elusive。| satoru gojo

⤻ 02

Several days had passed since Rina's encounter with Satoru, yet the memory of their tense exchange lingered in her mind like a stubborn shadow. The soft glow of dawn filtering through the windows. She had spent the night tossing and turning, her mind plagued by thoughts of the mission assigned to her by the higher-ups.

As she moved through her morning routine, Rina couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over her like a heavy shroud.

She stood beneath the steaming water of her shower, trying to clear her mind, to focus on the task at hand. The sound of rushing droplets drowning out the cacophony of her thoughts.

Her apartment was a refuge from the chaos of the outside world, a place where she could retreat and gather her thoughts in solitude. But even within the confines of her own sanctuary, Rina found no respite from the turmoil brewing within her.

With each passing day, her uncertainty about the mission assigned to her by the higher-ups grew like a festering wound, gnawing away at her resolve. The weight of their expectations bore down on her shoulders like a leaden mantle, threatening to crush her beneath its oppressive burden.

As she stood beneath the steaming deluge, Rina couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in the pit of her stomach. The thought of monitoring Satoru Gojo, of delving into the tangled web of his past, filled her with a sense of dread she couldn't quite articulate.

The animosity between her and Satoru was not a recent development; it had its roots firmly planted in the past, in a series of events that had left scars too deep to ever fully heal.

She closed her eyes, allowing the scorching water to wash away the lingering traces of doubt and uncertainty. But try as she might, Rina couldn't banish the memory of Satoru's smug grin, his cocky demeanor, from her mind.

With a resigned sigh, she shut off the water and after stepping out of the shower, Rina wrapped herself in a plush towel, the soft fabric enveloping her skin in warmth and comfort. With practiced efficiency, she towel-dried her hair, the damp strands cascading down her back in a tangled mess.

Standing still before the mirror, her reflection obscured by the veil of steam rising from her morning shower, Rina's thoughts drifted back to a time when Satoru had been more than just a thorn in her side.

There had been moments, fleeting and rare, when they had been comrades, united in their shared struggle against the encroaching darkness. And yet, those moments had been overshadowed by the specter of Suguru, whose presence had loomed large in their lives.

Suguru had been the reason Rina had tolerated Satoru's presence at times, the glue that had held their fragile alliance together. His easy charm and disarming smile had been a balm to her wounded soul, a reminder that not all was lost in their war against the curses that plagued their world.

But even then, there had been an undercurrent of rivalry between Rina and Satoru, a silent battle of wills that simmered beneath the surface. Each interaction had been tinged with suspicion and mistrust, fueled by secrets left unspoken and wounds left to fester.

And when the truth had finally come to light, it had shattered whatever fragile trust remained between them, casting them onto opposite sides of a bitter divide. Suguru's betrayal had been the final nail in the coffin of their friendship, leaving only the bitter remnants of what could have been.

As Rina dried her hair and applied her makeup, the memories of their fractured relationship weighed heavily on her mind. The rift between them had deepened with each passing day, widening into a chasm that seemed impossible to bridge.

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FIVE YEARS PRIOR