.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

❝ the unexpected moment is always sweeter ❞

[ Yuuji's entrance scene gave me second-hand embarrassment, why would you listen to Gojo of all people, Yuuji? 😭 ]

┏━━━°⌜ 憑拠 ⌟°━━━┓
CHAPTER 19
Surprise
┗━━━°⌜ 憑拠 ⌟°━━━┛

"Nanami, talk about something interesting." Gojo tells the man, leaning back in his seat so he's looking up at the ceiling.

Nanami doesn't answer, eyes skimming over the newspaper in his hands.

"Okay, I've got it!" Gojo shoots finger guns up at the ceiling, "Let's play catch with discarded rice balls while discussing the separation of church and state! Let's post a video of it and troll people."

Nanami flips the page of his newspaper, "Enjoy that on your own." Nanami's voice was flat as he spoke. What kind of idea is that?

"Drinking game time! Name things you love about Gojo Satoru!" Gojo claps his hands together, "Everything!"

"Please keep that attitude going." Nanami requests, not even glancing up at him, "Itadori-kun and L/N-kun need that kind of idiocy right now."

Gojo doesn't respond for a moment, looking up at the ceiling through his blindfold as he thinks back to what he told the two in that forest.

"You'll take on and complete serval harder missions."

"That wasn't what I meant by 'harder,' though." Gojo turns to Nanami, "Nanami, does Yuuji know about that finger in Yoshino's—"

"I haven't told him. Knowing him, he's just feel unnecessarily responsible." Nanami answers.

"I'm glad I left you in charge." Gojo smiles at the man before inquiring, "And the finger?"

"I submitted it to the higher-ups, of course." Nanami answers, "If I gave it to you, you'd just feed it to Itadori-kun, right?"

"Tsk." Gojo looks away childishly.

Nanami suddenly looks up at Gojo, "But is it really okay to bring them back? If the fact that they're alive becomes known at the exchange event, won't the higher-ups just target them again?"

"Even if they do, Yuuji will be just fine now. You know that better than anyone, don't you?" Gojo looks at Nanami who stays silent for a moment.

"And what of L/N-kun? Has it been a smart idea to let her repeatedly meet Sukuna?" Nanami inquires, curious.

"Hmm..." Gojo looks up at the ceiling in silence for a second, "Yeah, I'd say so. She was gloomy before what happened at the detention center. Even though she could have the time to be plotting with him, I don't think she would."

Nanami raises an eyebrow, looking vaguely surprised by his answer, "Why's that?"

"She cares for Yuuji now, a lot more than before, when she seemed to help for him 'cause he was Sukuna's vessel." Gojo explains offhandedly.

Gojo grins at Nanami, "Y/N won't betray Jujutsu High, I'm certain."

Nanami stayed silent, observing the man when—

"Sensei!"

"Wha— Itadori!"

Itadori skids to a stop in the open doors, Y/N being dragged beside him as she looks down at the ground embarrassed, mumbling an apology.

"Oh, Nanamin's here, too." Itadori realizes before waving his arms up and down excitedly as though he were a bird trying to fly, "We'll, c'mon!"

"Let's hurry up and go see everyone!" Itadori's eyes sparkle, stars appearing in them at the idea of getting to see everyone again.

"Yuuji, Y/N, are you planning to just show up like normal after dragging it out this long?" Gojo questions the two, startling Itadori as he looks at Gojo with surprise.

"Huh? We can't?!"

"Mh?"

"Even among sorcerers, you rarely see someone say they've actually been alive two whole months after they died." Gojo grins up at the two, "We have to make it a surprise!"

"A surprise?" Itadori asks with dotted eyes.

"..." Y/N looks at Gojo skeptically.

"Just leave it to me." Gojo gives the two a thumbs up, "The first-years will be laughing and crying from happiness and shock. The second-years and Kyoto students will cry with them. And someone among them will choke up and vomit, and in the end, it'll even solve global warming!"

"Sweet!" Itadori smiles brightly at Gojo, looking at him as if he put the stars in the sky.

"Itadori..." Y/N deadpans at the boy's trustworthy attitude towards Gojo.

"Sensei, what should I do?!" Itadori leans forwards towards Gojo.

"Just do exactly as I say, and go with the flow!" Gojo waves his hands back and forth as Itadori copies him.

"So what should I do?!"

"Just go with the flow!"

Y/N watches the two with a sweatdrop, glancing at Nanami; who had gone back to reading his newspaper.

Humans... Y/N sighs, exasperated.

━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━

"What?!" Kugisaki regards at the four infront of her with surprise, "Why are you all empty-handed?!"

"What are you doing with all hat luggage?" Panda asks back, pointing towards the luggage in question.

"What do you mean? We're going to Kyoto, right? For the exchange event with our sister school in Kyoto?" Kugisaki questions.

"It's an exchange event with our sister school with our sister school in Kyoto. Held in Tokyo." Panda corrects.

"No way! What did I make all those preparations for, then?! I was totally ready to go sightseeing! This sucks! What a scam!"

Kugisaki complains as the other four simply watch her.

"No wonder our conversations have been a bit off lately." Maki notices, putting a hand on her hip.

"Yeah." Fushiguro agrees.

"Salmon." Inumaki nods in agreement.

"It's held at the school that won in the previous year." Panda explains as Kugisaki runs forward, grabbing Panda as her eye twitches in annoyance.

"Then don't go winning, you idiots!" Kugisaki shakes Panda back and forth.

"We weren't in it last year! Only Yuuta participated to make the numbers match up! That was prior of freeing Rika. Apparently, it was an overwhelming win. I didn't see it, though, since it was held in Kyoto." Panda explains.

"I won't forgive you, Okkotsu Yuuta! Not that I've ever even met you!" Nobara shouts towards nothingness.

"That's misdirected anger."

"Salmon."

Maki glances off to the side at the sound of various pairs of footsteps. Glancing towards her schoolmates, "Hey. They're here."

"Oh, look. It's everyone from Tokyo together. You went out of your way to greet us?" Mai grins wryly at the group, "Disgusting."

★ Jujutsu High, Kyoto Second-Year
— Zen'in Mai

"Okkotsu's not here." Todo notices after glancing around, rubbing the side of his head.

★ Jujutsu High, Kyoto Third-Year

"Shut up. Hurry and hand over the cake box, and the yatsuhashi, kudzu noodles, and buckwheat cookies." Kugisaki demands, waving her hand in a 'give it here' motion.

"Salmon." Inumaki's eyes narrow at the Kyoto students.

"You guys hungry?" Panda asks with a sweatdrop.

"Who is that first-year?" A short girl with bright blond hair sticking up in two questions. The girl holds the broom she was carrying closer as she says, "She's scary."

★ Jujutsu High, Kyoto Third-Year
— Nishimiya Momo

"Never mind Okkotsu being absent. Isn't having two first-years a major handicap?" A robot with bronze metal skin points out.

★ Jujutsu High, Kyoto Second-Year
— Ultimate Mechamaru

"A robot! It's a robot!" Kugisaki's eyes widen.

"Age is irrelevant to jujutsu sorcerers." A boy with closed eyes and black hair says, the front of his hair framing his face with white material wrapped around them.

★ Jujutsu High, Kyoto Third-Year
— Kamo Noritoshi

"Especially with Fushiguro-kun." Kamo looks towards Fushiguro, "He's from the Zen'in bloodline, but he's more talented than the head of the clan."

Mai glares at Kamo, who turns towards her with a raised eyebrow, "Something to say?"

"Nope." Despite her words, Mai's glare at Kamo doesn't falter.

"Now, now..." Miwa walks towards the two nervously, "Please calm down, you two."

★ Jujutsu High, Kyoto Second-Year
— Miwa Kasumi

"Okay, now." A new voice chimes as the person claps their hands, resulting in everyone looking towards them, "Let's not fight amongst ourselves."

"My goodness, these children." The woman with long black-ish purple hair and a scar across her face sighs.

★ Jujutsu High, Kyoto School Leader
— Iori Utahime

"So, where's that idiot?" Utahime questions, glancing around.

"Satoru's late." Panda answers.

"As if that idiot would ever show up on time." Maki complains, rolling her eyes clearly annoyed with the teacher.

"No one said 'idiot' referred to Gojo-Sensei." Fushiguro points out, but otherwise doesn't argue against it.

"Sorry for the wait!" An energetic voice calls, everyone looking to see Gojo running towards them while pushing a cart.

Miwa looks at the man with stars in her eyes, Gojo Satoru!

"Tsk. Gojo Satoru." Utahime glares at the man with clear distaste.

"Hey, I see everyone's together." Gojo stops infront of everyone, raising his hand up in greeting, "I was on a business trip overseas. So I will now hand out souvenirs!"

"This is sudden."

"Sure it's not jet lag?"

"Bonito flakes."

"Okay, everyone from Kyoto gets this protective charm from a particular tribe." Gojo hands out small pink human-shaped dolls to all of the Kyoto students.

"None for you, Utahime." Gojo shows his empty hands with a bright smile.

"I don't need one!" Utahime seethes, openly scowling at Gojo.

"And for everyone from Tokyo, we have this!" Gojo energetically gestures to the cart.

"Overly excited adults are creepy." Kugisaki deadpans.

Gojo ignores her words as the box clicks open, one figure popping out energetically as the other simply peeks her eyes over the edge, shame filling every corner of her being.

Why'd I let him do this...? Y/N sighs internally before remembering Itadori's (very effective) puppy dog eyes.

"It's your speared friends, Itadori Yuuji and L/N Y/N!" Gojo tries to drag Y/N up but only results in her clawing at his hand until he eventually lets go, allowing her to sink back into the box.

Their two classmates look at them with their jaws dropped, faces turning even more pale.

"Okay, Kyoto students!" Gojo pushes the box which still held Itadori (who was frozen from shock at seeing his friend's expressions) and Y/N (who's refused to do anything other than peek her eyes out of the box).

"This is Sukuna's vessel, Itadori Yuuji! And the infamous curse, L/N Y/N!" Gojo introduces enthusiastically.

The Kyoto students didn't even spare a glance at them, all looking at the pink doll in their hands unamused. Well, with the exception of Miwa, who looked at it as though it were the most precious thing in the world.

"Sukuna's vessel and that curse?!" An old voice exclaims as Y/N glances behind her to see an elderly man. "What's the meaning of this?!"

★ Jujutsu High, Kyoto School Principal
— Gakuganji Yoshinobu

"Principal Gakuganji!" Gojo waves at the elderly man enthusiastically before teleporting infront of him with a bright grin. "Oh, thank goodness. I was worried you might just die from the shock."

"You damn brat!" Gakuganji glares at Gojo, who doesn't do so much as flinch.

Itadori remained frozen until suddenly someone kicked him, looking over to see Kugisaki, "Uh, yes?"

"You got something to say?" Kugisaki questions.

Y/N lifts her head out of the box fully to look up at Kugisaki.

The two watch as Kugisaki's trembles, angry tears filling her eyes.

"I'm sorry for keeping quiet about being alive." Itadori apologizes.

"Kugisaki..." Y/N looks up at her remorsefully, concerned for the girl who was on the verge of tears.

Y/N stands up, grabbing Kugisaki's hands in hers as she looks into her eyes, "I'm sorry... I didn't— I..."

"I'm sorry about not telling you guys I was alive." Y/N apologizes sincerely.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

❝ 𝐈 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖. 𝐈 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄. 𝐈 𝐒𝐀𝐖 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐋, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐒𝐀𝐖 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄 ❞