Neon Walls

If You Wanna

Shoko: Come over and eat.

Exiting out of the message and into the previous text thread shows a whole row of the same thing. At this point, she doesn’t bother phrasing it as a question. Things like that were never a suggestion with Shoko in the first place. So, Suguru types a quick response as he leaves his bedroom. 

Suguru Geto: Ok. 

That’s essentially been their routine for most of the month. It’s an adjustment, but Suguru makes a conscious effort to accept the invitations and help that his classmates offer him. If he’s going to spend this time as a ball of nerves and despair anyway, it won't hurt to humor them. 

The door is already open when he gets there. Satoru’s not coming, the cup ramen is proof enough of that. They could never get away with it under his watch, the guy going out of his way to make nice meals for them just out of pure spite. Disappointment stirs inside himself for a beat. 

For a good chunk of the term and especially this month, Satoru has missed these dinner hangouts. They don’t see him much at all outside of their morning lectures. Supplemental training and study takes him away from Jujutsu Tech often. Suguru questions if that’s just a kinder way of saying he’s being worked to a point that the facilities here can't help him.

Suguru tries not to let himself ruminate on that too much. There’s nothing he can do to change Satoru’s situation. That fact doesn't stop the whole thing from royally pissing him off. It’s spoiling his appetite too, he realizes while looking down at his cup of ramen blankly. 

A cold breeze takes Suguru out of his head. Shoko had opened the window, cigarette in hand. Once she lights it, she gives a knowing look back at his obvious staring. “Gonna tell on me?” She asks, taking a slow drag. Suguru shakes his head. “Just an interesting choice for a doctor” Exhaling out the window, Shoko smiles. 

After flicking the excess outside, she offers the cigarette to Suguru. He pauses, embarrassed at the way his pulse quickens. Like always, Shoko notices and calls him on it. “No pressure.” With that, Suguru rolls his eyes, taking it from her hand. The smoke stings about as much as expected. 

Never one to spare people's feelings, Shoko openly laughs when he starts coughing. The second try goes a lot smoother. It’s not too bad. He thinks, watching Shoko light up another one for herself. They stay that way for a while, only the cool air and the TV filling in the silence between them. 

Shoko takes the end from him once it’s finished, then shuts the window. The calm change of pace lets him give the ramen another shot. He can feel Shoko looking his way. Pretending he doesn’t notice is futile. “How are we feeling about the big day?” 

Resisting the strong urge to groan and complain, Suguru takes a breath before answering. “Bad.” He says plainly, forcing down another mouthful. It’s a shame how nerves can ruin the taste of something he normally likes. 

As far as his parents' motivations and plan for the visit, Suguru doesn’t know any more now than he did when that bomb was dropped on him in the first place. No more calls, no replies to texts, nothing. It’s maddening. 

They seriously expect him to drag his classmates out to the middle of nowhere and hold them hostage through the disaster. Essentially, Suguru is guaranteed to give them the worst New Year’s of their lives. “Let’s try something. Humor me, okay?” Shoko asks, this time in a gentler tone. 

Giving an unenthusiastic “Uh-huh” in return, Suguru gives up on the ramen for good this time. Shoko continues as he gets up to throw the cup away. “First, tell me what’s so horrible about it. What’s the worst case scenario here?”