Chapter Seven

The second-year students knew just as much as their younger friends, so the conversation began with Keiko clarifying the rumors circulating about her, most of which undoubtedly came from Satoru himself. No, she wasn't Satoru's girlfriend, although they indeed had the strongest bond for being good to each other for more than a decade. Yes, she was the woman Satoru visited from time to time, who used to be a grade one sorceress and got coaxed by everyone to leave Okawa. Surprisingly, they didn't ask the reason for her resignation.

When it was her turn to throw some questions back, she was impressed by how poised everyone presented themselves. Nobara revealed quite a lot about her countryside background; how she thought she was one of the best sorceresses in her hometown until Tokyo proved her wrong. Here, she was faced with worse cursed spirits that she could never encounter in her small village. She spoke like she knew what she was doing and what she would become in the future. I have, I can, and I will, were her favorite ways to start the recollection of her life.

Panda couldn't stop talking about how excited he was to finally have a female instructor. From their brief dialogues, Keiko could tell that he had the intelligence and sympathy of a human being. Since he didn't bring up the fact that he was a cursed corpse built by Masamichi, he must have thought that it was degrading to be called as such. Keiko had made the right choice by using "guardian" when asking about his creator. She also believed that he was Masamichi's greatest masterpiece for having emotions like he was his own person.

Maki wasn't ashamed to admit that her cursed energy was almost non-existent, and it put her on the same level as most people out there. The glasses she wore were imbued with cursed energy to help her see curses and exorcise them with cursed tools. Are you pressured by your family's reputation until you force yourself to study here? Keiko was about to ask, but she was aware that the frankness could humiliate the girl. They had only met for a few minutes, so she should wait until they were closer and alone. Maki might even open up to her first.

"But Maki-senpai is a spectacular fighter," Nobara interjected.

"Salmon," Toge said. Keiko was sure that if he could express his thoughts freely, he would be just as confident as the others.

"Yes. Exactly," Panda quickly added. "It's a Heavenly Restriction, Sensei. Isn't your case also considered as one?"

Like the Zenin family, it had also been forever since the last time Keiko heard about Heavenly Restriction. It was a phenomenon where binding would be forced upon a newborn in exchange for a superlative capability. For example, someone could be blind since birth to possess abundant cursed energy. She had also met a sorcerer who could move faster than Satoru but was born with peeling skin syndrome. It was a cruel fate to live, but the same thing could be said to anyone.

"Why do you think that I have a Heavenly Restriction, Panda?" Keiko asked. Could it be because her eyes were also called "heavenly"?

"Didn't you lose your family—"

Before Panda could reach the end of his statement, Maki stood up and punched his face until he fell off the chair, shocking the entire room. "Watch how you speak," she snarled before sitting back down. "I'm sorry, Sensei. That was very uncalled for. Please don't mind him."

"Salmon," Toge muttered while Nobara shook her head in disbelief.

Keiko chuckled stiffly when she realized what Panda had wanted to tell her. He must have implied that her family was the trade-off for her one-in-a-million power. In her eleven years of living as a sorceress, not a single soul had ever said that to her. Probably none of the people around her had ever thought of such a cruel supposition. The closest thing was, of course, her father who had stated that Satoru was the fortune that came after losing her mother and siblings. She always hated the talk.

"Sensei, where are you staying?" Maki proceeded with a new topic, glaring at Panda who struggled to lift himself. If he hadn't said something so inconceivable, his rolling around could have made everyone laugh.

"In the dormitory. Why?" Keiko asked back.

"Nice. Can we visit you every now and then?" Nobara chimed in.

"Not when I sleep." Keiko smiled. It must be nice not being treated like some bothersome adult who wouldn't be able to understand the teenagers almost half of her age, but then it reminded her of another thing. "Aren't you going to explain why you call Gojou-sensei by his first name?" she continued.

Maki sighed, reclining in the wooden chair. "He's always late to class. He forgets to return the things he borrows. Sometimes, he even breaks it and doesn't apologize until you confront him. The thing is, it's often hard to see him given his busy schedule as a special grade sorcerer. We know every time he tells us to take over his missions because he wants to go home and play video games. He doesn't follow any rules. He just acts as if the whole world revolves around him. Honestly, if he hadn't been born with his innate abilities, he wouldn't have made it this far in life."

"Salmon," Toge said. Keiko wondered if "salmon" was his keyword for affirmation, but the chatter was too amusing that she didn't want to cut it off by asking the trivial matter. Like Maki's reason to study here despite her handicap, she could wait to ask what Toge was allowed to say at a later date.

"I haven't found Gojou-sensei to be that annoying, but I agree with the examples you've listed," Nobara added before frowning like she was contemplating hard about what she could say next. "I did think he would be so much cooler since he's the strongest jujutsu sorcerer alive. I never thought that he would behave like a clown sometimes."

Keiko smiled after hearing all the anecdotes. Having known Satoru for so long, none of those astonished her anymore. "But do you enjoy having him as your teacher?" she asked.

Maki shrugged. "He's okay. Not the best, but I guess he can be somewhat fun when it comes to practical studies."

"He brings us out a lot, and I'm always looking forward to seeing him in action," Nobara said. "During the Kyoto—"

"Ah, Panda! You're beyond saving, huh?! Remember what you were told!" Maki suddenly rose and slammed the table, startling everyone once again. She headed to the creature who was still lying on the floor and helped him get up. It required an above-average strength for a skinny girl like her to carry a fully grown panda, and she definitely had what it took to do so.

"Sensei, I'm very sorry…" Panda said when he walked back to the table and sat on his previous seat.

"Don't worry. Are you hurt anywhere?" Keiko asked.

"No. Thank you, Sensei. You're really nice."

Keiko snickered, patting Panda's hand a few times before looking back at Nobara. "What did you want to tell me? Something about Kyoto?"

"Fish flakes," Toge raised his voice louder than usual. If "salmon" was his way to say yes, could "fish flakes" be a chant to go on with the story?

"Oh. Nothing important. Forget about it," Nobara replied with a lopsided smile. "By the way, Sensei. You're really well-dressed. Do you like shopping for clothes? What do you think of thrift stores?"

"You must be familiar with Ieri Shouko-san. She and I frequented all the thrift stores in the city when we were students," Keiko said.

"That's what Maki-senpai and I have been doing as well!" Nobara balled a fist in the air. "But once I'm a high-ranking sorceress, I'll earn so much money that I don't need to look at the price tags when I go to luxury stores!"

Nobara's positivity truly reminded Keiko of young Satoru. Keiko was about to say how jujutsu sorcerers didn't even need to reach grade one to live comfortably, but she knew that it might come out as a discouragement. Bright-minded people would be revolted by those who didn't believe in them, so Keiko stayed quiet, listening to Maki who began describing a new thrift store in Harajuku that they should check out very soon, and Panda who recited some all-you-can-eat restaurants they hadn't tried.

"Panda, you don't only eat bamboo sticks?" Keiko asked. She was genuinely curious about it.

"Sensei, I can have anything I want!" Panda exclaimed, and Keiko finally could laugh at his antics.

Fifteen minutes later, rustling sounds came from outside the cafeteria, followed by Megumi and Yuuji's loud bickering. Keiko got enthusiastic when she thought of seeing Satoru again, but she had to be disappointed when only his students walked in with eight massive plastic bags that they split equally around their arms. She could tell that one of the bags Yuuji was carrying was filled with beers. Satoru must have remembered that there would be just as many adults as the kids, but where was he?

"Gojou-sensei suddenly got called on a mission," Yuuji told Keiko as he placed the groceries on one of the empty tables. "He didn't give us the detail, but it's nearby, so he would be back before seven. He begged for your full forgiveness because he didn't get the chance to tell you."

Keiko knew it wasn't her place to be irritated by the news, but she couldn't help it. Even with requesting other people to take charge of his missions ever so often, Satoru was still the most in-demand sorcerer. A few years ago, he had to leave Okawa early because of an incident that only he could deal with. He apologized and kept his promise to never do it again, but he probably had to block every call from Tokyo every time they were together. Still, would it hurt him to spend twenty seconds to call her?

"Sensei, I heard that guy took two days off just to be with you. Unfortunately, it isn't up to him when tragedies strike," Maki said, slightly embarrassing Keiko who thought that she had succeeded in putting up a calm facade. She was the adult of this place, so how could she let her anxiety show until she had to be consoled by her students? Moreover, it was because of a man who would arrive late, nothing worse. Even elementary schoolers would be ridiculed for acting this way.

"Don't worry, Shiraishi-sa—sensei. He'll be back soon," Megumi, who had been quiet since he came back, also tried to comfort Keiko. It shouldn't matter if she addressed her wrongly because Satoru wasn't around, but maybe she should let him get used to it before she began teaching.

"Thank you, but I'm not worried," Keiko said.

"Then why do you seem a little upset?" Megumi asked.

"No, I'm not!" Keiko had to tell half a lie. She wasn't upset because she was worried about the Satoru's safety. She was upset because he didn't personally call her, but there was no way she would admit it in front of anyone.

"Well, if you say so…" Megumi seemed puzzled, but he let it slide by not questioning more.

"You guys are adorable." Keiko smiled at each of the students who circled the cramped table. "Let's start preparing. We have plenty of time, but make sure everything is neat and tidy."

"All right!" everyone shouted, except for Toge who opted for a "salmon". Keiko no longer doubted that it was an affirmation. It couldn't be something else.

Although the kitchen was as expansive as a commercial one, it wasn't convenient to have Panda inside, so Keiko told him to lay out the melamine tableware around the shabu-shabu pots. Yuuji placed the beers inside one of the fridges while the rest began washing the vegetables. When Nobara wanted to carve the carrots into a flower shape, Yuuji told her not to waste time beautifying something that would end up in a toilet bowl. His vulgar words angered the girl but got everyone else to laugh.

As Keiko made the dashi broth in the biggest pot she could find from the cabinets, she learned a lot from all the talks going around her—things that she couldn't discern from speaking to them for almost an hour. Excluding Panda, everyone was a decent cook, with Yuuji being the best one. At least once a week, they would have a feast in the boys' dormitory's common room. Sometimes Satoru, Atsuya, and some other staff joined them, but it rarely happened since they would have their own events outside.

Obviously, Keiko was in their exact position once, with her being the person who did most of the cooking. Although nobody mentioned it, she knew that students needed a space to grumble about their school life. Doing it in front of their teachers wouldn't be pleasant, so they would prefer to hold the meeting exclusively for themselves. Back in the days, the gathering used to be Satoru's favorite time to complain about the higher-ups, belittling them with derogatory nicknames that could make him get expelled by the school.

"Shiraishi-sensei is an excellent cook as well," Megumi said in the middle of separating and rinsing the enoki mushrooms with Toge. They were a tad more annoying than the other two types for having tiny caps and skinny stems. "When I was a kid, she used to make this delicious sticky honey garlic chicken wings. It was everyone's favorite."

"Huh. It's rare for you to bring up your childhood. It must be a fond memory," Nobara responded.

"Did you actually live here when you were a kid?" Yuuji asked.

"No, but I often came to play or practice with Gojou-sensei and Shiraishi-sensei," Megumi explained.

"Oh… Are they like a married couple?"

"It's always been that way."

"Hey! I can hear everything!" Keiko interrupted them, causing the entire room to laugh once more. The only person who didn't react strongly was Toge, but he could be smiling behind his collar.

"Sensei. There's another thing." Yuuji sidled up to Keiko and whispered, "Sukuna hasn't appeared at all. It isn't like this usually. Are you sure nothing happened before?"

Keiko was instantly reminded by Satoru's theory about how Sukuna almost yielded to her power, but for everyone's safety, she could only laugh it off. "Maybe he's sleeping?"

"No way! This guy never sleeps!"

"But nothing happened, Yuuji. I swear. Please don't worry, okay?" She smiled and tilted her chin sideways. "Please go back to your station."

He pouted. "All right…"

The preparation was over in less than thirty minutes. Yuuji helped to carry the broth outside, divide them into the four shabu-shabu pots, and keep the leftover back inside the kitchen. The others went to transfer the vegetables and sliced beef onto the plates arranged by Panda. To serve the shabu-shabu with, Keiko had grated some daikon radish and chopped some scallions. Depending on each person's preferences, they would be mixed with ponzu sauce, sesame sauce, or a Japanese seven-spice blend. The noodles would be boiled soon so they would stay firm but didn't get too mushy.

"Nobody is here yet?" Shouko was the first guest who arrived, right after everyone finished cleaning the kitchen—Keiko had told Panda to sweep the floor, and he actually did it well despite his early hesitation to hold a broom. Probably he still felt remorse over what he said about Keiko's family, so he didn't want to refuse any of her orders.

Keiko never thought of how close Shouko was with the students, but everyone greeted her using "Shouko-san" and went to speak to her as soon as she removed her lab coat and sat down. It was apparent that they all fancied the woman because Yuuji even went to the kitchen to grab a can of beer for her when she didn't ask for it. The lack of barrier separating the adults and teenagers made them feel like a close-knit family. Outside of the classroom, Keiko and Shouko could be their aunts or big sisters.

"Where's Satoru?" Shouko asked after opening the lid of her drink.

"Oh," was all that Keiko could say. Satoru hadn't visited her mind in a while because she got too busy with everything that happened in the kitchen, specifically the kids who couldn't stop telling funny stories and making her giggle. Wasn't it a good thing? She had forgotten the sadness that came with not having him around.

"He got called to exorcise a curse in a building nearby," Megumi said. "I thought it wouldn't take him more than fifteen minutes, but it could be more complicated than I had expected. He should be back anytime soon."

"What a busy man," Shouko noted before chugging half of her beer. "I saw Kiyotaka on my way here. I don't know what he's doing, but he said that he would be here soon. Keiko, who else is coming besides me?"

"Kusakabe-san, who's apparently the second years' teacher now? Some auxiliary managers and windows. Yaga-san. Nanami-san," Keiko answered.

"Nanamin is coming?" Yuuji fervidly asked, as if he just heard his best friend's name.

"Nanamin?" Keiko raised her brows and chuckled. "He allowed you to call him that?"

"He hated it at first, but yes, he just gave up in the end," Yuuji said with a proud grin. "Oh, I'm so pumped! We've never had this kind of party before!"

The rest agreed to what he said and started suggesting the same celebration every time someone had their birthday, but Keiko's attention was taken by the new message she got from the phone that she hadn't touched since she went to the kitchen. Meet me at the school's entrance. If you don't reply within five minutes, I guess I'll just come to you first. What a cryptic message that shouldn't end with a handful of sad and crying emojis, but it wouldn't be Satoru if he didn't add them. She quickly sent back an "okay" while snickering, not being able to suppress her growing joy.

"Gojou-sensei asked me to meet him outside. I'll be back soon," she said, leaving when everyone cheered like she would meet his prince charming after being held captive by her cruel step-mother. She knew that the kids would ask Shouko about her relationship with Satoru, so she could only hope for her older sister not to add more fuel to the fire.

Keiko almost forgot how beautiful the school was after sunset. Although the sky hadn't completely gone black, the lampposts had been turned on and lightened the gravel shortcuts that would bring her faster to the gate. Autumn in the Kansai region would officially begin in about a week, and it would take a whole month for the surrounding maple trees to turn red. On rare occasions, they would be mixed with yellow and brown. One time, some of them retained their evergreen foliages throughout the season. Many people said it resulted from the weather that was strangely colder than the previous years.

Raking the fallen leaves and depositing them into the compost piles were the students' mandatory tasks. She had lost count of the number of times Satoru had pushed her into a big mound of leaves when she least expected it. When it was her turn to retaliate, he always stayed unbudging. Wow, do you honestly think of hurting me? You're exempted from my Infinity unless if you intend to harm me. Oh, Keiko, why are you treating me this way when I've given you the world? Satoru had jokingly told her, repeatedly enraging her because he would say the same thing when he threw snowballs at her in winter.

Another breathtaking sight was fireflies that could be seen anywhere on summer nights before they disappeared mid-July. During her sophomore year, Satoru dragged her and Shouko around the school to catch some and put them in a jar for Kento's birthday. It was the third of July when Kento scrunched up his nose, asking "why?" because he thought he didn't have the image of a guy who would be flattered by a sentimental gift. What he did afterward was release the fireflies, much to Satoru's dismay, and kick everyone out of his room.

Keiko must have missed Satoru a little too much until she couldn't stop thinking about him throughout her short walk. There wasn't anyone else around the gate, but even if it was packed with strangers, it wouldn't be hard to spot the only white-haired man who happened to stand almost as tall as the cascading maple tree near him. As she stepped down the stairs, Satoru waved his hands excitedly toward her like they were really having a clandestine rendezvous behind their parents' back. Unless she came to tell Shouko, what would happen in the next few minutes would only be kept between them.

"Keiko." As always, the way Satoru gently called Keiko's name could put the moonlight to shame since it did a better job of brightening up her mood and making her smile widely.

"What are you doing here?" she asked while looking around, checking if he had prepared a surprise that might be too over the top. There didn't seem to be anything suspicious. If she hadn't been familiar with cursed spirits, she would have been terrified hanging around behind a row of Buddhist temples.

"Let's talk for a while. Come here with me." He took her wrist and guided her to an empty building nearby. It used to be utilized to receive people that the faculty hated, but it was mostly untouched unless it had to be cleaned. Since it seemed deserted, the purpose shouldn't have changed. "This is a good spot," Satoru said before sitting on the stone bench situated right in front of the door.

She complied with his request, settling down next to him. The woodland view between the school ground and temples wasn't the best in the evening because all they could perceive was darkness. There weren't many stars in the sky, considering they were still in a city with high light pollution. Okawa's scenery was probably the only thing that Keiko regretted losing, but she hadn't traveled around the world. Once she did, surely there would be more extraordinary landscapes to compare with the places she had lived in.

"Are you okay? Was the mission exhausting?" Keiko asked when Satoru didn't start talking. Nine out of ten times, he would be the one leading their conversation.

"Not at all. I was just annoyed that I had to leave you longer. I already told everyone that I don't want to be bothered until Monday, so why would they still call me? I'm going to teach Ijichi some lesson when I see him," he whined as he placed one arm around her waist and his head on her shoulder. He was big and heavy, but she wasn't a fragile doll who couldn't handle some weight on her. What she had to care the most about was the state of her beating heart. Just how many times was he planning to make her flush before the day ended?

"Senpai, you could refuse, but you still went to finish the job. It's because you're a kind and responsible person. You don't want curses to hurt anyone, which is a noble trait to have. If I were you, I would have done the same. Kiyotaka's only following the higher-ups, so please don't blame him," she said, patting his hand that rested on her lap. Just when she was about to pull away, he grasped her and entrapped her fingers in his warmth. With one hand on her waist and another one holding her down, she was confined by him. It was unnecessary because she wouldn't go anywhere.

"You always tell me what I need to hear, but I'll pretend that I didn't get your last sentence," he replied before sighing. "All joking aside, Keiko… Tomorrow, we'll do your accession mission. Sure, we'll have enough time to have dinner or do something fun, but the day after, I'll have to go back to my routine. Now that you're within my reach, twenty-four hours a day aren't enough."

Keiko was lucky that they didn't sit in front of a mirror or anything that could reflect her expression. Her face must be a jumble of elation, despair, and hesitancy. With him by her side, twenty-four hours a day weren't enough for her either. She must have looked like she was about to cry, but even she was unsure which emotion was the number one reason. Should she begin the talk? It hadn't been a day since she moved here, but nothing was too soon for two people who had been together for almost half of their lives.

"Senpai, what do you want to do? Anything you ask, I'll do it," she said, not having the courage to speak the real words out loud.

"Really?" He sounded doubtful.

"Yes. Of course. I mean, I won't agree if you tell me to hurt myself, but you won't wish for something like that." She tightened their grip on one another. "Tell me. How to make the most of our twenty-four hours?"

He huffed a laugh. "You're always spoiling me with your kindness."

"I'm not—"

"It's okay! This is better than living in different cities!" His voice came out almost like a howl. He released his embrace around her and stood up, towering over her and blocking the moonlight from grazing her face. It was quite a terrifying view to behold. She felt like a lost deer while he was a wolf, ready to prey on her.

"Senpai, you—" She looked down, gulping once before parting her lips again, "You've become my everything, so I don't want you to be sad. If you ask me to run away from the jujutsu world and live somewhere safer with you, I'll do it. I know it won't happen, but I'm just saying that… Senpai, you get it, don't you?"

Satoru didn't immediately answer. From the peripheral of her eyes, Keiko could see him shoving his hands inside his pockets and turning around. "I distressed you just because I got pissed for being randomly called to handle that mission," he murmured. "Please forgive this idiot, Keiko."

"Senpai, no…" She left the bench, clawing at his back before jumping right in front of him, staring at his face again. "I really meant it. I even told the higher-ups that we're inseparable."

He curled his lips, making his face seem woeful even with the sunglasses on. "What are you implying, Keiko?"

"I've said it. I'll do anything for you," she insisted.

"Don't you think you change too quickly?" His tone seemed hollow. "You haven't slept well, and you've gone through a lot today. Are you sure you're in the right state of mind?"

"I'm a little tired, but I'm okay."

"Then tell me you won't bat an eye if you find my body crushed by a boulder."

Her chest, which was filled with yearning, became alert as she took a step back and glared at the man. "What are you—" She almost couldn't let the words out. "Why did you even ask me that? It's unlikely for that to happen, so what's your point? Are you trying to scare me? Is this another test from Yaga-san?"

"Marvelous. Your response is better than last December." He smirked. "This isn't a test. I called you out here because I wanted to spend a little bit more time with you. We won't be able to do it once we're at the cafeteria. My selfishness caused me to went off track again. I'm sorry, Keiko."

The only thing Keiko could hear was Satoru's first sentence. She wasn't stupid; she knew what he meant by "last December". Although the words exchanged by them were dissimilar, he did make her feel pressured again. "It was nine months ago," she declared. "My father's gone. You're all I have now."

"First." He raised his hand, stopping her from rambling about her determination. "Let's get you signed up as a sorceress. You need to have a clear head to take down curses, so whatever it is we're talking about right now, it can wait."

She reluctantly nodded, feeling a little mad at the abrupt stop but also not knowing what else to say. "Okay."

"We'll discuss everything after you're done with your mission. I promise, so let's not ruin our dinner, okay? I'm starving."

"Okay." Her second nod was weaker. She almost forgot how good he was when it came to pretending like he was unperturbed by anything, but she was just a fool for always tolerating it.