"Kasumi," Mai drawled the syllables as she pulled a lock of her friend's blue hair.
Miwa gasped, instantly clicking away the window she had been searching on the computer.
"Eh, what was that?" snickered Mai. "Don't tell me you were looking throught some porno."
"N-no, that's not it!" stammered Miwa.
"You know Mai's just kidding," chimed in Momo. "Kasumi wouldn't look through those kinds of stuff." She sat next to Miwa, propping her chin on the desk. "But anyways, what are you Googling at such an odd hour?"
Miwa looked around them. The library had dimmed the lights as it's supposed to be the closing hours. The computer's monitor blasted so much light to make some array of bookshelves visible in the room. "I might have asked Mechamaru for some few favors hacking the school computer." She resumed the tab that she was scrolling through.
"She's not that total goody-goody after all," said Mai.
"There's this website only for jujutsu sorcerers to access through the deep web," Miwa continued.
The girls curiously eyed the said website, and it honestly had a pretty creative layout with black background, talisman, and blood splatters decoration.
"I'm just looking through some available exorcisms I can do to make money off the side."
"Woah, that's actually kinda smart." Mai squinted her eyes.
"Does Utahime-sensei approve of this though?" asked Momo.
"Approved or not, let her indulge the little rebel in her."
"The more I go through the website, there's actually some interesting discussion they have in there," blurted Momo as she repeatedly clicked pages, excited to show it to her friends. "Like this one." Her friends gravitated at the screen.
"You can meet your soulmates through domain expansions," first read Mai on the computer screen. "Ha, I call bullshit."
"But think about it," Miwa said, "like most sorcerers are unmarried and domain expansion is hard to master, and it's exclusively for the jujutsu world! no civilians."
"If you really think about it, jujutsu world is just so much of a shit place that no one wants to commit to each other."
"Hm, fair point," Momo agreed. "So do you believe this stuff?"
"Well, I kinda experience some similar things mentioned in the post like having dreams of your soulmate's domain." Miwa dreamed off metallic pipes around her then continuous dripping sounds of water. Investigating through the thread, there were mixed responses of people having nightmarish dreams, doubting it was even a domain. Some argued that through those nightmarish ones, you get to see the true nature of your soulmate, and a huge part of Miwa wanted to believe it.
"Trippy," said Mai as she got invested into reading more about the post.
"What are you girls doing?"A voice echoed from the entrance door, earning them to simultaneously yelp and screech their chairs backwards, almost toppling it down.
"Utahime-sensei?!" Momo and Mai exclaimed while Miwa exited out of the deep web browser.
She sighed. "This isn't the first time you girls are way past your curfew."
"Ah, we were just..." paused Mai, "doing research."
Utahime stepped closer near them, in her pajamas and soft slippers, her hair down. An unusual sight for the three girls.
"Whatever it is, that can always be for tomorrow, so come on now, don't tell me you still want me to tuck you in," their teacher teased.
"O-of course, not," they said at the same time again, blushing.
Their teacher did so kindly of them in leading them towards the entrance of the girls dormitory,and before Utahime could rightfully leave, Momo suddenly called to her.
"Uh, there's something I want to ask you about," she said.
Utahime came to step close to her, she was all ears.
"So…um, there's this soulmate thing I found about sorcerers."
Her sensei held a small smile that was reassuring enough for Miwa.
"How 'bout let's talk about it tomorrow in my office first thing tomorrow, hm?" suggested Utahime. "It's quite late.."
Without any hesitation, Miwa nodded firmly.
She made sure to come early upon entering Utahime's office. Her teacher was there with her usual Miko outfit but had her dark purple locks down.
"I brought you some coffee," offered Miwa, setting down the mug on her desk.
Her teacher smiled and thanked Miwa.
"So about that Domain expansion soulmate thing," started Miwa. "How does that work exactly? Do you think you believed them?" Questions were brimming from her mouth.
"Well, as whatever you read from the internet that's pretty much it, and not too many sorcerers actually know about it. Still I wouldn't withhold the info to anyone who's curious." The beginnings of the internet, Utahime was there to experience it, of course. She knew that soulmate thread link being mysteriously being chain mailed into her beat up flip phone. Other's would disregard as a cheap way to spread virus, but Utahime, grewing up in the outskirts of Kyoto, didn't know any better.
"Do you believe it though, Sensei?" Miwa asked.
"I guess," she shrugged, racking more questions in Miwa's brain. "I had the symptoms before but I don't really have the time to figure it out."
"Right, with probably all the crazy sorcerer stuff going on." Miwa understood that part. She's been in the sorcerer for not too long, and she knew forming bond with others were risky things to do. However, here in, Kyoto Tech, she has friends that takes the risk, connecting to other despite knowing they could die from these battles. "How do you even find the domain expansion of your soulmate? That must be tricky!"
"If one of the soulmates mastered it, then…" Utahime looked down on her shoes, "it's all to for them to merge their domains." It's a sorcecery common knowledge that in the past, domain expansions were actually a common thing but due to our dwindling numbers, it will take a lifetime to master or you could even die before it happens. Before, it seemed like a common way for soulmates to find each then since most of people are sorcerers, but right now…
"That must be a lot of trial and error. You couldn't really just merge with sorcecerer and expect them that they'll be it."
Utahime hummed, agreeing. "I don't know the full details of it because it's extremely rare and considered almost a superstitution. But one thing about this soulmate domain expansion is that you get to see your soulmate's true self, making a bond with them like no other." She looked at her blue haired student, fidgeting her thumbs.
"Thank you for telling me about this, sensei," Miwa said, bowing and then proceeding to exit out of the office.
Utahime wanted to spill into her more details - no, her personal opinions - but she had been holding back a lot. Back then she soon realized how this soulmate thing was another unnecessary feature thrown into the jujutsu world that's already tragic. No one had guided her to this whole thing as it was hardly talked about. She was lukewarm about it, really.
Later that night, when she closed her eyes for a deserved sleep she dreamt the same vision that chased after since she was six year old all over again, the first time she realized her cursed technique.
She saw the whole universe shifting around her.
Like literally. The stars, the planets, the black hole itself, bending the fabrics of space.
Utahime floated around whoever belonged to this domain. She had been speculating for years that this soulmate was someone great like this massive black hole that won't let anything escape from it. Someone far beyond the reach of others. Someone who was also feeling the loneliness of space.
—
"Yeah, Kyoto tour!" chorused Nobara and Yuuji.
It was their long awaited visit to Kyoto of the first year's country bumpkins. Before, Nobara was initially bummed out when Tokyo Tech couldn't visit Kyoto for the Goodwill event.
Megumi and Gojo followed from behind. Nobara and Yuuji trembled in excitement as they took selfies.
"Megumi, take a picture of me!" called on Nobara. The said boy huffed in response.
"C'mon, Megumi-kun, don't be gloomy for once," grinned Gojo, slightly shoving him.
They visited the iconic Fushimi Inari Shrines first. Its red Thousand Torii gates perfectly line up together like some kind of maze. Its red existence nudged something in Gojo's memory.
It was always noisy in his dreams. There were always bells that rang, making him heard to chase for that sound. Gojo ran around an endless one way maze of Torii gates like the ones they have in Kyoto. In his dreams, there's no luck in getting to the end of it.
"Hey brats!" said Gojo. His students immediately turned his head. "We're stopping by at Kyoto Tech after this."
"Wait, I thought it's gonna be a full on Kyoto tour today?" asked Yuuji, tilting his head.
"Kyoto Tech is in Kyoto."
"How about just go there on your own?" Said Nobara.
Megumi agreed, nodding his head.
"Also you're like a grown man, Gojo. We want our vacay time too!" added Nobara.
It's not like Gojo does to same to them when they're off on missions. So he went up to Kyoto Tech to annoy a certain someone. He bet she was probably at her office right now already plotting her next lesson plan.
He felt her distinct cursed energy nearby that would flare once he showed his face to her, and it looked like she wasn't at her office. She had her head buried in books.
"Oh," Utahime said, not bothering to look up from the books when Gojo loudly made his entrance to the library. "Looks like you're here." How dreadful it was for Utahime.
"Whatcha doing?" asked Gojo, disregarding her disappointment as they normally greet each other. He stood behind her back and noticed a national geographic book flipped open to a dark page. "Hey, I never knew you'd be into Astronomy!" He pointed out.
"It's for quick research."
Pfft, bet it's for her lesson plan. "Actually, aside from Calculus, I like Astronomy-"
"And don't even bother info dumping me right now." Utahime stopped Gojo. "I'm reading so leave me alone."
Gojo raised his brows, still staring at the black hole picture on the opened book. Utahime seemed so engrossed into it with her eyebrows and nose scrunched up. Her other hand took notes on a pad of paper. "Boo!" suddenly exclaimed Gojo. It startled Utahime as she jumped up on her seat.
"What the hell is your problem, you manchild?!" She clenched her fist, almost ripping out her notes.
He merely let out a laugh. "I wanted to talk to you!"
"And just spill it out without any of these shenanigans then leave me in peace!"
"Jeez, I just wanted to say hi 'cause I'm in town, and I'm not leaving just yet."
"How useful of your time, Gojo," she monotoned. Utahime kept her eyes on the book then shifted on her hands with her notes. "Wait."
Gojo looked at her, and she was staring back at this time.
"There's something I wanna ask you about."
It perked Gojo's ears. He sat next to her as Utahime leafed through the pages of a different book. "You know that Domain expansion soulmate that used to exist before?"
"Holy crap! are you actually thinking of getting a boyfriend?"
"Let me finish." She gritted her teeth. "It's for my student. She stumbled through it via the internet."
"Oh yeah, that soulmate thing. What's up about it?"
"Do you think it still exists? I know it's rare but.."
In a weird way, Gojo didn't believe that this was more for a student. What if Utahime actually wanted to? What if she..? And Why would he even bother to care right now? "It should stay rare because I know at some point the old folks found that love is the greatest curse of them all," he answered, not really in line to what he was thinking. "I've been in this line of work for my life and I agree with that."
"You're against it, basically?"
"Yup."
It happened way too many times in his eyes. The missions he handles involve some mom protecting her cursed corpse son. His own student who's bonded by a cursed. Then there's his one and only best friend who he lost.
"I get it." Utahime sighed, throwing her head back. "Who even has the right minds to actually find their soulmates in this type of work right now."
"Yaga did."
"And it ended with a divorce." Somehow most of their alumnis who went under Yaga's wing knew that information. "It's just that..it's the kids that I'm worried about," Utahime added. "If more of them find out about this, they might get their hopes up and.."
"I know they might look like teenagers."
Utahime looked at Gojo. His hands stuffed in his pockets, fidgeting its insides. She sensed the genuine concern in him the way his lips slightly curved.
"But they know what they're getting at. They wouldn't be a jujutsu sorcerer in the first place if they aren't crazy enough to be one."
"Still, it's a crazy world out there so… I'll just try my best to support them."
"Yeah.." This time it was Gojo who looked at Utahime. "Do you believe it?" He suddenly asked.
"Well-" Utahime paused, knitting her eyebrows at Gojo. "Is this just your plan to endlessly tease me about it if I said yes?"
That honestly never came over to Gojo. He genuinely wanted to know, and his mind wouldn't stop nagging him if he didn't ask her once he left the library. Gojo decided to laugh it off. "So that means you were gonna say yes," he said.
Dammit. When Utahime thought she was being cautious, she unknowingly fell into his trap. "No, actually-"
At the halls, both teachers overhead loud footsteps incoming to break the teachers conversation.
"Utahime-sensei!" A blue haired girl harshly came to the door. Sweat lingered on her face. "It's Kugisaki and Mai!" She said, panting. "They're fighting…again!"
Once both teachers got into the campus grounds, the two girls were trying to throw kicks to each while their fellow classmates held their arms. Utahime's presence was immediately felt by her kids, and they subsided. Mai also stopped resisting Momo and Miwa's restraints.
"Why don't you just kiss each other, huh?" Gojo stepped in, pacing his eyes between the two girls. "Maybe that will make you up."
Nobara and Mai released barfing sounds.
"Ehhhhh," exclaimed Yuuji. "How about holding hands for a start!" He backed up his sensei.
"I'll shut your damn mouth if you say any more words," threatened Mai.
"I'll be the one shutting your mouth!" barked Nobara. "How dare you talk to Tokyo tech like that!"
"Wow, good job, Gojo," said Utahime, turning her head. "You completely solve the problem."
"How about you solve the-"
Utahime clapped twice, interrupting Gojo. "Goodness, these children," she said and bravely stepped in to grab the girls' wrist.
Nobara and Mai's fists immediately loosened down as they faced the Kyoto teacher. She had this concern plastered on her face but a rough expression that didn't hesitate to discipline them, hard.
"How about some tea to calm down your nerves?" She offered. Their fists fell back on their thighs. They were easily under her spell.
Gojo only blinked. It reminded him of reasons why he would trust Utahime that much. A sly smile took upon his face.
Later on, Megumi told Gojo how it was his first idea to go to Kyoto Tech in order to escape from Nobara and Yuuji's shopping shenanigan, but the duo caught on, and all three ended up going up to the school.
Utahime served tea at the dormitory kitchen. She carefully poured one in each cup of the kids. Gojo waited in anticipation, fiddling on his cup, as she neared him. She only paused, looked down him who sat on the chair, and placed the porcelain teapot on the table like The Strongest wasn't there at all.
Gojo gasped, loud and dramatic enough for everyone to hear.
"Pour your own," Utahime said before turning around and resuming to sit on her chair.
"Yeah, you are a grown man," Mai said, already sipping her tea.
Nobara stopped midway in tipping her tea to her lips. She had said the same thing hours ago.
"I'll pour it to you, Sensei!" happily volunteered Yuuji.
—
"Thank goodness, we actually have time for this," said Utahime as she clinked glasses with Shoko.
Both friends simultaneously took a gulpful of their shared love for beer and then released a satisfied sigh. They were at their favorite bar in Tokyo right now on a lovely weekend, off from school and sorcerer duties.
Utahime filled Shoko in with that domain expansion soulmate thing racking her brain all week.
"Yeeesh, I remembered when Yaga decided to spill all the beans about that," recalled Shoko.
"And ironically we needed to get him drunk to reveal it." Utahime laughed at the memory.
She remembered sneaking some beer one time in the dormitory the night of Shoko's graduation. When they thought they were alone for the night (with no Gojo around), their teacher blasted open the door. He stood at the door looking like he just got back from a war when it was expected he'd be pointing a finger on his drinking students. Instead Yaga calmly sat cross legged with his students, putting out a big sigh and asking for a shot glass.
"Was his reason being that it was the anniversary of divorcing his wife?" asked Shoko, smirking.
"Yeah, poor Yaga-sensei, he completely mumbled out how much he loved his ex-wife and all that soulmate spiel."
"I met her on a mission." Utahime remembered Yaga saying, a sob wanting to force its way out of his throat. "Saved her from this group of cursed spirits when her simple domain was breaking. I see my visions from my dream trying to help her but this time I was actually awake." It was a vague description but it already checked out of Yaga being a victim of the soulmate system.
"Then the next day we saw him, he acted like that never happened." Shoko finished her glass and quickly asked the bartender for a refill. "Cheers for all the hopeless romantics of the jujutsu world!" She exclaimed as Utahime got her glass filled as well.
They again wholeheartedly clinked their glasses.
"But seriously though," said Utahime. "The more this goes on, I'll have to keep shoving it in the back of my head. It's tiring."
"I couldn't care less about it anymore. At least this soulmate thing didn't completely bind us to our "supposed other." We still have free will as long as we don't end up with them I guess." Shoko itched for a smoke, her finger tracing over her pockets. "It became an optional thing, not required." Instead she took another drink and reminded herself Utahime is still around.
"You're right…we could use that time to have relationships all on our own." Especially for Utahime, she valued her relationship with her student and Shoko. But the thing of having that ultimate relationship with someone might also be reassuring for her. That someone you could balance yourself with. Someone to comfort you when all your life you comforted others.
"So, don't sweat it too much, Utahime," Shoko smiled, patting on the older girl's shoulder.
—
"What does it feel like," Megumi asked out of blue during his training with Gojo, "to have a complete domain expansion?"
"You have every ticking second, every inch engulfed with your curse energy. It's like your own playground where you can do anything at your own will," answered Gojo without any hesistants. He knew Megumi was keeping something from him. "You half assed again, didn't you?" Gojo slid down his dark glasses, looking closely at his own student.
"Domain expansion takes time to master. I know you're completely aware of that."
"Megumi, you came from a long line of elite sorcerers."
"I still haven't understood its complete nature yet." Megumi wiped off his sweat. "Especially when this whole soulmate thing throws off the whole story."
"Eh, you're just a kid after all," shrugged Gojo. He noticed Megumi flinching a bit. "You still haven't seen everything. In my experience, it's a sacrifice: pursue the soulmate or master the domain itself."
"That's easy," Megumi arched an eyebrow.That whole thing didn't make even more sense for him like he just went one step forward to the truth but then one step backward. "I'll go with mastering the domain."
"Apparently, that's not always the case," said Gojo. Then his life choices came hauling back on his face. If he didn't focus on being The Strongest back then, would he be able to save from Suguru? If he did try to step down from his pride and try to help others before, would Utahime still bore that scar on her face?
The buzz on his phone in his back pockets pulled him out of his racing thoughts. "Now, that's enough training for today!" Gojo turned away from Megumi and waved his hands goodbye. "I can't really spoon feed you all the answers. You know that's not my style." He slid open the door then shut it closed with a bang.