THE WHITE DRAGON┊ jujutsu kaisen

Chapter 34: Forest of Anxiety 2018, Part 1

☁︎ ┆ P R E - C H A P T E R
                       A U T H O R ' S N O T E

The following events do not proceed exactly according to the canon story of the manga or anime adaptation and have been altered to better fit this storyline. Thank you in advance for your understanding. Happy readings 🤍

— s.chye (@lilac_vixen)

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         Against the best interest of any student in attendance at Tokyo Jujutsu High, all present had spent the last two weeks practically living on the athletic field undergoing intensive training mostly guided by the second years; Gojo would step in only if he was available— which was hardly more than one day, but no one seemed to mind.

To no surprise, with just one day before the Exchange Event was scheduled to take place, that field was where you could find everyone sparring or training their endurance by any means necessary. With much persuasion on Maki's part, Haku was in attendance for every session without complaint following the second years' return. Not only did Haku's serious participation increase the difficulty of training sessions, it left many of the group members' muscles aching and with bruises that hardly healed between sessions.

Just now, Fushiguro was once again pushing his luck at victory against Haku, who willingly accepted every challenge initiated by Fushiguro without hesitation or restraint during this intensive period of training. The personal quarrel between the two of them forged a score of 0-7; there is no surprise as for who held which number.

Maki was almost beginning to feel sorry for Fushiguro each time he lost after only sparring for less than one minute against Haku. So much so, she gave Haku a handicap for everyone's benefit— they were not allowed to use their technique in sparring, despite everyone else being able to do so freely. She had suggested this when the score between the two was only 0-4, but it seemed that even with the handicap, Haku still had no trouble emerging victorious; the matches between Fushiguro and Haku did however increase in length and the two were now able to spar for at least ten minutes instead of one.

On the steps, the three second years and Kugisaki provided the audience as Haku and Fushiguro took advantage of the open field. As always, protectively, Inumaki and Panda were on alert just in case things took a sharp turn and went South unexpectedly. Kugisaki did her best to follow Haku's movements, if she could see them, but even in her diligence it proved to be a challenge. Quick as lightning with the fluidity of rushing water, Haku was nearly impossible to track as a bystander, she couldn't imagine being in Fushiguro's shoes.

Kugisaki, not taking her eyes off the field, wondered aloud, "Was Haku Senpai always that strong? I've never seen Fushiguro have such a hard time before."

"HA— as if," Maki blurted out immediately but she straightened her posture respectfully. Her chin tilted up in thought as she recalled the past, "The first time Haku joined us for sparring on this field, I beat their ass senseless."

"Woah! Did you really, Maki Senpai?!" Kugisaki gasped, head whipping towards Maki who was grinning proudly.

Panda grimaced, also recalling the incident Maki was referring to, "Maybe a bit too brutally, if I may add."

"Sha-ke."

"Oh come on. It was a bit deserved."

Panda paused, pondering her words, "That was during the time Haku spent more time unconscious than conscious."

"But even when they were conscious, it wasn't like Haku contributed much to their surroundings. They were like a decoration, a houseplant— a statue!" Maki's eyes flew wide open, remembering in that moment the old nickname she used to refer to Haku by.