We went to Osaka the next day. Me, Kento-san, and the three first year students.
"Why are they coming?" I whispered to Kento-san.
"Gojo suddenly wanted this mission to be a learning opportunity." he sighed.
"Yes I do." the tall man suddenly appeared behind us.
We were standing in front of the school, waiting for Ijichi-san's car to pick us up to get to the station.
"There's no better way to learn than experience." Gojo smiled "Besides, I trust two of my juniors will do their best to teach my students."
"Right." I tried to smile.
I couldn't lie that I felt pressured.
"Hey," I looked up at Gojo "Have you thought about how serious this mission is? I mean, if it's going to be really dangerous.. Maybe you shouldn't ask the kids to come."
"What do you mean? These kids faced danger everyday anyways." Gojo said.
"Have you calculated the dangerousness?" I asked, eyes widening.
Gojo chuckled "Turned out you don't know me that well after all do you Y/N?"
"So I'm guessing you have another reason as to why you asked the first years to come?" Kento-san said.
"You just read my mind." Gojo smiled. "I figured that the kids may need some vacation."
"Vacation?" I put a hand on my forehead, the sun was shining brightly and the man is basically a tower.
"Why can't they have vacation when the semester is over?" Kento-san asked.
"Look," Gojo sighed "I just feel that they've been working really hard these past few weeks. There's nothing wrong with a little vacation. Also, they should enjoy their youth to the fullest."
"And where will we fit "vacation" on our schedule?" Kento-san asked again.
"You guys can stay a full day after whenever you find the guy and finish the mission."
That was so casual I thought.
"I trust you parents can take care of the kids."
-
The mission now felt like a family trip. I feel like I suddenly have three younger siblings. The whole vision of this mission being dangerous turned upside down as soon as we board the train. In front of me were just three kids, goofing around. Their faces happy and excited. I couldn't help but to smile as I look at them.
"Why are you smiling. Y/N?" Kento-san turned to me. His face hidden from the front by a newspaper.
"I'm smilling because I'm looking at them." I nodded at the three kids "I never have a youth as fun as what they have now."
Kento-san turned to look at them. Then he nodded.
I turned to him and said "Don't you think it's strange that our job feels so casual, yet we can die at any point?"
Kento-san seemed to be thinking. He put down his newspaper and crossed his leg.
"Well it is how it is. We'll die anyways. In this job or not in this job." Kento-san turned to look at the kids, but it was Yuji he was looking at. "He reminds me a lot of someone I knew."
"Who?"
"You may not know him." he turned to me "He was my classmate. But he was gone when you enter Jujutsu High."
"Oh." I knew who was he refering to.
I didn't know what to say so I just smiled at him. He smiled back, then return to his newspaper.
-
We stayed in a hotel that night. We booked two rooms. One for the boys and one for Nobara and me. The boys included Kento-san. He'll survive.
As soon as we arrived in Osaka, we immediately went through the mission. It was the first time I saw Kento-san working. He truly showed how it is to be a professional sorcerer. A grade one sorcerer.
After a day of searching for clues we got back to the hotel without any gain. All that we could do was to wait for the next action of the cursed user. Then catch the guy mid action.
Nobara sat on one of the twin beds in our room. She was brushing her hair.
"Hey," I said "What do you want to eat for dinner?" I held my phone, scrolling through some food options to order.
"I'm glad you asked Y/N-san. I'm starving." Nobara said.
"Come take a look." I gestured her to sit next to me "We have these options. They're the nearest to our hotel."
"Hmm."
"Here," I handed her the phone.
"Ah!" Nobara exclaimed "Let's order pizza."
"Alright. Diet coke?"
"Yup." she smiled.
"Right. Wait I'll ask if the boys want some pizza."
I walked to the room next to ours and knocked on the door. Yuji opened the door. His hair was still wet from showering. I could see Kento-san sitting on the far end of the room, reading. And Megumi playing a game on his phone, sitting on the floor.
"Ah! Y/N-san."
"Do you guys want pizza?" I asked.
"Yes please." Yuji said. "I'm starving."
"Alright. How about you guys?".
Megumi gave a thumbs up then went back to his phone.
"Do they have other food in there?" Kento-san asked, walking to where Yuji and I were standing.
"Hmm," I scrolled through my phone "Garlic bread and soup?" I looked up at him.
"Perfect." he nodded.
"Alright." I tapped on the "order" button on my phone. "Should we eat here later?"
"We can eat in your room, Y/N-san. Just call us when the food is here." Yuji smiled.
"Okay. I'll see you guys later."
Back in our room, Nobara was watching some gameshow on the television.
"The pizza is on it's way" I told her. Then I went to one of the beds and threw my body onto it "Ah.. This bed is nice."
"Y/N-san," Nobara crawled onto the other bed "Tell me about you and Nanami-san." she smiled.
I rose half of my body to look at her "What do you mean?" I chuckled.
"Well, you know. Like, how you met and how you guys get together." she chuckled.
"There's nothing to tell, Nobara."
"Aww. C'mon Y/N-san," she hopped on the bed. "I'm in the mood for this kind of stuff."
"What kind of stuff?"
"You know. The love and relationship stuff."
"What do you mean love and relationship stuff?" I asked "Wait, do you happen like someone?"
She crossed her arm "Well. I don't know." she was flustered "That's why I want to hear your story first. How did you know that you like him? How did you know if he likes you back?"
I tried to divert the conversation "Whoa. Who is it? Who'd you like?"
"I told you I don't know if I like them or not."
"Well who is it?" I leaned to her "I promise I won't tell anyone." I grinned.
Nobara seemed reluctant at first, but then she chuckled and whispered a name into my ear.
I was a little shocked to hear her answer. But I kept my cool. "Hmm. I see."
"Well," Nobara starred at me "That's it? What do you think?"
"You have good taste." I told her and chuckled.
She laughed, then said "Okay now it's your turn."
I haven't had a conversation like that for so long. Nobara is a really nice kid. She reminded me a little of my former classmate. It felt nice to talk to her. Just the two of us. "Girls talk" was what she called it. We had a really nice girls talk that night.
After what seemed like an hour, the pizza finally came. We ate in our room, sitting on the floor in circle. Kento-san took the opportunity to deliver the plan for the following day. That night ends at exactly ten pm. After that the boys went back to their room and we got ready for bed.
"Y/N-san," Nobara said as I turned off the light "This has been really fun."
"Yeah?" I smiled "You realize that we're on a mission right?"
"It's a fun mission." she chuckled "So far at least. It's like we're one big family. Eating together like that."
"Do you miss your family?"
"No way. I think the family here is better."
-
That night I dreamt of terrible things.
Before me I saw the scene of my dying friend once more. But instead of her, it was Nobara. Then I heard an explosion. Pieces of broken walls everywhere. Then amongst them I saw Kento-san and Yuji, lying there, lifeless. Then everything turned into a spiral. I was sucked into it and it felt like I couldn't breathe.
Then I woke up. The sunlight was peeking from the corners of the window's curtain. It was six am.
This is going to be a long day I thought to myself.