Chapter Text
Gojo scowled as the black car pulled up, his ride to Jujutsu High.
Really, the whole thing was an insult to the heir of the Gojo clan, expecting the God of the Jujutsu world to go to school? He scoffed at the idea.
And yet here he was, entering the passengers side of the car. As he pulled on the door, it refused to open.
“Hey!” He yelled. “Let me in!”
The sleek black window he was facing slowly pulled downwards, revealing the face of his new teacher, Yaga-sensei, as he would soon learn to call him.
“Front is for staff.” He said simply. “Get in the back.”
Gojo's face reddened at the notion. “I'm not a child!” He said, exasperated.
And yet, despite this, the strongest sorcerer in the world found himself sitting in the back seat of the car.
With the child lock on.
Despite the dent to his ego, Satoru kept up his cocky demeanour. “So teach, who else are we picking up? I presume that you haven't built a whole course around little old me? Though, I wouldn't be surprised, after all, I am the gre-”
“Yes, we have a few more students to pick up,” Yaga interrupted him, the first thing he had said since telling Gojo to get in the car. “I just hope that the others aren't as troublesome as you.”
As Gojo gawked at the blatant insult, the car pulled up to a regular-looking high school, where students were leaving in droves. As the teenagers left the building, all girls, one stood out to Gojo. His six eyes allowed him to see it clearly.
The aura of cursed energy emanated from the brown haired girl. She had a cheeky expression on her face as she waved goodbye to her friends, despite the bags under her eyes.
She stopped in front of the car, getting in without even needing to be told so.
“This is Shoko Ieiri. She'll be your first classmate. Miss Shoko, this is-”
“Gojo, yeah, I know. Hard to find someone in this crazy world who hasn't heard of him” She responded quickly, not missing a beat, as she sat down beside gojo, in the middle seat.
As the car took off, driving towards its next student, Shoko and Gojo had their own staring contest. Gojo had expected this commoner to back down, but she refused, and so the next half an hour was spent in total silence.
That changed with their third member joining them, climbing in beside Shoko. Gojo glared at him, his six eyes screaming out that this guy was not human.
“Mind explaining why a curse is sitting beside us?” He asked in a cocky tone, as if he saw himself as better than the sorcerer beside him.
“Excuse me?” The newcomer asked incredulously. “I assure you, I am no curse!” He says, disgusted at the mere notion.
“Hate to tell ya, bud, but my six eyes don't lie! You stink of the same stuff that all curses stink of.”
“Satoru, quieten down,” Yaga spoke up.
“But you can't seriously consider letting a curse-”
“-I'm not a curse!”
“-go to the same classes as us!”
Yaga shook his head, annoyed. “The reason your six eyes think he's a curse is because of his innate cursed technique. Gojo Satoru, meet Geto Suguru. His cursed technique allows him to absorb and store cursed spirits.”
Satoru’s eyebrow quirked upwards, as he didn't bother apologising. “Seriously? You use curses? Man, that's pretty pathetic. You do realise that we exorcise curses, not keep ‘em as pets, right?”
“Are you always this pigheaded? No wonder none of the clans get along with the Gojo clan!” Geto retorted.
Shoko just chuckled like a little devil, clearly enjoying the show, as the shouting match continued over her lap, the two boys arguing on either side of her.
The drive to Jujutsu High continued, with the bickering in the car only growing louder, Satoru constantly riled up Sugaru, who very quickly figured out how to get on Gojo's own nerves, while Shoko simply laughed at the show, and Yaga felt a headache forming.
Thankfully, it didn't take long to get to Jujutsu High. The base, despite being on the outskirts of Tokyo, was easily accessible to those who knew where it was.
The car slowed to a crawl, and the trio of new students found themselves travelling up the many steps to the entrance of the campus.
“So, sensei, is it really just going to be the three of us this year?” Geto asked.
“Yeah,” Shoko responded. “Bit of a short turn out.”
“Please!” Gojo butted in, laughing. “It's gonna be the two of you once my clan figures out that having me here is a waste of time! It's just gonna be the two of you, the curse manipulator and the reverse curse manipulator! An opposites attract situations, how romantic!” He goaded, and Geto growled in response. “Shut up, Gojo!”
“Oh yeah? Make me!” He shot back with his trademark sly grin.
Yaga just pinched the bridge of his nose, as he sighed. However, their argument was quickly interrupted, as the gang finally made their way into the entrance, being interrupted with a cheery “Yo!”
As the trios attention turned to the new source of sound, they were met with a wave from a sorcerer about their age.
What stood out most wasn't his unusually pink hair, but of the two scars displayed along his face.
One cut into his skin above his right eye, and the other marked his flesh on the left side of his mouth.
His cheery greeting, however, was the most unusual thing about him. From Shoko and Suguru’s perspective, he was practically radiating light, with how friendly he was. But from Satoru's perspective, he was literally radiating energy.
His cursed energy was loose and relaxed, as if it had once been stretched to such an insane degree, but whatever had left such a mark on his cursed energy was long gone.
“And who the hell is this newbie?” Gojo questioned.
“Your fourth and final classmate.” Yaga responded simply.
“Hey!” The newcomer greeted them for a second time. “I'm Yuji Akutami! Nice to meet you!”
The classroom was big enough to hold thirty or forty students, atleast, and yet only four would be using it for the next three years.
“So, Akutami, what's your cursed technique?” Shoko asked.
Yuji laughed as he scratched the back of his head. “Sorry, but I'm not really a fan of my cursed technique, so I'd rather not discuss it.”
Shoko nodded along to this. It was perfectly understandable. Since cursed techniques were built on negativity, there was a long history of cursed techniques popping up that were hated by everyone, even the user. Cursed techniques that caused harm or killed the user, or instilled fear in their loved ones. A sorcerer not wanting to discuss their cursed technique was nothing out of the ordinary.
“That's so boring though!” Gojo called out, exasperated by the concept of someone being humble.
“Not all of us get the benefit of having a cool cursed technique.” Geto interrupted. “Some of us even get mistaken for curses because of ours.” His voice was cold.
“That was one time!”
“It was an hour ago.”
“There's no reason to be so sensitive!”
“Oh yeah? How would you like it if-”
Shoko once again chose to tune out the bickering as she turned her attention back towards Yuji.
“So, have you fought curses before?”
“Uh, yeah, but shouldn't we talk about-”
He pointed towards their two classmates. “-That?”
Shoko just waved Yuji off. “They've been bickering like this all day”
“Isn't that a bit… immature?” Yuji questioned, causing Shoko to snort.
“The great Satoru Gojo being immature? Who could've seen that coming!”
Yuji just looked over at the two boys, concerned, and Shoko was very puzzled by this reaction. “Seriously? You didn't actually expect the most egotistical sorcerer in the world to be mature?”
“He's the head of one of the big clans, right? With that much responsibility, I just presumed that he was a bit of a responsible person!” He said, defending himself.
“Yeah, that should be the case, in a sane world. But we don't exactly live sane lives, do we?” Shoko asked.
“No, I guess we don't.” Yuji responded.
“So-” Yaga said as he sat down behind the teacher's desk, in front of them. “My first question for all of you is, why do you want to be sorcerers?”
“Well, that's easy!” Gojo smirks. “I'm the stronges-”
“That's not an answer, Satoru.” Yaga replied.
“I want to help people!” Shoko tried, only to be shot down.
“That's a weak motivation. When you're laying down in a ditch, mauled half to death, will you curse the very people you've pledged to save? Can you live with knowing that you won't ever be able to save everyone?”
Geto spoke up next. “I don't know,” he said truthfully. “I only came here because I can't just ignore this side of me. I can't just live with non-sorcerers for the rest of my life, and ignore this part of me,”
Yaga nodded. “Well, at least you're honest. This class, for all of you, isn't just about learning how to fight, but also why you fight.”
He turned to Yuji, who took a deep breath. Had Yuji been a novice sorcerer, he might've said something like what Shoko said. Things about saving people, for no good reason other than the fact that he could.
If he was just a traumatised teenager, he probably would've just tried to rid himself of his own autonomy, claiming that there were things only he could do to help people.
But Yuji had grown past this long ago.
“I want to help people,” He said.
Normally, Yaga would've brushed him off like he did with Shoko, but Yuji had something in his eyes, a conviction that didn't just come from guilt, or blind naivety.
“Why?” A one word question, but it was all that needed to be asked.
“Because life is worth fighting for.”
Yuji looked out of the window.
“Getting to play with friends, messing about in groups, enjoying time with family, eating, sleeping, learning. No matter how simple, all of these things matter, and people deserve to have them. So I'll fight, even if it's just to give someone I'll never know one more minute of happiness!”
His proclamation was passionate, and filled with experience. Just like Yaga had thought, those scars weren't simple close calls with cursed spirits, they told a story, one that had allowed Yuji to grow a great deal in what Yaga suspected was a very short amount of time, due to how hidden his presence had been.
Unlike the other three, who were well known, as all new sorcerer prospects were, Yuji seemingly popped up out of nowhere only a month ago. His, to put it simply, rampage, had not gone unnoticed, and he was very quickly recruited by Jujutsu tech. He was strong, but also dangerous. Not because of his strength, but because of how little anyone knew about him.
Yuji was as much of an asset as the other three, even if, as of now, he was nowhere near as flashy.
Yaga smiled.
“Akutami, you've passed. You'll be allowed to go on missions, supervised of course. Geto, you came close to passing, thanks to your self awareness, so I'll be letting you go on some missions. Not as many as Yuji though, at least not until you fully pass.”
Yuji grinned and pumped his fist up, cheering “Hell yeah, first try!”, and Geto simply responded with a smile.
“As for Gojo and Shoko, you're both banned from missions until you can pass.”
“What?” Gojo asked, dumbfounded, while Shoko just shrugged. “Eh, more free time for me, then.”
“Sensei, you can't be serious! I'm the strongest! The clans aren't going to be okay with you just sidelining m-”
“Actually,” Yaga retorted. “All three clans, along with the higher ups agreed with this idea.”
“Wha- How? Why?” Gojo just couldn't seem to process this, much to the amusement of the rest of the group.
“You're not invincible, even though you might think you are. It favors absolutely no one in Jujutsu Society to lose someone who could possibly create a peaceful society for sorcerers before he has the chance to grow into his strength.”
Gojo grumbled about it being bullshit, while Yaga continued his speech.
“Now that that's settled, you'll find your dorms down the hall. Just turn right, and keep walking, and you'll get there eventually. Your dorm rooms have already been assigned, so you don't need to worry about arguing over spots.”
The group walked down the hallway, as a group. Well, as a trio, as Satoru had decided that he didn't want to be seen with them, so he had run off ahead.
Yuji was deep in thought, which both Shoko and Geto noticed.
By the time they got to the dorms, Gojo had already locked himself up in his room, and Geto was quick to do the same. Shoko just sighed. “Jeez, look at what we have to deal with!”
Yuji just shrugged. “They don't seem that bad.”
Shoko just stared at him blankly. “All Gojo did was brag about his strength and insult us!”
Yuji rubbed the back of his head. “I guess, yeah that is pretty bad. But I'm sure there's a good person buried under all of… him.”
Shoko started squinting, causing Yuji to look around. “Is there a glare or something?"
“Nah, it's just, your optimism is blinding. Are you sure you're meant to be a sorcerer?"
“Yep, pretty sure I was made to be one.” Yuji thought to himself, as he shrugged.
They walked into the common room. “Well, at least we have some decent stuff to use!” Shoko said.
The common room was split into two sections, a living area and a kitchen. Both were very high tech, for the mid 2000s at least.
Shoko sat down greedily in front of the massive TV, while Yuji poked around the kitchen.
Shoko looked over at him curiously. “Is the kitchen really that interesting?” She questioned. “Just making sure I know where everything is!” He responded quickly.
“Do you cook?” She asked, getting a nod in response.
“Yeah, I had to feed myself somehow, y’know?”
“No family?” Shoko asked, and Yuji shook his head.
“A grandfather, but he died from cancer.”
The way he mentioned his grandfather was distant, but fond, as if he had died years ago, and Yuji had already accepted it.
“That sucks." Is the only response that Shoko could muster.
“Yeah” Yuji responded, as he opened a cupboard, pulling out some pasta. “Are you hungry?”
Shoko grinned. “Only if you're any good at cooking!”
Yuji smiled. “I'll let you be the judge of that.” He said, as he pulled out a pot, turned the stove on, and started boiling some water.
It was funny, in a way. That such a strange set of circumstances could lead to something as mundane as cooking dinner.
As the day drew to a close, and Shoko and Yuji retired to their rooms (unfortunately before Shoko actually managed to try Yuji's cooking, turns out the appliances turn off automatically after curfew), one thing was very clear to all four students.
Today was the start of a completely different life, for each and every one of them.
Especially for Yuji Akutami.