"You really didn't sleep…"
Early the next morning, when Junpei went to make breakfast, he noticed that Akira Zenin was still sitting sideways on the sofa, his hand supporting his cheek. His posture looked exactly the same as before, as if he hadn't moved at all the entire night.
In truth, Akira Zenin had been keeping watch, wondering if Kenjaku, the one responsible for planting Sukuna's fingers, might appear here. The Mahito incident in the sewers had already proven that the storyline hadn't been completely thrown off course by his interference…
Unfortunately, no one showed up this time.
"What's wrong?"
Junpei avoided his gaze slightly and brushed his bangs back with his fingers.
"Well… Akira Zenin…"
Seeing Junpei's hesitant expression, Akira Zenin immediately understood. The boy felt a little embarrassed about the choice he had made at school the previous day.
"My only expectation is that a promising student studies Cursed Techniques properly, no matter where they are. Just because someone isn't my student, does that mean they can't become an outstanding new-generation Jujutsu Sorcerer?
Besides, there's no need to feel awkward about it. Young people should speak up when they have their own ideas."
It was the first time an elder outside his family had treated him like this. Junpei quickly nodded.
"Yes! Thank you."
After Junpei asked a few curious questions, Akira Zenin gave him the usual rundown—curses, the classification of Cursed Spirits, the duties of Jujutsu Sorcerers, and so on…
"So… would it be okay to tell me what Grade you are?"
"Me? There's nothing secret about it… I'd probably have a bit of trouble fighting a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, but dealing with a Special Grade is just about right for me."
The reason was simple. If he fought a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, the destruction Akira Zenin might cause would likely exceed the damage the Cursed Spirit itself could do…
Junpei didn't quite understand what he meant, but one thing was clear: the man in front of him had to be extremely strong.
After that, Akira Zenin explained the benefits of being a Jujutsu Sorcerer.
As long as someone obtains certification as a Grade 4 Sorcerer, they receive a base salary of 150,000 per month. Mission bonuses start at 10,000, and housing and meals are fully covered. Even support staff earn far more than ordinary company employees.
These benefits were issued directly by the higher-ups of the Jujutsu world, so the treatment at both Jujutsu High schools was roughly the same.
Hearing this immediately made Junpei focus all his attention on enrolling as a Jujutsu Sorcerer.
What was this?
Wasn't this basically the legendary guaranteed job placement…
...
On a train heading from Shibuya toward the area near Jujutsu High, three girls in Jujutsu High uniforms stood together.
Mimiko held Nanako's hand with one hand while idly playing with a piece of string with the other.
"Are we really not going back with you later?"
Tsumiki shook her head.
"I'll head back on my own. That's the limited-edition crepe you two have been looking forward to. If you're late, it might be sold out."
"Oh, and Nanako, don't eat too many crepes. When you get back, you should still eat a proper meal."
"Got it, got it, Tsumiki-san~"
The three girls were bright and youthful, but not a single person nearby looked directly at them. In fact, people subtly kept their distance and left a clear space around them.
It wasn't because anyone sensed something unusual about the girls or thought they were dangerous.
They were simply afraid of being labeled a pervert.
Because of the large number of train harassment incidents in Japan in the past, the issue had once escalated to the point of being called a national embarrassment. As a result, the government implemented extremely strict regulations to crack down on such behavior.
If someone is caught, the lighter consequence is being taken to the police station. The severe outcome is complete social ruin.
And this truly means social ruin: losing your job, your family falling apart, and even your parents and children being dragged into the fallout.
So how is someone defined as a "pervert"?
The answer is simple.
If a girl accuses you, that alone is enough.
Once accused, the police immediately operate under the presumption of guilt. Fighting the case in court is almost impossible to win.
Statistics show that even among those falsely accused, the success rate of clearing their name in court is less than ten percent. Nine out of ten will lose. As for the remaining one out of ten, it is not actually a victory. Many simply cannot endure the humiliation and end their own lives.
However, some people simply do not care about any of that.
At the back of the train, a completely ordinary-looking young man leaned against his seat. From time to time, he glanced toward Tsumiki's direction from the corner of his eye. After confirming something, he took out his phone.
"Target tracking complete. After getting off at the next station, there will be a window where no Jujutsu Sorcerers are nearby. The white-haired teacher we were specifically told to watch isn't in Tokyo either. You can inform the client."
Kawahiro leaned back and let out a heavy sigh of relief.
This job was finally finished.
The client only required them to monitor the target. As soon as there was a moment when no protectors were nearby, they simply had to report it. Just doing that would earn them a commission of two million.
Of course, that had to be split between four people.
Kawahiro narrowed his eyes, already considering a few ideas about how to deal with the other three.
Unfortunately for him, those ideas would never be realized.
Because his three teammates never even had the chance to send their report.
...
Inside a private room of a small restaurant, Toji Fushiguro was eating ice cream and takoyaki alternately, one bite of each.
If an ordinary person ate like that, they would probably spend the entire night running to the bathroom.
In front of him sat a laptop receiving incoming information.
On the floor at his feet lay three bodies tangled together.
Each of them had a twisted neck. The method was clean and efficient, leaving no chance to call for help. One strike was enough to kill.
After finishing his food, Toji Fushiguro casually tossed the empty packaging onto the floor and stepped over the corpses as he walked toward the door.
"A bunch of idiots. This kind of place is way too conspicuous. Back when I was taking bounty jobs, you guys didn't even know where you were."
Just as he took a few steps forward, one of the corpses behind him began to twitch unnaturally.
"Oh? A Jujutsu Sorcerer? I finished things too quickly and didn't notice."
Toji Fushiguro pulled out a small dagger-shaped Grade 3 Cursed Tool and slowly walked over.
He stabbed the newly forming Cursed Spirit in the head more than a dozen times.
The poor Cursed Spirit, whose grade was unknown, didn't even get the chance to make a sound before it dispersed on the spot.