Ch.87 Gojo Satoru's Thoughts

Mai Zenin's expression was anything but pleasant. Today, the plan had been to find some fun with the lower-grade students, but after encountering such a situation, what could she say now?

Should she tell people that Todo lost, and Hayashi exhausted his cursed energy to save him, causing him to collapse from overexertion?

There was no way she could say that. Even if Todo didn't care about his reputation, Mai certainly did. Moreover, Hayashi's actions couldn't be revealed yet—no one else seemed to know the full extent of his powers.

Now, three people knew about this, but maybe Fushiguro Megumi and the first-year girl didn't fully understand Hayashi's actual abilities.

Fushiguro was also curious about what had really happened, but seeing Hayashi still unconscious, he didn't want to waste time and began carrying him toward the infirmary.

"Hey, Fushiguro, are you just going to leave like that?" Kugisaki Nobara frowned. Hayashi was their classmate, and they had to settle this.

So what if they were upperclassmen? Shouldn't they be held accountable for hurting someone? Or was it okay to bully first-years just because they were younger?

"Let's get Hayashi to the infirmary first," Fushiguro said curtly, not wanting to dwell on the issue. The incident had already happened, and this wasn't the time to assign blame. They could talk more once Hayashi woke up.

Besides, the school didn't really mind "strengthening friendships" through sparring, as long as it was within reasonable bounds—so long as no one died or was maimed, it was generally acceptable.

However, this was something Kugisaki didn't quite grasp. It was her first time meeting upperclassmen from another school, and things didn't seem very friendly.

With Fushiguro gone, she couldn't just stay there and continue the standoff. Reluctantly, she followed him to check on Hayashi's condition.

"We're leaving too," Mai said, clearly no longer interested. "This is such a letdown."

"Hmph, you're not wrong," Todo Aoi remarked, glancing at Fushiguro as he walked away before heading off.

When Shoko Ieiri returned to the infirmary, she was surprised to see Fushiguro carrying someone inside. "What happened?"

"Sensei, this is Hayashi from the first-year class. He's having some issues; could you take a look at him?" Fushiguro said, genuinely worried, unsure of what Hayashi had been through.

"Lay him on the bed and open his shirt so I can take a look," Ieiri said as she moved to wash her hands.

Fushiguro gently laid Hayashi down, but when Ieiri mentioned opening his shirt, he felt a little awkward. This wasn't exactly something he was comfortable doing.

"Fushiguro, you're not seriously expecting me to do that, are you?" Kugisaki said with a mischievous smile.

Seeing her expression, Fushiguro sighed. "Fine, I'll do it."

Awkwardly, he reached for Hayashi's shirt. Thanks to a suggestion Hayashi had made earlier, his clothes now had a zipper down the front, making it easier to open. While convenient, Fushiguro still hesitated to pull it down.

"Honestly, Fushiguro, are you even a man? You can't handle something this simple? Fine, I'll do it!" Kugisaki teased as she moved toward Hayashi.

Before she could reach him, though, Fushiguro swiftly unzipped the shirt, revealing Hayashi's well-defined chest muscles and eight-pack abs, leaving Kugisaki momentarily stunned.

"Does he train often?"

Trying to shake off the awkwardness, Fushiguro couldn't help but think that Hayashi's physique must have come from serious training.

While Yuji Itadori had a decent build, Hayashi's was on another level. His height gave his muscles a more impressive, refined look.

Ieiri, who had just finished washing her hands, walked over. She glanced at Hayashi's physique, recognizing him as one of the newer students. "He's hurt?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

After a quick glance at Hayashi's body, Ieiri focused on the task at hand, placing one hand on his chest to assess his condition.

It didn't take long for Ieiri to figure out what was wrong. "He's suffering from cursed energy depletion and has a fractured wrist. Nothing too serious."

"Cursed energy depletion?" Fushiguro and Kugisaki exchanged puzzled looks before Fushiguro asked, "Sensei, Hayashi doesn't seem to have any serious external injuries besides the broken wrist. How could he have depleted his cursed energy?"

Cursed energy depletion was extremely dangerous—if it happened during a battle, it was practically a death sentence. But Hayashi didn't have any external injuries except for the wrist, making this all the more confusing.

"You'll have to ask Hayashi when he wakes up. You two can wait outside for now; he should wake up soon," Ieiri said, gesturing for them to leave so she could treat Hayashi.

"Thank you, Sensei."

After the two left, Ieiri began her treatment. She placed both hands on Hayashi's chest, carefully feeling for his strange cursed energy.

Earlier, she hadn't mentioned anything unusual while Fushiguro and Kugisaki were present, but now she confirmed it—Hayashi's cursed energy was peculiar, as if it were a spring constantly welling up from deep within.

That's right, just a moment ago, this sensation wasn't present, but now it suddenly was. Normally, cursed energy depletion required extended rest, but Hayashi's energy was rapidly recovering, which was highly unusual.

Ieiri didn't need to infuse him with any cursed energy. All she had to do was heal his wrist, which she did quickly, wrapping it up after the treatment.

However, Hayashi remained unconscious.

"How's he doing, Shoko?"

The door swung open, and Gojo Satoru strolled in, his charismatic presence filling the room as his gaze fell on Hayashi.

"He's fine. But this student—he's one of the ones you brought in halfway through the school year, right?" Ieiri asked, having heard the rumors. Besides Yuji Itadori, Hayashi was also a special case who had been admitted outside the usual process.

Gojo had taken on a lot of pressure from the school for both Yuji and Hayashi; without his intervention, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly.

"Yup~ Such a cute kid, and he can cook too. How could I possibly let that talent go to waste? You know how much I value talent," Gojo said in a lighthearted tone, stepping closer to Hayashi and peering at him through his dark blindfold.

"His cursed energy is unique—different from ours, but I can't quite pinpoint how. It feels strange. Do you feel that too?" Ieiri voiced her suspicions, sharing her thoughts with Gojo, who had been her classmate back in the day. There was nothing they couldn't discuss.

"I noticed that from the start. I've even looked into Hayashi's background a little. His parents' situation is unclear—they seem to be gone. The only notable thing is his mysterious cursed energy and several other peculiar factors," Gojo said, smiling as he continued, "The reason I've let him be and not interfered isn't because I'm neglecting him. It's because I want to see him grow into someone even greater. I know where he's been going recently, but I've chosen not to step in."

"So you're grooming him to be your successor? Does he really deserve that much attention from you? Now I'm curious—what's so special about this student?" Ieiri asked. She had never seen Gojo take such an interest, not even with Hakari Kinji in the third year.

Okkotsu Yuta was a different story, of course.

"The only thing I need to confirm is whether he's aligned with good or evil. Beyond that, it doesn't matter. His secrets don't concern me. After all, don't I have plenty of my own secrets too?" Gojo said with a carefree laugh, as if the weight of the world no longer rested on his shoulders.

Seeing Gojo's relaxed smile, Ieiri glanced at Hayashi again. What was it about this boy that made the strongest jujutsu sorcerer care so much?