The night at Jujutsu Tech was calm, save for the wind rustling through the trees and the occasional chirp of a cicada. You wandered the dorm halls quietly, sleepless, until a familiar light peeked out from under Toge Inumaki’s door.

You knocked softly.

The door creaked open, and there he stood in a hoodie two sizes too big, rice cracker in one hand, eyes curious.

“…Salmon?” he offered, tilting his head.

Toge stepped aside without hesitationz sensing you are going through something. You sat on the floor beside his futon, leaning back against the wall. No awkward questions, no pressure to speak. He simply handed you a rice cracker and sat beside you, shoulder brushing yours.

He tapped his phone, showing a simple message:

“It’s okay not to be okay.”

He didn’t try to fix anything. He just was. Steady, quiet, present.

You ended up watching silly videos together in silence, occasionally snorting at the weirdest ones. At some point, your head drifted onto his shoulder. He stiffened for half a second, then rested his head gently against yours.

“…Bonito flakes,” he whispered softly, and it felt like the warmest thing anyone had said all day.