apparently, he was a bounty hunter. There's a price on my head, but I have no idea who or why."

"A bounty hunter?" Gojo asked with a dark and deep voice.

"Of course," you confirmed, furrowing your brow. "Who else?"

A heartbeat passed, then another, without either of you adding anything more, and Gojo confirmed the worst.

You weren't going to tell him; you were hiding it.

You had seen Suguru and were keeping it from him.

He met your gaze, and you took a small step back. He had frightened you, but he couldn't rationalize it; all he could feel at that moment were the frenzied pulses in his temple and his vision had turned completely red. He clenched his fists at his sides to resist the temptation to unleash his anger in a way he might regret.

You were lying to him. Right in front of him, at that very moment, you were lying.

Why?

Why did you always choose him?

"Satoru," you murmured; his name was as sweet as honey on your lips, but this time it sounded poisoned. "Are you okay?"

No, he wasn't okay; his whole world was crumbling before him. He wished he could believe he was wrong and that his eyes were deceiving him, but he knew for certain he was right. He only returned to reality when you urgently grabbed his arm.

"Satoru," he refocused his gaze on you, but all he could see were the two marks on your cheeks.

Holding your chin between his thumb and index finger, he moved your head from side to side, observing the traces of energy intently.

"Is that all?" he asked in a distant tone.

You nodded, sealing your fate. Then, Gojo released your face and let his hand drop, defeated.

"Fine," he murmured. "You are forbidden from leaving the school until further notice."

You looked at him uncomprehendingly for a few moments. Realizing it was an order, you opened your mouth to protest, but he silenced you with a simple gesture of his hand.

"If there's a price on your head, today's man won't be the only one coming after you," Gojo explained in a neutral tone as if he were reading a grocery list. "The school is the safest place."

He noticed you still weren't convinced, so he looked you directly in the eyes, and you were surprised to see how lifeless they were.

"I'll be watching you, y/n." He warned. "Don't do anything stupid."

Gojo disappeared from your room as quickly as he had arrived, leaving you wondering if his last comment had been a threat.