CELESTIAL FLOWERS ( s. gojo )

arc iv ━ chapter i. normalcy

a r c iv.
❝ you hurt for them, you break for them,
and they break your heart in return. ❞
━━ chapter i. normalcy

KAZUKO STARES AT THE MIRROR.

Her eyes stare back at her, a sickly pale face framed by tight braids. The uniform fits perfectly. The process of getting her measurement was torture, the seamstress' hands touching her, tape measure wrapped around her waist and elbows and shoulders. It took her everything to not scream.

Kazuko hopes that arduous ordeal was worth it as she buttons her white blouse. It's long sleeved and covers every inch of her wrist, leaving only her palms which she's covered with custom black gloves to match the uniform coat. The collar is raised to hide her neck, the hem of the skirt reaches past her knees, black pantyhose placed underneath it and matched with tall boots.

Normally, she wouldn't want to dress like this. Dress differently from the prescribed uniform design, but the thought of seeing the faint red lines on her skin made her wretch, made a shudder traverse across her body.

Even when she showers, she can't afford to look at her reflection on the wall tiles. The one time she did, she grabbed a soap and started scrubbing her body vigorously as if it would wash the red lines away. It hurt and she spent hours crying underneath the shower head, water cascading down her back and into the drain.

(Look what they've made of you, from girl to tool to broken thing. When will they stop? When will you stop them? Until you're shattered and irreparable? Until you're dead?)

It'll be okay. It'll be okay. She repeats the mantra in her head as she grabs the strap of her bag. She's done her research last night, perusing the internet as to what first days in school usually entailed. Her brand new phone was very helpful. She glances at it and relives the memory of last night.

An unknown number had called yesterday evening and she had panicked, immediately suspicious of who it could be and when she rejected, it proceeded to ring again and again. She relented on the seventh call and opted to accept it.

"Why aren't you answering?" came Gojo's annoying voice.

"You don't expect me to reply to unknown numbers, Gojo-san," she answers, keeping the annoyance from her tone.

"Well it's a known number now," he says. "So don't give me that attitude twerp."

"I'm not giving you attitude," she responds, her tone coming off as haughty.

"You just did," he says in singsong. "And after all the trouble I had to go through to get your number."

She blinks. "That's certainly not creepy."

"You wound me," Gojo says. She can imagine him clutching at his chest like the dramatic asshole he was. "And I just wanted to wish you luck on your first day."

"I'm not a grade schooler."

"With that height, you could be."

Kazuko's brows furrow and she ends the call. The nerve of that asshole. She wasn't really that short... was she? He was just really tall with those abnormally long legs. She was certainly taller than an average grade schooler. Wasn't she?

When he called again, she didn't respond and opted to muting the phone. She didn't want to deal with any of his bullshit today. Sure he had his nice moments, but they couldn't outweigh his idiocy and his particular hobby of irritating the hell out of her. Damn him!

So when the news came (in the form of a text message from Gojo with matching emojis) that he wouldn't be in school for a week due to family matters, Kazuko cheered. She even opened a can of soda and a bag of chips in celebration.

Kazuko steps out of her room. The dormitory is huge especially since the number of students in the entire school could be counted with her fingers. Even the faculty wasn't a sizable amount. The world was truly scarce on Jujutsu sorcerers.

The first day goes off without a hitch. She meets her new classmates: Kamo Kiyoshi and Uchida Hayami. Another one named Nanami Kento was on break. They're awkward with each other, but that goes without saying for people who have just met each other. But then there's only the three of them for now so interacting with each other is inescapable.

Kazuko is amiable. She smiles and answers question, takes notes and does her homework. The first week goes splendidly and she busies herself with schoolwork, shoving the reality of her current situation away. Erisu hasn't called. At all. No peep nor squeak could be heard from her bestfriend. It only strengthens the sound of the voice whispering malice into her ears.

(No one likes playing with broken toys. You hurt for them, you break for them and they break your heart in return.)

Somedays the volume is higher. Screams and voices melding with each other and she can't help but clench her fists. She's standing in the hallway, on her way to the dormitory to make homework. Hopefully, the monotonous task of writing on paper will take her worries away. It'll be okay. It's fine. I'm fine. I'll be okay. She breathes in and out. And—

"Kazuko!" She turns to the sound of the voice and smiles.

"Ka— I mean, Kiyoshi, what do you need my assistance with?" she asks. Calling Kamo Kiyoshi by his first name without any honorifics is still jarring. He is still a member of the Kamo clan. One of the three great families in the Jujutsu world. Kiyoshi had explained the circumstances of his life, but Kazuko thinks she should still be polite.

"You're always so polite, Kazuko," he says. He smiles and it's a close eyed smile that shows his dimples. He runs his fingers across his black hair and plays with the curly tip of the strand. It's a charming habit, but then Kiyoshi was a charming person entirely. "I just wanted to ask if you saw Hayami. We're on cleaning duty today and she hasn't showed up yet."

"I see," Kazuko answers. Her tone is as monotone as ever, but she wants to appear more friendly so she smiles at the end. "Hayami's probably in the music room. She practices her Cursed Technique there."

Kiyoshi's green eyes gleam. He places his hands on Kazuko's shoulder earning a flinch. He must have noticed for he dropped his hands almost immediately. "Ah, sorry," he tells her. "And thanks for the info."

A smile. "No problem."

Kiyoshi bades her goodbye and she smiles at his retreating figure.

"Eh..." A singsong voice. Kazuko whips her head to the source to find Gojo with a bemused look. "Looks like you're having fun, huh, twerp?"

━━ to be continued.
|| i keep adding more ocs, help-
|| i swear they're the last ones. i just wanted to give kazu some friends hahahaha
|| anyways, the final jjk episode is dropping in less than an hour. i'm so excited
|| today was very busy so i almost forgot to update lmao.
|| how's the story so far? feel free to share your thoughts
|| hope you have a nice day!