"Toji-kun! You're back!"the woman now named Shizuku Fushiguro called out, practically bouncing toward him despite his imposing presence.
Toji walked over, his earlier imposing presence completely gone, replaced by the casual aura of a lazy uncle—yawning, scratching the back of his head, and moving with a relaxed, almost carefree gait.
Shizuku practically skipped beside him, her boundless energy a stark contrast to his sluggish, lazy demeanor.
"So… where's my little Megumi?" she chirped, bouncing on her heels, her hands waving excitedly.
Toji's expression remained flat, though a corner of his mouth twitched. "I put the mosquito to sleep. Needed some quiet for a bit."
Shizuku's eyes widened, and without warning, she reached up and lightly bonked his head. "Don't call him that! Toji-kun, he's our super cute baby boy!"
Toji let out a low, exasperated hum, rubbing the spot she'd tapped. "…Right, right. Baby boy."
Shizuku giggled, practically floating around him. "You have to be gentle! He's so small and precious! Always running around… hehe!"
I and Miko exchanged a glance, trying not to laugh. Even with his imposing presence, Toji's patience for her hyperactive energy seemed infinite or at least, he made it look that way.
Then –Toji turned to look at us. "New members for the gym? Huh."
Before we could say anything, Shizuku started talking again, her words tumbling out faster than I could follow.
"Right! Yes, Miko-chan brought a friend here to recommend the gym—you know Miko-chan, right? She's Touko's daughter, my friend! So this boy here—his name is Emiya . He wants to learn martial arts from you! Can you believe it?"
Toji's eyes flicked toward me, his expression unreadable, though the faint twitch at the corner of his mouth hinted at a spark of surprise.
Another unwanted student, huh…
Toji thought, his eyes flicking toward me.
I rather not teach anyone and just laze around near Shizuku.
He'll just end up occupying my time.
Honestly… I'd rather be with Shizuku.
A small pause.
But… the brat at home is getting old enough to sleep on his own.
His eyes narrowed slightly, calculating.
If this kid pays well, we could upgrade from that cramped one-bedroom.
…And maybe I can finally kick the brat out of our bedroom.
The corner of his lips lifted just a little more.
Which means more time with Shizuku at night.
…Not a bad deal.
I obvious to his thoughts, cleared my throat, stepping slightly forward. "I… I'm Emiya Hyodo. I recently moved here and I don't really know much, but I want to learn martial arts, so I asked Miko to bring me here."
Toji tilted his head slightly toward me, the corner of his mouth twitching again. "You sure you want to do this?" His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it.
I nodded quickly, trying to keep my voice firm. "Yes. I really want to learn."
Shizuku clapped her hands, bouncing on her feet's. "Yay! That's the spirit! You have to try, Emiya! Don't let him scare you!"
Toji let out a low hum and gestured upward. "Alright. First, follow me to the second floor. We'll see how deep under the water you are before we finalize your tuition fees."
I nodded, and we all followed him upstairs.
I really didn't expect to run into him this early.
I wondered.
Did he notice that I'm a Jujutsu sorcerer?
Probably not right— as he can't sense curse energy, and I'm even restricting mine.
Should I tell him?
Absolutely not!
With his history with the Zenin clan and his hatred for sorcerers, he'd probably jump to conclusions—thinking I have ulterior motives against him and his family....
....and will kill me on the spot..
...hiss.
Maybe..... it isn't such a good idea to learn from him after all.
As we ascended, the second floor came into view.
It was even simpler than the first. The room was mostly open, covered with thick sponge mats that spanned the entire floor. A few punching bags hung from the ceiling, swaying slightly as if waiting for someone to test them.
To the side, a small storage room sat tucked against the wall, its door slightly ajar, revealing neatly stacked training equipment.
"Let's test you, here."
Toji stepped onto the center of the mat, slipping off his slippers without a second thought.
I followed after him, taking off my shoes and placing them neatly near the edge before stepping onto the mat.
The moment my feet touched the surface, something about the atmosphere shifted.
His lazy demeanor… thinned.
"First," he said, glancing at me, "show me your stance."
I exhaled slowly and adjusted my footing, raising my guard instinctively. One foot slightly forward, knees bent, weight balanced.
Toji watched silently, giving no reaction or comment—which somehow made it worse, after a few tense seconds, he finally took a step closer.
Then another.
My muscles tensed without me realizing it.
"…Too stiff," he said casually. "You're bracing yourself too much."
Before I could respond, he moved his hand shooting toward my face.
Fast.
I reacted on pure instinct, snapping my arm up as my eyes squeezed shut.
Tap.
It wasn't a strike just a light touch but the speed behind it sent a chill down my spine.
"…Huh?" Toji muttered.
As I opened my eyes, another strike came this time toward my side.
I jumped back, barely avoiding it.
A third followed immediately, coming from above. I threw both my hands up into a guard, my eyes squeezing shut.
I managed to block it but my balance gave out, and I fell flat on my butt.
Toji stopped.
After a brief pause, he extended his hand toward me, offering to help me up.
"You've never been in a real fight before, have you, kid?" he said.
"…Yeah," I admitted, nodding slightly.
"You've got excellent instincts," he continued, looking down at me. "And your body keeps up well enough."
A small pause.
"But you get scared too easily… and you've got no actual fighting experience."
I hesitated for a moment, then looked up at him.
"…So will you teach me?" I asked. "Fees won't be a problem."
I grabbed his hand and pulled myself up, brushing the dust off my clothes as my thoughts raced.
…It's risky.
If he finds out, things could turn bad real fast.
But at the same time...
This is a once-in-a-million opportunity.
Learning directly from someone like him…
If I can even pick up a fraction of his skills, I'd become much stronger.
And as my Town Hall level increases, my cursed energy will grow as well. With more energy, I can push my reinforcement even further enhancing my physical abilities beyond their current limits.
At the very least, I could reach his level physically…
.....if not far beyond it.
Toji looked at me.
"Hm… it'll be really troublesome to teach you," he hummed, scratching the back of his head. "It'll take a lot of time. I'd have to build your body up from scratch… work on your courage too. That's not something that happens overnight."
A small pause.
"Honestly, I'd rather not take in a student like you."
His eyes shifted toward me again, a faint smirk forming.
"…But," he added casually, the faint smirk on his lips deepening, "that might change… if the price is high enough."