She hesitated.
"Well…"
Her fingers tightened around the edge of the table.
"It's not like I'm… interested."
She looked away.
"It's just…"
"I don't see any other way."
Her voice dropped.
"Living like this… without being a jujutsu sorcerer."
Silence settled between us.
"…I can see them," she continued.
"Everywhere."
"On the streets, in school, even at home—sometimes they're staring right at me… or touching me."
Her voice trembled.
"And I have to pretend I can't see them… or I'll be killed."
Her grip tightened.
"And I can't do anything about it."
Her words faltered.
A thin layer of tears gathered in her eyes, shimmering under the light. She blinked once… twice—
But they spilled over anyway, slipping quietly down her cheeks.
She lowered her head, trying to hide it.
"…It's exhausting."
Sigh…
It really is hard on her.
I couldn't even begin to imagine the kind of mental strength it takes—to know that one small mistake could get you killed… and still pretend everything is normal.
"I can help," I said after a moment. "I can introduce you to the Yaga-sensei."
She didn't look up.
"…Hey," I muttered awkwardly.
After a brief hesitation, I reached out and lightly patted her shoulder.
"You don't have to deal with it alone," I added, a little quieter.
Her eyes lifted slightly.
"I'll put in a good word for you," I continued, pulling my hand back, "but whether you get accepted or not… that's not my call."
"…Still, it's better than doing nothing."
I looked at her for a moment.
"So… what do you say?"
She didn't answer right away.
Instead, she quietly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, taking a small breath.
Then she gave a slight nod.
"But you should know something first."
"Most jujutsu sorcerers don't live past thirty… it's extremely dangerous work."
I let that sink in for a moment.
"If you still want, I can contact him now."
"But… you should think about it carefully."
"And talk to your parents first."
She was quiet for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"…Give me some time," she said softly. "I want to think this through properly."
"…And… thank you."
"You're welcome," I said, smiling slightly as I met her eyes, then placed a hand over my chest and gave a small, overly dramatic bow—just enough to lighten the mood.
For a brief moment, she held my gaze—
Then she looked away, just slightly.
…Was that embarrassment?
Hehe.
She paused, like something had just crossed her mind.
"Um… can you help me with something first?"
"What is it?"
She hesitated, then shook her head.
"You don't have to help me right now. It's probably normal for you… and it's nothing you can't handle."
I frowned slightly.
"…Alright."
Just as I was about to say something—
"Um… excuse me."
We both looked up.
The waiter stood beside our table, forcing a polite smile.
"Are you two going to order anything?" he asked. "It's been… about two hours since you've been sitting here."
A brief pause.
"If you're not ordering, could you please free the table? It's rush hour."
I blinked.
"…Two hours?"
I quickly pulled out my phone and checked the time.
…It really had been two hours.
Damn… I completely forgot about looking for a gym.
Though… I did meet her and help her, so I guess it's fine.
I slowly looked back up.
"…Sorry," I said quickly, rubbing the back of my neck. "I didn't realize how long we'd been sitting here."
I reached for the menu.
"Uh… I'll order right away."
My eyes skimmed the options before settling on something simple.
"I'll get a cold coffee."
I glanced at Miko Yotsuya and handed her the menu.
"What about you?"
She looked it over for a second.
"…I'll get a cappuccino."
"One cold coffee and one cappuccino," I said.
The waiter nodded, scribbled it down, and left.
Miko lowered her gaze slightly.
"…It seems I wasted your time for nothing," she said quietly. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright," I replied. "I was actually on my way to look for a martial arts gym."
She blinked.
"Martial arts… gym?"
"Yeah. For training."
I leaned back slightly.
"I've realized I rely too much on my cursed technique," I said. "If I run into trouble without it… I don't really have much going for me."
A small pause.
"So I figured I should work on my basics—offense, defense… that kind of thing."
She looked at me for a moment before speaking.
"There's a martial arts gym in my neighborhood," she said "I'm not sure if it'll teach the kind of martial art you're looking for, though,"
She added, almost like she'd just found a way to help. "But… if you want, I can guide you there."
That's a lifesaver. I might still be able to join today.
"I don't have anything specific in mind,"
I replied." Something like mixed martial arts would be ideal for building a solid foundation."
A small shrug.
"Anything with good offense and defense will do."
"And if the gym's decent… that's good enough for me."
She gave a small nod.
We ended up talking a bit more—mostly about jujutsu, a few basic things, nothing too heavy this time. The mood had lightened compared to before.
After a while, the waiter returned with our order and placed the drinks on the table.
A short break from everything.
…
Not long after, we finished and got up to pay.
"Let me pay," I said as we walked to the counter.
I reached for my pocket—
—and froze.
…Nothing.
I checked another pocket.
Still nothing.
…No way.
Damn… did I seriously forget to bring money?
What am I supposed to do now…?
Why does this kind of thing always happen to me…😭 this is so embarrassing.
A very real sense of dread crept in.
I stood there, fidgeting slightly, my gaze darting around the place as if a solution might just appear out of nowhere.
What should I do?
(Author's Note:
Our's novel have made it into the Top 100 in the power rankings, so I'm really happy—thank you all!
If we break into the Top 50, I've got a surprise planned for the next chapter 😉And even if we don't… well, you might still get a surprise anyway 😂😂😑😑
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