(￣ｰ￣) — chapter twelve
"make me"

THE REALITY OF TIME WAS not present in Hiyori's life anymore, she didn't know what day or week it was since Yuji Itadori's death. Thus, all else didn't matter. Training to become stronger than ever imagined was the only thing stuck on the redheads mind. But in reality, it had been about a month and a half since he died.

      Luckily enough, the Kyoto Sister School Exchange Event gave a complete camouflage as to why she was excessively pushing herself. Her peers would think she was simply determined to win the Exchange Event for their school, but she just thought of the event as another way to train.

      Hiyori had a few new mentors for the past month, the seconds years of Jujutsu College — Maki Zen'in, Toge Inumaki, whom she had only briefly met at the party on Halloween, and Panda. At the same time as training with the second years, Hiyori was meeting with Satoru Gojo (when he wasn't busy on missions) during the evenings to attempt at mastering the cursed technique that was buried within her.

      After the night with Fushiguro, Hiyori thought about what he said. She was still hesitant to believe his view of closure, it was hard to reinforce in her mind. Hiyori didn't try very hard to avoid everyone, but she certainly didn't make a move to join more often. She was still commonly locked inside her room, not coming out other than for training purposes.

      "Your attention is way off tonight. Do I really look that good?"

      Satoru Gojo pouted out his lips in a child-like manner towards Hiyori. The redhead had her hair tied up in a ponytail, but some of her baby-hairs were sticking to her skin from the sweat that lingered on her forehead. She was wearing a pair of black workout leggings, and a matching black sports bra. The light grey jacket Hiyori previously had on was torn off and throw to the corner of the room after she felt how heated her body was.

"I'm paying attention," Hiyori huffed, frankly just ignoring Gojo's narcissistic last sentence.

Because there's no records, we're essentially starting from scratch.

She didn't think it would be this hard. Only a few times by now had she actually been able to bring forward her watercolor eyes. And just for a few seconds each, her record was no longer than seven seconds. It didn't help neither Hiyori or Gojo have been able to decipher why it was brought out. Gojo hypothesized anger was the key — but one time she was able to summon it in a midst of tears. And on a different day, she did it by accident without even noticing. Thus, they hadn't even grasped onto the best strategy to jump-start her power.

"You didn't say anything about me being the distraction," Gojo cooed, digging his hands even deeper into his pockets. He had a nonchalant, relaxed posture. A pair of dark grey sweats clung to his waist matched with a black sweatshirt that was very loose around his neck and shoulders — like it had been worn for too long.

"If ignorance is bliss, you must be the happiest person on the planet," Hiyori purposely yawned, dramatically waving her hand about. "I thought we were supposed to be training, stop chatting all the time."

A prideful smile climbed onto Gojo's face, and Hiyori simply rolled her purple eyes. Sometimes she wished Gojo's infinity didn't exist, but then again, no way in hell she'd have a chance against him to get close enough anyway.

"Someone has to keep you sane," Gojo complained, and by the way his hips swayed and hands fell to his waist — he was inciting Hiyori for another round of attacks.

The main goal of this was to help Hiyori increase her speed and flexibility in close combat, and Gojo's the fastest around — so he was the best practice dummy.

"I am perfectly sane," Hiyori muttered through gritted teeth. In a flash of a second, she darted off to the side of the room for a surprise left-aimed attack. "Hey, I have an idea, you show me your eyes and I'll show you mine!"

Satoru Gojo chuckled, a genuine and sincere laugh rippled from his body.

Compare her current state now back to the fight with Sukuna, Hiyori was at least five times faster now. Not to mention, her combo strategies had gotten stronger as well. Not knowing what exactly her cursed technique would enhance, Gojo suggested an ideal of increasing everything at the same rate. Hiyori was making incredible progress, but it still didn't seem like enough for her.

"I saw you with the seconds years today, you didn't speak a single word the entire time," Gojo announced with confidence, jumping backwards in a single second to easily avoid Hiyori from the side.

"What does that have to do with anything!" Hiyori annoyingly shouted, landing on a twist of her heel so she could change directions to chase after Gojo.

Her increased speed would be remarkably strong against a regular opponent now. Gojo laughed out loud, practically disappearing before Hiyori's eyes and ending up directly behind her.

He simply kicked under the back of her right foot, and her entire body came tumbling down. The redhead huffed as her body collided with the ground, but that definitely was not the first time Gojo has knocked her down nor would it certainly be the last. She hastily picked herself up from the wooden floor, a shadow drawn along her face.

Gojo sighed, it had already been an hour and some change of training exercises and she hadn't shown her power once. Something was especially bothering her tonight. "You can't ignore everything and everyone forever."

"I said stop talking."

When Hiyori glanced to make eye contact with Gojo, her eyes were burning with several shades of oranges, yellows, and reds. Here we go, Gojo thought. So, talking about how depressed she is helps? Who knew? He sensed the shift of power in Hiyori the mere second she manufactured it.

"What're gonna do?" Gojo hummed, tapping a single index finger on his soft lips in thought. "Make me?"

Hiyori dug her heel into the ground as she took off in a mad-dash, her right arm was cranked backwards several gears — and Gojo saw it. The burning flame surrounding her fist was huge, and there was so much cursed energy behind it. She was even quicker than a minute ago, a set of heavily trained eyes would be the only ones to recognize her through this speed.

And against this specific attack, Satoru Gojo didn't move a single inch.

Hiyori's fist collided with his infinity, of course, and the entire echo of her collision sent vibrating sound waves to everything behind him. The wood of the wall behind her splintered, along with some of the flooring, windows of glass shattered in a second.

Hiyori's eyes widened at the sight — it was the first time she had actually witnessed her power and felt it, she was actually in the moment (this is her third attempt). Her shocked expression shifted as Gojo stood up to block her vision, with not a single strand of hair that wasn't perfectly styled.

"Still didn't make me."

(▰˘◡˘▰)

"FUSHIGURO, I SAID LET ME."

Hiyori had just finished up a shower, and was originally heading back to her bedroom when she heard the sudden shout of anger. The voice had sounded like it came from the common area. She easily recognized it to belong to Kugisaki, and since she had mentioned Fushiguro in her sentence, surely he was there with her.

The redheads interested was piqued, and she exchanged glances towards her bedroom door down the hallway, and the common room that was behind her at the end of the hallway.

Being by yourself for the most part for over a month didn't seem like it would do too much to one — but it certainly had its affect on Hiyori. She didn't get why it was so exceptionally difficult this time around. When she had lost her family, she had no one. And she was okay with that, the only person that lingered in her life for an entire year before she came to Jujutsu College — was her previous sensei.

      He was an old jujutsu sorcerer, who lived on the outskirts of Hiyori's home village. He was always called the angry old man, and anyone who pestered him would run scared for their lives. She had never met him before the night her parents had died.

      He trained Hiyori to the core, hence why she thought she was already such an experienced fighter to begin with. But with previous events, she had been playing herself like a fool.

      So, why was when it came down to Yuji's death it was so different being lonely this time around? Maybe it's because she genuinely had close friends with her this time, and was forcing them to the side. Last time, no one had remained to be by her side.

      It was so exceptionally hard because last time she had no choice but to be alone, now it was her own resolve to blame for her loneliness.

      "SHUT UP! YOU'RE RUINING IT!"

      Hiyori exhaled an unsteady breath, and against her brain screaming to go back and shut herself in her room once again. Her will said otherwise, she wanted to be with Kugisaki and Fushiguro. So, she took ahold of her body and made her way down the hallway in the common area.

      She had peeked around the corner of the room containing two of her friends, and a smile immediately crossed her lips uncontrollably. Kugisaki and Fushiguro were both in the kitchen area, but the counter looked like a hurricane had passed through it. There were various baking ingredients scattered everywhere, some flour had actually become mountains on the counter.

      Both the brunette girl and black-haired boy were covered in flour as well. Kugisaki had an apron on to protect her clothes but apparently, Fushiguro thought his all black sweater and jeans would be fine without one — clearly wrong.

      "Kugisaki, will you please just lower your voice," Fushiguro scolded, there was a painfully annoyed expression covering his face as he glared dangerously at the brunette. "You're going to—"

      Fushiguro immediately stopped in his sentence, and almost as quickly, he switched his gaze over his shoulder and towards Hiyori standing in the common area. Both Kugisaki and Fushiguro had paused in their amused-one-sided argument, a sense of awkwardness wavered over the group.

      "Sorry, I just wanted to check out what all the yelling was about," Hiyori explained, suddenly feeling a rush of red scattering her cheeks. She sheepishly scratched the back of her neck, giving a small shrug. "Are you guys baking something?"

      "Kugisaki found a recipe on. . .Pinterest, and roped me into helping her," Fushiguro explained, flashing daggers over at Kugisaki as the girl simply shrugged her shoulders as a response.

"It's fluffy Japanese cheesecake! None of the bakeries sell it around here and I haven't had any in forever," Kugisaki spoke quickly, barely giving Hiyori a second to actually make meaning of her words. "It's not my fault you said yes."

      "I never said yes," Fushiguro stood unamused, Hiyori couldn't help but let a smile trail along her lips at the adorable image in front of her — the flour he had sprinkling his nose completed the look. "Will you please help her."

      It wasn't a question necessarily, it almost sounded like an emotionless plea. Hiyori let a chuckle escape her lips, it almost felt like her lungs had momentarily forgotten the physical movement of doing so. Unknowingly to the redhead, both Kugisaki and Fushiguro's eyes lit up.

      "Well, what else am I supposed to do?" Hiyori replied, and both Kugisaki and Fushiguro tilted their heads to the left simultaneously. "Leave you guys with this playdo as a cheesecake mixture?"

      Kugisaki cheered as Hiyori made her way further in the common area, entering the small-than-usual kitchen since there was two people in it already. She grabbed the spare apron she kept in the pantry, and got to work.

      Hiyori was a complete master baker in the kitchen according to Kugisaki and Fushiguro, they had no clue she was so talented in the first place. Sure, they had tried her sweet treats a few times by now, and they tasted delicious, but watching her in action was a whole different story.

      The redhead had explained to Kugisaki how to make the liquid mix, and then directed Fushiguro on how to properly whip up the egg whites. A blush spread across his face in one situation when Hiyori held his hand, trying to show him a better way to mix the egg whites without beating them too much. Kugisaki had teased from the distance, then Hiyori scolded her for not paying attention to her own mix.

      Even though it took well over an hour for the three to actually finish the fluffy Japanese cheesecake, they enjoyed their time together. For that brief time, Hiyori's thoughts had been cleared and she felt like she was breathing in new air.

      And once they all had their own individual plates, each with a single slice, they bite into the sparkling dessert. They simultaneously moaned in pure happiness, it was no doubt one of the best sweet dishes Hiyori had ever prepared. Which surprised her, she was surprised they were able to pull it all together.

      "This. Is. Amazing." Kugisaki just stared down the cheesecake lingering on her plate, like she genuinely had to pause a second to seemingly take it all in. "You're my hero, Yori."

      The nickname threw Hiyori off base, the memory of Yuji's first time saying it in their childhood flashed throughout her mind. Her eyes fell down to her lap, she was beginning to lose her appetite.

      Kugisaki was right about to apologize, that she wouldn't use that nickname anymore if Hiyori didn't want. But she was quite surprised by the redhead's next action.

      "I'm happy I could help," Hiyori grinned towards the brunnette, the type of grin that had squeezed her purple eyes completely shut. In all honesty, that toothy grin reminded Kugisaki of Yuji's always-positive one.

      "Y'know," Kugisaki then shifted the conversation, she bumped her elbow into Hiyori's shoulder. "We've been missing you lately. Right, Fushiguro?"

      And instead of the kind and teasing elbow bump Kugisaki had just delivered to Hiyori, she did the exact opposite with the black-haired man. Shoving her elbow directly into his stomach, made him practically choke out his mouth full of cheesecake. He nearly dropped his slice of dessert to the floor.

      "Bitch. . ." Fushiguro choked out, grasping his stomach with both hands as he kneeled over.

     Hiyori covered her mouth with her palms as she unwillingly let a snort of laughter out of her — it was always so entertaining to hear Fushiguro swear.

      Kugisaki didn't find the situation funny, and instead let out a dramatic gasp while standing up from the couch, "DID YOU JUST CALL ME A BITCH."

      "Uh oh, you better run while you can, Megumi," Hiyori waved her hand over towards the entrance of the common room. Fushiguro switched from the exit, then towards the booming furious Kugisaki that was already aimed for him, it didn't him long to decide.

      He took off in a mad-dash, dodging Kugisaki around the couch and down the hallway. The brunette didn't give up, though, instead chasing him completely out the room and surely towards the dorms area. She had her arms raised above her shoulders while repeatedly screaming insults.

      Hiyori was still laughing to herself as she started picking up after their mess. After putting away all the extra ingredients still left scattered on the counter, she began to do dishes. A smile was still written on her face unconsciously while she was scrubbing the sponge against a dirty bowl.

      But then, it hit her all at once.

Does this mean I'm learning how to live with it?

a/n: mhmmm we gettin a power uppp && some fluff what a combo