Chapter 8: [8] Sorcerers in the City
I stepped out of the bathroom, steam rolling out behind me getting ready to get our new teammate.
The uniform was... well, it was a uniform. Nothing fancy, just standard issue. The gold buttons were a nice touch, though. Made it feel a little more special, like there was some history behind it. Or maybe I was just trying to make myself feel better about wearing a monkey suit.
A loud knock on the door made me jump. "Yo, Kantaro! Ijichi's waiting downstairs!" Itadori's voice blasted through the wood.
"Give me a sec!" I yelled back, grabbing my beat-up Converse. My only shoes for now. Definitely going shopping with my first check. I jammed my feet in and hustled to the door. Itadori was standing there, grinning like a fool.
"I call shotgun!" he said, then took off down the hall.
We jogged down the stairs and out the front door. The air smelled like morning, all fresh and dewy. Ijichi's car was parked out front, shiny and black in the sun. As we got closer, Fushiguro rolled down the front window.
"You're late," he said, his voice flat. "Get in."
I shrugged. "Hey, we made it, didn't we?" I slid into the back seat, Itadori hopping in next to me.
Ijichi started driving, pulling away from the school. "So, where are we meeting them?" I asked.
"Looks like Harajuku," Ijichi said.
Itadori fidgeted in his seat. "Hey, where's Gojo-sensei? Shouldn't he be here?"
"He had a meeting," Ijichi said, eyes on the road. "Said he'd meet us there before they showed up."
I glanced over at Itadori. He had his face practically pressed up against the glass, eyes wide like he was trying to take in everything at once. I had to smile. The guy had this way of making everything feel like an adventure.
Fushiguro, on the other hand, looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. He sat ramrod straight, arms crossed, glaring out the windshield like the road had personally offended him.
I leaned my head back, closing my eyes for a second. It was still early, and the hum of the engine was making me drowsy. I let my mind wander, trying to picture our new classmate.
Would they be a guy or a girl? What kind of powers would they have? Would they be friendly, or another prickly type like Fushiguro? Eh, I guess I'd find out soon enough.
As we rolled into Harajuku, the vibe completely changed. The buildings were decked out in crazy colors and the streets were packed with people rocking some wild outfits. The energy was through the roof, and I could feel myself getting hyped up right along with Itadori as he practically hung out the window.
"Dude, this place is insane!" he yelled, his voice barely cutting through the noise. "We gotta hit up some shops after we grab our new buddy."
Fushiguro twisted around in his seat. "Shopping? Really?"
"Hey, man's gotta stay fresh," I shot back. "Can't be rocking the school threads 24/7, you know?"
"Yeah? And how you gonna pay for that?" Fushiguro asked, one eyebrow raised.
"With your cash, obviously!" I grinned. "You're like our senpai, right? You've been at this longer. So treat your juniors to a little something!"
Fushiguro's scowl could've curdled milk. He chewed on the idea for a minute and finally, he let out a big sigh. "Fine. You survive your first mission, I'll buy you something. But don't expect Gucci or whatever."
Me and Itadori whooped and hollered. We locked eyes, both of us thinking the same thing. Fushiguro's wallet was about to take a bigger beating than any curse we'd face.
The car pulled up to a corner that was popping off with people and noise. As Ijichi peaced out, we were left to fend for ourselves in the jungle of bright shops and crazy crowds.
"See? Told you it was wild!" Itadori had to shout to be heard over the noise. Some chick with fire engine red hair pushed past us, leaving a cloud of sugary perfume in her wake. "How the heck are we supposed to find anyone in this mess?"
Before Fushiguro could start raining on our parade, I spotted the redhead heading into a little shop advertising a bunch of iced drinks.
"Yo, I'm gonna grab something to sip on. Y'all want anything?" I jerked my thumb towards the shop.
Fushiguro shook his head. "Nah, I'm good."
"Ooh, I'm gonna snag a popsicle!" Itadori said, already making a beeline for a cart across the street. "Back in a flash!"
As they went their separate ways, I took a second to just soak it all in. The pulse of the city, the rush of being in a new place. Hell, we were early anyway. Might as well enjoy it, right?
I strolled into the drink shop, the cool air a nice break from the heat outside. The menu was a mile long, with all kinds of funky flavors. Matcha, yuzu, even sweet potato. I was eyeing a mango smoothie when I felt someone move next to me.
"Quite the selection, huh?"
The voice was low and smooth, with a hint of a purr. I glanced over and nearly did a double take.
It was the redhead from before, the one with the perfume. Up close, I could see she was a total knockout. Flawless skin, cat-like eyes, and a smile that could stop traffic.
"Yeah, no kidding, might need a minute to decide."
She laughed. "Well, if you need a recommendation, the passion fruit is to die for."
I raised an eyebrow. "Passion fruit, huh? Sounds like you've got good taste."
She met my gaze. "In more ways than one."
I leaned in a bit, lowering my voice. "Yeah? Care to enlighten me?"
She opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, her phone started buzzing. She glanced at the screen and sighed. "Hold that thought. Gotta take this."
She stepped away, bringing the phone to her ear. "Hey, girl. Yeah, I'm on my way. Just got a little... distracted."
I smirked, pretending to study the menu while I eavesdropped shamelessly.
"No, no, I'll be there in five. Save me a seat, yeah? Okay, love you, bye." She hung up, then turned back to me with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. Duty calls."
I waved a hand. "No worries. Sounds like you've got places to be."
She bit her lip, looking me up and down. "Shame, though. I was enjoying our little chat."
I grinned, pulling out my phone. "Who says it has to end? Why don't you give me your number, and we can pick up where we left off later?"
She hesitated for a second, then laughed. "Smooth. I like it." She rattled off her digits, and I typed them in.
"I'll hold you to that, you know," she said, starting to back away. "Don't leave a girl hanging."
"Wouldn't dream of it," I said, giving her a little salute. "Catch you later, Red."
I watched her go, almost forgetting my smoothie. Damn. Talk about a welcome distraction.
I grabbed my drink and headed back out, scanning the crowd for Itadori and Fushiguro. I spotted them by a lamppost, Itadori waving his arms like he was directing traffic.
"There you are!" he called as I walked up. "We were about to send out a search party."
"Sorry, boys," I said, taking a long sip of my smoothie. "Got a little sidetracked."
Fushiguro's eyes narrowed. "Sidetracked? We're on a mission, Kantaro. We don't have time for-"
"Easy, easy," I cut him off, holding up a hand. "I was just getting the lay of the land, you know? Scoping out the local... scenery."
Itadori frowned, tilting his head. "Scenery? In a drink shop?"
I just grinned, slinging an arm around his shoulders. "Oh, my sweet summer child. You've got a lot to learn."
Fushiguro made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort. "Can we focus, please? We've got a whole district to comb, and we're not exactly inconspicuous here."
"Alright, alright," I said, draining the last of my smoothie and tossing the cup in a nearby bin. "Lead the way, boss. Let's find our mystery classmate."
We set off down the street, trying to blend in with the crowd. It wasn't easy, what with Itadori's bouncing and Fushiguro's perpetual scowl, but we managed. We wove through the throngs of shoppers, past storefronts blasting music and hawkers selling everything from crepes to costume jewelry.
After a while, the heat and the crowds started to get to us. Fushiguro spotted a bench nestled under some trees, a little oasis of shade in the concrete jungle.
"Let's take five," he said, already heading for it.
Itadori and I followed, grateful for the break. We plopped down on the bench, stretching out our legs.
"Man, this place is wild," Itadori said, fanning himself with his hand. "I could spend all day here and not see everything."
I nodded, leaning back and closing my eyes. The buzz of the city faded to a low hum, the shade cool on my skin.
"So, what do you think our new classmate's gonna be like?" Itadori asked, his voice cutting through my little moment of zen.
I cracked an eye open, glancing at him. "Dunno. Hopefully not as much of a hardass as Fushiguro here."
Fushiguro shot me a glare, but didn't rise to the bait. "I'm more concerned with their abilities. We need all the firepower we can get."
"Speaking of," Itadori said, sitting up straighter, "isn't four first years kinda... small? I mean, for a whole school of jujutsu?"
Fushiguro raised an eyebrow. "You know a lot of people who can sense curses?"
Itadori shook his head. "Nah, not really."
"That's because sorcerers are rare," Fushiguro explained, his tone slipping into lecture mode. "Having four first years is actually a lot."
"Huh. Guess that's good for us, then," Itadori mused, biting off the rest of his popsicle with a crunch.
I was about to add my two cents when a familiar figure caught my eye. Tall, spiky white hair, a swagger in his step...
"Well, well, well," I said, sitting up. "Look who decided to show up."
Gojo strolled up to us, that ever-present grin on his face. "Hey, kids. Thanks for waiting."
"Sensei!" Itadori popped up like a jack-in-the-box. "Is our new classmate here? Are they cool? Do they have any awesome powers? What-"
Gojo held up a hand, chuckling. "Easy there, tiger. One thing at a time."
He glanced around, as if checking for eavesdroppers. Then he leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"Your new classmate is... drumroll, please..."
Itadori actually started patting his knees. Even Fushiguro looked mildly interested.
Gojo paused for effect, drawing out the suspense. Then, with a flourish, he announced:
"Nobara Kugisaki!"
There was a beat of silence. Then Fushiguro asked, "Who?"
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