Usually, every story has at least one character you end up liking.
Jujutsu Kaisen was no different.
"A memory that does not exist."
That line first appeared in the Shibuya Incident, but the scene itself had shown up earlier.
Todo Aoi's delusion.
The everyday life he imagined with Itadori Yuji was the perfect example.
'So he'd been exactly like this from the start.'
A massive body hewn from muscle. Overwhelming height.
A face that looked more like a gangster's than a student's.
He was bigger than me in every way.
I'm over 180 centimeters myself, but Todo Aoi is well past 190.
The gap in raw physicality was ridiculous.
And yet that same Todo was staring at us with a vacant expression.
It was serious enough to be unsettling.
'Did something happen?'
He was overbearing, sure, but "larger than life" suited him better than anything else.
Even that loose-screw comedic streak of his.
He had left a huge impression in the Shibuya Incident anime, so I had a soft spot for him.
That was why I felt concerned, and why I wanted to check.
Among the male characters, he was one of my favorites.
"Is something wrong?"
When I approached carefully and asked, Todo snapped back to himself.
It looked like he had just woken from a dream.
"Hm? Ah. My apologies. I lost myself for a moment. But... are you that famous man?"
Todo asked in a subtly old-fashioned tone.
He sounded like somebody's uncle.
That deep, weighty voice only made it worse.
It was genuinely hard to believe he was younger than me.
"I'm famous?"
"Famous doesn't begin to cover it. The white-haired monster who walks with several breathtaking beauties at his side and annihilated the upper ranks. The rumor has spread through the entire jujutsu world."
That was embarrassing.
I could accept that the rumors had spread, but hearing it put that way made my face burn.
Beside me stood Koyanskaya of Darkness and Foreigner.
And Ibuki-douji gave a proud little nod, as if to say the rumor was only natural.
Even the bridge of her nose seemed to lift a little higher.
"Still, just like the rumors said, truly..."
Todo looked at Foreigner and Ibuki-douji, then trailed off.
His expression was almost painfully wistful.
I wondered what that was about, but the answer was in the way he looked at me.
It was envy. Pure and simple.
"I am truly jealous. Which is precisely why I respect you."
"Ah, uh... well, thanks."
When I answered awkwardly, Todo held out his hand.
"I never imagined there could be a man in the modern age who would build a harem of beauties like these. I would like to shake your hand."
Todo's type was women who were tall and had big hips.
Foreigner and Ibuki-douji matched that perfectly.
Especially Ibuki-douji, who was currently 180 centimeters tall.
And considering she could grow to three meters in battle, she had to be exactly his type.
"Nice to meet you."
"I respect you from the bottom of my heart."
Todo clasped my hand, his eyes turning watery.
Seeing a face like that on the verge of tears was honestly terrifying.
'He suddenly switched to polite speech?'
I forced a smile and shook his hand.
Still, he was being friendly, so it didn't feel bad.
If anything, it was kind of funny.
Even the sheer vividness of him felt different from the other characters, enough to make it fascinating.
"If you don't mind my asking, your type is naturally...?"
After the handshake, Todo wiped at his eyes and asked.
That question of his, the one he used to measure the size of a man's soul.
Hearing it directed at me like this made my heart pound.
It might have been embarrassing from the receiving end, but I had nothing to hide.
They were women I could be proud of. Magnificent women.
"Pretty women who are well-developed everywhere. Like Yaskaya and Ibuki behind me."
"Ah, as I thought...!"
Todo let out another cry of admiration.
Well, our tastes lined up, so that reaction made sense.
Just hearing Itadori Yuji's answer had been enough to bring him to tears and trigger those nonexistent memories.
He had reacted with spectacular intensity back then too.
"Would it be all right... if I called you Big Brother?"
Todo asked so earnestly he even used honorific speech he didn't use with Gakuganji Yoshinobu.
He was so polite it was almost surreal.
"I don't know if I'm worthy of that, but if you want to, sure."
"Then I look forward to your guidance from now on, Big Brother."
"Same here."
"Now that I am the younger brother, please speak comfortably to me as well."
I nodded awkwardly.
He wasn't wrong, but hearing that from him felt strangely off.
"All right. I will."
"Yes. If the opportunity arises, I hope we can meet again. Had I known it would come to this, I would have gone to Tokyo Jujutsu High instead..."
Todo smacked his lips in obvious regret.
If that had happened, Kyoto Jujutsu High would have spent years in a dark age.
'Come to think of it, that won't happen now either.'
In the original Jujutsu Kaisen, next year was when Geto Suguru would unleash the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.
Todo played a major role there.
One Special Grade Cursed Spirit and more than ten Grade 1 Cursed Spirits.
He made a name for himself by exorcising that entire swarm alone.
That was one of the main currents of Jujutsu Kaisen 0, but now it could never happen.
Because Geto Suguru, who had been the villain, was a teacher at Jujutsu High.
"See you next time."
"Yes. Travel safely."
After saying goodbye to Todo, I stepped outside Kyoto Jujutsu High.
That was only one meeting, and I already felt drained.
"I'll drive you to the station."
Once I got outside, a man in a suit I didn't recognize bowed his head.
He was probably an Assistant Director working on the Kyoto side.
"Thank you. What about Gakuganji Yoshinobu...?"
"The principal had an urgent matter come up and was unavoidably unable to see you off. He asks for your understanding."
I waved a hand at the man, who bowed again with perfect courtesy.
I wasn't deranged enough to summon an old man out just to receive my greetings.
He was older than me by far, and he was the kind of elder who deserved proper respect.
So I should treat him accordingly.
"No, it's fine. Please tell him I'm grateful for the consideration."
"Understood."
"Then please take me to the station."
We got into the car and fastened our seatbelts.
Click. The door shut, and the Assistant Director handled the wheel with practiced ease.
Maybe it was because so much chaos had already erupted.
Maybe it was because the aftershocks had been so severe.
But from winter into the fresh bloom of spring, nothing happened at all.
It was peace in the purest sense.
"It's finally enrollment day."
On a clear morning, Zenin Maki muttered to herself as she checked over her clothes and cursed tools.
The black school uniform of Jujutsu High gleamed under the sunlight.
"Seriously. Hell starts now."
Instead of sighing, Zenin Mai smiled.
Seeing Maki so excited she looked like an elementary school kid left her with mixed feelings.
"I'm telling you, you should've just gone to a normal school. You didn't have to come to Jujutsu High with me."
"Idiot. I'd worry if I sent you by yourself. Do I really have to say that again?"
Mai narrowed her eyes in annoyance.
Maki glanced back, saw that expression, and gave an awkward smile.
"Uh, sorry?"
"As long as you get it. You've had some small-scale real combat, sure, but you've never taken on an official mission before. When I think about that, I can't help worrying..."
As Mai's voice trailed off, Maki stepped closer.
If she hugged her from the front, their full breasts would press together and squash awkwardly.
They had grown too much for that to feel comfortable now.
So Maki moved behind her and wrapped her arms around Mai's waist.
A back hug.
"Thanks."
"Ah—! Fine, as long as you know. Since it doesn't look like you're just trying to brush it off, I'll forgive you."
Mai turned her head away, cheeks flushing red.
From childhood until now, whenever she got sulky, this was enough to calm her down.
As the older sister, Maki knew that very well, and she used it from time to time.
Just like now.
"Right. I'll be more careful from now on."
Maki rested her chin on Mai's shoulder and smiled.
On the surface, she looked like an older sister asking forgiveness.
But the truth was different.
A younger sister who felt lonely, who hated being left behind.
Maki was simply doing what an older sister should do and holding that sister close.
'Honestly. Loving someone too much is a problem too.'
Smiling, Maki looked at the large mirror in front of them.
She had grown a little sharper, but her essence was the same.
"Did you really have to cut the sleeves off your uniform?"
"It was uncomfortable. I'm used to camisoles and sleeveless clothes. You are too, aren't you?"
"Sure, but I'm not as sensitive about it as you are."
The discomfort they felt was similar.
The only difference was how they accepted that discomfort.
Maki was indifferent to it. Mai couldn't stand it.
That was all.
"The Jujutsu High uniform has slightly better defense, but if you're fighting anything Grade 1 or above, it's basically no different from normal clothes anyway. In the end, what matters is that it doesn't get in your way."
"Agreed."
Maki nodded and stepped back.
A trace of disappointment flickered across Mai's face as she sighed.
Maki had chosen a short skirt for freedom of movement in her legs.
Mai had gone with a long skirt slit open at the sides.
Maki prioritized footwork, while Mai fought mainly with gunfire.
The difference in their styles showed even in the way they dressed.
"Anyway, let's go."
"Yeah. Being late on the first day would be a bad look."
Maki adjusted the holster strapped beneath her chest.
Mai took her bag in one hand, tucked her gun away, and stepped outside.
Today, at last.
The sisters were setting foot in Tokyo Jujutsu High.
"Heading out already?"
Kadoc, who had been drinking water in the living room, looked at the sisters and asked.
As always, he looked completely at ease.
'Seriously. Why does he have to be that handsome for no reason...?'
'Should I just not go?'
Maki and Mai both nodded, cheeks reddening.
Their thoughts were different, but the root of them was the same.
Embarrassment. Happiness.
And a little excitement, mixed with a little regret.
"Since this is work that puts your life on the line, I can't tell you to give it your all. Just be careful. You know that, right?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
Maki nodded shyly.
Whatever the reason, he supported them and cheered them on. That alone made her grateful.
"Still, it doesn't sound like students get assigned missions every day. So don't worry too much."
Mai added her own reassurance with a smile.
It was an expression she showed only to Kadoc.
Kadoc nodded and rose to his feet.
Even if they would still see each other every day, some things were changing.
That made the moment feel both refreshing and bittersweet.
"Take care."
Kadoc saw them off with a hug, pulling both Maki and Mai into his arms.
In the wide living room, only the three of them were there.
"Ah! Um, by the way, where is everyone else? It's just us in the living room, so..."
Only then noticing how empty it felt, Mai asked in a rush.
She had clearly been flustered by the sudden hug.
"I wanted us to talk quietly by ourselves, so I asked them to give us some space. The backup system is still in place, so don't worry too much."
Kadoc did not doubt the sisters' strength.
Even so, he worried.
Curses could slip past humanity's scientific surveillance systems precisely because they were Cursed Spirits.
And Mahito was exploiting that trait.
However he was hiding, they still hadn't managed to track him down.
That was why he had assigned backup.
Just as he always did.
"It's reassuring, but kind of strange too. Anyway, thanks for looking out for us. We're really going now."
Maki slung an arm around Mai's shoulders and started walking.
It looked like she was half dragging her along.
"Ah! We're off!"
Mai was pulled forward by a strength that didn't suit her slender arm at all.
Kadoc gave a bitter little smile and nodded.