"Ren-kun" - Chapter 73

Ren was just starting to feel calm. Not comfortable, no—his body still ached like someone had poured molten steel through his bones—but calm. The hospital room was quiet, sterile, and mercifully undisturbed.

Until the door slammed open with enough force to make the window rattle.

Ren flinched.

"What the—"

A tall figure in sunglasses and an obnoxious blindfold stood in the doorway with one hand dramatically raised.

Ren blinked.

"…It's you," he muttered, voice like ice.

Standing there like a theater kid high on sugar was Gojo Satoru.

Ren's eyes narrowed into the most venomous glare he could muster. He looked like he wanted to strangle Gojo with his IV tube.

Gojo, however, wasn't fazed. He sprinted across the room like a toddler on a sugar rush and—with a grand sweep—pulled out a bouquet of colorful flowers that were clearly stolen from someone else's hospital visit.

"Ahhh, my dear student!!" Gojo sang, his voice pitched weirdly high and cutesy, like he was talking to a baby bunny. "I heard from Maki how you fought the curse like a hero!!!"

Ren stared blankly at the flowers.

Then at Gojo.

"…Fuck off."

The bouquet dropped to the floor.

Gojo's expression shattered. He looked heartbroken, like Ren had just kicked his puppy and set fire to his blindfold collection.

"Oh…" Gojo pouted, setting the flowers aside like a kid being told to put away their toys. "That was mean. I felt that one."

Ren didn't respond. He simply adjusted the blanket over himself with the elegance of someone mentally preparing to rip the life force out of their teacher.

Gojo cleared his throat and shifted his voice back to normal. "Well… other than that, uh… are you fine?? I mean, I know you look fine—like, alive and everything—but, you know… are you fine fine?"

That made Ren pause.

Gojo wasn't using his baby voice anymore. No dramatic poses. Just a normal, concerned tone.

Ren studied him for a beat longer, then relaxed his posture a little.

"I'll be more fine," Ren said casually, "if you let me skip class for a few weeks and give me a book on how you make those curtains you use."

Gojo's smile froze.

He blinked behind the blindfold.

"…Huh?"

Before he could even recover, Ren tilted his head, speaking in a deliberately weak voice, like he was some frail old man on death's doorstep.

"Ah… It's fine if you don't want to give your student time to heal… I understand. You probably don't have the right to give me the books on that stuff… Sensei…"

Gojo twitched.

"That's emotional blackmail!" he thought, internally screaming.

Ren didn't let up.

"I guess… It's okay if you think class is more important than my recovery…"

Gojo's mouth opened, closed, then opened again. His jaw clenched.

"…Yeah, sure. Fiiine."

Ren raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"I really don't know why you want to skip class when you're the one who wanted to learn about curses and stuff…" Gojo muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "But okay. You win. You can skip classroom stuff for a bit…"

Victory.

Ren smirked.

"…But," Gojo said suddenly, raising a finger, "you'll still have to attend combat training. One hour, every day."

The smirk vanished.

Ren squinted. "You said I could skip class."

Gojo grinned. "I said you could skip the cursed studies class. I never said combat. You need it."

Ren's eye twitched. "I just won against a special grade."

Gojo shrugged. "And you almost died doing it. Maki, Panda, and Inumaki will help you out. Everyone knows your hand-to-hand is trash, so let's fix that."

"… Excuse me?"

"You're trash," Gojo repeated with a warm smile, like he was offering a compliment.

Ren stared.

And then… slowly smiled.

"…Okay. That's fair," he admitted.

Then he blinked.

"…Wait—did you just insult me?"

Gojo tilted his head. "Yes. But I also said you could skip class."

Ren groaned, rolling his eyes. "You're the worst, sensei."

Gojo smiled wide. "I try."

The room settled for a moment.

Gojo moved to sit on the edge of the hospital bed, hands relaxed on his knees.

Then, voice low, he said:

"…Ren. Thank you."

Ren glanced sideways.

"…For saving Maki and the other three people. And also… sorry."

Gojo looked down.

"You might've been… hurt because of my mistake. I thought the area was safe."

His voice was quiet, almost foreign in tone. Not the usual carefree Gojo. This voice held guilt.

Regret.

Ren blinked.

"What the fuck? Since when did Gojo act like this?" he thought.

"Fucker. Don't go all soft on me. You're more predictable when you're a goof."

So, naturally, he said the most idiotic thing possible.

"Hey, dumbass. I'm not into men."

Gojo slowly turned his head.

Ren continued with a straight face, "What the hell are you talking about? Sorry? Thank you? You sound like you love me, old man. Stay away from me."

Gojo's jaw dropped.

There was a beat of pure silence.

Then—

"AHAHAHAHAHA—"

Gojo exploded into laughter, falling off the hospital bed in the process, clutching his stomach like he was dying.

"Ahhh, dame," Gojo wheezed. "You're the best! Ren-kun!"

Ren's face dropped.

"…Don't call me that."

Gojo grinned up from the floor, finger pointing. "Too late. Ren-kun forever now."

Ren visibly shivered. "I take back everything. Leave."

Gojo got up, still laughing. "Nope! You said it! You called me "sensei" and everything—this is bonding, Ren-kun!"

Ren yanked the blanket over his head and groaned. "Why is my life hell…"

Gojo stood tall, patting down his outfit like nothing happened.

"Anyway, I'll get Shoko to give you painkillers. I'm guessing you're going to need them once training starts again. Maki's already excited."

"Wonderful," Ren mumbled from under the blanket.

Gojo walked to the door, waving.

"Get better soon, Ren-kun~!"

Ren threw the nearest pillow at him.

Gojo caught it.

With Infinity.

And winked.

And on that day, Ren swore ones more that he would make a technique that would go through infinity...