Beyond the Veil | Yuji

2

┏━°⌜ 呪術廻戦 ⌟°━┓
CHAPTER 2
BIRTHDAY WISH
┗━°⌜ 呪術廻戦 ⌟°━┛

Today is my twelfth birthday, and the living room is completely transformed. Streamers hang from the ceiling, colorful balloons float around, and a big banner with "Happy Birthday Reina" stretches across the wall. Toru must have had a hand in this; it's all so festive and bright.

As I stand in front of my cake, ready to blow out the candles, I can't help but smile at the scene before me. Toru insisted we all wear pointy hats with sparkles. Nanami looks particularly disgruntled with his hat, a deep frown etched on his face. It's so funny I physically have to snap a picture in secret. I'll definitely use this as leverage the next time he threatens me with one of his grueling training sessions.

Megumi stands beside me, his hat barely hanging on his head, covered in sprinkles and bright colors. He looks like he'd rather be anywhere else, but I catch a hint of a smile in his eyes. I know he's secretly enjoying this, even if he won't admit it.

Toru, as usual, is the life of the party, jumping up and down in excitement. "Come on, Little Firecracker, blow out those candles and make a wish!" he cheers, clapping his hands.

I take a deep breath, closing my eyes for a moment to make my wish. I open them to see all three of them watching me with varying degrees of excitement and amusement. With a swift puff, I blow out the candles, and everyone bursts into applause.

"Happy birthday, Rei," Nanami says, his tone softening as he places a hand on my shoulder. Despite the funny hat and the sparkle in his usually serious eyes, there's a warmth in his voice that makes my heart swell.

"Thanks, Nami-chan," I reply, grinning at him.

As Nanami starts cleaning up the living room, Toru catches my eye and gestures for me to follow him to my room. I raise an eyebrow, curious about what he has in mind. He seems oddly nervous, which is out of character for him.

Once inside my room, Toru pulls out a large, beautifully wrapped present from behind his back. "I know I already got you something, but I couldn't resist," he says sheepishly, handing me the gift.

I eagerly unwrap it, my eyes widening in surprise as I find two identical katanas inside. My mouth falls open in shock, and I try to close it with my finger, only for it to fall open again. Toru chuckles at my reaction.

"They're cursed objects of grade one," Toru explains with a grin. "With these, you'll be able to exorcise practically anything."

I can't contain my excitement and jump to hug him tightly. Toru laughs warmly, then does something unexpected—he turns off his infinity to allow me to touch him. It's a rare and meaningful gesture, showing his trust and affection.

"Thank you so much, Toru. I love them," I say, feeling overwhelmed with gratitude.

He ruffles my hair affectionately. "You're welcome, Little Firecracker. Now, let's go show Nami-chan and Gumi how these babies work!"

We head back to the living room where Nanami and Megumi are cleaning up. Gojo announces our return with a flourish, brandishing the katanas. Nanami raises an eyebrow at the sight.

"Gojo, what have you done this time?" he asks, a hint of amusement in his voice. Toru winks at me mischievously.

The following morning, I wake up with a smile, the excitement from yesterday's birthday still lingering. Stretching as I yawn, I make my way to the living room. Nanami is sitting on the sofa, a cup of steaming coffee in one hand and a book in the other. He looks up as I enter, closing the book with a smile.