As Shiki had thought, nothing changes. Kinji and Kirara remain the same as they always were around her in their classes together. The only significant difference that she has observed so far is how they're more open with touching each other now, and how Kirara in particular seems to be much more… comfortable? Relaxed? Than he used to be.
Shiki had always assumed that the tension in Kirara's frame was a result of him being unable to adjust to sorcery as well as Kinji did. But in retrospect, maybe there's something more going on beneath the surface.
… 'She' and 'her.' Because Kirara is a girl, apparently?
Shiki is still having a bit of trouble readjusting her mental perspective to think of her classmate as a girl. Mostly because it's by force of habit. But Kirara remains Kirara no matter the gender, so it's a trivial difference to adjust for in the end.
Shiki can adapt.
Overall, she doesn't think that she needs to be too concerned about her fellow classmates. Gender and relationship status are irrelevant when it comes to sorcery skill, and in the end, they are students studying in a jujutsu school. Everything else comes secondary to the progress they make in their training.
Speaking of making progress in one's training, there's also a certain student who needs to be putting in more of an effort to properly control his abilities instead of investigating the suspicious circumstances behind an already-exorcised cursed spirit's death.
Shiki supposes that it might be her own fault for telling Okkotsu Yuta that he was free to continue his investigations as long as he carefully considered his own position and his stance on the matter.
She hadn't been lying, though. Even now, Shiki still thinks that a sorcerer weighed down by distractions on their mind will only lead to further trouble later on. But at the same time, Okkotsu-san really does need to work on how he's going to control that possessive Special Grade cursed spirit of his. As he is currently, the higher ups would waste no time in sending for that sealing specialist of theirs in a bid to do something deeply inadvisable.
The exchange event is in September, so there's still time for Okkotsu-san to get things in order and save Shiki a lot of trouble. She would certainly prefer it if Okkotsu-san was able to publicly prove beyond doubt that he could control Orimoto Rika, as it would also greatly reduce the number of people eyeing him as an easily manipulated tool.
In the event that he failed to do so, Shiki would have to intervene. But even then, as long as he properly demonstrated Orimoto Rika's strength, that would also be a powerful demonstration serving as both intimidation and warning to those seeking to utilize him for their own benefit.
So, "You need extra training."
Okkotsu-san lets out a startled yelp, and promptly topples over from where he's already sitting down on the grassy ground.
"Hey there, Shiki!" Panda greets cheerfully, "Didn't expect to see you –oof!"
The blunt end of a wooden training staff connects solidly with the side of his face, knocking Panda off-balance. Zenin Maki immediately drops into a low sweep, kicking Panda's legs out from beneath him, and finishes by none-too-gently poking him in the stomach with her staff once Panda is fully laid out on the ground.
"There, I win again," the girl says, satisfied. "You should really know better than to look away from a fight before it's done, Panda."
"I was distracted!"
"It's not good to be distracted during a fight, either," Shiki nods along with Maki-san's sensible advice.
"I know, I know," Panda heaves himself upright, dusting off a few stray blades of grass as he stands up from the ground. "Just wasn't expecting you to show up in the middle of our sparring. What's up, Shiki? Joining us because you're tired of third-wheeling your classmates?"
It's hard to tell if Panda is joking or not. Shiki thinks that he might actually be serious…?
"I'm here for Okkotsu-san," she responds. Then leans forward, looking over the boy in question. Okkotsu-san stares back up at her, wide-eyed from where he's also gracelessly sprawled out on the grass like Panda had been just now. "You need extra training."
"Uh, okay…?" Okkotsu-san is wearing a lost expression on his face, now that his surprise at Shiki's unexpected appearance behind him is fading.
"Tsuna mayo?" Inumaki-san asks from beside Okkotsu-san. Then, upon seeing Shiki tilt her head in confusion, makes a vague gesture with his hands. The boy points at Okkotsu-san first, motioning towards Panda and Maki-san, then pivots back to point between Shiki and Okkotsu-san.
"Tsuna mayo?" he asks again.
"Are you… asking if I intend to spar with Okkotsu-san like Panda and Maki-san?" Shiki guesses.
"Shake," Inumaki-san raises a hand and curls it into a thumbs-up in affirmation.
"Something like that." Shiki will most likely be sparring with Okkotsu-san, but it's not the main purpose of the new training that she has in mind for him. "I want Okkotsu-san to practice fighting with Orimoto Rika."
Inumaki-san's eyes immediately widen as he scrambles upright. "Okaka?!"
This time, Shiki is able to easily decipher the shock and incredulity behind that single word.
"Is that really a good idea?" Panda scratches his chin as he ambles over, Maki-san following behind him. "Like, I thought the higher ups would've kicked up a fuss over what happened on the last mission because Orimoto Rika appeared. Isn't the idea to keep the Special Grade cursed spirit contained, kinda?"
"They want the Special Grade cursed spirit to be contained because Okkotsu-san lacks control over it. If Okkotsu-san can properly control it, then clearly they have no room for any complaints," Shiki responds simply.
Panda scrunches up his furry face. "… What you're saying makes sense, but why do I feel like the logic is a little scrambled up somewhere in there?"
Probably because it's a bit self-contradictory to expect Okkotsu-san to be able to control his cursed spirit without allowing the boy any leeway to actually practice by summoning said cursed spirit to begin with, according to the higher ups' demands. Fortunately, not everything that happens within the Tokyo school is subject to the watchful eye of the higher ups in Kyoto. As long as Shiki is careful enough about this, Okkotsu-san can safely and consistently get all the practice that he needs.
Okkotsu-san has been making good progress in getting his cursed energy under control and developing combat instincts since his arrival in the Tokyo school. With his current level of progress, it should be fine to take things to the next step.
"Follow me." Shiki straightens and turns to leave. In order to avoid observation, it would be better to train somewhere that's not an open field. Shiki already has a certain space in mind; Satoru-niichan had shown it to her before –an underground training hall that was more than spacious enough for their use. Assuming that Orimoto Rika didn't go berserk and attempt to destroy everything like it had done back at the manor, that is.
But it was a protected space with additional seals and wardings placed around it by the Gojo Clan. Suitably discreet for Okkotsu-san's extra training.
"Gojo-san, I–" Okkotsu-san jogs a few steps to catch up to her. "–um, about Rika-chan. I've never… she just shows up on her own, honestly. I've never intentionally tried to summon her before."
"Then this will be a good opportunity to find out how to call her on your own terms," Shiki tells him.
"That just sounds like a recipe for disaster," Maki-san mutters. "Shouldn't we wait until Gojo-sensei is here or something before trying to poke the Special Grade cursed spirit with a stick?"
"Actually, things would probably just be downright chaotic if Gojo-sensei was the one running things," Panda chimes in.
"Okaka?" Inumaki-san asks.
"Yeah, definitely. C'mon, you're already familiar with Gojo-sensei's sense of humor by now, aren't you? He'd probably find it hilarious to provoke the cursed spirit and laugh while it beats us up first."
"… Mentaiko."
"Satoru-niichan wouldn't do that without reason." He probably would find his students' panic to be very entertaining, however. Shiki recalls her cousin being similarly entertained whenever she struggled with her own training exercises, back when she'd been younger. But he'd also always been willing to step in and offer advice to her –some helpful, some not– and no matter the effectiveness of his assistance, Shiki had always been happy to receive his attention.
"Of course you'd say that, Shiki," Panda huffs good-naturedly. "But your opinion doesn't count, you're biased."
… Perhaps. When it comes to Satoru-niichan, Shiki admits that she might be slightly biased. Just slightly.
Somehow, the training session that Shiki had planned for Okkotsu-san has morphed into a venture that now includes all of the first year students. Which is not what she'd originally intended, but… nonetheless, it shouldn't be an issue. The training hall is more than large enough to fit all of them.
Besides, this is a good sign, isn't it? If Okkotsu-san is bonding well with his classmates, then that means there's less incentive for him to engage in activities that would see him becoming a curse user.
"Huh. I had no idea there was a place like this under the school," Panda says as they finally arrive in the underground training hall. Which looks more or less the same as any other training hall, for the most part… if one ignores the fact that it's underground, and the layered seals locking the entrance disguised as regular floorboards. "It's almost like a secret basement from a movie!"
"You didn't know? Didn't you grow up here in the school, though?" Maki-san raises an eyebrow.
"Well, yes, but I've still never been down here before," Panda shrugs. "Guess there was just never any reason to?"
"It's not often used, but it's quite useful when you need a bit of privacy while training," Shiki informs them. At least, this is what Satoru-niichan had told her, back when he'd first shown her this area; Shiki hadn't realized that there was a spacious underground training hall that existed here, either.
She walks forward into the center of the room. The wooden floorboards are smooth and polished beneath her feet, letting out a light echo as she strides forward.
Halts, and turns around.
"You said that you've never called for Orimoto Rika on your own before, correct?" Shiki asks, and Okkotsu-san nods in confirmation. "Then try to do so now."
"… Uh, right now?" Okkotsu-san blinks.
"Right now," Shiki nods.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Panda rapidly waves his hands in front of himself, making a 'time-out' motion. Beside him, Inumaki-san copies the movement. "No preparation, no nothing? You're just jumping straight into it like this?!"
"How else is he going to learn?" Shiki points out reasonably. "If you're concerned about structural damage, I've already engaged the defensive seals, and I'll also be–"
"Should we even be here if you're deliberately poking a Special Grade cursed spirit?!"
"–ensuring that the situation remains under control," Shiki continues calmly.
Panda's paws come up to rub at his own face. "Does Yaga-gakucho know about this?"
Ah. Is Panda worried that it would cause trouble for Yaga-gakucho if Okkotsu-san's cursed spirit were to be released on school campus? Under normal circumstances, it's likely to be a matter of concern with thet higher ups. But given the deadline of the exchange event looming ahead of them, exceptions could be made in this instance. Yaga-gakucho had also agreed with Shiki that, as Okkotsu-san currently was, the boy definitely needed more training in order to be able to utilize his cursed spirit. Shiki couldn't see the principal complaining about her taking initiative to assist the boy, not when they both knew that this was necessary.
"Yaga-gakucho is aware of what's going on," Shiki tells Panda, causing him to subside once he hears this. While Shiki hadn't explicitly told Yaga-gakucho that she would be beginning Okkotsu-san's training today, she had mentioned to him before that she would assist with the boy's training before the exchange event came around. That's enough forewarning given in advance, isn't it?
"Wait, wait," Okkotsu-san raises his hands, faintly flustered. Or is it nervous? "I-I'm being serious, I don't know how to 'summon' Rika-chan. I don't even know where to start–!"
Maki-san rolls her eyes, and promptly kicks the boy in the shin. "You're supposed to be a Special Grade, you could at least try acting like it."
"I don't feel like a Special Grade!" Okkotsu-san doubles over and clutches at his leg, hopping slightly on one foot.
"Tsuna, mentaiko," Inumaki-san crouches down beside him.
"Yeah, maybe you didn't get the rank solely based on your own merit. But 'Special Grade' isn't the sort of rank that people throw around lightly, y'know?" Maki-san huffs, folding her arms across her chest. "Pull yourself together already, seriously!"
Okkotsu-san sucks in a deep breath, and slaps his own cheeks, as if trying to wake himself up. "I know, I know. It's just… I don't really…"
Does he find this overwhelming, perhaps? His difficulties with the cursed spirit following him was something that stemmed from childhood; it's likely that there's some degree of trauma entangled here.
But it's something that Okkotsu-san is going to have to learn how to work past, eventually.
"There are two methods I can think of for Okkotsu-san to learn how to draw on the cursed spirit's assistance." Shiki raises a finger, "First, meditation. We know that they're bound together, so it's a matter of being able to intentionally manipulate that connection from Okkotsu-san's end."
"Sounds a little abstract," Panda remarks.
Shiki inclines her head, acknowledging her friend's point. "Meditation is useful for a great number of things that require a person to look within themselves. However, the drawback–"
"Is that meditation takes forever, right?" Panda nods sagely. "I'm guessing we're going along with the second method that you mentioned, then?"
Shiki raises a second finger, "The second option is simply practical combat."
Her words are greeted by a brief beat of silence. "… Come again?"
"Okkotsu-san mentioned before that Orimoto Rika usually appears when he's in danger," Shiki explains. "So if Okkotsu-san is threatened in a fight, then that means there's a higher chance of Orimoto Rika manifesting itself to protect him. If we repeat this process a few times, then it might be enough for Okkotsu-san to reverse-engineer the summoning process."
"But that's dangerous!" Okkotsu-san bursts out, leaning forward in concern. "Rika-chan doesn't listen to me–"
"And that's why we're here, isn't it?" So that Okkotsu-san can properly figure out how to command the Special Grade cursed spirit tethered to and obsessed with him. "I'll be your sparring partner."
"Just like that?" Maki-san blinks. "You seem awfully unconcerned about fighting a Special Grade cursed spirit. Although… hang on, I guess that's not much of a surprise, considering that…"
The other girl trails off and makes a vague full body gesture in Shiki's direction, as if that's somehow explanatory in and of itself. To be fair, it probably is. Shiki does have a record of facing Special Grade opponents despite her official rank as a Grade One sorcerer.
Moreover, she also has a record of having faced Orimoto Rika in hostile situations twice now. First during her initial encounter with Okkotsu-san, and again just recently in the haunted manor. Both times, the situation had been under control, for the most part.
So, "If you're worried about injuring me, then don't be," she tells Okkotsu-san. "My lapse technique 'White' makes me impervious to most methods of attack, and I'm also capable of using reverse cursed technique as well. I'm not that easy to kill."
Okkotsu-san coughs, choking on his own breath. "Kill?!"
"Is that not your primary concern?" Shiki tilts her head. Unless… is it that Okkotsu-san is still uncomfortable with her? If he's reluctant to train with Shiki, then that will be most unfortunate. The only other person in the Tokyo school who would be capable of remaining uninjured in a training session involving a potentially-hostile Special Grade cursed spirit is Satoru-niichan. And right now, Satoru-niichan is not present on school grounds.
Okkotsu-san doesn't really have the room to be picky here.
"Gojo-san," the boy finally stops coughing, and sucks in a deep breath. "I… do you mind if I try meditating, first?"
Shiki shrugs. "You're welcome to attempt it, but as Panda said earlier, it's likely to take far longer for you to succeed. And it's not as if you have that much time to waste right now."
Okkotsu-san pauses. "I… what? Is there something coming up soon that I'll need Rika-chan for?"
This time, it's Shiki's turn to pause. Had she not informed Okkotsu-san about the results of her and Yaga-gakucho's meeting with the higher ups' representative? Wherein it had been decided that Okkotsu-san would present himself at this year's exchange event and prove that he had achieved sufficient control over his abilities?
Surely she hadn't made such a large oversight. Shiki had met up with her classmates and the first year students shortly after the meeting concluded, heading into the city when it turned out they'd been conducting their own investigation into the haunted manor from last mission–
–and then their meal had been interrupted by Kinji and Kirara's unexpected argument with each other. And after that, the conversation had turned towards the topic of their investigation and what they'd discovered by visiting Soga Chujiro.
… Hmm. It seems that Shiki really hadn't informed Okkotsu-san of the agreement that she'd made with the higher ups regarding him…?
Oops.
"It appears to be my mistake." Shiki had genuinely forgotten to mention the results of her own meeting to Okkotsu-san, and it seems that the boy hadn't received news from Yaga-gakucho, either. Probably because Yaga-gakucho was under the impression that Shiki had relayed the situation to Okkotsu-san already… "Following the events that transpired during your last mission, the higher ups have expressed an interest in placing suppression seals on Okkotsu-san. In order to deter that, it seems that Okkotsu-san needs to show that he can properly control Orimoto Rika during the exchange event with the Kyoto school this year."
"Say what?" Maki-san's jaw drops open. "How does that even –no, that doesn't make any sense!"
Okkotsu-san slowly looks between the two of them. "I'm, uh, guessing that 'suppression seals' are a bad thing?"
"Mentaiko," Inumaki-san tells him seriously.
"It's what they use to seal away dangerous cursed objects and stuff, like Sukuna's fingers," Panda explains. "Or criminals."
"Criminals?"
"It's also likely to have a negative impact on the progress that you've made in your sorcery training thus far," Shiki adds. "The Minamoto representative said something about using a modified suppression seal for Okkotsu-san, but I would be careful about taking those words at face value."
"Aren't the higher ups the ones who named Okkotsu Yuta as a Special Grade to begin with?" Maki-san's face scrunches into a frown. "What's the point of antagonizing him like this, then?"
"Control, mostly." This isn't the first time that the higher ups have tried to assert their authority through unreasonable means. Just as there had been politics at play behind Okkotsu-san's Special Grade ranking, there are also politics involved in this case here. Although it seems that Okkotsu-san is the main target here, if the higher ups actually went ahead and placed suppression seals on the boy, this would also cast doubt upon Satoru-niichan who stood behind Okkotsu-san.
Maybe the higher ups would know better than to pull tricks like this if Shiki went ahead and killed a few of the more annoying ones. Surely Satoru-niichan would forgive her for it?
"Are you thinking something scary right now?" Panda asks her.
Shiki blinks, "What makes you say that?"
"Just a gut instinct."
Maki-san claps her hands together, a sharp sound that draws attention to her. "If Okkotsu can't prove that he can control Orimoto Rika during this year's exchange event, then he's getting suppression seals slapped on him. Does that sound right?"
"Yes," and also no. In the worst case scenario, Shiki is not about to let someone under Satoru-niichan's protection be sealed on the higher ups' orders. Satoru-niichan wouldn't allow something like that to happen, either. The 'agreement' with the higher ups is more a delaying tactic than anything else, and honestly Shiki is expecting that the higher ups would send another representative to 'renegotiate' soon. Not that she intends to give into their demands, if they still insist on sealing Okkotsu-san. "Don't worry too much about it."
Maki-san twitches. "No, I'd say that this definitely sounds like the sort of thing worth worrying over!"
"Okkotsu-san is under Satoru-niichan's protection. The higher ups may have expressed their intent to seal Okkotsu-san for being unable to control Orimoto Rika, but that's not something Satoru-niichan would ever permit to occur," Shiki clarifies for the first years.
"… If that's the case, then why did you say all that stuff earlier?" Maki-san scowls. "You made it sound like Okkotsu has to prove himself capable by the exchange event, or else."
"It would be most convenient," Shiki admits with a small shrug. "And it would certainly leave the higher ups with nothing to say if Okkotsu-san directly addresses their concerns, if he is slated to make an appearance in this year's exchange event. It's better if Okkotsu-san proves that he can properly grasp his own power, lest others find his failings to be a sign that they should grasp it for him." As the higher ups already showed keen interest in doing.
It would also reflect positively upon Satoru-niichan, if Okkotsu-san showed himself to be competent and capable.
In short–
"To be clear, Okkotsu-san needs to learn how to work with Orimoto Rika eventually, if he wants to fully unravel the curse someday. This isn't something that's only coming up now because of the fuss that the higher ups raised." And even if it were not for the haunted manor, then there surely would've been some other incident later down the line that the higher ups seized upon as a similar opportunity to target Okkotsu-san. And through him, Satoru-niichan.
"I… I think I understand," Okkotsu-san says quietly.
Does he? The boy sounds more subdued than anything else. Is it due to personal reasons, or is it that the confusing politics regarding the situation have unbalanced him?
At any rate, he's going to have to learn to set his confusion aside.
"So. Training?" Shiki asks him.
"… Yeah," Okkotsu-san sucks in a deep breath, and straightens. "I… I'm still confused about a lot of things, to be honest. But… thinking that 'I can't do this' isn't going to get me anywhere. And avoiding Rika-chan isn't going to solve anything either, is it? I'll do my best, Gojo-san."
Shiki inclines her head in acknowledgment, and reaches for a wooden training sword.
.
.
…
.