Chapter 55: Aesthetic Preference
Kanagawa Prefectural Urazakura High School.
The sunlight streaming from outside was blocked by a barrier, casting the room in shadow. It was as if the darkness reflected the scene in Yuji Itadori's eyes—bleak and heavy.
Junpei Yoshino. Yuji's first real friend since joining Jujutsu High.
They had bonded over their shared love of horror films...
And now, both of their fates were equally tragic.
Yuji looked down at the weeping cursed spirit clutching his pants. His mouth opened, but no words came out.
The grotesque creature in front of him—this twisted, malformed thing—was once his friend, Junpei.
Now, a modified curse born from human flesh.
With trembling hands, Junpei gripped Yuji's leg, his voice a broken plea. "Yuji… Why?"
Why had he, despite doing nothing wrong, been bullied and tormented at school?
Why had his kind-hearted mother—who raised him with love—died at the hands of a curse born from Sukuna's finger?
Why…
Why do good people never get the happy endings they deserve?
There were no answers.
As Junpei's hand slipped from Yuji's pants, the light in his eyes faded, and his breath ceased.
"Heh… Hahaha!"
A sinister laugh echoed through the hallway, piercing Yuji's ears.
"Is that it? That was way too easy!"
"Looks like I was a bit too rough with the modifications."
Opposite Yuji stood Mahito, the malevolent curse with a body stitched together like a rag doll—grinning from ear to ear.
He was the architect of this tragedy.
In that moment, a flame ignited in Yuji's chest—a rage so fierce it burned everything else away.
This was the first time…
The first time Yuji had ever wanted to kill someone with every fiber of his being.
"BOOM!"
Yuji's fist, charged with cursed energy, shot forward, slamming straight into Mahito's smiling face.
---
Back at Jujutsu High.
The cicadas buzzed loudly under the clear sky.
At the vending machine, Nobara and Fushiguro stood side by side, speaking in hushed tones.
"Fushiguro, about White… I—"
"Don't ask." Fushiguro cut her off sharply. "I don't know, either."
Whenever White came up in conversation, both of their expressions darkened.
Had it not been for that phone call…
Had it not been for Gojo's orders…
Neither of them would have doubted White—nor would they have ever suspected their comrade, their savior.
Staying around White, acting normal, felt like a punishment they couldn't escape. Especially for Nobara.
She had spent the past few weeks enduring White's antics, even playing along at times. White might have thought she was being grateful for his help.
But in reality, it was guilt.
"Once this is all over, we'll apologize to him properly."
Fushiguro nodded solemnly. "Yeah, we owe him that much."
Nobara clenched her fists. "I trust White. He's not the kind of person they think he is."
"It has to be that blindfolded idiot getting scammed over the phone."
She grinned mischievously. "Once we clear this up, let's go together and give Gojo a piece of our minds!"
---
"Hey, hey, Maki!"
White called down from the treetops, excitement written all over his face. "I see your cousin Mai! And she's with some big guy. Let's check it out!"
He leapt from the tree, landing with the grace of someone who was definitely up to no good. His expression brimmed with curiosity.
Maki frowned but followed with her staff in hand.
"If White says it's a big guy, it's probably Todo." Panda sighed, catching up to Maki. "Trust the higher-ups to send the two biggest troublemakers."
Maki's brow furrowed deeper as she quickened her pace. "Those two clowns are probably going to harass my sister."
"Kombu." Toge Inumaki nodded gravely.
---
"Fushiguro, right?"
Standing before him was Aoi Todo—bare-chested, his rippling muscles like jagged rock formations.
His black hair was tied up in a bun, and a scar ran from his forehead to his cheek, lending him a menacing air.
Todo's sharp gaze locked onto Fushiguro. "Let's see if you're worthy of replacing Okkotsu at the Exchange Event!"
Without warning, Todo shot forward, his massive fist aimed at Fushiguro's head.
So fast!
Before he could react, Fushiguro raised his arms to block, but Todo's punch sent him flying.
"Toad!"
Summoning one of his shikigami, Fushiguro immediately counterattacked.
But Todo was already behind him, slipping past the toad's interception. His muscular arms clamped around Fushiguro's waist like steel.
"Come on, Fushiguro! Show me some spirit!"
"BOOM!"
With a devastating suplex, Todo slammed Fushiguro into the ground, scattering debris. Blood trickled from Fushiguro's head, staining his vision red.
"Is that all you've got?" Todo stood over him, cracking his neck with disappointment.
First, he'd asked Fushiguro what kind of women he liked. Then, without reason, he launched into a brutal attack.
What the hell is wrong with Kyoto sorcerers?
Slowly rising, anger flickered in Fushiguro's eyes. "Fine. If that's how you want it, let's go!"
As Fushiguro prepared to form hand seals, Todo grinned eagerly.
---
When White arrived at the scene, any hopes of catching Mai in a romantic entanglement were dashed.
Instead, he found his student, Fushiguro, getting thoroughly pummeled by Todo.
From White's perspective, Fushiguro looked like a helpless rabbit being mauled by a hulking gorilla.
A small cursed caterpillar poked out from White's collar. Without hesitation, White aimed his revolver.
A pink beam of cursed energy shot across the distance, trailing a glowing arc.
"BOOM!"
The ground exploded in smoke and dust. A dazed Fushiguro blinked at the crater in disbelief.
"Hitting my disciple like that? No respect at all!" White's cocky voice echoed across the field.
Emerging from the smoke, Todo's arm showed faint burn marks. Had he not reacted quickly and focused his cursed energy into his hands, the shot would have caused serious damage.
Todo narrowed his eyes at White. The similarities to Sukuna's vessel—another twisted creation nurtured under powerful figures—did not escape him.
But Todo dismissed the thought and crouched slightly, gathering his energy.
"Before we fight, let me ask you one thing."
He leveled a serious gaze at White. "What kind of curse do you like?"
Todo didn't care about affiliations. If you were interesting, you were a friend—human or not. If you were dull, it didn't matter who backed you.
White blinked, taken aback by the bizarre question. A grin slowly spread across his face.
"First, she's gotta be a thousand meters tall."
"Legs short and skinny. One red eye."
"Oh, and ten long tails. That's non-negotiable."
Fushiguro twitched as he listened to White's absurd answer. What the hell is that even supposed to be?
He glanced at Todo—and froze.
Tears welled in Todo's eyes, his expression a mix of heartbreak and devastation.
"No… No way…"
With a crack, the ground beneath Todo began to split.
"You prefer short legs?" His voice trembled with rage. "How boring!"
"BOOM!"
Todo lunged, his iron fist hurtling toward White's chest.
As Fushiguro scrambled to intervene, only one thought echoed in his mind:
What the hell is wrong with this guy?
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