Fragility (Jujutsu Kaisen)

~ Chapter 13 ~

Yu and Nanami stared at their friend in wonder as she used a single tree she had grown from a seed in seconds to exorcise three curse spirits. The once-enclosed room had a hole in the roof from the tree's rapid growth, and its branches curved unnaturally around the space, revealing the path of the curse as Sachiko tried to catch them. "She scares me sometimes," Nanami muttered, gripping his weapon tighter before following the girl into the room.

Sachiko was among the only people in the Jujutsu world that Nanami respected. She was happy and fun outside of missions and classes. Most of the time, she could even get Nanami to smile, but she didn't mess around once she was at work. Any ounce of humanity seemed to leave her body once she was fighting.

While Nanami and Sachiko took a short break, Yu volunteered to quickly search the house to ensure they got rid of the problem. Once the brunette returned without anything to report, the threesome headed to the street to meet their assistant. Despite being first years, their missions were becoming more frequent. She had heard people whispering that Satoru was becoming stronger, so the curse spirits were trying to keep balance. She didn't believe it, or she didn't want to. The last thing she needs is for Satoru Gojo to get more cocky than he already is.

"Sachiko was amazing as normal," Yu said as he spoke to the assistant about the mission. Nanami and Sachiko walked side by side as they approached the car. Sachiko frowned as she glanced around the street. There weren't many people around, but she could hear whispering close by to them. Her eyes searched the area; Nanami stood beside her, watching her, confused by her sudden alertness. Two figures suddenly disappeared around a corner. Sachiko stepped away from the car in an attempt to see them more clearly, but they were gone. Yu popped his head out of the car with an annoyed expression. "Are you two getting in?"

"Yeah, sorry. I thought I saw something..." Sachiko said aloof as she got into the car, followed by Nanami. Yu glanced back at her from the front seat; she just stared out the window, her brow frowned.

As the day went on, the mission and the events that proceeded soon were lost to the girl as their classes continued into the late afternoon. Her mind kept drifting as her excitement for her plans for the afternoon drew closer and closer. She and Satoru had planned to go into the city for a date so that they could have some time together away from the teasing of his friends and the lying to her own.

Yu had attempted to gather his two classmates for a game night, but she reluctantly had to make an excuse. She could tell that Yu didn't wholly believe it, but she was beginning to run out of ideas that didn't evolve the death of a family member. She couldn't keep killing off her grandmother, no matter how happy that would make her.

She also knew that Satoru was getting increasingly restless with tiptoeing around campus. The pair were once inseparable, and now Sachiko asked them to keep apart. Satoru understood why, but as the pair grew older, more pressing desires started to come into play. Sometimes, she wished that Shoko or Suguru would let it slip, but both second years have proved loyal.

The girl was gone as soon as they were dismissed for the day, leaving the two boys dumbfounded at her swift exit. "Do you think she had a boyfriend?" Yu asked Nanami as the pair walked back to their dorms. Nanami just shrugged his shoulders. He, too, was suspicious of the girl's actions, and he was beginning to wonder if she and Gojo were hooking up. "I think she does, which would suck. I was thinking about asking her out,"

"That would suck," Nanami said, glancing at the brown-haired boy who looked uncharacteristically disappointed. Nanami saw Yu's little confession coming. He may not be an expert on women, but Sachiko had shown no romantic interest in either. The only one of note has been Satoru Gojo. He placed his cupped hand on his shoulder, gaining his attention, "I don't think you would go well together. Friends, yes. More, no."

"Do you think she's seeing Gojo?" Yu asked, surprising the blond. Nanami didn't answer, which Yu took as a yes. He let out a long sigh and slumped down on the bench outside their dorm. Nanami sat next to him, folding his leg over the other, as he eyed off his classmate. "I can see why she would like him. He's so hot and funny. He's a bit of a dick, but maybe she's into that. Maybe I should try the bad boy thing - I wouldn't be able to do that."

The first years had witnessed Satoru and Suguru's ability to attract women. Occasionally, they would catch the train into the city; they witnessed numerous school girls and older women attempting to flirt with the two-second years. Both usually indulged them, but they had never seen them go through with any. They have seen Satoru entertain the women before Sachiko, so maybe they were wrong, or their relationship was casual. "Maybe it's time that we asked her instead of creating up stories. Did you say they grew up together? Maybe it's a sibling relationship."

"I may come off stupid, but they do not look at each other like siblings would," Yu said as he threw his head back over the chair to stare at the sky. His eyes flicked to Nanami as he sat up with bright eyes. The boy had an epiphany. "She has spoken about her biological grandmother, so why did she grow up with the Gojo family?"

"Maybe she's a relative, and her parents passed away, so the Gojo family took her in."

"I don't think so. Something just isn't right, but Nanami. You and I are going to solve this mystery!" The excited boy says, standing up with his arms flung to the side. Nanami watches with an annoyed look on his face. He was planning on taking a trip down to the beach, but now he has to put up with Yu's idea. "We'll start with our elders."

 As though it was fate, one of the sorcerers using the school as a base wandered past them. She had her brown hair in two ponytails and a traditional miko outfit. She glanced at the pair, confused about why they were staring at her.

 "Miss Utahime, can we ask you about something?" The woman agreed to humour them, and they tried their best to ask about Sachiko's past subtly. They had seen the two girls talking a few times, and Utahime seemed fond of the girl but not so much Gojo. Utahime thought about whether she should share the information, but Sachiko's life was common knowledge amongst the Jujutsu community.

"Sachiko was purchased as a baby by the Gojo family. She and Gojo have been engaged since she was a few days old. I'm surprised you don't know." Utahime said, glancing between the two boys who looked at her shocked; she was sold as an infant. The woman waited a moment for either of them to respond, but neither said a word as they waited for her to continue. "She can tell you about why she was brought up; their family is unique. She and Gojo are very close despite the whole arranged marriage situation. Anyway, you can do with that info as you please, but keep my name out of it. I don't want to interact with Gojo more than I need to," 

With that, the woman left, leaving the two boys watching after her, "What the hell?" Yu said in complete shock at the information. What he thought was an innocent romance was a situation that would be considered highly illegal amongst non-sorcerors. They decided to wait until they saw Sachiko next to ask her about the information. As they began to walk again, the white-haired man, one of the main subjects in their conversation, walked past them dressed casually with two tickets in his hand. 

"Hey, have you guys seen Sachi?" He asked the pair. They just stared at the man, who was meant to be one of the most powerful sorcerers in the modern era, engaged to a child who was bought to marry him. He claims to be righteous yet allows her to love him as though it's not a form of Stockholm syndrome. Yu glared at the man, earning a strange look, while Nanami answered that she had disappeared after class. "Thanks, I guess."