Saikyō || 最強

23 - 𝙲𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚜 & 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜

"Mission," Shoko answered. "Haibara got dispatched earlier, but still hasn't come back yet. Nanami went to Yaga sensei to ask. He said it should be an easy mission, but Haibara and his manager still haven't responded for five hours now."

"They what?" Yume stood up from her seat. "Yū hasn't come back yet? Does that happen often?"

Yū? First name basis?

"No, but he should be fine, right? He has a manager with him." Shoko continued with her breakfast. "Bet they'll be back before lunch."

"No, they're back," Satoru claimed, looking down at his phone with an eerily serious aura about him. "Sensei asked me to take over."

"What? What for?"

Satoru did not look back and hurried to the door, leaving us with unanswered questions.

"They sent a special grade sorcerer...to take over." My own words made me shiver as they slowly left my lips. I could only speculate, but all possible scenarios in my mind were surely not in favor of the second year.

"Wrong dispatch of grade." Miura completed my thoughts.

I don't like where this is going.

"Let's go. Nanami and Haibara are at the lab," Shoko announced after checking her phone, dashing out the door as hurried as Satoru did.

──❍──

I should have expected it, seeing Satoru's reaction a while ago. The Jujutsu world was never really kind to those who had hope.

"This was supposed to be a simple mission to exorcise a second-grade spirit!" Nanami leaned his head back against the wall, a towel covering his eyes. "Shit!!"

Haibara...

If losing Riko just last year wasn't enough, now there's Haibara.

I couldn't quite process how someone, who I had just met and joked around with last night, could be here- lying lifelessly- the next day.

He was smiling, so happy telling me about how Nanami was in so much a rush to see me, reacting to Satoru's jokes, and always having a chat with Yume while munching on donuts.

He was just here.

"Can't you do anything? Restore his blood or...or-," Yume pleaded, holding on to Kotone's arms. Kotone shook her head and held Yume steady.

Even Shoko was helpless, what could Kotone even do...?

"You have to rest for now, Nanami. Satoru will take the mission from here." It should feel reassuring, but even Suguru had unrest audible from his dry raspy voice. As if he was not convinced of his own words.

Nanami sighed sarcastically. "Can't we just leave everything to him from now on?"

This...

What's with this atmosphere?

It was as if a dark cloud loomed over us. It wasn't just Haibara's death, but Satoru straying too far from us. I didn't feel it at first, but with Nanami pointing it out, it now seemed unquestionable.

Satoru became the strongest. Alone.

They used to be together always- Satoru and Suguru- but now...

Is that why he's been aloof lately?

ㅤ

"Suguru, can we talk?"