Bab 43: Help
Ryosuke took another bite of his ice cream, his gaze calm but tinged with a hint of sadness as he looked at Mai.
"It's a shame, you know," he said. "Twin sisters in the world of Jujutsu... doomed to be weak because they share the same fate."
Mai stiffened, her fists clenching tightly. "Shut up. I already know that," she snapped coldly.
She stared at him, her voice dropping to a whisper. "But what can I do?" Her eyes were red, her throat tight with words she didn't want to speak. Almost to herself, she added in a trembling voice, "My sister... she's doomed to be weak because of me."
At that moment, Ryosuke leaned in with a mischievous look and bit directly into Mai's ice cream. Stunned, she stared at him, mouth agape, before stammering, half-annoyed, half-curious, "What the hell is wrong with you?"
He shrugged, a playful smile on his lips. "You shouldn't let your ice cream melt. You'll just end up with a sticky puddle in your hands."
Mai glanced down, realizing the ice cream was indeed starting to drip. She began taking small bites, and though the weight in her heart lingered, the cool, sweet taste of melon brought her a tiny shred of comfort.
Ryosuke, satisfied, gazed off toward the horizon, his expression thoughtful. "Hey, do you remember what I whispered to you earlier?"
Mai frowned, trying to recall. "You said something about helping me, and when I asked how, you spouted nonsense—something about how when I knew, you'd know too."
Turning to face her, his expression suddenly grew serious, almost grave. "Well... do you know now?"
Mai's eyes widened in surprise, the words striking a chord deep inside her. A truth she wasn't ready to confront. "No… that's… that's impossible," she murmured, her breath hitching.
Ryosuke met her gaze, a serene smile playing on his lips. "So… do you know now?" he repeated.
Mai swallowed hard, a knot tightening in her chest. After a moment of silence, she whispered, "Are you saying... you can change my sister's and my fate?" Her voice betrayed a vulnerable hope, one she tried to mask by glancing away.
Ryosuke slowly shook his head, his eyes never leaving hers. "No, I don't have that power," he replied simply.
Her heart sank, and she opened her mouth to protest, but he raised a hand, a small gesture meant to quiet the storm of emotions building within her.
"But," he continued, his words deliberate, "I can alter that fate. Not to break it or rewrite it… but to ease the pain it inflicts on you and your sister. I can give you a kind of freedom. Not absolute, perhaps... but close."
Mai furrowed her brow, visibly unsettled.
"Almost free?" she murmured. "I don't get it. As long as one of us lives... the other can never truly be free, right? Our fate is sealed, no matter what we do."
Ryosuke nodded slowly. "You're right. Your bond is unbreakable, and it's not about severing what you share. But even within confinement, there's a way to create a form of freedom. It's possible to live with a shared destiny without it being such a painful burden."
With a calm motion, he held out his ice cream to her. Under Mai's wide-eyed gaze, the ice cream seemed to shift—its color faintly changing, its shape subtly warping—before settling back to its original form as if nothing had happened.
She stared at him, speechless.
Ryosuke gave her a mysterious, almost playful smile. "My innate technique," he explained softly, "lets me alter concepts. No concept exists in isolation—every idea, every fate, every bond is influenced by others. They feed into each other, alter each other, transform in an endless cycle... like a vicious circle."
His gaze was intense, as though trying to gauge if she grasped the significance of his words. "And it's the same for you and your sister," he continued. "This isn't about sacrificing one for the other—it's about changing the burden that weighs you down. The bond that makes one of you suffer for the other, no matter what. What I'm offering is to liberate that bond."
Mai glanced down, noticing her ice cream melting, its sweet liquid trickling over her hand without her realizing it. Her thoughts were far away, carried off by the vision Ryosuke had just painted.
"Liberate... our bond?" she repeated in a trembling voice, as if the words tasted foreign, almost unreal.
Ryosuke nodded, his gaze steady. "Yes. What I'm proposing," he said, his voice low but resolute, "is a different kind of freedom. A balance between the two of you, where neither of you is condemned to suffer for the other anymore. It wouldn't be the end of your bond, but a new way to live it."
Mai's brows knitted together. She clenched her fists tightly.
"What do you think I am? Some fool who'll swallow your pretty words and start hoping like an idiot?" she snapped, her piercing gaze like daggers. "Don't you dare give me false hope. If you can't do anything, say it now. Don't play games with me."
Ryosuke didn't flinch at her sharp tone. He stood still, looking at her calmly, his expression carrying a strange serenity. After a moment of silence, he shrugged slightly, a faint, enigmatic smile playing on his lips.
"False hope, huh?" he murmured, almost to himself. Then his gaze lifted, more serious now, almost piercing. "Tell me, Mai... what do I gain from lying to you? Why would I bother making up something like this, especially about something that hits you so deeply?"
Mai opened her mouth, searching for an answer, but no words came. She turned her eyes to the ground.
"You've seen what I can do. This isn't about promises or pretty speeches. It's about facts." Ryosuke crossed his arms, his gaze unwavering. "Now, the real question is… are you ready to try?"
Silence hung between them. Finally, Mai raised her eyes to meet his, her gaze harder now.
"Fine," she said coldly. "Do it. Show me you can actually change this damn bond between my sister and me."
TO BE CONTINUED!
A/N: Oh, it seems someone is posting this fanfiction on fanfiction.net. To that person, I'd like to kindly ask that you at least let me know, as it genuinely makes me happy. It shows that this fanfiction is meaningful to you. You have my full support! However, if you happen to make a profit from it, don't forget to share a little… Just 5%, that's all. Remember, the more motivated I am, the more content you'll have to post too. Alright, see you around!
Next Chapter: Hope
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