Temporal Paradox - Suguru Geto x OC

Chapter 2

Torako: Fine, give me a run-through of this Suguru Geto.

Unknown: In my timeline, he was a special grade sorcerer-turned curse user. A former student in Tokyo Jujutsu High, whose best friend was Satoru Gojo. From the information I've gathered, his experiences as a sorcerer bred a deep hatred for non-sorcerer, and in September 2007, he killed over 100 villagers in one night and was expelled from Jujutsu High. He was sentenced for execution and became known as the worst of all curse users. His new goal as a curse user is to eradicate all non-sorcerers and create a paradise where only sorcerers exist.

Torako: So... a Hitler wannabe. But instead of Jews, it's non-sorcerers.

Unknown: A very extreme comparison, but you're not wrong.

Torako snorted. 'Scams are so creative these days!'

Torako: And? What do you want me to do about this? Fix him? I only know how to fix machines, though.

Unknown: All I want you to do is to prevent him from becoming a curse user. That's all I'm asking of you.

It took a while for the next message to come through.

Unknown: Also, his mental fortitude is pretty weak. Maybe... you can help with that too.

The young teen stared at that particular message with a particularly dour face. All Torako ever wanted was to live a peaceful, slacker life. She did not sign up to become a babysitter, especially not for a soon-to-be mass murderer. In the first place, she couldn't even know if this person was being truthful or not.

With a low groan, she crossed her legs and slumped her shoulders, texting back with vigorous exasperation.

Torako: Right, right. Well, good story overall. Personally, I wouldn't recommend it to kids, though. There's my review. Goodbye.

Unknown: Look, kid. I know this is hard to believe but I'm very, very desperate here. You have to believe me. I swear I'm not tryna promote a novel.

Torako: Uh, not until you can give me enough proof that you're from the future and that I can trust you.

Unknown: Fine. But you'll have to enroll in Jujutsu High for me to prove that to you.

Torako: No can do, Merlin. That's against the rules.

This time, there was no reply. Not even after ten seconds later.

Torako: Hey.

Torako: C'mon, Merlin, don't leave me on read.

Torako: Are you mad that I called you Merlin? How about Morpheus?

Still no reply. There was only the word 'read' silently mocking her under every message she sent.

Torako blinked, then she began to snicker grimly, voice dripping with self-mockery. Until this very moment, she had never been left on read by anyone before. Now that she had experienced it first-hand, all the stocked up ego and pride from over the years had started to crumble a little.

"Ughhh... what to do, what to do...?" Torako muttered with a groan, raising a hand to rub over her tired eyes.

At that moment, Mr Murakami rolled down the car's window and popped his head out. His lips were pulled into a frown as he sent a questioning glare up at her.

Torako whipped her head in her father's direction, mirroring his expression.

"..."

"Dad, I told you to stay put."

"I was curious, okay?"

"But! Curiosity kills the cat."

"I was worried, too."

"You should be worrying about yourself."

"I'm your dad. It's my duty to worry about you."

"And as your daughter, it's my duty to protect you."

"Is that what you were doing? You were being pretty secretive about the whole thing. Did you get a boyfriend or something?" Mr Murakami questioned, pointing an accusing finger at his daughter.

"No, of course, not. Your daughter's way too good for anyone," Torako replied with a cackle.

Mr Murakami rolled his eyes, seemingly out of annoyance, and yet, the small smile on his face said otherwise about his exasperation. As her father, he had long grown accustomed to her cocky humour.

"Uh huh. Wait till you graduate and-"

Tuning out what he had to say, Torako began staring at her father's rather tired complexion. Despite his occasional childish behaviour and sassy remarks, the wrinkles adorning his face reminded Torako that he was but a weak old man.

And no matter how special she herself may be, at the end of the day, she was also but a fearful coward. If she were to find out one day that her father had suffered the same fate as her late best friend, could she still live with herself after that? Could she move on from then?

Torako didn't want to roll the dice on it. So, if what that person said was true, then maybe it was worth becoming stronger after all. Not for Suguru Geto, but for her father and her best friend.

"I'll go," Torako cut him off, breathing in deeply.

The middle-aged man tilted his head, carefully inspecting his daughter's expression.

"Just so we're talking about the same thing..."

Looking at the contemplative gaze in his daughter's eyes and the slight curve in her brows, it immediately clicked in his head that...

"You're..."

Torako carefully shaped her lips into a smile, albeit a difficult one. The next words that left her mouth confirmed his suspicion.

"Yes, yes. Your cowardly daughter is not chickening out this time. Are you proud?"

It seemed that her dream of living a slacker life would have to wait.

'Besides, how hard can saving a person be?' the unanswered question echoed at the back of her mind.

So, when April began, and the city of Tokyo was embraced in the arms of a blossoming Spring, Torako Murakami enrolled into Jujutsu High.