𝐑𝐄𝐗 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐎 | 𝐠𝐨𝐣𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮

Chapter Eighteen

"Okay, so the curse definitely must have the finger."

"Mhm."

"But for some reason both of us can't even see their energy."

"Mhm."

"The curse and the finger probably left this town, rode on a giant dolphin parked in the docks, then fucked off to the deepest part of the sea."

"Mhm."

"Akatsuki!" Gojo snapped his fingers in front of Akatsuki's unfocused face.

Akatsuki snapped out of his thoughts but refused to look at Gojo, who stood in front of him as he gazed outside the hotel room window. Gojo sighed exasperatedly, he was frustrated by how Akatsuki seemed so out of it.

"Were you even listening to what I was saying?" He asked, Akatsuki cleared his throat.

"Of course." He replied awkwardly.

Gojo put a hand on his hip then pouted. "Apparently not because tell me why you just agreed that the curse rode on a giant dolphin?!" He exclaimed.

Gojo leaned his face closer to Akatsuki in an attempt to catch his eyes. "Why won't you look at me, hm?" He observed how Akatsuki squirmed, a hint of red rising on his ears.

Gojo smirked at his flushing. "Oh? Did something between us happen last night? You know, while I was vulnerable and dru-"

Akatsuki tensed then finally turned his gaze towards him in a glare. "No!" He surprised himself with his outburst. Akatsuki straightened himself then cleared his throat. "No, absolutely not, Gojo. I was just distracted." He said.

Gojo stared at him with that knowing smirk for a minute then shrugged. "Oh well, whatever. Anyway, there should be someone here that can help us, I know a guy." He said, Akatsuki looked at him curiously.

"Who?" He asked Gojo. The other man  walked away towards the table to pull out a folder. He opened it then flipped through the papers. Akatsuki followed suit, he looked over Gojo's shoulder to look at the file.

"There's this old, retired Jujutsu Sorcerer that lives here. Apparently, the last time we've heard of him was that he didn't exactly stay idle, he began this investigation near the town's abandoned shrine. If we go and pay the old little man a visit then maybe he can tell us something." Gojo said, pointing to a picture of an old man that wore thin glasses, his eyes caught Akatsuki's attention, the old man's eyes had the look of great loss within him.

"We must go while it's still early then. Perhaps we can buy a gift for good graces?" He recommended to Gojo, who shrugged indifferently.

"I mean why should we?" Gojo whined. Akatsuki frowned at this, midly disappointed.

"Didn't you say that he used to be an old colleague?" He asked, pointedly looking at Gojo.

Gojo sighed exasperatedly. "Sugimoto Kaoto wasn't my colleague, I was still a student back then, plus he worked at Kyoto High anyway." Akatsuki shook his head in disbelief.

Gojo threw his arms up, "Whatever, let's go then." He walked over to Akatsuki to sling an arm around his shoulders, successfully dragging the man with him.

•••

The two men stood in front of a small house just near the foot of the mountain. The house was small and humble, with a garden of colorful flowers on the right, then a small plantation area on the left. Gojo took the initiative to knock on the door, with a childish beat of two and threes.

The door opened momentarily, then a short old man stood in front of them. Akatsuki observed that the man wasn't exactly that old, he guessed that he was in his early 60s. The man's face had wrinkles that showed his age, his hair was graying but still somehow thick, his eyes however, showed the exhaustion and the horror that he might have seen in his early life.