Mirror Eyes & Bright Blue Skies | Jujutsu Kaisen

ⅩⅤⅠ. Worry

While Maki and Ikuko shopped, Gojo sat at a small cafe, alone, digging a fork into a slice of chocolate cake and mulling over an unnamed feeling which ate at his insides.

The truth was, he'd lied. He didn't have a mission today, nor did he have one tomorrow. He could have taken Ikuko shopping, but the feeling in his gut, fed by recent observations, had prompted him to send Maki instead.

Gojo looked down at the mess of cake on his plate, really just a pile of crumbled bread now, and sighed, putting his fork down.

The last few weeks had passed slowly for Gojo. Not in a bad way, despite his current mood, but in the way of leisure, like how one enjoys watching the sun set over still water.

That's what it always seemed to feel like when he spent time with Ikuko.

Gojo remembered the first week of training. It had been the roughest, as he'd expected. Being as unused to combat as the brown-haired girl was, Ikuko had needed to focus on training those instincts first, so Gojo had planned all of their training to be physical.

And she'd done... alright. Her physical weakness hampered her learning, and Gojo had been able to tell it frustrated her. It had frustrated him as well, leading him to do some things which he now regretted.

He remembered that the room had been cold, yet sweat glistened on Ikuko's skin. Gojo watched her shift from foot to foot. Her eyes were fixed on him, so focused on his face that he couldn't resist the urge to fake her out.

Gojo threw his gaze to the floor and feinted a low kick, which Ikuko went to dodge by stepping back. However, he used the momentum of the feinted kick to instead step forward and twist his other leg around to nail her in the side.

She let out a startled shout, stumbling a few steps before going back on guard, eyes wide.

"What was that?!"

"I know I'm beautiful, but as you can see, fixating on my face is counterproductive."

She scoffed. "Has anyone ever told you how narcissistic you sound sometimes?"

"Nearly every day, but that's beside the point," Gojo replied and immediately launched into another string of attacks.

Every kick or punch he threw, Ikuko dodged, despite him constantly urging her to take the offensive, pointing out places where he'd left an opening and explaining and demonstrating various counters that she could have used.

The frustration began to build until, finally, Gojo flopped down onto the floor with a huff, Ikuko still several yards away and showing no signs of approaching.

"You'll accomplish about as much as I am lying here on the floor if you don't hurry up and attack. Haven't you ever heard that 'offense is the best defense'?"

The words came out a little more biting than he'd intended.

Something in Gojo's gut twisted as he watched Ikuko's determined expression crumble. Her brow furrowed, and it seemed as if she wanted to say something, but then she tightened her jaw and resumed her fighting stance.

"Okay," she said, her voice quiet.

The next two days of training quickly deteriorated after that. Yes, Ikuko attempted a few offensive engagements, but they lacked the fire they used to.

Gojo had begun to suspect that he might've fucked up.

And then he really did fuck up.

During a sparring match, Ikuko had just dodged his second attempt to knock her feet from under her. This time, however, she took advantage of the lull between his movements to lunge forward with her fist.