Fragility (Jujutsu Kaisen)

~ Chapter 10 ~

"... I wish I had died during the attack." That constantly was running through Satoru's head as he continued to attend his classes and act as though everything was alright. Sachiko had completely shut down to those around her as though she was five years old again. She spent most of her days in the garden ignoring Yui and others that tried to connect with the girl in anyway. It was a confusing situation. 

Suguru was the first to notice the other boy's slight change in demeanour, Satoru was generally good at hiding his emotions but as the pair got closer it was harder and harder. At lunch, the black haired boy finally confronted his friend, "Satoru, has something happened? Something's off about you since you went home the other day."

"Yeah, it's just... Sachiko." Satoru sighed turning to his friend as they walked down to the vending machines, Shoko had disappeared to have a smoke leaving them to fetch a drink for her as well. Suguru started with a slightly tease about Satoru having women troubles and how he was the right man to consult but Satoru didn't follow through with the joke despite his best efforts of laughing with his friend. "She was sent to meet with her grandmother and when she came home, she was angry and depressed. She didn't even let me touch her, she just called her self disgusting and locked herself in the room. She then pretty much told me she wished she was dead, I have no clue what that old bitch said to her." 

"Can you dig up an history on the Chiyo family? They're old, there should be some dirt on them." Suguru questioned as he pressed the button of his preferred drink. Gojo leant against the wall as he watched the other boy, it wasn't a bad idea but they seemed to be a secretive group. "I'll help you if you want, our next teacher isn't even showing up so lets head to the library." 

So the pair and then eventually Shoko, were searching through papers that mentioned the Chiyo family. Except for a few brief mentions, it was as though the family didn't even exist like it was a collective illusion. The three sat back defeated until their teacher Yaga wandered in surprised to find them all slouched over paperwork. "This may be my greatest break though as a teacher." He commented as he walked up to the trio. 

"We are trying to find information on the Chiyo family but there is nothing. They might as well not exist." Suguru stated as he sat up to look at his teacher, the other two followed his lead but were more casual with their positions. Yaga glanced at them all before his eyes fell on Satoru, "He is having girl troubles." 

"I think you three might end my career." Yaga said as he frowned his eyebrows. It went quiet for a moment in thought before he walked through a couple of isles until he found a singular history book. He dusted it off and handed it to Satoru, who glanced at the old crumbling cover 'Death paintings'. "The Chiyo family burnt any written history on their ancestry about forty years ago after people began to question their heritage. There is a rumour that they are descendent of the woman used to create the nine death paintings, and that they were predicting that a child would be born with the same powers as that woman. After that their focus was to keep the line pure, and then they destroyed their history. I'm sure they didn't manage to get everything." 

"The old Jujutsu families are really twisted," Suguru commented as he took the book from Satoru, who seemed to be in his thoughts. He slammed her hands on the table and raised his hand, they all waited for his hopefully bright announcement. 

"I will lie to her and say that I know everything then she will tell me." He stated and began walking to the exit without saying another thing. The three remaining all glanced around at each other, they were disappointed. They couldn't believe that he would be the strongest Sorcerer of their lifetime. Shoko had been flicking through the book and caught sight of the woman's origins. 

"The is almost nothing on this woman, except that Kamo destroyed any trace of her and her son." She read paraphrasing from the book, Suguru read over it again. They both looked up at their teacher, "The Death paintings are the woman's abortions, there is nothing about a son that went to full term." 

"Hmm, it seems that the rumour could be plausible." 

Satoru's plan didn't work, just like the days after her visit to the Chiyo estate, he was met with silence from her. He was at a lost with how to continue, as much as he would love to go grab flowers and tell her it would all be okay, that would not work. Something happened at the Chiyo estate and he needed to get to the bottom of it or he risked losing her best friend and his one chance at a happy life. 

In his desperation, a Plan-B was hatched and he was standing in front of the Chiyo estate. The vineyards that lined the entrance were bare but it seemed that they had only been picked recently from the marks in the ground from machinery and footprints. Two butlers walked to the young sorcerer and demanded that he state his reasons for coming to the estate unannounced. "I want to talk to that old dinosaur that is your head," 

"Just as polite as your betrothed, you must have corrupted her well trained demeanour." A hoarse voice said from behind the two butlers, Satoru stared down at the old woman who had a smirk on her face. He could see the resemblance she had to Sachiko but the younger girl had a much softer features. The black hair and black eyes definitely gave the woman an unsettling look. On her cheek was a slight bruise, he hoped with his whole being that it was caused by Sachiko. "What are you here for Satoru Gojo?" 

"Whatever you told Sachiko, I need to know it." He demanded, the woman just laughed in face making the boy's mouth fall open. As Fumiko's laughter died down she gestured for the boy to follow her, he did so with no hesitation. She was leading him towards the main house, it was beginning to get late in the evening and the sun was nearly behind the mountains. 

It was similar style to the Gojo estate just made with darker wood, old style and had been used for many generations. He entered the home behind her and she guided him through the home as though she was giving a tour. They reached a room that had no windows and was painted white, it had nothing in at all. "This is our white room, I'm sure Sachiko has told you all about them." She said glancing at Satoru who just looked confused. "Ah, you didn't. She was never fond of them, you see Sachiko was a spoilt brat just a horrible child. She needed to be disciplined, spankings never worked so we began putting her in this room for a few hours. Almost instant improvement." 

"How long is a few?" Satoru asked, the room seemed overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time. A room deprived of any senses, he would be at his wits with only an hour in that room. 

"Twelve hours normally, as I said she was naughty. It seems that she has gone back to her old ways, you should suggest to your father that you get one. She's fourteen right? If you get started now she will be submissive by the time you two are married." The woman said casually, Satoru's anger grew at the thought of Sachiko tortured in this way. Every time he found out something about the Chiyo family, he despised them more and more. "But you want to know what I said to her. I got side tracked." 

"Yes, I'd rather no now as I'm not sure that you might last through the night at your age." Satoru stated, the old woman just scoffed as she glanced at the young teen. They kept walking through the house and ended up in a greeting room. Satoru rolled his eyes as the woman took her time to sit down in a chair, at the sight of his impatience her smirk returned. "Stop stalling." 

"I'm not, I'm an old woman now Satoru Gojo. Anyway, I'm unable to tell you what I discussed with Sachiko." She said her smirk widening as he raised his eyebrows, he walked towards the woman. His stomach was burning up with rage as he held himself back from doing anything drastic. Satoru placed his hand on the armchair and leaned over the old woman, "Your six eyes are truly a wonder, but they will never beat my wonder of the cursed womb and Sachiko's potential." 

"When I've had enough of your old, outdated generation, you will be the first person I kill. You are nothing more than a bug under my shoe. You will never see Sachiko again or have any influence over our life." Satoru said, there was no obvious malice in his voice but it didn't waiver. Fumiko's smirk didn't falter, though; as he leant away, she just put her leg over the other. 

"Then why are you here?" She asked. Satoru refused to let her see it but she was right, she was affecting their lives even now. He wasn't by Sachiko's side trying to get her to open up. He was threatening her grandmother's life. It would be the easy way out.