WARNING : I am not a native speaker. One of my reasons to re-write this fict is because I want to practice my English even just a little. So, read it with a grain of salt and please enjoy yourself.
—OoOoO—
Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami
Oregairu by Wataru Watari & Ponkan8
Genre : Supernatural, Action, Freindship, Slice of Life, and Little Bit Romance
Summary : Not the romantic comedy of youth that he experienced, not the quiet and normal life of youth he had. He never missed his day-to-day cursing his strange and annoying life. He is Hikigaya Hachiman and this is all his complaints as a jujutsu sorcerer.
Chapter 9 : Hikigaya Hachiman Is a Siscon, After All.
—OoOoO—
Sunday, 17th June 2018. Roppongi, Minato City, Tokyo Metropolis.
Businessmen, politicians, investors, celebrities, and such are often considered elite by society. Their voice alone was influential enough to lead public opinion and even affect the value of a company's stock. They are people who have used the sharp knives behind their sweet smiles.
Their battlefield was not a land of mines, and their weapons were not guns spewing hot tin. They fought in a place that looked full of luxury and used deadly weapons wrapped in hospitality. Their battle was not a battle that will take one's life but a battle that brings down the value of their enemies. You will not lose your life when you lose, but you will lose your social standing instead.
And I, Hikigaya Hachiman, was on the battlefield of those elites for several reasons.
In one of the high-class districts in Tokyo, the Roppongi, there was a masquerade event attended by many famous names in Japan. This event is a social event for charity, from the information I got. I don't know who the initiator is. Although a goal is a charity event, the atmosphere of the competition was really felt tonight.
Even though I am here, it doesn't mean I am one of these hedonists. I am here to monitor one of the illegal sorcerer's assassination targets sent by the Star Religious Organization. I also don't play the role of one of the elite people or anything, but just a waiter who goes around carrying a tray filled with alcoholic drinks.
"Hikigaya-kun, can you hear me?"
The one talking to me right now is Nanami-san. He spoke through the intercom.
In my left hand, which does not carry a tray, I point to my left ear where an earphone there. I am still not very comfortable with the new earphone model, and it feels like it could fall out of my ear.
"Yeah, sounds clear, Nanami-san."
"Good," Nanami-san replied, "How are the conditions there?"
"Not bad. I still don't like being in a crowd, though. However, that is not a big problem. Besides, the clothes I am wearing are a little uncomfortable, the fabric is too thick and it makes me a little stifling."
The suit I am currently wearing is what waiters usually wear. A plain white shirt wrapped in a black vest and a bow tie around the neck. I also wore black cloth pants and loafers.
This is not the first time I have worn clothes like this. During the new year, I, Maki, Okkotsu, Inumaki, and Panda had part-time jobs as cafe employees. No, I made a slight mistake. Panda didn't come to work as waiter, he used to be a mascot. The point is that the clothes I used to wear were not as thick as those I am now wearing.
"I feel sorry about your condition, but that is not what I wanted to know," replied Nanami-san after a few seconds of silence, "I mean the conditions around you. Is there anything suspicious?"
"Ah, oh …, that's right."
Subconsciously, my left index finger scratched my cheek due to misunderstanding Nanami-san's question.
I walked around the room. Sometimes, people I meet will ask me to stop and take a drink from the tray I carry.
"Allegedly illegal sorcerer is here. Just one person and he has not done anything suspicious."
"Good, keep an eye on him."
"What's your situation there?"
Nanami-san didn't answer for a few seconds, and then his voice came back through the intercom.
"I still can't find his partners. However, as long as you and Ijichi can lure that person and get him out from the building, his comrades should also be go after him."
Unlike me, who is directly inside the building to supervise …—since it will be troublesome, let's call the person I am watching as an illegal sorcerer A instead. So, my role is to watch this illegal sorcerer A who is now blending in at this masquerade. Meanwhile, Nanami-san is outside the building, trying to find—or at least—narrow down the approximate location of illegal sorcerer A's partners.
Of course, so as not to cause unnecessary fighting, Nanami-san won't be fought alone with A's partners even though Nanami-san has found them. We must work well together for this ambush to be carried out efficiently and without civilian casualties.
"Rather than that, what about Ijichi-san? I am worried about him. What if his disguise was discovered?"
"Don't worry. He knows what he has to do," said Nanami-san.
Besides me, one more person was blending in at this party, Ijichi-san. You could say he was the one who played a vital role tonight.
The target targeted by the assassin we are monitoring is Kitagawa Kenji, one of the top leaders of the Liberal Democratic Party. Before leaving for the masquerade, Ijichi-san contacted Kitagawa Kenji to cooperate. He was aware of being chased by the assassins. Therefore, the conversation between our side and Kitagawa Kenji went quite smoothly.
As a result, Ijichi-san went along with Kitagawa Kenji as one of his escorts. Ijichi-san was not a real fighter. He was an assistant manager whose main job was to help with the work of the jujutsu sorcerer. However, that doesn't mean Ijichi-san does not have any martial skills.
Even though this illegal sorcerer looked like a semi-first grade sorcerer, he still had to kill his target with one hit. Because if he doesn't, his presence will immediately become the centre of attention, and his target's guard will immediately be increased. So, as long as Ijichi-san knows that there will definitely be an attack, he can still at least parry one attack. At that moment, that is when I will chase him and lead him out of the building.
"Hikigaya-kun, is that you?"
I suddenly felt goosebumps when I heard a voice that sounded familiar to my ears. It was a beautiful voice, a feminine voice filled with joy. However, I rejected the fact that the voice came from someone I knew.
To be sure, I turned to my right, where the voice came from.
"Ah, that is really you," said the voice owner happily.
In contrast to her, my heart stopped beating for a moment when I saw who was calling me. No, it's not that I am mesmerized by her beauty. No, I mean, her beauty was exceptional, but that was not what worried me. Of all the possibilities that crossed my mind, I never thought that I would meet that woman in such place.
"Haruno …-san?"
Yukinoshita Haruno is a goddess in the human form whose beauty you can never put into words. When she stood up, her charm was like a lotus flower. When she walked, she was like a rose that attracted the attention of many people around her. When she smiled, her smile was like a pure white lily flower and gave a lot of love to the world. Such was the figure of Yukinoshita Haruno, who was not far in front of me right now.
However, I knew that this person was not the "Haruno-san" I met yesterday at LaLaport Chiba. The Yukinoshita Haruno that I am looking right now doesn't have the air of a flirtatious and mischievous onee-san. The one walking towards me right now was the perfect Yukinoshita Haruno, the Yukinoshita Haruno loved by everyone, the Yukinoshita Haruno who had no gaps.
"I didn't expect to see you here, Hikigaya-kun," she said as soon as she was right in front of me.
"Well, I didn't think I'd meet you either."
Following the theme of tonight's party, which is a masquerade party, Haruno-san also wears a mask that covers her eyes and nose area. The mask is blue navy with silver jewels that adorn the corners of her eyes and fine black fur that surround the edges.
The colour of the mask matches the dress Haruno-san is wearing. The dress she wore was the type of dress for an evening party that had a formal impression. The colour is dark blue, and the dress is long enough to cover the ankles. The sleeve length of the dress only covers Haruno-san's shoulders. Meanwhile, on the upper left side of the dress, tiny clear crystals decorate it.
A thin black hand sock with several floral embroidered patterns wrapped her hands from a few centimetres below the elbow to all of her fingers.
Haruno-san looked at me intently. Her eyes alternately fell on the tray I was carrying, then turned to me again.
"I know there are some high schoolers who are looking for extra pocket money by working at this party. However, I firmly believe they are teenagers around Minato City. So, what is a boy from Chiba like you doing here, Hikigaya-kun?"
Unlucky. Meeting Haruno-san in the current situation was a disaster, and Haruno-san was too smart to be tricked. In fact, yesterday, she could immediately smell the awkwardness of my story related to Megumi. People like Haruno-san are a nightmare for those who work to deceive others. Because the more you talk, the more your lies will show. However, if you don't speak, you are tantamount to admitting your lies.
"You know, I used to study in Tokyo before transferring to Sobu High this year. So, I have acquaintances who tell me that the pay for this event is pretty good."
Haruno-san narrowed her eyes and replied, "Yesterday you complained that you had to work on weekend. And now, you not only work on weekend, but also on Sunday nights and in Tokyo?"
"From Minato to Makuhari it's not that far, though. It takes about an hour or so by train. Besides, I have been applying for this job since last week. So, it's not like I can just cancel it just because I am tired after my yesterday's part time job."
This is the best lie I can tell. I am pretty sure Haruno-san will suspect me if I talk too much. However, if she still doesn't believe my lies, I have no other choice but to run away from her.
Haruno-san squinted her eyes at mine, and it made me hold my breath a little from feeling uncomfortable.
Seriously, if this continues any longer, the situation might hurt me even more. On top of that, I can't cope with Haruno-san's sharp brain and watch the movements of the illegal sorcerer in this place at the same time.
"Since I still have a lot of things to do, I will take my leave—"
Boom!
I stopped when I heard a loud explosion. Instantly, everyone in the banquet hall—including myself—looked toward the voice source.
Without further ado, everyone had a look of shock mixed in with deathly paleness. Emotions of fear and anxiety were evident throughout the room when they discovered a cobweb-patterned crack that was quite deep in the concrete wall of this room.
I looked at Ijichi-san, where he was lying while protecting someone. And at that moment, I knew that my part had already begun.
—OoOoO—
A while ago.
Ijichi Kiyotaka was an experienced assistant manager. Even though he was only in his 20s, he had gone out to help and accompany sorcerers on various missions. No exception for now. This was not the first time he had encountered such a complex request from the accompanying sorcerer.
"Ijichi-kun, is it really going to be okay?"
Ijichi turned toward the source and looked into the eyes of the man who was asking him a question.
"No need to worry. I will give my best in this job, Kitagawa-san."
Currently, the bespectacled man is disguised as one of the bodyguards of the top brass of the Democratic Liberal Party. This party now has the most significant number of representatives in the national parliament.
Ijichi didn't change much. His clothes are still the same as his daily work clothes, namely formal clothes with a black suit and pants. However, if he always wore a troubled face every day because he always accompanied sorcerers who were famous to be troublesome like Gojou Satoru, he had to maintain a firm expression without missing a second in this mission.
'I just hope that the ones who will attack us later are not sorcerer who has speed-based attacks,' he thought.
Ijichi Kiyotaka was an experienced assistant manager, but he was not a good fighter. Even during his studies at Jujutsu High, he also received lessons on how to fight, but it was not something he could be proud of. Ijichi did believe that he was stronger than normal humans or even MMA athletes. However, if the opponent was a jujutsu sorcerer who works as an assassin and has travelled worldwide, it was clear that Ijichi was no match for him.
The only advantage he had now was that he knew that an attack would be aimed at him. Or rather, to the client he was currently escorting. As such, if he could maintain his concentration and sense the activity of the cursed energy usage in this banquet hall, he could tell where the attack was coming from. Unfortunately, knowing the direction of an attack and dodging it were two very different things.
Even though he knew that an attack was coming, it would be useless if his reaction couldn't keep up with the attack. Therefore, he really hoped that whoever the illegal sorcerer was in this place, he was not a sorcerer who possessed speed-based cursed techniques.
Kitagawa Kenji heaved a ragged breath at his unsettled feeling. Not a normal person can stand against when their life is in danger. If not persuaded by the people of the Japanese Jujutsu Association, it would be impossible for him to cooperate and become bait to lure this illegal sorcerer out.
"Are you sure I will be fine? You guys didn't send third grade sorcerers to escort me, did you?"
Ijichi adjusted his glasses and replied, "The one watching over you right now is one of the best first grade sorcerers the association has and one of the most promising young sorcerers in the past ten years."
"Young sorcerer, you say? No matter the most promising or whatever, they were just a bunch of inexperienced kids. Why don't you just send the experienced ones?"
Ijichi sighed tiredly. This is what his daily work looks like. He often received complaints from various parties because of the lies he made or even from clients who hired the services of sorcerers from the association.
"He is one of Gojou Satoru's favorites. And currently, he was undergoing his training under Hiratsuka Shizuka's tutelage. So, there is no reason to doubt his abilities."
Kitagawa Kenji was silent when he heard the two names Ijichi mentioned. Of course, the two names are certainly well known to those who have lived in the jujutsu society. Gojou Satoru was the strongest in the world. No one would deny that. Even though he was known to be a very selfish person, no one doubts his skill and knowledge. And as for him, Kitagawa Kenji believed Gojou Satoru wouldn't make someone his favourite for no reason.
On the other hand, Hiratsuka Shizuka was the second human recorded to possess a cursed barrier technique after Tengen. Of course, that made her existence very well known, especially among the Tengen devotees. What made her most famous was how she used her cursed technique.
While Tengen used his barrier technique to spread jujutsu in Japan and maintain the stability of the cursed energy in Japan, Hiratsuka Shizuka actually developed her cursed technique as an offensive technique, something that was entirely against Tengen. The Tengen devotees hate the woman so much because they think Hiratsuka has tarnished their Lord's teachings and was trying to compete with him.
However, her strength was beyond doubt. Even those who hated her would not deny that Hiratsuka Shizuka was the best first-grade sorcerer the current association had.
"Well, I will take your wor—"
Before the politician finishes his sentence. Ijichi had pushed him first.
Boom!
He was initially angry because of Ijichi's disrespectful actions. Now that feeling was replaced with a feeling of horror after seeing what happened. An attack that he didn't know where it came from, caused the thick wall made of the most refined concrete and cement to nearly piercing through.
'If- if it hit me earlier …,' thought Kitagawa, unable to finish his words.
Horror spread instantly within the room. Not a single human does not feel fear after seeing the very thick wall suddenly hit by something they can't see and almost make a hole. The feeling that made your instincts scream that your life was in danger made many people scream hysterically.
Yukinoshita Haruno was pensive, with her eyes almost popping out from constantly glaring at the scene the short-haired woman was witnessing. However, it didn't last long after she was hit in the back by a person trying to get away from the crime scene. The stimulation then made Haruno's senses re-attached to her head.
Realizing that her acquaintance was caught up in this mess, Haruno immediately turned her gaze to the left to confirm the condition of the boy she met tonight.
"Hikigaya …-kun?"
Nothing. The teenager who should have been by her side had now disappeared like the earth had swallowed him. The woman immediately looked around the room to find the whereabouts of her younger sister's clubmate. However, no matter how much Haruno looked, she couldn't find the figure of a boy with eyes as rotten as a dead fish.
A crash sounded in Haruno's ears. The glass being shattered was so loud that it caught the public's attention again. Everyone—Haruno was without exception—looked in the direction where the voice came from. The woman could only stare without being able to say a word when she saw the bulletproof building's glass had been shattered into pieces.
'That glass is 50 millimeters thick, isn't it? How can it be destroyed? Is there a sniper?' Haruno thought as she looked around only to find that there was not a single sign of a bullet being fired into the building.
'What's really going on right now?' she uttered in horror.
—OoOoO—
"Shit-shit-shit-shit! How could I not notice that there was a sorcerer as strong as him at the banquet hall? The air of his existence really didn't feel until he was about to catch me. If he was going to kill me on the spot, I would have died from not noticing his whereabouts."
Erden, the illegal sorcerer responsible for the commotion at the party, ran as fast as he could while jumping from one edifice's roof to another. He couldn't forget the uncomfortable sensation when Hikigaya Hachiman attempted to ambush him just now.
'For a moment, he felt like an ordinary human. However, a moment later, his cursed energy would feel extremely disgusting. I have never felt anything like that in my life.'
Erden looked back to confirm the situation. However, not as expected. It was not the teenager he had met in the banquet hall chasing after him, but a grown man with slightly pale blonde hair neatly combed to the side. The man was wearing a suit like an officer with glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.
'Who else is it? Have we been caught from the start?' he thought in panic.
"Erden!"
The man with long black hair turned his head when he heard someone called him. He breathed relief when he found his two comrades running up to him.
"You came just in time. You see the guy chasing me behind? We have to kill him or he will summon another comrade. He seems quite strong, but—"
"Wait," objected one of his comrades named Austin, "what do you mean by the man chasing you? We didn't see anyone."
Erden was a little surprised to hear his partner's words. He then looked back once more to confirm the truth. As Austin said, no one was there.
Erden then stopped after landing both feet on a building. His two colleagues also followed suit.
"Impossible. I am pretty sure I was being chased by a blonde-haired sorcerer dressed as an office worker."
Ria, a woman with wavy hair and exotic skin, narrowed her eyes at her partner.
"You didn't see it wrong, did you?"
Erden shook his head and replied, "I have been in this job for years. I can't possibly mistake the person who's after me."
It was still difficult for Austin to believe his colleague's testimony. However, he could not deny that the man had had many experiences that made his remarks impossible to ignore.
"In that case, he must be hiding right now. Or maybe he is planning something else."
"Actually, there is still one more sorcerer chasing after me. However, he seems to have lost track of me," Erden replied.
Ria turned her gaze to look around. The fact that Erden felt he was being followed, but neither she nor Austin saw the person following Erden made many speculations run through the woman's head.
"Whatever it is, we need to get going before they call more of their comrades," Ria replied as she turned and prepared to run, "Worst of all, I don't want us to deal with—what?!"
The woman's eyes widened instantly when she saw a man in his 27s suddenly charged toward her. The man was about to swing a blunt sword wrapped in a sealing cloth. Although it was called a sword, in truth, the weapon's appearance was more like a butcher's knife.
Nanami Kento swung his blunt sword at the female sorcerer, who could not react to his sudden attack. Without mercy, the man beheaded the woman's head, causing a thick, rancid red liquid to be splashed everywhere.
Erden and Austin were surprised because they didn't feel Nanami's presence until he was about to launch his attack. However, their experience as professionals made both of them regain their composure. Quickly, Erden and Austin jumped back a few meters to keep their distance from Nanami.
When the two pairs of feet had stepped, a butterfly appeared with bright blue wings that glowed in the dark night. The butterfly flew past the two of them, flapping those beautiful wings. The beautiful scenery distracted those illegal sorcerers for a second.
"Wait, where did the butterfly—"
Erden's words stopped when a jagdkommando-style dagger stabbed his back until the tip pierced his heart. Enduring the excruciating pain, the man mustered his last strength to look back.
'He is … the boy who was at the party. Since when he is here?'
The professional assassin was speechless when he—for the second time—failed to anticipate the oncoming attack.
Hachiman looked at Erden's eyes flatly. The young sorcerer did not relax his guard in the slightest. He removed his grip on the knife. Then, his right hand touched the side of Erden's head and pushed him so hard that his head hit the roof of the building very hard.
A loud bang was created due to the collision of the two solid objects and formed a crater with Erden's head as the centre.
Austin, who watched his comrade get knocked down with ease, realized he had no other choice but to fight back. He would die if he fought these two powerful sorcerers alone. However, he would definitely be crushed if he just stood idly by.
Austin charged at high speed toward Hachiman, who was only four meters away from him. When they were only a meter apart, Austin suddenly dropped to the side and lifted his right leg up in a fast and powerful circular motion. With a clear target, he landed the heel of his foot with full force onto Hachiman's head without any protection.
However, as the hard kick hit him, Hachiman's body suddenly dispersed into bluebirds flying randomly. Austin was taken aback when he saw those beautiful birds, but he could quickly return his focus to the opponent he was facing. Only, it was too late. Hachiman grabbed Austin's leg and threw him at Nanami.
Receiving a good pass, Nanami cut both of Austin's ankles with sync, causing a scream of pain from the bald man.
"Aaarrrgggghhh!"
Blood dripped from the legs that had been separated from the body. Nanami adjusted his glasses without the slightest disgust, as if what he saw was nothing.
"Sorry, I was a little late," Hachiman said as he walked casually toward his team leader.
While staring blankly at Erden's corpse that his knife still attached to his heart from behind, Hachiman continued, "I can't follow him running through the window. There was a woman I knew at the party, and she had a very sharp mind. I just don't want her to suspect me."
Nanami heard Hachiman's explanation while taking out his cell phone. He took out an old cellphone that still uses the Java OS with a flip model. The bespectacled man seemed to be typing something on his phone.
"It's not a big deal. After all, everything is still going according to plan."
"Well, I think I should be able to do better than this, though,"
Nanami was silent for a few seconds and finally replied, "One thing you need to know, you have done a good job, Hikigaya-kun."
Hachiman scratched his non-itchy cheek using his right index finger. This isn't the first time Hachiman has been on a mission with Nanami. However, hearing people you admire praise you, of course, will give you a sense of pride.
What's more, he didn't expect that his cursed technique would work in a way that he had only recently implemented.
The figure of Nanami that Erden had previously seen was actually the result of Hachiman's illusion technique. Just before Erden fled the party hall, Hachiman approached Erden, intending to keep Erden away from the crowd. In addition, Hachiman had created a clone of Nanami through his own mind's projection and ordered him to follow Erden out of the building through the window.
The clone created by mind illusion has weak endurance, cannot cast cursed techniques, and will weaken and disappear if separated by a certain distance from Hachiman. That was what makes Hachiman not create the clone to capture, but only so that Erden was aware of the Nanami's "existence".
Making the target aware of the existence of an object was an absolute requirement for Hachiman to trap his prey into the illusion.
With Erden aware of the existence of "Nanami", Hachiman was still able to cast a spell on him under his illusion and create an illusionary figure of Nanami chasing him. Yet, people who weren't under the influence of Hachiman's cursed technique like Ria and Austin, wouldn't be able to see the illusion. However, this was where Hachiman's improvisation took its action.
Just like when one person in a class is sleepy and yawns, the sleepiness will slowly spread throughout the class. Or, when in a sports team, if there is one mentally weak player, it will also affect the other players and even the one team. In psychology, this phenomenon was referred to as echophenomenon.
In simple terms, echophenomenon was a phenomenon in which people imitate an action automatically without explicit awareness.
In this case, Erden, who was previously almost caught by Hachiman in the party and then affected by the illusion as he was being chased by Nanami, made him believe that there really was a figure chasing him. Even though Ria and Austin had doubts about the validity of Erden's opinion, they couldn't just dismiss the possibility of Erden being chased by Nanami.
From that tiny spark, it was enough to raise awareness that there was a "blonde man in office clothes and wearing glasses who was chasing Erden". Therefore, even though Ria and Austin had never seen Nanami's figure before, such a simple image was enough for them to automatically trapped into the same illusion as Erden.
As a result, Hachiman could toy with their senses and erase Nanami's presence from their mind as if Nanami was still hiding somewhere. Though, he had already dashed to execute them. That was why they were not aware of Nanami's existence until he was about to behead his target.
"You, why don't you kill me?"
The hoarse voice full of pain emanating from Austin caught the attention of the two Japanese sorcerers.
Nanami took a handkerchief from his shirt pocket and rolled it into an irregular ball shape. Then he crouched down and forced Austin's mouth open. Nanami forcibly stuffed his handkerchief into it after the bald man's mouth had opened wide enough.
Nanami noticed Hachiman's questioning gaze toward his action before. He also realized that even though Hachiman was one of the most talented sorcerers, he was still a young sorcerer with little experience.
"The next time you get a mission to capture people alive, make sure you cut off all possible way to your targets end their own life. As for this guy, I gagged his mouth so he wouldn't bite his own tongue."
"A- ah, I understand. Thanks for the advice," Hachiman replied and then looked at Austin for a few seconds, "So, what do we do with this guy? Shall we take him to Jujutsu Tokyo High?"
Nanami shook his head and said, "No need. Gojou-san will be here in a moment."
Hachiman instantly felt a twitch in his temples when he heard the name of the strongest sorcerer being called. He didn't have a bad relationship with Gojou Satoru—no, perhaps he was a little irritated that Satoru always tried to seduce his single mother whenever the white-haired man had the chance. However, Hachiman greatly respects Satoru and owes a huge debt to the man despite it all.
But this and that are two different things. His indebtedness and respect for Satoru did not change that the man was a source of headaches for Hachiman.
"By the way, you changed your bird's colour, huh? Previously you liked to use the crow illusion as a diversion, and now you are using the bluebird?" asked Nanami, who wanted to change the subject.
"Hiratsuka-sensei gave me the suggestion to change it. She said that the blue colour can give a feeling of calm, security, and peace. That way, it will make my target lose a bit of his fighting spirit due to the beautiful and peaceful feel of the blue colour."
Nanami just nodded at Hachiman's reply.
'No wonder if it was Hiratsuka's suggestion. If likened to a piece of music, Hiratsuka is a person who adheres to the progressive rock genre. She likes to use unusual instruments in her technique. That was why she can developed a barrier technique that should have been focused on defence into an offensive technique.
On the other hand, Gojou-san heavily influenced Hikigaya-kun. Hikigaya-kun always uses a scientific approach to developing his techniques, an approach that is the same as Gojou-san's. With the influence of Hiratsuka and Gojou-san, I can no longer guess in which direction he will develop.'
Nanami looked at the young sorcerer, who was typing something on his cell phone. He had probably only known the young sorcerer for a year or so. A relatively short time to judge someone. However, a Nanami Kento knows one thing very well about him.
—OoOoO—
"So, you want to say that someone hired Hiratsuka Shizuka and Hikigaya Hachiman to join the mission?"
Momo, flying through the air using her broom, was currently talking with an old man through her smartphone. In anticipation of the conversation not leaking out, the blonde-haired girl had turned off the communication device with Hiratsuka and her classmate.
"Yes. Because of that too, Nanami-san had the two of us on Hiratsuka-san's team under the pretext that our bad relationship with Hikigaya would ruin teamwork."
There was a pause for a few seconds before the voice finally reappeared from inside the phone.
"You two go and keep an eye on Hikigaya Hachiman."
"What? Didn't I already say that Nanami-san forbade us?" Momo protested to the voice's owner she was talking to, "Besides, why do we have to keep an eye on Hikigaya?"
"Ever since Hikigaya dropped out of school and chose to train privately under Hiratsuka's tutelage, there is no more accurate information the association can obtain. This is an opportunity to re-measure Hikigaya's abilities after more than two months he left Tokyo Jujutsu High."
Momo still didn't understand the explanation of Gakuganji, the old man who was talking to her on the phone. She knew that Hikigaya had a horrible relationship with associations because of his bad nature, how higher-ups treated his sister, and his cursed energy—which felt very disgusting. Apart from that, Momo didn't understand why they were so eager to get information about her junior from the Tokyo school.
Because Momo didn't give a response, Gakuganji said again.
"Rather than a human, his cursed energy is much more akin to a cursed spirit that holds many grudges against humanity. Therefore, Hikigaya is a thorn that must be removed as soon as possible. When the agreement between the Gojou clans that gave protection to the Hikigaya family was concluded, that was when Hikigaya Hachiman would be executed. So, as much information as possible about Hikigaya will be needed to overcome his resistance later."
'He doesn't have grudges against humanity, though. His grudges actually are directed to the jujutsu society itself,' Momo thought.
She probably hated Hachiman for his very cunning and deceitful nature. However, Momo couldn't deny that Hachiman's hatred for the jujutsu society—especially the higher-ups—was something she could understand.
As a woman, Momo herself really hates how the jujutsu community treats her. She was aware that Hachiman's younger sister was still being treated like an object that could be traded and an object that was considered a disaster maker like Geto Suguru. Anyone who still has a sense of humanity will undoubtedly understand why a Hikigaya Hachiman hates the current situation of the Japanese jujutsu society.
"I understand. I will pass this on to Noritoshi-kun," Momo replied, who couldn't help but surrender.
Even though she understood Hachiman's feelings, she was still a sorcerer in the conservative circle. She didn't have the power to disobey orders. She was not a genius like Okkotsu Yuta. She was not a talented sorcerer with creativity and high brainpower like Hikigaya Hachiman. She was also not a brave, stubborn, and unbreakable individual like Zen'in Maki.
She is Nishimiya Momo, a sorcerer who was still in the third grade even though it was already her third year at Kyoto Jujutsu High. She is just a Nishimiya Momo, a third-grade sorcerer who will only be an extra in the turbulence of this jujutsu society.
"Good, I will send Mei Mei and a few other sorcerers. Mei Mei will take command and Hiratsuka and Nanami won't be able to argue since she's more senior than the two of them."
—OoOoO—
Monday, 18th June 2018.
Afternoons at Sobu High School went by as usual. There was nothing special or particular event going on throughout the day. All teaching and learning activities passed without any significant changes. However, when it comes to change, a club at Sobu High School—named the Volunteer Club—was quite different from their regular days.
If this club generally had three teenagers occupying the room, that scene was nowhere to be seen today. The boy who always occupied the chair at the end of the class bench used for the guest table is now not seen sitting in his particular chair.
"Thank you for the gifts, Yukinon. On top of that, you even give me two gifts. How did you know that today is my birthday?"
Yui was pleased to get a birthday present from the person she considers her best friend. The girl even looked at the two gifts, each of which was wrapped in beautiful wrapping paper.
On the other hand, Yukinoshita Yukino blushed slightly. She was embarrassed when she received a question from her clubmate, Yuigahama Yui. She couldn't answer that she guessed her birthday from peeking at Yui's cell phone password.
"The other ones from Hikigaya-kun, though. And you once said about your birthday, remember?" Yukino replied, lying about how she knew her clubmate's birthday.
Yui tilted her head to the side while looking at Yukino's questioning look.
"Did I? I don't remember ever telling you, though."
Yukino cleared her throat and replied, "Rather than that, what are those two doing here?"
Hachiman's absence was indeed the difference in the clubroom. However, that was not the only thing that made today's atmosphere different. Apart from Yukino and Yui, there were still two other girls in the Volunteer Club room.
The two are Miura Yumiko and Ebina Hina. Two people who each have opposite appearances. While Yumiko sticks with her confident style like a normal gyaru, Ebina Hina is a girl who has the impression of a nerd. Even though she looks like a geek, the combination of her short hair and thick glasses actually gives her a different impression of cuteness than the other three girls in the room.
Miura, who heard Yukino's question, felt that the fire on her heart was slightly ignited. She stared at the girl with an ice queen-like charm and a fiery gaze.
"Would you mind if we were here?" Miura replied curtly.
"Just so you know, this club is a place where people come for consultation." Yukino said in a cold tone, "So, if you don't have anything you want to discuss, I don't think this is the right place for you."
Yui, who saw the sharp glint in the eyes of the two girls, nervously tried to separate them.
"Calm down, Yukinon. Yumiko actually came here to ask if there was a club activity today considering Hikki was not going to school. I mean, Yumiko insisted on celebrating my birthday at a karaoke."
"Just because one person is absent, doesn't mean there are no club activities."
Yukino immediately stopped her speech before any embarrassing words escaped her mouth. Because she had planned that this moment would be the moment the three of them would celebrate Yui's birthday. However, that all went away when this morning, Komachi contacted her and said that Hachiman couldn't come to school because he wasn't feeling well. Of course, it was a lie and Yukino was not aware about it. The truth is, his mission was still not finished.
Instead, Komachi asked Yukino to hand over the gift Hachiman had bought for Yui. Although she couldn't blame Hachiman's absence for ruining her plans, she couldn't deny that it had destroyed her mood.
"Instead of arguing like this, why don't we celebrate Yui's birthday together?" said Hina, trying to mediate Yukino and Yumiko's conflict.
Yui, who thought she had an idea, just said "ah" as if a light had popped into her head. Quickly, the pink-brown haired woman embraced Yukino and Yumiko's hands at the same time.
"Yumiko and Yukinon are both my best friends. I will be happy if I can celebrate my birthday with my friends. So, can't you guys just settle down for the moment?"
Yukino and Yumiko, who found Yui sulking, felt an intense dilemma within them. They couldn't get along since they first interacted two months ago. However, both of them also realized that if they continued the argument further, it would only ruin the mood for today.
"We- well…, I don't mind, though. Besides, I haven't booked the karaoke place yet," Miura replied as she looked away from Yukino.
"Come to think of it, celebrating with just the girls and without Hikigaya-kun is not that bad either," said Yukino as she got up from her spot and walked to the side of the room, "I will prepare black tea for us then."
Yui and Hina stared at each other. They both smiled broadly as the Ice Queen, and Fire Queen got along for a while.
"So, I have to ordered a cake and had the courier bring it here," added Ebina Hina while taking out her smartphone.
Yui, who did nothing, opened the two gift wrappers that Yukino had given her earlier. Her hand deftly unravelled the ribbon and tore the paper. In the end, there were only two boxes left as gift containers. Yui opened them enthusiastically.
"Wooww … this is a beautiful apron, Yukinon! The pink colour makes the apron looks cute."
After she finished, Yui turned to open the other gift. Her eyes bulged with pupils that seemed to be filled with sparkling stars when she saw the content.
She took the gift and put it around her neck.
"Look, does this choker necklace suit me? Isn't this like what's trendy these days?"
Yukino, Yumiko, and Hina could only look at Yui with their mouths agape. The three of them didn't know what to say in response. Honestly, when it comes to matching or not, the choker necklace does look good. However, that was not the case.
"Yuigahama-san …, I am pretty sure Hikigaya-kun bought leashes for a dog, not for human," said Yukino breaking the silence.
Yui's face turned bright red, and her eyes bulged when she heard Yukino's reply. With a swift movement, she immediately removed the necklace from her neck.
"Hikki!" Yui cursed at the person who was not even there.
Hina giggled in amusement when she saw Yui's reaction, which she thought was funny. However, her ethereal laughter slowly disappeared when she suddenly remembered something.
"However, it's a bit surprising considering that Hikigaya-kun is giving a gift to a girl."
"You talk like you know Hikio, Hina," Miura commented while looking at Hina sitting beside her, "Even though, if I remember correctly, you never even spoke to him."
Yukino arrived at the bench where the other three girls were sitting. In her hands, the girl surnamed Yukinoshita carried two cups of black tea and placed them on the table. Miura, who saw Yukino's hands full of teacups, looked to the side of the room and found that there were still two other cups on the table where Yukino was brewing her tea.
"Let me take the rest," said Miura.
Yukino was initially taken aback by Miura's initiative. However, not long after, she nodded toward the blonde girl. With that, Yukino sat down on her seat.
Ebina Hina considered whether she should answer Miura's question or not.
"Actually, I used to be in the same middle school as Hikigaya-kun," said Hina, attracting Yukino and Yui's attention. Meanwhile, Miura only showed an unconcerned face as she put down the two cups of tea.
"Is that true? How was Hikki in middle school? Has he also been gloomy and super negative like this a long time ago?"
"I- I don't know him that well, really. I mean, I was never in the same class as Hikigaya-kun," Hina retorted.
Yukino narrowed her eyes when she heard her answer. According to her, something did not match what she had just said with the previous one.
"You don't know him very well, but you were surprised when Hikigaya-kun gave a gift?"
Ebina Hina broke out in cold sweat when she had to face two pairs of eyes currently demanding an explanation. While by her side, Miura wanted to help her, but she couldn't because she was presently outvoted.
"Well, you know, let alone giving a gift, he always seemed aloof and didn't socialize much in middle school. Besides, he was quite weird because he sometimes stares at a place that is nothing with a fierce gaze."
"Wait, doesn't that sound like you were always watching Hikki from afar?" Yui replied, which made Hina even more embarrassed.
Miura, sitting next to Hina, just looked at her friend with a complex look to interpret. Hearing how the short-haired girl said that Hachiman was occasionally seen staring at a place that was nothing made Miura remember the troubles she had been in for the past few days.
'Somehow, lately I always feel like something is watching me sometimes, but when I look at it, I can't find anything.'
That was how the afternoon ended. The four girls, who know nothing about the dark side of the world they live in, spend their day celebrating the birthday of one of their friends. However, for Miura Yumiko, that day was just the beginning where her days became strange, and it would only get stranger like a nightmare. However, that was another story that she currently didn't realize the truth.
—OoOoO—
"I am home."
I screamed a little while opening the door, hoping that my hoarse voice could reach the house's occupants.
Well, if no one hears me, that's fine, too. After all, it's already 10 o'clock at night. Plus, it's Monday, the most annoying day of the week. So, it was only natural that mother and Komachi had gone to bed first.
However, my thoughts turned out to be wrong when I suddenly heard the door open from my mother's room on the first floor. She left the room, groping something on the cold wall. A "click" sound was heard a few moments later, and the living room's light was on.
"Hachiman, you are home? I thought your mission is not finished yet?" my mother asked.
Hikigaya Asuka, my mother's name. She walked toward the kitchen to get a glass of water. Then, she approached me, who was already sitting on the sofa and handed the water to me. I happily accepted and drank it in one gulp.
My mother sat on the sofa to my right. A worried expression was clearly visible on her face. It was as if she was scanning all sides of my body to see if I had any scratches.
"Well, there is been a slight change in my mission. Yesterday, the operation was originally in Tokyo, now some of them moved to Funabashi because we had Mei Mei-san took action in Tokyo. However, Hiratsuka-sensei and Nanami-san are taking care of people in Funabashi. So, since I had some free time, I decided to stop by the house."
I placed the empty water glass on the table and leaned my back against the back of the sofa. A second later, I realized one thing.
"Wait, how do you know if my mission is not finished yet?" I asked curiously.
"Eh? Ah, Gojou-san told me."
That damn playboy!
Hearing the name of an unexpected person comes out of my mother's innocent mouth makes me twitch.
"By the way, is Komachi asleep yet?" I asked, trying to change the mood.
My mother's face, which initially wore a relieved expression after seeing me who stopped by the house intact, now turned into worry again. And, of course, it also caused an uncomfortable feeling inside of me.
"She called me at around seven o'clock and said she was going to stay at a friend's house."
"Did she say she went to her friend, but she actually was not there?"
My mother shook her head and replied, "No. Before coming home from work, I had a chance to call her friend. She said, Komachi-chan was indeed there and I also had a chance to talk to your sister. However, when I got home, I faintly felt Komachi-chan's residual energy along the residential streets."
My mother was not a sorcerer who possessed cursed technique like Komachi and I. However, my mother was still a woman born into a sorcerer family—even if it was only a weak sorcerer in the countryside. That was why my mother still received training to control her cursed energy from my late grandmother. And that allowed her to sense the residual energy of others. And since Komachi and I are her children, of course, my mother wouldn't mistake the residual energy of the two of us.
On the other hand, I didn't feel any residual the whole way home. It was because I came home from a different direction from my mother, though. However, I did feel the residual energy of Komachi's cursed energy around the house. I thought it was normal since Komachi often summoned her cursed spirits to help her do house chores.
So, I didn't think there was anything out of the ordinary. But considering Komachi's habit of always activating her cursed technique to summon Ten—a cursed spirit that stores her things—from the beginning whenever she comes with me to exorcise cursed spirits, I also understand why my mother couldn't calm down thinking about it.
I stood up from my seat and stared at my mother for a moment.
"I will go find Komachi while the residual energy still hasn't completely dissipated."
"What about your mission? Is it okay to just leave without telling Nanami-san and Hiratsuka-san?"
"Komachi come first. Besides, Kamo and Nishimiya are currently watching over me. They will definitely notify Nanami-san or Hiratsuka-sensei. And I will explain to them myself later when I have found Komachi."
The main reason I stopped by the house was that Kamo and Nishimiya were suddenly keeping an eye on me. Since the mission to hunt for the illegal sorcerers that infiltrated Japan was almost over, I didn't think it was necessary to show my skills in front of the two. So, I prefer to rest and stop by the house. Our family, which is under the protection of the Gojou clan, makes Kamo Nori-something, who is the next Kamo Clan head and his minions unable to approach my house because they are bound by a vow.
I honestly don't know why there was a change of plans that required Kamo and Nishimiya to keep an eye on me. However, one thing is clear, I have to find Komachi as soon as possible.
—To Be Continued—
Author's Note: Hello, nice to meet you again, guys. And minal aidin walfaizin, Happy Eid Al-Fitr to all my Muslim friends.
Well, actually, I intended to release this chapter earlier. Due to my family agenda get-together to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, some of my work was delayed, one of which was my fanfics.
First of all, I hope you don't get confused by the explanation part about Hachiman's technique activation innovation. If you are still confused, please ask through the review. I will immediately explain it as best I can.
This chapter also discussed the characteristics of Hachiman's cursed energy. For those of you who read manga, you must be familiar with the characteristics of the cursed energy. Such as the characteristics of Yuta's cursed energy, which is described as very scary and the characteristics of Hakari's energy which is described as very rough. Here, I describe Hachiman's cursed energy characteristics as something that feels really disgusting.
In the part where Yukino cs conversed, it was a moment that I changed from the original version of the novel. In the novel, there should only be Yukino, Yui, and Hachiman at that time. However, here I made Miura and Ebina take Hachiman's vacant position. Besides, I also made Ebina be in the same middle school as Hachiman. This is the original in this story because, in the canon version, Ebina was never in the same middle school as Hachiman.
This very long chapter is still a warm-up to get to the climax. In this long chapter, too, I laid the initial foundation for the next arc. So, please stay tuned and follow this story.
And, that's all from me. What do you think about this chapter? And thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed. Please leave your review for this chapter because your review is my encouragement. See you in the next chapter and stay safe.