Ch.63 Women Sing, Men...

Mai Zenin looked helpless, while the others were speechless. However, Akira's impression of the blue-haired girl was very positive.

Her name was Kasumi Miwa.

One of the few, if not the only, normal people in the jujutsu world.

Polite, well-mannered, and not fond of fighting.

She didn't have any tragic backstory or extraordinary talents either—just like Akira, she had no cursed technique, only cursed energy.

By chance, she became a disciple of the New Shadow Style, learning the way of the sword.

Her reason for wielding a sword was simple and pure—to ease her mother's burden. Her goal was to quickly become independent and start earning money.

She owned a katana capable of channeling cursed energy. Though the grade of the cursed tool was not high, it was something she had saved up for a long time to purchase.

Like any other high school girl, she idolized someone—her idol was Satoru Gojo. Just having a chance to talk to him would make her day.

With such a kind-hearted girl, Akira felt she deserved nothing but goodwill.

So, he brought out another box of Tokyo Banana and subtly hinted that it was Gojo's favorite. This had Kasumi glowing with happiness. If the setting were different, she'd have surely pulled Akira aside to talk about fan-girl topics.

Why not just ask Gojo directly?

How many fans can ask their idol questions directly?

At this point, Mai didn't even have the energy to pull Kasumi away.

This silly girl was beyond saving.

With her companion unreliable, Mai had to take matters into her own hands.

"The car's ready. Please follow me."

"Wait," Yuta Okkotsu raised his hand. "Isn't that person also from Jujutsu High?"

Everyone followed his gaze and saw another person in a Jujutsu High uniform, standing near the station's exit.

He was a tall man, as tall as Satoru Gojo, with a build even more imposing than Principal Yaga or Hakari—his body was a mass of muscle.

His looks were somewhat similar to Hakari's but rougher, with a scar across his nose, giving him a more intimidating aura.

His hairstyle was unique—it resembled a sunflower about to bloom.

The moment they saw him, both Mai and Kasumi stiffened:

"Todo-senpai…"

The Tokyo students also tensed up. Panda had just mentioned Kyoto's most prominent rising star, Aoi Todo.

"Don't mind him. He's not with us," Mai said, glancing at him briefly before turning away. "Let's go."

"But… is that really okay?" Kasumi hesitated.

"It's fine. If you want to greet him, go ahead, but I'm not about to embarrass myself."

As soon as Mai said this, Kasumi fell silent.

The others wisely stayed quiet as well.

That's because Aoi Todo wasn't alone—he was surrounded by a group of people wearing headbands and fan gear.

Thanks to his massive size, he was holding the biggest sign, which read in exaggerated handwriting: "Takada-chan Forever," with a large heart drawn next to it.

Approaching him now would not only lead to immediate social death, but it might also leave a lasting trauma.

"Uh, let's just move on."

"He'll be back by the time the exchange event starts, anyway."

"Yeah."

The tense atmosphere dissolved into something more lighthearted.

That's just how it is with you, Aoi Todo—always a legend.

Like Tokyo Jujutsu High, Kyoto Jujutsu High was also located in the mountains, far from the city, occupying a large area under the guise of a religious school.

In terms of reputation, Kyoto had the edge over Tokyo, mostly because Kyoto boasted hundreds of shrines and temples, blending seamlessly into the city's religious ambiance.

Kyoto's principal, Gakuganji Yoshinobu, fit the theme better than Principal Yaga—an elderly bald man dressed in traditional Japanese robes, giving off the vibe of an old monk, if you ignored the exaggerated four pairs of earrings and a nose ring.

Of course, Akira knew all this was a façade. The old man was much wilder inside and was also a pillar of the conservative faction.

Along with Principal Gakuganji, Akira also met some of Kyoto Jujutsu High's staff and students.

The supervising teacher was Iori Utahime, a Semi-Grade 1 sorcerer.

She was an elegant beauty in miko robes, with the only blemish being a scar near her nose, similar to Aoi Todo's. It was said to be a result of fighting a powerful curse, a wound even reverse cursed technique couldn't heal.

Then there was the second-year student, Momo Nishimiya.

A small blonde girl, who—besides her petite size—left the strongest impression because of the broomstick in her hands.

Her hairstyle resembled a broom with the middle shaved off, and she also carried an actual broom, looking like a representative of the Hogwarts Japanese branch.

And then there was another second-year, Noritoshi Kamo.

Akira's half-brother, the biological son of Hayami.

He had the same squinting eyes as Akira and shared about five percent of Hayami's looks.

Noritoshi was also the representative of Kyoto's students. After Mai and Kasumi had picked them up, he took over the task of introducing them.

His every move was calm and collected, showing the composure of someone from a distinguished family.

"Welcome to Kyoto Jujutsu High, everyone from Tokyo."

Unfortunately, Tokyo wasn't impressed by such formalities.

Hakari, a second-year, scanned the Kyoto students and said disinterestedly, "Where are your third-years? You lot don't seem enough."

Noritoshi's expression didn't change, and his eyes remained squinted. "Due to the absence of your senior students, our upperclassmen weren't very motivated. However, they will participate when the exchange event officially begins. Unlike your school, ours operates smoothly without sudden disruptions."

If Hakari's words were open provocation, then Noritoshi's were barbed with hidden intent.

Hakari and Maki's fists clenched tightly.

On the other side, Momo Nishimiya and Mai prepared for action as well.

Momo raised her broom, muttering, "Not cute at all."

Mai flicked her wrist, revealing a revolver aimed at Maki from a distance. "Wanna fight?"

Clearly, Kyoto had its fair share of crazy people too.

At this point, cooler heads needed to prevail.

Both brothers—Kamo and Akira—raised their hands in unison.

"That's enough."

"There's no point in fighting here. Save it for tomorrow during the exchange event."

After speaking, the two brothers exchanged a glance.

Akira was unsurprised. Noritoshi, however, had a faint look of confusion.

The name "Akira" was unfamiliar to him, but there was something oddly familiar about the boy.

It had been eight years since they had last seen each other. The children they once were had grown up, each undergoing significant changes. It made sense they didn't immediately recognize each other.

Thanks to their intervention, the tense atmosphere eased for the time being.

Gakuganji and Utahime took a moment to observe Akira.

Gakuganji commented to Yaga, "This student is quite impressive."

Meanwhile, Utahime turned to Gojo: "I didn't think you were capable of raising such a sensible student."

"It's because I'm a great teacher." Gojo boasted shamelessly.

Utahime rolled her eyes in disdain, not even bothering to respond. Having known Gojo since their school days, she was all too familiar with his personality.

Utahime had disliked Gojo for over ten years.

Gojo ignored her and turned to Akira, pulling him aside and whispering, "I noticed you were looking at Utahime more than your brother. What's this? Teacher-student romance? Need me to help?"

"No." Although miko outfits were indeed in Akira's strike zone, it wasn't enough for love at first sight. "I was just thinking about something. You know, if a woman sings, a man… plays the guitar."

If he wasn't mistaken, Utahime's cursed technique had to do with singing, and Gakuganji's involved playing the guitar. If those two performed Lost in Paradise, and I gathered some handsome boys and beautiful girls to dance, wouldn't that be a sight to behold?

And maybe, in the process, Akira could test one of his theories about the Pokémon meme.