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flipped ver :>

"I can promise you the world, but I feel I'm missing something here, Shoko."

"It's..." she gestured in the air, collecting he thoughts. "I know very well how to nurture a baby, but I'm not sure I can be there for another human being for a lifetime."

Kento stared at her in silence for another minute, then he moved closer and bumped her on the shoulder "Hey, no need to worry about this feelings now.." he began to hush, but Shoko cut him short.

"This is the exact moment in which I have to. I don't know yet, we don't know yet for sure, but there's a good chance we are gonna deal with this reality in a few months and I have to ask myself, right now, what my shortcomings might be"

"You make it sound like a business plan analysis..."

"And you know I am right. The stakeholders need to figure out their expectations and liabilities"

Kento chuckled, stronking the back of her cold, gloveless hand. "You seem scared. And annoyed"

"I am."

"I thought you went already over this phase when we decided to try have the baby."

"I thought the same. But here we are."

She turned to face her husband and stuck her freezing hands beneath his coat, resting on the soft wool of the sweater over his hips.

"I know you can be a cold, emotionally shunned bastard as much as I am. But also know you are much more dependable than I am. So please promise me you'll always be there for our child if mom is too much overworked, is having a bad day, or both."

Kento kissed her lightly on the lips, the on the forehead.

"I'll take care of not letting any of you die, ever. But please be ready to put them to bed when I have to rest, dissect a friend, a monster, both..."

Nanami shuts the door of the black sedan, taking in a deep breath as he turns away. He began to make his way towards alley way, residuals of the cursed spirit, faint darkened steps making it easier to know exactly where he needed to be. He looks back at his driver, Ijichi, now watching from a distance, signalling to cast a veil over the area. 

A semi grade one curse has been blamed for the disappearance of male students in the area, Nanami being sent as a solo mission with Ijichi as support. 

As he lowers the curtain, Nanami turns back walking further into the alleyway, away from Ijichi. The alley is dark and narrow, if he held up both of his arms displaying his wingspan he would be able to touch the bricks on both sides of him. The pathway was cobblestone, slightly dank from the morning mildew.

The more he walked the darker the alleyway became, the residuals felt like it was never ending to Nanami. He raises his hand, adjusting his round glasses. A flicker of movement flashes in the corner of his eye, immediately moving his hand away from his glasses under his blazer, he grabs the handle of his blunt blade. He then begins to pull out his blade, turning a slow one-eighty in the direction he saw the blur of movement. He stops in his tracks the moment he faces the cursed spirit, an oddly unique one to him. 

The cursed spirit resembled the shape of a dark, almost black toned, deer-like figure with antlers curled into a crescent shape, in a bipedal position, facing him directly. Six eyes, split into threes on the dog-like face the cursed spirit had. 

An interesting combination of different animals make up this curse spirit’s figure. It’s stronger than the higher ups had said just by studying its cursed energy. It’s at least a grade one. Thankfully I was able to go alone… actually, that I went instead of a student or mentee in general. 

Nanami studies the behavior of the cursed spirit as he thinks to himself. It wasn't acting hostile, it looked exactly what a frightened deer blinded by headlights would look like.

Suddenly the deer shaped curse lunges after him. His eyes widen, thankful for his quick reflexes he swiftly dodges the curse. He continued to study the curse, noticing where hooves should go there were instead hands that resembled human hands. 

The curse lunges again, Nanami weaves to the side simultaneously finding an opening to use his technique. He swings his blunt blade, watching it perfectly collide with the curse’s left shoulder. The limb launches to the side, slamming into the cobblestone pavement. 

The curse immediately reacts letting out a gargled scream as it charges at inhuman speeds. Nanami’s still in the zone slides out of the way, spinning on his heels to face the curse again to swing once more. 

Unfortunately for Nanami, the curse turned before he had the chance to react, slicing through his blue collared shirt, directly contacting his skin against his right side. The curse runs towards the opposite side of the alleyway, now observing Nanami who clutched his side. He grits his teeth, it felt nothing worse than a cat scratch, but it had the burn of rubbing alcohol. Warm dark blood began to ooze through his shirt.

The curse then bounces off the wall. 

A mistake. 

Nanami raises his blunt blade as the curse falls towards him. The curse’s canine head meets his blade immediately, the 7:3 technique splitting from the cranium through between its legs. 

Purple ooze sprayed across Nanami’s face and clothing. He flicks his blade, slinging the curse’s remains to the side. He wipes his face, sighing to himself. The burning sensation from the scratch remained consistent. He places his free hand on his newly formed injury against his ribs, feeling the slight dankness. He lifts his hand, a faint appearance of crimson red glosses over his hand. He places his hand against his side again, applying pressure as he begins to make his way back to Ijichi.

The cut isn’t deep, it will close before we make it back to Jujutsu Tech, thankfully.

Making his way back to Ijichi, the sting from his wound still lingers, however the bleeding had finally halted sometime during his walk back to his junior. Ijichi notices the stain on his shirt immediately, “Nanami, you’re injured?” He asks skeptically, he knew this was supposed to be a lower grade curse so seeing his senior who is a grade one sorcerer, this was surprising. 

Nanami sighs as he straightens his blazer, “It was a grade one curse, nothing too serious. Which continues to be an ongoing mistake from the higher ups..” He explained bitterly, stopping in his tracks in front of Ijichi. “It is simply a scratch, the bleeding has already stopped.” He reassured, noticing Ijichi’s continued concerned expression, who nodded silently accepting his explanation. “It seems that there may be a pattern.” 

Nanami’s expression hardens slightly, deciding to bite his tongue as they begin to walk back to the black sedan. “A pattern may be an understatement.” Muttered words escaped his throat as he opened the passenger door, the click from the door muffling his words further. 

As Ijichi started the car, Nanami felt a subtle weight’s presence pressing against his forehead. The pressure was barely noticeable until he wasn't distracted by the conversation they were having moments prior. The continuous sound of the tires moving across gravel only made the pressure behind his eyes progressively worsen. 

Laying his head against the window, watching the scenery, choosing to attempt to ignore the oncoming migraine he had. Ijichi notices his movements out of the corner of his eye. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, “Nanami, are you feeling alright?” 

Nanami inhales deeply, crossing his arms, “Headache.” He answers flatly, closing his eyes, blocking incoming light from the afternoon sun that intensified the pressure behind his eyes. 

Ijichi focuses on the road ahead, narrowing his eyes, as possibilities circulated through his head. “Did the curse strike you in more than one place?” He questioned curiously, wondering if Nanami was more injured than he was letting it be known. It was known that Nanami had a track record of downplaying his injuries in front of his colleagues to prevent them from worrying about him. “No.” He answered firmly, making it clear that his answer was final and honest. 

The hour-long car ride was a drag for Nanami, the silence only made his migraine worse. The sound of the tires against the paved road under him, the bumps in the road causing him to knock his head against the glass window, passing neon billboards making their way through his closed eyelids, all of it was overstimulating. The car slowly comes to a stop, Ijichi finally shifting the gear into park. Turning his head to face his blond colleague, the sunlight highlighting the sweat beads that dripped from Nanami’s forehead. His eyes trailed down, noticing the outline of his figure had shifted dramatically. 

Nanami sits up groaning slightly, his palm pressed against his forehead. He felt the wetness that had leaked from his hairline touch his fingertips. “I’ll file the report after having lunch.” He mumbles, slipping his hand under the door handle. The incoming sunlight immediately worsened his headache as expected.

Ijichi’s eyebrows furrowed, his mouth parted to protest. ‘His voice… Maybe it’s from falling ill.’ His optimistic way of thinking about his colleague, ‘However… his figure didn’t look like that this morning…’ 

Stepping out of the car, feeling the fresh spring breeze brush against his face, Nanami inhales deeply as the cooling effect from his sweat sets in. “Nanami,” Ijichi states, as firmly as he could to the man, now stepping out of the car. “You must see Ieiri before you attend lunch.” 

Nanami turns to face the nervous supervisor, “I told you, it’s nothing more than a scrape, the headache will be resolved after some food enters my system.” He states, the pitch of his voice is more noticeable to Ijichi now, as well as his figure. His eyebrows raise in shock, “Do you hear yourself?” He protests shutting the car door, marching over to his long-time colleague. 

Nanami’s expression hardens as he fixes his green glasses, “Do I hear myself? Ijichi, it’s noth-” “Your voice, not the “I’m okay” rhetoric you’re spewing to me. It was certainly more than a scrape, Nanami.” He interjects, taking Nanami’s blue sleeve into his grasp, pulling him away from the vehicle. “My voice?” He inquires, his voice now softer as he reaches up to his throat now wondering if the headache made his voice huskier. 

“You sound- and look- You need Ieiri’s attention.” Ijichi mutters, giving up on arguing with the blond man, now practically dragging him towards the infirmary. 

Nanami, now frustrated and confused, huffs out a thick breath. “You’re not explaining-” “You wouldn’t believe it, hell, I wouldn’t believe it if I were you.”

KNOCK KNOCK

The door swung open almost immediately, Shoko stood before Ijichi with her arms crossed. “And I was just about to go on lunch.” She states shaking her head noticing his fist was still in the air. He lowers his hand, “It’s Nanami.” He pants, his head motioning over to the sorcerer standing out of eye view. 

Shoko pops her head out of the door frame, eyeing Nanami standing in the dimly lit hallway with his arms tucked over his chest. “Can he move?” She questioned, now stepping out of the doorway. 

“Well, yes, he just believes this is a waste of time.” He explains, fixing his glasses holding his clipboard close to his chest. 

Shoko makes her way over to the sorcerer who is leaning against the wall behind him with his head tilted upwards. “It’s just a headache.” He mutters as Shoko approaches. 

She stifles a chuckle, noticing the change of pitch in his voice. “Unfortunately, it’s not “just a headache,” Nanami.” She corrects placing her finger tips against his throat. She didn’t feel anything odd or out of place that would shift his vocal cords into this position. “Does your throat hurt as well?” The coolness of her finger tips touching his throat unexpectedly caused his body to jolt. “No.” He responds, taking in a deep breath through his nostrils, now looking down at her. “Ijichi is only being slightly dramatic about my condition.” 

Shoko hums, pulling her fingers away from his throat. “I believe you’re underestimating your condition, once again.” She deadpans, turning back to Ijichi, “I’ll take care of him. Will you pick up some lunch for the both of us? It's going to be a long day.” 

Ijichi salutes, the corner of his lips twisting slightly. “Will do!” He chirps before disappearing down the corridors. 

Nanami pushes himself off of the wall, “Nothing that your technique can’t fix, correct?” He breathes following her into the infirmary, the bright white lights now displaying his change in figure more adequately. 

Shoko, continuing to lead him to the examination table, patting her hand on the thin paper. “We’ll see, this is…” Turning to face him, her eyes immediately widened. His waist was thinner, hips more pronounced and wide, his bust was more prominent than it was before. “...Unique.” She finishes with a murmur, her eyes flickering up and down from his eyes to his figure. “What was known about that curse?” 

Nanami takes off his glasses, setting them to the side table. “That it caused the disappearance of male students specifically in the area. Nothing else is known.” He recalls as he climbs onto the examination table. “Nothing too different than any other curse, just a specific demographic that was targeted.”

Humming, Shoko turns to the cabinet in the corner of the infirmary. “I think I know why it seems that it targeted male students, and why those male students seemed to disappear into thin air.” She muses, taking a handheld mirror out of the same cabinet. 

“Some misandrist curse? What could be-” Shoko places the mirror in front of Nanami’s face. His expression immediately hardens looking at himself. Noticing the slight difference in his facial structure, his cheekbones were higher, his hairline more full than it was this morning. “Oh.” He mutters running his fingers through his hair. “This is particular.” He takes the mirror with his opposite hand attempting to observe his whole body with just the handheld. 

Shoko crosses her arms over her chest, sighing, “I haven’t seen something like this since Maki came back carrying Inumaki as a cat that could speak fluent rice ball ingredients.” She reflects covering her mouth letting out a small chuckle. “Oh when he cursed himself in the mirror?” Nanami recalls glancing up from his reflection. 

She nods with a sigh, “That was an interesting day, almost as intriguing as you currently. Now, where did the curse hit you?” 

He sighs, placing the mirror next to his glasses. He slips off his blazer, placing it behind him before untucking his blue collared shirt from his slacks. Finally lifting his shirt up, revealing the injury. 

Shoko’s eyes immediately notice the redness surrounding the mysterious symbols where he said he was struck. A triple moon symbolizing the phases a woman may go through in her lifetime was displayed, almost like a tattoo permanently on his body under his ribs. “Fascinating.” She murmurs ogling the symbols before pulling her eyes away from the tattoo-like mark. She turns to the counter behind her, “Does it hurt?”

Nanami’s eyebrows furrowed watching her turn away, “No. I can help but notice you don’t seem concerned that my biology seemingly changed within a few hours either.” He rebukes, his fingers curled tightly around the fabric of his shirt. 

“Be grateful Ijichi’s anxiousness in his nature brought you here before it got worse. This is reversible.” She scolds, pulling gloves over her hands. Pulling up a chair, now sitting at his side, she places the back of her hand against the three moons, noticing the heat radiating off of the injury. “Makes sense, that’s what I was afraid of.” She mutters mostly to herself.

Nanami rolls his eyes, “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” He chokes out as she applies pressure to the wound. He gasps out, now glaring at the doctor.  “Poison and an infection, nothing irreversible like I said. Now who’s worrying too much?” She jabs, her lips curling into a smirk as she pulls her gloved hands away from the wound.

He lets out a huff closing his eyes, his migraine still present now coming in waves. Shoko pushes herself away from the examination table, rolling over to the same counter she was at before. Opening the drawer revealed labeled vials and syringes in cases. “If it makes you feel any better about the situation, Nanami, you do make an attractive woman.”

He scoffs lowering his shirt, shaking his head in disapproval. “Only you would make light of the situation in such a way.” He comments, his voice barely above a murmur as if he were hiding his embarrassment. 

She takes a vial and syringe out of the drawers, slipping the protective seal off of the syringe, “I am only being honest with you.” She confesses, her smirk turning into a small grin. Nanami notices her expression shift, it was a subtle grin, but it was present upon her lips. “You’re enjoying yourself aren’t you?” 

She glances back at him, sticking the needle into the vial, pulling back the plunger to allow epinephrine to fill the barrel. “Only a tad, this is one of the most abnormal cases I've had after all.” She confirms tip-toeing over to the blond sorcerer. 

Nanami sighs rolling up his sleeve over his bicep. “So you take the opportunity to flirt with me, hmm?” He remarks with a small smirk curling upon his lips, looking at her from the corner of his eye. “I’ll take any opportunity to fluster you, it has nothing to do with your current vulnerable position.” She insists as she presses down on the plunger allowing the air from the barrel to escape through the needle. “Also, the needle doesn’t go there.” She motions to his bicep with the needle, towering over him. He lowers his shirt sleeve, sighing as he shifts his weight to prepare for her to jab him. She squats down level to his thigh, expression hardening as she presses the cold needle against the fabric of his tan slacks, “Any other symptoms that I should know about?” 

“Do I need to-” “No.” She interjects, pressing the needle through his clothes into his outer thigh. He winces slightly through his nostrils from the unexpected stab, “Nothing worse than a common cold.” He answers her previous question through gritted teeth, tilting his head down to face her, to which her gaze was already on him. 

Their proximity filled Nanami with a warm bubbly feeling in the pit of his stomach. “How do you feel now?” She asks, now focusing on the syringe, pulling the needle out of him gingerly. Nanami’s jaw relaxes watching as she pulls away from his thighs. “It’s…” He starts hesitantly as she throws out the needle into the biohazard bin as well as the vial used, “I feel great.” He admits softly leaning back against the padding of the examination table. 

Silence fell between the both of them, it was a comfortable silence as Shoko jotted down the information based on Nanami’s conditions into her report. The sound of the pen against the paper soothing his racing mind from the long day he already had. 

She signs her name at the bottom of the page with a dramatic swift of her hand, which Nanami observes carefully from the examination table. “Here, you can use this in your report.” She states, breaking the silence between the two of them. He extends his arm, reaching out for the sheet of paper as she places it in his palm. “Thanks.” He mumbles, flipping it over, skimming the report diligently. 

“How long until this wears off?” He mumbles his eyes flickering down at his body, now noticing the tightness around his chest caused by his tight button up. 

“Could be anywhere between a few hours to a few days.” Shoko walks back over to his bedside, helping him sit up. “Lift your shirt again.”

He obliges, revealing the three moons plastered against his side. She bends over, placing her hand above the symbols, careful to not touch it directly before inhaling deeply through her nose and using reverse curse technique. “This should assist the pain it may cause, I wouldn’t doubt those cold-like symptoms come back as your testosterone levels stabilize.” 

He watches her silently, mesmerized by her efficiency and care for her craft, despite cheating her way through medical school. “Ieiri, were you being completely honest earlier?” He questions, his voice softer, filled with vulnerability. 

“For someone who is all about being professional you are truly hooked on the one thing-” She starts glancing up and catching his gaze noticing how his expression softened. “Yes, I was being honest. I wouldn’t lie about something like that, nor would I deny that you are attractive in general.” She reassures pulling herself up, now looking down at him, his gaze following hers as she shifts positions. 

She watches as his eyes widen to her admission. They fall into a trance-like state, studying each other's gazes, as if trying to read each other's inner thoughts and desires. Nanami’s heart rate quickened, noticing Shoko’s subtle lean towards him, her hand slowly reaching out, grazing his cheek. The warmth radiating from her usually cold hand startles him, he wasn’t expecting such a bold move out of her despite what she had just admitted. He parts his lips, sucking in a small gasp of air, “I wasn’t aware that you-” 

Shoko cuts him off quickly with a shake of her head, removing her palm and turning away from him. “Sorry.” She utters out lowly returning to her chair, a few feet away from the examination table. She clears her throat awkwardly, eyeing the analog clock. “Ijichi should be coming back soon with lunch.”

Nanami watches her eyes trace the wall, noting that she is now refusing eye contact with him. Clenching his fists slowly, the abnormal amount of sweat gathering in his palms slightly alarmed him. ‘It’s the adrenaline boost.’ He convinced himself over and over again, refusing to consider Shoko’s closeness moments ago was affecting his nervous system. “Maybe a meal will cure this migraine.” He mumbles, his eyes now glued to the ceiling as he lays back against the examination table. 

They sit in an awkward silence, Shoko doodling on the blank sheet of paper clipped in her clipboard. Her thoughts occasionally flashing back to their shared proximity, the way his eyes widened in astonishment, the way his breath hitched once she leaned closer, all of it made her stomach twist and turn. She didn’t mind the fact that he was hexed by the curse he fought hours prior that shifted his appearance and biology. She knew deep down that she had always found Nanami attractive, but never dared to admit it aloud. 

Puzzled, she ponders to herself why now was she admitting this information. ‘He needed reassurance in case this was long lasting, the last thing he needed was to have a complex about his subtle-’ She glances back at him, ‘-not so subtle shift in appearance.’ She considers, convincing herself her compliment, which turned into an admission of general attraction, was for the better good of his mental health.

Nanami counts the titles on the ceiling, ‘52, 53, 54’, serving as a distraction towards the silence they are now sitting in. In between counting his mind will shift back to Shoko suddenly pulling away. He clenches his fists, ‘55, 56, 56, no 57. She pulled away so suddenly, would she have done the same if- 58, 59, 60.’ The sudden intrusive thoughts began to eat him away, he couldn’t stop. He closes his eyes, drawing in a deep breath.

“Why did you hesitate?”

Shoko’s body jerks, her head whipping back to face him suddenly. “Nanami…”

His eyes fluttered open, tilting his head against the firm cushion, now facing her directly. His gaze was intense, pleading for an answer silently.

She sucks in a breath, “You and I both know it isn’t right, for you or me.” She explains, her voice hiding the inner conflict she was also handling. 

“I’m still me.” 

"The poison changed your biochemistry, including your neurology. What you are saying and thinking currently isn't what you would normally want or do." She crosses her legs, placing the clipboard under her arm. 

He scoffs tilting his head back towards the ceiling, “You could not possibly know what I want.” He tucks his arms tightly over his chest, letting out a small sigh. “It doesn't change that this may have lingered in the back of my mind for years, regardless of a curse impacting my physical biology.” 

A flicker of light flashes behind Shoko’s eyes, “You are the type of person to not allow emotions to impact your work even outside of jujutsu. What are you talking about?” She retorts, her eyebrows knitted together. 

Nanami’s lips twirl into a smirk, tilting his head back to face her. “Oh yes, because showing up at your doorstep a little too drunk, off the clock mind you, is displaying little to no interest.” His sarcastic tone dripped off his tongue like honey would drip off a spoon. 

Her lips parted as she sucked in a sharp breath, agitated that he wasn't listening to what she was attempting to convey. The excuses he made worsened her attitude, “That still isn't the correct state of mind.” She hisses, raising her hand to emphasize the absurdity of his argument. “You're never in a sober state, or a state where your hormones aren’t imbalanced, when you want something more from me.”

Nanami chews the inside of his cheek, “Have you considered it's difficult for someone to admit something like that with the world we live in?” He mutters monotonously, his tone slowly shifting back to a lower octave. The treatment had begun to set in, affecting the octave range of his voice first. 

“Yes I have, why else do you believe I would admit you are attractive today out of all days of the year, out of all the years I’ve known you? I did that for your own good.” She barks back standing from the stool she had been sitting on. She extends her index finger, “Afterall, I wasn't completely sure if this was reversible in the beginning. I didn't want you to live in insecurity.” Her tone softens as she watches his gaze lock on his hands, his expression softening, almost appearing relaxed but in reality he felt a dagger stab him in the back. 

“My own good.” He repeats following up with a bitter chuckle. “I didn’t need a compliment from you to feel less like shit about what occurred today, Ieiri.” His tone was cold, he shifted his gaze away from her. 

His tone sent shivers down Shoko’s core, “Nanami, I didn’t-”

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Shoko shifts her gaze away from Nanami, the knock on the door was a familiar three beat sequence that only Ijichi and Gojo would use. ‘Gojo would just make this whole encounter more tense than what it already was,’ Silently praying that it was her underclassmen, she twists the handle, pulling back the heavy door, allowing it to make a loud creak in the painful silence of the room. 

“I hope Ramen was alright.” Ijichi awkwardly laughs before she fully opens the door. He stood there with two brown bags in one hand with to-go bowls full of ramen. 

She reaches out and takes the bags from him, “Thank you, Ijichi.” She states, her tone now colder than what it once was before he had left. 

He tries to look back into the infirmary, “Is he… alright?” He asks hesitantly, unable to see the examination table where Nanami was laying. 

Shoko glances over her shoulder, “He’s recovering, he should be fine within the next few hours. He’ll stay here for the time being.” She explains slowly taking a step back, gripping the outer part of the door. 

Ijichi tilts his head, bewildered by her sudden behavior. He finally takes the hint that she is still busy attending him and steps away from the entryway. 

Shoko allows the door to shut by itself as she turns on her heels with the bags of food in her fist, now facing Nanami. “Is it sanitary to eat that here?” His bitter tone is still apparent in his question. Shoko could tell it was meant to be passive aggressive, “Obviously not, but I do not expect you-” She sighs, cutting herself off, shaking her head, “Do you prefer to eat in the lounge?”

“I would prefer we not.”

“So here is fine then.” “Here is fine.” She shoots a glare at him noting that he is making this more complicated than necessary on purpose. “Your voice is coming back.” She comments making her way over to the examination table, placing the brown bag on the overbed table next to his glasses. 

“Is it?” He asks, his tone filled with skepticism as he opens the brown bag revealing generic ramen in a plastic container and a pair of wooden chopsticks. ‘I assume Ijichi purchased the same safe order for both of us.’ He places the container onto the table, twisting his body so now his legs are dangling off of the bed, now facing his lunch, finally. 

Shoko nods making her way back to her desk, “It is, which is a good sign that you’ll be back to yourself relatively soon.” She states sitting against the stool, laying her brown bag down. She takes out the same exact ramen bowl, noodles, green onions, soft boiled egg, and pork. “Safe choice.” She murmurs to herself peeling back the container lid. 

Nanami takes his chopsticks, already having taken the lid off while Shoko was explaining his estimated recovery time, and picks up a few strands of noodles. He lifts the noodles to his lips, the steam wafting across his face. “Same thing?” He asked, referring to the ramen choice, before he blows air against the noodles, his gaze now locked on her again. 

Shoko looks down at her ramen, nodding, picking up her own chopsticks. “Definitely not my go to for ramen, or lunch period I should say.” 

“You prefer more vegetables.” He states, almost a little too nonchalantly before placing the noodles in his mouth with a slurp. 

Shoko glances up at him, “I do.” She confirms, her gaze back down to her bowl, placing her chopsticks in the bowl, lifting up a strand as well. 

Shoko takes a bite of her ramen, placing her chopsticks next to the bowl, reaching down and opening her file drawer, revealing three water bottles. She picks one up and places it on her desk, then takes the other one in her opposite hand. She lifts herself up from her chair, walking over to the examination table. “Here.” She sighs softly, setting it against the table. Nanami nods symbolizing a “thank you” as he swallows.

“How did you know I prefer more veggies?” Shoko asks, shuffling back to her stool, she pushes herself back to her desk lifting her chopsticks. 

Nanami hums softly, “We had ramen together a while back, a while.” He emphasizes, recalling the one occurrence he had witnessed Shoko with a bowl of ramen to her liking. “Maybe two to three years ago we we’re out for lunch and…” He rambles, cutting himself off, catching himself staring into his bowl.

Shoko scoffs quietly, shaking her head, picking up more noodles, “You remember that? And you remember the contents I had in my bowl?”

He looks up from his bowl, “I assume you do not?”

“Not necessarily, but it is interesting… that you do.” She responds, her voice hushed as she places the noodles onto her tongue. He studies her movements unconsciously, somehow Shoko’s swift movements with just the chopsticks in her hand moving up to her lips made his stomach flip. 

Nanami sighs, shaking his head, bringing the bowl up to his lips and guiding the noodles with his chopsticks as he slurps down some of the broth.  

Shoko swallows, catching a glimpse of his previous stare. “You observe without knowing a lot don’t you?”

Nanami pulls the bowl away from his face, a mouthful of salty broth sitting upon his tongue. He blows out air through his nostrils, swallowing. “I do, it’s a habit from this shit hole.”

“You also savor every bite you take from of whatever you’re eating.”

“You noticed?” “A while ago.”

____________

“I think it’s best if you go home for the remainder of the day, Nanami.” Shoko states watching the clock. “It seems like your condition has gradually reversed within the last hour; However, I believe it’s for the best.” She tilts her head back towards Nanami, it had been another hour of waiting and observing in the infirmary waiting for the curse to gradually wear off. He lost most of the feminine physique that altered his appearance, but it is unsure if his hormones had stabilized as well. “I would’ve sent you home after treatment, but-” “Thank you.” He cuts her off stepping off of the examination table, grabbing his glasses from the side table. He slips his tan blazer back over his shoulders, slipping his glasses into the lower pocket. “Thank you for not sending me home.”

Shoko scoffs, making her way over to him, “Let me see the symbol before you leave.” She urges pushing back his blazer. She lifts his buttoned up revealing a faded three moon phase symbol. Her bare finger grazes over the marking. Her unexpected touch sent shivers down Nanami’s spine, “Still there?” He asks, his eyes locked on Shoko’s index finger touching his abdomen.

Shoko hums, her eyes slowly tracing upwards, “It’s there, but it’s similar to a faded tattoo. The redness and heat surrounding the area is also gone.” She reassures, pulling her hands away from his torso and clothing, now looking up at him. “My best guess is that it will be completely faded by the time you arrive home.” She adds glancing back at the clock again. 

He hums, now also glancing at the clock, “I assume Gojo does his daily rounds in here after training the first years for the day, and that’s why you want me to leave.” He comments knowingly. He knew how Gojo functioned, he would see him the same time every day as if Gojo purposely made it a part of his schedule. 

Shoko smiles sheepishly, “You know how he is. I would just prefer you to not blow a fuse in here with whatever comes out of his mouth.” She breathes, closing her eyes with a shrug. 

Nanami chuckles softly, bending down and picking up his discarded patterned tie. Shoko opens one eye looking down at him, she smirks slightly, leaning her weight overtop of his body. His head tilts up slowly, now meeting her gaze. His eyes widened as he freezes, now below her height, almost confused as to what she was thinking. 

“You know I stole this moment from you earlier.” She confesses, her hushed breath brushing against Nanami’s nose. His eyebrows slowly lowered, his mouth parts hesitantly sucking in air, “I-” His heart skipped a beat, he didn’t have enough time to express his thoughts before Shoko’s lips collided with his in a smooth motion. Her lips felt as if warm velvet fabric grazed his lips. His stomach was twisting in knots as he guided his palm to her cheek. Beginning to move his lips against hers, as the initial shock fades his eyes flutter shut, exhaling deeply through his nose. 

Shoko’s mind was racing as her lips collided with his, cutting him off, it was almost instinct to her to lean in and prevent another rambling session. Her head spun from his cold and unresponsive lips at first, until he returned the kiss. His fingers cupped around her cheek, slowly tracing their way to the back of her neck. His lips felt warmer as their lips moved against one another, opening their mouths simultaneously gingerly brushing their tongues together before closing their mouths again. Nanami could still taste the cigarette and sweetened chapstick from her break after their shared lunch hour, it was addicting. She raises her palms, cupping both sides of his face in response. 

Knock Knock Knock

They both exhale through their nose, pulling away, Shoko’s hands still on his cheeks and his still at the base of the back of her neck. Shoko pulls away from him, making her way to the door. Her lips tingle, she reaches up and touches her bottom lip with her index finger as she touches the door handle. 

“I heard Nanamin was here~” The familiar voice chirped from behind the cracked door. She inhales slowly, opening the door completely, “I just discharged him.” She states, her voice gruff still in an obvious daze. 

Gojo pushes past Shoko, “He can say hi before he leaves, right?” He smirks, his eyes locked on Nanami who was buttoning his blazer. “Nanami~ you have tits.” He comments his tone shifting from playful into pure bewilderment. 

Nanami glances up, “I do.” He mutters, he knew his appearance hadn't fully come back and some more noticeable parts to his physique were still apparent, like his bust size. He walks by Gojo and Shoko, buttoning the last flap on his suit. 

“Is this treatable?” Gojo gawked his head towards Shoko, impressed by Nanami’s nonchalance about the issue. 

“She already treated me.” He interjects walking through the doorway, not looking back. 

Shoko watches him leave suddenly, her eyes watching the door shut behind him. “I wouldn’t send him home if he were still in critical condition.” She retorts, spinning on the heels of her feet with her arms tucked under her arms. 

“I’m more curious as to how long this will affect him.” Gojo clarifies running his fingers through his pearly white hair.

Shoko sighs, “It was worse a few hours ago, it should be cleared up by the time he gets home.” She states walking away from him and the door. “Did you need something or were you only tormenting him?” “No one told me he came back safe.”

____________

Nanami makes his way into the restrooms next to the infirmary, he stares at himself in the mirror. He recognized himself, vaguely, the appearance was subtly shifting as time went on. He looks down at his bust, noting that it wasn’t that much bigger than what it usually was. He inhales deeply, taking a breath, turning on the faucet and letting the water flow into the sink. 

He splashes his face with cold water, rubbing it into his face. The coldness of the water cooling his temperature spiked even higher once Gojo began his daily teasing. Usually, he wouldn’t pay any mind to it, but something was different about his comment.

He looks back up into the mirror, water droplets dripping from his nose and jawline. He reaches up and presses his index finger to his lips. The frustration wasn’t from Gojo’s comment, it was the untimely manner of his interruption of an intimate moment. ‘Could I even call that intimate?’ 

He pulls away from his reflection, listening to the patter against the wooden floor pass by the restroom doors. As the steps fade away he opens the door, looking down the hallway where the steps went towards, seeing the white haired man in the distance. He sighed, feeling a little guilty about leaving suddenly, but he remembered what Shoko wanted before their moment. 

His steps lead him down the same direction as Gojo, his mind filled with unfinished business, things he still wanted to say to Shoko, actions he wished he had more time to complete.

That familiar panging in his head came back behind his eyes. He pinches the bridge of his nose as he comes to a stop in the middle of the corridor. Spinning on the balls of his feet, he turns back to the direction of the infirmary. 

Shoko is cleaning up, throwing the brown bags and water bottles from their lunch into the recycling bin and saving the containers for future use. She hums softly to herself as she reaches into the file drawer grabbing her pack of cigarettes, deciding now would be a good time for a break. 

She exits the infirmary, hearing footsteps behind her as she locks the door. Her head tilts into the direction, seeing Nanami make his way back. “I figured you went home for the day.” She comments as she twists the key before taking it out and placing it in her lab coat pocket. 

"Almost," he states, his soft tone taking Shoko by surprise after seeing his last interaction with Gojo. "Ieiri, I apologize for making you feel like-" She shakes her head, cutting him off mid apology. "You didn't make me do anything." She responds, turning completely towards him, catching his gaze. “It could happen again if you’d allow it.” 

Her comment takes him by surprise, his eyebrows raising as the guilt in his gaze went away. “Again?” He repeats as his mouth suddenly becomes dryer while his palms dampen. “And if I did allow it?”

Shoko smirks walking past him with her pack of cigarettes in hand, “We’ll see what the future holds in store.” She remarks holding up the pack in between her fingers. “Have a good evening, Nanami.”

He watches her slowly disappear down the hall with a small smirk smeared across his lips. He lets out a small scoff shaking his head, “Do you have a lighter?” He calls out walking after her. 

Shoko pauses patting her pockets down, giving him time to catch up to her. She turns her head back, catching a glance as he makes his way up to her. “I do.” She responds with a sly grin tapping her top pocket of her slacks. “You only said that to catch up to me.” “Maybe so.” He shrugs now walking by her side. “You look so far into the future that you leave me behind. At times, I feel as if I have to call out for you just so you can stop for a moment so I have a chance to catch up.”

“I don’t mean to leave you behind.”