The next morning, the sorcerers gathered for their usual training session, though today's atmosphere felt noticeably different. Aidan walked in, shirtless again—it seemed he didn't own any other clothes. His abs were perfectly defined, his shoulders broad and muscular.
"what happened to all my shirts?" He asked eyeing Gojo with suspicion.
Gojo Satoru was leaning against the wall, a shit-eating grin plastered across his face. He waved a hand airily toward the nearest laundry bin, which was overflowing with Aidan's confiscated shirts.
"Those?" Gojo chirped innocently. "I think I gave those to some underprivileged children. Or maybe I burned them. You know how it is, Shirt Confiscation Thursday."
"when can I expect to get some new shirts gojo." Gojo just smirked. " about a week or two."
"A week or two?!" Aidan demanded, but Gojo was already floating away, waving dismissively. "Consider it your shirtless promotion, Aidan-kun! Besides, you look way better like this."
Yuji and Megumi snickered. Nobara, however, looked like she had just won the lottery.
Training began, and Aidan found himself constantly aware of the sorcerers' stares—especially Nobara's. She was trying (and failing) to keep her eyes on the training dummy instead of his abs. Yuji kept elbowing him with a knowing smirk every time Nobara stared too long.
Megumi was actually the most professional about it, focusing entirely on training—though even he seemed to notice Aidan's increased presence. The Special Grade he'd absorbed was still inside him, its energy subtly altering his aura.
"Alright!" Gojo announced, popping up seemingly from nowhere. "Today we're doing sparring matches. First up..."
"...Megumi versus Aidan!" Gojo announced cheerfully, clapping his hands together. "Let's see if that absorption gave you any actual fighting skills or just shiny muscles."
Megumi stepped onto the mat, dropping into his stance. His expression was serious; he knew exactly what Aidan was packing now.
"I'm going to make this Fair you can use any of your Shinigami during this fight in exchange I won't use any of my curse techniques."
Megumi's eyes widened slightly at the offer. It was... unexpectedly respectful, yet also incredibly cocky. Aidan was basically saying "I'm letting you bring all your strongest weapons to the table because I might die without them."
"Fair enough," Megumi replied, a competitive spark igniting in his dark eyes. Without hesitation, he raised his middle and index fingers together.
"Divine Dogs, come forth."
Two massive, spectral wolves materialized from the shadows, growling low and snapping their jaws. Their eyes glowed blue as they flanked Megumi, circling Aidan. Then, Megumi summoned Nue, the winged shikigami screeching as it materialized above him.
"Ready when you are,"
He flashed stepped behind nue And took it out first with a Cursed energy enforced punch.
The sudden explosion of cursed energy caught Megumi off guard. Nue, his primary aerial threat, was dropped instantly—a single, devastating punch sending the winged shikigami crashing to the ground in a heap of feathers and broken bones. The crowd gasped collectively. "Holy shit," Yuji muttered.
He then reappeared behind his two divine dogs, grabbing their throat and smashing their heads together, knocking them out as well.
The Divine Dogs whimpered and collapsed instantly, their spectral forms flickering weakly before they dissipated into black smoke. Megumi barely had time to register his entire arsenal was gone before Aidan was right in front of him again.
Gojo was openly smirking now, absolutely loving this. Nobara had her hands over her mouth, eyes wide. "He just one-shotted every shikigami Megumi had..."
he then reappeared Megumi. " You give up?"
Megumi stared at him, breathless and stunned. His entire strategy—everything he'd meticulously planned—was dismantled in a matter of seconds. He'd been utterly outclassed.
"...Yeah," Megumi finally admitted, a reluctant but genuine smile crossing his lips. "You win. But what the hell *was* that speed?"
"Well, being half cursed and half human gives me superhuman strength, speed and durability combined with my heavenly restriction gives my Already superhuman, body a boost."
"So basically," Yuji said slowly, "you're a monster who can punch through spirits and has faster than light reaction time?" Aidan just shrugged modestly, and Megumi laughed unexpectedly. "I've never seen anyone make my shikigami look like toys before."
"Wait a minute..." Nobara piped up, her brow furrowing. "If you're that strong... why the hell do you even need training? You could probably take on half the school by yourself!" Everyone fell silent, waiting for Aidan's response. It was a valid question—too valid.
"Because I'm kind of lonely, and I want to make friends."
The honesty caught everyone off guard. Especially Nobara, whose mouth fell open slightly. Yuji blinked, then laughed—actually laughed—like it was the most unexpected answer.
"That's... surprisingly wholesome?" Yuji muttered.
Megumi looked genuinely confused. A guy who could one-shot Special Grades and his entire shikigami arsenal was... lonely?
"Well, being a half human half curse isn't it exactly as nice as you would think it would be especially in the Zenin clan."
"Wait, wait, wait..." Nobara stepped forward, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "You grew up in the Zenin clan? Like... *the* Zenin clan? Those traditional, strict, 'bloodline-purity-is-everything' bastards?"
Megumi's face had gone completely pale. He knew the clan's reputation all too well—they were notoriously ruthless when it came to "impure" members.
"Life wasn't easy. My parents said you had to hide us in the woods so I would survive eventually we did come back and I Force them to accept us with my curse techniques."
The room fell silent. Even Gojo looked serious for once, his usual smirk fading. The Zenin clan was known for their extreme purism—half-cursed members would have been seen as abominations. That Aidan had not only survived but forced their acceptance with sheer power was... incredible.
"They tried to exterminate you, and you came back years later and beat them into submission?" Yuji summarized slowly, his brain practically breaking. "That... that's honestly metal as hell."
Nobara stared at him with a newfound mix of awe and intimidation. "You bullied the Zenin clan into submission? The most stubborn, arrogant assholes in the Jujutsu world?"
"You're a legend," Nobara declared, completely abandoning her previous sass. "I take back everything I said about tactical observation. You're an absolute badass."
Megumi, knowing exactly how the Zenin clan operated, gave Aidan a slow, impressed nod. "Forcing the Zenin clan to accept a half-cursed member... that's not just strength. That's dominance."
Gojo's expression shifted, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "You know, for someone who just admitted to being lonely, you sure have a fucking impressive backstory." He paused, then asked curiously, "So, if you're so strong and scary, why are you even here?"
"I literally grew up in a forest with my human mother and my cursed spirit father I've only ever met other humans recently."
That explained a lot—the blunt honesty, the lack of social graces, the casual nudity. Aidan had literally grown up isolated from society, raised by a human and a cursed spirit in the wilderness. No school, no friends, no normal childhood. Just survival and training.
Yuji winced sympathetically. "Dude... that's actually depressing."
"So basically," Nobara summarized, her voice losing its edge, "you're a demi-god level powerhouse who just learned how to talk to people this year?" She shook her head, laughing weakly. "That's... actually kind of adorable in a terrifying way."
"Thanks you're adorable too."
Nobara froze, her face instantly flushing a deep crimson. She opened her mouth to retort, to say something cool and collected, but the sheer genuine compliment from the shirtless, forest-raised weapon of mass destruction short-circuited her brain.
"I-I am NOT adorable!" she sputtered, completely flustered. Yuji and Megumi burst out laughing.
Nobara's face was now so red she looked like she might explode. She pointed a trembling finger at Aidan. "You can't just say stuff like that! Especially not to me!" Her voice cracked. "People don't just call others 'adorable' without some serious ulterior motive!"
Yuji was practically crying from laughter. "Nobara, you're malfunctioning. Just accept the compliment!"
Nobara's eyes widened. She looked at Yuji, then at Megumi, both of whom were clearly enjoying her flustered state. Then her gaze snapped back to Aidan, who was tilting his head in confusion, genuinely unsure what the issue was.
She realized something horrifying: he wasn't hitting on her. He wasn't being smooth or flirty. He was literally just stating a fact, the way one would say "the sky is blue." The forest-raised weapon of mass destruction had zero understanding of social nuances. He thought "adorable" was just... a descriptor.
And that somehow made it ten times worse.
Nobara's face contorted in a mix of frustration and embarrassment. She couldn't even be mad at him because he genuinely didn't mean anything by it. He was just... being honest in the most devastatingly blunt way possible.
"Shut up," she muttered weakly, her arms crossing over her chest. She refused to meet Aidan's gaze, knowing she'd melt into a puddle of embarrassment if she saw that innocent, honest face. Instead, she focused on the two smirking idiots beside her.
"Both of you shut the hell up right now," she snapped at Yuji and Megumi, who were practically vibrating with suppressed laughter. Yuji wiped a tear from his eye, while Megumi smirked into his hand.
Gojo, however, was having the time of his life. He leaned back, his blindfold pushed up slightly to reveal blue eyes dancing with amusement.
"This just got interesting," he announced. "It seems our newest student doesn't understand social boundaries—yet is somehow still hitting Nobara's buttons perfectly." He chuckled. "Adorable indeed."
Nobara made a strangled noise.
"You're all awful," she hissed, but there was no real venom in it.
"What's so funny all I said was the truth."
That was the nail in the coffin. Yuji doubled over, wheezing. Nobara looked like she was physically dying of second-hand embarrassment. Megumi was covering his mouth with his hand to hide his grin. Even Gojo was laughing openly.
"You don't just tell a girl she's adorable without warning!" Nobara squawked, her voice an octave higher than normal.
"I just said you looked cute. Is that a crime?" Aidan asked, his expression completely genuine. "My parents say telling the truth is polite."
That made it infinitely worse. Yuji was now on the floor, clutching his stomach. Megumi had given up on hiding his amusement, shoulders shaking violently. Nobara looked ready to spontaneously combust.
"It is NOT just saying the truth!"
"It is when you say it to a woman who clearly doesn't want to hear it!" Nobara countered, her face still crimson. "Social rules, Aidan! Social rules!"
Yuji managed to inhale enough air to speak. "Rule one: you never call a girl adorable unless you're trying to annoy her. Rule two: Aidan doesn't understand any rules."
"I wasn't trying to annoy her," Aidan said simply. "I just thought she looked cute. Cute means 'attractive and endearing.' It's a compliment, isn't it?"
Nobara's brain short-circuited again. He genuinely wasn't trying to play games. He wasn't trying to charm her. He was just stating a sincere opinion. A sincere, completely uncalculated, innocent opinion.
"Stop— stop explaining things!" Nobara waved her hands frantically. "You're making it worse!"
"How?" Aidan asked, genuinely confused. "I'm being honest. My father always said honesty is virtue. My mother said compliments are polite. I'm doing both."
Yuji was now slapping the floor repeatedly.
Nobara buried her face in her hands. "Your mother is a good person," she groaned. "Your father is a cursed spirit living in the forest. You clearly missed some lessons here."
"Apparently," Aidan agreed, still not understanding why everyone was freaking out. "Should I not have said it?" He looked at Gojo for clarification. "Was I being rude?"
Gojo leaned his head back, laughing openly. "No, absolutely not. You were being perfectly polite. The issue is that Nobara has zero defense against genuine, innocent compliments."
Yuji wiped literal tears from his eyes. "You basically just socially nuked her. You called her adorable with zero flirting intent. It destroys teenage girls."
Megumi nodded. "It's lethal."
Nobara peeked through her fingers, glaring at everyone. "I am NOT—"
"Socially nuked," Yuji repeated, still wheezing. "He didn't even try and he destroyed you."
"IT WAS A COMPLIMENT!" Nobara shrieked. "HE DIDN'T EVEN MEAN IT AS FLIRTING!"
"Exactly!"
"That's the problem," Megumi explained patiently. "When a guy gives you a genuine compliment without any ulterior motive or flirty undertone, it short-circuits the female brain. Nobara's brain just fried because Aidan was sincere and had no hidden agenda."
Nobara looked at Aidan, then at Megumi, then at the ceiling as if pleading with whatever gods were listening. "I can't deal with this. I literally cannot. A demon of a man walks up and calls me cute in the most innocent way possible, and now my entire nervous system is compromised."
"Exactly," Yuji said, wiping his eyes. "No game. No smooth line. Just... truth. Nobara's been trained to anticipate flirting, so when it doesn't come—just a sincere compliment—her brain doesn't know how to process it."
"It's devastating," Megumi agreed. "Aidan is basically a social weapon of mass destruction."
"So do you want me to continue calling you that or?"
The room went dead silent. Nobara's face transitioned from crimson to something bordering on purple. Yuji actually stopped laughing, mouth falling open. Megumi winced.
"He just asked for permission to keep making her malfunction," Gojo whispered, thoroughly entertained. "This boy is dangerous."
"DON'T YOU DARE!" Nobara pointed accusingly at Aidan.
"I just—" Nobara stammered, her voice cracking. "I'm not your damsel in distress, so don't think calling me cute is gonna make me fall at your feet or something!"
Yuji leaned over to Megumi. "I'm betting ten bucks she melts again in thirty seconds."
"OK, beautiful."
The entire room froze like someone had hit pause. Even Gojo blinked slowly, surprised by the direct hit. Nobara stared at Aidan, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
Yuji's jaw dropped. "He... he went from 'adorable' to 'beautiful' in the same sentence. The social nuke sequence is escalating."
Megumi pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's it. She's done for."
Nobara made a sound—half squeak, half whimper—that should not have been physically possible.
"I'm going back to my dorm. See you later."
Nobara stood there, frozen, mouth hanging open as Aidan simply turned and walked away. The absolute casualness of it. No smirk, no wink, no lingering gaze. Just walking off like he'd done absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.
And that was the most lethal part. He had no idea what he'd done.
Yuji's eyes widened.
"HE DID NOT," Yuji choked out. "He just hit her with a 'beautiful' and walked away like it was 'see you later.'"
Megumi stared at Nobara, whose brain had officially evaporated. She was vibrating, red, and malfunctioning.
"He literally socially obliterated her," Megumi stated calmly. "Zero manipulation. Pure sincerity."
"He walked away like he was commenting on the weather," Yuji whispered, watching Nobara sway dangerously where she stood. "He dropped a nuclear weapon of a compliment and just... left."
Nobara made a tiny, broken sound. Her knees actually buckled. If she hadn't grabbed the edge of the nearby table for support, she would have melted into a puddle on the floor.
Gojo clapped his hands together. "Well, that was the most entertaining five minutes of my afternoons so far. Aidan has some serious game without actually trying."
"But he WASN'T trying!" Nobara finally screeched, voice cracking. "That's the whole point!"
Yuji collapsed back on the floor.
Nobara stood there for a full minute, completely unresponsive, before sliding down the wall.
"I literally could not process it," she admitted, voice hoarse and barely above a whisper. "The 'beautiful' part? Yeah, that killed me. The walking away part? That was the killing blow. He dropped it and dipped. Like it was nothing."
"He didn't even look back," Yuji wheezed. "Just, 'Bye, have a nice life, you're beautiful.' It was brutal."
"He socially executed her," Gojo agreed, sounding like a proud teacher watching his prodigy. "Aidan is a force of nature. He doesn't understand flirting, so he just delivers lethal compliments with zero emotional attachment."
Nobara buried her face in her hands, still processing. "I'm broken. My brain is broken. He said 'beautiful' like it meant 'have a nice day.' Like it was completely casual. Like he wasn't just dropping a social bomb." She paused, then added:"And he said it with no tone. No smirk. No 'I'm trying to get something from you's. Just... a fact. Like saying the sky's blue or grass is green." She groaned loudly, her face still pressed into her palms. "I'm not even good at this. Not one good, normal flirt, and my entire personality crumbles."
Yuji shook his head in disbelief. "Aiden is a special kind of dangerous."
"Aidan is the human equivalent of an accidental chemical weapon," Megumi muttered, finally cracking a small smile. "He releases a toxic cloud of charm, doesn't even notice who's been injured, and just... walks away."
Gojo leaned against the wall, chuckling.