"Eh? You're leaving for a week?" There's a clear note of surprise in Hoshi-san's voice. The boy's eyes widen correspondingly in reflection of the shock threaded through his words.
"Yes." Shiki inclines her head.
"That's…" Hoshi-san trails off for a moment, formulating his words. Shiki waits for him patiently, even as the boy waves his hands in a small gesture that completely fails to explain anything at all. "… Kind of sudden. Definitely unexpected. Is… is everything alright? It's not a new mission, is it? What kind of mission requires you to be gone so long?"
There's an audible note of concern growing in his tone. Perhaps she should've expected this. To date, the longest that Shiki has been absent from the jujutsu school is only for a few days at most, so of course her sudden announcement of a week-long absence would seem strange to Hoshi-san.
"It's not a mission," Shiki responds. "There are… personal matters for me to attend to. That's all."
"'Personal matters?'" To the side, Hakari-san kicks back with his feet and casually leans over the edge of his chair. His arms reach up and cross themselves behind his head, "Man, you sound so stiff like that. Y'know, if you just feel like you want to skip school for a week and take a break, Hoshi and I will definitely cover for you."
The words are playful and teasing, accompanied by an exaggerated wink.
Shiki hums. "I'll keep that in mind."
Takagi-sensei puts a hand to his forehead, "… Should you really be saying that right in front of me?"
Hakari-san coughs, immediately sitting up straight again. "You didn't hear anything from us, sensei!"
The man shakes his head with an exasperated sigh.
"So… I mean, if it's okay for you to talk about it," Hoshi-san shifts his seat closer to Shiki's, "Why are you going to be gone for an entire week? Is it, like, family stuff or something?"
"Yes." Her classmate has good instincts –Shiki is planning to return to the Gojo clan compound for a week.
The clan compound… she hasn't lived there for any extended period of time, not since moving out with Satoru-niichan three years ago. Although, she's still dropped by for various reasons over the years. Mostly to either visit Yuzuki-san, or to deal with matters regarding the Tobiume… or meet with the clan elders. Most of whom know better than to call Shiki for frivolous matters by this point.
This time, her main purpose for returning to the clan compound is to check in on Yuzuki-san. It's a little earlier than Shiki's usual visits tend to be, but given the recent scare that Choki had reported to her regarding Yuzuki-san's failing health… it's only normal for her to be concerned for her friend, under such circumstances. Shiki also knows that her visits have the added benefit of indicating to the wider clan at large that Yuzuki-san is someone whom she still holds in high importance, even despite his sickly condition. Hopefully it would deter aspiring opportunists from getting ideas. It wouldn't be the first time that she had to deal with such things, and if the clan needs another example to leave Yuzuki-san in peace, well. Shiki is only happy to oblige.
Staying for a solid week would serve to make her stance on this matter clear, and also give her additional time to carry out her duties as head of the Tobiume branch family. Kiyohira-sensei is a great help in this, but unfortunately not all of the work that falls to Shiki's shoulders regardless can be resolved remotely.
"Family stuff? Sounds kinda boring –no offense," Hakari-san yawns.
"None taken." He's not wrong. Even Shiki thinks that the busywork involved with being the head of a branch family gets extremely dull at times. Another reason why she is ill-suited for being branch head –not that Daisaku-sama ever listens to any of her protests about it. "But aside from taking care of the responsibilities entrusted to me, I will also be visiting a good friend. I'm looking forward to it."
"Oh?" Hakari-san promptly perks up, elbows resting atop his desk as he leans in with a gleam of interest in his eyes. "You don't say. There's someone that you consider a good friend?"
"… Why do you sound so surprised?"
"Well, of course it's surprising!" Hakari-san gives her a look like he can't believe she's asking him this. Should she be offended? "You're a very private person, Gojo, and kinda standoffish sometimes. Most times. Sorta like a cat. But if there's someone who you call a good friend, then they must be a pretty amazing person."
Shiki nods, "He is."
Yuzuki-san is pretty amazing, isn't he? Even despite being born with that debilitating illness, he never allowed that weakness to define him. Strength of body did not always translate to strength of character. Yuzuki-san was clever, and perceptive. He didn't mind Shiki with all her sharp edges and oddities, and instead always patiently took the time to explain to her why other people acted the baffling way that they did.
Between Yuzuki-san and Tsumiki's efforts, Shiki likes to think that she's gotten a lot better at properly reading and reacting to others –even though she is still prone to stumbling, and sometimes the results of her efforts leave much to be desired. Aikawa-senpai, for example. Although Shiki is also fairly certain that she herself is not the only one to blame for the breakdown in communications in this particular case.
Tsumiki… Tsumiki and Megumi would be coming with Shiki for this week-long visit, too, as would Kiyohira-sensei. Yuzuki-san was also a good friend to the Fushiguro siblings as well; he'd been the one to help them ease into a sorcery household, years and years ago when Satoru-niichan had brought them into the clan compound. Shiki still remembers the look of horror and concern that had flashed across Tsumiki's face, when one of Yuzuki-san's coughing fits left his lips stained red with blood. The way that Megumi's expression had twisted, and the boy had stubbornly refused to leave Yuzuki-san's side until the hacking coughs finally subsided. Until Yuzuki-san had taken another dose of medicine, and eventually fell asleep.
… The Fushiguro siblings would also appreciate the opportunity to spend more time with Yuzuki-san, she's sure.
"So, what are you planning to do with this good friend of yours, hmm?" Hakari-san asks. "If he's anything like you, I feel like I'm obligated to remind you that 'hunting cursed spirits' doesn't count as a recreational activity."
What kind of impression does her classmate have of her? … Or is he teasing her right now? Shiki can't really tell by the tone of his words.
Regardless, "We won't be doing anything of the sort. Physically strenuous activities are bad for Yuzuki-san's health, and Tsumiki will also be with us."
"… Who?"
Hoshi-san reaches over and shoves Hakari-san's face aside. "Is Yuzuki-san the friend that you're visiting? Because you're worried about his health?"
"Yes."
"I hope he gets well soon, then," he says, earnest and sincere.
The sentiment is appreciated. But unfortunately…
"That doesn't look to be very likely," Shiki tells him. "Because Yuzuki-san is dying."
Hoshi-san's jaw drops open. "D-dying–?!"
Her classmate splutters helplessly for a few moments, clearly at a loss for words. Hakari-san sits up straight again, moving Hoshi-san's hand away from where it had been pushing his face.
"Oh shit," he says.
"Language, Hakari-san."
"Is that really important right now?" the boy waves his hand impatiently. "What's the situation here? Is there anything that we can do to help?"
"Yuzuki-san was born with a fragile constitution." And even the myriad resources of the Gojo Clan weren't enough to restore his health. They would've genuinely tried in the beginning. Gojo Yuzuki was both male and a close relative of the main line, and he possessed a strong cursed technique. But once it became clear that there was no chance of recovery, that Yuzuki was likely to die at a young age, he was subsequently cast aside.
Hoshi-san bites his lip, "If he's sick, then… what if we look for Ieiri-sensei? Maybe she can–"
"Ieiri-sensei has already seen him before," Shiki shakes her head. "There have been many, many different doctors that were called by the clan to consult on the matter of Yuzuki-san's health over the years… and the common consensus is that it's incurable. Prolonging things is the best that can be done, but there's a limit."
A limit that Yuzuki-san seemed to be fast approaching.
"Are you… feeling alright?"
It's Takagi-sensei who asks this question, and when Shiki turns to look at him, there's a tentative expression on his face, something that's also a touch sympathetic.
"I'm alright," she answers truthfully. It's not Shiki who's sick –Yuzuki-san is the one suffering here. And, when it comes to her personal feelings about it, "… I've known that this was coming, eventually. I've known this for a long, long time."
She's had years to accept this knowledge.
… But even so, knowing and accepting something are two entirely different things.
It's different from Jihei-san's death. Because with Jihei-san, it had been a sudden death. An accident –even if it was one that had been meticulously orchestrated. Jihei-san's death was a sudden and unexpected one, and although Shiki still misses the man, there's no denying that it's different from the current situation with Yuzuki-san.
Because Yuzuki-san's death is neither sudden nor unexpected. A prolonged execution, carried out through years' worth of coughing fits and bitter medicines. In some ways, Shiki thinks that it's almost even worse than Jihei-san, but…
… No. She could never regret this. She's glad for the time she has with him.
Even if Shiki were to turn back time and return to the very beginning, to the moment when she'd initially met sickly, soft-spoken Gojo Yuzuki at his uncle's funeral… she would still like to become friends with him.
"I'm sorry that you're going through this," Takagi-sensei says quietly. "… It's never easy when loved ones die."
While it's true that Shiki certainly isn't happy that Yuzuki-san's health has recently taken a turn for the worse… for some reason, the saddened expression on Takagi-sensei's face right now makes it seem like he's more upset over this than Shiki herself is.
Is Shiki upset?
… Yes. Undoubtedly.
"Hey, if anything comes up –just give us a call, yeah?" Hakari-san reaches over and pats her on the shoulder. "We've got your back."
It's impossible to think that her teacher and fellow classmates would be able to do anything to improve the situation. None of them can stop Yuzuki-san from dying, Shiki herself included. But she knows that such words are meant to express the sentiment of support in this context. So in this case, the 'correct' response would be…
"Thank you. I appreciate it," she says.
.
.
Shiki does not appreciate being waylaid the moment she steps back into the Gojo clan compound. Tsumiki and Megumi, who accompanied her back to the estate, both go on to visit Yuzuki-san, while Shiki is accosted by the gates and escorted straight into a clan meeting.
"If you visited more often, then this wouldn't be an issue."
"If things like this didn't keep happening, then I might be inclined to visit more," Shiki counters serenely, with a serenity that she doesn't actually feel.
Daisaku-sama huffs and shakes his head slowly, "… I suppose I should just be glad that you take your responsibilities more seriously than Satoru-sama does."
"Satoru-niichan does not neglect his duties."
"He doesn't," Daisaku-sama agrees, "Fortunately for us all. Yet even so… he's made his opinion quite clear. To Satoru-sama, the clan is a tool, but it does not change the fact that a weapon still needs to be properly maintained. A polished blade is far more effective than a dull knife, isn't it? Although… I suppose it's certainly possible that it's purposeful on his part, if he truly intends to…"
The elder gives her a long, considering look. Shiki staunchly ignores it.
Quite similar to how Shiki delegates a portion of her work with the Tobiume to Kiyohira-sensei, Satoru-niichan sometimes delegates some of his own busywork with the Gojo Clan to her. Mostly because Shiki visits Yuzuki-san on a semi-regular basis, while Satoru-niichan is prone to staying away months on end –then dropping by when everyone least expects it.
Keeps the elders on their toes, was what her far-too-pleased cousin had to say about it. Shiki also had to admit, it was also an effective way to avoid being dragged into pointless clan meetings and petty power plays.
… Such as the one that she'd been unceremoniously dragged into. Thankfully, the meeting itself had not been overly tedious, nor had it dragged on endlessly. But even so, Shiki honestly can't say that she appreciates getting involved in these meetings as often as she does.
"How has attending the Tokyo school been for you?" Daisaku-sama asks, as they walk through the hardwood hallways together, now that the meeting itself has finally concluded. "… Hopefully things have been well. I don't expect that you would've found the lessons to be particularly difficult, but it's a distinctly different environment from what you're used to."
"School is fine." By Shiki's estimate, she seems to be on good terms with her classmates and her teacher. Aikawa-senpai is another story, but luckily, Aikawa-senpai is not a fellow classmate whom she sees in class nearly every single day. Her school life probably would've been a lot more tumultuous, otherwise.
"How very concise," the elder huffs in amusement. "Your teacher, Takagi Hajime… that young man isn't someone whom the clan would've considered a suitable teacher for you, but he's quite talented in his own right. Are you aware that he is the only one to command a shikigami that stands among the Natori Clan's signature Four Guardians?"
"… Natori Clan?" Was Takagi-sensei related to a sorcery clan?
There would be a certain irony, if that was the case. Aikawa-senpai made her dislike of clan sorcerers quite clear, but it was also equally clear that she liked and trusted Takagi-sensei.
"Ah, you wouldn't know of them," Daisaku-sama responds. "The Natori are but one of the many prominent sorcery clans in the old days, but regrettably they failed to withstand the test of time. They eventually fell from glory and faded into obscurity over the centuries. There are none remaining who still carry the clan name today."
So it's like that, then. "Is Takagi-sensei a descendant?"
The elder shakes his head in the negative, "According to his background check, Takagi is not related to any sorcery lineages. The Natori Clan's assets, including their shikigami, were subsumed as part of the jujutsu school's resources following the death of their last clan head. From what I've heard, Takagi was found to be compatible as a summoner during his time as a student in the school."
Daisaku-sama's words are spoken lightly, but Shiki is familiar enough with the elder's mannerisms to understand the unspoken subtext in the information that he imparts. There are implications to what he's saying –and what he carefully refrains from saying.
Firstly, it was entirely possible that Takagi-sensei hailed from a purely civilian lineage. But if he was a scion of the Natori… then as a notable shikigami summoner in possession of one of the clan's signature shikigami, there would be strong grounds for Takagi-sensei to re-establish his clan if he so desired. While by itself, the revival of a lost clan would be considered a good thing, if the clan in question was one whose various resources and assets had already been seized and redistributed among the jujutsu school, and possibly other sorcery clans as well…
Evidently, this held the potential to become a rather messy situation.
Because if Takagi-sensei had gained his shikigami from his time as a student, then it was highly possible that other shikigami that formerly belonged to the Natori Clan had already been redistributed to numerous other students throughout the years. Assuming that Takagi-sensei decided to revive the Natori Clan, there would be reason for him to demand that the assets of the Natori Clan be returned. Other sorcerers who had made use of the Natori Clan's resources, either knowingly or unknowingly, would all be affected. The jujutsu school would be expected to compensate the Natori. Conflict was inevitable.
So it would be better for Takagi Hajime to just be a sorcerer from a simple, civilian background. It would be convenient for him not to be in the position of reviving a lost clan.
How much of Takagi-sensei's appointment as a teacher in the Tokyo school was due to the man's own desire to teach, and how much of it was born of the paranoid higher-ups' desire to keep a close eye on him?
"Thank you for informing me of this, Daisaku-sama." Did Takagi-sensei even know all of this himself?
Her teacher… does not strike her as an ambitious man. Takagi-sensei cares too much about people for that to be true –it's obvious from the way he looks out for Hoshi-san, the way he teaches Hakari-san, and the way he continues to make time for Aikawa-senpai even though the girl technically isn't one of his students anymore. If Takagi-sensei was to learn of his potential relation to the fallen Natori Clan, Shiki is of the opinion that it would be unlikely for him to choose to do anything drastic with this knowledge.
After all, if he was someone who wanted to make a play for power, then he would've already started building connections and using the name of the Natori long ago. With a shikigami that held a title like one of the Natori Clan's 'Four Guardians' at his side, whether or not Takagi-sensei was truly of Natori blood was insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
Clearly, the higher-ups disagreed. Either that, or they simply wished to err on the side of caution by keeping the man close at hand and keeping a close watch on his actions.
"This is something you would've found out eventually, sooner or later," Daisaku-sama idly fixes a crease in one of his sleeves. "What you decide to do with this information will be up to you."
So the real question here was: Had he spoken to her of Takagi-sensei's background as a sign of trust, or a test?
… This is why Shiki doesn't hold any fondness for clan politics, and the games that the elders like to play.
"Is there a specific reaction that you're hoping for from me?" she asks neutrally.
"Dear heavens, no," Daisaku-sama chuckles. "Call it… an old man's curiosity, if you will."
"I'd prefer it if you were less curious, Daisaku-sama."
"And I'd prefer it if you were to take a more active role in ongoing matters of the clan, but clearly neither of us are going to get what we want," the elder's voice is dry. "Now. You are on your way to visit Yuzuki-kun, yes? Go on, your other friends have already been with him for quite some time now. Say hello to the boy for me, will you?"
"You can say that to him yourself," Shiki tells him, as they finally approach the building that Yuzuki-san lives in. The garden road leading up to the main doorway is looking a little unkempt; Shiki makes a mental note to find someone to address that later.
"Perhaps I will," Daisaku-sama muses aloud. "… But for now, I will take my leave. Enjoy your time with your young companions, Shiki. Good friends are hard to come by."
Shiki politely bids the elder farewell, then heads indoors to search for her friends. There are a few servants who bow to her as she passes, and Shiki nods to them in acknowledgement of their service.
The room should be… here…
Shiki reaches forward and slides open the door.
… It seems that she's missed quite a few things, in her absence. Tsumiki's eyes are red-rimmed and watery, and Megumi's hands are clenched tightly into fists at his sides as he stares at Yuzuki-san. Yuzuki-san, for his part, appears to be more well-composed than either of the Fushiguro siblings. He even offers Shiki a light smile as she enters the room, but Shiki does not miss the tired, weary edge to his expression. Bone-deep exhaustion, which cannot be masked by smiles alone.
She pauses by the doorway. "Would you like to rest for now, Yuzuki-san? I could visit again some other time."
"It's quite alright, Shiki-san," her friend responds. There's a hoarse note to his voice, one that does not inspire any confidence. "It's good to see you again, albeit sooner than I was expecting."
"Really?" Shiki takes a seat by his bedside. "Did you think I wouldn't visit you, with your health like this?"
"There are far more important matters for you to attend to," Yuzuki-san says quietly.
Shiki pauses. He's right, but also not. There's a flicker of disagreement in her chest the moment those words leave his mouth, and it almost feels as if–
"Please don't say things like that," Tsumiki whispers, wiping furiously at her eyes with the back of her hand. "You're not 'unimportant,' Yuzuki-kun. It's precisely because you are important to us that we're all sitting here right now!"
"She's right," Megumi's lips twist into a faint grimace for the briefest of moments. "Don't put yourself down like that. It's a disservice to yourself, and to other people who care about you."
… Shiki isn't anywhere near as eloquent as the Fushiguro siblings, but this is probably her cue to say something, too. She carefully turns towards Yuzuki-san, whose fingers are tangled in his bedsheets, with his head bowed in silence.
"Do you need me to kill anyone?" she asks.
Tsumiki immediately reaches up and grabs her shoulder, "… That had better be a joke, Shiki."
Shiki bats her eyes at the other girl in her best approximation of innocence, as observed from Mi-chan at the indolent cat's finest –namely, when fish strips are at stake. Tsumiki's fingers tighten warningly.
"Please don't kill anyone for my sake, Shiki-san," Yuzuki-san says, with a tone that's distinctly long-suffering. The boy sighs heavily and gives her an exasperated look, "Even as a joke. Especially as a joke."
"Consider that your incentive, then," Megumi deadpans from the side. "If you don't want Shiki to be tempted into taking drastic measures, then stop writing yourself off so easily."
"That's… not exactly how this works…" Yuzuki-san pinches his brow, letting out a long sigh. He shakes his head slowly. "… But I will try. I suppose I owe that much to all of you."
"Not 'owe,'" Tsumiki corrects earnestly. "You don't owe us anything, Yuzuki-kun. We just… we just want you to realize that you matter to us, and you're a part of our lives just as we are a part of yours."
The boy lowers his hand from his face. "And when I die–"
"That doesn't mean we don't care!"
"… No," Yuzuki-san's voice is quiet, "But all the same, I would hope that my death does not cause you undue pain."
The words are more matter-of-fact than resigned. It makes Tsumiki's eyes water anew, and Megumi hastily passes his sister a packet of tissues.
"If you don't want us to be upset," Shiki folds her arms across her chest, "Then you can start by being honest about your condition with us, instead of trying to hide it."
Yuzuki-san hums noncommittally. Then, "I presume it was Mutsuo who informed you?"
"Choki is his cousin." The Suzurigi are a great help when it comes to keeping an eye on easily-overlooked details within the clan, such as the deteriorating health of a sickly young man who is slated for death.
"I see," Yuzuki-san nods, unbothered by the admission of his own servants reporting his health to Shiki. "I suppose that I shouldn't have expected anything else. The Suzurigi have always been fond of you."
Perhaps. Shiki wouldn't exactly call it fondness, but the Suzurigi are efficient and do their job well. She's grateful for their hard work.
"It's a good thing that there are more people keeping an eye on you here," Tsumiki mutters. "Do you have any idea how worried we were?"
"I think I can take a good guess," Yuzuki-san responds, raising his hands in half-surrender when those words cause Tsumiki to shoot him a pointed look. "You would've worried either way, so I thought…"
"So you thought it was better to try and hide the fact that you collapsed from us?"
"You've already made your point about this. I will… do my best to be more considerate of how hiding my condition might impact others around me, going forward," the boy sighs. "… But that's enough about me and the matter of my poor health. How have things been for all of you, recently?"
It's an abrupt change in the topic of conversation, not at all discreet. But Yuzuki-san has made his opinion clear, and… they are here to visit him, with the primary goal of making conversation and helping him feel better. Overly dwelling on the issue of 'don't hide your health from us' would not be conducive to that end, especially not when he'd already promised to be more mindful of his actions in the future. Mutsuo and the others would make certain of that.
Shiki glances towards Tsumiki, whose eyes flick up to meet hers at the same time; silent agreement is reached. Megumi looks between them, raising an eyebrow, but understanding flashes across his face.
Yuzuki-san probably picks up on the byplay, even if he refrains from outwardly commenting on it.
The conversation takes a turn towards lighter topics, after that. Tsumiki talks about the cooking club that she'd joined at her school, and how a few of the friends she made there have decided to organize weekly gatherings over summer break. They're planning to make sponge cakes next week; Tsumiki asks them to keep this a secret from Satoru-niichan.
Megumi has been working with his shikigami summons, in between finally getting a chance to relax and read a few of the books stacked up in his room. He also reluctantly mentions being relieved that he no longer has to go out of his way to avoid the enthusiastic delinquent students hounding him at school–
Yuzuki-san startles, "The what?"
Megumi sighs.
Apparently, the story is: The leader of the school's delinquents had attempted to intimidate him in the halls one day, throwing insults and making fun of his name. Megumi ignored the boy. The delinquent didn't react very well to being ignored, and decided to corner Megumi after school for a fistfight.
The results of such an altercation were obvious.
Megumi had expected the delinquents to settle down again and stop bothering him. Instead, however, he suddenly found himself standing at the top of the delinquency hierarchy. Ever since 'the legendary beatdown,' delinquents could be seen bowing sharply and calling Megumi 'Boss' right in the middle of the hallway, much to the boy's own embarrassment and irritation. Summer break came as a relief –it was an escape from such enthusiasm directed towards him.
Tsumiki had been worried about it in the beginning, before eventually settling on 'amusement' as her reaction. Hilariously enough, the delinquents had become increasingly determined to get Megumi to properly acknowledge them as his underlings, to the point that they weren't even causing as much trouble as they used to –for everyone aside from Megumi, that is.
Yuzuki-san laughs, "Sounds like your days have been fairly eventful."
Megumi scowls and gives him an aggrieved look, "Not you too, oh my god."
Tsumiki pats her brother on the head, even as she wears a small smile of her own.
"What are your plans for the rest of summer?" Yuzuki-san asks.
"Nothing in particular, really," Tsumiki shakes her head. Then pauses, and smiles brightly at Shiki, "Although… I'd like to meet your new friends sometime, if we could work something out!"
… Right, her classmates. Tsumiki had expressed her interest in meeting them before.
"I'll have to ask Takagi-sensei about the schedule." The jujutsu school doesn't exactly have a summer break like regular schools do –cursed spirits don't take breaks, so neither do sorcerers, for the most part. A student's days are filled with training and missions. Non-sorcerers aren't allowed to enter school grounds, and jujutsu school students are not permitted to leave without permission. In order to arrange a meeting between Tsumiki and her classmates, she would have to…
"Ah," Shiki blinks. "Obon is coming up."
… That should work, right? Shiki will be expected to attend the event as part of the Gojo delegation, as customary. If she takes everyone along with her, then it would provide a good opportunity for her friends to meet her new classmates. Furthermore, it would also be good for Hoshi-san and Hakari-san to be exposed to more cultural aspects of the jujutsu world that they were now part of, instead of endlessly running through the loop of repeatedly fighting and exorcising cursed spirits.
"Obon? That's a good idea," Yuzuki-san says thoughtfully, clearly along the same line of thought. "Your classmates are both from non-sorcerer backgrounds, right? I'm sure that Obon would be a good experience for them… assuming the Kamo Clan is still able to keep things running smoothly this year. I've heard that the Matoba have been quite active recently."
The Matoba Clan… Shiki vaguely recalls seeing reports of this particular clan contending with the Kamo Clan over recent years. Quite prolifically, too. That the Matoba Clan still seemed to be going strong with no signs of stopping was probably a very telling indication of the Kamo Clan's waning power these days.
For all that the Kamo Clan's infighting was no longer as fierce as it had once been in the aftermath of Kamo Teruichi's death, the conflict still hadn't fully settled. In fact, there were even rumors that it had been renewed, when their missing clan heir suddenly reappeared as a first year student of the Kyoto jujutsu school.
… Or, former clan heir?
Shiki isn't entirely certain on that front. Kamo Noritoshi might possess Blood Manipulation, but the boy had also gone missing for quite a long stretch of time. She imagines that the current Kamo Clan head would've seized the chance to name a new heir in Kamo Noritoshi's absence, in order to stabilize his own position and secure the status of his bloodline. But then again, Shiki doesn't recall hearing any news of a new clan heir being named for the Kamo Clan, and usually this sort of announcement is one that would be loudly proclaimed by the clan in question.
'Stability' was something that the Kamo Clan was sorely lacking these days, unfortunately –or fortunately, depending on who you asked. As for what this would mean for them… well. It's not something that Shiki intends to concern herself with.
Although, it would be nice if clan drama was kept to a minimum throughout the festivities. Obon is a festival that's meant to honor the dead, not be utilized as a tool for petty political machinations.
Shiki shrugs, "I suppose we'll just have to see, then."
.
.
…
.