Chapter 9: Dorm Assignments and a Late Night Meal
The insane entrance exam finally came to an end.
It had been brief.
But the shock it left behind clung to everyone for a long time.
Especially Yuji Itadori and Megumi Fushiguro, who trailed behind Satoru Gojo like two frostbitten eggplants, their spirits visibly battered.
"Fushiguro... am I really that weak?"
Yuji tugged at the scorched hem of his clothes, his face full of frustration.
"I felt like I was actually hitting something, but it was like punching cotton."
Megumi said nothing.
He only kept his eyes on Yami's back as the boy walked ahead of them.
Weak?
No.
Yuji's physical abilities were already monstrous.
The real problem was that Yami was simply too strong.
That absurd combat instinct that seemed to see through everything before it happened, that bizarre breathing technique, and that terrifying swordsmanship...
"Alright, don't look so depressed."
Gojo turned around and flicked each of them on the forehead.
"You two just enrolled. Yami is a special case among special cases."
Then he grinned and pointed ahead.
"Besides, having someone that strong on the team just means you'll all feel safer during missions later, right?"
As he spoke, an old looking dormitory building came into view.
"We're here. This is where you'll be living for the next four years."
Gojo pointed lazily toward the upper floors.
"Yami's room is on the third floor, right next to Yuji's."
Yuji's mood instantly bounced back.
"Seriously? That's awesome!"
He turned toward Yami with sparkling eyes.
"Yami, please take care of me from now on! Oh, and can you teach me that thing where you swing a wooden sword and it turns into fire?"
Yami looked at the overly enthusiastic boy and smiled, then gave a small nod.
"If there's a chance."
After the room assignments were settled, the sky had already darkened.
It was evening now.
And everyone was starving.
Especially after that ridiculous series of fights, Yuji's stomach had long since begun protesting loudly.
"I'm starving... Fushiguro, should we go buy something from a convenience store?"
"At this hour, the cafeteria's already closed."
Megumi glanced at his phone and sighed faintly.
Tokyo Jujutsu High was tucked away in the mountains, and the nearest convenience store was several kilometers away.
"Um..."
Yami spoke up suddenly.
"If there are still ingredients in the cafeteria, I can cook something."
Everyone turned to look at him at once.
"You can cook?"
Nobara Kugisaki looked openly suspicious.
In her imagination, someone like Yami, a swordsman who could calmly beat down everyone with a wooden sword and even force Sukuna back, should have been the cold, aloof type who never touched a kitchen in his life.
Cooking?
The mental image was too ridiculous.
Half an hour later, in the school cafeteria, everyone had gone completely silent.
Wearing a pink apron of mysterious origin, Yami stood at the counter skillfully wielding a kitchen knife.
Thak thak thak thak thak.
The sound of chopping vegetables rang out in a crisp, steady rhythm.
Every slice of radish was uniformly thin, as if measured with a ruler.
Maki swallowed.
"That knife skill..."
She stared at the cutting board with a complicated expression.
"What a waste."
"Hey, Maki senpai, don't say something so scary!"
Yuji was already leaning over the serving counter, nearly drooling.
"It smells amazing! What is that?"
In the pot, the sauce for a tempura bowl simmered gently.
The rich aroma of soy sauce, mirin, and broth spread through the cafeteria almost instantly, stirring everyone's appetite to life.
Yami remained focused.
To him, cooking was not so different from swordsmanship.
It required precision.
Rhythm.
Concentration.
"Done."
Yami lifted the freshly fried tempura from the oil, its golden surface crisp and glistening.
He placed it over steaming bowls of rice, then drizzled a spoonful of thick, fragrant sauce over the top.
Sizzle.
That sound alone was enough to make people lose their minds.
"Special tempura bowls. Please enjoy."
Five bowls were placed on the table.
The moment they landed, everyone pounced.
"I'm eating!"
Yuji shoved a piece of fried shrimp into his mouth first.
Crunch.
The crisp shell shattered between his teeth. Then came the tender, juicy shrimp, followed by the sweet salty richness of the sauce and the heat of the rice.
His whole body froze.
Then
"Delicious!!!"
Yuji let out a howl like a startled groundhog.
"What is this?! It's better than anything I've eaten in Sendai!"
"It really is good."
Megumi ate far more elegantly, but his chopsticks moved just as fast.
"The batter's thickness is perfect, and the frying time is spot on."
Even Nobara, who was clearly the pickiest one at the table, narrowed her eyes after taking a bite of the vegetable tempura.
"Hmph... I hate admitting it, but you're annoyingly good at this."
"So you're not just showing off. You're actually useful."
Gojo rested his chin on one hand, his posture lazy and relaxed, but the tempura in his bowl was disappearing at an alarming speed.
"Yami, from now on, you're officially the first year head chef."
"I approve too!" Yuji shouted with his mouth full.
Yami removed the apron and looked at the group devouring the food in front of him.
A gentle smile appeared on his face.
"I'm glad everyone likes it."
"Honestly, I was a little worried I might've added too much salt."
At that moment, the cold, commanding presence he had shown while holding a wooden sword to Sukuna's throat was nowhere to be found.
Right now, he looked like nothing more than the kind, dependable older boy next door.
"This contrast..."
Maki bit lightly on her chopsticks as she stared at Yami's harmless expression.
For some reason, her cheeks started warming again.
"It's way too unfair."
The warmth of the meal slowly melted away the tension and exhaustion left behind by the day's fighting.
Everyone ate and chatted.
Yuji rambled about funny stories from Sendai.
Nobara complained about Tokyo prices with righteous fury.
Megumi occasionally cut in with a dry comment sharp enough to make Yuji splutter.
Even Maki, usually so stern, showed a rare smile once or twice.
Yami sat quietly off to the side, listening to their laughter.
This feeling...
It was nice.
No killing.
No curses.
No blood soaked tension.
Just an ordinary, warm moment of everyday life.
This was the kind of thing Yoriichi had always wanted to protect.
"Ah! That's the last pumpkin tempura!"
Yuji suddenly shouted and lunged with his chopsticks toward the final golden piece on the plate.
"In your dreams! That one's mine!"
Nobara reacted instantly, her chopsticks flashing out like knives.
"I'm not full yet either."
Megumi joined in expressionlessly, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
The three sets of chopsticks were about to collide
When a shrill alarm suddenly tore through the night.
WOOO!!!
The piercing sound echoed across the entire campus without warning, instantly freezing the warm atmosphere in the cafeteria.
Gojo slowly set down his bowl.
The smile vanished from his face in an instant.
He looked out through the window toward the dark night sky, and his gaze sharpened.
"Grade 1 alert."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"Looks like it's time for some after dinner exercise."
Yami also stood up.
His hand instinctively settled on the hilt at his waist.
That swordsman's flame reignited in his gentle eyes.
Peace never lasted long.
That was the daily life of a sorcerer.
"Let's go," Yami said softly.
"Let's cut down the trash that interrupted our meal."