Chapter 91: The Starting Point

At the base of the high school in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Itadori Yuji took a shower and changed his clothes before entering the small room that resembled the previous operation meeting room.

The two human corpses, which had been forcibly transformed into cursed spirits by [Idle Transformation], had already been recovered and sent to the high school for research.

It seemed like he hadn't yet recovered from the battle that had just happened. Itadori Yuji, with a towel on his head, sat on the sofa, looking lost.

"Do you still feel bad about it?"

Hayashizaki opened the door and walked in. Seeing the pink-haired boy still looking distracted, he tossed him a can of drink.

"I guess so."

Itadori Yuji caught the drink, about to thank him, but then noticed something odd. "Wait, isn't this beer?!"

He gave Hayashizaki a confused look and said, "I'm still underage. I'm not old enough to drink."

"It's fine, drinking this will make you feel better."

Hayashizaki had already opened his own can of beer and took a sip. He smiled at Itadori and raised his can. "This is also a step toward becoming an adult."

"Encouraging minors to drink is a crime, you know."

Yukinoshita Yukino immediately shot a sharp look at him. "Are you planning to switch to a new shell, Mr. Hermit Crab?"

"Don't sweat the small stuff."

Hayashizaki pulled a bottle of strawberry milk out of his pocket and handed it to her. "This is a hush money."

Rolling her eyes, Yukinoshita Yukino took the strawberry milk and turned to Itadori Yuji, advising him, "Itadori-kun, don't become an adult like Hayashizaki-kun, someone who relies on alcohol to numb himself."

After a brief pause, she added, "Let's forget about it this time."

Itadori Yuji stared at the beer can in his hand for a while before opening it and drinking it down in one go.

"That's more like it."

Hayashizaki praised him.

After finishing the can of beer, Itadori Yuji's cheeks quickly turned red, and he started talking more freely. "Yukinoshita-senpai is really amazing, able to act so decisively."

"Are you criticizing me for being cold-blooded?"

"Of course not!"

Itadori Yuji quickly denied, but his voice grew softer. "I just think... being able to make a decision so quickly is really impressive... unlike me, I hesitated for so long."

"Because I'm strong, I try my best to help others," he said with a self-deprecating smile. "That's what my grandfather told me before he died. It's kind of his last will."

"But whether it was at the juvenile detention center or this time, I wasn't able to save anyone's life."

"Recent events have made me realize just how weak I really am, not just physically, but mentally too..."

"As I said before, we had a student at our school who was also killed by the criminal in this case."

Looking at Itadori Yuji, who had his hands resting on his knees and his head lowered, Yukinoshita Yukino spoke softly.

"Ah, yes."

A look of confusion flashed across Itadori Yuji's face as he didn't understand why she brought this up at this moment.

"I killed him."

Yukinoshita Yukino said calmly.

"What?"

Itadori Yuji's pupils shrank, and he instinctively slowed his breathing.

"Just like you killed that human who was turned into a cursed spirit, the student at my school was also transformed, gaining the ability to use cursed energy and awakening a technique. But his body was infested by a curse. Before he completely lost consciousness and was controlled by the curse..."

"He told me, 'Run.'"

"Then his body was completely taken over by the curse and he attacked me."

"After a fight, I killed him."

Yukinoshita Yukino spoke in a flat tone, as if she were telling a story that had nothing to do with her.

"Isn't this just too twisted…"

Itadori Yuji said hoarsely, his empty beer can crushed in his hand.

Whether it was the Okazaki Masa he met at the juvenile detention center, or the poor soul he encountered today who had been turned into a modified human, to Itadori Yuji, they were all strangers. Just this alone made him feel unbearable pain and anger.

He couldn't even imagine how powerless and hopeless it would feel to have someone he knew turned into a modified human and then having to kill them with his own hands.

No wonder Yukinoshita-senpai was so decisive today. After experiencing something as ridiculous as this, she must have been suffering deep down too.

I am so pathetic…

"Hayashizaki-kun once told me that being a jujutsu sorcerer is a path full of bloodstained thorns, and that the road ahead is so long that you can't even see where it leads."

Yukinoshita Yukino said, glancing out of the corner of her eye at Hayashizaki, who was focused on his phone.

She quickly shifted her gaze and continued, "You can't avoid death. Hayashizaki-kun said this to me."

"But I guess... I'll never be able to get used to death."

The girl slightly lowered her eyes, her voice growing soft, as if a handful of fine sand in her hands, ready to scatter with a light breeze, "It makes me feel sad, angry, helpless..."

"The only thing I can do is accept it, carry these heavy feelings, and keep moving forward."

"I believe that this is the right thing to do."

"So, move forward, Itadori-kun."

Yukinoshita Yukino lifted her head, speaking seriously to the pink-haired boy.

Itadori Yuji stood there stunned, his mouth slightly open, not knowing what to say. He felt as though something inside him had been ignited by Yukinoshita Yukino's words, causing his blood to boil, burning hot throughout his body.

"Accept, carry, and move forward..."

He mumbled absentmindedly, suddenly clenching his fists. He looked up again, the pathetic look from before completely gone, replaced with a determined gaze.

"You're right, Yukinoshita-senpai."

Itadori Yuji straightened his back, speaking firmly, "I will keep moving forward and become stronger, strong enough to stop those unjust deaths!"

Then, he scratched his head and gave a slightly embarrassed smile. "Sorry for showing you all that pathetic side of me."

"Just wait for me a bit longer. I'll get stronger."

Yukinoshita Yukino took the straw and inserted it into her strawberry milk, drinking it slowly. "No, to be honest, whether Itadori-kun gets stronger or not has nothing to do with me. I don't care at all."

"Ah! Don't say things like that when the mood's like this!"

Itadori Yuji complained loudly.

The rain outside had already stopped, and the dark clouds in the sky were gradually clearing. A beam of sunlight poured in through the window, illuminating the whole room.

Standing behind them, Hayashizaki had already put away his phone, smiling as he looked at the peaceful scene. His gaze landed on Yukinoshita Yukino.

Compared to when they first met, Yukinoshita Yukino had grown so much. She could even guide her juniors now.

As he admired her growth, Hayashizaki suddenly caught Yukinoshita Yukino's eye, who had been sneakily glancing at him.

Yukinoshita Yukino immediately spoke, "As Hayashizaki-sensei, shouldn't you say something?"

"Didn't you already say everything?"

Hayashizaki shrugged. "You're right."

"Isn't guiding students part of your job too?"

"It's fine, I'll appoint you as my assistant right now."

"..."

Yukinoshita Yukino was at a loss for words and could only roll her eyes in frustration.

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