Corpse Flowers [Jujutsu Kaisen]

🥀 Chapter Nine 🥀

It had only been a few weeks since Seiran had last visited Jujutsu Technical High School, and she found herself rushing down the hallways, seeking out the morgue. The moment that she heard the news, she had rushed right over to the school, unable to believe that the truth was truly as it was and that it was not a heinous prank or a miscommunication. She wanted to believe that it was a lie.

That Haibara Yu had passed away.

The first person that Seiran found in the school was her former classmate and partner, Gojo Satoru. He had been leaving the morgue with a straight face but when his eyes had fallen onto her fearful expression, his face had twisted in worry. He had caught her by the shoulders and pulled her into his arms, hugging her close to himself. Seiran had let him do it without question.

"Satoru-Kun," Seiran whispered against his ear, clutching at his shirt as she tried to look at his face for any answers about Yu, but he would not look at her. "Satoru-Kun...? Is it true...?"

Instead, Satoru had set his head against her shoulder, refusing to look at her in case he was premature in delivering the news to her. And at the same time, he had sought the same degree of comfort in her arms as she did from him. He wished the words that fell from his lips were a lie.

"Sei-Chan," Satoru said as he moved back and looked her right in the face. His eyes told him everything, "It's true, Haibara Yu passed away during his mission,"

Although it had been her desperation for this confirmation that had made Satoru spell it out to her, Seiran felt absolutely crushed. She turned away from him, covering her face as she processed it. She knew that Satoru would never lie to her about something so serious. She nodded slowly.

"I heard they have returned from the mission," Seiran said, being careful to not use the term 'corpse' for her underclassman. "Where are you going, Satoru-Kun?"

"I have to go and finish the mission," Satoru informed her. "I wish I could stay behind with you to give my respects but..." He gently squeezed her shoulders once more. "I'll be back in as soon as possible... but Suguru's in there with Nanami until then,"

Ever since the events of the previous year, Seiran had started to feel like she was relying more and more on Satoru regardless of his behaviour. Relying on him a bit too much and letting her emotions slip when she was not supposed to. She did not want him to leave but she watched him walk away.

Things were quiet inside the morgue and as Seiran turned around the corner, her eyes fell onto the very sight that she had been dreading all this time. She froze in her footsteps, staring at the scene.

Haibara Yu laid on the table – his body was utterly battered, there was a pained expression that had immortalised upon his face, and he had clearly departed from amongst them, severing his soul's connection to the world. The stillness did not suit the hyperactive young boy.

Just as Satoru had informed her, there was Suguru in there, trying to care for Yu's body and also comfort Nanami. The younger boy sat completely defeated, covering his eyes with a towel. Suguru was the first one to notice her.

"Seiran-Chan?" asked Suguru, and Seiran suddenly realised that she existed as a person and was not disassociating. He looked at her with a sombre look. "I'm sorry you had to see th..."

"Suguru-Kun, Nanami-Kun," Seiran acknowledged as she quickly moved into the room. "I apologise for not knocking... I just cannot believe what has happened..."

Upon those words, there was a sense of bitterness in Suguru. He did not understand why Seiran could not believe that something like could happen. Things like these always happened. But he did not say anything as he was sure that she was just as much in despair over this loss.