Cursed | Ryomen Sukuna & Gojo Satoru

(17) I Refuse

Sukuna stood at the gates of Tokyo High, his gaze fixed on Kasaii's sleeping form in his arms.

The moonlight bathed them in a soft glow, casting gentle shadows that accentuated Kasaii's features— the delicate curve of her cheekbones, the slight furrow of her brows even in sleep, and her silvery-white hair cascading over his arm.

For a moment, Sukuna simply observed her, a mix of curiosity and something he refused to admit surfacing in his crimson eyes. His usual air of aloofness softened as he studied her face—her breathing steady against his chest. Despite himself, a faint sense of affection stirred within him, a sentiment he dismissed almost as soon as it surfaced.

He shifted slightly, his movement gentle to avoid waking her too abruptly. "Oi, Uchiha," he murmured, his voice a low rumble that cut through the quiet night. "Wake up. You're home."

Kasaii stirred at his voice, her eyelids fluttering open slowly. Her gaze, still heavy with sleep, met Sukuna's intense stare. In a quiet moment, neither of them spoke, then Kasaii blinked— the realization of where she was dawning on her.

"Sukuna," she muttered, her voice hoarse from exhaustion. "You brought me all the way back?"

Sukuna clicked his tongue in response, a rare gesture that softened his otherwise stoic features. "Well, where do you think would I drop you, woman? Don't get used to it," he replied cryptically, though there was a faint hint of relief in his tone knowing that she was now conscious.

Kasaii looked up at Sukuna, tears threatening to spill from her eyes as she struggled to find the right words. He had carried her all the way back to the other side of Tokyo, and she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by his gesture. She felt so sorry that he had to walk despite being capable of going at a much faster rate all because of the state she was in.

"I..." she began, her voice wavering slightly, "I can walk from here. You've done enough."

Sukuna scoffed, his expression unreadable as he glanced down at her. "Are you lacking brainpower?" he retorted sharply. "Your left lung is obliterated, and you're going to walk?"

Kasaii winced at his blunt assessment, the reality of her injuries sinking in more acutely now that she was back within relative safety. She sighed, reluctantly accepting his logic.

"I suppose you're right," she conceded softly, her gaze dropping to her injured side.

Sukuna grunted in response, his posture tense but his eyes betraying a hint of worry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gojo was teaching the students something irrelevant like— how to annoy your opponents—when he sensed an overwhelming amount of cursed energy suddenly enter school premises. His heart skipped a beat as he teleported swiftly toward the source.

As he neared the origin, his eyes widened in stunned disbelief. There, in Sukuna's arms, lay Kasaii— limp and bloodied, her usually vibrant white hair now matted with blood, her complexion unnaturally pale against the crimson stain of her injuries.

The sight struck Gojo like a physical blow, freezing him momentarily in place.

"Sukuna..." Gojo's voice was low, a warning cutting through the air like a blade. His grip tightened around his fists, a silent threat against the despicable man in front of him.

Sukuna met Gojo's gaze with a questioning expression, his crimson eyes shining with defiance.

Secretly behind them, the students— Megumi, Nobara, Maki, Inumaki, and Panda—stood in shocked silence, their eyes shifting between the two powerful sorcerers and the gravely injured Kasaii.