Chapter 4: Shouko, Sachiko and Reverse-Jujutsu
Summary:
Shouko and Sachiko join Kodansha and the sophomores in Nenba to investigate a plague-like illness caused by a curse.
There was a loud clang like that of a broken tower bell across the border sending a vibratory sensation as they treaded towards the area. It signaled elders that Shouko and Sachiko have arrived at the quarantined part of the village near the Nenba district.
The entrance to the village wasn't without obstacles. Already, they have identified curses blocking them from entering.
It had just turned 8 in the morning and it was incredibly quiet except for the stomping of a pair of curses that looked like kappas from the old Japanese legend. It wasn't interested in attacking anyone and instead it just looked lost.
"What's wrong with those curses?" Shouko turned to her classmate for answers.
"I'm not sure but its best if we get rid of them before they act up,"Sachiko positioned her right hand into a benediction and directed her cursed energy towards the creature ssquandering about their path. Shouko watched as her friend sent flames to exorcise the curses. It was quite fast. She was, for the most part, impressed at the precision of her movement that she began to wonder where rumors of her lack of control sprung.
"Thanks Miura," she quipped. Miura nodded and took the lead. As they drew nearer, they felt the temperature go down making Shouko hug her sweater closer to her body. Everyone present at the entrance was clad in thick clothing as well but they also had a very distinct accessory-surgical masks and different types of cloth mask that they used to protect themselves from infection. Some of them had begun coughing and a number of them were also not looking very well.
I fit right in, Sachiko said in her mind.
Shouko noticed the tense energy around her Kitsune-masked companion and quickly pointed out that the didn't need to worry too much, "Sorcerers are immune against it but let's still be careful once we get inside,"
The biohazard tape was carefully being unrolled midway to make room for them to enter. The guards weren't wearing hazmats but they were in what seemed like level 3 protective equipment.
Nenba used to be a haven for healers. Despite the decline of reverse-jujutsu practice in the region, a lot of traditionalists were around so it was unlikely that they should experience an outbreak. It was a cry for help when they contacted the school for assistance.
Residents of the area were known for their youthful looks and diligence according to the file but all they saw were desolate establishments.
Kodansha was waiting on them by the entrance of the infirmary. She was standing straight in her modern yukata and slacks. Her graying hair was wrapped neatly in a bun but what the two students noticed was the red katana on her hilt. Her gray eyes turned towards the two.
Kodansha gave them a wave and a smile that revealed the folds at the sides of her face, "There you both are,"
"Oh, I didn't expect you two would be here so soon," a girl with raven hair in miko clothing joined the two-tailed Kitsune and greeted her juniors. She seemed rather unenthused as she stood beside their teacher. Her look was more calculative towards the younger Miura.
"Utahime-senpai," Shouko and Sachiko acknowledged their senior simultaneously. Sachiko always admired her female seniors. Utahime Iori in particular was one of the headstrong women in her class despite her stratification. Her cool and calm demeanor always brought her victory during her missions.
A snicker trailed behind her which came from a girl with long, blue-tinted hair in a high ponytail, "My, my, you even brought along your niece Miura-sensei," she crossed her arms and let her thin, painted lips quiver upward, "Aren't we an interesting bunch,"
Mei-mei seemed to be more of a puzzle to the crimson-eyed student. She wasn't aloof but she treated a lot of her interactions as transactions even though she didn't seem like she was the treacherous type, she did put off an intimidating façade.
What really drew her interest in the two sophomores was their lack of need to use their innate abilities and instead relied heavily on their hand-to-hand combat skills and their intellect. It was quite evident that their cursed techniques didn't hold a candle towards hers and yet they were climbing up their ranks with their own merit.
The two-tailed Kitsune elder urged them to come inside to sit and discuss their mission. The inn only housed them as guests, half of the boarders were symptomatic individuals as per instruction of Kodansha as part of the containment. It was a relatively large establishment and it was quite quaint. The owner was a window for the school so it only came naturally that she opened her place to the residents for free.
Kodansha handed the in-patient files to the freshmen and the map to the shrine to the sophomores,
"The two of you will be in charge of monitoring the patients here. There's a chance that curses could enter the village proper any time," She turned to the healer-prospect now, "Ieiri, I need you to control the symptoms of the patient's I've marked on the charts. They seem to be progressing unnaturally and we can't afford to lose another life while we're here."
"And where will you all go sensei?" she dared to ask.
Utahime placed one pig-tailed section of her hair towards her back and leaned in, "We'll be scouting the shrine near the crypts,"
Mei-mei lifted her hand and seemingly summoned a crow to rest on top of her long fingers, "It seems that area has the thickest blanket of cursed energy," Sachiko quickly realized that there were crows scattered at the entrance and around the village who were moving in synch. Mei-mei's technique allowed her to control the birds which served as extension of her eyes and ears. A valuable technique for covert missions.
Kodansha nodded and turned serious, "We may be dealing with a cursed object or a spirit causing the plague and we don't know the extent of its effects among the villagers so we have to divide and conquer,"
"Understood," they said in unison.
Kodansha, Mei-mei and Utahime didn't waste any more time and left for the shrine an hour later. The inn-keeper was already requested assistance from the both of them but Shouko was still reluctant to use her jujutsu on an infected individual.
An old lady was shuffling in her direction and etched a desperate expression, "Excuse me," she began, "A-are you the healer from Tokyo?" her voice was hoarse from worry.
Shouko could only give her a small nod as she bit her lip before replying, "I-I'm a student…"
The old woman clasped her hands around Shouko's palm and held out her sob, "Please come and look at my son…he's in one of the rooms upstairs,"
Her brown eyes scanned the room to look for her classmate but seeing as she was also preoccupied with errands, she reluctantly went with the old lady on her own. Their walk seemed like an eternity. Her mind was flipping through the pages of her text book and scanning through her memories at the clinic where she was taught how to use her technique.
She clasped her hands together as they neared their destination.
The door to their room creaked open and felt cold to touch. The air around them was eerily heavy and as soon as she stepped inside, she could see the cursed energy emanate from the patient folded in pain at his bedside.
"He had only started to display the symptoms yesterday but when he woke up, he was like this," his mother explained that he was one of the guards at the outpost and after patrolling near the shrine, he instantly looked pale and out of breath.
Shouko was only a few feet away from him when she realized that he didn't have a record of his illness. Besides the cloud of cursed energy, he looked like any other patient. But he was writhing in pain like he was being strangled.
The lady went to Shouko's side, "Please help him…"
Shouko raised her hand to use her technique but she wasn't quite sure how she would go about it. She'd never done a procedure on her own but this time she was left with no choice.
She knelt beside the ailing man and she began to collect her cursed energy. She was an inch away from touching him when there was a loud bang came from the doorway. Sachiko slammed the door open and stepped inside hurriedly.
"Shouko, get away from him!" Sachiko's hand was caught by the mother before she could do the benediction,
"What are you doing? She's healing my child!"
Furrowing her eyes together and shifting her stance, she pushed the old lady aside and directed her outside of the door before attempting to pull Shouko away from the patient.
"Sachiko, what's going on?" sweat dripped to the side of her face as she doubled back on her stance.
"Step back Ieiri, that's not just a patient," behind her mask, Sachi's eyes shifted into her Kitsune sight and quickly identified the figure of a monster clinging unto the patient. It looked like a faceless creature with a long-tongue with the beast-like hands of a lion. It was wrapped around the entirety of the patient seemingly squeezing it causing the pain and breathlessness.
It was getting colder and darker inside the room that even the mother and Shouko sensed the strong shift in energy.
The beast's tongue wrapped around the patient's neck momentarily leaving a mark that left harsh bruises on his carotid area. The curse stood over the patient now and screeched out a warning.
Shouko stood frozen at the sight of it. She was trying her best not to leave the patient but she also had the strong urge to run but all she could do was stand mutely in fear. Her fingers were trembling and her cursed energy was equally fleeting.
The curse was about to lunge at Shouko but Sachiko quickly clasped her hands together and initiated her simple-domain. A crack on the floor that outlined the bed soon became an entrapment for the beast and momentarily halted its movement. She pulled on Shouko's arm and set her aside and was about set the curse in flames when it quickly clung on to the human it attached to that she withdrew her attack.
"No! My son!"
"Ieiri! Take her and leave!" she didn't turn back and instead concentrated on the parasitic curse. He was still trapped in her domain but so was the patient. If she released her flames then it would harm the man as well. One hand went to the belt that wound around her waist with a small bell attached to it then paused to plan her next move,
"-even if I use my whip, I could still injure him but-it's safer to contain it than-"
There was a grotesque crunching sound that interrupted her thoughts that was quickly followed by shrieks coming from the other two witnesses inside the room. The curse bit unto the shoulder of the patient as if it was a way to increase its strength. Blood splattered on the walls and the curse licked its teeth as it swallowed the chunk of flesh causing a grewsome slupring noise.
Thud!
The patient's mother had lost consciousness that Shouko had no choice but to carry her to the side as she tried to awaken her. This left Sachiko distracted thus breaking her domain. This curse was taunting her and she knew she couldn't hesitate any longer.
A loud hiss followed as the curse jumped over the Kitsune and directed its attention to Shouko. Sachiko reflexively activated her weaponry tail and unbuckled her belt which transformed into a cursed weapon. The whip was initially made up of cloth but as soon as he activated it with her cursed energy, it transformed into steel which markings lighting up that mimicked her Kitsune mask. It quickly caught the curse by its limb and dragged it away from Shouko.
The curse screamed in pain as its foot left its body. She maneuvered her whip around its head now and gripped it tightly as she pulled it towards her direction.
Shouko wanted to look away but it was something she couldn't help but witness. Behind her mask, she could clearly see her friend's eyes glowed bright red along with the markings on her face. She saw the thick aura around her but it was all happening so fast that she couldn't really digest it.
She looked different. Her aura was spreading around them and it felt sinister.
Such power, she thought.
Sachiko met up with the Gojo boy at dawn a few days before their deployment to Nenba. They were already sparring when Gojo noted the cursed energy projecting from her obi-belt.
"Hey, are you carrying a cursed weapon?"
Her hand caught up to her waist, "Oh this, yeah…"
"I've never seen you use it, what does it do?"
She unlaced her obi-belt and pulled it away from her and he watched as it changed into a long whip, "Never really had an inkling to use it that's all,"
He whistles, "It's a whip, that's pretty cool," he noticed the Miura emblem on its handle, "I bet you were taught by your elders to use that,"
She shrugged, "Well, to some extent, they did but, I'm tasked to master it on my own,"
"Is it one of your tails?"
She nods, "Exactly. Each Kitsune is born with an affinity to one cursed weapon. It is said that its one way of harnessing our excessive cursed energy to control the fluctuations that can drain us. For me," she holds the handle of the whip in between her palms, "It's this," her focus on the cursed weapon shifted to her partner now, "What about you?"
The white haired boy actually knew about it but her statement was one of the many affirmations he needed to clear his questions.
Gojo ruffled his hair then tilted his head, "Hm…I don't have one just-" he lifted his palms and curled up his fingers, "my fists and," his splayed his white teeth before finishing his sentence, "-my brilliant mind,"
She scoffs, "Is that so? Why don't you have one?" it was an obvious curiosity. He was pretty much skilled in whatever he did so wielding a weapon wouldn't have been difficult for him.
He made extended his right index finger and thumb as if to make a check sign, "Same reason as you, cause I don't really need it but seeing as its one of your skills, I'd say keep it handy,"
She didn't argue with him there. As she was about to return it, Gojo came up to her and held out his hand, "Can I borrow it? I'm curious at how much of your cursed energy is attached to it," he grinned.
"Sure," she flicked her wrist and wrapped its end around her left hand before handing it to him but before he could take it, she entwined his wrists and used it to flip him off the floor, "If you can take it,"
It was one of those rare moments where she was thankful that he had forced her to practice her weaponry skills. She'd never give him the satisfaction to affirm that he was right but somewhere back in Tokyo, that white haired idiot was sneezing at the mention of his name in her head.
As the waif-life creature struggled free, it extended its cursed-energy towards a stunned Shouko but before it could even cause any damage, Sachiko didn't hesitate to release cursed energy towards her weapon and used her whip to slice the creature in half, "4th tail, whip blade." Her right hand which was holding the whip's handle lifted the whip as if to remove remnants from its long end. She then gathered its length and tied the whip around her waist where it settled into a belt.
The curse had disappeared completely and all that was left of it was the blood splattered on the floor and her fox-mask.
So…strong…
Sachiko took a breath and moved towards Shouko who was still let agape by what she saw and crouched beside her, "Are you alright Ieiri-san?" she held out her hand and waited for her friend to process what had just happened.
Shouko blinked rapidly and shook her head as she was assisted to stand, "Th-that was a plague-curse, I could have died-"
Sachiko blocked the young healer from viewing anymore of the remnants of the cursed spirit and the mangled body beside it, "You're safe now. Let's go and contact Miura-sensei,"
"But-the patient…"
Sachiko shook her head and instead helped her friend up and pointed towards the old lady, "She needs you right now…let me-" she peered towards her back, "-take care of the patient inside."
Shouko was hesitant to leave her classmate alone but she needed a good distraction. Caring for the old woman was the least she could do. There was no saving her son and she knew that but it still didn't feel good to watch someone die but then, she wanted to count herself lucky as she could have been killed herself.
Ironically, it was a sickening feeling of guilt for her. She was a healer and she couldn't do anything…and she forced her friend to-she shook her head and proceeded with treating her own heartbroken patient. When she was coming to, Shouko felt her heart sink. The old woman's words left her speechless,
"Thank you…for saving my son…"
Sachiko examined the body of the patient closely. He wasn't in too much pain but he was losing a lot of blood despite her placing pressure on his wound. Her reversal skills weren't good enough for his injuries so all she could do was wait until her aunt arrived. At the back of her mind, she was bothered by the events that transgressed. If she arrived any second later, Shouko would've died. Then, there was also her expression-the fear that she displayed when she saw her fighting the curse. She began to ponder if it was the curse or her that she feared.
Her hands were already covered in rouge and the smell of copper became even more apparent. It was getting colder and the skies were turning gray and his pulse grew faint.
"Please, hang in there," she pleaded.
The patient's fingers twitched and slowly, he opened his eyes mid-way, "M-m-mother?"
Sachiko's eyes shot up, "Your mother is alright, so please, stay awake!" his eyes flickered shut but he was still alive and breathing, however weakly.
The already broken door found itself flinging open rapidly and three pairs of footsteps came barging in to her side.
A hand went to her shoulder, "You did well, let us handle the rest," Kodansha quickly took over and started her incantations right away. Utahime was tending to his other wounds and asked Mei-mei to guide the young Kitsune out.
Mei-mei gave her a smile after flipping her hair towards her back, "Go check on the others. We got it from here," taking one of the crows on her shoulder she placed in on Sachiko's, "He'll guide you towards the others that need immediate help,"
Sachiko took one more look at Kodansha and Utahime then returned to Mei-mei, "I understand…"
Shouko was still left in a state of shock after her close encounter with a deadly spirit. That same night, Sachiko knocked on her door to check on her classmate whom she caught crying.
"I'm sorry, is this a bad time?" Sachiko spoke through her mask but her tone was filled with worry.
Shouko wiped her tears and sniffled, "You can come in…"
Sachiko closed the door gently and sat at the bed across hers, "Are you alright?"
"I'm scared Sachiko." Shouko tucked her head in between her legs and tried to hold back her tears, "I could've died if you weren't there. I was too careless and stupid…I didn't even want to come here!" her honestly was something needed to let out. She felt the same way
Sachiko poured a glass of water and offered it to her friend, "I was scared too," her voice went low.
Shouko lifted her head and squinted, "Y-you were scared?" she took the glass from her masked friend and gripped it with both hands but didn't drink.
Sachiko nodded. She took a breath and moved her chair closer then slowly, removed her mask to reveal her worried expression, "Undoubtedly, I was. And to be honest, I still am."
Shouko's hold on the glass tightened, "But you're strong! How can you be scared?"
Sachi placed one hand on top of Shouko's and squeezed it, "I was scared that despite my strength, I wouldn't be able to protect you. That's what scared me the most."
"With your speed, you could have left me…"
She shook her head, "But you know what else scared me?" Sachiko didn't wait for her to reply, "It was the thought that I'd scare you more if I showed you what I was capable of." She was sincere in her words but she paused to edit, "Too many people are scared of me and I don't want you to be one of them so, I'm happy to protect you."
Shouko was dumbfounded at her words, "I'm not scared of you. If anything, I'm grateful you were there because I knew you could save me."
She snickered behind her mask, "That's-nice…"
Shouko took the glass of water and finally gulped it down. She wiped her tears away and smiled at Sachi, "Thank you Sachiko-chan."
"You're welcome and thank you for trusting me to protect you."
Shouko gave her a quick hug which made her flinch initially "Of course! We're friends right?"
Sachiko always thought that Shouko was just the gloomy, lazy girl in her class but she never expected she would turn into one of the kindest and most trustworthy people she'd met since she left the estate. Despite not being her first friend at Tokyo, she was definitely a confidante.
"Of course," both of them softened their expressions and spent the rest of the night making small talk. Sachiko had forgotten what it was to have a someone to speak freely with. She had always been alone since she became a sorcerer but knowing that mundane moments could still exist outside of exorcism, she felt some security in her stay away from home.
Sachiko turned in earlier than her friend. Ieiri had noticed that she was already fast asleep when she heard no response from her story. She went over to her side of the room and fixed the blanket to cover her arms, "I really had no reason to be scared of you. Goodnight,"
No nightmares haunted Ieiri's dreams that night. Despite the tough events, she felt safe.
Shouko found it a little difficult to wake Sachi up despite prodding and after a while, even as Kodansha came to check on them, she allowed Sachiko to just catch up to them.
"She seems really tired," Shouko quipped.
Kodansha's grey eyes travelled to her sleeping niece and she closely observed her breathing-it was steady. She let out a sigh of relief. There were no traces of Kitsune markings on her skin which meant that there was balance within her core. Despite the tails and consumption of power from the previous day, she was handling the reverberations very well.
"She's still getting the hang of using her powers just like you but don't worry," she pats Sachiko's head and gently wakes her making her wince and slowly open her eyes, "She'll be up in a few,"
Sachiko covered her mouth as she yawned on her way to the dresser. Everyone else was gathered at the dining area and was busy planning their day before their leave. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she reached for her mask neatly resting on the tabletop and was pleasantly surprised to see her normal self. Behind her, another face appeared on the reflection, a brunette with a distinct beauty mark under her eye,
"Oh good! You're up!" Shouko greeted her with much enthusiasm, "When you're done eating breakfast, come and join us at the clinic," Miura nodded as she waved goodbye. Carefully fastening her mask on her head, she took another glimpse at the mirror,
"Maybe I should eat in my room,"
Kodansha sensed that her protegee was still a little shaken up from her encounter from the waif. To lift her spirit, she had selected a young child for her to heal. She figured that it would be good to boost her confidence in herself if she was reminded of the real purpose of her stay.
Ieiri was at the bedside of a boy, not older than 8, who was battling a fever of unknown origin. He had been caught playing near the village shrine and was found unconscious.
"I believe you can handle this on your own," Kodansha had gestured for her to enter the room and stay beside the boy before she took her leave.
The boy was awake and raising a hand towards her, "Will you help me?" he cried.
Without hesitation, Ieiri took his hand and knelt beside him, "I will," she closed her eyes and began collecting her cursed energy, "Everything's gonna be okay," she caressed the boy's temple then smiled at him which put him at ease. She slowly breathed in and out as if it was her way to transfer her power to the child. Slowly, the boy's grasp loosened and his temperature soon dropped to normal. Shouko opened her eyes and listened intently at his steady breathing. There was finally comfort for the child-and for Shouko.
Sachiko was watching from the slightly parted portion of the door. She was there to make sure that the patients had no cursed spirits attaching unto them. She had nothing to worry about but she was happy to still witness her friend's triumph over her fear.
The child was finally smiling even as he slept making Shouko well up as she silently sat beside him and that became Sachiko's cue to give her friend some space.
There was something about curse reversal technique users that Sachiko admired. There were very few sorcerers capable of practicing the art of medicine in their line of work. Only sorcerers born with a specific type of cursed energy wave are able to harness it to effectively mend the wounded. It's a complicated skill to master that required very tedious practice and study. She remembered that her mother was a doctor to the mortals and she was aware that her journey to get her degree wasn't without much effort.
Shouko always believed that she was the weakest among the their group. She wasn't a special grade sorcerer like the three of them but in her eyes, Sachiko always felt that they were the replaceable ones. Sorcerers in the frontlines always come and go but reversal users are rare and therefore, valuable.
Before the sun set, Kodansha and the sophomores arrived and told the villagers of their discovery. Among the wells inside the shrine, they found a curse that was submerged which was the source of the illnesses. They had told them that they had exorcised the curse immediately but to still standby just in case its remnants had enough energy to cause problems.
There was a collective sigh of relief from the villagers and as a few days passed, they found victory from the plague as they removed their masks and breathed in the fresh air and welcomed the busy establishments with people.
Before they left, Shouko had been visited by the child she healed along with the patient whom they rescued from the waif.
"Thank you doctor," the little boy handed Shouko a basket of fruits to thank her which she gladly accepted.
She patted his head, "Take care now,"
At their periphery was a man with a bandage on his shoulder. He still looked a little wasted from being bedridden for too long but he had enough strength to greet them. He finally had color to his skin. Despite the bruises on his face, he still managed to smile at all of them,
"Thank you all…" he gave them a 90-degree bow now making the sorcerers fluster, "For not giving up on me,"
Sachiko and Shouko could only smile as they looked at each other and then at the recovering patient. They had both come to a realization that this mission was a good reminder of why they were training to be sorcerers.
Kodansha had asked her niece to retrieve her belongings from her room as she went out to give last minute instructions to the healers of the village leaving Shouko and her seniors waiting in their vehicle.
Seeing as it was a good opportunity to relinquish their curiosity about the mysterious freshman, they both sat beside the brown-haired freshman and began their questioning.
Utahime tucked in the sleeves her of her miko as she crossed her arms and turned her brown eyes towards Shouko, "Shouko, about Miura, we're wondering-" she turned to her classmate now who was twining her blue hair in her fingers and waited for her to nod, "-how is she?"
Shouko's brows jolted upward, "What do you mean senpais?"
Mei-mei leaned forward and grinned, "Oh you now, it's just that there are rumors and we were wondering if she was treating you fine,"
Utahime quickly interjected upon noticing her tense up. She raised both hands and waved them, "It's not that we believe them but, we're just wondering…"
Shouko bounced her focus from one senpai to another then let out a loud sigh making them flinch. She held out one finger and smirked, "She's my friend and she's a badass. That's all."
The girls of the most infamous circle in the freshmen class have finally returned after a week. Shouko had gone in ahead to the cafeteria to save them a seat as 'respectfully' requested via text by Gojo. As soon as she spotted a corner table, she increased her footing and finally set her lunchbox down.
She happily unwrapped the cloth around it and began separating the layers to reveal her steaming hot rice, varied sashimi and uni maki. She took in the aroma and pulled on the chopsticks, "Itadakimasu!" she exclaimed.
As soon as she was about to get a piece of the uni, a pair of hands clouded her line of sight from her lunch box and with one hand callously grabbed two pieces without using any tableware and another, took a clump of her octopus-furikake-rice with his chopsticks.
Her bloodshot eyes could only watch at the two boys chomping mindlessly at her food.
Gojo was grinning behind his glasses and licking his fingers to get rid of the sauce, "Uwaaaa, that was good! 'Sankyuuuuuuuu!"
Getou's chopsticks was still in between his mouth, "Oishi-desu…" he was still savoring the food inside his mouth.
The two boys were about to get a second serving when their hands were swatted away by Shouko's chopsticks.
"HEYYYYYYY!" Shouko was shooting steam from her head when the two of them finally took their seats and tried to hide their snickering but they were still fixated on the food in front of them, "You guys should really learn some manners!"
Getou wiped his mouth with his sleeve, "Sorry Ieiri-san, it just looked so good,"
Gojo was inching his way to get another maki when Shouko shot him a glare. He groaned then withdrew his hand, "Come on, we'll buy another set next time. Just share this with us,"
Shouko pulled the bento towards her and sighed, "You can't buy this at any store. Its homemade,"
"Oh? You made these?" Getou was still side-eyeing the steaming meal in front of them but he knew better than to anger a hungry lady.
Shouko dipped one roll in soy sauce then proceeded to take a bite. She covered her mouth to speak as she was chewing, "Nope, Sachi did,"
Getou rested one arm on the table and rested his chin on his palm, "Sachi-san can cook? That's interesting,"
Gojo clicked his tongue, "Heeeeey, how come only you get a bento?"
Shouko took another bite, "I dunno, maybe because I'm decent?"
The two of them were still waiting on her to share and as if their intention was so apparent that the only way she could shake it off is by giving in.
She groaned as she pushed the food towards them, "Fine…but leave some for me!"
Sachiko finally arrived to join the two boys happily chomping down on Shouko's food but the discontent on Ieiri's face could be seen from across the room, "Sorry I'm late," she quipped after taking her seat.
Gojo dropped his chopsticks then went to her side and looked at her with starry-wide eyes, "Kitsu-chan! Your food is delicious!"
She made a space in between them then furrowed her brows behind her mask, "Oh, really? Thank you but uh," she turned to Shouko now who was making partitions on her lunch box, "That's Ieiri's…"
Shouko pouted, "I told them that…"
Getou couldn't help but laugh, "We're sorry, it's just that, it really is good!"
Their compliments made her flush but she was glad that she could hide her expression under her mask, "I'll make more next time then…but," she gestured for the boys to give Shouko some distance, "I think, we should leave her in peace to eat,"
The three of them quietly excused themselves as Shouko seemingly went into a zone that would instantly suck out their life if they ever breathed in her air. She seemed unbothered by their exit but Sachiko couldn't help but laugh.
Her snicker was a pleasant display of her real character that the boys couldn't help but give her a smile as they walked beside her to the vending machines. They both kind of missed the presence of their lady friends.
Upon making sure that they were the only people in the area, Sachiko unfastened her mask and tucked it on her side and proceeded to open the canned drink, "So," her crimson eyes bounced from Getou to Gojo, "What were you two up to when we were gone?"
Satoru felt a wave of comfort upon hearing her casual jest. Finally, after a week, they-she- was home.
The windows designated in Shinsenkai in downtown Osaka experienced a distortion during their watch one busy night. Tourists were out on the streets communing with locals as usual when a few of them spotted dark figures jumping from one local to another. They were winged curses that looked like a cross between a falcon and a bat. They didn't seem to be interested in the humans but they were flocking towards young men as if they were being marked. The curses wouldn't linger around them for more than a few minutes and would fly away and dissipate. Reports from the local sorcerers have been able to trace that they seemed to be able to enter the veil covering one of Tengen's libraries but have failed to find its exact location.
The strange phenomena had merited an investigation from the Tokyo and Kyoto factions but as Yaga had concluded, he would need a special set of eyes to survey the area.
Kodansha crossed her legs as she continued to pour herself a cup of tea inside the vice-principal's office, "Do you think it's a cursed object?"
Yaga shrugged but maintained his solemn expression, "Perhaps, but I have a feeling that it could be something more unexpected," he leaned back on his chair and removed his shades, "The only way we can find out is if we can find the library first. Tengen has two conditions for sorcerers to gain entrance inside of the library, one, they must be special grades and two-"
"They must possess a unique ability to sense beyond the bounds of their sight," Kodansha set down her cup and wiped the moisture on her red lips with a table napkin, "Of course, even as we speak, you already have a plan, no, people, in mind,"
"As do you," he quipped.
Kodansha flipped her grey hair towards the side and resumed drinking her tea, "I don't really think we have a choice but to send those two,"
End of Chapter
Good Juju Time!
Here are two short entries for the group's interactions outside of school. Hope you enjoy!
"Thanks for coming with me! I already preordered the mangas but you can take a look around while you wait,"
"Sure," Sachiko was wearing a thick scarf to cover the markings on the sides of her face. She tried to avoid the eyes of other people but some couldn't help but stare. Lucky for her, most of them thought that she was just some otaku high schooler wearing contact lenses.
She followed Shouko who was carefully examining the copies of her comic books with the titles Attack on Titan and Tokyo Ghoul. From the print, it was easy to conclude that she preferred pretty intense storylines, "These are great! This one is about a dude who wants to kill beast-giants but ends up being one and this one is about some college kid who ends up turning into a ghoul and-" she continued to sell the plotline to Sachiko who was politely listening and gave in to her prodding. After telling her that she's still waiting for one another manga, she decided to go to the recommended isle.
It was easy for her to recognize Rurouni Kenshin and Cowboy Bebop among the titles but didn't pick up any copies.
"Are you into Samurais or space odysseys?" Gojo Satoru's voice creeped up from behind her making her turn. As per usual, he had a piece of candy dangling from the side of his lip.
"Oh hello,"
Satoru gave her a quick grin and tucked his copy of the latest Digimon in his arm, "I'd personally recommend the anime as well but I'm more into mecha,"
She shifted the position of her scarf then blinked, "I'll keep that in mind," it bewildered her that she knew exactly what he was talking about. She grew up in a place that housed children of different ages so it was easy to follow his line of thought.
Satoru let out a sigh as he saw a hyperactive Shouko from a distance, "Guess you got dragged into her monthly battle with the owner. Anyway," he took the book tucked in his arm then waved it towards one of the shopkeepers, "It might take a while so, best to find something to read too,"
Sachiko had eventually found herself in the dark comedy and horror section of the store. Her fingers were trailing along the thick compilations of recommended books when she saw a cover of one with a woman's face in spirals with one eye splayed out.
She was about to lift the book when another hand beat her to it. She withdrew her hand and directed her attention to the long-haired boy in the Tokyo tech uniform.
Suguru scratched the side of his face and smiled nervously, "Hello Sachiko-san, sorry, did you want to take this?" he pointed towards the book but she politely declined.
"No, it's alright Getou-san,"
He lifted the book and read the title out loud afterwards he quickly followed her as she continued looking around, "Are you also a fan of Mr. Junji Ito?"
"I've always been curious about his work. My cousin is, but his copy got thrown in the fire after my uncle caught him reading during examination week so,"
"Really? That's unfortunate. This one has an interesting story in particular,"
She tilted her head to the side, "What's it about?"
Surprised by her sudden interested to make small talk, Suguru shifted his position to a more comfortable stance when he talked to her. To their side, their friend with the dark rimmed glasses took notice of their chatter. He wasn't quite sure what to make of Sachiko's expression since she was hidden behind her scarf but it was pretty evident that Suguru was thrilled to talk to her. He felt a tinge of jealousy for what he was witnessing but he didn't really know what to make of it. They were his friends and he should be happy that they were all getting along.
Ruffling his hair and adjusting his glasses, Satoru dropped his manga on the counter and leaned on one arm as he tried his best not to eavesdrop at his raven haired classmates.
Sachiko placed a hand to her chin, "Hmm…that's interesting. It's kind of like an anthology about this girl who uses love as a curse,"
Satoru pinched his nose and pursed his lips, "I guess so," Suguru flipped the book to have the cover face towards her and held it out, "You want to get this one then?"
She raised her hands and waves it, "No, really, you're more invested in it then I am,"
"Well, I have copies of the other books. I borrowed the first one from a friend so how about this, after I'm done re-reading, I can lend them to you,"
"Alright then, I'll take you up on that. Thank you,"
Suguru's smile elevated into a grin at his small victory. It was becoming more apparent to Satoru that he was interested in their Kitsune comrade in more ways than he expected. Not that he really was bothered by it.
Shouko finally managed to end her purchase with a bargain to the dismay of the owner. The girls had excused themselves and went on ahead of the gentlemen who was still at the store.
Gojo took his copy that was already wrapped in recycled paper and was about to leave the counter when Suguru came barging in with a handful of Junji Ito's books.
"The hell?" Gojo's brows weaved.
Suguru pushed the books towards the owner and smiled, "I'll take all these please,"
Without saying anything, Gojo clicked his tongue and headed for the door, leaving a bemused Suguru, "What's his problem?"
GOOD JUJU 2
Gojo crumpled a piece of paper and threw it towards Getou. Getou caught it but doesn't read it and instead taps Sachiko's shoulder and pointed towards Gojo after handing it over.
Satoru felt the panic creep up his back as he made gestures to signal Suguru to take it back.
Sachiko was already unfolding the note when Suguru turned to her then back to the blue-eyed boy who had beads of sweat dropping down his forehead incessantly.
Gojo watched in horror as she opened. Despite wearing the mask, he felt her mood instantly shift. She crumpled the piece of paper and fumed in her seat and slowly turned to him and gave him a striking glare before setting the paper aflame.
As the class bell rung, Sachiko didn't excuse herself from her friends and stomped her way out of the room. Suguru, puzzled by her mood change, dragged his seat towards a stunned Satoru making him grab his collar and proceeded to shake his long-haired buddy incessantly, "Why the hell did you give that to Sachi? That was clearly for you!"
Suguru snarled at him,"Me? Why? What did it say? Why did she get mad,"
Satoru released his collar then slumped on his chair after driving his palm to his temple,
"I wrote, you hit like a girl…"
Next Chapter: Sachiko, Six-eyes and Heavenly Restriction
Notes:
All rights reserved to Gege Akutami.
Thanks for reading!
The places mentioned in this chapter are based on real locations and have similarities to local folklore revolving the storyline.
Leave me a comment and let me know what you think about the story :)
To answer one of the comments, yes, this story can also be found in AO3.
