VEIL (Gojo Satoru X OC X Geto Suguru)

Chapter 3: Friendships Long Due

The final chime of the bell reverberated through the classroom, its crisp notes signalling the end of the session. The room seemed to exhale collectively, the atmosphere shifting as students stirred from their desks, a sea of motion and chatter.

Reiki's movements were swift and purposeful, her slender fingers deftly zipping up her bag. She had no intention of lingering, no desire to engage in idle conversations or risk being noticed any further. The social interactions had been overwhelming, leaving her with a yearning for solitude and a need to retreat into the sanctuary of her own thoughts.

She slung her bag over her shoulder, preparing to make a swift exit. Her focus was laser-sharp, fixed on the door ahead, her determination to leave the classroom unobtrusively palpable.

But just as she was on the cusp of slipping away, a familiar voice sliced through the fading murmur of the dispersing class. "Hey Reiki!"

The sound, though friendly and warm, caused a jolt of surprise to shoot through her. She turned, her gaze landing on Shoko, who stood a few steps away, a smile of genuine camaraderie gracing her features.

"Care to join us?" She said, taking out a packet of cigarettes from her skirt pocket. With practiced ease, she plucked one from the pack and brought it to her lips. Behind her, two tall figures loomed, their presence casting a distinct shadow against the fiery streaks of the sunset pouring through the window. "Were they going to be there?" Reiki thought. As a new student, rejecting the gesture would be seen as uncharacteristic, possibly drawing unwanted attention. But accepting meant risking exposure, a possibility she couldn't take lightly. Her confidence lay in her ability to conceal her cursed side, a skill honed through years of practice and necessity. Yet, it wasn't her own abilities that gave her pause. It was the three figures standing before her, the embodiment of the world she had been raised to fear. No matter how inviting Shoko's smile, they were sorcerers, individuals whose purpose was to stand against beings like her.

Suguru's interruption cut through her internal deliberations, his voice carrying a playful cadence that momentarily eased her tension. "Shoko, you haven't introduced us to your new friend yet. Keeping her all to yourself?" he said. His smile was infectious, crinkling his eyes with warmth.

Reiki couldn't help but mirror the expression, a genuine smile playing at her lips. "The new friend is called Kurai Reiki" she said. "And who are these two men you carry around Shoko?" Shoko laughed, a sound that carried a sense of ease and familiarity. "I rarely get these two to hang out with me. They are always busy with each other."

"Stop that Shoko!" Suguru said bouncing off of Shoko's laughter. Reiki looked at them. The three of them fit in so well in this academy. She wondered if being a part of this group might improve her social alias. Perhaps people would question her less if she was a part of a normal clique.

"We should team up and force them to hang out with us then," she suggested, her smile a touch forced, in an attempt to bridge the gap, to find her place within this newfound circle.

"See, that's what I'm talking about!" Shoko responded enthusiastically, putting her hand around Reiki's shoulder.

"Shoko, i'm gonna be off for today. I'll see you guys later." Gojo almost whispered into the air. The air in the classroom seemed to thicken as Gojo's words hung in the stillness, each syllable carrying a weight of unspoken tension. With a measured nod towards Suguru, Gojo turned to leave. The movement was deliberate, each step carrying him towards the door.

As he passed Reiki, the air seemed to crackle with electricity, a charge that set her senses on edge. Their bodies brushed against each other, the contact fleeting yet significant. It was a touch that sent a jolt through Reiki, a shiver that ran down her spine. Internally, she felt the tremor, a reaction she couldn't control. The sensation was like a crack in the facade she had so carefully built, a reminder of the vulnerability that lay beneath. She turned to watch him go, her gaze fixed on his retreating form. His departure had left behind an atmosphere charged with a sense of unfinished business hanging in the air.

"Don't worry about him." Suguru's voice called out to her. "He must not be feeling the best. You can hang out with us, Miss Kurai"

"Hey! don't call me that!" Reiki's protest was immediate, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. It was as if she was navigating uncharted territory within herself, emotions and reactions slipping through her carefully constructed defences.

"My apologies, I just realised, I haven't properly introduced myself yet. I'm Suguru Geto. No need for formalities, you can call me whatever you're comfortable with."

"Thank you." Reiki said bowing instinctively. Geto playfully tapped her on the head. "I said, no formalities, new friend" Geto said raising his hand and signalling them to follow, as he walked out of class. "Come on! We have the whole school to show you!" Shoko said, pulling Reiki by her hand, and guiding her out of the class into the corridor.

As Reiki, matched her pace with Geto and Shoko, she couldn't rub off that feeling. In that fleeting moment, when Gojo's arms had rubbed against her shoulders, she had felt a crack in the armour she had so meticulously constructed, a vulnerability that reminded her of the delicate balance she walked. She tried to force that feeling out of herself. She had to learn to fit in. She had to know what having friends felt like.

The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting hues of burnt oranges and deep purples, against the fading remnants of a once-brilliant blue. The world around them was so deceptively beautiful. The birds returned home, and so did the children of this world. Reiki watched, knowing she didn't have a place to call home. It was a truth she had come to terms with, understanding that in this world of sorcery and curses, she wasn't alone in her homelessness. Many here were adrift, caught in the ceaseless dance between hunter and prey, a cycle that seemed to have no end.

As she stood amidst the fading light, the boundaries of day and night blurred. In Jujutsu High, the lines between predator and prey were no longer clear. As Shoko's laughter echoed through the halls, Reiki felt something she hadn't expected to feel—human. She felt Geto's friendly arm around her shoulder, his fingers pointing around showing her the school campus. For the first time in her life, she allowed herself to believe that perhaps, just for today, she wouldn't be the hunted. In the company of Shoko's laughter and Geto's reassuring presence, the shadows that clung to her existence seemed to recede, if only for a moment. It was a taste of normalcy, a glimmer of hope that in this new chapter of her life, there might be a place where she could belong.