Yuta longed for the moonlight. Having spent most of his days in the cover of darkness, the sun had him feeling drained. He climbed off the roof shortly after Toge, returning to the room to unpack what little belongings he brought with him. Dinner was an hour away, giving his mind time to wander. He needed to stay busy, keep his idle hands at bay.

Yuta picked up the sword case from the bed and set it on his desk. He glanced in Toge's direction, seeing his legs resting on top of the desk while he held the book close to his face. This time, he wasn't wearing headphones. Yuta wasn't sure to take that as an open invitation for conversation, or if he was enjoying the silence.

Deciding to gamble, Yuta walked over and sat on Toge's bed.

Toge turned slowly, placing a bookmark so he wouldn't lose his place. Instead of saying anything, he cocked his head to the side.

Yuta crossed his legs and leaned forward, his elbow digging into his knee. "Is there a reason why you only whisper?"

Toge scooted his chair a little closer to Yuta before he relaxed. He nodded, then pointed at himself. "Cursed." He whispered with a smile as he crossed his arms.

Yuta was perplexed, his eyes filled with curiosity. He leaned back, studying Toge intently. His hair was white, almost silver. With eyes the color of a mournful sunset, they reminded him of the night. The darkness that he longed for. The shadows accepted him for who he was, would Toge still be kind to him if he knew what he had done? Was he cursed too? "Cursed?"

Toge nodded, leaning back in the chair. He crossed his legs and stared at Yuta, as if to wait for his next question.

"What does that mean exactly?" he asked, leaning forward slightly in anticipation for Toge to explain himself.

Toge leaned in, speaking close to Yuta's ear. "I can't speak loudly, or you will be cursed." He leaned away and tilted his head, his eyes rolling to the side.

Yuta sat back and laughed, crossing his arms. "Cursed speech? Can't say I've ever heard of anyone with that technique." He leaned in again, asking his next question. "Does it hurt?"

Toge nodded, making an exasperated face. He put a hand to his throat and then let out a silent laugh. "It wouldn't be fair if it didn't."

Yuta nodded, acknowledging that some techniques must have a balance of power. Even if he was still a little unsure of what exactly his entailed.

Yuta returned to his Katana he had laid out on the desk. Removing it from the case, he sat down and began to clean the blade. He couldn't bring himself to make more conversation with Toge, even though he had wanted to. He put his idle hands to work for the last bit of time he had, keeping himself busy up until dinner.

Toge closed his book and stood up, lightly tapping Yuta on the shoulder to signifiy it was time for dinner. Yuta set the Katana back in its case, then tucked the chair in before pulling on his white jacket.

Following behind Toge he realized how much taller he was than the silver-haired boy. They walked the halls in silence, Yuta trailing behind slightly to take in his surroundings.

The large corridor was like a maze, and he felt the need to plan his escape should it ever come to that. He knew how much of a gamble Sukuna was taking, sheltering him from Geto. Even if he was willing to take the chance, he was putting everyone in danger. Was Yuta worth the trouble? Was everyone else aware of his situation?

As the dark thoughts crept in, they finally reached two large metal doors into the dining hall. Not knowing what to expect, he followed behind Toge as he pushed them open, revealing four students around the same age as him.

Even though Yuta felt older than everyone else, they were all around the same age. His upbringing and past forced him to grow up faster than most, and he felt the difference in their auras the second he sat down.

Toge pointed at Yuta, then the rest of the group. Without words, he received a silent introduction. Did Yuta not always talk to everyone? Yuta felt an emotion he wasn't used to at that moment. Confused as to what he was feeling, he wore a mask of emptiness as he introduced himself.

"I'm Yuta, nice to meet you all." He said quietly, trying a different approach than he used with Gojo. He threw his pride out the window and tried to be as polite as possible. He was in no situation to be brash or conceited, or indifferent.

"I'm Maki." The girl from across the table said, crossing her arms. She gave off a strong aura, although Yuta couldn't sense any cursed energy from her.

Yuta shifted his eyes towards the spikey black hair male who was sitting next to her. He exuberated cursed energy, but it seemed like more than he knew he had. "I'm Megumi, pleasure to meet you." he said politely, before returning to the conversation he was having with Maki before Yuta sat down.

Toge pointed to the next male, someone that looked more dead inside than Yuta. He was fascinated by his eyes, the dark circles that surrounded them. With a look of death, the man cleared his throat. "I'm Choso, hello."

Yuta smiled briefly, why was he excited to meet someone that seemed they had it worse off than him?

After the introductions had finished, Yuta ate in silence. He felt awkward the entire time, not used to the company. After living in solitude for so long, would he get used to being around other people?

Once dinner was over, Yuta was the first to leave. He felt a strange feeling rising in his stomach as he tried to navigate the corridors on his own. With heavy feet he got lost a few times, finding his way to the courtyard instead of the staircase that would lead him to his room.

He aimlessly walked the courtyard, realizing that he was enjoying being alone. Being around everyone at dinner made him feel uneasy, as if he couldn't act the way he wanted to. Putting on a mask of deception, that he wasn't empty or broken inside took a lot out of him, he felt drained.

Hearing voices off in the distance, he edged closer to them. As he grew closer to them, he heard Sukuna's faint voice.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? I can try to shelter him myself for as long as I can."

"We will manage." Gojo said sternly.

"Aren't you worried for the others?"

"When have you cared so much about the safety of my students? That's very unlike you, Sukuna." Gojo laughed manically, almost as if a screw was loose.

"Very well. I leave him in your hands."

Yuta had sunk down the wall he was hiding behind, eavesdropping on their conversation before he couldn't take anymore. He knew the gamble both were taking, and even if he was thankful for it, he couldn't help the creeping doubt he felt. He let out a sigh and decided it was time to find his way back to his dorm.