Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Jujutsu Kaisen medias
A/N: Guess I was so inspire that I wrote another one. Hehe
A chance meeting
A woman step out of the airport, she was beaming with a smile her happiness cannot be explain by words.
"At last my most awaited vacation!"
After 5 years of working non-stop managing a family business after her grandmother retired was no joke. She reflected on those years with a smile it was hard she was the only person to take over the business after her older brother flat out refuse to take the role after he graduated as a pharmacist, he proceed to medicine and became a doctor her grandmother lamented that if only they're mother haven't died she would have retired ages ago.
Her grandmother practically begged her to take the role she was only in high school at that time, she had other dreams that she wanted but seeing her old frail grandmother she agreed and that is when she discovered the true nature of their business. They were practically a family of shamans that specialize in plant gathering of cursed plants. Their Pharmacy was just a front hiding their true line of business after discovering she became so interested.
"Now let me check my phone, this is soo exciting!" she was practically vibrating with giddy.
She fished out her phone and check if her uber driver has arrive to pick her up, and a message pop out of her screen and instructed her where they were to meet. She followed the instructions and saw the driver waving a paper with her name on it, she speed walk to the driver luggage at hand.
"Kanada-san thank you for picking me up!" her thick Japanese accent was prominent due to lack of practice.
"Ah Siega-san, welcome to Hokkaido Japan!" the driver beam at her "let me help you put your luggage at the back."
"Just call me Socorro Kanada-san, Siega is my Father" Socorro joked, the driver laugh and he nod "hai hai Socorro-san" He opened the car door at the back and Socorro take her seat and buckle up her seat belt.
As they drive to the road to where Socorro was staying, she checked for her schedule and a general itinerary for her whole trip to japan, she will not waste her 3 month long vacation that her older brother gave her. She was really shocked when her brother came to their pharmacy one late evening when she was about to close for the AM shift.
"Socorro I think we need to talk." Her brother look at her she couldn't see his brother's mismatched eye due to the light reflection from the light above. "And close the Pharmacy for the PM shift, our talked might take a while" She wondered what her brother was going to talk to her. She smirked and eye her brother mischievously
"Ho! Are you going to get married already?" her brother flashed his annoyance to her
"No" he plainly said
"I see, well let me close the store for a bit, and I'll prepare some tea with biscuits you can wait in the office or would you prefer the laboratory? I have something brewing there that needs to be check every 10 minutes, mind if you'll check it for me?"
"Sure" Her brother walk to their laboratory at the back passing by the shelves of drugs.
Socorro observe her brother she could see he was limping on his left foot. Guess she will just ask him about it after she closed the store for the night.
After 10 minutes she prepare the tea and the biscuits from the small kitchenette that she installed as a break room for her employees, she carried the tray of refreshments to the lab, when she heard her brother and Tzel talking.
"About time you realize your responsibilities as an older brother" Tzel admonished
She saw her brother twitch and look at her direction, the lab was small and clean she made sure of it she had renovated it when she took over since most of the equipment were ancient. Her brother was seated at her table where she mostly do her paper work she could see he had cleared it and the stacks of paper was now on the working table.
"Give him break Tzel! He's a Doctor and a very busy one." She smiled to her brother.
He was looking at her thoroughly from head to foot and stare at her with his mismatched eye Blue on the left and honey brown on the right the same eye color as her sister.
"You don't look well Corro"
"Well as you can see I'm the only one managing the other side of the business, but it's not like before when I first take over its kind of bearable now that I had hired someone for the upfront."
No wonder her grandmother wants to retire it's exhausting. When she first take over it was pure nightmare everything was a mess, she had to fix the system of the pharmacy first before the other one. That's when she hired another pharmacist for the day, while she take care of the other, she had no problems with preparing the drugs the only problem was the raw material, she had to be the one to gather because gathering them is one risky task and buying them is expensive and it doesn't guaranteed that the material has enough cursed energy or if there is any of it for extraction.
"I think you need a break you are working none stop for the past five years and I can see that it is taking a toll on you. A nice vacation will do you good."
Socorro couldn't believe what her brother was actually suggesting. She stand and dramatically point a finger to her brother's direction.
"Who are you? What have you done to my workaholic brother?!" A vein pop at the side of her brother's head
"Look who's talking…" he sigh "It's an order Corro…you might collapse anytime soon if you don't take my order"
"But who's going to manage the business! I can leave the other one to my employees but I can't leave the other one unattended and you know tha!" Her brother gave her a deadpan stare
"I think you forgot, I was originally the one to take over your role before I flat out refuse."
"Wait hold on, do you mean to take over for a couple of weeks just so I can have a nice vacation?!" She beam to her brother.
"Take 3 months nothing more nothing less."
"Wait! What about your work? You were so busy that sometimes you forgot to eat!"
"I already finished my residency and my consultancy program from the hospital, I won't be needed to go to the hospital every day, and they will just call me if something came up or if they needed my professional opinion." He smiled
"Wait you mean to tell me that you're a consultant now?! Why didn't you say so I could have prepare something fancy rather than tea and biscuit right now" she shouted at him
"Nah! I rather have these, it's nice to talk to you again like this it's been so long." He picked up the mug and slurp. The laboratory gave them a sense of nostalgia when they were young they would watch their mother work before tragedy happen that killed their mother. He reached for his pocket and swipe his phone with a few taps he close his phone, a notification starts to ring on Socorro's phone she checked it and her eyes bulge.
"Your pocket money for your trip use it wisely." Then he slurp some more tea. Her eyes watered and without warning she hugged her brother tightly.
"Hey watch it your going to spill my tea!"
"Oh Eli Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
Because of pure happiness Socorro forgot to ask her brothers limping leg, unknown to her his brother stare at their cat Tzel with trepidation conveying to the cat the real reason, he needs her sister out of the country before that thing even take her. He had three months to solve this problem before Socorro gets back, he just hope that he is strong enough to fight. If only he could contact their father with the situation at home.
"We had arrive Socorro-san, I hope you enjoy your stay!" the driver beam at her she pay for her fare and stroll to the building where she is staying. She observe the building it was quite old but clean, except for a few litters of 4 grade cursed spirit she can ignore them they wouldn't be a bother anyway. She proceed to the front desk and showed her booking I.D. to the nice lady, the lady then pass her the key to her room.
"Its 201 Siega-san, if you need anything just ring us."
"Thanks"
She immediately walk to her room and open her door, it was a nice traditional Japanese room, with a short-legged table where she could work on her laptop. She took off her coat and hang it to the rack, she squat down the table and brought her laptop, she was going to work on her itinerary for her trip. She had plan to visit japan as a whole starting from the north down to south if she could really fit it in her schedule.Well I could visit again if I have time to continue my trip. She didn't realize the time when her stomach started to rumble with hunger. She checked the time and was shock that it was already dinner time about 7pm. She had arrived in Sapporo airport at around 1pm she had her lunch at the plane so she didn't bother to grab any convenience store food in case she's hungry.
"Hmm might as well eat out let's see what their popular dish here is hmm…" she scroll down to the review and ratings from the restaurant in the area, she had found what she was looking for. She grabbed her coat and head outside to the said restaurant it was just near her building she stuff her hand to her coats pocket to protect it from the cold, she forgot to bring her gloves due to her hunger.
Just a few minutes she had arrive to her destination and oh my what a crowd the line was quite long glad she bought a senbei along the way just to ease her hunger. While she was munching off her snack she notice in her peripheral vision something white walking across the street and when she turned to the direction there was none. Must be her imagination then, she thought about that person she met at the haunted forest while she searching for the mandrake, the man was really weird when she first saw him, he was wearing dark sunglass in the middle of the night, but what struck her the most was those sapphire eyes, she told her brother about it and it had shocked him then he told him the history of their eyes that was passed on through oral tradition by reciting their history.
It turns out the eyes that they have are a gift from the God that had descended down to earth from thousands of years ago, it was said that they were three blind man begging the God for sight, two of those men were siblings and the other one was an acquaintance. When the God heard them he restored there sight and ask them to use their sight to help others in need. It was said that eyes gave them the power of immense sight they could see things very clearly and see things that others cannot. And one day the other man who was the acquaintance separate from the siblings and since then they haven't seen the man ever since. She was stunned when her brother told her of the tale, the eyes were a coveted object both man and those cursed beings. Hopefully they wouldn't find them. Their pursuers treat them like a game a trophy to behold.
"Good evening miss can I take your order?" the man taking the order look down at her, he was so tall about 6ft she craned her neck and smiled to him.
"I would like one miso ramen and your famous beer if you have one." She hated how short she was that she has to crane her neck to look up to tall people.
After waiting about 30 minutes it was Socorro's turn she was lead to an empty stool on the front where she could observe the chef preparing her meal it was mesmerizing to watch she ask the chef if she could take a video and a picture. The chef smile and agreed she was posting this on her social media timeline when she notice her social media was kind of depressing the last time she posted was 1 year ago, adulthood sure is depressing, struck by renewed determination she had three months to fill her social media with her adventures here in japan.
After her meal she step out of the restaurant with a satisfied smile, patting her full stomach.
That was satisfying.
She look around the area finding what the place has to offer her, she walk by shops and pause to take a picture and a selfie. She look at the time on her phone and it read 10:30.
"Time to go back, and finish my work before I hit the bed."
Socorro had explore the northern island of Japan for a week. It was so cool and exciting she had experience all kinds of stuff and she could never get over her experience with public baths it still felt awkward for her bathing with other woman naked, she consciously covered herself and stop herself from staring too long, she vowed she would never do it again unless necessary. She was riding a bus to Hakodate port to take a 5 hour ferry ride to Oma port. She sigh she was having a hard time deciding where to go next she was thinking very hard that she began her auto pilot, she didn't realize that she had boarded the ferry and was now taking her seat. Then an idea struck her, why not draw lots to determine where she would go in this northern part she would let fate decide, smiling she tore a piece of paper from her journal and tore it to small squares she wrote all the prefectures on the paper and roll them to small cylinders after rolling the paper she took out a small empty candy jar she's keeping a souvenir since its cute she place the cylinders inside she cover it with the lid then shake the jar vigorously, it unknowingly draw weird attention to her,what is that foreigner doing?That was mostly what the people around her think. She can't explain what she felt at the moment it felt like longing? Like she was missing something she brush off the feeling, after shaking she open the lid and reach down to the jar to pick, she felt giddy all of a sudden then she pull out one paper cylinder and unroll the paper.
"Hmm Miyagi Prefecture? Let see let me check where it is." She check her google map and sigh she began to regret her decision. It was way away and she could miss a lot a sight seeing
"I think I'll just bend the rules. Hehe." she opened her laptop and start plotting her schedule for the next 24 hours. So she decided to do a lay over every bus stop and explore the area for a couple of hours before reaching Miyagi prefecture where the fate decides for her. You know to avoid bad luck.
She had reached the Miyagi Prefecture in Sendai city bus station after 37 hours of exploring and riding with a bus. When she stepped out she was immediately struck by a foreboding feeling. Without hesitation she active her eyes and try to search for something anything that made her felt with trepidation, it hasn't happen yet but she could feel it in her bones something bad is going to happen. She deactivate her cursed technique and walk out of the bus station unwittingly alerted a few jujutsu sorcerer especially the white hair man with a blind fold in his eyes.
The man smirked and began searching blindingly through the crowd, a few minutes wouldn't hurt to find that woman that bewitched him 5 years ago. But first stop he had to buy that kikufuku from kikusuian a Sendai specialty he can eat on the bullet train back to Tokyo.
Socorro had arrived at her Airbnb, it was a house repurpose to make it a cheap alternative stay than the hotel. She was glad she pick this place it has a lot of amenities like shared kitchen where you could cook instead of eating out and best of all it has a washing machine and dryer where she'll do her laundry instead of handwashing, her laundry had started to pile up since she doesn't have time to wash it, definitely tomorrow she's going to do her laundry. But first she's going to explore the city. She picked up her phone and view her itinerary. She smiled wide the shop is just a few minutes' walk from this place, and she's excited to taste their specialty there where a lot of positive reviews about the shop and pictures of various confectionaries, just thinking about it made her giddy. She change her top with beige sweater and faded blue denim skinny jeans she brush her short black hair and clip the red barrette on her left side to keep the hair off her face she picked up her small bag checking her phone, power bank wallet and keys she hurried wearing her black sneakers and practically ran out of the door and off the streets while looking at her phone for direction, a few minutes she saw the shop walk slowly to the shop and savoring the sight she grabbed her phone and took a selfie with the shop as the background.
"Wah! I'm so excited to try their kikufuku!" when she reach the sales woman she immediately ask their specialty then the woman smiled and replied
"I recommend our zunda and cream flavor miss!"
"Then I would like to take ten of those Ma'am."
"Do you like for me to pack it in a box?"
"Yes please and I would like to try one while you're packing."
The lady hand you the zunda in a wax paper, you place the bill on the metal plate for the lady to receive your bill you really don't know why they wouldn't take the bill directly from your hand.
"Thank you miss let me wrap these for you and I'll be back quick."
Socorro smiled to the lady, before she take a bite of her zunda she take a picture and a boomerang video for her Instagram story, then she take a bite and before she could savor the confectionary. She heard her name being called and she turned her head to the sound of the voice while the zunda is still hanging in her mouth, she were greeted with a very tall man dressed in all black with a black blindfold and a shocking white hair, she ponder for a moment and squint her eyes. The man was smiling at her expecting to recognize him, but she cut the chase and just ask the guy.
"Who are you?" the man's smile faltered feeling hurt that the woman didn't recognize him and he pointed his index finger towards him.
"Don't you recognize this handsome face? I'm hurt Socorro-san that you would forgot about me and here I' am being excited to finally see you after 5 years!" the guy exclaim she squint her eyes raking her brain from 5 years ago, then suddenly it hit her the weird guy with white hair and a sunglass that covered his light blue eyes.
"GOJO-SAN!" she exclaimed she blushed embarrass, how could she forgot this obnoxious man who flat out propose to her after just meeting for an hour. She could see the shit eating grin on the man's face like he could read her mind.
"I'm glad you remember me Socorro-san and I'm still hoping for that date, after saving your ass in that forest."
"I was expecting that you would forget about me let alone the date I promise."
"Why would I forget such a very beautiful lady?" he leaned down on her eye level and he is loving every second of her reaction, she was blushing hard and was gab smack speechless by the words this man was spewing out of his mouth, from the brief moment of their encounter he hadn't change one bit.
"Thank you for waiting here's your order ma'am please enjoy!" the sales lady interrupted, Socorro turn to the lady to break eye contact, she reached out and take the paper bag that the lady handed.
"Ma'am I would also like to order what she has and please wrap it in a box." Gojo handed the bills to the counter and thanked the sales woman.
"I would really like to catch up with you, but did you enter the country illegally again?" Gojo smirked, Socorro blushed and cross her arms under her breast and stare Gojo directly in the eye.
"Of course not! I'm here for my payed vacation." She snub.
"Well I'm glad, how long are you staying by the way?" Gojo ask
Socorro hesitated before answering him weighing her options, she came to a conclusion then she replied.
"3 months…"
"3 MONTHS!" Gojo was surprise it's quite a long vacation, what kind of company did she work that would give her 3 months with payed vacation. She sigh and just cut off with the chase before this guy get the wrong idea.
"It's a family business my older brother ordered me to take long vacation after working non-stop for 5 years."
"Well you deserve it."
"Thank you for waiting here's your order sir please enjoy!" the sales lady interrupted them she hand the paper bag to Gojo. And he thanked the woman.
Then suddenly they felt a surge of cursed energy at 12 o' clock he turned to her gone were the goofy smile. He looked at her memorizing her one last time.
"I hate to end our meeting, I would really like to talk to you more but—" He pause
"Do you need help?" she asked
Then suddenly Gojo grabbed her hand and prepare to warp, he face her with those confident smirked she remembered 5 years ago, she felt her heart skip a beat.
"On second thought I think you're coming with me."
Gojo pulled her to him and without hesitation they warp to the source of the negative energy that they sense a while ago leaving the sales lady in shock.
Names and their meaning:
Socorro- Aid/ Help
Tzel- Protection/ Shade / Shadow
Eli- High/ Elevated
Siega- Harvest