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Her mother had called for her to visit their family compound for some time now. She guessed her mother was worried when they heard about her injury. Upon her recovery, however, she's been called to a number of missions. And she couldn't make time for her until now.
It's been a while. She realized as she walked down the wooden hallways of her childhood home. It was one of those traditional Japanese houses with wooden floorboards, tatami mats, and sliding paper doors. There was a koi pond in the middle of the structure, right within view of the dining room where she usually lazed around as a child during the hot summers.
Unlike then, it was quiet now. Most of the kids have grown up and, like her, moved elsewhere. In contrast to the main clans with houses bustling with people and affairs, the Iori's were more tame and solemn. Those who remained housed in their compound where mostly older folk. People who have nothing more to prove. People who lived in simple silence, content with the slow pace of their daily life.
As she was escorted by Chichi-san, a caretaker of the household since time immemorial, the old woman speaks to her in a quiet tone. "What did you do to yourself?"
She didn't even bother turning to Utahime. She simply looked ahead and continued to walk in small, well-mannered steps.
Utahime purses her lips. And when she scratches her face in thought, Chichi-san clicks her tongue.
"Don't touch your face." She hisses.
And Utahime drops her hand to her side, a frown on her lips.
Before she could answer her, they arrive at the receiving parlor where her mother was waiting. Chichi-san carefully kneels down by the sliding doors, respectfully tips her head down, and knocks.
"Utahime-chan is here, Iori-sama."
A soft, sweet voice, raspy from age, speaks from the other side of the doors.
"Let her in."
And Chichi-san looks up at a confused Utahime with a disapproving scowl on her face. And, with her chin, she gestures for Utahime to kneel down before she opens the door.
Utahime complies with a sigh.
And Chichi-san opens the door, revealing her thinly mother.
"Utahime," Her lips spread to a beautiful smile.
"Good morning, okaa-sama." Utahime makes a deep, respectful bow; holding her hands down and dipping her head to the floor.
"You've finally come." Her mother stands, tenderly takes her hand and brings her to the room. They sit down on the floor, around an antique table, their legs tucked under their skirts. Her mother wore a kimono, she a hakama. "You have your father's strong hands." She chuckles as she caressed her daughter's rough, calloused hands.
And Utahime starts to smile.
"I've been worried." Her mother tells her with a small lingering smile. Her eyes downcast, gazing at her daughter's pretty hands. "I'm always worried."
Utahime's gaze solemnly drifts to the gentle touch of her mother.
"Even before I heard of your injury," She looks up and meets Utahime's eyes. "I've always worried."
"Okaa-san," Utahime sighs. "I'm fine."
Her mother's brows creased. "Are you really?" She put a hand to her chest and leans closer to her daughter. "You're not, Utahime." And she reaches out to touch the scar on Utahime's face, a pain flashing in her gentle eyes. "You're not fine."
"You haven't been fine since you entered that school."
"I could never understand you and your father." Her eyes were riddled with grief, with a sadness for Utahime. "Why you go and fight, I will never understand."
"I always think," She starts to cry. "I always think that they'll take you from me. Like your father, fighting will take you from me."
"Okaa-san," Utahime's brows crease in a budding guilt, a remorse. "Nothing's going to happen to me." She tries to reassure her mother with an obvious lie.
An anger flashes in her mother's eyes. And she yells in frustration at Utahime, "It already did! Your face! Utahime, your beautiful face!"
"Okaa-san,"
"If you have any love left for me, you'll leave jujutsu sorcery behind." Her mother couldn't look her in the eye. She couldn't show how deeply her pain, her hurt ran.
"What?" Utahime lets go of her mothers hand.
"I've struck a match for you." Her mother continues in a cold tone.
"Okaa-san, I won't."
Her mother ignores her. "He's a good man, I'm sure you know him. He's from the Gojo family. So, already it's a promising match."
Utahime starts to scowl.
Then, when a silence fills their exchange, her mother raises her nose to the air. And in a slight concession, tells Utahime, "The least you can do is meet with him."
Utahime's gaze drifts down to her clenched fists.
"The least you can do is try."
"You have no idea how painful it is," Her mother looks at her with a distant gaze, as if speaking words which she will never truly understand until she was in her position. "You have no idea how painful it is for a mother, to see how much closer to death her own child is than herself."
"When your powers manifested, we all rejoiced. Even I did. I was so proud, so happy that our line would continue to flourish, continue to be respected. Until I realized the cost of your powers."
"I learned that the hard way." She smiles bitterly at Utahime. "When I was widowed as a young mother."
"So, meet with him. At the very least, meet with him."
Utahime does. She is a kind, dutiful woman. She knew what her mother expected of her. She long knew what her mother wanted for her. Since her youth, the vivid image of leading a quiet life, of having a family of her own, of holding a child in her arms, was made clear to her by her mother. That was her one dream for her beautiful daughter. For her only child.
And always.
Always.
She would let it go. With a pain in her heart, with a growing regret, in the end, she would always let Utahime do as she pleased.
Her mother's kindness, her mother's strength has been the reason why she entered Jujutsu High; the reason why she continued to fight. Other women weren't so lucky. Other women would be locked in their rooms until marriage. Afterwards, they'd be locked in a different house, in a different room filled with strangers.
So, Utahime meets him. She dresses in an elegant kimono, loosely braids her hair, and wears light make-up. She lets herself be escorted by one of the keepers of the Gojo compound. And, alongside her mother, she meets with the match she's secured for her.
For her mother, for all her sacrifice, she meets him. She'll meet with him.
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Gojo walked down the hallways of his family compound, following his grandmother without a care in the world. He had come from a mission. And he made a visit to check on the urgent family matters that needed his guidance. Not that he had any to give, as he told his elders who knew and cared more than he ever would about the family...
"Oh," Gojo-baba suddenly mouths. And she turns to her grandson with a grin. "Your friend Utahime is here."
"Yeah," Gojo frowns in thought. "Why?"
Gojo-baba starts to grin at him. And she proudly raises her nose to the air. "To get married, of course!" She could already hear the wedding bells a-chiming. "To your cousin, Hideki." She pumped her fist in success. It was always a happy day when anyone from their family gets hitched.
"What?" Gojo turns to his grandmother in surprise.
"I know, I know." She waves him off. "Her scar is off-putting. But you know how your cousin always had a crush on her?" She laughs, remembering how her grandson would always sneak a peek whenever the Iori's made their yearly house visit.
"That's love, Satoru." She playfully touches his nose. "One day, maybe you'll learn to love too."
"Maybe, one day," She laughs. "Someone will melt that cold heart of yours."
"Look at them," His grandmother points across the garden, to an open room. And Gojo sees Utahime in a beautiful kimono. He sees her laugh and smile at his cousin. "Aren't they too perfect?" Gojo-baba holds her hands up, encases the couple in a heart and snickers.
Then, she suddenly loses her smile, just now remembering how her grandson Satoru was. "I pray to the gods everyday that I'm still alive when you finally marry."
She laughs to herself, talks nonstop about other family highlights, and continues to walk to the family vaults, not noticing how Gojo kept staring at Utahime and his cousin, not noticing how he stopped following her.
She was already at the family vaults when she noticed she was alone. And she grimaced, annoyed at being bailed at by her grandson for the millionth time.
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"Hey, Utahime,"
Utahime flinches on the spot at the familiar voice. With a grimace, she turns to look behind her and frowns. They told her he was away on a mission.
"What?" She barks at him.
Her mother and their escort immediately skitter away. They had just finished their visit and were on their way out.
"You're marrying Hideki-nii-san?"
"What?" She scowls at him and flushes. Then, she purses her lips when he waves his hand at her, gesturing for her to follow him. She does, and she finds herself at their back courtyard. And they sit on a bench under the shade of a tree.
"You're marrying?" Gojo sounded concerned, perplexed. "Why?"
"Are you quitting sorcery?"
"Huh?" Utahime looks at him like he was crazy. "Who told you that?"
"Gojo-baba."
Utahime looks away with a bitter line on her lips. "People should stop chattering away and just mind their own business."
"So?" Gojo urged on. "Are you?"
"It's not a bad idea." He leans back in thought. "It'll be boring." He turns to her. And his gaze drifts to the scar across her face. "But, then again, you won't die."
"And we'll be family, I guess."
"Gross." Utahime starts to laugh. And Gojo follows with a smile.
"No," Utahime chuckles. Her hair falling from her braid. "My mom just had a panic attack after hearing about my injury."
"Made me a match," She snaps her finger expressively. "Just like that!"
This makes Gojo laugh.
"I made a visit to formally reject Hideki's proposal."
"I'm not quitting." She smiles up at Gojo and starts pulling out the clips on her hair.
"No matter how many times I get injured."
She smiles beautifully.
"No matter how many times you call me weak."
Her hair falls over her shoulders.
"I will never stop fighting."
She grins at him.
"Never."
Gojo looks away. And he leans back with a smile lingering on his lips. "Then," He muses. "I guess we're still stuck with each other."
"I guess." Utahime looks down, combs her hair with her fingers, and smiles.
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