Dust settled. The howling winds died down. The lights steadied. Gojo watched Dan's smile fall and scoffed. "Hah? What do you mean empty?"
Dan lowered his head. His smile crept back. "No need to worry." He looked up at Gojo, face still, as if the scene before hadn't happened.
Through the glass, Dan waved at the observers. Then he turned back to Hikaru. "Hikaru, mind giving it back?"
"O-oh, yes, Sir Dan." Hikaru handed over the sketch. Dan took it, looked at it for a moment, then sighed. "Hah. When I said no need to worry... I'm afraid I was mistaken. In fact, it is something to worry about."
Hearing his words, Gojo perked up, hands grabbing the edges of the plastic desk. "So? Just spill it. I've had enough of you stalling."
Gripping the sketchpad tighter, Dan let out a sigh. Adjusting his glasses, he sat down. "Gojo, I assume you've noticed the folder that I have been carrying, Hikaru, if you would."
Taking it out of his coat, Hikaru gave it to Dan. The chill of the cardstock jolted through Dan's fingers as he clutched the folder. "This, Gojo, is what we have found on you."
Setting it down and opening it, he slid it towards Gojo. The folder glided over the rough table, stopping before Gojo.
To say it was barren would be an understatement. Gojo stared at himself, at the blurry portrait, taken from when he was dragged by the agents, hair wild and eyes glowing beneath his sunglasses. The rest of the file was dead space. No name. No age. No government records.
A few minor notes and observations were kept in a tight left corner. "Suspect has shown extreme levels of self-confidence. Possibly professionally trained due to inhuman strength rivaling Tojo's. Maybe due to an effect of a Record or Record-like ability. Suspect has shown supernatural abilities, possibly a Record. Suspect has also shown a great deal of shrewdness and a major sweet tooth. Highly likely a refugee."
"Heh, how funny." Gojo's hair covered his eyes. A sharp huff came out as he read the notes. "Wow, a refugee? I consider myself more of a tourist."
Silence. Looking at both Dan and Hikaru, he noticed their faces were unusually tense. The clinical light of the LED bounced off of Dan's glasses, hiding his purple eyes. Hikaru stood ramrod straight near Dan, his face unreadable. The buzzing of the AC echoed throughout the room, filling the silence.
"Please be serious, Gojo Satoru," Dan spoke, his voice sharp under the tense quiet. "This is an extremely important matter for you and us, SPID."
Gojo leaned back, grabbing the folder as he went. "Serious? I've been serious this whole time, Dan Baek Hyeon. This file here, this? I, being a ghost. That's serious, Dan. I haven't bullshited anything that I've said once you two entered this room, not once."
Dan didn't respond. He simply removed his glasses, polishing the lens with the edges of his white sleeves. Closing his eyes as he continued to clean them, long strands of hair drifted across his porcelain-like face. "You have been curious. Curious about the purpose of the sketch since earlier, haven't you, Gojo? It seems like prime time to reveal it."
Hikaru stifled a breath. "Are you sure, Sir Dan?"
Dan turned back to Hikaru, his purple eyes open once again. Putting the glasses back on, his earlier air came back. "No need." Standing from his seat, he went towards the one-way glass and tapped it twice with the back of his hand.
Moments later, various agents came in, holding boxes upon boxes overflowing with art supplies. After the scramble to put all the items in place, they left just as fast, leaving behind a faint dust trail.
Patting away the dust from a stool, Dan sat towards a canvas, his back towards Gojo and Hikaru. Hikaru moved over to Gojo's side, holding a Pocky stick.
"Where'd you get that from?"
"From those General Officers from Section 6."
"Huh, they're the goons of Dan? Give me one."
"Sure, just take in the magic, Dan's bout' to do."
Handing Gojo a stick, the two of them watched as Dan quickly prepared a slew of drawing utensils. "Say, is it just like last time?"
Hikaru mulled over the words, munching on the hard sweetness of the stick. Gulping the last shard, he licked his lips. "Nah."
Just as Hikaru finished speaking, Dan started sketching, this time, at an alarming pace. Dan's hair moved with his intense motion, dancing wildly. Scratches upon scratches of graphite fell to the floor. Dan didn't care. His eyes were focused on the canvas, never leaving it for a moment.
Finishing the last strokes with a flourish, he lingered his hand in the air. Huffing, beads of sweat poured on Dan's face. He turned towards the two, now having finished an entire box of Pocky
"Wow, amazing." Clapping his hands, Gojo kept munching on a stick.
Setting down the pencil, Dan's shoulders sagged for a moment before he straightened up. Wiping the sweat on his forehead with his sleeves, he turned towards both of them.
"You flatter me."
"No, seriously, you could sell these."
Gojo stepped closer towards the canvas, his Six Eyes underneath his sunglasses, analyzing the piece. Tilting his head, he glanced at Dan.
"So, what? This it? A little underwhelming compared to last time." Smacking his lips, Gojo touched the canvas, tracing the lines of the linen. On it was his face, this time, more detailed, yet more frantic. A mix of precision and frenzy, working seamlessly together to create a piece worthy of Gojo Satoru's face.
"Haha, I'm quite proud of this piece. Hm, since I am in quite a good mood, I won't mind if you ask me some questions. I'll answer truthfully." Dan walked over to the table where Hikaru sat. Propping himself down, he gestured towards Gojo, his sleeves swaying.
"Truthfully, huh?" Gojo turned away from the canvas, shoving his hands into his pockets. He walked back to the table, pulled out his chair, and sat backwards, arms resting on the backrest, chin on his arms. "Say. Have you been lying this entire time? How rude, tch. I've been more truthful than you, Dan."
Putting a hand on his mouth, Dan spoke in a measured tone, his voice muffled by his arm. "i have been saying the truth. But I have been selecting my words... carefully."
"That's the same as lying!"
"Indeed. I did not consider your point of view. I do apologize." Slightly bowing his head, Dan let his hands rest on his lap. "But this is not a court.. This is an interrogation room. And you, Gojo, are not on trial."
Gojo stayed silent, his eyes looking at Dan. Scratching the back of his white hair, Gojo sighed, his arms falling and flailing as his chin now rested on the plastic gray backrest.
"Dan, what do you mean by empty? Earlier, you said that I was empty, right? I've already got a theory in my head, but please, just tell me."
Gojo's voice was quieter, more subdued. Hair covered his left eye, his right eye, still blue under those tinted glasses.
Silent. Dan was silent, still, for a moment. He was considering his words. As he touched his glasses, a stray strand of hair passed over his eyes. "You, Gojo Satoru, are a ghost." Dan's smile dropped, absent.
"Yeah, I know that."
"Hm, not quite a literal ghost, but a ghost to the world. The world doesn't recognize you, Gojo."
Looking up, Gojo stared at Dan, face hidden by his hair. "Gojo, my Record, [Dead Rose Canvas], uses the well of knowledge, also known as the collective human unconscious."
"Every person who has ever existed leaves behind records, traces of their existence. A hermit living in the woods would still leave behind his house, his tools, and others' memories of him. A person from the distant past would still have their life recorded. A stone tablet, their copper, their diet, their connections, their memories, everything."
Dan paused, putting a finger to his chin. "You, Gojo Satoru, do not have any records of your existence. Simply pur, you do not exist, you are not recognized by the world."
Gojo stared at him, his lips quivering. Ah fuck. What did I expect? I'm dead. Of course, the world won't know me. Damn it, I'm getting too emotional. Is it because I'm a teenager again? Gojo lowered his head. Hands gripped the sides of the seat.
"Dan. You still drew me, didn't you? You saw me."
Dan looked at Gojo's head of white hair, his smile slowly creeping back. "That's because, Gojo, I saw you with my own eyes. Earlier, my Record didn't acknowledge you. But I drew you with my own hands, my own eyes, and my own observations of you. Gojo Satoru, do not be sad. I still know you, I still recognize you."
A/N: Guys, dw, I'm not sick no more, so I'll update again fr.