A Dead Man's Return

XVII. Rekindled

Oh yeah, I'm locked in... finally.

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Nobody's POV:

Six days after the Goodwill Event - Sunday

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6:30 PM

It was just as she expected– but it wasn't necessarily dark or hazy. It was all just... lonely, a feeling she despised to the very core of her being.

The week, that is.

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The days following the Goodwill Event were quiet and unremarkable. Nothing of importance happened, and all the students were given the rest of the week off as the adults figured things out. Of course, Gojo was at the very center of this, so she couldn't necessarily go to him for advice, though, she had asked him where Yuji was whenever she bumped into him. He always gave her a vague answer.

Nobara would find herself walking around campus, discovering new spots and wonders that the place had to offer. She had come across several species of rare birds flapping their wings as they soared through the air and perched up on trees. Cool insects and furry little animals were also amongst the scarce animal population of Jujutsu Tech. She even found a few different gardens spread around– it was almost like a scavenger hunt trying to find them all. They had the most beautiful flowers planted neatly in the small plots of land, though, they would soon be no more once winter rolled in.

It was fun for the most part.

Yet, it was just... lonely.

Whatever she did was simply accompanied with this feeling of solitude.

Where was Itadori? He was never in his room– believe her, she had barged in and thoroughly checked many times. That dimwit leaves his door unlocked for some odd reason.

She couldn't find an answer to that question, so then came another: Why was he gone?

Of course, it could be because of what Gojo had told her and Ieiri. Yet, Kugisaki was expecting Itadori to eventually come to her and spill everything– then, they would work it out together as they usually did.

Yet it's been a week, and nothing.

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Fushiguro on the other hand was the same, though, he was more vocal about it whenever she called him. Every time she asked him to accompany her or at the very least come out of his room for a simple talk, he gave her the same answer, 'I'm busy.' This was clearly a lie and he was just staying hauled up in his bed like your classic depressed teenager. Seems like the Goodwill Event got to him too.

Then came the second years. They were so pissed about the thrashing they received during the Goodwill Event, they devised a weeklong training program that began at dawn and ended at sundown. They would eat afterwards, take a shower, then sleep, rinse and repeat. She would not be coaxed or even forced into joining that hell.

So, alone time it was.

It was dreadful.

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