DUST ┄《 gojo s. x oc. 》

九.

Gojou didn't know which wire in his head was fucked when he kneeled to inspect the curse and its energy; more specifically, the battering it took. It was akin to searching the dark web, when he hesitated to go the other way and check its facial features.

Upon him squatting in front for closer inspection, he sucks in the sharpest breath he had ever taken, nigh cutting his lungs. The curse was still alive, its bloodshot, twitching eyes were blown wide open, characterised by popped vessels and dilated pupils staring right back at him. Or rather, the person standing behind him.

What unsettled him most wasn't the special grade curse's foul features. He's seen curses that looked far more repulsive than her.

What unsettled him was the water running in the background.

Over his shoulder, he peers at the mirror. In it, reflected the silver-haired sorcerer. Palms cupping the clear liquid that continues to brim from its container at a moderately wasteful speed. Circling down the drain in its new-found swamp-coloured murkiness. Green flecks dotted over her chalk-white skin, scintillating in the scant sunlight passing through the small window. The tips of her locks were dripping into the sink, leaking the ichor soaked up during whatever carnage took place earlier. Her motionless state rendered her bearing an eeriness belonging to statues at night museums. Yet, the soft rays colouring her ashen features add such a perfect warm note to the coldness running down his spine.

Gradually recovering, he runs his thoughts into order while he runs his fingers through his pale hair. His lips shudder into an incredulous grin, but his eyes doesn't move in its shape, "did you do this?"

"No," aimless crosses in her eyes fan away the fog a bit, enough for her to capture the prodigy's expressions before returning to her wrinkled hands, "you did."

Taken aback by her peculiar answer, he would ponder on it for a second before standing back up, "what do you mean I did?"

Pulling away her now pruned hands away, the automatic detector instantly shut off the water flow, causing the only sound in the toilet to be the quiet squirming from the undead curse. Golden hues meeting his through their reflections before she spoke up, "ask your curse-collecting friend to come, and tell him you did this."

"You wanna give this to Getou?" He knows what she means, but his questions leave his mouth faster than it processes fully.

Turning around to face the towering sorcerer, she shrugged with nonchalance, "I have no use for her."

Glancing at the brutalised but slowly regenerating curse, Gojou delayed his response. The gears in his brain was clicking and turning at an inhuman speed, computing the fever dream that had happened into a slow, enthralled chuckle, "and why do you want to pin it on my name?"

"There's no downside for you. I don't see why not."

"There's countless sorcerers that would die to be able to say they exorcised a special-grade. Why not take the glory?"

At the persistent questions he raised, Yin fell quiet but her stare was deafening. It was the same as the first time they met. Her eyes are physically placed on him, but she wasn't looking at him — she couldn't see him in that moment and it irritates him immensely. Though, when he was about to drop a snide remark, she beats him to the punch, "I'll buy you kikufuku if you do it."

He's only reminded of his sweet tooth when kikufuku was mentioned, though his appetite had been drastically reduced. Tinging in his mouth, it inhibits his scorching questions. He didn't mind her putting the exorcism in his name, but he was hankering for clues in her labyrinth, "I'll do it if you gimme one proper reason." He digresses in his tracks, sounding a lot more frisky.

Pushing herself off the basin she was leaning against, Yin re-visited the healing curse's personal space, ignoring its frantic writhing, "Too much paperwork."

"Hah," For enhanced effect, Gojou tapped his glasses down to reveal his sardonically judging 'look', mouth slightly agape. Always the drama kid, he would exaggeratedly scoff at the reason's non-existent believability, "Then I want one more kikufuku for that too."

In response, the serpent would merely present him an upside down peace sign, signifying a 'yes', "You gonna call your friend over for your upperclassman now?"

Slipping his phone out, the boy made a few rapid taps that was met with even quicker replies, melodic beeps echoing the stalls, "Already on their way. 5 min tops." To which, Yin watched in amusement, taking in how his azure sapphires glisten when its lit up by the screen, when it curves into crescents. Somehow, the highlights in his pupils were brighter than the pearly whites shown through his cheeky, juvenile smile.

Her stare trudges to the bathroom exit before he had the time to notice the keen hues glued on his. And her feet is guided by the cold-toned lights from outside, a dim sheen of the barrier pixelating passerbys. Oddly enough, her mind doesn't fully recall being concerned by civilians witnessing the exorcism, let alone conjuring a curtain. Sure, she could vaguely remember her hands falling into formation, but all she could remember distinctly right now were cobalt glimmers.

"We gonna wait for them?" Catching up to the sauntering girl, Gojou asked.

"Do you want to?" Pausing her footsteps, Yin returned the question again. She never minds anything much when it came to trivial matters such as these. The more time she burns in idle, the better.

"Nah," eyes fleeting back to the dismembered curse, whom was still struggling to regenerate despite the long duration of their conversation, "Getou and Shoko can handle it!" Eager to toss the baggage away, he raised his thumbs in confirmation. He did trust his friends in their abilities, and seeing how minimal cursed energy was left concentrated on the curse, there was nothing to worry about.

Upon his reply, she continued on her merry way, leaving her back to face him again, "Okay." Hearing her mellow reaction, his brows subtly knitted, tasting copper on his tastebuds. It's always so difficult to tell what someone is thinking when their behaviour never changes, when their back is the sight of them you memorise most.

But Gojou doesn't speed up to catch up, only taking smaller strides and studying her profile from the back through his six eyes. To which, he takes notice of a subtle change in the energy she possesses, leading to his lips to tug upwards in levity.

"Oi, kēki."

'...Kēki?' Yin's ear perk up at the bizarre nickname, clearly addressed to her.

"I want one more kikufuku."