Chapter 21: NO. 21 - Not a Monster
AN:
Here I am again, delivering another bonus Chapter to you all. Jesus, you all are insatiable. I love it. I suppose I have to determine the following PS requirement.
Let's see if we can hit 1500 PS this time!
Without further ado, enjoy the Chapter!
-
I watched as Toga took a nervous step back. Her scared eyes scanned me up and down while occasionally looking around for an escape route.
"W-who are you?" Toga whispered. "Did my p-parents send you to find m-me?"
I looked over Toga's state of dress and frowned. The girl was still wearing her school uniform, but at this point, it was hard to tell it was a uniform, given how dirty it was. Her skin was also covered in filth, and my enhanced sense of smell was able to pick up that she hadn't showered in a while.
"No, no. Those asshats didn't send me after you." I said as I threw back my hood. No need to keep scaring the girl.
[+10 SP]
Standing in front of me wasn't the Toga Himiko that would one day fight and kill for the League of Villians. No, this was the Toga Himiko which had recently went through a mental breakdown.
A broken girl that had finally snapped and attacked her classmate, causing her to run away out of fear of the consequences.
This Toga Himiko was just a scared, confused middle schooler. Not a trained killer.
"My name is... Sukuna. Nice to meet you, Toga." I said as I took a seat on a nearby stack of wooden boxes.
I intentionally made myself smaller to her in order to help calm her down. I wanted to tell her my real name, but I decided against it for now. I wanted to see how this plays out first.
"Huh? Sukuna? Are you... with the police? A hero?" Toga asked as she held her boxcutter in front of her. But by the way the boxcutter shook in her dirty hands, it was easy to tell she was still terrified of me. "I-I'm not going back to them! I won't! I can't!"
"Easy there. No one's taking you anywhere you don't want to go." I said with my hands raised. I then slowly reached into my jacket and pulled out a paper bag. Toga watched me carefully as I reached into the bag and pulled out a warm meat bun. "You hungry?"
"I'm not-" A low, rumbling sound echoed from her stomach, causing the girl to blush in embarrassment and frustration. "I'm not hungry..."
[+25 SP]
"That so? Well, I'm famished." I said as I placed the wrapped-up meat bun a good distance away from me on the wooden box I sat on and pulled out another bun from the bag. "Ima eat."
And so I did. Who would have thought meditating all day without eating a thing would cause one to be painfully hungry?
I ate my food silently while keeping an eye on Toga. She looked away from me toward the other end of the alley but then back at the waiting meat bun. Her stomach rumbled again, causing her to grimace.
She then shuffled closer and snatched the meat bun away. Toga quickly unwrapped the bun and began to eat with gusto.
"These buns are my favorite. The old woman who makes them always makes the dough fresh every day." I said softly and took another bite. "She doesn't just make meat buns, though. There's a multitude of flavors, too."
Toga ignored me and continued to eat like a starving animal. I smiled and slid over another bun for her, which she quickly took while throwing me a suspicious glare.
"I... like sweet things."
"That so?" I smiled at her and then brought out a canister. "Water?"
Toga paused mid-bite and eyed the canister suspiciously. I chuckled, took a sip from it, and then held it back out. "See? It's not poisoned or anything."
[+10 SP]
"So what if you drink blood? If you want, I'll let you drink mine!" I grinned at her and slid back my sleeves in order to hold out my bare forearm for her to bite. She looked down at my forearm with a deep desire. Her eyes transfixed on my veins.
"...are you sure?"
"Yup, go nuts. And don't worry about me. I'm built different."
[+150 SP]
Toga looked unsure but then shyly opened her mouth to reveal her sharp fangs. She grabbed my arm gently and brought it close to her lips. Before biting down, she looked up at me questioningly. I smiled and nodded at her. Toga blushed and sank her teeth into my forearm.
Her fangs hurt for a split second, but Yuji's pain tolerance made it so as if she wasn't biting me at all. Toga's face grew blissful as a deep, red blush covered her face as she drank away. She was starting to remind me of a cat, especially considering her eyes, so I began to pet her head out of instinct.
After a minute or so, I began to feel a bit lightheaded. Thankfully, she pulled away, seemingly having her fill. She licked the dripping blood off my forearm and then off her lips with a clouded look in her eyes.
"How do I taste?" I asked in amusement as Toga leaned into my chest. Her eyes began to close slowly as her breath began to slow. Just before she fell asleep, Toga whispered a single word.
"Heavenly."
x x x
[General POV]
A soft glow filled the room as dawn light pierced through the windows. Himiko stirred, her mind slowly unfurling from the depths of sleep. For a moment, she was enveloped in a cocoon of warmth and comfort, but as awareness crept in, she felt a flicker of disorientation. The sheet beneath her was unfamiliar, cool against her skin, and she could hear the faint sound of birds chirping outside.
This wasn't her bed.
This wasn't her house!
Himiko's eyes snapped open, blinking against the brightness, and she quickly propped herself out of bed. She looked around the bare room. The floors were made of pristine hardwood, and the walls were painted soft beige. A large dresser and desk stood on the other side of the room. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves outside, casting fleeting shadows across the space, creating a dreamy yet unfamiliar atmosphere.
Panic fluttered in her chest as memories from the night before began to assemble.
"Forget what your damn parents said to you. They're wrong! You're not a monster or a demon or anything like that! You're just a middle-school girl!"
Himiko remembered the strange boy's words, causing a wave of warmth to flood her chest. Anxiety filled her as the thought of her meeting with Sukuna was nothing more but a dream.
Himiko swung her legs over the side of the bed. The chill of the wooden floor met her bare feet, grounding her in reality. Himiko noticed that she was still in her dirty, tattered school uniform. This gave her a sense of relief that nothing had happened to her while she was asleep. She took a deep breath, attempting to calm the whirlwind inside her.
"No. It wasn't a dream. Last night was real... right?" Himiko said as she stepped through the sliding shoji door; the soft sound of the door gliding on its track welcomed her into the gentle tranquility of the traditional Japanese home Himiko found herself.
The coolness of the hardwood floors enveloped her bare feet, their cool texture comforting beneath her as she took a moment to breathe in the faint scent of cedar that lingered in the air.
Sunlight filtered through the rice paper screens, casting delicate patterns on the floor and illuminating the carefully arranged tokonoma, a small alcove that displayed a simple yet elegant piece of art—a hanging scroll depicting serene mountains, accompanied by a single ikebana flower arrangement.
As she moved further inside, the dim light of the interior contrasted with the vibrant garden colors visible through another shoji window. The well-kept garden, with its moss-covered stones and neatly trimmed bonsai trees, beckoned with the promise of peace. The gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze and the distant sound of flowing water from a small stone basin added to the natural atmosphere.
Continuing her exploration, she found a small library full of books and manga. Stepping inside, Himiko looked over to a reclining chair where a novel sat on the armrest. Losing interest, she then walked out into the strangely western-styled living room.
Himiko perked up when she heard the sounds of swooshes cut through the air. Despite her apprehension, Himiko walked to the shoji door that led outside. Sliding the door open, she saw a vast open courtyard where a young black-haired boy her age was going through several katas with his black and gold staff. The boy was dressed differently from last night, now in a black martial arts gi.
However, Himiko could still recognize him as the boy who voluntarily gave her his blood. Oddly enough, he lacked the sharp black tattoos from last night, and his hair wasn't brushed back. It now sat in a loose, wild fashion on his head.
"Sukuna?" Himiko asked carefully, her cheeks tingling as a blush grew.
Sukuna quickly stopped an overhead swing with his staff and turned to her with a small smile, sending a wave of warmth through Himiko's body.
"Ah, Toga. You're finally up," Sukuna said as he walked over to her with his staff over his shoulders. "You hungry?" Sukuna then looked her up and down, causing Himiko to feel self-conscious suddenly.
"Actually, how about a bath first? And some new clothes?"