ayame's flower realm . JUJUTSU KAISEN

thirty four . intermission

the cold chilly air was something ayame didn't mind.

for her, it was better than the blazing heat of summer, better than how she would sweat her skin out to the point where her clothes would be drenched. sure, the cold bit into her skin and froze her fingers, but she could simply just warm herself up.

the cold was comforting to her.

she was born in the cold month, after all.

ayame wasn't sure if it was the same for everyone, but she treated anything related to her birthday as something that brings her luck. the number 11, 24, the day she was born on,- Saturday - and the cold weather on her birthday which her mother had told her about.

though, she wasn't one to look forward to birthday parties. it's not like she hated them, it's simply because she... didn't really care that much. just some cake would suffice. if you want one, then throw one. you don't want it, then don't.

it was no surprise to see ayame standing right in the middle of the field wearing only her usual uniform, not even bothering to put on extra layers. she had her hands on her hips as she let the wind brush over her face and through her hair. ayame didn't know how long she stood there, staring into the distance.

it wasn't until something brushed past her ankles did she finally move.

ayame titled her head down, and her eyes met a white fluffy creature, nuzzling its nose into her shoes. but that wasn't the only thing she saw.

the creature, sashimi, was wearing what seemed to be a cat-sized sweater.

there and then, ayame bit down the urge to scream.

cute! cute!! so cute!!!

"you're going to freeze to death, ohashi."

before ayame had a chance to crouch down and pat sashimi, a voice greeted her. she spun around, and was met with a tired pair of eyes, eyebags evident underneath them. the person walked towards her, his hands lazily tucked into the pocket of his jackets.

"oh, kusakabe-sensei." ayame acknowledged the person - kusakabe, one of the teachers, - with a nod. "i'm good, the cold is fine." the cold never bothered me anyway, ayame held back the urge to add the last sentence, seeing as kusakabe didn't seem to be in a good mood judging by his frown. ah, but then again, when has he ever worn an expression other than a frown? ayame almost thought he came out of the womb with it. almost.

"yeah?" kusakabe didn't seem convinced, but he didn't press further. then, unexpectedly, he pulled out a cat treat and teared it open. he knelt down on the ground, calling sashimi over with clicks of his tongue. "miko, here."

ayame, ignoring how her eyes widened from the gesture of this frowning-ever-since-he-was-born man towards sashimi, asked. "miko?"

sashimi - miko - happily went towards the man, accepting the treat. "yeah, miko."

"...."

'huh. azuki, sashimi, and now miko. you are a cat of many names.' ayame thought. 'should i write them all down? i wonder what the 3rd and 4th years call her.'

pushing away the thought, ayame asked the man who was still busy feeding the white feline at his feet. "did you need anything, kusakabe-sensei?"

it's not like she didn't want to linger around kusakabe that much, it's just that it was unusual that somehow the man approached her. other than giving her tasks, he's never taken the initiative to talk to her about random topics (unlike a certain... blindfolded man).

confirming ayame's guess, kusakabe nodded. "yep. i need you to run some errands." as he answered, he pulled out a small piece of paper, and ayame's eyes caught a few scribbles written on it. he handed it over, and ayame scanned the content.

chocolate bar, energy drinks, milk, cookies... what?

"errands." ayame echoed. she blinked at the man, the piece of paper in between her fingers threatening to slip out and run along the wind.

the man simply waved her off and began walking away, as if that was the most obvious thing in the world. ayame blinked again, before reading the note a second time.

by errands he meant... normal errands.

the girl scratched her cheek. she expected to be asked to do some small exorcising, but something like this...? perhaps the days have been far too peaceful to the point where the teachers didn't know how to busy their students anymore.

oh well, she could use a bit of a breather.

-

"psst, kusakabe-sensei!" a feminine voice whisper-shouted as soon as kusakabe turned the corner. his heart almost jumped out of his chest, if it weren't for his pride as a teacher. taming his espression, he lifted a brow instead. the same voice continued,"did you do it? did it work?"

kusakabe brushed the person off, continuing on his way but not before saying,"yeah, yeah. do what you need to do."

"alright thanks a bunch! i am utterly grateful, you have no idea haha, hahahaa!"

the voice gradually grew faint as kusakabe walked away. lighting up a cigarette, he glanced back, and sighed out a puff of smoke as he watched two figures - one shinju skipping cheerfully and one kinji that didn't look like he wanted to be there - disappear into the distance with plastic bags in their hands.

-

setting the items onto the counter, ayame glanced back down at the list in her hand, double checking to see if she got everything that was written down - of course, turning a blind eye on the 'cigarettes' and some alcoholic beverages that was somehow on the list. ayame guessed the one who added it didn't know a minor would be the one sent for the errand. oh well, not her problem.

stuffing the list back into her pocket, ayame pulled out the amount of money needed, thankfully not using her own. her eyes scanned the wall behind the cashier. pamphlets, some advertisements about car deals, oh a hiring tutor, merchandise for an idol group she's heard of a few times, and a couple of missing posters.

ayame thanked the cashier who thanked her, nodding her head before stepping out of the store, ignoring how the cold air literally smacked her face. the plastic bag hanging from her arm isn't that heavy, but perhaps that's because she's used to throwing around a certain fellow first year of hers who also happened to be her training partner.

ayame ignored the shelves filled with different types of pastries and desserts as she passed by a bakery, waving away the face of the fushiguro siblings that popped into her mind. though the small voice in her head telling her how big of an idiot she was couldn't seem to quiet down, and she grumbled to herself.

if ayame wasn't too busy thinking about the content of the shopping list she'd gotten, perhaps she would've noticed how in one of the missing posters in the store, there plastered a familiar face - a girl her age, with glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose, with her hair just below her ears. perhaps she would've noticed how 'tsubasa riku' was written on it.

and if ayame wasn't too distracted, she would've noticed how a girl, around her age, was standing right under the traffic light next to the bakery. she would've noticed that behind her, loomed a shadow of a soul which had perished in blinding white snow, and how the cursed energy danced around the girl in a mocking manner.