Something felt… off.
I couldn't really explain it, and that annoyed me more than anything.
Dia sat next to me the whole way, but it didn't feel like she was there. Not fully. She didn't talk, didn't react to anything I said—just stayed quiet, like she was stuck somewhere in her own head.
At first, I didn't think too much about it.
We deal with cursed energy all the time. Headaches happen. That weird pressure in your ears, the ringing—it's normal after a rough situation.
So I figured, okay… she's probably just tired.
But then it kept going.
Her hands stayed near her ears the whole time. Not exactly covering them, but close enough that it didn't look casual.
Like she was ready for something.
Or trying to block something out.
I almost asked.
Almost.
But something about the way she looked stopped me.
So I didn't push.
When we reached the station, the road was busy—cars passing, signals changing, the usual noise. Nothing out of place.
We stopped near the crossing.
I was about to say something—don't even remember what—when it happened.
A car came in fast from the side.
Too fast.
Not enough time to think.
Instinct kicked in—I shifted forward, ready to grab her, pull her back—
But she didn't move.
Didn't even react.
No flinch. No step back. Nothing.
Instead—
She dropped.
Right there.
Hands pressing over her ears this time. Tight.
Like she was trying to shut something out completely.
I froze for half a second.
"…Dia?"
No response.
The car passed.
Too close.
Way too close.
People nearby reacted—someone shouted, brakes screeched—but she stayed like that for a moment longer before slowly looking up again.
Like she was coming back from somewhere far away.
I looked around quickly.
Nothing.
No cursed presence. No leftover energy. No weird feeling in the air.
Everything was normal.
Too normal.
Which didn't help.
I glanced back at her.
"You okay?" I asked, trying to keep it light.
She nodded.
A little too quickly.
"Yeah. Just—headache."
Right.
I didn't call her out on it.
Didn't feel like I should.
But it didn't sit right either.
Because I've seen people deal with cursed energy before.
I've dealt with it myself.
And that—
That wasn't just a headache.
I scratched the back of my head, looking away for a second, trying to shake the feeling.
Maybe I was overthinking it.
Wouldn't be the first time.
Still…
Something in my chest stayed tight.
Like my instincts were trying to tell me something—
and I just wasn't getting it yet.
I glanced at her again.
She looked normal now.
Calm.
"You're okayy…"
I looked up.
Kento Nanami.
I hadn't even noticed when he got there.
Which… shouldn't happen.
Not with him.
Nanamin doesn't just appear. You usually hear him first—his steps, his voice, something. He's precise like that. Predictable in a good way.
But this time—
Nothing.
He was just there.
And the second I actually looked at him—
I froze.
Because something was off.
Nanamin always looks the same.
Straight posture. Clean suit. That calm face like nothing really gets to him.
Like he's already thought ten steps ahead and decided what matters and what doesn't.
But right now—
he didn't look like that.
His tie wasn't sitting right. Slightly off.
His sleeves were uneven.
There was dried blood on his hands—he hadn't cleaned it properly.
And his eyes—
They were focused, yeah.
But not calm.
More like—
too focused.
Like he was locking onto something just to keep everything else from slipping.
Like if he looked away for even a second, something bad would happen.
Then Dia turned toward him.
And everything changed.
It was instant.
He moved.
Fast.
He closed the distance in two steps and pulled her into him, one hand at her back, the other gripping her shoulder like he needed to anchor her there.
Tight.
Way tighter than normal.
I've seen Nanamin fight curses stronger than him without even blinking.
But this—
This didn't look like fighting.
It looked like he was making sure she was actually there.
Like he needed to feel it.
Confirm it.
"I thought—"
He stopped.
I understood anyway.
I stayed where I was.
Didn't step in.
Didn't say anything.
Because suddenly—
This didn't feel like something I was supposed to interrupt.
His breathing was off.
Not loud.
But not steady either.
Shorter than usual.
Like he hadn't properly exhaled in a while.
And that alone was enough to tell me—
Something really wasn't okay.
Then he said, quietly—
"Don't do that again."
His hand tightened slightly against her clothes when he said it.
I shifted my weight a little, glancing between them.
This was… different.
Nanamin wasn't like this.
Not with anyone.
I rubbed the back of my neck, thinking.
Should I say something?
But that feeling in my chest wouldn't go away.
So I stepped forward anyway.
"Uhm… Nanamin?"
Nothing.
No reaction.
I moved a little closer and tapped his shoulder—lightly, carefully.
The second I touched him—
His hand snapped up.
Too fast.
He grabbed my jaw before I even registered it.
Everything in me froze.
He wasn't really looking at me.
His eyes were still somewhere else.
Then he blinked—
and let go.
"…Sorry."
I stood there for a second, trying to process it, then rubbed my jaw with a small, awkward breath.
"Okay… yeah," I muttered. "That's new."
I tried to laugh it off.
Didn't really land.
Because now I knew—
Something was seriously wrong.
"Nanamin…" I tried again, quieter. "Hey. It's me."
"I know," he said.
Too quick.
Not like him.
The air felt tight.
Like I'd walked into something already broken.
"…You're crushing me," Dia said under her breath.
He didn't move.
Didn't loosen his grip.
If anything, he held on tighter.
Like letting go wasn't an option.
I shifted awkwardly, scratching the back of my head.
Yeah.
I definitely shouldn't be here right now.
"Uh… so…" I glanced at the road behind us—the wrecked cars, the smoke, and people starting to gather—then back at him. "We're… not gonna talk about the fact that you just—almost dislocated my face?"
"That won't happen again,"
"Right. Cool. That's… reassuring."
It wasn't.
Not even close.
Something was off.
Then I looked at Dia.
"You okay?"
"I was fine five minutes ago," she said, glancing at me, "before someone decided to have a breakdown in public."
…Yeah.
Okay.
That landed.
I didn't say anything, but my brain definitely paused there.
Nanamin… losing control?
That didn't fit.
Not with him.
Not ever.
"…Breakdown?" I repeated.
He didn't answer.
Dia just looked at him.
"…You came running," she said.
Simple.
Direct.
And for the first time—
Nanamin didn't respond.
That was worse than anything else.
I shifted slightly, my eyes moving between them.
Trying to make sense of it.
His grip on her hadn't changed.
Not even a little.
And the way he was looking at her—
It wasn't normal.
Not how he looks at people or anything.
Like everything else had just… dropped away.
I frowned a little, looking away for a second.
Something about this felt—
wrong.
Or maybe not wrong.
Just…
not something I was supposed to understand yet.
I straightened, clearing my throat lightly.
Yeah.
I was definitely missing something.
And for some reason—
I wasn't sure I wanted to ask.
"Okay," I said, clapping my hands lightly, trying to reset everything. "so—good news: nobody died."
A beat.
"Bad news: I think we're gonna get yelled at for this."
Dia let out a short breath.
"You're going to get yelled at."
I pointed at Nanamin.
"No, I'm pretty sure he is."
"I'm not part of your conversation," he said.
…Yeah.
That sounded normal.
But it didn't feel normal.
I glanced at him again.
Then away.
Then back again.
Something didn't line up.
And it wasn't just what happened a few minutes ago.
It was everything.
Dia.
I realised it suddenly—I didn't know anything about her.
Not properly.
No background. No introduction. No "this is who she is" speech from anyone.
She just… showed up.
And Nanamin already knew her.
That didn't make sense.
A memory popped up in my head.
"Don't talk about this in front of Gojo."
I frowned slightly.
That felt weird now.
Too specific.
Too intentional.
Why keep Gojo-sensei out of it?
That wasn't like Nanamin either.
I scratched the back of my neck, forcing a small smile like everything was fine.
"Yeah," I said lightly. "You're back."
Like that explained anything.
"…So," I tried again, "That was… kind of intense."
"That's one way to put it." Dia said.
"I mean, I've seen worse, but—" I paused, glancing at Nanamin again.
Then stopped.
"—not like that."
Not like him.
I looked at them again.
Properly this time.
And yeah.
There it was.
Clear.
Simple.
No confusion now.
The way he was holding her.
The way he wasn't letting go.
The way he was looking at her like nothing else mattered—
…Oh.
Oh.
That hit me all at once.
He loved her.
Not just a little.
Not something casual.
That kind of look?
That sticks.
That kind of thing… doesn't go away.
My stomach twisted a little.
"…Right," I muttered under my breath.
I looked away quickly.
Like I didn't see anything.
Like I wasn't suddenly connecting way too many things at once.
Then I smiled again.
"Well," I said, clapping my hands together, a little too loud for how quiet everything felt, "today didn't go completely wrong, so I'll take that as a win."
"Your standards are low," Dia muttered.
"Survival is the standard," I shot back.
That almost made her smile.
Almost.
Dia glanced toward the road.
"We should head back. It's getting late."
"Yeah," I said quickly. "Makes sense."
She stepped forward—
And stopped.
I followed the movement without thinking.
Nanamin's hand.
Still holding hers.
But not letting go either.
Like it hadn't even crossed his mind to.
I blinked once.
…Okay.
That was—
I looked away immediately.
Yeah.
Nope.
Not my business.
Not even a little.
I rubbed the back of my neck, shifting my weight, trying to act like I hadn't noticed anything.
"Oh—uh—" I said suddenly, pulling my phone out. "Give me a second, I need to call someone."
No one stopped me.
That felt… worse.
I stepped a little away, turning my back to them, giving them space.
Or maybe giving myself space.
"Yeah, I'm outside… " I said, even though no one was on the line yet. "no, it's done… "
My thumb moved fast across the screen. Camera. Click. Another. Click. Zoom. Click. Evidence secured.
"…yeah, I'll head back…"
I lowered the phone slightly.
Hovered over Gojo-sensei's contact.
I pressed call. It rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
No answer.
"…Of course," I muttered. Busy. Or ignoring me. Same thing.
I exhaled, then scrolled.
Next contact.
Nobara Kugisaki.
She picked up instantly.
"What."
"Hey," I said, keeping my voice low, "quick question—hypothetically—"
"If you say 'hypothetically,' it's not hypothetical."
"…Okay, yeah, fair."
"What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything," I said quickly. "That's the problem."
A pause.
"…Yuji."
"Yeah?"
"Start talking."
I glanced over my shoulder for a second, then turned away again.
"…Nanamin's acting weird."
"Weird how?"
"Like… intense," I said, trying to find the word. "Really intense. About a girl."
Another pause.
Then—
"That's not normal."
"Right? That's what I'm saying."
"How bad?"
I hesitated.
"…He almost broke my face."
"…Excuse me?"
"It's fine," I added quickly. "Reflex or something. But still—he's not acting like himself."
There was a short silence on the other end.
Then—
"Take pictures."
I frowned.
"…I already did."
"…You WHAT?"
"I mean—just in case," I said quickly. "You alawys says things like context matters."
"You actually used your brain for once?"
"Hey—"
"Send them."
"No."
"Yuji."
"I'm not sending you blackmail material."
"It's not blackmail, it's documentation."
"That's worse."
A sharp exhale on her end.
"Fine. Keep them. But don't delete them."
"…I wasn't planning to."
"Good. I'll deal with you later. Watch them and don't do anything stupid."
"That feels targeted."
"It is."
Click.
Call ended.
I stared at my phone for a second.
Then slowly turned back.
…Yeah.
Still weird.
I slipped my phone into my pocket and walked back.
"All good?" I asked.
"Yes," Nanamin said.
At the same time—
"We're leaving," Dia said.
I blinked.
Then smiled.
"Cool. Great. That's—yeah. Good."
He looked at me.
Just for a second.
Something shifted in his eyes.
Like a line I wasn't supposed to cross.
I nodded anyway.
"I'll head back to the school," I said. "See you later."
Neither of them stopped me.
Which was fine.
Totally fine.
I turned and started walking.
Blending into the crowd.
One step.
Two.
Three—
That feeling came back.
That same quiet itch at the back of my head.
Wrong.
I slowed.
Stopped.
Just for a second.
Then glanced back.
At him.
Nanamin.
Something's definitely going on.
I looked away quickly.
And kept walking.
But this time—
I wasn't brushing it off.
And I knew it.
I shoved my hands into my pockets, staring ahead as I walked, trying to sort it out in my head.
This wasn't just "Nanamin acting weird."
This was—
different.
And I didn't understand it.
Not even a little.
I exhaled slowly.
…Yeah.
No way I'm keeping this to myself.
Megumi would notice something I didn't.
Nobara would definitely have something to say.
And Gojo-sensei—
…he'd probably already know something was off.
Yeah.
I'm telling them.