chapter 3

I had arrived here in 2001 in the dead of night. So I assume that I got here between the hours of 10 PM to 5 AM.

Currently it was 11 PM, so that meant I only had a few hours left here. Utahime had already visited at around 4:30 PM, so I wouldn't see her again.

She said her dream was to become a teacher at Kyoto Metropolitan Curse Technical College, so I if I attend there would she be there?

Thoughts, thoughts, at least they seemed to pass time effectively.

Moving my ass on the cold, hard surface that was the ground, I accidentally landed on a rock. Feeling the piercing pain of my ass cheeks landing on a very sharp rock, I closed my eyes for a very brief moment.

Blinking rapidly, I stood up from my position seated on the ground. The familiar pure whiteness of the now dubbed 'reemergence space' gave me comfort in knowing I would soon return back to my time period.

Stretching my right arm, then my left arm, I yawned loudly. Doing the same with my legs, I began aimlessly wandering throughout the reemergence space.

But before I could even truly begin to explore, I was sucked right back out.

I was on my daily walk home, right before I was attacked. Attempting to move my arms and legs, I fearfully noticed I couldn't.

Panicking I attempted to thrash around with all my might to no success. Internally biting my finger nails, I watched on from my own eyes as my body continued its trek home.

Eventually calming down, I began to think on what was happening to me. Clearly it had something to do with my cursed technique, so I probably shouldn't panic.

Probably.

Observing my 'self' walking home, I eventually came to the conclusion that I was observing what would have happened if my attacker hadn't attacked.

Thus, I had completed a 'reemergence' into this newly created timeline. And now I was watching what would have happened if my assailant never even existed.

Well, they did exist. Just not anymore.

Eventually, my body came to a stop at the door to my apartment. The moment this occurred I suddenly regained control over my body, filling me with great relief and validating my thoughts on what my cursed technique had done.

Gazing upwards, I observed my house closely, making sure nothing about its outer appearance had changed from this timeline to mine.

Finding nothing but a pile of bird shit out of place, I let out a deep sigh of relief.

Moving my body around one limb and finger out a time, I began to appreciate this very much. Something yatayata don't appreciate what you have till you lose it.

Realizing I looked like a fool in front of my house, I fumbled through my backpack, eventually finding the key to my house.

Inserting the key into the lock, it made a sort of *clink* sound before I twisted the key, unlocking the door to my house.

Whipping off my backpack and placing it in my right hand, I exited the mostly empty front room and entered the living room.

Inside the living room was a couch placed directly on - from my current perspective - left wall. To the right of the couch was a singular couch chair thing.

Ya know the one that looks like a small piece of a couch.

On the - again from my perspective - right wall was a flatscreen TV sitting on top of a table.

Finished with observing my own living room, I threw my backpack onto the single couch chair before I myself crashed unto the full couch.

Sinking deeply into the greatest creation man had ever made since the wheel, I closed my eyes and began to think about my past week in 2001.

First of all, I should check the internet and see if there is any information about 'The Baby Drop'.

Great song name, don't steal it.

Secondly, I should figure out how to enroll in Kyoto Metropolitan Curse Technical College.

Not only because I wanted to see if Utahime remembered me, but because it would protect me against any further attacks by what I now knew to be 'Curse Users'.

Well, it wouldn't prevent them from attacking me, just merely put a little 'Oomh' behind me. If you were to attack and kill me, prepare for your own destruction.

And another facet of security it could provide me was the simplest and most effective way of securing my safety, strength.

If I was stronger - no, the strongest - then I would have no reason to fear anything.

Oh but what if someone I care about is in danger? Well sucks for you pal, because the moment you touched them you sentenced yourself to death.

That line of thinking would keep anyone from attacking my friends and family. Unless they were suicidal, of course.

But right now, all I can think about is sleeping in the divine embrace of this couch. Clearing my mind of any distracting thoughts, I began to drift into a deep slumber. Uncaring of anything nor anyone in the world.

————

Grunting, I moved my arms in front of my eyes, blocking the sunlight streaming in through the windows.

Hearing some sort of sound echoing through my house, I opened my eyes warily.

Was it another assassin sent after me? Would I have to complete another baby drop? Man, I really didn't want to get my hands dirty with baby blood and intestines again.

When my vision fully turned back on, I saw a sight that would forever be imprinted into my memory, unable to forget.

It sent shivers down my spine, terrifying me to the very bone.

It was… Utahime.

Sitting on the couch chair, she was reading a book of sorts while a few other men and women in black talked to my parents, while they looked at Utahime wearily.

It wasn't every day people claiming to be from the government showed up at your house and began to talk about taking your son to a special school.

But because my parents had seen my supernatural feats, they weren't too disbelieving looking.

Utahime, now with her hair styled differently and with a massive burn scar across her face, noticed my awakening.

Clasping the hardback book shut, she stood up off the couch chair and walked to stand menacingly in front of me.

"Let's go."

Without leaving me a chance to say anything nor even think, she turned around and started to walk for the front door, seemingly uncaring of my reaction.

Getting out of my divinely comfortable position on the couch with much regret, I managed to take one last glance at my parents before the men and women in black shooed them away.

Not even giving me a chance to say goodbye. Not like they would care, or even want me to say goodbye.

Now with my parents gone, I had no other reason to stay in this place.

Except for the couch.

Turning my attention towards where Utahime had left, I realized she was waiting at the front door.

Walking over to her position, I began the conversation with a real banger, "Long time no see?"

For me, it had barely been half a day, but for her it had been 16 years. More than my entire life thus far.

Scoffing at my remark, she responded in kind, "For me? Yeah it has been awhile, but for you? Probably around a day. Honestly, I half expected you to be a middle aged man by now."

Twitching my mouth slightly, I started to come up with a snarky remark about how she is a middle aged woman now before I realized I wanted to live to see tomorrow.

Deciding to keep my mouth shut, Utahime, realizing I had nothing to say, opened my front door and walked outside.

Following her like a mindless drone, I eventually entered a regular looking car with Utahime.

With both of us sitting in the back of the black ford 2010, I began with the most obvious question I could.

"How'd you find me?"

Glancing at me Utahime responded, "Isn't it obvious? And if you want to make conversation, you really suck at it."

Twitching my left eye, I used my best conversation starter, "What have you done in these past 16 years?"

This question actually solicited a genuinely interested response, "Graduate Kyoto Metropolitan Curse Technical College, become a regular sorcerer for a while, then finally complete my dream of becoming a teacher."

Continuing on with her speech, "What have you done in these past 3 hours? Must have been pretty eventful."

This woman knew how to push my buttons, it seemed like she had experience at this point. Or maybe she herself experienced it, who knows.

"Sleep on the couch?"

"Figures, the crash course I was given on you spoke of your future marriage, and it did include that you were always sleeping on the couch. Preparing yourself young I see."

Dam! That was my joke! Whenever one of my friends asked why I always slept on the couch, I told them that.

Also, apparently I was going to get married. So that meant whoever told Utahime about my marriage would either be said marriage partner or one of my future close friends.

Was she purposefully giving me hints on who she talked to?

Eh, I don't care. I'm going back to sleep.

——————

POV Utahime

Glancing at Jikan, I noticed he hadn't moved in at least 10 minutes nor said anything after my teasing.

Starring straight ahead at the chair in front of him.

Also, who knew it felt so good to tease people? Probably Gojo. A titch mark formed on my head, while I took a deep breath in.

Calm down Utahime, Gojo isn't here, Gojo isn't here.

Better tease Jikan to calm down.

Hmm… I teased him for not being to adept at starting conversations when I myself am bo different.

Introverts talking to introverts was always a great hurdle that was near insurmountable.

But I, Utahime Iori, was a master at surmounting the insurmountable.

"Jikan, is your hair natural, or did you dye it in the blood of another baby?"

Waiting for his reaction, he didn't even respond in the slightest. Narrowing my eyes, I waved my hands in front of his face, to get yet another no reaction.

This bastard was sleeping with his eyes open!

Moving my face in front of his, I began to prepare for the teasing of a lifetime.

"Ms. Iori, we are going off road now."

Before I could react the car went off the paved and smooth road into the wilderness, making my face shove into Jikan's own.

Another bump undid the impromptu connection our lips had made.

Jikan, now wide awake, looked at me woth trepidation in his eyes.

"You… You damn cougar! I could report you to (insert Japan's version of FBI) for this!"

Waving my hands rapidly in the air, I started to plea for my innocence in the matter, "Wait! It was an accident I swear!"

Scoffing, Jikan responded, "What do I look like to you? A crappy harem anime protagonist?"

"I swear I just got shoved into you when we went off road!"

"So you are saying, that you just happened to put your face in the perfect position to get bumped into mine right as we went off road."

Damnit! Why is my luck always so rotten? I wasn't a pedo! If I was, then I would never have been allowed to become a teacher.

Yeah, let's just say that.

"If I was a pedophile, I would have never been allowed to become a teacher."

Argument over, I can already see the realization dawning upon his face.

"YOU WANTED TO BECOME A TEACHER BECAUSE YOU WERE A PEDO!"

Wait what? I didn't mean that!

I stuttered to find words but my thoughts were cut off my Jikan speaking again,

"Heh, I'm just teasing you. I know you aren't a pedo. And I was about to wake up right as you waved your hands in front of my face, so I know that was an accident too."

This bastard!