[Author Note]
Disc: HrPrTeam
I fulfilled my end of the bargain, Honoured_Writer.
Now upload, you bum.
__________
Toji P.O.V.
What a pain.
First, I get a panicked call from the mind-reading kid, and then I have to fight some random freak who is even stronger than the dude I fought on the island.
It was smart to leave since I'm not 100% confident I can take him out.
At least I got there before White Hair died. Even though I don't interact much with him, he isn't a bad person to be around.
He's quiet, unlike the other two—three, if you count the kid.
However, he didn't get out of the fight unscathed. In fact, he got destroyed.
This led us to our current predicament. After bringing Sakamoto here, I stood in the hallway of a hospital designed by the JAA. I thought it would be best not to leave him alone.
If that weirdo came after us, then he'd be screwed.
The others should be here soon. Since Sakamoto can't talk, we'll need Mind-Reader to get information from him to find out what happened. He can't heal those injuries alone, but I was surprised to notice that he had a small healing factor.
It's not nearly on the level of other people I've seen, but it's still surprising, given that he's supposed to be a normal human.
Given how that guy reacted to Sakamoto, it's fair to assume he has nothing to do with the Monarch weirdos.
I shouldn't really be surprised because of all the other shit that's happened since I came to this world.
...
Fifteen Minutes Later
Hmm, it looks like they're finally here.
I sighed while glancing to the left. "Took you all long enough."
However, I saw a new addition to the group of people who came, which was expected, considering it was his girlfriend.
Nagumo, Rion, Shin, and...
What was her name again? Ai, Ao, Akira?
Sakamoto's girlfriend spoke, distressed. "Where is he!?"
Shaking my head, I pointed ahead, toward the hospital room where Sakamoto was at.
She quickly entered the room while the others stood outside to my left.
Shin said nothing while sweating, clearly nervous about how his partner was doing.
Rion clicked her tongue, shoving her hands in her pockets. "Shit, how the hell did this even happen?"
Nagumo, carrying his weapon case, spoke, his usual smile replaced by a grim expression. "It was Tasuku Ando. Shin updated me on the details. That mission of his felt off...damn it, I should've stepped in sooner."
I rubbed the back of my neck and stood up. "It's about time we went in. I fought the guy, so we can talk about this later."
With that, we all followed Sakamoto's girlfriend into the room.
Opening the door, the other three had mixed reactions due to the state Sakamoto was in.
He wore a cervical collar to stabilize his neck, a compression wrap around his torso, and his glasses were missing.
At his bedside was his sobbing girlfriend.
Ah, right, her name was Aoi.
We stood in silence since it was a bad time to bring up details about the attack with her in the room.
She would probably snap, and it wouldn't help at all.
Suddenly, a doctor walked in with a neutral expression. Likely an ex-assassin since this was the JAA's hospital.
He spoke with a darkened expression. "Frankly speaking, Taro Sakmaoto, you shouldn't be alive."
Even I'll admit that Sakamoto is built different.
He continued. "You have 15 broken ribs, internal bleeding, a ruptured spleen, a fractured trachea, vocal cord damage, and carotid artery damage. If your body didn't heal some of the damage, you would've died."
Nagumo unconsciously let out a 'holy shit.'
I looked around, and it was clear that everyone was lost in their thoughts at the revelation of his circumstance.
The tension in the room was palpable.
Aoi spoke with tears in her eyes. "Taro, I know you've been doing this your entire life, but you need to stop. You're going to get yourself killed."
I didn't want to be the one to say that the guy who put him in that state was likely the only person who could nearly kill him, aside from me.
That's when I saw the most emotion I'd ever seen on Sakamoto's face.
He didn't speak, not because he couldn't. Even if he could talk out loud, he probably wouldn't.
Aoi's voice trembled as she pressed his hand to her forehead, tears flowing down her face. "If you die...our child will never know the warmth of a father. They'll grow up without you."
I'm pretty sure all of us were thinking the same thing. 'What?'
Rion mumbled, only enough for me to hear it. "Can't believe that guy lost his virginity."
Sakamoto had a tinge of sadness, however...
*drip*
Water dripped on the floor right next to me, but there was no leak in the ceiling.
When I moved my hand to my left eye, I felt something strange: water. Since when has it rained indoors?
My eyes slowly widened as I realized what was happening.
Before anyone noticed anything, I slipped outside the room and sat on the chair in the hallway.
Words immediately made their way into my mind.
"...our child will never know the warmth of a father."
...
"Please take care of Megumi."
...
Haaah.
What a time to be thinking about the past.
I thought I had buried those feelings, but they had only settled deep in my mind.
It's just that this is so familiar. It feels like there's a pit in my stomach. It doesn't hurt, but it feels worse than being pierced by a blade.
I now know...no, I always knew. Everything I've done has merely been an excuse.
Thinking that the Zenin would better fit Megumi, gambling, killing for fun, and doing nothing but lying around and doing nothing all day, all of it is an excuse to escape my past.
In this world, it's like everybody has a heavenly restriction.
Take all defining traits away from me, and what's left?
I'm nothing more than a Jujutsu-less monkey—someone with stupid pride who is nothing without his strength.
I hate it all.
Damnit, I still can't figure out why a bastard like me is still alive. What reason could someone have for saving my life?
I've debated with myself many times but still ignored it.
No matter how many times I hear her words, it feels like I'm trying to convince myself that it's possible that I could've given Megumi the 'warmth of a father.'
I can't keep running. I can't keep using my 'tragic past' as a crutch.
I've made too many mistakes, but that doesn't mean I should just let everything fall apart.
If I'm going to change, if I'm going to stop being the man I've been for so long, I'll have to make the most of this damn second chance.
I'll do whatever it takes. I'll be better.
Not for anyone else, but for Megumi and...her. No more excuses, no more hesitation.
It's probably impossible, but maybe, just maybe...
I'll have the opportunity to tell Megumi how sorry I am and to thank Satoru Gojo. Even if he killed me, he made me realize what I really was.
With those thoughts lingering in my mind, I closed my eyes and let the silence take over.
...
After a few minutes, the door opened, revealing an Aoi with puffy-red eyes from the emotions that passed.
She looked at me as she bit her lip.
Aoi bowed, tears forming once more. "Thank you for saving Taro! I know he's reckless, stubborn, and a big dummy, but he wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."
I sighed. "Sure."
To my surprise, she flashed a closed-eye smile and tilted her head slightly as if she wasn't bawling her eyes out a few minutes earlier. "You're not a bad guy, Mr. Fushiguro."
I returned a small smile. "That so?"
She wiped her eyes and nodded before heading back into the room.
I couldn't help but feel a shift inside me as if something clicked, but I wasn't sure what it was.
Maybe I wasn't as lost as I thought I was.