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Their sensei, Fushiguro Megumi, is a silent, sometimes cynical, old man. Despite nearing his 60s, he's still capable of utilizing what was left of his shadow technique from the war 43 years ago and still hailed as one of the most competent hand-to-hand martial fighters from his generation. He remains the sole member of the extinct Zenin clan and its last head, stubbornly refusing to marry or continue his bloodline, especially since his only other clan member, Okkotsu Maki (nee Zenin) married into the Gojo clan.
Despite his prickly personality and introverted nature, Fushiguro's social life isn't terrible either, per his students' observation. There is always someone (who isn't an active duty sorcerer— or who is still an active duty sorcerer from previous generations), coming and going from his office. It could be the always visiting Kugisaki Nobara, or his scarily powerful relative Maki and her equally scarily powerful husband, Okkotsu Yuuta. Once in a while, their son, Okkotsu Iori, would drop by too.
Sometimes, it's Inumaki Toge with a smaller Panda on his surviving shoulder. Or the strange gambling addict Hakari Kinji with his wife, Hoshi Kirara. Then, there's their retired healer, Shoko Ieri, who visits him once in a blue moon if her health permits. A variety of people, legendary or novice (in comparison), visit him all the time.
Sure, it's probably work-related, since the present fourth year students of Jujutsu High had never seen their school principal do anything but work— But, surely, the visits should count as a social event, right?
"It's kinda sad, don't ya think?" Miya Ayame confides, tapping her chewed up pen on her bottom lip.
The three fourth year students gaze down the path towards the principal's office from their classroom window, where the revered Kugisaki Nobara is stomping out of the building with a huge scowl on her face. It is unbefitting of her age to act so childish, but then again, there is no shortage of weirdos in the Jujutsu society.
Her idiotic classmates were too busy snickering at Kugisaki's behavior to hear her comment, not until she repeats it again, louder, right in their ears.
"Sheesh—" Hinata Hirofumi scoffs, pulling away from her before she could hurt his eardrums again. Their other classmate, Bokuto Akio, merely shrugs.
He asks in disinterest, "What are you even talking about?"
Boys. They always have no interest beyond themselves. Miya takes a deep breath. Once. Twice— is a girl group. Wait, I'm getting distracted.
"Fushiguro sensei." She stresses. "I think it's sad that he isn't married, or have a girlfriend, especially for his age."
"Not everyone wants to get married, you realize that right?" Bokuto refutes.
"'Sides, putting aside his achievements, Sensei's a looker, y'know? If he wanted to, he would've." Hinata says offhandedly. Then, he looks distantly into the horizon, muttering to himself, "He's getting more gray hair these days though."
Miya smacks him on his head and sneers, "You probably contributed to that!"
Reminded of his own recklessness, Hinata smiles sheepishly but immediately scowls, affronted to be blamed for something out of his control. It is not his fault what's left of cursed spirits roaming around in Japan decide to take him as a target!
"Still, I think it'd be nice to have someone as a life companion, especially after all he—and his whole generation— went through." Miya sighs.
The atmosphere turns somber at the reminder of the past that had transpired.
Then, Bokuto breaks the silence with news equivalent to a bomb.
"Actually, he might actually have a partner or some sort. Last Sunday, I was out jogging and saw Fushiguro sensei with a young dude. They seemed pretty cozy but I didn't stick around 'cause Fushiguro sensei clocked my presence and gave me that look so I left."
They all shudder at the image of Fushiguro sensei leveling them the glare that promised a year long punishment.
"Wait—" Hinata holds out his hands, snapping out of his self-concocted fear, and shrieks, "Backtrack— You said young dude?"
Miya huffs in realization, "I didn't know he was into guys."
Hinata whips his head in her direction with bulging eyes, "That's your take away?"
The only female student rolls her eyes and turns to Bokuto. She asks suspiciously, "How young? and why do you think they're like that?"
"At most, probably a decade older than us— And, that's why I said "or some sort", do you think I was crazy enough to approach them and ask?" Bokuto grumbles.
Hinata whistles, "Sensei's a sugar daddy."
"Don't—" Miya forcefully inhales. "Let's not jump into conclusions. Could be a friend, or a friend's kid."
Bokuto shrugs, "Could be. But, here's the kicker— I didn't sense any cursed energy. Like at all. from the guy."
"Is it even possible?" Hinata scratches the top of his head. He nudges Miya. "Yo, your mentor's Miyaguni-san right? You can try asking."
With that, the discussion went from "Is the mystery guy Fushiguro sensei's lover?" to "Is it possible to have undetectable cursed energy?". Miya sighs, letting the topic go, as she sits back and watches the two idiots argue their heads over the impossibility.
On an unsuspecting Sunday, the ever calm Bokuto storms into their communal area with his hand wrapped tightly around his phone. Miya and Hinata, who were enjoying their idle card game, flinch when the brute slams down his poor device on the table which scatters their attempt of building a pyramid.
"DUDE!" Hinata bellows, while Miya watches forlonly at the fallen building.
"Check this out." Bokuto releases his phone and stands back, arms folded across his chest like a proud peacock.
Anger put aside, both students peer over the cracked phone screen. It's open to an Instagram account. Upon closer investigation, it belongs to none other than Okkotsu Iori. In the picture Bokuto had clicked on, there was the Okkotsu family and other random people at a family gathering, decked out in traditional clothings. All except for one man.
Though not clearly the center of the picture, this man is an eye candy. His tall physique looms over most guests. His soft pink hair is unruffled from the wind. His face, devoid of a smile, is scarred but nonetheless, handsome. He is the only one in casual clothes, consisting of a white hoodie and slacks.
The picture was posted nearly a decade ago.
"It's him. The guy I saw with sensei."
Hinata squints his eyes and retorts, "Was this a coming of age ceremony for Okkotsu-san or for this mystery dude? Sheesh. He's really young."
"Okkotsu-san friend, then." Miya guesses. Then frowns, "Why would he be hanging out Fushiguro sensei though?"
"When I saw him, he didn't look like he aged from that on." Bokuto says, almost conspiratorially.
"Probably good genes. It's not impossible. Look at Fushiguro sensei. Who would've guessed he's near retirement?" Hinata shrugs.
Miya suddenly leans in close, and taps the picture to zoom in on the lone figure. "Hey, that bracelet looks familiar."
It's a red kumihimo bracelet.
"Hey, don't Fushiguro sensei always wear one too?" Hinata asks.
When they first noticed it, they didn't think much of it. It had been worn and the color was fading, turning almost brown. Now that they're seeing it on the figure and connecting it to the park incident, it seems pretty plausible that—
"Oh. My. God. Fushiguro sensei is a sugar daddy!"
Hinata may have been the one to put a name on sensei's relationship with a much younger man, but he struggles to wrap his head around it. He tries not to think too much about it, if he can help it. Perhaps, despite his delusions, he thought of it so much that it manifested into real life.
He's alone, walking back from the field and crossing the path to the principal's office, when he comes across a familiar man he'd seen once on Instagram. Hinata nearly stumbles on his feet, both awed and uncomfortable, as he witnesses the man, oblivious to his presence, hopping from one stair to another in a giddy manner, with a nicely wrapped lunch box in his hands.
"Megumi-chan!" The man yells as soon as he opens the door, uncaring of eavesdroppers. Then, he disappears into the building.
Fushiguro Megumi. Former vessel and survivor of the Disgraced Ryomen Sukuna. Could beat his students and cursed spirits into the ground within 10 seconds. With a glare so cold that could lead to the receiver peeing their pants.
Megumi-chan?
Hinata is going to faint.
The three troublemakers are gathered in their classroom, bored out of their minds. For once, Fushiguro sensei is actually being a teacher and not just the principal so he prepared a special lesson for them. Miya, personally, finds it ridiculous. They're graduating in a couple of months and are sent off on missions more often. Still, she shows up anyway. She doesn't doubt that the idiots think something that align with hers, but just like her, they appear in the classroom too.
Their sensei, a rigid man, enters the room at the exact time when the special lesson is supposed to start. He is in his usual working clothes, dressed in black from head to toe, with a loose, tall collar buttoned all the way up. He gives them a soft greeting and walks to the front of the class.
Hinata's hand shoots up; "Sensei, what are we learning today?"
It's a reminiscent of their first class together, which seems to bring a small smile on their sensei's face. Miya is amused. For someone so rigid and serious, sensei does have a sentimental side to him. The smile is gone as fast as it appeared though.
"You'll officially be sorcerers in two months." Sensei begins. "Though the world is at peace now, I'm sure all of you have been exposed to the lingering dangers and know how easy it is to lose your lives, or your loved ones."
The three students lower their heads, somber and understanding.
"I am not here to warn you about the dangers— You already know it. I am here to let you talk to an older sorcerer. He'll be the one to give you your lesson today."
With that, the door slides open and enters Fushiguro sensei's sugar baby.
All three students freeze in their seats. Always the one with the least tact, Hinata is gawking. None of the reactions pass over their sensei's head, but mercifully, sensei keeps his comments to himself in the presence of their guest.
The mystery man stops next to Fushiguro sensei, giving them a polite smile. He seems withdrawn, as if he doesn't want to be here. Regardless, there is an almost.. kind air radiating off him.
"Takanashi-san, you may take over." Fushiguro sensei says.
Surprisingly, he walks off to the back of the class and settles on a chair nearest to the window instead of standing beside his sugar baby. Probably not to rouse suspicion. Miya inwardly snickers. They're doing a bad job at it, considering the matching bracelets they're still wearing.
Takanashi clears his throat, after shooting sensei a betrayed look.
Hinata raises his hand again, "Sensei, we've never seen you before. What grade are you?"
"I'm not your sensei." Takanashi says exasperatedly. There's a brief distant look in his eyes, as if recalling a memory, but it quickly fades away. "My name is Takanashi Toru. I am just a 3rd Grade sorcerer."
His cursed energy checks out. Miya can sense it weakly circulating in his body. Perhaps Bokuto hadn't sensed it right when he saw them at the park. In their class, all of them are 2nd grade sorcerers already working to get a promotion. In hindsight, it is a little strange to have someone of a lower grade giving them a talk.
"So, what are we doing today?" Bokuto asks, already sounding bored.
"Your sensei wanted me to give you a talk, but frankly, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do." Takanashi says sheepishly.
In the back, they can hear sensei face palming.
"Let's see.. I've been working as a sorcerer for as long as I can remember." Takanashi says hurriedly. "For nearly fourt— 12 years now."
What was that slip? Miya narrows his eyes.
"12 years and you're still a grade three?" Hinata asks, befuddled.
A vein in Takanashi's forehead bulges but he keeps his smile. "Well, I'm content where I am."
"You could've gotten a promotion but chose to.. stay as a third grade?" Bokuto reiterates in disbelief.
They hear another face palm from sensei.
Takanashi sighs. "Listen, kids. I may not be as strong as others, but I've seen far too many tragedies to count. I am always on the sidelines, always at risk of being the one dead. I've seen colleagues and friends die, especially those with higher grades. I've seen the dangers they faced. Yes, I may not be the one fighting their battles, but I clean up after them. You may call it cowardly, but I can give you perspective of those in my shoes."
Miya is beginning to understand the point of the lesson now.
"In the future, you'll go out alone to face your battles. But dying to win and risking death to win is a very important lesson you need to learn." Takanashi says, the most serious they've seen him be. "I live, until now, despite my weaker strength, for twelve years, is because I know which battles to fight, and which ones you have to run away from."
He starts pacing, giving each of them long, hard looks. "All of your battles will end with death, yours or others. Sometimes, you're backed into a corner and you give up on surviving. You'll treat yourself as disposable, a cheat trade-off to defeat your enemy. But, this kind of mindset only prevents sorcerers from imagining a future where they become stronger."
"What if there is nothing you can do but die?" Hinata suddenly asks, and for once, Miya can see the unbriddled fear he hides underneath his optimism.
"You can accept dying, but your ultimate goal is to win and live to see tomorrow."
In front of them, Takanashi doesn't look or sound like a grade three sorcerer. He looks and sounds like a survivor much stronger than all three of them.
"So, don't die?" Bokuto asks.
Miya is so flabbergasted, she turns to Bokuto and hisses, "Is that really what you took away from that?"
The serious atmosphere falls apart, and Hinata cackles. Takanashi's shoulders sags, which Miya hadn't noticed were tense in the first place. She can even hear sensei letting out a sigh of defeat. Amidst the chaos, Miya doesn't miss the soft, lovestruck smile Takanashi-san sends to the back, the only reciever none other than their Fushiguro sensei.
It was disgusting, but, sensei's sugar baby is alright.
"Listen, Takanashi-san is a good man." Hinata says, planting his arms over their dining table. "I approve him for Fushiguro sensei."
"They're both adults anyway." Bokuto shrugs.
Miya, before she can speak, gets interrupted.
"Fushiguro sensei? What's up with him?"
Their nosy intruder is the only third year student, Usami Ken. All three nearly jump out of their chairs.
"Man! Knock or something." Hinata groans.
Usami gives him a look. "You call yourselves sorcerers but didn't even notice someone coming in?"
Miya bears her teeth, angered but unable to refute.
"So, what's up with Fushiguro sensei?" Usami asks, sitting down uninvited.
Hinata, ever the loose mouth, says, "He's got a sugar baby."
Miya and Bokuto exchange long looks over Hinata's head.
Usami furrows his eyebrows. "Sugar baby..?"
"Thirty years his junior I'm sure." Hinata rambles. "Man, you should've seen him, Usami. He's tall, and easy on the eyes. Dunno how they met, but man, he's cool."
"You spoke to him?" Usami asks.
"He gave a talk to our class recently." Bokuto says, unable to come up with anything to salvage sensei's reputation, especially with Hinata's blabber mouth. "I don't get what he said much but he was alright."
Looks like we're coming clean.
"Careful." Miya drawls. "Sounds like you boys are catching a crush."
"Don't deny it, Miya. You were so focused I thought a laser will shoot out of your eyes and obliterate Takanashi-san." Hinata teases.
Miya shoves him. "What he was saying was good, but seriously, what is his hair routine? He has probably been dyeing his hair for years! How could it remain looking soft and.. pink?"
"Pink?" Usami interrupts once more. His face suddenly serious. "Does he have scars on his face?"
"You know him, Usami-kun?" Bokuto asks, curious.
"Somewhat." Usami murmurs. Then to himself, "Pink hair, scarred face, tall, Fushiguro sensei's sugar baby.."
When Usami abruptly leaves his seat to scurry off somewhere, it leaves his seniors befuddled.
"What's up with him?"
All three merely shrug.
The "what's up" leads to what they can only call as chaotic hell.
Coincidentally, all three fourth year students and their lone third year student were returning from the field when they encountered a scene straight out of a comedy show. Fushiguro sensei is on the steps of his office building, arms crossed over his chest. There is a man bearing striking resemblance to Usami standing next to him with an equally exasperated look.
On the path to the building, a man in suits is on his knees, grasping at Takanashi's pants, his words too fast for anyone to catch. Takanashi is staring up at the sky like the world is going to end.
When the students come into their view, Usami blinks and yelps, "Ojichan?"
The older Usami sees him and raises his gloved hand casually, "Oikko."
The three fourth year students keep looking between the family reunion and the never-ending comedy scene between the strange man and Takanashi. Fushiguro sensei and Usami-san walks over to them, attempting to block the hilarious scene.
Receiving the questioning looks from the students, Usami-san sighs and gestures to the mortifying scene. He says, "That's my direct subordinate, Mino-kun."
He doesn't explain why Mino is trying to stop Takanashi from leaving.
"—ITADORI-SAN!" Mino wails, clutching onto Takanashi's pants tighter.
Itadori.
"Itadori-san? As in Itadori Yuuji, the country's only special grade?" Miya gapes. The very young man who gave them a talk is the Itadori Yuuji?
Her idiots belatedly connect the dots.
"Takanashi Toru is Itadori Yuuji? Ryomen Sukuna's first vessel—" Hinata shoots a careful look at Fushiguro, who doesn't look offended by it. "—the Strongest of Tomorrow? The Prince of Black Flash?"
The long list of ridiculous aliases earn them a loud, mournful groan from Itadori Yuuji. It's a wonder how he could still hear them over Mino's wailing.
"I thought he upped and left. I didn't know he was around." Bokuto says.
Usami suddenly looks guilty. He says to his uncle, "Ah, maybe.. I shouldn't have told you about what I heard."
At this, Fushiguro gives him a look. "Well, it wouldn't be long until the Ministry find him." sensei says. "Hm, told him he should be more careful."
Usami-san shoots Fushiguro sensei an apalled look. After all, Fushiguro has now just deemed himself an accomplice and merely watched as the Ministry spent years looking for Itadori Yuuji. The loyalty of their generation knows no bounds.
Instead of sticking around and arguing with Fushiguro sensei, Usami-san sighs and turns on his heels. He marches over to the comedic duo, tugging Mino off the floor. He starts apologizing profusely to Itadori who grows more uncomfortable by the second. Surprisingly, he doesn't actually leave.
This leaves sensei with the students.
Usami looks apologetic as he opens his mouth to speak but Fushiguro sensei waves him off.
"No need. I'm sure your uncle had you on the look out." Sensei says. Then he turns to his older students. "All of you, however— What kind of concoction did you come up with? sugar baby? Seriously?"
The three fourth year students lower their heads sheepishly.
"I'll say this once, and I will not say it again. Itadori Yuuji is not my sugar baby— He's my husband."
Safe to say, another chaotic hell breaks out.