𝑴𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆 (𝑺𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒖 𝑮𝒐𝒋𝒐 𝒙 𝑶𝑪)

1.2 Mute

The infirmary at Tokyo Jujutsu High was a room with pale gray walls and dim lighting, exuding a faint antiseptic smell mixed with the stale scent of cigarette smoke. Thick curtains filtered the daylight, giving the place a subdued, almost apathetic atmosphere. Hospital beds were lined up against the walls, each equipped with a metal bedside table, neatly folded white sheets, and softly clicking medical machines in one corner of the room.

At the center of this clinical ambiance, Shoko Ieiri, the head nurse, stood casually leaning against her desk. Her long chestnut hair, slightly tousled, fell carelessly over her shoulders, framing a face often marked by fatigue and weariness, yet possessing delicate features. Her deep brown eyes were half-closed as she gazed at a file laid out before her. A thin wisp of smoke curled from the cigarette she held between her fingers, drifting into the stagnant air. Her slightly parted lips, tinged with a hint of red, hinted at a barely visible smile—a reflection of a silent irony that always seemed to surround her.

Blood samples were neatly arranged in test tubes on a metal tray next to the file of her new patient. Shoko observed them with a distant expression, contemplating the tests she had just performed. The name "Chihiro" was scribbled at the top of the file, and she was flipping through the pages with an almost disinterested slowness, reading the sparse information she had managed to gather so far.

As she continued reading, the infirmary door opened silently. Satoru Gojo entered, his hands tucked into the pockets of his exorcist uniform. His gait was the same as always: relaxed, almost aimless, as if he were strolling with no particular purpose. A sly smile played on his lips as he approached Shoko, his eyes hidden behind his black blindfold, but his demeanor betraying an amused curiosity.

"Yo, Shoko," he called out in a teasing voice as he walked up to her. "So, what's the story with our new little guest?"

Shoko barely looked up from her file, exhaling a puff of smoke before responding in a blasé tone. "Her name's Chihiro, according to the papers Kiyotaka found at her house," she said, waving the file slightly in his direction. "She's 17, lived with her grandmother... and that's about it."

Gojo raised an eyebrow, his smile widening slightly. "That's really all?" he asked, a hint of mischief in his voice. "Nothing else... weird?"

Shoko shrugged, crushing her cigarette in the ashtray filled with butts on her desk. "She's not very talkative, as you can imagine," she replied with a sigh. "She refuses to eat or drink anything. And she doesn't know sign language either. Not exactly easy to have a conversation with her."

Gojo nodded, looking thoughtful, but his smile didn't fade. "She's mute, but not deaf, right?" he said, his drawling voice full of sarcasm. "Must be frustrating, not being able to say what you want, especially in a situation like hers."

Shoko looked at him, her brown eyes narrowing slightly with a mix of boredom and curiosity. "I suppose it must be," she agreed, pulling another cigarette from her pack. "But I guess you're going to handle it, aren't you, Gojo?"

He shrugged, still with that same provocative smile. "Maybe. There's something special about her. And besides, it's fun to solve mysteries."

Shoko watched him silently for a moment before lighting her new cigarette, her expression still marked by familiar weariness. "Fun, huh? Just be careful not to get carried away. You never know with cursed ones. Especially those who are... so quiet."

Gojo simply chuckled softly, his usual nonchalance intact. "Don't worry, Shoko," he said, turning away, his hands still in his pockets. "I know what I'm doing."

And with that, he left the infirmary, leaving Shoko alone with her thoughts, the smoke from her cigarette forming new wisps in the thick air. She cast one last glance at Chihiro's file, her gaze hardening slightly. Something was off about this girl, something she couldn't quite grasp yet. But if anyone could figure it out, it was Gojo.