𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐄 | R. SUKUNA

41

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The clock ticked relentlessly, each second amplifying Sukuna's growing sense of nausea and confinement. Toji began to explain, but Sukuna interrupted him, too terrified to hear the truth.

It was the first time he'd ever felt such fear.

The truth.

Confronting it meant facing it head-on, something Sukuna wasn't sure he was prepared for. He was awash with conflicting emotions: anger, sadness, and above all, disappointment.

He despised it.

In the living room, Toji sat in silence, arms crossed, as the tension in the room grew thicker. Even he felt unsettled.

Suddenly, the door swung open and Choso entered, stifling a yawn as he tossed his keys aside.

"You guys are still up?" he asked, starting toward the kitchen. But he stopped short, sensing the palpable tension that filled the room.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes scanning between Toji and Sukuna. Toji sighed, meeting Choso's gaze.

Sukuna scoffed. How could he ask such a question after lying to him all this time? Sukuna turned abruptly and approached Choso, gripping his shoulder tightly. Choso looked at him, brows furrowed in confusion.

"I'm going to visit Kaori," Sukuna said, his voice eerily calm. Choso's eyes widened at the mention.

"Sukuna, you..." Choso began, but stopped short as Sukuna shot him a deadly glare, releasing his grip on Choso's shoulder and patting it instead.

Without another word, Sukuna turned on his heel and left the room, leaving Choso and Toji in an uneasy silence.

Choso sighed heavily, rubbing his temples as he tried to process what had just happened. "How....how did he know..." Choso mumbled.

Toji watched him for a moment before speaking, his voice soft but firm.

"He found out but not the whole truth it seems. You need to tell him, Choso. He doesn't want to hear it from me."

Choso looked up, his eyes filled with guilt and regret. "I know," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just... I don't know how to tell him. Will he forgive me? Of course he won't...once he finds out everything will go dark." Choso gripped onto his hair as he crouched down his eyes shaking.

Choso had tried, time and again, to convince himself that it was okay to be there for Sukuna. After all, he was making it up to him, wasn't he? His brothers had died too. But deep down, he knew it was a twisted way of seeking redemption for his past actions.

He genuinely wanted to be there for Sukuna, to ensure that history wouldn't repeat itself. The memories of Yuji and his brothers haunted him every night.

The guilt was so overwhelming that he could barely sleep without a dose of medications. Paranoia consumed him, and the dark circles under his eyes grew more pronounced with each passing day.

Over the past ten years, Choso hadn't magically transformed into a new person. He was still struggling to find his own identity amidst the chaos. Everywhere he went, he felt out of place, like a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit.

Sukuna was the only family he had left, and he clung to that connection desperately. As for Kaori, Choso no longer considered her family. Family didn't physically harm each other, and he knew that all too well. S

he was as good as dead to him, and he wanted nothing to do with her anymore.

Toji sighed, his expression softening slightly. "Sometimes the truth hurts, Choso. But it's better than living a lie."