Ataraxia 平静 | Gojo Satoru

-'๑'-𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟔-'๑'-

The gym was empty.

I sighed, pivoting on my heel and rounding a corner. With the early morning behind us, there was more activity now, and I exchanged greetings with familiar faces on my way to the seniors' building. If Gojo wasn't at the movies or the gym, then his room was my last option. There was only one small issue—I had no idea where his room was.

That crucial detail slipped my mind. It made sense to assume he resided on the teachers' wing, among the rest of us. Unless, by some miracle, he convinced Yaga to grant him a personal suite secluded from everyone else. Highly unlikely; golden boy or not, securing such favor was next to impossible.

Climbing the stairs to my floor, I rested my knuckles on my hips, narrowing my eyes in contemplation. Shoko's chambers adorned the furthest left of the corridor, with mine opposite. Geto's room neighbored mine, and Nanami's lay deeper in the left wing. That left exactly four other unlabeled doors. My shoulders sagged as I released a discouraged groan.

I stretched my arms forward and fished out my phone from my pocket, calling Geto's number. If anyone knew where Gojo's room was, he was my safest bet. Only, he didn't answer. And with that, my last hope died out.

"Alright then," I whispered to myself after a prolonged pause. Starting my search from the left, I halted in front of a door, hoping to catch any sign of movement behind it. Silence. I knocked softly, receiving no response. Sighing, I moved to the next one, rapping my fingers on the oak surface. To my surprise, a deep male voice resonated from the other side. "One sec!"

Not Gojo.

Tapping my foot, I waited until the door creaked open, revealing a disheveled man with spiky brown hair and sharp dark eyes.

"Kusakabe-san!" I blinked in recognition. "I'm sorry for bothering you, I was looking for someone else and got the room wrong."

"No bother. If you tell me who you're after, I might be of some help," he offered, casually handling a cigarette pack.

"Gojo Satoru," I said with a polite smile.

He hummed, a cigarette now in his mouth. "I'm afraid I haven't seen him much around here, maybe the room to the far right," he gestured towards Geto's room in the distance.

I pursed my lips with a nod, not surprised to hear the two of them hang out at his place.

"Thank you, sir. I'll make sure to check," I smiled.

He narrowed his eyes at me with a small smirk. "I'm not that old, you know."

His words made me cringe internally, and I blushed, regretting my choices. I didn't know the man well, but I knew he was quite older than me and very respectable, so I assumed formalities were in order.

"I didn't mean to come off as rude," I apologized.

He laughed, a deep grumbling sound. "No worries," his hand went in his other pocket, pulling out a lighter, "Just don't 'sir' me and we should be alright."

The joking tone eased my nerves, and I grinned awkwardly, bowing as I stepped to the side.

"Good luck on your search," he said, moving to close the door, and I looked back with a wave.

"Thank you."

The last door down the hallway also opened as I knocked, an unfamiliar woman looking me up and down with sleepy eyes. She was wrapped up in a loose towel.

"Can I help you?" she mused.

I prepared to speak, but I was cut off by another female voice coming from inside. "Who is it, Mira-chan?"