Ch.22 First-Years Assemble

Hayashi and Fushiguro Megumi stood by the roadside while Itadori Yuji went into the shop to queue up. After about ten minutes, he came back with three ice cream cones—all vanilla.

"Here, just make do with these. The other flavors were too expensive," Yuji said as he handed two cones to them, laughing awkwardly. He had really wanted to try the matcha flavor but found that it was surprisingly pricey.

"Not bad at all, the taste is great," Hayashi complimented. For students like them, money was indeed tight, so even having vanilla was a treat.

"By the way, who's the last person? I was already surprised when Hayashi joined, and now there's another one?" Yuji asked, eating his ice cream.

"The admission was decided a long time ago. You and Hayashi were exceptions because this is a rather special school, and there's probably some kind of hidden reason," Fushiguro replied calmly. At that moment, he spotted Gojo Satoru walking towards them.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Oh? You've already put on your customized uniforms?" Gojo greeted them, noticing their new outfits. He had only woken them up this morning and hadn't realized they'd already changed into their school uniforms.

"Yeah, but why are Hayashi, Fushiguro, and I wearing different uniforms? I even have a hat," Yuji said, touching the red hat at his collar.

"The uniforms can be modified if requested," Gojo explained.

"Huh? But I didn't ask for these changes," Yuji replied, confused.

"I took the liberty of getting it altered for you," Gojo smiled.

"Oh, I see," Yuji still didn't fully understand why Gojo had changed his outfit.

"Be careful; that's Gojo-sensei's usual habit," Fushiguro whispered to Yuji.

"Can I get my uniform changed too?" Hayashi asked, realizing his uniform was identical to Fushiguro's and, by extension, similar to everyone else's.

"Oh?" Gojo looked at Hayashi. "Sure, what kind of change do you want?"

Hayashi knew Gojo would accommodate his request.

"Uh… maybe add a black cape? Haha, just kidding. How about a deep blue hat like Yuji's?" Hayashi laughed, unsure how else to modify his uniform but liking the look of Yuji's.

"Of course, that can be arranged. It'll be ready in a few days," Gojo said casually, waving his hand. "Alright, let's start walking."

The four of them headed down the bustling street, surrounded by food stalls, desserts, and various fashion and watch shops.

Yuji used up the last bit of his money to buy popcorn and some weird-looking glasses.

Hayashi had already spotted Nobara Kugisaki in the distance and instinctively moved to hide behind Yuji. But since Yuji was shorter than Hayashi, half of Hayashi's head was still visible.

"Hey! Over here!" Gojo waved to Nobara, cupping his hand around his mouth to amplify his voice.

"Huh? What's with the guy wearing the blindfold?" Nobara had spotted the group and walked over.

As she approached, she noticed someone awkwardly hiding behind the others.

Realizing he couldn't hide anymore, Hayashi stepped out and greeted her with a smile, "Long time no see!"

"Huh? Wait… huh!!" Nobara's eyes widened, and she pointed at Hayashi in surprise, "Hayashi, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, looks like you two know each other. That's great!" Gojo said, pleased to see that Nobara and Hayashi were already acquainted.

"Yeah, we were neighbors for a short time. She almost beat me up once," Hayashi said, laughing awkwardly.

Nobara stepped closer, staring directly into Hayashi's eyes. "So, tell me, how are you here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Hayashi spread his arms wide, the answer clear as day.

"No, seriously, how did someone like you get into Jujutsu High? Do you even have cursed energy?" Nobara couldn't believe that Hayashi had also been admitted to Jujutsu High. It's rare enough to meet people with jujutsu skills, and somehow, she had ended up with one as her neighbor.

But Nobara did recall how, back then, Hayashi had dodged one of her punches. That only showed he had quick reflexes, but it didn't indicate any cursed energy.

"Hayashi definitely has cursed energy, and it's strong enough to take physical form," Yuji chimed in, though he wasn't entirely sure of the relationship between Hayashi and Nobara.

"Don't interrupt," Gojo smacked Yuji on the head, then turned to the group. "Since everyone's here, let's get going. You can chat on the way."

Gojo didn't want everyone knowing about Hayashi's abilities just yet. Even though they were all on the same side, there was no need to reveal everything at first meeting.

Gojo led the way, and the others quickly followed. Yuji took the chance to introduce himself to Nobara, "I'm Itadori Yuji, from Sendai."

"I'm Fushiguro Megumi," Fushiguro added briefly.

Nobara stared at Yuji's face, thinking, This guy looks like the type who ate his own boogers as a kid.

And Fushiguro? I don't like arrogant guys, and this one's name makes me think he'd set fire to an oil-soaked seagull.

As for Hayashi… That punch I threw back then didn't land—how did he dodge it? Also, I wrote 'don't miss me,' so why are we meeting again? Anyone who doesn't know would think he's a stalker.

"I've really landed myself in a mess," Nobara sighed dramatically. Looking at these three guys, she didn't feel motivated at all.

"Why are you sighing into my face?" Yuji felt like he was being treated with disdain.

Hayashi didn't mind at all. He knew Nobara's personality well—she always wore her heart on her sleeve, and she wasn't shy about speaking her mind.

"Sensei, where are we headed?" Fushiguro asked.

"Well, since all four of the first-years are finally together, and three of you are new to Tokyo, we're going sightseeing!" Gojo's announcement instantly sparked excitement in Yuji and Nobara.

The two of them lit up and shouted, "Tokyo! Tokyo! We love Tokyo!"

"Let's go to TDL! I want to go to TDL!" Nobara cheered, waving her arms excitedly.

"Idiot, TDL is in Chiba! Let's go to Chinatown!" Yuji shot Nobara an annoyed glance.

"Chinatown is in Yokohama, duh!" Nobara growled back, locking eyes with Yuji in a heated exchange.

"Yokohama is basically part of Tokyo! Haven't you looked at a map?" Yuji wasn't backing down.

Hayashi and Fushiguro, on the other hand, watched the scene unfold calmly. At that moment, Fushiguro realized that compared to those two, Hayashi was definitely the more normal one.