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

87 ~ Eighty-Seven

"Wow, you look rough," Gojo teased, his tone light and mocking as Utahime's tired face came into view.

He leaned casually against the doorway, the usual cocky grin on his face, eyes gleaming with that familiar mischief.

Utahime shot him a look that could kill, though she was clearly too drained to muster her usual fire. Shoko was by her side, tending to some of her injuries with practiced ease, her face calm and focused as always.

Mei Mei stood off to the side, arms crossed, silently observing with a detached air.

"Nice to see you're as concerned as ever, Gojo," Utahime said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, though there was a hint of weariness in her tone.

The strongest Sorcerer shrugged, completely unfazed. "Come on, Utahime, you know I'm always concerned. Just... not great at showing it," he added with a wink. But then his expression softened, just a fraction. "I wouldn't have asked if I knew it'd be this dangerous."

There was a brief, awkward silence, the weight of his words hanging in the air.

It wasn't like Gojo to get serious, but they all knew the history here—his not-so-secret crush on Utahime and how it had evolved over the years. Ever since that mission, the one that left a scar on her face and nearly cost her life, Gojo had been unusually protective, though he'd rather die than admit it outright.

Shoko looked up from her work, her eyes flicking between the two of them. "You should know by now, Satoru, Utahime can handle herself," she said calmly, though there was a note of gentle reproach in her voice.

"Of course she can," the strongest sorcerer replied, a trace of sincerity cutting through his usual flippant tone. "But that doesn't mean I won't... um... worry."

Utahime's pointed glare softened just a touch. "I don't need your worry, Gojo. What I need is your respect. Though that seems to be in short supply sometimes."

"Hey, you know you've got it," he said, and for a moment, the usual bravado was gone, replaced by something genuine. But then his grin returned, playful and teasing. "Doesn't mean I'll stop giving you a hard time, though."

Mei Mei, who had been silently observing the exchange, finally chimed in with a cool, detached tone. "Maybe instead of playing around, you should ask how things actually went."

Gojo turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "Is that your way of saying you care, Mei Mei? Didn't think you had it in you."

Mei Mei smirked, unfazed. "I don't. I just prefer not to clean up your messes."

Utahime rolled her eyes, though a small, reluctant smile tugged at her lips. For all his bravado and endless teasing, she knew Gojo well enough to see through it—he cared, in his own, infuriating way.

"If you're done being a pain, we need to get to the point," Utahime said, her tone turning sharp as she tried to steer the conversation back on track.

"Sure, sure," Gojo stepped forward with an exaggerated flourish, as if finally giving her permission. "I've been waiting."

Mei Mei was the first to break the tension though. "We encountered a curse," she said, her voice cool and detached. "A special grade, human-like curse spirit."

The easygoing demeanor of the strongest seemed to falter, a faint twitch in his eyebrow betraying his curiosity. "I thought the area had already been cleared. No curses, no threats."

Utahime nodded, her expression serious as she shot a glance at Shoko's retreating figure. "So did we. But there's more—it wasn't alone."

"Exactly," Mei Mei continued, her voice steady. "We barely got out, and that's thanks to Ui Ui."

"A curse that commands other curses aren't new," Utahime added, her tone thoughtful. "But this one... he was strategizing like a human. And, if our guess is right..."

She hesitated, clearly weighing the gravity of her next words. Mei Mei, however, didn't hesitate. "Ryusaki L/N—Y/N's brother."

Gojo's expression darkened, his playful mask slipping entirely. "What do you mean, Ryusaki L/N? A curse spirit?"

"It's possible," Mei Mei confirmed, her tone matter-of-fact. "We all know that when someone is killed without cursed energy, they can come back as a vengeful spirit."

"I thought the hitmen sent after him and Y/N were jujutsu sorcerers," Gojo said, a frown creasing his forehead.

"That's what we all thought," Mei Mei agreed. "But maybe they weren't, or maybe... they were killed by someone with almost no knowledge of cursed energy."

Utahime's gaze was steady, her voice softer but no less impactful. "You don't think... Y/N? Why would she even kill her brother?"

"Not just her brother," Mei Mei clarified, her eyes narrowing slightly, "but all the sorcerers sent to kill them. The curses we encountered were the vengeful spirits of those jujutsu sorcerers. And they all had one name on their lips."

"Y/N L/N," Gojo finished, his tone a mix of disbelief and something else, something darker. A smirk tugged at his lips, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "This just got a lot more interesting."

Shoko's laid-back voice broke through the tense atmosphere, drawing everyone's attention. "We're just speculating here, right? Nothing's been confirmed, so maybe it's a bit early to start pointing fingers."

Utahime nodded in agreement. "Shoko's right. We shouldn't jump to conclusions without solid proof."

Mei Mei, however, remained unfazed, her tone cool and analytical. "True, but it's a possibility we can't rule out."

Gojo's gaze flickered with unease at the direction the conversation was heading, but he quickly refocused. "What about the thing they were after? Did you find out why Y/N and her brother were targeted?"

Mei Mei's expression darkened as she replied, "A forbidden curse technique."

A forbidden technique? Great! Just what they needed.

Forbidden techniques were no joke; they were seen as direct threats by the council of elders. If what Mei Mei was suggesting was true, Y/N was in grave danger—potentially life-threatening.

"And what kind of forbidden technique are we talking about?" Gojo asked, his voice laced with a hint of caution, maybe even something dark.

"I'm not certain of the specifics," Mei Mei admitted, her tone still measured. "But it's supposedly strong enough to possibly wipe out an entire nation. A special grade curse technique. The L/N family, being the last surviving members of a collateral clan that practiced this technique, became targets."

Utahime released a sigh, the tension in the room easing slightly with her words. "I don't know about you all, but I think I might need some to freshen up."

Her comment seemed to break the heavy silence, allowing everyone to breathe a little easier.

Gojo nodded, his signature smirk returning, though his eyes, partially hidden behind his shades, held an unusual seriousness. "Got it. Let's keep this under wraps for now. We need more than just gut feelings before we stir things up."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Utahime pushed herself off the examination table, her movements slow and deliberate as the fatigue from the mission finally caught up with her. "Thanks, Shoko," she said, offering a weary but genuine smile to the doctor.

Shoko waved her off casually. "Don't mention it."

As Utahime walked past Gojo, their eyes met briefly. In that fleeting moment, there was something unspoken in his gaze—a silent apology, perhaps, or a reminder of how much he cared. But just as quickly as it appeared, it was replaced by his familiar smirk.

"Next time, Gojo," Utahime called over her shoulder, "try not to drag me into your mess."

"No promises," Gojo replied with a teasing grin, his voice carrying an unexpected warmth as he fell into step beside her.

Utahime shook her head, a blend of exasperation and reluctant amusement playing on her face as she and Gojo exited the room.

Shoko watched them go, her tone thoughtful as she remarked, "He's never going to change, is he?"

"Wouldn't be Satoru Gojo if he did," Mei Mei chimed in, pushing away from the wall.

"True!"