No need," Tu Bai said. "I'll be fine after a nap.
Really?
Really.
Tu Bao gave a few more reminders before hanging up the phone.
Tu Bai put down his Mobile Phone and leaned back against the Sofa.
Outside the window, the sky had turned completely dark.
He stood up, walked to the window, pulled it open a crack to look down.
The area downstairs was empty; there was no one there.
Gojo Satoru was not there.
Tu Bai couldn't tell if he was relieved, or.. a little disappointed.
He drew the curtains, returned to the Bedroom, collapsed onto the Bed.
Closing his eyes, Gojo Satoru's face still lingered in his mind.
And that sentence.
Is your Back very sensitive?
Chapter 20
Tu Bai blocked Gojo Satoru.
Lines, calls, text messages—every possible way to contact him was blocked. After doing this, he sent a message to Ijichi, saying he was feeling unwell and requesting leave for all missions over the next week. Then, he turned off his mobile phone and tossed it into the corner of the sofa.
He locked himself inside the Apartment, the curtains drawn tight and the lights turned off. Day 1 passed just like that.
---
Gojo Satoru sent a message to Tu Bai this morning, only to find that the message could not be sent.
He stared at the red exclamation mark on the Screen, froze for two seconds, then laughed.
"Such a strong reaction?" he muttered to himself.
He sent a message from a different number: [Xiao Bai, I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't know you were so sensitive.]
The message showed as read, but there was no reply.
Gojo Satoru waited for a while, then sent another: 【At least reply to a message?】
This time, there wasn't even a read receipt.
Gojo Satoru frowned slightly, but he didn't care too much. He thought that Tu Bai might still be angry, it would be fine in a couple of days.
He went on his missions as usual and returned to Jujutsu High in the afternoon for a meeting. The meeting was very boring, with the old men rambling on endlessly. Gojo Satoru sat in his chair with his legs propped up on the desk, playing on his Mobile Phone. Out of habit, he wanted to send a message to Tu Bai to share his complaints, but halfway through typing, he remembered he had been blocked.
He deleted the typed words and tossed his Mobile Phone back into his pocket.
When he returned home in the evening, he passed by the shop that sold Mango Mousse and went inside to buy a portion. Holding the Dessert Box, he stood below the Tu Bai Apartment and called Tu Bai.
The phone was turned off.
Gojo Satoru stood downstairs for ten minutes, then left carrying the dessert. That box of mousse ended up in the trash—no one would even acknowledge him.
Day 2
Gojo Satoru went straight to the Tu Bai Apartment and knocked on the door.
He knocked for three minutes, but no one opened.
He knew Tu Bai was inside—the Six Eyes could sense the life energy within; although it was very faint, it was definitely there.
Xiao Bai?" he called out, "Open the door, let's talk.
There was no movement inside.
Gojo Satoru knocked for a while longer, but there was still no response. He was getting a bit irritated.
Tu Bai," his voice dropped a notch, "I know you're in there. Open the door.
Still no response.
Gojo Satoru raised his hand, intending to use his Cursed Technique to open the door, but his hand paused in mid-air before he finally lowered it. He turned and walked away.
On the way back, he bought a cup of coffee, but frowned after taking a sip—it was too bitter. He remembered that Tu Bai didn't like bitter things and always asked for three packets of sugar every time he ordered coffee.
He threw the Coffee away.
Day 3
Gojo Satoru asked Ijichi, "How long of sick leave did Tu Bai take?"
Ijichi pushed up his glasses, his voice cautious: "One week. He said he wasn't feeling well."
What illness?
He didn't say.
Gojo Satoru stared at Ijichi for a while, only averting his gaze when beads of sweat formed on Ijichi's forehead.
He went to several shops that Tu Bai frequently visited—that dessert shop, that ramen shop, the bookstore near the University of Tokyo. He didn't see him at any of them.
In the afternoon, he went to the University of Tokyo to find Tu Bai's mentor.
Tu Bai-kun?" The mentor adjusted his glasses. "He has taken a leave of absence, saying he has a cold. The exams next week might be postponed.
"A cold?" Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow.
Yeah, you sound a bit congested over the phone," the Jujutsu High Teacher said. "And you are?
A friend," Gojo Satoru said. "Thank you.
He walked out of the Teaching Building and stood in the Campus, watching the students coming and going. Tu Bai was also one of them, wearing simple clothes and carrying a backpack as he walked along these paths.
Gojo Satoru suddenly realized that his understanding of Tu Bai was actually quite limited. He didn't know which seat Tu Bai usually sat in during class, he didn't know which classmates he was close with, he didn't know what else he liked besides Mango.
He only knew that Tu Bai was afraid of Cursed Spirits, was very skilled at Construction Technique, had sensitive ears, was even more sensitive on his back.
And, when he is angry, he blocks people.
Gojo Satoru pulled out his Mobile Phone and sent another message to Tu Bai (using a different new number): 【Caught a cold? Have you taken medicine?】
No reply.
He put away his Mobile Phone, shoved his hands into his pockets, walked away.
Day 4
Gojo Satoru went to that Dessert Shop they often visited.
At three in the afternoon, there were not many people in the shop. He sat in his usual spot—a window booth, with an empty chair opposite him.
The Waiter came over to take the order; she was a young girl who knew him.
Gojo-san, are you alone today? Did that Black-haired gentleman not come?
Gojo Satoru looked up at him: "Yeah, he's angry."
The girl smiled. "Did you have a fight? He's someone very important, isn't he? You should apologize properly."
"An important person?" Gojo Satoru repeated.
Isn't he?" the girl said. "Every time you come, you sit in this seat, every time you order two desserts, one being Mango for him. You just watch him and smile while he eats. How could someone who isn't very important act like that?
Gojo Satoru was stunned.
The girl went to prepare the dessert. Gojo Satoru sat there, staring at the empty chair opposite him.
He remembered the first time he brought Tu Bai to this shop; Tu Bai stared at the menu for a long time before finally whispering, "It's too expensive." He ordered the most expensive dishes, as Tu Bai ate, his eyes shone brightly, just like a child's.
He remembered the day Tu Bai got drunk; his face was flushed red, he said he wanted to be a Carrot Farmer. He laughed, Tu Bai glared at him, but his ears were red.
He remembered being in Kyoto, when Tu Bai sat beside him watching the match, his fingers performing Construction on a Sand Table as he seriously analyzed tactics. At that moment, he thought, my Rabbit is truly amazing.
And then there was that day, when he touched Tu Bai's back, causing his entire body to freeze as his Demon Power exploded. At that time, he only found it interesting and wanted to know more.
But now—
Gojo Satoru looked toward the glass window. His reflection appeared in the pane: white hair, sunglasses, an expressionless face.
He took off his Sunglasses.
Ice Blue Eyes looked at himself in the glass.
Not "interesting," not a "toy," and not a Partner.
It's "someone very important."
It is someone who wants him by their side, someone who wants to smile at him, to get angry at him, to look only at him.
It is someone who would feel a sense of emptiness if he were no longer there.
Gojo Satoru said in a low voice, "Ah.. so that's how it is."
He likes Tu Bai.
It wasn't the kind of like that comes from finding someone interesting; it was a true, genuine desire to be together.
The Waiter brought the dessert over, but seeing Gojo Satoru's expression, he froze for a moment. "Gojo-san? Are you alright?"
Gojo Satoru put his Sunglasses back on and smiled, "I'm fine. Thank you for your Dessert."
He took a bite; it was still just as sweet, but today he felt it wasn't quite as bad.
After finishing the Dessert, he walked out of the shop, stood by the roadside, took out his Mobile Phone.
This time, he used a brand-new number and spoke for a long time, deleting and revising his words, until finally, he left only a single sentence:
I'm sorry. I know I was wrong. Please, let me see you once, okay?
Sent.
He waited for an hour.
No reply.