Archive of Our Own ^beta

They settle at the largest space they can find in the training grounds. Yuuji’s veins are buzzing with an odd mixture of excitement and apprehension, but he figures that he probably just needs to loosen up a little to remedy that. So, after their senpai goes off to the side to watch, the two first-years warm up.

First Yuuji spars with Fushiguro without cursed energy, just so Okkotsu can see how they move. They’re used to reading each other at this point, so there’s a stalemate for a while until Okkotsu tells them to stop. He’s frowning a little, but in a puzzled way.

“You two,” he says, “are too evenly matched, aren’t you?”

Yuuji winces. Fushiguro crosses his arms with a short sigh.

“Only because he’s holding back,” Fushiguro says with a swat to Yuuji’s head. Yuuji yelps. “Get into it, Itadori. We don’t have the time to waste.”

“You were holding back too!” Yuuji retorts, affronted. He shoves Fushiguro with his shoulder, and Fushiguro shoves back twice as hard. Okkotsu hides a smile behind his hand.

“How about you both face me, then?” he suggests. “No cursed techniques, no weapons. Just normal fighting. Then you won’t have to hold back at all.”

Yuuji exchanges a glance with Fushiguro. Okkotsu’s brow twitches.

“You were just thinking that I probably couldn’t handle that, weren’t you ..?”

“Yeah,” Fushiguro says at the same time Yuuji nods. Okkotsu jerks in place like he’s been punched. “No offense, senpai, but I think Maki-san would be a fairer opponent.”

“That’s true, but she’s occupied right now,” Okkotsu sighs, lifting his case off his shoulder and tossing it aside. “And based on the look she gave me before they left, I think your friend would kill me if I tried to interrupt.”

“True,” the first-years say in sync. Okkotsu rubs thoughtfully at the button on his collar.

“Then how about cursed energy sparring? No holds barred for you, and I can only defend with it?”

Fushiguro nods before Yuuji can respond. He looks back and forth between the two in bewilderment. “Is that fair?”

“Very fair. He’d probably kill us otherwise.”

“Eh?!”

“You can start, then.” Okkotsu backs up, hands clasped behind his back and expression the epitome of casualness. “Whenever you’re ready!”

Fushiguro looks over at Yuuji. Yuuji nods with a grin and, after a moment, they both rush forward and split left and right. Yuuji leaps, fists crackling with cursed energy, and Fushiguro goes low, his leg sweeping out to knock the older boy off his feet. It’s a team move that they could do with their eyes closed at this point, and for a split second Yuuji is sure they’ll have the upper hand.

And then Okkotsu unveils his own cursed energy.

Yuuji blinks, and suddenly he’s five meters away, crouched and panting. He hadn’t even noticed himself change direction midair. His body had just done it on instinct, reacting to —

Fushiguro springs up from the shadow behind him. “Don’t let it distract you,” he hisses lowly. “Okkotsu-senpai’s agile, but his defense is lacking when he’s not using his sword. He can’t focus on both of us at once if we keep pressing him.”

Yuuji’s heart hammers. He nods at Fushiguro’s words, but his attention is still on the boy standing a couple meters away from them. He hadn’t been imagining it at all, that shadow he’d seen fall over Okkotsu in front of the vending machines. What he’d seen, what he’d felt — it’s there, right in front of him.

“Aren’t you two being a little too quiet?” Okkotsu appears between them before either of them can make a move, his aura now wrapped tightly to his body. Yuuji strikes reflexively, but Okkotsu derails his fist and Fushiguro is forced to swerve out of its way. While he’s unbalanced, Okkotsu’s long leg kicks out, using the momentum to carry Fushiguro right into Yuuji’s body. Yuuji catches him, pivoting on his feet so Fushiguro can use the rebound to strike at Okkotsu, but the boy is already moving, dispelling Fushiguro’s attempt at a jab with a clap of his hands around his wrist, twisting the other boy aside, and jumping back before either of them can retaliate.

Remembering Fushiguro’s words, Yuuji dodges around him and launches forward before Okkotsu can establish distance again, and is rewarded with a look of surprise as Okkotsu stops mid-retreat to balance himself. Yuuji twists, aiming a kick at Okkotsu’s legs and, when the boy predictably jumps, drives forward with a rush of energy-enhanced punches at his face. Okkotsu dodges them all, but his movements are less coordinated than before. Regardless, his dark eyes are alight.

“Interesting,” he breathes, almost too low for Yuuji to hear. Yuuji throws another kick at Okkotsu’s chest and is surprised when it actually lands. How -? Okkotsu’s mouth twitches as if it wants to wince, but he doesn’t waste the time; he lets the force from Yuuji’s kick carry him into a back handspring, widening the distance between them again and landing on his feet like a cat —

—right into Fushiguro’s waiting trap. Yuuji watches triumphantly as Okkotsu’s right leg sinks into the shadow pit and thinks we got him! as Fushiguro comes scything down on him from above —

—and then, catching both of his juniors completely by surprise, Okkotsu grasps Fushiguro’s leg just before it’s about to hit him, folds around it, and drags Fushiguro into the shadow with him. Yuuji stares openmouthed as they both vanish. “O-Oi!” he shouts uncertainly. Fushiguro will be fine, he’s sure, but he’s never seen him drag another person into his shadows before. Who knows what could -!

From behind him comes a sudden thud, and Yuuji nearly gives himself whiplash with how fast he turns around. Okkotsu and Fushiguro are collapsed in a heap on the grass, Fushiguro pale and Okkotsu smothering his laughter in his fist. Fushiguro sits up and glares, though to Yuuji it looks more incredulous than genuinely angry.

“Senpai, what were you thinking pulling a stunt like that?! Do you know how hard it is to carry things with me through those shadows? What if you’d lost your grip!”

“Sorry, sorry!” Okkotsu says, shaking with mirth. “It was a reflex. You sure looked shocked ...”

“I was shocked!”

“But you did it, though, Fushiguro-kun.” Okkotsu rises to his feet and brushes the pollen from his sleeves. “That’s good progress, right?”

Almost before the last words have left his mouth, Okkotsu flicks out his knee, fast as lightning, and clips Fushiguro on the back of the head despite his startled attempt to dodge. “Out.” Yuuji realizes with a start that they’d never officially called the match and advances toward them with a laugh.

“That’s not playing fair, senpai!” he calls, charging in to swing at Okkotsu again while a grumbling Fushiguro reluctantly settles to the side, rubbing the back of his spiky hair. “And aren’t you just supposed to be on defense?”

“I didn’t use my cursed energy for that, though,” Okkotsu replies playfully. With one player out, he seems to have regained most of his bearings, and blocks Yuuji’s blows this time rather than dodging them. His eyes never leave Yuuji’s face. “You’re pretty good, Itadori-kun. Were you trained before you came here?”

“Nope,” Yuuji says, dropping into a crouch and hooking one leg around the backs of Okkotsu’s knees before he can dodge away. “Unless scrap fights count!”

“Gh —” Okkotsu’s breath punches out when his back hits the ground, but he’s already somersaulting backwards and springing to his feet before Yuuji can make another move. Regardless, Yuuji is already where he needs to be. Before his senior can back up again, Yuuji swivels on the ground with his hands, snaps his legs closed around Okkotsu’s neck, and twists sideways to send him crashing to the ground before rolling on top of him to pin him down.

For a moment, they stay there, panting, Yuuji crouched over Okkotsu and the other boy’s chest heaving under his body. Then Yuuji abruptly regains some semblance of self-awareness and jerks away, scrambling to his feet. “Oh shit, uh — are you okay? Is that a win for me?” He thrusts out his hand awkwardly, wondering if he’d gotten too carried away.

On the ground, Okkotsu looks dazed. Yuuji starts to sweat again, nervously this time. He wonders if he’s made some sort of unspoken jujutsu hierarchical faux pas. But then Okkotsu huffs what sounds like a laugh and waves him off, climbing smoothly back to his feet as Yuuji steps back. “Yeah, that’s your win. Good match, Itadori-kun.”

Yuuji smiles a little cautiously as Okkotsu nods at him. “...Yeah. Good match.” Okkotsu doesn't look irritated in the least (even with his white top covered in grass stains), but Yuuji can’t help but be a bit wary. It must be the leftover adrenaline buzzing in him.

Or maybe it’s the memory of that solid, dark shroud of Okkotsu’s cursed energy slamming into him, constricting around him. It had felt so chilling — unearthly, even, but also somehow so ...

So —

“Free period’s almost up,” Fushiguro says as he rejoins them. He sighs and crosses his arms, pointedly looking away as Okkotsu gives him an apologetic smile. “I see you still like playing dirty, senpai.”

“Fushiguro-kun, don’t be like that ...I was following the rules, wasn’t I?”

“Yeah, your rules.”

“Come on ..!”

Yuuji’s smiling as he watches the exchange, but even though he’s standing right beside them, he feels ...separated. It’s like they’re on an island, and he’s on the outside looking in. Or like …

Like Okkotsu is the island, and he’s only allowing Fushiguro in. Not Yuuji.

Yuuji feels that twinge of something tighten his chest again, but before he can speak — before he can try to reach — the bell rings. Fushiguro looks back toward the school and sighs shortly.

“Itadori, let’s go. See you later, Okkotsu-senpai.”

“Uh, right,” Yuuji says, quashing the surge of dissatisfaction that rises in his chest and giving Okkotsu a wave as he turns to follow Fushiguro to the classroom. “See you!”

Okkotsu waves back with a smile of his own. It’s stiff now — nothing like the one he gave Fushiguro — but Yuuji tries and fails not to let that bother him. “Do your best, both of you. Thanks for the spar!”

As Yuuji makes his way up the steps, it takes every measure of control he has to not look back.