𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤! 𝐧𝐨, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲

┌──── ∘°❉°∘ ────┐

𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤! 𝐧𝐨, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲

└──── °∘❉∘° ────┘

𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰ ───

--THE TRAINING FIELD BUZZED WITH ENERGY—or, more accurately, chaos. Everyone was supposed to be sharpening their skills for the Sister School Exchange Event, but as usual, things had taken a turn for the ridiculous.

Misa adjusted her sneakers, suppressing a laugh as Nobara stormed past her, dragging Panda by the arm.

"Panda, you absolute moron!" Nobara's voice rang out, carrying across the field. "Why would you tackle me while I was holding a nail in my hand? I nearly stabbed myself!"

Panda raised his free paw defensively, his voice dripping with mock innocence. "In my defense, you looked like you needed a hug."

"You're not funny!" Nobara barked, practically flinging him toward a training mat. She dusted off her skirt and stomped away, muttering something about being "surrounded by circus animals."

From a distance, Megumi snorted, leaning against a tree. "You'd think she'd be used to this by now."

"She definitely would be if she stopped assuming common sense is universal," Misa quipped, giving him a side glance.

"Don't drag me into this," Megumi muttered, though the corner of his mouth twitched in amusement.

Meanwhile, in the far corner of the field, Maki was demonstrating techniques with her wooden staff when Panda decided to challenge her—a decision he quickly regretted.

"Come on, Maki," Panda said, throwing a casual jab. "Go easy on me. I've had a rough morning."

Maki smirked, spinning her staff expertly. "The only thing rough about your morning was deciding whether to eat three donuts or four. Now, pay attention!"

In one swift move, she tripped him, sending Panda sprawling onto his back.

From the sidelines, Inumaki nodded approvingly. "Salmon."

"Yeah, yeah," Panda groaned, trying to untangle himself. "Next time, how about some actual advice, Inumaki?"

"Bonito flakes," Inumaki said with a shrug, earning a laugh from Rina.

The training session had been veering toward chaos for a while, but when Nobara and Misa clashed, it truly went off the rails.

It started innocently enough—or at least, as innocent as anything involving Nobara could be. Misa had been practicing some footwork drills when Nobara, returning from a sparring session, muttered just loud enough for Rina to hear:

"Well, at least some of us know how to throw a proper punch."

Misa paused mid-step, whipping her head toward Nobara. "Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean?"

Nobara spun around, hands on her hips and a smirk plastered across her face. "It means you fight like you're trying out for a dance recital, not a battle."

"Really? That's funny coming from someone who only knows how to hit things with a hammer because she can't aim for anything smaller than a barn door," Misa shot back, her eyes narrowing.

The tension crackled between them as the other students slowly turned to watch, sensing the brewing storm.

"Uh-oh," Panda muttered, glancing nervously between the two. "This isn't good."

Toge, standing nearby, sighed and muttered, "Salmon."

By now, Misa and Nobara were stalking toward each other, their strides slow and deliberate like two gunslingers ready to duel at high noon. Nobara's hammer dangled ominously in her grip, while Misa clenched her fists, her knuckles cracking in a way that sent shivers down Panda's spine.

"Okay, okay, ladies, let's not—" Panda started, stepping forward to intercept them.

"Stay out of this, Panda!" Nobara snapped.

"Bonito flakes!" Toge added, grabbing Misa's arm before she could lunge.

"Let go, Toge!" Misa growled, tugging against his grip. "She's asking for it!"

Panda tried to hold Nobara back, wrapping his large paw around her shoulders. "Nobara, think about this! Do you really want to start something?"

"Yes, I really do!" Nobara snapped, wriggling in his hold.

"Salmon!" Toge hissed, his grip tightening as Rina leaned forward, still trying to advance.

Panda groaned as Nobara managed to twist free and march forward a few steps before he grabbed her again. "Guys, we're supposed to be training, not recreating a wrestling match!"

"Training?!" Nobara barked, pointing furiously at Misa. "How am I supposed to focus on training with her over here acting like she's better than me?"

"I never said I was better than you!" Misa countered, throwing her hands in the air. "I just implied it heavily!"

"Bonito flakes!" Toge exclaimed, desperately holding Misa back as she surged forward again.

Panda groaned, now holding Nobara back with both arms. "This is ridiculous! I'm not paid enough for this—wait, I'm not even paid!"

The shouting match continued, with Misa and Nobara slinging insults while their respective "handlers" tried to keep them separated. Maki, watching from the sidelines with a wooden staff resting against her shoulder, sighed deeply.

"You'd think they were rivals in a soap opera," she muttered, shaking her head.

From the other side of the field, Megumi barely looked up from his book. "Let them tire themselves out. It's better this way."

Just as it seemed like Nobara might break free from Panda's grip and Misa would overpower Toge, a familiar voice echoed across the field.

"What's going on here?"

Everyone froze.

Gojo stood at the edge of the training field, hands in his pockets and his ever-present smirk plastered across his face. His sunglasses glinted in the light as he tilted his head curiously.

"Are we... practicing teamwork or plotting an anime fight scene?"

"Gojo-sensei!" Panda shouted, visibly relieved. "Help me out here! These two are about to go full WWE on each other!"

Gojo strolled forward, hands still in his pockets, and stopped between Rina and Nobara, who were still glaring daggers at each other. "Alright, ladies," he said cheerfully. "Let's settle this like mature adults."

"Finally!" Nobara huffed, crossing her arms.

"Yes," Misa agreed, folding her own arms.

Gojo's grin widened. "Rock, paper, scissors!"

The silence that followed was deafening. Nobara and Misa stared at him like he'd lost his mind.

"You can't be serious," Misa said flatly.

"I'm always serious," Gojo replied, pushing his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose.

Panda, still holding Nobara back, sighed in relief. "Honestly? This might be our best option."

"Salmon," Toge agreed, finally releasing Misa.

With exaggerated reluctance, Nobara and Misa raised their hands, glaring at each other one last time before playing an aggressive round of rock, paper, scissors.

Misa won.

"See?" Gojo said brightly, clapping his hands together. "Teamwork and conflict resolution! I'm a genius."

Both girls rolled their eyes, but the tension eased. For now.

"This is chaos," Muttered Megumi with his arms crossed.

"Chaos means you're learning." Quipped Gojo. "Now, who wants to demonstrate their progress?"

Nobody volunteered.

Misa crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "You mean, who wants to get humiliated by you for fun?"

"Exactly!" Gojo said cheerfully. "Rina, you're up!"

"What? No!"

"Too late!" In a blink, Gojo was standing in front of her, gesturing dramatically toward the mat. "Come on, don't be shy. Let's see what you've got."

Misa groaned but complied, stepping onto the mat as the others gathered around to watch. Her chest tightened slightly—not from fear of sparring Gojo, but from the persistent weight of thoughts she couldn't shake. Still, she pushed them aside as she raised her fists.

"Alright," Gojo said, clapping his hands together. "Show me what you've got—and don't hold back, or I'll be forced to embarrass you in front of everyone."

Misa rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the corner of her mouth from twitching upward. "You're already embarrassing enough for all of us combined."

Gojo gasped in mock offense. "Oh, the sass! You're going to regret that."

For the first time all day, Misa found herself smiling, if only for a moment, before the sparring began.

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰ ───

--The dojo was still alive with energy as the group began to wind down. Nobara and Misa had been firmly separated by Toge and Panda, but the tension had already dissolved into a more playful atmosphere. Gojo, now lazily sprawled against the wall with his arms behind his head, watched with an amused grin as the first years continued their antics.

"Alright, alright," Gojo called out, clapping his hands together once. "That's enough almost destroying the dojo for one day. Time to cool it before I start charging you all for damages."

Misa, still buzzing from the adrenaline, spotted Panda lounging nearby and immediately got an idea. "Panda!" she yelled with a grin, dashing toward him.

Panda turned his head lazily, catching sight of her sprinting his way. "What now—?"

Before he could finish, Misa leaped onto his back, her arms wrapping around his neck in a playful hug. Panda let out a loud laugh, standing up straight as if her weight was nothing at all. "Really? You're just going to use me as your personal jungle gym now?"

"Why not?" Misa teased, holding on tightly. "You're literally built for this!"

Panda grinned, his large hands holding her legs to keep her steady. "Fine, but don't complain if you get dizzy!"

Without warning, Panda began to spin in circles, picking up speed as Misa squealed and clung tighter to him. The other students paused their conversations to watch, chuckling at the absurdity of the sight. Nobara crossed her arms with an amused smirk, while Megumi shook his head, muttering something about how ridiculous they all were.

"Faster, Panda!" Misa laughed, her voice ringing out across the room.

"Faster? You got it!" Panda roared, spinning even more rapidly until Misa was laughing too hard to hold on anymore.

"Okay, okay! I surrender!" she yelled between giggles, letting go and sliding off his back. She stumbled a few steps before collapsing onto the mat, still laughing and holding her sides.

Panda leaned over her with a playful smirk. "Not bad for a panda, huh?"

Misa waved a hand weakly. "I'm officially naming you the King of Amusement Parks."

Gojo's voice cut in, amused as always. "If we're done with the spinning and hugging portion of the training session, I'd like to remind everyone that the exchange event is not going to win itself."

"Do you ever stop talking, Gojo?" Nobara quipped, earning a snicker from Toge.

Gojo ignored her, standing and stretching with an exaggerated yawn. "Seriously though, good work today. You're all improving. Even you, Misa, despite being easily distracted by panda rides."

Misa shot him a playful glare, still catching her breath. "Hey, it's called multitasking, Gojo-sensei. Maybe try it sometime."

The room erupted in light laughter, and the sunset light that streamed through the windows seemed to soften the edges of the day. Despite the chaos, the camaraderie among the group was undeniable.

As they began to pack up and leave the dojo, Misa gave Panda a grateful pat on the arm. "Thanks for the spins, buddy."

Panda grinned. "Anytime. Just don't tell the others—they'll want a turn."

Misa laughed, falling into step with the rest of the group as they headed out. The lingering warmth of their shared humor and connection made even the exhaustion from training feel worth it.

As the group began to disperse, Misa suddenly got to her feet, a burst of energy reigniting in her. Without a word of warning, she darted toward Nobara and Megumi, her arms outstretched.

"What now—?!" Nobara started, but she didn't get the chance to finish before Misa barreled into both of them, wrapping them up in a tight embrace.

"Group hug!" Misa declared triumphantly, squeezing them like her life depended on it.

"Misa! Personal space!" Nobara yelped, flailing as Misa practically crushed her against Megumi.

Megumi, looking absolutely unamused, groaned, "Why am I part of this?"

"Because I love you both!" Misa said dramatically, pressing her cheek against Nobara's. "And we're all in this together!"

"Let go!" Nobara whined, struggling to free herself. "You're sweaty, and it's gross!"

"Like you're not!" Misa teased, tightening her grip. "I've seen you after training—you're practically a walking water fountain."

"That's different!" Nobara snapped, trying unsuccessfully to pry Misa's arm off her.

Panda, watching from the sidelines, chuckled. "Should we intervene, or is this just their thing now?"

"Let them fight it out," Gojo said with a lazy wave of his hand. "It's good bonding."

Toge nodded in agreement, tilting his head to the side as if to say, Better them than us.

Back in the chaos of the group hug, Megumi finally sighed and gave up resisting. "Fine. Hug it out. Get it over with."

"Aw, Fushiguro!" Misa cooed, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder. "You do have a heart in there somewhere!"

"I regret everything," Megumi muttered.

"You regret everything?" Nobara shot back, glaring at him over Misa's shoulder. "What about me?! I'm trapped here too!"

"Okay, okay, fine," Misa said, releasing them at last. "No need to be so dramatic. Geez."

Nobara immediately stepped back, brushing herself off like she'd been attacked. "Dramatic? You're the one assaulting us with hugs, Misa!"

"Assault?" Misa gasped, pretending to be offended. "I was expressing my love! You guys are the ones with issues!"

"You're the issue," Nobara said, though her tone had softened into something closer to amusement.

Megumi rubbed the back of his neck, glancing between the two of them. "You both have issues."

"True," Misa and Nobara said in unison, earning a rare laugh from Megumi despite himself.

As the three of them walked off together, still bantering, the dojo seemed quieter in their absence. Gojo watched them leave, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"They're coming together nicely," Panda remarked.

"They'll need it for what's ahead," Gojo replied, his tone light but carrying an undercurrent of seriousness.

Panda hummed in agreement before turning to Toge. "Wanna bet on which of them snaps first at the exchange event?"

"Tuna mayo," Toge said, pointing at Nobara.

Gojo laughed. "Smart money's on Kugisaki, but don't underestimate Misa. She's got chaos in her blood."

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚