Jujutsu Kaisen: False Dawn

Chapter 87: A Little Too Warm

The door clicked open.

Steam curled into the room, thick and scented faintly with soap and warmth. The lights above flickered soft gold against the rain-dimmed windows. It was quiet, save for the steady hum of the storm outside. Mei Mei stepped into the room wrapped in a towel, her skin damp and glowing from the bath, her posture as elegant as ever.

Ren didn't speak at first.

He just looked at her.

And for a second—just one, unguarded second—his tongue slipped across his lower lip.

It was instinct.

Not performance.

His eyes didn't trail. They lingered. Just long enough to give himself away.

It wasn't about control anymore. It was just… reaction. And his reaction was clear.

Shit.

Ren leaned back slightly, exhaling as casually as he could, but inside?

That was close.

His mind raced, trying to cover up what his body betrayed.

"Mmm," he thought, eyes flicking briefly over her collarbone again, "she should be about 30 right now… and for a woman in her 30s? She looks sweet. Way too sweet."

He swallowed hard and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I have to be careful," he thought again. "I'm in a teenager's body, even though my mind's older. Hormones could go crazy. Hell, they're already trying to riot."

He took a deep breath and calmed himself. Mostly.

Across the room, Mei Mei noticed everything.

The lip lick. The brief tension in his shoulders. The second his breath caught before he masked it with a smirk.

She smiled, just a little.

But her heart gave one tight skip.

He's not acting, she thought. That wasn't a game face. That was a look.

She adjusted her towel slightly, walking a little farther into the room. Her footsteps were measured. Calm. But her mind wasn't.

Who the hell taught him to look at a woman like that? she thought. That wasn't the look of some hormonal teenager gawking at his first bath scene. That was… confident. Hungry. Curious.

She narrowed her eyes, still watching him carefully.

He's never talked like a kid. Never acted like one either. Not once. Even now…

Even now, Ren just smirked like he'd already won something.

And that annoyed her.

Just a little.

She tilted her head and said with casual amusement, "Hmm. Hey, don't stare too hard—you might lose your eyes. Anyway, you have spare clothes, right? Something I could wear."

Ren didn't miss a beat.

"I'd like if you just stayed like that," he said with a grin, "but if you really want to put something on… in the bedroom. Shirt or hoodie. Whatever you like."

He didn't even try to hide the teasing tone in his voice.

And Mei didn't hide the way her hips swayed as she walked to the bedroom.

Ren watched her go, and his grin only widened.

"She is absolutely moving her hips on purpose," he thought, biting back a laugh. "There's no way a professional sorcerer walks like that naturally. That's performance. That's calculation."

He shook his head.

"Or maybe she's just that good."

Inside the bedroom, Mei Mei pulled open the closet and began sorting through what little was there. Sparse. Predictable. Just like the rest of Ren's apartment life. Clean shirts, hoodies, a couple of jackets, some sweats.

She ran her fingers over the fabrics. Picked out a simple white shirt. It looked soft, oversized, easy to move in. She pulled it over her head and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

It barely covered her thighs.

Good.

Just as she was folding the closet door closed, Ren's voice called out lazily from the other room.

"Uh, hey, Jasman, get me a pair of pants while you're at it."

Mei froze.

Is he bossing me around? she thought with a twitch of irritation. Really?

Then… she thought about it.

He doesn't sound like he's joking. But he doesn't sound like he's testing me either. He just… expects it.

And that was somehow worse.

She grabbed a pair of loose sweatpants and walked back out, tossing them casually toward the couch.

Ren caught them mid-air with a smile.

"Thanks, beautiful," he said, and stood without hesitation.

Mei's eyes drifted slightly downward as he pulled the pants up beneath the still-open robe. It was a quick, practiced movement. Effortless.

She didn't look impressed.

But she did look.

Ren sat back down and stretched, arms loose along the backrest of the couch. He was more covered now, but not by much.

Still barefoot.

Still radiating the heat of someone who'd just stepped out of a hot spring and into your personal space.

"Hot stuff," he said, in that same damned amused tone, "want to watch a movie or something? Or, you know… Netflix and chill?"

There was a beat.

A pause.

Then—

Mei blinked once.

"Oh?" she said, smiling slightly. "Well, sure. A movie will do."

And she sat down beside him like it was nothing. Like this was normal. Casual. Expected.

Ren smiled.

Then blinked.

Then furrowed his brow, just a little.

Wait… what?

"She said yes," he thought. "She said yes like it meant nothing. No reaction at all to 'Netflix and chill'? Nothing?"

He stared at the television in front of them and tried to think.

No way. She didn't get that. She's thirty. She's supposed to get that! Right?

A moment of genuine panic flickered in his mind.

Wait, is 'Netflix and chill' even a thing in this world?

The thought landed like a brick.

No way. No way. What if that line doesn't mean the same thing here? What if I just asked her to literally watch a movie?

He glanced sideways.

Mei Mei looked serene. Comfortable. Like she was genuinely expecting a film to start playing.

Not seduction.

Not innuendo.

Just… a movie.

Ren swallowed.

Hard.

I've misplayed. For the first time… I've misplayed.

He reached for the remote in slow motion, trying to stall. His mind raced.

Do I clarify? Do I lean in harder? No—wait, maybe she does know and she's pretending not to. That sounds like something Mei would do.

Oh no. I've entered psychological combat now.

Beside him, Mei shifted slightly.

She pulled one of the blankets over her lap. The shirt she wore rode up slightly. Not enough to be scandalous—just enough to be noticed.

Ren noticed.

He was trying not to.

But he noticed.

This couch is too small, he thought, dryly. And I may not survive tonight.

Still, he hit play. The screen flickered.

The opening credits rolled for a random film neither of them had chosen seriously.

But Mei leaned in a little. Just enough to blur the space between "sitting beside" and "sitting close."

Ren felt the warmth of her leg brush his.

Deliberate?

Accidental?

He didn't know.

He wasn't sure who was winning.