Cursed | Ryomen Sukuna & Gojo Satoru

(19) Cooped Up

Kasaii woke up with a grunt, feeling the sharp sting of her wound as she stretched.

The remnants of her dream clung to her mind, more vivid and intense than any before. Blinking away the lingering haze of sleep, she realized she was still in the infirmary with Shoko.

"Bad dream?" Shoko asked, her voice gentle but perceptive.

"Huh?" Kasaii replied, still disoriented.

"Tears were falling down your face while you slept," Shoko explained, her tone laced with concern.

"Oh... I guess you could say that," Kasaii murmured.

"Sukuna again?" Shoko inquired, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah," Kasaii admitted, a sense of melancholy washing over her. "I'm starting to understand our relationship from the past now."

"To be fair, if I were a stranger looking in, I would have thought you guys knew each other for some time already," Shoko observed, her eyes studying Kasaii's face.

"What gave it away?" Kasaii asked curiosity piqued despite her fatigue.

"When he insisted on being the one to bring you here. And the way you thanked him," Shoko replied, her expression thoughtful.

Kasaii sighed deeply, her thoughts swirling with memories and emotions. "It's complicated. We were... something in the past. It's hard to put into words."

Shoko nodded, her demeanor contemplative. "Well, whatever it was, it seems to be bleeding into the present. Just be careful, Kasaii."

"I know," Kasaii said, her voice still uncertain. "But I have to understand."

Shoko continued to tend to Kasaii's injuries, the room was filled with a heavy silence, punctuated only by the soft sounds of medical equipment. Kasaii's mind wandered back to the dream— the intensity of her emotions, and the clarity of the memories.

"He wasn't always like this," Kasaii said softly, breaking the silence. "In the past, he was different. We both were."

Shoko paused for a moment, looking at Kasaii with sympathy. "What do you mean?"

Kasaii took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "Back then, he was more... human. There were moments of genuine care. But... I don't know if that was just for me or..."

Shoko nodded, her expression serious. "Well, the past is a part of you, but it doesn't define you completely."

Kasaii smiled faintly, appreciating Shoko's wisdom.

A few moments passed, and she shifted uncomfortably on the infirmary bed, her wounds twinging as she turned to face Shoko, who was meticulously organizing supplies nearby. The infirmary was quiet again , save for the occasional distant chatter from outside.

"Hey, Ieri," Kasaii began tentatively, breaking the silence that hung between them.

Shoko glanced up, her expression calm and attentive. "Yeah?"

"Do you think... it's possible for someone who's supposed to be dead to come back?" Kasaii asked, her voice hesitant, unsure of how to broach the topic that had been weighing on her mind and heart.

Shoko paused in her task, setting down the vials she was organizing. She turned to face Kasaii fully, her demeanor thoughtful. "There are some techniques that can manipulate life and death," she explained carefully.

"Reverse cursed techniques, for instance. They convert cursed energy into positive energy to regenerate flesh and heal injuries. Gojo survived a fatal wound to the neck, thanks to that. Your chakra healing is another method, but that's only specific to you. Why do you ask?"

Kasaii took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts before continuing. "During my fight with those special grades... I saw... Suguru."

Shoko's reaction was subtle, but Kasaii caught the slight widening of her eyes before she regained her composure. "Are you sure?" she asked, her voice still calm despite the concern etched on her face.

Kasaii nodded slowly. "I saw him clearly. He had these distinctive stitch marks on his forehead."

Shoko's brow furrowed in deep concern. "That's... unexpected."

"All I can think about is Satoru," Kasaii murmured, her mind racing with the implications of what she had seen.

Shoko nodded thoughtfully. "I'll look into it. See if there's any information or reports that match what you saw. But... maybe we should keep this between us for now. Until I find something concrete."

Kasaii sighed in relief, grateful for Shoko's understanding and support. "Thanks. I just... I don't know what's going on anymore. It's all becoming so complicated."

"I understand," Shoko said gently, offering Kasaii a reassuring smile. "Rest for now. I'll update you as soon as I have something."

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

Kasaii woke to the sound of raised voices just outside the infirmary door— Shoko's firm tone was attempting to manage an insistent visitor.

"Oi, Gojo. She needs her rest. You can't just barge in like this," Shoko insisted.

Kasaii chuckled softly to herself, recognizing the guy's impatient nature. "Ieri, it's okay. Let him in," she called out.

Shoko rolled her eyes, and the door slid open swiftly. Gojo Satoru practically flew into the room, his white hair a disheveled halo around his face.

"Kasaii! Are you alright? What happened out there? Do you need me to kill anyone? Just tell me when and where—" he fired off questions rapid-fire, his worry evident in every word.

Kasaii raised her hand to hold his, her voice calm despite the lingering pain from her injuries. "Satoru, one question at a time."

Gojo's eyes widened slightly, and he nodded, trying to compose himself. "Right, sorry. How are you feeling?"

"Better, now that I'm in good hands," Kasaii replied, offering a small smile toward Shoko, who nodded in acknowledgment. "Shoko's been taking care of me."

Gojo nodded gratefully before turning his attention back to Kasaii. "When can you leave? You shouldn't stay cooped up in here any longer than necessary."

Shoko interjected gently, her tone reassuring. "She needs one more day with me, Satoru— and a week of rest to recover fully. It was a close call out there."

Gojo frowned slightly, his concern deepening. "Who did this to you?"

Kasaii's gaze softened, appreciating Gojo's protective instinct. "It was a tough battle, but we managed to handle it... kind of. I'll tell you everything, but first, I need to heal."

Gojo nodded, though his restlessness was palpable. "Alright, I understand. Just... don't scare me like that again, okay?"

Kasaii squeezed his hand reassuringly and chuckled. "I'll do my best."

With a sigh, Gojo leaned closer, his voice lowering to a softer, more intimate tone. "You know, you really had me worried there, Kasaii. I thought..."

Kasaii met his gaze steadily, understanding his worry. "I'm here, Toru. I'm not going anywhere. I said I'd come back to you, right?"

A fleeting smile crossed Gojo's lips. "Good," he murmured.

"Okay, I hate to break you two lovebirds apart again, but I have work to do. Get your ass out of here, Satoru." Shoko says, pushing the two apart.