Chapter Text
Utahime sighed, her fingers rubbing at her temples as the sound of Gojo’s laughter echoed down the hallway. It had been another long day at Kyoto Jujutsu High, and Gojo had, unsurprisingly, left chaos in his wake once again.
“Honestly, how does he manage to stir things up without even being here half the time?” she muttered to herself as she pushed the door to the teachers’ lounge open, ready to collapse into one of the worn-out armchairs.
But to her surprise, the lounge wasn’t empty. Nanami Kento sat at the small round table, already nursing what appeared to be his second—or maybe third—cup of coffee for the day. His usual immaculate beige suit contrasted sharply with the mismatched furniture around him. He looked up when she entered, offering a slight nod.
“Utahime-san,” he greeted her in his typical calm, measured tone.
“Oh, Nanami, I didn’t expect to see you here.” She quickly adjusted her surprise into a polite smile and moved toward the counter to make herself some tea.
Nanami rarely used the lounge, preferring quiet spaces to relax after work, but she figured he must have been passing through the school for a meeting. As the kettle whirred to life, Utahime poured her tea and plopped down on the couch across from him.
“Rough day?” she asked, watching as Nanami calmly set his coffee cup down.
“Productive,” he said evenly, though the slight tension in his posture suggested it hadn’t been quite as smooth as he was making it seem. “And you?”
Utahime groaned, slumping in her seat. “Gojo. He thought it would be funny to prank the first years by pretending the school was haunted.”
Nanami raised an eyebrow, his lips tugging ever so slightly into a frown. “That sounds... immature.”
“Right?!” Utahime waved a hand dramatically. “Now I’m the one stuck with the aftermath. And of course, he’s off somewhere in Tokyo, so he doesn’t have to clean up his mess.”
Nanami nodded, the corner of his mouth twitching in what might have been a smile. “Sounds typical of him.”
They fell into a companionable silence after that, Utahime sipping her tea while Nanami slowly finished his coffee. She was used to moments like this—shared, quiet breaks with colleagues who understood the unique stresses of being a jujutsu sorcerer. What she didn’t realize was that Nanami had become something of a regular feature in her workday. She didn’t mind. He was good company—reliable, calm, and, unlike certain other sorcerers, not prone to causing chaos wherever he went.
She stretched her arms over her head, letting out a small sigh. “Honestly, sometimes I wonder how I’ve survived working here this long.”
Nanami glanced at her, his expression neutral. “I’d imagine it’s because you’re quite capable. Despite Gojo’s antics.”
Utahime blinked at him, caught off guard by the compliment. “Oh, well... thanks, I guess. I try.”
“You succeed,” Nanami added matter-of-factly, before glancing at his empty coffee cup. “It’s commendable.”
Utahime felt a flush rise to her cheeks but quickly brushed it off. Nanami was just being polite, right? That’s just how he was—always calm and professional. There was no way he meant anything by it.
Still, the unexpected praise felt nice.
They lapsed into silence again, though this time it felt... different. Utahime glanced at Nanami, who seemed unusually relaxed, his eyes momentarily closing as if savouring the brief quiet of the lounge. She could see the tension in his shoulders gradually ease, something that made her realize just how hard he pushed himself day in and day out.
“Must be nice,” she mused aloud. “To be so... together all the time.”
Nanami opened one eye, glancing at her curiously. “What do you mean?”
She gestured vaguely at him. “You always seem so composed, like nothing phases you. I’m over here barely holding it together half the time.”
Nanami’s lips twitched into what could have been a smile, but it was so brief Utahime almost thought she imagined it. “It may seem that way, but... we all have our limits.”
“Not you,” Utahime teased. “I bet you don’t even lose your cool when Gojo’s being his usual self.”
Nanami actually let out a small chuckle—a quiet, deep sound that Utahime hadn’t expected to hear. “I’ve simply learned to ignore Gojo. It’s the most efficient way to handle him.”
Utahime grinned. “I’ll have to remember that.”
As they shared the small moment of humour, Utahime noticed a shift in Nanami’s demeanour—something about the way his eyes lingered on her just a second longer than usual, or the way he seemed a little less distant, a little more present. But before she could overthink it, Nanami stood, smoothing out his suit.
“I should be going,” he said, his voice as steady as ever. “But Utahime-san—”
She looked up at him, tilting her head in question. “Yeah?”
His eyes softened just a fraction. “You’re more capable than you give yourself credit for.”
And with that, he turned and left, leaving Utahime sitting on the couch, blinking in confusion. It wasn’t until she was alone in the lounge that the full weight of his words hit her.
Nanami Kento—ever composed, ever professional—had just complimented her twice in the span of one conversation. And while she chalked it up to his usual courtesy, there was something about the way he had said it that stuck with her.
She frowned slightly, staring at the door where he’d disappeared.
Had that been... a compliment? Or was she just reading too much into it?
She shook her head, standing up and collecting her cup. “Get it together, Utahime,” she muttered. “He’s just being nice.”
But even as she walked out of the lounge, she couldn’t help but think back to the small, lingering look in his eyes, the faintest hint of warmth in his voice.
For the first time in a long while, Utahime found herself a little unsure of what to make of Nanami Kento.