Chapter 40- Call from Mom
After getting back to the dorms , Itadori, Nobara, Megumi and Junpei discussed what they should do with the new-found information.
"You can't just ask her if she was the one behind it!" Nobara said.
"And why is that?" Itadori asked.
"I mean if she's behind it, she most likely won't admit or we won't even know if she was telling the truth. It's also possible that she really wasn't behind it and she would say no. Besides, if she really was involved in those incidents, asking her directly like that is a s if telling her 'we know things and we suspect you'." Megumi said.
"But I still feel like it's wrong to suspect her. Shouldn't we just ask her and get this done with? I know she wasn't the most reliable person but all of us got saved by her more than once. We spent a lot of time together as classmates, too. So, I really don't want to do this." Itadori said.
"I'm also with Itadori on this one." Junpei muttered.
"You're making me and Fushiguro sound like a bad person." Nobara said.
"Come on, let's give her benefit of doubt, at least?" Itadori said.
"Alright. But, I have a feeling she is not going to be honest." Megumi said with a sigh.
So, they called.
"Itadori? Hi!" Sachiko said as she answered the phone. Since the phone was on speaker, the group could her loud and clear.
"So..umm..I have a question to ask you." Itadori said.
"Okay?" Sachiko replied.
"We went to Junpei's house today and we found out an interesting thing." He paused.
"And what might that be?"
"You know the one who bullied Ito Shouta, right?""Yeah, I mean Junpei mentioned him."
"Right ," Itadori nodded anxiously before continuing , "The thing is he was sent to a psychiatric ward."
"And why is he sent there? I don't understand." Sachiko said with a frown.
"Because he was hallucinating things. He keep saying that he sees worst things possible happening to him."
"Oh, that's unfortunate." Sachiko said rather nonchalantly.
"What?" Itadori asked.
"Oh, nothing. I just thought how unlucky he was. He was already on the verge of being expelled, right?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm.. I wonder how that happened to him." Sachiko said but there was no trace of real curiosity in her voice.
"Yeah, us too." Itadori scratched his head, unsure of how to ask if it was really Sachiko who was behind Ito Shouta's incident.
"Well, I can't take part in investigation now even if I want to so I guess I'll leave it to you. That is if you're investigating, of course."
"We'll continue looking for clues, I guess."
"Good then." She replied, then continued, "Right, earlier.. you said you wanted to ask me something. What is it?"
"Let's say Ito Shouta's symptoms are similar to that of the curse you used your cursed technique on. It was on the first day we met, remember?" Nobara said, unable to see Itadori beating around the bush anymore.
Sachiko seemed to be a bit surprised at Nobara's voice but after a few seconds, she replied, "So, what you're saying is?"
"Are you behind it?" Megumi asked.
A pause. Then, they heard her chuckle. "What do you think?"
They shouldn't have felt a shiver at that but they did.
"I think you should answer first. " Itadori said.
"And can't I know what you think? Do you really think it's me?" She asked them.
"I don't want to suspect you but it's just that I don't understand why that incident points to you." Itadori said.
"And what about Megumi? Nobara? Junpei?" She asked, then chuckled when she met with silence. "I guess you all seem to suspect me."
"That's not it. " Junpei tried to say.
"Alright, I can say one thing." Sachiko said.
"It's not me who sent him to the psychiatric ward."
"I see."
The group fell silent after that.
"What about we go and meet Ito Shouta?" Junpei suggested.
"Maybe we can find out something." Nobara nodded.
"Like residuals?"
"It's been months. I doubt we can find any residuals." Megumi shook his head.
"Then, how do we find out the proof of who did that?" Itadori frowned.
"Still don't know." Megumi said with a sigh.
Meanwhile, Sachiko had a unreadable face expression after the phone call.
Then, she chuckled, "They really suspect me."
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Oct 30, 2018
On the evening of 30th October, Sachiko was meeting with Kokichi for finalizing their plans for Shibuya.
"So, it's funny how you got branded as a traitor huh?" Kokichi said.
"Oh yeah, I've been minding my own business, and the next second, I'm suddenly the traitor," Sachiko said sarcastically.
"It seems like you're doing well tho," Kokichi said.
"Am I?" Sachiko shook her head with a bitter laugh, "If not for Gojo sensei, I don't know what I would've done."
"Well, it's a good thing that I'm here." Gojo chuckled.
Sachiko's phone rang and it turned out to be her mother.
"Mom?"
"Sachiko?" She noticed that her mother's voice was shaking.
"Mom, are you okay? Did something happen?"
"I keep getting this feeling that something's going to happen to me. I feel like someone's watching me constantly and there're like creepy monsters... I keep seeing them, Sachiko. I know this might sound crazy. Maybe I'm going crazy...I ..I don't know anymore...I'm... I'm scared." Her voice was shaking and the last part came out as a whimper.
Sachiko's eyes widened at the mention of creepy monsters and felt extremely worried.
"Mom... when.."
"I know this is all crazy..I know that but I just..thought I would feel better if I hear your voice..." She kept mumbling, mindless to what Sachiko was saying.
"Mom...please..please snap out of it. I need you to tell me when it started and where you are now. Are those...creatures also still there?"
Gojo must've overheard her because he turned to look at her in concern.
"Right." Her mother said, voice still shaking but at least she knew what Sachiko said. "I'm at home. Since Iocked myself in, it should be fine, right? It's probably me imagining things..."
"No, mom." Sachiko wanted to tell it wouldn't work but she couldn't. Not when she was this scared. She just had to figure out how to get there before something happened to her. Her eyes fell onto Gojo who was still looking at her in concern.
"Mom, stay there, okay? I'll be there soon. Also, don't hang up yet." She said before muting the speaker on her phone.
"Satoru..I need your help. Please..my mom...I think she's being targeted." She spoke, not even realizing how her voice shook and how she called Gojo by his first name in front of another person. Not that any of that mattered right now.
Gojo just gave a nod before asking, "Where is it? Maybe I can warp us there."
Sachiko quickly told the location and in less than a minute, they stood in front of the house. It also surprisingly turns out Gojo had been to this neighborhood before.
They rushed into the house in hurry as soon as they noticed the dark aura surrounding the house. If there was one thing which can reassure Sachiko, it was there was no screams or irregular sound coming from her phone.
"Mom, I'm home. Where're you?"
"In my room...but I can't come out. There's a huge monster at the door. Ahhhh!" She heard her mother screamed and she ran as fast as she could while reinforcing her legs with cursed energy.
She destroyed the door with sheer cursed energy and then saw her mother's limp body in the curse's hands.