The Strongest | ɢᴏᴊᴏ ꜱᴀᴛᴏʀᴜ

Chaper 1

"I'm the strongest," he says, and I roll my eyes at him.

Gojo Satoru is a thorn in my eye, a pain in my ass. I've been working at Jujutsu High for three weeks. Three weeks, and he's already managed to almost get me killed, switched all of the stuff from our rooms, and left Nanami little notes pretending they were coming from me.

I had to visit Shoko twice so she could fix me up after Gojo had left me with a second-grade curse, I had to move my things back into my own room, including my mattress, and I had to explain to Nanami that I was not in love with him and that he could ignore those notes in the future.

Just this morning, an exhausted Nanami had come up to me and handed me another little note, this one saying how much I longed for his body. So, just now, I wanted to smack Gojo across the face; something I had only ever considered but never actually tried. Now I know why. Because it's impossible to touch him. When I ask why that is, he only says, "I'm the strongest," and I roll my eyes at him.

"You're a nuisance, that's what you are," I reply and slam the note into his hand.

Before I can walk away, Gojo unfolds the piece of paper and reads it out loud. My face turns bright red, and again, I wish I could slap him.

"Not very appropriate for a workplace, don't you think?" Gojo asks, making me narrow my eyes at him. "But I think we can work something out."

Is he serious right now? Do I look like I have time for his silliness? We have students waiting for us, and even though I'm pretty sure Gojo would rather stand here and harass me, I actually like working here.

"Go," I say and wave him down the hallway. "Go to your students."

I watch him leave, chuckling and way too happy. God, this man somehow has the ability to find my very last nerve and dance on it. I roll my eyes at his retreating figure, and just before he's out of sight, I turn in the opposite direction and head for the first-year class.

It is a hot day today in the middle of summer, which makes my students pay even less attention than usual. I have to snap my fingers multiple times to keep them from zoning out, and when focused, they are only on each other.

"Alright, we're done for today," I dismiss them with a heavy sigh. This isn't worth it. "Go outside and enjoy the weather."

I secretly hope they bother Gojo as much as they bother me, but I don't say anything else. While I pack my things, the two of them are already out the door. Of course. They hadn't even taken anything out that they would have to pack away again; their desks were bare during the entire lesson.

With another sigh, I sling my bag over my shoulder, leaving the classroom, and slide the door shut behind myself. When I turn around, I almost jump out of my skin. Gojo was waiting for me right behind me, and his face is too freakishly close to mine. Instead of his usual white blindfold, he's wearing black sunglasses that rest so low on his nose that when he tilts his head, he can glare at me right over them. He's s grinning like he's on drugs, and the way he behaves, I wouldn't really put it past him.

"What do you want?" I ask, already annoyed even though he hasn't even said a single word. He doesn't have to, really. From this look alone, I know that nothing good can come of this conversation. I start to walk past him, but he only follows me. I shouldn't have asked. I should know better than to invite a conversation with him.

"I have a surprise for you," he replies, which almost makes me stop in my tracks, but I keep walking without looking at him. By the time we go outside, Gojo is practically jumping up and down in excitement. "Come on, guess. Guess!"

"Oh, give me strength," I sigh, then finally turn to look at him. Another mistake on my part, I'll admit. One look into those annoyingly blue eyes makes me hate him just a little less. His lashes are so long and white and full, and I stop myself. "Tell me."

The grin on that stupid, stupid face widens until I think his face might actually split in half. He tilts his head down and gives me that look as if he knows exactly what an effect his stupid eyes have on people. "Yaga gave us a mission."

My jaw drops, and I frown so hard that it almost hurts. No. This must be some sort of mistake. Yaga wouldn't... He couldn't possibly think sending us two would end well. Has he forgotten the first and last time Gojo and I had to go out together? Because I haven't, and I'm pretty sure Shoko hasn't either.

It was a few days after I started to work here, and Gojo and I were sent to an abandoned house in the forest to exorcize a curse. It was when I still thought he wasn't all that bad. We went in there together, and while I might be a skilled sorcerer, I'm no special-grade like him, so when the curse turned out to be a second-grade, I relied on him. But he left. He did a little this and a little that and then just left. I almost lost my arm and broke several bones before managing to exorcize the curse. When that was done and he came back, I asked him why he had just left me.

"I wanted to see what you were capable of," he said, smiling. God, I wanted to wipe that smug smile off his face right then and there, but unlike this morning, I was still in control of myself. "Don't worry. I would have come if you needed help."

"I don't need your help," I snapped back at him. "Just shut up and get me home."

So I don't really know why exactly Yaga would send us out together again. Nanami is here, too, and he isn't even teaching the students, so he has plenty of time. I would love to go with Nanami. He doesn't talk much, and he does his work.

"I don't know why you're smiling like that, you idiot," I say to Gojo. "You realize that you'll have to go with me then, too."

Just before I walk away, I think I can see his smile falter just a little bit. I wish I could feel bad about talking to him like that, I really do, but I don't think he realizes how hard he's made it for me here.

Yaga is in his office right where I suspected him, and when he asks me inside, I do as I'm told. He seems to know what I'm here about, which is why he doesn't even let me speak. "My decision is made," he says.

"Sir, with all due respect, do you really think it's such a good idea to send the two of us together? I'm sure Gojo doesn't need my help," I argue, and I know that I'm right because he really does not need my help.

My boss curls his lips, then nods once. "It is necessary." I frown, so he elaborates. "My staff has been complaining for a week now about your animosity towards each other, and from what I hear, it's only getting worse."

I don't really know what to say. What's more embarrassing? That others noticed how much we annoy each other or that it has gotten so bad that they felt the need to tell on us? I almost roll my eyes but catch myself in the last moment.

"I can't have two powerful sorcerers like yourselves waste their time and energy on silly pranks and jokes. You two will spend the weekend together to take care of the curses, and you won't come back until you're getting along."

"But, sir -"

"No discussion."