☽ the thin line between hope & despair ☾

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A light burning sensation enveloped Kiyo's skin, the hot water helping her nerves to subside

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A light burning sensation enveloped Kiyo's skin, the hot water helping her nerves to subside. She dug her fingernails into her scalp, scrubbing all of the oil and grime out of her hair. She reached down and pumped some conditioner into her hand, a smooth lilac cream coming out of the fanciest glass bottle she'd ever seen. Nobara certainty wasn't kidding when she said Gojo's bathroom would be stocked. Besides the typical shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, the shower had shelves filled with hair masks, body scrubs, lotions, and an assortment of face products as well.

Kiyo finally stepped out of the shower half an hour later, her skin feeling cleaner and softer than it had ever been in her entire life. She plucked a towel off a neat stack in the cabinet, wrapping it snuggly around her body. After drying off and slipping on the fresh clothes she spotted a sleek black wide-toothed comb sitting on the counter. Hesitantly, she picked it up and started raking it through her long, knotted hair.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror for far too long, tracing her eyes across every detail of her face. She'd been here for less than a day, but something within her already felt like it was shifting. Her mind continued to swirl with a whirlwind of thoughts, some optimistic and some terribly pessimistic. She imagined herself blending in with these people and having friends for the first time in her life. But her other half was quick to remind her that she didn't deserve that kind of thing. She's only here to solve her parents murder — that's it.

When Kiyo made her way back out to the open concept kitchen and living room, Gojo was the only one remaining. He was finishing up the last of his cleaning, drying a pan and placing it in one of the various cabinets. She stood quietly and watched him, every one of his movements smooth and calculated. He folded his towel into a tidy square and sat it on the counter, turning around and finally noticing Kiyo's sudden appearance.

"It's pretty creepy to just stare at people you know," Gojo laughed, walking into the living room and sitting down on one side of his enormous sectional sofa.

Kiyo blinked her eyes a couple times, shaking herself out of her trance, "Oh. I'm sorry".

"I was kidding, no need to apologize," he glossed it over, waving his hand and signaling for her to come sit with him.

"I believe we have a lot of catching up to do. Why don't you come fill me in?"

Kiyo felt her heart beat quicken slightly, the idea of talking about her past sending chills up her spine. What made it the most terrifying wasn't talking about what she had done, it was admitting how recently she'd done it. She feared that if she was too honest, her uncle would revoke all of the compassion he's shown her until now.

"Where did the others go?" She said quietly as she sat down on the other side of the sofa, the material softening under her weight.

imposter syndrome | m. fushiguroWhere stories live. Discover now