Between the unspoken words

The morning light barely filtered through the half-drawn curtains. A soft glow that caressed the sheets and the muffled silence of the room. It was six, maybe a little later, but it didn't matter. It was Sunday, no classes . I woke slowly, relaxed, wrapped in that gentle warmth under my skin that comes from feeling safe.

The covers had slipped down, leaving my back bare to the room's mild air. I was completely naked, lying on my stomach.

Behind me, I felt his breath.

Toge was already awake, but hadn't moved. His hand was tracing my waist in a slow, almost reverent gesture, as if touching me was his way of saying "good morning."

I stirred slightly, my body still soft from sleep. I felt his face move closer, and then his lips grazed my hair, breathing in slowly.

He whispered a quiet good morning in his own way, with a breath that brushed the back of my neck like a promise.

He kissed just behind my ear, then lowered his lips to my neck, gently brushing my hair aside. Every gesture was measured, intimate, filled with that kind of desire that doesn't need words.

When his lips met my bare shoulder, I closed my eyes. His hands slowly slid over me, settling gently — and it was clear what we were searching for. Or maybe, what we had never stopped searching for.

I turned slowly toward him, and in silence, moved to straddle his body.

I looked at him. There was love in his eyes. And need.

Our lips met without haste.

It was a love that asked for nothing, except to simply be. Completely.

And in that moment... there was only skin, breath, heartbeats.

Slowly, sweetly.

Just us.

***

When the sun was high in the sky, the room was filled with light — and the satisfied silence of two bodies still close.

We stayed wrapped in each other for a little longer, until the world outside came knocking.

It was almost ten when we heard banging on the door.

"Rebeccaaaa, we know Toge's in there too!" came Panda's unmistakably loud voice. "Open up, it's no longer a secret to anyone!"

"Come on, we're starving!" Yuta added, clearly amused.

We exchanged a knowing look.

He smiled, eyes crinkling sweetly. I smiled back, still wrapped in the sheets, as Toge got up, quickly pulling on a T-shirt and fixing his hair with his fingers in front of the mirror.

I opened the door a few moments later.

Yuta, Panda, and Maki walked in laughing, with that look of "we already know everything but we'll pretend to be surprised."

Maki glanced at me, eyes sharp at first, then pointed at the very-much-disheveled bed. I stared back in silence.

Then she softened, gave me a fake slow clap — without actually clapping, so no one would hear.

I burst out laughing.

It felt good to have a friend I could count on. But more than that, a partner in crime.

We sat cross-legged on the rug, tossing jokes around, telling stories, tossing out ideas for the night.

"There's a festival in town," Maki said. "Games, stalls, lights… What do you think?"

"I think it's time I crush all of you at the ring toss," Panda laughed.

"Wait, are these the same kinds of festivals they show in anime?" I asked, amused.

"Exactly those!" Maki giggled.

Toge nodded beside me. "Shake!"

And just like that, it was settled.

That evening, we'd go.

After a slow, relaxing afternoon filled with chatter and lazy laughter, the time finally came to get ready.

Maki and I got dressed in my room, the air scented with cotton flower perfume and light laughter.

We both wore yukata. At first, I had no idea how to put mine on — it was nearly a disaster. Maki kept scolding me for getting it wrong, but in her own way, she made me laugh about it.

She suggested a soft ivory-colored yukata for me, patterned with pale pink cherry blossoms tracing the hem, and a lilac sash tied elegantly at the back.

Maki, on the other hand, wore a deep navy yukata decorated with silver lanterns, and a crimson obi that highlighted her strong, feminine silhouette.

Her hair was pinned up, with a few strands left loose to frame her face.

She looked stunning.

"You look like you just walked out of a Miyazaki film," I said.

She looked at me through the mirror.

"Cut it out. Too many compliments today." And blushed.

The guys were already waiting outside.

Toge wore a simple black yukata, but it suited him perfectly. Elegant, mysterious — the collar left just a hint of his tattoo exposed.

When he saw me, he immediately pulled out his phone:

"Tonight, chain me to you. Too beautiful. I'm not taking my eyes off you or every guy here will try something."

I smiled and winked at him. He blushed just a little, eyes locked on me like he was looking at a fairy.

We all left together.

The streets of the city were a kaleidoscope of color — lanterns strung overhead from building to building, the smell of takoyaki and yakisoba filling the air, the voices of vendors, the laughter of children wearing kitsune masks.

It was all... beautiful.

Each step felt like it led to more magic.

As we walked, we spotted the first-years in the distance — Yuji, Nobara, and Megumi heading our way.

"Look who it is!" Nobara called, waving. She wore a bright red yukata, hair up, and that queen-like smile of hers.

"Rebecca, you look like a dream. How do you all find these perfect yukata?"

"All Maki's doing," I replied, pointing her behind me.

Yuji, meanwhile, stared at me.

His eyes settled on me in a way that said everything without a word.

Admiration. Desire. And a hint of melancholy.

Then his gaze shifted to Toge.

But he said nothing. No teasing. No comment. Just a quiet nod — as if to acknowledge that, for tonight at least, my heart wasn't his.

Toge, beside me, stayed composed. But he gently brushed my hand, then laced his fingers with mine. His thumb moved slowly over my skin — his way of saying, I'm here.

And I smiled, even wider.

We wandered among the games, the food stalls, the goldfish scooping — that impossible paper net always breaking too fast — the warm mochi that melted on our tongues.

"Wanna try winning a plushie?" Yuta asked.

"Only if I can throw it at Gojo-sensei tomorrow." I grinned.

"Double challenge then! I'm in too," Panda laughed.

The night fell slowly, stars blooming one by one in the sky.

And then came the fireworks.

The first burst high above us — a golden flower opening with a soft thud, followed by dozens more. Red, blue, silver, green — the whole sky ignited.

I stopped beneath the rain of light, my head tilted back, my heart beating gently.

That's when Toge came up behind me, silent, and wrapped his arms around my waist.

I felt his chest against my back, his breath warm at my ear.

He didn't say a word. He didn't have to.

We stood still like that, close, while the fireworks exploded above us.

It was our moment.

He rested his chin on my shoulder, his fingers toying with the ribbon at the back of my yukata.

He kissed my cheek — a soft, quiet kiss. Like he wanted to etch that memory onto me forever.

And in that instant, I knew:

Yes, I loved him.

I had chosen him.

And despite everything... I'd keep choosing him.

Because he was home.

Even in the chaos.

Even among a thousand lights.

Even in the quiet burn of a heart that had finally found its answer.

The air felt light, full of life.

And yet, in the middle of it all, I kept one thing to myself.

I hadn't told anyone about the letters. Or the dreams.

Maybe it wasn't the time.

Or maybe… I just didn't want to break the fragile peace I had finally found.

That quiet sense of us, that had only just begun to feel real.

A blast.

It wasn't a firework.

It was a deep, cavernous explosion that made the ground tremble beneath our feet. The sky darkened for a moment, as if something had torn a hole straight through it.

I spun around—and there, in the middle of the lantern-lit street full of laughter and color, it appeared.

A curse.

Tall. Skeletal. Inhuman.

Its body was a tangle of twisted, irregular limbs, like a child had tried to draw a man without knowing what a human body looked like.

Its arms were long—too long—ending in black claws that gleamed like shattered glass.

From its oversized head, wet strands of white hair hung down, swaying on their own.

But it was the eyes—if they could be called that—that froze me.

Two burning voids, sunken in a face with no skin.

A face I had already seen.

In the dream.

The world shattered.

The lights of the stalls, the laughter, the chatter, the fireworks overhead... all of it vanished.

My breathing turned heavy, my vision flickered.

A viscous blackness dripped over everything.

In front of me, an enormous wall.

An invisible, dense barrier that cut me off from the rest of the world.

"Rebecca!"

Someone shouted, but their voice was distant—muted, like I was underwater.

Then I felt warm arms around my waist.

Toge.

He yanked me to the side, away from the creature's path.

His eyes were wide with panic, his face pale and twisted with fear.

I couldn't respond.

I couldn't feel anything.

Just a high-pitched ring in my ears.

And then... a voice. A child's voice.

"Help me… please help me… I don't want to stay here alone… it's dark…"

I fought it—fought with every part of myself not to listen, not to give in—but I couldn't move.

I was glued to the pavement.

The air was thick, heavy with something I couldn't name.

Terror? Grief?

"Help me…"

Again, the voice.

But this time colder. Meaner.

"Help me… or I'll destroy you."

And then I saw her face.

But it was wrong.

Distorted.

The eyes were too big, glistening like broken glass.

The skin—gray, like a forgotten doll.

Her mouth trembled, but no sound came out anymore.

She just stared.

As if she wanted to devour me whole with her gaze.

The others moved fast—Maki had already drawn her spear, Panda stood in front of the first-years with his arms out like a shield.

But this wasn't a normal attack.

This wasn't a normal curse.

It had come for me. And only me.

Toge opened his mouth, fists clenched. The air around him pulsed.

"Implode." He shouted with everything he had.

The curse staggered…

Then stood taller. Grew.

Multiplied.

Its veins turned to black ropes that pulsed with energy.

It was as if it was feeding on Toge's voice.

Feeding on his power.

The muffled silence snapped.

I could hear again—Maki yelling, the others shouting, the chaos of battle.

I was still on the ground, dazed, my mind spiraling.

What just happened?

"Explode!" Toge screamed again.

And then collapsed, gasping for breath.

He was bleeding.

That's when something snapped in me.

I forced myself up, fast, even though my head was spinning.

I was still dizzy, but I saw him—Toge, lying there.

He needed me.

"Toge… Toge…"

He looked up at me, pale and silent, lips pressed into a thin line.

Then I felt a strong grip on my arm.

I turned—Yuta.

His eyes were sharp, focused. Inside them, I saw a spark I'd only seen a few times before.

Rika materialized behind him—dark, protective, her massive arms ready to strike.

"We have to do this. You and me," he said.

"She's after you. And I... I have Rika. We can beat her."

I swallowed hard.

My hands trembled.

My heart thundered in my chest.

But I nodded.

We readied ourselves.

My spiritual energy was already crackling around me—I began sketching strong, precise sigils.

Yuta stood by my side.

And Rika loomed behind him, like a living shadow.

The attack came fast.

And it was merciless.