Chapter Text

Chapter 3:

Dreams or Nightmares?

Why do you keep pretending that you haven’t seen this already…?

Cool wind filtered through the room, providing a much-needed refreshment for the group of students sitting around the infirmary.
Isamu leaned his head against the wall behind him, barely listening to Yamamoto-san scolding him and the others as he blearily watches the flickering light at the top.

Riku Yamamoto, Isamu and Yubana had talked with the man quite a lot already as they had to visit the infirmary at least once every week.
It had its ups and downs to be known by the nurse:
On one hand, Riku already knew how to effectively heal the two with his ability as he already knew the boys cursed energy fluctuations like the back of his hand.
But on the other hand, Riku knew the two so well already that he can’t help himself from scolding the teenagers for their reckless actions.

Lifting his head slightly, Isamu met the bored look of Yubana, his lips twitching slightly at the restless red-head.
His teammate still didn’t like the infirmary, no matter how much of a home-y vibe the place gives off.
Isamu might not know why, but he never cared to ask either. If his fellow classmate really wanted to, he’d already have told him after all.

He had closed his eyes for a moment, blending out the conversations around him when suddenly he found himself pulled to the floor by one of his juniors.
Ensnared into a sudden game of tales and fantasy.
He did not understand how complaining from Yamamoto-san about their reckless nature turned into a game for all the first and second years to enjoy, the nurse included.

The game itself was simple enough, first, choose a character: the Prince, the Knight, the Witch, the Villain, the Singer or the Storyteller.
Then, you are to represent the figure of your choosing, weaving stories of your life into its character, and each of your decision plays a part on the board you play upon.
Isamu wasn’t sure how, but as far as he noticed, the board has changed according to what has been told, since Yamamoto-san started the game as the Storyteller.

Yubana chose the Knight while Itsuki-san took upon the Witch, Inumaki-san had taken the Villain and Weiss-san the Singer. All that was left was the figure of the Prince.
For some reason, Isamu felt queasy about choosing the prince, a feeling of unease washing over him.


・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・


The game had started, everyone was transfixed on the board as it changed to fit the scene. Choices being made, groans of disappointment and hands slapped upon their mouths to stifle laughs.
Isamu himself cracked a smile whenever the Knight had chosen the wrong decision once again, causing him to restart.
Yubana made sure to keep smiles on everyone’s faces, even as the Storyteller caused the scenes to turn darker and darker.

Isamu then found out that Yamamoto-san – or Riku as he kept insisting on – was fond of sad tales, weaving romantic stories with heartbroken fables for the game.

But as they kept playing, he found himself furrowing his brows, Isamu confused by the stark feeling of sadness lingering in his heart.
“The prince, as he tried to catch the falling body of the knight wept silently, holding onto his guardians hand.”, Riku narrated, Elara and Mei clutching onto each other as tears filled their eyes.
“A choice must be made once again: Will the prince keep the story going as it has? Having lost the knight to his choices so many times already, after all. Or will he decide to save his friend again to finish the story with him?”

Everyone turned their expectant gazes to Isamu, their eyes widening as they saw tears dripping down his blank face.
He, himself, did not understand what was happening. A sadness so painful had wrapped around his heart, squeezing until he felt himself choke on sobs that made his whole-body shake.

His breath came up short as his body refused to calm down.
Suddenly, arms wrapped around him, a grounding feeling as he connected the scent of blooming plumerias to his classmate and friend, Yubana.
But it was not only him, who decided to ground him with stability.

He felt Elara close, leaning against his side – Mei having laid a hand on his shoulder and Yurei having his hand patting his back.
They were all here, all around him and grounding him in a way he didn’t think he needed it.

Not one person said a word as they sat like that, Isamu having relaxed into the hold of Yubana and everyone else. His arms lax at his sides.
Only Riku was still moving around, the clatter of figures being put away and a game closed by the lid.

After a bit more time has passed, the group said their goodbyes to the nurse, chattering quietly as Yubana stuck to his side.
He gave his own goodbye, showing that he was feeling better now.

“Okay! We’ve had enough of dilly-dallying here! At our last mission, we noticed that our teamwork is worse than a shit ton of fly heads. We gotta work on that!”, Mei shouted with over-active arm movements, pointing at each one of them.

“I mean, come on! Elara got injured like no other in this group, and that cause Yurei and I couldn’t work together for shit!”, Isamu had to shake his head at the girls’ cursing, a smile tugging at his lips.

He had to agree to her words though, even Yubana and himself had to work on their teamwork first, otherwise many missions of theirs would have ended worse than what happened to the first years.
“Then let’s train! O-of course, after we’ve all recovered from our injuries.”, Yubana quickly toned down his own enthusiasm to the notion of training again, sending an apologetic look at Elara who was carrying her right arm in a sling, bandages visible around her neck as well.

The young girl had been injured the most.
Whereas Yurei had exerted his cursed technique, ending up with burst blood vessels, strained muscles and enlarged lymph nodes – Mei having bruised herself only minimally as she avoided most attacks with the protection of Yurei and her own technique;
Elara, herself, had been at a loss with the little control of her technique, it still being unrefined and disorderly.
She had been the weak link of the group, having become the target of the curse user.

Isamu didn’t even want to think about what could have happened if he hadn’t appeared when he did.

Quickly, he decided to reply: “We can still train without having to wait to recover physically. How about we focus on refining your cursed techniques? Yubana and I certainly would need the training ourselves.”
With his last sentence, a teasing glance was sent to the now pouting red head.
Both knew that it was a joke, that they can – of course – still refine their techniques, but even so;
they have already reached a point where they could try to unlock a domain expansion.

Cheers followed his words by Mei, a smirk playing on Yurei’s lips as Elara let out a sigh of relief.
They now knew how to continue on with training, without having to exert their physical states.
“Although, keep in mind that if you overdo the training, you can still put harm onto your physical state. Cursed energy is, after all, an extension of us.”, Isamu warned in a serious tone.

He saw that happen with Yubana once and would rather not have a repeat of blood dripping out of any of their mouths or eyes. Even Yurei knew how dangerous overworked cursed techniques are.
Mei deflated before she rapidly nodded her head, dragging her two classmates after her, leaving Yubana and Isamu to shake their head at their juniors excitement.

This truly did remind the both of them of their own first year.
“We should invite the others to meet them before the next event, don’t you think?”, Yubana muttered as he knocked his shoulder into Isamu’s.

“Right, I bet River would have a blast teaching his juniors tricks.”, he simply joked. A fond smile curving his lips upwards in reminder of their senior.
River truly was a force to reckon with, nonetheless a hopeless romantic.
Be it for his juniors, his classmates, or the job as a jujutsu sorcerer.

Yubana complained about River at that, prompted by the joke Isamu decided to bring.

Once again, the black-haired boy was reminded on how much both had changed since the start of their first year.
Whereas before they were at each other’s throat nearly every day, now they could not go without each other.

They always had the others back on missions, working in harmonic fluency not many jujutsu sorcerers have achieved with their teammates.
Together, they work as if they had known each other for years, as if they had grown up – not as two – but as one.
Komi-sensei herself often praised them for their teamwork, highlighting the fact, they will make it far if they stay together.

Isamu knew he wouldn’t want to leave.
Afterall, he had to keep him save.

Yubana interrupted his thoughts as he nudged him in the direction of the community room that all jujutsu high students shared with each other.
The room already flowing with a pleasant energy, was filled with laughter of the first years.
The cursed technique of Yurei once again the focus of their joy and fascination.

Yubana moved into Isamu’s vision, a dorky grin upon his face that made the other push a hand flat against his classmates face before he joined the amusing conversations of his juniors.

Today, they would rest and regain their energy, and tomorrow they would make sure to show the younger students how to train their technique.
Isamu promised Elara to show her a few tips himself as there were a few connections between his own cursed technique and hers.
Conjuration one of them.

Laughter left the students as they relaxed in each other’s presence, feeling protected and safe, the situation from before left behind and forgotten…
all but in ones’ mind, blue eyes trailing back to the other every once in a while…


・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・


A silent scream tore through the night, eyes snapping open in fury and terror as he sits at attention.
Tears had fallen in his sleep, slipping down his face as his gaze reverently searches the darkness.
His gaze filled with such confusion and knowledge he could not understand.

A body moves next to him, causing him to freeze, refusing to meet the warm gaze of the boy laying next to him.

He did not understand, nor does he wish to understand his frequent nightmares, not even as they become worse and more vivid as the days go on.
His heart felt like it was bursting with unknown emotions, curling their fist around his heart with such a crushing grip that he had half a mind to just rip it out and be done with what he’s feeling.

Emotions that were not his own made his blood freeze to ice, burning him with a cold fury, dampening the thoughts inside his head with a clarity he did not have the time he went to bed.

Screams of forgotten faces but remembered voices, the feel of slick blood sticking to his hands, a body heavy on the ground before him, eyes empty and unseeing.
A shuddery sob leaves Isamu, his arms limp as his hands twitch at his sides.
Tremors ran through him, mind bursting with what he dreamt about.
NO! YOU REMEMBER THIS! YOU WERE THERE! THAT WAS NO DREAM!

A soft hand took ahold of his own, breaking him out of his mind, stalling all breath and thought. The warmth seemingly unknown reminds him once again, that he’s alive.
Softly the hand tightens its hold on his own, hoping to ground the fast heart beat and stop the rushing of blood in his ears.

As if out of his control, Isamu moves his gaze to the side, meeting the warm blue sea, the shine of a night before twilight, before the night leaves for the sun, just before warm oranges and reds take away the deep blue.
Eyes cold and unseeing, eyes that have lost their twinkle of amusement, eyes that lost all their light just to remain as deep as the oceans go.

════════════════════════════════════════════════

Yubana’s grip tightens, his gaze steely as he hopes to bring back Isamu from whatever dream or nightmare that had woken him up.

The red-head moves to sit as well, leaning his back against the bedpost as he watches Isamu slowly calm, keeping his hand wrapped around his friends own.
A panic attack is nothing new for the younger student, brows furrowed as he watches Isamu go through the same situation he himself has gone through so many times already.


Blue eyes focus on the trembling hand in his grasp, listening to the sound of breathing. He would wait until Isamu calmed down, he would keep making sure that Isamu knew, he’s not alone.
But he couldn’t keep his own mind from wandering, his own nightmare-ish insomnia induced nights coming back to him.
Dreams filled with begging for mercy, mercy he hadn’t granted back then.

Even so, Yubana still can’t find it in himself to regret his own actions.
No matter how dreary his nights had turned, how visible eyebags become at days. He'd still choose the same path as he did back then... wouldn’t he?

His attention snapped back to Isamu as his friend sacked against his shoulder. The other boy having overcome his panic attack, but it caused him to pass out again.
It seems like this wasn’t the first night for his classmate to have such a fit at night.

“What are you keeping to yourself, dumbass...? You know, you can talk to me...”, Yubana whispered into the night, his other hand going up to brush the hair from Isamu’s face.
Touch tender as the red-head’s mouth twists downwards in pain, brows furrowing. He would never want Isamu to suffer as he just did.
He will make sure, that his classmate – his friend – would never suffer again, like he did this night.

But would he choose to be hated by the very one he wishes to protect?