VEIL (Gojo Satoru X OC X Geto Suguru)

Chapter 10

Shoko rushed toward Reiki, visibly concerned. "Reiki! Are you alright?"

Reiki responded, her voice slightly puzzled. "Yes...yes, I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Reiki felt her mind in disarray. She never anticipated her first kiss would hold significance, and she was relieved to find out she was right. There was an emptiness within her. It wasn't about kissing Satoru; it was about him uncovering her true identity and choosing not to expose her publicly. Reiki grappled with two possibilities—it was either a form of future blackmail or that Satoru required something from her, compelling him to keep her alive. His statement about her being too interesting to kill lingered in her mind. Satoru had probably called a thousand girls "interesting" to win them over. There was only one thing that bothered her about the kiss- did she kiss him out of desire, or was it to silence him or out of fear?

"Reiki? You look like a ghost. You need to eat something," Shoko said, concern etched in her voice.

"Aren't they going to expel me for not attending classes?" Reiki replied, exhaustion lacing her tone.

"Don't worry, rumours suggest that you were down with a bad flu," Shoko said with a mischievous smile.

"I don't know how to thank you guys,"

"You don't have to thank anyone," Shoko said, gently wrapping her arm around Reiki as they began to walk.

"I don't want to bombard you with questions, Reiki, but I can't help asking: what happened? Why did you lock yourself up so suddenly? I was really worried, you know," Shoko inquired with concern.

"Did you never ask—"

"Yes, I did. Suguru was the one who told me to go check up on you. But he wouldn't tell me why—whether you were sick or depressed. He just seems so closed off lately. Did something happen between you two?"

Reiki ignored her question. "What about Satoru? Did he say anything?" She asked.

"Well, I initially thought it would be useless to ask him, but then he decided to stand guard at your door for some reason," Shoko responded.

"He was outside my door? Since when?" Reiki asked surprised.

"Ever since you closed that door. He has found his new obsession it seems". Shoko whispered the last line under her breath.

Reiki's head began to spin again, a clear indication that she needed sustenance before she collapsed. They reached the dining hall and settled in two seats tucked away in the corner. It was dusk, and the kitchen hadn't fully commenced meal preparations. Shoko entered and conversed with the staff, returning minutes later with three plates deftly balanced in her hands. Placing them before Reiki, one held a selection of sliced fruits while the other two contained plain, steaming white rice. Reiki felt both thankful and puzzled by the meal set before her.

Shoko sighed, a tinge of guilt in her voice as she explained, "They haven't started cooking yet. All they had ready was rice. I managed to get some fruits by pestering them. I know it's not much, but it's something to keep you going." Her expression betrayed a sense of regret for not being able to find a more satisfying meal in the kitchen.

Reiki rose and wrapped Shoko in a tight hug, letting herself express emotion without the fear of her cursed energy revealing itself. Tears welled up in her eyes, unexpected yet overwhelming. She had gone hungry before, sometimes for more than a week, but no one had ever brought her food. Overwhelmed by the gesture, Shoko gently nudged Reiki back into the chair, ensuring she didn't faint from the sudden movement.

"Eat Kurai. Cry Later." Shoko insisted, her expression filled with worry.

"I'm not crying!" Reiki retorted, hurriedly shoving spoonfuls of the salty rice into her mouth, attempting to conceal the emotions bubbling within. She had anticipated struggling to consume two plates of plain rice, yet she managed to clear the plates in mere minutes.