You never thought you 'd be able to say this, but you 're officially a Jujutsu High student.

It feels stranger than you can even put into words. The fact that right now, you 're living under the same roof as Itadori, Fushiguro, and technically even

Gojo

' in many ways, it 's a dream come true.

As long as you don't think about the scary parts, that is.

You've finished unpacking and your dorm is now completely set up. Unlike Itadori, you didn't bring any industrial-size posters, and truth be told, you hardly have any attachment to your belongings since you've barely been in this world for a few weeks. There's a bunch of stuff you wish you could've brought along with you from the

real

world, but there's not much you can do about that at this point.

I wonder if I'll ever find a way back to my old world.

Realistically, you know it's probably a lost cause. But maybe there is some kind of condition that needs to be met. Maybe if you see the story all the way to its conclusion, and once Itadori can finally rest easy, maybe your job will be over, and you'll be allowed to go home.

Still, you know better than to hold out hope for a miracle. Your number one priority is to adapt to your new environment and

survive

.

You 're sure you'll have plenty of time for an existential crisis along the way.

It's nighttime now, and you 're just about ready to go to sleep. You finish all your preparations and change into your pajamas, but before you actually tuck in for the night, you can't help but creep out of your room and steal a peek down the hallway.

'Itadori 's lights are still on, ' you mumble.

You know it's probably not polite to disturb him at this hour, but you decide you'd like to say goodnight and wish him sweet dreams. Gojo already told you earlier that tomorrow, you'll be picking up the last remaining first-year student 'which is none other than Kugisaki Nobara, of course.

Tomorrow is going to be pretty eventful, and you're bound to encounter some curses too, from what you recall. Just the thought of it makes your stomach clench. It won't be smooth sailing from here on out.

Maybe that's why you want to enjoy the last bit of normalcy, while you still can.

You knock on Itadori 's door as quietly as you can, not wanting to wake Fushiguro. At first you think he might not have heard you, so you raise your hand and prepare to knock again, but soon enough you hear the sound of his feet padding across the floors, and the door opens.

Itadori blinks, and it doesn't take long for him to sport a grin. 'Oh, hey, [Name]! What's up? '

'I noticed you were still awake, so I just stopped by to say goodnight. I hope I'm not bothering you. '

'Not at all! To be honest, I'm a little too energized to go to bed right now anyway. Did you want to come in and talk for a little while? '

Hanging out in a cute boy's dorm room after hours?

Uh '

hell

yes.

'Thank you, ' you say, smiling shyly as you step inside. His dorm layout is mostly unchanged from what you saw earlier. Like you, he didn 't really pack a whole lot. His Jennifer Lawrence posters are probably his most prized possessions, from what you can tell.

'Can 't sleep either? ' Itadori asks, lifting a brow.

'I guess not. This is a lot to take in. I 'm still in the process of adjusting. '

Perhaps that might come across as a bit insensitive. He 's stuck dealing with Sukuna, after all. There are few things that can top becoming a vessel for the ever-powerful, malevolent King of Curses.

Well, other than traversing worlds, of course.

It looks like you 've got him beat in that regard.

'Yeah, I know what you mean, ' Itadori sighs, plopping down on his bed. He pauses, then smiles as he pats the spot next to him. 'Did you want to sit, too? The bed 's probably more comfortable than the crappy desk chair. '

Damn. Itadori Yuji just invited you into his bed. Not

literally

, but still.

You 're grinning like a goddamn fool.

'Th-Thanks, ' you stammer. You sit down next to him, reminding yourself to be cool, to be

normal

(yes, you can do that sometimes), and by some miracle, you manage to reign in your erratic heartbeat.

Itadori looks over at you. 'Hey, [Name]. You can be honest. Now that I 'm that Sukuna 's vessel ' does it make you a little nervous? Being around me? '

No. I 'm more nervous about the fact that I 'm in bed with you.

'Why would I be nervous? ' you reply.

'Earlier, Gojo made it sound like he was really dangerous. This is obviously all new to me, but I think it 's finally starting to sink in. That he 's hurt a lot of people until now. You were friends with me before all this happened, so I can 't help but wonder if you feel uncomfortable now. Because things are different. And I definitely wouldn 't blame you for feeling that way. '

'But you can suppress Sukuna. Because you 're strong. I 've always known you were strong. Not only that, but you would never hurt anyone. So, please don 't worry, ' you smile gently. 'There 's no way I 'd ever feel uncomfortable around you. '

Itadori 's eyes widen, and his expression seems to brighten a bit as well. Maybe he needed to hear those words. As cheerful and upbeat as he always tries to be ' you can only imagine how afraid and frustrated he feels right now. His body isn 't even entirely his own anymore. He shouldn 't have to worry about losing his friends too.

You 've already decided that you 'll stay by his side, no matter what happens.

'Thanks, [Name], ' Itadori chuckles. 'I feel like you always know exactly how to cheer me up. I 'm glad I have you here with me. It really helps. '

'I can 't promise that I 'll be as strong as you are, but I

can

promise that I 'll do whatever it takes to make things even just a little bit easier for you. '

Right. You can 't promise anything. Even with a bit of knowledge on your side, there 's no guarantee things will go to plan 'as evidenced by the fact that they

already

haven 't.

But at least you can try.

And you 're damn well going to try your hardest.

'Hm, I 'm still not sleepy, ' Itadori admits. 'Oh, but I 'm not keeping you awake, am I? If you 're tired, don 't stay up too late because of me. '

You shake your head. 'No, I don 't feel like going to bed yet either. You brought your laptop, right? Do you want to maybe watch something for a little bit? Maybe some kind of Jennifer Lawrence YooTube compilation? '

'No way, ' Itadori blinks, and he proceeds to stare at you in awe. '[Name], do you ' like Jennifer Lawrence too? '

'Yeah, I 've seen a bunch of her movies. And she 's funny in a lot of interviews. Plus, she 's pretty. '

Itadori continues staring at you with his mouth agape, and for a split second, he wonders if you might be his soulmate.

'Yeah, let 's do it! One Jennifer Lawrence compilation coming right up! '

It doesn 't take long for you two to get sucked into the black hole known as the internet, and you both lie in bed, flat on your stomachs, with Itadori 's laptop facing towards you. Every so often, you shuffle around and reposition yourself, bumping up against Itadori 's body in the process. By mistake, though '

totally

by mistake. Totally.

Long story short, you eventually lose track of time, and it turns out that you 're being a lot louder than you thought, because Fushiguro eventually bursts into the room.

'Will you two keep it down already?! ' he fumes. 'I 'm actually

trying

to get some sleep! '

You and Itadori turn around, and it allows Fushiguro to get a proper look at what 's currently blown up on the laptop 's screen. Namely, a collection of pictures, each featuring a half-naked Jennifer Lawrence.

The Oogle search bar reads:

jennifer lawrence bikini hot

.

'I-It 's not what it looks like, ' you desperately insist, but of course, your efforts are in vain.

Fushiguro is already closing the door, and the last thing you see is that trademark disgusted expression of his.

This time, you can 't really blame him.

'...hey. I said,

hey

. Wake up, already. We 're going to be late. '

Your eyelids slowly lift, heavy from morning haze, and it takes a little while for your blurry vision to clear.

When it finally does, you find Fushiguro staring down at you with his arms crossed 'looking somewhat like a disapproving mother when their child oversleeps for school.

'G 'morning, ' you mumble groggily. A quick glance down at your slightly damp pillow tells you that you were drooling in your sleep, and you hurry to wipe your face and fix your bedhead, mortified to have been seen in such a disheveled state.

Fushiguro sighs. 'I 'm sorry for barging into your room like this, but you really need to start getting ready. I had to go wake up Itadori earlier, too. Being late on your very first day of school sets a terrible precedent, doesn 't it? '

'Sorry. I 'm ' not really a morning person. '

'I figured as much, ' he sighs again. There 's a pause, and his gaze briefly flickers down to the front of your pajama shirt. One of the buttons must have come undone in your sleep, and the fabric is hanging off your shoulder a bit, revealing perhaps a bit

too

much cleavage.

It only takes a second for Fushiguro 's face to turn bright red.

'A-Anyway, just hurry up, ' he splutters, quickly turning away from you. 'We seriously need to get a move on. I left your new uniform by the door. '

Fushiguro leaves in a hurry, nearly tripping over his feet in the process. You feel a bit embarrassed that he had to see you looking all sloppy like this, but it certainly wouldn 't be the first time he 's judged you.

Pressed for time, you finish getting ready as quickly as possible, but you make a point of stopping to look back at your reflection in the windows. Now that you 're all decked out in the Jujutsu High uniform ' it feels even

more

real. You struggle to reel in your excitement, but ultimately fail, and out in the hallway, Fushiguro can hear you happily giggling to yourself.

'So ridiculous, ' he scowls.

Yet again, he can 't fully bring himself to admit that you 're absurdly cute. In kind of a stupid way, but still.

Eventually, you and Itadori both finish getting ready, and the three of you head down to Harajuku Station, where you 'll be picking up the last addition to your group, Nobara. Itadori buys some popsicles while you wait for Gojo to show up (Fushiguro refuses to have one, of course), and you suck on the iced treat while glancing all around, eagerly searching for a short-haired brunette.

'I still feel like four people is way too little for a first-year class, ' Itadori absently remarks.

'Other than [Name], have you ever met anyone who could see curses? ' Fushiguro points out.

'Well ' I guess not. '

'That 's just how much of a rarity jujutsu sorcerers are. '

You bite into the last chunk of your popsicle, briefly shuddering from how cold it feels against your teeth. Right as you 're finishing it off, you hear a familiar voice, and you turn your head towards the station 's entrance.

'Sorry for the wait, ' Gojo greets, lifting his hand in the air. He tilts his head as he walks over towards the three of you. 'Oh. Looks like the uniforms made it on time. How are they? Comfortable? '

'Mine 's a perfect fit, ' Itadori nods. 'My uniform looks different from Fushiguro 's, though. It 's got a hood, for one. '

'You can put in requests to have your uniforms customized, ' Gojo explains.

'I 'm pretty sure I never requested that. '

'That 's because

I

did it for you, of course! ' Gojo proudly sticks his thumb in the air, and his grin gets even wider when he turns towards you. 'Yours too, [Name]. I wasn 't sure what you 'd like, but I did my best to come up with a cute design. How is it? In my opinion, it suits you really well. '

'Does that mean you 're also calling

me

cute? ' you gape incredulously.

'Sure, sure, ' Gojo laughs. 'You look super cute. I guess I 've really got an eye for this kind of thing, huh? '

You press your palms to your flushed cheeks and somehow manage to bite back a squeal. Meanwhile, Fushiguro 's expression turns to his disgust yet again. It 's practically a superpower at this point.

'Sleazeball, ' Fushiguro mutters.

'Who, me? ' Gojo points. 'What 'd I even do? '

'You started hitting on a high-schooler. '

'Hey, now. I was just complimenting one of my students. I 'm being a supportive teacher. You know, positive reinforcement and all that. '

You nod enthusiastically. 'The positive reinforcement is definitely working. Keep it up, sensei. I can feel myself getting stronger already. '

Fushiguro shakes his head in disbelief.

'You 're all a bunch of idiots. '

Since Nobara specifically requested that you meet up in Harajuku, there are plenty of shops to hit while you wait for her to show up. Itadori holds your hand as he excitedly leads you through the crowds. Fushiguro refuses to partake in anything fun, of course, so you and Itadori treat yourself to yummy cr 'pes, needlessly complicated drinks, and try on silly accessories like comically oversized sunglasses and animal ears.

'Itadori, you 've got some whipped cream on your cheek, ' you say.

'Huh? Oh, shoot. I didn't even realize. ' Itadori pauses, then leans closer to you and smiles. 'Would you mind getting it for me? '

'S-Sure, ' you reply, and even though the gesture is innocent enough, your face feels ridiculously hot as you gently swipe your finger across his cheek, picking up the leftover whipped cream. The deranged part of you briefly considers licking the cream off your finger, in true clich 'd anime fashion, but you ultimately wipe your finger with a napkin, proud of yourself for not giving in to your fangirl urges.

Fushiguro grimaces. 'They 're basically just on a date. And we 're being forced to watch. Also, why didn 't she just use the napkin to wipe his cheek in the first place? I swear she 's got a few screws loose. '

'Ah, young love, ' Gojo muses.

You finish off the last of your treats then throw away your garbage, and apparently, just in time to watch a familiar scene unfold.

'Excuse me, do you have a moment? ' a suited man asks, smiling politely as he approaches a woman walking on the street. 'You see, I 'm looking to scout potential models. Here 's my business card. Would you be interested, by any chance? '

'I 'm busy right now, ' the woman curtly replies, clearly not willing to give him the time of day.

'Please, just hear me out. Even a short chat would be more than enough ' '

'Hey, you. '

The man is roughly grabbed by the shoulder and pulled back, and he turns, coming face to face with the girl you 've been waiting for this whole time.

'Forget about that woman. What about me? ' Nobara asks, with the sort of confidence you can only

dream

of having.

Panic immediately seeps into the man 's expression, but naturally, Nobara doesn 't let up.

'For the modeling gig, duh, ' she continues. 'I 'm asking what you think about

me

. I 'm pretty, aren 't I? '

'Oh, um ' e-excuse me, but I 've got some urgent matters to attend to, so if you don 't mind, I 'll just be on my way ' '

He tries to escape, but she forcefully pulls him back again, and her tone of voice becomes significantly more confrontational than it was just a few moments ago.

'What the hell, man? Don 't run from me. If you 're got something to say, then come right out and say it! '

'We 're about to go talk to

her

? ' Itadori blinks. 'That 's kind of embarrassing, not gonna lie. '

'You of all people shouldn 't be talking, ' Fushiguro mutters.

'Hey, hey, over here! ' Gojo calls out, waving his arms so that Nobara spots him. She turns around and catches a glimpse of you through the crowd, giving that poor man the chance to finally run away.

Nobara approaches the group, one hand resting squarely upon her hips. 'So, you 're the other first-years. I 'm Kugisaki Nobara. You should feel honored to be able to spend time with me. '

She 's very self-assured, no doubt about it. Well, you already knew as much from watching the anime, but actually meeting her is a whole different story. You almost feel a little bit intimidated by the sheer magnitude of her presence. Some might go as far as to call her arrogant, but you know that deep down, she cares deeply for her friends and is willing to risk her life for them.

'I 'm Itadori Yuji, ' Itadori introduces with a grin. 'I 'm from Sendai. '

'Fushiguro Megumi, ' the other boy says 'and that 's it. Full stop.

Nobara narrows her eyes as she looks them over. Even without her saying it aloud, you already know exactly what 's going through her head right now. Based on first impressions alone, she thinks Itadori is dorky and unsophisticated. The type who 'definitely ate his own boogers as a kid ', to quote her word-for-word. As for Fushiguro, she seems to think that he 's stuck up and considers himself superior to others, based on how blunt and unenthusiastic his response was.

Anyways, since she judged them so harshly, right from the beginning, you fear to imagine what she must think of

you

.

'I 'm [Last Name] [Name], ' you introduce, bowing politely and offering a small smile. 'It 's really nice to meet you. I 'm from Sendai too. Itadori and I went to the same high school. It was only for a little while, but we kind of know each other from before. Also ' I think you could definitely do it. The modeling gig, I mean. That guy from earlier was clearly blind. '

Nobara blinks, visibly surprised, and suddenly, her haughty expression does a full one-eighty.

'Aw, you really think so? ' she grins, latching onto your arm and pulling you into a hug. 'Right? That 's what I 'm saying! I swear most people can 't recognize talent even when it 's staring them right in the face. Thank god there 's another girl in the group. I don 't know what I 'd do if it was just me stuck with those stinky boys. '

'She just randomly called us stinky, ' Itadori gapes. 'But ' we don 't even smell bad. Right, Fushiguro?

Right

? '

Unsurprisingly, Fushiguro ignores him.

'Are we going somewhere from here? ' he asks.

Gojo chuckles. 'I 'm glad you asked. Well, since I 've finally got all of my students together, and it just so happens that most of you are from the countryside ' there 's really only

one

thing to do. We 're obviously going to go sightseeing in Tokyo! '

Cue a wave of excited cheers from both Itadori and Nobara. They 're dancing around Gojo and yelling out all the different places they 'd like to see. In this world, you started off in the countryside, yes, but back in the real world, you 've lived in big cities pretty much your whole life. There 's not really much appeal here.

Besides, you already know that Gojo 's letting them get their hopes up for nothing.

'I will now announce our destination, ' Gojo says, and you watch as Itadori and Nobara both drop to their knees in subservience. 'We will be visiting none other than '

Roppongi

! '

The pair of fools stare back at each other, eyes all glossy, wide, and hopeful. Poor things. They 're in for one hell of a disappointment.

You pout. 'Sensei, are we

really

going sightseeing? Are we actually going to get to do fun things? '

'What do you mean? ' Gojo hums, feigning ignorance, of course. 'What else is there to do but let loose and have fun? Look at how excited your classmates are! '

'Uh-huh ' '

For obvious reasons, you don 't trust a word he says, and when you arrive in front of the abandoned building that 's teeming with cursed energy, Itadori and Nobara can only wail in desperation.

'I knew it, ' you say, pouting again. 'Sensei, you 're a liar. I saw this coming from a mile away. '

Even though I technically used cheats, but still.

Gojo crosses his hand over his heart and pretends to look hurt. 'You wound me, [Name]. Weren 't you just saying the other day that you trust me completely? I didn 't expect you to doubt my intentions. '

'I can just tell, ' you shrug. 'Good luck lying to me. I 'm pretty sure I 'll know. '

'Hm. Is that so? '

Gojo 's lips pull into a smile. You 're incredibly perceptive, it seems. Fushiguro 's known him for a long time, so it 's no wonder he 's not surprised with this outcome, but he was expecting you to be convinced, just like how Itadori and Nobara were.

Perhaps he 's reading into things too much, but he wonders if this perceptiveness of yours has anything to do with how you

knew

Itadori was supposed to eat Sukuna 's finger. How you had full confidence that he 'd survive. Maybe this is just a stretch, and it might just be that he 's not as good of a liar as he thought he was, but still.

He 's got his eye on you, and from now on, he won 't let you out of his sight.