The alarm blared, jolting me awake. 5:30 AM. For a second, I didn't recognize where I was. Then it hit me - my new dorm room at Jujutsu Tech. I groaned and rolled out of bed, fumbling for the light switch.
A quick shower helped shake off the last dregs of sleep. As I toweled off, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Same white hair, same red eyes. Same old Akuma staring back at me.
I threw on some workout clothes and headed for the gym. The halls were dead quiet this early. Good. I preferred it that way.
The school gym was impressive - state-of-the-art equipment, plenty of space. I started with some light stretching, then moved into my warm-up routine. Jumping jacks, high knees, burpees. Get the blood flowing.
Next came weights. I loaded up the bar and knocked out several sets of bench presses, then moved on to squats. My muscles burned, but it felt good. Familiar. This, at least, hadn't changed.
After weights, I found an open area to practice with my cursed energy. I held out my hand, focusing on channeling the energy to my palm. A faint red glow appeared, pulsing in time with my heartbeat. I pushed more power into it, watching the glow intensify.
I was so focused I almost didn't notice when the door opened. Fushiguro walked in, stopping short when he saw me.
"Kantaro," he said with a nod.
"Fushiguro," I replied.
He hesitated for a moment. "You're up early."
"So are you. Guess great minds think alike," I replied with a smirk.
Megumi's eyebrow twitched, the barest hint of annoyance crossing his features. "Don't flatter yourself."
I laughed, the sound echoing in the empty gym. "Come on, Fushiguro. You can admit it. We're not so different, you and I."
He paused in the middle of unzipping his bag, fixing me with a level stare. "We're nothing alike, Kantaro."
"No?" I leaned against a nearby weight rack, arms crossed. "We're both here at an ungodly hour, pushing ourselves beyond what most people would consider sane. Seems pretty similar to me."
Megumi turned away, busying himself with retrieving his water bottle. "Our methods may be similar, but our motivations are worlds apart."
I couldn't help but push a little further. "Oh? And what exactly motivates the great Megumi Fushiguro?"
He paused, his back still to me. For a moment, I thought he might not answer. When he spoke, his voice was quiet but firm. "To save someone important."
"Someone important, huh?" I said, keeping my tone light. "Sounds like a noble cause. Me? I'm just here to get stronger."
Fushiguro's eyes narrowed slightly. "Is that really all there is to it, Kantaro?"
I shrugged, a lazy grin spreading across my face. "What can I say? I'm a simple guy with simple needs."
"Somehow I doubt that," Fushiguro muttered.
I laughed, the sound echoing off the gym walls. "You got me all figured out, don't you, Fushiguro?"
He didn't respond, just turned back to his bag and pulled out a water bottle.
"This person you're trying to save," I said, my voice softer now. "They must be pretty special."
Fushiguro paused, his back still to me. For a long moment, I thought he wasn't going to answer. Then, so quietly I almost missed it, he said, "She is."
I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. "Well, good luck with that. Hope it works out for you."
He turned then, fixing me with that intense stare of his. "And what about you, Kantaro? What are you really after?"
I met his gaze, my smile never faltering. "Told you. I'm here to get stronger."
"And then what?"
I spread my arms wide. "And then the world's my oyster, my friend. Sky's the limit."
Fushiguro shook his head, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice. "You don't strike me as the type to do all this just for the hell of it. There has to be more."
I dropped my arms, my expression sobering. "Maybe there is. Maybe there isn't. Either way, it's my business."
"Fair enough," Fushiguro conceded. "Just remember, we're a team now. Like it or not, your business affects all of us."
I nodded, acknowledging the point. "Noted. Well, good luck with your training."
As I reached the door, Fushiguro's voice stopped me. "Kantaro."
"If you want..." he trailed off, then seemed to steel himself. "If you want to train together sometime. You know, compare techniques or whatever. That might be... useful."
I blinked, taken aback by the offer. It wasn't friendship, not by a long shot. But it was... something. A tentative olive branch, maybe.
"Yeah," I said, surprising myself. "Yeah, that might be good."
Fushiguro nodded once, sharply, and returned to his workout.
I stepped back into the dorm, my skin still tingling from the workout. The hallway was quiet, but I could hear the faint stirrings of life behind closed doors. My roommates were waking up.
The hot water hit my back, washing away the sweat and tension. I let my mind wander, replaying the interaction with Fushiguro. Training together. It wasn't much, but it was a start.
I toweled off and slipped into my uniform, adjusting the fit in the mirror.
In the kitchen, I set about my usual routine. Eggs cracked into a bowl, whisked. Lean chicken breast sizzling in the pan. Whole grain toast popping up, golden brown.
I was plating my breakfast when Itadori burst into the kitchen, hair still mussed from sleep.
"Morning, Kantaro!" he chirped. He made a beeline for the cupboard, rummaging around until he emerged with a box of sugary cereal.
I raised an eyebrow. "That's your breakfast?"
Itadori grinned, pouring a mountain of technicolor flakes into a bowl. "Quick and delicious. The breakfast of champions!"
"Champions of tooth decay, maybe," I muttered.
"Aw, come on," Itadori said, mouth already full. "Live a little! All that health food must get boring."
I shrugged, taking a bite of my perfectly seasoned eggs. "I like knowing what I'm putting in my body."
"Suit yourself," Itadori said, then paused, eyeing my plate. "Though... that does smell pretty good."
I smirked, sliding a portion onto a spare plate. "Here. Try some real food for once."
Itadori's eyes lit up. He took a tentative bite, then another, more enthusiastic one. "Whoa, this is awesome! Where'd you learn to cook like this?"
"Just picked it up. Necessity, you know?"
Itadori nodded, oblivious to my discomfort. "Well, you've got to teach me sometime!"
Before I could respond, Nobara swept into the kitchen.
"What's all the commotion about?" she asked, eyeing our plates critically. She wrinkled her nose at Itadori's abandoned cereal. "Ugh, how can you eat that sugary garbage?"
Itadori clutched his bowl protectively. "It's not garbage! It's delicious!"
Nobara rolled her eyes, pulling out ingredients for what looked like a carefully balanced meal. "At least Kantaro knows how to eat properly," she said, nodding approvingly at my plate.
I felt an unexpected warmth at the compliment, quickly squashed it down. "It's just fuel," I said with a shrug.
"Smart," Nobara replied, cracking an egg into her pan with practiced ease. "We need to be at our best out there."
The kitchen fell into a comfortable silence, broken only by the sizzle of Nobara's pan and Itadori's enthusiastic chewing. I found myself relaxing, just a fraction. This wasn't so bad.
The moment was shattered by Fushiguro's arrival. He shuffled in, making a beeline for the coffee maker.
"Morning, Fushiguro!" Itadori called out cheerfully.
Fushiguro grunted in response, pouring himself a large mug of coffee.
"Not hungry?" I asked, noticing his lack of food.
He shook his head. "Ate in my room," he muttered, leaning against the counter and surveying the room with bleary eyes.
I caught his gaze, remembering our earlier interaction. He gave me a slight nod, almost imperceptible. I returned it, feeling something shift between us. Not friendship, not yet. But... potential.
The room settled into a strange sort of harmony. Itadori's cheerful chatter, Nobara's dry comments, Fushiguro's quiet presence. And me, caught in the middle of it all.
"We should get going," Fushiguro said, draining the last of his coffee. "Gojo-sensei won't be happy if we're late."
Right. We were here to train, to fight. I squared my shoulders, pushing away the momentary comfort. Time to get to work.
Making it into the classroom, I leaned back in my chair, eyeing the others. "So, how do you think Gojo-sensei will be as a teacher?"
Megumi paused, weighing his words. "Gojo-sensei has a unique teaching style. He's more about guiding us and giving us tips rather than following a structured curriculum. But when he's here, his insights are invaluable."
"Wait, so he's not always here?" Nobara asked, brow furrowed.
Megumi nodded. "That's right. He's often away on missions, so our schedule can be a bit unpredictable."
As if on cue, the door swung open. Satoru Gojo strolled in, grinning like he'd just won the lottery. "Good morning, everyone!" he called out.
He made his way around the room, pressing a mochi into each of our hands. "Here you go, a little treat to start off the day."
I stared at the sweet in my palm, thrown off balance. This wasn't how I expected a jujutsu class to start.
"Alright, kiddos!" Gojo clapped his hands, drawing our attention. "Today, we're diving into the basics of cursed energy. But first, a quick warm-up!"
He produced a deck of cards from thin air, fanning them out dramatically. "Pick a card, any card! Then, using your cursed energy, try to change its suit. Easy peasy, right?"
I blinked, looking around at my equally confused classmates. This had to be a joke.
"Um, Gojo-sensei," Nobara ventured, "isn't that... impossible?"
Gojo's grin widened. "Excellent observation, Kugisaki! It is indeed impossible. Lesson one: know your limits. Understanding what you can't do is just as important as knowing what you can."
I felt a grudging respect. The man was unorthodox, sure, but there was method to his madness.
"Now," Gojo continued, settling into a more serious tone, "let's talk cursed energy. It's the fuel that powers our techniques, the lifeblood of jujutsu sorcery. But it's not just raw power – it's an extension of yourself."
He paced the room, gesturing as he spoke. "Imagine your cursed energy as a river flowing through you. It has a current, a direction. Your job is to learn to guide that current, to shape it to your will."
"Kugisaki," Gojo called out, "how does your cursed energy feel to you?"
Nobara tilted her head, considering. "Like... a needle and thread. Sharp, but also flexible."
"Excellent," Gojo praised. "You've already got a good grasp on the precision of your technique."
"Fushiguro?"
Megumi's response was immediate. "Shadows. Fluid, but with defined edges."
Gojo nodded. "Fitting for your Ten Shadows Technique. You understand the duality of your power."
Then he turned to me. "Kantaro? How about you?"
I hesitated, unused to putting my abilities into words. "It's... a storm. Swirling, pulling everything in. Hard to control."
Gojo's expression turned thoughtful. "Interesting. The challenge for you will be learning to direct that pull, to harness its power without being overwhelmed by it."
Gojo clapped his hands, drawing our attention. "Alright, that's enough theory for one day. Who's ready for some field training?"
A chorus of excited voices filled the room. Even I felt a spark of eagerness. This was what I'd come here for – to get stronger, to learn how to use my abilities to their fullest potential.
And surpass Satoru Gojo.