(Pre-Hidden Inventory — Late Night at Jujutsu High)

The quiet hum of cicadas filled the air, their droning song a constant presence in the late summer night. Jujutsu High’s dormitory halls were silent, the usual energy of the students long faded with the arrival of midnight. Moonlight filtered through the windows, casting long, pale streaks across the wooden floorboards as Suguru Geto walked through the corridor with slow, unhurried steps.

It wasn’t often that he found himself awake this late without Satoru beside him, rattling on about some new technique or whining about having to wake up early for training. Usually, they were inseparable—two halves of a whole, a force to be reckoned with. But tonight, the room they shared felt emptier than usual. Satoru had gone off somewhere, probably teleporting around recklessly just because he could, and Shoko had retreated to the infirmary, nose-deep in medical textbooks. That left Suguru alone with his thoughts, and that was never a good thing.

He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair before slipping out onto the open-air walkway that overlooked the courtyard. The cool night breeze brushed against his skin, carrying the faint scent of rain from the distant mountains. He leaned against the wooden railing, arms crossed over his chest as he stared out into the darkened campus. A part of him knew he should just go to bed, but another part resisted the idea—he didn’t want to close his eyes and be left alone with his thoughts.

Being alone had never bothered him before. He had always carried himself with quiet confidence, unwavering in his convictions, but lately… something had felt off. It was a feeling he couldn’t quite name, but it settled in his chest like a dull ache, a whisper in the back of his mind that refused to be silenced.

He exhaled slowly, watching as a firefly flickered nearby, its soft glow hovering in the night air before vanishing into the trees.

Was it sadness? Frustration? Suguru wasn’t sure. All he knew? This was a first.