Toge Inumaki

Toge felt the familiar ache settle deep in his throat as he trudged back to Jujutsu High. The mission had been a success, but at a cost. Overusing his cursed speech technique always left him in pain, his throat raw and burning from the strain. His body ached from the exhaustion, but it was the relentless, clawing pain in his throat that bothered him the most.

The night was quiet as he walked through the school grounds, the moon casting a silver glow on the stone pathways. Each step felt heavier than the last, his head foggy with fatigue. All he wanted was to collapse in his dorm room and shut out the world until the pain subsided.

Toge reached his room and pushed the door open, immediately dropping his bag to the floor. He didn’t bother turning on the light; the dim glow from the window was enough. His bed called to him, and he sank onto it gratefully, closing his eyes as he tried to ignore the burning sensation in his throat. Usually, he would’ve stopped by a store to pick up cough syrup or something to ease the pain, but in his exhaustion, he’d forgotten. Now he regretted it, wishing he had something—anything—that could bring him relief.

As he lay there, barely noticing the passage of time, the door to his room creaked open. Toge opened his eyes and turned his head to see you standing in the doorway. You had originally gone to ask how his mission went but immediately noticed that something was wrong. Toge wasn’t talking at all, not even his usual non-verbal sounds. You knew him well enough to realise that this meant his throat was hurting—probably from overusing his cursed speech technique.

Without a word, you made up your mind. You gave him a small, reassuring smile before turning and leaving the room as quietly as you had entered. Toge was too tired to question where you were going using his onigiri language, it wasn’t like his throat would let him anyways. He closed his eyes again, hoping the darkness would bring him some peace.

---

You walked briskly through the night, determination in your steps. You knew there was a small convenience store not too far from the school, and you were going to get something to help him, no matter how late it was. The store was empty when you arrived, the fluorescent lights flickering slightly. You quickly found the aisle with medicines and grabbed a bottle of cough syrup. As you were about to head to the counter, you noticed a small jar of honey on the shelf. Without hesitation, you grabbed it and headed to the register.

Honey is good for sore throats, right?

---

When you returned to Toge’s dorm, you found him exactly where you had left him—lying on his bed, eyes closed, looking utterly exhausted. You approached him quietly, not wanting to startle him. Gently, you placed the items on the small table beside his bed before sitting down beside him, crossing your legs under you.

“Toge,” you whispered. He opened his eyes and looked at you, his expression softening when he saw what you had brought.

You handed him the bottle of cough syrup first, your fingers brushing against his as he took it. He sat up slowly, opening the bottle and taking a swig. The medicine was bitter, but he could already feel it working, easing the burning in his throat.

You picked up the honey jar and the spoon that had came with it while you waited for him to finish with the cough syrup. After a few moments, you unscrewed the lid and scooped a small amount of honey onto the spoon before holding it towards him.

Toge hesitated for a moment, then he leaned forward, opening his mouth as he ate the honey from the spoon. It had caught you by surprise. You expected him to just take the spoon and feed himself, but it didn’t exactly bother you either. You watched him carefully, your eyes full of concern as you offered him another spoonful. Toge accepted it gratefully, feeling the sweetness of the honey spread through him, easing the pain that had been eating him alive.

You continued like this, feeding him honey in small, careful spoonfuls. His eyes softened as he watched you, feeling a deep sense of gratitude.