Memories (Gojo Satoru)

33- Doubts

Days had passed since that lunch break, and Rin found herself in a complicated web of overthinking. The snippets of gossip she had overheard became a relentless loop in her mind, haunting her thoughts day and night, even right now, as she sat in her office. Unseen by her colleagues, she stared at her computer screen, but her mind was a tumultuous sea of doubt.

As she absentmindedly scrolled through patient records, the vibration of her phone on the desk startled her. 

As she took her phone and glanced at the screen, she saw that it was a text from Gojo. 

' Hey Rin!! I just wanted to tell you that I will be coming home late tonight, soooo...just eat up and sleep without me, kay?? '

His words, intended to reassure her about his late return, were met with a surge of anxiety on her end. The overthinking intensified. 

'Why is he coming home late? Is he avoiding me? Could it really be that he is actually hiding something just like those ladies were discussing??'

A myriad of irrational thoughts swirled in Rin's mind, each one darker than the last. She has never been in a proper relationship before, nor have loved anyone seriously till now. 

Despite knowing Gojo had a demanding and really busy job, she was still filled with her insecurities deep in her heart. 

' Well, I still do remember him saying years ago that I wasn't his type...' she thought to herself s she gripped on her phone tighter.

Taking a deep breath, she replied with a simple "okay" to his message, though the knot in her stomach remained.

The hospital day persisted, and Rin decided to take a small rest in the lounge during her break. Unbeknownst to her, a fellow doctor, a colleague she often shared small talk with, noticed the troubled expression etched on Rin's face. Concerned, the colleague approached her, insisting on a conversation.

"Rin, you look like you're carrying the weight of the world. What's going on?" the colleague inquired with genuine concern. "It's rare to see you this much in thought."

"Huh?? N-no, nothing, really!!" Rin insisted on keeping her personal issues a secret, not wanting to share it with anyone yet, but the colleague kept pestering and insisting her to open up about it, with no signs of giving up or leaving without having her speak.

Caught off guard, Rin hesitated for a moment before deciding to share her worries. "It's just... things have been a bit complicated lately. You know, with the whole marriage thing and all."

But little did Rin know that this well-intentioned conversation would take an unexpected turn.

"I've been feeling insecure, and sometimes I wonder if my husband... regrets this arrangement, I can't help but feel like I'm pulling him down.." Rin confessed, her voice tinged with vulnerability.

The colleague, who had a history of tumultuous relationships, listened intently. Her experiences, tainted with betrayal and heartbreak, shaped her perspective in a way that would inadvertently add fuel to Rin's fears.

"Men, you know, they can be tricky. Sometimes they act distant when they're trying to hide something," the colleague remarked, unknowingly planting seeds of suspicion in Rin's already troubled mind.

Rin's brows furrowed as she listened, her fears finding validation in the colleague's words. "But Satoru has never given me a reason to doubt him."

The colleague leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. "That's how they get you. They make you believe everything's fine, and meanwhile, they're hiding who they truly are."