(The Week After) Golden Week Prequel Preview
The good news is the first chapter is already done!
Unfortunately, the progress on the prequel is currently on pause due to uni, work and me simply writing other things as a bit of a break from it. It is a very long first chapter...
In light of this, I thought it would be a good idea to share a short preview of said first chapter, so you know what to expect! And that's what this is lol enjoy!
Obon in the world of sorcery was a rather busy time. While non-sorcerers commemorated their ancestors, played carnival games and ate street food, curses would crawl out of the woodwork, leaving staff stretched thin all across Japan working overtime to strengthen protective spells, exorcise the horrible creatures that sprout from all the overflowing emotions of those unable to control the energy they produce and protect the most vulnerable that can't protect themselves.
Of course, that only applies to those at the lower rungs of the ladder of Jujutsu Society, so Noritoshi Kamo couldn't possibly understand the sort of stress the rest of the sorcerers of Japan were under. No, his concerns were, weirdly enough, a lot more mundane.
"Hm- is that beef?" he asked, holding a half-eaten takoyaki in between a pair of chopsticks after swallowing a bite. The cook in front of him nodded nervously.
"We got a message from Lord Nagashi telling us to use the traditional recipe," she mumbled, timidly looking away. Noritoshi finished the rest of it in a bite, swallowing before speaking.
"You're new here, right?" he asked. The cook nodded again, her expression even more distressed all of a sudden. "It's alright, just keep this in mind for the future: Father says he likes the traditional takoyaki recipe better than the one with cooked octopus, but in all honesty, he cannot tell the difference."
"R-Really?!" he could hear another cook question in disbelief from their place in front of the grill, before they got glared at by the head of kitchen, which got them to focus all their attention back on turning the takoyaki to cook them fully. Noritoshi went back to speaking to the anxious cook in front of him.
"The reason we hired you was because the last person in your spot was publicly executed for serving him the traditional recipe. He said he could tell because it lacked flavor but that's just what happens when you use beef instead of octopus." When he was done telling the story, the cook looked absolutely mortified. "… Just remake the batch and you'll be fine," he half-heartedly reassured her, before he turned around to go check the yakisoba and almost stumbled on something on the floor.
When he looked down, he found the white fabric of a happi coat with the black emblem of the Gojo clan: three leaf-shaped eyes sprouting from a stem, surrounded by wisteria flowers. When Noritoshi's shin hit the side of his torso, the man stood up. Even standing straight, he was slightly shorter than Noritoshi, pin straight white hair framing a sharp chin, round turquoise eyes and thin long brows. The only thing that evened their heights was the clear quartz crescent moon shaped accessory that held the rest of his hair up in a messy bun.
"Oh, hey, Noritoshi!" he cheerily greeted him, with a glimmer in his eyes that could only be described as childish, which was deeply upsetting to see on a twenty year old man.
"Hello, Mitsuki," Noritoshi coldly greeted back, looking him up and down. He was holding a bunch of cucumbers and eggplants.
"I want to make spirit cow horses!" Mitsuki defensively rushed to explain when he noticed Noritoshi grimacing at him.
"Aren't you supposed to be keeping track of the offerings?" he questioned, annoyed.
"Mami is taking care of it," Mitsuki replied.
"What about the carnival games?"
"Ryo took care of those yesterday!"
Noritoshi rolled his eyes. Of course they did, he thought. Heaven forbid Mitsuki moves a finger for anything.
"And I suppose those will be your offerings?" he added, matter-of-factually, pointing at the vegetables nestled in his sleeves with the chopsticks in his hands. Mitsuki replied with a nod and a sickeningly sweet smile. Noritoshi sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "Just stay out of the staff's way, will you? One of them might be carrying something hot when you make them stumble and drop it on you. Don't get someone executed." He was about to walk around Mitsuki when he said something that made him whip his head back at him.
"Oh, yeah, about that-"
"Hidaka?"
"Yeah…" Mitsuki drawled. Noritoshi groaned before he snapped his fingers at the cook holding the tray of beef takoyaki.
"Put those in a bowl and bring them to the graveyard, please," he requested. "I'll need something in my mouth so I don't bite her head off."
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