note: turning 21 in two days. crazy. have these two chapters in the mean time.
"And then you like, passed out?"
You grit your teeth at the question.
Your reaction tells Gojo everything he needs to know, and the man grins gleefully. "Oh, that's hilarious."
A miserable groan leaves your lips. "Shut up."
Waking up after the whole Rika slapping fiasco was... less than accommodating. Not only did your head hurt like it was being stabbed by a million needles everywhere at once, you have also been forced to rest for two whole days to regain some of your cursed energy back.
Before joining jujutsu tech, you'd be overjoyed at the thought of having any sort of off day, but now it just feels like you're lagging behind your colleagues, who, not to mention, are younger and more skilled than you.
Gojo had come not too long after you regained consciousness, which is how you ended up in this situation.
"Ya know," Your teacher muses, "it probably wouldn't have been that bad if you didn't heal the two earlier-they were super minor injuries, weren't they? You could've just bandaged them up."
Before you can retort, Ieiri steps in. "You're thinking of this the wrong way, Satoru. They need to be a little more careful than the average sorcerer whenever they spend cursed energy. My guess is they had it under control until Rika showed up."
You nod along to her words. "Yeah. I was able to maintain a steady output prior to that." It's kind of hard to stay calm and collected when you're face to face with a special grade cursed spirit with no preparation whatsoever.
The only thing in your mind back then was to not let get mauled by her, and, despite the repercussions, you accomplished just that.
In your defense, it didn't feel like a lot when you hit her-then again, it's near impossible to know the exact numbers. That, and Rika is, essentially, overpowered, so it's safe to assume that one would need to put more force into their attacks to really get to her.
Maybe the adrenaline masked it well enough, and the exhaustion hadn't hit you until the very last second.
"I see..." Gojo trails off. He goes silent for a while after that, seemingly deep in thought.
"By the way, [Name]." Shoko says. You hum, turning to face her. "There's a gift for you."
You stare at her blankly.
"What."
Shoko walks over to her desk, reaching for something. You couldn't make it out from where you currently are, the object covered by a stack of files. The doctor makes her way back to you, revealing a small, white box in hand. It had some sort of strap on top, the one you'd often find on dessert packages.
"Is that...?"
"A cake." She finishes for you, handing the item over.
"A cake?" You grab it with careful movements, not wanting to ruin whatever's inside. "From who?" You ask, gingerly opening the top of the container. Your eyes light up at the reveal: inside lies a single serving of [favorite cake], garnish and all.
Ieiri observes your reaction, a small smile gracing her face. "Inumaki and Okkotsu. They felt bad after the incident, and I reckon they wanted to make it up to you."
Her words strike guilt into your heart. Judging from the presentation, they probably got this at some artisanal bakery, and the prices of the items there are more expensive than usual.
"They really didn't have to," you mumble, closing the box back up. I'm not worth the money.
"If you don't want it," Gojo butts in, and you nearly jump at the sound of his voice. You almost forgot about his presence, not used to him being quiet for long periods of time. "I could-"
Shoko shoots him a glare. "Don't even think about it."
"What?" The blindfolded man counters, tone defensive. "Better than it getting wasted."
Ignoring their banter, you purse your lips in thought. After a minute, you nod.
You've decided to find the two boys and thank them in person before doing anything with the cake they've gifted.
You pull out your phone, shooting the first years' group chat a quick message.
[username]
@togemayo @okyuta
sent 14:23
[username]
yo, where are u guys
sent 14:23
Normally, at least one of them would respond. If not, your first guess is that they're training or in class, as it's incentivised to put your devices away during either of those activities. Seeing as Gojo's here, though, the former seems more likely.
Tearing your gaze away from the screen, you turn to the aforementioned man. "Do you know where Toge or Yuuta is at right now?"
"Yuuta's on a mission," is his response, and you'd be lying if you say you aren't surprised. Already? Hasn't it only been a day since he accompanied Toge? You seriously hope they aren't milking the boy for all he's worth-he might be a special grade, but he's still human. "The others should be training. Y'know, the usual."
You take another glance at your phone, several new notifications catching your eye.
[username]
@togemayo @okyuta
sent 14:23
[username]
yo, where are u guys
sent 14:23
pandaaa
(￢‿￢ )
togemayo
@pandaaa say anything else and i'm telling you to shit urself
maki liked this message
pandaaa
｜−・;）
maki
lmfao
maki
yuuta's out on a mission @[username]
[username]
ah, aight
sent 14:27
[username]
thanks for letting me know
sent 14:27
[username]
are the rest of u training?
sent 14:28
[username]
well, on break ig
sent 14:28
pandaaa
nah, we ended early
[username]
oh
sent 14:29
[username]
y tho
sent 14:30
pandaaa
waaaaaay too hot outside (￣ ￣|||)
maki
might continue later this afternoon if it cools down
togemayo
i'm currently in the dorms
togemayo
is there anything u need?
You lift your thumbs to reply, then freeze at the last second. Your initial plan had been to just meet them in person and express your gratitude, but then what?
It would be a bit awkward for you to just show up in front of his room, say thank you, then leave. Not to mention Yuuta, whose time of return you don't know.
You could technically wait until the both of them are present, but there's a high chance of you forgetting about it.
"Why is basic human interaction so complicated," you complain under your breath. Social anxiety will be the death of me.
You put your phone down with a sigh. The gesture catches the attention of the two other occupants in the room.
"What's up?" Shoko asks.
"Nothing." You rest your chin on the palm of your hand. One of your feet begins to shake. "Just thinking about some things."
Your teachers share a look. After a momentary pause, Shoko shrugs. "I'll leave you to it, then."
The brunette turns to Gojo afterwards, resuming whatever conversation they had. Your eyes drift back towards the cake. They narrow at the sight of the little white box, and you continue to glare at the object as if it had committed a great offense.
Reluctantly, you reach for it, placing it on your lap. Unable to help yourself, you decide to open it again. There lies your favored dessert, and you would've probably headed to the kitchen straight away to grab a spoon to eat it with if not for-
Something clicks in your head. That's it.
"Do either of you know of... er... Toge's food preferences?"
Your sudden inquiry catches both Shoko and Gojo off guard, and they both stop whatever they're doing. Satoru then lets out a dramatic gasp, acting like he just walked in on some big scandal.
Ieiri is the one who gives you a more proper response. "If I recall correctly, he likes onigiri."
"Ah." Of course. You suppose it would've been ironic if it was anything else.
Your reaction elicits a smile from her. "Who would've guessed, huh?" she follows up with, "Why? You planning to get some?"
You shake your head, muttering something under your breath.
"What was that?"
"Gonna cook for 'em." You repeat, a little louder this time. Your [color] irises lift to meet hers. "I'm good to go, right?"
She nods. "No cursed energy until tomorrow, though, you hear?"
"Yes, ma'am." You offer her a halfhearted salute. Getting to your feet, you bid both your mentors farewell. "See you Ieiri, Gojo-sensei."
The pair watches as you make your way out of the infirmary. As soon as the door closes, Gojo absentmindedly blurts out, "So that's why those two were there."
His comment has Shoko raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
The strongest yawns, stretching his limbs. "Nothin' much. Just ran into them while I was buying some sweets." It had been a rather comical sight, seeing Toge and Yuuta spot him among the crowd, their expressions akin to deer getting caught in headlights.
"I'm more curious on how they figured out [Name]'s preferences." Ieiri mutters, referring to their choice of dessert. "I don't think they ever told any of them."
Or perhaps you've grown closer to the first years without her knowledge? It certainly wouldn't be a bad thing.
"Oh," Gojo states, "They asked me."
Shoko shoots him a skeptical look. "You?"
"Yep. Remember the mission two weeks ago?"
The brunette racks her head for an answer. "The one with the finger bearer?"
Satoru makes finger guns and gestures them at her. "Bingo. The bakery was en route on the way back. Naturally, we had to stop to get some stuff."
You mean you had to go get some stuff, Shoko thinks, though she stays silent, knowing he'd ignore her anyway.
"They kept staring at this one spot, so I figured I'd check it out." Gojo continues, running a hand through his hair. "I told them they can get something as a reward for healing all those people-you know, cause I'm a fantastic teacher-but they didn't say anything the entire time."
Yeah, that sounds like something you'd do. Shoko remembers you telling her at some point that you don't like when people spend money to buy you things. You must've felt bad, even if Satoru had offered, despite knowing full well the man is practically swimming in wealth.
Ieiri often wonders what your past had been like. What caused you to think of yourself so little? The thought makes her frown.
"Next time, just buy it for them. I'll even cover the expenses for you." She says, closing her eyes.
"Oya? What's this?" Gojo grins. "Playing favorites, are we?"
The woman shakes her head. "Nah. Just think the kid deserves it."
A brief pause ensues.
"So... them and Toge, huh-"
"No meddling."
"Tsk. Party pooper."
⟳
⟲
You stand motionless in front of one of the school's many refrigerators, not minding the slight chill emanating from within.
The sparsely filled space seems to stare back at you, and after a couple more seconds, you close the door, cursing in your head.
Fuck.
It didn't occur to your half-functioning brain that you'd need to actually purchase the ingredients to make onigiri, and, considering Jujutsu High's location, it would require at least a one and a half hour trip to the nearest store.
Two hours, if you decide to go on foot.
Ideally, you'd take some form of transport, but the times you've been driven to places are exclusively when there are missions to complete. While there isn't a rule against using the car for other means, you feel embarrassed to ask permission for something as trivial as grocery shopping, of all things.
The assistants also definitely have other more important things to attend to. They're not chauffeurs that could simply be requested for-not that you'd do it if they were, either.
That being said, the thought of carrying things while making the climb back towards the school sends a shiver down your spine.
Could you do it? Yes. Do you want to? Absolutely not. You wouldn't have any energy left to do the actual cooking by the time you get back.
A third option would involve riding a bike, something you unfortunately did not think to bring with you the first time you moved here.
"Damn it." Seems like you don't have much of a choice. Hopefully Ijichi-san isn't super busy at the moment.
Fishing out your phone, you send the man a quick message. You don't wait for a reply, already making your way back to the dorms.
30 minutes later, you find yourself pacing back and forth in the middle of your room, dressed in a shirt and your comfiest pair of sweatpants. You've yet to receive any sort of response from Ijichi.
Stopping for a moment, you glance at the digital clock by the nightstand. The green numbers read 15:16, prompting you to groan.
You had planned to shower before presenting the food, but as fate would have it, you wouldn't even have time to appear to the first years properly. Any later, and they'd probably go to eat something else.
Even if onigiri is one of those foods that can be served cold, you'd rather give it to them as soon as possible.
You plop down on your bed, burying your face in your hands. If you don't make them today, you'll have to wait until the weekend. Knowing your forgetful self, though, that practically translates to you never doing it.
Seconds pass, and you exhale loudly before standing up.
"Screw it." you say to one in particular, moving to grab the nearest pair of shoes you can find. You quickly put them on, snatched the bag you prepared in advance, and rush out the door.
You thought about sprinting, but then remembered about the arduous journey back to the school, settling for brisk strides instead, hoping to conserve as much energy as possible.
Something buzzes in your pocket, and while you're not the kind to expect good news, you allow yourself to hope this time, slowing down to view the device.
Much to your disappointment, however, the notification had been from one from Youtube.
You sigh despondently. Whatever. It was a lost cause, anyway.
You're about to put it back, halting when your senses pick up a new presence. You lift your head to survey the area, only to be met by pools of dark blue.
"[Last Name]-senpai?" About a meter away from you stands Yuuta, still clad in his signature white uniform, katana strapped to his back. His eyes briefly scan your attire, before going back to meet yours. "Are you... going somewhere?"
Well, this is awkward. "I'm... going to buy some ingredients." Hopefully he doesn't ask-
The boy furrows his eyebrows. "Ingredients? For what?"
"To make onigiri." Please don't ask more questions, please don't ask more questions-
"Oh, okay."
Your body relaxes. Good.
"I can get them for you!"
"I-" You do a double take. "Huh?"
"Forgive me for my forwardness, senpai, but Shoko-san told me that today is an off day for you, and you should probably rest more." he explains. You continue to stare at him, not saying a word, and Yuuta feels his ears grow hot under the scrutiny. "So, uh, i-if it's onigiri you want, no need to trouble yourself. I can go get some-"
"What? No, no, it's fine-"
"But I insist-"
"Yuuta-"
"[Last Name]-san-"
"They're not for me!"
Your outburst catches the both of you off guard. An apology tumbles out of your lips immediately after. "Sorry, I..."
You open your mouth to explain, but falter afterwards, feeling conflicted about telling him. It wasn't exactly meant to be a surprise, per se, but wouldn't informing the recipient of the gift about the gift itself make it lose its charm?
You're not a very good liar, either, though, and you figure that he's bound to find it out sooner or later.
With that in mind, you decide to come clean.
"I'm making them for..." you cough into your hand, averting your eyes. "...you and Toge."
Yuuta doesn't say anything at first. Your kouhai blinks once, then twice, before tilting his head to the side.
"Eh?" Perhaps he heard you wrong-
"I wanted to thank you for the cake."
"O-oh." Nevermind.
"And before you say anything," you quickly add, "I'm not taking no for an answer, so, uh, don't try to stop me."
A subpar attempt at being assertive, but, hey, at least you tried.
"Now, if you'll excuse me..." you start, moving to walk past him.
"Then-!"
Not a second later, however, he's in front of you again.
"Let me help you."
You go left this time. The special grade sorcerer hurriedly follows, moving in time with your steps.
"I won't try to stop you, on the condition that I get to help you."
You're stopping me right now, though. You attempt to protest, "Yuuta-"
"Please?" He tries again, eyes shining in a silent plea, reminiscent of a kicked puppy. You're not sure why, but he seems weirdly adamant on the matter, and it doesn't look like he'll be backing down anytime soon.
"You-" you exhale, pinching the bridge of your nose. "Alright, fine."
The boy visibly perks up at that-you can practically see the little tail waging behind him. "Thank you-!"
"But first," you raise a finger, "you have to promise me that you-know-who will behave."
There'd be no point in all this if I get killed by Rika, you think bitterly. Yuuta falters at that, and for a moment you thought he might back out, but he shakes the hesitance off as soon as it comes, the determined look returning to his face.
"Okay."
"Second, change into something more comfortable. Or put your katana away, at least." Heaven knows what kind of attention we'll attract with that thing around.
"O-oh! Right. Be right back!" He bolts to the other direction, leaving you behind in a gust of wind.
You shake your head, exhaling for the nth time that day.
What have I gotten myself into.