Chapter Text
Tokyo
Nanami rolled over in bed, trying to block the light streaming through his window. As he came to, he realized something terrible, the sun was up. That was a very bad sign.
Snapping fully awake, he bolted upright.
What made it worse: the hallway outside was silent. No one else was awake.
Yaga had assigned a mission to both the first and second years, which was supposedly a “learning experience” for the younger students. Though Nanami highly doubted he’d learn anything from them, especially since he appeared to be the only one remotely ready to leave.
To put it simply, Nanami did not want to go on this “mission”.
There were several reasons.
First, he’d be trapped in what he assumed would be a ridiculous-looking minivan for twelve hours when the trip would have taken five by train.
Second, this mission was very illegal.
After a trip to America last year, Yaga decided that every student over fifteen should know how to drive. While Nanami didn’t entirely disagree, Yaga had then taken it upon himself to teach the then-first-years how to drive.
Geto and Shoko eventually got the hang of it, even if they were still terrible drivers. Gojo, on the other hand, refused to even sit behind the wheel.
“Why would I learn when Yaga hires people to drive us around anyway?” he had said.
Now, Jujutsu High wasn’t exactly a legal institution, but that didn’t change the fact that Japan’s legal driving age was 18. And his two underage classmates were about to drive him across the country.
Third, no one even knew what this mission was for. Yaga hadn’t told them. They’d just been given a time to be ready and a food budget.
“Haibara?” Nanami called, pressing his ear to the door. “Haibara, you up?”
He checked his watch.
“Haibara, we gotta go — like, now.”
Before he could knock, the door flew open. Haibara looked exhausted and distressed.
“Nanami, we are so screwed. Yaga’s gonna yell at us so much,” he said before turning and frantically throwing clothes into a backpack.
Nanami leaned in the doorway, raising a brow. “You’re not packed?”
Haibara gave him a guilty look. “It’s fine. I doubt Gojo’s packed either. I heard them all come in at, like, three last night.”
Nanami crossed his arms. “Shocking.”
Haibara huffed, grabbing a wrinkled T-shirt. “I don’t know why Yaga would assign this mission to us. He knows who we are.” He motioned between himself and Nanami. “We wouldn’t screw around, but our chauffeurs down the hall? Not reliable.”
“True,” Nanami replied, “but you’re not exactly more packed than they are.”
Haibara tossed the shirt at him. “I would pack faster if you weren't distracting me. Go wake up Geto or something.”
Nanami sighed and continued down the hall. Then he heard it, voices, loud ones at that.
“You know it was your idea to go out last night,” Geto said sharply. “And if I’d said no, you’d have been pouty all day and insufferable in the car.”
“I never said, ‘let’s go out,’” Gojo snapped. “I said, ‘let’s get food,’ and then we went out after, which was Shoko’s idea.” He flailed an arm towards the couch, where Shoko sat unbothered.
“No, no, no, don’t try to pin this on Shoko. You know damn well whenever we get food, we end up going out after. You planned this. You tricked me into going out.”
“You know what, Suguru? Go fuck yourself,” Gojo said, tossing something vaguely in Geto’s direction before storming off toward the kitchen.
Nanami, now standing in the archway of the second-year commons, stared slightly shell shocked.
“Hi, Nanami,” Shoko said brightly, not looking up from her phone.
He raised a small hand in greeting and stepped aside as Geto stomped past and slammed his door shut behind him.
“Are… uh… they good?” Nanami asked, trying to tread lightly.
Shoko shrugged. “Couldn’t tell you. Geto’s just mad and tired.” She raised her voice toward the wall. “And he gets grumpy when he’s tired.”
A loud thump hit the wall in response.
“You guys ready?” Nanami asked, eyeing the wall.
“I’m ready. Geto’s probably ready. I think Gojo has a bag packed. Go ask him.” She stood and stretched. Seeing Nanami’s face, she paused.
“You know what? I’ll go ask him.”
As she headed down the hall, she stopped just outside Haibara’s open door.
“Hey dude, what’s up?” she said, scanning the room. Haibara was pulling on his last sock, backpack open at his feet.
“I really can’t believe how fast I packed, Shoko. I think I forgot, like, everything,” he muttered seemingly out of breath.
Shoko laughed. “Hey, it’s all good. You’re better off than me.” She pointed at the dark circles under her eyes.
“Yeah, I heard you getting in late.” Haibara said, slipping on his shoe.
Shoko shrugged. “Late is an understatement.” She paused, then added, “Alright, I’m grabbing Gojo. You get Nanami and Geto and wait out front?”
Haibara gave a salute before she headed into the kitchen.
“Gojo, what the fuck is your problem?” she snapped, sliding onto a barstool and glaring at the back of his head.
“Go ask Geto,” he muttered.
If they were going to act like a broken-up couple this whole trip, she might throw herself from the moving van.
“You know I know this isn’t just about staying out late,” she said, leaning in. “What the hell happened between you two?”
“Nothing fucking happened, Shoko. He’s just being a huge dick right now, okay?” Gojo whipped around to face her, eyes sharp. “Step off. I’ll talk to him.”
Shoko stood and turned to leave.
“Wait, fuck. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t yell at you.” Gojo sighed.
Shoko hummed in acknowledgment of an effort being made but continued down the hall. She quickly picked up her bag and headed for Geto’s room to check if Nanami and Haibara had actually managed to get him ready.
To her surprise, when she looks in, there’s no sign of him. She hopes that means he’s outside, ready to go, and not somewhere else in the school doing god knows what.
She walks outside and rounds the corner where Yaga is supposed to be handing off this mystery vehicle.
She hadn’t really thought about what kind of car they’d be driving, but now that she does, no appealing options come to mind. It needs to be big enough to fit five people and all their luggage for a two-day trip, so the usual cars they take for missions are out of the question.
Now that Yaga is in view, she loses even more hope. He stands there, chest puffed out, holding a pair of keys up to a cheery Haibara.
As she turns the corner completely, the car comes into view: a Daihatsu Hijet.
Shoko can’t help but laugh, imagining Geto, standing at 6’3, driving this absurdly tiny van.
“So, Shoko, what do you think?” Yaga inquires, spotting her.
“I think it’s great, Yaga. But I’ll think it’s even more great when you tell me why we’re driving 12 hours to Fukuoka,” she says, eyeing him.
“Well, I’ll be able to tell you when Gojo decides to join us.”
As if summoned, Gojo turns the corner and lays eyes on the car.
“Yaga, you’ve got to be fucking with me.”
Shoko stifles a laugh.
“Gojo, put your bag in the car, or I’ll call home about how late you were out last night.”
This time, Shoko can’t contain her laughter.
Gojo shoots Yaga a glare and mutters under his breath.
“Alright,” Yaga begins. “I know you all want to know what this mission is, so here we go: You’re going to Fukuoka to pick up an extremely important item. You won’t have to fight for it, just meet with my contact who has it. I will email you all the location. Please meet him there at 5:00 PM tomorrow.”
He pauses, his gaze narrowing.
“I have to admit, after your performance this morning, I have no faith you’ll get there on time. But this is the situation we’re in.”
He raises a hand to cut off any protests.
“And before you ask why you can’t take the train, it’s too crowded. If a curse user sensed the presence of this item, all hell would break loose.”
Yaga finishes and waits for the inevitable complaints.
“If this item’s so important,” Gojo asks, rooting around in the front pocket of his duffel, “why are we the ones being trusted to get it?”
“Thank you for asking, Gojo. The reason I’m trusting you five is because no enemy of the school would ever suspect you of being the ones sent to retrieve it,” Yaga replies smoothly.
“What mysterious item are we collecting, exactly?” Shoko cuts in.
“One of Sukuna’s fingers,”
A wave of gasps, protests, and attempted arguments explodes in his direction.
“Too late,” he says. “I already have the van, and you’re running late. So get in.”
Haibara is the first to throw his stuff into the back of the van.
“You know, guys? I think this’ll be fun! Road trips are supposed to be fun after all,” he says, climbing into the second row of seats.
Nanami takes the seat next to him, while Gojo silently climbs into the third row, wedged beside all the luggage.
“Geto, you’re driving first. I need a smoke,” Shoko announces, already settled in the passenger seat and pulling out a pack of cigarettes.
Geto snaps his head toward her.
“Shoko, you are not smoking in this car.”
Shoko leans over and whispers something into Geto’s ear. Whatever it is makes his face contort through five different expressions in rapid succession. Without another word, he starts the engine.
Then she rolls down the window and happily lights her cigarette.
By some miracle, all five of them are in the van, not yelling, and officially en route to Fukuoka by 10:36 AM.