Chapter 101 - 102 : Friends

Chapter 101: Chapter 102 : Friends

It was afternoon at Tokyo Jujutsu High when Satomi wandered into the infirmary to see Shoko Ieiri, her old friend from their school days.

Shoko sat behind her desk, sorting through medical records.

She looked tired as usual, dark circles under her eyes, though she seemed too used to it to care anymore.

Satomi walked straight over without a word and leaned against her from behind, wrapping her arms around Shoko’s shoulders and resting her chin on top of her head.

Shoko barely reacted. "You’re still doing this?"

"Yep."

"You’re twenty-eight. Aren’t you a little old to be acting like a needy toddler?"

"Don’t say it like that! I’m still in the blossoming prime of my youth," Satomi whined, completely without offense.

Shoko gave her a flat, deadpan glance. "Right. Keep telling yourself that. You’ll be a hag before you know it."

"Shoko!"

"What? I’m just being realistic."

"I’m not becoming a hag."

"Sure."

Satomi tightened her arms around her. "You’re supposed to support your friend."

"I am. I’m supporting you emotionally while reminding you that time is moving forward."

"That’s not support."

Shoko calmly returned to her paperwork. "Then stop hanging off me."

"No."

"Still the same Satomi." After a moment she glanced down at one of the reports, then back up. "So. I heard you’ve been causing a mess again."

"Me? Never," Satomi hummed innocently.

"You brought an unregistered special-grade sorcerer onto campus," Shoko said, voice maddeningly level, "and when the higher-ups started foaming at the mouth, you shut them down by telling everyone he’s your boyfriend."

Satomi’s expression stayed perfectly casual. "Ah, yeah. That."

"Principal Yaga’s currently nursing a migraine the size of Hokkaido over the paperwork, and Headquarters is demanding you hand him over immediately."

"Those rotting old tangerines can keep demanding all they want," Satomi smirked, a cold edge flashing through her tone for a second. "They’re not getting him."

Shoko tilted her head, studying her friend’s reflection in the window. "So the rumors are true?"

"Yeah. He’s strong. Probably creeping up right around my level."

Shoko’s eyebrows lifted slightly. Impressive. But it wasn’t what she was actually after.

"That’s great for the jujutsu world," she said, setting down her pen and swiveling to face Satomi head-on, forcing her to straighten up. "But that’s not what I’m asking."

Satomi tilted her head, white hair shifting over her shoulders. "Then what?"

"I’m asking about the boyfriend part." Shoko leaned forward, elbows on her knees. "Is that just a convenient, obnoxious excuse you made up to piss off the elders — or is there actually something to it?"

Satomi’s expression changed instantly. "...What?"

"You heard me."

Satomi looked away, suddenly finding the wall fascinating.

Shoko watched her reaction and smiled knowingly. "That’s what I thought."

"Don’t start."

"I’m not starting anything. I’m asking a simple question."

Satomi stayed quiet a moment before muttering, "It’s not that simple."

"Then there is something to it."

She didn’t answer — just tightened her arms around Shoko and rested her chin back on her shoulder.

Shoko sighed. "Still the same Satomi."

"Just leave me alone."

"I’m literally sitting at my desk."

"Exactly. Keep doing that."

Satomi finally let go and moved around the desk, dropping into the chair across from her. "But you should really stop messing around with special-grade sorcerers," Shoko said, looking at her seriously.

"They’re not exactly common, and the higher-ups won’t take it lightly if you bring one into the school without telling them."

Satomi leaned back in the chair. "I could hand him over, but I don’t think it’s a good idea."

"Why?"

"Didn’t I already tell you he’s probably around my level? And he’s completely independent. I can’t see him willingly playing along with those old fogies."

Shoko gave her a tired look. "So you think they’d try to put him under their control."

"Exactly." Satomi crossed her arms. "They’d either try to control him or find some excuse to get rid of him if he didn’t cooperate. Either way, handing him over would be stupid."

Shoko nodded slowly. "That’s probably true. The higher-ups don’t exactly have a good record with people they can’t control."

"That’s why I’m keeping him here."

"You’re protecting him?"

Satomi paused. "...I’m making sure they don’t do anything stupid."

"That’s a very convenient way of saying you’re protecting him."

"Don’t make it sound weird."

"I’m not. You’re doing that yourself."

Satomi leaned back and sighed. "Those old guys can complain all they want. As long as he’s under my watch, they’re not touching him."

"And... I kind of like being around him. When I’m with him, it reminds me of how things used to be back in high school."

Shoko looked at her over the paperwork. "Back when the three of us were still together all the time?"

"Yeah. Those days."

Shoko gave a small smile, leaning back in her chair. "Those were good days, but we’re not teenagers anymore. We’re grown women now, and things aren’t exactly the same."

"I know."

"We have work, responsibilities, students, and a lot more to worry about than we did back then."

Satomi smiled faintly. "That’s exactly why I like being around him. I don’t have to think about any of that for a while."

A/N : There will be Minor crossover and the next world is Jujutsu Kaisen

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