The blood splatter spread across the concrete floor, and the spots where the branches once sat before Sachiko removed them were outlined. The remains of the curse dotted across the room; Kusakabe wandered in, glancing around at the mess she had made. Despite his reluctance to admit it, he was in awe of Sachiko's control of her curse technique, as though it was an extension of her limbs.
He had grown up with a member of the Hanabusa family who had since passed. Before his death, that man became a Grade One sorcerer, but he didn't compare to Sachiko's power and passion. Upon meeting her, Kusakabe believed she was a naive child who hadn't witnessed the true world, but after their missions together, he was more than willing to admit he was wrong. "Well, Miss Chiyo. You've completed your final mission as a semi-grade, and the higher-ups will inform you of their decision to promote you."
"You think they will go through with it?" She questioned as she wiped her hands off her skirt. She clapped her hands together as Kusakabe nodded, a smile coming to his face. As he turned away to walk out, she jumped and punched the air as she tried to keep the huge smile off her face. They were returning to the train station, but Sachiko stopped to get ice cream for herself as a reward.
"Seems a bit childish to be getting ice cream," Kusakabe noted as he stopped to let her catch up. Sachiko shrugged as she bit into the ice cream and said she was trying to live more in the moment. He grimaced and turned away. The Gojo family can afford dental care.
As they neared the end of their train ride, Sachiko received a call from Satoru. She was a bit perplexed as he had also gone on a mission, and he usually doesn't call during them to get them over and done with. She answered the phone and put it against her ear, "Hey, are you calling to see how my mission went? Because we are already done, and Kusakabe thinks that we'll be promoted, that's no problem! You should have seen the size of this thing! I would have needed a tank to take this thing down if it wasn't for my amazing abilities to grow tre-"
"Sachiko, I'm sorry. I'm calling about your mission. Something happened on Nanami and Haibara's mission; you need to get back to the school as soon as you can. I don't know the full extent. I'm on my way there..." he said, his tone uncharacteristically melancholy. Her heart sank as she leaned forward in her chair. Kusakabe looked at them calmly as he tried to determine what was happening based on her mannerisms.
"What happened, Satoru?" She questioned, her voice wavering as she tried not to get too emotional. Telling herself over and over that she was getting ahead of herself and that her two friends, in the worst-case scenario, were just injured.
"This mission was misgraded; they were sent to a first-grade case, something about a local deity." He muttered. Sachiko covered her mouth as a short gasp came out. Any hope she had left her body as she just willed the train to move faster or for her to teleport to the school magically. "I'm finishing the case. I'll be there when I can."
"Okay..." She answered as he hung up the phone. Sachiko composed herself and told Kusakabe the information Satoru had given her. As the train pulled up to the station, her partner didn't have a second to speak before she broke out into a full-speed run up the hill towards the school. Her limbs burnt as a result of the use of energy, but she didn't let it slow her down.
She crashed down into the first door into the infirmary; the cold air soothed her muscles as she leaned her hand against the wall. Her pants filled the space as she tried to compose herself mentally and physically. Sachiko took a deep breath, feeling the cool air travel into her lungs. "They're alright," she whispered to herself as she stood upright.
For a moment, she stared at the door, imagining them sitting on the bed that was until the door next to it opened. The nurse walked out, and her eyes fell on Sachiko. She had just come from the morgue. There was a crashing noise and some raised voices. "Oh my dear, your friend needs you come in here with me. I'm so sorry..."
Sachiko didn't say anything as the nurse guided her into the sterile room. Suguru glanced at her before looking at the body that sat on the table. She hadn't been in here since the death of her family, but now she was staring at the boy who stood by her side during that devasting time. All she wanted was for him to sit up with that smile on his face, telling her it was a joke and that they were throwing her a promotion party. Then, that last inch of hope left as though it barely existed.
Her feet started to move before she could think. She gently took his hand and stared at his face. She could see the line of blood on the sheets and his torso that marked where he had been struck, but she couldn't bear herself to look at it. "Yu." Was all she could say. She tilted her head and looked at the chair next to the door. Nanami sat there looking defeated, a cold towel over his face as his face stared at the ceiling.
"Nanami, you should just rest for now. Satoru has taken over your mission..." Suguru said as he approached the girl. Her attention turned to him as he moved the sheet so it covered everything but his neck and face. She gave him a small nod in appreciation; his hand went over hers.
"Can't we just let him handle everything alone at his point?" Nanami questioned. Sachiko looked down, wanting to argue against his reasoning, but she knew how to hold her tongue. No matter Satoru's strength, no one could handle the Jujutsu world alone. It was physical and mental suicide.
Sachiko removed her hand from underneath Suguru's and went to sit next to Nanami, who was moving one of the stools over. She took his hand gently and placed it in her lap, rubbing circles with her thumbs in an attempt to bring some comfort. He let out a sigh and took the towel from his face. His eyes met hers, and they both shone with sadness and sympathy. "I'm sorry I wasn't there."
"I'm sorry I didn't bring him back safely." Nanami returned. Sachiko's eyes began to water, and she leaned forward, taking her friend into a tight hug. His arms wrapped around the back of the girl as he tightened his grip, his own tears beginning to fall. "Seem's it's just us left. We will always have each other..."
As night came, a gentle knock on her door caught her attention. Sachiko had been curled up in bed listening to music, trying to take her mind off everything, but her head was so busy that she couldn't shut it down. She got up slowly and opened the door, revealing the tall figure of her fiancee.
"Do you want me to stay with you?" he asked. She nodded and turned to walk back to her bed. Sachiko crawled back under the blankets, and Satoru glanced at her before getting ready to get into the bed. "Did you eat dinner?"
"No, I can't bring myself to eat." She said quietly. He nodded and walked over, slipping under the sheets next to her. They sat silently for a few minutes as they listened to the song that filled the room. "I just can't believe it. Everything was fine yesterday, and now he is gone..."
Satoru didn't know how to comfort her; after everything that happened in the last year, he couldn't find the words she needed. His arm went around her before he pulled her into a tight hug. Sachiko was initially surprised but melted into his embrace as she buried her face into his chest. Soon, tears streamed freely as she sobbed into Satoru, who sat still, allowing her to use him.
His hand gently stroked her hair as he sunk down further into the bed, bringing her with him. As her sobs turned into little whimpers, he began to feel her breaths becoming slower and steady as she fell into a peaceful sleep."Goodnight, my beautiful." He used the remote to turn the music off and the lamps before finding his own dreams.
YOU ARE READING
Fragility (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Fanfiction{Oc x Satoru Gojo} The Chiyo family is said to be the descendants of the historically elusive Mother of the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings. A single line of descendants that alone holds the ability to guarantee the inheritance of a curse technique in...
