Disclaimer: I do not own Jujutsu Kaisen. It is property of Gege Akutami. However, I do own any original characters appearing in this work.

10th Curse

Settling In

落ち着く

ochitsuku

After Shoko-san and I had been walking for a little while, and Shoko-san felt that we'd been quiet for a beat too long, she cleared her throat to get my attention. When I looked up to her she gave a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry. It's too bad that the two of you had to be separated so soon. But you shouldn't worry. I've known that guy for a few years now and he's always come back practically unscathed." She said, trying to comfort me.

Well, I guess he never told her about how his fight with Toji went, then.

Not like I could mention that out loud, though, so I just nodded my head.

"It's okay. I'm not sad about it… I'm just excited to meet a panda." I said with a small smile.

"…You know it's okay to not be okay about it, right?" Shoko-san said after a beat and I paused, wondering what she meant by that. I really was okay with it… wasn't I?

Shoko-san sighed, "I should probably tell you that this isn't going to be a one-time thing. Your brother's considered one of the strongest sorcerers in modern times. He's ranked Special Grade, so that means whenever a particularly dangerous mission comes up, he's going to get called in to handle it. That means that he'll have to leave quite often, and he can't take a little kid like you with him." She explained to me, and I realised what she meant this time.

Ah… When she puts it like that, it is a little lonely. I don't have Kiku, or Hana-san, or Hotaru-chan and Hiroto-kun anymore. And Satoru's made it clear that we're not relying on my real parents. So, Satoru is the only one I have, right now.

But, no, that's not true.

"That's why you're introducing me to someone my age, right? Even if Satoru needs to go away on lots of missions, I'll have friends here I can hang out with, like you and Panda-san." I said to her with a grin.

Shoko-san huffed, and patted my head, "That's true. You're awfully positive, huh?" she commented.

"You're catching me on a good day." I quipped. I did meet one of my favourite characters, Nanami Kento, today, and I managed to make him laugh (even if it was only a little), so it was definitely a good day.

"I see." Shoko-san nodded, and slowed down to a stop, "This is the place. Yaga-sensei's home. This is where Panda is living. Try not to be too surprised when you meet him, okay?" she said and I looked up at the house we were in front of. It was a more traditional style of Japanese home, with tiled roof and wooden engawa wrapping around shoji and white walls accented by wooden beams and windows. The front yard was small, but hinted at a larger one in the back of the house and there was a large forested area just beyond that.

"This is Yaga-san's home? And Panda-san lives here, too?" I asked, playing along. Of course, I already knew why Panda-san is here.

"Yep. Remember, try not to be too surprised." She said again, and I raised an eyebrow. It's like she wants a big reaction from me. Well, I guess I can give her one, if she wants it.

"I'll try my hardest. Let's go inside already!" I said, tugging Shoko-san's hand excitedly. And it was a little exciting. After all, Panda-san was cute and cool.

Shoko-san let the two of us in through the front door, saying that Yaga-san had lent her the keys as she did, and guided me through the house. After a few moments we arrived at a sliding door, which Shoko-san lightly tapped on with the back of her hand, announcing our presence and reason for being there to the room's occupant.

After hearing from inside that it was okay to enter, Shoko took the door handle and slid open the shoji, revealing the room.

I peeked in through the opening, heart thumping because of the anticipation.

And there he was.

It was Panda! In the flesh! Or… fur? Fabric? Come to think of it, what was Panda made of?

Panda turned from where he was sitting up, his dark eyes blinking over at me for a moment, before he tilted his head, and looked as though he was smiling (as much as a bear's face can).

"Hello. You must be Yukine-chan. Father told me about you. It's nice to meet you." He greeted cordially.

And it didn't require any acting for my jaw to drop. It fell all on its own without any thought from me. Then, I realised I was supposed to say something back.

"U-Uhm… Hi. It's nice to meet you, too! You're… really a panda…?" I stuttered, and looked from Panda-san up to Shoko-san to see if I was doing a good job of acting surprised, so far. Shoko-san looked none-the-wiser, so I was probably good.

"No. I'm not a panda. But it is my name, yes." Panda-san answered me, and looked to Shoko-san, "You didn't tell her anything?" he asked the older girl.

"Well, Yukine-chan's only young so she may not understand unless it's explained by someone who knows you as well as yourself. And so far, Yukine-chan seems like an open-minded and positive person. So, Yaga-sensei thought it'd be nice if the two of you could be friends." Shoko-san explained the situation to Panda-kun and the cursed corpse nodded his head in understanding.

"Okay. Yukine-chan come and sit down," he said, patting the cushion on the floor nearby.

I sucked in a breath, and nodded, approaching Panda-kun, and took a seat, my eyes still glued to his fuzzy black-and-white self. Up close, his fur looked even softer.

"First, do you know what a cursed technique is, yet?" he began with his opening question.

I bobbed my head up and down, feeling a bit nervous, "I do! And… I have my own technique, too! Satoru, um, my big brother said it's called 'Polarity' and with it I can do this." I said, and demonstrated my technique, magnetizing a nearby book and my hand, pulling the book to my palm and sticking it there. I waved my hand around a bit to show that it was stuck to me, "I can also push stuff away, and some other things as well." I said, cancelling the technique and setting the book down next to us. I looked back up at Panda to see his reaction.

Panda-kun nodded his head, looking interested, "Oho, I see. That's cool." He grinned and politely said, "The thing with me, is a little more complicated because I exist because of father's technique. I'm what's called an Abrupt Mutated Cursed Corpse, and…"

Panda-kun continued on in his explanation of his circumstance and how he came to be, and it was a great refresher. He was really kind, as well, willing to take on any questions I had and he answered them as best he could. Panda-kun also explained what he was made of, the thing that I was unsure of, and confirmed that he was very much a like a stuffed animal, but that he had three cores inside him that acted as hearts. He went on to tell me about his siblings that are a part of him, Gorilla-san and his older sister.

After about twenty minutes, I was well-informed, and also, I felt a lot more comfortable around him. He just had a very easy-going, polite demeanor and maybe because of my perceived-age, he didn't mind if I was a little blunt, especially with my next request.

"Um…"

"What is it?" he tilted his head.

I blushed a little, fiddling with my fingers anxiously as I wondered if this was too soon to ask for, but… I gave in and asked him anyway.

"Um… Your fur looks really soft, and I kinda wanted to try petting it. But it's okay if you don't want me touching you…" I said hesitantly.

Panda-kun stared at me for a moment, before Shoko-san reminded me that was here when she started trying to stifle her laughter, and my head whipped around, rosy cheeks getting rosier.

Hearing Panda-kun chuckle a little, I turned back to him, feeling embarrassed.

He just nodded his head, leaning closer, "You can a little bit, if you wanna. Since we're friends," he agreed and I widened my eyes, my mouth popping open again. We're already friends!?

Yeah. Of course, we're friends! Hehe…

Then I smiled, "Th-Thanks…!" I said and got up on my knees so I could reach his head better, and gingerly, my hand met his head. "…!" I gasped – it was even softer than I thought!

…Is it even possible for anything to be this soft? It feels illegal…

And then, I got the life scared out of me and nearly fell over when the shoji was slammed open behind Shoko-san, who also jumped in surprise. Panda-kun was more prepared than the two of us, and thankfully, he caught me before I could fall flat on my face.

"YUKINEEEE-CHAN! How's your playdate with Panda going so far?"

It was Satoru.

"Satoru! I told you not to slam open that door - If it's broken you'll be paying for any repairs out of your next paycheck!" I heard Yaga-san shout after him from the front door, causing Satoru to momentarily pout, before brushing it off and stepping inside the room and towards Panda-kun and I.

He knelt down and plucked me from Panda-kun's furry arms, pulling me into a tight-yet-careful hug.

As my face was buried in his chest, and with my eyes blinking as rapidly as my beating heart, I adjusted my position in his hold to try and look up at him.

"What's the matter?" I asked him.

"I'm sorry, Yukine-chan. We've only arrived a couple of days ago, and already I'm being pulled away by those shi—stupid higher-ups. This is a mission only your big brother is strong enough to take care of right now, but I want you to know I'm gonna hate every moment of it." He complained as he apologised to me.

I blinked owlishly up at my brother for a few moments, before smiling and shrugging, "Well, you can't help it. If you're the only one who can help out, then you've gotta go. It's okay." I glanced to Panda-kun, "I've got Panda-kun to hang out with, and also Shoko-san! I'll be okay even if you're not here, so don't worry about me." I said, nodding my head to him, hoping it reassured him at least a little bit.

Satoru only looked conflicted and as if distracted, his hold on my loosened.

But before he could say anything in response, his collar was grabbed from behind by Yaga-san and he was pulled up to his feet whether he liked it or not.

"You heard the girl. Your little sister is being more mature about this than you are." Yaga-san told Satoru, who was still pouting; "We'll take good care of her, Shoko, Panda and I, while you're gone. And the sooner you go, the sooner you can come back." He said, and gave Satoru a firm thwack on the back, at which he stumbled a little.

He frowned and rubbed his back, looking at Yaga-san with grudging acceptance.

"Fine, fine! I'm going already, since I'm obviously not needed here!" he said, his voice full of pettiness.

I sighed out a little bit, and stepped closer to him. I grabbed his leg and held it close, surprising him a little.

Looking up his leg at him, I smiled a little, "When you get back, can we explore Tokyo? I've never been this far away from Tobetsu… well, I don't remember it at least!" I said to him.

Satoru blinked, then grinned excitedly and nodded.

"Of course! Your big brother will be the bestest tour guide ever!" he said.

I nodded, "Can we go to a cat café?" I asked.

"We can go wherever you want to! Your brother knows one with great sweets, too!" Satoru nodded quickly, while I vaguely heard Panda-kun asking why not a Panda café instead and Shoko-san commenting that something like that wouldn't exist.

Satoru's departure to his short-notice mission went smoothly after that, and before I knew it the sky was turning a deep orange-red and evening was approaching.

Yaga-san prepared a meal for Panda-kun and I, while Shoko-san had some work to attend to at the infirmary, and I spent the first night with Satoru's teacher and my new fuzzy friend at their house. It was a nice, simple and cozy night, but I'm not sure why my thoughts drifted back to Geto Suguru once again.

It's not like I was supposed to know about him. And the topic was probably too heavy to bring up to a little kid like me so they probably didn't think it necessary to even mention him.

But I couldn't help wondering if Satoru and I would one day grow close enough as siblings for him to tell me about his best friend.

It would probably be weird for me to suddenly bring up a guy whose name logically I shouldn't even know, since literally nobody has spoken it around me, and not to mention it would make me suspicious as hell.

So, I decided it would be best for me to bury that nosiness for the time being and focus on feeling comfortable in my surroundings, on getting used to the fact that I was now making friends with and getting close to people who were originally just characters in a manga I was reading less than a year ago.

It had to one day feel natural to be around them, without any of the fangirly wonder painting how I acted around them.

I mean, after my embarrassing and frankly desperate request to pet Panda-kun earlier today, I dreaded anything cringy I might end up doing if I were to meet my favourite character…!

I sighed out, tossing and turning in my bed, and pulled the covers up to cover my white hair as I thought of his own, spikey black locks.

Ahhhh… I wanted to see if it was as pointy and sharp as it looked, or if it was soft and fluffy like Panda-kun's was…!

I'm doomed, aren't I?

His first impressions of me are gonna be that I'm a cringy weirdo… Why am I like this?!

In the end, Satoru's mission only lasted 2 and a half days, and apparently, most of that time was covered by travel time. According to Shoko-san, as soon as he arrived in Hiroshima, it took him a grand total of 50 minutes to learn the situation on the ground, track down all of the curses that got away and take them down and then, after a brief stop at a souvenir shop he was already on the way back to the train station, ignoring the other sorcerers from the Kyoto branch he was assisting completely. Apparently Shoko-san got a call from Iori-san and their conversation was 90% Iori-san complaining about Satoru's antics and 10% catching up with one another.

When Satoru returned, he came bearing Momiji manju sweets of varying flavours and wearing a massive grin.

After insisting that he watch me try them, even though I remember trying these from my past life when we went on our high-school trip to Kyoto, we settled in for the evening, preparing for Satoru's Super-Special-Amazing-Tokyo-Tour the next day, which he told me he'd been planning on the train ride back.

We woke up bright and early, and after having breakfast the Gojo siblings descended upon Shibuya first of all, and though the mere idea of being in Shibuya reminded me of the arc I'd been reading before I came to this world and what it entailed for my new brother had me uneasy, any of those feelings were swept aside when we arrived at Cat Café MOCHA in nearby Harajuku.

We spent a good hour in there just relaxing and snacking while petting all the fluffy kittens. It was heaven. The local cats in Tobetsu weren't the friendliest and they'd never let me pet them, so I missed this feeling.

After our allotted time at MOCHA was up, Satoru next took me to Akihabara, since he'd found out from me that I liked Digimon too, and that I had a Agumon onesie when I was little. Apparently, he was a fan of it when he was younger, too, (and HE was the one who got her that onesie, since he has good taste or so he said) so he wanted to have a nostalgia trip.

After geeking out in Akihabara for a while, we made our way back up to Jujutsu Tech since it was late afternoon already. Satoru said they definitely would have to do this again, lots of times. He was also happy to learn that we had things in common and that it hadn't felt awkward between us, despite being separated for so long.

I had to agree.

Satoru was just being so silly that it was hard to feel too nervous. He was reassuring to be around – I felt safe.

I think that given time, maybe the more I settle in, it will feel more natural to call Satoru my brother, and I'll feel more like I belong in this world, even though I didn't exist as a character in the original manga and anime.

And with that, days turned into weeks, and routines built up around me.

I was being homeschooled for the time being, until a suitable elementary school that Satoru approved of was found, and when I wasn't being homeschooled, Yaga-san, Shoko-san and Panda-kun helped me practice Polarity, and Satoru as well, whenever he could find a spare moment between his duties as a Sorcerer.

It was great and all. Between my schooling and jujutsu training, I saw lots of improvements and even had the beginnings of inspiration for a new application of my technique, inspired by Satoru's techniques.

But even though Yaga-san and Shoko-san and Panda-kun were great, and Satoru was doing his best as a big brother to be present as much as he could in my life, I still felt a little bit lonely.

Hey, I'm so so sorry that this has been a long time coming. I'd been distracted by losing my job, then getting another job and with the busy Christmas retail period I had very little time to even THINK about my fanfictions let alone update them. And now I'm back to jobhunting AGAIN... ;_; Anyway, I hope you'll forgive me and that you enjoyed this.

I also hope that I did Panda justice. And I'm sorry if this chapter isn't very good, towards the end.

I'm hoping to introduce Megumi in the next chapter, though, so look forward to that. :) xxx