Your Life As A Tokyo Jujutsu High Background Student

Chapter 40 - Once upon a whispered vow

The first time you met Geto Suguru was a spectacle you'd never forget as long as you lived. It was just a few months after Yuuta had stumbled his way into Tokyo Jujutsu High, and Geto thought it was prime time for a little recruitment drive – villainous recruitment, that is.

Your day had started with the usual chaos – running late because, of course, you'd forgotten something and had to double back to your room. Little did you know, you were about to miss an entrance worthy of a dramatic opera. Or maybe a circus sideshow, depending on your taste.

As you rounded the bend toward the school gate, the first thing that greeted you was a freaking pelican. And not just any pelican – this one was monstrously huge, cursed to high heavens, and sported more wings than strictly necessary. Seriously, why was it always something straight out of a demented petting zoo? And wouldn't you know it, holding court before this feathery abomination was Geto Suguru himself, flanked by his posse of curse users.

For you, whose specialty was a good, old-fashioned ambush, the situation was practically gift-wrapped and tied with a bow. No time to process the sheer absurdity of it all. Instinct took over. You drew your cursed energy inward and melted into the shadows, your movements fluid and precise as you scaled a nearby tree like a seasoned cat burglar hopped up on enough caffeine to fuel a small army. From this shadowy vantage point nestled amongst the leaves, you had a front-row seat to the unfolding pandemonium.

The cursed pelican, while impressive in a nightmarish sort of way, was quickly outdone by the verbal brawl that erupted below.

Geto Suguru, the villain of the hour, stood there in all his theatrical glory. Sure, you'd heard stories about him, but seeing him in person... Well, let's just say the man had presence. His long, dark hair flowed dramatically in the breeze, and you wouldn't have been surprised if he had a hidden wind machine tucked away for just the right amount of flair. You had to hand it to him, the guy knew how to make an entrance.

This is going swimmingly. You thought as Geto's recruitment pitch ground on with the appeal of sandpaper. Insulting Maki – Yuuta's precious Maki – right out of the gate? Not exactly winning hearts and minds. You could practically see steam hissing from Yuuta's ears.

As the verbal jabs flew back and forth, you marveled at Geto's spectacular failure of a first impression. It was almost wonderful how quickly he'd managed to turn everyone against him. Some cursed spirits had better pickup lines.

The whole scene was like watching a train wreck in slow motion – horrifying, yet impossible to look away from. Geto's crew stood behind him, looking like they'd rather be anywhere else. You couldn't blame them. This wasn't recruitment, it was the world's most awkward job fair from hell.

You adjusted your position slightly on your branch, careful not to make a sound. As the self-proclaimed ambush specialist, you knew the value of patience. But even your patience was being tested by this display of social ineptitude.

And then, the cavalry – or perhaps, more accurately, the adults – arrived.

Gojo swaggered in with the casual confidence of someone fashionably late to their own coronation. His presence ratcheted the tension up to eleven, adding an extra layer of volatile egos to the already explosive mix.

"Step away from them, Suguru," his tone was deceptively mild. One would think he was requesting Geto surrender the last slice of pizza at a casual hangout, not relinquish a hostage situation.

Behind him, Yaga cracked his knuckles in what was probably supposed to be an intimidating gesture. Ino and Mei Mei trailed behind with a squad of combatant sorcerers. Their expressions communicated a shared sentiment: "We didn't sign up for this shit, but here we are."