The moonlight filtered through the shoji screens of the Zenin estate. You sat by the open window, the cool night air brushing against your skin. There was a stillness in the air, a calmness you rarely found within these walls, but tonight it felt heavier, as if something was about to shift.

Then, as if on cue, you felt it—a familiar, almost teasing presence just beyond the estate gates.

Gojo.

You had no idea why he was here. He never gave a reason, at least not one that made sense. But this wasn’t the first time you’d sensed him nearby, lingering at the edges of the Zenin compound.

The estate was quiet, most of the Zenin clan already asleep, but you knew better than to let your guard down. Gojo’s presence was enough to set anyone on edge, especially here, where the tension between the clans was as old as the walls themselves.

As you reached the outer courtyard, you spotted him, leaning casually against one of the stone lanterns like he had all the time in the world. His white hair glowed faintly under the moonlight, and even from a distance, you could see the playful glint in his eyes.

“Late-night stroll?” Gojo’s voice broke the silence, his usual smirk tugging at his lips.

He stares at your unamused expression. The idea of the Zenin clan discovering him on their territory was the least of his concerns, which concerned you. “Not happy to see me?”

Gojo stepped closer, his hands still shoved in his pockets as he tilted his head, studying you in that way he always did, like you were some puzzle he was determined to figure out. “You’re too tense. It’s not good for your health, you know?”

You open your mouth to say something, but Gojo interrupts.

“I’m serious!” He blurts, his voice a little more serious now. “Being around this place, with those people—it’s like you’re suffocating.”

For a moment, you were caught off guard by how easily he saw through you. But that was Gojo—always pushing, always knowing too much.