"Apparently, they're fine. Maki and the kids, i mean."

"Thank goodness.." Okkotsu sounded relieved at the news Gojo delivered.

After the whole incident at the school, Gojo had decided to take them to a hospital to treat the children and Maki. Of course, also to check if the other first years had any injuries.

"Your face tells me something's still bothering you." Gojo says to the boy.

Okkotsu raises his hand to look at the ring on his finger. Y/N takes a sip from their cold drink, opting to listen to their conversation rather than join.

"That was the first time i ever called Rika myself." The boy kept his eyes on the ring.

Gojo replies, "Is that right? It's a step in the right direction."

"I remember a little more about her." He then adds, "Rika didn't curse me. I was probably the one who cursed her."

Y/N decides to chime in.

"That's.. Not impossible." they mutter, gulping down and emptying their drink.

"This is just a personal theory, but.." Gojo continues, "Love is the most twisted curse of them all."

Y/N didn't know wether they would believe in what Gojo's saying or not. He did have a point, and that could also be what's happening between Rika and Okkotsu..

But being the man that he is; a menace to society, can't take anyone seriously, and a shitty teacher.. What the hell does Gojo Satoru know about love?

Y/N's curious. On the other hand, with a newfound determination, Okkotsu then speaks up.

"Sensei.. i'm gonna release Rika's curse at the school!"

"it's unforgivable to steal away the youth from kids, you know.."

"..No matter who that is."

Gojo had came back from a stressful meeting including the higher ups. It was about the special grade curse; Rika orimoto. Apparently, manifesting Rika for about four hundred and twenty two seconds was bad even if it meant rescuing three first years and two abducted children from a curse that had swallowed them whole.

It's odd that the higher-ups focused only focused on how dangerous Rika is instead of the lives that was saved because she was manifested. It irritated Gojo how some people were such cowards. Executing a child? He hasn't even lived his life to the fullest yet!

Seeing his beloved students, Gojo shows a smile. His anger from earlier subsides.

"Hey hey, everyone! How are you feeling?"

Y/N, who sat beside Inumaki, waves at the man before placing their attention back to the boy in front of them. More specifically, the phone they held.

"..And when you left to bring us water, Maki defeated me. It was quick." is what Inumaki wrote on his notes app. Y/N looks up from his device, seeing him down the bottle they just bought from the vending machines.

"Expected that from Maki." Y/N says before asking, "What about me, Toge? Think you can fight me?"

The boy grabs his phone before typing. Y/N watches with amusement in their eyes.

He gives the device back, "Unfair! Your technique is too awesome! I might have a chance if we're doing hand to hand combat!"

Y/N laughs, looking away to hide the heat rising to their cheeks while they gave Inumaki's phone back to him. They can't help but get giddy over the small compliment.

Their eyes then turns to their other classmates who were sparring.

"Ah, um..!"

Bonk!

"Don't look away, moron." Maki says as she hits Okkotsu, "Stand up already."

The boy places a hand on his cheek where maki had hit him, "Yes.."

'So rough..!' He thought.

Unlike when he first attended the school, Okkotsu now wielded a katana that Gojo had given to him. As the sorcerer had told him, curses are more stable when connected to something. An example he gave is the ring that Okkotsu has and Y/N's drumsticks. In Y/N's case, instead of a literal curse like Rika, it's only cursed energy.

Gojo then tells him to use the katana instead. However, in order to do that..

..He has to do some training first!

"They're really going at it." Y/N says, "right, Toge?" they ask him.

The boy hums as a response, his eyes focused on the two. Maki is successful in defeating the boy.

"Okay, you died. My win again."

"Was that last part necessary..?" Okkotsu mutters, talking about the bonk he received. On the head this time.

"Don't be a baby." Maki stands up, "Always fight like it's a real fight. Wether or not you feel pain will affect your growth speed."

Okkotsu, now realizing that what she said is true, gets ready for another round of beating. He is now in a stance.

"Once more, please!"

As they continue..

"It's been three months since Yuta came to this school. He has become able to move a lot." Panda says, walking over to his classmates who were sitting on the side.

"Shake." Inumaki agrees.

"He has become a more positive guy." Gojo adds, "What'd you think, Y/N?"

They shrug, "That's good, i guess, but for a special grade, he hasn't improved much.."

Y/N knew Okkotsu only needed more time as he had no experience with jujutsu or curses prior to meeting Gojo and attending the school. A few more pushes and teaching, then the special grade might finally able to live up to his title and even control his curse properly.

However, there must be a reason why they refused to acknowledge his capabilities. Y/N was trying to deny something..

"Hehe, are you perhaps.. Jealous?" Gojo who overheard the conversation, taunts them with a grin, knowing exactly what he was doing.

Y/N grits their teeth.

"Jealous? Of who? ?"

They mutter, irritated at how Gojo worded that. But was he wrong? Look at Okkotsu; special grade sorcerer, has a ridiculous amount of cursed energy, and he has a powerful curse fighting alongside and for him! Excluding his execution that is on hold, Okkotsu basically has everything that a sorcerer would want.

And Y/N that.

They hated how easily this boy could appear one day and suddenly have all that they wanted. It felt like a punch to the gut.

It's like.. 'Promotion to special grade? Ha! Stay as a semi-grade one even if you've proved to be stronger than that! All that blood you shed and hours you spent on training meant nothing.'

Oh it reminded Y/N too much of home..

Even after all the training and effort placed into attempting to perfect their technique-if you aren't strong enough in the eyes of the people around you, your hard work means nothing.

If you aren't good enough, no one would see you as worthy of having power. That was the words Y/N kept hearing back at home.

"Sensei, shut up." Y/N huffs, "Not in the mood to argue with a child stuck in a man's body."

Gojo chuckles, knowing he had struck a nerve. The one thing he doesn't know is if it was a good or bad thing.

'Y/N has high standards and it also affects themselves; they gotta be the best at everything.' Gojo thought, 'Damn, another child's youth ruined..'

As the air around the students were getting a little awkward, Panda decides to speak to hopefully lighten up the mood.

"Maki seems to be having fun too. There weren't many chances for her to spar with another weapon user."

Y/N sighs, standing up to stretch their legs.

"I wonder why.." they ask, attempting to be sarcastic since Maki really didn't have anyone to fight with; both Panda and Y/N would rather use their hands, and Inumaki really doesn't want to face Maki's wrath every time there's training.

Panda suddenly looked shocked. He had realized something..

"Yuta! Come here!"

As he stood up, he shouts, causing the two other first years to stop their match. Y/N raises a hand to pinch the bridge of their nose, already knowing which direction this conversation was going.

'This is dumb.. They're both dumb..'

"What is it, Panda?" Okkotsu ask, walking over to him.

"So, boobs. Big or small?" Panda sweatdrops, as if worried about something.

"I haven't really thought about it.." Okkotsu answers as panda paces an arm on his shoulder.

"I guess i like them more normal sized."

"Hohoo." panda says before turning to Y/N, "You? Big or small?"

They shrug, "Any size. I don't have a specific preference."

Panda nods. He then turns to where maki was, keeping Okkotsu's answer into mind. He calls her.

"Maki!"

"Ah?"

As she looks over to them..

And at that moment, she was like a ticking time bomb that had exploded. The two first years went back and forth as Y/N, Okkotsu, and Inumaki all stood on the side.

"What kind of misunderstanding is that?! i'll kill you!"

"Don't get all shy! are you a primary schoolers?!"

"That's it, i'll kill you!"

Okkotsu chuckles. He turns to Inumaki.

"Hahah! What are they even talking about?" he ask, only to receive a plain reply from the boy. A reply which he doesn't understand.

"Konbu."

Okkotsu, confused, looks at Y/N for an answer. Like the usual, they avoid eye contact, leaving him to deal with the awkward interaction alone. The boy sweatdrops.

'I still don't really get Inumaki-kun. He kinda scares me..' he then glances to the other sorcerer, 'And Hokori.. They're very unpredictable..'

Gojo then interrupts. He claps to grab their attention.

"Gather round, folks!" however, only Okkotsu, Inumaki, and Y/N were able to listen to him as Maki and panda were still busy fighting.

"Those two will continue to train for a while. Toge! You've been assigned. It's a curse suitable for you. Go exorcise it in a jiffy." Gojo says.

"Shake." Inumaki nods.

"Assigned.." Okkotsu questions. To which Panda, who Maki successfully defeats in their small fight, gives an answer.

"Toge's the only second class jujutsu sorcerer among us first years, so he can take solo missions." he adds, "Y/N's a semi-first grade, but that's a different story."

"Wow.. That's amazing."

An irk mark appears on Y/N's forehead. Along with Maki who had her feet on panda's back to keep him down, they both thought the same thing.

'But you're a special grade..'

"Tag along, Yuta. You're Toge's support." gojo says, "Ah, let's also include Y/N!"

Poor cursed spirits.. Having three exceptional sorcerers in one mission feels like overkill.

The man looks over to them, "You have another curse to exorcise nearby Yuta and Toge's location. It's your call if you want to take them or not."

"Good enough." they agree with a shrug.

"Support?" Okkotsu then ask. Gojo clears some things up.

"Or rather, try to observe him. Jujutsu arts are very diverse. You can believe there are as many ways to exorcise a curse than there are jujutsu sorcerers. Toge's cursed words are a good example of that."

He continues to explain it.

"Study it closely."