Trapped Behind Words: InuOkko

Chapter 16: Books

It was never the plan to end up in such a situation. Somehow, Toge had managed to find himself in line for the very same carnival he had visited with Okkotsu in the alternative past, with none other than Fushiguro Megumi. Every second that Toge experienced his newfound timeline, it became less clear whether or not everything he had once experienced was a dream.

Despite the sudden autumn heat, Fushiguro was clad in long pants. However, it was a rare sight to behold, seeing him in a short-sleeved shirt. His scowl seemed a bit softer than Toge remembered, but it still hurt to look at him.

In one swift action, Toge had fallen into Fushiguro's grasp and hurt Okkotsu. But that was a different life. Those were memories from a Toge that didn't know what Geto Suguru or the apparent Mahito character had in store for their little slice of the Sukuna District known as the Gojo Satoru Therapy Bonanza. Which was still a terrible name.

"Is this too much for you?" Fushiguro's voice grumbled.

Toge glanced up into the man's emerald eyes. It was the same look that Fushiguro had given him when they had kissed. The line to purchase tickets was long, but whether Toge wanted to be there or not, he knew that the redhead from the ticketing booth would play a key role in Okkotsu's life. Toge needed to make a good impression. He needed to buy her a water bottle, the same as Okkotsu had done.

Toge shook his head, signing, "I'm fine. Just had a little too much to drink last night."

"I know you said you were looking to push your boundaries, but even this is a little much for you. There are so many people around," Fushiguro said.

The spiky-haired man was observant. It had become apparent in the past life when Fushiguro said things to Toge that he could never forget. Whether Toge liked him or not, Fushiguro had looked out for the silver-haired man in school. Though, in their new timeline, Toge wasn't supposed to know that. But he couldn't help wondering what Fushiguro's reaction would be if he did know.

"I told you, I'm fine. Plus, I'm not here alone, right?" Toge signed, smiling.

Fushiguro blushed, "Yeah."

When they approached the ticket booth, Fushiguro was the one to initiate the sale, "We'd like two passes, please."

That's when Toge realized something else was different. The person operating the booth was not the redheaded Kugasaki. Toge was certain he timed their arrival correctly. Kugasaki had mentioned being in the heat for a while, yet she was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the cashier was an older man with deep-seated smile lines.

Maybe it was all a dream. That is unless somehow the changes in Yuta's first meeting caused that much of a ripple in the timeline. Was Kugasaki connected to the group that way? Or had she been connected to Geto the entire time? There were too many options. But there was no way that the entire past Toge remembered was a dream; that would have been insane.

"Inumaki? Inumaki? Are you still with us?" Fushiguro called out.

Toge gasped for air, signing, "Um, actually, I think you were right. This is a little much for me today."

"Oh, alright. That's okay. Carnivals and stuff aren't really my thing most of the time. I just came here because I wanted to hang out with you, so we can do whatever," Fushiguro said.

They quickly retreated to the beat-up sedan that Fushiguro drove them in. It smelled clean, like a new air freshener pin had been placed in a vent. There weren't many shadows on Fushiguro's face since the sun was high in the sky.

Toge needed to think, but it was difficult. There was no longer a way to anticipate the world around him anymore. Had he messed up? There was no guarantee that the timeline would reset again for him to have another chance at helping Okkotsu or Itadori. Then it became clear to him. There was a distinct possibility Toge was a glitch in whatever reset time.