Kokichi was still shaking.

He was staring at his hands, not quite believing that he was seeing them, whole and healthy. He tried moving his fingers, for the hundredth time, and he nearly cried, when he was able to bend them, and wiggle his toes.

He didn't deserve this.

After everything he'd done, and after the things he'd done to these people, he was lucky to be alive, let alone be given a second chance, and the opportunity to live a normal life, for the first time.

But, the fact that it was all because of Itadori, whom he was on board with killing just a couple weeks ago, was a bitter pill to swallow.

Kokichi felt the guilt eating at him, and he wished that there was a way for him to apologize, and make up for the things he'd done. He owed the boy, and the rest of the students, an apology, but he had no idea where to start.

And, the worst part was that none of his schoolmates even knew what he'd done, and that they had no idea about his betrayal.

The mere thought of telling them made Kokichi nauseous.

Actually, the thought of even meeting them - really meeting them, with his real body, and not a puppet - was enough to make him want to crawl out of his own skin. What would they think of him?

What would Miwa think of him?

He imagined being able to touch her skin, to feel the warmth of her hand, and he felt his cheeks heating up. He could feel his heartbeat quickening, and he let out a quiet sigh, as he stared at his hands.

The feeling was still new, and it was going to take a while for him to get used to it.

He was startled by the door opening, and he glanced up, quickly.

"Kokichi-kun, are you feeling alright? Did you manage to get used to your body?" Gojo asked, walking into the room.

Kokichi had no idea how to answer the man's questions.

"Yes," he mumbled, finally, and lowered his head.

"You don't sound very sure," Gojo said, chuckling, and Kokichi felt his face heating up. "I suppose it will take a while for you to get used to your own body. I bet it feels strange, after all this time, right?"

"It's not that. I mean, it's also that, but... it's complicated," Kokichi mumbled, and clenched his fists.

"You're still feeling guilty," Gojo stated, calmly.

"Of course, I am!" Kokichi exclaimed, raising his voice. "I betrayed all of you, and you just forgave me and fixed my body, like nothing happened! How can you all be so kind and accepting, when I don't even deserve it?!"

"We can't change the past, but we can decide what to do from now on," Gojo said, simply, and Kokichi was quiet, his chest heaving. "Your actions hurt us, yes. But, we know why you did it. We understand, and we've accepted that. You are a student at Kyoto Jujutsu Tech, and a part of our team. We forgive you, and we trust you, now. Isn't that enough?"

Kokichi couldn't stop his tears, anymore, and he covered his face, crying.

"I-I don't deserve it," he sobbed, his shoulders shaking.

"It's not about deserving it or not. It's about learning from the past, and moving on," Gojo said, calmly, and his words made Kokichi feel worse.

How could the man stay so calm, and accept him so easily, when Kokichi didn't even know how to accept himself?

"They will never forgive me," Kokichi whispered, and Gojo sighed.

"You don't have to tell them, if you don't want to. But, I think they'll understand, if you do," Gojo replied. "They are very understanding people. I'm sure they won't hate you."

Kokichi stayed quiet, and tried to calm down.

"But, I'll leave that decision up to you," Gojo said, standing up. "They are just outside, in the hallway. Do you want to talk to them?"

Kokichi didn't want to, but he knew that he needed to. He was scared of how the others would react, but he needed to face them, and tell them the truth.

He couldn't hide forever.

"Okay," he said, quietly, and nodded.

Gojo smiled, and opened the door, letting the other students and Utahime in.

As they walked into the room, they looked at Kokichi, and he could feel his heart beating wildly, in his chest. He swallowed hard, and took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

Miwa was staring at him with eyes wide, and she was the first to approach him.

"Kokichi-kun?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper, and she sounded so uncertain, and confused, that it made Kokichi's chest ache.

"It's me," he whispered, and looked up, his gaze meeting hers.

Miwa seemed stunned, and her eyes filled with tears, as she sat down next to him. She reached out, hesitantly, and placed her hand on his cheek. Kokichi closed his eyes, and leaned into her touch, letting out a shaky breath.

"This is crazy!" Momo exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"Are you feeling okay?" Nitta asked, concerned.

"Yeah," Kokichi mumbled, and opened his eyes.

"Your body..." Miwa whispered, and touched his arm.

"It's healed," he explained, quietly.

"But, how?" Mai asked, and the others were looking at him, curiously.

"Well, I'm not gonna go into the details, because it's complicated, and frankly, not very important," Gojo said, before Kokichi could answer. "I'm sure you know that Yuta-kun's cursed technique lets him copy other techniques. Let's just say, he managed to gain one that could help Kokichi-kun, and here we are."

"I'm glad," Miwa said, smiling, and Kokichi felt his heartbeat quickening.

"So am I," he said, quietly, and Miwa blushed.

"So, can you still use your puppets?" Momo asked, curiously, and Kokichi nodded.

"Yes, I still have my technique," he confirmed.

"Wow, this is so awesome! I'm so glad you're okay, now," Nitta said, and grinned.

"T-thank you," Kokichi mumbled, and the other students nodded.

Utahime was smiling, too, and Kokichi felt a wave of guilt, again, as he looked at her. He didn't dare meet her eyes, and he lowered his head.

"Um, actually, there's something I need to tell you," he said, and swallowed hard.

"What is it?" Miwa asked, gently, and Kokichi felt tears stinging his eyes.

"I-I..."

He didn't know how to tell them.

He felt like he was going to be sick.

"Take your time," Utahime said, gently, and the others nodded, looking concerned.

Kokichi took a deep breath, trying to gather his courage.

"I'm sorry, but I think you should sit down. This might take a while," he said, quietly, and the other students looked at each other, confused, but did as they were told, and sat down, in the empty seats.

Kokichi closed his eyes, and began talking, starting from the beginning. He told them everything, leaving out no detail. He was scared of how they would react, but the sooner they knew the truth, the better.

When he finished talking, he kept his eyes closed, and waited for the others' response.

"So you betrayed the Jujutsu society to get your body healed by a curse?" Mai asked, and Kokichi flinched.

"Yes," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

"And you made a binding vow to ensure that none of us gets hurt, because you care about us?" she continued, her voice even.

"Yes," Kokichi said, and opened his eyes, looking up, hesitantly.

The other students were staring at him, their expressions serious. Todo looked disappointed, and Momo looked hurt, and it made Kokichi want to crawl into a hole, and disappear.

But, the fact that Miwa was still holding his hand, and was looking at him with understanding, made his heart beat faster.

"That's fucked up, dude," Todo said, frowning.

"I know," Kokichi whispered, lowering his head.

"I also want you to know that when Kokichi-kun was confronted by us, he admitted his mistakes and did everything in his power to make up for them," Utahime spoke up, and everyone turned to look at her. "He apologized to me, and to Gojo, and has expressed his regrets and remorse over his actions, countless times."

"And, we couldn't have defeated Mahito without his help," Gojo added, nodding. "I'm aware that he was on the wrong side, at first, and made some questionable choices, but he proved his loyalty to us, in the end."

Kokichi felt his tears falling down his cheeks, and he sniffled.

"We've already forgiven him," Utahime continued, and the other students were looking at each other. "All he wanted was a chance to be with all of you, and to live a normal life. And, we can't blame him for that. I think I speak for all of us when I say that I want the same for all of you."

Kokichi couldn't hold back his sobs, and the others were looking at him, with mixed expressions.

"I know this is a lot to process, and I understand that you need time," Utahime said, and looked at the others.

"I'll forgive you, eventually, but you gotta let me punch you, first," Todo said, and Kokichi sniffled, and wiped his tears.

"Sure," he mumbled, and nodded.

"Me, too," Momo said, quietly, and Kokichi nodded.

"Ditto," Mai agreed, and Kokichi felt relieved.

"I think what you did is stupid, but I get why you did it," Kamo said, shrugging.

"Thank you," Kokichi said, looking at his friends, his voice breaking. "I guess I'm up for a beating."

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you," Todo assured, grinning, and Kokichi smiled, weakly.

"I'm glad you're alright," Miwa whispered, and gave his hand a squeeze. "And, I forgive you."

Kokichi's smile widened, and his tears fell down his cheeks, again.

"Thank you," he whispered, and leaned against her, his shoulders shaking, as he sobbed.

Miwa wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him close, gently rubbing his back. The warmth of her body, and the feeling of her embrace, made Kokichi's heart ache, and he cried, clinging to her.

He was so lucky.

"Group hug!" Todo exclaimed, and the others got up, and crowded around him, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Get off of me, you're squishing him!" Miwa said, frowning.

"Oh, sorry," Todo said, laughing, and let go of him.

Kokichi was sobbing, and he felt like his heart was going to burst. He was surrounded by his friends, who were hugging him, and telling him that they forgave him, and Kokichi felt happy.

For the first time, in a long time, he felt truly happy.

"Thank you," he said, his voice shaking. "Thank you, all."

-

Having so many students at the morning assembly was an unusual sight, and Yuji was happy that everyone was there, and that everything was working out, so far.

Of course, the biggest surprise to everyone was the introduction of Muta Kokichi, and his new, real body, which replaced Mechamaru.

"Good morning, everyone!" Gojo said, cheerfully, as the students and staff gathered in the gym. "As you can see, we have a special guest, today! I'm sure most of you know him already, but let me introduce you to Muta Kokichi, the user of the cursed puppet, Mechamaru!"

Nobara and Megumi of course weren't so surprised, and Yuji noticed that the Kyoto students didn't seen fazed, either. He figured that they already knew, and he wondered when exactly Kokichi had told them.

Maki, Panda and Inumaki however, were stunned.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Kokichi said, nervously, and bowed. "My name is Muta Kokichi. I'm a second-year student at Kyoto Jujutsu Tech. I'm really excited to meet you all for real."

"Welcome to Tokyo!" Gojo said, smiling. "Now, we've got some rules and guidelines that I need to discuss with all of you. This is important, so listen closely!"

The students and staff nodded, and the students sat down on the bleachers, listening to Gojo's instructions.

"First of all, Principal Gakuganji here will be dealing with letting the higher-ups know about the situation," Gojo said, gesturing to the old man, who was sitting in the front row. "Officially, we are having an exchange program between the two schools, which is why Kyoto students will be joining us, for the rest of the semester."

People nodded, and Gojo smiled.

"Now, there are a few things I want to discuss with the students," he said, and the Kyoto students straightened their backs, looking tense.

"I know that you all are used to a lot of freedom when it comes to leaving campus," Gojo said, his voice calm. "However, the only safe place for you all, right now, is here, under the protective barrier. So, I would like to ask all of you to stay within the school grounds, at least for now. You're free to move around the campus as you please, and you will be carrying out missions, as usual. But, leisurely trips outside are not recommended."

"I know this is not an ideal arrangement, but it's for your safety," Utahime said, her voice gentle. "We're doing this to protect you, and make sure you don't get hurt. Please, don't try to leave the campus without permission."

The Kyoto students nodded, and Utahime smiled, softly.

"Thank you," she said, and the students relaxed.

"Now, another thing," Gojo continued. "We will be reducing the number of general classes and will focus on practical training, from now on. We will pair you up with other students, to strengthen your techniques. And, I would like to introduce to you someone who will be helping out, from now on. Everyone, say hello to Ui Ui, Mei Mei's younger brother."

The boy was hiding behind his sister, shyly, and Gojo was grinning.

"Come on, show yourself," he urged, and the boy sighed, and stepped out, his cheeks pink.

"Nice to meet you," he said, and bowed.

Yuji could see the surprise on the faces of his friends, and he chuckled.

"Sorry, but how old is he, exactly?" Nobara asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm eleven," the boy said, quietly.

"You're joking," Maki said, her eyes wide. "Why is a child here?"

Yuji smiled, knowingly.

"Well, let me tell you all about switch training," Gojo said, grinning.

Yuji leaned back and watched his friends' expressions as Gojo explained the technique, and how they will be able to switch bodies with someone else twice in the duration of a month.

"I'll pair you based on the techniques you're good at," Gojo said, once he was done. "This will help you improve your fighting skills, and, learn to use a Simple Domain, as well as some martial arts. And, some of you might even be able to learn Reverse Cursed Technique."

The Kyoto students and the students of the Tokyo School were exchanging looks, and Yuji could tell that they were all excited.

He also wondered how much Mei Mei was getting paid for this, and he couldn't help but grin.

"Now, for the first couple of days, we'll stick with the usual training routine," Gojo said. "And, then we'll start with the switch training. I'll be announcing the initial pairings, now."

The students listened to Gojo intently, and Yuji watched them, feeling hopeful.

Maybe, things were finally starting to get better.

-

Once the groups were formed, the students were gathering their things to start their training.

Nobara got paired up with Mai (which she wasn't too thrilled about), and Megumi was with Kokichi. Yuji, of course got paired with Kamo, and the two of them got the special instructions to train in the western grounds, away from the rest of the group, giving Choso the perfect opportunity to join in on the training, without raising too much attention.

"Hey, how come you're training with Kamo?" Megumi asked, as they walked out of the building.

Nobara looked over at them, curious, and Yuji chuckled.

"Oh, well, he and Choso can help me work on my Blood Manipulation technique," Yuji explained, shrugging.

It wasn't until his friends stopped dead in their tracks, that Yuji realized that he may have forgotten to tell them about his newfound ability.

"Hold on, what the fuck?" Nobara said, frowning. "Blood manipulation? What are you talking about?"

"I'd like to know, too," Megumi said, and Yuji felt sheepish.

"Um, well, in my old timeline, I kinda ate the rest of the Death Paintings and gained their abilities," Yuji said, rubbing the back of his head. "I didn't think that would transfer over to this timeline, though, but during my fight against Choso at the Yasohachi bridge, I discovered that I can still do it. So, uh, yeah. That's that."

Megumi was staring at him, with a shocked expression, and Nobara blinked.

"You know, for someone with no innate cursed technique, you sure go around collecting them like Pokémon," she said, her eyebrows raised. "Next time you're gonna tell us that you can fly or some shit."

"Yeah, no, I can't do that," Yuji said, laughing, and Megumi sighed.

"You sure are something else," he said, shaking his head.

"Thanks!" Yuji said, and grinned.

"Well, we should get started," Megumi said, and began walking towards the others, who were waiting for him.

"I'm gonna go kick Mai's ass," Nobara said, grinning, and Yuji nodded, watching as she hurried over to her training partner.

"Good luck!" he called out, and smiled, as he watched his friends walk away. He turned to find Kamo waiting for him, and Yuji waved at him.

"Sorry for the wait," he said, jogging over.

"That's fine," Kamo said, shrugging.

They made their way to the western grounds, and Yuji sent Choso a quick text, to let him know where they were.

"So, what kind of training did you have in mind?" Kamo asked, and Yuji bit his lip.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you to help me with Convergence," he admitted, and Kamo looked surprised.

"That's Blood Manipulation," he said, his eyes widening. "You can do it?"

"Yeah," Yuji said, smiling, sheepishly. "And, my half-brother, Choso is meeting us here, as well. He's, well, how do I say this..."

Kamo looked at him expectantly, and Yuji took a deep breath.

"Uh, he's a relative of yours. Distant cousin, if you will," Yuji said, and Kamo blinked, slowly.

"What," he said, and Yuji cringed.

"Yeah, it's a long story. You probably won't believe me," he mumbled, and looked around, as Choso approached them.

"Hello," he said, his voice soft. "Nice to meet you."

Kamo looked at him, with a stunned expression, and Choso smiled, his eyes twinkling.

"I'm Choso," he said, and tilted his head, curiously. "Who are you?"

"Kamo Noritoshi," the boy answered.

Choso's brows furrowed, a pained expression crossing his face.

"You were named after my father," he said, sadly.

Kamo stared at him, his lips parting in surprise.

"I was named after Kamo Noritoshi, a sorcerer who lived 150 years ago."

Choso nodded.

"Yes," he said. "That was my father."

Yuji watched as a range of emotions crossed Kamo's face, before he settled on confusion. He looked like he was going to ask more questions, but instead, he turned his head, and cleared his throat.

"So, I'm guessing all three of us can manipulate blood?" he said, and Yuji grinned.

"Yeah!" he said, cheerfully. "That's exactly it. The other details are, um, a bit complicated. But, that's the gist of it."

Kamo sighed.

"Of course, they are," he muttered, and Choso chuckled.

"I'm glad my baby brother made some friends," he said, smiling.

"Oh, we're not friends," Kamo said, shaking his head. "We're teammates."

"Ah, right," Choso said, nodding. "A team is very important. I'm glad you're taking care of my brother."

Kamo sighed, and ran his hand through his hair.

"Okay, whatever. Let's just get to the training," he said, and turned to Yuji. "So, show us what you can do, first."

Yuji nodded, and the next hour was spent with the three of them discussing their abilities, and their limitations. Although Yuji had trained with the two of them in his old timeline, he still found it exciting, and interesting, and he was having a great time.

Plus, now he had the chance to pick up from where he left off, deciding that he would master Supernova next.

He couldn't wait.

-

Nobara was glaring at Mai, as they both got into their fighting stances.

"Ready?" she asked, and the girl rolled her eyes.

"Bring it on," she said, and Nobara lunged at her, with a swing of her hammer.

Mai dodged, quickly, and struck her, hard, sending her flying backwards.

"You're so fucking annoying," she grumbled, and Mai grinned.

"Thanks," she said, and jumped towards her, aiming a kick at her stomach.

Nobara ducked, and hit her with her hammer, sending Mai rolling across the ground. She landed on her feet, and glared at her, wiping the blood from her lips.

"You're not so bad yourself," she said, smirking.

"Yeah, well, I've got a lot more where that came from," Nobara said, grinning, and rushed at her, swinging her hammer, and aiming for her head.

Mai dodged, but the weapon barely grazed her, leaving a cut on her cheek. She hissed, and moved back, and Nobara chased after her, trying to hit her.

"You're too slow," Mai said, taunting her. "Try a little harder, will you?"

Nobara huffed, and swung her hammer at her, hard, and Mai blocked it, her arms shaking, as the two of them were locked in a struggle.

"How's Fushiguro doing? Ever since he opened his domain at the Goodwill Event, I've been thinking that he's really interesting," Mai said, and Nobara growled, angrily. "I was thinking, it's actually not so bad that we stay in the same building. Maybe I should pay him a visit."

Nobara couldn't suppress a grin, and she chuckled, making Mai frown.

"I don't think he's interested," Nobara said, shaking her head.

Mai scowled, and tried to push her off, but Nobara had her pinned.

"Besides," Nobara continued. "He's already taken."

Mai looked at her, her eyes wide, and Nobara winked at her.

"By who?" Mai asked, and Nobara shrugged, her smile growing.

"I guess you'll find out soon enough," she said, and Mai huffed, angrily.

She tried to kick Nobara, but she managed to dodge, and then she pushed Mai back, knocking her to the ground.

"Looks like I win," Nobara said, and Mai glared at her.

"That's not fair," she protested. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Too bad," Nobara said, grinning, and helped her up.

"Whatever," Mai muttered, dusting off her clothes.

Just then, Kusakabe walked over to them, and they both straightened their backs. He had been observing their fight, and had a notebook with him.

"You know, girls, if you focused on your technique, instead of bickering with each other, you'd make a great team," he said, looking at his notes.

"I'll never be on her team," Mai said, and Nobara snorted.

"The feeling's mutual," she said, and stuck her tongue out at Mai.

"Well, that's too bad, because we are all on the same team, now," Kusakabe said, sighing. "Let's get back to training, shall we?"

The girls nodded, and resumed their positions.

-

Megumi had been paired up with Kokichi, and the two of them were sparring, their katanas clashing against each other.

Kokichi's movements were a bit sloppy, which was understandable, considering he was only just learning how to fight with his real body. But, he was also determined, and had a good attitude, and Megumi found himself enjoying training with him.

He was also grateful that he wasn't stuck with Todo, or that would've been a nightmare.

"So, I've been meaning to ask you something," Kokichi said, as he blocked a strike.

"Go for it," Megumi said, and moved to attack him, but the boy jumped back, narrowly avoiding the blade.

"What is the deal between you and Itadori?" he asked, and Megumi froze.

"What do you mean?" he asked, warily.

"I mean, back at the Goodwill Event, you were pretty protective of him. And yesterday, during the meeting, you kept looking over at him. You guys seem...close. So, I was wondering what's going on."

Megumi huffed.

"Well, if you must know, I'm dating Itadori," he said, and Kokichi's eyes widened.

"Wait, seriously?" he asked, and Megumi nodded.

"Yeah," he said, shrugging.

Kokichi blinked, slowly, and then grinned.

"Well, damn. Good for you," he said, and laughed.

Megumi gave him a look, and the boy shook his head.

"I'm not laughing at you," he explained, smiling. "It's just, the whole jujutsu world is so fucked up, and I always thought us jujutsu sorcerers didn't get much of a chance at having a normal life. But, if you and Itadori can find love in this shitty world, maybe there's hope, after all."

Megumi raised an eyebrow.

"You're quite the idealist, aren't you," he said, and Kokichi shrugged.

"I guess so," he said, smiling.

"If you two are done talking, how about we focus on training," Gojo said, from the sidelines, where he was lounging on a chair, eating a popsicle.

Megumi turned his head, and glared at him.

"Stop interfering," he said, his annoyance evident.

"I'm not. I'm supervising," Gojo said, and laughed.

"Sure you are," Megumi said, dryly, and Kokichi chuckled.

"All right, let's continue," the boy said, and resumed his stance.

They continued sparring, and, this time, they were focusing more on their technique, and Megumi could tell that Kokichi was getting the hang of things.

Maybe, this wasn't so bad, after all.

-

Once they finished training, the students made their way to their dorms, and Nobara, Megumi, and Yuji decided to visit Tsumiki.

She had been moved from the infirmary to her own room, and her recovery was going well. At first, she was having some trouble using her legs, but after a few sessions with Shoko, she had gotten better. Now, she could walk without much effort, although she had to take it easy.

Megumi was still concerned about her, and, despite her protests, he was still insisting that she shouldn't strain herself.

"You don't need to be here all the time, Megumi," Tsumiki told him, her expression stern. "I hear that things are pretty bad right now. Shouldn't you be focusing on your training?"

"It's fine," Megumi told her. "I've been training all day, so I have some time to spare. Besides, I want to spend time with you."

"Me, too!" Yuji said, and the girl's stern expression melted into a smile.

"Hi, Yuji," she said, warmly. "And, hey, Nobara! How are you?"

"Hey," Nobara said, and plopped down on the couch next to Tsumiki. "I'm great. I got to beat the shit out of Mai today, so, yeah, that was fun."

Yuji chuckled, and even Megumi cracked a smile.

"That's nice," Tsumiki said, laughing.

"It was," Nobara agreed, grinning.

They sat there, chatting, and telling her about their day. Tsumiki was listening, a soft smile on her face, and it made Yuji's heart feel light. All that effort that went into waking her up from her coma had paid off, and it felt good, seeing her healthy, and happy.

"It sounds like you've all had an interesting day," Tsumiki said, leaning back on the couch. "I'm glad you guys are having fun."

"It's not really fun," Megumi said, and Nobara shook her head.

"He's just a grump," she told Tsumiki, and the girl chuckled.

"Yeah, even when we were little, he was such a serious kid," she said, smiling, and Megumi sighed. "He was so cute, though. Always pouting, and trying to act all tough. I remember, when I was teaching him how to use chopsticks, he kept making the same mistakes, so he was getting frustrated. He was so stubborn, he wouldn't listen to me, and kept saying he could do it by himself. He kept messing up, and, finally, he gave up, and started crying. It was adorable."

Megumi's face was bright red, and he looked embarrassed, but Yuji could see that he was smiling, fondly.

"Tsumiki," he mumbled, his ears turning pink. "Don't tell him embarrassing stories."

"But, I've got so many!" she said, laughing.

"Don't listen to him," Nobara said, grinning. "I want to hear everything."

"Of course," Tsumiki said, giggling. "I've got a lot of good ones. I remember, when Megumi was seven, he was obsessed with dogs, and-"

"Oh, look at the time!" Megumi said, loudly, and checked his phone. "We've got to go."

"No, we don't," Yuji said, frowning.

"Yes, we do," Megumi said, and tugged on his arm.

"Aww," Yuji pouted. "But, I want to stay and chat some more."

"I'll tell you later," Tsumiki told him with a wink, and Yuji grinned.

"Okay, then," he said, and turned to Tsumiki. "Take care, okay?"

"I will," she said, nodding.

"See you," Nobara said, waving, and the three of them headed out.

"So, you were really obsessed with dogs, huh," Yuji said, and Megumi glared at him.

"It wasn't a big deal," he muttered, and Nobara burst out laughing.

"Oh, come on, it's cute," Yuji said, smiling.

"You're not going to let this go, are you," Megumi grumbled, and Yuji chuckled.

"Probably not," he said, and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "You're cute when you get embarassed."

"You two are so sweet, it's disgusting," Nobara said, cringing, and the boys looked at her.

"Shut up," Megumi told her, and she giggled.

"I'm gonna go, before I die of diabetes," she said, and gave them a peace sign. "See you, lovebirds."

"Bye, Kugisaki," Yuji said, waving, and Nobara left.

The two boys walked down the hallway, their footsteps echoing in the empty building, and, eventually, they reached Megumi's room. They stepped inside, and Yuji flopped down on the bed, with a sigh.

"Today was exhausting," he said, and closed his eyes.

"Yeah, it was," Megumi said, as he sat down next to him. "But it felt great to train again."

"Oh, totally," Yuji said, grinning. "I decided that I'm going to master Supernova this time around. It's a move that Choso came up with, and it's super powerful. I need to work on my Convergence, though, before I can even think of doing it. Plus, I still need to improve on the rest of my skills, and-"

He stopped talking, when he felt Megumi's fingers, gently, combing through his hair. His body relaxed, and he sighed, happily.

"I still can't believe you never told me about being able to do Blood Manipulation," Megumi said, shaking his head.

"I forgot," Yuji admitted.

"You forgot?" Megumi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Cause we had to fake Choso's death, and then I was focused on waking Tsumiki, and then you kissed me and I got all confused and forgot all about it," Yuji said, and grinned, his cheeks flushed.

"So, it's my fault," Megumi said, amused, and Yuji sat up, wrapping his arms around his neck.

"It's all your fault," he said, his voice low, and leaned in, his lips brushing against Megumi's.

The boy smiled, and cupped his cheek, kissing him. Yuji hummed, happily, and his hands moved down, settling on Megumi's hips. The kiss deepened, and Yuji pressed his tongue into his mouth, making Megumi gasp, and clutch at his shirt.

They were both breathing hard, and Yuji couldn't resist the urge to touch him. His hands slipped under his shirt, his palms sliding across his chest, and Megumi's skin was warm, and soft, and Yuji couldn't get enough.

"You know, it's pretty early still," Megumi murmured, as he pulled away, his gaze dark.

"It is," Yuji agreed, smiling. "Should we kill some time?"

"Hell yeah," Megumi said, grinning.

Yuji laughed, and tackled him to the bed, pressing their lips together, and pushing his hands underneath his shirt.

This was so much better than training.

-

The next morning, Maki was watching her classmates chat about their training, and it brought a small smile to her face. Despite everything that had happened, she was glad to see that they were in high spirits, and weren't letting the threat of the curses bring them down.

"So, who'd you get stuck with?" Panda asked, as he came up next to her, and she smirked.

"Miwa," she said and Panda chuckled.

"Oh, really?" he said, his expression sly. "How'd that go?"

"Well, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. She's pretty good with a katana, but I'm much faster," Maki told him, shrugging. "I almost made her cry, but then Utahime-sensei stepped in, and told me to go easy on her."

"Ah, she's too soft on them," Panda said, shaking his head.

"Tell me about it," Maki said, her grin widening. "How was your training? You got Momo, right?"

"Yeah, and it was okay," Panda said, and his fur bristled. "She was being difficult, but once I knocked her off her broomstick a couple times, she shut up. And, after that, she wasn't too bad. She was trying her best, at least, even if she wasn't doing so well."

"Sounds like fun," Maki said, sarcastically, and Panda chuckled.

"Shake," Inumaki said, as he walked over to them, his eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, we're just talking about training," Panda told him, and Inumaki nodded.

"Takana," he said, and Maki laughed.

"Yeah I saw your fight with Arata," she said, and grinned. "Nice moves."

Inumaki shrugged, and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Yuta walked up to them and sat down between Maki and Inumaki, a cup of juice in his hand. He had been sparring with Todo (much to the older boy's delight) and it had been an intense fight. Yuta was strong, but Todo was a force to be reckoned with, and it took a lot of energy out of him.

"Hey," Maki said, softly, and put her hand on his arm. "Did you manage to get some rest?"

"Yeah," Yuta said, smiling. "I'm looking forward to today's sessions, though. I think we're getting new partners."

"Yeah, it's supposed to be a mixer," Maki said, rolling her eyes. "So, hopefully, it'll be more challenging than yesterday."

"Salmon," Inumaki agreed, and the others laughed.

"I hope so, too," Panda said, and grinned.

There was still an hour until they had to report to the training grounds, and so, they decided to spend some time relaxing, and talking. Maki didn't want to admit, but being near Yuta made her feel calm, and she liked it.

She was getting used to seeing him around again, and, even though he was different, she found that she didn't mind. He was still the same Yuta, at his core, and she knew that.

They continued chatting, until Maki spotted two familiar figures walking towards them.

"Are Yuji and Megumi holding hands?" she asked, squinting, and Yuta looked over his shoulder.

"Oh, yeah," he said, and smiled. "They are dating."

"For real?" Panda asked, his eyes widening. "Wow, I wasn't expecting that."

"Tsuna mayo," Inumaki said, tilting his head.

"I think they look cute," Yuta said, and Maki shook her head.

"It is weird, though. Megumi's such a gloomy kid, and Yuji's the complete opposite. I guess opposites do attract, huh," she said, chuckling.

"Itadori-kun actually asked me for advice," Yuta said, and grinned.

"Really? About what?" Maki asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He asked me about what love is like, and all that," Yuta said, a blush forming on his cheeks. "I was surprised."

"Well, he's kind of clueless, isn't he?" Maki said, shrugging.

They were still looking over at the couple, and Maki saw that the boys were talking to Nobara, and laughing. Suddenly, Inumaki started giggling, and they all turned to him.

"What's so funny?" Panda asked, and Inumaki pointed.

They followed his finger, and for a second Maki didn't know what he was talking about. But, then, she noticed something odd.

"Is that a hickey?" she said, blinking, and squinted.

"Oh, my," Panda said, his fur bristling. "It is."

"Toge!" Maki scolded, and hit him on the arm. "That's inappropriate!"

"Shake, shake," Inumaki said, unrepentant.

"They grow up so fast," Panda said, shaking his head. "And here I was, thinking that Megumi would be the last one to have his first kiss."

"Well, they've been through a lot, and Itadori has died twice, so, yeah, they're probably just enjoying life," Yuta said, smiling.

"I guess," Maki said, and glanced at the couple.

Yuji had his arm around Megumi's shoulders, and they were both smiling. Nobara was smirking, and poking at their chests, teasing them, and they both blushed, and started protesting.

Maki turned away, and smiled, softly.

Maybe she should follow their lead and make the most of the time she had.

A/N: I really wanted to spend some time focusing on other characters and the relationships between them. We have so many characters present now, and it's fun to explore all their dynamics (and I kinda like writing about Mai being a little shit).

This training arc is really fun to write, and it's great to give everyone some spotlight.

As usual, thank you for reading and for the support.💖