Your Life As A Tokyo Jujutsu High Background Student

Chapter 5 - Shoko always heals everyone's wounds, but who heals hers?

As one of the only three sorcerers on the planet who could heal others, Ieiri Shoko was arguably one of the most important people in the jujutsu world.

Not that the ever-so-wise High Council had anything to worry about when they never actually let her go on missions. Nor was she allowed to grab a coffee or see a movie alone either. Bless their paranoid little hearts. Wherever Shoko went, she'd be saddled with an anxious assistant manager trailing behind wringing their hands while a grade 1 sorcerer clung to her side as round-the-clock security.

However, last year's Night Parade of One Hundred Demons had left loads of sorcerers busted up and unable to return to duty. Now there were not enough sorcerers to go around, especially grade 1 sorcerers.

That's how Shoko managed to convince the higher ups to let you, a mere grade 2 student, be her escort. You could scout and ambush like nobody's business. As for defense? Let's just say that wasn't your strongest suit.

Principal Yaga was particularly twitchy about this arrangement. But Shoko assured him it'd be fine... with her usual amount of hand waving and half-truths. The route would be secured ahead of time and her schedule was totally classified anyway so no one should even know when to hunt her. You only came along to fill their security quota (and to write her reports). Still, you appreciated the learning opportunities. Oh, and the commission checks weren't too shabby either.

You were a nervous wreck those first few times playing escort . But after months on the job with no incidents, your anxiety started to ease—just a little. Today's trip was supposed to be routine anyway. A few banged-up sorcerers from recent missions needed Shoko's magical healing touch to get them back to full strength. Obviously, hauling every injured person to your top-secret school would blow its cover. So they'd gather the wounded at a local outpost instead for Shoko to patch up. Easy enough gig.

With Megumi's brutal assessment still rattling around your brain, you threw open the door to Shoko's office without so much as a knock, barging right in unannounced.

"Ieiri-san, do you think that I'm unpredictable and ruthless?" You demanded, fists planted on your hips.

Shoko was sprawled in her desk chair, looking more pale and drained than usual. Her tousled brown hair stuck out wildly like she had jammed her finger in an electrical socket. Dark circles sagged under her bloodshot eyes.

She peered up at you with those same lifeless eyes. "Wow, you really don't like small talk, huh?"

"What?" You blinked, momentarily confused by her flippant response.

"Yesterday you waltzed in and asked if I believed in the Three-Fold Law." Shoko pointed out with a yawn, stretching her arms up over her head.

You opened your mouth to argue but then paused, conceding her point with a sheepish smile. "Eh..."

"And the day before, you wanted to talk about what free will truly meant. See?" Shoko gave you a pointed look. "Never a Hello Ieiri. How's your day? Just WHAM–deep conversations right off the bat."

She attempted to smooth down her frazzled locks, knocking over a cup of pens in the process. They clattered across her desk, scattering sheets everywhere.

"Sorry, Ieiri-san. Good morning. You're looking..." You amended with some hasty pleasantries, your voice trailed off as you surveyed the disastrous state around you, "...um, very busy."

"That's one word for it." Shoko snorted, lamely patting at the haystack formerly known as her hair.

Shoko's office looked like the aftermath of a tornado, tsunami, and earthquake threesome.