"Jujutsu Kaisen: The Forgotten Clan"

Chapter 23: Mission Canada, Part 2

"My sister and I came across this area during a school trip." I am half listening to Aamina while petting a fish. The small nibbles on my fingers and toes make my dimples come out. I catch her gaze, slowly standing up.

"You have a cute smile. Follow me, please."

I nearly crash into my comrade when she suddenly stops. There is nothing around us except a dense tree canopy, bushes, and the water. I scrunch my face, searching around for answers. Then it hits me.

"There is a barrier keeping us from going further."

Aamina nods her head twice. She turns on her heels and walks back the way we came. I follow her but take one last look behind my shoulder at the last second. Nothing is there.

Assuming we're dealing with other sorcerers here, one of them is a barrier expert.

"Give me a straight answer Blaise, what do you think of our profession?"

We stop short of the river. All I can do is stare at my partner, mouth in a crooked grin. She is not going to cross until I answer.

"The work itself can be helpful in keeping families together but.." I look at the water before continuing, "the people within our profession can be...". My arms fall to my sides.

She smiles and does not press for more information.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

As I walk into the kitchen, I see a baby-blue envelope. There are no residuals, my team and I were together most of the day, and nothing is out of place. My phone goes off, again.

I place a tea kettle on the stovetop, sitting down at the table as Principal Gakuganji and a second Elder comes onto the screen.

"Greetings Elders, how are you doing?"

"What information do you have to share with us, Miss Santa-Clara?"

"My team and I explored the nearby forest and interviewed the locals."

"And what became of your exploration?"

"Dead ends."

.......

"It was my first official day in the field, and I am still getting my bearings straight. If I had more information to share...."

"Stop making excuses!"

"With all due respect, Elders, I am not making excuses. I am taking my time getting acquainted with people I have not worked with." The kettle starts hizzing in the background. "And being a good ambassador for Jujutsu Technical College."

I want to swallow my tongue for referring to myself as an ambassador for Jujutsu Technical College.

I hit the red video button before the Elders protest.

Calm down, Blaze. You can't control other people's actions but, you can control how you respond to other people's actions. Look at the envelope.

Nothing stands out from the pocket-sized paper nestled on the cedar table. I carefully peel off the tape from the back, revealing a handwritten note.

Lith,

Welcome back to Canada! A lot has happened over the years, too much to fit into a single note. Seeing you at the convenience store was interesting. Please, do not search for me and focus on your mission. I am no longer in Canada. Keep this in mind, you will always have a place to stay when needed.

The kettle's hissing is too loud for me to handle.

Friday, June 7th, 2007: 4:00 am

"Bro, I need to go. Because I am on the clock, goodbye. We are going to talk later today."