Otherworldly Attraction | Various!JJK x Reader

50 - imprisoned

The exchange event is over.

Itadori drags his feet, lifelessly, and if not for Todo pulling him by the arm and beckoning him along, he probably would've still been crumpled on the ground, sobbing on a near-infinite loop. Every step he takes feels heavy, weighed down by an unfathomable amount of guilt. He lost you. This time, he really, really lost you.

...what if you never come back? How is he supposed to live with himself? How is he supposed to wake up every day knowing that he'll never see you again?

He doesn't know the answer to any of those questions, so instead, he just cries.

"We'll find her, Yuji," Gojo says, but his voice lacks its usual laidback, self-assured tone, and it does little to soothe Itadori's aching heart. "She isn't dead. If that cursed spirit went to the trouble of taking her with them, then it means their goal was to capture her, not end her life. She's still out there. I'm sure of it."

Itadori doesn't respond. Deep down, he knows this to be true. He's seen firsthand how powerful and resilient you are, and Gojo's right. If Hanami wanted to kill you, there wouldn't have been any need to trap you in their domain, then use it as an opportunity to escape with you. That means that from the very beginning, they were looking for chances to weaken you and bring you back with them. They infiltrated campus in order to take you for themselves.

Still, what difference does it make? The fact that they kidnapped you means they have no intention of letting you go. It's like Gojo said when he first met you. Your cursed energy is so powerful, so strange, that you caught his eye immediately. The same goes for Sukuna, too. Everyone is looking to lay claim to you. Itadori vowed to be the one to protect you from these evil, cunning forces... but he failed.

All he ever does is fail.

Itadori wipes his eyes, over and over again, but it's pointless. The tears just keep falling. He can't seem to break free of his weakness, no matter how hard he tries. The frustration and anguish is so overwhelming that he can hardly stomach it. He wonders if this is how you felt after Junpei died. The only difference is that you were strong enough to overcome it and push onward, whereas he already feels ready to succumb to his grief.

And it's not just him. He knows he's not the only one who'll be devastated over your disappearance.

Utahime heaves a sigh of relief as she sees Gojo, Itadori, and Todo walking over together. "You're back. What happened to the cursed spirit? I'm assuming you took care of it?"

Gojo walks right past her, and Utahime bristles, visibly annoyed. She swivels around and prepares to berate him, but before any words can leave her lips, Gojo flashes her a glare, right as he puts his blindfold back on.

"No."

"No...?"

A look of confusion spreads across Utahime's face, however, she is once again interrupted.

On account of the fact that Fushiguro just stepped forward.

"[Name]," he says, eyes wide, darting around in countless directions. "Wasn't she with you? I thought she was fighting the cursed spirit with you and Todo. That's what Panda told us. So, where is she?"

The silence that follows is uncomfortable beyond words, but after a few moments' delay, Itadori hangs his head, whimpering pitifully.

"I-I'm sorry," he gasps. "It's all my fault. I'm so sorry..."

Fushiguro stares at him in disbelief. Beside him, Nobara's eyes are slowly widening, as realization dawns upon her, and even Inumaki, who chose to forego immediate treatment in order to check on everyone, has an expression that's progressively turning to horror.