The door slides open to reveal two students, a girl and a boy, sitting around a table while they eat their lunches. Itadori steps inside, still grinning widely, and their heads turn at the sound of his voice.
"Hey, guys! I just dropped by for lunch, if that's okay. Oh, and I brought a friend! This is [Name]," he happily introduces.
You're too stunned by the fact that he just referred to you as his friend to process much else, and by that point, the two students have already stood up.
"It's nice to meet you, [Name]." the girl greets with a smile. "I'm Sasaki, a second-year."
"And I'm Iguchi, also a second-year," the boy chimes in.
Needless to say, you already know who they are, too. Even though it was indirect on their part, they're largely the reason why Itadori ends up at Jujutsu High, thanks to the fateful events of a certain night spent on school grounds.
At this point in time, Itadori has yet to give them Sukuna's finger. You're not sure exactly when it'll happen, but there will probably be some warning signs, like Fushiguro showing up on campus to look for it.
Still, for obvious reasons, you feel like you shouldn't get too involved with these two. The plot is going to proceed normally, as it should. You're worried that something might go wrong with your interference. It's probably best if you keep your distance, and-"Would you like to join the Occult Research Club?!"
Yeah, you probably should've expected that.
Itadori laughs. "Come on, guys. I didn't bring her here to try and recruit her. I just wanted to introduce all three of you! I'm not sure if [Name]'s into that kind of stuff, anyways. It's not really everyone's thing."
"It's true," you nod. "I'm, uh, not that great with scary stuff..."
"There's nothing scary about the paranormal!"
Sasaki insists. "It's just interesting! Mysterious! Imagine what could be out there! Don't you have a
thirst for the unknown?"
It's precisely because I do know what's out there that I'm scared...
"Sasaki, you're coming on way too strong." Iguchi chides. He turns to offer you a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. We just can't help but get excited when new people show up to our club room, but we know this kind of thing can't be forced. You two are more than welcome to stay here during lunch."
To some extent, you can't help but feel a bit had, because you know how passionate they are, and soon, Itadori won't be around to keep them company anymore. He has no choice but to go to Jujutsu High. It's his fate as the protagonist of this world.
You know you can't possibly be a substitute for someone as irreplaceable as Itadori, but once all the craziness with Sukuna's finger passes, you'd be happy to be their friend, if they'll have you.
"Ooh, your lunch looks really good, [Name]," Itadori remarks once you sit down and unpack your bento box.
"Thanks," you smile. "I've been cooking for a while. My mom cooks too, but I just got used to making food for myself. The process helps me take my mind off things. It's kind of therapeutic, in a way."
Seeing as being sucked into a fictional world is kind of-or rather, really fucking insane, it's safe to say that you cooked up a storm when you got home yesterday. You packed up most of the leftovers for lunch today, so the food didn't go to waste, but still. You ended up emptying a good portion of the fridge.
Itadori takes a big bite out of his onigiri, but he keeps. eyeing your lunch all the while, so you chuckle and push the bento box closer to him.
"Go ahead," you encourage. "You can have some if you want."
"Can I really?" he blinks, a few pieces of rice stuck to his cheek. It's kind of ridiculous how adorable this guy is. You have the sudden urge to pull him into your arms and give him a big squeeze, but mercifully, your intrusive thoughts don't win.
"Of course. I packed plenty, so I can afford to share."
"Oh-wait, but earlier, I was saying that I'd be the one to treat you! I can't just eat your lunch! I still owe
you big-time for what I did to you!" Itadori firmly shakes his head in refusal, then
crosses his arms and makes an attempt at what you can only assume is meant to be a stern expression. But again, he's so ridiculously cute that it's a bit hard to take him seriously.
Sasaki arches a brow. "What did you do to her?"
"I, uh, may have hit her in the face with a soccer ball," Itadori replies, shamefully shrinking in on himself.
He is literally baby.
"Why would you do that?" Iguchi gapes. "Come to think of it, her nose is a little bruised..."
"It obviously wasn't on purpose!" Itadori protests. He turns towards you with an imploring expression. "[Name], 1 promise it wasn't on purpose. I swear I would never do something like that!"
You chuckle softly. "I know you wouldn't. You definitely don't seem like that kind of guy."
Itadori lets out a sigh of relief and resumes munching on his onigiri. Meanwhile, Sasaki stares at you from across the table.
"So... [Name]," she says. "You're a first-year like Itadori, I'm assuming?"
"Yep."
"I've never really seen you around."
"I'm a new student. I only just transferred in."
She pauses for a few moments, and you can see her eyes glistening with excitement. "So, that must mean you haven't joined any clubs yet, right?"
"Sasaki, not this again," Iguchi sighs.
"I'm telling you! Not everyone is drawn to the occult right away. It takes trial and error to figure out if it's something you're actually interested in. I'm not saying she has to join our club or anything. But while she's here, she should at least dip her toes in, right?"
Before Iguchi can protest on your behalf again, Sasaki grabs a large board from one of the bookshelves and turns towards you with a mischievous grin.
"...you've heard of Kokkuri, right?"
After school, Itadori stops by your classroom.
"Hey, [Name]," he beams. "Thanks for hanging out with all of us during lunch. It was a lot of fun. Hopefully that game of Kokkuri didn't freak you out too much."
"I had fun too," you nod. Truthfully, you've never really been fazed by this kind of stuff. Horror movies and the like don't often get much of a reaction out of you. You never bought into ghosts or vengeful spirits. Well, not in the real world at least.
Unfortunately, in this world, there's plenty of freaky shit to go around.
"It means a lot to those guys," Itadori says, a tinge of sadness to his smile. "We're the only people in the school that seem to have an interest in the occult. I signed up for it because I thought it'd be fun, but we just barely meet the three-member minimum. Thanks for going along with it to make them happy, even if it's not really your kind of thing."
"There's no need to thank me. I know I said I wasn't crazy about scary stuff, but I actually ended up having a good time. I'm glad you invited me to hang out with you guys," you smile.
Itadori returns your smile with one of his own-seriously, he's almost always smiling, but you certainly don't mind-and before you realize it, a phone has been placed into your hand.
You blink. "What's this?"
"My phone," Itadori replies, still smiling.
"Um, I mean, I know that, but why'd you give it to me?"
"So you can give me your number. That way it'll be easier for us to stay in touch!" He pauses, just for a moment, to frown. "Oh, but I guess I should've asked if you were okay with it first. I got a little ahead of myself. Would it be cool if we exchanged numbers?"
Abso-fucking-lutely!
By some miracle, you manage to reign in your excitement, and instead of hardcore fangirling and squealing out at the top of your lungs, you just nod.
"Sure thing," you say, trying to play it cool. Still, despite your best efforts to act indifferent, your fingers are trembling as you pull out your own phone and refer to the number you have saved in a notes app (because you definitely haven't memorized it within less than a day of being here). Once you're finished inputting your number, you pass your phone over to Itadori so he can do the same.
And just like that, you have a new contact saved. Itadori Yuji. He even added a little smiley-face at the end of his name. God, he's so fucking cute.
"Sweet!" Itadori grins. "Thanks, [Name]. I'll be sure to text you lots! Sorry I can't really stick around much longer. I just wanted to stop by real quick before I left to go visit my gramps at the hospital."
Right. His grandfather. A point deep in your stomach throbs uncomfortably, and you're hit by a sudden wave of guilt. It feels awful to know that his grandfather's end is rapidly approaching. It feels awful to know that you can't change it, or even warn him. All you can do is feign ignorance and hope that he enjoys these fleeting moments while they last.
You muster up a smile. "I hope you have a nice day with your grandpa. Feel free to text me whenever."
"Will do! See ya!"
Itadori waves you off, every bit as cheerful as always. Yet another thing that causes you immense guilt is the knowledge that his happy days won't last forever. Soon, he'll be thrown into a dark, sinister world that teems with death. A world that, in your opinion, is far too harsh for such a gentle soul.
Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do about that. Fate will run its course, and you must simply stand by and let it happen.
Despite the nice day you had, your spirits are admittedly a bit low as you trudge home, having to consult Oogle Maps in order to find your way around. After being injured yesterday, the nurse called your parents to inform them of what had happened, and your mom came by to pick you up. This is technically your first time finding your way home by yourself. It's not just a new school you need time getting used to, but a new home, a new city, a new world... all of it is bound to get a little overwhelming at times.
You wish you could say you're completely aware of your surroundings, but that's far from the truth. Every so often, you have to stop and squint towards the street signs to make sure you're heading the right way. Jujutsu Kaisen is set in a fictional world, of course, but it's a world modeled off the real world, and there's plenty of similarities. This version of Japan is every bit as busy as the real one, for instance. Which is why you keep getting swept up in the crowds and losing your sense of direction.
Still, it's not rocket science. You can mostly figure out where you're going. Oogle Maps is idiot-proof, after all. Well, sort of.
But the fact remains that you've never wandered these streets before, and naturally, you're as disoriented as anyone would be in a foreign place. Hence why you don't notice him until it's late.
A man with long, black hair, who's staring right at you.
You get jerked around by the crowd of people hurrying home during rush-hour, enough that you end up tripping onto the sidewalk and falling onto your knees. Your socks only reach up to your calves, so unfortunately, your knees get scraped open and start bleeding.
Man. Only two days into this isekai thing, and you just can't seem to stop getting hurt.
"...are you alright?"
Some guy is speaking to you. Presumably, one of the bystanders that saw you trip. Your cheeks flush, because falling in public is one of the most embarrassing things that can happen, but you instinctively reach out to grab his hand anyway.
At the same time, your gaze pans upwards, and his eyes meet yours.
Oh, balls.
That's the most appropriate response you can think of. After all, the man you've just had the misfortune of running into is hardly the type to be your friend. He's not like Itadori. He's not one of the good guys.
He is Geto Suguru. Or rather, the curse user that's pretending to be him. The real Geto is long dead. He was killed by his former best friend, Gojo.
Those scars on his forehead tell you everything you need to know. The curse user's name is Kenjaku, and he is merely using Geto's body as a vessel. As things stand, you're probably the only person who knows his true identity.
Regardless, the details don't matter right now.
You're just really fucking scared.
Kenjaku pulls you to your feet, and unlike with Itadori, when you wished you could keep holding his hand forever, this time, you pull away viscerally fast, as if you've just been splashed with hot oil.
Naturally, Kenjaku notices.
"You didn't answer my question, miss," he chuckles, a cunning smile spreading across his lips. "I asked if you were alright. You took quite a tumble there. It must have hurt."
"I-I'm fine," you reply, praying your fear isn't absurdly obvious. You need to stay calm. There's no reason why an ordinary person would be afraid of him, and if you let it show, he'll know something's up.
"Your knees are bleeding," Kenjaku points out. He leans closer to you, and you swear your heart nearly explodes. His dark, thin eyes are even more eerie from up close. "And you look like you just saw a ghost. I admit, I'm a bit worried."
That's bullshit if you've ever heard it, but nevertheless, you can't allow your expression to crumble. There's no reason for him to kill you out in public like this. Unlike cursed spirits, people can see him. He won't risk drawing that kind of attention to himself.
Probably.
"I'm just... socially awkward," you say, chuckling shyly for added effect. "And, uh, I'm not good at talking to handsome guys like you. I get nervous."
To be honest, what you just said isn't even a total lie. Sadly.
Kenjaku stares at you in silence for a few moments, then smiles yet again, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
"I'm flattered by your words," he muses. "Well, just be careful not to trip again. You got off with a small injury this time, but if you're not careful, it could be a lot worse. And nobody likes to hurt, do they?"
It's hard to tell whether or not that was meant to be a thinly-veiled threat, but you have no intention of sticking around to find out.
"Thank you for your help, mister. I appreciate it."
You hastily bow to him, then waste no time before speed-walking away. The further you get, the easier it is to breathe.
But since you're too scared to look back over your shoulder, you don't realize that Kenjaku is still staring at you with a contemplative look on his face.
He hums to himself. "So much cursed energy. Is she a just can't put my finger on it." sorcerer? But something about her seems strange. I Well, no matter. He'll leave you in peace for now. He can't very well attack you in broad daylight, and he doesn't even know if you pose a threat. There are far too many variables to consider.
Besides, something tells him that this won't be your last meeting.
DROP MORE POWER STONE UNLOCK THE CHAPTER