[rewriting] 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 ; yuji itadori

XII. the woman with stitches

The first time Haruki ever felt true fear was in the safe confines of her home. It was past her bedtime when the green-haired girl had the urge to use the restroom. She got up and left her room, went to the bathroom, and attempted to sneak into the kitchen for a midnight snack.

Though, she didn't get to eat anything with her father, Hajime, in the dining room speaking to someone else. Haruki's mother was out on a business trip, so who did the feminine voice belong to?

The 5 year old took a peak from the corner wall to see a pretty black-haired woman sitting across from her father. What Haruki immediately noticed was the stitch-shaped scarring across her entire forehead.

"Sendai's a wonderful place to head to if you're so worried," she spoke, words saccharine.

"I'll have to see. Akane doesn't like the whole moving process. She says it wastes time and material."

"It's always best to think about the kids. After all, you'd want them to be in the best environment possible."

The woman turned her head to Haruki, her eyes staring straight into her soul. Frightened, Haruki took a step away from the wall as her gut swirled in pain. She had a bad feeling about her. The black-haired lady's lips opened as she was about to speak.

"Hey, are you okay?"

In a cold sweat, Haruki awoke from her unconscious state. Her body shot straight up and the blanket that was over her shoulders fell to her lap. At her side was Amaya, with a container in her hand, concernedly staring at her.

Haruki opened her mouth to speak but ended up coughing instead. She softly hit her chest before Amaya handed her a bottle of water, which the first year took gratefully and drank.

"Out of everyone injured, you're the last one to wake up," Amaya commented while Haruki closed the water bottle. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"No, I'm okay," Haruki answered. "Yuji. Where is he?"

"He's with Kugisaki-chan in Megumi's room. I was actually with her and he was sitting here with you, but I told him I'll keep watch so he could eat with the others. Itadori-kun only has a few scratches. He and Todo handled the special grade well."

Haruki's eyes widened, "They were able to exorcise it?"

Amaya giggled, "Oh no, they didn't. But, they were able to fight with the special grade long enough so that Gojo-sensei could take down the veil and, potentially, exorcise it. The damage from his Hollow Purple makes it hard to tell if it's exorcised or not."

"And Junko?"

"She and Kamo are nearly matching with the bandages all over their heads. Though, she has more across her face than him. Shoko-san said they'd be fine in a few days. The same goes for you, Haruki. She may have healed your insides, but your stitches can rip if you're not careful enough. She'll probably heal you completely soon."