Please Read : Please support me by finding akadaka on patre0n. And sorry for the grammatical errors because I am not a native speaker. I'll try to improve it with all my might.
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- Jennifer Price.
- Mark Christoper Somera, and
- DekuWithaShotgun.
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—OoOoO—
Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami
Oregairu by Wataru Watari & Ponkan8
Genre: Supernatural, Action, Friendship, Slice of Life, and Little Bit Romance
Summary: He did not experience the romantic comedy of youth, nor did he experience the quiet and normal life of youth. He never missed his day-to-day cursing his strange and annoying life. He is Hikigaya Hachiman, and these are all his complaints about being a jujutsu sorcerer.
Chapter 35: Cursed Train.
—OoOoO—
Humanity couldn't avoid death. It was the end of every living creature's cycle of life. What awaited after death? No one knew. However, humans were always taught to live according to their guidelines and beliefs so they didn't leave with regrets.
Death, without people realising it, was closest and permanently attached to every living creature. Because of that, death could approach even at unimaginable moments.
Young people could joke that they had such a healthy body, so they still had a long time in the world. Wealthy people could boast that they could afford the best lifestyle and the most advanced medical care as insurance. However, when death approached them, neither a healthy body nor an abundance of money could save them.
Even though the sun was shining at its peak, the atmosphere in the house was very opposite to the spirit of the sun. People dressed all in black without any makeup gathered in a place. With dark expressions and a heavy atmosphere, they faced and sent their condolences to someone who had passed away in the bosom of the Almighty.
Yukinoshita Haruno was one of the people at the funeral home. She also felt a sense of loss over the death of the victim, who was one of her acquaintances at the university. Even though Haruno was a selfish woman, the memory of the death of a friend would always remain in her mind. Moreover, if that person died right before her eyes.
"Yukinoshita-san, you know something about this, right?"
Haruno didn't show any reaction after getting that question. Her face, which radiated extraordinary beauty even without makeup, didn't respond immediately.
"What do you mean, Ayase-san?"
The person Haruno was talking to was Ayase Aya, her classmate and the only survivor besides Haruno in the abandoned tunnel incident in Narita City.
"About what happened to us," replied the girl.
Haruno fell silent at the question. Her expression was dark, and her tongue felt numb. She didn't know how to answer that. If Ayase wasn't her friend, or if the girl wasn't a survivor, Haruno wouldn't hesitate to lie.
"Why are you silent, Haruno-san?" Ayase repeated softly.
The condolence session had ended. The pilgrims had left the funeral home one by one, leaving only those with a special closeness to the deceased. That was why the girl dared to ask about that topic after ensuring no one was overhearing their conversation.
However, Haruno didn't immediately answer, and that made Ayase's patience run out.
"Did you see that? Nogichi's mother couldn't stop crying ever since she got the news that her daughter had been found dead."
Haruno followed the direction Ayase was pointing at. As the girl said, a middle-aged woman was seen continuously crying before the ashes of her child's remains while hugging a photo of the only child she had. It was a heartbreaking sight, Haruno had to admit. Her heart ached when she saw how the woman continued to cry even though her tears had dried.
"You should be able to imagine how devastated she was when she heard that her daughter's headless body had been found. However, it was said they found her on Nokogiri Mountain. But in fact, we know what happened. Don't you have a conscience, Yukinoshita-san? Shouldn't we at least tell the mother the truth?"
Nogizaka Chiyo was one of the victims, along with three other people, in the abandoned tunnel incident. She knew Nogizaka well. Even Haruno didn't object to her calling her a friend. If talking about sad or not, she also felt sad and devastated when she remembered Nogizaka's head being eaten by a transfigured human.
Because the total number of victims in this incident was four people, the association decided to falsify the time and background of their deaths. While they stored and preserved the bodies of the victims, the association issued periodic announcements of their deaths.
"Then what?" Haruno replied softly.
"Huh?"
"If we tell what happened at that time, then what? Do you think that will make her feel better, Ayase-san?"
"No, that's not what I meant. Doesn't this family have the right to know the truth?"
Haruno sighed and looked at Ayase.
"And like I said, then what? Are you saying that there are man-eating monsters out there, and her daughter is one of their victims? So what? She'll force the police to hunt down the monster, and ultimately resulting in more victims?"
Ayase was a little surprised when she heard Haruno's cruel-sounding words.
"No, I mean…," Ayase's voice hitched at that moment, "As I thought, you must know something, right? I had time to eavesdrop on staff conversations at my rehabilitation centre. They say that your acquaintances are great people or something. Hiratsuka? Hikigaya? I don't know."
Haruno looked at her friend with concern. As a fellow survivor of this bloody tragedy, she understood the burden and fear that plagued the girl's mental state.
"It's rude to talk about these things here," Haruno said without looking the other person in the eye, "So, wanna go for a short walk? Or maybe stop by somewhere?"
Ayase had no intention of going anywhere today except to attend her friend's cremation. However, because of her curiosity, she nodded and agreed to Haruno's invitation.
Haruno and Ayase said goodbye to the victim's family and paid their last respects to their deceased friend.
They walked without saying a word. The two girls stepped forward without having any goal in mind. They just let their legs determine where they want to go. However, Haruno knew she couldn't stay in that awkwardness. As such, she allowed Ayase to go to a place that made her mind comfortable.
That was how they ended up in a smoking area next to a convenience store.
"Since when did you become a smoker?" Haruno asked.
"Recently," Ayase replied while exhaling the smoke, "You probably won't understand, Yukinoshita-san, because you've always been special. But for an ordinary person like me, this tragedy seemed to throw me to the bottom of an endless abyss."
"I understand that feeling, really. Special or not, it doesn't matter. I can act calmly, not because I'm special or something, but because I'm me," Haruno replied.
"And your extraordinary self-confidence is what always makes you special, Yukinoshita-san," Ayase said with a bitter smile.
Once again, Haruno felt concerned about her friend's condition.
"If you're asking whether I know, then yes, I know something about what happened to us. But it's not like I knew everything from the start," Haruno said after a long consideration.
The heiress of the Yukinoshita family opened the canned coffee she had been carrying. Haruno leaned her back against the wall and sipped coffee from the yellow can. Sweet, bitter and savoury flavours come together in a combination that could pamper the taste buds. Her uncertain mood became calmer when the cold liquid passed through her throat. Realising the flavour that she had never tried, she understood why a certain boy loved this canned coffee.
Feeling calmer after quenching her thirst, Haruno continued her words.
"I was naïve. Due to several reasons, I decided to investigate the existence of the supernatural world."
Haruno looked up at the bright blue sky without a single cloud in the way. Her consciousness flashed back to last month when a mysterious attack occurred at the masquerade ball she attended. She even remembered every odd detail that led her to the conclusion about the existence of supernatural creatures, including Hachiman's involvement in it.
"I decided to participate in the recording for your YouTube mostly because of that. You often create content about horror and courage-related things, so I thought I might get a tip or two if I followed you. I got it, but I didn't expect it to be much more dangerous than I thought."
"Your jinx is really scary, Yukinoshita-san," Ayase replied while blowing the smoke, "So, what exactly are those creatures?"
Haruno was silent for quite a short time. Her mind was busy considering whether she should tell the truth or not. However, after careful consideration, she decided to give her a story that was partly fact but also embroidered with lies here and there.
"Who knows? You can call them ghosts, spectres, cursed spirits, or monsters. I'm not sure. But certainly, as you can see, it's not something common sense can overcome."
"Even the police or military?" Ayase asked.
"If they could handle it, this incident wouldn't be covered up by the government, you know?" Haruno said with a sad smile, "You know my family's reputation. My father was in the government cabinet, and my family was one of the richest in Japan. If normal people could have handled it, this case would have definitely risen to the surface from the start."
Haruno paused her words and took another drink of the canned coffee in her hand.
"The fact that all the timelines worked together so well to cover up this incident only means that those who can handle it have influence strong enough to make even the government inevitably bend to their will."
"It sounds like a conspiracy from the global elite."
"Well, you could put it that way."
Haruno understood the association's rules, which strictly prohibited jujutsu sorcerers and everyone in the circle from leaking secrets about the jujutsu world. The reason was clear, to control people's fear and prevent the massive birth of cursed spirits.
After all, even though normal humans couldn't use jujutsu sorcery, small amounts of cursed energy still seeped from their bodies. If it accumulated over a certain amount or time, it would create a cursed spirit. Moreover, if people had the exact visualisation of an object, the worst possibility was that an imaginary vengeful spirit like the Kuchisake Onna would be created.
Although the information regarding jujutsu that Haruno told Ayase was undoubtedly like a drop in the ocean, it made Haruno a little uneasy about whether revealing it was right or wrong. Even though it was the truth woven by lies, it didn't change the fact that Haruno told about the supernatural world really exists to people who shouldn't know about it.
However, considering that Ayase had experienced the incident firsthand and had also overheard that the Yukinoshita heiress had her safety guaranteed by several influential figures in the field, Haruno thought there was no harm in providing a piece or two of information. After all, what she said was purely out of kindness to warn her friend not to get involved with the supernatural world.
"So, whatever it is, I just suggest not getting involved anymore and not involving other people in that world. That's a nightmare you don't want to share with anyone else, right? Even though that sounds like false security, it's much better than knowing that humans have lived in the shadow of helplessness in the face of these monsters."
All this time, Haruno thought that living in ignorance was scary. She always thought that knowledge was the main weapon for human survival. Thus, Haruno never felt that she had lost her identity whenever she put on different masks when she was with people from various walks of life. Even though at first it was annoying when her mother forced her to learn everything and master many things, in the end, it gave her a sense of satisfaction and pride because she felt she would never lose to anyone.
However, it slowly became toxic for her as she felt everything was starting to get boring. But her boredom was relieved when she threw herself entirely into the jujutsu society. She felt alive because she knew she could die at any time. Although only a few people could use jujutsu sorcery, the disaster caused by cursed spirits could be reduced drastically if people could control their fear. Unfortunately, not everyone had that mentality.
Haruno felt vibrations from the black Miss Dior mini bag she held in her left hand. Putting the canned drink on the table, Haruno began to dig into the contents of her bag. It didn't take long for her to get her iPhone out of there. Seeing the name displayed on the display, Haruno immediately picked up the call.
"Yes?"
Ayase, who sat pensively with a cigarette still in her left hand, looked at Haruno silently. Her eyes couldn't leave the set of iPhone and Apple Watch that Haruno had. Sometimes, she also glanced at the Miss Dior mini bag Haruno brought today. As she remembered, it was a different bag from the one Haruno usually used at formal events on campus. However, whatever it was, the items Haruno owned were all high-end brands.
'Wealth, beauty, intelligence, luck, and even courage. You have it all, and the world seems to revolve around you, Yukinoshita-san. I wonder what you don't have in this world? I admit this is disgusting, and this is the ugly side of me. But sometimes, I want to curse someone like you never to find happiness in the rest of your life.'
Along with the smoke she blew into the sky, Ayase stared blankly at the blue ocean stretching across the sky. She knew Haruno had been kind enough to warn her not to get involved with that supernatural world again. Hell, she wouldn't even get involved anymore, even if she wasn't warned. However, seeing how Haruno could still laugh and enjoy life while she was haunted by depression and sadness after witnessing her friends being massacred, she couldn't help but envy the perfect life that Haruno had.
"Yes, I'm in the smoking area next to the convenience store," said Haruno, still on the call, "Yes, this is still in a residential area, and the detour is quite far if you use a car. So, just wait there. I'll be there in five minutes."
After hanging up the call, Haruno turned her attention to Ayase. Seeing that, Ayase showed her best smile at Haruno. However, the heiress of the Yukinoshita family could see the fake smile. Or rather, Haruno knew that since the beginning of their meeting today, Ayase kept putting on a fake smile with various complexities in her mind.
"My driver has come. I'll go first, Ayase-san," she said, showing a fake smile.
"See you tomorrow in class then, Yukinoshita-san. Oh, wait, are you going to class tomorrow? I heard that your proposal to join research has been approved, and you're going to Ibaraki the day after tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I'll still be attending class tomorrow. Besides, I'll be on campus at least once a week."
It was a lie, but the background could be said to be the truth. Haruno was classified as a genius, so she could complete many credits in one semester as if it were nothing. In fact, many people were amazed because she still seemed to have a lot of free time even though she took more classes than other students.
Because the credit amount was sufficient, Haruno casually wrote and sent a joint research proposal to the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, more precisely, at the JT-60 facility in Ibaraki. The proposal was accepted, but Haruno could only join the following semester because she was asked to complete several specific courses first.
Because her condition changed drastically after the incident that happened to her, and by taking advantage of her father's connections, Haruno could "legally" join the research group starting this week. However, in reality, it was just a cover so that Haruno could disguise her absence on campus and train with others at Jujutsu High. That was done because Haruno and her father tried hard to trick her mother.
Since being accepted into Tokyo Jujutsu High as a medic under the supervision of Ieiri Shoko, Haruno's schedule had become very busy, and she only had three days off. On Monday, she would go to Chiba University to give written reports, which, of course, were all fake. Even so, the campus wouldn't have a problem because everything had been arranged from above. In reality, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were her days off as long as there were no urgent matters.
Honestly, she regretted not being able to join the research group on JT-60. However, that wasn't a problem because, in the original proposal she submitted, she wouldn't join until next year. So, if the Gods really loved her, maybe she could attend it next year.
"Yukinoshita-san, may I ask you something?" Ayase asked before Haruno left.
"Yes?"
"You said you started investigating the existence of such supernatural things after a certain incident," Ayase said, hanging on her words, "Please tell me, after all this, do you have any feelings of regret or fear?"
Haruno blinked several times at the question. However, she wore a big smile.
"It's indeed scary. But no, not a single drop of regret."
It was the sincerest and most beautiful smile Ayase had ever seen. She even lost her words and felt breathless because she was stunned by that smile. If it was her old self, there was no doubt that Ayase would fall even more in love with Haruno. However, with her corrupted heart, she felt jealous of Haruno's too-dazzling figure.
'As I thought, you are blessed, Yukinoshita-san.'
—OoOoO—
In a black sedan, Maki sat quietly. Her eyes were fixed on the smartphone, and an earphone was plugged into her left ear. It was pretty rare to see the girl watching a movie because she was basically not a fan. Maki was the type of person who would always train and practice. Or, if she had free time, she tended to hang out with her friends while eating various kinds of junk foods.
However, today was different. Her friends who always accompanied her weren't with her. There was only a blonde-haired woman named Nitta Akari with her.
"Hey, Maki-chan,"
"Yeah?"
Even though she was currently focused on the movie, Maki had outstanding concentration. That was why she could keep up with the conversation despite having both eyes and one ear dedicated to the movie.
"Did you know that Chiba City is the most comfortable place to live in Japan if you consider prices of primary necessities, minimum wage, public service, infrastructure access, and metropolitan life?"
"And why Chiba out of nowhere? You're not possessed by Hachiman, who likes to brag about Chiba, right?" asked the Zen'in girl
Maki couldn't see Akari's expression because the woman was sitting in the driver's seat. However, she could see her shoulders shaking slightly, which indicated that the woman was laughing lightly.
"Well, it's even more ridiculous that you suddenly mentioned Hikigaya-kun. But no, it's not like that. I just thought, if I didn't become an assistant manager, I would probably find a job in this city."
"Why? If it's about lifestyle, isn't there still Saitama, Kanagawa, and Osaka?"
"Yeah, but the most important factor is that Hiratsuka-san is here. Apart from the cases that have occurred in Chiba recently, this city is actually quite safe. Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tokyo are under the influence of the Gojo clan. And you know that Gojo-san often underestimates his duties. And Osaka… well, I don't want to live in Kansai."
"Is it because the influence of the Zen'in and Kamo clans is too strong there?" Maki asked.
"Yeah, kind of."
No more words came out after that. However, that only lasted until something suddenly crossed Akari's mind.
"Hey, have you heard that Hikigaya-kun humiliated Naoya a few days ago?"
Maki's eyebrows rose when she heard that question. The topic of Zen'in never interested her. However, if it was about their disgrace, that was a different story.
"Really? I've never heard of it. When did that happen?"
Akari turned around, looking directly at Maki behind the driver's seat.
"You heard that Komachi-chan was attacked by an assassin, right?" Akari asked, to which Maki nodded. "Apparently, Naoya came to the scene and provoked Hikigaya-kun. I guess it was something like making Komachi-chan his wife?"
Maki let out a crooked smile, showing interest in the story's ending.
"So? How did it end?"
"Guess what!" Akari replied with an enthusiastic smile.
Unfortunately, Maki wasn't interested in the game, and Akari could only sigh in disappointment. However, her mood returned to being cheerful in the next second.
"You know, Hikigaya-kun apparently could kill Naoya right then and there. However, he decided to spare his life."
"He did?" Maki asked, to which the blonde girl nodded.
"And the reason is…."
Akari hung up on her words, making Maki even more curious.
"Hikigaya-kun said there is only one person who has the right to kill Naoya and destroy the Zen'in Clan, and that's only Maki who has the right to do that," said Akari as she tried to imitate Hachiman, "Doesn't that sound cute? It was like he had complete trust in you."
Maki was silent for a few seconds, holding her breath until she exhaled and looked away, looking out the car window.
"That sounds weird to me. That's not like him at all," Maki muttered, "But yeah, I'm the only one who will surprise them and put them on the downfall."
Akari smiled broadly, seeing Maki's cute reaction. Well, from a normal perspective, it was scary to see two beautiful ladies discussing killing and destroying someone's life. However, leaving that aside, Maki's habit of averting her eyes when she blushed was one of the best blessings for her.
'As I thought, Hachi-Maki is better than Yuta-Maki!' Akari shouted in her mind.
There were two major opinions from staff and students at Tokyo Jujutsu High. But it was a secret, so not everyone knew about it. In fact, people like Hachiman, Maki, and Yuta didn't know anything about the existence of that opinion. The two opinions were the Hachi-Maki team and on the other side was Yuta-Maki.
Well, that was a bit of an exaggeration. It was actually just a silly discussion between Satoru, Panda, Akari, and two third-year students, Hakari and Kirara.
The knocking on the window broke the conversation between the two women. They looked to the left and saw Haruno standing, waving with a smile. Without being ordered, Akari immediately unlocked the car, and Haruno immediately pulled out the door.
"Thanks for the hard work," said Maki and Akari together.
Haruno smiled broadly at the welcome.
"Yeah, thanks for your hard work as well."
Haruno sat next to Maki. Leaning her back against the seat while closing her eyes, she hoped it would relieve some of her fatigue.
"Where are Panda-kun and Inumaki-kun? Didn't you go to Chiba together?" Haruno asked Maki.
"They went back first with another assistant manager."
Haruno just nodded her head. Over the past few days, the distance between her and several people in the facility, especially Maki's group, had decreased drastically.
"How about you? Is your friend better?" Maki asked.
"Physically, maybe yes. But even though she didn't say it, it was clear that her mental state was in a terrible state. It wouldn't even be surprising if she hated me for being the only one who wasn't affected by anything."
Hearing the conversation between them in silence, Akari couldn't help but join in.
"Well, it's okay, we can't avoid it. That's why blending into normal society is difficult for people like us as long as we still pay attention to things like that."
Maki nodded in agreement to that statement. She then looked back at Haruno and was ready to ask another question.
"Then, have you told everything to your friend, Haruno-san?"
Haruno shook her head and replied, "I told her some things, but I also made up lies for her good."
In fact, regarding telling about the existence of cursed spirits and sorcerers to Ayase, several experts with experience in that field allowed her to do so. Gojo, Hiratsuka, and Yaga had permitted it if it was only bare and didn't leak organisational information. After all, there was no point in keeping the danger of cursed spirits a secret from someone who had experienced it firsthand.
However, seeing how Ayase's mental condition was, Haruno gave up that idea.
"Ah, Nitta-san. Can we stop by the cake shop near the city hall to pick up my ordered cake?"
"Roger that."
—OoOoO—
Japan was one of the busiest countries, with Tokyo being the most densely populated area in the world. The lousy work culture was entrenched in every level of society, not just in Tokyo but almost everywhere in Japan. Leaving early and returning early wasn't a strange activity in this country. In fact, sleeping at stations, internet cafes, and karaoke just to wait for the following train schedule was a common sight.
The last train on the Ueno-Tokyo Line wasn't as busy as usual. If you total up all the carriages, it only carried around 54 passengers when it departed from Omiya Station. Under normal conditions, that spacious space would relieve passengers because they could relax more. However, especially today, they all unanimously thought that the atmosphere on the train felt heavier than usual.
"Mamonaku, Saitama-Shintoshin, Saitama-Shintoshin. Odeguchi wa, hidari-gawadesu."
The audio of the announcement was in Japanese. Several passengers who got off at the mentioned station began to prepare to get off at that stop. While they were getting ready, a second announcement in English was heard.
"ThE nEXt stAtioN iS SAitaMa-shInTOshiN, sAiTAma-ShINtoShiN. thE dOoRs oN tHe lEFt Side wiLl opEn."
All the passengers jumped in surprise when they heard the announcement, which sounded hoarse and scary. The gloomy atmosphere, coupled with the death of the lights that were supposed to illuminate the train, exacerbated the impression of horror on the train. Some still tried to think positively about whether there was a technical error, but many started to get anxious.
When the train finally stopped at the station, everyone rushed to get out of the carriage even though, for some people, that stop wasn't their destination. But it couldn't be helped. Even people who were still strong and thought positively didn't want to take risks by allowing themselves to continue to be on such a horror train.
However, as soon as the carriage door opened, they saw a cold and pitch-black station. It wasn't like there were no lighting sources at all, but the lights on the platform were flickering on and off at an irregular rhythm.
"#*&!? %^\=+-$."
—OoOoO—
The Saitama Prefectural Police headquarters received 61 missing person reports on July 6th and 7th. A more detailed report noted that seven people went missing on the 6th and another 54 on the 7th. There was no connection between the victims, so no motive for kidnapping was found. However, from interviews with witnesses, there was a similarity behind the cases of missing people. They all allegedly boarded another last Ueno-Tokyo Line from Omiya station.
July 8th, 2018, the National Police Agency headquarters issued an order to withdraw troops from Omiya station and along the train tracks towards Tokyo. Many staff wondered about this controversial decision. However, some members understood what the central people meant because they had experience dealing with strange cases.
July 8th, 2018, at 20:00 JST, several jujutsu sorcerers from Tokyo were deployed around Omiya and Saitama-Shintoshin stations to carry out the final verification.
July 8th, 2018, at 21:59 JST, Zen'in Maki and Yukinoshita Haruno, appointed by the association as executors, arrived at the Omiya Station area.
July 8th, 2018, at 22:32 JST, a special-grade sorcerer, Hikigaya Hachiman, sent by Gojo Satoru with some considerations, arrived at Omiya Station. Based on a report written by Nitta Akari, there were allegations that a fight occurred in a domain not long after Hikigaya Hachiman's arrival.
—To Be Continued—
Author Note: There's not much I want to write here. I'm really sorry for not updating here for so long. I'm really busy and rarely have time to be online on the internet. Even when I see one of my favorite stories updated, it takes me two to three days to finish reading it.
I think that's all I have to say. I'll update my 2 other stories tomorrow and the day after that.
Please support me by subscribing me to "patre0n.-com-/-akadaka" (please replace "0" to "o", and remove the "-".) I won't force you and I'm still continuing the story, although you don't subscribe to me. But it'll help me a lot. Anyway, see you and stay safe.
You can find chapters 36, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, and 43 on my patre0n.