"The train is now approaching. The train is now approaching. Please stand clear of the edge."
Ciel heard the announcement overhead as she read the time on her cell phone. The intended destination of her target was just a few more stops after this one. It's possible that an escort will be waiting there. She'll need to be sure to get off before then.
She wore a school uniform in an effort to pass off as a student on her way to class. Though the outfit was put together last minute - a simple yellow vest over a white, long-sleeved blouse, a red bow in front of her chest, a black skirt with long white socks and dark brown loafers, it should pose a convincing enough image to fool the average citizen.
She would have preferred more time to better establish her identity - she was, after all, still pending her citizenship. However, due to recent orders, Ciel had to act quickly. This would, after all, be her one and only chance to come across him.
A recent person of interest who's been causing quite a stir within Jujutsu Society, and the Holy Church caught wind of it. A vessel of a notorious, powerful sorcerer from the Heien Era - though at the moment he was in a weakened state. A host who just popped out of nowhere, and currently acting as a living prison for the entity. It's almost humorous how familiar this was all beginning to sound.
She hadn't heard this much apprehension within Japan's shaman community since Yuta Okkotsu, and even then, the Church chose not to intervene. This time was different, however. This time, an observation was in order. Ciel was teetering along the line of a provincial transgression and a foreign invasion, and either accusation would have her meet the dissatisfaction of the island country's inhabitants.
Since she would have arrived to Japan either way, the chance of that happening was always there. However, she would have avoided any Jujutsu Sorcerer's notice to begin with, and aside from the likeliness of Satoru Gojo spotting her, Ciel was confident that by the time she was done here, she wouldn't have slipped into the shamans' radar even once.
Unfortunately, the chances of that happening went up to 50% the second she set foot into Haneda Airport, where she received a phone call from her superiors.
Ciel didn't mind. While she would have liked to stay focus on her current assignment, the potential severity of this sudden appeared vessel was something worth looking into. The Church likely viewed it as an opportunity to gain some traction within Japan, though doing so would no doubt instigate conflict with the other sorcerers.
To avoid this, direct intervention was unadvised. For now, it's simply observe and assess whether the vessel of "the King of Curses" would become a threat or not, making it within holy grounds for her - an executor - to step in if necessary. Her only justification to come into contact was to confirm his state.
She was also a little curious, wondering what sort of person could withstand the presence of a strong, ancient living curse. Besides, Ciel was in the area anyway. She might as well go see for herself.
Whether it was a vampire she must vanquish, or a curse, in the name of the Lord, all will fall under her blade. For such monsters have no place in this world.
"Attention! Attention! The train will be ready to depart soon."
Ciel puts her phone away. She adjusted the strap of her purple bag over her shoulder and took a deep breath.
"Stay clear of all doors. The train will now begin departing."
With a click of her feet, Ciel dashed down the stairs.
"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Ciel raised her voice, causing a scene intentionally. She wanted to get her target's notice. Should he also be accompanied by someone, they wouldn't suspect an executor willingly bringing attention to herself.
"Don't go-!"
What she didn't expect was for a hand to slam itself between the train doors, stopping them from closing.
-?!
Ciel instinctively ducked underneath the arm, feeling her head brush against his sleeve. She resumed until she felt the cold touch of metal in her hand, stopping at a pole. She hunched over with deliberate heavy gasps, instantly counting the number of people she sensed inside the train car. Today seemed like a less than busy morning, with only a handful of passengers on board, including the one who helped her inside.
"Are you okay?" The target of today's mission asked her from behind.
Keeping in character, Ciel recovered from her short yet legitimate surprise, nodding with a hand over her chest. "Phew! That was close. I almost lost my head back there."
"No kidding. You look like you just broke a new record."
Then her performance was successful. Ciel tilted her head back and smiled at the fellow passenger, her light blue eyes sweeping up. He was a little taller than she expected - about 5' 8" from what she could tell. Ruffled pink hair and brown eyes that looked back at her curiously. They honestly reminded her of a dog.
It was an innocent look of unquestionable friendliness, as if he was never touched by the harsh reality of life and its evils yet.
It's possible he was kept hidden until he was proven capable of withstanding a cursed object, Ciel reasoned. She felt a subtle, invisible air of warning inside the young man. So subtle that not even a veteran might notice. But her nose was sharp, and her senses were acute.
The sinister presence was mainly subdued. A good thing too, considering that they were riding on a public transit. With her black keys at reach, however, hidden inside her bag, she should be able to manage on her own should this vessel go rogue. Although, it still seemed oddly careless that a host of a dangerous soul was by himself in the middle of the city. Could he have someone observing him from somewhere?
"Well, I am on the track team. It's nice to know my training was put to good use." She lets out a faint laugh.
The young man, Yuji Itadori, made an o-shape sound with his mouth, finding sense in her explanation.
"By the way..." Ciel followed up, looking through her glasses curiously. "Were you the one who stopped the train doors for me just now?"
"Oh. Yeah. I did that."
Ah. Of course. So he did.
Ciel took in another breath, and then jolted. "Huh?! Seriously?!"
She was honestly caught off guard. For him to have done it, and with his bare hands no less. Had he no discretion?
"You shouldn't do that! You could have seriously injured yourself!" Perhaps he'd be more durable after becoming partially cursed, but Ciel doubted he was invincible. Even if he had increased physical strength, he could have broken something or expose himself publicly. And that'll mean more paperwork for her.
Ciel quickly approached Yuji, closing the gap between them. "Let me see. Let me see! You might have broken something without realizing!"
Yuji was surprised by her outburst. He showed her his hand. "It's alright. See? I'm fine."
He flexed his fingers to prove a point. "I'm pretty tough as it is. Also, I don't think those doors would have hurt anyone."
"E-Even so. You shouldn't do something so reckless," Ciel continued with a wave of her finger. Good grief. She was already getting a premonition of how much trouble this boy was going to be. Admittedly, she was a little moved by his quick action to save a seemingly distressed citizen, but there should be some restraint - for his own sake.
With a sigh and a shake of her head, Ciel adjusted the bag over her shoulder and then presented her hands. "It might not have hurt, but we should still give it a look."
Seeing this as an opportunity, Ciel went for his hand without waiting for a response.
"Oh. Okay." Seeing the validity of her action, Yuji lets her.
Ciel's fingers gently grasped around his. Her thumbs traced around his palm as she looked for any markings, like a nurse performing a medical examination. There was a toughness to his hand that she could feel, the sort that could lift up several heavy boxes of furniture with ease, and at a deeper look, she could tell that he'd been in numerous fights. Either from training, or - if the rumors were true - from the many delinquent encounters this boy had been involved in, earning him the nickname "Tiger". Feeling the roughness of Yuji's knuckles, Ciel was inclined to believe the stories.
She could also sense the curse's presence within Yuji. It was weak, for now. No doubt the entity's strength will increase the more his host gathered and consume his cursed fingers. All and all, she could see how this person was a perfect fit to be a host, satisfied to have confirmed it herself.
"Please be more careful next time," Ciel said. "Then again, I suppose I'm no better. If I hadn't been running late, you wouldn't feel the need to help me just now. Oh well, let this be a lesson for the both of us."
"I didn't mind. I felt like giving you a hand. Glad I didn't end up losing it, though," Yuji glanced at the purple bag by her hip, impressed by her width there. "Do you live around here?"
Ciel nodded, putting up a gentle smile. "Yes. I'm a resident in Souya. I was just on my way to school, but I got held up by work. Luckily, I was able to get on this train in time."
After confirming Yuji's condition, as well seeing no injury present, Ciel lets go of his hand.
"I didn't know students could get jobs here," Yuji said, intrigued.
"It's more like community service. I don't get paid, but the pay-off itself is worth the effort," Ciel said, a soft pride in her voice at her well-given lie (more or less, she did notice a few trash here and there she picked up along the way). "I was cleaning up a park nearby. Raking up some leaves, trimming the bushes."
She gently shook the bag by her hip to accentuate her point before giving off an embarrassed look. "I might have lost track of the time. I'm sorry for disturbing you, by the way. I must have seemed like a mad woman on the run."
"No. It's cool," Yuji said. A soft glow in his eyes, reflected by the light of the day through the windows. "Volunteering, huh? That's pretty neat. Do you volunteer a lot?"
"Yes! Whenever I get the chance to. I guess I'm something of a workaholic," Ciel answered with a slight chuckle. She leaned towards the bench beside them. "Would you like to sit with me? My feet could definitely use the rest."
"Mm. Sure thing." Not one to turn down a friendly invitation like that, Yuji followed suit, sitting down next to Ciel.
"I have to say," Ciel began, ready to plant the first seed of deception to get closer to her target. "It's a lot more work doing community service here than at Sendai. It's no wonder Tokyo is known for its cleanliness."
"Huh? Sendai?" Yuji visibly perked at the mention of his hometown. "You're from there?"
Ciel gave a lovely smile. She scooted closer to Yuji, bringing her face up towards his. Yuji was surprised by the proximity, a subtle dash of pink on his cheeks.
"Ehhh? Don't tell me you've forgotten about me already!" Sounding her faux disappointment, Ciel stared directly into Yuji's eyes as she pointed at her face. "Come on, come on! It's me! We met just last week at school. Remember?"
"Uh. Uhh...!" Yuji seemed a little panicked at the notion. He scrutinized Ciel's face as his hand clasped over his mouth. "Hmm..."
He held both sides of his face, his fingers pressed against his temples. "Hmmmm...!"
He seemed to be putting all his efforts into remembering this girl, not that he actually needed to. With her hypnosis in effect, it should only take a few seconds for him to-
"Sorry. I can't remember."
Huh?
Ciel's smile instantly dropped. She retreated into her seat, visibly shocked by his answer. He can't remember? Is he immune to my suggestion?
Was it because of Sukuna? Even after only swallowing one cursed finger, was it enough to resist her spells already? Ciel began to wonder if the cursed entity himself noticed what she was doing. There's a chance she could be exposed.
She immediately retracted her suggestion magic and hid her slightest discomfort with a smile. The awkwardness behind it more genuine than she meant it to. "Ah. Well, it has been a while. And we did only meet in passing. I can't really blame you for not remembering me."
"Huh..." Yuji looked a little guilty at that, frowning as he tried to search his memories for her face. Quick to do damage control, Ciel pressed her hands together and steered the conversation.
"I'm sure everyone has heard of you, though. The 'Tiger of West Junior High'; Yuji Itadori." Ciel puts up a warm and inviting air, using info she memorized regarding Yuji's life. It worked, seeing his expression lit up, and she continued. "I've just transferred here not too long ago. Imagine my surprise when I saw you. I'm curious. What are you doing here in Tokyo?"
"Oh. I just transferred too," Yuji answered honestly before reconsidering his response. He grasped the back of his neck. "Well, kind of. Maybe it's better to say that I stopped going to school? A normal one, I mean."
"Oho? Normal you say?" Ciel smirked. "Are you sure you're not just playing hooky? I never took you to be a delinquent. Who knew you had it in you?"
"Heh. It's not like that," Yuji said with a faint smile, liking her attitude. "My situation is complicated. Not sure where to begin..."
"Well, now I'm even more curious. Is it a secret?" Ciel pressed on nosily. She was well aware of Yuji's true purpose for being here. This was more or less to see how much the vessel of Sukuna himself knew, and to confirm a few things. Of course, she didn't expect him to tell the entire truth. This was just a way to establish communication between them.
"I don't think so? I'm still kind of wrapping my head around it," Yuji said as he looked up at the ceiling. "Through some special circumstances, I was recruited to join this school that's somewhere in Tokyo. I'm actually heading there right now. My new teacher is gonna be waiting there for me. I would have liked it better if he was here, but something came up and he had to leave. He told me to take this train and that he'd meet up with me later."
"I see. Will you be alright on your own? What part of Tokyo are you heading to?" Ciel lets out a genuine sound of worry. This boy really was just left here to fend for himself? A new resident in a city as big as this? He didn't appear to be lying. Or rather, he seemed almost incapable of telling a good lie. Like an open book that even when pressed, although he alluded answering completely, he was still honest with her. It's a far cry to how she was comparatively, even if she could pull off the part well enough.
"It was a little tricky reading the map, but this train should take me to Shinjuku. From there, I can follow the directions sensei sent me." Yuji pulled out his cell phone to show the text message. "Or at least, I think this train goes to Shinjuku. Man, I really should have asked for more directions."
He was like a lost puppy as he frowned at the message in his phone, looking as if he was reading an encryption rather than anything legible. Ciel couldn't help but feel pity. She almost felt compelled to offer some assistance, but she couldn't let herself get too far, not when she had her own objective to adhere to.
"I see. I'm sure you'll find your way around quickly," Ciel said with an encouraging grin. "Are you just settling in? Correct me if I'm wrong, but you live with your grandfather, right? I hope the move hasn't been too difficult for him."
She only had several hours to gather as much information as she could about the vessel of Sukuna. Background checks and all. With how sudden this extra assignment was given to her, her resources had been limited. Although she had some general intel, she might as well ask him directly. It wouldn't do her any harm to confirm her findings by questioning the young man himself.
"Oh..." Yuji's eyes lowered to his feet, his uplifting attitude lessened. "Actually, my grandpa passed away a few days ago."
"Ah-" Well, that's one info she definitely would have liked to know beforehand. "Oh. I... I see..."
Her cheerful visage diminished, she looked back at Yuji sympathetically. "Was it sudden?"
"Not really. He was getting old, and he'd been bed ridden for a while," Yuji responded factually. His hands inserted into his pockets. "Some of the nurses and I have been looking after him. I was his only family member, so he didn't get a lot of visitors. The good thing was that he died peacefully, and that he hadn't been alone when he did."
"Wasn't alone? Were you with him when he passed away?" Ciel gently asked as she looked at the stoic-faced teen.
Yuji nodded. "Yeah. I guess it did took me by surprise when it happened. I'm still kind of processing it really."
"I see... You said that you were his only family member," Ciel brought up, careful to not seem too pushy, but her curiosity was getting the better of her. "What about your parents? Were they not around?"
"I never knew my parents. I have some memories of my dad, but that was when I was a baby. I'm not really sure what happened to them. Gramps tried bringing them up, but I didn't want him to make a big deal out of it."
"Really? Why not?"
"I didn't see a reason for it," Yuji answered simply. "There's no point dwelling on it, you know? I didn't want him to think he felt obligated to tell me, so I told him not to. I mean, by the end of the day, he's still my family. He raised me, so as far as I see it, he's been the only parent in my life."
It was a strongly-put sentiment. Hearing it, though, Ciel looked troubled. Her professionalism began to thaw. "...It sounded like you've disowned your biological parents completely."
Surprised by her change in tone, Yuji looked back at her.
"Do you resent them that much, Itadori-kun?"
There was no real purpose to the question, as Yuji's feelings regarding his family have no correlation to his status as a cursed vessel. It did put up a front of wanting to know more about the other person if she was to convincingly behave on their supposed acquaintanceship, so not to make this seem like an interrogation. But for the most part, Ciel did genuinely wanted to know more about him.
Perhaps his parents absence was the result of his upbringing as a vessel. It wouldn't be uncharacteristic for sorcerer clans to do something like that. Separating children from their biological families in order to see through the child's potential, evaluating their usefulness to serve one purpose or another. It was pretty typical for Mages, and even the Church was guilty of it.
On the other hand, the thought of disowning one's blood without fully grasping the entire situation, it just seemed a little disheartening. Perhaps Ciel was simply being sentimental. Not everyone lived in a happy home as Ciel once did.
"Oh. No. I wouldn't go that far," Yuji clarified. Did he sounded that harsh? He didn't mean to, especially if it made this girl he apparently knew worry for him. "I don't know what the circumstances were that they couldn't be around. I just hold more memories with my grandpa. I pretty much loved him like he was my real dad. Although, he'd probably call me a sap if I say that around him."
He huffed out a silent laugh and smirked. "He was a big grump, but he had a good heart. I'm gonna miss him a lot, but I know I can't just stay sad forever. I don't really know what to expect in my future, but I know that I want to do everything I can to fulfill my promise to him."
"Your promise?" Ciel asked, becoming more attentive than before - which was high enough as it is.
With a nod, Yuji met Ciel's gaze. "Before he passed away, his last words to me was for me to help people, and to die surrounded by others."
"-!" Ciel's mouth parted, taken aback by the request.
"I'm pretty strong, so I like to use that strength to do just that," Yuji continued, his fingers intertwined as he hunched forward in his seat. "It's the reason why I transferred here. The school I'm going to will allow me to help people. I want to make sure that they'd get a chance to have a proper death. Like my gramps did."
Ciel was silent, the noise of the moving train filling the air as she turned away, staring at the seats across from them.
This... ended up being more than what she was prepared to deal with.
Yuji noticed Ciel's quietness, feeling guilty at the sight of her expression. "Sorry. I guess that sounded a little too grim. In all honesty, death is a really depressing thing to happen, but my gramps would have berated me if I spend all my time wallowing. So I tried to keep things upbeat, keep a smile on my face even if things get tough. Like laughing while I'm burning up gramp's body - he's a Buddhist, by the way."
Ciel blinked at the young man beside her. She gave a slow, if partially worried smile. "Well, that's one way to look at things. Your grandfather does sound like an interesting man. It makes me wish I could have known him."
Her eyes lowered to her lap. "I'm surprised. You seemed carefree, but you're actually very earnest. A hard worker with a unique outlook on life. A proper death... It's actually a nice idea."
A peaceful end as the ultimate goal of life... Ciel could get behind that. It's something that she herself desired, though whether it would have been peaceful or not, it never mattered to her. So long as she can live and die as a human being.
Her smile became a little more real as she looked back at Yuji. "Helping others is a very noble goal. I don't think life is bound to be that simple, but it does make me want to wish you luck. Keeping things upbeat, even when things get tough. Not many people would have that sort of strength."
Yuji stared back at her gentle expression. Her light blue eyes that glistened under the sunlight, twinkling like the ocean. He realized himself and looked away, rubbing underneath his nose with his finger sheepishly. "Oh. Yeah?"
Ciel adjusted the purple bag sitting by her side. "To have a proper death, though, you'll need to have a pleasant life. A person could live miserably yet die normally. So..."
She gave him a playful wink, a heart-skippable act that would have any boy fall in love immediately. "You should try to enjoy my life while you still can. I'm sure your grandfather would agree. Keeping a good attitude is a good start. Hanging out with your friends is a good idea too. Maybe you and I should start meeting up at a cafe somewhere for some tea and cakes. Hm?"
Yuji looked interested at the prospect. Of course, Ciel was only joking, and she rescinded her offer. "Then again, it sounds like we'll be going to different schools. Which reminds me, where is your current residence?"
"Oh. It's at the school. Sensei said they got dorm rooms for all the students."
"Then it looks like you won't be needing to take this train that often. My next stop is coming up. Sad to say, I think this will be the last time we'll see each other."
At least, until the next time she may decide to observe the boy. However, since he'll be mostly residing within shaman grounds, it won't be as easy to spot him even from afar, and that's not getting into the school's barrier system they have in place.
Well, even if that did end up happening, that was fine. She only needed to note the vessel's state in passing. This was, in other words, a social call and nothing more. No follow-ups are in order unless she happened to have the time to check in once in a while. During her stay in Japan, her focus will be on Roa - she'll need to prioritize that above all else
"Huh. In that case, can I borrow your phone for a sec?"
"Hm?" Ciel glanced at Yuji, blinking at his request.
Yuji raised his hand in assurance. "It'll only take a moment. I promise I'm not gonna steal it."
"Oh. Well, alright..." Uncertain about why Yuji would want to borrow her phone, Ciel took it out from her skirt pocket and handed it over. "Is your phone not working?"
"No. It is," Yuji answered as he pulled up Ciel's contacts. "Hmm. How do I do this again? I think I just..."
Ciel gave a strained smile as she continued to observe the odd young man beside her. "Um, then, is the battery life on your phone low, by chance?"
"A little bit, but I'm sure it can last another couple of hours," Yuji responded as he typed in his phone number.
"Ah. I see. So your phone is still working, and it still has some battery life left..." Ciel trailed off as she tried to understand what Yuji was doing. "Then... why did you need my-?"
"Hold on. Almost done. And... There."
Yuji handed back the cell phone in casual stride. "I just send myself a text. We can talk over the phone whenever you want. I'll try not to call while you're in class, so feel free to text back anytime."
"Huh?" Ciel slowly registered Yuji's words as she looked down at her cell phone. The name and number of Yuji was plainly presented on the screen. He... saved his number on my contact list.
He had done it so calmly and without pause. Like it was just natural of him to have everyone's phone number. She hadn't even suspected once what he was doing.
"By the way, what's your name? I just realized I never asked."
Ciel jumped a little in her seat when she heard this. "Oh. That's true..."
She had been enjoying her conversation with Yuji so much, she forgot this little detail - which was uncharacteristic of her.
"Ahem. Right. So my name... It's Ciel." The young woman answered, a little befuddled by her sheepishness showing. It was strange. She usually never had this problem with other people before.
"Ciel, huh? Is that your first name?"
"Um. Well... Yes. It is."
With a smile, Yuji pointed at himself with his thumb, "Then you can just call me Yuji. I don't really mind, since we're friends now."
Hold on. This seems a little... Ciel wasn't sure what to call it, but it nonetheless took her by surprise by how nonchalant Yuji was being. Also, saving each other's phone number, going by their first names... Ciel may not be from Japan, but she was quite aware of the social meaning behind such actions. She couldn't even get Yuji to falsely remember her, and yet he's already moving at a pace as if they've known each other for years!
"Ah-! That's...! Um..." For the first time in her life, the pro-conversationist even for the dullest of topics, Ciel was at a loss for words. I might have just met my match.
"So is your school in Souya? What's it like?"
We're just going to skip past what happened?! Forget her earlier assessment, he really was a carefree guy.
Hearing Yuji's question, Ciel tried to regain her composure as she answered. "O-Oh. Well, it's a nice school. Plenty of friendly students there."
Needing to keep up with the charade as a hard-working student whose lived in Tokyo for some time, she gave the most general answer to cover for her - at the moment - lack of actual attendance to any school.
"It had to be tough transferring all the way over here," Yuji said before giving a smile. "But you must have made plenty new friends already. I get the feeling a lot of people look up to you, don't they?"
...Ciel couldn't figure out why, but that comment made her feel a little embarrassed. "I wouldn't say that... I mean, I do find myself helping others, but that's just the responsibility of a senior. It's only natural to look after my fellow classmates as their senpai."
"Sure, but I could tell you like doing what you do. At least, that's the impression I got from you," Yuji said as his eyes wandered down to her purple bag once more. "You work hard, and you seem dependable too. I think it's fair for me to assume that a lot of people see you as someone really reliable."
"You're too kind..." Ciel didn't know how she could deflect such an undeserving assessment, feeling her face warmed by it. She simply bowed her head and tried all she could to modestly object to it.
It's almost unbelievable that someone as cheerful as this boy was carrying the soul of a blood-thirsty sorcerer. One which she may have to exorcise, along with his vessel.
"I'm sure you'd be helping a lot more people than I would..." Ciel said with a lightly flushed smile, intertwining her fingers. "How about this then? Why don't we both do our best? To help others as much as we can. That sounds like a good goal for us, don't you think?"
"Mm! Sounds good to me." Yuji said and gave an encouraging thumbs up.
Ciel reciprocated the act. "Yosh! It's a promise then! Let's do our very best!" (Yuji: "Okay!")
After that little declaration, the conversation soon shifted to other topics, and they spend the rest of the train ride talking.
They chatted about everything they could think of. What to expect in Tokyo. The sights there were to visit and those they looked forward to. The latest movies they have seen. And so on.
After some time, they finally arrived to Souya, and the train began to slow down.
"Oh! This is my stop!" Realizing this, Ciel stood up and picked up her purple bag. "I have to go now, but I'm really glad I got this chance to talk to you."
Her smile was genuine as she turned to face Yuji. "I really enjoyed our conversation. So... since we have each other's numbers now-"
A fact that still surprised Ciel to have let it slip past her so easily. "-I hope that we stay in touch."
It was an unintended gain, one which she never really planned for, and yet, as she thought about it during the train ride, perhaps this could work in her favor?
Yuji smiled widely as he nodded at her, giving her a wave as she started walking for the opened doors. "Yeah! I'll be sure to text you later. It was nice talking to you, Ciel-senpai. You have a great day at school!"
Ciel nodded back. "I will. You have a wonderful day too... Yuji-kun."
It was a little embarrassing to say it out loud, but since Yuji was the one to insist, and he did just lose his grandfather recently, Ciel figured she could do this much for him. Just this once.
She lets out a small chuckle. "Oh dear. I'll have to get used to that. I'm sure with your outgoing personality, you'll be making lots of new friends here too. You take care of yourself now."
With that, she stepped off the train and made her way through the busy station. Ciel and Yuji waved at each other a few more times through the windows before the girl disappeared into the crowd.
Yuji kept his smile as he looked down at his phone, seeing Ciel's number saved on his contact list. ...I just gave a girl my number.
He held up his phone against his lips, and smirked. Damn. I'm really smooth.
She seemed like a nice girl, and they really did have fun talking. Maybe it was impulsive, but he didn't want it to end at this one train ride so soon.
She's pretty cute too. Like Jennifer Lawrence cute. I wonder if she has a boyfriend?
He was so going to brag about this to Gojo and Fushiguro as soon as he saw them. Yuji closed his eyes and let his mind wander, imagining freely with his mood at an all-time high now.
He never noticed the slit underneath his left eye opened, and Sukuna peered through, eerily looking after the girl who departed into the crowd.
Ciel had to admit, her meeting with the vessel was unlike anything she anticipated. Nothing disastrous happened, but simply the fact that the boy she was given the order to kill if necessary was a very sweet young man. He was also impressively straightforward, even catching a calm and collected executor like herself by surprise.
It really was a cruel situation, for that boy to be fated to die.
I know not to get ahead of myself. To keep from getting too involved into shaman business, Ciel had to remind herself as she looked down at Yuji's number on her phone, seeing the simple text message of "hi" he sent.
...In any case, it could be beneficial to keep in touch with him, just so I'd know where to look out for him.
After all, she'll have to make sure that the presence of Sukuna would not interfere with her mission of hunting Roa.
He's surprisingly more optimistic than I would expect for a Jujutsu Sorcerer. He does seem to be a new student, though. I only hope his line of work won't be too hard on him.
It would be unfortunate that such a happy young man end up becoming a shell of himself, but Ciel knew just how ruthless this world could be. There was nothing that could be done to change that, except ensure that no evil escape without facing retribution. Regardless if that evil was being carried inside an innocent life, or herself.
Author's Note:
Aaand it's here! A new take on Jujutsu Executor, dubbed Red Rainbow Route (without "Route" in the title, he he). Story updates will be slow, but at least it's another fic added to the library of Tsukihime x JJK! Yay!
I think I'll put it in on T rating for now. Heck if I know where this story will end up going, but rating might change later down the line.
Take care ya'll!
Update: 3/14 - Something I just noticed. From what I saw in Melty Blood Type Lumina, apparently, Ciel was in Tokyo for about a few months prior to the plot of Tsukihime, which meant it took her that long before she ever met Shiki. You know what that means...?
There's a gap in time which is perfect to sneak JJK into this! Whoo! I'm SO taking advantage of that. As a result, I'm going to be rewriting some parts of the first chapter and perhaps only one sentence in the next. So as of this update, Ciel doesn't know about Shiki Tohno until much later.
Expect a LOT more edits in the future. I have a bad habit of doing that. (Sorry for all the notifications...).