Although Yuji could suppress Sukuna''s consciousness most of the time, there wasn''t much he could do if Sukuna decided to speak up.


    Yuji was helpless in such situations.


    "It''s nothing," Ryuji said with a small wave of his hand, dismissing the matter entirely.


    "Now that everything''s settled, I''ll take you all back."


    With that, Ryuji turned and began walking, gesturing for Yuji and the others to follow.


    "I can finally go back!" Yuji let out a sigh of relief.


    After spending so much time in the cursed spirit''s domain, it felt like he''d been trapped in another world. Returning to Jujutsu High felt like a breath of fresh air.


    "I wonder if anything has changed at school these past few days," Yuji mused aloud, already feeling a tinge of nostalgia.


    Unlike Yuji, Zenin Maki and Kugisaki Nobara didn''t say much, though they both shared a simr sense of relief.


    But Maki''s thoughts quickly turned to something—or someone—else. Watching Ryuji walking ahead of them, she pursed her lips.


    "I wonder when I''ll see him again after this," she thought to herself.


    Maki wasn''t someone who liked to drag things out. Once an idea came to her, she was quick to act.


    Without hesitation, she picked up her pace.


    "???"


    Nobara noticed Maki suddenly moving ahead and gave her a puzzled look.


    Before she could say anything, she watched in surprise as Maki, with terrible acting, stumbled and "identally" fell toward Ryuji.


    "Ouch!"


    Makinded conveniently against Ryuji''s arm, wrapping herself around it.


    "Sorry! I think I sprained my ankle!"


    "..."


    Her acting was so poor that it was almostical.


    But Ryuji didn''t seem to mind. With a smallugh, he steadied her and offered support.@@novelbin@@


    "It''s okay. I''ll help you walk," he said easily.


    "Mm," Maki murmured, her face turning a soft shade of red as she nodded. She didn''t push him away.


    "This… this girl!"


    Nobara was caughtpletely off guard by Maki''s sudden maneuver.


    She never expected Maki to have this side to her—calcted and opportunistic.


    "That…"


    Nobara opened her mouth, ready to act on impulse.


    She couldn''t deny that Ryuji, powerful and handsome, ticked all the boxes for her ideal partner.


    But just as she was about to make her move, Yuji Itadori''s voice interrupted her.


    "You sprained your ankle too? Do you want me to help?" Yuji asked earnestly, noticing Nobara''s slight limp as she tried to approach Ryuji.


    "Get lost!" Nobara snapped, ring daggers at Yuji.


    "..."


    Yuji waspletely baffled. He had no idea what he''d done to upset her.


    Left with no other choice, Nobara had to abandon her act. She could only sulk silently, shooting a fierce re at Maki''s back.


    Not that Maki cared. Even if she noticed Nobara''s resentment, it wouldn''t have bothered her.


    When it came to matters like this, Maki believed it was every woman for herself. If Nobara couldn''tpete, it wasn''t Maki''s problem.


    Meanwhile, Ryuji walked over to his car. He wasn''t interested in wasting time walking back or using his powers to speed things up.


    At his level, he didn''t even need to buy a car, someone would give him one if he so much as hinted at needing it.


    Maki immediately imed the front passenger seat without hesitation, settling in naturally.


    This only annoyed Nobara even more, who had moved too slowly to im the spot herself.


    Yuji, on the other hand, waspletely oblivious to the tense atmosphere. He leaned back in his seat, looking as carefree as ever.


    "Finally, I can go back, take a hot bath, and get some proper sleep!" Yuji eximed, stretching his arms as the car started.


    The drive wasn''t long. Soon, the car stopped just outside the gates of Jujutsu High.


    Ryuji nced at the school briefly but didn''t show any intention of going inside.


    Yuji stepped out of the car, grinning widely. He was clearly excited to be back.


    But when he noticed Maki and Nobara still sitting in the car, he paused.


    "Aren''t you two getting out?" he asked, confused.


    Maki and Nobara exchanged a nce before responding in unison.


    "You go ahead. We''re heading somewhere else first."


    Jujutsu High allowed its students the freedom to live on or off-campus. It wasn''t unusual for them to have other amodations nearby.


    "Oh, got it," Yuji said, scratching the back of his head. Though he sensed something was off, he couldn''t quite put his finger on it.


    In the end, he nodded earnestly.


    "Okay then. Be careful on your way!"


    Before leaving, Yuji turned back and bowed deeply to Ryuji.


    "Thank you, Mr. Ryuji. I''ll never forget what you did for me today!"


    Yuji''s sincerity was written all over his face. He was the type of person who always remembered those who helped him.


    Ryuji simply smiled and waved it off.


    To him, it was just a small favor, nothing worth dwelling on.


    After Yuji left, Ryuji turned to look at Maki and Nobara, both still seated in the car.


    "So," he said, smirking slightly, "who should I drop off first?"


    He wasn''t clueless. He could tell exactly what was going on between the two girls.


    Still, he didn''t mind. It wasn''t a problem now, and there was plenty of time to sort things outter.


    For Ryuji, time was the one thing he had in abundance.


    ***


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