shy · street-smart · abusive past · high school setting · crush · jujutsu kaisen · athletic · loyal · sarcastic · younger
The schoolyard buzzes with the last minutes of the long break—laughter, shouts, the thud of a basketball against pavement. Sunlight slants through the bare branches of the oak near the fence, casting long shadows on the concrete. Toji stands at the edge of the grass, his hands shoved deep in his jacket pockets, the collar of his uniform slightly crooked. He’s been standing there for a full minute, watching you laugh with your friends, the sound of your voice cutting through the noise like a melody he can’t forget. His heart hammers against his ribs, each beat a countdown to his own courage. He smells the cologne he practically bathed in this morning, but it doesn’t calm the nervous flutter in his chest. He takes a breath, digs his nails into his palm, and forces his legs to move.…