Uthahime just knows it will be one of those days the moment she realizes she'd overslept her alarm by almost an hour. Still, as she darts around her apartment, trying to get ready, battling nausea and a splitting headache brought upon by a day of drinking, she's almost grateful - at least, in this frazzled state, she has no time to worry about the thrice-cursed latest order from the higher-ups.
She'd hardly had any rest last night, tossing and turning for hours, her mind consumed with heavy thoughts. With every passing moment, the bright and bristling anger that bloomed in her chest upon hearing Principal Yaga's words slowly faded, giving way to an all-too-familiar, suffocating anxiety that felt much like a hand squeezing around her throat. She had no idea what she was going to do to get through this - and that terrified her to her very core.
Glancing at the clock, Utahime swears under her breath and rushes out the door - if she hurries, she'll only be ten minutes late to the morning faculty meeting. She's less than a block away from her apartment when she feels a cold, tiny droplet on her skin and then another, followed by a dozen more - the rain has started. As she rummages through her bag, Utahime notices that her umbrella is missing. Of course, she left it at home, today of all days. Gathering her skirt, Utahime picks up her pace, hoping and praying the rain doesn't get worse.
When Utahime finds herself outside Principal Gakuganji's office, she's utterly out of breath but only seven minutes late to the meeting. Taking a moment to steady herself, Utahime runs her hand through her hair and down her skirt, smoothing out invisible wrinkles. To her surprise, there are no voices coming from the office. Were they waiting for her to start? Confused, Utahime knocks on the door before pushing it open.
"Finally, you are here," Principal Gakuganji says instead of a greeting. He's seated at his desk, focused on a mission assignment document in his hands, with a couple dozen more strewn out on the table in front of him.
Utahime frowns - the Kyoto School has always been short-staffed, but even in the worst times, they've never been expected to handle these many missions. The situation must truly be desperate.
"My apologies, Gakuganji-san," Utahime bows politely, "This will not happen again."
"See that it doesn't," Principal Gakuganji purses his lips and gestures for Utahime to take a seat across from him.
Looking around, Utahime realizes that the second-year teacher, Haruki Oshita, and the third-year teacher, Shiori Yanagi, are absent from the meeting and wonders, distantly, if they'd been sent away on last-minute missions and if, perhaps, she'll be sent away as well.
As if reading her thoughts, Principal Gakuganji puts down the mission assignment and slowly looks up at Utahime. There are deep, dark shadows under his eyes, betraying a sleepless night.
"There are several important things we need to discuss today," he says once Utahime settles in her seat, "Last night, the second-year teacher, Haruki Oshita, was killed on a mission."
Color drains from Utahime's face, and her heart clenches at Gakuganji's words. She wasn't close friends with the second-year teacher, but they were colleagues - just a few days ago, they were discussing lesson plans for the new year, and now… now he's dead. Death was an inexorable part of being a jujutsu sorcerer, and they had to get used to their comrades dying early - or so she'd been taught when she was a student. Only, Utahime could never completely steel her heart, each loss feeling like a knife to the gut.
"Unfortunately, this is not the only bad news, " there's an exhausted edge to Principal Gakuganji's voice, "Despite our best efforts, we have been unable to find students to enroll for the new academic year, so there will be no first-years come April…"
Utahime nods faintly - after their previous conversation, she'd almost expected this outcome. Still, the news is quite distressing - this has never happened in the school's history.
"Which means that starting in April, you will be the second-year teacher," Principal Gakuganji concludes, "Congratulations."
Utahime blinks slowly, processing Principal Gakuganji's words. She's very fond of her first-years and would love to teach them again as second-year students - and yet, given the circumstances, she feels no happiness about her new appointment.
"Since we'll have fewer students," Principal Gakuganji says, distracting Utahime from her thoughts, "We'll have to put the utmost care into their education. As such, I will be personally reviewing the second and third-year curriculums. Please submit your proposed curriculum by this Friday."
Utahime frowns - Principal Gakuganji has never been this hands-on with the day-to-day of teaching, and she isn't particularly fond of this change. But perhaps, his involvement is not completely unwarranted, given the circumstances.
"As you say, Gakuganji-san," Utahime nods, folding her hands in her lap.
"I'm counting on you," he replies, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "This is a big change, and we have no choice but to adapt."
"I'll do my best," Utahime promises earnestly.
Principal Gakuganji studies her for a moment, his expression unreadable.
"Very well," he finally nods, "You may go now."
Utahime doesn't need to be asked twice - she has a lot of work to do. She's almost in the doorway when, suddenly, Principal Gakuganji speaks again.
"One last thing…" he says, "I am assuming you have been informed of the latest order?"
Utahime can hardly suppress a shudder as the cold wave of anxiety uncoils in her chest yet again. With all the news she just received, the last thing she wanted to think about was this order.
"I have," Utahime replies, even-toned, despite the suffocating dread creeping up her throat, "Yaga-san informed Shoko, Mei Mei, and me yesterday."
"Good," Principal Gagkuganji nods, picking up a mission assignment document from his desk, "In that case, I have only one piece of advice to give - do not delay with your decision. It's in your best interest."
Unquelled anger, bright and burning, bristles inside Utahime at his words. "Make sure you don't delay"? That's his advice? He should have said nothing. The order was an abomination - a ridiculous, inappropriately invasive idea that could only appeal to some old creeps who were painfully detached from reality. When she became a jujutsu sorcerer, Utahime fully expected that one day she might have to lay down her life for the mission. What she didn't expect - and never agreed to - was to be forced into a pseudo-marriage arrangement concocted by the higher-ups with the sole purpose of forcing jujutsu sorcerers to have more children.
Still, as angry as she is, Utahime knows better than to reveal her true thoughts to someone like Principal Gakuganji, who's always been a staunch traditionalist. Instead, she only nods politely, then excuses herself and heads straight to her classroom.
Settling at her desk, Utahime pulls out her planning notebook from one of the drawers. Creating an entirely new curriculum for second-year students is a complicated, time-consuming task, but Utahime feels almost grateful - at least, if she's busy, she'll have less time to dwell on her anger - or her worries.
Still, even as she tries to focus on planning the lessons, Utahime struggles to completely push away the anxious thoughts swirling in her head. She trusts few people - and even fewer enough to let them into her home, so the prospect of sharing her living space with someone for a year terrifies her.
Mei Mei was right, of course - the only way to avoid any issues would be to find someone trusted, someone she could form an "understanding" with - but how was she supposed to do any of that when she didn't even know where to start looking? And, even if she were to find someone who she trusted and who agreed that the order was an abomination, the very prospect of having a conversation regarding their unfortunate roommate arrangement feels so embarrassing, it's almost mortifying.
Utahime shakes her head, trying to chase away the distracting thoughts. Gakuganji has given her an enormous task - one she has no chance of finishing if she keeps getting sidetracked. Closing her eyes, Utahime takes a deep, shaky breath to calm her mind, then another. The cold grip of anxiety around her throat loosens slowly as she opens her eyes. With a resolute sigh, Utahime pulls her planning notebook closer and tries her best to focus on her assignment.
A few hours later, she hasn't quite completed as much of the curriculum as she'd hoped, but at least she's made a good start - and on a day like this, it's undoubtedly a win. Still, all the work was not without consequence - her splitting headache has returned with a vengeance, making fluorescent lights in the classroom feel entirely too bright. Quickly glancing over the notes, Utahime closes her notebook - she needs a break. Pushing herself to work through this won't do her - or the curriculum - any good.
Fresh air has always helped with her migraines, but before heading to the school's gardens, Utahime decides to stop by the vending machine on the first floor to pick up a snack.
As she walks through the corridors, a strange, uneasy feeling creeps up her spine. With the students gone for the break, the school feels eerily quiet and empty, almost soulless. Since they couldn't find any first-years, there will only be four students, two second-years, and two third-years. And what if something was to happen to any of them? No, she doesn't even want to think about it.
To Utahime's chagrin, the vending machine is mostly empty. The only options remaining are a few sugary snacks and a bag of chips that look stale even through the package. With a sigh, she drops a couple coins into the machine and selects the chips - she cannot stand sweets.
Grabbing her bag of chips, Utahime quickly makes her way to the exit and out into the gardens. The rain has finally stopped, but the dark clouds still hang low over the school's campus. The air smells of grass and rich soil, and when Utahime takes a deep breath, her headache almost seems to disappear.
As she follows a garden path, Utahime notices an almost dry bench, protected from the rain by the lush canopy of trees above it. Settling down on the bench, Utahime pulls out her phone to check the time. She desperately wants to call Shoko - after the kind of day she's had, she needs to hear her friend's voice. Shoko was the one person Utahime felt she could always share her grievances with - and at the moment, she had an awful lot of those.
Unfortunately, it's only two in the afternoon, which means Shoko's shift won't end for another three hours. Still, Utahime's finger hovers over Shoko's name in the contact list - perhaps, she'll get lucky, and Shoko will have a rare free moment. Before Utahime can call her, however, she's suddenly distracted by an obnoxiously loud sound of a can opening.
As Utahime looks up, she sees none other than Satoru Gojo walking down another garden path, drinking one of those unbearably sweet sodas he loves so much. Suppressing a sigh, Utahime wonders if she'd unwittingly done something to invoke the wrath of some higher power - why else would Gojo, of all people, appear at Kyoto High on a day like this?
Utahime wants to ignore him. She's fairly certain he hasn't noticed her yet - it would be so easy to pretend she saw nothing and just head back to her classroom. Only she cannot do that. The last time Gojo paid a visit to Kyoto High, he decided to play a prank - the kind of prank that almost gave Principal Gakuganji a heart attack and resulted in a strict order to all the faculty members not to leave Gojo unsupervised on the school's grounds. Taking a deep sigh, Utahime gets up from her seat and heads towards Gojo.
"What are you doing here?" she says instead of a greeting.
Gojo stops in his tracks, then turns around to face her. His black sunglasses slide a little down his nose, and she notices a glimmer of amusement in his eyes as he flashes her a bright, condescending smile.
"It's lovely to see you too, Utahime," he says, "Had I known you missed me so much as to personally come out to greet me, I would have stopped by sooner."
"I wasn't here to greet you," Utahime bristles, already irritated, "I was just… Nevermind. You haven't answered my question."
"I'm here to see the old man," Gojo shrugs, "I have something to hand over to him."
Utahime frowns - Principal Gakuganji never mentioned Gojo that morning, which is a little surprising given the circumstances of his last visit to the school.
"Does he expect you?" she asks, crossing her arms before her.
"He does," Gojo nods, but Utahime's unconvinced.
"I'll walk with you to his office," she says. Accompanying Gojo is the last thing she wants to do, but Principal Gakuganji would be furious if she left him alone, only for him to pull another prank.
"Oh?" Gojo smiles brightly at her, and Utahime knows he's already twisting her intentions in his head.
"It is bad manners to leave guests unattended," she says, even-toned, but Gojo isn't listening.
"You know, if you want to spend time with me, you need only ask," his voice is almost dripping with honey, "There's no need to come up with all these excuses."
Utahime rolls her eyes - she's exasperated and utterly annoyed, but with the day she's had, she decides that some battles aren't worth fighting.
"You keep telling yourself that," she replies as they make their way to the school.
Surprisingly, on the way, Gojo only manages to annoy her once - when he insists she absolutely must try some of the new sweets he's gotten, even though he knows she cannot stand candies. As they reach the office, Utahime knocks on the door, hoping desperately that Principal Gakuganji isn't busy - she has no desire to entertain Gojo any longer than she must. Mercifully, the door opens almost instantly, and Principal Gakuganji emerges in the doorway.
"Hello, old man," Gojo says unceremoniously. Utahime barely suppresses a frustrated sigh - he's never learned to have respect for his elders.
"Gojo?" Principal Gakuganji sounds almost surprised, "We weren't expecting you for a few days…"
"Change of plans," Gojo shrugs nonchalantly, then reaches into his jacket pocket and produces a small rectangular box, "Here - Yaga said you need to watch out for…"
"I don't need you - or Yaga - to lecture me on how to handle cursed objects," Principal Gakuganji snaps, "I have more experience as a jujutsu sorcerer than both of you combined."
Utahime wonders distantly about the cursed object in the box but, after a momentary consideration, resolves that she's better off not knowing.
"Well, suit yourself," Gojo replies, even-toned.
"If this is all, I need to get back to work. It's a busy day, and I've got no time for idle chatter - too many things to do," Principal Gakuganji says, then looks to Utahime, "Speaking of which, I was about to go look for you."
"For me?" Utahime echoes, surprised.
"Yes," Principal Gakuganji nods, "I needed to speak to you. Naoya Zenin contacted me a little while ago…he's requested you as his match. Since he's a special grade one sorcerer, I will have to register your union based on his request, but I just wanted to let you know before I do that."
Suddenly, it is as though there isn't enough air in the room, and Utahime feels her heart drop in her chest as her head spins. Utahime stares at Principal Gakuganji in stunned silence, her mind still struggling to process his words. How is this possible?
She'd only met Naoya Zenin once when he visited the school on some clan business. He interrupted her at the training grounds as she was practicing the steps and movements of her cursed technique. The way he looked at her, the way he spoke to her made Utahime feel uneasy - almost unclean.
Between that encounter - and the awful things whispered about the Zenin clan, Utahime would have loved nothing more than to stay as far away from him as possible. And now he's requested her to be his match…
Utahime clenches her fists, looking at Principal Gakuganji. Anger, bright and bristling, uncoils in her chest as her heart beats staccato and bitter tears threaten to well in her eyes. She's furious - furious at the higher-ups and their perverse order, furious at Naoya Zenin for having the audacity to request her as his match, furious that she isn't allowed to refuse him, furious at Principal Gakuganji for deciding to tell her all of this in front of none other than Gojo, leaving her with no opportunity to privately process these horrifying news, and furious at Gojo for being there…
She cannot hold back any longer - she will tell Principal Gakuganji what she thinks of this abomination of an order, of this whole damned system. However, before she can get a word out, Gojo intervenes.
"I'm afraid that would not be possible. You'll need to tell Naoya Zenin that he'll have to find someone else," he says calmly, but there is a slight edge to his voice that Utahime hasn't heard before, "You see, Utahime here is already spoken for. By me."
Caught off-guard, Utahime stares at Gojo wide-eyed, trying to process his words. The odd entangling of anger, anxiety, and shock makes her mind feel sluggish and foggy.
"You cannot interfere with a set arrangement," Principal Gakuganji frowns, turning to Gojo.
"Are you sure about that?" Gojo chuckles, staring Gakuganji straight in the face, "And besides, you said you haven't registered it yet."
"Very well," Principal Gakuganji relents after a momentary silence, "Since you are special grade, you have a superior claim. I will register you two accordingly. Now, if you excuse me, I have to get back to work."
The loud thud of the office door slamming closed breaks Utahime free of the strange trance that fell upon her.
"What the hell was that?" Utahime hisses, turning to Gojo.
"You didn't really think I was going to let anyone else have you, did you?" A slight smirk tugs at Gojo's lips as he tilts his head to the side, studying Utahime's face, and she badly wants to slap him. Just who does he think he is?
"You sure have some nerve," she replies, taking a step towards him. Gojo seems to read her intent and catches her wrist before she's even had a chance to raise her arm. His hand is large and calloused against hers, but his hold is not ungentle.
"Is that the thanks I get for helping you?" he laughs.
"Helping me?" Utahime echoes angrily, trying to free her arm from his hold.
"Yeah," Gojo drawls lazily, looking her in the eye, "I'm sure you're aware that Naoya Zenin is a known creep."
Utahime knows that, of course - and she's glad to be rid of him. Still, given Gojo's talent and propensity for driving her up the wall with his idiotic words and antics, living with him hardly sounds like the better option.
"And to help me, you simply had to make it so that I'm stuck with you for a year?" Uthaime bristles.
"Isn't it great? I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun." Gojo chuckles, seemingly oblivious to her fury, "I'd love to stay and chat - but, unfortunately, I have to go. I'll be seeing you soon, Utahime."
His grip on her wrist loosens, and between a heartbeat and the next, Gojo's gone, leaving Utahime reeling.
the course of true love (never did run smooth)
Pairing: Geto/Shoko, Gojo/Utahime
Rating: M (eventually)
Chapter 2
Summary: forcing two jujutsu sorcerers to live together is a dangerous game. Shoko and Utahime are just hoping to make it through the year - the last thing either expects is to fall in love
The late evening train to Tokyo is quiet and empty. Breathing a sigh of relief, Shoko settles in a seat by the window, resting her forehead against the cold glass. She's nursing a splitting headache - chasing the wine with all that whiskey wasn't the wisest decision, but the news they received from Principal Yaga called for a strong drink.
They hadn't spoken of the new order the entire evening - and for that, Shoko was grateful. All she wanted was to enjoy what was left of her day off - there would always be time to worry about the whims of the higher-ups later. Still, the news weighed heavy between them, filling the very air in the room with prickling unease. Shoko could see it in the way Mei Mei busily typed away on her phone - no doubt plotting and planning her next move. She could feel it in the nervous edge in Utahime's voice, in how she held onto her almost too tightly when they hugged goodbye.
"Try to get some sleep," Shoko murmured as she hugged Utahime, "I'll call you tomorrow right after work. Who knows, perhaps we'll luck out, and those old geezers will all drop dead overnight. Then there will be nothing to worry about."
"If only we could be so lucky," Utahime chuckled mirthlessly, "Text me when you get home."
Feeling another wave of her migraine come on, Shoko closes her eyes. When she first learned of the new order, she felt no anger or fear, only annoyance. The higher-ups could always be relied upon to make a bad situation worse, but this decision was a new low, even for them. The order was stupid, plain and simple. Even if there were no first-year students at Kyoto or Tokyo schools this year, the situation certainly wasn't dire enough to call for such drastic measures. Surely, if they scoured more remote villages in the countryside, they would have been able to scrape together enough young sorcerers to fill up the incoming class.
But, instead, they decided to do this.
Shoko sighs, frustrated. As if she isn't already busy enough, now she has to waste her time searching for an unwanted roommate. Like Mei Mei, Shoko has no intention of participating in the lottery - there's no way she'd ever want to share an apartment with a stranger - which left her with…limited choices. Still, with her headache snaking around her head like a lead circlet, the last thing Shoko wants to do is to try and make a mental tally to figure out which one of their friends she could tolerate the longest. Besides, she's far too tired to worry about anything.
Who knows, maybe by the morning, the old geezers will have a rare moment of clarity and see the mess they've created. Then worrying would be completely pointless.
When the train finally pulls into the Tokyo station, it's well past midnight. Shoko's utterly exhausted, her headache's almost unbearable, and - to make matters worse - she has just missed the last bus.
The late March night is clear and cold. Shivering in her rather light outfit as she waits for a taxi, Shoko desperately wishes for a smoke - cigarettes always made her feel warm, even in the bitterest winter. Shoko shakes her head with a resolute sigh, chasing away the thought - no, she cannot, she'd promised Utahime she'll quit smoking.
By the time Shoko stumbles into her apartment, it's almost two in the morning. Falling straight into her bed, she texts Utahime and sets her alarm. With a deep sigh, Shoko checks the time, then silences her phone and sinks into her pillows. She only has four hours to sleep, so if any of those idiots get injured, they are on their own until the morning - whatver happens, she isn't getting out of this bed until her alarm goes off.
The room is still dark when Shoko's awoken by the insistent buzzing of her phone. Blindly, Shoko reaches for the nightstand to hang up the call, but to her chagrin, she cannot locate her phone. Frustrated, she pulls a pillow over her head and turns to the other side - if she ignores it long enough, surely the caller will give up. Her phone finally quiets down a few moments later, and Shoko sighs, content.
Just as she almost falls back asleep, the phone buzzes again. Exasperated, Shoko reaches for the nightstand again and, this time, miraculously, manages to grab it. In the darkness of the room, the screen light is bright enough to blind her momentarily, and Shoko instantly feels her headache return with a vengeance. Anger bubbling in her chest, Shoko's about to turn off her phone completely when she notices the caller's name.
The person calling her isn't Principal Yaga - it's Haibara. Shoko frowns - he's always been polite and friendly and never bothered her unnecessarily, so this must be serious. After momentary consideration, Shoko decides to answer - after all, just because she picked up doesn't mean she'll get out of bed.
"Ieiri-san, thank goodness you picked up," Habiara says hastily, "Sorry about the late-night call, but we really need your help at the clinic."
"Is someone dying?" Shoko scowls, throbbing pain pulsating in her temples, "Because if they are, tell them to die slower - I'll be at the clinic in a few hours when my shift starts at seven."
"It's Geto-san. He's…" Haibara starts.
"Are you calling Shoko?" she hears Suguru's voice distantly, "I told you there's no need to bother her - I just need some bandages."
"But you've already bled through the ones we just applied," Haibara protests ardently, "I don't think you should…"
"It will be alright," Suguru replies calmly, this time closer to the phone, "The bleeding's almost stopped, I think."
Though Suguru may be able to fool others, he cannot fool Shoko - she knows him all too well. A slight raspy edge to his voice, a small strain, makes an uneasy feeling uncoil in Shoko's chest. He's lying about the extent of his injuries to stop them from worrying - again.
"How bad is it?" Shoko asks, scrambling out of bed and pulling on her clothes. The silence that stretches on the other end of the phone tells her more than words ever could.
"Please come quick," is all Haibara says when he finally speaks.
"I'll be right there," Shoko promises.
Haibara had been right to call her. The sight of Suguru seated on the exam table slumped against the backrest makes Shoko's stomach churn. His skin is pale even against the white of the bandages across his middle, and deep red stain blooms through the fabric of the dressing, spreading all too fast.
"We have to change these again," Haibara says, rummaging through one of the drawers in search of more bandages, then looks up and notices her, "Ieiri-san! Thank goodness you are here."
"Shoko," a slow, dazed smile spreads across Suguru's lips when he looks at her. His gaze is unfocused, and he appears almost drowsy from the blood loss, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…"
"Not a word," Shoko cuts him off as she approaches the exam table.
A closer look at Suguru makes Shoko's heart clench. His face is bloodless, his eyes - hazy, and disheveled strands of his hair cling to the sheen of sweat on his skin. His breath is ragged and labored, and when Shoko listens for his pulse, all she hears is a faint, unsteady rhythm.
"When did you change these?" Shoko asks, looking at Haibara.
"It couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes ago," Haibara replies, and Shoko frowns. That's not good at all.
"I'll need to take off the bandages to check on the wound," she turns to Suguru, who only hums in response and closes his eyes.
In her line of work, Shoko's always prepared for the worst - and yet, somehow, the sight under the bandages is almost worse than anything Shoko had expected to see. The wound on Suguru's side is lacerated and cross-cutting, as though something had taken a chunk of flesh out of him with jagged teeth. With an injury like that, it's a miracle he'd made it back to the school at all.
"What happened?" Shoko asks Haibara, who's standing on the other side of the exam table, his face full of worry.
"We were on a mission to recover a certain cursed object - Principal Yaga assigned this task to me alone, at first, but then he'd received a report that a special grade curse had been spotted in the area, so he asked Geto-san to accompany me," Haibara explains, looking at Shoko, "If he didn't, I wouldn't be here - that special grade curse was on a completely different level. Geto-san had almost exorcized it, but it managed to seize a child who had been hiding in the abandoned building since before the fight started and…"
Of course.
Shoko sighs - this would not be the first time he risked his life for a child. Suguru's always been kind, caring, and protective toward kids, so when he decided to become a teacher at Jujutsu High a few years after graduation, his choice surprised absolutely no one. Looking into Suguru's bloodless face, Shoko shakes her head - he can't just die, he has a responsibility to his students.
"He'd exorcised the curse, but not before it managed to… attack him," Haibara's voice distracts Shoko from her thoughts.
"Is the kid ok?" Shoko asks, rolling up her sleeves. She's not particularly invested in the child's fate, but she knows all too well that Suguru would blame himself if something happened to him.
"Yes, he's alright - only got a couple of scratches. He was more scared than injured, really."
Shoko nods, watching intently as Suguru's chest rises and falls, his breathing turning shallow. There is no more time to lose. Closing her eyes, Shoko takes a deep breath, stills her mind, and stretches her hand over Suguru's wound.
Reverse cursed energy is cool and prickly against her skin as it flows from her fingertips into Suguru's body, slowly stopping the outflow of blood, patching his wound, and mending his flesh. By the time the sides of the deep, ghastly gash finally start closing together, Shoko's almost completely drained of energy and has to steady herself against the examination table to avoid losing her balance.
She's exhausted, but she cannot stop, not until the wound fully closes. Haibara stands at the other side of the examination table, watching Shoko work with a worried gaze. Usually, she'd be annoyed at someone staring at her while she worked, but at that moment, Shoko's almost grateful - at least he can ensure she doesn't faint until she heals Suguru.
When Suguru's wound finally closes over, Shoko is completely wiped. Even though his eyes are still closed, his chest rises and falls evenly, and when Shoko listens to his pulse, she hears a clear, steady rhythm.
"All done," Shoko murmurs breathlessly, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. Her whole body aches - draining all of her cursed energy wasn't the wisest thing to do, but she had no choice.
"Are you alright? You've turned quite pale," Haibara asks, concerned.
"It's nothing," Shoko replies, leaning against the side of the table, trying to catch her breath, "I'm just all out of cursed energy."
Suguru shifts on the examination table, drawing Shoko's attention. His eyelashes flutter momentarily as he slowly opens his eyes.
"Welcome back," Shoko smiles, then adds, "Next time, please make sure to choose a better time to die - I barely got two hours of sleep because of you."
"Sorry," Suguru chuckles lightly as he tries to lift himself on his elbows, "I'll make sure to check your schedule."
"You better," Shoko scoffs, crossing her arms before her, "Or else you are on your own."
"I'm almost certain you've said that to me before," Suguru says, leaning against the backrest of the exam table.
"One of these days, I'll make good on my promise," Shoko replies.
"Geto-san, thank goodness you are alright," Haibara says, "How are you feeling?"
"Quite well, all things considered," Suguru smiles, and Haibara's relief is almost palpable, "Thank you for helping me get back to the school."
"Of course," Haibara replies with a smile before suddenly growing serious, "Principal Yaga had asked us to report on the mission as soon as we got back… I should find him before he gets too mad."
"You should," Suguru agrees, "I don't think I can withstand being chewed out by Principal Yaga on top of everything that's happened."
Haibara nods, then smiles at Shoko before disappearing out the clinic's door.
"Just so you know," Suguru says when Haibara leaves, "I am sorry for waking you up. I did tell him to wait till the morning to call you."
"You know, you wouldn't have made it till the morning if I didn't heal you - your wound was fatal," Shoko scoffs, feeling another wave of migraine come on, "Seriously, sometimes I cannot help but wonder how you and Satoru survived this long, given how reckless you are."
"Perhaps, we only made it thanks to you," Suguru smiles, and Shoko cannot help but roll her eyes.
"Don't even try to sweet-talk me, it won't work," Shoko grumbles, patting the pockets of her robe for a pack of cigarettes but finding nothing, "Ugh, where are my cigarettes?"
"I thought you'd quit smoking," Suguru murmurs, confused.
Shoko pauses momentarily, looking at him. She did - or at least she was trying to, but with the kind of night she just had, she knew she wouldn't be able to make it through the day without a smoke.
"I'm trying to, but you lot are not making it easy," she replies, suddenly remembering that there's a pack in the upper drawer of her desk.
"Sorry," Suguru offers, but Shoko shakes her head.
"Save the apologies," she says, walking over to her desk and opening the top right drawer. The pack is right where she expected to find it, but, to Shoko's chagrin, there are only two cigarettes left.
"Very well," Suguru smiles, watching Shoko pulls a cigarette out of the pack, then adds, "Got another one?"
"First, I have to wake up in the middle of the night to save your life, then you ask for my last cigarette… That's quite bold even for you," Shoko scoffs, "But fine - I suppose I'm in a generous mood today."
Tossing out the empty pack, Shoko returns to the exam table and hands Suguru the remaining cigarette.
"Thank you," Suguru says, pulling out his lighter. With a flicker, a small flame is lit, and he cradles it with both hands as he offers it to Shoko.
Sorry, Utahime, Shoko thinks, leaning in to light up her cigarette. She tried to keep her promise to her friend, but after everything that's happened, she desperately needed a smoke.
Taking a long, slow drag of her cigarette, Shoko savors the bitter smoke in her mouth - she's missed this so much. Suguru lights up his own cigarette before putting away the lighter. Distantly, Shoko wonders if, perhaps, they should not be smoking in the clinic - but who's going to stop them?
Silence falls between them, light and comfortable. Shoko closes her eyes, enjoying her first moment of peace that day. She's still nursing a splitting headache and utterly exhausted from having spent all of her cursed energy, but, somehow, now that she has a cigarette in her hands, things don't seem quite that bad.
"Hey, Shoko," Suguru says suddenly, distracting Shoko from her thoughts, "Have you…have you spoken to Yaga yet?"
"No," Shoko shakes her head, "I haven't seen him today. Since your situation was rather dire, I went straight to the clinic as soon as I arrived at the school."
"I didn't mean today - I meant earlier," Suguru explains, then pauses, almost hesitant, before adding, "I was asking if he'd told you about…about the latest order from the higher-ups?"
The question catches Shoko off guard - between the migraine, the hangover, and spending the last few hours saving Suguru's life, Yaga's recent phone call simply slipped her mind.
"He called yesterday to tell me about it," Shoko sighs, almost annoyed at being reminded of that conversation, then frowns, "Wait, how do you know? I thought you were away on a mission yesterday - surely, he wouldn't have called you about something like this."
"Well, he did," Suguru says, taking another drag of his cigarette, "Called us right before we reached our destination, actually."
"I see. And, upon hearing the news, you decided to opt out of this idiotic mess by dying?" Shoko chuckles, looking Suguru in the face, "I respect that."
"Ah, it seems I have been found out," Suguru hangs his head in faux chagrin but cannot stop himself from laughing, "I take it you aren't a huge fan of these new changes?"
"This order is pure idiocy," Shoko shrugs, taking a smoke, "Besides, it's bound to create more problems than it will solve when everyone's at each other's throats in a few months. After all, jujutsu sorcerers aren't the most well-adjusted people on the planet."
"Can't argue with that," Suguru replies, then adds, "But I do think there is a meaning in trying to preserve the sorcerer society."
Suguru's words surprise Shoko.
"Oh?" she raises her eyebrow, amused, "Well, then, I suppose you'll be having a couple of kids before the end of the year? You know, to ensure the "continuation and proliferation of the jujutsu society" - or however those old creeps phrased that order."
"I never said this order is the right way to go about it - or that I intend to make any…material contributions to the "proliferation" of jujutsu sorcerers," Suguru laughs, "I only meant that so long as the curses exist, the jujutsu sorcerers should exist as well."
Shoko hums in response - Suguru isn't wrong. Without the jujutsu sorcerers, the world would be overrun by curses sooner or later.
Suguru is quiet for a long moment, his face focused and pensive as he looks ahead before turning back to Shoko.
"I was wondering, given this order…would you like to move in together?" he says.
Shoko chuckles - Suguru can be so funny sometimes. A moment later, her laughter dies in her throat when she realizes there is no hint of amusement in his eyes. He isn't serious, is he?
"Suguru," Shoko says, perplexed, "Did I forget to check your head? Do you have a concussion I didn't notice?"
"I'm completely serious," Suguru says, looking Shoko in the eye, "Unless you already have other plans, of course."
Shoko blinks slowly, processing his words. Though the offer is sudden, upon reflection, it's not exactly unwelcome. If she accepted it, she wouldn't need to search for an unwanted roommate any further, which would solve a rather pressing problem. Of course, then there would be the issue of actually sharing the apartment with Suguru.
Still, when they lived next to each other in the dorms during their student days, Shoko could hardly remember having any disagreements with him. And besides - they are close friends, after all, so, perhaps, Suguru wasn't such a bad choice. There was no way she'd ever live with the stranger, so whoever she ended up with would have to be someone from their circle. Might as well be him.
Suguru's silent, watching her with intent eyes, and something about the tense line of his shoulders makes him appear almost nervous as he waits for her response.
"Fine," Shoko says finally, and Suguru smiles at her words, "But just so we are clear - I've no intention of continuing this roommate arrangement beyond the year specified in the order. Once that clock is up, I'm heading right back to my own apartment."
"Of course," Suguru chuckles, brushing his hair out of his face, "I know better than to get in your way."
"Great," Shoko smiles, "Then we have an understanding. Do you want to tell Yaga and register us when you see him at some point later today?"
"I think we might need to go together to register - at least, that's how I understood the rules," Suguru replies, putting out his cigarette, "Unless it's a requested match rather than an agreement."
Shoko sighs - she's almost forgotten about the caveat Principal Yaga mentioned, where, under this order, higher-grade sorcerers were allowed to request lower-grade sorcerers as their match, and the lower-grade sorcerers were not allowed to refuse. Leave it to these old geezers to build a creepy system like that.
"Ugh, they just had to make this as inconvenient as possible, didn't they?" Shoko scoffs, then hops off the exam table, "Fine, let's go find Yaga and get this over with."
Pairing: Geto/Shoko, Gojo/Utahime
Rating: M (eventually)
Summary: forcing two jujutsu sorcerers to live together is a dangerous game. Shoko and Utahime are just hoping to make it through the year - the last thing either expects is to fall in love
ao3 link
"I wish you could visit us in Kyoto more often, Shoko," Utahime sighs wistfully, appearing in the kitchen doorway with three bottles of wine in her arms, "This almost feels like one of our student-day get-togethers. Ah, what a time that was!"
Utahime's deep in her cups - she, Shoko, and Mei Mei have been drinking at her apartment since late morning, enjoying the rare day off together - and Shoko cannot help but chuckle when she meets Mei Mei's knowing gaze - Utahime's has always been an overly nostalgic drunk.
"I wish I could come out here more often, too," Shoko says, leaning languidly against the armrest of the couch, "But, thanks to Principal Yaga and certain idiots who seem to think that getting injured on a mission is a requirement, I barely get any days off without getting called back to school to treat someone."
"Just don't pick up the phone when you are not on the clock. The way I see it, if you aren't getting paid, it's not your problem," Mei Mei smiles, taking a drink of her wine, "Perhaps, realizing that they can't always rely on you will teach certain sorcerers to think twice before blindly rushing into a battle."
"I'm not sure there's anything that could get through their thick skulls," Shoko sighs, shifting in her seat to let Utahime settle down on the couch beside her.
"No one's immune to a lesson that's taught the hard way," Mei Mei tilts her head to the side, studying Shoko's face.
Shoko hums, considering Mei Mei's suggestion - perhaps, there's some merit to her words. Utahime shifts in her seat, distracting Shoko from her thoughts, and offers her wine. Though rather tipsy, Shoko doesn't refuse.
"Thank you," Shoko murmurs when Utahime generously fills her glass almost too full. Taking a long, slow sip to ensure it doesn't spill, she continues, "Still, despite all my grievances, I'm grateful at least that I'm only a doctor and not a teacher. With patients, once they are out of the clinic, they are off my hands, but with students, it seems there isn't a single moment when you don't have to worry for them. I don't know how you do it, Utahime."
"Working with students can be very rewarding. And there's never a dull day when you are teaching young sorcerers," Utahime smiles, slumping against the back of the couch, "Though, at times, it could be a little tiring."
"So, it seems you two are in desperate need of a vacation," Mei Mei chuckles, pouring more wine into her glass, "It could be fun to travel together this summer… I'm thinking somewhere warm, with a nice beach."
"I'd love to go to Bali or Malaysia," Utahime sighs dreamily before turning to Shoko, "But you just reminded me of something."
"Huh?" Shoko says, confused.
"When you mentioned the students, I thought of my conversation with principal Gakuganji just two days ago," Utahime explains, "Apparently, we most likely won't have any first-year students this term… Do you know if Tokyo's getting any first years?"
At Utahime's words, Shoko frowns, remembering the faculty meeting she'd been forced to attend a few weeks prior. She used to try to get out of the faculty meetings - after all, she didn't teach, so there was no reason for her to be there - but Principal Yaga always insisted that it was essential for everyone working at Jujutsu High to attend, which left Shoko with no choice but to comply begrudgingly.
Most of the time, these faculty meetings consisted of mind-numbing drivel that Shoko could easily tune out. Still, the one that Utahime's words brought to mind stood out against the rest - she'd never seen Principal Yaga quite as grim as when he'd told them that there would be no first-year students starting at the school come April.
"I thought we were the only ones not getting new students," Shoko places her wine glass on the low table in front of her, "I actually assumed that your school must be getting students since we aren't."
"Well, it's not certain quite yet," Utahime replies, crossing her arms before her, "Principal Gakuganji said they'll keep looking - but with the school year looming so near, I don't think they'll be able to find anyone."
"I suppose this shouldn't come as too much of a surprise," Shoko muses, "After all, the classes have been getting smaller for years - I can't remember the last time we had more than four students at the school at the same time."
"And I thought our grade was tiny since there were only two of us," Mei Mei laughs, brushing her hair out of her face as she leans back in her seat, "But, perhaps, instead, it was way too crowded."
Shoko chuckles, nodding - though there were only three people in her class, Gojo and Geto's antics often made it feel as though there were a dozen. And the only reason they've gotten away with those antics was because even as students, they were as powerful as at least a dozen fully-fledged sorcerers.
Though somewhat concerning, the revelation that neither Tokyo nor Kyoto schools are getting new students is not surprising to Shoko. After all, people who could see cursed spirits were exceedingly rare - and, among them, those with enough cursed energy and enough talent for using cursed techniques to become career jujutsu sorcerers were rarer still.
And, even among those with innate talent and abilities, only some were ready - or willing to take on - the burdens of a sorcerer's life. Looking back, Shoko sometimes wondered if she'd still choose this path if she knew then what she knows now.
"I just hope this will be a one-off year if they don't find anyone," Utahime says, distracting Shoko from her thoughts, "I'd really hate for this to become a…regular occurrence."
"Oh, trust me, it won't," Mei Mei chuckles, leaning against the armrest of the couch and resting her chin on her hand, "If the higher-ups notice the flow of new sorcerers running dry, they'll send Principal Gakuganji and Principal Yaga - and, perhaps, the rest of us too if we are ever so unfortunate - to scour the ends of the earth for new students. And that likely wouldn't even be the worst of it if they ever decide that there just aren't enough sorcerers around."
A shiver runs up Shoko's spine at the thought. Though the higher-ups and their decision were largely unpredictable, one thing was for certain - they could always be relied on to make an already bad situation worse.
"Let's not dwell on such dreadful scenarios," Shoko says decisively, "How about we discuss something less morbid?"
"Like that summer vacation you mentioned," Utahime chimes in.
"Very well," Mei Mei smiles. She gets up from her seat and walks over to the couch where Shoko and Utahime are sitting and gestures for them to make space for her, "I want to show you the hotel I stayed at last year when I went to Malaysia - I think you'll like it."
"Can't wait to lie on the beach all day and do absolutely nothing, "Utahime says, shifting over and letting Mei Mei sit between them. Shoko nods in agreement - perhaps, if she's in another country, too far to be called back to the school's clinic in the middle of the night, she'll finally be able to catch up on sleep.
Just as Mei Mei's about to pull up the pictures of the hotel, Shoko's phone rings. She doesn't want to pick up - after all, it's her well-deserved day off - but when she sees the caller's name, an all-too-familiar uneasy feeling uncoils in her chest.
"Who is it?" Utahime asks, frowning as Shoko gets up from the couch.
"It's Yaga," Shoko sighs, downing the remainder of her wine, "Which means one of those idiots has likely gotten into some sort of trouble… I'll be right back."
With that, Shoko heads over to the kitchen. Her phone doesn't stop ringing, not for a moment, and Shoko knows it must be something serious. Taking a deep breath to ward off the uneasy feeling welling in her chest, she picks up the call.
"Took you long enough to answer," Principal Yaga says instead of a greeting, "Are you in Tokyo now? Can you stop by the school?"
"I'm in Kyoto, so it will take at least a few hours before I can make it back," Shoko responds calmly, "Is someone injured?"
Principal Yaga doesn't respond, not for a long moment, and the silence that stretches between them does little to quell her unease.
"Are you with Utahime?" Principal Yaga asks suddenly.
The question catches Shoko off-guard - why does he need to know that? Worrying thoughts swirl in Shoko's head, but she chases them away. Perhaps, it's nothing too serious; maybe they are just getting sent on a mission together…
"Yes," Shoko says, "And Mei Mei's here too."
"I see… Has Principal Gakuganji contacted them yet?"
Why would he? Unless…
"Has someone died?" Shoko asks flatly, unable to stave off her unease any longer.
"What? No, no one's dead; why did you think that?" Principal Yaga replies, clearly frustrated, "I knew this would be easier to explain in person, but since you're in Kyoto, I suppose this will have to do. Can you put the phone on speaker so the others can hear?"
Shoko frowns, confused. If no one's injured or dead, why is he calling her on her day off? What could possibly be so urgent? And why do Utahime and Mei Mei need to listen in on the call?
"One moment," Shoko says, "They are in another room - I'll go there now."
Muting the microphone, she walks out into the living room. Mei Mei and Utahime are still sitting on the couch, scrolling through the pictures of different hotels, their focused expressions betraying just how seriously they take the selection process.
"Is everything alright?" Utahime looks up at Shoko, concerned.
"I'm not sure," Shoko replies, frowning, "The only thing I know is that no one's injured or dead, but whatever it is, it must concern all of us since Principal Yaga asked to include you two on the call…"
"There's only one way to find out," Mei Mei says, and Shoko nods. She approaches the couch, settles down, and, taking a deep breath, unmutes the phone.
"We are all here now," she says.
"Very well," Principal Yaga says after a brief pause, "I will be frank; I do not think there is a way to broach the subject delicately, so I'll get straight to the point. This morning, the higher-ups called for a meeting that Principal Gakuganji and I attended."
Shoko looks up from her phone, her gaze shifting between Utahime, who's hugging her knees close to her chest and nervously twirling the bracelets on her wrist, and Mei Mei, who's lazily leaning against the back of the couch, taking a long, slow sip of her wine.
"As you may know, no new students are enrolling in either Tokyo or Kyoto Jujustu High this year."
Shoko exchanges surprised glances with Utahime and Mei Mei. Is that what this is about? Mei Mei better not have jinxed it - the last thing Shoko wants is to travel to some god-forgotten village in search of potential new students for their school.
"The higher-ups have expressed their concerns regarding what this means for the jujutsu society… Especially since fewer and fewer sorcerers are born every year," Principal Yaga continues.
Mei Mei chuckles airly at these words, and Shoko can only scoff - it is hardly a surprise. Only a union of two sorcerers could guarantee a sorcerer offspring - but unions like that were exceedingly rare, and for a good reason. Jujutsu sorcerers lived hard, short lives that often ended in a horrifyingly macabre manner. Of the many willing to walk this difficult path, few were ready to entrust their hearts to someone else bound to this gruesome fate, and Shoko could not blame them.
For her part, Shoko much preferred dating outside the jujutsu sorcerer community. The secrecy required by their profession all but guaranteed that those relationships would not last, but it's not like Shoko was ever looking for something serious or long-term. She'd gladly do short, meaningless flings all her life if that meant she'd never get a heart-wrenching call in the middle of the night telling her that the person she loved the most had just been ground into a fine paste and smeared around the block by an unexpectedly present special grade curse.
"…And so a decision was made," Principal Yaga says, distracting Shoko from her thoughts, "To ensure the continuation and proliferation of the jujutsu sorcerer society, all unmarried jujutsu sorcerers are to find a match with whom they must form a union that shall last at least a year."
Shoko blinks slowly, wondering if the wine has finally gotten to her head and made her imagine things. To her chagrin, judging by Utahime and Mei Mei's expressions, it seems she heard Principal Yaga correctly.
"You can't be serious!" Utahime exclaims, a bright, angry blush rising high in her cheeks.
"I wish I was, even if this would make for a terrible joke," Yaga replies grimly.
"Huh, now that's something I didn't expect," Mei Mei chuckles darkly, "A puppy mill, but make it jujutsu sorcerers… Those old men really are some twisted creeps."
It is not common for Mei Mei to be this crass, but then again, this is no ordinary situation.
"Don't be rude," Principal Yaga says, but there is no force behind his words, only exhaustion, "And don't twist my words. No one is demanding that any of you have children within the year. The official order only requires that each unmarried sorcerer finds a match - and that they live with that match for at least a year. Of course, ideally, this arrangement will become permanent and will result in children. But, if in a year's time, you no longer wish to live with the person you picked, you are free to leave without suffering any repercussions."
"That hardly sounds any better," Shoko scoffs. There are few things she appreciates in life more than having her own space, and the thought of sharing her apartment with someone for an entire year makes her highly annoyed.
"Another important thing to mention," Principal Yaga says, ignoring Shoko's words, "You are free to pick whoever you want as your match. If they agree, you'll need to come to my or to Principal Gakuganji's office to register your union. There's only one restriction - if someone who is a higher grade sorcerer than you requests you as their match, you cannot decline."
Shoko almost laughs - as it turns out, being a grade one sorcerer was good, at least for something. At least no one could force her into a match.
"Those who have not registered their union by Friday, two weeks from now, will be entered into the lottery for a random draw," Principal Yaga concludes.
"I'd like to clarify - just so there are no misunderstandings," Mei Mei's voice is calm and businesslike, her face focused - however shocked she may have been at Yaga's announcement, she's clearly pulled herself together and was already making plans, "All this new order requires of us is to find someone to live with for the next year - is that right?"
"That's correct," Principal Yaga replies, "But the underlying expectations of the higher-ups are as I discussed. And, since this is an order, new living quarters will be provided to all the couples as well as some extra compensation. With the deadline looming so close, I imagine you have a lot to think about - and I have a few more phone calls to make. Just make sure you don't delay too long."
Silence falls upon the room as soon as the call disconnects. Shoko slumps against the armrest of the couch, resting her chin on the palm of her hands. Whoever cautioned people to be careful of what they wished for was right. As much as she didn't want to be called into work because some idiot got into an avoidable scuffle with a cursed spirit, that would have been much better than whatever just happened.
For the first time in weeks, Shoko almost regrets the promise she made to Utahime to try and quit smoking - the more she thinks of Principal Yaga's words, the more she yearns for a cigarette.
"I need a drink," she says, finally, trying to distract herself from the urge to smoke. Mei Mei nods, then picks up a bottle and pours her a full glass.
"I know we've long suspected it, but this seals it," Utahime's voice is full of anger, and the next thing Shoko knows, she's pacing the room, "Seems these old men have nothing better to do than to torment us. This order is an atrocity!"
"It's quite annoying," Mei Mie offers calmly, "But if you think about it, it's not that bad."
"Not that bad?" Utahime almost hisses.
"As you've heard, all the order really requires is to find someone you can tolerate living with for the next year - and, after that, both of you can be on your merry way. As long as you find someone who views this the same way you do, I'm sure it won't be too difficult to come to an understanding," Mei Mei drawls, taking a drink of her wine, "While the situation is far from ideal, I'm sure an acceptable arrangement is possible."
"Easier said than done," Shoko chuckles. Utahime and Mei Mei were, perhaps, the only people she could fathom sharing an apartment with for an entire year, but, much to her chagrin, that would not be allowed.
"Yes," Utahime agrees, "You are saying it like it's so easy to find someone "tolerable." Have you met most of our colleagues?"
"They aren't all that bad," Mei Mei laughs airily, leaning against the back of the couch, "You just need to know how to look."
Shoko looks at Mei Mei with curiosity, wondering if she has someone specific in mind, but she doesn't ask - the last glass of wine has finally gotten to her head, leaving her very tipsy and a little tired.
"Sure," Utahime scoffs, crossing her arms before her, "And then there's the lottery… Do you think there's any chance that one won't get paired up?"
"There are more male than female jujutsu sorcerers," Shoko says, placing her wine glass on the table, "So, as a woman, I'd say your chances of not getting assigned a match through the lottery are zero."
"Besides," Mei Mei interjects, "Why would you want to leave something like this up to chance? If you get a random match, it's far from guaranteed that the two of you will see eye to eye on what this order means… Which may cause very undesirable issues."
"This order really is a way to cause a short-term demographic problem in an attempt to solve a long-term one," Shoko chuckles darkly, "Given that none of us are exactly above murder. I'll give it a few months before everyone's at each other's throats - let's see what the higher-ups do then."
"All the more reason to pick someone you can tolerate," Mei Mei shrugs, "Getting rid of bodies can be quite cumbersome. Now then, shall we continue looking at the hotels? I liked the first one we saw, but I want to stay somewhere I haven't been before."
"You still want to go on a vacation?" Utahime asks, surprised.
"Of course," Mei Mei chuckles, "Now even more so - given everything we have to deal with, we absolutely deserve it."
Shoko hums appreciatively - she's always admired Mei Mei's eye-on-the-prize attitude. It seemed like nothing could ever sidetrack her from something she really wanted. And, given everything that has just transpired, she could really use a distraction.
"I suppose you are right. "After all, that would be the perfect excuse to get away from those thrice-cursed matches the higher-ups want to saddle us with," Utahime muses momentarily, then looks at Shoko, "Are you in?"
"Of course," Shoko nods. Principal Yaga's words are weighing heavy on her mind, but Shoko pushes them away and smiles, "At this point, I'll do anything that will let me catch up on sleep."
cut all the flowers (can't keep the spring from coming)
Pairing: Geto/Shoko, Gojo/Utahime
Rating: T
Summary: University!AU, in which Shoko and Suguru attempt to play matchmakers for Satoru and Utahime and end up falling in love along the way
ao3 link
Chapter 1
"I didn't know it was possible to be this unbearably pathetic, but Satoru never ceases to amaze," Shoko sighs, impatiently flicking through the pages of her textbook.
"It's not nice to pick on the afflicted, Shoko," Suguru chuckles, leaning against the back of his chair.
"Is that what we are calling it now?" Shoko scoffs, unamused.
"Seems appropriate, given all…this," Suguru smiles lazily, gesturing vaguely in Satoru's direction.
As she watches Satoru pass by Utahime's table for the third time that hour, trying to catch her eye yet again, Shoko can hardly suppress a sigh. They'd been friends since high school, so she's had the misfortune of seeing just how foolish Satoru could get whenever he had a crush on someone - but she's never seen him be down this bad for anyone. Perhaps, Suguru's right - nothing short of a mystical affliction that vanquished every rational thought from Satoru's brain could explain how he'd been acting the last few weeks.
Shoko, Suguru, and Satoru came to the library straight from the dining hall to work on their physics problem set. Satoru had barely gotten through the small stack of chocolate chip cookies he nabbed from the dessert station when he saw Utahime sitting at a low table near vending machines, working on an essay for her history class.
"I'll be right back," Satoru got up from his seat, "My brain needs more sugar."
"I'm pretty sure it hasn't even had the chance to process all the sweets you've downed just now," Suguru replied, but Satoru was already out of earshot.
Shoko could not help but roll her eyes when Satoru stopped right by Utahime's table - a good five feet away from the vending machine - and stood there for five minutes, frowning in a way that would make the onlookers believe he was fighting a life and death battle rather than choosing chocolate over caramels. To Satoru's chagrin - and Shoko's delight - Utahime ignored him.
Shoko thought that was the end of it, but Satoru wouldn't be Satoru if he gave up that easily. For the next hour, he'd made three more forays to the vending machine, trying - and failing - to get Utahime's attention.
"Perhaps, you are right," Shoko turns to Suguru, "And still, "affliction" seems almost too kind for how pathetic this is."
"Well, he is our friend - I have to be kind," Suguru chuckles. Shoko shakes her head - when it comes to Satoru, Suguru's always been way too indulgent.
A satisfied smile blooms on Shoko's lips when Utahime, too consumed by the paper she's writing, ignores Satoru again. That's what he deserves.
The problem set was supposed to take them less than an hour, but due to Satoru's incessant vending machine breaks, they'd barely gotten through half of it, and Shoko's patience was wearing thin. She'd promised herself not to take any smoke breaks until she finished all her homework and was already utterly regretting that promise. If he doesn't hurry up…
"At this rate, we'll be here all evening," Shoko glances at her problem set.
"You've got other plans tonight?" Suguru tilts his head to the side, eyeing her curiously.
"Plans or not, I certainly have no intentions of spending the night at the library."
Satoru's still standing by the vending machine, acting as though the world's fate depends on his choice of a sugary snack, sneaking what he most certainly believes to be discreet glances at Utahime.
"I wish he'd just tell her already," Shoko sighs, frustrated, "This is getting unbearable to watch."
"That would require Satoru to stop being in denial and actually examine his feelings," Suguru chuckles, "And for someone like him, that's a big ask."
Shoko nods - she's never seen someone as deep in denial as Satoru had been for the past few weeks, and it was infuriating. Sure, he may have been a fool - but did he think the rest of them were fools too and couldn't see the obvious signs that he was utterly, desperately smitten with Utahime?
When Shoko and Suguru first noticed Satoru's interest in Utahime, they teased him about it the way friends do. Satoru reacted with righteous indignation, claiming that he's only been spending so much time around Utahime because it was fun to tease her. Shoko could not help but roll her eyes - of course, he'd been acting like a lovesick fool all because Utahime took his jokes a little too close to the heart.
Satoru has always been quite whimsical and impermanent in matters of the heart - Shoko couldn't remember him remaining interested in the same girl or guy for longer than a few weeks - but it seemed, this time, things were different. Suguru thought Satoru's fascination with Utahime began right after they came back from the summer break, but Shoko was confident that it started way earlier, during their first year - it just wasn't quite as obvious back then.
"And besides," Suguru continues, distracting Shoko from her thoughts, "Didn't you say that you liked seeing him squirm?"
"I like watching Satoru get embarrassed," Shoko corrects, "What I don't enjoy is getting embarrassed on his behalf - and I think we've just crossed into that territory."
"Aren't you kind," Suguru laughs, pushing his bangs out of his face.
"Must be your good influence, Suguru," Shoko half-smiles, reaching over and patting his forearm, "You should be proud."
"Such high praise, coming from you," he chuckles, "I will cherish it forever."
Over by the vending machine, Satoru finally makes his selection. From what Shoko can see, it's the same chocolate he got during his last trip there - and the one before.
"We should get back to the problem set if we don't want to be here till midnight," Shoko says, "Have you looked at question six yet? I think it's very similar to the problem we did in class last week. I was certain I wrote it down, but I've been looking and cannot find it in my notes - can I take a look at your notebook?"
"Of course," Suguru nods, sliding his notebook to Shoko.
Flipping through the pages filled with Suguru's neat handwriting, Shoko quickly finds the problem she had in mind, but before she can read through the steps, she's distracted by a loud whisper.
"What is this?" Utahime frowns at Satoru, who is standing by her side.
"It's chocolate, of course," Satoru smiles, bright and condescending, "This paper's got you looking sour and gloomy - clearly, you're in desperate need of a sweet pick me up."
Shoko almost recoils - that was bad even for Satoru.
"That was a mistake," Suguru murmurs, wincing.
"You know I don't like sweets," Utahime almost hisses, "And, perhaps, I look sour because you keep hanging around - have you considered that?"
"Now, now, no need to be like that," Satoru replies, "Being sullen isn't a flattering look on anyone…"
Fortunately for Satoru, the librarian appears next to them before Utahime has a chance to respond.
"Please respect other students and refrain from raising your voices in the library," she says.
"My apologies," Utahime replies, "It won't happen again."
"Yes," Satoru agrees, "We just had a little misunderstanding."
He's about to return to the table where Shoko and Suguru are waiting for him when the librarian notices the snacks in his hands.
"Food is not allowed outside of the library cafe, you must know that," she frowns, crossing her arms in front of her. With a sigh, Satoru nods and heads over to the tiled area behind the vending machines, settling at one of the small tables there.
"That ended better than I expected," Suguru chuckles, twirling his pen in his fingers.
"Were you anticipating something dramatic?" Shoko tilts her head to the side, looking at him.
"After the "gloomy and sour" comment, definitely. That was bad even for Satoru."
"The more I see, the more I think you were right - this must be some sort of affliction that utterly destroyed Satoru's ability to reason," Shoko says, "There is no other rational explanation for what just happened."
"Love makes fools of us all," Suguru shrugs, and Shoko cannot help but eye roll.
"Is that what they teach you in your philosophy classes?" she scoffs.
"That was actually my first-year literature class," Suguru smiles, pushing his bangs out of his face.
"Glad I didn't let you talk me into enrolling in that class then," Shoko shakes her head, and Suguru only hums in response.
Watching Satoru sulk while eating his sweets and Utahime furiously type the remainder of her paper, Shoko sighs - it seems that, yet again, Suguru might be right.
"Every time I think this cannot get any more embarrassing, Satoru surprises me. It's getting unbearable to watch," Shoko muses, twirling her pencil in her fingers, "Perhaps there's something we could do… He really needs all the help he can get."
"Did I hear that right?" Suguru looks at her wide-eyed, "You want to help Satoru? Shoko, are you feeling alright?"
Suguru's face is full of faux concern when he reaches over, resting his palm on Shoko's forehead as though to check if she has a fever. His hand is warm against her skin, yet Shoko doesn't pull away from his touch.
"The only person I'm trying to help here is me," she says, "So I don't have to sit through another debacle like this one."
"I thought you liked watching him suffer," Suguru chuckles.
"I do," Shoko nods, "But I have a suspicion nothing can make Satoru squirm quite like having to confess his feelings to Utahime."
Anyone who Satoru ever pursued would say that he had quite an easy way with words when it came to matters of romance - but both Shoko and Suguru knew all too well that he was painfully awkward when it came to difficult topics and real feelings.
"Besides, I'd pay good money to see his face when Utahime rejects him," Shoko adds.
"That's cold," Suguru murmurs appreciatively, leaning closer as if they are sharing a secret, "Do you think she will?"
"Unfortunately, no," Shoko sighs, "I'm certain that she likes him back, which is a shame - if she didn't, that would have at least made this situation entertaining."
"You really think she likes him back?" Suguru muses, frowning, "How can you be so certain when…"
"She does," Shoko interrupts.
Shoko and Utahime have been friends for years, and Shoko could always tell when her friend fancied someone. While Utahime complained about Satoru rather frequently, there was no real bite behind her words. Sometimes, Shoko felt like she'd bring him up almost as an excuse to talk about him. Utahime never did that with the people she profoundly disliked, often avoiding mentioning them at all.
"I'll trust your judgment," Suguru smiles easily before adding, "So then, if we are going to be matchmakers for these two lovebirds, what's our plan?"
"I was hoping you'd have some suggestions, seeing as reading trashy romance novels is your guilty pleasure."
"You are never going to let that one go, are you?" Suguru lets out an exaggerated sigh.
"Never," Shoko chuckles, leaning against the table and resting her chin on the palm of her hand as she looks at Suguru, "So, got any ideas?"
"I don't think stranding them in a hotel room with only one bed or getting them snowed in at a remote cabin would be particularly helpful - or feasible," Suguru muses, pensively chewing his pen.
"Just what kind of novels are you reading?" Shoko scoffs, unimpressed by the suggestions.
"You are the one who asked for ideas from the trashy romance novels," Suguru chuckles, "A blind date, maybe? No, how would we even pull that off…"
"We can set them up on a blind date," Shoko explains, glancing around to ensure that Satoru's still away at the cafe area.
"And how would we do that?"
"Have you read any of the emails from the Student Activities Office in the last month?" Shoko asks, and Suguru shakes his head in response, "They are hosting a blind date event soon for some charity."
"That's the first I hear about it."
"Really?" Shoko raises her eyebrow, "Have you been avoiding Mei Mei for the last few weeks? That's all she's been talking about! In fairness, she's in charge of that entire process as the Social Chair of the Student Council, but still… Anyway, I've heard good things about it - last year, three girls from our floor participated, and all are still dating the people they met through the event. Maybe that's just the push these two need."
"That's not bad," Suguru chuckles, "At that rate, perhaps, we should all sign up."
"What, did your sweet-talking skills get rusty over the summer? A shame truly," Shoko teases, tilting her head to the side as she looks Suguru in the face, "Well, not to worry, I'm sure Mei Mei will set you up with someone nice."
"Is Mei Mei the one pairing everyone up?" Suguru asks, shifting to rest his elbows on the table.
"She is - which means we'll need to convince her to help us," Shoko muses, knowing full well that "convincing" Mei Mei usually involved bribing her. By the amused expression on Suguru's face, it's clear that he recognizes that as well.
"I see," he murmurs, "Well, suppose we manage to convince Mei Mei to pair Satoru with Utahime - but how will we convince them to participate? It's not like we can just enter their names in this blind date event - you and I both know they won't just accept that."
"Huh, looks like you really didn't listen to what Mei Mei said," Shoko smiles, "All captains of sports teams and all presidents of student organizations are automatically enrolled in this event - I think that's supposed to make it more enticing for other students to participate - which means both Satoru and Utahime are already participating."
"Mei Mei thinks so too," Shoko shrugs, leaning back in her chair, "She told me that the system works so well, it hasn't been changed in over a decade."
Shoko sees Satoru get up from his seat - it seems like he's finally finished off all his sugary snacks.
"It's half past five," she says, looking over at the clock on the wall, "If I hurry, I bet I can still catch Mei Mei at the Student Council office."
"Do you need me to come along?" Suguru asks.
"I think it's best I go alone - both of us suddenly having to leave the study session might look a little odd," Shoko stands up and grabs her bag that hangs off the back of her chair, "I'll meet you afterward and tell you how it went."
Suguru looks at her for a moment before nodding.
"Very well," he says, "Good luck."
To Shoko's relief, by the time she makes it to the Student Council office, Mei Mei is the only one there. As she walks into the room, she sees Mei Mei standing by the desk, looking over a book that reminds Shoko of leather-bound medieval ledgers.
"Shoko?" Mei Mei turns to her, "I didn't expect to see you here."
"I need a favor," Shoko says - she knows Mei Mei's always preferred a straightforward approach.
"Straight to business, huh?" Mei Mei smiles, leaning against the desk, "I like that. So tell me - what is it you need?"
"I'd like you to pair Satoru and Utahime together for the blind date event," Shoko says flatly.
Mei Mei tilts her head to the side, her perplexed gaze never leaving Shoko's face. Between a breath and the next, her expression shifts from surprise to confusion to amusement, finally settling on curiosity.
"That's an interesting request," she muses, "And certainly not something I expected to hear. I didn't take you for the kind to do charity."
"Trust me, this is pure self-interest," Shoko sighs, "I don't think I have it in me to stomach another incident like I saw earlier in the library."
"Oh?" Mei Mei raises an eyebrow, "Was it worse than what happened last week at the dining hall?" Shoko nods eagerly, and Mei Mei chuckles, "In that case, it must have been painfully embarrassing to watch."
"I didn't know it was possible to feel secondhand embarrassment to that degree," Shoko crosses her arms in front of her, the memory of the argument over the chocolate still making her shudder.
"Live and learn, I suppose," Mei Mei replies, then adds, "Well, Shoko, you are in luck - even though it is not customary to pair up two sports team captains together, I like you, so I will help you. But I am curious - how do you think setting Satoru and Utahime up on a blind date will improve the situation?"
"I'm hoping going on a date with Utahime will snap Satoru out of denial," Shoko explains with a shrug, "Seemed to have worked for quite a few people from our dorm last year."
"Satoru's nothing if not stubborn - I can see this going either way," Mei Mei ponders, "But let's hope you are right. Now then, since you're asking for a favor that involves deviating from the long-held custom, I suppose it's only fair if I get something in return, don't you think?"
And there it is.
"What do you have in mind?" Shoko asks.
"You see," Mei Mei says, picking up the leather-bound ledger from the table, "This year, we didn't quite get the participation we expected, so if you could get a few people - let's say three - to participate, that would be very helpful."
Shoko frowns, mulling over Mei Mei's words. She'd expected she'll have to pay her, but she did not anticipate being personally dragged into this whole blind dates ordeal. To make matters worse, she could not for the life of her think of three people she could ask to participate.
"And do I count towards those three people?" Shoko asks, looking at Mei Mei.
"Of course," Mei Mei smiles, "Why wouldn't you?"
"You can also add Suguru to the list," Shoko says after a brief deliberation. While he may not have explicitly agreed to participate, this was a necessary sacrifice for their cause - and, besides, he did seem rather interested in this blind date event when they discussed it. It should be fine.
"Very well," Mei Mei nods, "You just need one more person."
Shoko ponders for a moment before pulling out her phone. "Give me a second," she tells Mei Mei as she types up a message to Yu.
Her phone pings with a response not a minute later, and Shoko smiles. Yu agreed without so much as wondering why she asked him to participate. If only it was that easy with all of their friends. Had Yu already enrolled, she'd probably have to give up on finding three people for Mei Mei.
"Yu says he'd also like to participate," Shoko says, "That's three total."
"Perfect," Mei Mei smiles, making a note in the ledger, "Now just one more small thing remains - the issue of your…donation."
Of course.
"I think three hundred dollars sounds reasonable," Mei Mei continues.
"I thought the fee was twenty per person," Shoko pushes back lightly.
"That is the entry donation amount, which you must pay to the student council account. But I am talking about a more…private donation for the opportunity to pair up your friends without them finding out that you had a hand in the process at all," Mei Mei's voice drips with honey as her smile widens.
Shoko pulls out her phone without argument and transfers Mei Mei the money. When financial matters were involved, Mei Mei's always been highly reliable, so Shoko is confident she will do just as she promised.
"Wonderful," Mei Mei nods, once her phone pings with the notification that money's been received, "It's been a pleasure doing business with you."
"Likewise," Shoko nods and turns around to leave, "I'll see you later."
"By the way," Mei Mei says before Shoko heads out the door, "You might not know, but all of the blind dates happen on the same day. But not to worry - I'll ensure you are in the same location as Satoru and Utahime, so you can have a front-row seat to…whatever will happen."
Shoko sighs - she'd be lying if she said she wasn't curious to see how things would turn out, but a part of her wants to be as far from that debacle as possible.
"Knowing Satoru, it will either go really well or really poorly," she notes.
"Either way, you'll be entertained," Mei Mei chuckles, and Shoko cannot argue.
By the time Shoko walks out on the quad, the sun has set, and the air has cooled significantly. A slight chill runs down Shoko's spine - she'd been too lazy that morning to get her jacket. Now, dressed only in a short skirt and a long-sleeve top on a crisp fall evening, she almost regrets it. Pulling out her phone, Shoko's about to text Suguru when, suddenly, a familiar voice distracts her.
"Hey, Shoko!" Hayate - a guy she'd seen casually a few times since the school year started - smiles brightly as he walks up to her, "Fancy seeing you here. I was just about to message you to see if you wanted to catch up on the show we were watching the last time."
His expression is hopeful - almost a little desperate - and for a split second, Shoko considers his offer. He's not an unpleasant company, and it is cold outside, and in truth, she could just text Suguru to let him know what happened with Mei Mei… But that's not what she wants to do.
"Sorry," she says calmly, "But I have plans."
Hayate's face drops briefly before he smiles again and nods, "Ah, that is unfortunate. Well then, maybe next time."
"Yeah," Shoko nods absent-mindedly and walks past Hayate.
"Meet at our usual smoking spot in ten," she texts Suguru.
Their regular smoking spot was a small nook between the corner of the library and the dining hall. Shoko arrives first and, not wasting any time, pulls a cigarette out of her pack. She pats the pockets of her skirt for a lighter, but cannot find it, then proceeds to search her bag. Realizing that it's not there either, Shoko curses under her breath.
"Need a light?" Suguru asks from behind her. Shoko turns around and sees him holding a lighter, smiling.
"Thank you," she says, "I must have misplaced my lighter."
Suguru nods, stepping closer to her. With a flicker, a small flame is lit, and he cradles the lighter with both hands when Shoko leans in to light her cigarette. A fond smile tugs at Shoko's lips - she'd always found his habit of offering her a lighter that way peculiar but endearing.
"Where's your jacket?" Suguru frowns as Shoko pulls away, "It's cold tonight."
"I'll be fine," Shoko breathes airily.
"You are shivering," Suguru shakes his head. Next thing Shoko knows, he's sliding his jacket off his shoulders and draping it over her, "Here."
Shoko looks down - Suguru's much taller than her, and his jacket ends way past the hem of her skirt. The fabric's warm and soft, and the coat smells of Suguru's cologne - which Shoko really enjoys but would never admit - and she pulls it tighter around herself without even realizing it.
"I look ridiculous," she complains half-heartedly, taking a drag of her cigarette.
"At least you won't catch a cold," Suguru chuckles, lighting his own cigarette, "You know, you are unbearably cranky when you're sick."
"It's not like you personally will have to deal with any cranky attitude. It's not like we are roommates," Shoko scoffs, "So I don't see why you are complaining."
"I cannot believe you'd think so low of me," Suguru's voice is full of faux indignation, but there's a glimmer of amusement in his eyes, "To think that I'd leave you alone in your sick bed."
"You are right; my apologies," Shoko responds solemnly, barely suppressing a chuckle. She's almost successful until her gaze meets Suguru's, and they both burst out laughing.
"So," Suguru asks after a pause, "Did Mei Mei agree to help us?"
Shoko takes another drag of her cigarette. The wind has picked up, making the already crisp evening even colder, but Suguru's jacket is so warm and comfortable that she barely feels it.
"She did," Shoko nods, blowing out smoke, "But her help came at a steep cost. And I'm not just talking about money."
"I wouldn't expect anything else of Mei Mei," Suguru chuckles, "What did she ask for - your firstborn?"
"I wish," Shoko scoffs, "But that would have been too easy. Instead, you and I are now participating in the blind date event."
"We are?" Suguru asks, confused.
"Yes," Shoko nods, "That was another thing Mei Mei demanded besides the payment - she needed three more people to join."
"I see," Suguru muses, "Who else did you ask?"
"Yu - and he'd agreed right away. I was fortunate he wasn't participating already. Otherwise, I'd probably have to ask Kento. And I can already tell I'd have a better chance of getting the statues from the quad to participate than convincing him."
"Can't argue with that," Suguru chuckles, flicking the ashes from his cigarette.
"Mei Mei said that since all the blind dates are on the same day at the same time, she'll make sure we're in the same location as Satoru and Utahime," Shoko adds, "Given how much she'd asked for, it's only fair we'd be getting front row seats to this debacle, I suppose."
"Oh?" Suguru raises his eyebrow, "Well then, at least we'll be entertained - regardless of what comes of this."
"Fair," Shoko nods, bringing her cigarette to her lips, "Although with all the work we've put in, Satoru better get his shit together."
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