VEIL (Gojo Satoru X OC X Geto Suguru)

Chapter 2: The First Lesson

The classroom assigned to the second years was ordinary. Reiki scoffed. She had expected way better from Jujutsu High. The letter, inviting her to be a student here was so secretive, that she had imagined the school to be harbouring some magical desks and benches, at the least. As she settled into her desk, her fingers idly tracing the worn surface, she thought of the sorcerers that must've touched the same. The sorcerers that might've sat in the same bench as hers, the sorcerers that might have been sent on a mission to get rid of her.

Masamichi's voice resonated through the classroom, carrying with it an air of seasoned authority.  Anyone could tell that he was the class teacher. "Welcome, students, to Jujutsu High," he began, his tone steady and commanding. His eyes, sharp and discerning, scanned the room, ensuring that he held every gaze captive. "Here, we don't confine ourselves to the limits of these walls. True training, the kind that shapes a sorcerer, happens out in the fields, in the crucible of the real world."

He gestured to a world map adorning one wall, its surface marked with pins and lines tracing various locations. "You'll come to understand that the battle against curses isn't bound by geography. It's a global conflict, and you, as sorcerers-in-training, must be prepared to face it head-on."

The atmosphere in the classroom shifted, tension mingling with a palpable sense of determination. The students hung on Masamichi's every word, a mixture of awe and apprehension reflected in their expressions.

He continued, his voice a steady cadence, "The skills you acquire in this school will determine your path, and often, your survival. This isn't a realm of idle study; it's a realm of action, of life and death. You'll learn to harness the power within you, to confront the very forces that seek to unravel the fabric of our world."

Suddenly, the door swung open with a bang. The sudden interruption sent a jolt through the classroom, shattering the focused atmosphere that had settled during Masamichi's lecture. The wooden frame of the door met the wall with a resounding thud. Laughter spilled into the room, a lively cacophony that seemed to defy the otherwise structured environment. It came from two distinct male voices. Their carefree voices didn't sit well with Reiki. "How could someone be so happy in a place that reminds them of death every second?" She thought.

Two figures entered- The first, a tall, slender boy with a cascade of ink-black hair, partially tied up in a bun. His eyes were small, yet kind, a hint of gentleness that set him apart from the rest. Reiki's gaze flitted over him briefly, an unspoken acknowledgment of another soul in this sea of unfamiliarity.

Before she could return to her notebook, a voice, cool and nonchalant, sliced through the air. "Ahhh sorry for being late, sensei," he drawled, hand raised in casual admission. "I forgot we had class today."

Reiki's breath hitched, the atmosphere shifting as though caught in a sudden storm. She felt it, a palpable change in pressure, a subtle tremor that coursed through the room. She felt confused. Her senses were suddenly on high alert, as if she was stuck in a fight or flight situation. She looked up confused, at the boy adjusting his sunglasses. Reiki gasped at her growing discomfort. She cursed under her breath. He had somehow heard her gasp. His head turned to her direction. In the span of a heartbeat, he lowered his glasses just enough to reveal eyes of the deepest, most piercing blue. He was looking at her. She didn't understand why, but she felt compromised. Her shield was up, there was no way anyone knew. But at that moment, she felt bare, naked, arrested in time under his gaze. There was an air of arrogance about those eyes, that seemed to reach out and touch her very soul. He was selfish. That much she knew from the very first time she laid her eyes on him. A dare that hung in the air like a silent challenge.Before Reiki could gather her wits, he covered his eyes again, a cloak of indifference settling over him like a shroud. "Ah, Suguru, something reeks" he quipped, his voice a languid drawl that seemed to echo through the room.

Reiki lowered her face in embarrassment. She didn't know why she felt her face burn from shame. He probably didn't even say that about her. She hoped no one had noticed her. She didn't have to wait to confirm that. She could hear a growing murmur from all the girls in the class, all directed towards the blue-eyed boy. Relief washed over her. She was safe. She was still invisible.

A girl's sigh came from the chair behind her. "This is ridiculous!" She said biting her breath. "Sensei's not making a good impression on the new students by letting the class go wild like this."

Reiki turned her head back slightly, so that her hair still covered her face but her voice reached the next chair better. "Are you talking to me?" Reiki asked.

"I mean you're the only one listening clearly. Shoko-" the girl said forwarding her hand.

"Shoko Ieiri"

Reiki, turned around completely, taking Shoko's hand. "Reiki Kurai"

Shoko smiled tilting her head. Reiki knew it was foolish of her to give her name away so easily. But when she had heard Shoko's voice, something in her had craved its company. Something in her had told her, that this voice was to stay in her life for sometime.

"There now! Everyone settle down!" Masamichi's voice echoes through the class. Reiki turned around to settle in her chair. She saw the tall students with dark hair, settle in the empty chair next to her. He threw a formal smile of acknowledgement towards her. Reiki smiled back. He had a warm smile, one that wasn't hard to return. The chair on her other side creaked. Reiki could see in her peripheral vision, the student with sunglasses trying to fit in the chair.

"Gojo. Stop making noise." Shoko whispered towards the boy.

"Gojo" Reiki thought. "That's his name."

She hadn't even registered his features when he had come in. That momentary eye contact had scared her. Even now, she did not feel comfortable looking towards her left, giving him the same formal smile she had so easily given to Suguru.

"After the opening evaluation, a curse grade will be assigned to you, judging by the amount of curse energy you posses and of course how well you can manipulate said energy. Your curse techniques are sometimes inherited but more often you can develop them, learn how to yield your curse energy in a productive. Most of you will start off as Grade 4 sorcerers. There is nothing to beat yourself up about yet. You are here to grow, not to boast. Always remember that."

As the teacher spoke on, Reiki gazed out the open window, her eyes passing mostly faceless students. The sun was in the sky, proud and bright. She wished she could be as shameless as the sun, existing despite the discomfort it caused in summers, existing because it was essential to life. She would have to fake her control during the assessment.  She would have to fake that she was a Grade 4. She wasn't just afraid to reveal her identity as a half-curse, but also afraid that she'd be taken over by it, if she allowed that side of hers to come to the surface. She was afraid there existed no equilibrium, only chaos. The sun kept shining, as Reiki strengthened her grip on that darkness that was a part of her, pushing it further down the abyss of her consciousness.