Memories of a Monster (Sukufushi)

Chapter 24

The infirmary smelled of clean linen and the faint, sharp undertone of antiseptic that never quite left the walls no matter how often they were scrubbed. Afternoon light filtered through the half-drawn blinds.

Gojo came through the door first, one hand steady on the handles of the wheelchair. Tsumiki sat with a light blanket folded across her legs, her brown hair tied loosely back the way it had been in the hospital. The year of stillness had left her thinner, the lines of her face finer, but she still wore the polite, steady smile.

She looked around the room once, taking them in, and the smile deepened with something like quiet wonder.

"Wow! Gojo-san didn't tell me there are so many of you," she said, voice still soft from disuse but warm.

Yuji was the first to move. He stepped forward a little too quickly, then caught himself, as if suddenly aware of his own size in the small space. The relief on his face was open and unguarded — the same relief that had lit him when Gojo first said she was awake, now given a living person to attach itself to.

"I'm Itadori Yuji," he said, and the words came out a little breathless. "I wa— am ... I am friends with Megumi. We've heard a lot about you from him. I'm very happy I finally got to meet you Tsumiki-san" He said sweetly, as he does always.

Tsumiki's gaze softened. "Thank you, Itadori-kun.  I'm happy to meet you too."

Nobara spoke next, hands in her pockets, the usual sharp edge of her posture tempered by something almost careful. She had spent months building a private mythology around this girl; standing in front of her felt strangely like meeting a character from a story that had suddenly stepped off the page.

"Kugisaki Nobara," she said. "Yuji, Megumi and I, all three are first-years. We're in the same class." A small, crooked smile. "You're exactly as normal as I hoped. That's a compliment, by the way."

Tsumiki laughed — a quiet, genuine sound that made the room feel briefly lighter. "I'll take it. It's nice to meet you, Kugisaki-san."

Maki inclined her head from where she stood near the foot of the bed, staff resting against her shoulder. "Zenin Maki. I'm a second-year."

"Zenin..." Tsumiki repeated the name with mild surprise, then simply nodded. "It's good to meet you."

Yuta offered a small, polite bow from near the door. "Okkotsu Yuta. I'm also a second-year." His voice was calm, but the way his eyes tracked Tsumiki's face carried the quiet double awareness of someone already watching for anything that did not belong.

"Tuna Mayo," Toge spoke as he lifted a hand in a small wave and signed a brief greeting. When Tsumiki looked politely uncertain, Yuta translated without being asked. "Inumaki Toge. He says welcome."

"Salmon roe," Toge added, deadpan, and the corner of Tsumiki's mouth curved again.

Nanami stood a measured distance away, glasses reflecting the barred light. The formality that usually wrapped his speech had loosened by a fraction — the same careful softening that appeared only around the handful of people who had existed in the margins of Gojo's life long enough to become familiar.

"It's been a long time, Tsumiki-san. I'm glad to see you awake." Nanami's tone remained measured, but the undercurrent was warmer than the words themselves, the particular respect of someone who had watched two children grow up under an imperfect guardian and had never quite stopped keeping a peripheral eye on them.

Tsumiki's expression brightened with recognition. "Nanami-san, it's good to see you again."

Choso remained near the wall, presence quiet and still. When Tsumiki's gaze reached him he gave a slight bow of his own. "Choso. I am Itadori's older brother. We will make sure you are looked after here."