「CURSE'S VESSEL」bnhaxjjk

28: Cursed Infant: Hanabi

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"You know it's dangerous to always be around us, right?"

Kirishima looks up from his phone, making eye contact with Yuju who stared back at him with her right hand and the mascara brush suspended in the air. They stayed silent for a few seconds, Yuju waiting for his answer whilst Kirishima's eyes wander around her bare face.

It was the next day and his second visit in the sorcerer household. Last time, Yuji invited him to come and visit again and, enjoying everyone's company, Kirishima agreed and came back the next day. Yuju was surprised to say the least when she found her dearest classmate losing to a game of Shogi with Maki in the living area, she honestly didn't know how to feel of his presence being around her family. Whilst she was happy that he was getting along with all of them, she couldn't get the uneasiness lingering in her as she watches Kirishima looking like he was part of her familyㅡ a family who's always in the face of danger and risk of death. It's a surprise how none of them are dead yet.

Kirishima lets out a hum before showing a small and soft smile, something which made Yuju's heart flutter just a bit. "I know that." He finally said, "But I just can't help it... I just.. I don't knowㅡ I feel like I belong with you guys here. Not necessarily!ㅡ but your family just treats me like i'm apart of it and it kinda just makes me wanna come back, y'know?" He nervously laughed in the end once he realized he stuttered too much in what was supposed to just be a one sentence.

No matter how heartwarming his words were, Yuju couldn't help but bite her lip and frown. This was bad. He was growing closer to her family than what she expected and that was not a good thing. She knew fully well Kirishima being closeㅡ let alone apart of her family was going to risk his life.

She suddenly cussed out of nowhere, surprising the male in front of her and asked if she was alright. Yuju didn't respond, simply kept her eyes on both of their bare feet as her mind began to wonder elsewhere. Yuji shouldn't have invited him to visit again, Satoru should have never called him to comfort her in the first placeㅡ but most importantly, she shouldn't have grown romantic feelings for him. Kirishima was getting caught up in their life in just such a short amount of time it made her more upset than happy.

"Hey." Kirishima cupped her cheeks and gently made her lock eyes with him. His expression was soft but there was seriousness behind it, showing the girl in front of him that he understood the situationㅡ at least to some extent. "I can take care of myself." He reassured, but when he sees the unconvinced look on Yuju's face, he adds , "I can! I promise you. I may not know anything about these curses and sorcerer stuff but I can fight."

"That's the point!" She countered, brows furrowed and her frown deepening. "You don't know anything about curses so how can you fight them? You don't even know those things can only be exorcised by another curse or cursed energy. Do you have cursed energy?" She asked and when she saw the look on his face, she answered for him, "No. Therefor when you do encounter a curse, you're useless; nothing but a sitting buffet to them, waiting to get devoured."