Chapter 180: Welcome Back Hug
Panda slung one of his massive arms over my shoulder as if we'd been best friends for years. His voice was casual, but there was weight in it.
"You know… last time we didn't really get a chance to thank you for saving our butts back there against Geto."
I blinked, thrown off already. Panda scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, then continued. "Uh, talking about him… are you fine, bro?"
Inside, my mind churned.
Ugh, what the hell? Why are they asking about that day? What did Gojo tell them… Tch, fine. I'll just improvise and act.
I gave a small smile. "Why do you ask if I'm fine? Panda, there's no need to thank me. You guys came for me and got hurt… I should be the one saying sorry."
Panda immediately shook his head, almost violently, Inumaki nodding beside him in quiet agreement. Maki only huffed, arms folded, pretending she wasn't listening too closely.
Panda's voice grew more serious. "No. I mean… you had to kill someone for us, man. You saved us, but… Gojo-sensei told us you were the one who took Geto's life. And like… we don't know if it was revenge or whatever, but you still did that, bro."
He hesitated, then added, "We didn't think about it at the time, but now… thinking back, we've been bad friends, right? Not thinking about how you feel…"
I froze.
What the fuck kind of stories has Gojo been telling these kids?! Ugh. Yes, maybe it's normal to think someone would be in shock after killing a person… But Geto? That was different. He was trying to kill me, and he wasn't even a good person. No, not really. He was racist at a minimum, but at maximum he wanted to end all humans totally crazy... I don't care if I killed someone like him, and I won't care in the future either. That's just how I am. Cold logic, simple right and wrong. No one can change that.
But why the hell is Panda giving me a thank-you speech? This reeks of Gojo's meddling… that idiot.
I opened my mouth to say something, but Panda rushed in, not giving me the chance.
"So on behalf of everyone, I just wanna say… thank you. Really. Inumaki means it too. And Maki—" He glanced at her. "—even if she won't say it out loud, she's thankful as well."
Maki snapped her head to the side, pretending to be very interested in a passing bird.
"And also…" Panda grinned. "Take this hug as my thank you! And as a celebration hug, since you're back now!!"
Before I could even process it, I was trapped in a crushing bear hug. My ribs creaked. Air left my lungs.
What the fuck?! Is he trying to kill me?! Ugh, but… why is this weirdly wholesome? Whatever. I'll accept the welcome.
I wheezed out, "Ah, yeah, yeah, sure. Can you stop hugging? You're too big!"
Panda just laughed heartily, still squeezing me before finally letting go.
Maki huffed again, muttering under her breath, "Idiot… always doing the most. But I won't let you from now on… I'll be by your side when you do stupid things."
Inumaki gave a simple nod, his eyes softening. "Spring roll. Sushi."
And before I knew it, the three of them were dragging me all over Jujutsu High. We ended up eating sushi, talking about old missions, sharing small jokes. It was… annoyingly wholesome.
By the time I reached my dorm room, my stomach was full and the evening was warm in a way I hadn't felt in a long time.
Behind me, footsteps followed.
I glanced back and raised a brow. "What? Are you two going to keep your eyes on me while I sleep too now?"
Maki crossed her arms, face flushed with annoyance. "Ugh, it's not up to us, ok? That blindfolded idiot already made a time schedule for who gets to keep an eye on you, and for some reason I have to keep an eye on you at night! Ugh…"
She stomped her foot hard against the floor, as if punishing it for Gojo's decision.
Her thoughts betrayed her calm exterior. Ugh, why is my heart beating so fast? Calm down. I just have to keep an eye on him. I'll sleep on the couch, he'll sleep in the bed. Simple. Right? Nothing crazy!
I only shook my head, lips twitching into a small grin, and opened the door to my dorm.