Yuji's eyes flickered open, the bright morning light seeping through the blinds. He could feel the weight of his body pressing against a soft mattress. It wasn't the hard, cold floor he had woken up on last night. His mind scrambled to piece together everything that had happened, but it was a blur. One thing was certain: he was no longer in the cramped space where he had fought for control against Sukuna. He was somewhere new, somewhere he couldn't remember being.
The first thing he saw was the white ceiling above him, and then the faint outline of a door.
"Ah, you're awake," came a voice, smooth and calm. Yuji turned his head, slightly startled.
A man stood in the doorway, his voice soft but confident. "I'm the principal of this school, Yaga. Satoru Gojo's colleague."
Yuji opened his mouth to speak, but Yaga raised a hand, stopping him.
"Rest for now. I'll explain more once you're settled."
Jujutsu High? Yuji thought, still trying to wrap his mind around it. This was the start of something far bigger than he had ever anticipated.
⸻
The following day, Yuji stood in front of the school's gate. He'd been given the chance to explore, and after what he had gone through, he needed some time to gather his thoughts. I don't even know what's going to happen next, he thought, his hands tucked into his jacket pockets as he walked past the large building.
I don't belong here, he mused as he glanced around at the towering walls, the trees swaying gently in the breeze, and the distant sound of people talking. But they're giving me a chance. I'll make the most of it.
Yuji wandered aimlessly, taking in his new surroundings. It was strange—everything was so different from what he had known. As he walked past the rows of trees and headed for the training grounds, he couldn't help but feel out of place.
Wait, training grounds? He realized that he had seen those areas when he was first shown around the school. Maybe it would be a good idea to check it out.
As Yuji turned a corner, his steps slowed when he noticed something—or rather, someone—in the distance. It was a girl, sitting cross-legged on the ground, the soft hum of ink and skin filling the air as she carefully worked on something. Yuji froze, his eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity.
She was focused entirely on the intricate design on her thigh. The tattoo appeared to be some sort of mirror, its edges swirling with fine lines that Yuji couldn't quite make sense of from where he stood. The way she was concentrating, the focus in her posture, made him pause.
What's she doing? Yuji wondered.
He stood there for a while, not wanting to interrupt. He was used to people who seemed out of place or distant, but this girl had an aura about her that made Yuji feel like an intruder just by being in her vicinity. Still, his curiosity gnawed at him. He took a step forward, making sure his footsteps were quiet.
He watched as she continued to etch the intricate mirror tattoo onto her thigh, the needle's tiny hum vibrating in the otherwise calm air. She seems so focused on it, Yuji thought. What is this?
He considered asking, but something inside him told him it wasn't the right time. Instead, he just stayed still, quietly observing.
Who even is she? His mind raced. Was she a student here? Someone from another grade?
The girl didn't seem to notice him at all. Her movements were precise, as though she had done this many times before. The air around her seemed to hum with a low, almost unnoticeable power, but Yuji didn't quite know how to place it.
He hesitated before finally turning away. Something told him to leave her be. He wasn't sure why, but the instinct was there. He started walking toward the exit of the training grounds, his footsteps growing more deliberate with each step. The sound of the needle working on the tattoo echoed in his mind, a soft rhythm that seemed to guide him forward.
⸻
As Yuji made his way back toward the main building, he heard a voice calling from behind him.
"Hey! You're Yuji, right?"
He turned to see a tall figure approaching him, dressed in a long, white jacket and a pair of sleek sunglasses perched on his nose. The man's striking appearance caught Yuji off guard.
"Who… are you?" Yuji asked, still unsure.
"I'm Satoru Gojo," the man replied with an easy grin, stepping closer. "And I've got orders to take you into Tokyo. There's someone I want you to meet."
Yuji blinked, still a little confused. "Tokyo? What's going on?"
Gojo chuckled. "Don't worry about the details. I'll fill you in on the way."
⸻
After a short drive from the school, they arrived in the bustling streets of Tokyo. The city was busy, as expected, but there was something undeniably surreal about it all. Yuji had never been this far from home before, and now he was surrounded by all of it.
Gojo led him through a few quiet alleys before stopping in front of a seemingly normal apartment building. They took an elevator up to the top floor, where Gojo knocked on the door to a modest apartment.
The door swung open almost immediately, and a girl with brown hair and a wide grin stood on the other side. "Yo, Gojo! Got the new kid?" she asked.
Gojo nodded, a playful smile on his face. "Nobara, meet Yuji. Yuji, this is Nobara. She's the newest member of our little class. The two of you will be on your first mission in Roppongi."
Yuji and Nobara exchanged awkward smiles, but before they could speak further, Gojo cleared his throat.
"Alright, enough of the pleasantries. Let's go. You'll get your first real taste of what we're all about soon enough."
⸻
Back in the car, the drive felt different. Instead of the unfamiliarity of a new world, Yuji's thoughts began to settle. He sat in the backseat, looking out at the passing cityscape as Nobara and Gojo talked. The noise and chaos of Tokyo seemed so far away now, and the hum of the car's engine became a soft lull in his thoughts.
So this is really happening. I'm actually here, Yuji thought, letting out a quiet breath. I still don't understand all of it… but maybe I'll figure it out.
The car shifted slightly as they veered off the main road, heading back toward the school. Yuji's attention wandered once more, as something faint tugged at the back of his mind. Something had changed. The feeling from earlier at the training grounds still lingered, as though there was more to what he had seen—more to what was going on around him—than he realized.
⸻
Meanwhile, at the school, Lisa was finishing up the final touches of the tattoo. She had been so absorbed in the process that she barely noticed the time passing. The design on her thigh was nearly complete, the cursed mirror's intricate lines now fully formed.
Just a little more, Lisa thought, carefully adding the last stroke.
The moment she finished, a strange, deep feeling washed over her. A quiet hum of power. She blinked, standing up and stepping back, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the tattoo. This feeling…
Suddenly, a burst of cursed energy pulsed through her, much stronger than she expected. Her body trembled, but she quickly steadied herself. What is this?
The tattoo shimmered, and before she could react, a powerful, ethereal force surged from it pulling her into the mirror's depths.
The mirror began to glow, crackling with ancient, eerie energy. It wasn't just a tattoo anymore. It was alive.
In the distance, Yuji could feel something, a shift in the air. It was almost as if the entire world was vibrating. But he shook it off, distracted by the chatter from Nobara, still on his way to the car.
⸻
As the car sped down the road, Yuji felt a deep shiver run through him, his thoughts swirling again. What just happened back there? He couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed, that something new was beginning.
And as he turned his head toward Nobara, he could swear he heard a faint whisper in the air.
Who… was that?