Sana stood at the gates of Jujutsu High, clutching her bag a little tighter. The cool breeze tousled her hair as she took in the sight of her new school. The thought of starting fresh had seemed terrifying at first, but now, standing here, she felt a strange sense of comfort. Yet, there was something... off. Something she couldn't quite place, like an important memory that hovered just out of reach. Beside her, Satoru stood with his hands casually shoved in his pockets, his usual grin pulling at his lips.
"Ready to dive into the chaos?" Satoru teased, nudging her lightly.
Sana shot him a small smile. "I guess. Though it feels weird—like I'm forgetting something."
Satoru raised an eyebrow, his grin fading for a moment. "Forgetting something?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. Just... a feeling."
There was a brief flicker of concern in his eyes, but before she could ask, he was back to his playful self. "Well, whatever it is, it'll come back. And hey, if you get too freaked out, I can always carry you to class, you know. I've got a very sturdy back."
Sana laughed, rolling her eyes. "Thanks, but I think I can manage walking."
Over the past few weeks, Satoru had been her anchor. He had a way of lightening the mood whenever things got heavy, making her laugh when she wanted to cry. After everything she'd been through—the hospital, her condition, and the weight of her past—he had helped her heal in ways she hadn't expected. Though she didn't fully understand why he cared so much, she was grateful.
As they stepped onto the school grounds, the cherry blossoms swayed gently in the breeze. Birds chirped softly in the background, and the peaceful vibe of the place eased her nerves, if only slightly. But that nagging feeling that she was forgetting something remained.
"Come on," Satoru said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Let's go. I'll show you around."
He led her through the hallways, pointing out various classrooms and training areas. "This is where we'll be spending most of our time... sleeping. And over there is where you'll probably end up cursing me after your first sparring session."
Sana chuckled, shaking her head. "I'd never curse you. Just maybe... beat you."
Satoru placed a hand over his heart, pretending to be hurt. "Ouch. That cuts deep."
Though she smiled, her mind wandered again. She had this strange sense of déjà vu about the place, as if she'd been here before.
"What's up?" Satoru asked, noticing the distant look in her eyes.
Sana blinked, snapping back to the present. "I... don't know.."
He frowned, but before he could ask, Sana brushed it off. "It's nothing. Let's keep going."
Satoru's playful demeanor returned. "If you say so. Come on, I've got one more stop for you."
He led her to a classroom door, opening it slightly. "You're gonna want to see this."
Curious, Sana stepped forward, peeking inside.
The classroom was mostly empty, except for a figure leaning against the windowsill, staring out. His hair was tied back in a loose bun, and though she couldn't see his face, something in her chest tightened.
"Suguru?" she whispered.
At the sound of his name, the figure turned, his expression shifting from surprise to a joyful smile.
Without thinking, Sana rushed forward, and before she knew it, Suguru had wrapped her in a tight hug. The warmth of his embrace made her feel like everything was finally falling into place.
"You're here," Suguru said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "I didn't think I'd see you again."
Sana laughed, though her eyes were teary. "Why didn't you tell me? You just disappeared, and I... I thought you were gone."
Suguru pulled back, giving her a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry. I didn't know how to explain everything about Jujutsu High. I didn't want to drag you into this world."
Sana turned to Satoru, who leaned against the door-frame with a satisfied look on his face.
"You knew the whole time, didn't you?" she asked, her tone lighter now.
Satoru grinned. "Surprise! You're welcome."
Sana smiled softly. "Thanks. Really."
Satoru flashed her a thumbs-up. "Hey, I've got your back. Always."
Before they could say anything else, the classroom door creaked open, and a tall, muscular man with a stern expression entered.
"And who's this?" Sana asked, blinking up at him.
Satoru's grin faltered. "Uh, Yaga Sensei... I was just—"
"Satoruuuu!" Yaga's voice boomed as he stormed over. "You were supposed to bring her to me for approval first! Her cursed energy needs to be registered."
Satoru scratched his head, looking sheepish. "I, uh, got distracted."
"And where were you yesterday? I waited for hours!" Yaga continued, before punching Satoru on the head, hard.
Sana stepped back slightly, startled by the intensity, but she quickly recovered. "It's my fault, really. I asked him to let me stay home one more night."
Yaga gave Satoru a hard look. "You could have at least called."
Another punch landed on Satoru's head. "Ow! Again? What did I do this time?"
Sana laughed, finding Satoru's dramatic reaction hard to take seriously.
Yaga turned to Sana. "Come with me. We need to get you registered."
She nodded, casting a glance at Suguru and a quick apologetic smile at Satoru before following Yaga.
---
**Half an hour later...**
Sana emerged from the office, jogging over to where Suguru and Satoru were waiting.
Satoru pouted. "What took so long? Did Yaga sensei make you write an autobiography?"
Sana sighed. "It felt like it. He asked a million questions and made me fill out a thousand forms."
"Sounds about right," Suguru said with a chuckle.
Sana smiled. "At least it's done."
Satoru snickered. "Careful around that guy. He probably just enjoyed the chance to chat with a cute high school girl. I bet he's floating on cloud nine right now."
Sana blinked, confused, while Suguru chuckled at Satoru's nonsense.
Satoru slung his arm around her shoulder. "Good news, now you're officially one of us. Bad news—you've got to deal with Yaga sensei every day."
Suguru grinned. "And Satoru."
"Yeah, I figured that's part of the package," Sana joked.
Suguru's smile softened. "I've missed you."
Sana nodded, her heart warming. "I've missed you too. There's so much I want to tell you."
Satoru, feeling ignored, dramatically threw his arms in the air. "Oh, great! Here we go. Guess I'll just be over here. Alone."
Sana and Suguru exchanged looks, grinning before they both lunged at Satoru, pulling him into a group hug.
"Hey! Too much! I need air!" Satoru whined, but a smile tugged at the corner of his lips as they all laughed.
---
**Later, After Some Chats...**
"Do we have other classmates?" Sana asked, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
Suguru nodded. "Just one more—Shoko. She's out on a mission right now, though."
Sana blinked. "Just one?"
"Yeah, it's a pretty small school," Satoru chimed in. "But hey, less people, less drama."
Despite everything, Sana felt a sense of peace. The lingering feeling that she was forgetting something still nagged at her, but for now, she let it go. Being here—with Suguru and Satoru—it felt right. Familiar, even.
As the sun began to set, casting the sky in shades of orange and pink, they sat together on the steps near the playground, watching the horizon.
"I'm glad you're here," Suguru said softly, his voice filled with warmth.
Sana smiled, her heart full. "Me too."
But deep down, she couldn't shake the sense that something was missing—something important she couldn't remember. The dream, the cursed tunnel, the things Satoru had warned her about in that future vision... it all felt too distant now, too unclear.
What Sana didn't know was that Satoru still had one secret up his sleeve—a secret that would change everything in the best possible way.