( CHAPTER 64 . . )
manga.
"Nobara.. Wait up!"
"What's even taking you so long?!"
"I was saying goodbye, of course!"
Kugisaki grins, slinging an arm over your shoulder as you two walked around the streets of Tokyo, both slurping on your drinks.
The four first years just got back from a mission.
It's been a few days since the incident at yasohachi bridge, and so far, you've been doing great. Gojo has been wonderful and nice enough to help you in discovering a new technique― Kuchi.
You're a fast learner, though it's a bit hard since Gojo had only guided you. It's not like he can demonstrate. Fortunately, you have seen the warp so many times that it's basically printed in the back of your mind.
You had managed to summon and store your sledge hammer inside the mouth. Just like how Seikatsu did.
You thought, 'This seems useful!'
And thankfully, it is. Although you still didn't know how to warp around the place using Kuchi, the technique made your life a little easier since you didn't have to carry a hammer everywhere now.
"Um.. Excuse me.."
You and Kugisaki turned to the voice, revealing a beautiful girl who looked a little worried.
"Was that Itadori with you earlier..?"
And that's how you and Kugisaki ended up in a diner.
"This is me at my junior high graduation.." Yuko Ozawa slides her phone across the table, revealing a picture of a chubby version of her.
You smile, 'cute..!'
"What?! For real?! Isn't this just half a year ago?!" Kugisaki ask in disbelief, "What in the world happened?!"
You snort as she kept looking at the picture and back at Ozawa.
"Kugi, It's normal. People change and their bodies also too." you pat her on the back.
"That's right Hoshino." Ozawa smiles, "well, i just happened to grow fifteen centimeters, and with moving to tokyo and the stress of a new environment, i just.."
Ah right.. The surname thing.
Well, Gojo had already fixed everything like the best sensei that he is, but you still have to explain to your friends about it.
Ozawa trails off, though you and Kugisaki already get the idea.
"Wow.."
Ozawa watches with amusement as Kugisaki takes a more closer look on the photo. You almost spat out your drink as you see Itadori awkwardly standing beside the happy Ozawa.
"H-He looks..?" you thank Ozawa as she hands you one of the napkins at your table. You wipe your lips, taking another bite of the cake you had previously ordered.
"Sorry for laughing, Ozawa-san.. Just look at him!" you were so used to seeing itadori smile that the expression he was showing in the photo made you think twice if this really was Itadori or a doppelganger.
"It's okay, Hoshino." Ozawa grins, "So he does look different.."
"On graduation day, i mustered up the courage to ask him for a photo. I actually wanted to ask for his number too.. But i was going to move to Tokyo anyway."
A blush then makes it way to Ozawa's cheeks as she continued explaining.
"When i saw him earlier.. I thought maybe the me of today could.."
A realization strikes you and Kugisaki. seeing Ozawa blush..
'..!!'
"Ozawa.. Does that mean.." you start.
"That it's like that..?!" Kugisaki continues, to which ozawa quickly answers.
"Yes! It's like that!"
You gasp, "Ozawa!" she likes Itadori?!
Kugisaki quickly picks her phone up, dialing a number as you and ozawa watch her make a call.
"Hey! Mister ijichi, is Fushiguro still with you?! I'm gonna send you the address to this restaurant so could you please drop him off here? Thanks a bunch!"
You sweatdrop, "Kugisaki.. Fushiguro's gonna be pissed.."
She waves a hand dismissively, "Let him! He's always mad anyways."
She turns to Ozawa, "There's a guy on the way that knows Itadori better than us." she explains.
"Let's hear what he has to say first."
Ozawa looked a little concerned.
"Um.. If you also happen to like.."
"Nope!" Kugisaki shuts the possibility down. No way she's going to fall for that idiot who's eating fingers.
"Even if heaven and earth were to dance the lambada, no way!" Kugisaki suddenly places a hand over where her heart is.
'huh? my heart skipped a beat?' she thought, confused. Was this arrythmia?
"You okay, Kugi?"
"Yeah."
Ozawa then turns to you, "How about you, hoshino? Is it like that with him..?"
"Me?!" you point to yourself, "No, sorry. you're good, Ozawa-chan! I.. Already have my eyes on someone else."
She tilts her head to the side, "Eh?"
Kugisaki suddenly slams her hand on the table while standing up, "You what?!"
You and ozawa flinches at her sudden outburts. Kugisaki places her attention on you, making you flustered, "Y/N! We basically live together! You should open up to me more."
"Do you wanna tell us about this person? we'll listen, Hoshino!"
You shake your head, hiding your face in both of your hands. The girls are nice, yes, but you still didn't want to day anything yet.
"Mm.." your words were muffled, "I'm not sure, okay?! plus, now's not the right time to think about that. He just.. um.. makes me feel special and stuff."
You should've thought about what you said because now it's definitely obvious who's the person who loves giving you special treatment. Who else but..
"Wait.." Kugisaki's eyes widen.
"Is.. Is it Fushiguro?"
Ozawa also looked like she was waiting for your answer despite not knowing who this Fushiguro person was.
You look away, and the two curious girls took this as your way to say that..
'It really is like that..!'
"NO WAY!" Kugisaki grabs you by the shoulder, "Are you serious?!"
"Yep! I am, i guess?" you smile, feeling a little relieved as you now had told someone about these feelings of yours.
"That's great, Hoshino!" Ozawa clasp her hands together, flashing you a smile.
"Hey!"
You three turn to who the voice belonged to, only for your heart to skip a beat as you see Fushiguro.
"What the heck is this about?"
You scrunch your nose as you realized the dark haired boy had nowhere to sit. For some reason, you thought it would be weird for him to sit beside Ozawa ― someone he didn't know.
You stood up, offering him your seat before moving to Ozawa's side.
"Yo! Fushiguro, does Itadori have a girlfriend?"
"Huh..?"
"You see, this girl.."
After explaining the whole situation to Fushiguro, from start and to the finish, he suddenly looked serious.
"So you're saying.. It's like that?!"
Kugisaki confirms.
"Yes! It's like that!"
Fushiguro finally sits beside Kugisaki as a waiter comes to the table, excusing themseleves after they place down a cup of black coffee.
'Eh..?' you thought that after being with Gojo longer than everyone here has, Fushiguro would also like overly sweet food and desserts.
You guess not.
"i doubt he has a girlfriend." he starts.
"What makes you think that?"
"He didn't seem bothered by the fact he was moving to Tokyo all of a sudden. Plus, he's got some posters hanging in his room. Not the kind someone with a girlfriend would have."
Kugisaki stares at Fushiguro's choice of drink before sweatdropping.
"Are you the type to drink black coffee in front of a girl to impress her even though you don't like it..?"
You giggle as Fushiguro suddenly looks annoyed. Why does that matter anyway?!
"You call me to hear what i have to say, right?" he mutters, "..I always drink black coffee."
'Oh! Noted.'
"Um.. Do you happen to know what type of girls he likes?" Ozawa ask.
"Oh.. Right." Fushiguro says boredly, "He said something about liking tall girls."
As if the three ladies present were sharing the same braincell, You, Ozawa, and Kugisaki all brought your drinks together to cheers, as if getting ready to drink alcohol.
"NICE! I'm getting Itadori here! You're okay with that, right?!"
"Say you are, Ozawa! Say you're fine with that!" you chime in, quite excited to see how things turn out.
"Yes!!"
Fushiguro sighs, watching as Kugisaki pulls out her phone before sending a message to itadori. His eyes then shifts to you, raising a brow.
He grabs one of the tissues from the table, standing before reaching over the table to wipe off the corners of your cheek.
"Eh?"
"You had a little something. Cake."
He says, suddenly realizing the attention is now off the phone and on him. He sits back down with pink on his cheeks after giving you the tissue. He lets you wipe off any more excess frosting on your face.
"Thank." you grin, "I kinda forgot i was eating something."
You take a look at the half finished dessert in front of you, licking your lips.
You pick up the fork.
"That's awfully casual.." Ozawa sweatdrops, reading over the texts Kugisaki sent.
"Is it?"
"Hey! What're you doin' here, Fushiguro?"
You're surprised to see Itadori already waving at the group.
"That was quick!"
'Oh crap! I didn't tell Itadori about Yuko yet!' Kugisaki panics.
"What's that?" Fushiguro ask. he was referring to whtever item Itadori was holding.
"I couldn't find a cash exchange, so i traded in for prizes."
The pink haired boy then turns his attention to the other two at the table. He flashes you a smile, to which you return.
You continued chewing on the piece of cake you had, placing a hand over your mouth. You sense cursed energy lingering in the air.
'Sukuna's such a nuisance..!'
"ITADORI! This is..!" Kugisaki was about to tell him before itadori cuts her off with a small 'Huh?'
"Hey, Ozawa. What's up?"
You chuckle as you see the girl look at him as if she's glad that he was able to remember her.
An automatic ten over ten for Yuji..!
i wonder what's next . .