After the incident with the kid at Sendai, he was transferred to our school with me and Megumi. I was in the student lounge baking brownies for my family since I felt like visiting them. I'm pretty sure my brothers missed me, or that's what I hoped.
Ding!
The timer went off, and I pulled the brownie tray out of the oven. The sweet chocolate smell of brownie filled the air. The rich steam danced in my nostrils, and I couldn't wait to eat them.
Creak
I heard the door opening from the front of the room. Turning my head, I saw it was the sweet tooth Gojo. "Hi sensei. Why're you here? Weren't you with the new kid?" I grabbed the knife and started slicing the brownie into bite size chunks.
My eyes shifted from him to my brownie.
Gojo had his hands behind his back as he swayed his body around. "I came here to praise my best student—" I knew this cheap trick. He's been around me for far too long that it won't fool me again.
"Where's my 15%? My baking isn't for free, you know that right?" I whistled out the obvious, quickly placing them in a container and slipping it in my bag.
He clasped his hands together and begged on his knees. "Pretty please? I get my paycheck next week, then I'll split it with you—"
"I'll see you till then, uncle!" I ran out the room before he could try to play the victim card on me.
Making my way out of the student lounge, I bumped into Megumi and the boy. "Where are you going?" Megumi asked, staring at the tote in my arm.
"I'm going to see my family!"
"Then why aren't you covering your hair? Stay here." Megumi jogged to his room to grab one of his hats again. He's been on my ass ever since we retrieved the boy. It's probably because he's scared to lose me on the battlefield.
Then I forgot that I never introduced myself to the boy. "Hi, I'm Ozaki Kana. Just call me Kana."
"I'm Itadori Yuji!" He brightly said, and I knew I would get along with his upbeat personality.
We firmly shook hands.
Itadori's nose twitched as he smelled the air. "Is that brownie I smell?"
It surprised me that Itadori has a keen nose. Was he a foodie? Could he detect any aroma and attach it to an image?
"Yes! How did you know?" My eyes filled with delight, shining just like stars in the night sky. No one could ever tell what I baked on campus except Gojo since he's always snooping for sweets to eat. Megumi was bad at guessing. For him, all cakes taste the same; all cookies taste the same.
Itadori described the aroma and the small details which differentiated from other pastries. He seemed knowledgeable about baking.
"Ahem!"
Another voice broke our deep conversation as we turned heads to Megumi, who was standing a few feet away from us. In his hand, he had a black cap for me.
"You're back!" I skipped over to his side with a smile.
Megumi placed the hat on my head as it firmly stayed. It hugged my head just right. "Wear this." Gazing at his face, there was a peaceful look. Was it joyful for him to pick out hats for me to wear out in public? If that made him less stressed then cool. I love seeing him at ease.
"Thanks, Megumi! You didn't have to, but I appreciate it. Why don't you take a brownie?" I took out the brownie container and opened it for him to take.
"It's alright, I'm good." Megumi declined, shaking his head. I swear he never tried out the stuff I bake. I make it for myself to eat, sometimes the second years, and most often because of Gojo since he's a sweet fanatic.
"That's fine... Itadori, you can have some too!" I know he'll appreciate this instead of Megumi. I can't force him to eat if he doesn't want to. That's different from dragging him on my friendly dates because the boy loves to be at home than exploring the world.
"Oh thanks!" Itadori grabbed a piece, eating it instantly. "Ou! It's very moist... I love the texture of it."
My heart swelled; a content smile drew my lips higher. Itadori is a dessert person. His taste buds knew what's good, and I respect him now. I couldn't contain my excitement that I unconsciously placed a hand on his shoulder. "Wow! I can't believe you noticed the subtle difference!?"
"I changed my mind. Let me have one," Megumi came in between me and Itadori, parting us from each other as he reopened the lid. His delicate fingers grabbed a small chunk and threw it in his mouth like candy. His jaw moved as it broke down the fluffy dessert.
Did he get annoyed by us talking about sweets? Megumi's acting odd lately. He's a mysterious person that I cannot understand still. "How does it taste?"
Megumi finally gulped, taking his time to answer as it felt like I'm going to get a big fat disapproval. "...it's good," His neutral expression was the same, but I can't force him to show it if he doesn't want to. It hurts my soul to hear him praise me without a charming face.
"Great! I should get going. I'll see you guys later," I waved, exiting the area.
Walking to my parents' house, I passed by an alley where I caught a few figures looming over a person. I did a double take and stepped back to look again. The goodness in my heart couldn't walk past if a person needed help from bullies. Squinting my eyes, my vision cleared, spotting three teenager boys against a frail boy the same age as them. It boiled my blood to see people getting bullied still. I can't understand how bullying someone can be so fun?! They're sick people and should be facing their karma—I'll be their karma.
"Hey!" I shouted at the three boys, marching over to them. I'm not like these bystanders who're letting this innocent boy get hurt. People don't understand that bullying can scar a person's mental health for a long time. It's not an easy road to recover when all the person thought about was revenge.
"Oh, is she your friend?"
"I didn't think he had a hot friend like her,"
The boys were creeps. Although they gave me the chills, I wasn't going to let that affect me at all. As a sorcerer, my strength was a little bit higher than an average human so I won't hold back. I don't care.
"G-go away...!" The boy on the ground meekly yelled. He sounded like a puppy trying to cry for help, but its cry was too quiet to be heard. His longish black hair covered his right side of his face while his left eye was only visible.
My heart ached by the sight of the weak boy. I'll be his hero even if it means visiting my family late. I threw my tote to the ground and began cracking my knuckles. "You roaches need to be taught a lesson..." Normally I wouldn't pick fights, but this was for a good cause.
"I don't fight girls—"
One of them stopped mid-sentence when I rushed at him with my fist clenched and aimed to his stomach. I can't use too much strength or else he'll explode into small pieces. I don't want Gojo to chase me.
"GAK!" He choked out, losing all air in his body from my raw strength. His body lifted off the ground, and I smiled in satisfaction. Payback really hurts.
I leaped back and stared at the other two guys behind the one I punched. "So... who's next?" I clicked my tongue in a delinquent manner. This reminded me of the old days when I watched Megumi brawl a lot in junior high. The students at his school respected him out of fear.
"I-I'm good!"
"Y-yeah same!"
They picked up their friend on the ground and scrammed as they should.
I chase behind them to scare them even more. "Hey, bother this boy again, and I swear I'll hunt you down!" I threatened in annoyance, watching their figures disappear in the crowded street of Tokyo.
Grabbing my tote bag, I swung it over my shoulder and walked to him. "Hey, why didn't you fight back?" I crouched down to his level as he leaned against the unsanitary wall in this alley. "Isn't it tiring to let it happen to you?"
The boy sighed heavily, avoiding eye contact with me. "You won't understand. Even if I did fight back it's useless. I'm only one person, whereas they can gang up on me." His soft voice was filled with deep depression. I can't imagine the trauma that he must have gone through. His bright future could possibly be bleak if this goes on.
"I know my words aren't much, but learn self defense in order to protect yourself. Never let them break you; show them how you can thrive and become a stronger person in this." A gentle expression casted on my face, as I reached out and pushed his long bangs aside.
Just when my fingertips lifted a hair strand, he shuttered and turned his whole body away from me. He looked so afraid. What did the bullies do to him?
"Hey... Don't be afraid. I don't discriminate," I spoke in a benign manner, allowing him to know that I'm not a threat. "I saved you because you were calling for help when others wanted to turn a blind eye." I cautiously touched his rough hands and held it in mine. "Your skin may not be soft, but it shows you're a survivor." My thumb rubbed the back of his hand. "You can evolve and become a fighter."
Our eyes met for a split second before he ripped away in shyness. His timid state was very cute. I wondered what he's thinking?
My hands let go of his as my left hand began pushing his bangs back so I could see his beautiful face. "Deep down I know you have a good and loving heart." When his bangs were tucked behind his ear, I concealed my surprisement from showing in my eyes. He had a circle burn mark on his forehead. I'm really going to hunt those bullies now... "Don't let them diminish the light inside you." My thumbs swiped over his burn mark to heal it as he was focused on my words. His brown eyes were shining as if he was graced by an angel. "A beautiful person like you should take your life into your own hands instead of letting fate do it for you." I stood up and stuck out my hand for him to grab. "Until we meet again," I pulled him off the ground and walked off to the exit of the alley.
"W-what's your name?!" He shouted, and I stopped in my tracks and turned over my shoulders.
"Kana,"
"I'm Junpei!" This time his voice sounded more light and airy than mottled in his own pool of darkness.
"I hope the next time I see you, you'll be a changed person!"
Finally, I arrived at my parents house.
"Kana's home!" My two little brothers ran over to hug me. Their bodies wrapped around mine as I missed them so much. It's been so long since I've last seen them.
"Hi, Hoshi, Taiga! How are you guys?" Hoshi was the middle child, and Taiga was the youngest child. "How's training going?!" I know Hoshi has been texting me lately about my technique. To me, it seemed like he's struggling with forming his own identity. He doesn't have to be like me.
"I'm good, sister!" Taiga smiled. "Brother and I have been training every day to be just like you!" His enthusiasm was cute.
I ruffled his black hair and then pinched his cheek. "You don't have to be like me. No one is telling you either. Don't use me as an example and burden your shoulders. I'm only like this so you don't have to see me die so soon. I love you two so much that I don't want to leave this world just yet!" I can't have my little brothers be a carbon copy of me, yet I can't stop them pushing themselves nor my parents who want them to be a fine sorcerer in the future. If I didn't have this cursed cycle, then they wouldn't have to feel pressure of any kind on them. Neither would I want them to go through this unknown path of when you're going to die. I would do anything to lessen their stress.
"Come on, mom and dad are waiting for you!" Taiga pulled me inside the house that I used to live in.
The modern, neutral interior still looked the same from a few months ago when I moved out to live on campus.
"Kana, you're finally here!" My parents greeted me warmly as they hugged me. It's been too long since I last saw them.
"Yes, I am! I've brought some brownies that I baked."
"Oh, great! We'll eat it for dessert. Come, let's have some lunch together." My mom gestured to me, and we had a family meal for the first time in forever.
During the home meal I miss, my parents suddenly brought up a topic which made me choke on my food. "So when are you and Fushiguro going to date?" My mom bluntly asked without hesitation.
"Here, sis, drink some water." Hoshi handed me a tall glass of water as I drank it down. The water soothed down my throat.
"Honey, you shouldn't have asked that. You already know Kana doesn't want to have any attachment when she hasn't surpassed 18 yet." At least my dad understood my side more than my mom. He's actually the one who let me train, whereas my mom wanted me to be a regular girl without any knowledge of the jujutsu world. I feel like even if I didn't involve myself in the jujutsu world, my fate would still be the same. I can't escape from this, but I want to change it if I can.
Calming down from her sudden question, I composed myself. "I'm not interested in having a romantic relationship with anyone. The future of mine is in the unknown, so I would rather not have more baggage than I need." Having friends and family to worry about was already heavy on my plate.
Our topic at the dining table changed a lot until we finished lunch.
"Hey sis, can you help me with my technique?" Hoshi asked, and I agreed to help since it'll be a nice way to bond with my brother.
"Sure. What is your technique? I know it differs between siblings." Mine was a third eye illusion technique where I can cast anything to fool my opponent.
"I found out that I can stop any opponents from using their cursed energy for a certain amount of
time!" Hoshi smiled from the thought of being very useful in difficult circumstances. That was a good technique he developed.
"That's awesome! You're going to be one talented sorcerer after me." I'll die without worries for my brothers. My family were strong warriors even if a curse lingers in our blood. Maybe in another lifetime, I can be their sister again.
"Kana, I don't understand you."
"What do you mean?"
We walked to the dojo room for his training.
"You can live a life without having to worry about saving humanity." Hoshi stopped in the hallway and turned to look at me with a serious expression. "You can spend your time exploring the world, living your best life! But you choose to spend it on this... Sis, it hurts me more to know that you might die on a mission," His face stiffened as if he didn't want to cry in front of me.
Placing my hands on his shoulders, I spoke the truth to him with a big smile. "It's because I don't want to die with regret. What's the fun of being normal when I can do both? Be a regular girl with jujutsu abilities. If I am destined to die tomorrow, you will already know I died happily. I wouldn't trade places with you or Taiga." I don't want them to suffer the same path as I did. I had recurring nightmares of dying—losing the people I love because I was too weak. I cried myself to sleep because I hated my life. I asked the heavens why I was born; I was very miserable inside my room when I was younger. I've gotten much better over time of acceptance.
"...if-if that makes you happy then I'll respect that...but promise me that you'll return, or try to return alive." Dark clouds covered his youthful eyes. Although he's very young, he feared for my death and wanted me to come back safe and sound. I can't keep promises that I'm unsure about, but me and I know that I wanted to live another day.
I gave Hoshi a bear hug, letting him know how much I love and care for him. My arms squeezed his body tightly as I felt his bones. "Yes! You and others will be the reason for me to keep on fighting for my life. I have to see my brothers grow up to be fine young men!" I teased, changing the atmosphere. "Come on, let's go inside the dojo."