Chapter 46: Yuta Okkotsu
The hospital corridor was filled with a faint smell of disinfectant, and sunlight streamed through the windows, casting warm square patterns on the clean floor.
Toho Hiroshi pushed open the ward door and saw Rika leaning against the bed, her small face much rosier than a few days ago, as she ate jelly in small bites that the nurse had brought.
Ieiri Shoko stood by the bed, scrolling through her phone, her expression as always carrying a hint of lazy fatigue.
Rika's eyes lit up, and she sweetly called out, "Brother!"
Shoko looked up at the sound, saw Toho Hiroshi, and nodded slightly: "You're here? She's recovering well, and if there are no issues after another day of observation, she can be discharged."
Toho Hiroshi walked to the bedside and stroked Rika's hair: "How do you feel?"
"Mm! Much better! My head isn't dizzy anymore, and my throat doesn't hurt."
Rika nodded vigorously, then her big eyes blinked, her gaze flitting between Toho Hiroshi and Shoko, suddenly revealing a slightly mischievous smile, and she spoke surprisingly: "Sister Shoko has been taking very good care of me these past few days! Brother, Sister Shoko is your girlfriend, right?"
"Pfft—cough, cough!"
Shoko, who was drinking water, almost choked and coughed violently, her earlobes visibly reddening. She subconsciously reached into her pocket for a cigarette but then remembered that smoking was not allowed in the ward.
Toho Hiroshi was also stunned; even with his usual composure, being called out on such a subtle atmosphere by a child in such an innocent tone, a rare, almost imperceptible trace of embarrassment flashed across his face.
He cleared his throat, his tone slightly stiff: "Rika, don't talk nonsense."
The air in the ward seemed to freeze for a moment, permeated by a faint, indescribable subtlety.
The sunlight even seemed a little dazzling.
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the ward door, and a small head peeked in.
It was a small boy with black spiky hair, looking a bit timid, with large eyes that held a rare calmness and melancholy for his age.
He was holding a handmade, slightly crude origami bird in his arms.
"Rika..."
He called out softly, then saw Shoko and the unfamiliar Toho Hiroshi in the ward, immediately becoming somewhat reserved, standing at the doorway, not daring to enter.
"Yuta!"
Rika waved happily, "Come in quickly! This is my brother and sister!"
Yuta Okkotsu then cautiously walked in, bowed slightly to Shoko and Toho Hiroshi, and quietly greeted them: "Brother, Sister. Hello..."
His gaze quickly and curiously swept over Toho Hiroshi, especially lingering on Toho Hiroshi's eyes, as if instinctively sensing something extraordinary.
Toho Hiroshi's gaze fell on Yuta Okkotsu.
Almost at first glance, without needing to deliberately investigate, he could clearly perceive that within this seemingly ordinary, even somewhat delicate, little boy, there lurked an extremely vast, profound, and even terrifying reserve of Cursed Energy.
This was the future Special Grade Sorcerer, the boy who deeply loved and "cursed" Rika—Yuta Okkotsu.
Currently, he was just a somewhat lonely, cautious child who could see "monsters"; that power capable of shaking the Jujutsu World still lay deeply dormant within his soul.
"Are you Rika's friend?"
Toho Hiroshi spoke, his voice a little softer than usual.
Yuta Okkotsu nodded, appearing somewhat nervous: "Mm... I live in the ward next door. I heard Rika is going to be discharged. So, I came to see her..."
As he spoke, he handed the origami bird in his hand to Rika, "This is for you."
"Wow! Thank you, Yuta!"
Rika happily took it, holding it in her hands like a treasure.
Shoko watched the two children interact, the awkwardness on her face fading, replaced by a gentle smile: "Yuta is very thoughtful."
She then turned to Toho Hiroshi, "Brother, can I go out and play on the slide with Yuta?"
Rika happily took it, holding it in her hands like a treasure, "It's just like a real one, Yuta, you're amazing!"
Shoko watched the two children interact, the awkwardness on her face fading, replaced by a gentle smile: "Yuta is very thoughtful."
Rika looked up, her big eyes hopefully gazing at Toho Hiroshi and Shoko: "Brother, Sister Shoko, can I go play in the small garden outside with Yuta for a bit? Just for a bit."
Toho Hiroshi looked at the bright sunshine outside the window and the quiet, tidy courtyard downstairs, then nodded: "Okay, don't run far."
"Yay!"
Rika cheered, carefully put down the paper bird, nimbly jumped off the bed, and took Yuta's hand, "Yuta, let's go quickly."
The two children, hand in hand, like two happy little birds, joyfully ran out of the ward.
The ward temporarily returned to quiet, and the subtle atmosphere that had been stirred by childish words seemed to quietly return.
Shoko pretended to organize the medicines on the bedside table, while Toho Hiroshi's gaze drifted out the window, watching the two small figures downstairs run towards the playground equipment in the courtyard.
The sun was just right, shining on the children; Rika's giggles faintly reached them, and Yuta also seemed much more relaxed than before, moving between the slide and swings with Rika.
After a while, the two children seemed tired of playing and sat down to rest on a bench in the courtyard.
Yuta was seen with his head bowed, his small hand fumbling for something in his pocket, appearing somewhat nervous and hesitant.
Rika tilted her head, watching him, curiously asking something.
Then, Yuta seemed to make up his mind, took out a small object from his pocket, and carefully presented it to Rika.
Even from a distance, Toho Hiroshi and Shoko by the window could see that it was a ring-shaped object shimmering with a faint light in the sun—it appeared to be a platinum ring.
Yuta's face was very red, his voice soft, but his solemn attitude pierced through the distance, clearly conveying itself.
Up in the ward, Toho Hiroshi and Shoko silently watched the innocent yet solemn scene downstairs.
They saw Rika's eyes widen in surprise, then her face bloomed into an incredibly bright, happy smile, as she nodded vigorously.
She extended her small hand, allowing Yuta to place the naive yet heartfelt "ring" on her finger.
The two children smiled at each other, the sunlight bathing them in a warm golden glow, and the air seemed to be filled with the sweet and sour, unripe scent of strawberries.
Inside the ward, a faint, almost imperceptible ripple passed through Toho Hiroshi's deep eyes.
It was a mix of slight nostalgia for an innocent era, an insight into the future fate of this heavy "promise," and a barely detectable softness.
He remained silent, his figure tall and straight like a pine, but his aura seemed less cold than usual.
And Ieiri Shoko, standing beside him, looked at the beautiful, picturesque scene downstairs, a gentle curve unconsciously gracing her lips.
But then, her gaze shifted slightly, quickly and covertly glancing at Toho Hiroshi's profile beside her, and the faint blush that had just faded from her earlobes seemed poised to return.
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