Bound In Love's Curse [Gojo Satoru x Female Readers]

22 ~ Twenty-Two

[T]he atmosphere instantly shifted, the tension dissipating with their presence. Yuta, Toge, Maki, and Panda bounded out of the car.

"Hey there," Yuta greeted with a friendly smile, and a wave of his hand.

Toge nodded silently in greeting, while Maki offered a small nod of acknowledgment.

Panda, ever the gentle giant, gave a friendly wave too. "Nice to see you all again."

"Sorry for being late. Did you all wait long?" Yuta apologized, scanning the group while Nanami handed you the plastic bag with your orders.

"Hey, what about me?" Gojo chimed in, motioning to himself.

Nanami sighed and handed him his own bag, instantly lighting up Gojo Satoru's face.

"Not at all. We were just grabbing some snacks anyway," you replied, seizing the chance.

"I see," Yuta nodded in understanding. "Have we decided on what to eat?"

"I'm good with anything," Maki shrugged.

"Salmon," Toge murmured quietly.

"Me too," Panda chimed in agreeably.

"Oh man, this is gonna be tough," Gojo muttered, scratching his head thoughtfully before turning to you. "Now that I think about it. We didn't throw any welcome party for you, Y/N."

"Yeah," Panda nodded in agreement at the same realization.

You were caught off guard by the comment, giving Gojo Satoru a quizzical look. What did he mean by that?

"How about you choose, Y/N-chan?" Gojo suggested with a grin.

"Eh, I don't know," you replied, feeling slightly hesitant as you glanced at the others, expecting someone to object. To your surprise, they all seemed to welcome the idea of you choosing. With a sigh, you relented, "How about Ichiran's Tonkotsu Ramen?"

You'd hoped for objections, but there were none.

"Fine by me," Nanami agreed with a nod.

"Works for us too," Yuta chimed in, his group nodding in agreement.

"Then Ramen it is," Gojo declared cheerfully, leading your small group forward.

As you all started to walk, your steps fell into sync with Yuta's.

Gojo Satoru and Nanami led the way, with Yuta walking beside you while the rest followed closely behind. You glanced back occasionally, ensuring the students didn't feel left out.

"So, L/N-san," Yuta began tentatively, his tone betraying his nerves.

Since the incident with your koto, you hadn't exchanged many words with him.

"Hmm?"

"How's your time been at Jujutsu High?" Yuta asked.

"Not too bad," you replied truthfully, before adding with a hint of weariness, "Except for dealing with Gojo Satoru, of course. That guy is a handful."

"Hah, another victim of Baka Gojo's stunts," Maki chimed in casually, causing the faint semblance of a smile to form on your lips.

"Aha? I don't know about that. I always found Gojo-sensei to be pretty fun," Yuta admitted with a sheepish chuckle, rubbing the back of his head. "Besides, he's kind of my savior."

"Umm?" You turned to Yuta, a hint of curiosity in your expression.

He decided to elaborate, "I used to be cursed, had a power I couldn't control. They were going to execute me, but Gojo-Sensei took me in and helped me train this power."

As Yuta finished sharing his story, a somber silence settled over the group. You couldn't help but feel a surge of empathy for Yuta's past struggles and subtle admiration for Gojo's compassionate nature.

"That's quite the story," you commented softly, offering Yuta a supportive nod. "It's reassuring to know that Gojo Satoru was there for you."

Your gaze flicked to the White-haired man, who seemed absorbed in his usual teasing banter with Nanami.

Yuta nodded appreciatively, a faint smile gracing his lips. "Yeah, I owe him a lot."

"Well, he's got his moments," Maki shrugged, drawing your attention.

"And he's undeniably powerful too," Panda chimed in, nodding in agreement.

"Salmon," Toge interjected quietly, his usual cryptic style of communication.

"My bad, I didn't mean to sound critical," you apologized, feeling a hint of remorse.

"Oh, that's not what I meant," Yuta hurriedly clarified, shaking his head.

You paused to offer him a reassuring pat on the head, which elicited a shy blush from him.

"Yuta, right?"

"H-hai," Yuta stammered, bowing slightly as he introduced himself. "I should have introduced myself earlier. I'm Okkotsu Yuta."

"And I'm Panda, and he's Toge Inumaki," Panda chimed in, gesturing to himself and Toge.

"Maki Zen'in," the green-haired girl chimed in, her distaste for her own last name evident in her voice.

But you decided not to prod further, merely nodding in acknowledgment before saying, "And I'm—"

"L/N Y/N," Maki, Panda, and Yuta said in unison, while Toge simply remained silent, burying his nose further into his collar.

You couldn't help but find their synchrony amusing, secretly enjoying the camaraderie among them.

"I've been meaning to ask," you began politely, turning back to Yuta. "What's with your overwhelming curse energy and that... unsettling aura you emit? It's reminiscent of—"

"Gojo-Sensei?" Yuta interjected, finishing your thought. "I suppose it's because we are somehow related."

You blinked in surprise. "Wait, you're related to Gojo Satoru?"

Yuta nodded solemnly. "Yes, he's a distant relative. And the unsettling aura you're sensing is likely from my curse spirit, Rika."

"I see," you murmured thoughtfully, turning to continue walking.

But as you did, you nearly collided with the formidable sorcerer himself, who was standing uncomfortably close. Instinctively, you took a step back to avoid the awkward situation of mistakenly kissing him.

"Come on, Gojo Satoru, personal space," you scolded, rolling your eyes.

"Ah, Y/N-chan," Gojo quipped playfully.

You sighed, feeling a headache coming on. "What is it now? What do you want?"

With a mock pout, Gojo continued, "I called you several times, but you weren't listening."

Realizing he was still in your personal space, you decided to ignore him and headed towards Nanami. "Fine," you responded curtly, signaling your readiness to leave.

As you walked away, Yuta called out to Gojo Satoru. "You should ease up on teasing Y/N-san, Sensei. It's not making a good impression."

"Don't wanna," Gojo pouted, tousling Yuta's hair playfully. "Leave this to the grown-ups, will ya?"

Maki shook her head, sidestepping Gojo too. "I'm pretty sure this is why she finds you annoying."

"Hey, how do you know that?" Gojo asked, raising an eyebrow at Maki's assertion. But she simply shrugged it off, ignoring his question. "Hey, Maki-chan, wait up!" he called after her, gesturing for her to stop, but she continued walking without acknowledging him.

One by one, the other students followed Maki, heading to join Nanami and you.

"See you there, Satoru," Panda said with a chuckle as he walked away.

"Salmon," Toge murmured softly.

Gojo's expression deflated like a popped balloon, and Yuta couldn't help but laugh sheepishly as the group moved on.