Chapter Six: Everything

Under the starry night sky, you sat beside your best friend. Betelgeuse was visible in the vast sea of stars, shining brighter than the other little glitters littered all over the dark blue canvas.

On that grassy hill, you stargazed while listening to him talk.

Yuuji talked about all sorts of things, he kept nothing from you. He looked happy and you liked how things were.

"Yuuji, are you happy?" you asked as you continued to keep your eyes fixed at the night sky, "Because I am, right now."

The pink haired boy smiled as he looked at you, "I'm happy," he said, "It's good that you're happy too! You were bored back in Sendai, right? You must've been, I'm sorry I didn't ask more about the things you used to see."

You switched your gaze and locked eyes with Yuuji. You did not expect him to apologise about that because you thought he had long forgotten about all those times when you told him about the things you saw.

Chuckling softly to yourself, you smiled, "It's okay, you didn't do anything wrong," you said, nudging him lightly, "Besides, things are good now, so let's not dwell on the past."

Yuuji only glanced at you before he let out a soft laugh, "Yeah."

"Anyway, where did you go today? In the afternoon, I mean," he asked.

You grinned at the mention, "I went out shopping with Nobara," you replied, as you smiled brightly.

"With Kugisaki? And you didn't invite me? Ouch Y/N, I'm hurt," Yuuji teased.

Glancing at him from your peripheral vision, you glared at him playfully, "I mean, would you really want to spend a whole day shopping and looking at hair dye?"

"Wellll... I wouldn't have said no to that," Yuuji reasoned, "What colour are you dying your hair this time? Pink? We could totally match!"

"Nope, just going for the usual H/C, I like it," you replied as you shrugged.

Yuuji blinked twice at you, "I forget that this isn't even your natural hair colour," he said, dumbly, "White's a nice hair colour though."

"Nah, I don't want anything to do with my family, I don't wanna look like what they've thrown away," you said as you stared off into the glittered darkness of the sky, "Besides, I don't look good with white hair."

He stared at you silently as he observed your features, "I think you'd look great but, it's up to you. You're naturally pretty so anything's fine, really," he shrugged.

You turned to face him while stifling a laugh. Your brows were slightly arched as an awkward smile was stitched onto your lips, "Thanks?" you chuckled, finding the feeling that plagued your heart a little strange.

"Also, you're already on a first name basis with Kugisaki? That's fast. We took like-- 2 years before we started calling each other by our first names," Yuuji said, noting the fact that you've already begun to address Nobara by her first name.

You only shrugged, "She told me it was okay, so might as well. She has a nice name, it'd be a waste if I didn't call her that."

Yuuji narrowed his eyes as he glared at you like a child, "That's like saying my name was not nice enough for you to use," he said, sticking his bottom lip out.

"What?" you raised a brow, "I never said that! Are you... jealous?"

He blew a raspberry and looked to the side, "Whaaat?? Noooo, we're best friends! There's nothing for me to worry about... Right?" he asked, snapping his gaze towards you and staring at you directly in your eyes.

You stared at him wide eyed before smirking, "I mean, nahhh... Nobara's already my new best friend, so there's totally nothing to worry about, nothing at all," you teased as you stood up.

"Race you back to the dormitory, the last one there is... hmmm... No longer my best friend!" you giggled as you made a dash back to your dormitory.

"Huh?! No way!" Yuuji hopped up in pursuit of you.

The pink haired boy chased after you, but because you were a tough opponent for him to beat, he lost to you, which meant you arrived back at the dormitory first.

You glanced at your best friend who skidded to a stop right behind you, "So how does it feel to no longer be my best friend, huh, Yuuji?" you smirked.

Yuuji then stared at you with a look of betrayal drawn all over his features, "But Y/N! We've known each other for like-- 11 years! You can't just--"

"Are you stupid, Yuuji? We went through almost everything together, do you really think I'll replace you just like that?" you laughed, interrupting him.

He folded his arms together and screwed his eyes tight as he thought about what you had just said, "I guess you're right.. But, I am stupid, Y/N, I thought we agreed on that," he said, reopening his eyes to stare at you dumbly.

You deadpanned at the pinkette, "I'm going to bed, night, partner," you said with a slight smile on your face.

Yuuji beamed, saluting at you, "Roger that! Goodnight, partner!" he grinned brightly as he watched you enter the female dormitory.

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Clouds hid the sun as it drizzled with a tinge of melancholy.

It was the next day and the first-years of Jujutsu High were sent out on a mission. This meant that Fushiguro, Nobara, Yuuji and you were present.

"Our window verified the Curse Womb three hours ago. Once 90 percent were successfully evacuated, they made the call to seal off the centre. Citizens within a 500-metre radius have been evacuated , as well," Ijichi explained.

The four of you stood under the light rain as you absorbed the information.

"Ijichi-san, question," Yuuji called out, raising a hand, "What's a 'window' here?"

You were curious too and Yuuji had asked the question that you had intended to ask, so you listened closely to what the man had to say.

"A window is a member of Jujutsu Tech who can see curses. They aren't sorcerers, though," he explained.

"Ohhh..."

"Let's continue."

Ijichi then went on to explain the situation. There were five detainees left in the detention centre and there was a chance that the Cursed Womb may metamorphose into a Special Grade curse. You had read in a book beforehand that a Special Grade was no good news and it required a Special Grade Sorcerer to exorcise it; a Grade 1 sorcerer would already be a close call for them.

"Hey, so... I still don't really understand what 'special grade' means," Yuuji said.

Nobara and Fushiguro clicked their tongues as they stared at your best friend. You only kept a serious look on your face as you strained your eyes to scan the building. The Cursed Energy pulsing from the building was immense, more than any you had ever seen before. It was hard to tell where the enemy was in the building but there was also something familiar ringing from the building.

You narrowed your eyes, straining them to identify what was it that felt familiar to you but, alas, you could not place a finger on what was so familiar.

Ijichi only went on to explain how different Grades of Curses worked for dummies. It was extremely simplified but it worked like a treat because Yuuji understood.

"That's real bad!" Yuuji exclaimed.

Fushiguro, Nobara and you only stared at him dully.

"Normally a Jujutsu Sorcerer on par with the Cursed Spirit would take on the mission," Fushiguro explained, "On a day like today, that would be Gojo-sensei."

"I-I see," Yuuji stuttered, "So where is Gojo-sensei?"

You only took in a breath before sighing, "He's on a business trip," you replied.

"Huh?"

"He's not someone who should be loafing around at the school in the first place," Fushiguro elaborated.

Ijichi stepped in, explaining to Yuuji about how there is always a lack of Jujutsu Sorcerers, "The current case, however, is an abnormal one, and most urgent. Do not fight under any circumstances. If you encounter a Special Grade, your options are to either run or die."

You were calm and stoic, just like how Fushiguro was but the other two, they gasped a little while taking in the information. Crossing your arms together, you switched your gaze back at the building. Your inability to identify what the familiar feeling you felt was bugging you.

Ijichi continued to warn the four of you about the dangers of a Special Grade but you only tuned him out and narrowed your eyes at the building. Sure, you were a confident person but you were not overconfident. You only tuned out Ijichi's warning because you had read all about Curses in your free time prior to this mission and he was only repeating what the book warned you about.

"Excuse me!" a woman's voice called out from outside the detention centre, "Excuse me, where's Tadashi?!"

You switched your focus from the building to the worried woman.

"Please stay back!" the guards requested as they kept her from entering the premises.

"Is Tadashi... Is my son all right?" she asked.

Your features then softened, feeling pity for the woman. Unknown to you, a certain pinkette felt the same as you did.

Ijichi then stepped in front of the both of you, "She's a guardian who was here for a visit," he explained, "Please step away. There's a possibility that someone has spread poisonous gas throughout the centre. We cannot share any more details at this time."

You glanced at Ijichi, understanding his lie and respecting his professionalism. However, hearing the lady breakdown and cry made your heart twinge. It felt bad to see someone so distraught. If you could do something about it, you would, but reading the files about the detainees before arriving at the centre. You didn't know what to do.

Tadashi was not the type of person you'd like to save, but a thought did dawn on you.

Who were you to decide what was wrong and right? Who were you to decide who deserved to be saved or not?

You were selfish so you ignored those thoughts, but of course, they plagued your mind. For the sake of his distraught mother, you were willing to save Tadashi if you could, but you would not put your life on the line for him. That was the compromise you gave yourself.

Unlike Yuuji, you were no hero. You were not as kind as him because you knew how bitter the world tasted.

"Fushiguro, Kugisaki, Y/N," Yuuji called out, determination filling his voice, "We're gonna save them!"

Nobara turned to face Yuuji with a determined look, "Of course we are."

Fushiguro and you had the same determination in your eyes but the two of you stayed quiet, silently observing the other two.

There was something that only the two of you were aware of, after all, only the two of you read the files before arriving here.

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The four of you approached the entrance to the building.

"Be careful," Ijichi warned, "I'll put up my Veil."

He held his middle and index finger up close to his face, "Emerge from darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure."

A coat of blackness then engulfed the perimeters of the detention centre, you turned your neck a little to watch it spread throughout the sky.

"Huh? It's becoming night!" Yuuji exclaimed in wonder with his usually child-like voice.

Fushiguro, who walked in front of him, only stopped in his steps to explain to him what a veil was, "It's a Veil. There's a residential area nearby, so this barrier conceals us from the outside world."

Yuuji only continued to sight see like a tourist, "That's incredible!"

You huffed a light chuckle, smiling at him. It was incredible how he could still smile at a situation as tense as this one.

Nobara only kept her arms folded as she deadpanned at the pink haired male, "Ignorant."

Fushiguro clasped his hands together to form a sign, "Gyokuken!" he called out as he summoned a white dog, "He'll let us know if the curse gets close."

Your face brightened at the sight of the dog. You absolutely loved them and thought they were extremely cute.

Approaching the dog, Yuuji and you played with its fluffy hair.

"Oh, I see! Good boy, good boy! We're counting on you, okay?" he cooed.

"I'm gonna call you Shiro!" you beamed.

Fushiguro only clicked his tongue, "Shiro's not yours to name," he scolded.

"And yet you're calling him that too," you shrugged.

The dark haired male remained silent as he glared a childish glare at you.

You only grinned like a proud mom as you patted Shiro's head gently before following behind him.

Fushiguro and Yuuji then pushed open the door to the building, allowing Shiro to lead the way. "Let's go," Fushiguro said, seriously.

The three of you followed behind him as he followed Shiro with a cautious walk. However, the walk soon picked up into a slow jog as the four of you ventured deeper into the detention centre.

"Wait!" Fushiguro called out, holding his hand out.

Your eyes widened when you skidded to a stop and glanced at the strange interior. You had read about this too. Things were definitely worse than you had expected and, to top it off, you weren't confident that you could leave this place alive, let alone save the detainees.

"Where's the door?!" Fushiguro exclaimed, snapping his head towards the entrance which was now no longer there.

You were the first to realise after Fushiguro's question. Remaining silent, you could only stare in shock at the disappearance of the door. Shit was getting real bad.

"Th-The door's gone!" Yuuji exclaimed.

"Well spotted, Yuuji," you replied sarcastically, your face, however, held a serious and shocked look.

Nobara then began to freak out alongside Yuuji but you had to admit, they looked rather funny and it certainly lightened the air around the innate domain.

"We'll be fine," Fushiguro assured, "Shiro remembers the scent of the entrance."

Your cheeks raised into a smile at the mention of that, feeling proud of the dog.

"Oh, my!" Yuuji and Nobara exclaimed in a whimsical tone.

"Good boy! Have some jerky!" Nobara exclaimed as Yuuji rubbed his face against the fluffy white dog.

Fushiguro only grew agitated by their reactions, "The two of you are way too calm!" he scolded.

You only chuckled softly, "Well, they do help lighten the pressure we're feeling right now, no? Plus, you're a reliable person, Fushiguro, I'm sure we'll be fine," you said, sending him a reassuring smile.

"Yeah! You really are dependable!" Yuuji exclaimed, still hugging Shiro, "Thanks to you, we'll be able to rescue people and save ourselves, too!"

Fushiguro shot up a little, staring at the two of you with his eyes wide before returning to his usual expression. He stared at the ground as he listened to Yuuji's words, "Let's keep moving," he said, stoically.

The four of you then began to advance deeper into the innate domain with Shiro taking the lead. Reaching a large vacant area, you then noticed a bloodied body, propped against the wall. Your brow twitched at the sight of a dead person. Even though you were aware that the chances of seeing a live person was not high, the sight of a dead body still made your stomach drop.

It's not everyday you encounter a dead person after all.

Yuuji rushed towards the bloodied body, checking the name sewed into the uniform of the dead person. It was Tadashi. He was missing the lower part of his body. He had been severed into half.

It didn't matter how bad of a person he was anymore, you felt disgusted by the curse that did that to him.

"That's... Three people, right?" Fushuguro asked.

"Let's take this body back," Yuuji declared.

You only clicked your tongue. Fushiguro side eyed you as he observed you. Your eyes were screwed tight and your brows were knitted together. You had your fists balled up and your jaw was clenched. You were frustrated and Fushiguro knew exactly why.

'So you know that it's not possible, huh?' he thought to himself as he took in a breath and approached Yuuji, pulling him back.

You followed behind him to get a closer look at the mangled bodies even though they made your insides churn. "We have to find and verify two more. Leave that body behind," Fushiguro said.

"Quit joking around!" Yuuji scolded as he turned his head to look at Fushiguro who had a look that was dead serious, "We turned around, and the way we got in here was gone! We won't be able to come back for it later!"

Fushiguro furrowed his brow as he began to scold the pink haired boy, "I didn't say come back for it! I said to leave it behind!"

You scrunch your eyes close, unwilling to see the look on Yuuji's face. This would hurt him, you grew aware of that when you saw that look of determination on his face and when you realised how grave the situation was.

"I have no intention of risking my own life to save someone I had no intention of saving in the first place!" Fushiguro yelled.

You pursed your lips together and your brows were tightly knitted together when you heard the ruffles of clothes. Yuuji grabbed onto Fushiguro's collar and began to question him, "No intention of saving him?! What do you mean by that?!"

"This is a juvenile detention centre. Jujutsu Sorcerers are granted access to all information about the scene beforehand," Fushiguro stated, "This Okazaki Tadashi hit a little girl on her way home from school while driving without a license. It was his second offense of driving without a license."

"I know you're stuck on saving lots of people and guiding them to proper deaths. But what are you going to do when someone you saved kills someone else in the future?" he questioned, leaving Yuuji shocked.

"Yuuji, don't," you said, sternly.

"But Y/N!--"

Forcing the frown away, you painted a blank expression onto your face. In order to comfort your friends and cool the heated air that filled the room, you had to seem unbothered, you had to be as normal as possible, so nobody would feel stressed. Being stressed would only add more stress to your friends, so you had to be calm. You had to...

"Then why did you bother saving me?!" Yuuji argued, returning his gaze towards Fushiguro.

You opened your eyes to observe the situation as calmly as you could. To be honest, you were stressed and afraid, but you could not show it, you would not allow it to show.

Fusiguro and Yuuji exchanged tense glares but that moment was eased out by Nobara's scolding, "Cut it out! Come on, what are you two doing?! You're both idiots! Think about the time and place if you--"

"Nobara!!" you yelled, a split second before she fell through the ground. You were too late. You felt something strange, but you were too late.

Clenching your teeth and grunting you unknowingly glared at the two who were arguing.

"Kugisaki?" Yuuji called out.

Fushiguro only had a look of plain shock plastered all over his face. You scanned the room before coming to a realisation that Shiro was missing, "Fushiguro! Where's Shiro?!" you exclaimed, feeling your stress rise at an alarming rate.

Noticing where Shiro was before Fushiguro could even answer, you stared at his mangled body in shock as you felt your stomach drop and your tears prick your eyes. "Shi..ro..." you muttered as you reached your hand out and attempted to walk towards the dead Divine Dog.

Fushiguro snapped his head towards you and where you were looking at, he gasped at