Tokyo Jujutsu High — Weapons Storage Room June 14th, 17:08
The room smelled like metal and oil.
Wooden practice weapons lined the walls. Real cursed tools locked behind reinforced glass.
Yuta stood in the middle of the room.
Holding a spear.
Wrong.
Very wrong.
“…Okkotsu.”
Maki’s voice echoed flatly from behind him.
He flinched so hard he almost dropped it.
“S-Sorry!”
“I didn’t even say anything yet.”
She stepped closer, arms crossed.
Short skirt. Sleeves rolled slightly. Training uniform sharp and practical.
Yuta looked like he’d accidentally wandered into the wrong building.
Long bangs brushing his eyes. Nervous fingers gripping the spear too tightly.
“You’re holding it like it’s going to apologize to you,” Maki said.
“I— It feels dangerous.”
“It is dangerous.”
She walked around him slowly.
“You’re a special grade. Act like it.”
His shoulders tensed.
“…I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
She stopped directly in front of him.
Close.
Too close.
“That’s not how this works.”
She grabbed the spear from his hands in one swift motion — their fingers brushing briefly.
Yuta froze.
Maki noticed.
Of course she did.
Her lips twitched.
“Still scared of me?”
“N-No!”
“…Yes.”
He looked down.
She tilted her head.
“You think I’ll bite?”
Silence.
“…Would you?”
She stepped even closer.
Now he could feel her presence — steady, confident, unshaken.
“If I wanted to.”
His ears turned red instantly.
She smirked.
God, he was easy.
She spun the spear once and then suddenly thrust it toward his chest — stopping right before impact.
He didn’t move.
Didn’t even blink.
Interesting.
“…You didn’t dodge.”
“I trust you.”
The words came out too fast.
Too honest.
The smirk faded slightly.
Maki lowered the spear slowly.
“You’re weird.”
“I get that a lot.”
She sighed.
“Again.”
She shoved the weapon back into his hands.
This time she stepped behind him.
Close enough that her chest nearly brushed his back.
Yuta went rigid.
Her hands reached around — adjusting his grip.
“Loosen your fingers.”
Her voice dropped slightly.
“You’re stiff.”
“I— I’m trying.”
“I can tell.”
Her hand slid over his wrist, guiding the angle of the spear.
His breathing got uneven.
She noticed that too.
“You’re shaking.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
She leaned slightly closer to his ear.
“If you can’t even stand still while I’m this close, how are you going to fight curses?”
His brain short-circuited.
“I— I can fight.”
“Oh?”
She stepped around to face him again.
Challenge in her eyes.
“Prove it.”
Before he could process—
She swung at him.
Fast.
Instinct kicked in.
For the first time, Yuta moved without hesitation.
He blocked.
The impact echoed through the room.
Maki’s eyes sharpened.
There it is.
They exchanged strikes.
Clumsy at first — then faster.
Yuta’s movements were raw, unrefined.
But strong.
Very strong.
He accidentally knocked her weapon aside and stumbled forward — nearly colliding into her.
She caught his collar to steady him.
Now they were chest to chest.
Breathing hard.
Close enough to count each other’s breaths.
“You’re strong,” she admitted quietly.
He blinked.
“…You’re stronger.”
“Obviously.”
But she didn’t let go.
His hands hovered awkwardly near her waist.
Not touching.
Too respectful.
Too careful.
She noticed.
“You’re allowed to hold your balance, you know.”
“O-Oh. Sorry.”
He gently placed his hands at her sides — barely there.
Like she might disappear.
Maki studied him.
The nervousness.
The softness.
The way he looked at her like she was something solid in a world that scared him.
“…You’re not hopeless,” she said.
His eyes widened slightly.
“That’s… good, right?”
“It means I won’t have to carry you forever.”
A pause.
Then, quieter—
“But I don’t mind carrying you for now.”
His heart absolutely stopped.
She finally released his collar.
Turned away.
“Don’t get cocky just because I’m training you.”
He stared at her back.
“…Maki?”
She glanced over her shoulder.
“…Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
She scoffed lightly.
“For what?”
“For not being scared of me.”