-Art by sberry_mango on Twitter-
There was no sight more beautiful than the comforting, soft clouds drifting gracefully across the sweet sky above. The plastic bag in my hand swung back and forth as I skipped along the stone path, making sure not to step on any of the cracks in the pavement.
The distant voices of my friends became clearer the closer I got to the training field and I arrived just in time to see Maki dodging a swing from Yuta's katana. Swiftly, he positioned himself again to try to swipe her at her landing but she predicted his moves in time to duck down, doing the splits, and grabbing the collar of his shirt to yank him down with her. Their legs were entwined as the thin boy lay on the ground, receiving a harsh jab from the butt of her weapon.
"Maki won again, huh?" I smiled, walking closer to Toge and Panda who were sat comfortably on the grass. I reached into the shopping bag and pulled out three drinks, handing one to each of them as well as Gojo, who stood to Panda's right. They thanked me, with Toge giving me a curt nod of his head to symbolise his gratitude.
Panda clicked open the can and took a large swill before humming, "It's been three months since Yuta came to this school. He has become able to move a lot."
I had to agree with him. It was nice to see Yuta gain more confidence in himself over the time we were together. He had become pretty skilled in wielding his katana, not as much as Maki maybe, but still impressive.
Unfortunately, I couldn't say I was much help in his development since I had been sent on a mission in Nagoya for the past few weeks as backup for the second years. That said, it was definitely the most stressful weeks of my life; those second year sorcerers were total lunatics. I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up getting suspended someday. Anyways, now that I was finally back, the opportunity to take the cursed boy on was there.
"Hey, Maki!" I called out to her as I held up the plastic bag. "Take a break for a while, I got you some juice." The girl smiled before leaning the katana on her shoulder. She discontinued her training as I switched places with her. "I'll spar with Yuta."
Yuta, on the other hand, was astonished at the sudden suggestion. "Eh? (Y/N)?" He loosened his grip on the katana but I beckoned for him to retake his fighting stance.
"I don't tend to use weapons when I fight but don't go easy on me. Try to hit me, like you were doing just now with Maki." The boy still seemed a little hesitant but straightened himself out immediately upon realising it was a good learning opportunity.
Yuta kicked off from his spot, keeping low as he ran to me and aimed to swing at my waist. He was fast, but not fast enough for I had already jumped high above him and kicked him in his temple. He grunted roughly at the collision of my foot with his head but recovered quickly and charged at me again. We fought like that for a little while, and it was rather fun, but I was holding back, especially since I wasn't using any cursed technique.
I had punched him in his gut, purposely leaving an opening for a counter-attack and just as he was about to take it to land his first hit on me, Panda interrupted us. "Yuta! Come here!" While his distracted attention was on the bear, I body slammed his skinny body to the ground, bringing an end to the duel.
The boy rubbed his nape as I helped him to his feet before he trotted over to where the animal was standing while I followed in pursuit. "So, boobs, big or small?" And it was at that moment I had decided I no longer wanted to listen.
Turning to Toge who was taking little sips from his juice, I sighed. "Yuta sure has improved, huh?"
"Mustard leaf," He mumbled in response, gaze fixated on his can.
"My mission with the second years? Yeah, it was alright. They were pretty wild but it's more fun doing missions like that with you." I replied as my eyes drifted to Maki who, for whatever reason, battled with Panda.
Toge simply ignored their screams and shouts. "Tuna mayo." His nonchalant gaze bore into my skin.
His expression made me pause. I rarely understood the boy through his words but could mostly tell what he wanted to say through the type of look in his eyes. And at that moment, it was a longing one. "Yeah... I missed you too." I said finally. His features softened at my response and I couldn't help but smile a little.
There was more I wanted to say but Yuta came over to us, chuckling at the ruckus Maki was causing with Panda in the distance. "Haha, what are they even talking about." He pointed at the pair.
"Kelp." Toge responded, leaving Yuta dumbfounded at what he was trying to say; it was clear he didn't quite understand him yet.
That was when Gojo told us to continue training while Inumaki was given a mission with permission for Yuta to go along as support.
Once he was finished explaining, Maki continued to beat Panda to the ground as Toge went back to his dorm to get changed and Gojo left to prepare the car for his departure. I walked with Yuta to his own room, mainly to give him some words of advice while he got prepared.
"I'm not gonna lie, Inumaki still kind of intimidates me. I can't really get a good reading on him..." The boy muttered, scratching his head in defeat.
The floorboards creaked beneath us as we walked through the halls. "He can be difficult to understand at first but he's a good person. It'll make more sense once you just see it."
Yuta bit his lip as he unlocked the door to his room. I didn't go in, only leaning in the doorway after he entered. "How do you guys understand him so well, (Y/N)? I feel like I'm missing something." He insisted, getting ready to change his clothes.
I turned my head away, pondering his words. "He communicates through his actions, I guess. Rather than focusing on his speech, try looking at the way he moves. The gestures he makes. The sort of look in his eyes. Once you realise all those things, you'll find that understanding him isn't really an issue."
The dark-haired boy came out a minute later, lips pressed tightly together. "Thanks, (Y/N). I really appreciate your help." He nervously mumbled as he adjusted his katana strap before locking the door.
I stretched my arms above my head, preparing to leave too. "Don't even worry. Good luck on your mission, tell me how it goes."
"Ah, thanks. But, uh, where are you going? The training field is that way..." His shoulders slumped as I was already heading the opposite way down the corridor.
I gave the boy a quick side glance. "Skipping out on training. If you tell anyone, I'll kill you!" I waved him off with a cheerful smile, leaving him standing in a puddle of confusion and fear.
So I continued my day as I usually would. While skiving training, I stole food from the communal kitchen and took a nap, free of any worry for my comrade. I knew Yuta would be fine, especially since he had Toge with him.
And I was right because it was only a couple of hours later when the pair returned, unharmed.
I was busy watering the plants under the setting sun when they were both walking back to the main building. Yuta gave me a small wave from a distance, looking a lot more relaxed. It seemed he finally warmed up to Toge.
As I raised my hand to wave back, I noticed Toge mumble something to the boy before parting ways with him to jog over to me. He held his hand up as a greeting and I smiled back, giving him room to stand with me.
"How was it?" I asked the silver-haired boy while he picked up one of the watering hoses to help me.
It was usually the two of us who watered the flowers on afternoons like these. There used to be a rota, because it was mandatory that all the first-years took turns in taking care of the school garden, but Toge and I insisted that we would do it every week. The faculty always thought it was because we just loved gardening but it was really because when nobody supervised us we would mess around and drench each other.
Instead of responding to my question with a rice ball ingredient, he simply held up his hand in an 'okay' sign. "Does your throat hurt?" I guessed with a raised eyebrow.
He paused for a moment just then, eyeing the pink flowers at his feet, before reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone. He didn't use it to communicate often, only when he had something specific he wanted to say. I continued watering the tulips as he typed away.
"Huh? There was a first-grade curse? I thought Gojo said it was only going to be a low grade." I mentioned after he held up the device for me to read. The boy simply shrugged his shoulders, showing he was just as confused. "Well was Yuta okay? It must have been scary for him, it being his first mission with you."
The corners of Toge's eyes crinkled ever so slightly, meaning he was smiling while he nodded. "You two got a long, huh? He seemed on edge earlier, I'm glad he's opened up to you."
"Salmon." Despite how raspy his damaged voice was, it made me pleased to hear him talk. We continued watering the plants in silence for a while, enjoying the distant sounds of the birds as the sun melted away into the sky.
At one point, I accidentally stumbled back and pointed the hose mistakenly at Toge's shoes. The tip of his sneakers got wet but nothing more. "Ah, sorry." I mumbled absentmindedly.
But rather than let it go, he furrowed his eyebrows and pointed his hose pipe at me, sending a stream of cold water to my face. That had done it. In one quick motion, I faced the boy and prepared to spray him but he had already ducked out of the way. I knew he was planning to make a run for it the moment he dropped the pipe.
But before he could even move, I sent all my cursed energy through my legs and practically teleported behind him within a second, throwing my weight onto his back to push him to the floor. A sick smile made it's way to my lips as I saw the fear in his violet eyes when I grabbed his discarded hose and held it over his face, basically drowning him.
My laughter was cut off when I heard a shriek and turned my head to see a terrified Yuta with an amused Panda staring at us through the window of the school. "Oh my god! She's waterboarding Inumaki!" Screamed the shorter male, utter horror in his voice.
"This isn't the first time this has happened." Panda sighed.
I scoffed at their reaction, taking the hose off the boy underneath me and getting up. "There are too many witnesses to kill you now. You're off the hook this time, Toge." But Toge would not get up. He lay there, still. "Toge..?" I gulped.
Suddenly, the drenched boy pounced to life, catching me off guard and wrestling me to the ground the same way I did to him. I let out a horrified scream as I saw him grabbing the running hose with an intense glare, knowing what was coming. Amidst Yuta's louder screams of worry, I could hear Panda chuckling, saying how this was normal behaviour for Toge and I. And to be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way.
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The most romantic gesture: attempted murder <3