Note: English is not my first language, so I apologize in advance for any errors.
"…" = conversations
･❪ ❫ ･ = flashbacks
・・・・・・・・・・・・ = time skips
Chapter 1:
First year at Jujutsu High
But you already understand… don't you?
Waking up, Isamu reached for the alarm clock next to his bed, his gaze unfocused and tired. "4 am" it read, forcing the teen to let out an exhausted sigh. The day had not even started yet, and he already felt like falling back asleep. However, Isamu knew what the day had in store for him.
Today was his first day at Jujutsu High, and he would be meeting the other member of his team. Isamu was unsure of what to think about having a partner and having to work with them on missions.
He would have preferred to work alone, but he knew that going against the Elders' words was not an option.
Heaving himself off the bed, Isamu quickly began his usual morning routine: take a shower, brush his teeth, get dressed, and leave the dorm.
Isamu had moved into the Jujutsu High dorms as soon as he received his acceptance notice.
It was a good place, and an even better opportunity to purge the world of curses - curses that he had started seeing at a young age, while working at the forge of his sensei. It was wonderful to find that his technique had been inspired by his time at the forge; now, Isamu would always have a part of that serene experience with him.
Pushing open the shoji door, Isamu stepped out of his dorm an hour earlier than necessary.
He wanted to get in some training before the school day officially began. Another strained sigh escaped him; he was already counting them. Quickly, he threw the bag of training equipment over his shoulder and headed out to the field just beyond the student dorms.
Isamu had just finished packing up his training equipment when his teacher, (name), arrived at the clearing with his supposed new teammate.
The first impression... Isamu nearly slapped his palm to his face as he watched this new guy chattering away in (name)-sensei's ear, boasting about being a god and the best.
Isamu really didn't want to try to understand this guy.
What did surprise him, however, was the boy's hair - a red color that looked like freshly spilled blood, tainted with dark shadows at the top. But his eyes were what didn't fit the whole "I am the greatest, I am a god. You should bow down to me" image. The eyes were empty of all light, displaying a deep, dark ocean hidden beneath the surface of a sparkling sea.
"Yo!" Suddenly, Isamu was back on Earth, his gaze snapping back to meet the newcomer's gaze head-on. "The name's Yubana, last name don't matter. Sensei here said we're gonna be teammates, so why ya starin' at me like that?"
Isamu stared for a few more seconds, a bit lost in the sudden mischief and bright gaze ofYubana.
"Mhm, I'm Kurogane Isamu," he finally replied, his words dry and lacking the energy behind Yubana's own.
"Man, you're boring. I kinda expected someone that could match my energy," the red-haired boy grumbled under his breath, disappointed with the lack of enthusiasm from Isamu.
He decided to ignore the blatant teasing that Yubana tried to use on him, instead he turns to the sensei, giving (name) the go to finally start explaining why both Yubana and Isamu are here, the future that awaits them and answering any questions that either of them might have.
The black-haired boy already knew that this would become a long day with how often this maniac next to him liked to interrupt (name)-sensei with unnecessary questions.
Isamu didn't know when the day ended, but once it did, he ignored the calls that follow after him from Yubana. His teammate trying to catch up to him as he keeps speeding up his steps.
He really didn't have the patience to spend any more time with this weirdo.
As soon as Isamu saw his dorm, he headed inside and slammed the shoji door in Yubana's face, ignoring the whines and cries of "You can't just slam the door in your god's face! Show some respect, you!"
Instead of even giving a response, Isamu fell face-first onto his bed. He'd get in his evening training later, as soon as that annoying kid left his door.
Maybe it was unfair of him to treat Yubana that way on their first day, but how could he have known that they'd one day share a bond stronger than any friendship? He couldn't have, and maybe he didn't even want such a bond - it would just lead to his downfall, right?
That evening, Isamu headed back out to the training field, carrying his bag across his shoulder like he had that morning. What he didn't expect was to find Yubana already there, a look of pure concentration on his face as he trained his moves.
A hint of respect washed through Isamu as he watched Yubana move around the field, a small grin growing on his face. He also didn't expect Yubana to notice him so quickly, nor for his teammate to ask for a spar.
But who was Isamu to deny a spar, a chance to test Yubana's strength and ensure he wouldn't drag him down?
"Nice one out there, man," Yubana said, slapping Isamu on the shoulder. "You hit like a truck. I could barely keep up." Isamu, catching his breath, raised an eyebrow.
"You mean I almost knocked you out. You okay?" Yubana laughed, his voice ringing across the empty field.
"Of course. Nothing a good meal won't fix. Come on, let's get some food. My treat," Yubana grinned, an expression of glee that caused Isamu to smile himself.
Quickly, he caught himself, but then took Yubana's hand, allowing the red-haired boy to pull him up to a standing position.
Yubana wrapped his arm over Isamu's shoulders, chattering away as Isamu himself zoned out.
Guess his teammate isn't so bad, after all.
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
The next day started much the same, except this time, Isamu would be in one of Jujutsu High's classrooms. They were quite large for such a small group of students each year.
Not surprising, really, if one considered the fact that the possibility of a normal civilian being able to see curses was nearly zero, leaving the Clans to make up most of the Jujutsu Sorcerer population.
It was rare to see someone like Isamu, found to be a Sorcerer without any known lineage to one of the three big Clans.
Even Yubana was a surprise, but now that Isamu thought about it, there seemed to be more hiding in the shadows of Yubana's presence.
Isamu's sensei had not explained how Yubana came to be a part of Jujutsu High, nor had he explained to his classmate how Isamu himself had come to be part of the prestigious school. It was certainly mysterious to Isamu. Perhaps he could ask Yubana once they had grown closer to one another.
And that's where Isamu stopped his train of thought. He had not come here to form bonds with the other Sorcerers.
In this place, it was either live or die, with no in-between. You were either strong enough to keep surviving mission after mission, or you died at the next high-graded Curse.
You couldn't form bonds, or you risked destroying yourself for the sake of keeping that person alive.
That's how much Isamu already knew.
He had come here to learn how to kill curses, not how to make friends with the next best idiot.
Softly, Isamu held a hand over the vest of his new uniform, feeling a stabbing pain from this knowledge. No matter how strong his mind made him seem, his heart still felt the opposite - it longed for a bond that would keep him stable through it all.
Once again, all Isamu could do, was sigh. Tired and exhausted from the oncoming future. At least, he wouldn't suffer alone… for now.
Opening the door to the classroom, Isamu was stumped to see (name)-sensei lecturing Yubana. He didn't even want to know on why Yubana was being lectured.
Silently, he sneaked around the bantering pair and sat down on the furthest side of the second row. Quietly sitting down and deadpanning at the two; fighting like children.
His sensei was a weird one as well. Close to her 30's, but she can act like a child, just like Yubana.
He was surprised at first, having a female sensei hadn't seemed to cross his mind as his first interactions with Sorcerers had been purely male interactions.
So coming face to face with a female teacher threw him off for a bit.
He quickly got use to (name)-sensei though, realizing that – even though she was a woman – she talked and acted just as much like a man like any other male human.
It was quite funny, seeing a woman cuss like a sailor.
Watching the two banter for a bit longer, Isamu finally decided to interrupt the pair and make them realize that another person is in the room.
Coughing into his fist loudly, he finally got the attention of his teacher and Yubana, both of them awkwardly looking at him and then at each other before straightening up.
Finally, (name)-sensei started up the class day like normal, revising the basics before heading onto the more challenging information.
Talking about Jujutsu History as well as the Elders and their important role in the world of Jujutsu.
A tick started up on Isamu's eyebrow at the fourth click of Yubana's pen hitting the desk. His gaze annoyed as he met the twinkling, mischievous eyes of his red-haired teammate.
"Stop that, idiot!", Isamu hissed, his voice strained to stay quiet. Instead of giving him an answer or stopping his ministrations, Yubana decided to speed up the dropping of his pen and picking it up again.
Isamu takes back his words from the day before, he absolutely regrets having a classmate like that, and going on missions with this guy?
Oh hell, no.
The whole day, Isamu's eye twitched in expiration, a complete deadpan on his face as he tried to pay attention to (name)-sensei instead of that weirdo next to him.
He nearly screamed in happiness, when sensei allowed them to leave for lunch, Isamu having to restrain himself from literally running from the classroom.
He outright ignored any advances from Yubana, keeping his eyes straight ahead.
Lunch was… boring, for a lack of a better description.
Nothing interesting happened and the food was bland, no real taste to it.
It felt weird to say that he welcomed the pen dropping from Yubana once both returned to the classroom.
The silence in the lunchroom felt suffocating instead of relieving. Especially since the red head actually sat at another table and left him room for himself.
Isamu had to remember again that both he and Yubana haven't known each other for that long just yet.
They were both rather new to the Sorcerer world, especially being teammates.
This will be a long first term, moreover since the rest of their senpais in the second and third grade of Jujutsu High were out on missions more than being at the school themselves.
As far as Isamu had heard, they even had abroad missions. He wasn't sure if that sounds exciting or too much of a drag.
This is how most of his first few weeks went: get up, train, go to class, suffer under the world's most childish teacher and teen, get to lunch, back to class, train and spar with Yubana, go to sleep.
It's surprising how monotone the start at such a special school would be.
But finally, Yubana and Isamu got their first ever mission assigned:
hunt down a Grade 2 Cursed Spirit that has been wreaking chaos in a village just outside of Kyoto.
Energy thrummed under Isamu's skin, a fire filling his veins, excitement filling his entire being. Finally, a mission to fulfill.
He had been waiting for his first mission since starting at Jujutsu High, and it seems like Yubana is just as thrilled as himself – if the hopping was anything to go by.
Standing in a train from Kyoto to Hikone, Yubana kept talking about the different things you can do there outside of going on this mission, trying to convince Isamu of staying a bit longer in Hikone once they've exorcised the curse.
A heavy shadow fell over the two teenage boys as they stepped out of the train, Isamu's gaze hardening as he took in the gloomy environment.
Yubana turned silent next to him, realizing that the situation of this mission is serious and not something to joke about.
With a low sigh, Isamu turned to Yubana: "Let's split up. We have an easier time finding this curse when we're not distracted by each other. Once one of us finds the curse, send the other a message containing their current location."
He saw that Yubana was about to protest his words, but with a sharp look at his teammate, he closed his mouth again; huffing and pouting like a child.
Quickly, Isamu stepped to head to the north part of Hikone, following the traces of cursed energy around.
Trying to find this curse seemed easier said than done; many smaller curses swarmed areas and houses, complicating the search for the Grade 2 Curse that Isamu and Yubana were supposed to exorcise.
It's as if they cluster and merge on purpose.
A shiver ran down Isamu's back as he entered an alley way, immediately sending Yubana a quick text – just as promised – containing his location.
This did not feel like a Grade 2.
Quickly and solely out of survival instinct did Isamu dodge the oncoming attack out of the shadows, eyes widening as he took in the mass of smaller curses merging together and forming what seems to be a grotesque mix of spider, fly and a sort of mammal that he couldn't make out.
"What sort of Grade 2 Curse is this supposed to be?!", Yubana called out in disgust from on top of one of the houses making up the alley way, causing Isamu to take his attention off of the Curse.
With a quick movement, his teammate landed in front of him and blocked an attack of the being before them.
The red head huffed out a laugh: "Don't let your focus be taken by lil' ol' handsome me. Can't have you be critically injured after our first mission after all."
Isamu didn't grace that tease with an answer and instead blocked the next attack of the Curse, protecting Yubana in turn and causing the younger teen to pout at him.
Suppressing a grin, the black haired teen quickly jumped back with Yubana, bringing distance between them and the grotesque figure that seems to just be growing and growing; but not only that:
It was starting to corner them from both sides, making Isamu grit his teeth in suspense, a drop of sweat gathering on his brows.
The air was thick with tension as the two of them stood in the dimly lit alleyway, back-to-back, watching the legs of the Curse grow by the second.
Taking a deep breath, Isamu held out both of his hands – whispering out, "Forged Presence", under his breath – and just as quickly as he mumbled those words, the air around his hands twisted, glowing a fiery orange and forming two short swords, fitting snugly into his hands as he took a stance next to Yubana.
"Ready?" Yubana asked, his voice calm but with an unmistakable edge of excitement.
Isamu nodded; his grip tightening on his weapon. The cursed spirit they were facing wasn't supposed to be this powerful. Something had gone wrong. This wasn't a job for two students fresh out of school.
But Yubana hadn't hesitated. When the spirit lunged at them again, its grotesque form emerging from the shadows, Yubana was the first to strike. His cursed technique, a blinding surge of fiery energy, illuminated the alley. Isamu followed his lead, both moving in perfect sync, their training kicking in as they took the spirit down together.
The fight drew out for a while, the Curse itself often forcing the two first years to get back on the defensive; but that didn't deter Yubana from rushing into every opening the spirit left them, forcing Isamu himself to jump in and pull the red head back or protect his vulnerable side.
Although in the end, Yubana was able to conjure an opening for Isamu – who had taken the time in the background to forge a spear – letting him rush forward and impale the head of the spirit, exorcising it effectively before the day officially ended.
Afterward, as they walked back to the school – scuffed up but nothing serious marring their skin – Yubana looked over at Isamu and smirked. "Not bad, huh? Maybe they should put us on harder missions." Isamu scoffed. "Maybe you just like getting into trouble."
"Maybe." Yubana grinned. "But at least we've got each other's backs, right?" Isamu smiled at that, scoffing under his breath as he averted his gaze.
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