REKINDLING
Author's note: Officially almost 75% done on this arc, so since we just came from a very heavy mission, I decided to write a fluffy chapter for our beloved characters in some very light-hearted moments (most of it anyway). I'm sorry, I'm very angsty haha.
And yes, they are placed correctly in the timeline of this story, so expect still some vital information to seep through.
Shout out to my lovelies VampireSiren, Juju, fushi9urou, simperella, max oliver and elia 3
Hope you enjoy!
Summary:
Setting aside the differences and accumulated anxieties they have been experiencing for the past few months, Shouko arranges a sudden get together to rekindle their bond as a quartet.
It was around five in the afternoon when Gojo and Getou had finished checking off the list that Shouko sent them to get as entrance tickets to Sachiko's dorm. Honestly, they were too exhausted to complain about having to go and get groceries.
Gojo half-expected that they'd have to tether through an avalanche of stuffed animals especially that ruthless bear with the boxing gloves. But the atmosphere at Sachiko's private dorm was rather peaceful as they were allowed to let themselves in.
Shouko was already lounging in her sweats on Sachiko's sofa and told them to bring over the ingredients to the kitchen where Sachiko was already prepping. The two let out a loud sigh as she didn't even bother to help them with the items and curtailed that she deserved to take a step back after spending days worrying about having to dissect three bodies at the lab as part of her academic obligations.
"I'll come and help out once this show-," she lifted her chin towards the television, one hand perched with the remote as she increased the volume, "-is done,"
Suguru and Satoru set down the groceries on the long table and were finally greeted by the Kitsune. Satoru's mouth dangled into a smirk as he saw her in an apron with her hair tied up. Despite some of the markings showing, she still equipped herself with a wide smile.
She wiped her hands on the towel and went to greet her guests, "Thanks for bringing these over you two, sorry, I haven't had the time to check my inventory," she lifted her shoulders, taking a step back as she noticed that behind their smiles was the look of exhaustion, much like hers.
Noticing her concern, Satoru rubbed his nose with his knuckle and grinned as he took to her side, "No big. Watcha want us to do?"
Suguru began unloading the bags and breached over to her other side that was unoccupied, making the two boys tower over their little chef, "We're happy to help, besides, Ieiri will probably want the whole lounge to herself,"
Sachiko laughed, "You're right about that, hm…" she scanned the ingredients in front of her and began separating some of the produce from the meat. She squinted her nose and had to take a few seconds to compose herself from the raw beef, but Suguru was kind enough to take the whole Tupperware away from her.
"Sorry, my intolerance is high right now in lieu of Shouko's bad decision to use my string, does anyone one of you know how to handle beef? I can tell you how to prepare,"
Satoru was about to say that he was good at following instructions but of course Suguru's desire to make himself look like the hero was very apparent. He was good at those kinds of things, domestic stuff, mostly because he used to help up at their onsen so it wasn't something that he was surprised about.
"I'll do it, we're the ones who'll consume it anyway, just tell me what to do,"
She nodded, "Thanks," she turned her head towards the white-haired boy now, "Maybe you can help me with the soup and rice? It requires two hands I'm afraid," Sachiko was clearly hinting that she wanted to work with him as she looked at him a little bit hopeful that he would catch on quick but not too hard as to push him to overexcitement. It was a task that she could handle on her own but there was no harm in wanting him beside her for something very trivial.
Gojo was never a discreet person, and they couldn't afford any commotion right now, but his lips quivered ever so slightly to indicate that he was accepting her sly invitation that even as he had no idea what he was supposed to do, he just went with it, "Sure, Chi-chan, just order me around, I'm pretty good at everything!"
Shouko was always amazed at Sachiko for keeping very calm even in the most uncomfortable of circumstances, but it didn't help that she had already revealed before that the two boys had feelings for her. She knew she was being careful not to lead them on but something about their dynamic seemed to change that her curiosity was enough to drag her butt off the chair and help speed things up in the kitchen.
"So, what do I do?"
Suguru was already busy marinating the beef they were tasked to grill when he scoffed, "Ah, your highness has decided to join us, I see," he said in his usual, unbothered yet steely tone that for a few seconds, he caught Ieri's glare before she grabbed the mixing bowl out of his hands, "I was almost done with that, but alright,"
"Seriously! Stop it! It's gonna take forever for us to finish if you keep on joking around,"
Sachiko had been giggling and whacking Satoru's arm and head for the past few minutes as he had been moving about in his own shenanigans and distracting her from cooking. He had a relatively easy task of just chopping vegetables and rinsing the noodles among other juvenile matters, Sachi was the one doing all of the work.
Mid-way he was getting a little bored of just waiting for her to give him instructions and he felt a little bad that she was being too responsible for the three of them that he couldn't help but tease her. After all, all he wanted to do post-mission was spend some time with her, no matter how tired he was.
Even though Sachiko took the task seriously, she didn't mind him just watching on one side. The snide eye-locking and Gojo's sneaky caresses made her a little giddy that it was hard not to hide her red face.
"Satoru…" she pleated her lips as she lifted her eyes from his playful expression, kicking the side of his leg in an attempt to make him behave. Gojo took this as a different kind of endearment approach even as he raised his hands in defeat. He watched her grab a spoon to taste the broth not long after, "Mm…" She etched a rather satisfied expression making Gojo quirk a brow in jest.
"So, are my proportions correct?"
She smirked, "Why don't you see for yourself?" she was already reaching for a clean spoon when Gojo just haphazardly grabbed the one she was holding and dipped the thing in the simmering broth and took a sip.
His eyes dilated at the sweet and savory taste that delighted his tongue that he looked proudly at his girl as he gave her a thumb's up, but her hands were already crossed, and he was met with a rather fierce glower despite her flushed face staring back at him that he bit on the spoon and allowed it to dangle on his mouth.
"Great," she said in exasperation, "Now they get essence of Sachi and Satoru in their ramen," she grabbed the spoon from his mouth making him jut his jaw forward and snarl.
He leaned in to whisper, "What's the big deal? We're beyond sharing a spoon-"
Sachiko's hold on the spoon left her as soon as he spoke that the clattering on the sink made the other two on the other side of the kitchen turn towards their direction.
Shouko dropped the sprout she was preparing and lifted her herself up on the stool to peek at the two, "Hey, you alright? Satoru, you better not have tampered with the recipe, I don't wanna die," her eyes narrowed him making him flinch, but it was the lilac one's that had sent him a silent warning.
Sachiko waved her hands to dispel the tension, "We're fine, almost done, you guys?"
Suguru bit his cheek after forcing a smile, making Shouko laugh inwardly at how green he looked with envy, "Yes, ready for grilling. Can we join you there?" Shouko snorted as the veins on Suguru's temple pulsated as time passed. It was probably torture for him to have to pretend that Satoru's effort to make her laugh and multi-task between cooking and paying him attention wasn't solely for his own benefit.
Shouko nudged on Suguru's shoulder before they joined the two, "Hey, you gonna do something about that?"
Suguru blinked, "I'm thinking…" his hands gripped the bowl a little harder upon hearing another set of laughter from the other two. He jerked his heads sideways, "Why? You on my side?"
Shouko yawned and dropped the sprouts on a clean tray before taking to his side, "If you're asking for my help, it's gonna cost 'ya,"
"How much?" his brow lifted, slightly giving of a look of intimidation to dissuade their self-proclaimed area of neutrality.
Shouko turned to the boy with the light eyes, "His friendship? Maybe?"
Suguru placed one hand on his chin and began thinking making Shouko sneer at how he was taking her joke, "Yo, I was only kidding,"
Suguru laughed, "I know,"
For a while, everybody was silent, taking turns and keeping themselves occupied with their assigned prep work just so they could already start eating. It wasn't that tough since Sachiko practically controlled the kitchen that after a while, she allowed them to just set the plates while she finished with the cooking.
Satoru still looked over his shoulder to make sure that she was fine. He caught glimpses of her wiping the sweat from her forehead and the excess oil and spices on her apron, but never did he see the smile lift from her mouth. She was pretty good at hosting, which to Gojo's amusement, was a little sad and funny that someone who grew up in a rough home was rather attune to its workings. He couldn't really comment anyway, his childhood was far from normal at least if things persisted, one of 'em knew how to-
Gojo shook his head before he allowed himself to get too consumed by thoughts of the future. He promised the Seer and himself that he would be living in the now.
Sachiko was already slicing the last piece needed for her garnish when Shouko accidentally bumped into her leading her to cut her finger and bleed.
"Ouch…" Sachiko silently hissed.
"Oh shit! Sorry Sa-" Shouko's mouth dangled open as soon as Suguru had taken her bleeding finger and propped it in between his lips and began sucking.
Three faces were turned completely white at his bold decision, but Suguru just casually kept his eyes on Sachiko's beetroot face. The underlying taste of the salt and sweetness coming from the carrots she was chopping admixed with the copper tang of her blood didn't bother him at all. After a full minute, he had released his hold on her finger but gently brushed his lips over the small cut as if he was kissing the pain away.
"There, all better," he said, unperturbed.
Sachiko felt like her soul had left her body that she couldn't even mouth any words towards him and just robotically turned to her friend with the beauty mark and grabbed her as soon as she was able to turn from Suguru.
Satoru almost broke the chopsticks that he was fiddling with, but he couldn't mask his contempt towards his best friend who literally didn't have an ounce of regret at his unbashful gesture. Sure, he wasn't aware that Satoru and Sachiko were already in a relationship but deep in his core, Satoru knew even that proclamation wouldn't stop him from trying anything.
He thought of the best way to deal with the situation without him having to turn Suguru into dust, but it seemed like the last bit of his senses was pooled towards the hand that was reaching for the damn bear in the boxing gloves. With one swift movement, Satoru had thrown the cursed doll that had landed right smack on Suguru's smug face. The bear didn't think twice and landed a hard blow on Suguru's cheek making the usually collected young sorcerer etch a dangerous and irritated expression on the thing that he grasped firmly with one hand.
Satoru's cheeks were all puffed up and his lips were puckered shut just so he could contain his laughter.
Suguru was ready to summon his cursed energy to annihilate the bear when the two girls returned from their short chat and urged them all to finally gather around the table to eat. The special grades were famished from the mission that for a great fraction of the beginning of their meal, they practically inhaled their food as Ieiri grimaced at their silent rapture.
Satoru's eyes however spotted the faded section of Sachiko's hair. The lock that reflected consumption made him overly cautious that her energy was draining by the minute that he began pushing the side dishes towards her section of the table and spoke under his breath, "Eat up,"
Suguru also noticed that she had gone two shades lighter that he lowered his chopsticks and asked, "Are you okay?"
She brushed them off and told them that she was fine making the two boys make snide looks at an unfazed Shouko who was busy slurping the broth.
Sachiko laughed to redirect their attention, "I'm fine. I'll just-sleep it off later,"
Shouko continued to stuff her face with rice and meat and spoke in between chewing,
"The hell are you two glaring at? She's fine, not like I made her use her cursed energy stores at something. I just made her haul your asses here, no biggie right?" she turned to her raven haired friend now, shame creeping in her core upon realizing how tired she looked behind her smile.
Sachiko laughed shakily, "Well, string activation cursed energy is fixed…anyway, it's fine,"
Gojo clicked his tongue and pursed his lips against the spoon to control his snarky tone, "Good job by the way, you just lost your emergency whistle,"
Suguru clapped his hands, "Don't worry, she still has our numbers," he gave Shouko a mischievous grin, "Hope you dial fast enough Ieiri,"
Ieiri took a gulp of water and ignored their sarcasm, "Whatever, Sachi can just give me a new one, right?"
Sachiko blinked at her twice, "About that, I would if I could…but-"
Ieiri slammed her chopsticks on the table and slurped up a noodle dangling on her lips, "No…" her voice grew weak, the starkness on her eyes fleeting as she rigidly moved her neck towards her Kitsune friend, the holder of the other end of the red string, "You mean, I fucked up?" her right hand nearest Suguru had grasped a huge clump of his hair making him sway sidewards towards her pull.
Suguru groaned as he was forced away from his bowl and for someone who was non-combatant, Shouko's grip was pretty strong that he was quite sure his scalp would need tending to later.
"It's all your fault horsetail!"
Suguru cocked a brow and spoke through clenched teeth, "I apologize…Ieiri," he placed one hand on her wrist and carefully set it down until he was freed, "No need to get worked-up…"
Satoru was supporting his abdomen and was cackling uncontrollably at their exchange. At his periphery he spotted Sachiko also covering her mouth to mask her amusement.
"I JUST LOST MY SIGNALFIRE! HOW CAN I NOT FREAK OUT? AND LOOK-," she rolled up her sleeve and pointed at her left forearm, "I HAVE THESE FREAKIN' MARKS TO PROVE THAT I'VE USED IT UP!"
Suguru unraveled his hair and began hand combing the strands that Ieiri disheveled, "I don't see anything,"
Sachiko leaned forward, "Only wielders and the Kitsune can see the thread markings but yes, it does prove that you have activated it already,"
Shouko rested her head on the table and gave out a deep sigh, "Damn it…and I thought I could go on that mission with Lady Kodansha…"
Satoru refilled Sachiko's water before poking at Shouko's shoulder, "Oi, oi, it's bad manners to mope around in the dining table and besides," he snickered, "The hell were you thinking of doing? Some Grade 1 curse arrives, and you summon Sachi like a genie?"
Shouko nodded.
Their cheerful exchange went on for quite a while, with them transferring to the living room and watching a movie.
As four of the most sought-after young sorcerers of the century, it had become exceedingly rare for them to just set aside their responsibilities to just be themselves in the safety of their own company. Moments like these were often remembered vividly. Behind closed doors, they were just these four youngsters, looking for connections and growth and even the semblance of normalcy in the midst of the chaos they face daily. Outside, it was very different.
A yawn caught Ieiri's attention and as expected, Sachiko was already resting her back on the sofa, and rubbing her eyes to keep awake.
Ieiri bumped shoulders with her making her feign a small smile, "Hey, you okay Sachi?"
She moved her head up and down, the circles under her eyes becoming more apparent the more she looked closely, still Sachiko remained in her position.
After a few hours, the four had already crashed on Sachiko's living room area with Shouko comfortably stretched and huddled under the covers on Sachiko's couch. Suguru had taken a spot on the floor and dozed off with one hand under his head while Satoru, the last man standing had already scooped up a sleeping Sachiko and made his way to her bedroom.
He had intentionally kept an eye on her instead of watching the movie he picked for them to watch and as soon as he had an opening, he did what he needed to do.
She didn't weigh much, to Satoru's disdain, even as he called her fluffy at times, the muscle that she had under her skin only developed more as she trained.
As soon as he lay her on her mattress, Sachiko had shifted into a more comfortable position, allowing him to pull over a blanket to protect her from the cold. The Kitsune markings on her limbs, neck and even face quickly resurfaced which meant that her consumption was beginning. He stirred but only briefly as every battle scar was masked with her smile. The lines on her forehead lifted and she made the tiniest sound with each breath that made him think that she was probably having a good dream.
He drew back some of the strands that lingered on the sides of her face and traced his fingers on her cheek making her twitch a little and turn to its direction behind closed eyes.
His blue eyes remained wide open as he observed her peaceful face.
Really, detail her features like he was burning an image in his mind. He briefly looked over his shoulder to check if his companions were still asleep before kneeling to level with her face and leaned in to give her a chaste kiss on her forehead.
"Goodnight 'Chi," he etched an amorous smile as he straightened but was met with a creaking sound from behind.
Suguru was by the doorstep, laying witness to Satoru's affectionate actions towards Sachiko and with one look at his bestfriend, he knew.
Everything.
He would be lying to himself if Satoru's expression didn't cause him a little bit of despondency. Satoru's triumph meant his own defeat and yet, peering at the girl he loved sleeping so sweetly and soundly in response to Satoru's touch, undoubtedly, it also meant her happiness.
He felt like a piece of himself has been sliced off his core, and with just one foot out of the door and with each step that his friend took to stand closer to him, he wore chipped armor that he hoped would protect the very last bit of his sanity and tranquility to keep things cordial.
For her.
Suguru offered his hand as soon as Satoru could comfortably reach him, it took him three seconds until Satoru gave a firm shake. They looked at each other's eyes, lilac ones reading into the sky swirling on the other boy and then he blinked.
"Let's head out," Suguru said, smirk creeping on his face.
Satoru was a little relieved and yet a little concerned at how calmly he had just accepted the truth he accidentally uncovered. Usually, even the most trivial of things would earn him a smackdown of some sort, but for the benefit of the lady involved, it was time they actually acted like men.
Suguru was furious. Not because he Satoru initially didn't even know if he'd take his feelings seriously but because he felt like a coward. He had realized how much he had wasted to get ahead of Satoru and yet, he knew it was the right thing to do then.
Suguru walked ahead of Satoru. It was a rather silent walk back to their dorms and really, the tension was so palpable that Satoru couldn't help but dig his hands a little deeper in his hoodie. Suguru was smiling when they left the private dorm and despite the eerie calm, it seems like the news didn't even disturb him as much.
Satoru hoped that it would at least make him realize that boundaries need to be set and yet, something was itching behind his brain.
He let out a hoarse sigh and removed his glasses. He stopped walking and opened his mouth, "Hey, Suguru,"
The other boy turned making Satoru grimace at his incongruent expression, "Hm?"
Satoru pinched his forehead, "That shake was just for show wasn't it, asshole?"
Suguru lifted his chin and allowed a menacing smile to display itself, "No shit, you bastard, I don't like losing,"
Satoru let out a horrid laugh and cracked his knuckles while the other one was flexing his neck.
He changed into a more offensive stance, "Too bad," Satoru's blue eyes froze with steel, "She's spoken for,"
Suguru lifted the side of his lip and made a fist with one hand, eyeing his friendly nemesis into a taunt, "We'll see…"
Shibuya, Tokyo
Gakuganji organized a meeting in Tokyo with his counterpart three days after his students returned from Ginza. Word regarding a possible Kusozu spotting piqued the interest of the Kyoto Institute's principal and his colleagues in office.
Yaga was already half-way through the tea when Gakuganji finally relinquished formalities and began his interrogation.
"Masamichi, your students seem to be attracting a lot of high-level curses lately," he said curtly, in an attempt to illicit a laudable response from the younger man.
Yaga set his cup down and nodded, "My students are special grades," he said matter of factly,
"They are expected to rise to the occasion if need be. The circumstances surrounding their last mission was entirely coincidental,"
"Was it?" Gakuganji's tone was unpleasant, and it showed in the stiffness of his posture that he was only going to keep asking hard questions, "And what of the Kusozu? Will the Tokyo Institute hold on to the womb?"
Yaga took another sip before replying, raising his shoulders to relieve some of the knots that were forming, "We have retrieved the corpse but based on our findings, it doesn't seem to have the remnants of the Scrybe…" He took in a deep breath and reached for the kettle to refill his cup, "But if we do confirm a womb, we'll keep it in the repository,"
The old man's hands wound around his staff tightly, "Another dangerous relic in your hands…how interesting. I hope you are not just stating these things to protect one of your students."
Gakuganji was aware of Suguru's cursed technique and noticed that Yaga was a little concerned that Suguru had not given up the orb (nor had he destroyed it) to the institution.
He did inform him that the seers confirmed that he had not used any true Cursed Womb and that the Kusozu was merely a depiction that his innate technique manifested. Still, it was better that Gakuganji was left in the dark since he still couldn't decipher his real motives.
Yaga replied, "With all due respect, I think there are more qualified people on our side who can aide in its safe-keeping, but if you do petition for it, I wouldn't stand in your way…"
Gakuganji's frown deepened, "Your pillar is getting stronger as the days pass by…"
"As it should be,"
The old man lifted his head and eyed the younger man without so much as a peep for a full minute before he shifted his seating. Setting his staff aside, he lifted the cup of tea that Masamichi had filled and raised it towards him,
"Three special grades and the sole reversal user in your hands…I do hope you do not fall behind any of your students,"
Yaga smirked, "I'm always up for that challenge,"
The older man emptied his cup and gestured for Yaga to open the bottle of sake instead,
"Of course, you are,"
Popping the alcohol bottle open, he filled the cup of the Kyoto Institute principal and quipped, "Please and give my regards to the higher-ups,"
2 weeks later
There was an irreverent wind that howled in the early morning of that school day. The campus was shrouded by a solemn cloud as deployments went back and forth for their trainees. After receiving a rather prompt letter signed by the higher-ups the night before, Yaga had been up tending to his dolls earlier than usual, a gratified smile plastered on his lips with every stitch, passing the time leisurely and yet hastily as he was too elated to summon his students that morning.
He hummed a cheerful tune as soon as the clock stroke six and left to break his fast. His coffee tasted sweeter that day-victory mixed with the strong scent of the brew flavored his drink. And the thought of a certain old friend having less of a good morning than he will.
Though, not a few hours later, he was greeted by a less than enthusiastic bunch of Tokyo Jujutsu Tech's finest.
He propped the letter he received on the teacher's table and gave a quick scan of the room. He remembered its contents, a detailed list of rankings that the officials declared were noteworthy students, praised for their contribution to their realm. When he first opened it, he wasn't at all surprised that his students dominated the slots and even outranked some of the veterans in their field. If only, his students knew the real implications of it.
Despite the less than interested expression and crusted eyes sitting in the corners of the classroom, the truth was apparent-
They are the future of Jujutsu.
He cleared his throat before speaking. Despite his lack of facial expression, he never felt as proud as he did that day,
"Firstly, I'd like to commend each and every one of you for your outstanding effort and performance for the past few years. I am very exalted to share with you some good news. Yesterday, a letter came from the higher-ups detailing the ranking of notable sorcerers and among those listed, a number of you even placed in the top 10,"
There wasn't much excitement and anticipation that can be felt around the room. The special grades weren't fond of their officials and the others, quite frankly, didn't give much of a damn about ranks. Though, even if Yaga wasn't a straight follower of the officials, it was refreshing that those stingy old people were forced to give accolades to the people they didn't approve of.
"Let me start, Yuu Haibara, you ranked 15th,"
Yu was seated at the front desk beside his blonde classmate. He pointed towards himself and etched a surprised yet gleeful look, "I did? Cool! Why?" he was rather confused, if he was being honest, he didn't think that he'd even get a chance to find a place in the ranks.
"Your work in Okinawa as well as your recent mission weighed heavily on that decision. You have a lot of potential and you work well with others,"
"Wow, I get points for being a team player!" He looked to his side and sat back down proudly earning him a reassuring nod from Nanami.
Yaga continued, "Shouko Ieiri, you rank 10th, for being an exceptional reversal prodigy,"
Shouko twirled her hair and looked haughtily back at her teacher as she mused, "Does that mean I get to skip some steps when I go to college?"
Yaga laughed, "I'm afraid not,"
He turned to the blonde student now who sat properly at his desk, opal eyes remaining calculative yet still, "Nanami Kento, you are being considered for promotion to Grade 1, but even at this stage, you rank 5th in the pool,"
Nanami's lip quivered ever so slightly.
"Good job Nanami!" Haibara said clapping his back.
Nanami nodded in gratitude and gave his friend a small smile. He would be lying to himself if he didn't feel a little bit pleased by making in to the top five. He needed some sort of concrete reassurance that he was worthy of having a place among the tribe of the Kitsune.
He worked hard. He abided by their rather questionable rules, so it was just about time that he was given kudos for his work. Not that he wanted it to come from the higherups still, it was something.
He looked over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of the Lady of the Miura household. His sharp, opal eyes, opened a little further as he caught her smiling at him as if she wanted to extend her congratulations. He found himself reciprocating her smile, a bit of hope and confidence added to his esteem.
Yaga turned towards the raven-haired girl, "The fourth in rank is actually your cousin Ms. Miura, Yahiko," Yaga said, taking her attention away from Nanami.
Shouko crossed her legs on the desk and began pointing individually at her friends,
"So that leaves the three special grades. Hmm…" she turned to the sophomores inside the room and grimaced, "Hey Nanami and Yuu, wanna make a bet on which one of these hotheads gets the crown?
Nanami already had an inkling on who would rank first and, in all honesty, so did the rest but when Yaga announced the ranks, they didn't expect the name he proclaimed.
"The third and second rank had very close scores but ultimately came up with the following rank. Getou Suguru, you rank 3rd and Gojo Satoru, you rank 2nd,"
Sachiko's red eyes amplified and there were a few gasps around the room, mostly because everyone expected Six-eyes to retain his title. The rumor that she was ranked first only came after she had recovered the cursed object, but it was all dispelled since the higher-ups didn't like the Miuras. When Yaga's announcement came, they couldn't quite fathom how easily they conceded to proclaiming someone from the corrupted line if sorcerers.
The two male special grades exchanged careful glances but were actually quite proud of their friend's achievement.
"That's right Ms. Miura, you are currently proclaimed the number one sorcerer in the Jujutsu realm,"
Yaga placed a hand under his chin, "I should also inform you that in the past 100 years, to date, you are the first female sorcerer to use domain expansion at your age and the fact that you utilized it to secure a very important relic, that alone deserves a lot of merit, congratulations,"
Sachiko merely bowed and said monotonously, "Oh, uh, thank you, sir,"
Shouko quirked a brow as she slapped her hand in front of Sachiko's table,
"Hah? That's it Sachi? Mr. Yaga just proclaimed you as the strongest besting these two," she referred to the boys who sat behind them, but Gojo and Getou couldn't help but flinch and feel a little embarrassed to admit that they were quite disappointed in themselves and a little bit intimidated by her.
Getou however was the first to give congratulations. He tapped on her shoulder and looked at her with kind eyes, "Congratulations Sachi, you deserve the commendation,"
"Thank you…" she spoke with controlled glee, of all things, attention wasn't something she wanted to increase.
Gojo grinned as he pulled on her chair towards his own desk just to increase the distance between her and his best friend, "Don't get too comfortable Chi, I'm comin' for ya!" he winked.
Rolling her eyes at him she smirked, "I'm sorry you lost," she spoke while rolling her eyes.
Yaga straightened from the desk and began his leave, "Well then, that will be all for now, you can all wait here for further announcements,"
Satoru had retreated to his phone as soon as Yaga left.
The news had been bittersweet. He didn't really care about ranking but his family surely did but who could blame the officials for their decision?
The most advanced technique in their roster was exhibited by Miura Sachiko. He was proud because looking at her, she seemed so harmless and yet those who got a taste of her technique knew otherwise. She was lethal alright. Cunning. But more importantly, she was his.
The looming uproar from his clan didn't seem like a victorious fete for the other, still, whatever reverence awaited her, she didn't seem too excited.
His fingers were already pressing unto the buttons of his phone and with one final tap, he waited until the receiver of his text finally read his message.
Sachiko heard the click immediately and checked before opening the message as soon as the name popped up, to keep from prying eyes. They had been in a relationship for a few weeks now and have yet to tell anyone about it.
She flipped her phone open as soon as Ieiri found herself engrossed in her own messages and read,
Satoru: Chi-chan, you want something from the vendo? 'Ya hungry?
He's actually trying to act like my boy-…but wouldn't it be too obvious if I let him?
Her eyes lingered on the screen but could already feel Satoru's heavy presence emanate from the other side of the room, still she sent a rather evasive reply to his dismay,
Sachi: I'm okay, thank you ^^
It took a few seconds for him to think about what he'd reply after her rather bland message. But she should know better than to dismiss his offering,
Satoru: Adzuki or matcha? Iced coffee or juice?
Sachi: Really, I'm okay, thank you though, very thoughtful of you.
Satoru inhaled sharply, making his best friend turn and observe the sudden change in his mood but before he could ask, Suguru already took it upon himself to walk out of the door.
Satoru sent another message while he puffed up his cheeks and sent a laser of a glare towards the back of Sachiko's head,
Satoru: Eh? It's only natural that I do these things for you though…not a really big deal.
She looked over her shoulder now, but only for a second and saw that her boyfriend was clearly eager to do something that society dictated him to do. Before their eyes could lock, Sachiko, sent a speedy reply and fixed her posture,
Sachi: Adzuki then…please?
Satoru: You got it ;)
Satoru was already heading towards the door when Suguru barged in with two cans of drinks in his hand. Satoru was quick to act, halting the rather too excited boy with the long hair as he skipped towards his girl, grabbing the can with the flavor Sachiko preferred.
Suguru turned his head mechanically at his friend, his temporal vein pulsating and his mouth twitching in irritation, "What the hell are you doing, Satoru?"
He spoke with steel now, but Satoru only matched his mood with the same kind of forewarning. Shadows were already forming under his eyes but wasn't enough to taunt the bespectacled boy as he chugged down the drink, he got for the girl he liked.
He really doesn't know when to give up.
"Miura-senpai! One of the first years is asking for you!" Yu called out from the entrance.
Sachiko left the room without having noticed the showdown that was happening behind her desk, leaving an annoyed Shouko to play as a referee but that wasn't enough to convince her to stay as she slipped out as soon as the two began pulling each other by the collar.
When Sachiko returned and closed the door, the sound wasn't enough to break the banter but the aromatic and beautifully arranged flowers in her hands were. There was a deafening silence that paired with the curious eyes that landed on where she stood. The pressure was almost suffocating that she felt a little bit thrown back by their dark stares. That she was left with utterances as she shifted from one face to the other.
"Iei-huh?"
Ieiri had already left a few minutes into her conversation with the first year, for whatever reason, she'd find out later on. Right now, her focus fell on the dark cloud that formed above the halos of her two special grade friends. The wind that left their flared-out noses seemed to mimic the sound of an impending storm that her foot found a place behind the other. A cold chill crept suddenly on her spine as she forced herself to take steps towards her desk.
Yuu's curiosity drew him close to his senior and he couldn't help but rub his hands together and invade her space, "SUGEI!" he exclaimed, "Miura-senpai, did you just get a love confession?"
"HA?" she flinched, voice rising automatically at his abrupt inference, "N-no, you misunderstand,"
Satoru, Suguru and Nanami jerked their heads towards Yuu immediately, burning through his core like a hot pan hoping that it would eventually reach those damn petals. Still, the sophomore paid them no mind.
The smiles on their faces were completely wiped out, Suguru's teeth gnashed together creating a sound that matched the mood of the white-haired boy beside him.
Sachiko shook her head, "This isn't-"
Satoru's feet pushed himself to rise, his jaw raised high enough that his shades danced down to the bridge of his nose. Before speaking, he cleared his throat, making Yuu and Sachiko turn to face him,
"Chi-chan…who gave you those?" his voice was low and emotionless, and he etched this creepy grin like he had invisible clips keeping his mouth crescentic. His eyes were elsewhere, criticizing each stem and bud that was covered in overly shiny wrapping paper that she held in her hands. To him, it was a bit of an insult that someone would try to make nice with her despite the fact that they weren't exactly exclusive.
Truth was, it just dawned on him that he never got her flowers before.
Sachiko steadied her voice, "Ijichi, the first year, he asked me to hand these to Shouko," she said, untroubled, narrowing her eyes at her spectators who seemed to instantly have their moods lifted by her explanation.
A little bit of her anxiety left her as soon as he had offered a proper explanation and proceeded to Shouko's table. She rolled the paper covering the end of the cut-stems and released some of her cursed energy to create a barrier to prevent them from wilting and placed them on the table.
Without discussing any further, Suguru and Satoru went back to their seats.
Evading the lilac and blue eyes pointing in her direction, she spoke to her junior, "Where did Shouko go?"
Yuu shrugged his shoulders and continued to speak, oblivious to the growing discomfort between him and his senior, "You don't like flowers senpai?"
"No, I like them a lot actually but, I prefer not have them cut. They're better in a garden…" she said abruptly.
Yuu was still a little too giddy from the flowers that he took it upon himself to take one of the chairs and sit in front of her making Sachiko fold her lips, "Senpai, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"
Not wanting to sound rude, she lifted her shoulders and fixed her seating, hoping that he wouldn't ask something that would cause more problems, "Uh, alright, what is it about?" she instantly regretted giving him permission. The feel he gave off practically branded itself in awkward strain.
Yuu swayed in his seat and lifted one finger, "Relationships!"
If he were any other person, Sachiko would've probably burned Yuu alive just to escape from the topic, but this was the lower classman who defended her before and was the close friend of Nanami so, despite the droplets of sweat that formed under her brow, she fought her nerves and managed a worried smile, "Relationships? Uh, I think Ieiri is a better choice for that though…"
Yuu rested his chin on both of his palms and shook his head, the smile on his eyes expanding despite Sachiko's attempt to put him off, "It's okay senpai, I really just need a girl's take on a certain scenario…"
"I'm not sure how helpful I am with those kinds of things though…"
Her brows were already stitched in the middle, poise shedding with each minute that passed. She really wasn't confident with that topic.
What do I know? I'm new to relationships too…and besides, she took a deep breath, I don't want Satoru to get the wrong idea…
Yuu's eyes sparkled with anticipation. He wasn't going to accept no for an answer. Keeping his feet planted on the stool, he dragged his chair closer, taking with him, two other sets of ears listening in.
"So senpai, you see, I've got a friend,"
Nanami's brows twitched at his statement. He didn't think that he'd have any particular concern about whatever piqued his friend's interest but as far as he knew, he was his only friend. Losing face over something as trivial as Haibara's musings wasn't something he would allow. Closing the book, he was reading, he leaned sidewards, hand supporting his chin just to make out their conversation.
"Okay, what about your friend?" Sachiko probed.
Haibara snickered then lessened the volume of his speech, "He seems to be quite interested in you…"
The words that left his mouth was enough to put a target sign on his head, beads of purple and cyan planted firmly on his chest, breath halting until the younger boy had finished his statement.
Haibara's laughter rose with one hand planted firmly behind his head, "But he's kind of cold and clueless as to how to approach you since he doesn't want to place a dent on your friendship, so, if that were the case-aahhh!"
The blonde sorcerer who ranked 5th in their roster had his hand wrapped around Yuu's collar, instantly silencing the brunette before anymore of his nonsense formed behind his throat. Yuu's hands were flapping furiously at his sides, but Nanami's grip was very tight despite his flustered appearance.
Without making eye contact with a rather surprised Sachiko, he excused himself and continued to drag his friend away, leaving only a trail of his voice to apologize, "Please don't mind anything he says senpai, excuse us,"
She stood midway but quickly sat back down seeing as the distance Nanami had made was too far off for her reply to be heard, "Oh, okay then?" Sachiko was a little relieved that she didn't have to answer him, but her respite was cut short when two different heads went to hover each side of her shoulder.
"So, what's your answer?" The light-haired one said. He sounded a little stern, but it was only because he wanted her to at least hint at their relationship status. Her lips parted marginally but held back any words since Suguru lay equally expectant on the opposite side. She caught a bit of his worry as she looked sideways that she found it hard to formulate any sentence that would appease both parties.
Of course, the guys weren't as patient as the others. The two had grabbed the nearby chairs and each took a place beside her, caging her like puppy dogs waiting for their master to pet them.
Suguru's hand slid on his nape as he spoke, "I wanna know too,"
There was really no winning in that situation. Thanks to Ieiri hinting at Suguru's interest in her, and thanks to their non-revelation about her real status, every answer pointed to her demise. She hated being placed under the spotlight and her personal matters were definitely something she wanted to keep to herself-despite having one of 'em directly involved in her plight.
She rarely lost her cool but, this time their incessant hovering ticked her off that she found herself frowning and mobilizing stiffly, "You two," her voice laced with a tiny bit of crossness making them straighten their backs against the chair, sitting still as red eyes rendered them powerless. She didn't speak but the glint of crimson was enough to cease their teasing.
But in the next second, the two boys burst in ugly laughter, making the girl in between them sigh in reprieve and a tiny bit of aloofness in between their erratic apologies. She had left them to get some air by the window but the two continued with their snide remarks shin-kicking as soon as she was far enough.
The scowl that Satoru gave only amused Suguru further giving him the impression that the was ignoring the clear warning Satoru silently reminded.
Suguru had already promised his best friend that he'd respect their boundaries but his proclamation that he doesn't think he can ever treat her any differently than before only made the other boy more cautious around him when it came to matters of the heart.
Suguru blatantly told him that he refused to lie to himself and deny what he felt about Sachiko. And although this made Satoru's blood boil, he trusted him enough to not disturb their peace.
Satoru slumped back and closed his eyes, dropping the subject before they get into an even more heated conversation. Suguru, apologized and told him that he would give more effort to keep his feelings at bay, still, how could he resist, the ethereal figure by the window?
Unless she tells me to stop being her friend, I'll be part of your lives forever, best buddy.
The smell of ash and soot stuck to their uniforms five minutes in, in the smoking area section near the main building. Three sticks consumed by the taller male and about the fifth to be lit up by the girl with the mole under her eye and its only mid-day.
Lunch didn't seem to be much of a concern for them unlike the white-haired boy who had gone off to the cafeteria without them. The blaze and black fog were enough to satiate their appetite for the rest of the afternoon.
It may have been a little callous for Ieiri to invite Suguru for a smoke just so she could inquire about what was on his mind but seeing as her best friend was currently assisting Mr. Yaga, she thought it best to help him get his facts straight.
Ieiri took another hit of her cig and tilted her head in an angle similarly done with her brow. Brown eyes deciphering what the silence of Suguru meant. Impatient with his lack of regard for body language, she spoke, "So, did you decide to yield?"
Suguru balanced the half-consumed white stick in between his fingers and smirked, lilac eyes avoidant of the brown ones that beckoned him to answer truthfully, "Not much choice but to step aside now," he tapped the cig and allowed the ash to fall on the waste basket, "I don't want to make things difficult for her,"
Ieiri puffed out cancerous air and shook her head, unsurprised by his solemn tone, "You're such a martyr,"
Suguru pierced the ash tray with the small butt that was left and snorted, "Would you rather he and I battle it out?" his shoulders lifted up and down, eyes directing itself to his snarling friend, "'Could get messy,"
Ieiri grated with the next puff and leaned on the railing, "I preferred it if she found someone else but, whatever," smacking Suguru's arm with the back of her hand, she grinned slightly, "Good for you for being the mature one and just letting them be,"
Suguru opened the next box of smokes and tapped on the other end to collect a piece and propped it in between his lips, a grimace unfolding at the same time he aligned the lighter on the end of the cig, "I didn't say anything about letting them be,"
"Thank you for coming with me to the greenhouse Ms. Miura,"
Yaga had saved her from an awkward mid-afternoon. His sudden request may have caught her off-guard, but anything was better than staying in a room with those two bombarding her with questions.
His presence always favored welcoming. If not for his idea to house her with the cursed corpses, she would have probably felt more desolate. Despite being quite reserved, Yaga was actually a very benevolent adult so doing favors for him wasn't taxing.
He retained his posture as they entered the greenhouse, his covered eyes made a quick scan from behind Sachiko before gesturing her to follow him to a specific area that looked more like a small animal sanctuary. Sure, it housed animal-looking dolls but even from a distance, she could feel that something else was living among them.
"I'd like to thank you for your help with my dolls but I'm afraid, I'm here to ask you for another favor,"
"No sir, I should really thank you sir for giving me great companions at my dorm. I can't imagine my school life without them, please, what can I do to help you?"
Yaga nodded at her then after instructing her to wait for him as he headed to a small, shaded area in the middle of the animal recluse. As she waited for his return, Sachiko couldn't help but take note that the whole place was heavily cloaked and what's more, it had more protective sigils than her room.
"Is Mr. Yaga hiding something here?" she began to look for some patterns in the sigils and saw similar ones that were painted on elemental-related seals. Those runes were formerly used by sorcerers to protect cursed artifacts that it made her wonder what exactly Yaga had to hide that required her presence?
She heard Yaga's footsteps emerge, making her turn to meet him. From where she stood, she could already see that he was holding something in his arms-a black and white animal snuggling on its master, responding to the gentle pat that made his beady eyes turn towards their visitor.
This is strange, I am sensing three different wavelengths of cursed energy.
"A Panda?" her voice rose in subtle confusion and delight as the little one reached out for her hand and seemingly smiled.
Yaga nodded, "I need your help for this one. I'm sure you can already decipher that this one isn't like the others I have created. You can feel his core, right?"
"I can feel…"
"Yes, three different cores in one body,"
Sachiko withdrew her hand, "B-but, how? The other dolls-"
Yaga went on his knees and allowed the small creature to crawl and move about on its own but on its third step, the baby Panda stumbled and fell on its side. Sachiko knelt beside it and went on to check on the poor thing catching its breath.
Yaga sighed, "He is a little weak right now. His three cores aren't binding well and I'm afraid that if it doesn't merge soon, he might not make it," he lifted his head towards Sachiko,
"All of his cores are elemental spirits, and I was wondering if perhaps you could help with making them more attune with each other,"
Sachiko learned about Kitsunes and their ability to use reversal techniques effectively on animals however for something as big as Yaga's request, she wasn't sure how she could help. Her reversal techniques were limited to poison control and minor wounds on humans but a cursed doll with three living cores would require a huge portion of her tails to enact at once.
To bind the cores that were fighting to retain life into a small body, she would have to bind them with a string that was not connected to her but the central core of the Panda then, she would also have to use her reversal technique to keep each core from consuming each other.
It was a form of Kitsune-bi or fox fire magic. Creating a pyre that combines two tails, reversal, and the weaving of their threads of fate. A first attempt for an advanced technique.
She took the weak, whimpering creature in her hands and drew him close to her chest to keep him warm. She took a strand of her hair with her free hand and summoned her foxfire to envelope the thin string.
Yaga watched as her pupils turned into glowing rouge crescents that mimicked the dancing white fire on her fingertips until it formed a small glow like that of lit candle. She transferred her cursed energy into the chest of the small creature that initially writhed at the sudden surge of energy it received.
Sachiko moved her arms side to side and began caressing its fur to ease in the process of the bind, "There, there," she said, "You'll be okay,"
Sachiko had altered his core, splitting one to encase three that would work hand in hand to protect the living creature it possessed.
Sachiko's eyes widened as soon as she felt its paws grasp unto her fingers, the squeeze made her smile as she watched as it opened its eyes.
Yaga approached now and gave a thoughtful nod towards his student. Transferring the Panda back into Yaga's arms, it quickly changed its position as he embraced his creator, "Are you okay now, little one?"
The Panda moved its head and turned to the Six-tailed Kitsune, "Thank you,"
Upon hearing it speak, Yaga felt a sudden thrill within his chest. Weeks of rearing didn't earn him more than just a whimper but the voice, the small voice that left its mouth made him realize that what he had created, what she helped him restore, was beyond the confines of his imagination.
I have life in my hands, Yaga thought.
Sachiko softened her features and continued to stare back at the endearing doll whose health was restored. With one more pat, she snickered and spoke, "He'll be alright Mr. Yaga, after all, he's not just a panda,"
She felt particularly fulfilled after leaving the greenhouse. She didn't think that she'd be able to pull off what Yaga had wanted but it didn't take much for her to create a bind that would balance out the core. Her innate connection with all life-forms gave her success.
Finally, being born as a Kitsune made her feel a little more grateful about the things only she could do.
When she opened the door of her dorm, her lips immediately quirked upwards upon seeing a very familiar pair of sneakers. The sound of bickering and squeaking that came from her favorite cursed doll, the boxing bear, or as Yaga had named Tsukamoto, was being retaliated with a few overworked quips from the boy with the signature cackle.
As expected, Satoru had been holding the bear with one hand on its head to prevent it from hitting him out of habit. He wasn't sure if Yaga had instructed all males who would even dare to breathe in Sachiko's air to go into the offensive or it just straight up hated him for whatever reason. Still, with the effort he had exhibited for that afternoon, Satoru didn't want to waste his energy on the fluffy thing.
The sides of her eyes creased as she muffled her laughter, staying quiet on the sideline as she dropped her bag on the nearby table and waited for her beau to take note of her presence. She was quick to notice that he had removed his Lennon-like shades and disrobed his uniform jacket. Though others would make it seem that he was being too prude, Sachiko appreciated that he could just relax and put his guard down whenever they were together.
She knew how exhausting it was for him to keep his Infinity on loop just so nothing even remotely close to Toji's sneak attack would put him at a disadvantage. Not that she was any different. Her eyes were morphed ninety percent of the time and if the markings on her face and body weren't proof enough, all they had to do was count the silver strands on her head.
Not in here though.
"I see things haven't changed around here," she spoke in between her airy chuckle.
Satoru's previously irritated face tempered immediately at the sound of her voice. His hand that held the bear was still drawn away from him even as he approached her. He gave her an excited grin and reached out for a hug only to be politely rejected as she pointed at the angered toy, "~Kyaaaa~ Okairinasai Chi-chan," he chirped.
Sachiko gestured for him to hand the bear over to her. Immediately, it stopped moving and wrapped its arms around the girl. Giving it a short pat, she placed the cursed doll down and ushered it away but not until it made sure that Satoru would see his ghastly scowl.
Satoru let out his tongue but quickly withdrew it as Sachiko went to greet him. He pulled out a chair and asked her to take a seat. In the next moment, Satoru had placed a medium sized white dessert box in front of her earning him a wondering blink from his girl.
Satoru snapped his lips to a close and focused his eyes on her pretty face already grinning excitedly at the mystery package. He placed his hands on the corner of the box and pushed it further in her direction, "Chi-chan, here…"
"Oh, what is it? What's the occasion?" the tone of her voice didn't mask how ecstatic she was about how sweet and thoughtful her boyfriend was being. Satoru could tell from the glimmer of her bright red eyes that skipping lunch that day to line up at the bakery was worth it but astonished as he was about her reaction to the white box, he still had to brace himself from how she'd react once she saw what was actually inside.
Satoru moved his shoulders and looked owlishly at Sachiko, "No occasion, just because and well…you said you're not really fond of cut flowers so,"
He decided to shift into a more confident tone, even though he was feeling the least assertive about his choice, he strengthened his facade,
"I tried to look for an alternative…I mean, since uh," his cyan eyes lingered upwards and he caught himself feeling a bit of the heat rush through his neck and face as he continued, "-that day we kissed-"
As soon as the word left his mouth, Sachiko's face rouged up quickly, her heartbeat increased at the sudden vivid recollection that she jumped from her seat before forcing herself to settle back down,
"Ah!" she twined her fingers on the hem of her skirt, eyes evading her companion as she forced herself to remain calm, albeit, poorly, "D-ddddon't say it so casually!"
Satoru closed in their distance a little more but waited until her grip on her clothes loosened before he made another move. He found himself hypnotized by the shine of her alabaster skin reddened by vessels that dilated in response to her feelings. The markings from her technique slowly fading the more that she relaxed, markings that called out to his touch that he brushed his knuckles over the side of her cheek, spreading the warmth with each stroke that made his lips widened upwards.
Her hand caught the one that caressed her cheek which made Gojo laugh. When a small pout appeared on her face, Gojo set his back on the chair and gave her some space. He cleared his throat and scratched the side of his arm, "Anyway, I realize I haven't gotten you anything since then, so, there," he pointed towards the box that sat in between her thin, delicate fingers.
Sachiko pulled on the ribbon that wrapped around the box, carefully removing the tape, and rotating it as slowly as possible as Satoru had instructed.
When she finally lifted the lid and all the corners of the box fell on its sides, a small but very audible, gleeful gasp came from her mouth. Her eyes couldn't leave the detailed object that was set before her.
It was a beautiful dome made out of clear gelatine and inside it was an assortment of flowers-a magenta-like daisy called the Sakurasou, a few branches of the apricot tree flowers, blackthorns and at the center was a large lotus flower. It looked like they were sealed in a crystal ball, each petal perfectly preserved in its blooming form, and it smelled very sweet-like lavenders dipped in honey. She didn't know it yet, but her face practically spoke of pure joy.
She bit her lip. She was speechless. Not just because she has never received something like this from a boy but because it was him.
What do I do? I'm so touched, I feel like crying. But I don't want him to make fun of me…
Her moistened eyes flickered slightly at him then back at the dessert. The slight trickle at the side of her face made Satoru chime forward, his nerves making him stutter through his next statement.
"S-so, do you like it?" he asked, the side of his cheek had numbed from too much biting, and it became difficult to retain his conviction as he stared at her unreadable expression. His hand slid to the back of his nape; his massaging however didn't do much to help with his unease. Impatient as he was, he took in a sharp breath and called out, "Chi-chan?"
Her lips folded backwards as she tried to muffle out her whimper. The pain from holding back her tears only increased Satoru's palpitations that made him question if he actually did something wrong, his voice cracked as it rose, "Chi-chan! Are you okay? Do you not like it?"
Sachiko hurriedly wiped her tears but failed to stop them from falling that Satoru, in his panic, grabbed his stuff and began to make his leave but before he could even step three paces away from her, he felt a tug on the back of his shirt and fell back on his seat. He gulped slowly, beads of sweat cascading down on the side of his forehead as he looked over his shoulder.
His forehead smoothened. Worry had left him as soon as he saw her face. There was nothing but gratitude. Her doe-like eyes locked fervently on his and the sweetness from her smile made him lose his grasp on his back and quickly turned to face her from where he sat.
All his worries were erased. She pulled him a little closer so that her temple rested a little below his shoulders. He felt her snuggle towards his chest making the tendrils that echoed from his heart more noticeable than he wanted, still, he couldn't help but just let her stay in his arms.
When she finally lifted her head, she gave him small smile, "Satoru, please stay…share this with me?"
His smile stretched so fast that it was practically extending to his ears, "Alright," he tilted her chin and aligned her face to meet his cerulean eyes, "I'll stay,"
Sachiko kept her smile in full view as she proceeded to slice a piece for the each of them. When she finally had the chance to taste it, Gojo patiently waited for her review. She expected it to be sweeter, like the usual desserts that Satoru buys for the both of them but this time, his choice was actually just sweet enough that it was to her liking.
He knows me better than I expected…I can't help but feel so touched.
She set the fork down carefully and placed her hand over Satoru's giving it a light squeeze before letting go, "It's really good, thank you so much Satoru,"
Gojo grinned as he gobbled his piece and wiped his mouth only to be pleasantly surprised that he actually did make a great choice, "It's so good! No wonder people lined up for this!"
Sachiko allowed Satoru to focus on his nibbling that in the next second, he didn't even notice that she had moved her chair a few inches closer to his. She assessed how she would go about her next move, being the shorter of the two, it would be hard to sneak in without him being able to read through her intentions but seeing as it was a moment that deserved recognition, she built up enough courage to lift herself up at an angle that would allow her to give him a soft peck on his cheek.
Satoru left his fork in the air and his mouth remained agape as she whispered in his ear, "Thank you, Satoru," the airy whisper tickled his ear that he couldn't help but warm up.
He looked adaze as he ogled at her. He dropped his fork on the plate making Sachiko wince but before she could say anything, Satoru had already wrapped his arms around her and started pressing his cheek on her face,
"~Nyaaaaaannn! You're being lovey-dovey Chi~~~~ I'm gonna lose my control if you continue doing that!"
She struggled to find the proper words to stop him from making her suffocate but in a way, she actually wanted to stay within the confines of his arms. Sometimes he wondered if him being unhinged was who he actually was not the snooty boy they made him up to be.
He had always felt warm when he held her, the feeling of comfort was always guaranteed but it was important that she still retain some boundaries as she noticed the swarm of dolls watching from the upper part of the loft, drilling holes into his scalp.
She tapped Satoru's arm and let out an edgy laugh, "Calm down, will you? It's embarrassing!"
"Why? It's just the two of u-aaahhhh!"
Boxing bear suddenly emerged to bury his gloved fist unto Gojo's jaw, allowing Sachiko to remove herself from his clutches. Satoru massaged his chin but furiously lunged at the bear for cutting their moment short.
Sachiko sighed as she took to her place back on her chair. Shaking her head as she rolled her eyes at the two, she dug her fork in the jelly to take another bite, wondering how many more minutes of live-action Digimon she'd have to endure.
Next: Two Seasons
A continuation of the quartet's fluffy moments.
Author's note: Thank you so much for reading! I wanted some fluffy moments in this one and the next. Chapters that will follow are quite big as they are the transition chapters for the characters into adulthood.
Will update in a few days ^^ Thanks for dropping by!
Flower Symbolism:
Lotus flowers in her cake signify a connection to one the most known Kitsune legends where the Lotus Sutra mentioned. In the Lotus Sutra the Buddha has become the divine eternal Buddha, who attained perfect Enlightenment endless eons ago. In one legend where a man had fallen in love with a Kitsune, he needed to rewrite/inscribe the Lotus Sutra to save her and help her cross over.
Magenta-like daisy called the Sakurasou- similar appearance to cherry blossoms often mean to symbolize desire and long lasting love.
Blackthorn flowers are said to represent fortitude or the ability to overcome struggles for a better future or a symbol that states rising from tribulations.