"What's with you, idiot? Stop saying nonsense! I'm not looking anymore, just cut it already!"
Toji kept waving the knife back and forth, deliberately stalling. He wasn't cutting the cake at all, just watching her reactions. It was obvious he was teasing her.
Normally, Onshin's temper was unbelievably gentle, but now she realized her little secret might be exposed. Left with no choice, she pressed her burning red face with both hands and tried to cover it up with excuses.
"Alright, alright, I'm going to cut now. You're really not watching? I mean it this time." Her reaction only made him want to push further. Amused, Toji slowly edged the knife closer and closer to the cake, coaxing her as if she were a child.
Though she had her face covered, Onshin couldn't help peeking through her fingers. A tiny slit opened between them, and her wide eyes stayed locked on the knife, her nervousness obvious.
Click.
The blade finally sank into the cake. Just as he expected, it didn't slide smoothly all the way through. Halfway down, Toji felt resistance, like the knife had hit something solid.
"A letter?"
He adjusted the angle, carefully working the blade in and out. With precision, he managed to slice the cake without harming what was hidden inside.
At last, the secret was revealed: a cute pink envelope, neatly sealed in a little plastic case to keep it from being ruined.
"You want me to open this now?"
Instead of tearing it apart immediately, Toji turned his gaze toward Onshin, whose heartbeat was so loud he could practically hear it.
"O-of course open it now!" Pulling her hands away from her face, she locked eyes with him.
He glanced briefly at Mukuro, but his younger brother only shrugged, refusing to interfere.
"This is…"
When Toji opened the envelope and unfolded the paper within, something stirred within his usually calm heart.
It was a marriage registration form.
He had never imagined Onshin would be the one to gather the courage and take the first step. Yet along with surprise came a heavy thought. Their identity. The truth of what he and Mukuro were.
Ordinary people weren't supposed to know about the jujutsu world. And though most wives of sorcerers eventually learned, whether by accident or being told, it was always a difficult matter.
He and Mukuro had talked about this before. If Onshin and he ever reached marriage, she had to know beforehand. It was the least respect she deserved. Better she heard the truth directly, not stumble on it one day and discover her husband had never been ordinary.
The problem was… how was he supposed to explain it to her? He couldn't just drag her along to exorcise curses. And even if he did, she might not even be able to see them.
"What's wrong? Aren't you happy? If you think it's too soon, then forget it. Pretend I never gave you this. I was only joking anyway…" Seeing him fall silent, Onshin felt her chest tighten painfully. She forced herself to take a deep breath and tried to act casual, though her voice trembled ever so slightly.
She reached out, trying to snatch the paper back.
"No, no, it's not that!"
Breaking out of his thoughts, Toji quickly raised the marriage form high above his head, out of her reach, watching her jump in vain.
"You asked me before what I do for work, right? I want to tell you the truth first—"
"Toji! What is that?!"
Right as he was about to reveal his secret about the jujutsu world and his identity as a sorcerer, Onshin suddenly shouted, pointing past him.
"That's… cursed energy?" He turned sharply, eyes narrowing. A swarm of Fly Head curses were coming straight at them.
But what shocked him wasn't just the sudden attack. With his ability, there was no way he could have failed to sense cursed spirits at this distance. Not to mention, how could Onshin see them?
'Don't tell me… that brat…'
While he tried to process the situation, Mukuro tossed a long blade his way.
"Hold on, I'll explain everything after this!"
Toji leapt up, catching the weapon midair, and together with his brother, they cut into the swarm of low level curses.
In less than thirty seconds, the field was clear. Every last cursed spirit was gone, their remains dissolving into nothing, leaving the brothers standing in the middle of the fading haze.
"So cool…"
Onshin's earlier low mood vanished. Her eyes lit up, captivated by Toji's power, his feral movements, and the fearless way he fought.
"Toji! Mukuro! Watch out!"
As they turned back toward her, she called out again.
The brothers spun around. Another group of curses were surging toward them.
"Someone's controlling them. I'll deal with it. Stay with her," Mukuro said, stepping in front before Toji could swing again.
With his trident flashing, he dashed forward and vanished into the horde, leaving the two behind.
"Even if they're weak, there are too many," Toji muttered.
* * *
Meanwhile, Mukuro cut down hundreds in his path, his weapon carving clean lines through the cursed swarm. Eventually he reached the source.
"You've got to be kidding me. Dragging me all the way here and using my Cursed Spirit Manipulation just so your big brother can impress a girl? Only you would think of something that ridiculous, Mukuro!"
A boy with bangs covering his forehead stepped forward, his finger poking Mukuro in the chest, his face filled with irritation.
"Don't say it like that," Mukuro replied. His trident dissolved into air, and he slung an arm around the boy's shoulder. "You can make curses show themselves to normal people. That's why I asked for help. Toji's about to marry her. She deserves to know the truth."
Suguru shook his head. "You and your brother are both freaks…"
"Forget it. Come on, let's go watch the show."
"Ha?"
Ignoring his friend's grumbling, Mukuro's right eye gleamed. The number "1" shone within, glowing faintly.
* * *
On the other side.
"Toji… what was that?"
Onshin's voice was calmer now, but uncertainty lingered. She watched the last traces of the curses dissolve.
"This is what I wanted to tell you. Our job."
The world around them grew still, quiet enough that only the two of them seemed to exist.
Toji explained everything, piece by piece. The jujutsu world, the existence of cursed spirits, and what he and his brother did as sorcerers.
"We exorcise curses. Sometimes we deal with rogue sorcerers too. But… even knowing this, will you still stay by my side?"
His voice trailed lower and lower, his eyes falling away from hers.
He hadn't killed innocents, but in the eyes of many, killing was wrong regardless of the reason. Could someone as kind as her accept a man like him?
"That just makes you a hero!"
"What?"
His eyes widened.
He never thought that what he did could be called heroic.
Lifting his gaze again, he realized the trees around them were no longer empty. Somehow, the ginkgo branches were full, golden leaves shimmering in the breeze.
A petal floated down. Onshin caught it between her fingers, her face glowing with resolve.
"Let's get married, Toji."
"Yeah."
Under the golden leaves, the two who had known each other for years finally laid their hearts bare.
Behind a thick ginkgo trunk, two figures crouched, peeking out at the scene.
Suguru smirked. "Not bad at all."
Mukuro grinned. "That's love."
**
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