𝑴𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆 (𝑺𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒖 𝑮𝒐𝒋𝒐 𝒙 𝑶𝑪)

1.10 The Whisper of Silence

Chihiro stood under the pouring rain, her clothes drenched and clinging to her frail body. Water streamed down her black hair, plastered against her face, and each drop seemed to weigh down her already burdened shoulders with the weight of her thoughts. In front of a small, closed shop, her hands trembled as she gripped her phone, her knuckles whitening under the pressure. Her heart was pounding like a drum in her chest, and she felt a knot of anxiety growing in her throat.

She could no longer hold back her tears. They mingled with the rain flowing down her cheeks, making them indistinguishable. But inside, she knew it wasn't just the water from the sky that blurred her vision but the pain, the guilt, and the feeling of despair that wouldn't stop growing.

With trembling hands, she frantically tapped on her phone. Her fingers slipped on the wet screen, but she persevered, refusing to let her distress prevent her from doing what she had decided. The wind blew, cold and fierce, shaking the signs above her head, but she paid no attention. All that mattered was the message she was writing, a message to Satoru Gojo.

Each word she typed seemed to tear her heart a little more. The letters appeared on the screen, forming sentences that finally expressed what she had never dared to say aloud. Her tear-blurred eyes lingered on the text she had written. She hesitated for a moment, her thumb hovering over the send button, before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Then, she resumed writing, letting her emotions guide her words.

"Gojo-san, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry. I have been a burden to you from the beginning. You have always been there, patient, willing to help me, and I... I have only complicated your life. I should never have come to Jujutsu High. That day, in the village... that day when everything collapsed, when everything burned... it was my fault. If only you knew, if only I could tell you how guilty I feel. You may think it was just another misfortune, another tragedy, but no, it's because of me... I am the monster.

I know you have always seen beyond appearances, that you are the strongest, the wisest... But even you, I don't think you can understand the weight I carry, the weight of what I've done. I admire you, Gojo-san, more than I've ever admired anyone. Your strength, your determination, that light you carry within you... that's what has always given me hope, what has allowed me to keep going despite everything. You are incredible, a true pillar for all those around you. You are a beacon in the darkness, a light I do not deserve to follow.

But despite everything, I love you. I love you with all my heart. I love you with every fiber of my being. And maybe it's selfish of me to tell you this now, but I can't keep it to myself anymore. Even if you see me as a weakness, a mistake, I had to tell you. You are the only one who has ever seen anything good in me... and I can't continue living with this lie. I don't want to be a burden anymore. If I have to leave so you can continue without me, then... then I will. But I beg you to forgive me... to forgive the monster I've become."

Chihiro read the message one last time, her tears blurring her vision again. She didn't know what she hoped for by sending these words. Maybe he would understand, or maybe he would ignore her as she suspected. But she knew she couldn't keep this burden to herself any longer.

She pressed the "Send" button with desperate determination, and as soon as she did, a flash of lightning tore through the sky, illuminating the street around her with a blinding white light. Thunder roared, resounding like a powerful growl, and the rain intensified, pounding the ground with renewed force.

Chihiro stood under the pouring rain, her clothes soaked through and clinging to her frail body. Water streamed down her black hair, plastered against her face, and each drop seemed to weigh her shoulders down even more, already burdened by the weight of her thoughts. In front of a small, closed shop, her hands trembled as she clutched her phone, her knuckles turning white from the pressure. Her heart was pounding like a drum in her chest, and she felt a knot of anxiety growing in her throat.