Maki didn't leave any room for argument. Her tone was flat, but underneath it, Ren could hear the sudden rush of movement. A locker door slammed in the background.
"Tonight?" Ren asked.
"Yes, tonight. Night drills are done in an hour." She paused, and the sharp sound of a bag zipper echoed through the speaker. "We aren't prisoners here. Students can leave campus when the day is over. I'll catch the train."
Ren leaned his head back against the brick wall of the alley.
He nodded.
The line went quiet. Two seconds passed. Then five.
"Ren?" Maki's voice came back. She dropped her bossy edge and just sounded uncertain. "I'm not hearing an answer. Do you not want me to come? Should I stay here?"
Ren blinked. He looked at the dark street in front of him as a stupid realization hit him.
He pulled the phone away from his ear for a second, stared at the call screen, and dragged his free hand down his face.
"No, no, I'm here," Ren said quickly. He let out a short, embarrassed laugh. "Sorry. I didn't mean to go quiet. I was literally nodding my head."
Maki paused. "...You were nodding."
"Yeah," Ren sighed, rubbing his forehead. "To a voice call. Standing by myself in the street. My brain is completely fried, Maki."
He heard a soft exhale on the other end. The heavy tension broke, replaced by her usual, exasperated huff.
"You are an idiot," she muttered, though she sounded relieved. "Try not to break anything else before I get there. Don't touch any more wooden hangers."
"I'll keep my hands in my pockets," Ren promised. "I'll order some food. See you soon."
"See you."
The line clicked dead.
Ren lowered the phone, the smile fading from his face. He pushed off the brick wall and immediately started walking fast. He had a lot of work to do before she arrived.
...
Maki tossed her phone onto the mattress. She immediately pulled a small, dark duffel bag from the bottom of her closet and started shoving clothes inside.
Her hands moved fast, fueled by adrenaline, but her mind was stuck completely on what Ren had just said.
She paused, gripping a folded t-shirt. How is that even possible? Heavenly Restrictions were biological curses. You couldn't just transmit superhuman strength through... intimacy. It defied every law of Jujutsu she had ever learned.
But Ren had no reason to lie about it. He had sounded genuinely confused, like a completely normal guy who was suddenly terrified of his own hands.
She shoved the shirt into the bag and yanked the zipper shut with a sharp pull. She had to see it for herself.
Maki slung the duffel bag over her shoulder. But as she reached for the doorknob, her hand stopped.
If she just walked out right now, someone was going to notice. The dorms were never actually quiet. Nobara was probably awake, complaining loudly to someone about her lack of a social life. Panda was notorious for wandering the halls at all hours looking for snacks.
And then there was Gojo.
If Gojo caught her sneaking off campus with an overnight bag, he would ask questions. He wouldn't stop prying until he dug up the truth.
And if he found out about Ren, the secret was completely over. Gojo would probably teleport straight into Ren's living room just to introduce himself and cause chaos.
Maki rubbed her temples, a dull headache already starting behind her eyes. She couldn't let them find out. Ren was normal. He was safe. She had to keep him completely separate from this dangerous life.
She stepped away from the door and scanned her room, looking for a believable excuse. Her eyes landed on the corner by her desk.
A long wooden staff leaned against the wall, splintered heavily down the middle from a brutal sparring session earlier that week.
Perfect.
Maki grabbed the broken wood and slid it into her long, tactical weapon case. She zipped it up and strapped the heavy case diagonally across her back. The wide, padded strap completely covered the strap of the smaller duffel bag tucked underneath her jacket.
She took a steadying breath, opened her door, and stepped into the hallway.
"Going somewhere?"
Maki froze. She looked to her left. Panda was standing near the communal kitchen, holding a large bag of potato chips. He tilted his massive, furry head at her.
"Yes," Maki said. She forced her shoulders to relax, easily channeling her usual annoyance. "I'm going to the city."
"It's late," Panda pointed out, chewing loudly. "Night drills just ended. Are you running away??"
"No," Maki sighed. She reached back and tapped the hard plastic of the weapon case. "I snapped my favorite staff on Tuesday. There's a repair contact in Shinjuku who takes early morning walk-ins. I'm going to stay at a hotel near his shop so I can be first in line tomorrow."
Panda stopped chewing. He stared at her for a long second, his black, beady eyes giving absolutely nothing away. Maki kept her expression completely blank, though her heart hammered against her ribs.
"Makes sense," Panda finally said, turning back to his chips. "Bring me back some mochi if you pass a bakery."
"I'm not your delivery service," Maki shot back automatically.
She didn't wait for him to say anything else. She turned and walked down the hall toward the exit. She kept her pace perfectly steady, forcing herself not to look back or walk too fast.
She didn't drop her guard until she was completely clear of the campus gates. Once her boots hit the dark, paved road leading down toward the train station, she let out a long, shaky breath. The rigid tension finally bled out of her spine.
She pulled her phone out of her pocket, the bright screen illuminating the dark street. She had exactly twenty-eight minutes to catch the last train.
...
The lock clicked. Ren pushed his apartment door open and stepped inside, shutting it firmly behind him. He checked the time on his phone. He had a little less than an hour before Maki's train arrived.
He walked straight into the living room, reaching under his flannel shirt to peel off the thick athletic tape. He pulled the Wraith's Fang free.
He looked at the dark scabbard in his hand. Stashing it in a dresser drawer felt too risky. Maki had sharp eyes and combat instincts. If she noticed anything weird and decided to snoop, a Grade 2 cursed tool mixed in with his winter sweaters would ruin everything. He needed it completely gone.
"Inventory," Ren said quietly.
The translucent gray grid appeared in the air. He pushed the weapon into the first slot. It vanished instantly. There was no bright flash of light and no sound. It was just gone.
Ren let out a breath. That solved his biggest problem.
Hiding his cursed tool