The hallway carried the sound of footsteps.
Three shadows.
Three very different rhythms.
---
Yuji Itadori stretched as they stepped out of the dorm building.
"Man… this already feels like school."
Megumi Fushiguro didn't respond.
He rarely did.
At the front gate—
Satoru Gojo waved lazily.
"Took you long enough."
Sora didn't even blink.
"You weren't there."
Gojo grinned.
"Helping you stand on your own feet."
"…Just say you forgot and got lazy."
"Petty details."
Yuji laughed.
Megumi sighed.
Sora just stared for a second longer—
Then walked past him.
"…Let's just go."
—Scene Change—
Tokyo shifted.
From quiet grounds—
To noise.
To motion.
To color.
---
Harajuku.
A place where fashion was more modern and life was more lively.
Crowds moved in waves.
Voices overlapped each other's.
Shops screamed for attention.
---
Yuji's eyes lit up instantly.
"WHOA—THIS PLACE IS CRAZY!"
Megumi looked mildly inconvenienced.
Gojo looked entertained.
Obviously not at the place.
Sora was mildly satisfied.
The place was great.
But was incomparable to his original place.
"…Noisy as well."
---
They walked.
Wandered.
Drifted through streets like misplaced puzzle pieces.
Until—
They reached Harajuku Station.
---
Gojo stopped.
"This is the spot."
---
Yuji tilted his head.
"So what are we doing exactly?"
Gojo smiled.
"Waiting."
Sora leaned slightly against a nearby pole, sipping on a smoothie he had picked up without anyone noticing.
It was sweet.
Megumi spoke quietly.
"Isn't she from the countryside, Gojo sensei?"
"Yes."
Yuji perked up.
"Oh? What's she like?"
"She is something. You will see yourself in due time."
Right on cue.
"HEY!"
A sharp voice cut through the crowd.
A girl stood in front of a well-dressed man.
Furious.
Absolutely furious.
Sora looked over.
Nobara Kugisaki.
"You there! You were looking at me, right?!"
The man—clearly a talent scout—froze.
"…Ah—well—"
Nobara stepped closer.
Eyes blazing.
"Answer properly."
Then—
"Am I pretty for your modelling or not?!"
The man panicked.
Looked away.
"…Sorry, I'm actually looking for someone else—"
That was the wrong answer.
Nobara's expression darkened instantly.
"Excuse me?"
The air around her felt like it might explode.
Yuji blinked.
"…Is that her?"
Megumi didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Sora took another sip.
Thinking about the possible army he could create and a way to infinitely generate cursed energy.
But the yelling scratched his thinking.
He could only sigh.
Then—
Pushed himself off the pole.
He should bring her quick and end this farce quietly.
He wanted to go practice the new idea.
He walked straight toward the chaos.
Every step brought him closer and the crowd distanced itself a little.
Sora was tall.
Standing at six feet.
They thought he was a adult who did lots of scary things.
They were half right.
Well the man in question didn't care.
He stopped beside the fighting pair.
Glanced once at Nobara.
Then asked, casually. Smoothy in hand.
"Are you Kugisaki Nobara?"
Nobara turned.
One could see the irritation flash before her eyes.
She however found herself staring at a Man's chest.
She turned her head upwards.
Her eyes scanned him—
Head and then the clothes.
Recognition flickered.
"…You're a sorcerer."
Sora thought that was a question.
Sora didn't deny it.
"…Yeah."
Nobara straightened slightly.
"…Then you're with Jujutsu High."
"Is Gojo-sensei here or not?"
Before Sora could answer—
The scout leaned in again.
But this time—
Not toward Nobara.
Toward Sora.
"…Excuse me."
A shift in tone.
Professional.
Interested.
And a greased smile.
"You have talent young man—have you ever considered modeling?"
Silence.
Sora turned his head.
Their eyes met.
The man flinched.
Just slightly.
What the…
Those eyes…
It looked like Sora was staring at a thing.
Not at a human.
Sora stared for a second longer.
Then flatly spoke.
"Not interested."
"Go your way."
No threat.
But the scouter felt a undeniable pressure.
The man nodded quickly.
"…Ah—of course."
Then disappeared into the crowd.
Nobara watched that.
Then looked back at Sora.
"…You scared my job interview. "
Sora took another sip of his smoothie.
Then turned to go back to the three.
"Believe in reality. He was not going to give you a job."
He smirked at her and said.
Nobara was obviously more irritated by that.
"Hey! I haven't finished talking, steel pole."
---
The teacher and his remaining two students stared at the spectacle with interest.
You couldn't blame them.
They were bored and needed stimulus.