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3RD POV
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Gojo located her after about 5 minutes. She sat on a bench, leisurely enjoying a chocolate bar and playing with her phone. Upon seeing the approaching male, she noted that he was alone, leading her to assume that he had left Yuji elsewhere, possibly in the sealed room seen in the anime.
"Heh, I didn't think you'd be here so fast." she remarked casually, giving him a nonchalant wave.
"And I thought you'd use this occasion to make a run for it." he stated more than asked, halting right in front of her and looming over her. He took a moment to observe her appearance. At first glance, she could pass as an ordinary civilian, but the well-defined muscles and scars he noticed hinted at her strong character. It was evident that she had the capability to kick ass if she chose to.
While Gojo was observing her, he abruptly paused upon noticing the object on her hand. Before he could comment on it, she spoke up.
"You done ogling me?" she said with an amused tone, glancing at the blindfold, seemingly unfazed. "As I told you, I have more important matters than taking lives." Her laughter followed.
"Interesting. Care to share what those matters are?" Gojo inquired with curiosity, observing her tapping her chin thoughtfully, ignoring a peculiar sense of déjà vu.
"Hm... I'd say cooking, drawing, and simply lazing around. That's all," she responded, tilting her head. "By the way, where's Gumi?"
"Gumi?" he questioned.
She hesitated for a moment, frowning briefly before pursing her lips. "You know, Gumi, Megumi. Your protegee? Oh, he referred to you as 'sensei' earlier. Are you also a teacher? I assumed you both would be here together."
Without questioning the origin of that nickname, Gojo playfully crossed his arms and pouted. "He's grounded. I left him back there," he huffed, grumbling about ruined kikufukus. "He doesn't need me to get home since his wounds mysteriously vanished," he added pointedly while gazing at her.
Ignoring his comment, she simply hummed, gesturing for him to back away. He complied as she stood up. Intrigued, he observed her closing her eyes briefly, as if searching for something. He had no clue what she was doing and was about to inquire when she suddenly snapped her eyes open. "Wait here."
"Eh?" The sorcerer could only utter as the woman vanished before his eyes, leaving him dumbfounded, staring at the now empty spot.
'WHAT THE—she did it again?!' He almost raised his blindfold to rub his eyes when she reappeared, this time with a bewildered Megumi.
"Alright, now we can go!"
"Eh?" Both sorcerers exclaimed, which only made the woman grin. She snorted with amusement as the teenager almost face-planted from the abrupt change of location.
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"Do you understand the reason for your presence here?" a harsh and serious voice inquired.
"No clue. Enlighten me."
After her response, there was a brief moment of stunned silence, interrupted only by a snort from the white-haired sorcerer who stood guard next to their restrained prisoner. With the numerous seals tightly wrapped around her, it was evident that she wasn't here as a willing guest.
The dimly lit room consisted solely of long shoji frames arranged in a circular pattern, with an elder behind each one.
The meeting commenced shortly after the previous events. Despite the suddenness of the situation, all the elders had assembled, albeit with displeasure. This gathering necessitated the presence of the two principals and other powerful sorcerers due to their lack of information about the woman's capabilities. However, Gojo's presence alone seemed sufficient for the occasion.
The majority of them appeared curious, while some displayed satisfaction. Nevertheless, the prevailing emotion emanating from each of them was 'greed'. The prospect of having this new asset under their control held an alluring appeal. Despite the woman being an unknown variable, the presence of their most potent weapon was sufficient to quell concerns about any potential defiance from her.
However, the sole issue they faced was her apparent lack of fear. Despite finding herself in the lion's den, she remained remarkably composed. It could be attributed to her ignorance of her current predicament.
Honestly, Gojo found himself quite fond of her at this point. Although that might change once she realizes the gravity of her perilous situation and succumbs to fear. On the other hand, he might just back her up out of sheer spite. Unfortunately, the elders possessed far too much undeserved power here. However, that didn't imply he would make things easier for them by complying with whatever verdict they intended to impose on her.
On a separate note, he had yet to inform them about...what was his name again? Ah, Yuji. The boy remained unconscious, confined in that sealed room to prevent any unwelcome surprises from occurring in the background. Not that it seemed likely, considering he showed no signs of awakening. Hence, Gojo saw no need to bother with it, knowing they might seize the opportunity to execute the boy without giving him a fair chance. Was he doing this to provoke the elders? Absolutely. While they could order him around, it didn't mean he would make it effortless for them.
He returned his attention to the conversation when he heard the woman mutter disdainfully, "new world, same pompous fossils," managing to hold back from bursting into laughter. The meaning behind her reference to the "new world" remained unknown to him. However, it appeared that her remark didn't go unnoticed, given the gasp of offense—ah, that's Elder Tokudaiji—was quite evident.
"Such impudence! Do you not know where you are? You insolent woman! Show some respect!" the offended elder exclaimed.
The woman—Colith, was it?—remained entirely unfazed by the reprimand, responding flatly, "Respect? I don't even know you guys. This could be some elaborate hidden camera for all I know. Hey, is this a prank?"
"Maybe~" Gojo played along.
"See?"
Another gasp—this time from Elder Yukimura—echoed as the old coot began hurling insults, yet she simply took them in stride. Gojo always enjoyed provoking the short-tempered one whenever possible. Why? So that he'd hopefully succumb to high blood pressure. Quite devious, isn't it?
The verbal clash continued for a while, with the elders threatening her from every angle, but she remained relatively amused, not showing any signs of intimidation.
Gojo couldn't help but be impressed by her unwavering demeanor in the face of such confrontation.
"This is the thanks I get for saving your asses?" she retorted, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Well damn, talk about ungrateful geezers."
"You will watch your tone, Gaijin!" snapped one of the elders, clearly taken aback by her audacity.
Gojo decided to interject, stepping in to defuse the tension. "Now, now, let's not get too heated," he said casually, trying to maintain a sense of calm. "She may be a stranger, but she's no threat. In fact, she could be a valuable asset to our cause." He paused, his eyes flickering mischievously. "And after all, she just might save you from a life of high blood pressure, Elder Yukimura." He couldn't resist adding a playful jab at the grumpy elder.
The room fell into a momentary silence, the elders taken aback by Gojo's audacity to speak so informally. But there was also a sense of curiosity, wondering what he saw in this enigmatic woman and how she might fit into their world of sorcery.
"Yeah, no thanks. Helping around? Sure, whatever," she huffed, a hint of derision in her voice. "Not that any of this isn't fun and all, but I have things to do. So what do you want from me?"
"Who sent you?" came a harsh voice filled with venom. It was evident they were barely restraining themselves from executing her on the spot. Gojo was genuinely surprised they hadn't ordered him to do it already. Of course, he had no intention of complying. She was funny.
She slightly tilted her head in the direction of the voice, her eyes blank. Deciding to play along, she responded, "No one, I'm afraid." She could feel the intensity of the glare in response to her answer, yet she maintained a calm facade.
"Which clan do you belong to?" the elder inquired.
A puzzled blink from the woman was enough for Gojo to deduce that she wasn't affiliated with any clan. She confirmed as much seconds later.
"What is your purpose here? Surely you must have had a reason for doing what you did that night. Why did you go to such lengths to aid us? What did you hope to achieve with it?" the elder pressed further, seeking answers from the woman.
"Nothing, really. I just so happened to be around when I saw a bunch of wacky creatures attacking people, so I was like: 'Hm? What the fuck?' and decided to be nice and helpful," she replied in a flat tone.
A scandalized noise arose, which Gojo didn't bother identifying, though he had a vague notion it came from a Kamo. They were a bunch of stick-in-the-muds, after all. There was a brief pause before the old coots started conversing amongst themselves, causing the woman to turn to Gojo, seemingly uninterested in her own predicament. "Are they always this annoying?" she asked, disregarding the affronted sneers directed her way.
Gojo snorted, "You missy have no idea!" He laughed before leaning in close to her ear, "Hey, still planning on playing around? I know you can easily get out of those, so why keep the charade?" As his words sunk in, a sly smile appeared on her face, and a stunned silence suddenly engulfed the room. Oh, it seemed like they had overheard him.
"You're no fun," she said, causing him to make a fake offended noise. He knew he was a lot of fun! As if to prove his words, she effortlessly removed the seals under the elders' flabbergasted gaze and got up. After cracking her neck, she sent a lazy grin in his direction.
"Why did you let me bind you again?" he inquired curiously.
"Believe it or not, I just wanted to see how they'd react," she chuckled, her eyes assessing each shoji frame in the room.
Gojo did the same and then turned to her with a delighted grin, "Understandable." He was thoroughly enjoying the unpredictability and audacity of this woman, wondering just how much chaos she could bring to their world of sorcery.
With a snort, she refocused her attention on the situation, her demeanor taking a chilling turn. "Let's just get this over with," she declared, her eyes turning cold as her gaze intensified.
"I won't say that I'm pleased with the welcome party, but I'll let it slide for this time," she said, clapping her hands with an eerie cheeriness, her smile devoid of any warmth. It seemed almost caustic. Her eyes began to glow unnaturally as she stood tall, hands held behind her back and her chin tilted up in a commanding manner. "The name's Colith, and I'd strongly advise you to know your place, hm?" Her voice carried a weight of authority that made it clear she was not to be underestimated.
Naturally, the elders flipped.
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"That was quite the performance! Never thought I'd see these old coots react like this! Bwahaha! Hey, miss, I'm starting to like ya! Can I call you Colith?" Gojo laughed heartily.
"Sure, I guess," she nodded, her expression calm. "So tell me, why did you choose to play along? Was it wise? Won't that cause you trouble in the future, since you didn't take any action? Won't they blame you for your inaction?"
"Aw, you're worried about me? I knew you couldn't resist my charms!" Gojo teased, but the woman responded with an unimpressed look. "But honestly? I couldn't care less about what those geezers think. Hell, thanks for scaring the shit out of them! Kami knows how long I've been waiting for something similar to happen," Gojo huffed with a sense of satisfaction.
"Hm, I can see that, though I can't help but wonder why you still let them order you around. If you despise them that much, why not take over?" the woman inquired.
"Oh? So you know I'm the strongest? I'm flattered," Gojo replied.
He was met with a deadpan expression and a dry response, "Sure." The lack of impressed reaction was something the sorcerer found odd.
"Sheesh, you act like Megumi! That's spooky!" Gojo complained, folding his arms. "But seriously, I'm more interested in teaching the new generation than taking over, you know? As a fellow teacher, you should understand that, right?"
"Ex-Teacher, unless you're planning to let me return to my job?"
"Nope!"
"I guessed as much," she nodded, dropping the matter. As they strode through the school's corridors, she began to look around, seemingly observing her surroundings.
It was undoubtedly late, even though the meeting—more like an interrogation—surprisingly didn't last long. Gojo felt jubilant. Scratch that, he was delighted. Witnessing the elders' flummoxed expressions as they attempted to maintain their composure in front of her had been highly satisfying.
"So~," the sorcerer began, casually sliding an arm around her shoulders, "what exactly are you? This is the first time I've encountered someone who can cancel cursed energy and relies entirely on something else. You're not a curse, and you don't seem human either. Can't blame me for being a little curious, hm?"
Gojo wasn't one to beat around the bush, for he had no need for such subtleties. He was Gojo Satoru, the strongest.
"That so? Sounds like you feel threatened," she deflected, barely giving him a glance. Her response hinted at an enigmatic aura that only added to the intrigue surrounding her.
"Not really, no. Something's telling me that you, somehow, mean us no harm. Sure, you spooked those geezers—which is good in my books, honestly—but, well, don't you think I deserve to know at least something about such a beautiful woman?" Gojo inquired with a playful smile.
"Oh, that's nice of you," she lightly tapped his cheek, her tone teasing. "But flirting will get you nowhere, brat." Colith chuckled, brushing his arm off her shoulder.
Gojo pouted, "Tsk, worth a shot. You can at least tell me something?"
"We'll see," her lips slightly quirked up, teasing him further. "By the way, you don't seem shocked that I can go through your infinity. I thought you would react strongly to that. How come?"
"Oh, I'm utterly flabbergasted, mind you," he replied casually, causing her to whip her head to look at him in slight disbelief before she quickly composed herself. The banter between them had a playful undertone, keeping their interaction intriguing and engaging.
"Huh."
He was shocked, that's for sure. The notion of someone going through his infinity was preposterous. Yet, oddly enough, he wasn't all that shaken. In fact, at that moment, an odd sense of—
'Déjà vu..?'
—washed over him.
It was the second time in one night, and for the first time in a decade, Satoru found himself perplexed. He had never encountered any problem—Suguru *cough*—before that could render him clueless about such things. Being all-seeing, he could predict a multitude of outcomes. Nothing could escape his Six Eyes.
Not even her lies.
Nor truths.
"I'm not here to kill people." truth.
"What did you hope to achieve?"
"Nothing, really." truth.
"Never thought my Yuji would one day end up being his vessel..." Lie.
Had she planned this? She seemed to deeply care for that boy though.
Then why?
Why doom him to an early grave just to go on and pretend to protect him?
What was the ploy here?
"I've been wondering, have we met before?" he inquired, genuinely intrigued. Meeting someone as peculiar as her would surely leave a lasting impression. Perhaps he should ask Miguel about it. The man had an extensive foreign information network, and maybe they had some connection, especially considering her ability to bypass his infinity. Although, if she possessed such a potent power, why keep it hidden? Gojo couldn't help but speculate that the African—wait, which country was Miguel from again?—elders wouldn't miss the chance to boast about a newborn with the ability to cancel cursed energy. They had already succeeded in creating a weapon that could disrupt his techniques, but it still heavily relied on cursed energy, unlike her.
Or maybe he was on the wrong track, and there was no connection at all? Regardless, he would still call Miguel, just to be sure.
However, even if he got answers about that, it still didn't explain the other extraordinary abilities she displayed. The mystery surrounding her only deepened.
To his surprise, she appeared highly put off by the question, as if it was the second time someone had asked her that before she shook her head.
"No, never saw you in my life," she replied with an air of certainty.
It's the truth. But at the same time, a lie.
This paradoxical response only added to the confusion swirling in his mind.
He hummed, lost in his thoughts, before finally releasing a frustrated sigh as they abruptly came to a halt in front of a door. The enigma surrounding her only seemed to deepen with each passing moment, leaving him more intrigued and curious than ever.
She raised a brow, casually looking back and forth between the two. "So this is where I'm staying, huh?" she opened the door to peer inside. "Neat. I guess that'll do, but why make me stay here? I could just stay at my house and come here when needed. I won't run away."
"We never know~" Gojo replied with a sly grin, well aware that they had no way of tracking her down if she ever decided to vanish. He knew she was also aware of this fact, which made her eye-roll in response.
"Whatever, how's Yuji?" she asked nonchalantly. There was no genuine concern on her features, hinting that she might already know the boy's condition. Nevertheless, Gojo decided to indulge her.
"Well, still waiting to see which one'll wake up first, and act accordingly, I guess~" he casually shrugged, not bothering to hide the grim reality that if Sukuna were to take over, it might lead to the teen's inevitable death. Was he hoping to get a reaction from her? Yes, yes he was. He wanted to understand her true motives and connections.
A grunt left her lips, "Of course, it'll be Yuji," she affirmed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh? And what makes you think that Sukuna won't take over?" Folding his arms, Gojo tilted his head to the side, genuinely curious about her unwavering confidence.
"Ain't no way my kid's gonna lose to a wannabe Kurama," she snorted with a hint of pride. "He's too stubborn for that." Gojo noticed a soft smile forming on her lips. So, she had faith in Yuji, huh? It was rather intriguing.
"So I was right! You're an Otaku!" Gojo teased.
"I would rather you use the terms anime enthusiast and manga enjoyer."
"Nah, I'll keep calling you that," he responded with a mischievous grin, waiting to see how she'd react to his playful banter.
She simply shook her head, then unexpectedly reached out to ruffle his hair—a gesture that caused both of them to freeze, staring at each other in silence. There was an inexplicable sense of familiarity behind that motion, leaving them momentarily perplexed. She swiftly brought her hand back to her side, and he blinked, still trying to comprehend the strange connection.
"You sure we never met before?" he asked, hoping for a clearer answer.
"Yes," she replied, her voice firm but leaving an air of uncertainty. With that, she entered her room and slammed the door shut, leaving him standing alone in the corridors with a slightly bewildered expression on his face.
'What just happened?' Gojo pondered, left to contemplate the enigma of their brief encounter. The lingering feeling of familiarity nagged at the back of his mind, urging him to dig deeper into the mysteries surrounding her.
Rubbing the back of his head, Gojo knocked on the door, calling out, "I'll come get you when I'm done with the kid!" He was rewarded with a curt, "Sure." He turned around and started walking away, muttering to himself, "Time to deal with the new problem kid, I guess."
If things went well, he could always question the kid or even Sukuna about the woman. However, he wasn't sure if the curse would be cooperative. Dealing with both Yuji and Sukuna was bound to be interesting, to say the least. Gojo knew he had his work cut out for him.
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1ST POV
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Sliding down on the floor, I held my head in frustration. It wasn't hurting or anything, no, it's just...
Everything's so fucking confusing, man!
I don't know what the fuck is going on here, but I don't like it one bit. Landing in jujutsu kaisen seemed cool and all at first, until I started experiencing these weird-ass feelings popping up randomly, making me act or do things out of nowhere—and this has been happening since day one!
I have so many goddamn questions right now, and there's nobody to answer them. It's not like I didn't try to contact those bastards up here for months, but I got no response. Urgh! IT'S INFURIATING! The lack of clarity and answers is driving me insane.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, I floated toward the bed of my 'new' room—yeah, no, I'm changing this to my house later—and plopped on it with a huff. I placed a hand on my heart while frowning at the ceiling.
The story's starting, and I have honestly no goal whatsoever. Saving people? Meh, that's easily solvable. Making new connections again just to be shipped off to a new verse because of a bunch of assh— 'deep breaths, Coco, no antagonizing what could be considered your new employers.'
A scowl appeared on my face as I politely insulted them nonetheless because why the hell not? A bit of childish spite, because why the hell not? Am I repeating myself? Well, fuck you too then. You're not the one condemned to bounce between dimensions for who knows how long and be expected to take it with a big ol' easygoing smile! I have feelings too, dammit!
'Breathe in, breathe out. Calm down bitch.'
Despite my apparent distress—because who wouldn't be?—I found it truly odd that meeting Gojo didn't spark any kind of...reaction from me. Heck, I was fully prepared to simp like I'm sadly used to, but... meh. I mean, he's the main reason why most people watch, read, or even know about Jujutsu Kaisen, so I was expecting to feel something, like attraction, but nope. My heart didn't even miss a beat when he popped outta nowhere. All I felt was a feeling of mild annoyance... and fondness, which was confusing?
It's as if my emotions are playing some kind of twisted game with me, leaving me perplexed and unable to decipher what I truly feel. I couldn't help but question why the encounter with Gojo, the iconic character, left me with mixed emotions instead of the expected admiration or attraction.
'You know what, I'll put it on the count of enjoying the show.'
What about Sukuna? Well, to be honest, I didn't know exactly what to say at first, considering it was Yuji's body. But then that rat had the nerve to insult me like I owe him some cash. The audacity of this creature! I'll annoy the heck out of him at every opportunity, since I can't exactly hit him without hurting Yuji. Although, now that I think about it, why was he so angry? We definitely never met, that's for sure... Or did we?
Oh well, whatever, who cares? I can't stand him. I might even find a way to invade his domain just to mess with him and scatter his pile of bones, just out of spite. I can be petty too. Let's see how he likes being on the receiving end of some annoyance for a change.
As my thoughts turned to Megumi, the tension instantly left my body. It was peculiar, and I couldn't exactly explain why, but a sudden desire to nurture and protect him took hold of me the moment I saw him. It was as if my motherly instincts went haywire in his presence, a feeling I only experience when my beans are around—and that's only because of the five years I spent with them. Yet, in Megumi's case, it was different, and I couldn't, for the love of Allah, understand why he triggered such a strong reaction in me. Even now, I find myself resisting the urge to check on him, despite knowing that he's totally fine and currently resting in his room in the other building across from mine. The inexplicable bond with him was both puzzling and comforting, leaving me with a mix of emotions that I couldn't quite grasp.
...
Yeah, I should probably think about something else, the plot may—
A rush of memories startled me into a sitting position.
"Can't believe she actually went in a hot spring. Lazy ass," I murmured, shaking my head wearily. Memories of pampering myself in the hot spring filled my mind, leaving me far more relaxed. I changed into casual clothes, then pulled out my phone and decided to wait for things to unfold. I didn't have any particular plans or goals, but I figured I'd go with the flow.
Speaking of which, I should probably inform Junpei about the new development, just in case. He might be interested in entering the school. Glancing at the time, 01:04, I shrugged and still sent him a text. I wondered how things were going to unfold from here. The unpredictable nature of my situation left me intrigued and ready for whatever was to come.
My gaze idly landed on my left hand, more precisely on the silver ring around my finger. I didn't notice it until two weeks after my arrival, and naturally, I tried to remove it, to no avail—the thing wouldn't budge. So, I left it there since it wasn't really a bother. Still, it was kind of annoying to have to explain that no, I wasn't married, and no, I'm still not interested.
Bah! It's not like it was ugly or anything.
It's just a ring.
An hour later, I felt Yuji and Gojo's aura getting closer before sighing when a deafening banging noise, which would even wake the dead, resounded repeatedly. Thank Allah, sleep is optional; otherwise, I think I'd kill him if I was subject to this kind of nonsense every day. No wonder Gumi—this again?
Shaking my head, I opened the door to see a slightly uncomfortable and worn-out Yuji, accompanied by an energetic Gojo with a bratty grin.
"Hey! Guess what, you were absolutely right!" Gojo exclaimed.
"I can see that, yes," I replied, nodding in acknowledgment before Gojo cheerfully clapped his hands.
"Since you're apparently his guardian, I'll leave him in your hands! So see ya tomorrow!" he said, pushing Yuji forward, waving wildly, and then vanishing from his spot.
We both eyed the spot in silence before a soft huff escaped my nose, "You alright?" I asked Yuji, concerned about his well-being after whatever happened with Gojo.
"I don't know if everything that happened today is actually a dream and I'm still sleeping or if everything's real and I'm just in denial," he murmured, blinking slowly, his eyes glistening with uncertainty before they shifted back to me. A strained smile made its way to his lips. "I tried pinching myself earlier, but I'm still here. Is this real?" In response to his vulnerability, I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him into a comforting hug.
"I'm sorry..."
"Is... is gramps really gone then...?"
His voice quivered with grief, and I remained silent, holding him tighter, trying to be a source of support during this difficult time. I gently stroked his hair, providing whatever comfort I could. I felt a wet spot gradually appear on my shirt, which only made me feel awful. Shortly after, he fell asleep, exhausted from the emotional turmoil. I gently put him to bed, careful not to wake him, knowing that crying must've drained what was left of his stamina.
"I'm sorry, kid..." I said softly, tucking him in properly before sitting on the bed with my shoulders sagged under the weight of guilt. "But he refused my offer..." Biting my lip, I looked down at my hands, not realizing that tears were streaming down my face until a few drops landed on my palms. I wiped them away, trying to compose myself.
I chided myself for becoming too emotional over this, especially considering that the series had just begun. Heaving out a disgruntled sigh, I decided it was best to rest my brain rather than spend what was left of the night overthinking. Creating a makeshift mattress for myself to nap on, I settled under a light blanket. Unaware of the half-lidded slit observing my every move, I closed my eyes, hoping to find some semblance of peace in sleep.
The next day, we returned to Sendai for the funerals, and as expected, very few people attended. Not knowing much about Japanese funeral customs, I still took it upon myself to entirely cover the full expenses, something I learned had been initially Gojo's role, as he offered to do so upon learning about Yuji's grandpa. Speaking of the kid, Yuji was immensely grateful and once again broke down in tears, prompting me to comfort him as best as I could.
Afterward, we headed to the crematorium to collect Wasuke's ashes. The day before, we had made a quick stop at the hospital so Yuji could talk with his friends—yes, friends in plural, as that Iguchi kid was awake too. My clone had mostly dealt with their injuries, so their conversation wasn't as sad as I was expecting. However, I believe the trauma they endured was enough to strengthen Yuji's resolve.
"Don't look so down, kid. It's not like you won't see them again. We got phones for a reason," I said, gently nudging his shoulder, which elicited a slight smile from him. Yuji was still grieving, and his emotions were understandably subdued, something I could relate to, even if my own feelings were not as outwardly apparent as his. Nevertheless, Wasuke had left a mark in my life, and I felt compelled to pay my respects.
Throughout the day, Gojo had been mostly silent, a notion that slightly put me on edge since 'silent' and 'Gojo' didn't go together in the same sentence. I could feel his piercing gaze attempting to decipher me ever since this morning, but I decided to ignore it for now. I wasn't in the mood to try and guess whatever shenanigans he had in mind, and I preferred to focus on supporting Yuji during this difficult time.
I was slightly put off by the lack of appearance from Sukuna, however. Not that I mind; I might have inadvertently smacked Yuji, and Allah knows the kid doesn't need that at the moment. I had theorized that it might be due to Yuji only consuming one finger, enough for him to access cursed energy and see curses—he was utterly bamboozled upon seeing a few harmless grades 4 vibing around until they hightailed as soon as they spotted Gojo—and not enough for Sukuna to randomly pop at any given moment.
Or maybe he's just not bothering with it. That's an option too. That unpredictable jackass.
As we arrived at the crematorium, I decided to give the kid a shoulder to lean on as he dolefully eyed the remains—which is freaking disturbing, by the way; again, what the fuck, Japan.
"This is quite...odd," I pointed out, watching as Yuji placed what was left of the old man in an urn, a few sniffles escaping him.
"Hm? How do you do it?" Gojo inquired, his interest piqued.
"We thoroughly wash then shroud the body in a white veil before burying them after a prayer. Cremation's forbidden." At Gojo's clueless smile, Yuji mumbled lowly.
"Colith-sensei is Muslim," he said, halfway done with his task as I nodded to confirm his words. Gojo simply hummed thoughtfully.
"I didn't take you for the religious type. But I guess that's on me for assuming," he shrugged, shaking his head helplessly.
"I ain't even gonna ask," I rolled my eyes, gently patting Yuji's head. "But I'm no longer sure if I can actually qualify as one...I guess." He asked what that was supposed to mean, but I told him that it wasn't important. There was a silence before Yuji broke it with the question I had been dreading.
"The curses that attacked us...they were lured in by that finger, right? So, if all of Sukuna is eliminated, will there be fewer people killed by curses?"
Here it is. THE GUILT—
Gojo acquiesced.
"Do you still have it?" the sorcerer handed it to him, "Looking at it, it's pretty disgusting..." he observed it a little then hesitated, something, I reckon, didn't happen in the original source. He threw me unsure looks, probably afraid that something similar to last time might happen. I was about to speak when he nodded and threw it in his mouth.
Or he would have.
If I hadn't caught it mid-air.
"Now hold on a sec, you're really gonna eat this nasty thing? Just like that?" I peered at the finger and proceeded to observe it, not believing that I was holding the real thing. I wonder if I can erase it from existence. Hm... Thoughts for later.
"Huh... Yeah?" Yuji responded unsurely. I gave him an exasperated look.
"What do you have in mind, Otaku-chan?" Gojo chimed in, causing me to shoot him a mildly annoyed stare. I sighed.
"Really, you guys lack common sense." I shook my head helplessly then told them to grab my shoulders. Comprehension immediately flashed through Yuji's eyes and he did exactly that, while Gojo stood there like a confused dumbass. Yuji was nice enough to explain the situation, which caused the sorcerer to gasp in realization. Well, took him long enough.
As soon as he placed his hand on me, we were in my living room. Although Gojo was slightly put off by the sudden change of location, considering that for once it wasn't his doing, that was quickly overlooked by the way he started looking around, probably searching for clues under the guise of childish wonder. I turned to Yuji.
"Alright, keep an eye on this manchild and make sure he doesn't mess with my stuff, I'll be back." I headed to the kitchen, ignoring the indignant noise Gojo made, which caused Yuji to snicker.
Looking at the finger, I thought about what to do with it when I got an idea.
"Welp, time to work."
I returned 20 minutes later to the living room only to stop and stare blankly at the scene before me. Gojo was indeed messing around with my Dogon mask while Yuji was pressed against his Infinity, surely in a failed attempt to stop him.
"Seriously?" I sighed. "You really can't help yourself, can you?"
He smirked, "It's just too tempting to resist."
"Colith-sensei! Sorry I couldn't stop him! He's using some kind of barrier!" Yuji grunted, still trying to reach for the mask while the white-haired menace lifted it to look at me. Probably. Yup. His mouth twitched.
"Whatcha got here, Otaku-chan?"
"A smoothie."
"Hm?"
"Nothing. Anyway, here, kid." I shoved the plate to Yuji who blinked, eyebrows raised in utter confusion as a sweat drop rolled down his face.
"Wait. Did you just...make chocolate fingers?" my face cringed.
"Okay, now that you say it like that it sounds weird, but since you're gonna eat these...things from now on, might as well make them edible enough." I shrugged nonchalantly, once again handing him the plate of...sweets. I slapped Gojo's hand that was sneakily reaching for one of the chocolate fingers—yeah that's weird as hell.
"Ow! Why d'you do that?" he whined.
"So you don't inadvertently kill yourself, genius. What if you end up with the real finger?" he grumbled something among the lines of "I'll know if I do."
Meanwhile, Yuji was casually snacking on the fake fingers while we were bickering until he froze suddenly as markings immediately appeared on his face.
I saw Gojo immediately turn serious, his hand twitching in anticipation while I stayed remotely calm, knowing what would happen. Although I did not expect the angry tirade that ensued.
"YOU BITCH! HOW DARE YOU MAKE A FOOL OF ME HUH?! I'LL FUCKING DISEMBOWEL YO—" Yuji frantically slapped his cheek, startled.
There was an awkward silence before another mouth popped into existence on the back of his hand and snarled.
"DAMN BRAT! IF YOU CUT ME OFF AGAIN, I'LL RIP YOU TO PIECES, YOU HEAR ME?"
Gojo whistled, "Damn, I wasn't expecting this. So much aggressivity." The guy turned to me with a cocky grin while the curse kept howling in rage.
Massaging my temples from the incoming headache, I groaned as I heard poor Yuji profusely apologize while attempting to once again silence the newest nuisance who seemed truly hell-bent on erasing me from earth.
Well, at least my theory was correct, even though now I had the irrepressible urge to tear my ears off or punt his ass to next week. Gojo, that jackass, was enjoying the chaos as he stood in the corner with what was left of the chocolate fingers he was shamelessly stuffing in his mouth.
What has become of my life?
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(EDITED)