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❝I'LL KILL YOU!❞ Akira erupted with a sudden jolt, her eyes widening as she gasped for breath. Negative thoughts raced through her mind, and she gulped hard, blinking a few times to acclimate to the lights. Surveying her surroundings, she noticed a few people.
"Call Shoko!" a man barked at another boy, his voice familiar to Akira's ears.
She found herself on a bed, her hands, back, and neck all wrapped in bandages. Miniature bandages adorned her cheek. Recollections flooded back - she remembered passing out, the last thing echoing in her mind being someone calling her name. "WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING HE─ OW OWWWW!!" Akira exclaimed but then winced in pain, instinctively touching her neck.
"Who told you to get up???!!!" a lady in her twenties, clad in a white doctor's coat with a cigarette in her mouth, scolded Akira.
"Ouch, ouch..." Akira winced again, squeezing her eyes shut. The lady gently guided Akira back onto the bed.
"Do you remember who I am?" the lady asked, peering down at Akira. Blinking a few times, Akira responded, "Uh... yeah... Shoko-san..." Akira recalled. The lady smiled and then pointed to a white-haired man, "Him?"
"Ah... sensei..." Akira spoke, tilting her head and looking at a boy with salmon hair. "That's Sukuna boy... Itadori," Akira mumbled in a drowsy tone.
"And that's...." Akira blinked a few times, "Coldy..." she spoke, grinning, addressing Megumi as 'Coldy.'
"Alas! So you remember," Gojo yelled happily. "I thought you lost your memory!"
"Huh?" Akira blinked. "Can I sit up, please???" she asked Shoko.
Shoko nodded and assisted Akira in sitting up on the bed. "Ah..." Akira groaned, cracking her neck. "Man, this hurts..." Akira blurted, stretching her arms.
"Thank goodness the wound wasn't too deep; otherwise, it could have cost you your memories," Shoko reassured Akira, a sense of professional urgency in her demeanor as she prepared an injection. "This will expedite your healing process."
"Injection?! Really?!" Itadori's squeal echoed in the room. "Man... I'm scared of them," he added, lightening the mood and bringing a grin to Akira's face.
Akira nodded, submitting to the injection administered by Shoko. "Well... how did I end up here?" Akira inquired, glancing down at her clothes. Her eyes widened suddenly. "WHO THE HECK CHANGED MY CLOTHES?!" she exclaimed, realizing she was now clad in pants and a t-shirt instead of her uniform.
"Chill.... Nobara and Shoko did..." Gojo chuckled, offering a casual explanation. "She's out for her stuff for now."
Akira breathed a sigh of relief, her gratitude evident. Shoko examined her once again, reinforcing, "Don't you dare remove those bandages! You were legitimately stabbed!" Shoko's stern warning resonated, and Akira nodded in acknowledgment.
With Shoko leaving the room, Itadori seized the opportunity to join Akira on the bed, radiating excitement. Meanwhile, Megumi and Gojo took positions on either side of the bed.
"Oh damn... I didn't even realize that I was in my dorm..." Akira chuckled, displaying a sense of amusement despite the situation.
"Oh well, I forgot to ask," Gojo initiated the inquiry. "How did the mission go?" He directed his gaze towards both Akira and Megumi.
"Yeah yeah... I wanna know!" Itadori chimed in, his enthusiasm unabated.
Megumi's face flushed slightly, but he composed himself. "Smooth..." he offered as a succinct assessment of the mission.
"HA? So you really think it all went SMOOTH when I was stabbed?!" Akira playfully taunted Megumi, drawing light-hearted banter.
In return, Megumi maintained a stoic expression. "Anyways..." Akira attempted to resume her narrative, but the door creaked open, revealing a tall lady in her twenties. Her long light red hair cascaded down to her lower waist, braided in a really really loose braid, her hair almost out of the braid, and her eyes carried a captivating shade of red. Adorned in a Jujutsu uniform - a dark blue suit with a cropped top and a blazer - she exuded confidence as she grinned and approached the bed.
"Hey there, Akira..." she greeted warmly, prompting a moment of recognition from Akira.
Itadori appeared perplexed, unfamiliar with the tall lady. However, Megumi and Gojo recognized her.
"Heeya... Hirai!" Gojo cheered, sharing a friendly exchange with the lady.
"Hello, Hirai-san," Megumi greeted with polite acknowledgment.
The lady nodded and fixed her gaze on Akira, who was now staring at her. "Ah... I... kind of... remember you..." Akira murmured as she rubbed her forehead. "Hirai San!" Akira erupted into cheers, recalling the identity of the tall lady. A chuckle escaped from the lady at Akira's animated reaction. "Are you okay now, Akira?" she inquired, and Akira responded with a nod and a grin.
However, Itadori remained perplexed, uttering a confused "Ah?" as he observed the interactions unfold.
"Hey, kid!" the lady greeted as she affectionately patted Itadori's head. Itadori greeted back with a simple "Hello."
"You're Sukuna's vessel, hm? Itadori Yuuji?" the lady addressed him, tilting her head slightly. Gojo confirmed with a nod, "Yeah, he is!" The lady continued, "I'm Saike Hirai, a special-grade sorcerer." She introduced herself with a wink.
Itadori grinned, expressing his delight, "Nice to meet you, Hirai-san!" as Saike nodded in acknowledgment.
Pulling a chair from Akira's desk, Hirai seated herself beside the bed, folding her arms across her chest and crossing her legs. Saike Hirai, known for her dominant, strong, and bold demeanor, exuded an aura of fearlessness and confidence that left an indelible impression.
"You've grown up, Akira," Hirai addressed softly, her lips forming a warm and nostalgic smile. Itadori blinked in confusion, unable to decipher the depth of the relationship between Akira and Hirai.
"May I ask something?" Itadori hesitated as he spoke. "I... want to know your cursed technique and..." he paused, glancing at Akira before continuing, "how you're related to Akira," he clarified.
Hirai smiled and responded, "Well, you see..." She began, leaning back in her chair with an air of casual confidence. "My mother is from the Shinzaki clan, and my father is from the Hirai clan, so... I'm half Shinzaki and half Hirai," Hirai grinned, her features reflecting the unique blend of her lineage. "We have a clan relation," she concluded, and Akira nodded in agreement.
"Oh!" Itadori exclaimed, his eyes widening in understanding.
"Ah, and yeah... my cursed technique is Inferno Serenade. I can manipulate fire, even when it's not present in the environment at the time," Hirai disclosed with a smirk, adding a touch of intrigue to the revelation. Itadori couldn't help but express his awe, exclaiming, "WOWWW!"
Akira brushed her hand through her hair, breaking the momentary fascination. "How did I end up here, actually?" she inquired, steering the conversation back to her own circumstances.
