Chapter Text
Yuji, Nobara and Megumi are traveling back to jujutsu high, absolutely tired after exorcizing curses. It's their day off for goodness sake! The one day they don't have to listen Gojo-sensei yap and it gets wasted like this.
“So, your friend, what’s wrong with her?” Yuji voices out the question that has been nagging him ever since he met you.
Nobara, who’s sitting beside Megumi, sits up and leans over him to scrutinize Yuji’s face.
”What do you mean?” She asks him, eyes boring into his face hard.
Yuji realizes that he’s at high risk of stepping on a live wire and hurries to make his question sound more ‘right’.
“No, I-I mean…she has no cursed energy….?”
“Is that a question or a statement?”
“Both..? Or neither…?”
Nobara just rolls her eyes before replying.
”She has cursed energy but her reserve is just really, really, really small. Hard to sense even when you’re specifically looking for it.”
”Any reason as to why it's like that?” This time it’s Megumi who pipes in, curious enough to stop doom scrolling and join the conversation.
”I don’t know. I’ve never met her folks so I can’t say if it’s something passed down in her family, although I know her distant cousin and he has a reasonable amount of curse energy. Village folk usually have smaller cursed energy reserves but hers is like really, really small "
“Does she know about the jujutsu world?”
”Nope she doesn’t and I don’t plan on telling her anything about it for as long as I can. She would just worry herself to death either thinking that I’m out there risking my life or she would think that I’m delusional.”
“So, did she also come to Tokyo for the lifestyle or....?”
“Why are you so interested in her?” Nobara asks, eyes intensely boring into him once again. He didn’t think that she could glare any harder than she did last time but, boy was he wrong.
Honestly, he doesn’t know exactly why he’s interested. Maybe he really wants to know what kind of person would willingly introduce herself as ‘Nobara’s friend’ and be happy about it. Yeah, that must be it.
But that is not something he can say out loud, so he tries to string up some “acceptable” answer. The acceptable answer being a shrug of course.
Nobara looks unconvinced for a moment. Then she lets out a sigh and lies back down on her seat, making herself comfortable.
”She hated the village too but she actually came to Tokyo cuz she got into Ochanomizu. She’s super smart. Like an actual genius. She’s the same age as us but she’s in the final year of high school cuz she skipped a couple of grades.”
”Ochanomizu?” Okay damn, you might be way out of his league which doesn’t even matter because why would you have to be in his league you’re someone he met this morning and he’s switching his brain off. Now.
“Yeah and she has won a lot of national level quizzes ya know, even published a paper or two. You can look her up!”
And sure enough, he googles your name and more than a couple of links pop up which open up documents. He skims through it and yeah, he doesn’t understand anything except your name and the name of the professor who helped you get this published.
Wow, you’re hella cool actually.
He tilts his phone towards Megumi who purses his lips, impressed by your credentials.
“How did someone like you become friends with someone like her?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?! Like you both found the cure for cancer!! Someone like you?! I’ll show you, someone like you!"
You’re making your way through the streets of Tokyo when you get a call from Nobara. You swipe the screen to accept it and wedge the phone between your ear and shoulder so that you can have a free hand to hold your backpack while your other hand furiously digs into your backpack in search of your mint tin.
”Nobara! Hey, hey hey!”
“Hey, hey hey! I'm super sorry for ditching you this morning! Had to submit this really important assignment that I completely forgot about.”
Nobara caring about schoolwork? That too on a weekend? What ?
You frown subconsciously.
“Since when do you care about schoolwork?”
Nobara hoped that you’d let the topic die a swift death but of course not. And why does everyone think she’s some kind of brute who can’t read?
“Uhh…….since I came here of course. They’re super strict ya know, one strike and I’m uh, I’m out. Just like that.”
”Didn’t know you were this serious about wanting to get out of that village. I mean, I knew. But still.”
”I couldn’t stand to be in that village a second longer. It was already 15 years too late, so when the chance came, I jumped for it."
”Remind me which school you go to again..I may have forgotten it.”
That’s because she intentionally never told you anything beyond the fact that she was coming to Tokyo (thank god you were always busy with your exams) but she’s not about to let you realize that now. Okay, Okay, all she has to do is divert the conversation to safer grounds.
”Oh, oh..uh, it’s this super, super religious school, don’t bother googling it, it won’t, uh, show up. It’s very exclusive you see and the staff believe that an internet-free world is the path to heaven! Anyways I hear a lot of noise in the background, what are you doing?”
What?
”What do you mean a religious school? Since when are you into religion?”
She sighs before she answers back, cursing herself for not preparing her answers sooner. Thank you, procastiNobara(TM).
“Well, uh, I actually came here more for Tokyo and its shopping malls and less for religion. Yup.”
”Are you serious?”
”Babe, those Onitsuka tiger shoes can’t exactly buy themselves. I’m doing them a favor.”
Onitsuka tiger?? No way in hell Granny gave her enough allowance to cover a damn shoelace.
Wait.
No way.
Oh god, it all adds up.
Was Nobara in some kind of organized crime gang that put up a front as a school?
All the evidence pointed to it after all.
A super "religious" school (which won't show up on the world's largest search engine),the name of which Nobara is still refusing to give, her allowance which used to be less than a penny is now suddenly letting her afford branded items, not to mention, her quiet classmate whose hairstyle is way too improper for a high-schooler, her other classmate with the tattoos (?) under his pretty, pretty eyes and a head full of pink hair (PINK HAIR WHAT KIND OF SCHOOL ALLOWS PINK HAIR YES IT LOOKS RATHER GOOD ON HIM BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER )
Not to mention, pretty, pretty eyes looked happy to be alive……..What kind of teenager looks happy to be alive?
The kind of teenager who’s high.
Okay so Nobara is definitely dealing crack okay the situation is still salvageable as long as she isn't take crack but is it really is the situation really salvageable she’s dealing illegal substances for god’s sake okay calm down how do you bring this up inconspicuously think damn brain thi-
“Nobara, please don’t tell me you’re dealing drugs."
Okay, fuck, 12/10 for the lack of any subtlety.
”I am not dealing drugs.”
A pensive silence.
”Are you sure?”
“I am!"
”And you’re sure that you’re not inhaling any kind of white powder? Or injecting and kind of stuff into your veins? Oh god, hopefully not with the communal syringe, well hopefully you're not injecting anythin-“
”I am not doing drugs!”
”Okay, okay, are you in a cult of some kind?”
”I’m not! God, I’m not involved in something illegal or shady. Trust me, it’s an actual school, not a front for criminals and I get the money from a part-time job at this cat-cafe."
”I just don’t want you to get thrown into jail at 15!”
”Okay, so-“
”Heard it as soon as I said it. You’re never ever going to jail!”
”I am not because my school’s an actual school which is recognised by the government.”
”You sure?”
”120 percent sure.”
”Okay, if you say so. I trust you." 'Very, very begrudgingly', you think but don't add it.
”Oh, thank you, honorable madam, for choosing to trust your friend of 8 years after accusing her of being a criminal. I am deeply moved.”
You scoff at her theatrics before she moves onto the next topic.
”So, what are you doing now? Got any exams tomorrow?”
”Going to the theaters to watch a movie since you appearing in Tokyo has thwarted my plan of going and visiting you back in our hometown. I'm also trying to get a hold of my damn mint! I’ve been rooting through my bag for the past decade and my hand has not yet hit anything mint tin-shaped! And like I said today morning ,surprisingly, I don’t have any exams tomorrow. So, gotta make full use of today!”
”Ooh! What movie?”
"Human earthworm : 3. You wanna join me?”
“Ew, no. You are such a nerd.”
”Figures. This is why I didn't bother asking you. Okay, I’ve almost reached the theater. I’ll call you back after the movie and properly school you about how humanity is inherently evil yet kind. Sounds good?”
”Ugh, can’t wait for the most boring phone call of the year. Bye!”
With that, Nobara signs off and you're left with your phone still wedged between your shoulder and ear. Your other hand finally bumps into something mint-tin-shaped, yes! You take out the box a little too forcefully which knocks into your hand holding the bag, destabilizing the whole setup in which your phone is precariously wedged. Your phone goes CAREENING OVER YOUR BACK AND PHEW OKAY YOU MANAGED TO CATCH IT BEFORE IT HIT THE GROUND WOW THAT WAS SOME CRAZY BACKBENDING and the contents of your bag are emptied out in the sidewalk. Wonderful. You crouch down and quickly start to gather everything. Earphones, Lipbalm, a couple of pencils, your pikachu water bottle, your Kirby eraser and that weird charm that granny insisted you carry everywhere. However before you can reach the charm, a cycle, literally out of nowhere, runs on the charm and breaks it into a million tiny pieces. That’s too bad. It’s not like you were secretly trying to get rid of that thing or anything. Nope. It's not like the only reason you carried that thing around was because Granny emotionally blackmailed you into doing it. You’re totally not doing an internal victory dance.
You get up from your position with a bit too much gusto and bam! you knock into something rock-solid. You try to turn around to see what you’ve knocked into but the force from the collision, coupled with your unsteady footing, sends you towards the ground and damnit your acrobatic skills extended only up to backbending not saving-yourself-from-a-fall-by-doing-a-cartwheel. You close your eyes, bracing yourself for the fall. Hm, why haven’t you hit the ground yet? It almost feels like you’re suspended in time. It is only then you register of two warm palms supporting your waist, nevermind, you’re actually, physically suspended.
You open your eyes to some sort of markings (?) under the eyes that look like both tattoos and scars at the same time? Maybe they are tattoos which look like scars? Or is it the other way around ? And the eyes-
Oh god, the eyes.
They are the warmest and brownest eyes you’ve ever seen. If you look closely, there are little flecks of gold too. They look so kind. How can someone’s eyes look so-
Wait a damn minute.
You know these eyes. You’ve written poems about them. They’ve been stuck in your mind since this morning, in all their brown glory.
”Itadori-kun?”
”Hey, yes, you remember me! Are you alright?” He peers into your eyes and you can feel your heart beat way too fast for your liking andohmygodithathishandsonyourwaistwhyishesoclosewha-
Both of you finally take note of your position and spring far, far apart. Cheeks flaming, you thank him, thanking yourself cursing yourself internally for being clumsier than an untrained pony on a tightrope.
”It’s,uh, it’s totally cool, don’t worry about it.” he replies back. Why does his face look so red? You stare at his face which seems to make it more red (?)
"Why do you look so red, Itadori-kun? Do you have allergies of any sorts?”
"It’s just the, um, sun’s lighting, don’t uh, sweat it. Also, you can just call me Itadori.”
"Okay then Itadori, um, thank you once again."
"Happy to help." He smiles at you in a very genuine way that makes you want to worship his parents for making him.
"So, what are you upto?"
”Nothing much, just catching the new Human Earthworm movie. What are you upto?”
The world screeches to a fucking halt. Okay, that's it, pretty, pretty eyes is your soulmate, no doubt. You want to make him your husba-WHAT NO NO NUH UH STUPID CAVEWOMAN BRAIN JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE LIKES YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIE DOESN’T MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD MARRY THEM THERE ARE LITERAL MILLION FANS YOU DIMWIT yeah, there might be millions of fans but nobody else has the warmest and brownest eye-STOP NO STOP DOWN YOU DAMN MUTT.
“I’m also watching that movie right now! Crazy coincidence huh?” Truly astounding that you managed to tell him that without asking his hand in marriage. Okay, maybe you’re sane.
”We could, uh, watch it together if you’re okay with it? I think it would be a lot more fun that way. That is, if you’re up for it. If not, that’s totally cool. Cool beans.” Itadori mentally pats himself on the back.
Your heart is literally in your throat as you smile at him. “Okay then, let’s get going!”