JUNPEI

Juri hummed gently as she stood outside, arms folded in front of her as she gazed at the crowd of people lining the streets. Although surrounded by dozens of faces, she only felt alone when Yurei's chilling presence wasn't around her. She had sent her cursed friend out to see if she could track down the culprit who's been disfiguring humans, having no doubt in Yurei's ability to locate them. Still, there was always an unease in the air when Yurei wasn't close to her.

Juri wasn't always this lonesome, but constantly being around Yurei for the past three years made her insecurities about being alone come to the surface. She loved Yurei's company. Even if she couldn't see her, the cold frost of her presence made her feel at ease. Of course, Gojo had that effect on her, too. But…Yurei was different. To Juri, Yurei was like an extension of herself. Nothing silly like an extra hand or leg, but…her other half. Like two sides of the same coin.

As Juri's mind wandered to far-off places, the frost in the air snapped her right back to reality. Cranking her head up, she saw Yurei manifest before her. A beautiful flurry of stark whiteness.

"Anything?" Juri asked with her usual good-natured smile.

Yurei nodded and gestured her head towards the entrance of the building. "Come on. We'll talk this over with Nanami and Itadori."

"Recent disappearances and deaths by disfiguration. Thanks to the Yurei's ability to keenly track residuals, we located the killer's hide out," Nanami began as she gestured to a map they had posted to the board.

Itadori pumped his fist enthusiastically. "Alright! Let's do this!"

"Not so far." Nanami came full stop. "This is just an approximation. You and Kocho-san will be going somewhere else. The boy at the movie theater…Junpei Yoshino. Apparently, he was the victims' classmate. The only cameras were located in the theater's hallway. Based on the way he carried himself, there is no reason to believe he's a cursed-used. However, the connection to the victims must be investigated," he explained.

Crinkling his brows, Itadori leaned closer to Juri. "Uh, what's a cursed user."

"A sorcerer with evil intent," Juri explained simply, folding her hands in her lap. Her eyes scanned the room, finding Yurei in the corner, arms crossed and head cocked to the side. She looked confused.

As Juri and Itadori exited the room, Yurei stayed behind. The Cursed Spirit didn't leave the corner she floated against, pinning Nanami with her heavy scarlet eyes. Demanding.

"Why?" Yurei said curtly.

Nanami hardly shrank away from Yurei's warring tone. "What do you mean?"

Yurei's face turned into a slight scowl but soon faded from lack of genuine interest of the topic. It wasn't worth getting irritated about. "I told you the exact location of the killer. Whoever is doing this could've very easily left the crime scene without a trace, but it's clear that the residuals were purposely left behind." Her eyes narrowed slightly with suspicion. "It's an invitation."

Nanami lifted his gaze and met Yurei's gaze head-on. "Either come alone or…risk bringing Itadori with me. I chose the former. Nothing more. He's still a child, after all."

Yurei didn't say anything for a moment and simply cocked her brow. "I understand, but…this job forces young people to grow up fast. Wouldn't it be better to expose him now?"

"I think Kocho-san would disagree; wouldn't you say?"

Yurei bristled and tightened her jaw. She didn't argue with his logic. Yurei knew too well that Juri wanted the students to hold on to their innocence. It couldn't be forever, but…just for the time. "I suppose…"

Suddenly, Itadori burst back into the room. "Nanami-sensei!"

Both Nanami and Yurei jumped at the sudden instruction.

Itadori grinned at Nanami and waved his hand." I almost forgot to say. Please be careful."

Nanami cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. "Itadori… I'm not a teacher, so please don't call me sensei."

"Okay…Nanamin!"

"I will smack you."

Juri, as casual as she could manage, crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the car's hood. She gestured her head toward the sidewalk where their target was. A young boy around Itadori's age. Junpei Yoshino.

"There he is," she said.

Itadori glanced over her shoulder as Juri gently guided him away, trying not to make it evident that they were trailing him.

"He's not in uniform," Itadori pointed out.

Juri briefly followed his gaze. "Yeah. He hadn't been in school for a while." She turned to look away when something about the boy's demeanor made her stop and stare a bit longer.

Maybe it was her perspective nature or instincts alone, but something about the boy felt familiar. Not in the sense that she knew him, but…relatable. He looked guarded, weary, dark-eyed from stress, and disconnected.

"Skipping school, but not hanging out with friends?" Juri muttered to herself. Shaking her head from a creeping feeling rushing up her spine, she looked back to Itadori. "This is what we'll do. We need to confirm if he can even see Curses. So… we'll reveal Yurei to him. Just reveal. If he can't see her, then we won't have to worry about him being a curse-user. But if he can see her, then we'll question him."

"Oh, and what if he does see me…and attacks?" Yurei whispered, not only in Juri's ear but Itadori's, too.

Juri made a face. "Then…I guess we'll have no choice but to arrest him," she cringed.

"By force?"

Juri nodded grimly. "I would briefer to go the pacifist route first, but most of the time that isn't an option."

"So…shall I go now?"

Juri nodded. "Please. We'll see you in a minute."

And just like that, Juri felt the cold presence of her cursed partner vanish.

Yurei didn't yet reveal herself as she trailed after Junpei, observing him carefully. She was nothing but an invisible, silent specter to everyone around her. Inch by inch, she crept closer. Close enough that she could see goosebumps on his arms as her white hair caressed his arm like a gentle spider's touch.

She was only moments away from revealing herself when a voice made her shift and shrank away, a little surprised. Not as surprised as Junpei now looked, staring down at an overweight man sitting on his home's steps.

"Yoshino, where were you?" the man said, his face glistening with sweat as he dabbed it away with a handkerchief. "You can't skip out on school like that."

Junpei notably shuddered. "Sotomura-sensei."

Yurei hissed as she glided back. "Juri…a teacher is here…the boy looks uncomfortable."

With much effort, Sotomura stood up. "Did you hear? Sayama, Nishimura, and Honda…all died. You were all friends, right?" he asked.

Darkness shifted in Junpei's eyes. Detached and unhinged. "Huh?"

"They always looked out for you…since you don't have friends. And you weren't even at their funerals."

Yurei, growing more curious, leaned over Junpei's shoulder to inspect his face. Hate, she saw. She saw pure hate on this young boy's face. Junpei hated his man. Hated the person he was talking about.

"Come on, I'll go with you… let's offer up some incense," the oblivious teacher offered.

Junpei's voice dropped, and his body became rigid. "Teachers…all of you go to graduate school and then find work at a school. You haven't experienced the real world, haven't you? That's why adults…who are just big kids like you exist." He muttered, not even looking his teacher in the eye anymore. Yurei wondered if the kid was even seeing…anything.

Slowly, Yurei leaned in, willing her ghost-of-a-voice into reality. "Oh…what an interesting mindset."

Junpei whirled around but didn't see anyone. Yurei hadn't willed her body into existence yet, but the fact that he was able to hear her voice was more than enough proof. The boy could see Curses.

"Excuse me," spoke a feminine, crisp voice. A second later, Juri's delicate hand landed on Sotomura's shoulder. "Are you this boy's teacher?"

Sotomura snapped his head over his shoulder and saw Juri and Itadori standing behind him.

Junpei was just as confused, but then he noticed the buttons on their uniforms. He knew those buttons. Jujutsu sorcerers.

Juri mustered up as much authority in her voice as she could. "I asked you a question? Are you this boy's teacher?"

"Y…yes?" Sotomura stuttered, not sure what to make of this situation. "I'm sorry, but who-"

Juri didn't give him a chance to speak. "Do you know how wildly inappropriate it is for you to come, uninvited, to an unsuspecting student's home? Whatever business you have with him should remain on the school grounds or be given a notice first."

The teacher was stuttering, flustered under Juri's scrutinized stare. He moved his lips, but no words came out. Bobbing like a fish out of water.

"Now…I believe you should go before I report you," Juri's voice and words gave no room for argument.

Still muttering under his breath, Sotomura turned and hobbled down the street, disappearing around the corner.

Itadori looked in both awe and shook. "Kocho-sensei…I don't think I ever hear you talk like that before."

Juri blinked and laughed sheepishly; the mask of authority crumbled under her flustered face. "Is that so? Well…glad it worked." She tapped her fingers against her long skirt and looked back to Junpei, her face melting into a gentle, soothing smile. "Are you alright? You look a little shaken?"

Junpei flinched but didn't shy away. "Yeah… you're a teacher?" he asked, noticing that Itadori called her sensei.

Juri shrugged. "Councilor, but for a different kind of school. But, I was hoping we could ask you some questions."

Junpei blinked. "Questions?" he looked back in the direction his teacher went. "You would've just dragged me off. You didn't have to make a show."

Juri shook her head. "No, it's best to cut that behavior off before It grows into something else." She tilted her head and smiled sheepishly. "Beside…you didn't like him, right?"

Junpei flinched at her words but didn't deny them. How could he? More than anything, he was just surprised that…someone took the time to notice.