You awaken to the sight of Itadori gazing down upon you.

'[Name]! '

He cries out in a panic, and there 's no denying the look of concern on his face. Truthfully, it takes you a little while to make sense of everything. The last thing you recall is your close encounter with Sukuna, with Gojo showing up not long afterwards, but past that, there 's not a single memory to draw from. It 's all blank.

'You fainted, ' Itadori explains. In that case, it makes sense why you 're so disoriented. Right. Gojo appeared, which means that he must have been just about to fight Sukuna for a few seconds and test Itadori 's ability to suppress him, but before that, he briefly turned his attention to you. And then you passed out without even managing a proper response.

Man. You kind of

suck

at first impressions, huh?

'I 'm alive, ' you mumble breathlessly. 'I actually ' survived all of that. '

By all accounts, it 's a miracle. You 're not supposed to be involved in the plot. You 're not a character in the main storyline. Which of course means that any number of things could have gone horribly, irreversibly wrong. Especially since Sukuna nearly forced you to eat his finger yourself.

At least now, finally, it 's all over. Itadori has become Sukuna 's vessel, just like he was meant to be. From this moment onwards, he will face no shortage of hardship, but at least you were able to keep the plot on track. At least you haven 't completely messed everything up. Which means that all of this insanity is about to come to an end. Once Itadori leaves for Jujutsu High, you 'll no longer have any part in this.

Or at least, that 's what you 'd

like

to think. You 've been put through hell tonight, and you desperately want to believe that a peaceful life awaits you.

But of course, you 're dead wrong 'and soon, you will realize it 's far too late to escape.

'Ah, you 're awake, ' a familiar voice hums. You turn towards the person who just spoke, and there he is. The man, the myth, the

legend

himself. Gojo Satoru. You didn 't really get the chance to admire him earlier since your body just kind of decided to shut down, but now that you 're lucid again, you can 't help but stare at him incredulously.

Gojo approaches you with a smile. 'Hello, there. Yuji mentioned that you 're his friend. [Name], right? How are you feeling? '

'I 'm alright, ' you reply in a daze, and you hope to god you 're not drooling, because it sure as hell

feels

like you are.

My god, he 's hot.

Fortunately, you keep from blurting that remark aloud, and Gojo just keeps smiling at you. Which is honestly a bit unsettling, because even though he 's one of the good guys, he 's definitely got a mischievous side to him, and it almost feels like he 's scheming something.

'Here, stand up, ' Gojo offers, and he grabs you by the hand to help pull you to your feet. You briefly fangirl, of course (Gojo Satoru is holding your hand!), but you can tell that he 's got a few things he wants to say, so you face him with a solemn expression.

There 's a pause, and then his smile widens.

'Your friend Yuji is going to be executed, ' he states matter-of-factly.

What a truly horrifying thing to say with such a careless, easygoing expression.

You 're not surprised, though, because you 're already familiar with how the storyline will proceed. Still, for the purposes of not coming across like a total psycho, you turn towards Itadori with your mouth agape, feigning shock and absolute horror.

'Wh-What? ' you splutter. 'I ' I don 't understand. Why would you say something like that? '

Even though you 're certainly not going to win any Oscars, you hope that your shitty acting is convincing enough. And by the looks of things, it

is

, because Itadori lets out a heavy sigh and slumps his head forward.

'He tied me to a chair earlier and started saying all kinds of weird stuff. Apparently, he and his allies are trying to collect a whole bunch of those fingers. There 's twenty of them in total. That guy whose finger I ate ' his name is Sukuna, or something. And he 's apparently super-duper strong. I 'm not sure how I 'm able to control him, but it looks like I 've become his vessel. He 's so dangerous that they normally would have killed me by now, but instead, the higher-ups agreed to let me live until I find all the remaining fingers and eat those too. And once I 've done that,

then

they 'll kill me. Along with Sukuna. To make sure he 's gone for good. '

You 're not sure what the appropriate response is. This is all stuff you already know, but putting yourself in the shoes of someone who

isn 't

from another world, who

doesn 't

have knowledge of how everything will proceed ' essentially, your friend 's just told you he 's guaranteed to die, at some point or another.

That shit 's pretty fucked up.

You clench your fists. 'Itadori 's a good person. Why are you threatening to ' '

'Sorry, sorry, ' Gojo waves off. 'I wasn 't actually looking for any input. The situation 's pretty non-negotiable, to be honest. Yuji 's execution has only been postponed because I argued in his favor. You don 't seem like you 're aware of how dangerous Sukuna actually

is

, so believe me when I say that I 'm amazed they accepted my proposition in the first place. '

Trust me. I know exactly how dangerous he is.

Once again, you keep your thoughts to yourself, and instead, you turn to gaze out the window. It 's early morning, by the looks of things. You 've been out cold for quite some time. But at least you can go home now, right '?

'I 'm sure this is a lot to take in, ' Gojo continues, 'but it 's really the only option we have. To be honest, it 's a miracle that Yuji survived in the first place. He was able to eat Sukuna 's finger without any side effects. An ordinary human would have died immediately. But for some reason, Megumi tells me that you encouraged Yuji to eat the finger. And you seemed to have full faith that he 'd survive. Do you mind explaining that? '

'ah, shit.

'I-I was scared, ' you swallow uncomfortably, taking a step back. 'Fushiguro mentioned before that only those with cursed energy can kill curses. And since Itadori didn 't have any cursed energy, I thought that ' maybe he could gain some. By eating that finger. We were backed into a corner and I thought we were all going to die. Itadori 's already really strong to begin with, so I felt like he could save us. '

'Hmm. '

Thankfully, Gojo doesn 't press the issue any further. Perhaps it 's a reasonable enough explanation, especially since he believes that you 're a total noob in the world of jujutsu sorcerers and the like. Surely he doesn 't suspect that you know more than you 're willing to admit.

Yeah ' surely not.

'Okay, ' he grins. 'I guess that explains it. Oh! But I had another question, actually. Megumi also told me that when Sukuna first awakened, for some reason, he said he recognized you. He said that he 'd seen you before. That 's kind of weird, isn 't it? '

You freeze up on the spot, and at that moment, it finally hits you.

There 's no chance in

hell

they 're going to let you walk away from this.

'I don 't know what he meant by that, ' you insist. 'It was my first time ever speaking to that scary guy. '

Technically not a lie, because when you encountered him inside his Innate Domain, you didn 't actually say a single word. You were too busy crapping your pants from fright.

You 're not sure exactly how much is safe to reveal, but you suppose a half-truth would be good enough. Because if you admit that Sukuna was trying to make

you

eat his finger and possibly turn you into his vessel '

Well, evidently, the higher-ups aren 't shy about executing people they deem dangerous.

'Itadori showed me the finger once before, ' you admit. 'Back when he first found it at school. It was all wrapped up in the seal back then, so I had no clue what it was, but he tossed it to me, and I held onto it for a few moments. Do you think that 's what Sukuna was referring to? '

'Sukuna should have been contained within the seal, even as flimsy and worn-out as it was, so I don 't see how that would work. '

Gojo leans over, bringing his face level with your own, and you gulp, unnerved by the lack of distance. He 's ridiculously attractive, of course, but he can also be pretty intimidating too. Without even trying.

It doesn 't take long for a smile to return to his face, though.

'Oh, well! ' he shrugs. 'I guess we 'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there! I 'm gonna have my hands full figuring all of this out, huh? '

'Haha ' ha. '

Seriously, fuck my life.

'Leave [Name] alone, ' Itadori frowns. 'I get why you guys are after me because of the finger, but she 's not involved. She was just worried about Sasaki and Iguchi, like I was. I 'm the one who became Sukuna 's vessel, so let me deal with it. She doesn 't need to worry about any of this stuff. She should be going home and getting some rest. '

Gojo 's smile finally drops. 'Not involved, you say? Well, from your perspective, it might seem that way, but let me be honest. A lot isn 't adding up here. Unlike you, [Name] was already able to see curses, and she possesses an overwhelming amount of cursed energy. As things stand, she 's far from being an ordinary person. Not to mention that Sukuna himself expressed interest in her. I understand that you 're worried about your friend and you want to keep her safe ' but I can 't in good faith just walk away and pretend like I never ran into her. It 's my responsibility as a jujutsu sorcerer. Besides. If I leave her all on her own, something tells me she 'll be found by someone else sooner or later. And more likely than not, they won 't have good intentions. '

You lower your gaze to the ground, because you already know where he 's going with this. In fact, you probably should have realized it from the moment that small curse ran away from you. From the moment you inexplicably met Sukuna inside his Innate Domain. From the moment he called out to you and beckoned you towards him.

Or rather ' from the moment you first awoke in this world.

You shouldn 't be here. By all accounts, it doesn 't make any sense. But the fact remains that you

are

, and naturally, weird shit is bound to happen. Things are bound to change. The life you 've been thrust into is going to be nothing like the one you lived before, and it 's about time you came to terms with that.

'Yuji and [Name], ' Gojo says, a grin spreading across his lips, 'both of you ' are coming to Jujutsu High with me. '

Not long after your discussion with Gojo, you visit Sasaki and Iguchi in the hospital, along with Itadori. The scene that follows is pretty much exactly like in the anime. Sasaki is almost entirely unharmed, whereas Iguchi is presumably going to be alright in the long-term, but he 's still unconscious for the time being.

It 's a strange feeling, to be honest. Seeing the two of them and knowing it 'll be the very last time. You always assumed Itadori was the one who was destined to leave. You figured that he would only be your friend for a short while, and then, you would have no choice but to say your goodbyes. You told yourself that after he left, you would stick with Sasaki and Iguchi and keep them company in his place.

But now, it looks like you have to leave, too.

'Someone will be stopping by tomorrow to help Iguchi, ' Itadori says. He pauses to offer a weak smile. 'I 'm sorry. This all happened because I picked up that cursed object in the first place. What you saw inside the school ' they weren 't monsters. They were curses. Iguchi will be alright, though. I promise. '

Sasaki stares at him, visibly confused, and then she turns towards you. '[Name]...? So you were at school last night, too? Both of you came to help us? '

'I 'm sorry, ' you also apologize, instinctively bowing your head. Naturally, this all would have happened even without your involvement, but still. You feel compelled to apologize. Not just for what she 's been through, but the fact that you won 't be able to stay behind as her friend.

'I 'm sorry, but we can 't stick around much longer, ' Itadori tells her. He smiles once more, looking even more pained than he did a few moments ago. 'There 's somewhere we need to go. Sorry. We 'll see you later, okay? '

Even without the words being stated outright, Sasaki must already know. She must realize that this isn 't just a regular hospital visit. It's a goodbye.

'Alright, ' she nods, and she 's considerate enough not to ask any questions. She just sits there, next to Iguchi 's beside, with a wistful expression. 'Bye, guys. Wherever you 're going ' good luck. '

You and Itadori walk out of the building, both with heavy hearts. Itadori is probably the nicest, bravest, most compassionate person in the world, but even

he

can 't just shrug off the thought of being executed. You know that death scares him, but it 's less about the process of dying, and whether or not he 'll be able to have a 'good ' death. Whether he 'll be able to say that he lived a life free of regrets. A life where he did everything in his power to save others.

Just because he 's strong doesn 't mean he 's not scared, though. Just because he 's going to accept his fate without putting up a fight doesn 't mean it isn 't hitting him hard. He 's only a highschooler. A boy who 's lived a happy, carefree life until now. It 's impossible not to be nervous, not to feel apprehensive, not to yearn for something else.

But no matter how frustrated Itadori feels, it doesn 't matter.

He will

never

give up.

You know what awaits him is nothing short of hell. That 's why you were so desperate to avoid this. It 's such a horrifying world to land yourself in. It certainly isn 't all sunshine and rainbows. It isn 't going to be a blissful experience, where you 'll be able to interact with your favorite characters free of any worries. It 'd be nice if that were the case, but it just

isn 't

.

Unlike Itadori, you aren 't a protagonist. You aren 't naturally courageous, or ready to throw your life away if someone else is in danger. You wish you could say you are, but not everyone is meant to be a hero. And in the real world, the average person won 't think twice before prioritizing their own safety.

But it looks like you 're going to have to change. Even if you aren 't like that to begin with, you 're going to have to

become

that kind of person. You 're going to have to face your fears and hold your ground, bite your tears back when you feel like running away. Like it or not, in this world, you are a unique, special existence, and that may very well be for a reason. Perhaps ' perhaps you might be able to save the people that Itadori wasn 't able to. Perhaps you 've been put in this world to ease his burden. To stand by his side and support him in his darkest hours.

You 're terrified of what 's to come. No doubt about it. And you can 't really say that you were a particularly remarkable person in your previous life.

But maybe this time, you

can

be.

'I 'm going to do it, ' Itadori says as you walk side-by-side. He glances over at you and furrows his brows. 'If curses and people like that Sukuna guy are really so dangerous, then I 'll do it. I 'll eat all those fingers and do whatever it takes. My grandpa wanted me to help people. So that when it 's my time to go, at least I 'll be surrounded by the people I care about. That was his dying wish. '

He reaches out and gently squeezes your hand, a smile returning to his face. Whether the gesture was meant to reassure you or himself, you honestly don 't know. But it doesn 't matter. As long as you 're together, it 'll be alright. Even the scariest moments will be bearable.

You won 't let his story end in tragedy, and hopefully, neither will yours.

'Mom, dad, I need to leave. I 'm transferring to a new school, which means I 'll be moving to a different city. Today. '

Normally, when parents hear something like this without any prior notice, their immediate instinct is to be concerned. This is the part where they 're supposed to start chiding you for saying something so ridiculous, which will be followed by a firm refusal.

But that doesn 't happen.

'We know, ' your mother nods, with a strange, somewhat eerie look in her eyes. 'You 're going to become a jujutsu sorcerer, aren 't you? So that you can protect all kinds of people. '

'... '

Okay, what in the ever-loving

fuck

?

'Um, ' you respond, blinking repeatedly in disbelief. 'How did you '? '

'Don 't worry about us, ' your father piles on. 'This is very important, isn 't it? Go do what you need to do. We understand. '

Alright, well, you knew from the start that they weren 't your

real

parents, because they clearly hadn 't been isekai 'd like you, but to hear them casually going on about things they shouldn 't know 'since you

never

told them a damn thing about curses or sorcerers 'is unbelievably freaky. This interaction is further proof that you 're not really a part of this world, and they 're just meant to be some weird stand-ins. They 're not even actual people themselves. More like omniscient NPCs.

'This is creepy as fuck, ' you sigh, shaking your head in defeat.

'Hurry up, darling, ' your mother encourages with a smile. 'Gojo is waiting outside to pick you up, along with Itadori and Fushiguro. '

'Oh my god, stop it! You 're seriously freaking me out! '

You can 't possibly get out of the house

any

faster, your luggage clunking behind you every time the wheels spin out or roll over a rock. True to your creepy NPC mom 's word, three people are waiting outside, one of whom is Itadori, and he excitedly waves to you.

'[Name], hey! ' he beams. 'Good morning. Excited to make the trip to Tokyo? '

'Definitely. I 'm never coming back to this house

ever

again, ' you shudder.

'Huh, why? Did you have a fight with your parents or something? '

You let out a heavy sigh, refusing to elaborate. Anyways, it doesn 't really matter. It looks like you were always destined to get involved, whether you intended to or not. People don 't just get isekai 'd in their favorite anime to

not

play a role in the story. In all the fanfiction you 've read, that 's pretty much an unwritten rule.

'All ready to go? ' Gojo smiles.

You nod slowly. Truth to be told, you have many, many doubts. You 're scared that you 're not strong enough to make a difference, even if the story is pulling you in. You 're scared that you might end up meeting an early death, even with all this knowledge on your side. And you 're scared that if you really do disappear ' Itadori will have yet another person to grieve.

Itadori wants to have a proper death, and honestly? You want the same thing. You want to be able to look back at all you 've accomplished and say that you genuinely, truly did everything you could.

So, that 's what you 'll do.

'I 'm ready, ' you nod, gripping the handle of your suitcase a bit tighter. 'But before we go ' I just have one request. '

Gojo tilts his head to the side, confused, and he watches as you pull your phone out of your pocket, only to stare at him with a stern expression.

'Take a selfie with me, please. '