Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You hate reality.

It’s hard to properly describe, but that’s the quickest way to put it on paper. It’s dull, monotonous, and full of unequivocally, indescribably evil people.

That’s probably what you hate the most about it – the people.

Everywhere you look, you see more and more evidence that humanity is flawed and broken. Your government hates its people, the people hate each other and themselves, evidence of good deeds is few and far between.

The media never even covers such things anymore. Instead, basically every new article you find on social media is about how someone killed someone else for some petty reason, like race, religion, or gender. It’s an awful place to be.

It's why you want to escape it all.

It’s why you just want to leave the world you know behind. You’ve done just about everything you can in that regard. You’ve got a library of videogames and a watchlist of Anime a mile long. You’ve even started buying some of the manga, becoming so impatient to finish your favorite stories that you don’t mind how expensive it is to ship prints from overseas.

You bought a VR headset, but at this point it just sits on a shelf gathering dust. It was really heavy, and gave you headaches and neck pain whenever you tried to play it for more than two hours.

Suffice to say, though, you’ve tried everything to avoid ever having to face reality. Aside from your job, you basically never go outside. Your groceries are all delivered, and most of your windows are blocked by shutters. You have some friends, but you mostly communicate with them online. Even the ones you see at work you never go to hang out with in person. You’re almost certainly depressed, but you can’t bring yourself to put in the effort of finding a therapist. You’re not sure you’d even find one you’d like.

As far as you’re concerned, life is already over for you, and yet you’re barely in your twenties.

You miss being a kid sometimes.

Namely because you felt so innocent back then. You watched cartoons and anime without worrying about things like finances, job security, and all this other crap that being an adult suddenly has you caring about.

The closest you can get to that simple life you want to live is reading manga in your spare time, of which you try and make as much of as possible.

That’s where you are right now, in fact. Reading chapter 236 of your favorite manga, Jujutsu Kaisen.

You’d seen leaks on social media despite your best efforts to avoid spoilers, but the shock hits you all the same when you see that panel. You’re not unused to heartache regarding this series, and the signs of how this battle would go were all there, but you still can’t say you were ready for it.

Even the manga you took solace in has hurt you.

This is perhaps the worst day of your life.

You look at the panel one more time, before closing the book and setting it with the rest. You bookmarked your place so you could come back later, but you’re just so upset. You’re not sure if you even want to go back to it. You will, of course, but you need a second to breathe.

It’s midnight, Saturday.

The sky is clear, and opening your blinds reveals dim stars hanging overhead. Light pollution from the city makes it hard to see them all that well, but you can at least make out some of the brighter lights twinkling in the vast expanse overhead. You stare upwards, glad that you’ve got an apartment on the third story of your complex. This way, no one can see you gazing mournfully at the stars like a dope.

Over a comic book character, they’d think.

You’re sure that people would find this sort of thing weird at best, and detestable at worst. Still, you cared a lot about the people in that story.

You catch a glimpse of something in the sky.

At first, you think it’s a plane, but then you get a better look. It grows a tail, shimmering like a beam of light as it crosses blank space between stars.

It’s a meteor, you realize.

A shooting star.

You’ve seen one of these once before, but you were only 7. You didn’t even know people made wishes on them at the time. Now, though, you do feel like making a wish. Even if it’s a meaningless gesture, you might as well make it, right?

“I wish,” you start, your voice a little hoarse from underuse.

“I wish that I could fix everything in that manga. I wish that so many of the unnecessary deaths could’ve been avoided. I want to be able to do something, instead of just reading the story from the outside. And on top of that, I wish I could escape this world of mine.”

As you finish wishing to the sky, you feel a little guilty. You’re fairly certain that you’re only supposed to wish for one thing, but you got caught up in the moment.

You’re also not supposed to say your wish aloud, but you never understood that part. Why wouldn’t people say the wish out loud? How is anyone supposed to know what you’re thinking if you don’t say it? Either way, you’re certain that it’ll never happen. It’s just something you wanted to say out loud instead of keeping it in your head.

Also, now that you’ve spoken, you realize your throat is dry as hell, and it’s starting to hurt.

You make your way to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge to get rid of your dry throat.

Since it’s so late, and you still can’t bring yourself to read any more of Jujutsu Kaisen, you decide to head to bed for the night. You take a shower, brush your teeth, get into your pajamas, and head to bed, certain that when you wake up, it’ll be just another boring, awful day.

You’d never recall that passing thought as you went to bed, but you’d realize how wrong you were when you woke up the next morning.

Chapter Text

Waking up normally takes you a long time.

It always has; it always will. You set alarms way earlier than you need to just so that you have plenty of time to get up, check your phone, and prepare yourself to face whatever is going to happen that day. Since it’s Sunday, though, you don’t really have to think about work or anything like that. You’d be fine even if you stayed in bed all day.

You don’t wanna do that though, it’s not healthy. Even though you can’t find the motivation sometimes, you do need to get out of bed every day, at least for a bit.

You get up and stretch as blink your eyes, feeling weirdly… energetic? It takes you a moment to realize that you just rose to a seat before the sleep fully left your eyes. Typically, you’d at least stay under the covers for about thirty minutes and scroll through your phone. Not once have you ever just gotten right up from your bed. You look down at yourself. Something else is off. You’re not sure why, but everything looks… weird.

It takes you a second, but you realize that you’re not looking at your own body. You’re smaller, for one thing. Your limbs are slender, and even have small hints of definition.

While you eat as healthy as you can, you don’t get much exercise outside of the walk to and from your job. You aren’t overweight, but you’re definitely not used to seeing this swimmer build when you look down. Your skin is also weirdly smooth.

After those harrowing realizations, you also notice that the room you’re in isn’t exactly your room. It’s similar, but it has important differences. Your computer looks different – it’s older than what you had before. There’s also the bookshelf full of completely different manga. Some of the things you liked to read are there, but several volumes of other manga are totally missing. The layout is also different. The shelf that usually held your unused VR Headset, along with the device itself, is gone. In its place is a CD rack you don’t ever remember owning.

Confused and a little scared, you locate and run over to the bathroom.

You’re definitely different.

It’s not that noticeable at first. To anyone observing you from a distance, they’d probably say that you look totally normal. You’ve still got the same [e/c] eyes, the same [h/c] hair, nothing major has changed. But you know you. You also know that there are some significant cosmetic changes. Your features have become smoother, and your build seems way healthier. Your eyes have a brightness to them that you didn’t see before, and your face is totally clear – like you’ve been using products this whole time.

On top of that, you’re WAY younger. You look like you could be a high schooler, maybe 16 or 17 years old.

You blink at the mirror as you come to that last realization. Maybe you could’ve convinced yourself that you woke up on the right side of bed in regard to the other stuff, but no amount of beauty sleep can account for you being physically younger. You step out of the bathroom, all sorts of questions running around in your head. The cherry on top of all of this confusion is a strange gut feeling.

Literally. Your stomach feels weird. You can’t put it into words, but you know it’s not how it felt before. It still feels natural, it’s not a feeling of danger, but there’s a weird feeling of something flowing through you that originates from your stomach.

It’s a cursed technique, you think.

And that thought gives you whiplash.

It felt as natural as anything, like it’s something you should know immediately and instinctively. And yet you have zero clue as to how the idea popped into your head. Interestingly enough, the more you think about it, the more you realize you understand. You understand how it functions, and what its limitations are. You can reach out and touch anything with a soul and alter it. That’s the simplest way to explain it, at least. But as you’re processing those thoughts, it hits you.

You have a cursed technique.

Not just any cursed technique, but the cursed technique of one of the most powerful curses in Jujutsu Kaisen. And that realization triggers another one, a cascading series of connections all at once.

“Holy shit, am I in Jujutsu Kaisen!?”

You remain frozen for a minute as you do your best to sift through the realizations and ways in which suddenly everything has changed. It’s not easy to grasp all of this at once, but you’re going about it as quickly as you can. For one, you’re basically going over the entire Manga in your head, committing it to memory as best you can. You checked the bookshelf, and it’s completely gone. You won’t be able to rely on an account of the events from anything other than your own memory. You grab a notebook from what is apparently your backpack, turn to a random page, and begin writing down as many major events in chronological order as possible.

After checking your phone (which is now a flip phone you don’t recognize) you find out that it’s July of 2006, about a month before the first major events in the Jujutsu Kaisen timeline. For whatever reason, you’ve been inserted into the story right before the Hidden Inventory arc is set to take place, and been given only a month to prepare yourself.

That’s not a lot of time, you think to yourself, as you go about inspecting your other belongings. Things are definitely different, though. You’re not in an apartment block, but rather you’re on the second floor of a two-story house. You can hear movement coming from downstairs that you’re not eager to check out yet. If you have new parents, you’d rather not meet them until your head is on straight.

You also have suitcases, which appear to already be packed with all sorts of different things. You didn’t notice much in the way of clothes in your closet, nor did you see any of the usual toiletries in your bathroom. You don’t know where you’re going, but apparently, it’s somewhere that requires a LOT of preparation.

After looking through all of that, the last thing you check is your cursed technique. You already know about it, kinda sorta. You understand what it is and what it’s called. Like with most Jujutsu Sorcerers, you’ve got an innate understanding as to the basic functionality of your technique. Its advanced application will take some figuring out, but you get the gist of how it works. You also recall what its original user was able to do with it in the manga. You also know exactly where this technique stems from.

This ability is a result of your hatred for humans. It manifested itself in you because of how deeply you despised every person from your old world. It’s here because you lost faith in humanity.

That said, it isn’t an inherently evil technique.

Any weapon can be used for good in the right hands. That’s even been proven in the manga, when Mahito healed Kokichi from his Heavenly Restriction. You could potentially do something like that, should the need arise.

You hold your hand out, and focus. You’re not really sure what to focus on, though. You can feel an energy within you, but you can’t really tell how to manipulate it yet. You try tensing the muscles in your arm, and that sort of works, but it feels less like you’re accomplishing something, and more like you’re just forcing yourself.

You’ll have to practice later though, because you’re burning daylight while you’re up here. That becomes immediately apparent as you hear a voice from downstairs.

“[Y/N]? Are you getting ready? We packed your suitcases last night, did you forget something?”

That’s the sound of your mother, or at least you presume as such. It’s at this time that you realize that you’re still dressed in your pajamas.

“In a minute,” you call back. “I’m just getting dressed!”

You don’t hear a response, but as you’re putting on your clothes, you realize something else. While you never managed to learn Japanese in your old life, you’ve been reading and just now speaking the language with perfect fluency. You’re not sure how or why that is the way it is, but you’re glad about it. Though, it seems that as a trade, you’ve pretty much lost your understanding of English.

You finish putting on your clothes, bringing the suitcases with you downstairs where you see two people who you presume are your mother and father.

“Now make sure you pay attention in school. Don’t think for a second that just because I won’t be there to monitor you that you should start slacking off on your schoolwork.”

“Your mother and I expect the best from you while you’re away.”

Your ‘parents’ immediately give you the vibe of overly strict, uptight types who would probably end up burning out a genius. You’re actually sort of glad that you’re not going to be around them too long, though it does beg the question of where exactly you’ll be going. They mentioned school, but you’ve got two suitcases full of all sorts of items.

You nod at your parents’ statements, quickly adding a “yes, I’ll do my best” for a vocal response before you head outside. Waiting for you is a black car, and a man with a tan skin, closely shaved head and a mustache/goatee combo. You recognize the look – it’s Principal Yaga during the Hidden Inventory Arc. Which means-

“Hey, you’re the new transfer, yeah? Put your suitcases in the trunk and get in.”

Oh. Well, at least you won’t have to worry about getting into Jujutsu High. You’re not exactly sure why you want to go there yet, but there’s no backing out now.

Chapter Text

The car ride gives you some time to think. You’re lucky that Principal Yaga – or rather, Sensei Yaga, since he hasn’t yet become the Tokyo Branch’s Principal – is a mostly quiet man. You were a bit overwhelmed when you woke up, but now that you’ve had a chance to collect your thoughts, you’re becoming more and more concerned.

You’ve just been taken to the world of Jujutsu Kaisen.

While being whisked away to an anime world would be a dream come true for many an anime fan, Jujutsu Kaisen has a reputation for being bleak and hopeless. The main character suffers immensely at the hands of a fate he never asked for, and supposed main characters drop like flies. Finding yourself in the midst of all that is incredibly dangerous.

That said, you’re not completely without aid.

First of all, you have a significant knowledge of events that are about to unfold, which means that you’ll at least be able to avoid the most dangerous situations. In the best-case scenario, you may even attempt to rewrite destiny, though you have no proof that such a thing is even possible.

Second, you DO have a cursed technique. You know what it does, and because you remember the manga, you know exactly what this cursed technique is. Idle Transfiguration. While you’re still not versed in the use of cursed energy or techniques, you still managed to still Sensei Yaga’s soul – proof that you now possess one of the most dangerous abilities in all of Jujutsu Kaisen. If you can put some effort into training, that idea of saving some lives isn’t impossible.

Third, you’re already signed up to be a student at the Tokyo branch of the Prefectural Jujutsu High School. This means that you’ll be able to meet the world’s strongest sorcerer, Satoru Gojo, in his early years, alongside his friend Suguru Geto.

You’d be lying if you said that last part didn’t make your heart do a quick somersault. You never imagined you would get to meet two of your favorite characters from a manga IN PERSON like this. Sure, some fans get to meet actors or cosplayers, but you don’t think anything could compare to this. You may hate people, but the people in this Manga are endeared to you in ways you can’t even describe.

As the realization continues to dawn on you, you end up pinching your leg to keep from squealing at the excitement. No normal person would be calm about meeting an actor they like, or a famous writer, and this is something on a completely different level.

You pinch your leg again. You don’t want to freak out soon-to-be-principal Yaga.

More importantly, there is one other thing that you want to take care of. A certain curse user who’s going to set in motion a Rube Goldberg machine of tragedy and death all for the sake of his own sick entertainment.

You’re still not entirely sure as to whether or not you want to truly participate in a feat as grand as saving everyone who ever dies in the Jujutsu Kaisen story, but at the very least you should be aware of what pieces are moving when. Getting caught up in the maelstrom would be dangerous, especially if you were caught unawares.

There’s also the other Machiavelli, Ryomen Sukuna. While his plans aren’t as deep as Kenjaku’s, he’s patient, and easily twice as monstrous. While you don’t have to worry about his appearance as Itadori’s vessel, you will have to be concerned about it eventually.

A small sigh escapes your lips as you think about the events to come, especially the last part of the Manga that you managed to read. This small hint of dissatisfaction catches Sensei Yaga’s attention.

“You alright back there?”

“Oh- uh, yes sir. Just nervous,” You respond quickly, the lie coming from your mouth as easily as breathing. Of course you can’t just go blabbing about all this stuff, especially since you just met the guy.

For now, you’re just reviewing what you have to look forward to. And while there are certain to be some nice moments, you’re rather concerned about the future.

Having finally sifted through the pile of concerns that had been building up ever since you awoke, you at least feel a bit more at ease about everything. You’re still not sure about a lot just yet, but you’ll have to work through things as they come.

The rest of the car ride is had in silence. You don’t let any more accidental expressions of concern or extreme fandom slip out, and instead take in the view out the window. The city changes to forest as you approach the mountain entrance of your new school. The car stops at the foot of a massive set of stairs.

You visibly pale at the sight.

Masamichi Yaga looks back at you and offers a slight smirk.

“Not looking to good, huh? Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.”

The remark isn’t as comforting as he might think. Still, you step out of the car and prepare yourself for the climb. That is until you remember your suitcases.

*******

Of all the ways to die in this world, you never even put stairs on the list. It never should have qualified when compared to the cursed spirits, curse users, and corrupt higher-ups that plague the protagonists throughout the story.

You now have placed stairs firmly at the top of that list.

You’re almost on your hands and knees as you reach the top of the stairs leading into Jujutsu High. You would be, if it weren’t for the suitcases you’re still carrying with you. You weren’t there when these things were packed, but you’re beginning to believe they’re full of cinderblocks and spite.

If it weren’t for the minor increase in your baseline athletic ability as a result of whatever brought you here, you might’ve actually passed out somewhere around the halfway point.

“Come on, it’s not that bad. Besides, you’re gonna go through way worse. Pick up your stuff and let’s get moving. I’m gonna introduce you to your classmates.”

Masamichi Yaga helps you stand up a little straighter, but doesn’t offer much more than that. You carry your own suitcases further into the school, where you see a few students standing there waiting for you. You recognize them all, of course. Ijichi, Nanami, Haibara, Shoko, Geto and…

Well shit.

You have to turn your head slightly to avoid staring at him too long.

Gojo is way hotter in person than any manga panel could’ve ever represented.

A few of the students notice you turning your head and hiding your face, and only some even remark on it, with Geto and Gojo making gestures to each other, clearly indicating that they already find you odd. This doesn’t help your embarrassment at all. You may be overjoyed to be meeting these people, but it doesn’t mean you magically possess social skills. Seems that’s not one of the blessings you can rely on.

Luckily, Yaga speaks up before they can tease you any further.

“Listen up. Starting today, we have a new First Year student. Their name is [Y/N], and I want you to treat them with respect, got it? Don’t harass them like you did Ijichi.”

This time, it was Ijichi’s turn to be embarrassed. Still, there’s an almost unanimous “Yes, sensei” from the crowd in front of you. Almost unanimous. Yaga walks over to where Gojo and Geto are still having their own conversation, and hits both of them over the head.

“I said, GOT IT!?” His voice thunders in both their ears, but they nod their heads finally. Yaga sighs, but at least he got the point across in the end. After reprimanding the two third-years, he turns back to you and points towards Ijichi.

“He’ll show you to the first-year dorms. You can put your stuff down there. Afterwards…”

He looks back to the crowd for a moment, rubbing his chin, before pointing to Gojo.

“Gojo. You’ll give [Y/N] a tour of the campus.”

Gojo, of course, immediately protests.

“Huh!? Why do I have to do it? Wouldn’t it be a better job for someone like Nanamin?”

You stifle a laugh as you hear Gojo’s nickname for Nanami. You never knew it came from all the way back in his early days as a student.

“If I don’t give you something to do, you’ll just slack off all day and play Digimon,” Yaga retorts. Geto elbows Gojo lightly in the ribs, as if to say “You’ve been called out, Gojo.”

Gojo, on his part, doesn’t say anything else to Yaga, but walks over to you. His glasses lower, and you get a view of the sky somehow managing to reflect in his perfect blue eyes. God damn it has to be illegal to be this good looking. The Strongest Sorcerer looks you over, then smiles.

“Well, call me when it’s time to show you around, I guess. Until then, I’ll be doing my own thing.”

“You mean slacking,” calls Geto this time, clearly having too much fun negging his friend. Once again, Gojo is not very amused. The two walk off, leaving you to follow Ijichi to your new dorms.

At the very least, the walk is nice. Ijichi was a hard enough worker in the manga’s present day, but he still showed a good bit of anxiety around people like Gojo. Given that he’s around both Gojo AND Geto basically all the time, it makes sense that he’s a bit more timid. He shows you to your dorm, but doesn’t say much else. You set your suitcases down, seeing that at least some of the furniture is provided for you, like a bed and a desk.

You take a moment to once again marvel at the fact that, out of nowhere, you’ve suddenly landed yourself in Jujutsu High.

In Jujutsu Kaisen.

The thought is still a bit ludicrous, in all honesty. You still aren’t totally sure you’re not dreaming. That said, whether or not you decide to involve yourself with the main plot, you still want to make the most of your time here. With your stuff set down, you pull out your phone and prepare to call Satoru Gojo.

The Satoru Gojo.

Your finger hovers over the keypad, before it starts to tremble.

Not with anticipation, but with frustration.

A small vein appears on your forehead.

“That bastard never gave me his number! How the hell am I supposed to call him!?"