Jujutsu Kaisen x Male Reader

Training Day (Chapter 6)

When the first rays of sunlight shined through the cracked blinds, Y/n was already awake. Something that wasn't just the result of a good night's sleep but an anticipation for what lay ahead.

The wooden floorboards creaked as he moved to the corner of the dorm. There, nestled amidst a motley of personal effects from students who came before him, he found a toothbrush - a simple white one, provided by the school. It struck him odd, but he didn't question it.

Turning, he noticed Ryoko, her hair splayed out on the pillow, her lips slightly parted in the middle of a dream. Guilt twinged his heart, knowing he'd be leaving her, if only for a short while. Gently, so as not to wake her, he brushed a kiss on her forehead. On the side table, he left her a note, scribbled hastily but with all his heart.

Once Y/n had finished all his morning tasks, he donned the school uniform, a crisp white piece unlike the standard worn by the others. Why he'd been given a different color remained a puzzle, but he long since stopped questioning the unusual.

_–-{}-–_

Gojo, always having a touch of flamboyance about him, clapped his hands together, drawing the attention of the two youngsters.

"Before we venture any further into this, let's get some introductions out of the way," Gojo began. He pointed dramatically to the boy whom Y/n had been stealing glances at. "Y/n, meet Yuji Itadori, a first year from the Tokyo branch." Then, with a theatrical flourish, he redirected his finger. "And Yuji, here's Y/n, who's a year above you, hailing from the cobblestones of Kyoto."

Cobblestones?

The awkward tension in the room seemed to thicken, but, Yuji, not one to let a silence grow too thick, extended a hand, a small smile playing on his lips. "Might as well break the ice before it forms, right?"

Y/n, taken aback by the unexpected sight, hesitated for a moment before reciprocating the gesture. Their handshake was brief, yet it conveyed mutual respect. "Yeah, you're right, sorry about that!"

Gojo, looking as if he'd orchestrated a successful play, remarked, "Y'know, they say the outfit makes the man. And Y/n, that wears well on you. Maybe I should have more tailored just like that."

Y/n raised an eyebrow, surprised, "Tailored? Why couldn't you just give me the normal uniform? ....Although..." he gestured towards Yuji's hooded uniform, "that looks interesting."

Yuji laughed, "That was all Gojo-sensei, I didn't have anything to do with it either!"

Y/n and Yuji, now studying each other's attire, both shot a glance at Gojo, seeking an explanation.

Gojo leaned back, eyes hidden behind that blindfold, his signature smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "Well, as riveting as this has been, I feel we're veering off. I'm afraid our little bonding moment must come to an end."

The duo, with matching expressions of mock offense, retorted in unison.

"Cheapskate."

A short silence stretched between them. It was Gojo's way of recalibrating the room's energy.

"Yuji, when you're up close and personal, you've proven to be efficient and comfortable. It's Y/n that worries me. Fresh-faced and green, you're walking in with a target on your back."

Y/n's hands tightened into fists, the white of his knuckles visible.

"Our window before the Exchange Program is shrinking. And, I need to cram in everything humanly possible to prepare you both."

"Exchange Program?"

"It's a competition between the Kyoto and Tokyo Schools. A clash of skills, if you will. And you, Y/n, aren't exempt."