So, sorry for wandering off only to return with a short and uneventful chapter, but I have returned, nonetheless. I consider this a "housekeeping" chapter to tidy up some things before we move on, but things will begin to pick up again with the next chapter.

Thanks so much for the response so far! I wasn't expecting so many people to be interested in this story, but I've been so pleasantly surprised. Please leave a review to let me know what you thought!

And thank you to Phoenix-Rising29 for enabling me always. Reigumi wouldn't be a thing without your support and encouragement!

Chapter Three

Keep Moving Forward

The crescent moon was high in the sky by the time Rei and Fushiguro were dismissed from the office of the man Rei had been introduced to as Principal Yaga, the executive of Tokyo Jujutsu High.

Rei hadn't been able to focus on a word Principal Yaga spoke, her eyes glued to the moving green doll that had tottered around the office the whole time. Fushiguro spoke for her, arguing with the principal back and forth over something for hours. She'd tried to tune in at one point, but when she'd heard the words "exorcise" and "execute" she'd stopped listening again, not trusting herself to speak in case she vomited from terror.

Fushiguro led her outside. She didn't know if he was actually leading her; she just kept following him because she had no clue what to do otherwise. It was cooler than it had been before, and she wrapped her arms around her middle.

After a few minutes, Fushiguro sighed and turned away from his thoughtful gaze on the moon. Rei felt his eyes on her, but she stared at her feet instead.

"You didn't listen to anything in there, did you?" His tone wasn't accusing, but she cringed back from it anyway.

She hung her head. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He sighed again. "Most of it had nothing to do with you."

She gulped. "And that talk about execution?"

"It's not going to happen," he said firmly. "Principal Yaga, Ieiri, and I all agree that we don't need to resort to that." He hesitated. "Nagatsuka."

She started at her name. "Yes?"

When he didn't immediately respond, she finally looked up at him. His eyes were still on her, and the weight of them bored into her skin. "What is it?"

"That scar on your chest," he said slowly. "Do you remember how you got it?"

Her hand went to her sternum automatically. "My scar? What?" She shook her head. "I got it from a surgery when I was little. A part of my heart hadn't formed properly, and it gave me problems when I was born. I had to undergo open-heart surgery. Why…?"

Fushiguro looked pained. "I don't think that's what it's from."

She took a step back, her hand fisting in her shirt. "What are you talking about?"

"The night I… The night the curse attacked your home, I sensed something from your scar." He held up his index finger as if to demonstrate. "Your scar was imbued with cursed energy. Ieiri confirmed it when I brought you here to be healed. We suspect that someone sealed a cursed object inside of you, and that's why your scar gives off cursed energy."

Rei stared at him. "What are you talking about? How could there be something in my heart? I'd be dead!"

"I know it sounds impossible," he said, "but Principal Yaga agrees with me. We need to figure out who would put the cursed object inside of you and why."

"It doesn't sound impossible; it sounds insane," she snapped. "You're saying that my mom lied to me? That someone put a—a cursed object in my heart?"

He held up his hands. "Nagatsuka—"

She gasped, cutting him off. "Wait. The cursed object—you think you know what it is, don't you?" Her fist tightened on her shirt. "You said someone sealed it inside of me—the cursed object. Not a cursed object." Tears stung the corners of her eyes as her mouth worked. "Fushiguro, are you— What's inside of me?"

"We don't know for sure," he said quietly. "We won't know unless…"

"Unless you get it out?" she said, her voice small.

He nodded. Her legs wobbled.

"What do you think it is?" she asked.

"Why don't you sit down first?" he said. "You look pale."

She allowed him to lead her to a stone bench nestled beneath a Sakura tree. She imagined it would be quite beautiful in the spring, but it was close to autumn now. She slumped onto the bench with Fushiguro beside her.

"In the jujutsu world," he began cautiously, "there's a legend about the most powerful curse user of all time. His name was Ryomen Sukuna." She sat silently, listening, acutely aware of every beat of her heart. "He was called the King of Curses, and he was so powerful that it took many sorcerers to bring him down." He shifted on the bench. "When a curse user dies, they can turn into a cursed spirit, meaning their cursed energy isn't destroyed. That's what happened with Sukuna. His curse was so strong that his body wasn't able to be fully destroyed. He left behind twenty fingers, all cursed objects."

He fell silent, and it dawned on Rei with a wrenching sense of horror. "And this Sukuna—you think one of his fingers was put inside me?"

Fushiguro reached for her. "I'm sorry—"

She bent over and retched. Again. And again. Nothing came out but bile, but her stomach cramped so violently that she was unable to stop. She was vaguely aware of Fushiguro's hands at her back, one resting hesitantly between her shoulder blades while the other held her hair. She finally hunched over, spent, and coughed, tears streaming down her face.

"Nagatsuka?" Fushiguro probed.

She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and sniffed, not raising her head. "Get it out."

He leaned closer to hear her better. "What?"

"Get it out," she said more clearly. "If there's some cursed person's finger inside of me, then I want it out."

Between her shoulders, his fingers closed in a fist. "We'll get it out. Don't worry."

She exhaled shakily. "Will you take me back to the infirmary? I don't think I can find it again by myself."

Fushiguro started. "You want it out tonight?"

She shook her head. "No. I just want to sleep and forget that this is my life now."

"Oh."

He stood and offered her a hand up. They started down a small path beneath the Sakura trees. Foolishly, Rei thought about reaching out and grabbing his hand again, but she shook that thought off. It was bad enough that Fushiguro kept witnessing her mental breakdowns. She didn't need to look like a scared little girl on top of it, even though that was precisely what she felt like.

They reached the familiar structure of the infirmary. All the lights were off, but Fushiguro slid open the doors and switched them on, flooding the building in a harsh white glow.

"I'll see about different arrangements for you," he said, gesturing to the cots. "Principal Yaga agreed that you should stay here at Jujutsu High until…" He trailed off, but she understood the unspoken words: until we get that finger out of you. He cleared his throat. "Yeah."

"Fushiguro," she said. She looked up and met his calm blue eyes. "Tomorrow, will you take me to see my mother?" Her throat closed. "So I can say goodbye?"

The stoic edges of his face softened, just a bit, and he nodded. "Of course. Just tell Ieiri to let me know whenever you're ready."

Rei nodded. "Thank you. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

For a moment, he looked like he wanted to say more, but instead, he turned and disappeared back out into the night.

Rei stood outside the infirmary the next morning, picking at her clothes. Ieiri had lent them to her from the jujutsu woman's own closet, which meant that they fit Rei's frame poorly. Her black blouse hung loosely, and she'd had to roll the ends of the black slacks twice so they wouldn't trail in the dirt, though they fit her waist a bit too snugly for her liking. The shoes were the only things that fit properly, and she scuffed the bottom of the black flats against the ground as she waited for Fushiguro, twirling a piece of white-tipped hair.

"It'll just come back," Ieiri had told her that morning when she'd spotted Rei with a pair of shears in her hand. She'd nodded to Rei's hair. "It's cursed now. It won't go away until you exorcise the curse that did it." Then she'd frowned. "I guess you can't exorcise it yourself. Not without cursed energy." She'd shrugged and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Speak to Fushiguro about it."

Rei looked up, distracted from her hair contemplation when she heard footsteps. Fushiguro came up the path toward her, wearing a white button-down and black slacks like hers. It was jarring to see him outside of his jujutsu uniform, and she blinked several times as he approached her.

"Um, nice clothes," she said stupidly. "I mean, uh, you look nice. Not wearing your uniform. Not that your uniform is bad—"

She finally shut her mouth and simply gestured vaguely when his expression grew more and more bemused. He nodded slowly.

"Thanks." He pointed to her clothes. "Ieiri?"

She nodded, smoothing down the blouse self-consciously. "She was very kind to lend me these."

"We can stop by your house today so you can grab some things," he said. "If you think you'll be up for that."

Her throat closed at the mere prospect, but she forced a small smile to her face. "We'll see."

"Ijichi has a car waiting for us," Fushiguro said as he led her away from the infirmary and to where she presumed the school's entrance was. "He's one of our auxiliary managers who work for the school."

"As a driver?"

Fushiguro smiled slightly as they descended another path through a woodsy area. Rei had long ago given up trying to decipher the grounds, so she just watched Fushiguro.

"Among other things. They're meant to provide support to other jujutsu sorcerers. What that entails depends on the sorcerer."

Rei shook her head. "It's still so strange to hear you talk about sorcerers and curses like they're the most mundane things. Like you're just going to the grocery store." Her eyes widened, and she whipped to face him. "Wait. How common are curses? Are they everywhere? Do I walk through them on my way to school and stuff?"

Fushiguro shrugged. "The probability is high. Curses are born from negative human emotions: anger, grief, pain. Places like hospitals and schools—where an abundance of that negativity resides—are more prone to spawn and attract curses."

"That is…so messed up," she said.

"It's also inevitable," he said. "Curses are so entwined with human emotion that they're impossible to separate. Where one goes, the other follows."

She glanced around nervously as they came to a bigger path than the others, sloping down to what looked like a cobblestone driveway. "And here?"

"The school is protected by a barrier. Any cursed objects we may have in our possession are locked away in a safe location." He gave her a pointed look. "You're safe here, Nagatsuka."

She only nodded, not trusting herself to speak as he led her toward a black car parked just on the edge of the driveway, with a short, black-haired man wearing a dark suit and glasses standing beside it. Beyond him was an ornate wall and gate, fortified with thick trees and stone columns. The man looked up from his phone upon their arrival.

"Fushiguro; Nagatsuka," he greeted. He smiled kindly at Rei. "It's nice to see you awake and walking."

"Ijichi was the one to bring us here," Fushiguro explained to her bewildered look.

The manager bowed. "Kiyotaka Ijichi at your service. I'll be taking you to see your mother today."

"The crematorium?" Rei asked.

Fushiguro looked uncomfortable. "I advised against it, but they already went forward with the cremation and burial."

Rei's heart clenched. "So, I'll just have to pay my respects at the family grave."

Fushiguro nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry."

She waved him off. "You're feeling guilty again. Stop. I wasn't there. There was nothing you could've done." She turned to Ijichi, ignoring the lump forming in her throat. "We're ready whenever you are."

"Right this way, then," he said, opening one of the rear doors.

Rei slid in, Fushiguro right behind her. She was suddenly grateful for his presence. Even if she had only known him a few scant days, his calm demeanor was better than having nothing. She leaned her head back against her seat and shut her eyes, absorbing some of Fushiguro's cool assuredness.

She had no doubt that she would need it in the coming days.

Ijichi dropped them off at the entrance to the cemetery. Rei stepped out of the car into the sweet morning air and inhaled deeply. The cemetery was a smaller one, just on the outskirts of Tokyo, nestled into a hill sprouting with willows and wildflowers. Though it was late summer, the breeze held a bite to it that was reminiscent of autumn, but the sun shone bright and warm from the cloudless blue sky, dulling its edge. It was a perfect day, Rei thought.

She only wished that it was her mother standing beside her instead of Fushiguro.

When Rei made no move to enter the cemetery gate, Fushiguro touched her elbow. "Are you all right?"

She forced herself to nod and take a step forward. "Yes. Sorry."

He hesitated, his fingers a hairsbreadth away from her skin. She could feel his warmth radiating from his fingertips. "If you don't mind, I'd like to pay my respects, as well." He didn't meet her eyes. "I want to apologize. For not making it in time."

Rei gave him a small, sad smile. "You don't have to do that. But I appreciate the sentiment." She looked back to the gate. "Besides, I'm sure Mom would like to hear from the boy who saved my life."

Fushiguro didn't reply, but he followed her through the gate and up the well-trimmed path toward the top of the hill. The cemetery was quiet, but Rei noticed a few people among the rows of graves paying their own respects, so she stayed quiet to not disturb anyone. Fushiguro walked silently at her shoulder, but he paused and waited for her every time she stopped and picked some wildflowers from the edge of the path. Soon, she had a small but colorful bouquet, and they continued on.

About four rows from the crown of the hill, Rei turned left and made her way down the row, her feet growing more leaden with every grave she passed. She thought her knees would give out completely when she reached the familiar marker of the Nagatsuka family grave. She stopped in front of it, her mouth dry.

She'd visited the grave before with her mother; it was where the ashes of her grandparents rested, after all, even though they'd passed long before Rei was born. They were the only ones buried there; Rei's mother had been an only child, and Rei had never known her father or his side of the family. But now Rei's mother had joined them.

A small portrait had been set up on the mantelpiece, probably from the priest. It was a picture of Rei's mother, Miyoko, and one that Rei recognized. It was a dated picture—taken by Rei's grandmother—showing Miyoko in her early twenties, right before she got pregnant with Rei. Miyoko stood on a balcony, the Tokyo skyline behind her, glimmering in the summer sun. She wore a wide-brimmed hat over her black hair, one hand holding it in place as she laughed at the camera, her green eyes wide and twinkling. There were fewer wrinkles, perhaps, and her gaze wasn't yet so exhausted, but the Miyoko in the picture looked exactly the same as the one Rei had seen on her last night alive.

Her lower lip trembled, and she slumped to her knees, clutching the scraggly bouquet to her chest.

Fushiguro touched her shoulder. "I'll give you a moment alone."

She couldn't even say her thanks as he walked away; her throat had swollen shut. All she could do was lay her bouquet underneath the picture of her mother and try not to scream her anguish to the heavens.

"Mom," she whispered thickly. Tears pushed against her lashes, and she let them fall. "Mom, I – I'm so sorry. I'm so—"

Her voice broke, and she muffled her sobs with her hand. She swallowed several times before trying again.

"Mom," she said. "Please. I'm sorry. I love you so much. Please, come back, please—"

She dissolved into another fit, her tears flowing freely down her face as she held her hands over her mouth. How was she supposed to accept this? How was she supposed to live with the knowledge that her mother had been killed? There must have been something Rei could've done, some way she could've protected her mother, some way it could've been her in her mother's place. Why had she lived, and her mother had not?

"I'm so scared," Rei breathed into her hands. "Mom, I don't know what to do now. W-where to go. Please, I miss you so much. Please come back."

Nothing happened. Miyoko's picture just kept smiling out at her, and Rei's heart just kept breaking, over and over.

She didn't know how long she had been crouched there until Fushiguro returned. He politely kept his eyes averted from Rei's blotchy, tear-stained face, but he brought out a box of matches from his pocket.

"For the incense," he said softly, and Rei recognized his silent question. She gave a short nod, and he lit a match, using it to begin burning the incense on the grave. He waved out the match before clasping his hands together in front of him, kneeling in front of the grave and bowing his head, his eyes closed.

Rei watched him, her own hands clasped. His eyelashes were incredibly long, resting against his pale cheeks as he continued to pray, motionless. Seeing him in front of her mother's picture, in front of her family grave, paying his respects to a woman he had never known, carved a ragged hole into Rei's chest and filled it with something warm, like lava seeping through cracks in a rock. She turned toward the grave and bowed her head.

Mom, I love you so much. I'm going to miss you every day, but please, don't worry. I think…I think I'm in good hands for now. Rest well and peacefully. I'll see you again one day.

When she opened her eyes, Fushiguro had done the same, and he got to his feet. He extended a hand to her, and she accepted it with a grateful look.

"Thank you," she said softly. "Not just for that, but for…coming today." She sucked in a deep breath and scrubbed at her eyes with the heels of her hands. "It means a lot. And I know my mom would think so, too."

"You can stay longer if you'd like," he said. "There's no rush."

"No, I…" She frowned. "I think she would want me to keep going forward. To not wallow in misery." She squared her shoulders. "We can stop by my house for my things. Or…whatever's left of them."

Fushiguro nodded. "All right. I'll let Ijichi know."

He led the way out of the cemetery, but for once, Rei didn't feel like a lost child trailing behind him anymore. Her mother would want her to keep moving, to not dwell. And so that was what she was going to do, even if it killed her.

She paused only once when they had reached the car. Ijichi and Fushiguro had already gotten in, but Rei stopped with her hand on the door, allowing herself to look back one more time.

The hill swayed, the willows and wildflowers rustling with the breeze, and Rei imagined her mother watching her from the top of the hill, keeping one hand atop her hat while the other waved at Rei, a bright smile full of love and life on her mother's face.

She captured that image in her mind, memorized it and crystallized it until it was branded into her heart forever.

She got into the car and didn't look back again.

Coming Up: Rei moves into Jujutsu High and tries to settle into a new routine with Fushiguro while meeting the second-years. She, Fushiguro, Ieiri, and Gojo discuss how to operate to get Sukuna's finger out of her heart. Fushiguro gets another assignment from Gojo and tracks another of Sukuna's fingers to a certain high school...

Until next time!