It was already late at night, and everyone had retired to their rooms. Sana had been assigned the room right across from Satoru's for safety reasons, just in case her curse became dangerous.
***Knock knock***
"Sana? What happened? You need something?" Suguru opened the door to find her standing there, looking unusually serious.
"Can I come in?" she asked quietly.
"Of course! But why do you look so glum?" Suguru stepped aside, letting her in.
She entered the room and quietly closed the door behind her, walking over to sit on the bed. Suguru grew more anxious as he watched her, his usually composed friend now visibly distraught.
"Are you alright, Sana? Hey! You're worrying me now," he said, sitting beside her.
She didn't respond immediately, her face buried in her hands as tears silently began to fall. Suguru froze for a moment, caught off guard. Sana rarely let her emotions show like this.
"Sana…" he murmured, gently putting his arm around her shoulders, trying to comfort her. "It's okay. You've got people here now who care about you."
But it wasn't enough to stop the sobs from escaping. Her body shook as she whispered, "Akagi…"
Suguru's brows furrowed. "Akagi? Wait… wasn't that over? Why bring him up now?"
Sana hesitated, wiping her eyes as she tried to gather her thoughts. She finally began, her voice shaky, "He… he visited me when I was in the hospital."
Suguru blinked, completely stunned. "What?"
Her voice quivered as she recounted the painful memories she'd been keeping inside. "He came… he told me he loved me… but said we couldn't be together. It didn't make sense! He kissed me… and told me it was impossible for us."
Suguru's shock deepened. He had no idea any of this had happened. She went on, narrating everything—how she saw Akagi working in a shop when she was on her way to Jujutsu High, how conflicted she had felt, and how despite everything, the hurt was still raw and unbearable.
As she spoke, Suguru's expression darkened. "That… that bastard… How dare he say all of that after pushing you away?"
Sana clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white. "I don't understand him, Suguru. One moment, he pulls me close, and the next, he's ripping me apart. It's like I'm stuck in a nightmare that I can't wake up from."
Suguru's jaw clenched, his temper rising as her words hit him. "I should go talk to him, make him understand how much he's hurt you—"
"No!" Sana gripped his arm tightly, shaking her head. "Please, no. It's over. It has to be."
Suguru stared at her, his heart aching as she sobbed. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. "Sana… I can't stand seeing you like this. You don't deserve this pain."
"It's over, Suguru," she whispered, her voice fragile but determined. "I want to forget him. I need to. I hate him, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to really forget about him. And I don't want to fall in love ever again. It hurts too much."
Suguru didn't know what to say. He felt helpless watching her struggle with her emotions, but he held her a little tighter, hoping that his presence could offer some comfort, no matter how small.
She wiped her tears, looking up at him with red, puffy eyes. "Why are you always there for me, Suguru? I feel like such a burden to you sometimes…"
Suguru scoffed, shaking his head. "You, a burden? Don't say stupid things like that. You're special to me, Sana. You've always been. You're like family."
A small smile tugged at his lips as he reminisced. "I still remember the first day I saw you, all the way back when you moved here from France. You were what, five? four? So confident when you stepped out of the car. I wanted to talk to you right away, but I was too shy. I was over the moon when you agreed to play with me that day."
Sana's lips trembled, her tears slowly drying as she listened to him.
"You've always been my best friend, and nothing can change that. No one can ever take your place in my life," Suguru continued, smiling warmly at her. "I'm lucky to have you in my life, Sana."
For the first time that night, Sana smiled—a real, genuine smile. She hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Suguru."
"Now that's more like it!" Suguru said with a grin. He suddenly tickled her side, making her jump. She squealed, laughing despite herself.
"There's that laugh!" Suguru beamed, relieved to see her smiling again. "It's good to see you happy."
She giggled, wiping away the last of her tears. "You're such an idiot, Suguru."
"I know, but I'm your idiot," he said with a wink, making her laugh even more.
He helped her back to her room, and as they walked past Satoru's room, they noticed the light still on. "Looks like Gojo's still awake," Suguru muttered, shaking his head with a smirk. "That guy never sleeps."
Sana nodded, feeling a bit lighter after her conversation with Suguru. "Thank you again, Suguru… for everything."
"Anytime, Sana. Get some rest now," he said softly before heading back to his room.
The next morning, sunlight streamed into Sana's room. She woke up feeling a bit more at peace, though traces of sadness still lingered. After freshening up, she saw Satoru wandering around in his night clothes.
"Morning, Satoru!" she called out cheerfully.
"Morning… You're already dressed?!" Satoru blinked, clearly still half-asleep.
"Yeah, thought I'd be ready before classes. But you… don't seem in a rush," she teased.
"Oh, right. Class. Wait, where's your uniform?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Uniform?" Sana tilted her head, confused.
"You don't have it yet? Didn't they tell you? You can customize it if you want. Jujutsu High is pretty chill about that," he explained, shrugging.
"I didn't know… Thanks for telling me," she smiled.
Later, there was a loud knock on Sana's door. "Hey, Sana, open up!" Satoru called from the hallway.
She opened the door to find him standing there with his usual carefree grin. "What happened?" she asked.
"Forgot to mention—there's no class today," Satoru said with a shrug. "Some boring meeting or something. Not that I care."
"Oh," Sana replied, feeling a bit awkward in her neatly prepared outfit. "I'll change, then."
"No need!" Satoru waved his hand dismissively. "Just come hang out in my room. Suguru's already there. We're deciding how to redesign your uniform. Also, we're having breakfast together."
Sana smiled and nodded, grabbing her phone before locking her room. When she entered Satoru's room, both boys were already sitting on the floor, discussing something while leaning over a low table.
"Mind if I join?" she giggled as she sat down with them.
"Morning, Sana!" Suguru greeted her with a grin.
They chatted for a while, but soon, Sana's stomach growled. "I'm starving, you guys. I didn't even have breakfast because I was unpacking."
Satoru stood up. "I hear you! Let's go buy some stuff to cook a proper breakfast."
"Hey, Suguru, get up! Let's go grab some groceries," Satoru urged.
"Alright, alright," Suguru sighed, standing up.
"Sana, wait here. We'll be back soon," Satoru said with a smile, leaving her alone in the room.
As she waited, Sana took a curious look around Satoru's room. Books, scrolls, and racks of sunglasses filled the shelves. There was a neatly organized pile of video games in one corner, and his shoe rack was overflowing with all kinds of stylish footwear. The room gave her a better sense of Satoru's personality—lively, eccentric, but strangely meticulous.
Just as she was thinking that, there was a knock on the door.
Sana opened it, only to find a girl she didn't recognize. The girl immediately looked her up and down, eyes narrowing. "Who are you? And why are you in Gojo's room?"
"I'm Sana. I'm new here," she said, but the girl cut her off before she could explain further.
"That doesn't explain why you're here," the girl said sharply.
'Is this Satoru's girlfriend?' Sana thought to herself, panic rising. "No, it's not what you think. I was just—"
"Don't give me excuses," the girl snapped.
"Oh, Shoko, you're back!" Satoru's voice rang out as he entered the room alone, groceries in hand.
Shoko turned her glare to him. "What is she doing in your room?" she demanded.
Satoru, picking up on the situation, gave a mischievous smile. "Is there a problem? She can come to my room anytime she wants."
Sana's heart raced. "Satoru! Stop making it worse!"
Shoko wasn't amused. "What's going on here, and where's Suguru?"
A tear fell from Sana's eye.
Satoru, still grinning, took a step forward. "Oh, relax. We were just messing with you. Don't cry, Sana!" he said, seeing tears in her eyes. "Shoko's just a friend. We were trying to pull a prank!"
Shoko, realizing the tension, softened her tone. "Sorry, Sana, I didn't mean to scare you." She laughed lightly, reaching out her hand. "I'm Shoko, by the way. Nice to meet you. Wow, you're tall! You look like a model or something."
Sana, still sniffling, smiled and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you too."
The awkwardness passed quickly as Suguru returned with more groceries, laughing as Shoko explained what had happened.
"Alright, let's get cooking!" Satoru said, and soon enough, they were all in the kitchen, laughing, joking, and making breakfast together, the mood light and joyful after the morning's little drama.
Sana looked around at her new friends. Maybe, just maybe, this place wasn't so bad after all.