' made it all look painless, man am i the greatest? '
Reliance is a curse. Blood is worse than that. And love? Well love is the worst of all.
Satoru Gojo knew he was the strongest, but he never expected anyone to make him feel powerless. That was un...
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"I'm trying to find a reason to hate this place," I begin, glancing around the spacious dormitory. The polished wood floors gleam under the sunlight streaming through the wide windows, and the furniture looks like it belongs in a catalog. "But even your dorms are nicer than ours. It's annoying."
Shoko Ieiri, the third and final second-year student sorcerer from the Tokyo campus, leans lazily against the doorway. She radiates effortless cool, with her short brunette bob framing her pale face and an unlit cigarette perpetually hanging from her lips.
"Perks of living in the capital," she says with a shrug. "You like it?"
"I mean, I'm not used to having a roommate, but..." I trail off, gesturing vaguely around the room.
The idea of sharing a living space doesn't bother me much—though I've never had a roommate before. Shoko and I are in similar boats, being the only girls in our respective colleges. Maybe she's as uneasy about this as I am.
"Yeah, same," Shoko admits, reading my thoughts. "But the teachers here are big on 'building bonds' or whatever, so everyone's sharing dorms. Forced companionship, y'know?"
Her tone is light, but the words linger in the air, weighing on me. Companionship feels like a cruel joke in a world like ours—a world drenched in curses, blood, and loss. The teachers must know that too, and yet, here we are.
At least the setup isn't terrible. The dorms have separate bedrooms and private bathrooms, with only the common area shared. Enough privacy to keep us from clawing at each other's throats.
"Don't worry," Shoko teases, a glint of mischief in her brown eyes as she winks at me. "I'm clean."
She saunters over to her side of the dorm, plopping down on the couch opposite me. The relaxed air she carries makes me think she doesn't mind the arrangement as much as I do.
"So, Ieiri," I say, testing the name as I lean against the armrest of the couch. "What's your cursed technique?"
"Call me Shoko," she replies without missing a beat. "We're roommates now—guess that makes us friends, right?"
The word "friends" feels strange coming from her, but she doesn't seem to notice as she lounges back.
"Anyway, I study reverse cursed technique."
"RCT?" I echo, intrigued despite myself.
"Sure," Shoko replies with an easy smile, twirling the unlit cigarette between her fingers. "I spend most of my time studying anyway. Won't be around much for training, so you'll probably have this place to yourself most of the time."
"No fun," I say, pouting playfully. "I was kind of looking forward to having another girl around for once."
She glances at me, amused, her grin teasing but genuine. "Don't worry, Fushiguro. We'll still have our moments."
