Ataraxia 平静 | Gojo Satoru

-'๑'-𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟓-'๑'-

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Yaga leaned forward, his hands pressing firmly on his cluttered desk. "Always. Raise. A veil! I don't care how 'benign' things may seem to you."

I let out an exasperated sigh, crossing my arms over my chest. "I told you, the place was deserted, there was no—"

"What if it wasn't, Yue?" he interjected, cutting me off without hesitation. "What if you involved a civilian?"

"But I didn't!" I shot back. "And even if I had, I would've handled it."

Yaga pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a familiar, sharp sigh. "The incident is already all over the media," he stated flatly.

"Then they should make a movie out of it," I quipped, my tone laced with sarcasm.

"Yue," Yaga's warning growl chilled my blood.

"I'll take full responsibility, Principal Yaga," Nanami finally intervened, his voice tense after witnessing the entire exchange.

Yaga shifted his gaze from me to Nanami, raising an eyebrow while maintaining his scowl. "And why, exactly, would you do that, Nanami?"

"I was the first on the scene. It was my duty to ensure a veil was in place," the blonde explained, wincing as he held his side. Both of us still had injuries to tend to, having yet to visit the infirmary.

I glanced at Nanami, feeling conflicted but grateful for his willingness to step in. Before I could interject, Yaga's firm voice cut through the air once more.

"That's not an excuse. You were under attack, so time was not on your side," he reprimanded, his gaze piercing. "Yue, as the responsible and experienced sorcerer she is," he paused to shoot me a pointed glare, "should have ensured the area was concealed."

My lips tightened into a thin line as frustration simmered within me.

"Still, when Yue and her student arrived, the fight was already—" Nanami attempted to explain, but his words were abruptly cut off.

"End of discussion! No explanation can excuse her negligence," Yaga said firmly, his disapproval evident in his stare.

"Fine! I messed up, okay? It won't happen again—" I interjected, taking a few hesitant steps toward the door.

"You always say that," Yaga remarked grimly.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" I snapped, turning sharply on my heel. "Why is that blasted veil more important than the curse we actually fought?"

"Take a deep breath, Yue-san—" Nanami began, but fell silent when my gaze landed on him.

"While it might seem insignificant to you, these protocols can be the difference between a skirmish and a tragedy," Yaga shot back, pacing behind his desk.

I couldn't suppress a scoff. "Right. Can I leave now? We both need to see Shoko."

"You're grounded," the principal declared, folding his arms across his chest.

My mouth opened and closed in bewilderment, caught off guard by his sudden proclamation. Nanami's subtle flinch betrayed his own surprise, his expression resembling a mouse caught in a lion's den.

"W-what?" I blurted out awkwardly, pinning Yaga with narrowed eyes. He only held my stare, unblinking. "You can't just ground me—"

"Watch me," he retorted, picking up a piece of paper from his desk in feigned casualty.

I was practically fuming.

"I'm not a child anymore, I'm a grade one sorcerer and I have duties—"

My sentence got cut off as the office door swung open. To everyone's surprise, Gojo strolled in with a serene smile, scanning the room and taking in all of our grim expressions. I was probably in the spotlight, given my red face and clenched fists.