VEIL (Gojo Satoru X OC X Geto Suguru)

Chapter 7

A complete week had passed since Reiki's last encounter with Satoru and Suguru. In the wake of the evaluation, the students were sorted based on their abilities and cursed energies- Reiki had passed the evaluation without any suspicion and had been paired with Shoko, Satoru, and Suguru. After their assessments Reiki had locked herself in her room, secluding herself from the outside world of Jujutsu High. She had given up on food, or fresh air. The fear that gripped her wasn't about the watchful eyes of Satoru or Suguru; it was a fear of the unknown within herself. The recent lack of control over her emotions had given rise to a predicament she hadn't anticipated. She needed time to understand the origin of the curses around her. They were a liability, if the only ones that could see them were Satoru and Suguru. She could not allow someone else to know about her nature more than herself.  However, it wasn't just about self-preservation. Despite her disdain for sorcerers, she couldn't purposefully endanger them, at least not at this stage.

Shoko had persistently knocked on her door every day, but eventually, the visits ceased. Reiki found solace in this newfound isolation, a return to the familiar feelings of hunger, fear, and confusion. Curling up into a fetal position, she lay on her bed. Occasionally, she would get up to lie on the floor, but she never ventured beyond the confines of her room. In her mind, she conjured the idea that Shoko or Suguru might have spoken to the teachers on her behalf, crafting some excuse for her prolonged absence. Otherwise, she reasoned, the principal would have contacted her by now. She wasn't certain about Suguru's intentions at this point. She did not want to risk running into him. He had advised her against feeling intense emotions, especially negative ones. Reiki believed that if she could achieve a meditative state, devoid of movement or nourishment, her heart wouldn't have the strength to feel anything. She patiently awaited the gradual fading away of all her emotions, hoping for someone to eventually confirm that there were no curses surrounding her. Only then would she consider venturing outside.

As the days passed, she lost track; a week had slipped away unnoticed. Reiki refused to deceive herself. At this time, she found herself indifferent to the idea of survival. She contemplated if she should just give up her true identity and welcome whatever comes her way. She wouldn't go to Suguru and definitely not Satoru. Instead, she entertained the notion of heading straight to the principal and unleashing her cursed side. The hope was that it would consume her entirely, rendering her unconscious before they could kill her. Feeling like a fool for ever enrolling in the academy, Reiki stood up for the first time in over a week. Her feet carried her towards the door as if her body was resolute in leading her to her demise. Just as her palms reached the doorknob, someone pushed the door from the outside. Stumbling back from the sudden push, Reiki almost fell. The door slammed shut. A hand slipped behind her, steadying her before her head could hit the ground. Reiki never anticipated seeing him at this moment. She was speechless. Gojo Satoru leaned in holding her, his gaze locking onto Reiki.

"What... What are you doing here?" Reiki fumbled through her words. She could feel his heart beating fast against her torso, his breath heavy. He seemed to be as anxious as she was, for some reason.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"What?"

"What the hell were you thinking, attempting to get yourself killed like that!"

Reiki felt her head spin. What was he talking about? Had she been talking out loud all this time? Reiki pushed herself out of his arms. The combination of malnutrition and confusion had started to eat up her brain. She couldn't think straight. Her body broke out into a cold sweat.

"Hey, Hey are you okay? Reiki?" Satoru moved towards her to hold her unsteady form, but Reiki walked back.

"Don't...come near me," Reiki pleaded, almost in a whisper. The torture she had put her body through over the last week was finally catching up to her. She saw Gojo standing in front of her, keeping his distance at her request. A hopeless smile escaped her lips as her vision went black and she fell back into her bed.

"Reiki!" Gojo shouted in panic and rushed towards her.