To Play with Curses
Chapter 1: Asami
By: LiveWild
After watching Jujustu Kaisen I have fallen in love with it and its characters and decided to add my own fun twist to it and see where it goes.
Hope you all enjoy!
The day Saotome Asami arrived in Tokyo, the last of the leaves had fallen from the tree branches. The air had gotten more crisp and cold, welcoming winter at any moment.
She had spent the past hour leaning against the car door, while the inside of the car was generally warm, the glass window was cold, it felt nice against her cheek as she nestled against it like a child snuggling against their mother. Her hands were buried deep in the pockets of her trench coat, her knees turned to the direction of the door as well; she wanted to feel as small as possible. One hand held her phone that vibrated with a new notification every so often, the other hand was in a steady fist. With her long nails, it was no doubtingly leaving some sort of imprint on her palm but she didn't mind the slight pain. It was an odd habit she formed years ago to help calm her down.
Asami straightened her poster as the car came to a sharp stop, forcing her to lean forwards a bit, almost having to grab onto the seat infront of her for support. Her driver then headed towards her door.
She couldn't recall the last time she had taken a trip to the city, then again she wouldn't really call her time there a trip, more of a forceful, annoying visit. Maybe a good gesture even. She had her cousin Akari to thank for that and it was Nitta Akari who was waiting for her outside as the car door swung open.
In regards to why she was there, she was told grief details. That someone from the group of first year students had gotten injured and a substitute was needed. The faculty discussed having a second year or even first year from Kyoto fill the gap but that in and of itself, has its problems.
Asami was what they needed. She was, as Akari told her, a perfect match for the school and more specifically, for the mission. As someone who could see curses, it's where she belonged. So, Akari spent the past four days convincing her cousin to come and it finally worked. She called and called. "You know what you can do, put it to good use and help us save lives." She had told Asami on the phone, "Just think about it, please."
And she did think about it and there she was, finally.
The wind wasted no time in attacking her exposed pale flesh, whipping the loose pieces of hair that escaped her ponytail across her face. Asami straightened the collar of her jacket for some form of shelter, she forgot how cold it truly got in Tokyo.
"Asami!" Akari hugged her tightly, "I'm so happy to see you."
The girl looked at the school in awe.
She had always heard things about her cousins and about the mysterious high school that fought monsters at the family table. No one besides Akari and her brother Arata were involved with the school. Stories about the battles, curses and cursed users they went up against always intrigued Asami but nothing more than that. She had never even seen a curse bigger than a small dog before let alone fought one.
Asami lowered her eyes back to the short blonde before her, she noted her brown roots were creeping through, it made her smile. If only her cousin knew how much her natural hair suited her.
Akari didn't give her time to reply before she grabbed her hand and began pulling her.
They took a good few steps before Asami called out, "Wait Akari, I have to get my bags." She glared back at the car.
"Don't worry I'll have someone bring them to your room but now we have to hurry, everyone is expecting you."
They began picking up speed to the point their jog turned into running.
Asami pouted slightly.
It was all too much too fast. If she was being honest, if she could turn around and head back to her home in Naka, she would do it in a heartbeat. Everything was calmer, quieter. Not even a few minutes in Tokyo and she's already being rushed somewhere. She was having second thoughts and doubts, it's what was on her mind thee entire car ride. She didn't feel like she belonged there, she didn't want to be there.
Running through the front gates into the school yard, her stomach began to turn, her throat felt like it was on fire. She was no sorcerer in training, no hero. She had been offered a spot at the high school for as long as she could remember and every time she said no she felt no regrets.
She was always told by Akari those who had the privilege to see curses should take it upon themselves to save and help others from them but, Asami didn't care to battle curses even if she did have the talent for it. Perhaps that made her selfish or cold, or maybe both.
Her eyes glared around the different sized buildings swiftly, taking everything in. It was overwhelming her, she felt like she was on another planet. It was when she centered her attention at the building in front of her that she began to sense the presence of three, no four people that awaited her. Two of them had an intense presence, no doubt the legendary Gojo was one of them; Akari praised him like a God. Asami could understand why now, through her senses he felt powerful, truly godlike.
It wasn't long before the two barged through the doors and were met with Gojo and two male students.
Once she was released from her cousin's grasp, Asami grabbed both her thighs as she tried catching her breath. That was the most physical activity she had done in a while.
The two students looked shocked to see her, the three were caught in a brief stare off. Instinctively, she strayed away from their eyes and looked them up and down. The first one would have made her chuckle if she wasn't busy trying to focus on breathing, he looked as if he didn't have a single thought in his head and the other, like all he ever did was overthink. They were typical high school boys, as ordinary and plain looking as she was. She took note that they both seemed a bit injured, a few scratches on both their faces, the pink haired one had a bandaid on his forehead but nothing too serious that she could see.
"Oh!" Gojo's face lit up as he saw the newcomer. His face popped in her visual field, "So it's true! I am able to say I have lived to see the day that Saotome has step foot in Jujutsu High," He placed the back of his hand against his forehead and sighed dramatically, "I can't contain myself!" Then, without warning he gasped, startling everyone, "I haven't had the chance to order your uniform yet."
What a bubbly personality for a godlike man.
Akari laughed nervously, waving her hands around, "Getting her here was challenging enough, getting her to stay long even to wear a uniform will be another."
Asami tried normalizing her heavy breathing as the two male students resumed staring at her curiously. It was the clueless looking one with the pink, spiky hair that spoke after Gojo, "Is this Nobara's replacement?"
Akari nodded, cleaning her throat, "Yes, this is Saotome Asami, my younger cousin. I personally recommended her to the rest of the faculty after learning the details of your past mission. I know she will be of great help to you all."
Asami notably squinted her eyes as her cousin finished talking, only three people?
1-Gojo
2-Dark haired dude
3- Pink haired dude
But, she sensed four. Had she been wrong? No, not possible, she was sure there were four. Was this a test of some sort?
"Nobara got hurt badly and she's no stranger to curses. What makes this girl qualified? She doesn't even look like she's gone up against a curse in her life." the dark haired boy questioned, his tone was flat and rather lazy, "Why didn't we just ask one of the other students?"
"Asami?" Akari stepped towards Asami with concern as she watched her scan the room with great detail, she was zoning out of the conversation. Gojo mimicked her and looked around.
It was after a few seconds that Asami finally spoke, "There's supposed to be four of you but I only see three and I don't see anyone hiding." Her eyes made a sharp stop at the pink haired student, squinting even harder as she tilted her head. He was three and four?
"W-what?" He jolted up as the attention was now on him.
Gojo grinned, catching onto Asami's discovery "Fushiguro, looks can be deceiving but she has exactly what you two need to take down the curse-"
"And what's that?"
"Itadori, Fushiguro. You two were unsuccessful in taking down the curse because it has the ability to cast darkness upon its victims, blinding them as it blinded the three of you."
Fushiguro frowned as he seemed to recall the events of the mission. They couldn't see anything in that cave. They resorted to charging at random shadows and any bit of noise they could pick up in desperation. It was a failed strategy.
They were all at a disadvantage and it came at the cost of Nobara being hospitalized.
"You both may see curses in their physical state but Asami's eyes go beyond that, they're unique" Gojo continued pointing to his own covered eyes. He became more serious, "she sees the energy of all living things, including curses."
Itadori rubbed his chin puzzled, "So that means?"
"It means," Fushiguro eyed the girl before him, "She can see them in the dark. Not only that, from her comment earlier, I'm guessing even without her eyes, she can sense a presence, walls or no walls, she even sensed Sukuna in Itadori's body."
"Woah." Itadori's mouth opened in shock.
Asami blinked rapidly as she listened to Fushiguro, she was impressed with his intelligence. He figured out her innate technique so effortlessly, it felt like he was reading her like an open book.
Gojo turned to his students with yet another smile molted upon his lips, "Think she's qualified now?"