Chapter Text
You sit still as the man talks to you in words you shouldn't understand.
You don't really know Japanese. Maybe a phrase or two, but not fluently. Certainly not enough to understand what this man in a suit is telling you.
"Your going to be living here, in Tokyo with a adopted family. You'll be settled in shortly." He tells you in Japanese, and despite not knowing the language, the meaning flows into our mind.
"Where... is my family?" You whisper, the words you mean to say appearing in your brain. The government worker's eyes crinkle at the edges when you finally meet his eyes and he makes his voice soft.
"Miss, do you... not remember?" He asks.
You've heard them whispering as they took you in, of course. The fire that burned down your school after your whole family came to watch you be given a prestigious award. You where the only survivor, they told you sadly. They said it was extremely lucky you only had minor burns on your back.
But you'd never won an prestigious award at school. All you remember is falling asleep in your bed, at home, safe, belly full after a normal day. Then you woke up, crowded by police officers on all sides, pain stinging your skin. The past few days since then have been a blur of condolences and plane rides.
"I don't remember... much..." you mutter, and the government worker pats your shoulder gently. You feel oddly hot in this office even with the ac on, your body heat scorching the burn scars across your back. Your uncomfortable and sore in this stiff, wooden chair, and just want to lay down.
"I'm so sorry for your losses. But it does get better." he tells you, then takes a breath. "It seems you have... no relations left in America, but you have dual citizenship in japan-"
What? No you don't.
"-and the will was left for you to be transferred to a Japanese relative-"
Who?
"but that relative died in the fire as well. However, the transfer of primary residences for countries is still intact..." the government worker sighs. "Essentially, your going to live here, in Japan. You'll be adopted. I'll warn you, Miss. There is a bit of stigma here around adopting outside the family, so they've agreed to say your a distant cousin. The family your going to be placed with is a good one. I believe its a widower who's already adopted three other children. He has a good stable job, and all the kids seem content."
You nod absentmindedly. Where am I? Why does the calendar behind his desk say September, 2005?
"He's here now. Do you want to see him?" He waits kindly for your response.
"Who's the president? Of America?" You ask instead. The man blinks, but then smiles softly. You guess he assumes this is some kind of grounding method.
"President Bush, I believe. America also recently experienced Hurricane Katrina. I believe you guys have had some boy bands rise in popularity" he places a hand on your shoulder. "This is still the same world you know. "
No, it's not.
The government worker motions for you to stand up, and opens his office door. You allow yourself be be lead outside, and face a very tall man with a wide build and a soft smile. His hair is dark black, cut neatly and close to his head and his eyes are a very dark brown. His nose and cheekbones are the same as yours, and you realize that you could pass for related.
"Hello, [name]. I'm Takagi Kyou. Which is to mean, my family name is Takagi and my given name Kyou. I know you westerners do it a bit differently." He says slowly, and I nod at him. "You can call me Ojisan,-"
formal version of uncle. the translation pops into your head. You wince a little at the sudden information. What's happening to you?
"-Ochisan-"
comfortable version of uncle.
"-or just Kyou. It's up to you." He smiles kindly. "I think you'll be very comfortable in my home. You'll fit right in."
--
You walk behind Kyou from the kitchen and living room to the hallway. The house is a small one, but comfortable and well organized. It looks lived in but clean, the couch looking oddly warn in and the TV quietly buzzing in the background. When you entered the house, you noticed you didn't have many neighbors. It seems your in a less populated area of Tokyo.
Kyou stops to point at the door at the end of the hall.
"That's my oldest, Fuyuki. He's seventeen now. He's not going to be so friendly, though. He recently got a bad leg injury and can't play on his soccer team anymore, or go swimming or hang out with his friends. He's a little out of it." Kyou says, smiling at you. He then points at a door next to Fuyuki's. "There are the two youngest, Tetsu and Sora. Tetsu is eight and Sora is six. Both are a little shy, but good kids. Tetsu's quiet and almost stoic, and Sora is more of a stubborn dreamer." You glance at their doors, seeing faint lights from underneath. "That's my room, and then that's yours, next to Tetsu and Sora's." He looks at you softly, and your stomach starts to hurt.
Why am I here?
"Okay," You mummer. You're tired. And you need to think.
"I'll let you go get settled in. Here's your bag." You take the roller to your room and lay it on the bed. It's filled with old clothes and old picture frames of your family. You can't look at the photos, not now. So instead you sort out your clothes from the bag, folding what was hastily thrown in by someone or another. As you sort through, you see a couple of your books in the bottom. As you take them out, you see the manga you'd been reading before.
Isekai into frameworks!
Isekai.
Isekai.
You jump up, your mind instantly clearing.
You've been isekai'd. But to where? You don't think it's a shonen or fantasy. That wouldn't make sense, everything seems normal. Maybe a romance? The social worker did mention you where attending a local high school soon. That was possibility. You couldn't think of a work of fiction that was set in 2005 though.
Whatever it was, you where sure you'd get through. As long as it wasn't one of those horror mangas or written by some sort of sadist, of course.
But what where the chances of that?
--
"Your from the west?!?"
"Did you live in New York?"
"Did everyone ride horses?"
"How was Disney Land?"
Your kind of dazed as several people surround your desk once the lunch bell rung. You've joined in the middle of the school year in year one and that, along with the fact that your an American, seems to have made you quite the interest in this small school. Apparently, you've been assigned to one of the smallest schools in Tokyo and live in one of the less densely populated places.
"Guys! Leave her alone, please." A female voice speaks up. You look to find a short girl with long dark hair frowning at the crowd around you. She wears the uniform everyone else does, a short navy skirt, a white collared long sleeve and a black and navy sweater over it. You personally opted for a pair of pantyhose, despite it being a nice warm temperature outside.
"No fair, Takahashi-san! I bet your an interested as we are!" Someone says. You guess back in 2005 communication across countries was more limited, which would've made the situation endearing if it wasn't so scary. Everyone's eyes seem to almost be combing you like your some sort of anomaly. Their expressions are interested, but also cautious, like everyone here has an odd feeling about you.
"[Last name]-san." The teacher calls from the hall. "Come with me." Grateful for the escape, you slip past the crowd and into the hallway.
"Yes, Sensei?" You look at your teacher. He's been nice to you the whole day, allowing you to sit in the back of the class and giving you some work to catch up with everyone else. However, right now he has a bit of a sheepish expression.
"I know it's only your first day but I wanted to ask you about your club choice." He pauses for a second. "You joined in the middle of the year, and most clubs aren't taking applications, but clubs are required here."
"Oh." Back at home, you enjoyed your extracurriculars, but you got to choose most of them.
"However," your teacher continues "there is one that I think would be the perfect fit for you."
"Um... yes?"
"How do you feel about tutoring people in English?"
--
You sit in front of a classroom, as your teacher introduces you to three people sitting in desks. They each look, to put it simply, like troublemakers. One has crazy makeup with dyed hair even though you know that's against school rules. A girl who looks young is doodling in her notebook, a large bandana covering her hair and dark charcoal around her eyes. A boy sits in the back, scowling deeply at you, not wearing his uniform top but instead a stained wife beater.
"Everyone, this is [last name] [name]. She'll be teaching you all English. I suggest you pay attention, considering everyone here failed last trimester." He shoots a sharp look in the boy in the back's direction. "Especially you, Kazama. You're at risk of not graduating next year." When the boy doesn't respond, the teacher turns to you.
"You have a budget to tutor them, of course. I've already shown you what they should be reviewing, so you're good to go." You nod nervously. "I'll just in my office across the hall." The teacher quietly exits and you turn back to the group.
"So.. /how much English do you guys know?/" You ask. The group stares at you blankly, and you decide to try a trick. "/Well, you guys can leave early./" Still, no one moves. You guess it was to much to ask that they where faking. Honestly, you're not a great teacher. Sure, you can help your friends with a math problem or two, but it's not your super forte. "Um, okay, so you guys are studying feelings right now, right? Why don't we go around and say our names and describe how your feeling today, and we'll work on translations." The group is still silent. The girl with charcoal on her eyes coughs.
This is so awkward. You want to cry. Why did you agree to this again? What type of novel did you even isekai into, and why did it have to be one where you had to tutor? Ugh.
"I'll go first. My name is [last name] [name], and I'm a first year. /My name is [name] [last name] and I'm a first year. Today, I'm feeling very nervous,/ I'm feeling nervous /because this is a new school./ Because this is a new school." You write "I'm feeling nervous" on the whiteboard behind you, and the translation of each work below. By now, you've gotten used to your new innate knowledge of Japanese, and can write easily. You turn back around, and face the awkward three.
The with the dyed hair clears her throat. "I'm, err, /I'm Seiji Sanada, I'm sixteen... and I-/" She looks at you. "Uh, I feel?"
"/I feel/" you translate slowly.
"/I feel.../ Uh, fine?"
"/fine./" You say, writing it down on the board.
"/I feel fine./" Sanada states, letting go of a breath. The other girl sighs and then speaks up.
"/I'm Akari Yoshioka and I feel-/"
"This is dumb!" Sanada exclaims. "Why the hell are we here? You suck at teaching." He spits, and you crinkle your nose.
"Look, I don't want-"
"I'd rather be at karaoke right now, with the rest of everyone." Seiji pouts.
"Oh my gosh, Sanada-senpai, I heard the basketball team is going today! But I'm totally grounded for failing my classesss!" Yoshioka whines to Sanada. Sanada groans.
"I'm missing that, for this crap ass tutor session? My mom letting me go to Karaoke at all! Why do they get to go?" Sanada asks you loudly and Yoshioka sighs loudly. You raise an eyebrow.
"Probably because they didn't fail english?" You suggest, and the class falls silent. "I don't really want to be here either. But I have to, because there's no other clubs, and you have to because your failing." The girls look down, ashamed. The boy in the back seems bored, and hasn't flinched this whole time. The class doesn't respond, and you sigh. "Look, if you guys actually try this week, I'll take you to karaoke with the club budget. Only English songs, of course, but..."
Yoshioka jumps from her seat, and runs to you, clutching your hands.
"Really?" She squeals. "Oh my gosh! Your my favorite ever! /I feel-/ err, excited?"
"/excited?/"
"/I feel excited!/"
--
You walk home from school, a little sore from the day, the scars on your back stinging a bit. The English session turned out to be alright, and the girls knew more than you thought. The boy didn't speak at all though.
You walk down the quiet streets, trying to remember the rout home. You think you get a little lost though, because you end up on a shabby street you haven't been through before. You frown, mentally kicking yourself for getting lost so easily. Phones don't have real GPS's yet, you don't think. Plus, you haven't even gotten one yet as your old one 'burned in the fire'.
As you continue down the street, you see a dark haired boy who couldn't be more than three toddling by himself around the side of a door. He plops himself down in front of the door, looking up as he knocks lightly. You blink a little and watch for a second. No one answers the door, and you realize just how dirty the boy looks, like he hasn't bathed in days.
"Hello!" You call out. The boy looks at you, and frowns a little.
"Who are you?" He asks, his speech oddly clear for such a young boy.
"I'm [name]! What's your name?" you respond, crouching down in front of him. He doesn't respond, but continues to give you the stink eye. After a moment of awkward silence, you clap your hands. "I'm a little lost right now. Do you know where the high school is?" you ask, hoping you could retrace your steps.
"No," He says simply. You blink a little. Well, that's not why you where really talking to him anyways.
"Where are you parents?" You ask, looking at the dirty state of the child.
"I don't know." The boy says, and then pauses. "Well... mommy is in heaven. I just don't know where papa is." You heart sinks a little, and you smooth the boys hair over.
"Are you hungry?" You ask. The boy look at you with wide eyes, and pity fills you at you take your bento box out of your backpack that Kyou packed for you. You weren't able to eat today because of all the commotion and open it to find cucumber slices, onigiri balls and a cheese stick. You get your water bottle out too, and motion for the boy to stick his hands out for you to wash. He looks at you a little susisously, but you can tell hunger takes over his instincts as he allows you to poor water over his hands. You give the boy a slice of cucumber one by one, and he wolfs them down.
All your senses are screaming at you to whisk this boy away, but there there's no real way to prove anything is wrong at home. He could've tripped and fell in mud, could've snuck outside while he should've been at home. All kids are hungry, right?
As you start feeding him you onigiri balls, you glance up a the door.
"Do you have the key?" You ask, looking at the handle.
"I just can't reach," the boy says, mouth full of rice. You frown a little, and grab the doorknob. Surely enough, it does turn easily, and the door slides open. You look inside to a dimly lit house, and gulp as you see the mess on the floor.
Maybe it's just a disorganized family.
"Thank you, ma'am." the boy says, bowing at you. He grabs the cheese stick, runs inside and proceeds to slam the door in your face before you can respond. You wait a second before realizing this was your cue to leave, and you frown as you walk away.
You finally find your way to the house, and as you enter the living room is empty again. You hear noise from both the younger kids rooms and Fuyuki's room. You haven't even seen either of their faces as Fuyuki goes to school early and the kid's school starts late. And Kyou must be working late again.
You head to your room and fall on your bed, wincing as your sore back hits the mattress. Your burn scars are unpleasant reminders of what your trying to forget.
You try fall asleep to the silence of being alone. You try to cry when you think of you friends. You try not to sob when you think of your family.
You try not to think at all.
--
The week goes by easily, and you almost allow yourself to accept this as your reality. Life at home is quiet, and you've gotten to see glimpses of the kids but not Fuyuki yet. The kids are both so adorable with matching black short bobs. Tetsu, the older boy, was very quiet when he finally greeted you, and was extremely polite. Sora, the girl, was a little more direct when she told you off.
"I care about you even less than I do the other one in that room. I don't even care about him. Please just don't bother us." Is what she declared. You agreed that you wouldn't bother them at all, but not before promising them candy if they even did decide to talk to you. That's when they looked at you skeptically and ran back into their room.
You haven't seen the small boy again, even as you've checked back on the street every day with your food. At one point you even knocked on the door, but there wasn't an answer, so you left some candy in front of the door. The next day, the candy was gone. You figure the dad probably came back for the boy, and had thrown it out incase it was dangerous. Hopefully.
As for school, the classes you take aren't too hard, and everyone seems to have gotten used to your presence. You've even made a friend in your class, Takahashi Natsumi, the girl who stood up for you in front of everyone.
"I didn't know you tutored English," she comments as you guys each lunch together in the cafeteria. You shrug, eating your rice slowly.
"It was the only club that would take me, I guess." You respond after swallowing. Takahashi leans forward, whispering.
"I heard it's a bunch of thugs and wannabe gang members." She says, her voice low. Takahashi is pretty nice, so you figure the rumors must be strong if she heard something like that. You laugh a little.
"No, they're actually pretty nice. Well, the two girls are. The guy doesn't talk much. Or, err, at all." You sigh, thinking back to your previous lessons. The boy, Kazama, hadn't talked to you at all. Not when called on, not to anyone else. You weren't even sure if he was coming to karaoke. He just looked bored the whole time. "Well, today I'm taking them on a field trip anyway."
"Oh, that's fun! But I wish you could join volleyball with me instead." Takahashi says, pouting. You smile.
"That would've been really nice,"
Lunch wraps up, and the rest of the classes are pretty simple. You've gone over most of the math they teach before, but the history and literature is a struggle. When you finish, you head down to the club room where Sanada, Yoshioka and surprisingly, Kazama are. The girls grin when they see you, both wearing their respective signature makeup.
"/Today, I'm feeling happy! I will feel more happy today!/" Yoshioka exclaims when she sees you. You smile a little at her improved vocabulary.
"I studied a ton of English songs for this. Free karaoke!" Sanada says. "and my mom can't even say anything because its for studying! Your the best, [last name]-san!" You giggle a little.
"Lets get going, yeah?" you say, and you all start walking outside and to the bus stop. Along the way the girls discuss with you some of the English songs they've learned.
"I like uh, /since you've been gone./ and I know what the lyrics mean!" Yoshioka declares, and Sanada nods appreciatively.
"I agree, that is good. I like, uh,/ 'Hollaback girl'/?" she looks at me. "I've look up the translation, but I don't quite understand what it means." You snort a little.
"It's, uh, saying your not the type of girl to erm... just go for any type of guy who is going to talk to you," You put politely, and realization dawns on Sanada, although Yoshioka blinks. Sanada lets out a loud laugh.
"I get it," she says, winking at you as the bus pulls up.
The ride is full of chatter, with Sanada and Yoshioka sitting together in front of you and you sitting with Kazama. The boy looks disinterested and stares out the window, despite your attempt to ask him about his day. You frown a little at being ignored, but brush it off.
The bus arrives to the karaoke place shortly. Despite its loudness and flashing lights, it seems to be a slow business day, despite it being a Friday.
"Why is no one here?" Sanada asks, her voice low.
"I heard the whole basketball team got sick after being here, plus the girls that where with them. There's rumors going around that there's a bad mold." Yoshioka whispers. You glance at them, frowning. Was there any book I've read about a mold, maybe? Is this the cause of my isekai?
"It'll be fine." Sanada says. "It's going to be free anyways!"
You all walk up to the cashier and hand them some of the money you received for your budget. You'd already cleared the idea with your teacher anyways, so you feel no guilt handing the majority of the cash you got this month over.
"Room 3," the cashier tells you politely. You nod, and head into the karaoke room. Yoshioka squeals as she heads in, Sanada closely following. Yoshioka immediately sets up her song, and you settle into the comfortable seats. Kazama sits down across from you. Surprisingly, he turns to you and speaks for the first time.
"Can I have the free soda?" He asks, nodding to the table. You frown a little, looking at the girls who are bent over the music picker.
"I don't care." You respond, shrugging. As he reaches for the drink, the muffled music from outside stops. Then, the lights flicker. They turn off completely. Yoshioka yelps.
"/What the hell?/" You mutter, standing up. You grip the back of your seat as you stare into blank darkness. A chill runs down your spine and nausea washes over you. However. after a moment, the lights flicker back on, and the cashier races into your room.
"My sincere apologies, we just had some electrical difficulties. It should be fine now, and we'll provide some complementary snacks outside. " she says, bowing low. You all thank her, and Yoshioka hesitantly starts her music again. The intro starts playing, and you watch as Yoshioka and Sanada relax and start singing off key into the microphone.
"/Here's the thing, we started off friends!/" You laugh a little, and after a minute more of the terrible singing, you get up to get some of the snacks. You're directed by the cashier to the snack fridge in the lobby and as you bend down to grab some sweets, the entrance door bell rings. You hear a voice asking the cashier something as you debate between the chocolate or gummies, but your not really listening. You stand up with the snacks in hand, and as you look over to start walking to your room, you see the three faces who've entered.
You're struck by a feeling in your heart that makes you stop when you see them. A girl with a brown bob, a boy with a short dark ponytail and a boy with with white hair and bright blue eyes.
You drop your snacks, cowtails rolling on the floor in front of you when recognition hits you.
Jujitsu Kaisen.
You've been isekai'd into Jujitsu Kaisen.