Passive aggressive (237)

Time skip.

Well, Eleanor had invited them to dine with her, to which Keitaro had agreed, what could have possibly gone wrong with a dinner, it couldn't be bad right?

There was no way some tension would cause the whole place to feel like they fighting in the first row of a war right?

Well, he was wrong, he was so wrong.

As they sat down and ate the food, Keitaro felt like he had been placed in the middle of a battlefield.

Though he didn't know why, he may have lost his virginity and be less dense than he was a year ago, but he was still quite dense when it came to stuff like that.

He could feel a prickling sensation at the edges of his awareness, like static electricity. On one side of the table sat Shoko, calm yet distant, her sharp gaze occasionally flicking toward Eleanor. On the other side, Eleanor appeared perfectly composed, her polite smile never faltering.

The way they spoke felt a bit too cold for his liking like they were fighting over something, he wondered what?

"Sensei, how did you two meet?" Edgar unaware of the tension currently lingering in the air asks, with child-like curiosity.

"Well, we went to the same school, she was part of the like 3 students who were in the class at the time" He explained with a soft look.

"3 students....in a classroom...that odd," The boy said confused, to which Keitaro opened his mouth and elaborated.

"Well just like here, jujutsu sorcerers are quite rare, the ability to see curse is a requirement that not many people get cursed with," Keitaro added nonchalantly.

"If I may ask, how did you two bond" Eleanor suddenly asked, her voice sounding as elegant as ever.

"Well, if I am being honest, the other 2 students were like already besty, so by default I kind of spent a lot more time with her, at this time she was like the only one around with the reverse curse technique, so I also wanted to learn....she was a horrible teacher"

A kick was heard landing on someone under the table.

Keitaro hid his pain expression quite well, well that was his fault for not having his curse energy and natural energy reinforcement around his body.

However that would mean that Shoko would have gotten hurt while kicking him, so he probably unsaintly decided to lower it.

Shoko, for her part, showed no signs of anything amiss, her expression remaining cool and unreadable as she took a slow sip of wine. Eleanor, ever poised, raised a delicate brow, her eyes glinting with curiosity.

"How fascinating," she said, a slight curve to her lips. "It seems your connection was born of necessity, then. And yet, it has grown into something much deeper, wouldn't you say?"

Keitaro felt like that was a jab, just maybe.

Shoko, acting like none of this bothers her, set her glass down with a deliberate clink, her lips curled into a faint, almost amused smile as if this whole situation was funny to her.

"Well, it may have started with that," she remarked, her tone sounding light; however, you would be a fool to think that was the only occasion she used it. Even someone as dense as Keitaro could sense the unmistakable edge in her voice. Her eyes flicked to Eleanor, a spark of challenge evident in her gaze. "But clearly, he saw something that made him stay—unlike... some people."

Well, wasn't this a spectacle, none of them had even used anything too vulgar nor raised their voice, they sounded quite calm, and yet each word coming out of their mouth sounded quite cold.

It sounded like they were beating each other up or something.

"Ah, I understand," Eleanor replied smoothly, her voice composed and graceful. "It's wonderful when someone finds value in simplicity. That's a rare talent, wouldn't you agree?"

Shoko leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as her smirk widened, a glint of mischief in her eyes.

This felt like a battlefield for some reason....

"Absolutely. Though, of course, it takes a certain level of depth to appreciate what's beneath the surface. Some might not be able to manage it."

Eleanor tilted her head just a bit, her gaze was calm but piercing, she was like an aristocrat sizing up an opponent.

"Depth is indeed important," she mused. "Though I find it equally crucial to ensure that one's presence doesn't become... stagnant. After all, novelty is a driving force in life, don't you think?"

Keitaro, who had been quietly chewing a piece of bread and hoping the tension would ease, froze mid-bite. He glanced between the two women, both of whom maintained their poised, unbothered expressions.

'This feels like a diplomatic negotiation where I'm the disputed territory, he thought nervously.'

"I don't know," Shoko replied airily, she reached for her wine again. "Sometimes novelty can be overrated. What really matters is consistency. You know—someone who sticks around even when things get tough. Not everyone can handle that kind of commitment."

Eleanor chuckled softly, the sound she made was as light as a silver bell. "Of course, but one should never confuse persistence with complacency. There's a fine line between dedication and... settling." Her smile was sharp enough to cut glass as she sipped her tea, her every move exuding refinement.

Keitaro cleared his throat, realizing it was time to step in before the passive-aggressiveness turned into an outright confrontation. "Anyway, speaking of consistency," he said quickly, "Edgar, didn't you want to share your progress? You've been working hard lately, haven't you?"

A/N....