Fragility (Jujutsu Kaisen)

~ Chapter 27 ~

The darkness of the warehouse soothed Sachiko's overburdened mind, and she managed to find it herself along the paths. She was beginning to consider the warehouse her sanctuary, where she could hide from the outside world. Her only company was her ancestors, the Death paintings, embryos that had been in a suspended state since their creation. 

The back of her head rested against the cold wall as she gently held Choso, the eldest, in her hand as she closed her eyes tightly. Sachiko was beginning to lock onto their curse residue; she was beginning to sense it from outside the paths, something she couldn't do before. She felt connected to them, maybe a figment of her imagination trying to keep a maternal connection, but she didn't care. "I don't know what to do. I'm so done with everything..."

She let out a strained laugh as she opened her eyes and glanced down at Choso before her eyes drifted to his brothers. Her laugh continued until her lips started to wobble, and tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. Her hands touched her forehead as she rested the small jar against her hot skin. "I'm so scared," she finally admitted. 

She stayed in that position for about an hour before finally gaining the strength to move. Sachiko placed the jar back down in its spot and gave them a soft smile before returning to the school. 

It was early evening when she resurfaced; she had disappeared during their last period of the day. She left a note for her two friends, saying she would meet them for dinner. As she entered the dining hall, the first years were the only ones that had arrived. Every other student had been sent on missions today, leaving them with the campus all to themselves. 

"Hey," Yu greeted Sachiko as she sat down with her dinner. The room was silent as they ate their food, but Sachiko broke the silence by clearing her throat. Both boys looked up at her with half-filled mouths. 

"I need a favour, and you're probably going to think it's stupid, but I think it needs to be done." Sachiko started mysteriously. The boys shared a glance before nodding and swallowing their food. She glanced around the hall, checking that nobody had wandered in without them noticing. "I want to set a trap to get the people who killed my family, and I need your help. We could do it with the three of us. We can disguise it under a mission. Nobody would think any different." 

"How will we get them to fall for it? They don't seem like stupid people who rush into things," Nanami asked. Sachiko took another bite of her food and glanced at him. As he waited for her to finish, it clicked in his mind. His eyes widened, and Yu glanced between them, confused. "You want to use yourself as bait?!"

"Of course. What else are they going to go after?"

"I just don't think..." Yu started grabbing Sachiko's, but Nanami cut him off, making them look at him. 

"We will help you. I'm guessing this is already your last resort?" He said. Sachiko looked at him surprised before she leant across the table and forced him into a tight hug. Yu stared at Nanami, who looked uncomfortable, while Sachiko closed her eyes to stop her from tearing up. The two boys shared a glance; Yu was concerned, but so was Nanami. "We're a team; we will always help you. You can't have this hanging over your head the rest of your life," 

"Thank you. Both of you, so much." She said, a tear slipping from her eye as her grip tightened on Nanami. He sighed and finally gave in, his arms going around her as he hugged her back. 

Days later, the three of them sat on the train silently. Sachiko's knee bounced up and down as she picked at her nails. They were heading up to a smaller town just outside the city where their plan would hopefully take place. Nobody from the school knew their self-appointed mission; the teachers thought they had all gone home for a few days, and their peers wished them well on their standard curse removal mission. 

After leaving the school, the small group attempted to draw as much attention to themselves as possible. They laugh and speak loudly, using their cards to pay for everything, anything that leaves a trail for their targets to follow. They were playing a game of cat and mouse with a group of dangerous curse users. Their nerves were through the roof. 

A blaring ringtone made the three of them jump as Sachiko scrambled to answer her phone. It was Satoru; she stared at it, unsure whether to answer. She was not a great liar, and in this state, she didn't think she could be calm, but she rarely missed his calls. Yu urged her to answer the phone, but she freaked out and pressed the red button. "Sorry, he'll know something is up. He thinks we're on a mission. Hopefully, he'll assume I'm too busy to answer." 

"Okay, but if he calls again, you need to pick up, or this whole thing will fail," Yu stated. Sachiko nodded before glancing out the window. The two boys shared a look before Yu reached into his backpack and pulled out a pack of cards. He tapped her knee, again gaining her attention, "Let's pass the time quicker." 

Soon, the three stood on the station platform; Nanami grabbed a small available map while Yu searched for their hotel's address, which was written on a piece of paper in his bag. Sachiko's eyes scanned their fellow travellers; most were women with small children or businessmen, but two people stood out at the end of the platform. They kept their eyes on a route map plastered on the wall, but one of their gazes flicked to the group every few seconds. 

Nanami walked back and nodded slightly, his eyes glancing at the pair. Yu held up the piece of paper and read it out loudly. Sachiko told him to shush, and he looked at her apologetically. She grabbed his arm, and they walked out of the station, the pair sharing a cheeky grin. It seems that their plan was working. 

Sachiko stood outside as the two boys found their room. She pulled out her phone and stared at Satoru's name. She let out a deep sigh before pressing the call button. It rang a few times before his voice chimed through the phone, "Hello... How is your mission going?" 

"Oh, we've only just arrived. We're just staking out the area..." she answered as she played with a small thread on her uniform. She was reluctant to speak to him because, for once, their phone call had more static than ever. "And where is your mission again?" 

"Just south of Tokyo. I'm heading there tomorrow morning." Sachiko smiled and repeated his statement, earning a confused sound from Satoru. She knew that if their targets thought Satoru Gojo was with them, they would be less likely to attack them. She held the phone away from herself as she cringed at her act. She hated this. "Hey, one of the teachers mentioned that you and the other two went home for the weekend. I said you guys had gone on a mission... One that's not logged."

"Well, lovely talking to you, Satoru!" Sachiko said sweetly as she pulled the phone away from her ear. She could hear him asking where she was as she hung up on him. She let out a deep groan as she shoved her phone back in her pocket and trudged upstairs.