（ '_⊃｀） — chapter four
"empty plate"

      "GOOD MORNING!"

      HIYORI WAS HAPPILY greeted by her fellow first years as she entered the common area. Well, not everyone. Yuji had been making what looked like a bowl of cereal in the kitchen area, Fushiguro was planted at the dining table a plate of some scrambled eggs in front of him. He had that same book from yesterday, however it appeared he had gotten through a decent chunk of it since the last she saw. Kugisaki appeared to be putting the finishing pins in her hair to keep it from falling. So, realistically, only Yuji greeted her.

      Even though she had only gotten a few hours of rest last night in between baking, her body didn't feel the exhaustion. She knew after training, that would be a whole different story. A warm smile crossed her face, extending an arm to wave over towards Yuji.

      Hiyori took an available seat on the couch directly from Kugisaki's, she didn't want to intrude on the girl's personal space while styling her hair. Resting her head on the top of the couch, she did wish she had gotten more sleep — which had reminded her.

      She swiftly jumped up from her once comfortable seat on the couch, and headed towards the kitchen. Her quick movement startled both Yuji and Kugisaki, their eyes were intently focused on her. Hiyori was enthralled when she saw her plate that was once full of freshly baked muffins now only had speckles of crumbs left. A bright smile traced her face.

      "Oh, you guys liked the muffins, huh?" Hiyori teased slightly, a part of her was disappointed she didn't even get to try one of her beautiful creations. But if her friends enjoyed them enough to eat them all, it still made her excited.

      "What muffins?" Beamed Yuji, and he unconsciously licked his bottom lip at the near thought.

      Hiyori's eyebrows furrowed together, and she pointed towards the now empty dish, "The muffins I made for you guys, last night. I left them right there, and they're all gone."

      Kugisaki and Fushiguro now both seemed interested in the topic. Hiyori narrowly stared at Fushiguro, trying to read his expression if he was guilty or not of consuming every muffin.

      "That plate was empty when I got here this morning, almost an hour and a half ago," Fushiguro explained, his monotone voice remained.

      "What?" Hiyori gasped slightly, her eyes switching between Fushiguro and then the empty plate.

      Kugisaki let a breath of a laughter out of her system, "Trust me, I was not here an hour and a half ago, but it was empty when I walked in a couple of minutes ago."

      Hiyori knew there was a chance that anyone in the house would think they were for them — but she hadn't even seen anyone except her fellow first years all morning. Yuji explained that anyone else in the house was hardly here, mostly on missions and would briefly spend time here and there.

      But there was one other person she saw, from last night.

      "Goooojooooo," Hiyori groaned, burying her hands into her face. Of course, she shouldn't have trusted the man obsessed with anything sweet be alone with her beautiful tray of muffins.

      After her and Gojo's talk of allowing Hiyori time in the kitchen whenever she needed, she contemplated whether or not to ask the man if they had met before. His face was too familiar, the white locks had gained her attention sometime before in her life. But the prior exhaustion from the day seemed to have caught up with her. She cleaned up her mess rather quickly and slid the tray of muffins to the front of the counter — excited come morning to have her friends try her recipe.

      Unbeknownst to Hiyori, Gojo had lingered in the kitchen for a few minutes longer than her. Where he devoured every single one of the muffins she had just left. Gojo wasn't lying when he thought they needed to be in a world-famous bakery — those things were delicious and he simply couldn't help himself.

      "There's mistake one," Kugisaki commented, her words almost jumbled together due to the two bobby pins she kept in between her teeth. "Trusting Gojo."

      "Ugh," Hiyori dramatically moaned, flailing her arms to the side in a deflated expression. "I'm going to kill him."

      "I'm sure they were delicious, Yori," Yuji had complimented, hooking his fingers around the empty plate that once contained her muffins. He gently tossed it in the sink, "I'll wash it after I finish my bowl of cereal."

      "Oh, you don't have to, Yuji," Hiyori brushed off, her palms waving back and forth. She took a step forward to the kitchen sink, but Yuji shoved a bowl into her chest to stop her from gaining anymore access. "Huh?"

      "Eat up, we have to be at training in less than a half hour," Yuji instructed, his eyes wandering down to the dining area where now both Fushiguro and Kugisaki were positioned.

      "Thanks," softly mumbled a Hiyori, she hoped that a blush hadn't crossed her cheeks from the kind act of making her breakfast. Her eyes traced what the bowl contained, her favorite cereal since she was a kid. "You remembered?"

      "Of course I remembered."

(⑉• ﻌ •⑉)

      "Can you believe it's almost Halloween?"

      Hiyori was trying her best to be able to pay attention to Yuji's words, but at the moment — it proved quite difficult. Her breathing was unsteady. The four first years were working on the last mile of their five mile run Gojo had assigned. Hiyori knew she was going to collapse in her bed the second she dropped in her room.

"Yuji, do you ever just stay quiet during training?" Kugisaki mumbled under her runner's breath, she was trailing a few feet behind Yuji and Hiyori — who were in a perfect stance with one another. Fushiguro was several feet ahead of them, he probably couldn't even hear half the things they were talking about for a good portion of this trek.

"Is it really October?" Hiyori questioned, she was a bit stunned to think of how quick time was racing by. Almost frightened, as well. "That's impossible."

"It is October eleventh!" Shouted Fushiguro from so far ahead — both Kugisaki and Hiyori deadpanned even when the boy in front of them wouldn't see it. They knew it was October, they just had a flare for the overdramatics.

"Don't the third years throw a wicked Halloween party every year?" Kugisaki asked, and both Yuji and Hiyori glanced over their shoulders with bubbling excitement. "That's just what I heard."

For the longest time, both Yuji and Hiyori were obsessed with Halloween. Hiyori loved the thrilling horror movies, the beautiful fall leaves that would crumble beneath her walking feet, and seeing the world light up with spooky decorations. Not to mention, having adorable matching Halloween costumes. Her mind lingered back to one specific Halloween — she was Nami and Yuji was Luffy from one of their favorite manga's, One Piece.

"Now, that sounds like fun," Hiyori wiggled her eyebrows, she had never been to a college party — well, obviously, because she had never been in college thus far. The idea of a normal college party wasn't exactly enticing, but having a college party with drunk and usually serious and intense jujustu sorcerers would be beyond hilarious.

"That sounds like a terrible idea!" Fushiguro yelled from the front, and Hiyori nearly slammed right into his back. She hadn't realized they had come to the end of their five mile run, and suddenly her breathlessness came rushing back to her.

"Megumi, anything that is legally considered 'fun', you think is a terrible idea," Hiyori teased, bumping her left shoulder into that of Fushiguro's.

      The raven-haired boy was almost taken off guard when his first name came out of Hiyori's mouth. Somehow, he didn't entirely hate it when she said it. Neither when she bumped her shoulder into him, surprisingly.

      "Dealing with drunk jujutsu college kids is not everyone's entire idea of 'fun'," quoted Fushiguro back, his face releasing back to his former disinterested expression.

      "Drunk jujutsu sorcerers, now that sounds like a fun time!"

      The four young adults had paused in their conversation as their sensei waltzed up the hill. His hands waiting in his pockets, he had a slightly entertaining sway to his body. The group figured he wouldn't have waited up for them, so it was a surprise to see the white-haired man making his way over.

      "That's what I'm trying to convince Megumi here about," Hiyori grinned while squeezing Fushiguro's shoulder blade, his monotone expression perked a single eyebrow.

Gojo's eyes shifted beneath his blinfold, from the red-hair girl towards her hand placement on Fushiguro. He quickly flagged away the gross sensation that flooded his vein's.

Gojo let a little laugh out of his system, "Did you know that party's supposed to be a secret from us teachers?"

      Each and every one of the four first years froze in their footsteps — their eyes turned as wide as saucers. Their expressions ran blank. Even their heavy pants had subsided as it felt like they were all practically holding their breathes.

      "What party did you say again, Nobara? Because I don't think a random nightclub would be a fun idea," Hiyori quickly rambled in an attempt at throwing Gojo off balance, she switched over to witness Kugisaki's expression.

      "You're right," Kugisaki replied almost instantly, she was nibbling on her bottom lip instinctively. "We'll have to figure something else out."

      "Ah, you guys are funny!" Gojo shouted, and he looked as if he was about to kneel over and collapse to the ground in a fit of laughter. "I find out where that party is every year, no fail, just depends who are the ones who tell me."

      The group of young jujutsu sorcerers groaned in unison.

a/n: satoru. satoru. satoru.