Chapter Text
– May 2004
"You can't just have one friend," Shoko tried to push you forward into the classroom, but you stood planted in place. Shoko's unwavering resolve and your attitude had made it harder for both of you.
Just a few weeks of knowing, and Shoko was already in way over her head. Her luck placed her between three stubborn idiots.
"Trust me, you don't know me well enough. I can and will," You held onto the door frame as she tried to use her entire body weight against you.
"There's only four of us in this damn school, and you're going to have to face both of them regardless." She went to give you one last push, but with awful timing, the classroom door swung open.
With nothing else to hold onto, you went tumbling forward with Shoko. Your body collided with someone else's, forcing you to be sandwiched between them and Shoko. An involuntary yelp escaped your lips at the realization.
When Shoko noticed what happened, she took a step back, letting you fall flat onto your feet. Slowly, you looked up to see who you had bumped into, and if you weren’t embarrassed, at least it was the only thing you hoped for: that he couldn’t feel the heat of your embarrassment.
The first real impression Suguru would have of you, and you ruined it by messing around.
It didn’t help that you learned very quickly; Shoko tended to enjoy others' embarrassment. Yours more specifically. You definitely would need to keep a tally, or else how would you get her back?
"Guess you don't need my help anymore," Shoko cackled abnoxiously as she leaned onto your shoulder. You turned your head towards her, sending a sharp glare which she returned with a sly smile.
Just as irritating as the duo you've been avoiding for weeks. You were fooling yourself for thinking any differently.
"It was an accident, don't worry." Suguru could sense how embarrassed you were, and you felt blessed that he could. Maybe he wasn’t so bad, but if he hung around the white-haired demon, he had to be.
You nodded your head quickly, giving a forced smile that looked painful. Shoko winced beside you. At this point, it was a skill in how bad you were socially. Clearly, you weren’t lying about your isolated upbringing.
If she didn’t know any better, she would’ve assumed you were raised by wolves in the dense forest of Aokigahara.
But who was Shoko to judge?
She was your first friend, given how close your room was to hers. Despite her careless demeanor, she was easy to speak to. She was never judging you for going on countless rants. Which meant you were barely seen by anyone else.
The only time Suguru got the opportunity to see you was in class, but even then, you sat in the back, despite there being fewer than a handful of students in your grade. There was more than enough space for you to sit beside them.
Though in your defense, his closeness to Satoru was enough to make you weary.
Every sorcerer was aware of Satoru Gojo, the boy with the six eyes. Attached to hip was Suguru who only boasted about them both being equally strong. An impressive feat considering Gojo housed the limitless technique.
You’d never admit it out loud, but a tiny part of you was bitter. Suguru might’ve come from a non-sorcerer family, but they doted on him. It was obvious from the calls and the glances you got during move-in day.
All while Satoru came from a long line of money and, ironically enough, power. You hated it, feeling so selfish and angry at circumstances you couldn’t change.
It was neither of their faults; no one at all but the people who had brought you into this world only to abandon you when you needed them most. Which you had come to terms with, none of this was your fault. But it didn’t stop the thinking.
Could you really think you were unlucky if it was Yaga Masamichi who had found you when you needed help the most? Had it not been for him, you certainly wouldn’t be standing in a classroom adorned in fresh clothes with warm food.
"Have you seen Satoru? He promised to finally show up on time, but he's not here." Suguru asked Shoko to break you away from your thoughts. You stood there silently watching as they interacted.
It made you realize that Shoko was close to Suguru, equally as close to Satoru, too. You were the odd one out, it seemed, with how much you’ve missed in just a few short weeks.
Which made Shoko's desperation to get you to become their friend make sense. Since it meant the trio could grow, making it easier for her to spend time with all her friends.
"He might still be in his room or did you not check?" She said sarcastically and Suguru scoffed as he shook his head. Getting the reaction from him that she wanted, she grinned.
Suguru pushed her gently as a joke as he walked past her. Shoko barked out an insult at him as he walked off to Satoru’s room.
"He's such an asshole," Shoko grumbled. She grabbed onto your arm, pulling you into the empty classroom.
Being in an empty class as opposed to two weeks ago, when you attended a public school in Tokyo wasn't something you had gotten used to. Your parents insisted this was the better option and who were you to not believe them? The only option they had given you was the streets.
They might not be able to see curses the way you could but when they found out they were worried. Not the worry that was focused on your safety, but oddly theirs. They had believed their only child had gone insane, been possessed by something.
When Yaga had found you not long after had offered to talk sense into your parents. You simply couldn’t understand why some man cared enough. But for once someone that knew your secret didn’t look at you crazy or claim to be afraid.
Instead of the reluctance you had expected, your parents' finding out about Jujutsu Tech made them smile. You suspected it was simply because you were off their case, but they did claim to still love you as you said your goodbyes.
Still, you never doubted their word; they were your parents, and they must want what's best for you. Right?
As long as you pretended you couldn't see the unexplainable and you were off their plates, then things would be okay. Their obsessive search for answers would calm down.
You were their only child, and this was obligation.
"Where's Suguru?" Satoru swung the door open with enough force to send it flying back against the wall. The unexpected loudness of his voice startled you.
"He went looking for you," Shoko told him. Satoru groaned as he threw his head back dramatically.
Before Satoru could run off to find Suguru in an endless chase, he had burst through the classroom door. He breathed in deeply once he realized Satoru had made it.
“You need to be more responsible, Satoru.” Suguru reprimanded the white-haired boy. Satoru huffed childishly as he waved away Suguru’s usual lecture.
"I told you I was going to show up, and Yaga isn’t even here yet, so why does it even matter?" Satoru rolled his eyes. He walked over, taking the first seat in the front row. Suguru walked over, sitting beside him with Shoko directly behind both boys. You sat a row further back but still in reach of Shoko.
With perfect timing, Yaga walked in. Making his way behind the desk, he stood there looking at the group of kids that sat in front of him.
He had noticed how far back you were still sitting. Even with Shoko as your only friend, you were still isolating yourself.
You needed to get used to being around the other three, considering your life as a Sorcerer would begin soon. There was no way your first missions would be alone so someone had to accompany you. That person wasn't going to be him.
Yaga called your name out, snapping you from your thoughts. Unluckily for you, you had been lost in thought. Your mind wasn't even in the confines of campus grounds.
It seemed like Satoru had a thing for sniffing out your weaknesses. In his defense you didn’t hide it very well or at all.
Your silence was his joy because it meant either he could embarrass you or you’d eventually do it yourself. He turned in his seat to look over. Suguru and Shoko didn't bother to turn. Satoru already sported that familiar playful tint behind his eyes that you wanted so desperately to strangle out of him.
You watched as Yaga insisted that you get up and stand in front of everyone.
Given that everyone was three other people you should've been able to easily get up. But the truth was that your body felt glued to the seat and even if you wanted to try to move you couldn't.
"Do I have to stand? Can't I just do it here?" You were silently pleading. Just this once you hoped Yaga would allow it.
"No," He said bluntly.
Yaga didn't get paid enough for this, actually, he barely got paid at all. For teaching Satoru Gojo alone he should've been getting compensated. Being paired with multiple obnoxious teenagers who would one day become the next face of sorcerers, he definitely deserved more.
You squeezed your eyes shut for a moment before collecting yourself. Slowly you made your way towards the front of the class. Standing in front of Yaga's desk you looked over at him.
"I want you to introduce yourself again," He motioned for you to look ahead.
"I already did that," You whined as you shifted your weight between your feet.
"Doesn't matter," He waved you off. You turned to face the class.
Your eyes landed on Shoko, the only safe spot and person you knew. You began by introducing your name again followed by where you were from.
"I come from a family of non-sorcerers and it wasn't until now that I started taking this seriously." You said referring to the whole seeing curses ordeal.
You stood there speaking and trying to come up with new things to say until Yaga was satisfied.
This time around compared to the first time you introduced yourself, you spoke a lot more. Instead of struggling to get out of three lines and then running to your seat, you stood there for a few minutes.
Satoru’s occasional snickers between each time you’d run dry of answers only made you more pissed. Even with pleading looks toward Yaga to stop the humiliation wasn’t enough, he just gnored it.
"You can go back to your seat now," Yaga dismissed you. Wasting not a single second more you rushed back. Shoko watched as you nearly ran. Satoru snickered as silently as he could, which was no shocker it wasn’t quiet at all.
You glared at the back of Satoru’s head.
When he turned around to face you, the look on your face was anything but pleasant. Your brows were angled and your mouth was tightly sealed.
He was mocking you and it was painfully obvious no one had ever told him anything about how obnoxious he was.
Without thinking you grabbed the eraser from your desk tossing it at him. The eraser collided with his forehead. His smirk completely dropped as he rubbed the sore spot.
"What was that for?" He whined childishly.
Shoko tried to hold back her laugh but failed. Combined with Satoru’s reaction, Suguru himself let out a small sound.
Yaga called everyone's attention as he began the lesson.
The very next day, Yaga had rearranged the desks. Instead of there being multiple rows there was only one now. Which meant you couldn't hide in the back.
"Did you team up with Yaga?" You asked Shoko as you made your way to the seat furthest from the door. Instead of her sitting beside you, she sat on the other end of the row.
"No, but I wish I had thought of this sooner." She leaned back in her chair.
"You're such a horrible friend." You grumbled and Shoko shrugged carelessly.
The sound of the door opening pulled your attention. Satoru was staring at the new seating arrangement.
"I'm not sitting next to her." Satoru pointed in your direction. He was still bitter from yesterday. It seemed like the eraser had done some psychological damage to him.
"As if I would want to sit next to you!" You scoffed. Satoru rolled his eyes. While you and Shoko were opposites attracted, you and Satoru weren't.
“I’ll have you know plenty of people would love to be in the presence of the strongest.” He boosted as he waved towards himself. You scrunched up your face in disgust.
Shoko, of course, found it amusing. Every time you interacted she would lean over flicking her eyes over and over.
Suguru sighed as he made his way over making sure to take the empty seat beside you. Someone needed to be the bigger person and Shoko wasn't going to do it.
Sitting down in his seat Satoru stuck out his tongue to mock you.
"So mature," You grumbled. Suguru motioned to Satoru to calm down but it didn't work as you both traded childish faces and motions. Were you stooping to his level? Yes. But you couldn’t let him get the last laugh. Not until Yaga walked in.
No doubt, this was going to be a very long year.
–
Lucky for you, Suguru wasn’t so bad after all. As long as he wasn’t with his counterpart. It really helped that you were finally breaking free from your shell slowly.
He was level-headed and easy to be around, a breath of fresh air from your own thoughts and the unfamiliarity of the Jujutsu world you were thrust into.
"Geto, you didn't have to get me anything." You frowned as you carefully grabbed the box from his hands.
"I wanted to and I thought I said you could drop the whole honorific thing." Suguru watched as you opened the small pastry box.
He had gone out after class and on his way back he stopped at a bakery. Unable to stop himself he came back with something for everyone. That was another thing you had grown to admire about him. Suguru to his core was selfless and you admired that deeply.
Shoko wasn't a big fan of sweets, which he learned to remember. She preferred savory foods so he got her matcha-flavored mochi filled with red bean paste.
Satoru being the complete opposite, meant he got an ichigo daifuku.
Lastly, Suguru got you taiyaki, a pastry shaped like a fish filled with custard. He remembered you talking about it. Reminiscing about the ones you got from your childhood before it came tumbling down.
You shared the memory with him,m and though he couldn't guarantee they would live up to your standards, he hoped you appreciated the offer.
He watched nervously as you opened the box. When you saw the pastry inside, you smiled.
"You remembered?" You looked up, and you couldn’t remember the last time someone had done such a kind act, even as small as this. Suguru could tell by the way your eyes had lit up, but that was the whole point.
"Kind of hard not to when you spoke so highly about the ones you ate back home." He watched as you grabbed it.
Wasting no time you bit into it, your face relaxed fully as you closed your eyes.
"I can't promise it's as good but the place where I got it is the best bakery around here." He explained with a light laugh, amused by how much you were clearly enjoying the small pastry.
Your silence as you chewed the dessert spoke more than words could.
"I'll take it that it's good?"
"Second best and only because the nostalgia keeps the ones at home alive." You practically inhaled the rest of it.
“Why are you still standing?” You mumbled between your last few chews. You patted the space beside you. Suguru wasted no time he accepted the invitation and sat down beside you.
"So what's your favorite pastry?" You asked him as you fiddled with the empty box.
Suguru's lack of response and the confused look he gave you, made you sink into your seat.
"I can't let you be the only one getting us stuff. Plus, I don't think it would hurt if I wanted to know more about what you like." You smiled as you playfully rolled your eyes.
"Just not from the bakery, that's my thing." He teased.
"I can't promise I won't bring you anything from the bakery, though. But I can promise I'll bring you something back from my first mission."
"I'll be with you for your first mission." It would be a while before you're sent out alone, and you knew that. Still, you wanted to give Suguru something to thank him even if he would be there as you got it for him.
"Don't ruin it! I still want to get you something."
He smiled as he shook his head.
Suguru couldn't understand why Satoru was so worried about a transfer student. Now that you were here, he was more than grateful it had been you.