Bab 25: New Acquaintances
Minamoto Sōjun, having secured the curses, dressed himself properly. His loose hair gathered itself into a neat ponytail, tied with a single strand of hair forming a loop.
He now donned the uniform of Jujutsu High, marking his identity.
"Shall I introduce myself?" Minamoto Sōjun greeted the group with a smile. "I'm Minamoto Sōjun, a bounty sorcerer from Jujutsu High. I was tasked to come assist with clearing up the accounts."
Switching to a tone resembling Yaga Masamichi, he added, "'You always forget to settle accounts before a mission,' the teacher knows you all too well!"
As fellow students of Yaga, by seniority, these people owed him the title of "senior."
The group couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed upon hearing this.
It was Suguru Geto who stepped forward, scanning the surroundings with a puzzled expression. "Where are the accounts you settled?"
Minamoto pointed to the sky, and everyone followed his gaze.
Snap!
He snapped his fingers.
A transparent barrier resembling glass appeared midair. It shattered with a resonant crack, fragments falling halfway before dissipating.
Clapping his hands, Minamoto declared, "Mission complete! See you back at school, everyone!"
His purpose for coming here was fulfilled—the accounts settled, the curses dealt with. The only regret was that he had little expectation for this curse and was left even more disappointed.
Without concerning himself with others' reactions, Minamoto's form distorted and reappeared by the roadside.
He opened the car door and got in.
The group stood there stunned, belatedly realizing that the mission was over and the curse had been snatched away.
Utahime still harbored resentment over Minamoto ignoring her earlier remarks, muttering softly, "Another guy who does whatever he wants."
Zzz~
The car window rolled down.
"I heard that, Utahime." Minamoto rested one hand on the steering wheel and leaned the other on the window, addressing the group. "My car can take three passengers. Who wants a lift?"
Utahime was mortified, stepping back awkwardly. She held the senior-junior dynamic in high regard. Considering how mature he seemed, he was likely a senior.
Still annoyed with Satoru Gojo, her misplaced anger had made her lash out emotionally.
All Gojo's fault!
Feeling awkward, her dislike for Gojo deepened further.
"Me!" Mei Mei raised her hand and took the passenger seat. She glanced at Minamoto. "You're not charging for the ride, right?"
Minamoto turned his head, clicked his tongue in disappointment.
He had hoped to make some extra cash. His recent expenses on purchasing bio-simulated creatures from the black market were draining, and normal channels didn't sell what he needed…
"Of course it's free. As fellow Jujutsu High sorcerers, we should help each other out."
He forced a smile.
Suguru Geto and Shoko Ieiri quickly seized the backseat.
This left Utahime and Gojo, both standing awkwardly outside—one deeply disliking the other, while the latter remained clueless about being disliked yet continued to do annoying things.
The car sped off, leaving only a cloud of dust behind.
"See you at school!"
"Bye-bye."
Voices of farewell echoed from the departing car.
"You guys! Wait, I…"
Utahime's shout trailed off, soon inaudible.
"Ah, Utahime, we've been abandoned." Gojo clenched his fist, sulking over not using his technique to secure a seat earlier.
"Don't lump me in with you!" Utahime yelled, turning away, unwilling to even look at him.
At Jujutsu High, in a Classroom
Suguru Geto, Satoru Gojo, Shoko Ieiri, and Minamoto Sōjun knelt on the floor. Yaga Masamichi sat on the edge of a raised platform, glaring down at them intensely.
"One of you said, 'I'll settle the accounts myself,' then ditched your assigned supervisor to do so, right?" Yaga leaned forward, his tone heavy with authority. "And then you even forgot to settle them! Wasting already strained manpower to clean up your mess. Who was it? Own up!"
Suguru and Shoko simultaneously pointed at Gojo.
Gojo weakly raised his hand. "Sensei, can we stop the investigation now?"
"Ah, so it was Gojo." Yaga showed no surprise as he brought his fist down on Gojo's head.
Sitting upright, Minamoto chimed in, "Don't worry about the accounts. I took care of it!"
"Oh? 'Don't worry,' you say?" Yaga rubbed his temples in frustration. "Unlicensed driving, street racing, starting later than the second-years yet arriving earlier! And you want me to relax?!"
I did tell them to get there early, but this is excessive!
Minamoto slouched, trying to minimize his presence.
"Hmph! Reflect on your actions!"
Though they appeared to be sincerely apologizing, Yaga knew them well—quick to admit fault but unlikely to change, bound to repeat their mistakes. Shaking his head in disappointment, he left the room, slamming the door behind him.
Bang!
The loud noise perfectly expressed Yaga's exasperation.
The trio lowered their heads in unison, while Minamoto casually sat in a chair nearby.
"Is settling accounts really that important?" Gojo muttered impatiently. "Normal people can't even see curses or Jujutsu. What difference does it make whether we do it or not?"
Shoko played with Gojo's sunglasses, staying out of the discussion.
Leaning back, Minamoto balanced his chair precariously on two legs, hands resting behind his head.
By now, he realized that the mission's promotion aspect was secondary; Yaga's main goal was likely to facilitate introductions among the team.
He had already met the criteria for a Grade 1 promotion during the last Cursed Womb mission.
Lost in thought, Minamoto stayed silent.
"It's absolutely necessary," Suguru explained patiently, unwilling to let his friend's ideology stray. "The best way to suppress curses is to keep people's emotions stable. To that end, even threats invisible to the naked eye must be handled discreetly. Not just that—"
"Yeah, yeah, protecting weaklings is such a hassle," Gojo interrupted lazily, sprawling on the ground to make his kneeling position more comfortable.
"Excuse me?" Suguru's tone hardened, his voice rising. "Satoru, 'protecting the weak' is the natural order of society. Jujutsu sorcerers exist to safeguard non-sorcerers!"
"Imposing reasons and responsibilities on Jujutsu is just another sign of weakness, isn't it?" Gojo waved dismissively, indifferent to both Suguru's words and emotions. He smirked provocatively.
"What… did you say?" Suguru's eyes narrowed.
Gojo stood, feigning nausea. "Ugh~ Stop pushing your self-righteousness on others!"
"Let's settle this outside, Gojo!" Suguru snapped.
The two squared off, cursed energy surging around them. The room filled with invisible pressure, and a cursed spirit faintly materialized behind Suguru.
Shoko slipped out of the classroom, wanting no part in the escalating tension.
Minamoto, on the other hand, watched the confrontation with interest, entirely unbothered. Lounging in his chair, he even considered clapping for Suguru and cheering him on.
Of course, the fight never happened.
Screech~
The door opened, and Yaga returned.
The pair immediately sat back down, pretending to reflect sincerely.
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Status Power Mingguan
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