Jujutsu Kaisen: Purple

Chapter 3: Jujutsu High

A tranquil ambience encompassed the mountainous outskirts of Tokyo, reinforced by the gentle rays of midday sunlight. Dense forests thrived within the area, their only disruption a narrow road cutting through them. The sole source of sound was a black car driven by a young woman with medium-length brown hair and hazel eyes. Sitting in the back seat of the vehicle was Yukari, inattentively staring out of the left-side window; they had been travelling for almost two hours.

"We're here," announced the smartly-dressed woman. The teenager flinched slightly, awoken from his detached haze. He shifted his vision to the driver, who had already parked the car. The boy scanned his surroundings. Beneath repeating vermillion torii gates was a long set of stairs leading further into the lush greenery — its destination obscure.

Yukari unbuckled his seatbelt and reached for the worn plastic bag lying beside him, which contained a scarce collection of clothes as well as a disorganised cluster of coins. Opening the car door, the teenager stepped outside. The woman locked the vehicle and looked towards him.

"This way," she stated.

The boy followed her up the seemingly endless stairs, stopping briefly every minute to catch his breath. After around five minutes, the two arrived at the institution. Yukari observed the unfamiliar environment, intrigued.

"Welcome to Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical School!" exclaimed the woman in a moderately cheerful tone, "Or Jujutsu High as most of us call it." The school consisted of several buildings with a traditional Japanese architectural style. Certain elements of the campus reflected the Buddhist theme, such as statues and shrines. It had a peaceful yet solemn mood, strengthened by the absence of people. "There are two Jujutsu educational institutions in Japan. The first one is here in Tokyo, while the other is in Kyoto."

The teenager paused at the sight of a tall wooden building in the distance. Its entrance displayed darkness, although symmetrical specs of candlelight could be seen coming from inside.

"You'll be meeting the principal — Mrs Yokiuji," explained the woman, turning back to face the boy. "She's extremely kind and compassionate. As long as you gain her approval, you'll be enrolled into Jujutsu High." She glanced at her watch before directing her focus to the ancient structure up ahead. "I've got an assignment, so I'll be leaving you on your own. The principal is waiting for you in that building. Good luck!"

The woman began to leave but was quickly interrupted by the sound of Yukari's voice.

"Wait!"

The teenager bowed for a few moments.

"Thank you for everything, Miss Yamakado."

The woman gave a small smile, waved goodbye and left.

Now by himself, the boy made his way towards the building's entrance. Upon arrival, he noticed a silhouette at the opposite end of the spacious room. Candles mounted to sturdy pillars provided adequate visibility, as well as an eerie atmosphere. The figure stepped into the light, revealing a tall, middle-aged woman with short, wavy black hair and dark-brown eyes. Her outfit consisted of an expensive grey jacket worn over a white turtleneck, along with black jeans.

"You must be Yukari," she declared. "My name is Kazue Yokiuji, the principal of this school."

The teenager bowed. "I'm Yukari Tsumeyami. Nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too." Mrs Yokiuji crossed her arms. "Shinji already told me all about you. You're interested in joining Jujutsu High to develop your cursed technique and exorcise curses, correct?"

"Yes," responded the boy.

"Of course, you wouldn't have come such a long way otherwise." The woman's facial expression slowly turned serious. "However, being a Jujutsu Sorcerer is far from easy. Witnessing tragedies... risking your life... it takes a heavy toll on mental health. It's essential to possess a strong spirit."

The principal sighed deeply and frowned.

"Most sorcerers are a little unhinged, and with good reason. It's not a job simply anyone can handle. You'll be faced with life-threatening missions regularly, narrowly avoiding death on numerous occasions. In certain circumstances, you'll be forced to watch as your friends and allies are slaughtered before your eyes. Disfigured corpses will cease to be a rare sight early into your career as a sorcerer, though you'll quickly become increasingly desensitised to them."

Mrs Yokiuji made eye contact with Yukari.

"Are you prepared to deal with all that?"

An abrupt flicker of candlelight glimmered momentarily, causing the teenager to faintly shudder. Silence filled the room, refusing to be broken. The boy stared at the floor. Suddenly, the plastic bag containing his belongings fell to the ground.

"I... have no reason to live. My life has always been meaningless. " Yukari raised his head marginally, meeting the woman's eyes. "I have no purpose or value. If I were to disappear... I doubt anyone would even notice." The teenager shivered, crossing his arms into a self-hug.

"But... discovering the existence of curses... discovering that I have a cursed technique... I feel like my life does have a purpose after all." The boy clenched his fists. "Even if I die out there, I have nothing to lose anyway, so I might as well use my ability to benefit humanity."

A teardrop formed beneath Yukari's left eye. He looked up at the principal — tears filling his light-grey eyes.

"That's why... I want to exorcise curses!"

Several silent seconds passed without interruption. Eventually, Mrs Yokiuji offered a sympathetic smile.

"I see. If that's truly what you wish to do, then I suppose it would be cruel not to let you join Jujutsu High." The woman stepped towards the teenager and opened her right hand. A purple button the size of a coin sat on her palm; a black swirl pattern had been engraved into the metal. "Shinji told me you had purple hair, therefore I had this one specifically designed for you. I hope you don't mind!"

The boy wiped away a tear using his sleeve and happily accepted the badge. He studied it for a moment before clipping it to his hoodie.

"Congratulations. You're officially a Jujutsu High student," informed the principal. "You'll be starting the first year, although it'll take a day or two for your uniform to be ready. There are currently only four other students in this school — two second-years as well as two third-years — and unfortunately, they are all busy with their missions right now, but I'm sure you'll get a chance to meet them soon."

Mrs Yokiuji paused and glanced at her watch. "For the time being, I'll give you a tour of the school and explain the security measures. After that, you'll start your training by practising mindfulness."

Yukari blinked. "Mindfulness?"

"That's right," replied the woman. "Learning to control one's emotions is a necessary aspect of being a skilled sorcerer. It'll allow you to use cursed energy more efficiently, greatly improving your combat capabilities."

The teenager nodded. "Oh, that makes sense."

The principal gave a gentle smile and checked her watch once again. "Do you have any more questions?"

"No."

"Alright. I'll give you a tour of the school. Let's go."

Without wasting time, Mrs Yokiuji began to leave. The boy picked up the plastic bag and followed her out of the building. He placed an arm over his eyes as soon as he stepped outside, waiting until they readjusted to the daylight. There was a lot to explore.

A gust of wind scattered the autumn leaves along the stone path. Yukari shivered. It took nearly an hour for the tour to be completed, after which the teenager chose a dorm and stored away his limited possessions. The room was as empty as his previous bedroom, but this did not bother him.

The boy then went to the school cafeteria and had his first decent meal in a long time. Being the only person in the vicinity, he ate in silence. His training would be starting soon.

Yukari's journey to becoming a Jujutsu Sorcerer was not going to be easy, though this did not taint his determination.

After all, the teenager had nothing to lose.

Or so he thought.