Although Yuji could suppress Sukuna's sciousness most of the time, there wasn't much he could do if Sukuna decided to speak up.

  Yuji was helpless in such situations.

  "It's nothing," Ryuji said with a small wave of his hand, dismissing the matter entirely.

  "Now that everything's settled, I'll take you all back."

  With that, Ryuji turned and began walking, gesturing for Yuji and the others to follow.

  "I finally go back!" Yuji let out a sigh of relief.

  After spending so much time in the cursed spirit's domain, it felt like he'd been trapped in another world. Returning to Jujutsu High felt like a breath of fresh air.

  "I wonder if anything has ged at school these past few days," Yuji mused aloud, already feeling a tinge of nostalgia.

  Unlike Yuji, Zenin Maki and Kugisaki Nobara didn't say much, though they both shared a simir sense of relief.

  But Maki's thoughts quickly turo something—or someone—else. Watg Ryuji walking ahead of them, she pursed her lips.

  "I wonder when I'll see him again after this," she thought to herself.

  Maki wasn't someone who liked t things out. On idea came to her, she was quick to act.

  Without hesitation, she picked up her pace.

  "???"

  Nobara noticed Maki suddenly moving ahead and gave her a puzzled look.

  Before she could say anything, she watched in surprise as Maki, with terrible ag, stumbled and "actally" fell toward Ryuji.

  "Ouch!"

  Maki nded vely against Ryuji's arm, ing herself around it.

  "Sorry! I think I sprained my ankle!"

  "..."

  Her ag was so poor that it was almost ical.

  But Ryuji didn't seem to mind. With a small ugh, he steadied her and offered support.

  "It's okay. I'll help you walk," he said easily.

  "Mm," Maki murmured, her face turning a soft shade of red as she nodded. She didn't push him away.

  "This… this girl!"

  Nobara was caught pletely off guard by Maki's sudden maneuver.

  She never expected Maki to have this side to her—calcuted and opportunistic.

  "That…"

  Nobara opened her mouth, ready to apulse.

  She couldn't deny that Ryuji, powerful and handsome, ticked all the boxes for her ideal partner.

  But just as she was about to make her move, Yuji Itadori's voiterrupted her.

  "You sprained your aoo? Do you wao help?" Yuji asked early, notig Nobara's slight limp as she tried to approach Ryuji.

  "Get lost!" Nobara snapped, gring daggers at Yuji.

  "..."

  Yuji was pletely baffled. He had no idea what he'd doo upset her.

  Left with no other choiobara had to abandon her act. She could only sulk silently, shooting a fierce gre at Maki's back.

  Not that Maki cared. Even if she notiobara's rese, it wouldn't have bothered her.

  When it came to matters like this, Maki believed it was every woman for herself. If Nobara couldn't pete, it wasn't Maki's problem.

  Meanwhile, Ryuji walked over to his car. He wasn't ied in wasting time walking back or using his powers to speed things up.

  At his level, he didn't eveo buy a car, someone would give him one if he so much as hi needing it.

  Maki immediately cimed the front passenger seat without hesitatioling in naturally.

  This only annoyed Nobara even more, who had moved too slowly to cim the spot herself.

  Yuji, oher hand, was pletely oblivious to the temosphere. He leaned ba his seat, looking as carefree as ever.

  "Finally, I go back, take a hot bath, a some proper sleep!" Yuji excimed, stretg his arms as the car started.

  The drive wasn't long. Soon, the car stopped just outside the gates of Jujutsu High.

  Ryuji g the school briefly but didn't show any iion of going inside.

  Yuji stepped out of the car, grinning widely. He was clearly excited to be back.

  But wheiced Maki and Nobara still sitting in the car, he paused.

  "Aren't you two getting out?" he asked, fused.

  Maki and Nobara exged a gnce before responding in unison.

  "You go ahead. We're heading somewhere else first."

  Jujutsu High allowed its students the freedom to live on or off-campus. It wasn't unusual for them to have other aodations nearby.

  "Oh, got it," Yuji said, scratg the back of his head. Though he sensed something was off, he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

  In the end, he nodded early.

  "Okay then. Be careful on your way!"

  Before leaving, Yuji turned bad bowed deeply to Ryuji.

  "Thank you, Mr. Ryuji. I'll never fet what you did for me today!"

  Yuji's siy was written all over his face. He was the type of person who always remembered those who helped him.

  Ryuji simply smiled and waved it off.

  To him, it was just a small favor, nothing worth dwelling on.

  After Yuji left, Ryuji turo look at Maki and Nobara, both still seated in the car.

  "So," he said, smirking slightly, "who should I drop off first?"

  He wasn't clueless. He could tell exactly what was going oweewo girls.

  Still, he didn't mind. It wasn't a problem now, and there lenty of time to sort things out ter.

  For Ryuji, time was the ohing he had in abundanbsp;

  ***

  Chey new ff: Heavenly Restri User of the Gojo : I Refuse to Be Cut in Half

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