[??/??/2011]
The screeching of tires jolted him awake.
"Huh? What the?"
Smoke lingered in the air, blending with the sharp tang of burnt rubber.
His ears were still ringing, and his blurred vision slowly began to focus.
He wasn't in his bed.
He wasn't even indoors.
He stood on the edge of a cracked sidewalk, disoriented, surrounded by flashing hazard lights and the unmistakable scent of a fresh car crash.
In front of him, a dented car leaned at an awkward angle, one headlight smashed, the windshield fractured.
A group of people stood near the wreck, some of them panicking, some talking urgently.
None of them noticed him yet.
"How did I... get here?"
He muttered.
But the sound of his voice made him freeze.
It was high-pitched and childish.
He looked down at his hands.
It was not his.
His breath caught as he turned his hands over, staring at the small fingers that trembled slightly.
"What the hell is going on…"
He whispered, then flinched again.
He looked toward the road.
The van's door opened, and the driver stepped out.
A middle-aged man, visibly shaken but unhurt, was clutching a phone to his ear.
He was shouting frantically in Japanese, apologizing to someone, saying he didn't see the kid until the last second.
The man never glanced toward him.
He just kept pacing and panicking.
He watched the man panicking, but then something cold closed around his ankles.
He froze and looked down.
His breath caught in his throat.
From beneath the bent guardrail at the edge of the sidewalk, a figure slowly emerged.
Its skin was pale, sickly, its limbs were impossibly long, it had no eyes, and its jagged teeth were bared in a smile too wide for its face.
"YuTa…"
It rasped, voice wet and hoarse.
"YuTa… YoU pRoMiSeD mE… ReMeMbEr? WhEn We gRoW uP… YoU sAiD wE'rE gEtTiNg MaRrIeD…"
He couldn't breathe.
He couldn't move.
He could barely think.
(What in the actual living God?!)
He wanted to scream.
But nothing came out.
JJK
[11/??/2016]
[Due to multiple reports of sexual harassment of female students, four male students, including the leader, suffered grave injuries, especially in the genital area.]
...
Tokyo Jujutsu High.
Panda sat on his desk with his back leaning against the chair.
"I heard we're getting a transfer student today. Rumor says he nearly beat a group of delinquents half to death."
Sitting on her desk, Zenin Maki adjusted her glasses with one hand while crossing her legs. Her long green hair was tied into a high ponytail, and her naginata rested within easy reach.
"Did he kill them?"
She asked bluntly, tilting her head toward Panda with a mixture of curiosity and mild disinterest.
Panda shook his head.
"Nope. But apparently, they all ended up losing the ability to have sex."
Maki raised an eyebrow.
"From what I've heard, they were harassing female students. In the end, they got what was coming."
Panda added.
Maki smirked, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.
"Heh. I like the new kid already."
"Salmon."
A quiet voice next to Maki's desk spoke.
Inumaki Toge sat hunched at his desk, face partially obscured by his high turtleneck.
His white hair was slightly ruffled, and his violet eyes gleamed with silent approval.
Panda let out a chuckle.
"Toge-kun agrees. Looks like this new guy's already winning hearts."
The sound of someone clearing their throat drew their attention to the front of the classroom.
Gojo Satoru stood by the blackboard, a familiar figure with his tall frame, snowy white hair, and trademark blindfold covering his eyes.
His hands were tucked into his pockets, and his tone was light and cheerful.
"As I was saying, let's give a warm welcome to your new classmate, okay?"
He announced cheerfully.
The three students exchanged puzzled glances.
"..."
Gojo blinked... well, metaphorically... before grinning wide.
"Wow. Tough crowd. Alright, come in, Yuta-kun!"
The door to the classroom slid open with a gentle shift.
A young man stepped in.
Straight black hair, deep blue eyes, and a sharp and striking figure under the light.
He looked calm, almost too calm, as he took his first step into the room.
Then it hit them.
*Boom!*
A suffocating pressure slammed into the classroom like an invisible wave.
The windows cracked, the chalkboard screeched as it warped, and the floor groaned under the weight of something unseen.
Every breath became heavier, and their hearts beat louder.
Maki's hands gripped her desk.
Toge's eyes widened.
Panda's ears flattened as his relaxed posture was long gone.
And behind the boy... no, with him... loomed a shadow, a tall, long-limbed, faceless shadow.
An eyeless, monstrous silhouette that pulsed with Cursed Energy so thick it made the walls crack.
Only Gojo stood unaffected; he was beaming with visible amusement.
The boy took another step, and the pressure vanished like a switch had been flipped.
"Hi everyone!"
The young man said cheerfully.
"I'm Okkotsu Yuta. Let's all get along, okay?"
The three students didn't move.
For a second, the silence held.
Then, in a blur of motion, the three stood before him.
Panda cracked his knuckles and flexed his furry fists, now fitted with knuckledusters that glowed with cursed energy.
Maki slid into a battle stance, her naginata already embedded near Yuta's face.
Toge lowered his turtleneck, revealing the Cursed Speech seals etched into his mouth.
His mouth twitched, already bracing to unleash a command.
"Oi, Gojo-sensei, is this some kind of sick joke? Why is a cursed kid here?"
Maki said sharply, never taking her eyes off Yuta.
Gojo held up his hands, laughing softly.
"Yuta-kun looks like you're in a pickle. Need a hand?"
But Yuta only chuckled.
He stepped forward, unfazed by the weapons and hostility pointed his way.
"Nah, no thanks, Gojo-sensei. I got this."
He said casually.
Maki narrowed her eyes.
"Oh, really? What exactly could you do, kid?"
Yuta smirked, his expression shifting with a strange intensity that sent a chill down the spine of everyone in the room.
"Three words..."
He said softly.
"It's playtime, Rika-chan."
JJK
The peaceful morning was shattered... literally.
*CRASH!*
The reinforced classroom windows exploded outward with a thunderous crash, shards of glass raining onto the school grounds below.
Maki, Panda, and Toge were sent hurtling through the air, the trio landing safely into the dirt of the sports field.
Dust rose where they landed, creating a foggy ring of debris around the cratered soil.
From the gaping hole where the windows used to be, a figure slowly stepped forward, flanked by something far more terrifying.
Yuta's expression was calm, bordering on bored, as he strolled to the broken edge of the classroom.
Towering beside him was his Special Grade Shikigami, Orimoto Rika.
Rika's long arms dragged slightly as she stepped forward, her voice carrying on the wind with a chilling, childlike tone warped by malice.
"Yuta... Did they bully you?"
She asked, the words twisting with eerie calmness as her smile widened.
Yuta gave a relaxed shrug before smiling down at the field.
"Nah, not really. They were only a little mean to me, so go easy on them, okay, Rika-chan?"
Rika's body twitched with a grotesque glee.
"Yesss… Yuta…"
*Roar!*
And then she let out a feral roar that rippled across the campus like a shockwave.
In a flash of white, Rika lunged from the second-story window, crashing her hands into the field below on impact.
The three students barely had time to prepare before she was upon them.
Maki dove to the side and rolled, yelling.
"What the fuck is that?!"
She spun her naginata upward and parried a sweeping claw aimed at her midsection.
The force behind it nearly knocked her weapon out of her hands.
Panda leapt high, his massive frame descending like a meteor.
"Take this!"
He drove a fist downward, glowing with Cursed Energy.
But Rika casually swatted him aside like a bothersome fly, sending him tumbling across the field in a trail of upturned dirt and grass.
Toge stood his ground, eyes narrowed, and shouted.
"Don't move!"
For a moment, Rika froze mid-step, her body held back by the weight of Toge's Cursed Speech.
But then her form shivered violently, and with a growl, she broke free of the command.
She slammed her fist into the ground, creating a shockwave that unbalanced Toge and sent him sliding backward.
Before he could recover, Rika was in front of him.
Her massive hand struck out like lightning, and Toge was flung backward, crashing into a light post with a grunt of pain.
"Inumaki!"
Maki screamed, charging forward.
She struck at Rika's exposed side with a wide slash, her naginata gleaming in the light.
Panda was back on his feet, joining her with a roar and throwing a powerful punch.
Meanwhile, on the edge of the field, Yuta sat comfortably on the grass, a bag of chips in his lap.
He calmly ate one as he watched the chaos unfold.
Gojo appeared beside him, crouching down before sitting cross-legged next to the boy.
"Is this seat taken?"
Yuta smiled.
"Nope. Go ahead, Gojo-sensei."
Gojo reached into the bag and grabbed a chip.
"So, uh… any reason you're not joining the fun?"
Yuta gave a nonchalant shrug.
"Not feeling it today. Besides, if I got involved, it'd be overkill."
Gojo crunched on the chip, chuckling.
"Can't argue with that."
Back on the battlefield, Panda launched forward again, his fists burning with cursed energy.
He let out a furious roar and slammed a punch into Rika's chest.
The force rippled outward, but Rika simply blocked it with her massive palm.
Then, with a delighted growl, she grabbed Panda by the arm and slammed him into the ground repeatedly.
"One... Two... Three..."
She counted with twisted glee as Panda groaned from each impact.
Maki pole-vaulted high using her weapon and drove the blade of her naginata into Rika's back.
The cursed spirit shrieked in pain and hurled Panda away like a rag doll.
"Now, Toge!"
Maki shouted.
Toge reappeared in front of Rika, face bloodied, and his voice crackled with strain.
"Blow away!"
A wave of cursed sound exploded from his mouth, striking Rika and pushing her backward.
Dust and energy whipped around her.
Maki screamed, charging again.
"Die!"
She leapt with deadly aim, driving her weapon at Rika's skull, but Rika caught the naginata mid-air.
Her monstrous hand closed around it and, with a sickening crunch, shattered it like glass.
Maki's eyes widened.
"What?!"
Before she could react, Rika grabbed her around the waist and slammed her down.
Toge stumbled forward, coughing up blood, and tried again.
"Stop-"
But his voice cracked, and blood poured from his mouth.
His throat was exhausted.
Panda, bruised and barely standing, called out.
"Hang on, I'm coming!"
He didn't make it halfway.
Rika swatted him aside once more, and his body crashed into Toge, sending both tumbling away in a heap.
Now, only Maki remained in Rika's grip.
She thrashed, gritting her teeth.
"Let me go, you freak!"
Rika tilted her head.
"You... You're mean to Yuta… mean girl… You die."
Her fingers tightened.
Maki screamed in pain, her ribs beginning to bend under the pressure.
"Maki-chan!"
Panda struggled to get up while Toge was knocked out.
"Rika-chan!"
Yuta's voice rang out across the field.
Rika stopped instantly and dropped Maki carelessly.
"That's enough. Playtime's over. Put her down or else I will get upset, Rika-chan."
She turned her head, the bloodlust vanishing like mist.
She appeared in front of Yuta a heartbeat later, kneeling beside him with a wide mouth, trembling in panic.
"I'm sorry... Yuta... I'm sorry... Am I... bad girl?"
Yuta chuckled and reached out, gently brushing her cheek with his fingers.
"It's fine, Rika-chan. Just… try not to overdo it next time, okay?"
Rika nodded like an obedient child, the monstrous grin softening before she slowly melted into the shadows around Yuta's feet, vanishing from view.
Silence hung in the air.
Yuta stood up and dusted his pants off.
He turned to Gojo and bowed slightly.
"Sorry for kicking their asses, Gojo-sensei."
Gojo yawned and waved it off.
"Ah, it's fine. They can take it. Right, guys?"
From across the field, groans echoed in response.
Panda lay on his back, arms spread out, groaning.
"I think I need a new body."
Toge was sitting against a bench, face pale as he clutched his throat, eyes spinning.
Maki, still catching her breath on the ground, glared up at the sky.
"Shut up."
JJK
Inside the classroom, the atmosphere had shifted drastically from what it had been earlier that day.
The windows had been replaced with reinforced sliding panels thanks to the ever-efficient Jujutsu High maintenance team, the cracks on the walls had been smoothed over, and all the desks and chairs were back in place, though a little dented in places from the earlier battle.
Gojo stood at the front of the class, one hand raised as he gestured toward Yuta standing beside him.
"Alright, everyone, now that we've literally broken the ice, allow me to properly reintroduce your new classmate."
He turned slightly toward Yuta and extended his hand with dramatic flair.
"This here is Okkotsu Yuta. A freshly minted Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer. That's right, Special Grade, as in, one of the big boys like me. But not as strong as me, of course."
Gojo began with a chuckle.
"Hello!"
Yuta cheerfully waved at his classmates.
"And not only that, he's also the proud contractor of that charming little lady you met earlier, the Special Grade Shikigami, Orimoto Rika."
Gojo continued with enthusiasm.
Panda leaned over to Maki and whispered.
"She definitely tried to throw us like dodgeballs."
Gojo clapped his hands together, the grin on his face as wide as ever.
"Alright, Yuta-kun! Time to meet your classmates!"
He pointed theatrically at the trio, as if unveiling a grand prize.
"First up, Zenin Maki, our resident Cursed Tool expert!"
Maki crossed her arms and leaned against her desk, her sharp eyes locking onto Yuta.
For a moment, she said nothing, her expression unreadable.
Yuta bowed slightly, offering a polite smile.
"Nice to meet you, Zenin-san."
Maki didn't reply, her gaze lingering on him as if analyzing every inch of his being.
Then she simply turned her head away, muttering under her breath.
Gojo, unfazed by her silence, moved on.
"Next, we've got Inumaki Toge, our Cursed Speech user! But he could only talk using Onigiri ingredients."
Toge raised a hand in greeting.
"Kelp."
He said in his usual monotone.
Yuta nodded.
"It's nice to meet you, Inumaki-kun."
"And last but not least..."
Gojo gestured grandly toward the panda sitting on the desk.
"Panda!"
Panda grinned, waving a paw.
"Hello, I'm Panda!"
Yuta blinked, then chuckled lightly.
"Nice to meet you, Panda-san."
Gojo clapped his hands again.
"And before we finish, I would like to announce that Yuta here is single and ready to mingle!"
Yuta's face flushed bright red.
"Was that last part really necessary?"
Gojo shrugged, pretending to be thoughtful.
"I dunno. You've got to advertise, you know? Can't just leave the market guessing."
Yuta sighed, rubbing the back of his head before addressing the rest of the classroom.
"Anyway… Hi, again. I'm Okkotsu Yuta. Sorry about earlier… and for Rika-chan going a bit overboard. She gets overprotective sometimes."
He bowed slightly.
Maki, Panda, and Toge sat at their desks, seemingly unharmed from earlier.
Their injuries had been patched up thanks to a fast visit to Shoko's clinic.
Panda raised a paw and laughed.
"No hard feelings, Yuta-kun. Honestly, it's kinda on us for jumping the gun like that."
Toge nodded supportively.
"Tuna."
Maki crossed her arms and huffed.
"Whatever. I'm not gonna apologize for treating an unknown curse like a threat. That's just basic survival."
She glanced at Yuta with a somewhat grudging expression.
"But… Yeah, okay. It was pretty dumb provoking you right off the bat."
Yuta smiled lightly.
"How about this then. Tonight, dinner's on me. My treat. As an apology, and a proper 'nice to meet you' gesture."
Instantly, all three perked up.
"Free food?! Say no more!"
Panda exclaimed.
Toge's eyes lit up.
"Salmon."
Maki gave a half-smile and nodded.
"I'm not saying no to free food."
Yuta turned to Gojo, who was already looking at him expectantly.
"You want to join too, Gojo-sensei?"
Gojo raised both fists into the air triumphantly.
"I thought you'd never ask!"
He was already pulling out his phone, typing rapidly.
"I'm texting Shoko. She'll definitely want in."
Yuta's mouth twitched.
"Of course you are…"
JJK
Nighttime came, and the group gathered at a popular all-you-can-eat restaurant in Tokyo.
Thanks to Yuta's status and a few favors pulled by Gojo, they were comfortably seated in a private VIP section on the highest floor, complete with extra-wide booths, cozy lighting, and a long table big enough to accommodate all of them.
Yuta had specifically requested the VIP section for Panda's sake, wanting him to feel welcome without being gawked at.
When Panda found out, he looked at Yuta for a long second, nodded slowly, and said.
"You're already my favorite, bro."
Seated around the table were Yuta, Gojo, Maki, Panda, Toge, and Ieiri Shoko, Jujutsu Tech's resident medic and Gojo's long-time friend.
She had just arrived, her lab coat still stained faintly from her earlier surgeries, dark circles under her eyes, but a content smirk on her lips.
"Man… I still can't get over it. You three got your asses kicked by the new kid."
Shoko said between bites of grilled eel.
Maki scowled and nearly choked on her rice.
"It wasn't like that!"
Gojo leaned forward, his mouth full of sweet mochi.
"Oh, it was exactly like that. Don't sugarcoat it, Maki-chan."
"It was a fluke! We weren't prepared!"
Panda chuckled, licking sauce off his paws.
"You just can't admit you lost, Maki-chan."
Toge munched quietly on sushi and chimed in.
"Mustard leaf."
Everyone burst out laughing.
The food kept coming, and the atmosphere was kept happy.
Toge stuck mostly to soft, palate-friendly dishes, while Panda piled his plates sky-high with everything he could reach.
Gojo alternated between desserts and skewers, somehow managing to keep his blindfold clean the entire time.
Yuta watched this all unfold in front of him as he ate his food.
It had been so long since he'd laughed this much with other people.
He couldn't remember the last time he felt like this, part of something big.
As they neared the end of the meal, Yuta leaned toward Gojo.
"So… when do we start doing actual missions?"
Gojo glanced over, sipping from a small bowl of melon sorbet.
"You're that eager, huh? That's good. It's tomorrow night, actually. Might be a simple recon, or it might get messy. Either way, you'll be joining your new classmates. Think of it as your first real activity as an official sorcerer."
Yuta nodded seriously.
"Alright. I'm ready."
As the plates began to empty and everyone leaned back in their seats, full and satisfied, Yuta turned toward Maki.
"Hey, Zenin-san. Can I talk to you for a second?"
Maki looked up from her fourth helping of yakisoba.
"Sure?"
Yuta stood, and she followed, confused.
Panda leaned over to Toge and whispered loudly.
"Wait... Is he about to ask her out?! But it's only been Day 1!"
Gojo slapped the table.
"What? Is this happening?! Somebody film this!"
Toge simply said.
"Kelp."
Shouko just rolled her eyes at their stupidity, but still watched the scene unfold.
Yuta reached into the shadows by his feet, and he pulled out a Guandao.
The shaft was bright red, the blade was curved and engraved with delicate script that shimmered faintly with cursed energy.
"I felt pretty bad about your naginata. So… I made this an hour ago as a replacement. It's not just super durable, but it also automatically repairs itself when it tastes blood."
Yuta said, holding the weapon carefully.
Maki's eyes widened, visibly stunned.
She reached out and took the Guandao slowly, running her fingers along the edge.
"Damn. I… thanks. I guess."
Yuta smiled.
"You're welcome."
He turned toward the others.
"Sorry... I don't have gifts for everyone yet."
Gojo and Panda dramatically slumped in their seats, exaggerated tears on their faces.
"Rejected!"
Panda wailed.
"My poor heart..."
Gojo sniffed, pretending to wipe away tears.
Toge nodded calmly.
"Salmon roe."
Shoko laughed heartily, raising her glass of sake.
"You guys are ridiculous. But seriously… thanks for the dinner, Okkotsu-kun."
Yuta nods.
He glanced around at his new comrades, all smiling, eating, joking, and felt Rika stir slightly beneath the surface of his shadow.
(Yeah… maybe this isn't so bad after all.)
JJK
Hello readers!
Here's chapter one.
So please do the thing with the stones and the add library and all that shit.
Thank you, everyone, and see you later!