HEART THIEF || JUJUTSU KAISEN

fushiguro.

"Kiyoko! Kiyoko! Lemme try!"

Hanako bounded over to where her best friend stood at the targets Yume set up, a throwing knife in her hand. She took a deep breath in, out, and flung the blade with razor precision. The metal flashed in the powerful late afternoon sun, and thudded into the target's centre.

"She's getting faster and faster." Yume murmured as she leaned against the wall of the training room.

By her side, Utahime nodded curiously. "Ah, well, go figure. Her sister Kaede was one of our best shots. Better than even Miya I'd say. She could knock a feather out of the air, forty feet away, with one of her needles. Dead centre."

Yume grumbled internally. They had this competition before, back when they were first years. She was ultimately the better shot with her bow, outpacing her in distance and accuracy, but Kaede surpassed her in speed and consistency. Their rivalry between who was the better sniper was one that was never formally determined, as masters of their own arts couldn't be compared.

Almost a month had passed since Kaede's death and Hanako's family adopted Kiyoko. Like Yume predicted, the two girls quickly became the best of friends and soon refused to leave each others' side. It was heart-warming to see, especially when she recalled Hanako's statement about how all she wanted was to make friends and find a place of belonging.

"How old are they now?" Utahime checked her phone.

"Thirteen. Well– Hanako's still twelve but her birthday is next month, late December." Yume eyed her warily. "You're thinking about enlisting them?"

"Just Hanako most likely. Kiyoko doesn't exactly meet the requirements. She might be better off with regular school. Also, we saw what happened with Kaede, she's not cut out for this kind of life."

The comment made her smirk internally. It meant the ruse was working. Early on, she, Gojo, Miyuki, and Hanako's family decided to conceal the fact that Kiyoko carried a cursed technique. This way, she would not fall under Iekami's radar. However, every once in a while, one of the school staff would drop by to assess Hanako's skills. Those were days when Yume retreated into the protected apartment in Tokyo and Kiyoko did her best to not draw attention. Those who knew Yume's true identity could not afford to get caught by Iekami's technique, else their delicate plot would crumble in an instant.

"By the way, you look like you're in a good mood today." Utahime suddenly turned to her. "Did something nice happen?"

Yume flushed awkwardly under the praise. "I– thanks, and yeah. No Gojo, he's been gone for the last week on a mission. Peace and quiet."

The snark in her voice made Utahime laugh as she tucked her hands into her sleeves and directed her gaze to the children. Kiyoko was now showing Hanako how to throw a knife, frowning and fretting over the younger girl's form all the while.

As time passed and Yume grew more accustomed to their times of tense peace, she began to become more comfortable with her persona. Of course, she never forgot her true identity, but it was nice to be someone else for once. Miyazaki Naoko had gone through so much, she just wanted a break from it all, even if it was only for a little bit.

"If you don't mind me asking, how have things been going in the upper ranks?" Now treading onto an area of thin ice, Yume kept her questions nonchalant but precise enough to whittle out the information she wanted.

"I haven't heard a lot, but nothing much that's good unfortunately." Utahime sighed thoughtfully. "I think we all know by now that Kita Miyuki and Iekami Nobuyuki are at each other's throats. It's mostly gossip, but Kita might be resigning from her position as a higher-up soon. She spends most of her time in her home, but she's pretty close with Shoko."