The evening light dimmed, leaving behind fading shades of orange between the city's worn-out buildings.
Maki stood casually, arms still crossed over her chest, her gaze unreadable—sharp, but not judgmental. "I've been watching you since the fourth house."
Yuuji frowned, caught off guard. "What?"
"Yeah. I happened to be nearby," Maki replied, shrugging slightly as if it wasn't a big deal. "Thought I was seeing things, but it was really you. I got curious, so I followed."
Yuuji let out a long sigh, lowering his head for a moment before meeting Maki's gaze again. Something inside him grumbled in frustration—annoyed that he hadn't noticed her earlier.
"So, you already know what I'm doing?" His voice came out rougher than he intended. Maki didn't answer immediately. She just stared at him—silent, but not empty.
She was studying his face.
The usual confidence he carried was shaken. His shoulders sagged slightly, and the sharpness in his eyes had dulled.
This wasn't the Itadori Yuuji she knew.
"You look like someone who just got their ass kicked by life," Maki finally said. Her tone wasn't mocking, but it wasn't sympathetic either. "What are you really looking for, Yuuji?"
Yuuji parted his lips, ready to give the standard lie—"I'm fine." But the words never came. Because the moment he tried to say them, something inside his chest clenched hard.
Like an unseen hand squeezing his heart. Like an old wound being torn open again. And he realized… he couldn't lie.
His mouth shut. He turned his gaze to the side, jaw tightening before finally exhaling a long breath. He didn't need words to answer. Maki saw it—the pain on his face.
She understood. But instead of offering comfort, she simply raised an eyebrow. "So?" she asked again. "Still not ready to talk?"
Yuuji lowered his head slightly, running a frustrated hand through his hair. He could feel Maki's gaze, waiting—expecting—but he didn't want to talk.
Didn't want to burden anyone. Didn't want to involve anyone. So, he did the only thing he could do—changed the subject.
"I'm more curious about you," he said, his voice lighter than it should've been. "What are you even doing here, Maki? I thought you were still wandering around somewhere, like a wild wolf that can't sit still."
A loud smack! echoed through the narrow alley.
Yuuji felt the impact of a palm against his head, hard enough to make him lurch forward slightly.
"The hell's that supposed to mean, huh?!" Maki snapped, sounding offended—but not truly angry. Her eyes narrowed, but there was the faintest tug at the corner of her lips, like she was holding back a laugh she didn't want to show.
Still rubbing his head, Yuuji turned to her with a half-annoyed expression. "Hey, that actually hurt—"
"Good. Maybe it'll get that thick skull of yours working," Maki cut in flatly.
Yuuji sighed and leaned back against the brick wall behind him. "So?" he asked, eyes watching her intently. "Why'd you come back to Tokyo?"
Maki didn't answer right away. She folded her arms across her chest, her gaze shifting to the darkening sky.
"Just wanted to check in," she finally said, her voice quieter. "I don't have anything to do with Jujutsu Academy anymore, but… well, I still wanted to see how they're handling the next generation."
A cold breeze passed through the alley.
Yuuji studied her more closely. From the way she stood, from the way she spoke—there was something she wasn't saying.
"So, you still care," Yuuji murmured. Maki turned to him, brows knitting slightly—but she didn't deny it. "Did you really think I'd just stop caring?" she challenged.
Yuuji shook his head lightly. "No. I just wanted to hear you say it." A brief silence settled between them. No words were needed—they understood each other.
Then, Maki took a deep breath, exhaling slowly before finally leaning against the wall beside Yuuji. "So," she said, her tone shifting back to casual. "You're still not gonna talk, huh?" Yuuji only gave a small smile, saying nothing.