Bound In Love's Curse [Gojo Satoru x Female Readers]

54 ~ Fifty-Four

[H]e didn't show up.

You'd freshened up, dressed to impress, but he remained absent.

Not that day, nor the next, or the one after that.

So you grew weary of waiting, feeling foolish for expecting him.

With his absence weighing on your mind, you abandoned hope and found yourself in the mess-room, grabbing your tray of food as you prepared to join Shoko and the kids for lunch.

"Hey L/N-san, making any progress with your training regimen?" Yuta inquired, joining you for lunch alongside Shoko.

You nodded, taking your seat across from Shoko, with Yuta settling in beside her.

"Good," you replied succinctly.

Yuta chuckled softly. "Straight to the point, as always."

Shoko nodded in agreement. "That's our Y/N for you."

Toge quietly sat down next to you, his presence somewhat comforting.

"Salmon," Toge murmured, his cryptic speech drawing the faint semblance of a smirk from you.

You affectionately patted his head, eliciting a bashful reaction from the boy.

"Cute," you remarked, before pondering aloud, "Maybe I should have pursued teaching too."

"Then why didn't you?" Maki's question hung in the air, prompting a moment of thoughtful silence before you responded.

"People think I'm cursed," you admitted, your tone carrying a weight of honesty that caused Yuta to tense.

"Wait, what do you mean?" he asked.

You took a deep breath before explaining, "I have... let's call it an issue where I'm hypersensitive to cursed energy. If I inadvertently absorb someone's curse energy, I can see their negative memories or intentions."

The group listened intently, their curiosity evident.

"I absorbed a non-sorcerer's cursed energy once. She was emitting a lot of it," you continued, your grip on the chopsticks tightening.

The others observed your actions, recognizing the gravity of your words.

"She was contemplating suicide. I tried to intervene, but..." you trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

"She didn't make it?" Shoko interjected, her tone practical.

You nodded solemnly, confirming her assumption.

"Yeah," you replied evenly, your tone carrying a hint of resignation. "So, others started calling me the 'Bad Omen Y/N'. If someone spoke to me and got hurt, it was always my fault. To be honest, at one point I started believing them too. Perhaps I was... am cursed. Otherwise, why would my brother have died too? So I couldn't do this to some innocent kids, ya know?"

The tension in the air was packed heavy, but you brushed it off, not wanting to dwell on the discomfort.

"I used to think so too," Yuta admitted earnestly, his gaze filled with understanding. "Although in your case, it was none of your fault."

His warm smile warmed your heart, though you sensed there was more to it than met the eye.

"And I'm just glad to have found people that understand me."

"You're a lovely child, Yuta-kun," you complimented sincerely, causing a faint blush to tint his cheeks.

"A-ah, L/N-san, how come you say such embarrassing things with such a straight face?" Yuta stammered, trying to hide his embarrassment.