Hanako's eyebrow arched as she pointed to herself. "Through me?" She looked puzzled, trying to comprehend the meaning behind the statement. Curiosity filled her eyes as she awaited an explanation.

Yuki lit up at her words. "Yes, that's right," Tsukumo said slowly. "Why exactly is it making its presence known through you? We don't know."

Hanako's brow furrowed. "Which leads us to the condition Tsukumo said."

She nodded. "Yes." Shiro's curiosity grew as she eagerly awaited Yuki's explanation. "What condition are you referring to?" she asked, her voice filled with anticipation.

Yuki hesitated for a moment before continuing to speak. We don't know the full extent of Akki's power or its motives, so we need to keep an eye on it. That's why your execution was suspended for now," she continued, her tone firm and authoritative.

As Yuki spoke, Hanako's ears perked up, her heart and mind entangled in a whirlwind of conflicting feelings. She grasped the concept that the freedom she had been granted was not entirely unshackled; rather, it came with certain strings attached.

Yes, she could go about her life as she wished, but only within the boundaries of specific rules and regulations. It was the standard existence that everyone else adhered to, yet for Hanako, it felt as if she were enclosed within the suffocating walls of a prison cell.

"That means if I don't agree to the conditions given, they'll kill me," Shiro said it with a grim expression. The realization sent a chill down her spine, making her question whether the so-called freedom was worth the potential consequences.

"Exactly That's why it's in your best interest to agree. If you want to live, unless you really do want to die, Tsukumo said with a cold and calculating tone.

Hanako's pulse raced the sound of her beating heart pounding within her ears as she felt the weight of the gravity of the situation. really taking in how important it was that she agreed to whatever Yuki was about to tell her.

Her voice trembled slightly as she expressed her desire to cling to life. She spoke eagerly, but her words were also tinged with a hint of melancholy. She knew that everyone had to die eventually, but she couldn't help but yearn for an extended existence.

"I want to live," she said. "I don't want to die."

Her words were simple, but they carried a profound weight. They were a declaration of her will to survive, despite the challenges and dangers that were in her and ones that would come in the future. They were also a plea for mercy, a hope that she would be given a chance to experience all that life had to offer.

Shiro's voice continued to shake as she spoke, revealing the depth of her emotions. She wanted to live, but she was also afraid. She knew that by complying with the command given to her, she was putting herself in possibly more danger than she already was. But she was willing to take the risk because she believed that life was worth living, even if it was only for a short time.

"I don't want to die. I mean, I know everyone has to eventually, but if I could make it for as long as I can, I want it." "So then, what exactly do I have to do?" Shiro's voice saddened as she asked.

Yuki raised her hand, gesturing to Mei and Iori, who were sitting beside her. "You will have to become a student at Jujutsu Tech, like Mei and Iori here."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "A student? Like at an actual school?"

Yuki, who was sitting right next to her, frowned in confusion. "Well, yes. Did you not attend school before, Hanako?"

Hanako paused, unsure of how to proceed. The concept of attending a public or private school for an extended period of time was completely foreign to her.

Throughout her upbringing, she had been confined to a life of isolation, receiving her education through homeschooling, and concealed from the prying eyes of the other girls at the orphanage.

However, she found herself reluctant to disclose this truth to everyone with her at the table, as if it would somehow diminish her worth in their eyes.

"Yes," she said. "Of course I attended school."

Yuki smiled. "Good. Then you will be perfectly fine at Jujutsu Tech. It's a very prestigious school, and you'll learn everything you need to know about becoming a jujutsu sorcerer."

Hanako agreed with a nod; however, deep within her, there was an undeniable sense of unease that coiled like a tightly wound knot within the pit of her stomach.

The reason behind this apprehension stemmed from the fact that she was completely clueless about what awaited her at this peculiar school.

Furthermore, her lack of knowledge regarding the very existence and nature of a Jujutsu sorcerer only added to her increasing sense of uncertainty and trepidation.

Utahime snapped her fingers. "Oh, right. You grew up in an orphanage, didn't you?"

Hanako nodded. "Yeah. And I did school at first, but because of Akki, I was pulled out and homeschooled until they kicked me out four days ago."

Utahime's eyes widened in surprise. "You were kicked out?"

Mei jumped into the conversation. "The headmasters of the orphanage told us that you had run away."

Hanako's confusion grew. They had just told her that "they had found her unconscious that day outside in the rain," but now they were saying that the headmasters of the orphanage had said she "had run away."

Not only were the headmasters being dishonest, but this also implied that they were actively in pursuit of her. The situation she found herself in only heightened her anxiety. It was as if these individuals were relentlessly tracking her down, treating her as if she were a criminal on the most wanted list.

There was a part of her that urged her to rise from her current seat at the table and escape to a place so distant that nobody could ever track her down. However, she chose not to heed that inner voice of intrusive thought begging for you to proceed.

"Run away, run away!" It shouted in the back of her mind. But yet she stayed seated at the table. She sighed and sank back into her chair.

The reasoning behind her decision remained unclear, but it could be attributed to the deep-seated understanding within her subconscious that such a plan would ultimately prove futile.

Ah, okay, so you were homeschooled? Tsukumo said

Masamichi had remained silent throughout the entire conversation, choosing to let them speak without interruption. He had been waiting for a moment when a specific inquiry about the school she would attend arose, planning to interject at that point.

Glancing down at his watch, he realized that a whole hour had elapsed since they had arrived at the restaurant.

He looked around; it didn't seem to be particularly busy, but oh well. While in his thoughts. The waitress from before finally arrived with their food and drinks.

"Thank you," Masamichi said politely as the waitress set down their plates. He glanced at Yuki, who seemed overly interested in the homeschooling topic.

"Yes, I was homeschooled," Shiro confirmed, immediately sticking her chopsticks into her Tonkatsu cabbage as soon as it was in front of her and eating it. She savored the flavor of the food as it entered her mouth.

It was because of Akki. Because of her, everyone was too afraid to be near me." Shiro's voice trailed off, her eyes downcast, as she recalled the painful memories.

Masamichi exchanged a concerned glance with Yuki, realizing that there was more to Hanako's story than she was letting on. He decided to tread carefully and gently asked, "If you don't mind sharing, what happened with Akki?"

Hanako's eyes met his, and Masamichi felt a chill of unease. Her voice was low, but it was above a whisper, unlike what she had been taking before. "Akki was, like you said, violent. She never hurt me, but I saw her hurt others. She can be very dangerous, and so I always try to stay on her good side."

"Hm... Has Akki herself ever tried to take over your body?" Yaga asked.

"You mean like being possessed in a scary movie, right?" Shiro is asking just for confirmation.

Yaga nodded. "Yes, that's right."

Hanako's expression was thoughtful. She poked at her tonkatsu with her chopsticks. "There was only one time," she said. "It happened two years ago."

"You know, me being tracked down to be executed wasn't the first time it happened," Shiro said. "You guys bringing me back to your school made it the second."

Everyone at the table stopped what they were doing and looked at her. "What do you mean?" Tsukumo asked.

"Two years ago, while I was at the orphanage, someone came looking for me while everyone else was away."

Yuki put down her chopsticks. "Who was it that came after you?" she asked.

Hanako looked up from her food. "A man named Toji Fushiguro," she said.

A/N: Okay, now i'm going to take a mini break from this story so I don't burn myself out and work on some of my other stories