The Cursed Hearts | Gojo x OC | JJK

Chapter 12: Vessel

"You'll be training on your own for a few days, Hanako", Suguru explained as he put away the wooden katana. Hanako stops her movements, staring at Suguru.

"What? Why?", she questions. That's odd. No matter how busy he is, Suguru never cancels training sessions knowing it's his responsibility.

Suguru walk back to her, hands in his pockets of his high-waisted pants as he declares, "You know the Star Plasma Vessel, Amanai Riko? Well, me and Satoru have been tasked to escort her to merge with Tengen-Sama"

She nods quietly, simply listening to what he said. "How long will you be gone?", she asked. Suguru shrugged, "Three days or so? Won't be too long."

"Do I get any souvenirs?", she joked. Suguru then lets out a light-hearted laugh, nodding.

"What do you want for souvenirs? Sweets? Something to remember?", he says in amusement. Hanako thinks over his words for a moment. Something to remember..

"Just bring me something that could remind me of the ocean." , she muttered softly, which did catch Suguru by surprise.

He didn't exactly expect such an answer. But he soon gives her a thumbs up. "Consider it done!"

For some reason, she doesn't even understand why. She feels a tingling feeling in the back of her head, a fearful like feeling. She couldn't understand what it meant, or why it was happening. She sighed, shaking her head repeatedly to remove the weird feeling off.

"You alright?", Suguru asked when he saw her shaking her head like that. "Nothing, just a headache. Probably because I didn't have lunch", she explained.

He immediately looks at her in disbelief. "You skipped lunch? I've told you to keep your meals proper", he scolds, lightly bumping her head with the wooden katana. Damn, acting like a big brother, huh?

"Ow! Stop that!", she scoffs. "Then stop disobeying", he sighed, looking at her with a hint of concern.

"Session's over. Get some rest, Hana."

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Classes were over for the day. Hanako had nothing to do, so she was busy in the library. Her eyes scanned the rows of books for anything that might help her understand her technique better.

She reached up to grab a particularly thick volume, balancing on her tiptoes. Just as she managed to pull it from the shelf, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Oh look, it's Miss Freak-face, burying herself in books again," Satoru's voice rang out, dripping with mockery. She sighed, recognizing the teasing tone instantly.

Turning around, she saw Satoru leaning against a bookshelf, holding a stack of comics. "What do you want, Satoru?" she asked, her voice laced with irritation.

"Just wondering why you're working so hard. Trying to compensate for something?" he said with a smirk, adjusting his pitch black glasses to meet her eyes.

Hanako glares at him. "Unlike you, some of us actually want to improve and not just coast by on natural talent."

Satoru laughed, a carefree sound that only served to annoy her more.

"Natural talent, huh? You mean like this?" He snapped his fingers, and a small barrier of infinity appeared around him, shimmering in the dim library light.

"Showing off again, I see," Hanako muttered, rolling her eyes. "Is that all you can do? Flashy tricks?"

"At least my tricks work," Satoru retorted, stepping closer. "What about you? Still struggling to control those creepy dolls of yours?"

Hanako feels her fists clench, but she forced herself to stay calm. "At least I don't need gimmicks to be strong."

Satoru chuckled, leaning in closer. "Strong? You mean how you almost blew up the training room last week? Face it, Hanako, you're dangerous because you're out of control.", he spat out harshly.

She felt a sting at his words but refused to show it. "I'd rather be out of control than arrogant and overconfident."

"Arrogant? Me?" Satoru put a hand to his chest, feigning hurt. "I prefer to think of it as supreme self-confidence."

"Call it what you want, it's still arrogance," Hanako shot back, turning away and focusing on her book.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Hanako," Satoru said, giving a dismissive wave as he headed towards the comic section. "Just try not to destroy the library with your 'research'."

Hanako watched him go, her annoyance simmering. Despite their constant bickering, she knew he was talented, and his confidence often made her doubt herself.

But she also knew that her determination and hard work would pay off someway in the end, even if it meant dealing with Satoru's endless teasing and mockery.

She turned back to her book, flipping it open with renewed determination. "I'll show him," she muttered under her breath, diving into the text with a fierce resolve.

-----------

"What are you going to do after our graduation, Hanako?" , Shoko asked, seeming excited for the first time which surprised Hanako for a moment.

"You mean..as in, our jobs?", she asked. Shoko nods. "I'm.. not exactly sure. I haven't decided on such a thing. We can be other things besides a sorcerer?" She questions.

She didn't exactly know that it was allowed or not, considering the fact that she thought being a jujutsu sorcerer is the only occupation in the jujutsu society.

"You can do other jobs too, as long as you commit to your duties as a sorcerer.", Shoko lets out a small chuckle, playing around with Satoru's glasses.

"Is that so? Then.. I think it would be helpful if.. I could be a teacher. Helping out other people with what I know and can do.", she says, thinking into the idea.

Shoko looks at her in awe for a moment, "That's actually a good idea.", she nods.

"What about Suguru? And that blue-eyed idiot, Satoru?", she mutters, Satoru's name coming out more like a useless blabber from her mouth.

Shoko just laughed lightly. "They said they would be teachers too. Probably Suguru said that because he has the same mindset as you, to help non-sorcerers and the future generations out."

"But Satoru thinks it would be fun to mess with them and show off your tricks as a teacher. Typical prideful ass of his."

Hanako lets out a low scoff at the idea of Satoru's mindset. Yeah, typical prideful ass.

Both girls look forward, finding the two boys, urging a fight in the basketball stadium.

Suguru was talking about jujutsu sorcerers existing to protect non-sorcerers, meanwhile, Satoru was blabbering about how Suguru was just spouting non-sense and how he felt disgusted. This had suddenly become a regular day-to-day argument whenever they were in one place..

"Come on. Let's get out before they cause another ruckus" Shoko laughs as she grabs Hanako's hand, taking her out of the stadium.

To be continued..