Ren looked up at Maki and forced a weak smile, his voice straining slightly for effect.
"Ah... it's fine. It's just that during that last fight at the Goodwill Event, I got a little roughed up... it's nothing else. I deserved that knee for grabbing you without asking."
He looked down and let out another low grunt, shifting as if the pain were radiating through his core. Maki watched him, her heart sinking. 'Why? Was he already hurt? Then why did he come here? Why... he has always been like this, hasn't he? Always hurting himself, always putting himself in danger for someone like me. Why is he like this?'
Maki's lips parted, the words spilling out before she could catch them. "Why? Why do you do this, Ren? Just give me one logical reason why you're like this—always putting yourself before me, always getting hurt, always standing there with that annoying smile?"
Ren lay there on the wooden floor, staring up at the darkened ceiling. "Hmm, I don't know. I just like you, you know? And I don't want you to get hurt. It's as simple as that. There isn't much more to it, really. In fact, my reason is kind of selfish if you think about it. I like you, so I won't let you go. Weirdly enough, I'm being just as self-centred as you say I am, hahaha."
Ren let out a soft, breathy giggle at the end of his words. The moon peeked out of the clouds; the moonlight hit down on the window behind Ren…
Maki's eyes glistened, the moisture finally breaking as she suddenly surged forward and wrapped her arms around him. Her hands locked around Ren's neck, her face buried deeply into his shoulder.
Ren gasped, his eyes widening. 'Ah, is she choking me or hugging me? Holy shit... I might actually have to use cursed energy to reinforce my neck! She's strong... also, is she sobbing? No way. This is insane.'
He quickly reached up and patted her back, his voice softening. "Maki, are you okay? Is everything alright?"
"No... nothing is okay," she muttered into his shirt, her voice muffled and trembling.
"You're being an idiot and not listening to me, and... I realise I'm being selfish too! I didn't mean anything I said, okay? I'm being the biggest idiot ever, and so, so selfish!"
Her grip didn't loosen. Ren blinked, his mind whirring despite the physical pressure. 'Selfish? How was staying away from me selfish? Something doesn't add up. Why is she talking like this? Ugh... regardless, whoever made Maki act like this is going to…'
Maki suddenly pulled back, her hands lingering on his shoulders even as she averted her eyes, unable to meet his gaze.
"I don't hate you, okay? Idiot. And I don't want you to let me go. I'm really sorry I said those things to you... and I'm really sorry I kneed you.
I forgot you were trash at hand-to-hand, I swear! Everything I did today... it had a reason. A really, really good reason."
She was speaking so fast she nearly caught a hiccup in her throat. Ren thought, 'Oh, there was no reason to call me trash in hand-to-hand. Is she just being painfully honest?!'
Ren's hand reached out, finding her cheek. He gently cupped it, his thumb wiping away a stray tear. "Maki... it's fine. Just tell me what the reason is. That's all you need to do. Don't apologise; I already knew you didn't mean it."
Maki flinched slightly at the touch, a blush creeping up her neck as she pulled away to wipe her face with her kimono sleeves.
"Ugh... stop that. And can't you just do what I say? I told you, I have a good reason. It's simple: you just have to stay away from me. That's it. And I have a reason why you should."
'You can't just touch me like that, you idiot,' Maki thought, her heart hammering against her ribs. 'Does he even remember Mei Mei? No, that doesn't matter. I have to keep my distance because I should not ruin things!...'
Ren gave a slow, amused nod. "Okay, so you want me to leave because you have a 'really good reason'? Hmm? Yeah, how about no? If you had told me this from the start without the 'I hate you' drama, I might have considered it. But now? No way, idiot. I don't know what made you act like that, but I'm going to find out. Don't test my idiocy, Maki; just tell me. If it's actually a good reason, I'll listen."
'Yeah, right,' Ren thought internally. 'Even if Gojo himself told me to stay away, I wouldn't. Just hurry up and tell me so I can deal with that problem.'
Maki looked down at her bandaged hands, her resolve crumbling. 'Should I tell him? What if he goes to the clan? What if he gets hurt? No... but what if the clan goes after him anyway? It's better if he at least knows they're watching him. It's the best I can do without being a liability.'
She kept her head down as she finally spoke.
"The 'really good reason' is that the Zenin clan wants you, Ren. They told me to... well, to get you. To bring you into the clan somehow. That's why you should stay away from me. It would fix things, for now at least. And don't say anything else! You don't know how the Zenin clan works..."
She gripped her own shoulder, her voice small. Ren blinked, the silence stretching between them. 'HUH? That's it? The fucking Zenin clan? I thought it was something serious. God, it's just those clowns! I was worried over nothing.
But Maki's behaviour actually makes sense now; she is traumatised…
Or that's how it was implied, at least in the manga of JJK… But this… this is real, huh? An actually strong girl being weak like this – how badly did the Zenin clan treat Maki to make her still feel things like this?
My plans for the Zenin clan need to be updated. It's not like anyone would care if they disappeared; in the original timeline, Maki got nothing for ending them anyway, and that was after Gojo was out of the picture. Gojo won't get in my way here—if he knows they're trying to poach me, he might even help me deal with them. But the most shocking part... she did all of this just for me?'
Hmm… ok then, plans for the Zenin clan need to be changed; this would be better in this way. Plus, it's not like anyone could care if they died. In the actual manga, Maki got nothing for ending them… but that was after Gojo was sealed …'
Ren blinks as he looks at Maki's face, which was shining now because of the moonlight which entered from the window…
Maki's face was determined. like she didn't just sob seconds ago…
Ren's thoughts didn't slow down; he smiled to himself…
'Hmm, but that does not matter. There is no way Gojo would get in my way. In fact, if he knew the Zenin clan wanted me, then Gojo himself might do something, so I don't need to worry about him… But honestly, the most shocking thing is Maki acted like this all just for me? Ha… It seems I have affected the girl much more than I expected…
Ren let out a long, calm breath. "Hmm, the Zenin clan, eh? Wow. You did all of this today—the acting, the food, the black kimono—just to say we should end everything because you were scared they'd take me away? Oh my god."
Maki's head snapped up, a fierce blush blooming on her cheeks as she frowned.
"HEY! I didn't make you 'food'; that was an Osechi, you idiot! Don't you know what people eat for New Year?! And I'm not 'scared' they'll take you away!
I just...
I don't want you to get hurt because of me anymore. I would hate myself if anything happened to you because of my mess."