Joining Jujutsu High

Ijichi's car stopped outside Jujutsu High before dawn.

The barrier around Jujutsu High gave off faint fluctuations that could be sensed through cursed energy.

Masamichi Yaga stood just inside the school gates, his coat draped over his shoulders. His expression was solemn, with none of the irritation of someone who had been woken up.

He glanced at Junpei, confirming that he had cursed energy inside him, then looked at Nagi Yoshino.

"Ijichi explained the situation. We'll arrange for your mother to stay in the staff family quarters. They're covered by the barrier." He turned to Junpei. "You'll enroll as an auditing student and stay in the student dorms for now."

"Can I go to the dorm now?" Junpei asked quietly.

"Yes." Yaga tipped his chin toward Itadori. "Itadori, take him there."

Itadori walked over from Mashiro's side and patted Junpei on the shoulder. "You can stay next door to me. The room's empty."

Nagi Yoshino stepped in front of Junpei and reached out to redo the buttons he had fastened incorrectly on his school uniform.

It was just like the way she usually straightened his collar in the morning.

"Call me if you need anything," she said. "Don't go anywhere dangerous."

"Mom."

"I'm fine." Nagi Yoshino smiled. "Study hard here and make some more friends."

"Yeah, I will." Junpei nodded.

"Please take good care of Junpei."

"Of course we will."

Nagi Yoshino nodded to Mashiro and Itadori, then picked up her suitcase and followed the Assistant Supervisor away.

Junpei stood where he was, watching her disappear around the corner.

"It's okay, it's okay. She's really close. You can see her whenever you want," Itadori said, patting Junpei on the back.

Junpei nodded, finally showing the faintest smile, and followed Itadori toward the dorms.

His room was the second to last at the end of the hallway. Inside were a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe.

The window faced the hill behind Jujutsu High, with a view of the woods and an artificial stream.

Junpei set down his travel bag and stood in the middle of the room, unsure what to do next.

Itadori leaned against the doorframe with his arms folded. Seeing how lost Junpei looked, he smiled a little. "Want to go to the training grounds if you can't sleep?"

"Now? At four in the morning?"

"We can't sleep anyway. Want to go?"

"Okay."

Dew still clung to the grass at the training grounds. Itadori sat cross-legged on the ground.

Junpei watched him and sat down opposite him.

"Let's start with using your cursed energy," Itadori said. "Close your eyes and feel the energy inside you."

Junpei obediently closed his eyes and began channeling his cursed energy.

A moment later, he opened his eyes and looked at his outstretched palm. A small cluster of cursed energy gathered at his fingertips, perfectly stable.

"I learned some of this from Mahito." He hesitated, but told the truth anyway.

Itadori fell silent for a moment, then got up and sat beside Junpei, draping an arm around his shoulders.

"Junpei, Mahito is a really dangerous curse." Itadori tightened his grip slightly. "He treats humans like toys, changing their bodies however he wants."

Junpei closed his eyes, his body trembling slightly. "...I know."

"And he was the one who lured that cursed spirit to your house."

Junpei took a deep breath, recalling the sight of Mahito transfiguring humans and the humans of all sizes he had kept in his hands.

"I understand. You all need to be careful. Mahito has a lot of transfigured humans stored away."

"Don't worry. The teachers at Jujutsu High are all really strong! Mashiro isn't technically a teacher, but she's really strong too!"

Itadori patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. You and your mom are both safe here."

Junpei finally relaxed. He was willing to trust this earnest, hot-blooded boy.

"Yeah. I trust you, Itadori."

"Oh! You can just call me Yuji, you know. I've been calling you Junpei this whole time."

"Okay... Yuji." Junpei smiled faintly as he said his name.

"Great. Let's try your cursed technique next. Do you know how to use it, Junpei?" Itadori got up and stood opposite him.

Without a word, Junpei channeled his cursed energy and activated his cursed technique.

Shikigami summoning.

A jellyfish-shaped shikigami emerged from Junpei's hands, its countless tentacles secreting tiny droplets of a black substance.

It was poison. Junpei's cursed technique refined poison from cursed energy, then had his shikigami secrete it through its tentacles.

"Oh, so your cursed technique summons shikigami! Fushiguro does that too! Oh, Fushiguro is one of our..." Itadori excitedly began telling him about Fushiguro.

Junpei didn't interrupt him. He listened with a smile, only explaining his own cursed technique after Itadori finished.

"I see." Itadori nodded. "A shikigami that secretes poison, huh? That's really impressive!"

"What's your cursed technique, Yuji?" Junpei asked, letting his shikigami float around beside them on its own.

"Oh, I don't have one."

Itadori scratched his head without the slightest embarrassment. "I'm different from everyone else. I only got cursed energy because I swallowed a cursed object, so I don't have a cursed technique."

"I see." Junpei looked at him. "Then you must be really strong in other ways."

"Oh, you bet I am!" Itadori grinned proudly. "Let's practice controlling your shikigami. I'll help!"

"Okay!"

Before long, Itadori stood up and brushed the grass off his pants.

"I need to help your mom get settled. She's staying in the staff family quarters, and there's still some paperwork to do."

Junpei nodded. "I'll come too."

"You can get some rest. Take this chance to sleep." Itadori took a couple of steps away, then stopped. "Things will get busy after tomorrow."

"Yuji."

"Yeah?"

Junpei sat on the ground in the training field, the jellyfish swimming slowly around him. Its transparent tentacles occasionally brushed gently against his body.

He wore a gentle, peaceful smile that hadn't appeared on his face in years.

"Thank you."

"What for? We're friends, right? It's what friends do." Itadori smiled and waved, then ran out of the training grounds.

Mashiro hadn't entered Jujutsu High with them.

She stood at the gates for a while, watching Nagi Yoshino being led away to rest and Junpei following Itadori toward the dorms, then left Jujutsu High.

On her way home, her phone vibrated softly. Mashiro took it out.

"Nanami": Has that high school student been settled in?

"Mashiro": Yes.

"Nanami": Mahito won't let this go without a response. Watch yourself.

"Mashiro": I know. You be careful too.

"Nanami": Will do.

Mashiro put her phone away and continued toward her apartment.

The streets were deserted at half past four in the morning.

The lights from the vending machines cast faint pools of light onto the pavement. The convenience store's sign was still lit, waiting for customers.

She walked for about ten minutes, then suddenly stopped.

Behind her, a shadow stretched across the ground beneath a streetlight.

When Mashiro turned around, the figure casting the shadow moved. The stitches on his face were especially clear under the light.

Mahito tilted his head as he looked at Mashiro, his expression somewhere between curiosity and delight.

"The toy I just found has gone missing. Do you know where it is?"

Mashiro turned to face him, her crimson eyes gleaming faintly in the darkness.

"No idea. Why don't you look somewhere else?"