I'll need a vacuum.

38

Going home was weird but I slowly readjusted. I resumed my post in the infirmary after being bombarded with questions from Shoko, who was disappointed once she understood that no, nothing had happened between us, despite the shared bed for a week. I was incapable of flirting and too freaked out to do the slightest thing. I applied my always flirting technique: waiting for it to come to me, and hiding everything I felt for fear of disturbing my crush with my feelings. She called me stupid, but I accepted the criticism. I spent my time thinking if I really loved him or if it was just a physical attraction, nothing more. I didn't know much about him in the end, other than the information gleaned here and there when he wanted to give me some. Nanami remained very secretive, unlike me, who spent my time explaining why I was crying. How could I in this situation determine if I had a chance with him ? I had no clue, and couldn't guess if his kindness was interested or not, but I had a feeling it wasn't. He would have tried to take advantage of me long before if not given the number of my moments of weakness... I discussed all this with Shoko, and I rediscovered the pleasure of chatting about hypothetical relations with a friend. I had missed it a lot, even though I had never been the source of gossip before, because too busy with my work to look for a soul mate.

Right in the middle of our conversation, Gojo suddenly sprang out, grabbing my arm and dragging me out of the room, completely stunned.

"I'll borrow her for a while !" he cried, coming out.

I could only see Shoko's surprised expression as I disappeared with him, too shocked to protest. I waited to be arrived to ask for explanations, the journey in the sky preventing me from speaking. He had dropped us off in front of a building, which adjoined a primary school.

" What am I doing here ?"

He had a smirk, of one who does something clever.

" I kill two birds with one stone! Do you see the building in front ? I sent Yuta and Maki to fight a curse to test him and train Maki. And since the area is quite rich in curses of all kinds, I thought it was perfect to check if you're attracting them ! Go ahead !"

And he pushed me in the back, forcing me through the protective curtain. I instantly regretted having left the quietness of the apartment. Get back into the swing of things as soon as I arrive ! Gojo was right though, I needed to find out what the damn curse was, and I was getting some experience as an exorcist. Negative experience, but still existing and sufficient for me to feel more confident now. Surviving several deadly fights had finally made me play it down a bit, I realized as I walked around the corner of the building. I heard rumblings in the distance, and saw smoke rising from the neighboring school, in addition to feeling a diffuse cursed energy, so I concluded that the two students were fighting there. Gojo had sent me somewhere else where I wouldn't bother them. I entered through the door, and observed: nothing, except empty offices as usual. I felt cursed energy and a vague feeling of anxiety, but that didn't affect my mood: I was quite annoyed with the turn of my day, and wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. So I started to breeze across the rooms, to go and sit in the middle of the main hallway, in full view of everyone.

"Show up curses ! I'm here waiting for you ! "

And I waited in silence, arms resting on my knees, and my eyebrows furrowed by my bad mood. We were going to see if the curse worked!

I was getting bored when I saw a shadow out of the corner of my eye. A grotesque form of face with huge lips and creases on the skull falling like a flow of cracked lava fluttered towards me. I tell myself then that if it had a mouth, it could speak like the other one last time.

" Hey, you with your silicone lips !"

The curse reacted to the sound of my voice and quickly approached, towering over me. It was making a mosquito noise with its shitty little wings. We stared at each other for a moment, and I asked my question, twirling my non-existent hair and putting on a seductive voice :