Koi No Yokan (gojo x oc)

10. Birthday Party

January 2006
Over 1 month later.

I don't wake until the supervisor shakes my leg, informing me we've arrived at Tokyo High again. We'd been gone since dawn, tracking a reported first-grade curse to the edge of the city.

Six people were killed.

Two of them before my eyes.

The anger has worn off, along with anything else I felt in the moment. Now I'm left with a vague, grim knot at the pit of my stomach. One that I know is best to ignore for the sake of continuing my day—or life. But I was sent alone this morning, and I have a feeling that I'll continue to be sent alone the stronger I become.

I run into Haibara and Nanami at the entrance to the dormitories, dressed in their normal winter clothing. Rather than asking about the mission as they usually do, or mentioning the party tonight, Haibara says, "Oh, Kaede-chan, you have a visitor."

"Huh?"

"He's waiting for you in the lounge."

"A visitor?" I repeat. "But I don't know anyone." Nobody who isn't from Jujutsu High... or family.

"He's been waiting for nearly two hours now."

The knot within my stomach triples in size. "It couldn't be—" I push past both of them, racing towards the lounge. Blind faith forms a hopeful smile on my face, and when I throw the doors open—

"Uematsu-san."

It fades completely. "What are you doing here?"

"I had a day off." The eyes and smile are the same, but the white kimono has been exchanged for a simple coat and jeans.

"And you came here?"

Kamo Shigeri gets up from his seat, walking over to stand face to face with me. "Is that okay?"

"As long as you're not hiding any blood stores in your coat."

"I am, but they're not for you." He flashes another boyish smile, but I'm inclined to keep my guard up. Kyoto must be taking the loss very personally if they're willing to send him all the way here like this. Maybe to gather intel, or pinpoint a weakness in my technique that they could exploit for next year's exchange event. Or maybe to kill me if Kamo really believed I might go crazy. "I thought we could go for a walk."

I neglect to share my alarmed thoughts or that I hate the snow. "Okay."

Our footsteps sinking into the ground is the only sound filling the air for some time. I bury my hands deep into my pockets, fists tightened around hot-packs that chilled hours ago. My entire body threatens to shiver. Kamo-san seems completely unbothered by the freezing temperature, or the unusual silence. He keeps his chin high, emerald eyes pointed towards the forest trail that's been cleared of the snow.

"You seemed eager earlier," Kamo mentions. "When you opened the doors."

"Oh, that." Despite the cold, I feel my cheeks flush with the shame of a lost, little girl. "To be honest, when I was told I had a visitor, I thought it was my father."

"Kunio-sama?"

"You've met before?"

"Once or twice. I've heard he tends to stick close to higher-ups and members of the different clans."

"Is that all you've heard?"

"That I'm willing to say out loud to you. You're close with him?"

"Not exactly—Well, not anymore." I've yet to adjust to it, life without him. I find myself waiting at odd moments for his words of encouragement, for the unmatched faith he had in me. Was I wrong to throw all of that away? "We haven't spoken for some time. I thought he'd finally come to make things right."