~2006~
Sachiko stared at the clouds, her hands clasped behind her head as she used them as a pillow. It was a cold day, which led the girl to seek the sun's warmth, and the grass was the perfect spot to bask. For the past two days, the campus has been relatively peaceful. Besides the first years, everyone was off on missions, leaving them to their own devices. She had spent most of the day off writing a letter to Yui, who had taken extended leave a few weeks after she began at Jujustu High School. She found herself lost for the rest of the afternoon, unsure how to use the rest of the day.
"Do straws have one or two holes?" And with that question, the tranquillity ended. Sachiko glanced at the boy sitting next to her sipping his milk bo, his brown hair brushed back away from his face. Yu Haibara was one of the boys in her year and someone who quickly became her close friend. He was always cheerful and saw the best in life, which Sachiko felt she lacked. Of the three first years, Sachiko and Yu were the pair you saw together the most, but their third wheel was never too far away.
"One, I guess. We didn't say the wall had two holes when that cursed spirit flung you at the wall." Sachiko said as her eyes stared at the sky in thought. She could hear their third wheel sighing from his spot under the tree, gaining the pair's attention. Despite the low temperature, Nanami didn't want to get sunburnt, so he chose to sit away from the pair. Due to their dark uniforms, all they could make out of the boy was his blonde hair and pale face. "Nanami, you don't agree?"
"I'm not getting involved. I was reliving Haibara getting thrown; it was utterly disgraceful." He said, snapping his book closed and standing up to walk to the pair. Yu and Haibara watched his every move curiously. He was mostly quiet and grumpy, but the teen could rant for hours once he got on a roll. "If Sachiko weren't there, then you would be dead. Plain and Simple, so I wouldn't worry about holes in straws."
It was quiet momentarily as they stared at the blonde boy before Yu turned to Sachiko. "I think it's one, too; it just makes more sense," Yu said while Sachiko nodded. Nanami rolled his eyes and began walking back up to the main campus, but Sachiko saw a small smile playing in the corner of his mouth. The pair giggled to each other in satisfaction. Yu stood up and held his hand down to the girl, helping her as the two ran after their classmate.
The three wandered back to campus. Yu and Sachiko laughed at Yu's jokes while Nanami tried his best to stay serious. Sachiko's attention was taken away when she noticed a garden of wilting flowers. Without a word, she broke from the two boys, making them slow their pace as they watched her. She knelt and placed her fingertips across the plants, and they regained their colour as though time had reversed. "Even you have to admit that's cool, Nanami," Yu said, knocking his elbow into the other boy.
"It's cool." He said, agreeing with the brunette. Sachiko smiled as she walked back over to them with a smirk; she placed her fingertip against Nanami's chest. She started teasing him about his compliment, which caused a light blush from the boy as he told her to leave him alone. Yu laughed at them as Sachiko looped her arm through Nanami's as they walked. Nanami turned his head away from her, trying to hide the pinkness of his cheeks as she scrunched her nose in amusement. "Sachiko, this is not professional at all."
"No, Kento, it's not. We are friends, and I am teasing you," She replied, using his first name; he huffed as he slowly began to accept the girl's affection. Sachiko gave a satisfied hum as Yu came and looped his arm through her other arm. It had been a few months since she began, and at first, Nanami was hard to read, but as she dug deeper, she could finally see the soft spot inside him. She was lucky both boys were so kind and accepting, but she kept her secrets close to her heart.
Sachiko had yet to reveal her engagement to Satoru or her Chiyo-based abilities. Both boys came from outside the main Jujutsu world, leaving them oblivious to the politics and family drama of being born into higher families. She was happy to keep them in the dark for a bit longer.
The boys were not dumb by any means. They knew there was more behind her relationship with Satoru. They were not subtle, especially Satoru. So far, Yu had gotten out of Shoko that the pair had grown up together, but she wouldn't spill more. They didn't want to press the black-haired girl, but their curiosity became increasingly unrelenting. They could tell that whatever relationship they shared was a strong one.
The threesome had arrived in the dining hall, and the second years were causing a ruckus after returning from their mission. Yu had his arm around Sachiko's shoulders as they walked in, talking about an American singer the boy had discovered. Rambling on about how she comes out of a cake during the music video, Sachiko just laughed at the ridiculous idea. She could feel his eyes on her. She glanced back, making contact with his blue eyes, but she looked away without acknowledging him.
Satoru turned back to his friends with a disgusted look. He grabbed his drink and took a few sips. Shoko and Suguru just watched the boy, amused by his constant attitude towards his fiance's classmates. Suguru gave a low chuckle, earning a glare from the white-haired teen; he just smiled at him. "Jealously is becoming of you. Makes you seem almost human," He teases as Satoru pokes his tongue out.
"I'm not jealous. She hasn't seen me in two days, yet she ignored me to hang out with those two first years." Satoru explained, making the two others raise their eyebrows. Suguru just shook his head while Shoko rolled her eyes as she pulled out a cigarette and placed it behind her ear in preparation for post-dinner indulgences. Satoru placed his hand over his face as he peaked at the other group, specifically at the black-haired girl, but the serious blonde caught him in the act. "I'm sick of acting like we're not practically in a relationship. It's so hard."
"Gojo, she asked one thing of you. You can deal with it a bit longer. The secret won't last long if you keep making gooey eyes at her." Shoko said as she continued to play with her food. She glanced at the group as they headed straight towards them, holding their plates. "Plus, you haven't even kissed the poor kid. Make a move, dude."
Before he had time to respond, he turned to see Sachiko next to him, looking down at him with a kind smile. He returned it, making Suguru smile at his food before he greeted his underclassman. Satoru pulled her chair out for her so she could sit down. She thanked him quietly and placed half of the extra roll she had gotten from the cook on Satoru's plate. One of her biggest fears coming to Jujutsu High was that she wouldn't know how to interact with others, but she did perfectly well assimilating into a student's life.
The cook had a soft spot for the girl who kept saving his herbs from their demise, which earned her extras, which she would often share with Satoru. She saw it as payback for all the times he snuck her more food during Renho's attempts at putting the growing girl on food restrictions. Sachiko ate quietly while Yu spoke to Suguru. They had noticed that the first year looked up to the curse wielder and spoke to him every chance he got.
"How was your mission?" Sachiko finally asked Satoru as she finished the last couple of bites of her meal. Satoru started telling her all about it, and Shoko even joined in to correct a few twists the boy threw in there. Sachiko kept scolding him, but he defended himself, stating that he was just adding it in to make it more entertaining. Soon, everyone was walking out of the building, going their separate ways to return to their dorm rooms.
Sachiko and Satoru stayed back. Suguru hung back with them, but after a look from Satoru, he waved goodnight and took his leave. "Are you okay? Truthfully, nothing bad is happening, and your classmates are treating you well?" He asked, his brow creasing slightly, which earned a soft smile from the younger girl. She just laughed and nodded as she wrapped her arms around him. She found it cute when he worried for her. He wasn't one to fuss, but when he did, it was genuine and kind.
"I have a few missions with Haibara and Nanami, then a solo one on Friday. They said it was nothing major, but I was requested." She told him as she leant away from him. They began walking back slowly. She turned to him with a smile. "It would be cool if we could go on a mission together. I've yet to see the Satoru Gojo in action."
"I'm pretty impressive, you won't be disappointed." He said, teasing her back. She just pushed his arm slightly. They chatted away, but soon, they reached the path that led them in different directions. When they were children, they sneaked into each other's rooms most nights, but they had yet to do it at Jujutsu High. Sachiko was too scared about being caught by her classmates to risk anything, but even the sneaking around was beginning to weigh on her. "You could come over for a bit."
"Satoru-"
"I know, I know. Don't worry." He said, his voice laced with disappointment. Her lips pulled into a straight line as she felt guilt rise in her chest. She moved her hand to his wrist and gave it a light squeeze, making him look down at her. He bent down and pecked her lips, taking the girl by surprise. A bright blush came to her cheeks as Satoru searched her face. "Goodnight," Without another word, he turned from her with wide eyes and began walking, almost animated, towards his dorm.
Her fingers went to her lips. She wanted the lingering feeling of his lips on her to last forever. Excitement and surprise bubbled in her throat before she let out a squeal and whispered to herself. "What the hell was that Satoru Gojo?"