DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN JUJUTSU KAISEN, ALL CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR GEGE AKUTAMI-SENSEI, I ONLY OWN THE PLOT OF THIS STORY.

I would have expected to have typed up a lot more chapters in my others works, including this one, considering that I haven't been working for a while now.

On August 20th 2023, I had a stroke, it all came from an injury that happened at work back in June 2023.  After the injury, it was deemed as a concussion, and I just kept having headaches and neck pain.  When I would mention that to the doctor when I went to my follow up appointments for the concussion, he didn't seem to take it seriously as other than some pain from the injury still lingering around.

And then in the first week of August the headaches just got unbearable to the point that I had to go to the hospital, had a CT scan done, there was nothing.  Doctor said it was most likely a muscle that was hurt from the injury, and that he would make a recommendation letter for me to take to any physical therapy clinic.  I told this to the doctor I had been going to the concussion, and he sent in a referral to a physical therapy clinic nearby.

I went first appointment on the 16th for a general checkup, then on the 18th the actual treatment started.  But then on Sunday August 20th, I woke up a little after 6 in the morning, and I was having a stroke.  The hospital in my town doesn't have the equipment to take care of that.  So, they managed to stabilize me then flew me over to a different hospital, and I ended up staying there for 9 nine days.

Anyways, since I'm still in therapy and barely getting better, I haven't been able to go to work.  But now work has terminated because I can't go back at full capacity, since I haven't been fully released by the doctor, I see for follow ups and by the neurologist I see.  And I don't know when I can actually go back to any type of work, I'm still recovering, my shoulders hurt, my thumb is sprained and have no strength in that left thumb.  And I was told that I wouldn't be able to work in the same type of work I did, or any physical or quick demanding work because I still lack strength on me left side.  And the fact I also have sensitivity on my left side to heat and cold.

Anyways, sorry for any spelling or grammar errors.

Enjoy.

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Shina was now nine months old, and the next challenge was right in front of her.  It was a challenge that was something that she had and has to overcome at whatever costs.

She was barely starting to walk.  Of course, she practiced on her own when she was left in her crib or when she was sure that no one was watching.  As far as her family knew, she was only capable of standing up on her own with the help of the sofa, small coffee table in the living room or someone holding her hand.  But they didn't know when she was going to start walking on her own.

She could take a few steps on her own, ones that she wasn't ready to show her family, she had seen so many videos in where family are watching a child trying to walk and then laugh at watching them fall.

She may be a child, but she understood everything, and she certainly didn't want to be laughed at.

At least that was her goal, but as such things didn't go as she had planned.

A week after she had turned nine months old, Kaori, her mother had managed to see her standing and take a few steps before falling down with a small 'Oh' sound escaping.

This went on for what seemed like weeks until one day while she was set on the ground to play with her toys in her room, she stood up and managed to take more than six shaky steps then fall onto her cushioned bottom.

It was only six steps, but that was good progress, and she was happy enough to let out a small, excited squeal.

This was her first step to her independence, well as far as it would get for now.  Once she could walk on her own, she would go anywhere in the house and outside to her hearts content to where her little legs would take her.  To play outside in their big yard with Yuuji, to do many things in this new world, in this new life.  One that she was still trying to get used to.

Even though it had been months since she had first opened her eyes to this world, and had already come to terms with reality, she sometimes deep down still has a little bit of hope.  That maybe this is just one long and realistic dream, but each emotion, hunger, feeling, touch, every small bit of sense, brought her out of that small hope.

But she was still hopeful that one day she would see her family from her past life.

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For an entire month, she had been secretly working, hard at that, to stand and walk on her own.  Ever since that one time the month before when Kaori saw Shina take a few steps, she made sure no one was around when she practiced.

And now a month later, at ten months old, her entire family in the living room, talking and laughing.  Yuuji sitting on the ground eating his snacks on the small coffee table, while Shina sat on her crocheted blanket, surrounded by pillows.

Shina glanced at eat person one by one, taking in her mood, to make sure it was the right time.

Taking her chance, Shine took her chance.

She crawled away from the wall of pillows around her out to the open, effectively catching her family's attention.  Hands placed firmly on the ground, pushing her weight onto her small arms and hands, she pushed her legs under her, bringing up her bottom, looking like a small bridge.  Slowly she pushed herself into an upright position, shakily, she managed.

She didn't have to look to see that all eyes on her, her focus was on her feet making sure that they didn't trip over each other.  Yuuji had stopped chewing on his crackers, most likely to watch her as for sure were the adults in the room.

One step, two, three, eventually leading to eleven steps, reaching the sofa where her parents and grandfather were.  She placed her small chubby hands onto her father's knees, the closest to her and smiled up at him.  Giving him a gummy smile and laugh, she slapped his knees then eventually fell down onto her bottom.

Met with silence, Shina thought they were upset, and began to worry, but then was suddenly scooped up by her father and brought into a tight embrace.

"Good job!  You did such an amazing job in walking.  My baby is growing so fast." Jin exclaimed as he held Shina and kissed her forehead and cheeks making her giggle.

After that day she practiced every day in private and in front of her family to get better at walking, and slowly but surely everyday made progress.

Not even before her first birthday, she was able to walk for longer distance on her wobbly legs, stumbling her way in the living room, and into the kitchen.

Though after a small accident of pulling on the kitchen mantle by accident, pulling a bowl of coup near her feat, she was no longer allowed into the kitchen.

Shina felt a sense of triumph as she mentally checked off one of the things to do off her check list.  To walk.

Now she just had to expand her places in where she could walk.  Her next step was to walk outside, and from what she could see that doesn't seem like something so far off.  If she could tag along with Yuuji when he goes outside, she's sure they'll let her out too.

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Shina curled her little toes in the grass of their backyard, feeling the familiar yet unfamiliar feeling on her bare feet.

Once she had gotten outside, she sat herself on the ground and slowly took off her shoes and socks.

How she had missed feeling grass on her fingertips and on the soles of her feet, feeling it tickle her feet with each movement.  But having such sensitive skin as a child, made the grass tickle even more and made her giggle as she walked on the grass.

Though her small sense of freedom was cut short after Wasuke saw her barefoot and picked her up to put on her socks and shoes, saying something about stepping on bees or pine needles from the trees.

She struggled, but made no progress against her grandfather's hold, eventually she gave up and waited for her socks and shoes to be put on once again.  And once out of his hold, she would have run around and played, but her stumbling walking prevented her from doing so.

She was so happy, it was this little moment that made her forget every sad thing that has happened, and that will happen.

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So, what did you guys think of this chapter?  I know it's been so long since I last updated, over a year!

I feel like the first few chapters are going to seem, maybe, a bit boring considering that they're going to center around Shina's childhood, it won't be until like maybe chapter 7 or 8 when it'll go back on track to the current time from the first book.

I hope to be able to update the next chapter soon, I have a little bit of it drafted right now, but not much.

So, that's it for now.  Hope you enjoyed it.