Junpei adapted to his new school quickly. Aside from spending a few hours watching movies with Itadori in the morning, he also took the initiative (or was forced) to head to the training area and work out with everyone else.
Perhaps because it wasn't a period of rampant curse outbreaks and many people were currently staying at the school, Junpei managed to meet quite a few people in less than a day:
Besides the already familiar Itadori and Kugisaki, there was Maki, who carried the air of a natural big sister figure; Panda, who looked like a panda and felt like a panda too; and Toge Inumaki, who only spoke in food ingredients and gave off a slightly gloomy impression.
There was Nanako, cheerful and fond of crepes; and Mimiko, quiet and fond of playing cat's cradle.
And of course, there was Yuta Okkotsu, the "acknowledged big brother of the second years," who practically existed in legend due to his tightly packed mission schedule.
Some of them had strange personalities, and a few even seemed rougher than actual delinquents. But once you got to know them, you would realize they were all incredibly kind people…
"Your personality determines everything. Even if the trajectory of fate changes, some things will never change. Don't hold yourself back. In this fundamentally distorted world, experience what real life is like…"
In a familiar spot, Akira Zenin lay beneath the shade of a tree, staring up at the leaves above that barely managed to block the sunlight. Perhaps because too much time had passed, the thick branch that used to serve as a place to sit had long since broken off.
If one looked closely, they would notice a pattern formed by two overlapping eyes within Akira Zenin's gaze. The pattern connected end to end, slowly rotating without pause.
It was a talisman he had learned from a certain Shikigami user in the Zenin Clan. The charm allowed one to share the vision of a Shikigami. Although those people weren't particularly powerful overall, some of their techniques were quite useful.
Of course, the charm couldn't distinguish colors. The image he saw was only black and white, slightly blurry…
As for the Shikigami sharing its vision with him, it was a Rabbit Escape hiding within the shadows near the Jujutsu High training field…
"So? Pretty lively, right? Feeling jealous?"
A certain white-haired man with an eye covering suddenly appeared nearby, looking toward the direction where the students were gathered.
"Be careful. In a place this crowded with obstacles, don't make such flashy entrances. Did you forget the last time you used [Blue] to teleport and ended up stuck inside a tree?"
"Wow. The 'last time' you're talking about happened ten years ago, didn't it?"
"The kids really are full of energy. But there are too many people here. It's not a place that suits me…"
"Ehh~~ Still as gloomy as ever."
"Where's Suguru?"
"He went to handle a 'smallpox' incident in a mountain village…"
"Don't let him deal with those mountain villagers alone."
Satoru Gojo raised an eyebrow and looked toward Akira Zenin lying on the ground, though his eyes were hidden behind the covering.
"I've always wondered. What exactly have you been afraid of all this time? Suguru has handled plenty of incidents like this over the years. He's not a kid anymore."
Akira Zenin fell silent for a moment. Even though he believed he could look at things objectively, his subconscious still influenced him.
"It's nothing. Maybe it was just a dream… I almost forgot. Everyone grows up eventually…"
Satoru Gojo broke into an exaggerated grin.
"You really do treat him like a child. If Suguru heard that, he'd cry."
"It's fine. His tears get stuck behind his eyelids and can't come out anyway~~"
"Oh?"
"Ahem. I didn't say anything just now…"
Satoru Gojo found a spot and sat down directly on the ground. He did nothing to avoid it, letting the dirt freely stain his clothes.
"Want me to have them hold back a little?"
"Huh?"
"At next month's sister school exchange event, I'll have them take it easy on you so you don't get embarrassed~~"
"I'm actually curious. What exactly does your version of 'going easy' mean?"
"We'll only send Okkotsu from our side. That should raise your chances of winning a bit~~"
"..."
Akira Zenin remained completely expressionless.
"I knew it… So you're planning to solo it again like last time? Back then Noritoshi was pretty depressed for a while."
"Noritoshi, huh? He's a good kid. Sometimes he just tries too hard to act composed. As a Jujutsu Sorcerer, you can't keep yourself so restrained all the time."
"It can't be helped. You know what the Kamo family is like. He's been boxed in by rules and expectations for far too long."
Because of Akira Zenin's presence, the Zenin Clan never interfered with Maki and Mai's promotions, and the general atmosphere between the two schools was fairly good.
Aside from Noritoshi Kamo, who wanted his strength to be widely recognized, and Miwa, who had two younger brothers to support, most of the others had no particular need to prove themselves.
So from the Tokyo Jujutsu High side, the sister school exchange event really felt like a social gathering with a competition attached.
"A Jujutsu Sorcerer's growth isn't linear. Setting aside fluctuations in Cursed Energy limits caused by major trauma, or sudden 'epiphanies' in controlling Cursed Energy, sometimes even a simple shift in mindset or how someone views themselves can lead to growth."
"Of course I know that. I was joking earlier, you couldn't tell? Young people should be allowed to do their own thing."
"Fair enough…"
Satoru Gojo glanced at the shadow beneath Akira Zenin, which was constantly shifting.
"Still getting used to it?"
"Yeah. Cursed Energy doesn't just double on my birthday. It grows gradually during normal days too. It just wasn't noticeable before because the base amount wasn't high enough… Now I have to rely on him to provide solutions all the time."
"You could just get a proper night's sleep. I'll go ask Tengen to set up a Barrier, then Suguru and I can monitor your physical condition."
"No need. There's too much going on right now. I won't waste your time. Besides, once you've seen sunlight, you won't want to go back to the dark. Every time I fall into a deep sleep, it takes a long time to readjust afterward."
The smile faded from Satoru Gojo's face. He stayed silent for a moment.
"That must be rough…"
Gojo had experienced that kind of exhaustion before. Back when he was protecting Riko Amanai, just a few days without sleep would already cause his condition to decline. Going an entire year without sleeping, relying on Cursed Energy stimulation and then using Reverse Cursed Technique to repair the brain was simply…
"I'm just a contradictory person. Someone who doesn't want to bear karmic consequences, yet still longs for the splendor of the human world."
Satoru Gojo held his head and shook it. Every time he talked with Akira Zenin, the conversation somehow drifted into strange territory.
The existence of [Heavenly Restriction] itself seemed tied to some inexplicable karma. Whether or not it granted the bearer what they desired, it always brought suffering that ordinary people would never experience.
"Alright, alright. I'm just saying this as a friend. If you ever feel like you can't handle it, come find us anytime.
You said it yourself before. Friends should confide in each other."
"Yeah. Don't worry."
...
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