Chapter Text
Yaga is one of the only people Gojo respects. The man has been teaching him, Geto and Shoko for two years now, but in the third year of high school, they got a new teacher. Itadori Yuji, or as Gojo prefers to call him -Sukuna's vessel. A guy who swallowed a mummified finger and is now hosting the king of curses. He's also Megumi's friend, apparently, which means he's around his age. Megumi is in his thirties and teaches another class. There's a new female teacher too. Kugisaki Nobara. They hired her the same day as Sukuna's vessel.
'The old man is getting tired of teaching, I guess,' Gojo thinks while waiting for the new teacher to come. 'What is he gonna do now? Crochet?'
Yaga has been both the principal and the teacher to them. Now that he gave up on teaching, he has more free time to make dolls, or whatever else he likes to do. Gojo hates to say it, but he got a little attached to him. He may not be particularly sad about Yaga's absence, but he was a good teacher. He can't imagine taking orders from anyone else, much less a thirty year old idiot with no skill. He wasn't born with a technique, has no talents and in short, there's nothing special about him. It'd take less time to list out the things Gojo finds dissatisfying about the new teacher than what he likes about him, if there's anything like that at all. Nothing could make Gojo accept him.
"You look like you ate something bad just now," Shoko comments. "Stop with the grimance. You look ugly."
Gojo turns his head away and rolls his eyes. He can do whatever he wants with his face.
"We have to make a good first impression," Geto backs her up.
"What for? He should make a good impression on us. This guy isn't even really a teacher when you think about it. He's just an obstacle for me. He can't teach us anything, but Yaga assigned him to our class so I can watch him. I'll be the one to kill him when the time comes. I bet he'll lose control over Sukuna soon, so forget about him."
"Maybe you could think about him more as your teacher and less as something to eliminate."
"Yeah? How? Easy for you to say. Even if I didn't have to kill him, I wouldn't respect him as a teacher. He's useless."
"It sounds to me like you don't want to get attached, having in mind that you'll have to kill him in the future," Shoko hums with a lollipop in her mouth. "So sad."
"I wouldn't get attached anyway. I'm just annoyed that we'll have no teacher from now on. I don't count him as one since he won't teach me anything."
"Has Yaga taught you anything new recently? You learn on your own. Yaga only monitored your growth. Now the new teacher will. What's the difference?"
"Aren't you a little too content with being around someone who hosts a curse?"
"I trust Yaga's judgment," Geto says.
"Great because I start to doubt it."
Someone opens the door and Gojo shifts his gaze towards the person, expecting their new teacher -someone similar to Megumi. It's a false call. Just some kid with pink hair and a stupid smile on his face. It's the first time Gojo sees him. Is he lost or is that a new classmate no one told them about?
"I'm sorry, I'm a little late," the guy apologizes with a laugh. He puts his things on the teacher's desk and Gojo cocks his head.
'What's that? That kid doesn't even know where to sit!'
Geto and Shoko are equally as intrigued. The stranger is about 170cm tall, has pink hair with a brown undercut, brown eyes, tan skin, a scar at the corner of his mouth and wears some plain clothes -wide black pants and and a black zip-up hoodie. The color doesn't suit him and he doesn't stand out in any way besides his face. One little part of it in particular.
He'd noticed the slits under his eyes instantly, but didn't want to believe that they were real. It'd mean that this guy is Sukuna's vessel, which makes him their new teacher. It becomes official when the pink-haired says:
"My name is Itadori Yuji. It's nice to meet you."
Geto and Shoko make noises of acknowledgment, while Gojo can't believe his eyes.
"Ooh, so that's why..-"
"I was getting confused."
They murmur to each other instead of greeting Yuji, but he doesn't mind and starts unpacking.
No. It can't be. This cutesy little thing? Gojo stares at him with no shame. Megumi and the new girl are teaching lower grades and rightfully so. Third grades deserve someone better -that's why they were taught by Yaga. Why in the world would Yaga think that this is a good idea? Gojo wasn't too optimistic about Sukuna's vessel, but he didn't think it'd be this bad. He had no expectations and was still let down. What would it look like for him to take orders from this little guy? Ignoring the fact that he's stronger than his supposed teacher, it would look comical even to someone who knows nothing about them.
This guy is the furthest thing away from an authoritative figure that Gojo can imagine. It's actually impressive.
"I'm Geto Suguru," the boy stands up first and bows. "It'll be my pleasure to work with you."
Shoko stands up next, less energetic, but just as friendly despite the lack of a smile on her face. "My name is Shoko Ieiri. It's nice to meet you, sensei."
They're doing it to spite him, he knows it. He said he doesn't accept Itadori as a teacher and now, they've become model students. It wasn't the warmest greeting ever, but they're showing him that they respect him.
So this is the person he'll have to kill. He has an innocent look, but Gojo can't let it fool him. There's an ancient curse inside of him. Coming face to face with Sukuna's vessel awakens an interesting thought in Gojo. 'He feels too human-like.' He knew that the vessel was human and wasn't eager to kill him, but seeing him in person is.. well, depressing. He's nothing like what the higher-ups said.
"Oh, and you must be.."
"Your executioner," Gojo responds with no emotion on his face.
Silence falls in the classroom and Gojo expects to see a change in Yuji's expression. A shock, offense, or most likely -sadness.
Yuji is looking at him the same as before. Not even the slightest change. Is he deaf?
"I'm sorry about him," Geto says, though it doesn't seem like it bothered Yuji. "He can be rude."
"It's okay. He's right." Itadori shifts his gaze back to Gojo. "But that's not all. You're more than that, so what's your name?"
What does he know? He became a part of the sorcery world only after he swallowed Sukuna's finger. He didn't grow up as a sorcerer and knows nothing about what it's like to be one. Not to mention being the strongest. He's not the one to decide other people's roles. How naive. Gojo might think of himself as more than a sorcerer, an executioner, or the strongest, but the reality is a whole other thing.
"You already know my name. I've heard of you and you've heard of me. You know why you're here -so that I can watch you, not the other way around. Can we stop pretending like you're here to teach us?"
Yuji sits down behind the desk. It looks too big for him.
"You don't have to respect me. I don't expect it from you, so don't worry. I know you don't have a reason to see me as an authority. Hmm.. how should I say this? I'm okay with it if you don't want to get close to me. The higher-ups put you in a difficult situation. I promise not to cause you any trouble and I'll do my best as a teacher. I don't know how long I'll be able to stay, but I hope the time we'll spend together will be peaceful."
"You hope," Gojo scoffs. Geto nudges him with a look that says 'Stop it.'
Yaga said that Itadori can control Sukuna but there's always a chance that he loses that control. That's what bothers Gojo the most. He accepted Yaga's request, so he shouldn't complain but he can't stop himself. What was he supposed to do? Decline and let him get killed? At the same time, the additional responsibility makes him easily irritable. He shouldn't be taking it out on Itadori and yet..
Yuji has nothing to answer to that. He can't assure him that he's 100% in control even if he wanted. If Yaga was sure that he was harmless, they wouldn't need Gojo.
He could continue to attack the poor guy, but what's the fun in it when he can't defend himself? He shouldn't care this much anyway. It annoys Gojo how emotional his approach was. He shouldn't be showing Itadori how much of an impact this whole thing has on him.
What is it that annoys him so much about Itadori? The fact that it doesn't seem like he cares that he's going to die?
"How old are you, sensei?" Shoko asks.
"He's around thirty," Gojo answers for him. "He's Megumi's friend."
Yuji laughs awkwardly. "Well.. that's true. How did you know?"
"Not like it's a secret."
"I'm twenty eight. The same as Fushiguro and Kugisaki," Yuji nods.
"Where are you from?" It's Geto this time.
Yuji's eyes light up. His hometown must mean a lot to him. "I grew up in Sendai, so moving to Tokyo was exciting. It's so much bigger, but both towns are beautiful. I used to live with my grandpa when I was little."
"You had no parents?"
"No, they.. They passed away not long after I was born, so I never knew them, but my grandpa was more than enough for me. He was like a father to me and taught me everything I needed to know."
"Don't be noisy," Geto scolds Shoko.
There it is. He's playing a hero. What does he get out of it? Itadori's sympathy?
"Ask me anything. I'm open to all kinds of questions."
Shoko doesn't hesitate to ask: "Do you have a girlfriend or a wife?"
"Huh?" Itadori blushes lightly. "Um.. No, I..-"
"Do you like anyone?"
"You could say that."
One good thing about him is that he's responsible enough not to date when he knows he'll die soon.
"Let's change the topic!" Geto decides. "So, are you happy here in Tokyo? Or do you miss Sendai?"
Yuji sighs with relief. Love isn't his favorite thing to talk about. "I'm happy because I'm close to my friends. I never thought we'd work together. I do miss my hometown sometimes, but I'm the happiest when I'm around other people. All that's left for me in Sendai is my grandpa's house. Here, I can see my friends every day and have the opportunity to teach, which I never tried before."
"You have no experience in teaching either. That's just great," Gojo says. "What a perfect candidate for a teacher."
His friends ignore him and Geto asks:
"Where did you work before this?"
"I was a firefighter. I really liked that job."
"Oh, a firefighter! That's interesting."
"Not at all, compared to what you do," Yuji waves his hand.
"Are you and Fushiguro close?" Shoko asks, using no honorifics.
"Hmm.. I think so, though he wouldn't agree. He's a little closed off, you know. He doesn't like to show his emotions, but I think we're pretty good friends. He comes off as cold but when we're alone, he's..-"
Gojo grows impatient the longer Itadori rambles about Megumi. He doesn't care to know anything about him. Shoko asked about their relationship and he started to describe the guy. Who cares?
"He and Kugisaki are similar in some ways. You wouldn't believe but..-"
Gojo yawns ostentatiously and it earns him Yuji's attention. Just like he wanted. His goal was to offend him.
Itadori turns out to be more oblivious than he thought, though, because he doesn't take it as a sign of disrespect. He doesn't react at all, besides the little glance.
"Do you live in the dorms? In case we need to ask you something after classes."
What was Geto thinking while asking that question? Gojo recognizes that look in his eyes. He's playing with the new teacher.
"I live in an apartment nearby."
"Where exactly?"
"Um.. Okay, maybe it's not that close to the school, but.."
"Shouldn't you live in the dorms, though? How is Satoru supposed to watch you?"
"Give him a break," Shoko defends Yuji. "What's next? Do you want them to live in the same room, sleep in the same bed and stay in each other's company 24/7? If Yaga allowed it, then it means it's safe."
"Okay, okay! I didn't mean it to sound like that. I was just curious."
"I have a room I can use at school too, but the principal allows me to sleep in my apartment for now," Yuji says. "I'm here till evening."
"What if something happens at night?"
The question surprises Itadori. "At night? Like a fight..? I'm sure the principal would be happy to help you."
"What if I want to talk to you specifically? You see, there are moments when I need someone to talk to. I'm going through a hard time right now."
"No, he's not."
"How do you know?" Geto turns to him.
"Quit it."
"You started picking on him first."
"I don't care. It's annoying when you do it."
"Oh, so it's something only you can do?"
"And if it is? Does that make you mad?"
"I thought that's what you wanted," Geto shrugs. "Do you want me to be nice to him instead?"
"Treat him however you want."
Yuji waits for them to finish arguing and says: "Here. Type your phone number and I'll call you."
He gives the phone to Shoko first, then Geto takes it, takes a moment to type the number in and hands it to Gojo.
Itadori's wallpaper is a Western actress -Jennifer Lawrence. It's a picture from the red carpet. Could he get any more lame? He has no girlfriend and his crush is a celebrity. Not even a real person.
Yuji calls one number after another and Gojo names the contact 'Sukuna's vessel'.
"This way, you can contact me at night if you need to. I'll come to school as fast as I can."
"Are you going to come every time I call?"
"It wasn't a good idea. These two are going to use it against you, sensei," Shoko says.
"I won't. I want to see this guy as least as I can. I won't ever call him or come to him with any issue. I can resolve my problems on my own."
Gojo is set on avoiding Itadori. He'll be gone sooner or later anyway.
"Well, if it can be solved by someone else, I might not come. It depends on the problem."
"I'd prefer if you were here all the time."
"I'll think about it. If it turns out that I'm needed at school more often than I thought, I'll move in."
"You aren't needed at all," Gojo corrects him.
"Is that so? Then maybe I could at least keep you company. I may not be on your level as a sorcerer, but if you ever need advice from an older person, I'm here."
"If we needed someone like that, we'd have a school counselor. And how much older are you? Don't act like you're so much wiser than us. What can you teach us, excluding your nonexistent knowledge as a sorcerer? I would never take an advice from you. You're older than me, but I don't believe you're any smarter."
"You're self-sufficient. That's admirable," Yuji responds with a smile.
Does this guy ever get mad? Is it possible to annoy him? Itadori is too young for them to respect him, but too old to be considered a part of the group. They're eighteen so they can't treat him as an equal.
"I, on the contrary, would gladly seek out your help, sensei," Geto says. "I don't have a huge ego like my friend here and don't mind asking for help when I need it. I'm looking forward to all the things you could teach me."
Is it just his imagination or has this womanizer found another target? A man this time, on top of that? It should be none of his business, but it's interesting how far Geto is planning to go. Gojo doubts he has any serious plans for Yuji.
Satoru becomes uninterested the moment Yuji starts the lesson. The topic is nothing new to him, so he crosses his arms on the desk and rests his head on top of them. The lesson is a waste of time, so he could get some sleep instead of listening.
Before, whenever Yaga couldn't come, Megumi would take his place and Gojo would do the same -sleep in class. It was getting on Megumi's nerves. He was also much more sensitive to bullying. He couldn't take the disrespect and they scared him off easily. Yaga punished them later, but it was worth it. Megumi never came back.
"It would be funny if he started snoring," Geto says to Shoko.
What is Yuji going to do? Hit him with a rolled-up newspaper like Yaga? No, it doesn't suit him. People like him like to report what they can't control. Gojo prepares himself for that conversation with Yaga after Yuji tells on him.
Where is Itadori's limit? Satoru is curious to check.
"Don't bother," Shoko tells Itadori. "Report him to Yaga. A good scolding should do the job."
'You think so? Thank you, I'll try that,' Gojo predicts Yuji's answer.
Itadori's tone is light. His prediction doesn't come true. "He must be tired after all those missions. He can nap if he has to. I know he doesn't get much rest."
Gojo opens his eyes out of surprise, but doesn't raise his head, still pretending to sleep.
'What? Really? Did Yaga tell him to cut me some slack? That's unlike him. He always pushes me,' Gojo thinks. 'So is it his own idea? Does he care about making a good first impression that much? Congratulations, Sukuna's vessel, you came off as a nice guy. We'll see how long your act is going to last.'
Gojo has to admit he doesn't hate Itadori's personality, but he's sure that it's fake. Is there anyone who doesn't hate disrespect? Itadori didn't react but called him a brat in his head, didn't he? He's taking his job lightly. This whole situation, in fact. It doesn't seem to scare him, so he'd probably come to terms with his execution already. If he was a real teacher, he'd suck at his job. He doesn't know what discipline is and it works to Gojo's advantage. This is their first day, but Itadori won't be able to keep this up forever.
Gojo blocks Yuji's voice out and closes his eyes. It feels weird to be able to do this. It's been a long time since someone outright let him sleep in class. Yaga would sometimes dismiss his rude attitude, but that's not the same. Yaga did it because he didn't want to deal with him and Itadori wanted him to get some rest.
No.. What is he thinking? Has it always been this easy for him to warm up to someone?
He can't let himself think positively of Sukuna's vessel. The only thing that's going to come out of it is disappointment. He's going to get hurt. He doesn't know how yet, but it's going to happen. A few days are going to pass and he's going to start yelling at him like the rest of the teachers. He's going to regret ever calling him nice. He doesn't need other people to treat him nicely, but it's going to make him feel stupid if Itadori turns out to be no different. Why would he be any different? That's a question Gojo should've begun with.
The classes end and Gojo gets up along with his friends. Yuji stands by the door, holding it open for the students. Does he think he's working in elementary school? Shoko would've said that it doesn't surprise her, considering his and Geto's childish behavior. Having them in class is just like working with children.
Gojo bumps into Itadori while walking out, acting as if it was an accident. He didn't hit him that hard, but when he turns away to check where his friends are, Geto and Shoko are by Yuji's side again.
"He didn't do that on purpose, seriously.."
"I pity you. You can't choose the class you're going to teach."
"I'm fine, guys. I think he's still sleepy and wasn't looking where he was going. Don't waste your time on me and go take a break."
The last sentence is one of the only reasonable things he said so far, but Geto and Shoko love to waste their time on him.
They join him a minute later and their short interaction with Itadori puts Gojo in a bad mood.
"What are you hoping to gain by sucking up to him?"
"Do you think there's anything we could gain? I'm all ears," Shoko says, lighting her cigarette.
"There isn't and that's why I'm asking. Just ignore him. You'd think he's someone powerful, judging by how you treat him."
"Being powerful isn't the only thing that makes people likable."
"That's not what I meant. If you keep doing this, you're going to make him feel important."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Shoko shakes her head. "Learn how to voice your feelings better, then we'll talk. Itadori is like any other teacher to us."
"Now you're just lying to me. You wouldn't treat Yaga like this. You're acting like he's special."
Shoko hesitates. "I have to agree with you on this -I wouldn't be this nice to Yaga, but still, we treat him the way we should, so what's the problem? He's new, so we have to make him feel welcome."
"You treat him better than you're required to. Hey," Gojo says to Geto. "Are you going to be honest with me, or do you plan to lie as well?"
"Hm?" the black-haired doesn't take his eyes off the screen. He's texting someone and Gojo guesses who it is instantly.
"You waste no time, huh?"
"I'm a friendly guy so I want to get to know our teacher better."
"I get it. He looks naive, so you feel like teasing him."
"Where did that come from? My intentions are pure."
"Both of you are trash," Shoko concludes.
"See? That makes more sense. He's all nice to Sukuna's vessel because he's trying to get something out of it. What's your deal?"
"I like him," Shoko says. "He's genuine."
"You don't know how to read people."
"And you do?"
"Better than you."
"That's your ego talking. We'll see who was right."
Geto puts his phone in his pocket and stretches. "Ah, this is going to be interesting. I can't wait till he lets me in his apartment."
"Testing boundaries already.. I can't imagine this ending well."
"I'm rooting for you," Gojo says on the contrary. "You'll be such a cute couple."
"Ha ha. Very funny."
"Don't traumatize him too much, though. We're all going to get in trouble if you do."
"Focus on yourself. You have enough of your own issues."
"And he's one of them. I have to check on him from time to time, so I'm going to the first floor for a while. Anyone wants to come with me?"
"I thought you wanted to avoid him."
"And I will. Later on."
The truth is, he can't help himself. He needs to know how is Itadori getting along with other students and teachers. It bugs him. He's going to start avoiding him when he becomes boring.
"I'll stay in my room if you want us to go in a group. I'd prefer meeting him alone."
"Because?"
"The things we talk about are too private," Geto says in a dramatic, secretive tone.
"Sure. Whatever you say."
Geto wants him to believe that there's something between him and Itadori already, but he couldn't possibly convince anyone with that poor acting.
It doesn't take long for Gojo to find Itadori. The white-haired watches him from behind a corner as he's talking to the other two teachers -Fushiguro and Kugisaki.
Kugisaki is also new and this is the first time he sees her, but she doesn't stand out. Average height, a bob and an eyepatch. Gojo watches them for about a minute and then comes closer to hear what they're talking about.
"Ah, Satoru!" Yuji calls out to him when he sees the boy approaching.
Gojo blinks in confusion. Why is this idiot happy to see him?
"It was Yaga's order."
"Huh?"
"He told me to keep an eye on you today in particular," Gojo lies, feeling the need to defend himself.
"I see. I wanted to introduce you to Kugisaki so you came just in time!"
The woman narrows her eyes and Gojo feels like sighing, but he introduces himself: "Gojo Satoru." He doesn't reach out to shake her hand, neither does she.
"Kugisaki Nobara."
What a cold introduction. Itadori lifts the atmosphere with his childish cheerfulness.
"Satoru is one of my students. Get along, please!"
This woman doesn't know him, but is cold to him already and it's probably Fushiguro's influence. It's okay. He's used to it. Megumi is basically glaring at him, but Itadori fails to notice his friends' hostile behavior. Then again, Megumi looks like he's glaring at people all the time. It might be his permanent expression at this point.
These two losers.. Gojo would gladly walk away if it wasn't for Itadori. 'Let's go' -he wants to tell him, but then, he realizes he wants to take Yuji with him when he could just walk away on his own. No one is making him stay here.
'It's because he's a little bit less insufferable than the other two,' he thinks. 'Out of the three of them, I'm choosing Itadori. Normally, I wouldn't be spending time with him, but since there's no one else..
"Shouldn't you be introducing yourself to other students instead of standing here?"
"Your manners are just as bad as they were before," Fushiguro remarks.
"That's none of your concern. You don't teach me."
Yuji senses conflict, so he pushes Gojo's back lightly. "Thank you for reminding me about the other students. Let's go."
Once they're in a safe distance, Yuji lets go of the breath he was holding out of nervousness. "Geez.. that could've become a huge argument."
"He's harsh for no reason. It's always been like this. Your friend, Kugisaki is his copy from what I can see."
"Really..? Is Fushiguro mean to you?"
He didn't plan to complain to Itadori. He feels like such a kid right now, but it feels too good to take it back. He likes the tone of Yuji's voice. No one asks him about things like that. Is someone mean to him? Why would anyone care? He's usually the mean one -the one that has to be scolded.
...Especially that he treated Itadori badly not long ago. He almost doesn't know how to react.
"I.. Uh.."
"That's pretty unprofessional of him. I'll talk to him. Have you ever told anyone?"
"What? No, I mean.. I'm just saying that he's a bit of an asshole. You don't have to take it that seriously. Don't tell him that I told you anything, got it?"
"I won't. It's going to stay between us, but you have to know that it's not okay for a teacher to treat you like that."
This is one of the rare moments that Gojo doesn't know what to say. He opens his mouth and closes it. What shocks him is that he doesn't dislike it. He should be mad that Itadori is treating him like a kid. This morning, he thought he was their classmate, but it seems like he'd subconsciously accepted that he's their teacher, despite his best effort not to. Why is he acknowledging Itadori as his teacher? Not as an authority figure, but this is still wrong. He doesn't even look that much like an adult. If he wore a school uniform, he could maybe pass as a student.
Itadori's response leaves him with mixed feelings. He genuinely doesn't know if he's supposed to be mad or not. It hurts his ego to 'ask an adult for help'.
Someone interrupts them before he can answer.
"Good afternoon, sensei," Nanami says, while he and Haibara pass by.
"Hi! Are you done with classes?"
Nanami glances at Gojo. He looks like a guard dog, waiting by Yuji's side. The sight doesn't encourage him to stop for a longer chat.
"Yes, but we're a bit busy now so we have to go.. See you tomorrow."
"Aw.. Alright. Remember to do your homework!"
Haibara bows to him and they pick up a faster pace.
It was a short interruption, but Gojo rolls his eyes at them. Couldn't they see that he and Itadori were talking? Gojo looks down at the man. He has a view of the top of his head. How funny. He tilts his head to the side to take a look at his undercut. His hand moves on its own and he's close to touching the brown hair when Yuji startles him with a sigh.
"Kids these days are so cool."
"What?" Gojo straightens his back. He was about to touch Sukuna's vessel.. Was the undercut really that fascinating to him? It's just that, Itadori feels like someone his age sometimes, so he forgets that he can't touch him comfortably like this. He wanted to see where the brown hair ends and pink starts. That's all. "Who are you talking about?"
There's no one else around in this part of the school currently and he couldn't have been talking about Nanami when he said 'cool'.
"Nanamin," Itadori says, looking down the hallway. "He has his own style."
Just when he thought Itadori couldn't surprise him anymore. Gojo raises his brows. "Nanamin? First of all ew, don't call him that. What are you, a kid? Second -if that's what you think is cool.. there's no hope for you."
"I like his hair."
"He has a side part and his hair is sticking to his skin."
"It suits him."
"A try-hard like him? Yeah, it does."
"No, what I meant to say is that it's elegant. He looks like a prince."
He's blind. There's no other way.
"If you say so. Either way, having a personal style means nothing if the style is shitty."
Yuji looks him in the eyes. "I appreciate creativity a lot. It's inspiring when I see people who aren't afraid to be themselves."
"Just as I thought. You'd make a better counselor than a teacher."
Yuji smiles. "You think I could be a good counselor?"
'Idiot..' Gojo shakes his head in disbelief. Does his brain filter out offensive comments? Was he born with that function?
"How are you planning to survive here?" Gojo mutters.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
Yuji moves on quickly. "Anyway, Suguru has a nice style too."
His mention triggers Gojo slightly. He remembers Geto's questionable motives towards their new teacher. He's planning to play with Itadori for a little bit. Nothing that serious, plus it's up to him if he falls for whatever traps Geto prepares or not. He shouldn't get involved, but it gets on his nerves that Itadori is already complimenting him.
He's the one with the most interesting style. Is anyone else wearing shades like his? Is there anyone with clothes as expensive as his? Expensive doesn't equal stylish, but he's definitely original, since no one else in this place can afford what he's wearing. No one can copy his style.
Has Itadori noticed that? No.
"What makes his style nice?"
"Not many people customize their uniform from what I could see. He ties his hair up too."
"He leaves out a lock of hair so that it falls on his forehead. Have you seen how lame that looks?"
"I like it. It looks good on him. His baggy pants too."
Gojo tells himself not to care. Sukuna's vessel and his mistakes are indifferent to him as long as he's not trying to kill people.
"You could become friends with anyone. I'm happy for you. I hope you and Nanami become very, very close. Same with Suguru. Best of luck."
He thought about following Itadori around for a while to see more, but now that he thinks about it, he'd seen and heard enough. One thing he learned from this conversation is that he hates when Itadori talks about other people. He has something good to say about everyone. 'Genuine,' Shoko said.. Gojo can hardly believe that. He throws compliments left and right, which makes him tiring to be around.
For now, Gojo decides to be neutral about him. As neutral as possible, anyway.