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dinoace2 · 5 months

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Back and Forth

Anyone else make self-indulgent fics, writing themselves into scenes to try and salvage the situation that had just happened? No? That's a me thing? Ok cool

⚠️⚠️⚠️!!!!!JJK SEASON 2 SPOILERS AHEAD! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!⚠️⚠️⚠️

Anyway I love Nanami he is my favorite and he deserved better and I sobbed for 2 hours after all that.

The fic surrounds the reader(me lol), a childhood friend of Nanami, born to the inumaki clan but struggled to accept her position. She saw the danger in Shibuya and couldn't simply stand by, so here we are.

>3k words, Angst throughout, but happy(?) and peaceful ending. Segments in italics are memories throughout their past, and the one bolded paragraph is that natrator who explains stuff occasionally. Only kinda proofread ish so if there's grammar issues I am sorry

TW: I feel as though this should be obvious but blood and death will be a recurring thing here. Also she vomits like 3 times

Characters mentioned/involved: reader, Nanami, Mahito, Itadori, Arata Nitta, Shoko, Yaga, and Toge Inumaki.

(Character doesn't know all of these people by name so she describes them, and it is first person so here's the reference list:

Mahito is the stitched man, itadori is the pink-haired kid, Arata is the blonde kid, Shoko is the woman with the cigarette, and Yaga is the man with the sunglasses.)

Ok let's go

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I shrugged, scrawling out another note on the pad in my lap, then held it out for my friend to read, trying my best to hold it still.

'It isnt that I don't WANT to help people. It's just a lot of pressure, you know? There's thousands of sorcerers out there...surely one can't make a massive difference in the grand scheme of things.'

Nanami looked at the scribble, deciphering my familiar chicken scratch with ease. "I suppose you have a point...and I certainly can't make you do anything but...all I can do is make recommendations. You're incredibly strong, you know that? If you actually put your mind to it...you really could do incredible things with your skills." He smiled, reaching for my hand. "Im sure the higher-ups would still be willing to make you an official sorcerer if you wanted."

I sighed, scribbling another response.

'Yes, but, that's the thing. I don't really WANT to be special or incredible, you know that. I have enough trouble in crowds as it is.'

I paused from my writing and touched my lips, my fingers gently grazing the tattoos on either side of my mouth. I was given these markings when I was way too young to properly have a choice. They're practically a burden as they are, sealing me to a responsibility I never asked for.

'I'll exorcise a minor curse if I happen to run into one, but I really don't see much need in becoming a big fighter like you or Geto or Gojo.'

He let out a sigh, nodding slowly as he looked back at me. "Yes...youre right. I understand."

Of course he does. He's the one who gets it more than anyone else.

He stood up to leave, his seat swaying in his absence, and I crumpled up our conversation, feeling at the paper beneath my fingers. I didn't know it then, but that was the last time we would meet on those old swings.

I wish I were as strong and brave as you,

"KENTO!"

My voice came out in a shrill shreik, cracking and breaking as I shouted a name that no longer had an owner. the lower half of his body crumpled to the floor, much to the glee of the strange figure standing over him. It was instantaneous, one moment he was standing there, and the next...? I couldn't even comprehend what had just happened.

~~~

It was halloween. I had been minding my business when I sensed a massive concentration of cursed energy near Shibuya. Whatever was over there, it was bad. I fought with myself for a long while. Surely the sorcerers could handle it. Surely everything would be fine, it always ended up that way anyway, especially with all the powerful guardians Japan has. I can stay put. What need would they have for a half-rate excuse of a sorcerer who feared her own voice anyway? Its fine.

I froze when I heard the voice. Some kid – no older than fifteen or so – stood at a rooftop, shouting something. I had initially paused because I recognized the name he was screaming to, but my heart sank when I heard what came next.

"NANAMI! NANAMI, WE NEED YOUR HELP! GOJO HAS BEEN SEALED!"

Gojo? As in...the Gojo? How could that-?

I'm not sure why or how but at that point my mind was made up. I changed into something more practical, pulled a mask over my mouth, and left my home to face the very thing I fled from decades ago.

~~~

The train station was nearly silent as I ran through it, sneaking around to avoid confrontation as much as I could.

I heard fighting in one of the terminals, and sensed a massive cursed force, spread out across possibly hundreds of vessels. What the hell...? And...with every hit, every grunt, every sound I heard, it was getting fewer. There was only one sorcerer in there, yet he was...taking on an army. On his own...

When I got closer I finally recognized who i was hearing. Nanami. Of course he was able to take on that much. He's always been strong, so of course this would be no different. I haven't spoken to him in years...maybe after this we can take more time to reconnect. The thought made me smile.

~~~

It was a nice day...we were all too young to be worried about anything...too young to care. I was sitting on the swings with one of my dearest friends, talking over the creak of the old chains. I had recently participated in an incredible family ceremony, and I was so excited for the life ahead of me.

"Grampa called it..um...cursed speak!" I said, my smile bigger than ever as I pointed to the marks on my chubby little cheeks. "I can tell people what to do and they'll do it! Even those ghost thingies that not everyone can see!" I giggled. "I wonder if I can make Mommy clean my room."

My friend chuckled. "Alright, just don't do it to me, okay?"

I nodded. "Okay, Ken! I promise I wont." I put on the most innocent little smile I could. "Youve always done stuff for me anyways, right?"

~~~

As I made it to the terminal, I was frozen in place. It was nearly devoid of life, the demolished corpses of mutated figures piled on the ground around a single person. That was him, wasn't it? Nanami Kento, one of the strongest, most composed men I had ever met, but...he was badly injured, half his torso mutilated, most likely by fire, and he was covered in blood and wounds beyond which I had ever even considered possible. I was so taken aback by the sight that I hardly paid any notice to the stitched-up man that approached him. I heard them speak, only for a brief moment. Nanami turned his gaze to a child who had walked in on the other side and muttered something i couldn't quite hear...

And then he was gone.

"KENTO!"

My cry, unexpected to even me, caught the attention of the man with the stitches. He looked at me, lips peeled back in a too-wide grin.

"Ohhh! You must be a friend of his! I don't think anyone's mentioned you before, so you must be new!" He giggled, stalking forward as more grotesque figures rose around him. "How would you like to join him?!"

For a moment I couldn't move, and in fact it looked like everything was moving in slow motion.

~~~

The same playground, the same people, the same swings. Just...a different time in our lives. We were both stronger, smarter, but still just kids.

"Man, we're gonna be so strong together! And we'll get to hang out so much, too! The academy said we would be in the same class!" I grinned. "Can't wait to beat you up in school! For a grade!" I laughed, feeling the wind on my pale hair as I swung.

Nanami nodded, the same grin on his lips. "I think youve got it wrong, if you think im gonna lose!"

We laughed for a while, until I was brought to an abrupt stop by rough hands on my back. A different kid, much bigger than me, shoved me out of my seat. Another look told me he wasn't a sorcerer, nor did he have any idea what we were capable of. "Youve been on the swings long enough, kid. I've decided it's my turn." He snickered as Nanami ran to my side, helping me up.

I glared at the boy, slightly shaken by the interruption. "H-hey...what was that for?"

He smirked. "Aww, what's the matter? Gonna cry?" He snickered as he took my seat, and I felt Kento's hands ball into fists at my side. "Hey! You better leave her alone!" He growled.

The boy crossed his arms. "Wow, someone's touchy. Why, is she your girlfriend?" He chuckled as Nanami's face went a few shades of red. "I dunno why you'd even wanna be with her anyway. She's got...weird tattoos all over her mouth, like some kinda delinquent who went to jail! Or maybe some circus freak!" His laughter only got louder, and Nanami began to growl as my shoulders shook from humiliation, tears beginning to blur my vision.

My lip quivered but I planted my feet, glaring at the boy in front of me. "Just....go AWAY!" I shouted. The realization hit as soon as the words left my lips, and I clapped a hand over my mouth, but the damage was done.

The boy was flung, almost cartoonishly, forced away as if some invisible monster had thrown him by the ankle. He hit the ground with a hard thud as concerned parents started running over.

I was frozen, I couldn't speak, couldn't think. I did that? Such level of power and destruction, quite literally at the tip of my tongue, and I just....did that?

I didn't talk much after that.

Decided that school wasn't really my thing, either.

~~~

I stared at the approaching man, and the dozens of mutilated human corpses surrounding him. Just how strong was this guy? How could he have done that to Nanami without a second thought? Too much coursed through my head, but one thing was clear.

He wouldn't be continuing.

I pulled down my mask, taking in a deep breath. My lip trembled, my chest shook, and my hands balled into fists.

"Shatter."

All at once, the bodies before me froze, trembling as massive cracks grew up from their feet. They cracked like glass yet their flesh made creaking, squelching noises as they began to break.

In a single, simultaneous moment, every single transmutated monstrosity exploded, a mess of blood, flesh, and gore unlike anything I'd ever seen before. My eyes widened, and my hands shook as I stared on at what remained.

The recoil hit me like a truck, my entire body feeling as if it were about to explode. I doubled over as vomit and blood poured out of my mouth with a pained retch. My throat felt hollow, and my chest felt as if it had been torn open. I could only cough and wheeze and whimper, leaning on the wall to remain upright. In my current state I didn't even notice what had happened right in front of me.

The pieces of the stitched man began to stretch and grow, reforming into his original shape. He looked at me with a twisted grin, slowly stalking toward me.

"Oh! I didn't know you were a cursed speech user! You didn't look like one at first!" I couldn't move as he approached. "But from those markings...youre an Inumaki, huh?" He chuckled.

"Wow....dyed your hair, got a mask on....you must have really wanted to be discreet! Almost like you –" he gasped in false shock, grinning ear to ear. "– Abandoned your clan like a little traitor~! That's fun! I'm all about forging your own path and stuff."

He smirked as he came face to face with my frozen, shaking form. "You abandoned your clan, then came running back to the battlefield to avenge a friend of yours! It would have been noble if it wasn't in vain." He snickered. "Youll die for nothing! How does that make you feel?" He cupped his ear, as though to listen for a response, then cackled. "After a shout like that, you'd be lucky if you could even whisper in the future! I'd expect your vocal cords to be in shreds at this point." He gasped, overcome with an idea. "Ooh, you know what would be even better?! If you went crawling back to your family yourself!"

He grabbed my chin. "I'm in a good mood right about now. So here's how it's going to go. I'll let you walk out of here on your own two feet, so you can stumble on back to that clan of yours and play charades with them until they realize you're their biggest failure of your generation!" He grinned, releasing me and turning toward the pink-haired kid who still stood shocked in the doorway. "Ta-ta now~, better get out of here before I change my mind."

My mind was reeling despite the fact that I couldn't move. This...this curse...had the audacity to tell me to run, with my tail between my legs? To flee, with empty hands, regardless of what more I could do? This thing had the temerity to tell me what to do?

Is that not what I've been trying to avoid my whole life?

~~~

"Incredible," he breathed, astonished. "Youre getting stronger, even if you don't know it." Nanami smiled, sitting on the old swing as I stood in front of him, arms raised as i finished demonstrating an odd move i had come up with and practiced. "Not a lot of people can even comprehend the idea of learning a new cursed technique, yet here you are, creating one of your very own. Impressive work, especially for someone with hardly any formal training."

I grabbed the notepad in my pocket, quickly scrawling a response.

'Its entirely possible that formal training would have suppressed this. If all are taught the general systems, it'll be hard to remain an individual.'

He chuckled. "I guess it's possible. But schooling aside, you really have become something special. Keep honing that skill...keep being you, and I bet you'll one day do something incredible, even if you don't see it. Even now, you found a workaround to vent out your cursed energy without using cursed speech."

I smiled, sitting in the empty swing next to him. I pressed one more folded note into his hand, gently swinging forward and back.

'No matter what I do, and how long we spend apart, you always support me. You give me confidence and let me feel like I can really....do something. And it's something that I want that you always encourage. I never feel forced around you. I suppose I want to say I'm glad you've always stuck by my side. I'm really glad you're my friend.'

Nanami smiled softly then reached over to take my hand, interlacing our fingers.

"Of course. I'm glad you're my friend too."

~~~

I scowled at the curse as he walked away, raising my hands in front of me as I pooled whatever cursed energy I had left into my palms. One hand raised to my eye level, and the other drew back, as though pulling the string of an invisible bow. I could only mouth the words as I conjured my power.

"Cursed technique: toybox."

Toybox: a cursed technique designed and used solely by a forsaken and forgotten member of the Inumaki clan. Playing into the often-overlooked yet highly versatile arsenal of a children's imagination, Toybox allowed its user to concentrate portions of her cursed energy into a physical form, most often taking the shape of a pointed arrowhead or the length of a blade. None could see this "weaponry" aside from the user herself, hence the reference to imagination and childrens' toys.

I took careful aim, seeking to strike the curse at its core. I had one shot at this, and in it, I poured every last bit of power I had left. With a shaky breath and a steady hand, I released the grip that was pulled back, sending the equivalent of a cursed bullet flying at the stitched man.

He was still for a moment, looking down at the sizeable hole in his chest.

His head twisted around unnaturally, only grinning as the wound sealed shut. "Oh dear. I gave you your chance. This simply won't do." He walked back toward me. "You keep distracting me from the person I actually want to kill! And I'm getting tired of wasting my time." He smiled lazily, shrugging. "Buuut, you certainly don't have anything left now. I can tell. You're all out!" He chuckled, as the aftershock of losing so much energy finally hit me like a brick wall.

Almost as if on cue, I clutched my stomach as more blood and bile rose from my throat, and he snickered. With a swift hit to the legs he made my knees buckle, sending me all too quickly to the floor. My head struck tile with a thud, and I'm sure I heard a crack. My vision blurred and my breath hitched, and I couldn't even flinch when his foot sunk into my gut, only drawing forth more blood and vomit.

The man above me sneered. "Youre a pest. And you aren't even worth my time. You were born weak, you lived a coward, and you'll die a failure. Now, instead of dealing with you swiftly like I should have, we're going to find out if it takes longer for you to bleed out, or choke on your own vomit like a wounded dog."

I could only watch as he walked away, gasping, shaking, and unable to move. No matter what I tried, no matter what I wanted to do, I remained still, feeling utterly broken and worthless. My vision was fading, my body beginning to shut down. I heard muffled conversation between the curse and the boy, before it all...stopped.

~~~

My eyes shut tight. Why didn't I feel anything? Why didn't it...hurt? I flinched as I felt a hand on my shoulder, instinctively pulling away and sitting upright. My jaw dropped when I saw him.

"K....Kento...?"

I couldn't believe it. There he was, kneeling in front of me, his blonde hair almost falling in his eyes. He smiled softly, holding out his hand. "...i dont think ive heard you say my name in a long time...did you miss me, by any chance?"

I didn't take his hand, but instead sprung from my spot into his arms, hugging him tightly. My body shook as tears stung my eyes, so many words I never said all rising to the surface.

So much to say, so many questions, so many words, yet the only thing that fell past my lips was, "I'm sorry."

He brushed a strand of hair over my ear, his smile never fading. "Whatever for? I couldn't be prouder of you."

That only caused me to choke on a sob, shaking my head as I buried my face in his chest. "B-but I couldn't fight him...I didn't do anything, I didn't help anyone...." my hands clenched. "I-i failed."

He shook his head, pulling me up to look at him. "My dear, you gave your all to defend a purpose. And I've known you practically our whole lives. Your existence was not in vain...and I can promise that others will agree. I promise, I will never be disappointed in you."

The tears that fell next were of a different kind. "...heh...you always knew how to make me feel better, Ken..."

He smiled, and I paused as I felt his lips press against my forehead. "Of course. Don't you remember? I always do stuff for you." He chuckled, watching my cheeks flush at the memory. I took a deep breath, trying to organize my thoughts. Of any possible chance, surely this was the best one I had to say it.

"Kento...you've been...my best friend and my closest ally....our whole lives. My greatest support and beloved confidant..." I whispered, taking his hands. "I love you, Nanami Kento, I always have. I....I know it's far too late to have said anything, and I should have done something better, or-or gone to you sooner, but-"

I was cut off by a calloused hand cupping my cheek, pulling me into the most gentle, loving kiss, like the kind from books that one could only dream for.

He smiled. "Im glad I could hear you say it. It probably would have been awkward if we had to make this exchange with handwritten notes," he chuckled. The off comment made me giggle, and I hugged him again. He simply held me to his chest, wordless, just allowing time to pass.

We spent what felt like hours in each other's arms, exchanging questions and catching up on every detail.

I didn't want to move, didn't want to leave this incredible, impossible moment. Despite the situation, despite what all just happened, I felt...peaceful. Safe. Almost...alive. Nothing else mattered right now.

All of a sudden, i...felt like I was being pulled. As if I was beginning to be torn away from Nanami's arms. He looked down at me, noticing the invisible force.

"Kento, what...what's happening?" I whispered, clinging to him now with more strength.

He...he smiled, brushing back my hair and pressing a kiss to my forehead. "...looks like it's not quite your time yet. You get to keep going."

Fresh tears sprung to my eyes and I shook my head, burying my face in his chest. "N-no, I....I can't...I can't go back...I can't face them...I can't do anything..."

Our embrace was short-lived, and I cried out as I was dragged away.

~~~

"Im getting a response! She's coming back!"

"Easy now, don't overwhelm her."

"Who is she anyway?"

"Im not sure. She's got the marks of the Inumaki, but she doesn't have a sorcerer ID and any other form of identification seems to imply she changed her name."

"Alright, don't interrogate her now, I think she's waking up!"

My eyes squeezed tight, my head was pounding. I heard a lot of voices, too much sound to pay attention to any one thing.

Much as I didn't want to, I opened my eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the light. I was surrounded by people, unfamiliar faces, their gazes all boring into me. I felt like I wanted to disappear.

A blonde boy looked at the others, standing close to me. "I found her near where Nanami was...i-i mean, I wasn't completely sure if she was going to survive but if there was a chance, it seemed worth trying." He turned to me. "Are you feeling alright?" I shrugged, only able to let out a pained sigh. He nodded. "Yeah, i..I bet. All things considered, you don't look too badly injured per se...a couple of cracked ribs...might have a mild concussion from falling...but most of your state seemed to come from a near total drain of cursed energy. What happened?"

I opened my mouth to speak, tried to do something, anything, but the only noise that came out was a creaky, broken groan. My hands reached to my neck, at this point only trying to make a sound. I hadn't spoken in years, but now that I couldn't? Oh god. The only sound that came from my mouth were shaky gasps and raspy hisses.

The boy nodded. "Considering the state you were in, I wouldn't be shocked if your vocal cords are damaged beyond use...here." he pulled out his phone, then held it out to me with the notes app open. I sat up, taking the device and beginning to type, beginning with telling them my name.

'Nanami was an old friend of mine. I might technically be a sorcerer but I left that behind for personal reasons. I saw the veil around Shibuya, though, and i couldn't bring myself to ignore it, especially after I heard that kid yelling about Gojo. I got there when I could, dispatched the transmutated humans and minor curses that I saw as I ran toward the threat. I found that patched-up...thing standing over him, but I couldn't move fast enough to stop it. I used my cursed speech on him but...its almost like I didn't do anything at all.'

I sighed, handing the phone back to him to read. He nodded, relaying the message to the others; a woman in a white coat with a cigarette, and a man with spiky hair, a goatee, and dark, angled sunglasses. They both looked...vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place it at the moment.

The woman frowned. "...an Inumaki girl who was friends with Nanami? I do remember someone like that...she hung out a lot less after a non-sorcerer got badly injured, though. Must've been you." At her words I shrunk into myself, and she nodded as her suspicions were confirmed. "But...you came back. That shows a lot more about you than you realize." She smiled a little, tapping her cigarette. "Takes a lot of courage to do that."

I turned to the boy, reaching out my hand, and he gave me the phone again.

'I never wanted a life like this. If I could've removed my tattoos and just...lived, like a normal person, I absolutely would have. But it's not like I could have ignored a veil that big and an aura that dark.'

I frowned.

'Not like it really mattered anyway. I didn't save anyone, and nearly killed myself in the process. I'm useless. The only thing I did here was cause another casualty.'

The boy read my note and shook his head. "Thats not exactly true. There were remnants of your cursed energy all around that room. Those things all over the place were transmutated humans, bodies crushed and mutilated to that curse's desired form, yet not permitted to die. Your cursed speech laid dozens of suffering, frightened, pained people to rest. It's a hard thing to think about, but...you saved them."

I stared at him, my eyes wide and lip quivering. I...saved them? How could that have been possible, with the image of such gore, such suffering etched into my mind? It doesn't seem right.

"More than that, I sensed your energy that came from something else. It was strong, concentrated. Do you have another cursed technique outside of your speech?" He asked, simple curiosity in his tone. Not accusational, not upset, just wishing to know. At my slight nod he smiled. "Then...you could still help people. Er- if you wanted to, that is. I don't mean to sound like I'm forcing you."

I took his phone and typed another response.

'I don't know yet, if I'm being honest. There's a lot to take in right now. All I ask right now is, if you can, don't tell Toge I'm here. I don't know if he remembers me, but I'm not sure if I can face him.'

As if the curse of fate decided to play yet another cruel joke, I heard a gasp from behind me. A pale-haired boy stared at me, eyes wide. I couldn't see his mouth under the high collar of his jacket, but I could tell exactly who he was. To my surprise he wasn't gawking at the markings on my lips, but looking at me, with a certain level of recognition in his eyes. I couldn't tell quite what emotion he was feeling, nor what he felt about seeing me after so long.

I never wanted to speak more desperately than I did in that moment. He was so...so small when I left. So young. I'm not sure he even knew why I had gone. I opened my mouth to speak, begging and pleading that I could just get one word out.

My lips moved to a silent voice, tears falling down my cheeks. "Toge, I-"

He didn't even let me try to continue, and I felt myself enveloped in the tightest, most caring hug I had gotten in years. A soundless sob shook in my chest as I clung to him with all I had. My mouth moved over and over again, repeating 'I'm sorry' and 'forgive me' endlessly. The man in the sunglasses chuckled. "Looks like someone missed you."

I couldn't believe it. After everything, after all this time, I was simply...welcomed? Forgiven? After my shortcomings, my failures, my pain, I could still...do something? Be something? No one was upset, and instead it seemed they...or at least Toge, was happy to see me. Despite the tragedy, despite all the suffering...it was like I still meant something. This sense of belonging, of support, everyone had everyone's backs, and everyone was working toward a common goal: making the world a safer place.

When toge let go of me, I picked up the phone one more time, typing a final message with a smile. This level of enthusiasm was something I hadn't felt since I was little, and I was almost relieved to have it back again. I handed the device back to its owner, and he read it aloud to the woman and man, each with a knowing smile on their face.

"How do I come back?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fin.

Thanks for reading :]

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