Beads of sweat roll down the back of your neck. Your forehead feels slick, your breathing slightly uneven, and your hands tremble as you grip the cursed tool tightly. Meanwhile, Toji stands as tall and proud as ever. You can't see even the slightest trace of exhaustion. Man. He really is the Terminator.
"Take a break," Toji says. "I'll give you a few minutes."
You make slow, nodding motions, wincing a bit as you set the cursed tool aside. There are bloody blisters all over the palms of your hands. It's difficult to suppress your cursed energy while sparring with Toji, when you get the urge to heal your wounds as quickly as they appear. The pain doesn't last long, though. By the time you blink, your injuries have fully healed. Using reverse cursed technique seems to become more intuitive by the day. At some point, you suspect it might even feel as natural as breathing.
Satoru sits down next to you, handing you a water bottle. "Here. Take a break for a few minutes. I wanted to talk to you about something anyway."
"About what?" you ask, as you uncap the bottle and take a big, satisfying gulp.
Satoru doesn't respond immediately. He takes a few moments to just stare at you, eyes brighter and bluer than the sky itself. You never know quite what he's thinking, when he looks at you like that. It's not exactly scrutiny, but you can tell that he's deep in thought. There's something about you that he just can't wrap his head around. Something that he's never been able to wrap his head around.
The truth is that you're an oddity. Stranger than he can even put into words. But he doesn't care. Whatever inexplicable circumstances surround you, you're still his best friend, and you mean the world to him.
Which is why he's so afraid.
"Your cursed energy," Satoru finally says. "I wasn't sure if I should tell you right away. I was worried that it might freak you out. But... it happened again. Your cursed energy permanently increased. It happened right after you healed Toji's wife."
You blink. Okay, you weren't expecting that. It seriously happened again? What does that mean? You always thought that a sorcerer's cursed energy reservoir was pretty much determined from birth. Granted, there are ways to increase it on a short-term basis. You're very familiar with Binding Vows at this point, and Nanami's Binding Vow is a perfect example of a temporary power-up. But for someone's cursed energy to steadily increase over time, and for it to be cumulative? Is that really possible? You were convinced the first time was some kind of fluke.
"Are you sure?" you frown.
"Obviously. I told you this last time, too. There's no way I'd get this wrong. No one's cursed energy is as familiar to me as yours is. You're the last person I would ever be mistaken about."
"So, I'm getting stronger. My cursed energy is randomly increasing as I grow up?"
"Probably not. I think there's some kind of condition in play." He pauses for a moment, lips pursing. "The first time it ever happened... it was right after you saved one of the Gojo Clan members. He would've died if you hadn't used your reverse cursed technique on him. You prevented his death. You changed his fate. And it just happened again, after you prevented Toji's wife from dying."
Ah.
You see what he's getting at. It's just so hard to believe. Unless you're wildly misinterpreting things, it kind of sounds like...
"I think that every time you save someone's life, your cursed energy will increase more and more," Satoru says. "You might actually have a technique after all. Something innate. Something that's exclusively your own."
"...wow."
You're not really sure what else to say. If his theory is true-and there are certainly ways to verify it-then your potential may very well be limitless. Different than Satoru's Limitless, but still. It's kind of crazy. It makes it hard to believe that on the very first day you awoke in this world, everyone in your family deemed you a weakling and tossed you aside, as if you were garbage.
The more people you save, the stronger you'll become. But...
It's also a double-edged sword.
"You're going to need to supress your cursed energy even more," Satoru grimaces. His brows are knit together, and even though he tries to hide it, his hands are trembling. "Your Binding Vow is still in effect. It's not the kind of thing you can overwrite. You swore never to hurt anyone with your cursed energy, for the rest of your life, or you would die. Even if your cursed energy increases, you'll never be able to use it against anyone. All it's going to do is get in your way and make things more difficult for you. Even master sorcerers can't fully suppress their cursed energy. There are still traces left behind, residuals. It's one thing to suppress your powers when you have very little of them to begin with. As your capacity increases, limiting yourself will become more difficult too. It's too risky. And it's not like you're going to stop trying to save people. I know you would never do that. You could never ignore someone that's dying right in front of you."
You can tell Satoru's not finished. He goes silent for a while, in an attempt to collect himself, but it doesn't work. You can still see it in his eyes. The fear, the apprehension, the sheer dread. This development terrifies him. In fact, the only time he ever feels afraid is when you're involved. He was unfamiliar with the emotion before he'd met you. He was certain he'd go his entire life without experiencing it.
If he had to pick between dying a gruesome death or losing his best friend, he would choose to die, a hundred times over.
"[Name], do you... have to be a jujutsu sorcerer?"
His expression is so desperate. So imploring. You know he's not saying this because he thinks you're weak. Maybe he did at some point, back when he first met you, but he quickly learned that when it comes to resilience and sheer force of will, no one could ever measure up to you. That's why he knows this is incredibly selfish of him. You're an amazing healer. You're highly proficient. Gifted, even. The more he shelters you, the more likely it is that other people will die. But he can't help it. He can't help how he feels. No matter whose life is at stake, even if the fates of millions of people hang in the balance, he would still choose you over everyone else. Always.
"It's not like you can't still help people," he insists. "But you could stay here, with the Gojo Clan, where you're safe. You keep trying to fight cursed spirits. It's too risky for you. If someone ever needs your help, they can be brought here, and then you'll heal them. It's just that you won't ever go into battle yourself. You'll stay far, far away from all of the danger. Right? That would still work, wouldn't it? So, what I'm saying is, I don't think there's any reason for you to keep training with Toji anymore-"
"Satoru," you say, gaze stern. "I get how you feel, but no matter how worried you are, it doesn't change what I need to do. If I spend my life hiding out and waiting for people to come to be me to get healed, it'll be pointless. People can die in a matter of seconds. Unless I'm there to help them right in the moment, odds are they won't make it. I need to be right by their side, ready to take action. And in order to do that, I need to be strong enough to protect myself without using my cursed energy. This is the only way. It has to be done."
"But you don't have to save anyone. Who ever forced you do that? It's different for me. I'm the strongest, and ever since I was a kid, I've been told it's my responsibility to protect people. No one will blame you for looking out for yourself."
"I know. I know nobody's forcing this upon me. But I want to do it. Isn't that enough?"
Satoru doesn't understand. He'll never understand this obsession you have with putting yourself through hell for the sake of everyone else. Unlike him, you were born weak. You had to wager your own life in order to even have a chance. You have to put in conscious, diligent effort, every single day. It's not fair. You, of all people, deserve to be living peacefully and carefree. That's all he's ever wanted for you.
"It's impossible for you not to worry about me," you continue. "I know that, too. I'm sorry if it's upsetting. I'm sorry that you're always afraid I'll mess up and accidentally hurt someone, then die because of my Binding Vow. But it's okay. I have faith in myself, and I'm only going to keep getting stronger. In fact... I've been thinking of getting even more help. Surrounding myself with more people that can teach me and show me how to deal with this."
Satoru arches a brow, curious. "Really? And what's that?"
A smile rises to your lips.
"There's a high school I'd like to enroll in."
Here I am.
You slowly look up, expression filled with awe. A long, seemingly never-ending flight of stairs lies ahead of you. By now, you've seen this mountainous view more times than you can even count. It's iconic. Practically unforgettable.
As of today, you are officially a Jujutsu High student.
You're even wearing the uniform and everything. When you looked at yourself in the mirror this morning, you could hardly believe what you were seeing. At the risk of sounding vain, it honestly fits you like a glove. It feels like this is what you were always meant to do.
Satoru's not too happy about it, though.
"Ugh," he grumbles. It's actually funny because in canon, he wanted to attend Jujutsu High. He chose to come here to escape the Gojo Clan's stuffy rigidness and have a bit more freedom for a change. Now, it's just the opposite. He's had you with him for the better portion of his childhood. He never felt lonely or unfulfilled. And he's still terrified that something bad might happen to you. As messed up as it sounds, he kind of wishes he could just hide you from the rest of the world. Not out of a desire to restrict you or control what you do, but simply because he loves you so much.
But you're both here now, and he supposes it's far too late to complain about it. Besides, he already did complain. He whined and whined, for hours, days, weeks on end. He really should've known from the start that it would be pointless. Once you set your mind to something, you never back down. He used to think that he was stubborn, but you easily take the cake.
"I'm so happy," you beam. "Moving into the dorms is so exciting! I hope we become friends with the other students. Right, Satoru? You're looking forward to meeting everyone, aren't you?"
"No," Satoru deadpans.
"Aw, really? Not even a little bit? I think you're just being pessimistic. You're excited about it too, deep down. Don't worry. I can tell."
He lets out a heavy sigh, but doesn't bother to retort. Well, it's fine. He'll come around eventually. You're glad that having you as a friend has given him a better childhood (setting aside the fact that worrying about you puts his blood pressure through the roof), but soon enough, his time at Jujutsu High will become an important, irreplaceable memory for him. He might try to deny it, but you know it's true.
After all, originally, one of the students he met here was supposed to have been his dearest friend.
You'd expect nothing less of the famed Gojo Satoru, but upon reaching Jujutsu High's campus, both of you are given a warm, enthusiastic welcome. It's strange to see that the principal right now isn't Yaga Masamichi. This is set many years before Yuji's time. As far as you recall, Yaga was Satoru's teacher before becoming the principal later on. You're probably going to be working closely with him over these next couple of years. First and foremost though, you need to unpack.
"These dorms are tiny," Satoru shamelessly remarks. The dorms are separated by grade, because there are only a scarce few students that attend Jujutsu High. It sounds like you're going to be living in this building along with the other first-year students. They're not around right now, though. You were told that they're waiting in one of the classrooms to meet you.
"As far as dorms go, they're actually really spacious," you reply. "It's just that the Gojo Clan estate is huge. You don't have a normal frame of reference."
"Well, how do you know what dorms are supposed to look like?" he challenges.
"It's just, uh, something I've heard."
"From who?"
"From people on the internet. Obviously."
Satoru gives you a dubious look, but you've already begun setting things up in your room. Admittedly, it's a lot different from back when you moved into the Gojo Clan estate. You left your family with not a single personal belonging to your name. Since then, you've built up an inventory for yourself. Clothes are one thing, but most of what you brought along includes little trinkets that you've collected over the years. Things that might not look valuable at first glance, but they mean a great deal to you. Like the beautiful comb Naoya gifted you as an 'early wedding gift'. Or the finger-painting Megumi made a few weeks ago, which you've held onto, ever the proud aunt. Fushiguro makes a point of spoiling you by buying you accessories, jewelry, and every time you mention a new book you're interested in, she has it ready and waiting for you by the time of your next visit. You've even kept a few items from your training sessions with Toji. For instance, he shattered a huge rock this one time, so you ended up with an oddly perfect, smooth-cut stone-which you affectionately named Petunia.
As for all the things you've accrued during your time with Satoru, there are honestly too many to even count. He gifted you a journal a few years ago, because he could tell that you enjoyed reading and writing, and to quote him, you 'must have a lot of thoughts, because you never seem to stop talking'. Which is obviously true. There was also the time he drew a hilariously disproportionate picture of you, Toji, and himself. Toji thought it was dumb, but you thought it was funny. It kind of reminded you of how he would go around annoying Nanami with dick drawings in canon. Also, as cliched as it might sound, you brought a photo album with you, filled with years upon years of fond, beautiful memories. Looking back on it always leaves you in awe. Even now, you still can't believe you're actually here. You can't believe that this is your reality. That your actions have brought about tangible outcomes. Good ones.
You enjoyed living with the Gojo Clan. You really did. But with the passing of time inevitably comes change.
And this is a change you'll welcome with open arms.
Your chest feels tight, on the verge of bursting with excitement, as you and Satoru walk across campus. It doesn't take long to reach the building you were assigned to. Most of the buildings aren't particularly big. Finding your classroom proves to be rather easy as well, and soon enough, you're standing in front of a door, knowing full well what awaits you on the other side.
"What are you shaking for?" Satoru frowns. "Are you actually nervous?"
To some extent, yes, you are. After all, being a student as Jujutsu High isn't exactly sunshine and rainbows. Even before Yuji's generation, it's not like there wasn't plenty of danger everyone faced. There were casualties, even back then. Like Riko, Haibara, and without a doubt, many innocent people too.
So, you'd be lying if you said you weren't nervous. You're apprehensive for the future. You've succeeded thus far, but there's no guarantee that it'll always be like that. You can't afford to get complacent or let your guard down. You can't, but...
You're still unbelievably happy to be here.
"A little bit nervous," you admit. There's a pause, and you quickly squeeze Satoru's hand, while grinning ear-to-ear. "But mostly, I'm just excited."
You slide the door open. You're not surprised to see that the classroom is nearly empty, and that's even taking into account the scarce amount of desks and chairs laid out. There's a man standing at the front, right next to the blackboard. You recognize him, of course. He's a good deal younger than you're used to, and he's not wearing his trademark cool sunglasses, but without a doubt, it's Yaga Masamichi.
"You're late," he immediately snaps. "Three whole minutes late. This may be your first day here, but punctuality is important. Don't make a habit of showing up whenever you please. Now, come up here and introduce yourselves."
Satoru rolls his eyes, but you merely smile and offer a hasty apology. Both of you then walk further into the room and turn to face the rest of the class-which consists of only two other students.
There's a girl sitting at the very back. She has short brown hair, with bangs that sweep across her face. She's fiddling with a pack of cigarettes, although she hasn't lit any of them (Yaga would probably lose his mind if she did), and her eyes slowly lift towards you, meeting you in a lethargic gaze. Her name is Ieiri Shoko, and like you, she possesses the rare ability to use reverse cursed technique. Several years from now, she will become Jujutsu High's personal doctor, and simultaneously, one of their most valued assets. Both of you have a lot in common. This time, however, she won't have to take all that heavy responsibility upon herself. She won't have to carry everyone's lives on her shoulders. Because you'll be here to help.
The only other student is a boy with long black hair tied up in a bun, pierced ears, and dark, thin eyes. He's already staring pointedly at both you and Satoru. In fact, he hasn't even blinked once. It might strike some people as unsettling, especially upon a first meeting, but personally, it doesn't faze you. You know far too much about him to ever be taken aback or caught by surprise. Like many of the characters in Jujutsu Kaisen, he too is doomed to suffer a miserable fate. Certain events will steer him down the wrong path and corrupt his beliefs. Inevitably, it will lead him to his death. A death that, tragically, will come at the hands of his closest friend.
But that's only if the plot proceeds normally, and as you've already discovered, it is possible to rewrite the future. There's no reason why he should be the only exception.
You will save Geto Suguru.
"Yo," Satoru casually introduces. "I'm Gojo Satoru, and to be honest, I don't really want to be here, but [Name] wouldn't take no for an answer. She's nice, but you'll quickly learn how ridiculously stubborn she can be. Uh... what else should I say...? I mean, I'm the strongest sorcerer there is, but you probably already knew that. So, don't be too discouraged when I'm better than you at everything, alright?"
It's exactly the kind of shameless, boastful introduction you'd expect from someone like him. Shoko looks more amused than anything else, but meanwhile, Suguru is blinking in disbelief, clearly wondering if he heard that right.
You chuckle softly. "Ignore him. Satoru's a bit grumpy today, but he's actually really supportive and reliable, even if it sounds hard to believe."
"Hey, why are you trashing me in your introduction?"
"Well, you called me stubborn. You started it."
"I only called you stubborn because it's true."
"Everything I said is also true."
"Ahem." Yaga loudly clears his throat, looking more irked by the second. "If you don't mind, let's try to stay on topic and keep this brief. We're already a few minutes behind schedule."
"Oops. Sorry again." You turn back towards your classmates and smile brightly. "Anyway, I'm [Name]. I've been living with the Gojo Clan up until now. Satoru and I have known each other since we were kids. We're best friends. And I can't wait to become friends with both of you, too."
Whether it sounds corny or not, you don't care. The four of you will be together for all of high school, and hopefully, many years beyond that. You won't accept a world in which any of them die. You simply won't.
"Take your seats now," Yaga instructs.
You nod happily. Satoru follows close to your side as you pick out your seat. Shoko and Suguru are sitting rather staggered apart. You would like to sit next to Shoko as well, but she's not the one you're the most worried about. She's not the one with the potential to forego her morals and allow her heart to be clouded by darkness.
So, instead, you take a seat right next to Suguru.
"Hi," you beam.
Suguru blinks slowly. "Uh, hi."
"I'm [Name]."
"I know. I just heard you introduce yourself."
"I want to make friends with everyone."
"I know. I heard that part too."
"Okay. Just wanted to make sure."
Your smile remains enthusiastic and unwavering. Suguru isn't quite sure what to make of it. He was raised by non-sorcerers, so he hasn't exactly had the same kind of upbringing as you and Satoru, but it's still rather strange. This is a lifestyle riddled with death. Is it normal to be so happy and carefree?
Before Suguru can even think of what he wants to say next, he hears a chair being dragged, and suddenly, Satoru is sitting mere inches from him, practically breathing down his neck.
"What do you want?" Suguru frowns.
"This is my spot," Satoru simply states.
"Huh?"
"This is where I want to sit. Next to [Name]."
"So, go sit on the other side of her."
"Nah. I want to be the only one who sits next to her. You should move. Shoo, shoo."
You sigh heavily, watching as Satoru dismisses Suguru with a wave of his hand. Of course, Suguru reacts by scrunching up his nose and making an annoyed expression. You're starting to realize that even though they became best friends in the end, Jujutsu Kaisen never really showed what their very first interaction was like. They both have strong personalities that don't bend to the will of others. Sometimes, conflict is inevitable. It might not be smooth sailing at first. But it's alright. Their friendship is strong enough to transcend different timelines. Different realities.
And you'll be here, at the center of it all.