yuuta sat at the window, watching inumaki who was watering the plants outside. 

"oh? you're watching toge?" panda said behind him, causing the boy to flinch.

"ah! not like that!" yuuta said, an embarrassed blush covering his face. "i just-he's-" he sighed. "inumaki-kun is hard to understand, and i just wished it could be easier."

panda sighed. "everyone does. there will be days where just no one can understand what he means and he gets all quiet." he explained, causing yuuta's heart to ache at the thought. "he gets over it fast, but we wish he never felt misunderstood in the first place."

yuuta only continued to watch inumaki in silence.

panda turned to the window to watch the cursed speech user with him. "toge's had his 'cursed words' since he was born, you see." he explained. "so it seems he had his hardships in the past. like cursing people when he didn't mean to. it's actually similar to your circumstances, yuuta. so it seems he was concerned with you since you transferred."

this made yuuta lift his head in surprise. 

"he's easy to misunderstand, but he's a nice guy." panda continued. "hope you can get along with him."

yuuta's eyes sparkled. "yeah." he whispered. "me too."

+

"no, i saw your face, you were scared shitless!"

"shut up, maki!!"

"cod roe."

all the firsts years were on their way to train in the courtyard after their break. they had started a movie marathon and ended with a horror movie, in which panda very much could not handle. 

inumaki had to offer his hand for panda to hold multiple times, every time ending with panda swatting it away and having yuuta and maki giggling. 

he wished they could have more of those moments and less of having to save japan 24/7. it was nice to have moments sitting down and just being able to relax with one another. he was able to get closer to yuuta this way, and he enjoyed it (he hoped yuuta felt the same). it almost seemed like yuuta was always scared of him, but more recently they've been more comfortable around each other. 

he hoped they could get a stronger bond soon.

"all i'm saying is toge offered to hold your paw numerous time, there would've been no shame." maki continued to taunt the cursed corpse. 

"yeah, i'm pretty sure he held out his hand for you at least twenty times." yuuta giggled. 

toge only nodded.

"for the last time, i am not scared! i am panda!" panda replied in frustration, causing the others to snicker. 

all so suddenly, yuuta turned around, as if someone whispered into his ear. the puffs of steamy breath became shaky and lighter in the crisp air.

panda noticed it first. "what is it, yuuta?" he asked. inumaki and maki turned around after hearing the concern. 

"ummm..." he said, hesitantly. "i just had a bad feeling." he let out warily.

"it's your imagination."

"just your imagination."

"okaka!"

of course, no one believed him, all continuing on. 

"eh, come on, guys..." yuuta said, chasing after the group.

"i mean yuuta's curse power perception is monkey-level." panda cut him off.

"of course he'd be dull with something like rika at his side at all times." maki added.

"tuna." inumaki nodded.

"all first class jujutsu sorcerers, gather at the front rotary!"

the group looked up at the emergency call. "how unusual." maki said in disbelief. "yuuta's hunch was right." panda finished.

landing in front of them was a curse bigger than most of them had seen in the form of a deranged pelican, a man hopping off its back and landing on the ground next to it.

"you don't look like your authorized." maki said, raising her weapon.

"haven't seen that big a curse and all." panda added, cracking his knuckles.

"sujiko." inumaki raised an eyebrow, pulling down his collar.

"wah-what a big bird..." yuuta trembled.

the man placed a piece of his hair behind his ear, observing his surroundings. "this place sure hasn't changed." he said, a hint of disappointment on his tongue.

to the first years' surprise, a girl popped out of the mouth of the bird. "wow! getou-sama, are we really in tokyo?" she said cheerfully, although bitterly added "this place reeks of country side."

"nanako..." another girl holding a doll said. "that's rude."

"eh-?" said nanako tilted her head. "mimiko, you think so too, right?"

"geez!" a more stronger looking woman said. "get down already! aren't you cold?"

the girl with the doll looked towards the first years. "hm? who are those guys?" she asked.

"a panda! so cute!" nanako exclaimed, pulling out her phone and snapping a few pictures.

"no, who are you guys?" panda retorted. "yuuta-san here won't forgive any intruders, you know!"

"konbu." inumaki added.

"eh?!"

"just leave already, before yuuta-san here beats you guys up!" maki shouted.

"ehhhh?!"

before anyone could even try to stop him, the man was already in front of yuuta, shaking his hand. "nice to meet you, okkotsu-kun." he smiled. "I'm getou suguru."

"eh? ah, nice to meet you." yuuta froze, not sure what to do.

he's fast! inumaki thought.

"you possess a truly wonderful power." getou said slyly, still holding yuuta's hand in his. "i believe that a great power should be used for great purpose. do you not have any doubts about our current world? a world where jujutsu sorcerers work secretly to protect the commoners."

yuuta didn't respond, colored in confusion.

"you see," getou let go of yuuta's hand, then placing an arm around his shoulder. "i want to correct the contradiction that is the strong having to adapt to the weak. it's so wretched!" he explained, as if he were trying to sell the boy a car.

"sure..." yuuta hesitated in response.

"mankind, the lord of creation, are impeding the steps of its own evolution! it's nonsense!" getou continued. "humanity needs to review its survival strategy. and for that, i am asking for your help."

yuuta tilted his head. "with what?" he asked.

"i wanna kill every non-jujutsu sorcerer, and make a world with only jujutsu sorcerers, you see."

a look of nothing but pure horror and sheer fear vacated its way onto yuuta's face, his eyes widening and any form of curiosity and innocence fading away. 

what...is he saying?!

"please don't push your inane ideas onto my students."

the first years all turned to the voice to see gojo and principal yaga making their way towards the group.

"satoruu~!!" getou smiled. "it's been a while!"

the energy was not mutual. "get away from these children, suguru." gojo said, cold as ice. his eyes may have been covered, but anyone could tell that something bitter lay in them.

"i did hear the first years this year were particularly exceptional..." getou sneered. "i see. so you were in charge."

"a special class jujutsu sorcerer,"

yuuta swallowed thickly, not sure what to do.

"a mutated cursed corpse,"

panda kept his stance. 

"a descendant of spell casters,"

inumaki held the grip on his collar, his fist balling up in the fabric. 

"and," he smiled, turning to maki. "a failure of the zenin clan."

maki froze. "you bastard-"

"watch your mouth." getou cut her off. "a monkey like you isn't needed in my world."

inumaki looked over at panda, almost as if he was asking 'can i tell him to die?'

but before he could, yuuta had slapped getou's arm off of his shoulder. 

"i'm sorry." he said, wearing a different persona. "i don't understand what you're trying to say, getou-san, but..."

he looked up at the wicked man with rage burning in his eyes. "i can't help someone who would belittle my friends!" he spat. 

getou put on a wounded face. "i'm sorry." he said halfheartedly. "i had no intention of making you feel uncomfortable."

"then why," gojo interrupted. "are you here?" he was glaring daggers into the man that stood before him. none of the first years were sure what the relationship of the men were but it was easy to tell they had a nasty history. 

getou smirked a sinister smile. "to declare war." he hissed like a serpent.

he turned to everyone else, "gather round, everyone!" he called like a ring leader. "open your ears and listen well!" 

inumaki looked over at the other first years. whatever this was, it wouldn't be good.

"on the 24th of december! during the sunset! we shall perform a hyakki yakou!" he declared. "the place shall be the crucible of curses, shinjuku, tokyo! and the capital of jujutsu, kyoto! 1,000 curses will be released in each place, and their orders will be to 'kill the trash'."

inumaki and yuuta looked over at the man, knowing very well that anyone who didn't practice jujutsu was the trash he referred to.

"unless you want hell to be painted on earth," he continued. "then work to death to stop me. let us curse each other as much as we want!" 

"ahh-! getou-sama!" nanako cried. "the store is closing!"

"is it already that late?" getou asked, then shrugging. "sorry, satoru. these girls said they'd only come if they got to eat crepes at takeshita street. dear me, for a place so full of monkeys what's even so great about-"

"you think i'll let you go?"

even with the blindfold on, it was easy to tell gojo was giving him the nastiest glare. yet despite his words, he didn't seem to chase after the dark haired man, almost like he was frozen in hesitation.

and it seemed the other knew this as well, because getou didn't bother to turn around to face him. "come on, now." 

before any of them could even try to stop him, the jujutsu sorcerers were surrounded by curses left and right. 

the first years tensed, all prepared to fight head on. 

"my free time," getou said. "is all for my cute students." 

yuuta shuffled closer to inumaki, who subconsciously stood in front of the transfer student and put an arm over him to protect him. 

getou then climbed onto the leg of the cursed bird. "very well, everyone!" he smiled, waving a farewell. "see you on the battlefield!"

and with that, he was out of their hands.