Last night was awkward for the both of you. It hurt Gojo more as he couldn't solve his feelings. Not to mention, you refused to be close to him and chit chat with the women. He understood he made it harder on you, but it was also difficult for him too. He told you that he's naive to emotions, especially romantic one's. Indeed it's crazy for him to develop feelings for you in the span of three and a half months. How could he blame himself when he was the one wanting to change the dynamic of the broken relationship? He had his ups and downs, but now he had to find a solution with this one. Hopefully, there was a solution.
Gojo watched you from a distance, drinking coconut milk. You were busy gathering information from people, playing innocently as possible. Seeing you interact with males infuriated him and it probably has to do with the fact you guys had the conversation last night. If it didn't happen, he most likely wouldn't think too much about it. Since it's at the front of his head, Gojo couldn't undo it even if it'll cost his sanity.
"Gojo, is that you?"
Gojo turned around, seeing it was Daiki approaching him. He greeted the middle aged man with a bright smile, trying his best to wash away his feelings. "Yes, it is! How are you?"
"I'm good. What about you?"
"Same as always."
However, Daiki wasn't buying Gojo's response. Him, being an elder who was wise and knew best, decided to pry into Gojo's business. "You don't have to lie. It's clear that you and y/n had an argument of some sort. We can see it even if you guys can't."
This old man really wanna be nosy? I don't need his help. I can figure it out on my own... But is it really that noticeable? Gojo said to himself before replying to Daiki.
"Problems will arise even in marriage so it's just a small hurdle for us! We'll figure it out and come back to talk to each other later. Thanks for checking up on me." Gojo really wanted Daiki off his case. It's not something he wanted to talk about.
"Yeah, of course! I've been through it before and though it felt like it might break our relationship, it only made us stronger and strengthened my love for her. Sometimes you don't realize it until the gloomy clouds are gone and out come the sun, illuminating the path in front of you. Don't stop fighting for her and make things right for the both of you!" Daiki gave his two cents when he knew Gojo didn't want to hear it but did it anyway. Being a man too, Daiki understood the importance of seeking advice despite feeling like he could handle it with his own murky mindset.
Soon after the short conversation, Gojo kept his eyes on you. This time you were playing with the kids, and he decided to join you.
Gojo jogged over. "Having fun without me?" He popped right next to you, not being too close to you and making you feel uncomfortable but close enough to look normal for a couple.
You were taken back by his presence as you knew his sharp gaze followed your every move yet you chose to ignore it until now. You chuckled, putting on a facade in front of the kids. "The fun doesn't start until you're here. We're gonna play hide and seek in the 'forbidden' zone. Tag team with me so we can find the kiddos!" You offered since it'll be easier to scope the area faster.
"Sure!" Gojo wasn't going to waste this opportunity.
/
The five kids disbursed into the forbidden zone as you guys stood at the entrance of it. Although you felt awkward being with him, you had to push that feeling to the side and be the bigger person to overlook it for now until the mission was over. Your duty currently was to play husband and wife on your honeymoon.
Nudging Gojo, you whispered some discovery you got from the kids. "They told me that in this forbidden zone nobody goes in because a monster lies here. Even their parents warned them about it too yet we're here because I somewhat convinced them, and it seemed like they wanted to discover it too. Kids are curious when they're told not to do something they're not supposed to."
Gojo raised a brow at you. He really thought you lost your mind. "You convinced them? Why would you do that? You sound so evil and heartless to risk their lives."
You quickly defended yourself. "Hey, they clearly wanted to go too so it's not entirely my fault! Also, it's not like a curse will strike in broad daylight! I'm pretty sure the curse has a set schedule and won't even dare."
"Well, you never know!"
"Then we save them of course! But let me continue what I discovered ok? When one goes in, sometimes they don't come back or they come back severely injured. This should be the place to find the curse."
Gojo didn't mean to burst your bubble, but he hardly wanted to believe a kid's words as they tend to exaggerate or lie. "You're really trusting that source over an adult?"
Placing your hands on your hip, you retorted in a sassy voice. "Yes! I've tried other manipulation tactics but it wasn't working. The only info I got from them was Airi. She said..." You told him the story she told you as you were supposed to tell him last night but it never happened. "I really believe the islanders unite and use travelers as bait for their personal benefit for the land." You also informed him what the women told you when you tried convincing them to chop down trees to expand the area.
Gojo clicked his tongue, understanding where the women were coming from. "Yeah, I'd be hostile and mad too. Hearing an outside talk about expansion as if you wanna profit and colonize them."
You gasped, hearing his reply and placing a hand on your chest. "As if!"
"Come on, let's go find the kids!" Gojo clapped his hands as the game began. He swiftly took your hand in his and pulled you closer to him, making you choke on your spit. He dared to be so bold after last night's conversation. Gojo leaned into your ear, "I know you don't wanna talk about it and that's fine, but I'm going to seize this opportunity and figure out how I truly feel about our relationship. Don't be surprised when I become more physical until we leave the island! Plus, you can't really fight it off because we're a 'married' couple." Gojo adamantly said and threw his arm around your shoulders, locking you right next to him.
Your brows knitted, giving him a scowling look. "You're absurd! Always ignoring everyone's feelings for your own. You're a bit selfish for that, you know? It's less attractive and won't guarantee a future partner." He forced this reconciliation on you, pressuring you to comply or else he would pester you, and now he wanted to test if he actually had romantic feelings for you? He was incredibly insane. Nonetheless, you'll have to break the news to him that it wasn't happening in your book, not in this lifetime. You'll tell him later today, hoping it'll discourage him.
"Oh!" Gojo turned into a dog wagging its tail at you after you indirectly implied a turn off. "That's what I have to do! Attend to all of your needs."
"You're an idiot. You only use your brain when you want to be serious." You felt hopeless and depleted. How the hell were you going to survive on this island if the mission wasn't completed? You craved your house so you could lock all doors and windows to get this weirdo off your back. "Now let go of me."
"I can't because..."
"Because what?" You said in annoyance as you glared at him with your sharp eyes.
Gojo leaned in your ear, whispering his encounter with Daiki. "I don't know if it's obvious that we're not okay but earlier, Daiki came to me and basically noticed we had some type of fight and gave me advice. I'm not too sure if you ranted to someone or it's noticeable or their eyes and ears are everywhere."
You decided to calm down after hearing his possible reasonings. As much as you want to give him a sucker punch, it's best to be grounded and put the mission before your emotions towards Gojo. "I'll deal with you later, Gojo. Right now is the mission and trying to close this case. Let's go find the kids."
After 20 minutes, still glued to Gojo's side, you guys scanned the area and couldn't find them. There's no track marks on the ground nor did you hear the kids holding in their breath or giggling. It's like they disappeared off the earth.
You looked at Gojo with a troubled expression, feeling guilty that you might have put the children in danger due to your antsy behavior to solve and leave the island. Desperation came at a price, hopefully it didn't end up with five kids being dead. "Let's split up. We don't know how large the area is. Also call out to them too just in case they're scared to say anything!! I'm worried about them."
Gojo let go of you and sighed. "I told you sooooo! Now you're all anxious, worrying about their livelihood. Who was right?"
Your brows furrowed at his attitude at this time. You really wanted to slap him for thinking like that. First thing that came to his head was making sure he was right and you were wrong. "Are you serious?! Can we talk about this later?!!! If you're not going to help me then you can leave! I'll find them myself!!" You huffed, retorting at him.
"Okay! Okay! But just say you're wrong..."
Brewing with irritation, you forced him to remember his own words that he said to you. Your teeth grinded against each other as you locked eyes with Gojo. "What happened to attending all of my needs, huh? Doesn't sound like you're doing it correctly. Making me wanna—"
"I'M ON IT!!" Before you could even reply back to him, Gojo ran off in a different direction with a grin on his face. His arms were stiffened in a 90 degree angle, moving back and forth as he ran.
You stood there blinking, wondering if you ignited a fire in him but you didn't care to know. The safety of the kids was your first priority. "Oh gosh. He has the mind of a child... What am I going to do?"
You went in the opposite direction of Gojo and scoured the area. You popped your head behind trees and climbed up one, looking high and low for them. However, they couldn't be found no matter how hard you searched. Beads of sweat rolled down your chest as you heaved tiredly.
"Fuck! If I hadn't been driven by my own desire these kids would still be alive... I can only hope they're alive." Then you began shouting for them, praying they responded with some type of noises. You didn't care if they were crying, shrieking in fear, or yelling for help. Just anything would be useful since you didn't know how big the forbidden area was.
RING RING!
Your phone buzzed in your butt pocket and you pulled it out, reading the contact name: Gojo. Your heart trembled in trepidation being very pessimistic that the kids were goners. Answering the call, you placed your phone at your ear. "What's the news?" You hesitantly asked, scrunching the hem of your shirt as you stood in place.
"I found two of the kids, but they're unconscious so I don't know what in the world happened."
Hearing that, you bit your lips and deeply sighed. You were frustrated but there's still time and daylight hasn't set yet it felt like time wasn't on your side. "Thanks good...Fuck me, Gojo. Let's find the other three."
Gojo knew how guilty you must feel as you were responsible for leading them into this mess. All they could do now was find them and bring them back home. Not to mention what their parents will say too.
"Oh?" Your eyes spotted an imprint on the ground and it was a shape of a kid's foot size. "They must be around here!" So you began examining more clues until you heard some whimpers a few feet ahead of you.
They're there! It must be them! Please let them be alive. I didn't think a game of hide and seek in the forbidden area would cause us this much trouble. I hope it's not a curse spirit that attacked them!! You said to yourself, running after the noise as you turned around a big tree, finding the last three kids crying with their bodies curled in a fetus position.
"Hey! Hey, I'm here now." You cooed, slowly approaching them as their eyes widened and bursted into tears again. "What happened? Are you guys hurt?" You opened your arms and let them run in as they slammed into your body and hugged you tightly. Your arms closed around their bodies, ensuring to them that they're now safe.
"None of us are hurt." Child A said, wiping their tears on your shirt. As much as you felt repulsed by it, you let it slide because tears were better than snot.
Child B spoke up after calming down. "We heard a loud distorted roar. It sounded like a lion but I'm not too sure... And the next thing we all knew, we were separated and we ran!! We had the gut feeling something was chasing us!!"
Child C also chimed in. "Mom and dad always say there's a monster in the forbidden area and I guess it's true to a degree. We didn't fully see it, but we knew it was on to us. I'm scared! I'm so glad you found us! What about the other two?"
You warmly smiled at them with your sweat drenched face. "They're saved by my husband so you don't have to worry about them. Now let's get going! The sun is about to set pretty soon. I'll let my husband know that I found you."
You whipped out your phone and called Gojo. He picked up the call. "Hey, I found the other kids. Let's regroup and take them back—!"
A loud noise interrupted the call as Gojo pulled the phone back from his ear. It was a sharp wail screeching his eardrum. He never heard such a noise like that before. It totally spooked him, but dread settled in his heart as he hoped you guys would outrun the creature. Gojo wouldn't mind trying to find you guys but he couldn't expose his power either. He felt trapped in this situation.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!!" Gojo shouted through the phone as your voice turned static and inaudible. He couldn't make out a word you said then suddenly reception cut off. "Crap!" If he wanted to make sure you and the kids were safe, he would have to drop off his kids first and find you afterwards.
Meanwhile, you and the three kids were running away as the creature was chasing after you guys. The creature's fast footsteps rustled behind, breaking twigs and making the ground rumble just a little bit. It threw off your guys' balance.
Shit! This is bad! It could be an unknown entity and not a cursed spirit. I'm gonna face it and kill it. There's no choice. If I ruin the mission then so be it!! You said to yourself, already deciding what you'll be doing.
Stopping your running feet, you glanced at the kids with a reassuring smile. "You kids keep running, okay? I'll stop the beast. I won't let anything hurt you! I'll be back, I promise!"
"Okay...!" The kids didn't make a fuss and kept going. They really missed their parents the most even if they didn't want you to fight the monster alone.
You swiped the sweat off your face and neck with your shirt. Your ears were wide open, listening closely to their speed and direction. The slowdown motion of the monster was coming in from the west so you turned in that direction. Your hand was extended outwards ready to slowly kill it. You wanted to know what the creature was before ending its life.
You calmly breathed from your mouth and relaxed your body. "It should be coming out in five seconds. Five... four... three... two... one...!" When you hit one, the monster jumped out of the shadowy forest and you immediately inflicted pain onto it. As long as they were in your eyesight or mentally in your head, you didn't need to touch them physically to hurt them.
THUMP!!!
The body fell on the ground and grunts came out of their mouth as playing with their heart wasn't for the weak. It was like getting extreme chest pains and feeling like the heart was going to explode any minute. The heart beats loudly and agonizingly to the point it hurts so bad that you'd rather die a peaceful death.
"So what are you?" You stepped closer and gasped in disbelief as your eyes intensely stared at the so-called monster.
"Y/n! Y/n!" Gojo called your name from behind, quickly shortening the distance between you guys. He wondered why you were standing still and not answering back as if something had caught your attention. He sprinted faster until he reached you. He stood beside you and saw what you saw. His face contorted in disgust as he didn't know what he even saw. "What is that?"
You remained silent, acknowledging Gojo's presence. You honestly didn't know what that thing was. It wasn't human but definitely a monster, but you couldn't tell how it was created. "Well... It's a hybrid of a cursed spirit trying to merge with a human body. The human is most likely dead. It smells horribly..." The sight of it was grotesque as it used the human body as their own skin, but you definitely see the curse's form peaking.
"Y/n, I think that's one of the missing people in the documents. They really are sacrificing travelers for something. We need to find out." Gojo knew this mission was going to take a turn for the worse. Everyone on the island was going to be affected one way or another.
"No more being the nice cops. We're gonna have to play dirty and be mean. I don't wanna be on this island anymore. We don't know if there's eyes around us, watching our every move. One day, they might want to spike our drinks and kill us. I'm not taking the risk." All the made up scenarios in your head were realistic even if it didn't seem possible. They only allow one travel group to come in at a time and the forbidden area was a place to never enter.
"Y/n, I think we should play nicely about this. Don't be hasty." Gojo didn't want you to be rash about it. A grave mission like this required serious thinking. One mistake will mess up everything. Who knows if the higher ups will condone your actions?
Snapping your fingers, the monster hybrid exploded, leaving the human body in one piece but it really creeped you as it fell. A lifeless body with a head, some limbs, and missing flesh. It made you sick.
"We figured out part of the mission already. We should go back. I'm ready to be scolded or even worse...burned on a stake."
Immediately, Gojo flicked your forehead with full and unnecessary force. You winced from the impact as you covered the spot with your hands.
"Ouch! What the fuck?!" You glared at Gojo. He had no reason to do that to you.
Gojo stuck out his tongue at you. "You're so dramatic. There's no way you'd let them hurt you neither will I." Then he threw an arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer to him. "We're the strongest!"
"Yeah, if I unleash my curse technique I will be the strongest...but if I don't then I'm not. The higher ups look for perfection and I'm not one of them so I don't show it, only in certain situations. Now get off of me!" You struggled to push him off you, but he was determined to stick to you like gorilla glue.
/
Arriving back to the village, everyone waited for you and Gojo to come back. They all had a solemn expression on their faces. You knew they were absolutely pissed at you and for the right reasons. You were fine taking accountability but not without a fight to know their dirty secrets about this island and the missing travelers. You could barely look them in the eyes, feeling like a child who was going to be scolded by their parents. Whereas Gojo held you firmly and squeezed your arm to reassure you that everything will be fine.
"Y/n, Gojo..." One of the parents called your names, and your eyes landed back to the ground as you bit your lips. The anxiety caused you to be itchy and more sweaty than before.
"Thank you for saving our kids!"
Your jaw dropped to the floor and you glanced at Gojo, making sure you heard it right. Gojo shrugged because he didn't know what was going on. He also thought you and him would be in trouble, but you guys were going to find out.
"I'm so sorry! These kids are troublemakers! They like to disobey us parents. Hopefully they didn't cause too much trouble!"
One of the five children you two saved gave you guys a thumbs up and smiled as if they were trying to cover for you and Gojo.
You were stunned and didn't know what to say so Gojo stepped in, pushing you slightly behind him. "Ah yes. We're glad they're safe now! What did they exactly say?" He didn't want to slip up if he didn't know what the kids told their parents. Gojo was going to shield you from the blame no matter what even if it's your fault.
One of the parents told the false truth that was fed to them. Neither you or Gojo couldn't understand why the kids would lie, but it's best to find out afterwards. "Our kids convinced you guys to play with them in the forbidden area which we never told you where it is or how dangerous it is. Since you guys are just visitors, we can't blame you two for not knowing. Nonetheless, we appreciate you guys for rounding up our kids and bringing them back to safety. They spoke about a monster terrorizing them but hopefully, you guys didn't encounter it."
Your lips shriveled like you chewed on a slice of lemon and your mouth recoiled due to the sour taste. You still didn't know what to say and let Gojo take the wheel of this conversation.
Gojo chuckled light-heartedly. "Nope! Not at all. I think it was our imagination playing with us since we were in the fight or flight mode to find the children. I'm glad that everyone else is safe. We're gonna grab some water to hydrate ourselves!" Gojo pulled you away from the parents and took you to the beach as you two sat on the sand, drinking coconut water instead of water. He wanted flavor instead of drinking something plain.
"How do you feel?" Gojo asked, glancing at the beautiful sunset then to you. You locked eyes with him and sighed tiredly.
"Relieved but guilty. I'm surprised the kids covered our asses or their parents didn't believe them. It's one of those two, but for sure I'm going to speak with one of them and see what's up." It felt too good to be true that you're left off the hook. Your mind wanted to convince you otherwise that maybe they're not angry at you guys so they can create a sneaky plan and kill you two. You're not sure but your head was running wild.
"No, I'll go. You rest a little. You did a lot of work today." Gojo stood up and patted your head then left you to get information from the kids.
You watched him walk away as you whispered to yourself with a tired smile. "He chooses when he wants to be caring or annoy the hell out of me. He's such an oddball. This fake romantic relationship will never happen outside of this mission."
As Gojo was talking to the kids, he looked at your direction just to make sure you were doing fine and you were but your attention was caught by someone. His eyes followed yours viewing you were transfixed on a man. Even though Gojo wasn't far from you, he could see how you stared at the man with lost love as your eyes crinkled and lips quivered. It's as if you two were separated during a passionate relationship because two families didn't like each other and today was the unexpected reunion. It tugged at his heartstrings, surprising Gojo in the process. It didn't occur to him to be the jealous type or feel insecure. The most facial expression you gave him was ire. Gojo gulped down his saliva down his dry throat, unable to erase the image he saw.
"Impossible...!" You uttered out softly as you were in complete shock. You spotted a man who looked exactly like Shoji from hair and face. It scared you but you ultimately knew he was dead and the man was probably his doppelgänger. You knew everyone has a doppelgänger around the world and he must be Shoji's. However, it really made you sad as it clouded your mind and sunk your heart deep in the ocean. The man laughed and smiled at his wife and kids—a future you were supposed to have with Shoji. The man had what you couldn't have because you couldn't revive a dead lover.
Due to your heavy thoughts and sadness, you ducked your head low and wiped tears down your face. You didn't want people to know.
/
Back inside the hut, everyone was talking about a thunderstorm on its way.
"Wow, I wonder how this thunderstorm will compare to home! Hopefully it doesn't wipe us off the planet!" Gojo laughed to himself, watching you get ready for bed but you didn't respond back to him. It's totally not unusual for you to ignore him. However, Gojo solely believed your head couldn't shake off the man you stared at earlier. "Y/n, who's the man you looked at?"
No response came from you.
Gojo frowned. He couldn't tell if you were tuning him out on purpose or your head was truly clogged. "Y/n! Y/n!" He called your name at first but it wasn't penetrating your awareness so he inched closer to you fixing the bed. You didn't react to his presence behind you when you'd generally tell him to go away because you didn't want him close to you. Gojo knew something was up with you.
"Y/n!!!" Gojo raised his voice a little louder, poking your left shoulder blade repeatedly with his long index finger. He heard your tongue click in exasperation and spinning around, you swatted his hand away from you. You looked very irritable like a kid getting crabby for not getting enough sleep.
"What is it?!" You said with a heavy attitude as it expressed your current mood.
"Can you talk to me nicely, please? I'm trying to have a civil conversation with you and I don't want your mood to change it. I won't annoy you with my usual antics as long as you calm your nerves."
You shut your eyes and exhaled from your nostrils then reopened your eyes again. You were going to push your tension away since you could tell Gojo was being serious. "Fine..." You didn't know what he wanted to say but you'll listen.
You and Gojo plopped on the bed, sitting next to each other as he was the first to bring up his concerns. "Are you okay, y/n? It doesn't seem like dragging the kids into this mess is the reason you're like this. It must be the man you were gawking at earlier. Who was he? Do you know him?" His voice was calm as water, soothing the atmosphere.
You playfully kicked his foot and chuckled. "Why? Are you jealous?"
Gojo gulped, feeling his neck get a little hot. He didn't want to fully admit it so playing it off was an option. "Mmm... Maybe, maybe not. You gotta define what jealousy is. We all have different interpretations."
You peered at him with a raised eyebrow. You surely believed he had felt jealous at least once in his life unless nobody turned him down before. Gojo pushed his black sunglasses back and shrugged at you. "Oh god. What a lie! If you don't wanna say it then it's fine! I don't care whether you're filled with jealousy or not because we'd never be more than this."
Gojo felt his heart falter from your blunt words despite knowing how harsh you were. He didn't understand why you couldn't take this openly just like him. His past actions weren't going to hold him back from his future. If Gojo put his heart in his head then he could definitely be fine having you be his romantic partner. "But why? Why can't I prove it? Why can't I show you? I'm a changed person! I know my heart beats differently for you!"
Immediately, your face fell flat and you couldn't look at him in the eyes so you turned your head away. "Because I'll never forgive myself and I'd be disgusted. You don't truly have feelings for me. You're just convincing yourself because there's probably other women you don't wanna settle down with so I'm an option who's back in your life." Then you locked eyes with the bastard who has the nerves to even fall for you. "I can't love a man who called me a monster and helped create a living hell in my childhood. I endured your hatred. The only man I would ever settle down with is dead. You will never replace Shoji. He's the man I truly loved, and I don't think you'd ever understand how to love a person without hurting them. These are my feelings and they're not going to change for you, nor am I going to fully give in to your tactics. I can forgive and move past it, but I'm never going to forget." Your acerbic voice cut through the room like slicing a paper with a sharp knife. It felt cold and unwelcoming to breathe. However, you made your points clear. This was how far you'd take this relationship with Gojo. Any farther than that, you wouldn't recognize the person you've become. Plus, it'll hinder your chances to take revenge against your family. Your title would be grand, eyes would be on you in all directions, and your name and face will be known.
A stubborn frown tugged Gojo's pink lips as he believed he could change things for the better. If dating him, he could show you what he couldn't have in the past. Now that he's an adult, he's more mature in the aspect of knowing the rights and wrongs of his actions. Gojo wouldn't ever hurt you, rather spend his time healing the trauma he caused you. "I... I can't! I refuse, y/n! I want to try it with you because if I don't then I'm going to regret it one day. I don't want to seek other women out! I'm not interested in them but you! Those women who chase after me only want my status and wealth. Whereas for you, you don't care about that. You want something genuine and meaningful. I want to give that to you! What I feel isn't a lie. I know you can't forgive my actions and ignorance but can't I help heal the damages I caused you?" Gojo frantically grabbed your hands into his, pulling it to his chest so you could feel his abnormal heartbeats for you.
You forcibly retracted your hands back, seeing how desperate he was getting. It wasn't a pretty sight to see. After all, he's a man who's confident, cocky, overbearing, and intelligent. Having him crumble in the name of love wasn't normal. Gojo became very vulnerable as he was in his emotions. "I'm sorry, Gojo. I know you were heavily influenced by Kura in the past which broke our engagement but I can't let it happen. You can wallow in regret but you'll get over it. You've pushed so many boundaries with me and ignored my feelings. I gave in because I didn't want your nagging behavior to drive me mad. This is as much as I'm able to do in regards to our relationship. You're the fool to fall for your own mistake to fix the broken past. You've never thought about me until now so please stop it. Kill those growing feelings you think are true. You couldn't possibly fall that quickly in a matter of months."
The moment you stood up, not wanting to sit on the same bed as Gojo, he grabbed a hold of your wrist with pleading eyes. His grip was firm yet shaky. "What did Shoji have that I don't?" His voice was hush and melancholic.
Biting the inside of your bottom lip, you let out an exasperated sigh. "Please, Gojo. Why are we still talking about this? I made my point clear. You don't need to wonder why it wouldn't work because you already know the answer." Again, you pulled your wrist out of his hold and casted a disquiet expression: crinkling your eyes and knitting your eyebrows.
"Because I'm stubborn. I won't stop until I try, I know how I am."
Then you honestly admit it, no sugarcoating needed. Gojo will hear the truth of what he cannot be. "Shoji showed me what it means to be loved and to be treated with respect and kindness. He never crossed my boundaries and listened to my feelings. He encouraged me to do better and strive bigger in life. He was my support system. Shoji is different from Geto and you. He's an ideal boyfriend every girl wants. I have high expectations because of him... I definitely know you won't meet them."
Although your words could put out a fire, it had the opposite effect. Gojo wasn't going to sulk and be depressed over it. He was better than that so he wasn't going to give up. He will try until he knows whether or not it's meant to be. Giving up wasn't a choice for him; it wasn't an answer either. It's a path to take and discover. "Don't doubt me, y/n!! Just watch me! You're not going to tear me down and discourage me. I will see if we're a match made in heaven!! I will be better than Shoji!!"
You had nothing to say because you didn't know what you should do about it? All you knew was that you'll never catch feelings for him, and he could learn the harder way and hurt himself in the process. "To answer your question about that man, he looked like Shoji."