Chapter 49: Trust

100 stones

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Yuki sat down, crossing her legs and watching Gojo with resignation. Gojo, still holding onto her leg with a relaxed and amused expression, began explaining his plan in a low voice, as if sharing a secret meant only for her.

"It's simple," he said, his ocean-blue eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. "They're going to send Makima on a mission with the first years. Her last job was quite satisfactory, so under the pretense of giving her more experience, they'll send her. I'll make sure that, at some point, she gets separated from the others. And that's where you come in."

Yuki raised an eyebrow, visibly intrigued but skeptical.

"And what exactly am I supposed to do?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Something simple," Gojo continued with a mischievous smile. "Say something like her technique is pure evil. That'll provoke her. Attack her with your best shot... But don't hurt her too much. I just need to see how she reacts under pressure."

Gojo concluded his explanation with a confident smile, sure of his plan. But Yuki looked at him doubtfully before shaking her leg free, leaving him on the floor with a look of dismay.

"What you're asking is a lot," Yuki said, her tone a bit more serious. "They say her technique is something... special. She can control not just curses but sorcerers and non-sorcerers alike. If I push her too far..." She left the sentence unfinished, her words tinged with a warning.

Gojo scratched his head, but his expression didn't lose its humor. "Don't worry. If it turns out to be too much for even you, I'll intervene. But if I do..." He lowered his gaze, and a shadow flickered in his eyes. "I'll lose all the progress I've made in gaining her trust."

Yuki looked at him, her eyes searching for something in his expression she hadn't seen before. "Why do you want this so desperately? Even to the point of... begging me?"

Gojo's smile faded, and for a moment, Yuki could see the burden he carried on his shoulders. He stood up, and his expression turned serious, his gaze now fixed on a distant point.

"She's my student. I already consider her family," he said, his voice lower and firmer. "I want to prevent her from going down the wrong path... and not have to stop her myself if I can't save her in time."

A deep sigh escaped Yuki's lips. After a few seconds of silence, she stood up and grabbed a motorcycle helmet. "Fine. Tell me when and where. Seriously, you and your students..." she said, the last part reflecting some annoyance, though she finally smiled.

Gojo smiled again, with a gratitude he rarely showed. "Thank you, Yuki."

Makima had finished dinner and was outside the house. The night air was cool, and a gentle breeze moved her hair. Her golden eyes rose toward the sky, gazing at the stars as if searching for something within them. At that moment, a familiar presence emerged from the shadows. Without taking her eyes off the sky, she spoke, as if sensing someone's arrival even before they appeared. "Do you need something, Gojo?"

From a dark corner, a tall and carefree figure slid into the light of the house's lamp. With a playful smile, Gojo replied, "Nothing, I just wanted to see my best student." His tone was light, almost teasing, but Makima didn't move a muscle. She kept her gaze fixed on the stars, showing no trace of emotion on her face. "I'm not your student yet," she replied, her voice devoid of any emotion betraying her true thoughts.

Gojo ran a hand through his hair and pretended to pout, puffing his cheeks in a childish gesture almost unbecoming of someone with his power. "Yeah, but I've been teaching you for quite a while, you know? You should call me Gojo-sensei more often." His tone was cheerful, as if he expected her to play along with the joke. However, her lack of response made Gojo sigh. It was like talking to a wall. But he wasn't one to give up so easily.

Makima slowly lowered her gaze until she met Gojo's face. Whenever he was nearby, an almost animalistic instinct of alertness ignited within her. Gojo's strength was like a constant tide, an overwhelming power that made her feel as if she were standing before a creature impossible to decipher. His relaxed words and carefree attitude didn't match the intensity he exuded, and it frustrated her. Being in his presence forced her to calculate every move, measuring every word, every breath. She was aware that, even when he pretended to be relaxed, he never fully let his guard down.

Gojo, noticing the change in her expression, decided to address the tension he could feel in the air. "What happened on the mission?" he asked softly, as if he genuinely cared to know.

Makima, however, didn't let her guard down. Her expression hardened, and the eyes that met Gojo's showed not a hint of vulnerability. "Do you really need to know?" she responded in a dry tone, her voice cold as steel. She knew that vague answers wouldn't satisfy someone like him, but she didn't owe anyone explanations, least of all him.

Gojo sighed, though he still maintained his usual smile. It was as if Makima's harshness couldn't pierce the barrier of his serenity. But this time, when he spoke, his tone was less teasing, more serious than usual. "Look, I don't know what ideas you have in mind, but I want you to understand something..." He paused for a moment, his expression reflecting a sincerity he rarely let show. "I'm on your side, Makima. I'm not your enemy, and I never want to be. I want you to achieve everything you desire, no matter what it is. But if you keep hiding even the smallest details of your life from me, I won't be able to help you as much as I could."

As he spoke, Gojo removed the blindfold covering his eyes, and those blue orbs, deeper than the ocean, fixed intensely on Makima's golden ones. His gaze was soft, even kind, while hers remained cold and devoid of any emotion or light. "Do you see me as a threat?" Gojo's question hung in the air, carrying a weight they both understood.

Makima watched him in silence, her calculating mind working at full speed. Gojo's words sounded genuine, and perhaps someone else might have felt moved or even inspired to trust him. But for her, trust was a weakness she couldn't afford. She had learned that betrayal didn't always come from the enemy but from the closest ally. That lesson had been seared into her soul the day she buried her mother. After all, if she herself had been capable of killing the person who gave her life, how could she expect any less from others? If someone like her, with her own sense of control, could do such a thing, then anyone was capable of betrayal. The idea of trusting someone was, to her, an unnecessary risk she wasn't willing to take.

This certainty had shaped who she was now. That's why, no matter how much Gojo tried to show sincerity and friendliness, no matter how much he tried to break through the icy barrier she had built, it was all in vain.

But even so, she decided to play along. A faint smile crossed her face, an almost imperceptible gesture that seemed to say she knew how to play the game too. "No... but I don't trust you either. It's nothing personal. I learned a long time ago that betrayal comes from those you least expect." Gojo made a small grimace upon hearing her; those words resonated with a truth he himself had experienced.

"But," Makima continued, staring at him intently, "if you're truly on my side, the day you have to choose between two sides... that's when I'll know if you mean it." Her voice was calm, but the challenge in her tone couldn't be ignored. It was as if, through those words, she made it clear she didn't believe in loyalty without proof and that, until then, he wouldn't be an exception.

Gojo tensed slightly; he hadn't expected such a direct response, much less the weight of her words. Makima's reply wasn't just an answer but a warning, a reminder that she wasn't someone who would yield without evidence of his trustworthiness. He understood that something in her life had taught her to distrust everyone, something he couldn't change, but also something he wouldn't judge her for.

With an unyielding coldness, Makima turned toward the house, making it clear the conversation was over. "Good night... Gojo-sensei," she said the last part with a hint of hesitation but with a firmness that showed Gojo she held some regard for him.

Gojo remained silent, watching her disappear into the shadows. He sighed, scratching his head as he gazed at the stars above. In his mind, Makima's words echoed like a warning and a pang of nostalgia, as if he had gone through something similar before. "I hope it's not what I think it'll be..." he murmured to himself, his voice tinged with a melancholy uncharacteristic of him. He knew there was something in their shared fates that would lead them to difficult choices, and he could only hope that, when the time came, she would find a reason to trust him.

With that thought in mind, he placed the blindfold back over his eyes, concealing the vulnerability he had shown for only a moment. Then, without a sound, he faded into the shadows, leaving the place in silence.