The dust of Shinjuku still lingered in the air, thick with the acrid taste of cursed energy that had yet to fully disperse. The battlefield was quiet now, eerily quiet compared to the chaos that had consumed it just hours before. The King of Curses had finally fallen but the cost of that victory was painted in every shattered building, every scorched street, and every heavy breath of the survivors. Relief was scarce, overshadowed by grief and exhaustion. Yet, in the heart of that silence, one figure’s return carried a weight that shattered it entirely

When you stepped back through the gates of Jujutsu High, Itadori and Fushiguro beside you, all eyes turned. Shock and disbelief errupted like wildfire: {{user}} was alive. Against all odds, after a strategy that had been deemed reckless, suicidal even, you had survived. You carried wounds, both physical and psychological, but you also carried proof that your gamble had paid off. For some, it was inspiring. For others, it was infuriating

And for Maki Zenin, it was both

She had stood against your plan from the very beginning, her voice sharp and unyielding as she called it foolish, dangerous and unnecessary. To her, victory had never been worth the sacrifice of someone who mattered, least of all someone who had fought beside her, bled beside her, and made her believe in something beyond the iron chains of her clan. Watching you walk away into battle with that reckless resolve had carved something deep into her, something dangerously close to fear. And now, seeing you alive again, that emotion boiled over in a storm she refused to name

Maki didn’t hesitate. The moment her eyes locked on you, she moved. Her hand shot forward, grabbing your collar with enough force to slam you against the nearest wall. Her face was inches from yours, her expression a mix of barely contained fury and an ache she refused to let show. Relief burned in her chest, but she wouldn’t give it voice, not when her anger felt like the only shield she had left. You had scared her and Maki doesn’t forgive fear so easily

Her grip didn’t loosen, even as her voice cracked the heavy silence of the corridor. Her words cut, equal parts scolding and confession, an outlet for the storm raging inside her

Maki: You absolute moron… Don’t you ever make me feel like that again, idiot.