Suguru Geto

The drive from Kyoto to Tokyo took only a few hours.

But for some people, those few hours were already far too long.

"Are we there yet?"

"Why aren't we there yet?"

"This lousy car is so uncomfortable-"

Satoru Gojo hadn't stopped talking since they got in.

He sprawled in his seat, his head resting against the window and his long legs stretched out with nowhere to go, complaining nonstop.

Zhiyan sat beside him with his eyes closed, tuning him out.

Kamo Xian Di sat opposite them, leisurely sipping a cup of tea-who knew where he'd gotten it; the man really did love his tea-with an air of perfect serenity.

Shoko leaned against Zhiyan's shoulder, quietly watching the scenery rush past outside.

Wana sat beside her, struggling with a bag of snacks.

"Gojo," Kamo Xian Di finally said, "could you be quiet for a while?"

Satoru Gojo turned and glared at him.

"Why should I be quiet? I'm expressing perfectly reasonable dissatisfaction!"

Xian Di smiled faintly.

"You've been expressing your 'perfectly reasonable dissatisfaction' for two hours now, ever since we got in."

"That just proves this trip really is unsatisfactory!"

Zhiyan finally opened his eyes and glanced at him.

"We're almost there."

Satoru Gojo's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

Zhiyan didn't answer. He simply closed his eyes again.

Satoru Gojo didn't mind. He pressed himself against the window to look outside, muttering away.

"Tokyo, Tokyo, here I come! I heard there are loads of great desserts here. I'll have to try every single one-"

Beside him, Wana muttered under her breath.

"White-haired idiot. All he thinks about is food."

Satoru Gojo had sharp ears and immediately turned around.

"What did you say?"

Wana blinked innocently.

"Did I say anything?"

"You did! You said I-"

"What did I say about you?"

The two were about to start arguing again.

Shoko sighed softly.

"Enough. We're almost there."

Her voice wasn't loud, but both of them shut their mouths at once.

Satoru Gojo huffed and turned back to the window.

Wana huffed too, returning to her battle with the snacks.

The car finally fell quiet.

About another half hour later, the car stopped at the foot of a mountain.

They got out and found themselves standing before a vast forest.

Lush green trees surrounded them, stretching as far as the eye could see. In the distance, mist wreathed a rolling mountain range, making it look like a fairyland.

A flight of stone steps wound upward, disappearing deep into the woods.

Satoru Gojo looked left, then right, his expression growing stranger by the second.

"Zhiyan," he said, a hint of disbelief in his voice, "don't tell me you don't know the way either?"

Zhiyan glanced at him.

"What do you mean?"

Satoru Gojo pointed around them.

"Look at this place! It's the middle of nowhere! Are you sure Tokyo Jujutsu High is somewhere like this?"

Zhiyan ignored him and spoke to the others instead.

"Grab your luggage. Let's go."

He stepped onto the stone stairs first and started climbing.

Shoko followed him, and Wana hurried after her.

Kamo Xian Di brought up the rear at an unhurried pace.

Satoru Gojo stood where he was, staring after them for several seconds.

"Hey-! Wait for me-!"

He hurriedly grabbed his luggage and chased after them.

The stone staircase was long and winding, with dense woods on either side. Occasionally, a clear, pleasant birdcall rang out, breathing a little life into the mountain forest.

"This place..." Satoru Gojo muttered as he walked. "Isn't it way too remote? If I didn't know Tokyo Jujutsu High was here, I'd think I was being trafficked."

Wana answered from up ahead.

"Who would traffic you? Could they even find a buyer?"

Satoru Gojo glared at the back of her head.

"Why wouldn't they? I'm so handsome!"

Wana didn't even turn around.

"Ugh. What a narcissist."

"You-!"

The two were about to start arguing again.

Shoko gently tugged on Wana's hand.

Wana immediately fell silent and obediently kept walking.

Seeing that, Satoru Gojo huffed and stopped talking too.

The group continued climbing in silence.

After about fifteen minutes, the end of the stone staircase finally came into view.

An enormous gate stood there.

It was wooden, weathered and imposing, carved with intricate patterns. A plaque hung above it, bearing several large characters-

Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu High School.

"We're here," Zhiyan said.

They stopped and looked at the gate.

This was where they would be living from now on.

Just then, a voice came from nearby.

"Are you new students too?"

They turned toward the voice and saw someone standing at the school entrance, smiling at them.

He was a boy around their age.

He wore neat, dark casual clothes, his posture upright and his manner gentle and refined. His black hair was slightly long, tied into a small bun at the back, with a rather, well, unusual lock of bangs hanging over his forehead. He had delicate features, a mild expression, and just the right touch of a smile on his lips.

His eyes were particularly distinctive.

They were long and narrow, with slightly upturned outer corners. When he smiled, they curved into two gentle arcs that hid the emotions beneath. At that moment, they held mild curiosity as he looked over each of them in turn.

Standing there, he resembled a stalk of green bamboo growing quietly, graceful and elegant, with a naturally reassuring presence.

"Hello," Shoko said first, giving him a nod.

The boy nodded too, his smile gentle.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Suguru Geto."

His voice was pleasant as well, warm and clear, neither hurried nor slow, with a natural composure.

"Suguru Geto..." Satoru Gojo repeated, then broke into a huge grin. "I'm Satoru Gojo!"

Suguru Geto looked at him and was about to say something when he noticed Satoru Gojo staring at his face.

His gaze was direct and utterly undisguised.

"Gojo?" Suguru Geto tilted his head slightly. "Is something wrong?"

Satoru Gojo leaned a little closer, staring at his eyes.

"Hey," he said, curiosity in his voice, "can you open your eyes any wider?"

Suguru Geto froze.

He wondered if he'd misheard.

"...What?"

Satoru Gojo was about to repeat himself when a hand suddenly reached over from the side and clamped squarely over his mouth.

"Mmph, mmph-!"

At some point, Kamo Xian Di had come up beside him. He covered Gojo's mouth with one hand and gripped his shoulder with the other, his movements swift and precise.

"Please excuse him." Xian Di nodded to Suguru Geto, then dragged Satoru Gojo aside.

"Mmph, mmph-Kamo, let go-mmph-"

Satoru Gojo struggled, but Xian Di's hand covered his mouth so tightly that he couldn't get a single word out clearly.

Wana laughed so hard she doubled over.

"Hahahahaha-see? I told you! He's an idiot with zero social skills!"

Shoko's eyes curved in amusement, but she said nothing.

Zhiyan stepped forward, met Suguru Geto's gaze, and gave a slight bow.

"Sorry. He speaks before he thinks. He didn't mean any harm."

Suguru Geto looked at him and blinked.

A flicker of amusement passed through his narrow eyes.

"It's all right," he said, his tone still gentle. "Gojo is... very interesting."

Zhiyan nodded.

"Naoya Zenin."

He gestured to the person beside him.

"Shoko Ieiri, my fiancée."

Shoko inclined her head slightly.

Suguru Geto's gaze moved between them, and his smile deepened.

"Your fiancée?"

"Yes. It was arranged when we were children."

Suguru Geto nodded without asking any more questions.

Zhiyan then pointed to Wana, who was still laughing.

"Wana Zenin, my younger sister."

Wana finally stopped laughing and waved at Suguru Geto.

"Hi there!"

Suguru Geto nodded to her.

"Hello, Miss Wana."

Wana blinked.

"Just call me Wana!"

Suguru Geto smiled.

"All right, Wana."

Finally, Zhiyan looked toward Satoru Gojo, whom Xian Di had dragged aside.

"The white-haired one is Satoru Gojo."

He paused.

"He might not look very dependable, but he's not a bad person."

Satoru Gojo finally broke free of Xian Di's hand and strode back over.

"What do you mean, I don't look dependable?! I'm totally dependable!"

He glared at Zhiyan, then turned to Suguru Geto with a huge grin.

"That didn't count! Let's start over-I'm Satoru Gojo! From the Gojo Clan!"

Suguru Geto looked at him, amusement in his narrow eyes.

"Hello, Gojo. That thing earlier... what was that about?"

Satoru Gojo blinked.

"What was what about?"

"Well..." Suguru Geto tilted his head slightly. "You asked me to open my eyes wider?"

Beside them, Wana was about to double over with laughter again.

Satoru Gojo scratched his head.

"I was just curious! Your eyes turn into little slits when you smile, so I wanted to see how big they actually are."

Suguru Geto paused, then laughed.

His smile deepened, his eyes curving into two gentle arcs, their outer corners slightly raised like a pair of crescent moons.

"How about now?" he asked.

Satoru Gojo stared at him for a few seconds.

"...I still can't see them."

Wana laughed even harder.

Zhiyan let out a quiet sigh beside them.

"Satoru Gojo, enough."

Satoru Gojo waved a hand.

"I know, I know! I'm just curious!"

He looked at Suguru Geto again.

"You do look pretty good when you smile, though. Your eyes are just a little small."

Suguru Geto wasn't offended. He simply smiled pleasantly.

"Thanks for the compliment."

Kamo Xian Di came over then and gave Suguru Geto a slight bow.

"Kamo Xian Di."

Suguru Geto looked at him and nodded.

"Kamo, thanks for earlier."

Xian Di smiled faintly.

"It was nothing."

Suguru Geto's gaze swept over the group, his smile sincere.

"I'm glad I met you all. I was worried my future classmates might be hard to get along with."

Satoru Gojo leaned over and slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Well, now we're friends!"

Suguru Geto swayed under the weight of his arm but didn't pull away. He just smiled and nodded.

"All right."

The group headed through the school gates.

Once they stepped inside, the view opened up before them.

Rather than the stuffy campus they had imagined, a spacious courtyard lay before them. A bluestone path wound ahead, lined with a pleasing arrangement of maples, cherry trees, pines, and other trees. In the distance stood several traditional Japanese buildings, their black tiles and white walls nestled among the greenery.

Farther away, a rolling mountain range rose through swirling clouds and mist, like a realm of immortals.

"Wow!" Wana exclaimed. "It's beautiful!"

Satoru Gojo looked around too, his eyes shining.

"This place...is way better than I imagined!"

Walking beside them, Suguru Geto took in the scenery with the same wonder in his eyes.

"It really is beautiful."

He looked at Satoru Gojo.

"Have you never seen it before, Gojo?"

Satoru Gojo shook his head.

"Never been here. I've visited Kyoto Jujutsu High, but this is my first time at Tokyo Jujutsu High."

Suguru Geto nodded, then looked at Zhiyan.

"What about you, Zenin?"

Zhiyan shook his head.

"My first time too."

Suguru Geto smiled.

"Then it's a first for all of us. We can explore together."

His tone was natural, as though they had been friends for years.

The group followed the bluestone path farther inside.

Along the way, they saw several people in school uniforms passing by, some hurrying along, others strolling leisurely. All cast curious looks at their group.

"Quite a few new students this year."

"That white-haired guy is so tall..."

"Those ones have such a presence..."

Whispers rose around them.

Satoru Gojo heard every word, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help lifting.

"Did you hear that? They're complimenting me!"

Beside him, Wana spoke quietly.

"Are they complimenting you? They're complimenting the white-haired guy."

Satoru Gojo glared at her.

"I'm the white-haired guy! The white-haired guy is me!"

Wana stuck out her tongue.

"Sure, sure. You're amazing."

Suguru Geto smiled faintly as he watched them bicker.

He turned to Zhiyan, who was walking beside him.

"Zenin."

Zhiyan looked at him.

"Hm?"

Suguru Geto paused, then asked.

"Have you all...known each other long?"

Zhiyan nodded.

"Seven years."

Suguru Geto's eyes widened slightly-though, given the size of his eyes, the movement wasn't particularly noticeable.

"Seven years? So you've known each other since childhood?"

"More or less."

Suguru Geto fell silent for a moment, then smiled.

"That's nice."

His voice held sincere appreciation, without envy or disappointment, only simple admiration.

"It's wonderful to have friends like that from childhood."

Zhiyan looked at him.

"Didn't you have friends before?"

Suguru Geto thought for a moment.

"I did. They were all ordinary people." He paused. "But after I awakened, I started seeing different things. That inevitably put some distance between me and my old friends."

His tone was calm, as though he were stating a fact.

"But there's nothing to be done about that."

Zhiyan said nothing.

Suguru Geto looked at Satoru Gojo, who was bickering with Wana up ahead, then at Kamo Xian Di and Shoko walking quietly along, and finally at Zhiyan.

"But it looks like I have some now."

He smiled, warm and sincere.

The corners of Zhiyan's lips curved slightly.

"Yeah."

The group continued onward.

After about fifteen minutes, they finally reached a separate courtyard.

It wasn't large. An old pine stood by the entrance, its gnarled branches lending the place an air of antiquity.

"This should be where we check in," Suguru Geto said.

Just as he finished speaking, the courtyard gate opened.

A white-haired old man stepped out and smiled when he saw them.

"Oh, have all this year's new students arrived?"

He wore a simple kimono and a kindly smile, looking for all the world like an ordinary grandfather.

But his eyes were sharp.

Not with an overt, piercing sharpness, but one that lay deep in his gaze, as though he could see through everything.

He surveyed the boys and girls, letting his gaze linger on each of them before nodding.

"Good, good."

He walked up to Satoru Gojo and looked at him.

"The boy from the Gojo Clan?"

Satoru Gojo blinked.

"You know me?"

The old man smiled.

"The Six Eyes. Who wouldn't?"

He turned to Kamo Xian Di.

"The boy from the Kamo Clan, heir to Blood Manipulation."

Xian Di bowed slightly.

"Greetings, Principal."

The old man nodded, then looked at Zhiyan.

"The Zenin Clan's Ten Shadows Technique is here too."

Zhiyan bowed slightly.

"Naoya Zenin. Greetings, Principal."

The old man's gaze settled on Shoko.

"Reverse Cursed Technique...I haven't seen that in years."

Shoko remained as impassive as ever.

"Shoko Ieiri."

Looking at her, the old man suddenly smiled.

"Good, good."

He turned to Wana.

"And you are..."

Wana blinked and gave him a broad smile.

"I'm Wana! Zhiyan is my older brother!"

The old man looked at her with a hint of curiosity.

"What's your Cursed Technique?"

"Projection Sorcery."

The old man froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Good, good. Just like that boy Naobito Zenin."

Finally, his gaze settled on Suguru Geto.

Suguru Geto met his gaze and bowed slightly, neither servile nor arrogant.

"Suguru Geto."

The old man regarded him with a measure of scrutiny and appreciation.

"Cursed Spirit Manipulation?"

Suguru Geto nodded.

"Yes."

The old man was silent for a moment, then smiled.

"It's been a long time since I've seen that Cursed Technique."

He looked at Suguru Geto, his gaze turning somewhat reflective.

"You didn't know about Jujutsu Society before?"

Suguru Geto shook his head, his tone frank.

"No. I grew up in an ordinary family."

The old man nodded.

"Then you still have a great deal to learn."

Suguru Geto smiled faintly.

"Yes. I'll work hard."

The old man smiled in satisfaction.

He turned and walked into the courtyard.

"Come inside, all of you. There are a few things I need to tell you."

Everyone followed him.

The courtyard was small but neatly kept. Directly opposite the gate stood a Japanese-style room, its sliding doors open to reveal the furnishings within.

"Take a seat," the old man said.

Everyone took off their shoes, entered the tatami room, and sat down one after another.

The old man sat at the head of the room, watching them.

"My name is Shirakawa, and I'm the principal here. You can just call me Mr. Shirakawa."

His gaze swept across each of their faces.

"You're all new students this year, so you probably already know that Jujutsu High isn't like other schools."

He paused.

"You didn't come here to learn ordinary subjects. You came here to become qualified jujutsu sorcerers."

"What is a jujutsu sorcerer? Someone who protects ordinary people from cursed spirits. This job is dangerous and demanding. You could lose your life at any moment."

He looked at them.

"Are you ready?"

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

Then Satoru Gojo spoke up.

"Of course I'm ready! I'm the strongest!"

Shirakawa looked at him and smiled.

"The strongest? That will depend on how you perform from here on."

He turned to the others.

"And the rest of you?"

Zhiyan nodded.

Kamo Xian Di nodded as well.

Shoko remained as unruffled as ever.

"I'm ready."

Wana blinked.

"I'm ready too!"

Finally, Shirakawa's gaze settled on Suguru Geto.

Suguru Geto met his gaze and nodded earnestly.

"I'm ready."

Shirakawa looked at them, then suddenly smiled.

"Good," he said. "Then give it your all."

He stood up.

"Your dorm rooms have been assigned. Someone will take you there shortly. Classes officially begin tomorrow."

He walked to the door, then turned back.

"Oh, and there's a welcome party tonight. Make sure you all attend."

With that, he walked out.

Everyone stayed seated, exchanging glances.

"A welcome party?" Satoru Gojo's eyes lit up. "Does that mean there'll be good food?"

Beside him, Wana muttered.

"All you ever think about is eating."

Satoru Gojo glared at her.

"What's wrong with eating? You say that like you're any different!"

The two were about to start arguing again.

Suguru Geto watched them with a faint smile.

He turned to Zhiyan.

"Zenin."

Zhiyan looked at him.

"Hm?"

Suguru Geto paused, then spoke.

"Thank you, all of you."

Zhiyan looked puzzled.

Suguru Geto continued.

"I'm glad I met you all."

His tone was sincere and natural, without a trace of affectation.

Zhiyan looked at him and was silent for a second.

Then the corners of his lips curved slightly.

"It'll only get better from here."

Suguru Geto paused in surprise too, then smiled.

His smile was warm and gentle, his eyes curving into two soft crescents.

"Yeah."

Satoru Gojo came over and slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Come on! Let's go see what the dorms are like!"

Suguru Geto let himself be pulled to his feet and followed him with a smile.

Everyone left the tatami room and walked out of the courtyard.

Outside, the sunshine was just right.

Mountains rolled into the distance, while the trees nearby were lush and green.

A new life was about to begin.

And new friendships had already begun.