The Second Years Return

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Nobara Kugisaki fled the infirmary like her life depended on it.

White Zetsu's voice still echoed behind her.

"Lady Thirteen! Come back and accept your destiny!"

Nobara nearly slipped in the hallway.

She would rather fight another cursed spirit than sit there listening to him brag about saving her life.

Physical death was one thing.

Social death at the hands of a self-important cursed spirit was far worse.

She rounded a corner, only for a hand to grab her sleeve and pull her into a room.

"Hey--!"

The door closed behind her.

Inside were Gojo, Megumi, Ijichi, Shoko, and a boy who absolutely should not have been standing there.

Yuji Itadori raised a hand awkwardly.

"Yo."

Nobara stared.

Then she pointed at him.

"Pink gorilla?"

Yuji flinched. "That's what you're going with?"

Nobara's gaze snapped to Megumi.

"Hedgehog boy. Explain."

Megumi looked away.

Gojo clapped his hands with a bright smile. "Surprise! Yuji is alive!"

The room went silent.

Nobara's expression shifted through shock, relief, and anger before settling into irritation.

"You people are the worst."

Yuji bowed his head quickly. "Sorry!"

"Don't apologize like that. It makes me look unreasonable."

Gojo leaned closer, lowering his voice just enough to make the change feel deliberate.

"Kugisaki. Fushiguro. I need you two to help with something."

Nobara's eyes narrowed. "Why does that sound like trouble?"

"Because you're clever."

"That didn't answer the question."

Gojo smiled.

The official record was written that same day.

July 2018. West Tokyo City. Eishu Juvenile Detention Center.

First-year student Yuji Itadori was confirmed dead.

The higher-ups accepted the report with almost indecent speed.

As for White Zetsu, the curse who had appeared in the same incident, the conservatives treated him like an unpleasant footnote. His existence was troublesome, but not troublesome enough to be worth confronting Itsuki Zenin over.

The next morning, three second-year students returned to Tokyo Jujutsu High.

Maki Zenin walked at the front with a weapon case slung over one shoulder.

Beside her, Panda ambled along with his usual relaxed pace.

Behind them, Toge Inumaki tugged his collar higher and said, "Bonito flakes."

Maki stopped when she saw Megumi and Nobara waiting outside.

"What is this, a funeral?"

Panda immediately turned stiff.

Inumaki's eyes widened.

"Kelp!"

Maki blinked. "What?"

Megumi's face darkened.

Nobara crossed her arms and glared. "Read your notices before opening your mouth."

Panda leaned toward Maki and whispered something.

Maki's expression changed at once.

"Ah." She clicked her tongue. "Sorry."

Megumi shook his head. "It's fine."

It was not fine.

But there was no point saying that out loud.

After a brief silence, Megumi made the introductions.

"This is Maki Zenin. She can't see curses without glasses, but she's one of the strongest close-combat fighters at the school."

Maki adjusted her glasses. "Don't add unnecessary details."

"This is Toge Inumaki. He's a Cursed Speech user, so he usually speaks in rice ball ingredients to avoid hurting people by accident."

"Salmon."

"And this is Panda."

Panda lifted a paw. "I'm Panda."

Nobara stared at him. "That explains nothing."

"That's because Panda is Panda," Megumi said.

Nobara decided not to ask.

Megumi paused before adding, "There's also Yuta Okkotsu, but he's overseas right now. He's the only second-year I respect without reservations."

Panda looked wounded. "Harsh."

Maki snorted. "What about the expelled one?"

Megumi's expression went blank. "He doesn't count."

Everyone knew exactly who he meant.

Panda put his paws together. "Anyway. We're sorry about Itadori. We came back because the Kyoto Sister-School Goodwill Event is coming up."

"Goodwill?" Nobara said. "That sounds fake."

"It's a competition between Tokyo and Kyoto," Panda explained. "Group battle, cursed spirit exorcism, and plenty of chances to beat up people you don't like."

Nobara's eyes sharpened.

Megumi lifted his head.

Neither of them said Yuji's name.

They did not need to.

"I'm in," Nobara said.

Megumi nodded. "Me too."

Maki studied them for a moment, then gave a short nod.

"Good. Then we'll train you until you regret it."

Nobara's gaze shifted to Maki's face.

Something clicked.

"Wait. You're that mama's boy's niece."

The training field went dead silent.

Maki's eyebrow twitched.

"Who told you that?"

Nobara pointed down the hallway.

In the distance, White Zetsu sneezed.

Elsewhere, in a hidden room beneath the school, Yuji sat across from Satoru Gojo.

"So I'm dead on paper?"

"Very dead," Gojo said cheerfully. "Congratulations."

"That doesn't feel like something to congratulate me for."

"It means we can train you in secret."

Yuji scratched his head. "White Zetsu already taught me the basics. He also made me watch a bunch of movies."

"Good," Gojo said.

"Good?"

"Movies are useful. If you can control your cursed energy while reacting to something, you can control it better in a fight. Emotional stability, output control, attention splitting... all very important."

Yuji stared.

"So the movie thing was real training?"

"Mostly."

"Mostly?"

Gojo smiled. "White Zetsu has his own hobbies."

Yuji clenched his fists.

"Then train me too, Gojo-sensei. I want to get strong. Strong enough that nobody has to die because I'm too weak."

Gojo's smile softened.

"That's the spirit. For the next month, I'll be your training partner."

Yuji's eyes lit up.

"I'm going to become invincible."

That afternoon, White Zetsu finally woke from a nap and found Itsuki sitting nearby.

"How is your training going?" Itsuki asked.

White Zetsu stretched lazily. "This body is not bad, but controlling clones is harder than I thought. Two bodies at most. One strong, one weak. If I try to control two high-grade bodies at the same time, my brain feels like it's being roasted."

"Enough for now."

"Enough?"

"Participate in the Goodwill Event."

White Zetsu blinked.

Then his grin widened.

"Yours truly is finally making his school debut?"

"Try not to die in the first round."

"Rude."

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