Destined to Collide - Inumaki Toge

36. Ichigo

A/N: Full compliments to the artist who drew that gorgeous Inumaki Toge art. Found it on Google under the name of Tarantulaines.

Feeling sad that their beloved teacher forgets about them but remembers only the Kyoto students, Maguro's tears gushed out and she bawled her eyes out on the spot.

And ran smack into Panda's open arms.

"Gojo-sensei is baaaddd!!!" Maguro bawled, sad that there was no candies or snacks, or gifts awaits them. Empty handed. Their sensei came back empty handed for them.

And gave them Kyoto bloody students gifts! And each of them at that! Right in front of them!

Maki snapped her head towards Satoru and glared.

The sorcerer froze.

It was one thing facing Curses. And it was another to face the whole student board glaring at him for making one of their classmate's cry.

In his heart, he felt proud that they have bonded up so beautifully. Everyone shows concern towards the Tsukigami girl, including the newly resurrected Itadori Yuuji. Hell, even Fushiguro is trying his best to calm the sobbing girl. He even summoned out one of his Shiki dogs to comfort her, but to no avail.

On the surface, he felt a sudden gust of wind and felt lonely.

His students are growing up. They don't want him anymore if he doesn't come back with gifts.

Satoru teared up dramatically. His babies all growing up.

As Maguro sobbed all out, Fushiguro and Nobara tried to calm her down and pat her back, but she only sobbed harder. Again, for her, it was one thing to forget about gifts but for a promise to be broken just like that it was just too much!

"Maguro," Maki started, patting her back awkwardly. "It's just chocolate. We can buy them here-"

"No!" Maguro cried sadly, hiccupping while stuttering out angry explanations. "He p-promised! And he for- he forgets about us! And he remembers them bloody Kyoto students but not us!" Remembering the event how all the Kyoto students got a gift and they got nothing, she cried even harder.

"Takana, Tuna Mayo. Ikura?" (Don't cry, Maguro. Fushiguro can really cook. Let's ask him to cook something, okay?) Inumaki said to her, patting her head kindly. Outwardly, to the others, he just said onigiri ingredients, but Maguro heard when he spoke to her in his thoughts.

"I don't wannaaaaaa!" Maguro continued to wail into Panda's stomach. "Choco!!! The Choco sensei promised us!! No chocoooo!!"

The fluffy Cursed Doll only patted Maguro's arms patiently as she sobbed her heart out. He knew there's pent up frustration and sadness in her from the day she first came to the college. She was alone in the world, and she knew it. And yet, she doesn't even act like she just lost her entire clan to a Curse. It was only now she finally snapped and let it all out.

To Panda's understanding, sometimes, it's good to let a girl cry her heart out.

Inumaki sighed. He watches as all the others tried to pacify her. Even Kasumi Miwa from the Kyoto Sister School offered her the gift Satoru gave them despite much reluctance to pacify the situation. And she refused it.

Then continued to sob her heart out into Panda's fluffy stomach.

He could only hope this works. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out a lollipop and unwrapped it.

"Ichigo," (I have a Strawberry lollipop here) Inumaki said, holding the candy stick and shaking it in front of Maguro.

She stopped sobbing at the mention of a candy. And everyone stopped breathing.

Dry sobbing without a sound, her tears continue to spill from her eyes as she focuses on the lollipop in Inumaki's hand. Eyes shining with unshed tears and entranced by the candy in his hand, Maguro's hand reached out meekly and grabbed the offered lollipop from Inumaki's hand slowly before putting it into her mouth.

Then she hiccupped. Maguro stopped crying and looked at Inumaki with teary eyes.

"Takana," (It's okay. We'll be here for you.) Inumaki said softly, brushing tears away from her cheeks. He smiled when he saw she nodded her head obediently and quietly ate the candy, hiccupping again. Inumaki chuckled. That was cute.

Everyone was stunned.

"A lollipop, Inumaki-senpai?" Fushiguro sweat dropped. This was the first time he had seen the normally calm and collected Tsukigami Maguro bawled all out because of some promised snacks. And for his senpai, Inumaki Toge, to know how to pacify her with just a candy, he was both amazed and dumbfounded.

His senpai's eyes crinkled with a hidden smile behind his high collar.

A candy. Candy can make a girl stop crying?

What news.

"I get her, really," Nobara sighed to herself. "She just wanted the promised candy. My mom once promised to buy me a birthday cake when I am 12 years old. But when I am finally 12, she had forgotten all about it. I felt so disappointed and sad I didn't speak to her for days because of it."

Fushiguro and Itadori gulped. Girls can be quite scary at times.