Today had been a roller coaster. First, Nobara hadn't slept a wink because of a stupid mission. Then, she had to deal with Yuji and Satoru’s constant pestering. And to top it all off, she hadn’t seen you once this morning—now it was almost the end of the day.

Nobara trudged down the hallway of Jujutsu High, her eyes scanning for the stairs. She was utterly worn out. Her uniform skirt was tattered, her face smeared with dirt and dried blood. The curse she fought had been fast—but she was faster.

All she wanted was to get up the stairs, reach her dorm, clean up, and collapse into bed. That was her plan—until she spotted you standing by the stairs with Panda. Her tired eyes brightened for a moment, and despite her sore legs, she quickened her pace.

When she reached you, she let out a loud, tired exhale through her nose and gently grabbed your arm, prompting you to glance down at her. Nobara didn’t say anything at first, just rested her head on you, her body heavy with exhaustion.

“…I haven’t seen you all day,” she mumbled sleepily, her voice barely above a whisper.