Gege owns Jujutsu Kaisen.
I own the original bits of this story.
It follows the canon story, except where it doesn't. Don't worry too much about it and enjoy!
Chapter 1: Six of Cups
Eighty five days until the wedding.
Nanami looked at the time on his phone. One minute past midnight.
Make that eighty four days until the wedding.
"Your maturity is really impressive! But we're only in our early twenties you know…"
He would bring a date for the momentous occasion, an acquaintance he'd known for almost a year and had dated for the last month .
"So I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm not ready for a serious relationship, yet."
She was successful, ambitious, and came from a good family.
"But when I am ready, I definitely want it to be with you. You're so put together, I know you'll make a great husband!"
She would charm them the way she charmed him and his parents would ask to come visit for the holidays…
"So what do you say?"
His fingers glided across the familiar settings of his rideshare application.
"Can we take things slowly?"
The other couple besides them left the café. They were alone with the cashier who kept herself busy wiping down the counter.
"Travel? Do some fun stuff."
The app notified him that the car was around the corner.
"It looks like we both know what we want." He watched the car icon glide up the street on the map. "There's no need to pretend otherwise."
His date smiled and leaned closer on the table. The red lipstick didn't call his eyes as it did just a minute ago. "This is what I like about you. You just seem so sure. Fine, there's really no use in adapting when we both want different things. Can we still finish the night off as planned?"
"No need." He gestured to the large window beside them. "Get home safely."
The gold tips of her nails glistened as she raised her hands in defeat. "Seriously, if you're still looking in two years, don't be afraid to message me."
The car honked and she hesitated before reaching for the door. "Let's talk tomorrow?"
He already deleted her number.
Nanami dumped the contents of the table in the garbage can before approaching the cashier. He thought about trying a non caffeinated drink to welcome the midnight hour, but who was he kidding? His train of thought had taken the overthinking route and the long journey did not include sleep.
Even if he found another woman to date tomorrow, it would be too early to introduce her to his parents after only knowing her for two months. There was a chance of them accepting a holiday invitation if he could ensure the long term viability of the relationship, but the risk of such a rushed decision turning into a favorable investment didn't sit well with him.
"A caramel coffee, please."
The woman dusted her gloved hands against her apron. "Nanami Kento, correct?"
He nodded as she wrote his name on the cup again.
Eighty four days…
No personal or financial accomplishments to bring to the table. Just himself and his ordinary life…
Eighty four…
At this point he needed a miracle and the universe had never agreed to bless him with those.
The cashier placed his drink on the counter alongside a small apple tart.
"Night times are slow so it's best not to let too much go to waste."
Nanami appreciated the simple answer. He didn't need any condescending pick me ups to ease the perceived embarrassment of a public breakup.
"Thank you."
He asked the universe for a miracle and instead he got an apple tart.
Of course he did.
[1]
Asa Hamada
Suki Gin
Hana Sato
Rainy stood at a red light and perked her ears as the Friday night crowd around her chatted away.
Dai Tani
Kyo Ueda
Kubo Touma
She fixed her lace gloves.
Jane
Maria
Yano Riku
Names were spoken sparingly, adding to the long list she had picked up from customers at the cafe that evening, yet none of them appeased the hatred she felt in her heart.
William Johnson
Benjamin Usui
Hanabi Muto
The six of Cups fell from her tarot deck as she shuffled that morning. A child sharing a flower with another little one, the picturesque village on a sunny day… She had hoped the universe would share something with her that day, a crumb of information to satisfy her own nostalgia for a home she could barely remember.
Nothing, yet again.
The light changed and she breathed out. Well, not exactly nothing.
Eri Konya
Nanami Kento
She was whining now. And though she earned every right to pout, Rainy also recognized when the universe gifted her something.
Nanami Kento
A chance to walk home almost completely undisturbed.
Nanami Kento
The blonde hair stood out in a sea of black and so did the freshly pressed green shirt on such a casual Friday night. He felt familiar to her and now she understood why.
The tall, possibly foreign man, made the perfect bait.
Nanami Kento
Each syllable echoed through her soul.
How unfortunate.
He looked like a nice guy.
[1]
Nanami had gotten really good at ignoring curses over the years. Even this one he would have left alone. It didn't seem interested in the few people in the park, but the moment the cashier from the cafe set foot in its territory, the curse suddenly felt curious.
That made two of them.
He prayed for her to go down the busier path. He would do a quick exorcism and go home.
But of course this was already a shitty night that needed to finish as such.
Nanami stood up just as the thing lunged at her.
She had a first row view of him acting like a complete weirdo if she couldn't see curses. If she could see them, she would be eye to eye with a newfound trauma..
His hand slid through the slimy body and he felt the goop stain his new shirt. It burned but the woman's eyes were already wide enough and he would get third degree burns before embarrassing himself further.
He cleared his throat. "Please excuse me."
"No-Wait, could you walk me the rest of the way home?"
He breathed out. "You'll be ok, those types of creatures don't congregate too close to one another."
The burning stopped.
"Normally no, but I attract them."
That's right, without an ounce of detectable curse energy, yet she saw it…
A breeze carried her words. "I'll release your name if you help me."
Nanami's jaw tensed. "Release my-" His stomach sank. Shit!
That strangeness that made even the curse notice, ethereal energy. She was more dangerous than that curse.
"I just want to go home." Her pleas contrasted the majestic image he built up over the years.
"What is a fae doing in this realm?"
The small stature and wild curls looked appropriate. Even the sun touched skin. Under the lace of her black gloves he saw the Wheel of Fortune on each hand. The right told the story of her birth. The left, what her soul hoped to be upon her death.
She looked like a fae, she radiated the energy of an otherworldly creature… Yet the element of magic exclusively known to her kind didn't seem to come through.
"Looking to find the God that cursed me into this human body."
"Oh…"
Gods could do that? Fun fact… That explained the lack of power behind her presence.
"My home has a barrier, as long as I get close enough I'll be fine. But I have 7 minutes of walking and there's a curse that'll meet me at the end of the park at this rate."
"If I don't go, won't you just force me?"
"I'd like to keep that favor for a really threatening situation. For now I'm asking with the intention of paying you back."
He really hated everything about that night. "$1,000." If a curse wanted to eat a fae it was none of his business.
She blinked and he sighed. Such cruelty didn't emanate easily from within him, but the former sorcerer really wanted her to just force the favor.
He didn't want to owe an ethereal creature.
He didn't want to be out walking so late at night.
He didn't want another date ending with the same bullshit about taking things slow.
And he really, really didn't want to deal with curses that night.
The curse barrelled through the concrete path, screeching gleefully. Another disgusting apparition with eyes and holes in unnecessary places. It physically towered over him, but its real intimidation tactic seemed to be the foul odor it released all around them.
Come on, say it.
She stood her ground, clutching the strap of her purse as hard as she could. She couldn't hide the trembling, or the obvious pleas in her eyes for him to do something.
Nanami sighed.
His brain knew she wasn't human, but right now she looked like a frightened human.
He gathered as much cursed energy as he could muster and slayed the creature. There was no salvaging this shirt. He needed to burn it along with his memory of that entire night.
She breathed out relieved. "Thanks."
He cleaned his hand. "You owe me $1000. Knowing your human salary, that may not be something you can afford so feel free to release my name."
She took out her phone and typed something. "This you?"
She found him on the bank transfer app. "Yes. You really don't have to-" His phone vibrated. At least he… $10,000… "You made a mistake."
"No, no. The freedom to walk home undisturbed is priceless." She waved him off, "Thanks a lot."
Author's Note: Thank you for reading!