The door had closed with a sound far too loud for that morning.I stood there, motionless, for a handful of seconds that felt endless, my gaze fixed on the spot where he had disappeared. The bed was still warm from his body, but the room was already cold.
A sudden impulse twisted in my stomach. I shot to my feet, barefoot, my heart beating everywhere but my chest. I flung the door open, the wood slammed against the wall, and I shouted down the empty hallway.
"THIS ISN'T FAIR!"
My voice echoed against the silent walls of the institute.
"YOU DON'T DO THIS TO SOMEONE!"
My eyes filled with tears, but he didn't stop.
"YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME! YOU SHOULD HAVE TALKED TO ME!"
My hands were trembling. My voice cracked between words, but the sentences came out like punches.
"IF I EVER MEANT SOMETHING TO YOU, IF I EVER MATTERED…"I lowered my voice, broken by sobs."…you'd be here with me. Fighting. Not RUNNING AWAY."
I saw him.A shadow just ahead, a few steps from the corner.Toge stood still, back turned, hood pulled up. Hands in his pockets. His body was tense. But he didn't turn around. He didn't reply. He didn't type anything.
He turned the corner and vanished—as if his legs were moving out of obligation, not choice.
I stood in the doorway, breath shattered. Then, slowly, I closed the door. Like one might close a hope. I let myself fall onto the still-unmade bed and curled up, hugging my knees to my chest. The tears fell one after another, silent and burning, soaking my face and my shirt. My chest shook with sobs, a knot too big to swallow. I couldn't breathe.
I didn't open the door again.I didn't answer anyone.I didn't go to class.
That day, as far as I was concerned, the world could keep turning without me.
Because my universe, in that moment, had curled up beside me under the blankets, looked at me like I was the only person in the world…
… and then chose to leave anyway.
---You come down, with me..---
I spent the entire day locked in my room.The shutters were down, my phone on silent.I didn't even touch the lunch tray someone had left outside the door.I wasn't hungry, I didn't feel like talking, or hearing anyone's voice.I just wanted to be alone—with my thoughts, my tears, and that silence heavy as rubble pressing on my chest.
In the afternoon, someone knocked—three light taps.I heard Yuta's calm voice.
"Rebe, we're worried. What's going on?"
I recognized Panda's voice too.
"Come on, you can't skip meals! Don't tell me I have to eat your share too."
I tried to smile, but I didn't answer.Eventually, their footsteps faded down the hall.
Then silence fell again, lasting nearly the whole day—until dinnertime.It was broken suddenly by firm, thunderous fists pounding on the door.
"Rebecca!"It was Maki. No doubt."Either open up or I'm kicking the door down. Your choice."
I sighed and turned under the blankets, facing away from the door, curled up tight.
"Maki, please…"
"No. You've cried enough. Open the door. You've been locked in here all day. And let me tell you something: Toge is a mess. In class today… he was unrecognizable. Distracted, empty eyes. And don't tell me you don't care, because I know you."
I hesitated.Then slowly got out of bed, and a moment later the lock clicked open.I opened the door slowly and found Maki standing there, arms crossed, stern look—but soft eyes.
"Come in…" I whispered.
She closed the door behind her and leaned her back against it.I slipped back under the warm covers, hugging my pillow.
"Want to tell me what's going on between you two?"
That night, I opened my heart to her. My face was tired.
"He said we can't be together. That the curses… his voice… his cursed tongue might hurt me."
Maki stayed silent for a moment, then stepped closer.
"I can't change your situation. I can't fix things between you… but I can be here for you. And if you really think he's worth fighting for, then get up, wash your face, put on something nice. We're going downstairs together."
"What? Where?"
"There's music downstairs. Panda ordered sushi from downtown Tokyo—don't ask me how. Yuta stole Gojo-sensei's Bluetooth speaker and is playing sad playlists. We need a strong female voice down there."
I smiled faintly."Maki… I don't feel up to it…"
She sat beside me and took my hands.
"I'm telling you this as your friend. Don't do it for him—do it for you. To remind yourself you're not alone."
She convinced me with her force of character.Just a light touch of makeup, a loose long-sleeved shirt, comfy jeans.I was still myself, but with something extra—the kind of strength Maki knew how to ignite in people.
When we went down, the warm light of the common room filled the space.The music played softly, the table was full of sushi trays.Panda was telling a story to Yuta, who was laughing with his head thrown back.They saw me come in and the room quieted for just a moment.Toge was sitting in the back, in the dark, notebook in his hands, gaze lost.Then he looked up and saw me.
He didn't stand.He didn't write anything.
But the way he looked at me—like he hadn't expected to see me there…Like he could suddenly breathe again—That said more than a thousand words.
Maki gave me a gentle nudge on the back.
"Go. Live it. One step at a time."
I walked over to the table.Panda handed me a chopstick.
"Welcome back, silent princess."
I took an avocado hosomaki—and with it, a smile. Or at least, I tried.
Toge remained there, sitting apart, eyes lowered, head in his hands.Every now and then he looked up—maybe to check if I was still there,maybe searching for something even he didn't understand.
Maki sat next to me, peeling a mandarin orange.She did it slowly, like there was nothing in the world that could disturb her.But her gaze, from the side, was on me. Quiet. Watchful.
A laugh from Panda pulled me back to the present for a moment,but when I looked back toward him, my eyes welled up.I swallowed the emptiness.
Being there.In that room.With him so close and yet so far…It was a kind of torture I'd never imagined could exist.
Maki left the mandarin half-peeled on the table.Then leaned toward me, and without saying a word, gently took my wrist.
"Come with me for a second."
I followed her without protest.We walked down the hallway to the small space near the second-floor window.It was quiet. Dark.Only the light from the streetlamps filtered through the half-open blinds.
She turned to face me.
"You can't take it anymore, can you?"
I broke.Like a dam giving way under the weight of too much water.
"It's not fair…" I whispered, clenching my fists against her chest."It's not fair that he looks at me like that. That he says nothing. That he leaves me there… waiting for something to change. I don't know what to do anymore, Maki."
She held my shoulders with both hands.Firmly.
"Rebe… Toge loves you…"
"Then why…"
"Because he's scared! Because he thinks you can only be happy if you're far from him. Because his curses—the ones that haunt him—they're not just in his voice. They're in his head too, understand?"
I shook my head, sobbing, my heart seeming to break more with every beat.
"But I want him. I want him even with all the pain he might bring. I want him the way he is. Why did he lead me on? Why… not just tell me the truth before?"
That's when we turned.We heard footsteps entering the hallway.
Toge was there.He froze as soon as he saw us. Eyes lowered.He'd probably meant to head back to his room,but didn't have the courage to interrupt.
I froze. My breath caught in my throat.
Maki, next to me, gently squeezed my arm and whispered:
"If you really can't face it, go to bed. I'm sorry… but at least you tried. Try to get some rest, okay?"
I nodded.
"Thank you, Maki."
I turned, giving my back to Toge.He followed me from a distance, silently.And I made my way back toward the dorms.
---The price of silence. Toge Inumaki perspective...---
That night, my room felt almost surreal.The light was dim, and the muffled sounds of the night drifted in through a slightly open window.I had woken up in the middle of the night—probably around 3:30 a.m.—because I was thirsty. I wanted a sip of cold water, but had nothing in the room.Sleepless nights had become my routine lately, ever since I made that choice… that cursed choice.
I walked barefoot, my sweatshirt like armor wrapped around me, each step careful, controlled.When I entered the lounge, I found Maki and Panda fast asleep on the couch, snoring like hibernating bears.And near them—I saw her.
Asleep on one of the chairs, her head resting on the table, her profile softly lit by the kitchen light.Her hair cascaded gently over her face, and her cheeks still showed the faint traces of dried tears.She probably couldn't sleep either, and had come downstairs seeking company.
My heart stopped for a moment.
I tightened my grip around the bottle of cold water.Every fiber of me screamed to go to her, to wake her with a gentle touch, to tell her—in any way—that I wanted her near me, beside me, despite everything.
But I didn't.
Why?Because I knew.Because I had seen that curse feeding off my words, off my emotions, until it reached her.It had appeared to me in a dream, threatening me.I had sensed it—she had become a target… just for being close to me.My cursed techniques, my voice—they attracted creatures capable of sensing bonds, of destroying what mattered to me.
I couldn't let her pay the price for my gift.
I took a step closer. Then stopped. And then one more.
Watching her sleep was beautiful.There was a sweetness in her calm face that clashed with the knot she carried in her chest.I wanted to caress her cheek, to brush a strand of hair from her face—but I didn't.
Words swirled in my head, like a scream I couldn't release.How could I explain everything to her?How could I make her understand that my love hadn't faded, but had only hidden—to protect her from me?
I brought a hand to my chest, gripping the fabric of my sweatshirt above my heart.I couldn't breathe.My eyes drifted back to her face—And that's when I noticed she was trembling slightly in her sleep.
I reached out slowly and picked up a blanket from the couch.With a gesture infinitely gentle, I draped it over her shoulders.A light, fleeting touch.The most tender act I allowed myself.
I stayed there a little longer, standing beside her. Silent.Caught between what I wanted… and what I had to do.
Then I turned away.I left quietly, without a sound.And as the door closed softly behind me, I realized—Every step I took away from her hurt far more than the curse I carried.
---Roads that divide...---
The lights in the lounge were off,and only a soft glow came from a forgotten lamp left on atop the low table.I woke before dawn, as if something inside me had whispered not to stay any longer.I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes, still swollen from a night spent crying.Someone had gently draped a blanket over me—and just the thought of that made my chest tighten.
Next to me, Panda was lying on his side, breathing slow and deep.Maki, a little further away, was curled up with her arms tucked beneath her pillow, her expression strangely peaceful.
I got up in silence, folded the blanket neatly, and placed it on the couch.Instinct drew me toward the hallway, where a muffled voice reached my ears.
It was Gojo-sensei.
He was speaking on the phone, softly, but with an unusually serious tone.The words were fragmented, but it didn't take much to understand it was something important.
—"Yeah, I know… but if they move now, we have to be ready. I already asked Geto to…"—
"Sensei…" My voice cut into the nervous flow of speech.
Gojo turned, visibly surprised to see me awake at that hour.He wore only a long-sleeved shirt and pajama pants, his white hair as messy as ever—but his eyes were sharp and alert immediately.
"Rebecca? Everything okay?"
I took a long, steady breath."I want to change mission partner," I said firmly.
Gojo-sensei looked at me silently. His expression softened, and without asking why—like he already knew—he nodded slowly.
"Panda," he said simply. Then, with a tired half-smile, he added:"But try not to get carried around in his arms again, alright?"
I gave a faint laugh, as if it were a sound stolen from the night. I nodded and turned back.I walked down the hallway again, my steps slower this time—tired.
I passed by Toge's room.The door was closed, but a sliver of light crept out from the gap beneath it. I stopped.
For a moment, I just stood there.My hand hovered near the doorknob… but then I pulled away.
Not this time. Not anymore.
I turned and walked back to my room.Once inside, I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, holding my breath for a long moment.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the hallway, Toge sat on his bed with his notebook in hand.He had been staring at the blank page for several minutes.He had felt my presence—my light steps, the familiar scent, the hesitation.
But he didn't have the strength to open the door.
He knew something had broken.And maybe this time, no words—not even forbidden ones—could fix it.