Pickles ||Inumaki x Reader||

Ten || Left Shoe

That was when the ginger girl we were waiting for arrived, holding bags and suitcases with her jaw on the floor as she questioned why we were empty handed. Anger seethed through Nobara when Panda explained the event was being held at Tokyo since our school won last year thanks to Yuta for the most part. She fell to the floor in a fit of rage.

Toge and Panda squatted on the ground next to her while Megumi just slouched in a bored manner with his hands in his pockets. "Unforgivable, Okkotsu Yuta! Even though I've never met you!" The girl cried. I joined her in cursing Yuta, although my reasoning was far different.

It was then that Maki grabbed our attention so we'd notice the six students walking up the steps. Among them were Mai and Todo, meaning they were most likely the Kyoto shamans. Each of them took turns dissing our team.

"Okay, that's enough." Sighed a soft voice which belonged to the woman who walked up slowly after. She had a horizontal scar that ran from her right cheek and over the bridge of her nose, the hardcore feature contrasting the gentle style of her hair and kimono. I remembered her as Utahime; the Kyoto students' teacher. "So, where's that moron?" She asked delicately, most likely referring to Gojo.

"Dude, she's hot." I whispered to Nobara next to me.

"I was just thinking the same thing," The girl nodded seriously.

However, our gossip was cut short when Gojo came dashing between us with a large cart. Nobara and I jerked away from each other as I stumbled backwards, bumping lightly into Toge who caught me by the arm instinctively.

"Hey hey, seems everyone's around. I was in a business trip overseas, you see." The blindfolded man started as he pushed his cart in the middle of the gathering. He began handing little souvenir dolls to the Kyoto students before turning to the rest of us with an enthusiastic twirl, "For the Tokyo folks there's this! Itadori Yuji himself!"

Out of the box popped a cheerful, spiky pink-haired boy who wore a uniform similar to ours. I would have been amused by the young man jumping out of Gojo's cart had it not been for the fact that he was supposed to be dead. 

My face fell in horror as I watched him being very much alive and well, only for him to freeze with shock at the disgusted reactions of his classmates. Those from Kyoto were too busy grimacing at Gojo's cheap souvenirs to notice the first years of our school confronting the boy in the box.

We weren't given too much time to dawdle though as we were quickly prompted to prepare for the first event: an exorcism race. 

Both teams were separated into different ends of the school to discuss plans and techniques before the event began. I stood next to Megumi and therefore opposite Itadori who knelt on the floor holding up a funeral frame as per Nobara's order. Even after he explained the situation, she kept up her goal to shame him.

With that aside, we commenced the meeting by discussing the formation with Itadori's addition. I remained quiet while the others talked about leaving Todo for Itadori to handle. 

But instead of contributing, my mind was focused on what must have been going on in the meeting with the Kyoto students. They must have been talking about Itadori as well, without a doubt. Since it was no secret that he was Sukuna's host and hated by the Kyoto principal, I couldn't help but conjure up my own theories. Compared to Panda, my intuition was so-so but I was a second-year which meant it was still part of my duty to protect those under me. 

Deciding it might be worthwhile to share my speculation, I clicked my fingers. "They Kyoto students are planning to kill Itadori." 

"What brought this on?" Maki asked, relaxing her chin on the back of her hand.

It didn't take them long to put two and two together when I started explaining my thoughts. After Megumi openly agreed with me, the rest nodded along. 

A wide grin spread across Itadori's features as he faced me, "Wow (L/N), you're pretty smart!"

"Why do you sound so surprised!?" I gritted my teeth with irritation before pulling off my left shoe to throw at his big forehead.

The meeting stretched on for a little while longer as we adapted a new plan with how each of us would act as backup for the boy. Gojo called us eventually to let us know it was time to begin so we all left together as a group, muttering different conversations among us as we walked.

It was when Megumi told Itadori that he kinda didn't wanna lose that Nobara shouted from across the path, "The hell you mean 'kinda'? We're going for a total victory! For Maki's sake!"

The girl with the glasses just sweat dropped with an exhausted sigh, "Please stop that..." She muttered.

"Mentaiko!" Toge announced.

Panda cheered enthusiastically as well, "Yes! For Maki's sake!"

"All hail Maki!" I rallied, making the two laugh.

Itadori giggled as he skipped in front of our team with clenched fists, "So with that said, let's win."

-

I love these dorks so much pls