𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞 | 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮 𝐆𝐨𝐣𝐨

17 | Fragile

────୨ৎ──── Y/N's POV

Alumni reunions weren't exactly my idea of fun. The last time all the Jujutsu High graduates had been in one place, it ended with multiple arguments, a lot of drinking, and Gojo starting a competition over who could summon the strongest cursed technique in a single minute. Spoiler alert: he won, and the courtyard still had scorch marks to prove it.

This year, I told myself things would be different. We were older, supposedly wiser, and I was now a teacher here. That had to count for something, right?

Shoko found me almost immediately when I arrived. It wasn't surprising—she always had a way of knowing where I was. "Thought you might bail," she said, her usual smirk in place as she handed me a drink.

"Thought about it," I admitted, taking a sip. "But someone had to keep Gojo from stealing the spotlight."

She raised an eyebrow. "As if you could stop him. He lives for this kind of thing."

My eyes automatically searched the crowd, and there he was: Satoru Gojo, standing at the center of a group that included Utahime and a reluctant Nanami. He was gesturing wildly, probably telling one of his ridiculous stories. Even from across the courtyard, I could hear his laughter echoing.

"Hard to believe you're marrying that guy," Shoko said, following my gaze. Her smirk softened into something more genuine. "Then again, I guess you're the only one who could."

I rolled my eyes, but the corner of my mouth quirked up. "He's a handful, but he's worth it."

She snorted. "If you say so."

"I mean come on, you know how it's been ever since high school." I added.

"Oh right, when you'd talk to me late at night about him. I remember that perfectly..." she laughed, taking a sip from her drink.

"I wasn't that obsessed, was I...?" I awkwardly grinned, scratching my chin.

"Oh you definitely were." she teased. "But he was equally just as obsessed, you were just too oblivious to realise..." she traced the rim of her drink.

"Oh well! It doesn't matter now.. we're getting married.." I smiled, feeling accomplished.

For a while, Shoko and I caught up with some other alumni, exchanging stories about our student days and poking fun at the chaos that inevitably followed Gojo wherever he went. But then Nanami approached, and I couldn't help but feel a little more relaxed in his company.

"Still teaching the first-years?" he asked, his tone as calm and serious as ever.

"Still working yourself to death?" I countered, earning a faint smile from him.

It was easy to talk to Nanami. His steady, no-nonsense demeanor was a nice contrast to Gojo's endless energy. We chatted about the students, about teaching, and even shared a rare laugh over some of the scenarios we'd both seen from Maki and Yuta.

"I'm glad you're back, Nanami. It's easy to get discouraged from this world, but it's definitely harder to come back." I smiled, at the blonde man.

"Thank you, Y/N. It's good to be back." he returned a warm smile.

But then I felt it—a shift in the atmosphere, like a sudden gust of wind.

"Y/N," came a familiar voice, dripping with faux cheer. I turned to see Gojo, his blue eyes glinting behind his blindfold and his smile just a little too sharp.

"Satoru," I said, a bit warily.

"What're you two chatting about?" he asked, stepping between Nanami and me, his towering presence impossible to ignore.