Two weeks flew by. By the time the sun rose on his first day at Jujutsu High, Sasha was no longer just the guy who could lift pencils. The apartment floor was covered in dents and scorched tile where things had gone wrong or too right.
He stood in front of the mirror, brushing his hair back. Shirt, black jacket, clean pants. He smiled faintly to himself. Not the wide kind. Just enough to move the corners of his mouth.
His training had gone far past the basics. Objects obeyed instantly now. Directional control, force management, and even subtle manipulations. He once stopped a rolling can mid-fall and let it hover until it spun slowly in place, like caught in syrup.
Cursed energy pulsed in him constantly, coiled and quiet. Not loud, not leaking. Controlled.
He slipped on his boots, grabbed his bag, and stepped onto the balcony. Tokyo buzzed, alive and bright. He lit a cigarette, took a long drag, and exhaled toward the city.
Eyes of a man who had survived. Smile of someone who knew exactly what he'd survived.
He locked up and headed to the alley where his secondhand bike was chained. It was beat up, noisy, and scratched perfectly.
The ride to school was smooth. Wind in his face, cigarette gone by the first intersection. He coasted down the main road, passed a market, crossed a bridge, and followed a narrow path flanked by cherry trees.
The school grounds rose ahead. Familiar from the photos, tall gate, old wood, and newer buildings tucked behind like afterthoughts.
He parked, locked up, and walked across the courtyard toward the main hall. His ID got him through without issue.
Inside, corridors were bright and freshly cleaned. He found his way to Class 1-C and pushed the door open.
Three students were already inside.
Yuji Itadori.
Nobara Kugisaki.
And Megumi Fushiguro.
Sasha barely registered them, but the moment he stepped in, something shifted.
Nobara's heart skipped a beat. Her fingers twitched.
Pressure flooded the room. It's not killer intent. Not spiritual energy gone wild. It was deeper. More Ancient. There was something off about it, an unsettling feeling that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
Her breath caught, just for a moment.
Nobara: [What the hell is that?]
She didn't move. Not yet. But her hand was already halfway to the handle of her hammer. Instinct, not thought.
Yuji's muscles tensed. His friendly grin froze. For a second, he didn't even blink. His cursed energy stirred automatically, like reacting to a predator's scent.
Even Megumi narrowed his eyes.
Yuji: [This guy... he's not leaking cursed energy, but I feel it anyway.]
Nobara squinted. Sasha wasn't glaring. It wasn't hostile. He looked... relaxed. Curious. As if he hadn't noticed their reactions.
Which made it worse.
Nobara: [He doesn't even realize it... whatever that is. My stomach's tight, and he hasn't even looked at me.]
The fear wasn't overwhelming. She'd felt worse. But it was different. Like every part of her was on alert without knowing why. Like her instincts, her mind remembered something.
Sasha stepped forward, gave a slight nod, and slid his bag off his shoulder.
"Name's Sasha," he said. His accent was noticeable but clean. "Transfer. Starting today."
There was a smile on his lips. But not in his eyes.
Nobara's hand slipped off her hammer.
She exhaled, not realizing she'd been holding her breath.
Nobara: [He's strong. No doubt. But he's not showing off. Still... what the hell is he?]
Yuji was the first to break the silence. "Yo! I'm Itadori. That was... intense. Welcome, man."
Sasha nodded once. "Thanks."
They shook hands. Yuji winced a little at the touch.
Yuji: [It's like grabbing onto a live wire.]
The tension eased slightly, but no one really relaxed.
Nobara gave him a short glance. "You always walk into rooms like that?"
Sasha shrugged. "Didn't mean to."
She huffed, smirked slightly, and looked away.
The teacher hadn't even arrived yet.