Chapter 116: Transformer?

"I'm glad I called you when I did," Yui said, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. "If we'd waited even one more night, that thing would've grown stronger. Not only would my mom have been in danger, but I would've been dragged into it too."

"I see!" Ryuji responded, nodding. Both Yui and her mother, Mrs. Yuigahama, were visibly shaken by the close call but also incredibly relieved. They couldn't imagine what would've happened if Ryuji hadn't come to their aid.

"Alright, all done," Ryuji said, removing his hands from Mrs. Yuigahama's ankle. "It shouldn't hurt now."

Mrs. Yuigahama blinked in surprise, wiggling her foot experimentally. "Wow, it really doesn't hurt anymore!" she exclaimed, almost amazed at how quickly the pain had disappeared. There was a strange, almost unspoken longing within her, though she didn't fully understand it herself, wishing that Ryuji hadn't stopped so soon.

"Thank you so much, Ryuji-kun!" she said sincerely.

"No need to thank me." Ryuji smiled warmly and waved it off casually. "Well, it's getting late. I should head out."

Mrs. Yuigahama was about to offer to walk him to the door but hesitated. Her gaze flicked to Yui, who stood beside Ryuji, beaming at him. Her daughter clearly wanted the extra time with him.

"Yui, why don't you walk Ryuji-kun out?" she said, her voice even but with a knowing smile.

"Okay!" Yui responded eagerly, her face lighting up with happiness at the suggestion. She practically skipped alongside Ryuji as they made their way to the door.

Mrs. Yuigahama watched them leave, her mind swirling with unspoken thoughts. She couldn't deny the pang of…something a mix of longing and resignation as she sat back on the sofa. Her eyes drifted back to her now perfectly healed ankle, recalling how gentle Ryuji's hands had been. She chuckled quietly to herself.

Meanwhile, Yui was happily walking with Ryuji to the gate, relishing every moment she got to spend with him. She cherished these little moments, knowing they didn't happen all the time.

"Okay, I think this is far enough," Ryuji said as they reached the front gate. "If I walk you back, we'll just end up repeating this whole process." He smiled down at her.

Yui pouted slightly but nodded. "Yeah… I guess so."

She looked up at him, her usual cheery demeanor softening as she spoke. "Thank you again for tonight, Ryuji-kun. Honestly, I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't been there. My mom could've…" Her voice trailed off, and the gravity of what could have happened hit her.

Ryuji gave her a comforting tap on the head. "There's no need to thank me, Yui. We're close enough that you don't have to say stuff like that. It's what friends do, right?"

Though it was meant to reassure her, Yui's heart fluttered. Ryuji's words, coupled with his touch, sent her imagination spiraling into all sorts of happy fantasies. Maybe...just maybe...he saw her as more than a friend.

"Hehe," Yui giggled, her mind swirling with happy thoughts. "Hey, Ryuji-kun, do you think if you're free sometime soon, you could come over for dinner? My mom and I would love to have you!" she asked, hope clear in her voice.

Ryuji smiled, sensing the sincerity behind her invitation. "Sure, I'd love that."

Yui's face practically lit up like a beacon. His response felt like a validation of her feelings, even if nothing had been explicitly said. It was enough for now.

"Alright then, I'll be off," Ryuji said, turning to leave.

Yui stood by the gate, smiling long after he'd disappeared down the street. She couldn't stop the wide grin from spreading across her face, even as she eventually turned to go back inside.

"Mom?" Yui called out as she entered the house, finding her mother still sitting on the sofa, staring at her ankle like she was lost in thought. "Is everything okay?"

Mrs. Yuigahama blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. "Oh! Yeah, I'm fine, sweetie," she said quickly, offering a reassuring smile. "Did Ryuji leave?"

"Yeah," Yui replied, still buzzing with excitement. "I invited him to come over for dinner sometime, and he said yes!"

"Did he now?" Mrs. Yuigahama murmured, her mind elsewhere. An almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Interesting...

"Mom," Yui said, hesitating as she approached her mother. "Do you think you could teach me how to cook something? You know…for when Ryuji-kun comes over."

Mrs. Yuigahama blinked, surprised by the request. Her daughter had never been particularly interested in cooking mostly because she wasn't very good at it. But this was clearly different.

"You…want me to teach you to cook?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

Yui nodded earnestly, her determination clear.

Mrs. Yuigahama sighed, though a soft smile lingered on her face. "Alright, I'll teach you. But you better listen carefully this time, Yui. I'm not letting you burn down my kitchen!"

"Thank you, Mom!" Yui's face brightened even more as she hugged her mother tightly.

The next morning at school, Ryuji walked into class like any other day. As usual, the first person to greet him was Yumiko except this time, Yui darted ahead, cutting in front of Yumiko.

"Good morning, Ryuji-kun!" Yui said cheerfully, her energy practically bubbling over.

"Morning, Yui," Ryuji greeted her back with a smile, raising his hand in a wave.

Yumiko blinked in surprise, her greeting cut short. She didn't mind, but something definitely felt off. Yui was acting unusually...cheerful.

"What's going on with you two?" Yumiko asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at Yui.

"It's nothing!" Ryuji said casually, but Yui quickly corrected him.

"It's not nothing!" she said seriously. "If it weren't for Ryuji-kun, my mom and I would've been in big trouble last night!"

Yui's words drew the attention of both Yumiko and Hina, who had been standing nearby. The sudden shift in tone made them realize it wasn't a trivial matter.

"What happened?" Yumiko asked, her curiosity piqued.

Yui launched into an explanation of the previous night's events, detailing the eerie occurrences and how Ryuji had come to their rescue. By the time she finished, both Yumiko and Hina looked genuinely impressed and maybe even a little envious.

"Wow… Ryuji-kun, you're like a real-life hero!" Yumiko said, clasping her hands together and looking at him in admiration. "It's like you're one of those strong, silent types from a novel who saves people without expecting anything in return."

Ryuji couldn't help but laugh. "I think you're giving me way too much credit."

"Ahem! Anyway, if any of you were in trouble, I'd help out too, you know," Ryuji added, clearing his throat, though a smirk crept onto his face.

The girls giggled, the tension in the air dissolving as they returned to their usual banter. However, Hina, always perceptive, watched Yui closely, sensing something deeper in the way Yui's eyes lit up whenever she looked at Ryuji.

Hina's thoughts swirled as she quietly observed their dynamic. It was clear that after last night, Yui's feelings for Ryuji had grown even stronger. And though she hadn't voiced them out loud, the affection in her eyes was unmistakable.

"I'll have to keep an eye on this..." Hina thought to herself, filing it away for later.

---

"Yo! Long time no see, Nanami!"

Ryuji called out as he approached.

Thanks to his connections at Jujutsu High, Ryuji had managed to obtain news about several special-grade curse spirits. While he wasn't particularly interested in the higher-ups at Jujutsu High, there was no denying how efficient their intelligence network was. If Ryuji had to search for special-grade curse spirits on his own, it would've taken forever. But with their help, the process became much smoother.

Currently, Ryuji and Jujutsu High had a sort of special arrangement. Due to the shortage of sorcerers and the rising number of cursed spirits, even some sorcerers with questionable backgrounds were being considered for recruitment. It was a desperate situation there were just too many cursed spirits to deal with.

So, the relationship between Ryuji and Jujutsu High had become one of mutual benefit. Ryuji received information on cursed spirits and got rewards for exorcising them. At the same time, his ability to devour spirits allowed him to grow stronger, making it a win-win situation. Why turn down such an opportunity?

Just like today.

Ryuji had been tracking a special-grade cursed spirit when he came across Nanami, who was already battling it.

Normally, it wouldn't be too difficult for a first-grade sorcerer to handle a special-grade cursed spirit, as long as the cursed spirit wasn't too powerful. But today, Nanami seemed to be having a hard time.

"What is this thing, a Transformer?" Ryuji muttered, staring at the massive cursed spirit in front of him. It was made up of several cars fused together, standing a good 20 to 30 meters tall.

Nanami was struggling just to dodge its attacks. He didn't even have the chance to counter.

The problem was clear, Nanami's fighting style relied on close combat. Against something so large, with such long reach, he was at a severe disadvantage. A sorcerer like Mei Mei might've had a chance with her ranged attacks, but Nanami's options were limited.

"Ryuji?" Nanami, who had been bracing himself for another round, visibly relaxed when he saw Ryuji arrive. He immediately plopped down on the ground, exhausted.

"I gotta ask, do you trust me that much?" Ryuji asked, laughing at how quickly Nanami had given up the fight.

"Well, if even you can't handle this thing, there's no point in me trying either," Nanami replied, completely unbothered by his own admission. There was no shame in admitting that Ryuji was stronger. Why pretend otherwise?

Ryuji couldn't help but laugh. "That's just like you, Nanami."

"But before I get started, what's with this Transformer look-alike?" Ryuji asked, still staring at the giant cursed spirit in disbelief.

It wasn't Ryuji's fault for being so confused. This cursed spirit looked nothing like the ones he'd faced before, it really did resemble some kind of mechanical monster.

Nanami just shrugged, still catching his breath. "Your guess is as good as mine."

***

I'm thinking of picking up a new ff to translate, but I'm a bit stumped. If you know of a good ff that hasn't been worked on yet and think it'd be worth translating, drop me a link, and I'll check it out.

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