(A/N: After a very long over-due hiatus. Here is the next chapter. xD Before I get to one of the major fights, I decided to do a more slice-of-life chapter. Just to give the characters a chance to bond and get to know each other a little better before things go to hell. Hopefully this part won't be on the too boring side. ^^)
Nobara found herself staring at Danuja with furrowed brows. Gojo had bandaged the rather pale female's injured head, but Danuja had lost a good amount of blood. While Nobara didn't want to miss out on the delicious sushi dinner they were currently being treated to, Itadori might have been right to panic. He had insisted they needed to take Danuja to the nearest hospital, but the girl had reassured him she was fine and didn't want to keep everyone from enjoying their meal.
"I'm amazed you managed to regain consciousness with how hard I hit you," Nobara muttered, pointing her chopsticks at the red and gray haired female. She was now starting to worry she might have even caused serious damage to her new classmates skull or even brain.
A grim expression was on Danuja's face as she poked at her own 'disgusting' raw seafood. Though she perked up when realizing Nobara was speaking to her, and she gave a half-smile.
"You definitely have a strong swinging arm. You should play baseball," Danuja claimed with a small laugh. "But this isn't the first time I've been whacked upside the head and knocked out cold. So, I guess I'm kind of used to it by now."
Is...is she serious? That doesn't sound like something you should be used to Nobara thought in disbelief, her right eye giving off a small twitch.
"Her injury has probably already started to heal anyways," Megumi spoke up after popping one of his sushi rolls into his mouth.
Danuja nodded at this and pulled back the bandages some to display where the head wound had once been. The now drying blood was still on the side of her head and in her hair, but Nobara and Yuji both gawked since they could see the large lump that had formed was starting to swell down.
"Ooh! That's impressive!" Itadori and Kugisaki cheered out together, looking almost like little kids as they clapped their hands while their eyes appeared to even sparkle.
"Why are you getting so excited? You already heard about her cursed technique..." Fushiguro muttered, staring indifferently at a grinning Itadori.
It is kind of cute. They look a little like twins Danuja thought, smiling to herself. She never would have guessed someone who sounded so confident like Kugisaki could have an almost child-like innocence similar to the pink haired male that sat beside her.
Gojo was watching his new students with his own fond look. However, when he spotted Danuja still poking at her food, he held out his hand with a surprisingly serious expression on his usually nonchalant features. "I know you have some stashed away. Hand it over,"
The teen girl's lips formed into a pout, and she dug in her dress pocket where she pulled out a bag of Fujiya milky candies and placed them into Gojo's large palm.
"You can have them back once you eat all of your sushi, kay?"
"Ya can be really mean sometimes, Sensei..." Danuja sulked, trying not to gag from the texture of the sushi when she hesitantly shoved one into her mouth.
"You kind of sounded like Ena-chan's old man there, Sensei!" Itadori voiced with a laugh at the rather amusing sight. It reminded him of his grandfather doing a similar thing to him when he was being stubborn about his own food when he was a child.
"That's insulting. I'm not old at all!" Gojo huffed out offended. "I'd prefer to be referred to as the dutiful older brother figure instead!"
"Some how picturing you as either a father or brother figure is a terrifying image..." Megumi couldn't help but mumble out, his body even giving off a small shiver.
Danuja giggled, placing her chopsticks against her mouth. "I guess Sensei has been there for us since we were little come to think about it," Her features took on a more sly one. "Well, more so you, huh, Fushiguro-san? I was over in Kyoto until I was twelve with Utahime-san before I came back here."
Itadori noticed Fushiguro was given Danuja a look that clearly said, 'Don't remind me', looking curiously over at the two. "So wait, you two have known Gojo sensei since you were kids?"
Satoru grinned at this and started to scroll through his cell phone. "Yup! I even have some pictures of my two precious students right here. Pretty cute, huh?"
Nobara and Yuji leaned in to get a closer look. The picture had been shot in front of a shop of some sort. Gojo was bent down, doing peace signs behind a then nine year old Fushiguro and Danuja while sporting a cheeky grin.
"Aw. Even as a brat you still wore that sourpuss look~" Nobara couldn't help but tease with a smirk while she poked at Megumi's cheek. Snickering when the male didn't reply, but batted her finger away as if he were swatting a pesky fly.
"Whoa. You both were so small," Itadori couldn't help but vocalize. Danuja had a shy smile on her face, but she wasn't looking at the camera and seemed to be staring off at something. He noted that her fuchsia eyes looked distant, like she wasn't certain why she was even there.
"That was also the day Fushiguro-kun and Ena-chan were tested to see if they had what it took to enroll eventually in Jujutsu Tech. Figured I'd treat them to a day out on the town before the hard part came," Gojo mused.
Nobara rose a brow at this. "What? You mean like that test I had to do in that grimy building?" Future sorcerers or not, it seemed pretty messed up to send children into a dangerous location to fight against a curse for the first time.
Gojo laughed at this. "No, no. Nothing like that." He jerked his thumb over at Itadori. "It was basically the same as this guy's here."
"So you guys faced off against psychotic stuffed toys, too?" Itadori asked. He felt a bit relieved that he wasn't the only one who had to do something so bizarre.
"Unfortunately, yes..." Fushiguro replied while unleashing a heavy sigh. His dark eyes fell on Danuja. "This one here is a sadist and actually enjoyed meeting all those 'psychotic' stuffed toys."
Hitting Megumi in the cheek with one of her sushi rolls, Danuja stuck her tongue out at the male when he glared at her. "Principal Yaga's cursed dolls are adorable. Still, it ain't like I enjoyed gettin' beaten to a pulp by 'em. But I gotta admit, watching you get kicked in the shin was pretty hilarious~!"
"Tch...Says the girl who ended up kneeling on the floor and complaining about being punched in the spleen," Fushiguro retorted back with a roll of his eyes.
Nobara snorted, a playful smile soon creeping up on her fair features. "You two fight like an old married couple,"
Gojo burst out laughing at this. The fact that Megumi ended up spitting out his drink made his students embarrassment even more amusing, and the teacher simply grinned when Fushiguro was giving him a darker glare than he had Danuja.
"Don't even joke about something like that..." Fushiguro grumbled out through small coughs.
"That's kind of harsh, man..." Itadori mentioned. He can't say he was an expert when it came to girls', but he was pretty sure they got offended when someone hinted at them being not marriageable material.
That's why it surprised Itadori when Danuja just laughed instead of looking upset or losing her temper.
"S'okay. In Fushiguro-san's own words: 'I'm like the little sister that got shoved onto him'," Danuja hummed out while playing with her choker necklace. "But we get along well enough. I mean, he's never tried to kill me like the kids back in Kyoto did."
"Wait, wait! What do you mean tried to kill you?!" Itadori gawked. He wondered if Danuja had said something she shouldn't have. The girl had covered her mouth with her hands while her fuchsia eyes looked anxiously over at Gojo.
Satoru wasn't bothered. He leaned back in his seat while tossing some of his food into his mouth. "It's because the students got informed that Ena-chan was a cursed spirit. Well, technically she's only half, but they saw her as a threat nonetheless."
This time it was Itadori who was spitting out his drink. He just ended up choking worse on it than Fushiguro had and was having to beat at his own chest.
"I knew there was a reason I sensed cursed energy when you showed up!" Nobara exclaimed. She was looking at Danuja in astonishment. "But how is that possible? You look completely human...!"
"Y-yeah! I mean, cursed spirits normally look, ya know, like freaky monsters. Uh, no offense!" Yuji quickly apologized with a sheepish gaze. His face took on a slight pink hue. "So your mom or dad actually...um...ya know..."
Danuja squirmed awkwardly in her seat. "My mama was a curse. She wasn't no monster. At least, she looked human to me...She was just really pale like a ghost, had super long snow white hair, and I think her tears sometimes were red, so it looked like she was crying blood."
"That doesn't sound human at all..." Kugisaki and Itadori ended up speaking up together, their expressions indifferent.
"Mama disappeared when I was three, so I don't remember her too much," Danuja admitted while rubbing at her covered arm. "I can't say if she's harmed humans' before, but I know she loved my papa...Still, curses are the natural enemies of sorcerers, so I can understand why the Kyoto kids wanted me dead...I'm sure you two would rather keep a distance from me as well..."
Itadori frowned at this. From the way Ena talked, she seemed used to being shunned by those around her. That sounded like a pretty lonely existence. Maybe that was why he noticed that when she smiled, it didn't always seem to reach her eyes.
"Why the heck would we do that! We're friends, aren't we?" Yuji proclaimed with a grin. He even gave a firm nod of his head as if to confirm that his statement was true and couldn't be denied.
"Friends...?" Danuja expressed softly. Did...he really mean that? No, Itadori was just a kind guy. He was probably just trying to cheer her up.
"To be fair, we have only just met, so I can't decide that so easily. But you are my classmate, and we're going to be working together," Kugisaki added sternly, crossing her arms over her chest. "So I'd rather we got along." She surprised Danuja when she gave a small poke to her forehead. "What's with that confused expression? You've had friends before, right?"
Danuja stared up at the ceiling. "Yah...I mean, I did hang out with some kids in grade school. Well, they had me always be the monster in our games. Or they'd ask for my lunch money when they forgot theirs and hog all the sweets..."
I'm pretty sure those were bullies, not friends Nobara thought incredulously. Was the girl really that naive or just that desperate for companionship she made herself believe those mean brats were her actual friends?
"Hey, you two have known each other since you were kids, right, Fushiguro? That kind of makes you and Ena-chan childhood friends, right?" Itadori vocalized, looking brightly over at the male.
"Not really..."
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY IT LIKE THAT!" Kugisaki and Itadori shouted out together. They had already both decided that the fuchsia eyed girl clearly had some self-esteem issues.
"Doesn't mean she isn't my comrade," Fushiguro added, resting his cheek lazily in his palm; instantly regretting his words when Nobara and Yuji both were hugging him and claiming him to be a major softy after all with tears in their eyes.
Gojo's unique blue eyes softened seeing Danuja staring down at her lap, almost looking shy. At a sudden thought, a devious smile soon slowly rose up.
Heh...Bet I could make Utahime all weepy if I tell her about this conversation.
Curled up in her bed, a stuffed black cat in her arms, Danuja was instantly snapped out of the rather nice dream she was having when a sharp knock upon her door penetrated her eardrums.
"C-comin'...!" Danuja yawned out, wiping the drool away from her lips and stumbling toward her door. To her surprise, Nobara was there and dressed in regular clothes. She had what looked like a designer handbag even slung over her shoulder.
"At least I'm not the only one who looks a wreck when they wake up," Nobara mused with a grin. "Anyways, hurry up and get dressed. We're going shopping."
Danuja tilted her head at this. "We are?"
"Yes. We're going to have a girl's day out," Nobara confirmed, placing a hand upon the tan jeans she wore. "You've probably never even had one of those, right?"
"Oh, I think Utahime-san tried to take me on one of those once. Gojo showed up and said somethin' about her finally not wearing those 'knock off priestess clothes' for a change, and Utahime-san got all pissed and started chasing him around. We ended up missing the spa appointment she set for us."
Sounds like our sensei is a weirdo, too Nobara decided, her features apathetic.
Yuji and Megumi were both out walking around the school grounds, both men perking up when seeing the girls' not in their school uniforms.
"Morning! You two headed off somewhere?" Yuji inquired, rubbing at the top of his head.
"Yep. We're going shopping," Kugisaki replied, smirking at the pink haired male. "And you two aren't invited."
"What the heck?!" Yuji cried out, puffing up his cheeks when Kugisaki childishly pulled down her eye at his clear sulking. "Yeah, well...Me and Fushiguro are planning to do something too! Aren't we?"
"I don't know about you, but I'm heading for the library," Megumi muttered, walking away with a shake of his head.
"Eh? That doesn't sound very exciting! Can't we go see a movie or something instead?" Yuji pleaded, jogging in place before following after the stoic male. He turned to Danuja with his usual friendly grin. "Have fun! I know you seemed kind of quiet when we left the restaurant last night."
That's because you were all being so genuinely kind...When you really shouldn't be to someone like me...
"Guess I had a lot on my mind," Danuja voiced with a smile and shrug of her shoulders. "I wish you good luck."
Walking around town with Nobara was pretty fun. And it seemed the shorter female was a major shopaholic. Danuja was drug to different clothing stores, and she was amazed that Nobara could easily carry over ten well stocked bags.
Even though Danuja had tried to tell Nobara she didn't have to buy anything for her, the ginger haired female had insisted on doing so. Thankfully, she could tell Danuja was into more dark clothing and stuff that wasn't too revealing, so she hadn't tried to pull her out of her comfort zone.
By the time they were done, Danuja's feet ached, and she was grateful they had finally sat down outside a cute little coffee shop.
"Do you know how lucky you are to be tall? I'd kill to be that height," Nobara acknowledged while sipping on a frappuccino. "I bet a modeling agency would love to have you."
"You think? Model's normally gotta be super thin, right? I could never starve myself like that," Danuja mused, licking her fingers. "You have a better figure for it than me."
Nobara blushed faintly, but she wore a proud smile. "My figure is pretty nice, isn't it? There's nothing wrong with being on the curvy side. Men tend to like it," She gave an almost Cheshire-cat grin. "In fact, I'm pretty sure there's a guy over there checking you out right now. He looks older, too~"
Blinking in surprise at this, Danuja slowly turned. The guy looked like he was around Gojo sensei's age. He was average looking with simple black hair in a brushed back style and rather large brown eyes. Those eyes. They looked almost familiar. Like she had seen them before...
The man grinned at her, and for some reason the smile caused Danuja to knock her plate to the ground as she shot up.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Nobara questioned, shooting up and approaching her wide eyed classmate. She frowned. Danuja was shaking. The girl was scared, and Nobara's attention turned on the older male who clearly had caused Danuja's distressed state. Yet he was gone. Probably had disappeared into the crowd. "Did you know that guy?"
"I...I don't know..." Danuja whispered, gripping at her hands to stop them from trembling.
Those eyes...They looked so much like Sachi's. But...how was that possible?
And the grin on that man's face reminded her of the worms; the one curse she still had nightmares about...
It couldn't have been that thing...I didn't sense any cursed energy...You're just being paranoid is all, Danuja...