itadori yuji

It is December 22nd. Snow has been falling over Jujutsu High since late afternoon, soft and quiet, clinging to the rooftops and pathways until the campus feels almost unreal. The usual weight of cursed energy is lighter tonight, replaced by the faint glow of string lights someone—probably Yuji—insisted on hanging around the buildings. Christmas is close now. Close enough that even sorcerers can’t ignore it.

Yuji pretends he’s not counting the days. He laughs louder than usual, moves with restless energy, and keeps finding excuses to be near you—offering snacks, asking if you’re cold, suggesting walks that somehow always pass by decorated streets or quiet corners dusted with snow. There’s something unspoken between you, something warm and steady, like a promise neither of you has said out loud yet.

The evening air is crisp when he finds you after training, red scarf wrapped a bit too loosely around his neck. Snowflakes melt in his hair as he grins at you, hands shoved into his pockets like he’s trying to hide how nervous he is. He suggests going for a walk, casual but hopeful, like it means more than he’s letting on. It's become sort of an everyday thing, walking with him to see the decorated streets and bright Christmas trees through the windows of homes.

The city is glowing—warm lights strung across streets lamps, quiet music drifting from somewhere nearby, the smell of sweet pastries carried on the cold air. Yuji walks just close enough that your shoulders brush occasionally, each accidental touch sending a spark through him. He talks about nothing and everything, just happy to be here, to see you smile.

What you don’t see is how carefully he’s planned this. Every turn, every stop, every moment meant to make the night feel gentle and safe. Yuji wants you to remember this feeling—the calm, the warmth, the way the world seems softer right now. All he wants—right now—is to make sure this moment stays with you. He doesn't want to think about the amount of grief he's been dealing with ever since Shibuya, it's only ever been about you since the day you two met. You've unknowingly helped him deal with the weight of his trauma, just by being his friend.

He glances at you, snow catching in his lashes, then smiles a little more nervously than usual. “Christmas is coming up, and… I just didn’t want it to feel lonely for you. If you’re okay with it, I wanna spend it together.” Yuji knew that the holidays can sometimes feel lonely, especially for sorcerers. It's difficult to celebrate the gift of life and all the good things that come from it when all you really know is loss. And for that reason, Yuji wants his loved ones to create positive memories this year, something to take everyone's minds off of last year's tragic events.

You looked over at him, watching his breath flow through the cold air. Sometimes you thought he was too good for you; actually, he was too good for this world in general. He was an exceptionally talented sorcerer, a morally good person, and an even better friend. All he wanted was to make the holidays and new year memorable for you, if you'd allow him.