Love, maybe? - itafushi

1

~flashback~

In the quiet town that had grown accustomed to murmurs of people, a new kind of whisper began to swirl around its most unexpected athlete, Yuji Itadori. Known for his indomitable spirit and unwavering compassion, Itadori found himself battling an entirely different problem—one that couldn't be pushed or punched away.

It started with a rumor, insidious and creeping, that spread through the corridors of his middle school like a malevolent spirit. The rumor claimed that Itadori, the heart of their team, had gotten a girl pregnant. It was a shock to everyone, a stark contrast to the Itadori they thought they knew. The whispers didn't stop at the surprise; they painted a darker picture, suggesting the girl hadn't consented, that Itadori, their Itadori, had committed an unforgivable act.

The girl in question was a mystery, a face without a name, and her silence only fueled the speculation. As the rumors grew, so did the distance between Itadori and those he considered friends. Eyes that once looked upon him with camaraderie now held traces of doubt and accusation.

Itadori, lost in a storm of judgment and whispers, found himself isolated, his only company the heavy weight of a truth untold. The truth was complex—she had wanted the intimacy as much as he had, but the pregnancy was unintended, a stark reality neither were prepared for. She was terrified, overwhelmed by the prospect of motherhood at such a young age, she lashed out on Yuuji and his parents. She doesn't want the baby. Itadori promised that he will take care of the baby, and he will take full responsibility for his actions.

---

Yuuji stood anxiously on the porch of a weathered-looking home, the kind that had seen generations come and go. The evening sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows that seemed to echo the heavy dread settling in his stomach. He had known this moment was inevitable, the confrontation that had loomed over him since the day he learned he was going to be a father. He was going to take care of a baby.

alone.

The door swung open, and there stood Maria's parents, their faces etched with a mixture of disappointment and anger. The air was thick with unspoken words as they invited him in, though 'summoned' would have been a more apt term.

The living room was suffused with a tense silence. Yuuji took a deep breath, ready to face whatever came next.

"Yuuji," her father began, his voice barely contained, "do you understand the situation you've put our daughter in?"

Yuuji's gaze was steady, though his heart raced. "Yes, sir, I do. And I take full responsibility. I care about the baby, more than anything."

"Responsibility," her mother scoffed, "Do you even know what that means?"

He nodded, his resolve firm. "It means being there, for the baby, no matter what it takes."

They scrutinized him, searching for the sincerity in his eyes. The room felt small, the walls closing in as they weighed his fate and their daughter's. She didn't want to care for the baby.

The conversation that followed was a mix of admonition and reluctant understanding. Yuuji listened, apologized, and promised—a promise to be better, to do better. The path forward wouldn't be easy, but as the night wore on, a fragile truce was formed, for the sake of the new life that was about to begin.

As Yuuji left, the weight on his shoulders felt just a little lighter. The road ahead was uncertain, but he was determined to walk it, one step at a time.

It was going to be him and a child, no one else.

~end of flashback~

Yuuji Itadori stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his outfit for what felt like the hundredth time. Today was the first day of his senior year at a new school, and he couldn't shake off the nerves. It wasn't just the usual first-day jitters; it was also the fact that he was starting afresh as a single father. His three-year-old son, Haruto, would be going to daycare for the first time. Yuuji hadn't been this nervous since his days as a first-year student at Jujutsu High.