Chapter Text
White rice, check. Chicken gyozas, check. Spring mix salad with a side of creamy miso dressing, check. Hot dog pieces shaped like little octopi, because why the hell not, check. All in the bento they go, you think, in a sing-song voice.
It’s the beginning of summer and the temperature is finally starting to warm up. This season always puts you in a lazy mood, more so than usual. Hearing the neighborhood kids play joyfully outside makes you wish you had a mandated break as well. But no, you are an adult! Almost thirty in fact. Unfortunately, you haven’t had a vacation in years, so you will continue to flow through the mundane cycle of adulthood until you’re retired or, fingers crossed, win the lottery. None of which you predict will happen in the near future.
Thankfully, your job allows you to work from home most days of the year. This is especially nice because this summer, your dear younger brother, Ren, is living with you. Your parents originally planned a long family vacation overseas with him, having never had a chance to travel before. You were excited for him to see the outside world, explore his horizons. Since you couldn’t go because of your responsibilities to your 9-to-5, you were planning to live vicariously through him as he enjoyed the sights, sounds, and most importantly, the delicious food.
When he decided last minute that he did not want to go on the trip anymore, you were shocked. Your parents, being the saints they are, waved it off casually, not even attempting to convince him to reconsider. You questioned them to discover the reason for the sudden decision. They simply said, “He has his reasons.” No further explanation. After pestering them a few more times, only to receive the same answer, you stopped, leaving everything up to your own speculations.
Maybe it was cold feet? Anxiety? An awkward phase? Overseas trips can be stressful, you can understand that. Still, you can’t help but wonder. It’s probably a hormonal teenager issue that you can’t comprehend, but your parents can, so you leave it at that.
Because your parents couldn’t get out of all the deposits they made, they chose to go on their big trip without Ren. Not wanting your brother to be alone, you offered your place for him to stay, which he was just as excited about as you were. You’re happy for this opportunity to spend time with him. It’s been years since you moved out and you missed hanging out with your family. You also feel guilty about putting minimal effort into visiting them, despite being less than an hour train ride away. This is your chance to make up for lost time, especially with your brother, who you’ve always felt a special bond with. Before they left, your parents made it a point to tell you, “Take care of him while we’re away.” As if you needed to prove to them, and yourself, that you are capable of being the best older sister you can be.
Truth be told, it’s been lonely living on your own, a revelation that you sense more and more each year you get older. Having Ren here, someone in your life who loves you unconditionally, is a welcome change. This summer is going to be exponentially better than the last five since living alone. You’re sure of it.
The first Monday of vacation, fueled by a single coffee’s worth of caffeine, you greet your brother happily in the kitchen. “Good morning, sunshine! Look what I made for you!” You cradle a precious bento box in your hands, slowly lifting it up like Simba, imagining “Circle of Life” playing in the background.
Ren, fresh out of bed and still drowsy, stands in front of you, rubbing his eyes sleepily. “Huh?” He yawns and stretches his arms out. “What is it?”
“It’s a bento box!” You lower it and open the cover delicately. Your eyes sparkle as you imagine a golden light shimmer from within. “I put this together myself! TikTok has a plethora of bento box content, so I took a lot of ideas from there.”
His eyes widen, gazing at the food as if it’s valuable treasure. “Gyozas! And hot dog octopi!” A bright smile on his face, he takes his phone out to snap a picture. “I’m putting this on my story, this is too cute.”
You almost tear up hearing him praise your creation like this, but it’s too earlier for those shenanigans. Calming down from your excitement, you say, “I’m still practicing. And I’m sure I’ll run out of ideas soon, so if you have any special requests, let me know.”
Closing the bento and setting it back down on the table, you ask, “What do you want to do today? If you’re hungry now, you can dig into the bento. But I was thinking we can go for a walk at the park before we eat! What do you think?”
His smile slowly turns into a small pout as he shifts his feet guiltily. “Well, actually, I forgot to tell you. I start summer school today.”
“Huh? Summer school? But your school is so far from here! It’ll take us at least 45 minutes to get there!” Is this the reason why he didn’t want to go on the trip? All because of summer school? And if he knew that, why would he agree to stay here, when it’s so far away? You start to panic slightly, taken aback by this sudden news.
“It’s not exactly for regular school,” he begins to explain. “It’s…uh, for this other program I’m applying to.”
You stare at him, brows furrowed, arms crossed, waiting for more of an explanation.
He speaks a little faster now. “It’s a summer program for this school called Jujutsu High. A big opportunity came up and I took it. The lessons are three days a week for the next two months. That’s the reason I didn’t want to go on the trip anymore. I have to attend these lessons so I can officially get in next semester. I want to go to this school from now on.”
Pausing to take a breath, he continues. “Mom and Dad know all about it. I explained it to them. They support me 100%, which is why they didn’t make a big deal when I backed out of the trip. They know this is important to me.”
Your mouth hangs open slightly, still confused, waiting for it to make sense. Jujutsu High? Why is this the first time you’re hearing of this? And Mom and Dad know all about it? Why didn’t anyone tell you?
Ren walks towards you and puts his hands on your shoulders, giving you a firm squeeze. When did he get so much taller than you? Weren’t you supposed to be the adult here?! “I know this doesn’t make sense, but it’s important to me. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. It’s just…hard to explain. And I can’t really tell you everything yet. You just have to trust me.”
He’s being weirdly cryptic, but you start to realize how odd your parents were also being the other day.
He has his reasons.
Take care of him while we’re away.
Is there something they all know about that you don’t? And why are you the only one being kept in the dark?
You snap out of your thoughts when he starts speaking again. “I’m sorry, I know I’m being strange about this, but I don’t know how to explain everything right now. Just trust me. It’s not sketchy or dangerous, I promise.” He flashes you a reassuring grin.
After contemplating for several seconds, you sigh. “You promise it’s not some creepy cult, right? I’ve indulged in my fair share of true crime podcasts. I can see the warning signs!”
He laughs. “If it is a cult, then I’m already screwed, right?”
You roll your eyes. “Okay, fine. I’m going to pretend that this is perfectly normal. I trust you. And I trust Mom and Dad. If they’re good with it, I’m good with it too. You don’t have to tell me everything right now if you don’t want to.” You pause, then reiterate, “I trust you.”
He wraps you in a big hug, “Thanks sis. You really are the best.”
You return his embrace, still concerned, but ultimately deciding not to worry so much about it. It can’t be anything too nefarious, right? “Anyways, Jujutsu High. Is it close by?”
“Yeah, it’s walking distance from here, about 10 minutes. But I’m doing my lessons at a nearby office building. I actually have to head over there now to meet my teacher. Our first lesson is today.” He scrambles to pack a few items into his backpack.
How strange, an office building? This really might be some weird cult thing. You grab the bento from the table and hand it to him. “Well, take this. You’ll need food. Are you skipping breakfast?”
He packs the bento carefully into his backpack. “Yeah, I’ll just save my appetite for this. This looks so good. Thanks for making it.” He zips up his bag and swings it over his shoulder. “Well, I’m off! I’ll see you later.”
As he walks towards the door, you yell out at him, “Be careful! See you later!”
You take a deep breath and look around, sighing. All alone once again.
~~~
“Nice to meet you, Nakamura. My name is Kento Nanami. I’ll be your mentor the next few weeks.”
Ren Nakamura, aged 16. Gojo recruited him when they found him wandering around the abandoned building they were investigating outside of Tokyo. This is a trial run before officially offering him a spot as a student in this upcoming schoolyear. He has no history or knowledge of Jujutsu Sorcery, having been raised by a family of non-sorcerers. However, according to Gojo, he seems to have an eye for curses, having the guts to take them head-on with no experience whatsoever. And clearly, Gojo has his own eyes on him for a reason.
“He’s adopted. His parents were killed in a tragic, mysterious accident and these family friends took him in.” Gojo gave Nanami a brief background last week. “It seems like since then, he’s had a habit for exploring haunted houses and chasing curses.”
Gojo paused, then smirked. “The kid’s got guts, that’s for sure. He was taking on this ugly looking grade 4 curse with just his skateboard as a weapon. Luckily we found him before he could get hurt.” Gojo laughed and said happily, “He’s pretty twisted, so he’ll fit right in.”
That’s how Nanami ended up here, his summer dedicated to guiding this rookie. He still owes Gojo a favor, so they settle on this as a way to pay it back. Nanami actually doesn’t mind training young prospects in Jujutsu Sorcery. Teaching is one of his hidden passions in life. It gives him purpose, something his last job couldn’t fulfill for him. Plus, it’s fun and he’s proficient at it.
Him and his new student spend the first few hours going through the history of Jujutsu Sorcery and the school, Ren interjecting often to ask questions expected from someone who’s life suddenly changed upon realizing this unique ability. Gojo even made a surprise appearance to check-in, adding a bit more chaos to the mix.
After Nanami feels like he’s overwhelmed him enough, he decides it’s time for a lunch break. He looks at his desk and remembers too late that he did not pick up lunch for the both of them, which he intended to do. The local bakery he frequents stopped selling his favorite ham and cheese sandwich. He had put off finding a replacement for a while now. After running errands all morning, the thought of providing lunch slips his mind completely.
“Nakamura. I’m sorry, but I did not bring lunch for us. I’m just going to make a hot tea for myself, but if you give me a few minutes, I’ll run out and quickly buy – ”
“Hey, no worries, mentor! I actually brought a lunch.” He pulls out a bento box out of his backpack and opens it.
Nanami’s eyes widen behind his thick glasses as Ren removes the cover. It almost seems as if a dazzling light radiates once the food is revealed. Gyozas, white rice, salad, even hot dogs shaped like little sea creatures. He would never admit to anything being “cute”, but that is the first word that pops into his head, seeing this charming work of art. Ren stares lovingly at his meal, rubs his hands together, and begins to eat.
As he digs into his gyozas, Nanami heads to the breakroom down the hall to make himself a cup of hot tea. Damn, that looked good. Need to remember to find another bakery that has ham and cheese sandwiches, he thinks to himself, waiting for the hot water to dispense into his mug.
He comes back to the conference room, freshly brewed tea in hand, and finds Ren pointing at his bento, mouth full as he muffles, “Want some?”
Shaking his head, he declines. “No thank you. I’m fine with my tea.” He pauses to think. Then he adds, “Looks good, though.”
He swallows before proudly announcing, “My sister made it! It’s something new she’s trying.” He hums happily as he bites into one of the meat octopi. The salad has been skillfully avoided, causing Nanami to smile for a fraction of a second before he catches himself.
He watches his student, all while taking a few sips of his tea. “Do you live with your sister currently? I heard that your hometown is outside Tokyo.”
“Yeah I do. She lives 10 minutes from here, so it’s convenient. I know I’ll have to move into the dorms on campus, if I get accepted that is. It’ll be nice to have my sister nearby, though. Even if she doesn’t know about any of this.” Ren frowns slightly. Perhaps it’s guilt? Nanami assumes that his sister is a non-sorcerer, based on what Gojo told him about his family situation. He also assumes that she isn’t fully aware of what her brother is now involved in.
He takes another sip of his tea, unsure how to respond since he has little experience explaining Jujutsu Sorcery to non-sorcerers. In fact, he’s made sure to keep his personal life completely separate from his work. That’s how it was when he was a salaryman, that’s how it is in his current profession. He even swore to himself that he wouldn’t get married while he is still working as a Jujutsu Sorcerer. Maybe this is also an excuse to avoid the awkward dating scene that he finds so tiresome.
“Are you sure you don’t want any?” Ren asks, pointing at the remainder of the meal, which is just leafy greens.
Downing the rest of his hot beverage, Nanami replies, “No thank you. I’m fine.” He looks at his watch. “Actually, let’s call it a day. I don’t want to overwhelm you on your first lesson. We can continue tomorrow.”
Ren stands up from his seat and rubs his belly. “Sure, sounds good! I’ll review my notes tonight and ask any other questions tomorrow.” A burp escapes his mouth, and he looks nervously at his mentor. “Sorry,” he mutters.
Nanami rolls his eyes, still hidden behind his spectacles, ignoring the crude belch. “I’ll see you tomorrow at 9 AM. Please don’t be late.” He remains seated as Ren stuffs his belongings into his bag and waves goodbye out the door.
Removing his glasses, he leans his head further back on his chair and closes his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his left hand. It’s been a while since he’s taught a lesson, and he’s not accustomed to talking so much. Human interaction can be just as exhausting as fighting off weak curses. Frankly, it’s overwhelming for him at times, being a man of few words on a regular basis.
He opens his eyes and sighs deeply, looking around at the empty room. All alone once again.