Chapter Text
“Kugisaki Nobara?” Nobara, barely twelve years old, stood frozen in front of the classroom door when she heard her name. Fumi had forgotten her bottle inside, and being the good friend she was, she went to get it.
“That’s the one! Don’t you think she’s a total tomboy?” Another male voice laughed. The hell they talking ‘bout? How could she be a tomboy if she likes to wear pretty clothes and her clothing is feminine?
"I heard about the girls who feel uncomfortable when they see her in the women's restroom; who knows what kind of things she's thinking when she sees them!" one of the group commented.
Nobara clenched her fist on the handle. She was used to these kinds of comments because her personality didn't fit in with the godforsaken town she lived in. The other children, the adults, and the elderly all pointed at her, telling her she should be a housewife, serve a man, and be just as miserable as the other women in town. And apparently, she'd just earned a reputation as some kind of girl-hunter. As if they weren't the ones who joked about looking up the skirts of the schoolgirls.
She flung open the door and ignored the squeals she heard from the boys when they realized she'd overheard them. She went straight to Fumi's stall and grabbed the bunny-themed bottle.
"If you're really as brave and daredevil as you claim to be to impress the girls, next time yap yar’ crap to my face." That was the last thing she said before leaving, paying no attention to the response of the imbecile apes she had for classmates.
I couldn't wait to leave this disgusting town.
—
Although Nobara kept emphasizing her birthday and demanding that everyone remember it, the truth was that she herself had forgotten the holiday. Her grandmother never celebrated it with her, and once Saori left, Fumi used to throw her a small celebration at her house; they didn't have the money for anything more. So, when she woke up without having heard her alarm, she initially thought she had finally managed to get up early, only to realize it was ten in the Tuesday morning. She sat up abruptly, jumped in the shower, and finished her bath in record time. Meanwhile, she was yelling at herself, wondering why the alarm hadn't gone off and why none of the other students had come to look for her.
She stomped out while buttoning the last buttons of her jacket and muttering curses at everyone and the universe.
God, Maki was going to kill her; that woman took her training way too seriously. The last month had been torture for her, combining the training of Maki, Kamo-sensei, and Gojo-sensei. Of course, she wanted to get stronger; she didn't like being weak, and after experiencing Maki's power firsthand, she wanted to surpass her. Or at least keep up.
She hated the idea of being cornered and having to be rescued by a man. The day they faced the special-grade curse at that correctional facility she was useless once she lost her hammer. Fushiguro and Itadori had to fend for themselves, and that's why Itadori fell dead.
“Y’all bitches why didn’t y’all wake me up?!" Nobara stopped once she reached the training field, leaned back on her knees, and began panting for air.
“Kugisaki” Fushiguro greeted her. “You said that you wanted to sleep in on your birthday, remember? Gojo-sensei granted permission for you to be absent today.”
“Huh?” Nobara exclaimed, stood up and she searched her mind to see what day it was. “Damn it! Why didn’t you remind me!?”
"Why would I have to remind you of your own birthday!?"
“Nobara!” The second-year students welcomed her. “Happy birthday!”
“Thank you, senpais!” Nobara’s angry expression vanished, and she smiled. “See, Fushiguro? That’s how you greet people!”
Behind them, laughter sounded, a sound Nobara was beginning to recognize. She turned around and found Gojo laughing at the scene, with Kamo to his left and Ieiri to his right.
“Megumi, you need to smile more!” Gojo clasped his hands together like a megaphone. His teacher ignored the “never” he received from the boy.
“Senseis, Ieiri-san. What are you doing here?” Panda asked the group.
“We’re going to give Kugisaki her birthday presents; Gojo’s will keep them out all day,” Kamo replied.
To be honest, Nobara found it somewhat uncomfortable to see him; he reminded her of Itadori's death. And although she only interacted with the young man for about two weeks, it was enough for her to realize that his relationship with his brother was extremely close.
“That’s right, because…! Drumroll, please!” Kamo played along with Gojo, and it was amusing to see his impassive expression contrasted with Gojo’s lunatic one. “I’m going to give you the day off and my credit card so you can go shopping!”
Nobara blinked once, twice and even three times.
“Go shopping!?” Her whole body sprang to life; her eyes widened and sparkled with excitement.
“Yep! And I’m going to make everyone come with you.” Gojo turned to each student. “None of you are allowed to be absent! Including you, Megumi.”
“Why is it always me?” Fushiguro muttered, and Nobara laughed at her classmate.
“Because you’re the one carrying my card!” Gojo shouted back. “I love you very much, Nobara, but I can’t trust you to return it if you had the chance to keep it.”
“Touché” did not defend herself.
Kamo and Ieiri each presented Nobara with her gift; both teachers had to fulfill their duties as sorcerers, and Ieiri, not being a combatant, told Nobara that she could always find her in the infirmary and to let her know if her gift wasn't the right size. The three of them left, wishing her a happy day.
“Tsuna, tsuna” the students surrounded her and Inumaki tried to see the contents of the packages behind her.
“He wants to watch an unboxing,” Fushiguro translated.
The five of them settled on the ground in a circle. Nobara opened Ieiri's bag first; when she mentioned something about a size, she deduced that it must be clothing. She put her hand inside, felt the texture of the fabric inside (she was right, it was clothing!), she took it out and raised it to the level of her face with both hands.
“Is this a summer uniform?!” Nobara shouted excitedly at the top of her lungs.
In front of her stood a modified jujutsu school uniform: a high-necked, but sleeveless jacket, accompanied by a long black skirt with slits on both sides.
“Isn’t that the Kyoto school’s summer uniform?” Panda asked.
“Huh?!” Nobara turned toward the voice and frowned. “Are you telling me that while people from Kyoto have nice clothes, I’m wearing this ugly uniform?!”
Apparently, Nobara was incredibly unlucky; how could the better school of the two (in practical terms) have a more hideous uniform?
Maki explained that Ieiri probably asked Iori —the teacher of the Kyoto students— to give her an extra uniform, and since the uniforms were made to measure for each student, she had to choose one from a student who had a physique most similar to hers.
The next gift was from Kamo, wrapped in a box. Upon opening it, Nobara was astonished to find so many items. At the top was a delicately wrapped kanzashi —hairpin— made of lacquered black sandalwood, adorned with pearls, and featuring a wisteria flower design at the top. There was also a tsuge kushi —traditional comb— made of boxwood, which gleamed and had classic floral engravings, sealed with something that looked like liquid gold.
“I’m giving you a relic,” Fushiguro, who, thanks to his friendship with Itadori, had a greater understanding of the Kamo clan, remarked. “Judging by its composition and the engravings, it must belong to the clan.”
“In ancient Japan, wasn’t that, like, a status symbol?” Nobara asked to confirm. Fushiguro hesitated to tell her the answer —perhaps he was afraid of inflating her ego—; however, in the end he nodded.
Nobara screamed again.
Beneath it lay a bundle of nails that, upon closer inspection, made his eyes light up; they were nothing like the cheap boxes of hardware she usually bought in bulk. Their satin-black sheen suggested they were possibly made of tamahagane steel (the same material used to forge samurai katanas!), they were heavier, and they had subtle imperfections indicating they had been hand-forged, not factory-made. Furthermore, the shaft displayed slight spiral grooves that rose to the head, and the point was sharpened.
Finally, a small rolled-up parchment. Nobara unwrapped it and she came across neat kanji writing. Its contents consisted of an order signed by Kamo Choso himself, stating that "Kugisaki Nobara" had permission to enter the clan in Kyoto with free admission, as she is an honored guest. Consequently, she should be treated as such during her stay.
She was definitely going to use it when they traveled to Kyoto for the exchange event!
“I’m starting to love our teachers and Ieiri-san,” Nobara sighed dreamily. She had a full day of unlimited shopping, a very cute uniform, aristocratic accessories, a perfect set of nails, and a stay in Kyoto!
After giving Nobara time to eat breakfast, Ijichi drove them to Saitama; she wanted to go to the most popular shopping mall in Tokyo at the time, which happened to be in that area. The five of them got out of the car, with Ijichi telling them behind their backs that he would stay nearby if they needed him.
A few minor adjustments had to be made so they could live in relative normalcy. Whenever Panda wanted to go out into the city, he pretended to be some kind of kemono cosplayer; this way, he wouldn't arouse suspicion about his true nature. Inumaki still covered his mouth, and Maki didn't carry his usual weapons (only a small knife hidden in her clothing).
"Hurry up, I need someone to carry my shopping bags!" Nobara yelled at the other students, earning hateful glares from passersby. Idiots who can't mind their own business.
“Did you bring us here just to carry your things?” Fushiguro regretted accompanying her.
“Megumi’s right.” Maki crossed her arms and looked Nobara up and down. “This could be a good weight training exercise, you know? You need more muscle.”
Nobara looked incredulous; Maki kept pointing out her mediocre physique (not everyone can be like her, with her incredible biceps!). Of course, she knew it was all meant to help her improve, but Maki was simply an exception to the rule. The only other person Nobara had ever met with such physical capabilities was Itadori.
“Aren’t you going to be nicer to me today, Maki-san?” Nobara’s eyes trembled.
“I can’t pretend, if that’s what you ask.” Maki walked ahead of her and looked at the other four. “What are you waiting for, instructing the pass? Let’s hurry and spend Satoru’s money.”
“Shake!” Inumaki reached her, hopping slightly.
Nobara still didn't understand their language. Did "shake" mean yes? She couldn't remember clearly.
First, at the birthday girl's request, they explored different boutiques. She headed straight for the junior women's clothing section, while the others spread out; Maki wore only casual or athletic wear, almost all of Fushiguro's clothes were Gojo's old clothes or items he had given him, and Panda wasn't wearing any clothes at all. In truth, among all of them, probably only Inumaki would get as much profit as she would in a clothing store.
“What do you think of this dress?” Nobara asked the only being who stayed with her: Panda.
“Why are you asking me? I’m naked.” Nobara frowned, a vein popping out at his temple. Panda immediately apologized for his response; he was easily frightened by the two female members of the academy. “Sorry, uh, let me think. I don’t think that colour would suit your hair.”
Nobara patted him on the shoulder and murmured, "Well done, it wasn't that difficult."
“Then, I choose this one!” She placed the same dress in the basket she was carrying on her arm.
“Then why did you ask me?” Panda sighed. “I don’t understand women.”
“Because I always have to choose the opposite of what men want, duh.” Nobara rolled her eyes. “Men don’t know how to dress. Have you ever watched a Met Gala? Or, to take a more recent example, have you seen how Fushiguro dresses? It’s a menace to fashion.”
Nobara almost cried blood when she saw him; his brown shoes didn’t match with the rest of the uniform.
They continued walking; Nobara would send Panda to hold two items of clothing when she couldn't decide between them, then she'd remember it was Gojo's money and throw both pieces into the basket. At some point, they met up with the other three, who, while Nobara was distracted, decided to stay together rather than wander around like idiots.
“Maki-san!” Nobara called the girl. Maki turned around at the sound of her voice and raised an eyebrow. “Will you come with me to the changing rooms? I need other opinions when trying on clothes, and I can’t bring any of them,” she said, gesturing with her thumb toward the male students.
“Just so you know, I don’t know much about fashion either,” Maki shrugged.
“Don’t worry,” Nobara shook her head and took her forearm, leading her toward the changing room. “I respect your opinion more than theirs; Panda is Panda, Fushiguro is blander than unsalted rice, and Inumaki-senpai is a sewer rat,” she continued, still angry at the latter for his constant teasing. How dare he change her calendar and alarm just to make her wake up worried at five in the morning on a Sunday? “By the way, don’t you have anything to try on?”
Maki wasn't carrying anything with her.
“No, all the women’s sportswear was awful for some reason,” Maki wrinkled her face. Nobara admitted she was somewhat envious of Maki’s physique; she was tall for her age, her body had much more muscle mass than fat, and overall, she had a great figure that made you instantly admire her. “And there wasn’t a single size in the men’s section.”
They arrived at the locker room; however, all the sections were occupied. Therefore, they sat on a couch waiting for someone to come out.
“Speaking of men’s clothing. I’m curious, why are you wearing the men’s uniform?” Maki stared at her with an expressionless face, urging her to elaborate. “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s just unusual to see, and you’d think those old guys wouldn’t approve.”
Maki let out a huff and threw her head back.
“They won’t accept it, this is all thanks to Satoru!” Nobara exclaimed, surprised by the confession. “He insisted that a gi would suit me better; I practice martial arts, and pants are a thousand times more efficient than a measly skirt. Besides, uniforms at martial arts schools are unisex! Satoru explained that in any case, I would wear a hakama. In the end, they accepted his request, and he gave me the uniform on my second day at school.”
“God, what were they thinking?” Nobara hated the conservative adults and elders who thought they were the kings of the world, entitled to control everyone and their mothers just because they had lived in the time of the dinosaurs. Why did they care so much about what a woman did with her body and her freedom?
“Beats me,” Maki shrugged. Then she looked at Nobara with a mocking smile. “At least Toge liked the skirt, and now it’s his.”
Nobara choked on her saliva and, after coughing, burst into laughter. The idea of Maki, in the male uniform, and Inumaki, in the female uniform, bothering the elderly people struck her as extremely hilarious.
At that moment, a woman emerged from a changing room and Maki pushed her from behind, lifting her up.
"As much as I want to complain about them all the time, I also don't want to stay in one store for too long."
Nobara nodded and went into the fitting room. During that time, it was a constant back and forth between Nobara trying on clothes, calling Maki, Maki giving her opinions —which confirmed to Nobara that she was indeed ignorant about fashion— and she thanking Maki. They went on for quite a while, but finally she decided what not to buy. She called Fushiguro and asked where they were. Apparently, they were so late that Inumaki bought his things, and the three of them went to get ice cream without her. What a betrayal!
Finally, Fushiguro returned and paid with his card. The teenagers left the store and headed to the nearby ice cream shop where Panda and Inumaki were still waiting.
“Māma, I want a picture with the Dragon Warrior!” They heard a child’s voice.
In front of the shop, a little girl and a boy were pulling at the hem of a lady's shirt —their mother— while pointing with bright eyes at Panda.
Inumaki was holding back his laughter; Nobara assumed that he didn't want the children to think he was making fun of them, when in reality his laughter was for his classmate.
“Háizimen!” It was a Chinese family; Nobara recognized the accent. The woman said a few words in her language —which neither of them knew how to speak— and then bowed apologetically to the two young men.
“Ma’am,” Nobara called to the adult. She turned to face the newcomers. “Our dear friend would be delighted if your children could take a picture with him; he put a lot of effort into his costume.”
In the end, the little girl smiled happily at Nobara, and the two children took a picture with Panda. Their mother said goodbye, embarrassed.
"Why do these things happen to Panda?"
“Because you literally look like a panda and it’s not Halloween, nor are you at an anime convention, what did you expect?” Maki mocked her companion.
“Shake!” Inumaki finally let out the laugh he had been holding in.
After that scene, they repeated the shopping process at three more stores. Panda and Maki carried the baskets and bags of clothes; they were more used to carrying several items at once than the others, since Fushiguro and Inumaki usually kept their hands free.
“Y’know, Fushiguro,” Nobara called to her classmate at the last shop; he came out buying a simple gray t-shirt. The reason? Gojo also used to steal his clothes —they exchanged between the two of them— and the last time it ended damaging it by mistake. “When I first met you, I hoped you would dress better; you looked like an emo Sasuke fan and he looked amazing as hell in his outfits in Shippuden. Why can't you copy his style?”
“Okaka; tsuna, tsuna” Inumaki made a cross with his arms and from his tone of voice, Nobara assumed that he was refuting her.
Even so, she sought out Fushiguro to translate for her.
“He’s saying Sai had better style than Sasuke,” Fushiguro said irritably, “Besides, I’m not emo and I hate Sasuke.”
Thanks to that exchange, a long conversation ensued about Naruto and everyone's favourite characters. Nobara preferred Tsunade and her outfit; Inumaki's favourite character was Gaara, but he liked Sai's style. Fushiguro didn't care how the characters dressed and liked Shikamaru; Maki adored Temari, and Panda loved Iruka.
“Naruto was Yuuji’s favourite anime,” Fushiguro told Nobara, his voice so low, as if he only wanted her to hear him. After his death, Fushiguro began calling Itadori by his first name. Whether it was out of pity or guilt, Nobara didn’t know. “His favourite character was Naruto, the protagonist.”
“No wonder, they’re identical,” Nobara said, liking that her classmate was slowly coming out of his shell. Although she would never say it out loud, not even if threatened, she does see Fushiguro as her friend. “No wonder, they’re identical,”
The next stop was a hair salon. Nobara needed to touch up the dye; her roots were already beginning to show dark.
Next to the beauty salon was a jewelry shop specializing in piercings. Nobara noticed Fushiguro looking at the display window with more interest than he'd ever shown looking at anything other than Yuuji, back when he was still alive or animals.
“Hey, Fushiguro,” the boy stopped staring at the window. “Why don’t you get a piercing? I feel like it would suit you perfectly.”
“It’s pointless; it doesn’t benefit me at all,” he dismissed it outright. “So it’s not worth it.”
“But if it’s something you want, why not do it?” Maki asked, arms crossed; Fushiguro was so stubborn that he refused to do things he liked. “It’s not like you’re going to get a tattoo and have to cover it up to avoid people thinking you’re in the yakuza. Besides, my cousin —I mean, your uncle— has his ears pierced, and that didn’t cost him his title as heir.”
Nobara was truly curious about the Zen’in family. Who was this Naoya that Maki wanted to humiliate?
“Shake, shake!” Inumaki nodded.
“I’m underage and almost no legal establishment would accept me,” Fushiguro said, copying Maki’s pose; he also crossed his arms.
“Tsuna mayo” Inumaki rolled his eyes and sighed.
She also wanted to finally understand Inumaki's speech. How could she be the only one who didn't? Even Kamo-sensei, who was new, understood it perfectly! She still remembers when she asked him and his useless reply: "If you pay attention to the tone of voice and body language, you'll understand easily. Besides, I'm an older brother. Have you ever tried communicating with a child who just lost two baby teeth? That's more complicated than onigiri speech."
“I know we can easily find a Pierser kit, but I don't want to take any risks." Fushiguro communicated with him in a way that allowed Nobara to guess what his superior had said.
“Tsuna mayo” Did Inumaki insist? Nobara didn’t know how to interpret it.
“Yes, I also know that Ieiri-san could do it with the necessary safety measures.” Fushiguro looked at Panda, who hadn’t spoken since the topic started, for support for his position.
“I don’t care if you do it or not, but I don’t want to contradict Maki.”
“Ha!” Nobara placed her hands on her hips: a victory pose. “See? It’s four against one, if you want to do it, do it!”
Fushiguro glanced at each student; however, none of them were on his side. Finally, he sighed and agreed.
“Panda, go with Megumi to buy the jewelry.” Maki gave Panda a little push.
“Why me?”
Maki pointed with her thumb towards the hair salon behind her and raised an eyebrow.
“Do you really think we’ll all fit in there?” Panda shook his head. “Objectively speaking, you’re the one who takes up the most space.”
Fushiguro and Panda said goodbye to the three of them, telling them to write if they needed Gojo's card. Maki, Inumaki, and Nobara went inside the shop. The birthday girl spoke to the manager about her hair dye, and the manager told them to sit on the sofa and wait their turn.
“Hey, Maki-san.” Maki sat down in the middle; Nobara was to her right and Inumaki to her left. “If you choose efficiency over aesthetics, why do you have long hair? Isn’t short hair more efficient?”
Maki rested her head on the headboard of the sofa and turned slightly to look at her.
“Actually, you’re right. I used to have short hair as a child, but a few years ago I grew it out,” the girl said uncomfortably, as if it were a sensitive topic.
What could Maki, the strongest girl she's ever met, possibly consider a sensitive topic?
“Tsuna Mayo, Takana?” Inumaki touched the girl’s shoulder. Maki stared at him for a few fleeting seconds and finally nodded. Inumaki took out his phone and began typing on it. Then, he showed the screen to Nobara.
Maki has a twin sister, her relationship with her is strained, and her sister has short hair. Maki doesn't really like to talk about her sister.
“Do you have a sister?” Nobara asked once Inumaki put his phone away. “And while I understand that family can be difficult, you don’t have to base your decisions on them.”
“Are you trying to persuade me as we persuaded Megumi?"
“Maybe!” Nobara feigned innocence; she crossed her legs and put on an innocent expression.
Maki burst out laughing and Nobara felt proud of making her laugh.
“Toge” Maki turned to her friend. “Challenge me; that way I have an excuse to shear ma’ skull.”
“Tsuna mayo!” Inumaki played along and held up four fingers.
“Those four thousand yen will be mine,” Maki said, eyeing Nobara again. “Tell the clerk I’ll come after you.”
Nobara flashed a wide smile.
"Inumaki-senpai, I owe you my life!"
—
At the end of the day, they met at a bakery; they would buy a simple cake, some food, and then would return to the institution.
“Which cake do you think is the prettiest?” Nobara asked Inumaki; today she learned that he was definitely the only one in the group with aesthetic tastes.
“Tsuna” pointed to one side of a display case containing a fruit roll pudding made with red berries. “Tsuna” pointed to another spot, where namagashi —decorated sweets typically eaten with tea— were displayed.
“You’re right!” Nobara smiled; from now on, she would only trust Inumaki’s judgment. “Let’s buy the roll and some namagashi with floral designs.”
“Shake.” Inumaki nodded.
The two returned to the table in the back, where Fushiguro and Maki were discussing the changes they had experienced that day. After Nobara took a picture of the food, they began to eat the pudding, leaving a portion for their teachers and Ieiri.
“Fushiguro, you’re lucky that Gojo-sensei is your benefactor.” Nobara crossed her arms. “What I wouldn’t give to have this kind of money at my disposal!”
“I don’t use Gojo’s money,” Fushiguro grimaced. “He’s the one who decides to spend it, and now that you’re his student, it won’t be long before he starts buying you things.”
Upon hearing the words “buy you things”, Nobara’s eyes lit up.
“Then I guess having him as a teacher isn’t so bad!” Then she remembered the second-year students. “Senpais, what was your experience with Gojo-sensei like?”
The faces of the three of them darkened instantly.
“That guy never told us anything, everything was a surprise to us,” Maki said, resting her palm on her chin.
“Shake, ikura” Inumaki opened his eyes wide and his body shuddered.
“You’ll never forget that day, huh?” Maki ruffled the boy’s hair and proceeded to explain to the confused first-years. “Satoru tends to be impulsive sometimes; he doesn’t understand social etiquette, and, uh, he ended up exposing Toge and Yuuta in front of us.”
“Expose? Like, talking about embarrassing things you did as a kid and don’t want to remember anymore?” Nobara persisted; she didn’t know the mysterious Okkotsu, but he seemed odd to her to think of Inumaki being embarrassed about anything. He acted so freely, and his humorous behaviour was already embarrassing enough.
“More like things related to their love lives.” When Panda explained, Inumaki let out a pitiful groan. “Although I respect Satoru, despite everything.”
At that moment she stopped insisting.
“Actually, Satoru isn’t bad per se,” Maki commented. “It’s just that being around him raises your cortisol levels and you lose sympathy for him. In fact, I came to Tokyo specifically to take lessons from the strongest.”
“The Zen'in attend school in Kyoto, right?” Fushiguro took a sip of the black coffee he ordered (Ew, he’s trying to be that one nonchalant guy!).
“The Kamo and the Zen'in; those clans are in Kyoto.” The girl nodded. “But if I’m being honest, Kyoto school isn’t as good as it used to be; although I like Ms. Iori, she teaches all three grades by herself, and the principal is one of the higher-ups.”
Upon hearing that, Nobara grimaced. Poor Kyoto students, indeed.
But she can't wait to see Kyoto for the first time!
The conversation changed topics easily; it's difficult to keep a group of teenagers focused on just one subject. Once they finished, they headed to a McDonald's —Maki wanted a burger—, in which each one ordered something to their liking to take away.
“What if we buy fried chicken?” Nobara asked as she read the menu.
“No,” Fushiguro instantly denied. “Gojo forbids anything related to fried chicken or KFC. Trust me, you don’t want to see him in a bad mood.”
So, Fushiguro ordered an Unhappy Meal with chicken nuggets and fries (he planned to leave the toy for Gojo), Maki her double meat burger, Inumaki another Happy Meal, Panda a burrito and finally, Nobara a Teriyaki McBurger.
They called Ijichi and put the bags in the trunk. They spent half the drive back arguing about what music to play—Nobara won by claiming it was her birthday. The other half they chatted about the day. Maki said this would be one of the few breaks they'd get; they needed to keep focusing on training for the exchange event.
When they returned to school, they went straight to the infirmary; if they left it for later, Fushiguro would find some excuse not to get the piercings (which Fushiguro really wanted to get! Don't lie, Mr. Bad Attitude).
“Wow, so now Satoru owes me money,” Ieiri remarked when the students explained the situation to her.
“Did you bet on me?” Fushiguro replied skeptically.
“If you knew all our bets…”
They left Fushiguro with Ieiri and the four of them headed to the dining room; they didn't want the food to get cold.
“Oh, you’re back! Maki, your new haircut is amazing!” Gojo greeted them; he had just arrived from a mission and was heading straight for his usual sweets. “And Megumi?” He asked, not seeing Fushiguro among them.
“Tsuna mayo,” Inukami hastened to summarize.
"What is Megumi doing?!" Gojo jumped and immediately went back to the exit. "Damn you, Shoko!"
“Wait, Sensei! We left you a slice of cake!” Nobara shouted into the air; Gojo had already left. “God, what’s wrong with him?”
“He’s probably going to take pictures of him,” Panda replied. “Satoru created a group chat with us where only he can send messages, and he only sends pictures of Megumi.”
"Gojo what?" Every new fact she learned about Gojo only made her question her teacher's sanity. "Wait, can you show me the pictures?"
—
“Why don’t they improve the variety of vending machines?” Nobara picked up her canned drink; she and Fushiguro were in charge of buying drinks for all the students, since today was one of those days when they trained alone.
“It’s not possible; very few people can enter here.”
As they finished shopping, heavy footsteps echoed, and a large, humanoid shadow fell across the floor in front of Nobara. Looking up, Nobara saw two figures. The first was a tall, robust man with a scar on the left side of his face, not wearing his uniform jacket. The second was a tall girl, wearing the same summer uniform as Nobara (since Ieiri gave her the new one, Nobara hadn't worn the old one), who looked remarkably like Maki… her sister?
“What are you doing here, Zen'in-senpai?” Fushiguro asked the newcomers.
“Are they family?” Now Nobara could see what Maki and Inumaki meant; if it weren’t for Maki’s glasses and the difference between their hairstyles and clothing, they would be indistinguishable.
“Come on, Fushiguro-kun, call me Mai.” Mai, as she had just introduced herself, winked at Fushiguro with a mischievous smile.
Aren't they both family too? Nobara made a face of discomfort.
“Are these two the ones who will replace Okkotsu and the third-years?” The idiot-faced guy —that’s what Nobara called him; he didn’t even introduce himself— wore a constipated expression as he spoke.
“We came with the headmaster because we were worried about you. Your colleague died, didn’t he? Was it very hard?” Mai was undoubtedly speaking with feigned innocence; it was a joke, she was mocking them. Her sneering, completely unemotional smile was enough to show it. “Or did you not care?”
The two students from Tokyo sighed, not finding Mai's sarcasm funny.
“Where are you going with this?” Fushiguro interrupted her.
“Relax. Some things aren’t easy to say, so I’ll do it for you.” In the last sentence, Mai stopped forcing her tone of voice; she returned to her usual, haughty voice. “‘Vessel’ might sound noble, but it’s nothing more than a half-cursed monster. I bet having an inhuman being calling himself a sorcerer around must have been disgusting, right? Isn’t it a relief that it died?”
Nobara's blood boiled; how could Mai speak about someone like that? At that moment, she wanted to punch Mai in the face. Now she could understand Maki's reluctance; Nobara would hate to admit that that girl was her sister, too. Beside her, Fushiguro was equally offended, and Nobara didn't blame him; of all those present, he was the one who knew Itadori best, and according to him, Itadori was far from inhuman.
“Mai, don’t get sidetracked from what’s most important.” The boy started walking toward them. “I came to see if you’re worthy of replacing Okkotsu. That’s all I want to know!” He looked at Fushiguro and frowned. “Your name is Fushiguro, isn’t it? What kind of women do you like?!”
“Huh?” Nobara and Fushiguro were dumbfounded; what kind of question was that!?
"Depending on your answer, I could leave you half dead and drag Okkotsu and the third-years into the exchange event." The guy ripped off his shirt, revealing his muscular body in a fighting stance. Put your shirt back on, nobody wants to see you. Nobara thought. “By the way, I like ‘em tall and with a huge butt!”
“Why would I talk about my tastes with a complete stranger?” Fushiguro refused to answer.
She understood him; what relevance had someone's preference for women in terms of whether they are worthy of respect or not? Furthermore, that guy is practically soliciting to talk about female bodies in a completely lewd manner! If Fushiguro were to mention any body parts the way he did, Nobara would leave him in a sorry state. On the other hand, how does this involve her? How could he decide whether or not she was suitable to take Okkotsu's place?
What's so great about Okkotsu that so many people mention his last name and first name as if he were Buddha himself?
“Yes, it’s impossible for an asocial person like him,” Nobara pointed out.
“You shut up,” Fushiguro growled. “This is confusing enough already, don’t make things worse.”
"I’m Todo Aoi, from Kyoto, third year. We've already introduced ourselves. Now we're friends, hurry up and answer." Neither of them expected Todo's next sentence. "If you prefer men, that’s fine, too."
Wait, what? The two students from Tokyo jumped at Todo's suggestion; not many people dared to speak of homosexuality so casually. Nobara glanced at Fushiguro, who began to sweat nervously, then at Todo, who was waiting for a response, and finally at Mai, who reminded her of Maki.
Then Nobara reflected that if she were a boy and Todo asked her the same question, she would describe Maki. Furthermore, she thought that if Maki were a man, she might not find him as attractive as she does now.
But she didn't want to think about what that meant right now.
“Your fetishes are your truest reflection,” oblivious to the inner turmoil he had left them both in, Todo explained his philosophy after that question. “Someone with a boring taste is a boring person. And I detest boring men! The exchange event gives my soul freedom in the heat of battle. And who knows what madness I might commit if my last event were boring.”
“In our schools, we study for four years, right?” Nobara came out of her stupor and murmured to Fushiguro.
“You only compete until third year,” Fushiguro replied, still visibly disturbed by the open way in which Todo made it explicitly clear that Fushiguro could be gay without any problem.
If they were still in Nobara’s town, the mere suggestion of that option would result in the villagers' total rejection.
"As a token of my generosity, I'll just leave you at death’s door. Answer me, Fushiguro. What's your type?"
“Is this a joke?” Fushiguro whispered to himself and paused for a few seconds, lost in thought. “I have no physical preferences; it’s enough that they possess unwavering kindness.”
Unwavering kindness?
“Isn’t that the meaning of Itadori’s name?” Nobara exclaimed in a low voice, so only Fushiguro could hear her. Just as she expected, Fushiguro shuddered and turned away so Nobara couldn’t see his face. So, in the end, Todo was right, wow. "That's not a bad answer. I would have killed you if you'd mentioned looks."
"Be quiet."
“I knew it.” When turning one's attention back to the idiot from Kyoto, the first thing one noticed was the tears streaming from his eyes; he was crying. “You’re a boring guy, Fushiguro.”
Before he could even grasp it, Todo lunged at Fushiguro, encircling his chest with his left bicep and with a swing movement, he sent him flying. Fushiguro crashed to the ground with a groan.
“Fushiguro!” Nobara moved with the aim of helping him, but thin arms wrapped around her shoulders and a weight was positioned on her back.
“Poor Fushiguro-kun,” Mai said mockingly as she blocked Nobara’s path. Just when Nobara didn't have her combat gear. “Even if he’s a prodigy among second-class sorcerers, against Todo, a first-class sorcerer, he’s just a first-year student. I’ll have to go and comfort him later.”
“I thought you looked alike, but you don’t.” Nobara shouldn’t have even compared them; Maki, despite what many might think, was incredibly considerate. “Maki-san is a hundred times prettier. Are you sleep-deprived? Your pores are open.”
“I’ll teach you to…” Mai uttered those words, filled with anger. Suddenly, she positioned a pistol at Nobara’s side, and the metallic click of the safety being released made Nobara’s breath catch in her throat for a fleeting moment. “Respect others.”
The revolver's barrel was millimetres from her ribs, but Nobara wasn't going to be easily intimidated by a girl like Mai. Before Mai could pull the trigger, Nobara dug her heels into the ground and, purely on instinct, twisted her torso and used her elbow to strike the girl's wrist, deflecting the weapon's trajectory.
The pellet, imbued with cursed energy, grazed Nobara's waist, tearing the fabric of her outfit, which she hadn't even had for a week since receiving it as a gift. Nobara's face darkened.
“How dare you ruin my clothes!?” Nobara roared, closed the distance between the two, and threw a punch straight at Mai’s jaw.
“I’m just doing you a favor.” Mai dodged the blow by taking a step back and tilting her head. Instantly, she fired two more times in quick succession.
Nobara crossed her arms in front of her face to protect herself, and the impact forced her back, the burning sensation of the pellets beginning to spread through her muscles. In those few seconds as she tried to regain her composure, Mai shot her squarely in the thigh, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground. As if to mock her, she fired again into her body.
“If you want to remain a sorcerer, don’t get into fights you can’t win.” Mai loaded a new cartridge. On the ground, Nobara’s new outfit was riddled with holes. The bullets were pellets, but they were still powerful enough to infringe upon a minimal pain.
She heard the sound of a cane being placed under the gun. This could only mean one thing: Maki had arrived.
“What are you doing to my errand girl, Mai?” Nobara felt excited upon hearing Maki’s voice; this whole experience had only made her value Maki more.
And now that Mai was distracted, Nobara only had to wait for her to let her guard down to counterattack; she could still get up without any problems.
She was only meant to become the third wheel in a family drama precisely because Mai forgot that Nobara was still there.
“Wow, you’re so insignificant I didn’t even notice you existed, Maki.”You're the insignificant one, you idiot.
“You are as insignificant as I am. You do nothing but imbue objects with your energy and you cannot use rituals.”
“It’s better than having no cursed energy” Doesn't Maki have cursed energy? That was something new for Nobara. “Since I always have to look up to others, I like to look down on them.”
“Come on, don’t go on. We’re both equally pathetic.” Maki sighed. “Nobara, can you stand up?”
“I highly doubt it” Oh, you'll see. Nobara got up, propping herself up on her elbows, and silently crawled behind her.That idiot Mai didn't even make sure I was unconscious or anything; I was going to come back anyway. “She won't be getting up for quite a while. I did quite a bit of damage to her...” she stopped herself when Maki placed her cane in front of her face. “What? You wanna fight?”
Nobara threw herself onto Mai's shoulders, wrapping her legs around Mai’s waist and her arms around Mai’s neck, suffocating her. When Mai felt she couldn't breathe, she stopped and fell backward, unable to keep her balance. Nobara didn't protest when her back hit the pavement.
"Nice distraction, Maki-san!" She tightened her grip, unfazed by Mai's struggle. "This uniform was brand new and a birthday present, and you come and fill it with holes! Give me your uniform as an apology, you wretch!"
“Next time I’ll fill your body with holes,” Mai’s voice came out snoring and husky. “And this design doesn’t even suit you with that lack of figure you g…”
Nobara strangled her more tightly, cutting off her words.
“We’re leaving, Mai.” Todo, the boy from before, returned now calm.
Nobara looked at Maki, silently asking if she could let go of her sister. When Maki nodded in response, Nobara released Mai.
“And Fushiguro?” Nobara stood next to Maki, demanding to know how her classmate was doing.
“Don’t worry, the boys went for him,” Maki answered instead, and Nobara released the air she had been holding in her lungs with relief.
“Looks like you’re having fun.” Todo mocked Mai, who got up from the ground with difficulty and stood next to him.
“Don’t joke around; this is just the beginning.”
“Forget it. Unlike you, I have important business in Tokyo.” Todo rummaged in his pocket and held up what appeared to be some tickets. “I will shake hands with my lovely Takada-chan!"
Todo put his jacket over his shoulder, said goodbye and left with Mai hot on his heels.
“Don’t think you’ll get out of the exchange event unscathed,” Mai said to them.
“Don’t talk like you won!” Nobara shouted at her. “And you must pay me for ruining the gift I was given!”
“Stop it, idiot.” Maki tapped her gently with her cane. “Winning or losing here doesn’t matter. We’ll win at the exchange event.”
—
"Hey, Maki-san," the two girls said, walking back toward the training field. "Was it true that you don't have any cursed energy?"
“That’s true. I can’t even see curses without these glasses.” Maki removed her glasses, showing them to Nobara. “That’s why I use cursed tools. They’re already imbued with cursed energy. I can’t transfer cursed energy to objects like you.”
Was that why Gojo told Itadori he could keep his glasses since his case wasn't like Maki's? Does she use things like the one Itadori received?
"And why are you a sorcerer?"
“Out of pure spite,” Maki turned around, making eye contact while smiling without breaking stride. “I can’t wait to see the look on the faces of the family that looked down on me when I become an important sorcerer.”
Maki is really cool.
Nobara remembered Todo asking Fushiguro what his type of woman was, and then his type of man. She recalled telling Mai that Maki was prettier, and now, as she gazed at Maki, feeling mesmerized, she realized that perhaps her interest had never been in the men she so often criticized. Maybe her former classmates were right to call her a deviated. Despite that, she now understood that if she decided to have a partner, she would love it to be Maki, or at least a girl like her.
Unfortunately, it's not strong enough for someone like her.
“Hurry up, we have to go see Shoko” Maki pulled her from her thoughts. “She can get you a new uniform too.”
Nobara trotted towards her, placed her arms behind her back, and fidgeted with her hands.
“You know, Maki-san? I respect you a lot.” Nobara rested her head on the other girl's shoulder, thanking whatever god had made sure Maki didn't reject her.
Both continued walking in a comforting silence, and in Nobara's case, with a new sense of accomplishment.