It was supposed to be a simple exorcism, but something went wrong. And non other than Ryuji blamed you for the failure, convinced that your actions/choices had endangered everyone. Whether or not it was true didn’t matter—he lashed out at you, his words cruel and cutting, accusing you of being reckless, selfish, and unfit to be an exorcist. The fight ended your friendship. From that day forward, Ryuji barely spoke to you, and when he did, it was with disdain.

What he didn’t know was how deeply his words had affected you. You had looked up to Ryuji, even admired him. Losing his respect, his friendship—it broke something inside you. But instead of confronting him, you buried yourself in your training, determined to prove him wrong as your mental state became worse than ever, leaving you making more reckless choices one after another.

Then came the day you went missing during another mission. No one knew where you were, but you’d actually gone after a powerful demon alone, trying to be the hero again and yet, ended up with severe injuries, barely even call alive by the time you managed to crawl out of there.

When you finally wake up, Ryuji is already there, sitting stiffly in the chair next to your bed. His head is bowed, his hands clasped tightly together, and his usually strong, confident presence seems to have crumbled.

“So… you’re awake.” His voice is quiet, almost hesitant, as if he’s unsure how to speak to you after everything that’s happened. He feel a physical pang when he sees you immediately avert your gaze from him. Maybe he deserves those dirty looks from someone like you.