a touch | inumaki x reader

ten

Another Summer Day

It was smoldering dusk, mixed with the colors of the night. You were thirteen, standing alone on the bridge. Loneliness haunted you even though you had friends and your mother. They were there, but you were always a second priority. You thought to yourself that you were selfish, urging you to stay quiet.

The sea glimmered, illuminated by the rising moonlight. You could see glimpses of fresh leaves swaying in the sea breeze as a bird above you crowed, soaring in the vast crimson sky. Weakly raising your hand to try and reach the astir clouds, your fist clenched on empty air.

What was the point of coming back home? The only dinner you ate was a bowl of ramen from the nearby store. Your mother was on a business trip.

"You'll be fine. Just call Aunt if anything happens," She had assured you.

Yeah right.

For the first time, you ran away. You ran as the sky above you started to grow dark. You kept running until you reached the hills, where the distant clouds would peek from at your school, though you had only lingered at the outskirts of the forest.

But you needed to go somewhere far. Somewhere where even the lingering burdensome sensation inside wouldn't follow you. After tangling your legs in the bushes several times, you noticed a small light. You tumbled through the final parts of the thicket, finally escaping.

Patting off the dust from your skirt, you noticed the sea that you'd been staring at before. A vast coastline and its sandy shores spread out before you, filling your vision as you lifted your face.

Silence. You felt as if you'd escaped everything. As if you'd escaped reality and the world. You closed your eyes, breathing in the air. If time could stop, you would use it to pause the world itself.

A rustle between the trees woke you. You turned around. Was it an animal?

Suddenly, a young boy your age appeared. He bent from the thick branches of trees, approaching you. He wore a weird collar, but you were too lost in the moment to ask.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" You asked, staring at the scattered reflection of light from the water.

He stayed silent. To you, such a moment had given you much ease, however, it might have been just another summer day for him.

You couldn't remember his face. You didn't overlook your leaking memories, but it was already a bit too late when you realized.

It started two days before the exchange event. Paranoia took over when you didn't even remember your birthday.

That was why you started writing a diary. A tiny notebook you kept sealed away from the others. You read it at the end of every day, barely slipping from the string of forgetting.

You knew they would spill one day. Just like the cup of coffee you had the day before the event. You had asked yourself if you should tell the others. No, the diary should be enough. Thus you wrote a notebook starring yourself.

Exactly like what had happened and the day before. Until you had nothing else to write, you wondered if you would even forget you had a diary.

* * * *

White thick roots stemmed from the ground, disrupting the building and its walls. Inumaki glanced at you as he unzipped his collar. You placed your hands on your ears, coating them with cursed energy.

"Run," His mouth formed, and you watched as Fushiguro and Kamo followed his exact words.

Suddenly, a pile of smoke appeared in front of them. You both immediately regrouped with the other two.

Resembling the picture Gojo had given you, the tall, muscular cursed spirit emerged.

"Why is there a cursed spirit at Jujutsu High?" Kamo frowned,

"Who does this veil belong to?"

"Probably the curse user working with that cursed spirit," Fushiguro answered, Inumaki nodding at his statement.

"Do you know something?" Kamo questioned.

Fushiguro suggested,

"I think it's the special-grade cursed spirit that attacked Gojo before. Its appearance matches the report, even from that guy's drawing."

"Tuna mayo," Inumaki told Fushiguro, gesturing a call symbol.

"You're right," Fushiguro replied,

"Let's call Gojo."

"You can understand what he's saying?" Kamo hesitantly asked.

You eyed the cursed spirit as Fushiguro responded,

"That doesn't matter right now. Our opponent might use a domain. Maintain our distance and retreat to Gojo-"

Suddenly, the cursed spirit went across Kamo, destroying Fushiguro's cellphone.

"Don't move!" Inumaki ordered, restricting it.

The rest of you went into your positions, Kamo striking it with a large blade of blood. Although it seemed to have hit it hard, you couldn't find any injury. Fushiguro's owl shikigami flew, crashing into it and sending electricity sparks.

You took off your gloves and followed as Fushiguro took out his cursed tool. You both hit the curse, the immense amount of cursed energy slightly shocking you. You turned around, only to see it unscathed.

"Tch," Fushiguro snapped as he tried to come up with a plan.

Suddenly, the cursed spirit's voice rang in your head. It was speaking in another language, but you could understand it. You cringed from disgust. Sharing the same language as it disgusted you.

"Stop it, foolish children," The cursed spirit reprimanded.

"I merely wish to protect this planet, that's all," It sighed, placing its arm over its chest.

"It's a curse spouting nonsense! Don't listen to it!" Kamo shouted.

You gritted your teeth, frowning as your thoughts scattered.

As if anyone's buying its nonsense.

"The forests, the oceans and the sky all weep so much that I can no longer stand it. It's impossible to coexist with humans any longer," It continued,

"They know there are some humans who are kind to this planet. But how much does their affection help?"

Clenching your fists, you softly cursed under your breath. Just how much does it want to talk? At least start with an introduction and tell us your name. Where are your manners?

"All they want is time. This planet can shine blue once more with a bit more time," The curse stated.

Suddenly, more roots emerged from behind it.

"Time without humans. Please die and become sages," It finished.

Out of instinct, you grabbed Inumaki's wrist. You immediately pulled him with you as you ran.

"Run!" You yelled out, Inumaki right behind you.