February 20, 2017
Morning light crept through the dorm window and touched Rumi's face, causing her to awake from her sleep. She had been at Jujutsu Tech for five days now and she already missed home.
Rumi glanced at the clock beside her.
7:50 AM
"Guess I'm having breakfast late again."
She sat up, swung her legs out and walked to the small kitchenette.
The fridge yielded and she took out the shogayaki Rumi bought yesterday in a convenience store. She popped it in the microwave and waited.
"Sigh." She said it to the empty room. "I already miss Mum's cooking."
The microwave beeped, she takes it out and ate while sitting on her bed.
After breakfast, she had a shower, changed into black pants, a black shirt, and a white open jacket. Then heads to the training field.
When Rumi arrived she saw Ryu was already there. He jogged laps around the field wearing a weighted vest that was 200 kg while carrying 80 kg dumbbells in each hand like they were nothing.
When Ryu spotted her he slowed, dropped the weights and removed the vest beside him and drank a bottle of water
"Waking up late again." He wiped his mouth. "Let me guess missing home, that nice bed you have that makes you comfortable watching anime on your phone and lets you sleep like a baby."
Rumi's eye twitched which made him smile
She breathed deep calming herself. "Where's Akira?"
BOOM.
Ryu thumbed toward the tree behind him. Dust rose in thick clouds and trees fell one after another
"Punching down trees for 30 minutes since new punching bags haven't arrived"
Rumi watched another tree topple.
During her few days in Jujutsu Tech, she remembered how Akira had demolished a punching bag full of steel shots.
Principal Yaga scolded Akira for destroying the 5th bag they bought that Akira didn't care about.
"Isn't he concerned about destroying the natural environment?"
"We're in a school that sends teenagers like us on dangerous missions that most people don't know about. You think the old guys care about a couple of trees being taken down?"
Rumi glanced at him sipping his water again while watching another tree fall down
"Nope."
She stretched her limbs and head to her own spot to exercise.
...
"151, 152, 153."
Rumi held a one-handed handstand, moving through her morning push-ups. She had been at it for half an hour. Across the training ground Ryu was doing squats with a 680kg barbell resting on his shoulders. Twenty minutes straight.
'Is he using cursed energy or does he have a Heavenly Restriction?'
She still hadn't learned to sense cursed energy yet. The question would have to wait.
Akira walked back into the training yard shirtless. Steam rose from his body like smoke from a dying fire.
His relentless training of punching trees down, like Minecraft Steve had worked up a serious heat. He grabbed a bucket, filled it with water from a nearby tap and drank deeply. Then he poured the rest over his head and chest. The water hissed slightly against his skin.
Clap. Clap.
"I hope I'm not interrupting you three's daily exercise."
Gojo appeared at the edge of the yard wearing sunglasses. His hands were tucked in his pockets.
The three stopped what they were doing. Rumi flipped onto her feet and brushed dirt off her palms.
"What is it this time, old man?" she asked. "Another mission?"
"Again, I'm twenty-seven." Gojo's eye twitched beneath the sunglasses. "And no missions yet. I actually have some free time, thought I'd have you three train together. I don't see much teamwork happening."
Ryu let out a short laugh. He dropped the barbell and stood up straight.
"That's because me and Akira have been here for months," he said. "And the furry has been here for like five days what you expect?"
Rumi's head snapped toward him.
"Call me a furry again or I'm gonna put some dirt on your eye."
Ryu steps closer looking down at her with a smirk.
"I like to see you try."
Gojo clapped his hands together, the sound echoing across the training yard. "Alright! Since you three clearly need to learn how to work together, let's start with something simple. A race."
Rumi raised an eyebrow. "A race?"
Gojo looked at her. "Yep! Straight line from here to that tree." He pointed to a massive oak at the far end of the field, easily two hundred meters away. "First one there wins. Use cursed energy to increase your speed unless you want to use your cursed technique to have a chance."
Rumi's lips curled into a confident smirk. Her rabbit ears shifted back to human ears. She stretched her arms above her head, rolling her shoulders.
'This was going to be easy.'
Her body was built for this Heavenly Restriction-level physical capabilities. She decided not to use either her cursed technique or cursed energy for this race.
"Fine by me," she said, already settling into a starting stance. "Try not to cry when you lose."
Ryu let out a low chuckle. "Confident for someone who's been here five days."
Akira said nothing. He simply walked to the starting line and stood there, massive and still.
Gojo raised his hand. "On my mark. Three... two... one... GO!"
Rumi exploded forward. Her legs propelled her across the grass with incredible speed. The wind whipped past her ears. She could feel the ground beneath her feet, the rhythm of her stride perfect.
She glanced to her side expecting to see Ryu struggling to keep up. Instead her pupils shrank in shock.
Ryu was already ahead of her.
He moved like a blur, his lean frame cutting through the air with terrifying ease. He wasn't even breathing hard.
"What the—"
Then she heard it.
*BOOM. *
A thunderous crack split the air. The ground trembled. Rumi's eyes darted to her other side.
Akira had launched himself forward. His muscles bulged, straining against his skin.
Each footfall tore the earth beneath him, leaving craters in the grass field. His body moved like a battering ram, a tank reaching impossible speeds.
He passed her in seconds.
Rumi's confident smirk evaporated. Her jaw tightened. She pushed harder, pumping her arms, driving her legs. She wasn't going to use cursed energy to win this race. She refused.
Ryu reached the tree first. He stopped casually, turning around with a bored expression.
Akira arrived a split second later, his massive frame sliding to a halt. The ground beneath him was ruined as steam rose from his body.
Rumi crossed the finish line a moment later, her chest heaving. The shock on her face said everything.
Ryu smirked at her. "Not bad for someone who didn't use their cursed technique. But maybe you should stick to hopping."
Akira followed, his expression unreadable behind the mask. But Rumi could swear she saw his eyes glow slightly brighter. Amused.
Rumi clenched her fists. Her teeth ground together.
"This isn't over, pretty boy."
End
[Author's note: yes you guys must be pissed at me for not uploading this fic I was focused on real life and my mha fic I forgot about this. I have to reread it and decide not to make them long chapters for now. Please comment.]