Your Life As A Tokyo Jujutsu High Background Student

Chapter 3 - You're cool. You're crazy. And you've got a tragic backstory.

As promised, the next day, you accompanied Megumi and Yuji to pick up the third first-year student in Harajuku.

Yuji whistled a cheerful tune, his grin stretched ear-to-ear like sunshine breaking through clouds as he took in the colorful crowds. Megumi stalked ahead, back rigid, radiating don't-bother-me vibes.

Your group stood out starkly from the usual flamboyant Harajuku in your dark uniforms. Yuji cheerfully was slurping an enormous rainbow swirl of ice cream, while Megumi eyed the dripping colors and sprinkles with thinly veiled distaste.

Around you, tourists and fashionistas went on with their lives, oblivious to the world of curses. An ordinary weekday as far as they knew. You hid a wistful smile, remembering when your own world was that small and bright with possibility, untouched by pain and losses.

"Here, want a bite, senpai?" Yuji offered with a grin, holding out the towering ice cream cone. Before you could react, Megumi made a small sound of disgust.

"Itadori!" he hissed, visibly scandalized. "You can't just... offer your half-eaten food like that!"

The tips of his ears had gone distinctly pink as he gestured sharply between you and the ice cream, clearly conveying inappropriate even if he couldn't vocalize it.

"It's not half- eaten!" Yuji protested. "I've just had a bite..."

An errant sprinkle landed on Megumi's sleeve. He flicked it off, nose crinkled.

"Alright. I've got my own sweets. Thanks, kid." You lifted your huge bag of marshmallows, sensing Megumi's patience was thin as the ice cream dribbling down Yuji's fingers.

As much as you liked Yuji and didn't actually mind half-eaten food, you had a feeling you better not test Megumi's patience today. He'd had it rough after his scuffle with Sukuna, and being confined in bed for an entire day had certainly made him even more crabby than usual.

Yuji rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, but the embarrassment didn't last long as his mind already latched onto something else:

"By the way, why are there only three first-years? Isn't that a little small for a class?"

"Well, have you ever met anyone who can see curses?" Megumi shrugged, not inclined to explain any further. "That's how rare we jujutsu sorcerers are."

"Guess so... And that's why Spices-senpai is the only third year in our school?"

Yuji leaned toward you, eyes alight with innocent curiosity. He'd probably determined that he could get more information from you. He's new to this. You supposed it's only fair to tell him.

"There used to be four of us in my year. The first year, we lost Shino on a mission." You explained quietly.

That familiar hollow ache blooming behind your ribs as you pictured Shino's smiling face, frozen forever at fifteen. Shoko had told you back then, that it would get better. But you had little faith in that.

Ieiri Shoko was the most knowledgeable person you knew, but however much you adored her, you just couldn't bring yourself to believe that it would ever get better. After all, it never got better for Shoko.

You shook your head sharply, blinking back hot tears. One deep breath, then another.

"Sorry. It's stupid to still get upset..." You tried to brush it off, but Yuji's arm wrapped gently around your shoulders, turning you into his chest.

"I'm sorry, senpai. I didn't know." Yuji squeezed you into a hug, his voice low and more mature than you thought possible. "You don't have to tell me..."