edit: don't know why the chapter suddenly disappeared (lmfao), but i reuploaded it. apologies for the inconvenience.
takes place after last chapter, but before the next one.
"Hey…"
You said nothing, munching on the tempura in your mouth and allowing Kugisaki to continue. The second years, meaning Maki, allowed a lunch break in between your training sessions.
"Does Gojo normally disappear randomly for trips?"
You glanced over at Fushiguro, who caught your gaze and raised a brow as he chewed on his rice.
"You're the one with the longest history with him," you pointed out.
He looked away briefly, almost as if he answered with a begrudgingly 'right' with the look on his face.
"That's about as normal as it gets with him," Fushirguro answered. "The principal and higher-ups ask him to do missions and jobs usually assigned to high-grade sorcerers, but it's been like this for most of the year. There's a shortage of jujutsu sorcerers in the area. Especially after last year…and not to mention summer is the busiest time of year."
"Oh," Kugisaki leaned her back against your arm, making it slightly challenging to use your chopsticks, "I know that one. The…the Night of a Thousand Deaths."
"Night Parade of a Hundred Demons," you corrected.
"Right," she said dismissively, "that one."
Fushiguro looked bemused by her answer but answered with confirmation.
"Oh, you guys talking about last year?"
Seeing as you were having your bento lunch outside, it would be expected that the second years would hear in on your conversation. Although they had gone to retrieve drinks for all of you, 'their treat.'
Panda handed the three of you your requested beverages, which you accepted with thanks. Inumaki offered some snacks as a side for your meal, and soon, they joined you on the steps.
"We got beat pretty bad," Panda said, popping open a carbonated drink. "All three of us."
"Salmon," Inumaki agreed.
Kugisaki seemed interested in the topic now, "By who?"
Panda and Inumaki exchanged small glances, "By Geto Suguru."
"And that was?" Kugisaki questioned.
"Gojo's…"
Although he had never told you directly about it, there was enough subtlety that you could piece that together. A rogue sorcerer who once attended the same school was in the same grade and class as Gojo.
"...former classmate."
It felt taboo to say it—to make that connection out loud. Not because you had some feverish need to distance yourself from this man you've never met, but because Gojo spoke so bittersweet about him. An intimate memory he held onto despite the horrors his partner had committed.
Attaching that title would have felt out of place when you heard it come from Gojo's mouth.
A short silence followed, considering everyone hadn't anticipated you answering. You added on to get the stares off you and continue the conversation. "He had a cult and released a bunch of curses in Tokyo and Kyoto. Caused a whole mess. On Christmas, too."
Your female companion squinted at you, "Huh? How come you know all that? Also, you always talk as if Christmas is a big thing."
You furrowed a brow, "Library...and Christmas is a big thing on the other side of the world, where I was born, dumb-dumb."
She scoffed slightly, "No way the library has records like that."
Fushirguro came to your defense, "You'd be surprised. You'd learn more stuff like that if you actually read books from there instead of fooling around."
Kugisaki leered, although it didn't seem to be aimed at either of you in particular. "Everything in there is either mind-numbingly boring or written in like man'yogana." You coughed out a small laugh, which turned into full coughing when you got some of the drink you sipped on caught in your windpipe.
"The library wouldn't have manuscripts like those for casual use in the school library," Fushiguro stated, apparently well-informed on library science and the like. "They'd fall apart. You can read most of the older books with a dictionary."
Kugisaki looked at you just as you had fully recovered from your coughing fit, having resumed sipping from your drink.
"Is that why you always have those?" She asked.
"No, it's because, regardless, I suck at reading Japanese. Didn't get to learn a lot of kanji growing up," you told her, trying to sound genuine in your explanation.
"Huh," she squinted at you, making you eye her back. "That explains a lot. I just thought you loved reading like Fushiguro."
You scratched your cheek, "I'll read, but I prefer illustrations…"
"Which is why you can't read," Panda pointed out teasingly, finger pointed up in a matter-of-fact way.
There was a moment of pause, where you stared off into the field, gathering all the creative insults you could probe from your brain.
"Yeah..."
And promptly let it go.
There might be some truth to that observation. Guess you should read more.
"That's surprising," the monochrome creature said, leaning in to gauge your passive reaction. "Normally, you would flip out about something like that."
You poked around the last of your lunch, wishing there had been more protein, but the rice might keep you full until dinner.
"More often than not," you began, gathering and eating the last bits of your lunch, "I realize that my energy is better spent elsewhere than arguing..."
You promptly set the container in the small space beside you, then stood up. Your actions confused your companions, though realization seemed to dawn on them when you pulled off your unzipped windbreaker.
Screw restraint. You were going to defend your pride this time.
"Now, don't get any stupid ideas, Okkotsu!" Kugisaki clamored, trying to scamper back up the concrete stairs.
Despite knowing your raw strength did little against him, Panda seemed to have the same idea. He probably didn't like the Judo moves Maki had you try on him. "That's right…! Maki isn't even here to judge a sparring session…!"
"I'll do it."
The utter shock and betrayal on both their faces was priceless as Fushirguro announced his willingness on the matter.
"Salmon."
"You too?" Panda snapped his head towards the cursed speech user. "Think about whose side you should be on, Inumaki!"
His eyes went from looking at Panda to you and then back to the former. Apparently, it was enough to let Panda know of his intentions.
Panda reeled back in shock, "Unbelievable...!"
"Tuna," the silver-haired teen pointed to the pair of nunchucks laid about the stairs.
Kugisaki's eyes widened in shock, while Panda's jaw dropped in further disbelief.
You eyed the practice tool briefly and decided to reach for it quickly.
However, Panda, spurred on by either fear or instinct, also leaped to grab them. Both of you grabbed hold of one end, making the two of you try to wrestle each other for complete possession of the weapon.
"Let go before I beat you to a pulp!"
"No way…! You don't need these…! You're way better without them, right? You said so yourself...!"
Meanwhile, Kugisaki had made the cowardly decision to run off, declaring Inumaki as a shameless instigator before doing so.
"Don't try to hurt me! Don't you know pandas are an endangered species?!"
"You're no ordinary panda, you oversized lint ball!"
"I'll…I'll tell Yuta about this!"
"Go ahead and tell him! I'm not afraid of him! But you know what—"
You let go of the nunchucks, making Panda fall onto his ass with them.
"I'm telling Maki," you sneered.
And before he could react like last time, you took off, not intent on bothering the green-haired combat demon but rather determined to chase down Kugisaki.
Despite this, you could hear Panda wailing, "Noooooooo….!" as you got further away.