Nagi squinted, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. Her hand tightened around Junpei's shoulder protectively. "How do you know my name?" She took a slow, deliberate drag from her cigarette, exhaling slowly. She wasn't a particularly trusting person—the kind who saw every stranger as a potential threat. "And 'discuss'? What kind of discussion involves hurting my kid?"
"I didn't hurt him. I saved him."
Nagi paused mid-drag, her cigarette burning closer to her fingers. She exchanged a look with Junpei. "You... saved him?" Her voice lost some of its hardness. She gestured vaguely at her son. "He's an awful patient for bullies. Gets his ass beat all the time." She took another drag, but this one was slower, more thoughtful. "Why would you help him?"
"Because your son's not crazy."
Nagi froze mid-inhale. Her cigarette nearly dropped. "Excuse me?" The words came out strangled. "Junpei's been... everyone says he's crazy. Seeing things that aren't there. Talking to... things." She swallowed, looking at her son. "The doctor said it was hallucinations. Stress. Trauma." Her voice wavered.
"I will explain everything once we get him settled in."
Nagi nodded slowly, her expression a mix of confusion and hope. She led the way inside, Junpei clinging to Aiden's side like he was afraid he might disappear. Once inside, she ushered them into the living room and collapsed onto the couch, ashing her cigarette nervously. "Alright,"
"what Your son sees is cursed spirits Or cursed energy if you prefer, would you like me to give you a demonstration?"
Nagi watched Aiden warily. She didn't believe in ghosts or spirits or any of that nonsense. She was a practical woman. She scoffed internally, "Demonstration? Like a fucking magic trick?" She huffed, "Go ahead. I'll humor you."
He used reverse curse technique to heal all of Junpei's injuries.Junpei gasped as a warm, soothing light washed over his wounds. The split lip closed seamlessly. The bruise on his cheek faded into nothing. Even the deep ache in his ribs vanished completely. He looked down at his hands, running them over his now unblemished skin. Nagi's jaw dropped. Her cigarette fell onto the carpet, smoldering unheeded. "...What the hell..."
"That was reverse Cursed Technique A highly advanced, and difficult thing to master."
Nagi scrambled forward on the couch, grabbing Junpei's face and examining every inch of skin where bruises had been seconds ago. "This... this isn't possible." Her voice cracked. She looked at Aiden, really looked at him. The pieces were falling into place—the protective stance, the confidence, the way he spoke about "cursed spirits" like it was normal.
Nagi's mind raced. She had heard rumors, whispers of people who could manipulate cursed energy. But she always dismissed them as urban legends or mental illness. Seeing it firsthand changed everything. She swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper. "You're a sorcerer." It wasn't a question.
"Pretty much and so is your son or at least he has to try to be one."
Junpei's head whipped around, his eyes now brimming with tears—not of sadness, but of something far more powerful. "I... I could be?" His voice cracked. He'd spent his whole life being told he was broken, useless, a freak who needed medication.
Nagi just stared, her usual laid-back demeanor replaced with raw, hopeful vulnerability. "My kid? A sorcerer?" She laughed, a wet, disbelieving sound.
Nagi's laughter faded, replaced by a fierce determination. She grabbed Junpei's shoulders, turning him to face her. "You listen to me, you little shit. If this guy says you can be a sorcerer, then you WILL be one." She pointed at Aiden.
She jabbed a finger aggressively toward Aiden, her voice rising with maternal ferocity. "Teach him. Whatever you know, however hard it is—you teach him." She turned her sharp gaze back to Junpei. "No more pills. No more psychiatrists telling you you're crazy. You're special, Junpei." She wiped her eyes, looking back at Aiden.
"Well, that's the thing each source where has to have their own curse technique. It's basically something that's engraved into your soul so whatever you have will be interesting."
Junpei's eyes widened. "Something *in* my soul?" The concept was terrifying and exhilarating all at once. He'd spent his whole life hating what he saw, what he was. But now... now it was part of him. Something special.
Nagi took a long drag of her cigarette, processing everything. "So what exactly did you do? The light healing thing."
"oh no, any sorcerer can do that with enough training at least I can do a lot of things and what's known as a special grade. The special grade are elite sorcerers who can take over our country in a single day if they wanted to. and the grades go from Fourth which is begin beginner, and grade one which is master grade are the best of the best."
Nagi whistled lowly. "Fucking hell. My kid's got the potential to be some sort of magical powerhouse." She grinned, pride swelling in her chest. She turned to Junpei, ruffling his hair. "You hear that, Junpei? You're a little badass in the making."
"Now I just have to get him enrolled in school."
Nagi immediately perked up. "There is absolutely ZERO argument on that." She slapped Junpei's shoulder firmly. "My boy is going. I don't care what kind of school, military academy, ninja dojo, whatever—if it fixes him and teaches him how to use this shit, he's enrolled."
Junpei looked between them, overwhelmed with sheer relief. He wasn't crazy.
"Give me a second I'm going to call somebody." He took out his phone and called gojo and 10 seconds later he appeared
Nagi's eyes nearly popped out of her skull. "What THE FUCK?!" She jumped backward, nearly knocking over the ashtray. The man who appeared—tall, muscular, wearing a sharp suit—seemed completely out of place in her dingy living room.
"hey Gojo, this guy can see Cursed spirits. Can you give him enrolled in the school."
Gojo smiled, his blindfold obscuring his eyes but doing nothing to hide his massive grin. "Enrollment is easy," he said casually, hands shoved in his pockets. "If he can see them, he belongs with us." He glanced down at Junpei, whose jaw was practically on the floor. "Name's Satoru Gojo. Strongest sorcerer alive."
Junpei stumbled back, mouth agape. He was meeting the most famous, the most powerful sorcerer in the entire country. And he was talking about enrolling him in a school like it was nothing. Like Junpei wasn't a broken, medication-dependent kid. Nagi was frozen in shock too.
"Pack your bags kid we're going to the dorms."
Junpei just stared for a moment. Then, as realization dawned, he sprinted to his room without a word. Nagi watched him go, then turned back to Gojo and Aiden. "Dorms?" She repeated, still dazed. "How long will he be there?"
"Since he can see Cursed spirits, he's in a lot of danger because if he can see them, they'll know he's a sorcerer and probably attack him on site."
Nagi's face went pale. The practical implications hit her like a freight train. "He's... a target. Just by existing." She gripped the armrest, knuckles white. "So he needs protection. Training."
Gojo nodded seriously, all traces of his goofy demeanor gone. "Exactly. The dorms at Tokyo Jujutsu High provide both."
Junpei came thundering back, a battered backpack slung over one shoulder. He was breathless, eyes shining with a fire Nagi hadn't seen since he was a baby. "I'm ready. I'm ready now."
Nagi stood up, grabbing his face in both hands. She kissed his forehead hard. "You're going to be amazing, you hear me?"
Junpei nodded solemnly, wrapping his small arms around her neck. "I'll call you every day," he promised, voice muffled against her skin. Nagi hugged him back just as tightly, fighting back tears. She'd raised him alone, and now she was sending him off into the unknown. But she trusted Aiden. She trusted Gojo.
"Go take him back to the School I will stay to explain any other questions you might have."
Gojo nodded, placing a heavy hand on Junpei's shoulder. "Hold on tight, kid. Instant transmission." With a flash of cursed energy, both Gojo and Junpei vanished from the living room instantly.
The house fell silent. Nagi stared at the empty space where her son had just been standing, her cigarette burning down between her fingers.
Nagi slumped back onto the couch, the adrenaline finally crashing down. She took a long, shaky drag from her cigarette, needing the nicotine to settle her nerves. She looked at Aiden, her expression completely changed. The skepticism was gone, replaced by a terrified mother looking for answers. "Alright," she exhaled smoke. "They're gone. Start talking."
Nagi listened intently, smoking cigarette after cigarette as he explained the hidden world. Curse Spirits, Cursed Energy, Sorcerers, Grades, Domain Expansions—she absorbed it all. Her worldview was completely shattered. There wasn't mental illness. There was monsters.
By the time he finished, Nagi looked absolutely floored. "So... my son wasn't crazy."
"No, he's just been a part of the world that he probably wasn't ready for yet and the world probably wasn't really for him."
Nagi crushed her cigarette into the overflowing ashtray, running a hand through her messy hair. "I spent thousands on therapists," she muttered, voice thick with a mix of anger and relief. "Pumped him full of sedatives because he said monsters were talking to him." She looked up at Aiden, eyes swimming. "And the whole time... he was just seeing reality?"
"Don't blame yourself there's no way you give Known."
Nagi let out a long, shuddering breath, the tension finally leaving her shoulders. "I know," she whispered, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Logically, I know. But a mother always blames herself when her kid is hurting."
She lit another cigarette, her hands steadier now. "So. This school. Tokyo Jujutsu High."
"Yes, everyone at school can see Cursed spirits and use cursed energy."
Nagi nodded slowly. "So he'll have friends like him." A small, genuine smile flickered on her lips for the first time. "Kids who understand... him." She leaned forward, her expression turning serious again. "How do we know he'll be safe? You said special grade sorcerers could destroy countries. This is just... kids in dorms."
"I'm a special grade."
Nagi froze, her cigarette hovering halfway to her mouth. She stared at him, really looked at him, realizing the weight of that title. She remembered the grading scale he'd just explained. Special Grade. The elites who could overthrow nations.
"You..." She lowered the cigarette slowly. "The guy casually sitting on my couch healing my kid's scars is one of the strongest beings on the planet?"
"Yes, and the guy who was just here was also special grade."
Nagi stared at the empty space where Gojo had stood, her mind reeling. "Both of you are... that good?" She exhaled a cloud of smoke, letting the reality sink in. "And you're taking care of my son. Training him. Protecting him."
She took a long drag, her voice dropping to something raw. "What do I owe you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Money," Nagi said bluntly. "Favors. My soul. Whatever you want." She tapped her ash into the tray, deadly serious. "You just walked into my life, fixed my kid mentally, literally fixed his scars, and got him enrolled into a private magical academy handled by two gods. I'm not arrogant enough to think this is free." She gestured at him.
"It's not about money or favors or anything being a jujutsu sorcerer Is also a job you get paid to take out curses."
Nagi leaned back, blowing out a long stream of smoke. "Right." She got it. This was professional work, not a favor. But a mother's heart still felt the need to reciprocate somehow.
She stared at Aiden for a long moment before tapping out her cigarette. "Alright. I'll be direct." Her eyes locked onto his.
"I'm a single mother. I work two jobs to keep Junpei in a stable house. I've been struggling." She admitted it without shame. "But Junpei's mine, and I'll protect him with everything I've got."
She stood up, smoothing her shirt. "I can't offer you money. I can't offer you favors. But what I do have is my word."
Nagi walked over to him, standing right in front of him. Her eyes met his, intense and serious. "You're protecting my son. Training him. Giving him a future I could never provide." She paused, her voice dropping to something raw and honest. "So, here's my offer."
"You protect my boy," she stated firmly, absolute devotion in her expression. "Handle his training, keep him safe, and mentor him... and you have absolute access. To me. To this house. To anything you need."
She tapped his chest. "I am not asking for charity. I am offering loyalty. You look after Junpei, and I look after *you*."
"And I can't talk you out of this can I?"
Nagi burst out laughing. It was a deep, genuine sound she hadn't made in years. "No, honey. No, you can't." She pulled out a fresh pack of cigarettes from her pocket. "You saw me this whole time. I'm not some quiet, submissive little motherly type. I know what I want."
She offered him one. "And I want my son safe."
"Okay."
Nagi exhaled, relieved. "Good." She watched him accept the cigarette, noting the gesture—not quite rejecting her offer. Smart. She lit both their cigarettes, the smoke curling between them.
Her phone buzzed. She glanced at it—no important messages. Just bills, spam, and work notifications. She ignored them. "So how often will Junpei come home?"
"Weekends."
Nagi nodded slowly, taking a drag. "Weekends. I can handle that." She leaned back against the kitchen counter, looking visibly lighter now that she had a schedule. "It gives him structure during the week, training and safety, and I get my baby back on Saturdays and Sundays."
She blew smoke toward the ceiling. "And what happens during breaks? Summer? Holidays?"
"it just depends on if you're doing missions or not."
"Missions," Nagi repeated, processing that word like it was new to her vocabulary. "Kid's out hunting curses on his breaks. Got it." She didn't push further. She'd seen enough tonight to know this wasn't regular monster-hunting. This was warfare. Her son was a child soldier.
She jabbed her ash into the tray. "One condition."
"If Junpei gets injured during a mission—or if he comes home looking... troubled, mentally... you tell me. Immediately." Her voice was firm, almost demanding. "I don't care how classified it is. I'm his mother. I need to know if my boy is hurt, physically or mentally."
"I promise."
Nagi searched his face for any hint of deception. Finding none, she nodded, seeming to accept his promise. She took one last drag before stubbing out her cigarette. "Alright, then." She pushed off from the counter, moving towards the stairs. "I'm going to bed."
She paused at the foot of the stairs, turning back. "One more thing." Her voice was softer now, the mother in her overriding the tough exterior. "Junpei... he's been through shit. The bullying, the doctors, the medication... he's fragile inside." She touched the scar on her own cheek unconsciously. "Treat him like a kid. Not just a soldier."
"Trust me the last person who's gonna treat them like that is me and gojo."
Nagi snorted, a real laugh escaping her this time. "Good. Because that one with the blindfold scared the shit out of me, but he's got kid eyes when the mask came off." She shook her head. "I don't know how he does it. Acts like a clown with that power."
She started up the stairs, pausing on the first step.
"My bedroom door is unlocked." She stated it plainly, removing any ambiguity. "My son is your priority, obviously. But if you—personally—need anything. Comfort, stress relief, a warm bed, food, cigarettes..." She tapped the railing. "You have full access to me. No questions asked."
Then she vanished upstairs. "Goodnight, Aiden."