Destined to Collide - Inumaki Toge

9. Watch and Learn

Maguro settles down nicely in her new school. In class, she learnt about the different levels of Curses, types of Curses, and the levels of Jujutsu Sorcerers.

"Our very own Inumaki here is a Semi-Grade One," Gojo-sensei slapped both his hands on Inumaki's shoulders and exclaimed. Inumaki gave out no response and remained calm. "So, despite his small stature, he is very strong."

And Satoru immediately offended Maguro by that.

"He's not small," Maguro retorted. She couldn't agree with what Gojo-sensei just said. "You're just too much of a giant to automatically call everyone shorter than yourself small."

Everyone snickered.

Satoru felt a jab in his heart. Giant? Sure, Maguro is shorter than Inumaki but for her to outright call him a giant?

"I guess you could say that I am a giant in a way, Tsukigami-kun. No one else is taller than me anyway-"

"If you could count Panda, he's taller than you," Maguro added in nonchalantly.

Satoru's jaw dropped. "Then he's a giant too!" Gojo-sensei exclaimed.

"For his size, it's a norm. But for you, it is not. You're a giant."

He didn't know being called a giant made him feel so uncomfortable. He felt like an alien, drifting further away from his precious students as he watches them snickering behind their hands at him.

From then on, Satoru never brought up topics about anyone's height or size anymore.

Inumaki smiled from behind his high collar. For Maguro to defend him, he felt his heart swelled. She swings her short legs front and back adorably and looks at him, smiling sweetly.

He thought she looked plenty cute right now.

To thank her, he gave her a candy.

His smile widens when she thanked him for it and immediately popped them in her mouth.

In the afternoon time, they had a short respite before Maguro needs to attend to her class with Shoko. Everyone changed into their sportswear and gathered at the fields.

"Everyone, do the usual. For you, Tsukigami-kun," Gojo-sensei started, clapping his hands for attention. When Maguro heard her name being called, she trotted towards her teacher and looked up. He really is a giant, she thought to herself. Gojo-sensei smiled down at her and said, "Lesson No.1: You are to stand here, watch them, and learn. Remember how they move, how they dodge the moves, and how they avoid from being attacked."

"Watch and learn as much as you can, Tsukigami-kun," Gojo-sensei told her, slapping a heavy hand on her shoulder. "Shoko will not be merciful."

Maguro gulped. Her next class might not end pretty.

Sitting underneath a tree with plenty of shade, Maguro watches intently as her three classmates fought each other. Maki is really good with cursed tools. She could probably ask Maki to tutor her on weapons a bit before class tomorrow. Panda, he's really strong. She couldn't be able to learn what Panda already has with his big physique, but she could learn to avoid his attacks, just like Maki and Inumaki did with him. Panda was fast and accurate, and she watches as he swings Inumaki on the air for a few rounds before throwing him off.

And probably jump on his back. He might have a hard time trying to dislodge a small Maguro if she were to latch onto his back where he couldn't reach.

"We learn how to land perfectly each time we were thrown off with Panda's help," Maki piped up from next to her. "That way, if we were thrown off next time during battle, we will be able to land perfectly."

The Cursed Speech User flipped and turned in the air landing smoothly on the ground and far away from Panda from the force he used to throw Inumaki off.

This was what made him the most surprising one out of all three of them.

Inumaki Toge. True to what Gojo-sensei had said, even though she doesn't really want to agree to what he labelled her classmate as, Inumaki is really strong despite his average small stature compared to the rest of the giants in school. His agility is on par with Maki, who wielded a Cursed Weapon expertly and moves them around as if they are a part of her, swinging the weapon with her every movement. Strength and endurance wise, he doesn't even look tired or out of breath even with all those jumping around. In that training with Panda, Inumaki did not even once unleash his Cursed Speech Technique.

He's relying entirely on his stamina and agility. Maguro summed to herself that in battle, Inumaki could be the kind of opponent that waits for an opportunity before striking the enemy to avoid overusing his Cursed Speech.

Like a snake.

Snake and Fang? Maguro pondered to herself. It's rather fitting on him. Plus, he really looks good with the seal on his skin.

For a split second, that seal reminded her of their underwater kiss, causing her to bite her lips at the memory.

The way his arms felt around her underwater, pulling her body close to his, and how warm he felt when they float in the river. It was really nice.

Inumaki looked over at her and waved.

"Really nice," Maguro slowly waved back with a smile, a little dazed from the memory of their underwater kiss.