Kita Ikuyo was a little surprised by Roy's familiarity, but since she was also quite the outgoing type herself, she didn't mind much. She just laughed and waved her hand, giving him a look that said, "What are you talking about?"
"Mr. Roy, if you think our family counts as refugees, then there aren't many wealthy people left in this world. Is your home incredibly luxurious or something?"
"No, that's not what I meant... Let me ask directly—did your family come from another world?"
"Pfft—hahaha! What's that? Some new anime setting or something?"
Ikuyo burst out laughing, clutching her stomach as if she couldn't stop herself, thoroughly amused.
Roy didn't seem embarrassed by her reaction. Instead, he continued thoughtfully.
"So, you're saying your family has lived here since childhood?"
"Well, not exactly. Our family was from Kyoto up until my grandmother's generation. It was only my father's generation that moved to Tokyo."
I see.
So, Kita Ikuyo's family was native to this world, born and raised here.
They weren't isekai'd.
Judging by Ijichi Nijika's earlier reaction, it seemed she was the same.
So, does that mean the worlds of Bocchi the Rock! and Jujutsu Kaisen have completely merged? It's not that characters crossed over, but that the two worlds themselves fused together?
Or were they always the same world to begin with?
"Though, I suppose it doesn't really matter."
Roy muttered to himself.
While it seemed a little unusual, it wasn't really a big deal. At least it wasn't some other world with supernatural powers mixing in—that would've been a lot more troublesome. Or maybe, for him, it could've even been beneficial?
As things stood now, it wasn't anything major.
"Mr. Roy, there's actually something I've been meaning to ask."
After finally calming down from her laughter, a hint of hesitation flashed across Kita Ikuyo's face, as if she'd thought of something.
"I'll answer whatever I can."
"That's great! So, what were those monsters you were fighting earlier? And what's really going on with this world?"
With Roy's promise secured, Ikuyo's spirits lifted immediately, and she voiced the biggest question on her mind.
"I've been meaning to ask this—please tell me the truth about this world... Is this something you can answer?"
"Those monsters are called Cursed Spirits, creatures born from the negative emotions of humans..."
Treating it as payment for the night's stay, Roy gave Ikuyo a detailed explanation.
He unveiled the true nature of the world before her eyes.
...
"Mr. Roy, how did you sleep last night?"
"Thank you for asking, I rested quite well."
"Oh, I'm so glad to hear that! By the way, don't you have any interest in getting closer to our Ikuyo?"
Early the next morning.
Not long after Roy had woken up, Ikuyo's mother—who looked like an older version of Ikuyo, as if she were a larger copy of her—immediately began pestering him.
"My Ikuyo is really wonderful, you know? She's pretty, gets good grades, works hard, has been practicing an instrument lately, and has a great figure too, right?"
"...That last part, surely you're not saying that in good conscience?"
At such a young age, Ikuyo already possessed an airport's worth of flatness.
"Don't mind the details."
Ikuyo's mother covered her mouth with a laugh, her eyes growing more and more approving as she looked at Roy.
He seemed steady and humble, handsome, with a great physique—truly the perfect match for her bright and cheerful daughter.
"You should probably say that to your daughter first, ma'am."
Roy declined with a polite smile.
He understood now—this entire family was full of social butterflies, no wonder they raised someone like Ikuyo.
Then again, if they weren't such a socially fearless family, they probably wouldn't have let a stranger like him stay overnight.
Maybe he should toss a Bocchi-chan their way to mess with them?
No, in that case, Bocchi-chan would be the one suffering.
What about dumping a bunch of Yamada Ryou instead?
"Mr. Roy, there's a guest here to see you."
At that moment, Ikuyo's father walked in from outside.
Behind him stood two middle-aged men.
...
In the Kita family's yard.
Roy and the two middle-aged men stood facing each other.
One of the men wore loose, pure-black attire, his burly frame evident even through the clothes. His face was hidden behind sunglasses, making his thoughts unreadable, though his neatly trimmed beard added to his imposing presence. He stood only a few inches shorter than Roy, clearly not an ordinary man.
The other wore a plain black suit, looking utterly unremarkable—standard center-parted hair and black-framed glasses, like some office worker. He stood obediently behind the sunglasses-wearing man, his demeanor so meekly submissive that it was obvious who was leading this conversation.
The Kita family was busy preparing breakfast, but Ikuyo herself, having just woken up, seemed deeply curious. She sat on the living room sofa, repeatedly glancing toward the yard.
"Pleased to meet you. Allow me to introduce myself—my name is Yaga Masamichi, currently the principal of Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical High School."
The man in sunglasses extended his hand in a gesture of goodwill.
"I know of you—your reputation precedes you. I'm Roy, a jujutsu sorcerer from overseas."
Roy looked at Yaga Masamichi's outstretched hand and smiled.
Although he couldn't see Yaga Masamichi's eyes, Roy could feel his gaze.
He must have taken this handshake as a signal—a way to gauge whether Roy had come with friendly intentions.
Roy had no reason to refuse.
Under Yaga's watchful stare, he extended his hand and returned the handshake.
Seeing this, Yaga released his grip, the slight tension in his muscles gradually easing, and the atmosphere between them grew noticeably more relaxed.
While a willingness to shake hands didn't necessarily guarantee goodwill, refusing to do so would have signaled outright hostility.
"You're a foreign sorcerer—we'd already guessed as much. Someone of your caliber would have made a name for themselves in Japan by now if you were local. In theory, all Japanese sorcerers are registered with the Jujutsu Headquarters."
Yaga clasped his hands behind his back, his expression unreadable, betraying neither joy nor anger.
It was as if even if Mount Tai were to collapse before him, his frozen, icy demeanor wouldn't waver.
Coupled with the sunglasses that concealed his eyes, it was impossible to discern what he was truly thinking.
The so-called Jujutsu Headquarters.
Simply put, it was the governing body overseeing Japan's jujutsu society—the higher authority above all sorcerers, maintaining close ties with the government. Tasks such as exorcising curses and recovering cursed objects were directly assigned by the Headquarters, which also received government funding. As a result, sorcerers' salaries were managed by the Headquarters as well.
Naturally, nearly all Japanese sorcerers were registered with the Headquarters, with their techniques and abilities documented in their files.
But sorcerers from overseas, of course, wouldn't be recorded in Japan's Jujutsu Headquarters' registry.
Overseas sorcerers were rare, but the world was vast, making it impossible to grasp the full picture. Occasionally, one or two unfathomably powerful individuals like this would appear out of nowhere.
"I'll get straight to the point. The reason I'm here is to understand what happened last night."
Yaga showed no intention of small talk—his serious demeanor didn't seem suited for it—and instead cut directly to the chase.
"I expected you'd send someone to find me. I have no problem telling you what happened last night."
Roy's smile remained unchanged as he responded in a calm tone.
"But I only arrived last night, and you showed up this morning—much faster than I anticipated. And for the school principal to personally handle the questioning... is your workload really that light?"
Yaga's hands, clasped behind his back, tightened slightly, as if a nerve had been struck.
After a moment of silence, he spoke again, his expression still unreadable.
"...Because I have some personal expectations of you."
"Expectations?"
"What are your thoughts on the teaching profession?"
Instead of answering directly, Yaga abruptly posed an unexpected question.
Roy gave him a strange look.
Was this man always so erratic in conversation?
"It's a good profession. Educating and nurturing the next generation—an important bridge in young people's growth."
"A bridge, huh?"
Yaga lowered his head, murmuring to himself.
"Is there something wrong with that?"
"No, you're absolutely right. I think 'bridge' is an excellent way to put it."
Faced with Roy's retort, Masamichi Yaga shook his head, expressing appreciation and agreement with Roy's words.
"Some like to compare teachers to umbrellas for protection, but I dislike that analogy. An umbrella only offers temporary shelter. What a bridge delivers lasts a lifetime—that is the true duty of a teacher."
The man in a suit standing behind him couldn't help but shoot a surprised glance at Masamichi Yaga upon hearing these words.
Principal Yaga, who usually kept all his emotions and feelings buried deep inside and rarely revealed his inner thoughts, actually spoke so candidly today?
Had the sun risen from the west?
"Would you mind just getting straight to the point?"
Roy frowned, slightly embarrassed by the blunt praise.
Yaga Masamichi was truly as straightforward as his appearance—equally inept at small talk.
Yaga fell silent for a moment, perhaps disheartened by Roy's reaction.
After a long pause, he spoke again slowly.
"As you know, Japan's jujutsu society has always been severely understaffed. Although the total number of sorcerers isn't small, it's still disproportionate to the curses spread across the country. As a crucial part of mission support, Jujutsu High often finds itself overwhelmed with work."
Here, Yaga paused, as if giving Roy time to process.
Only after Roy nodded for him to continue did he speak again in an unreadable tone.
"You possess power that our jujutsu society desperately needs. To put it simply—"
"—Would you be willing to join Jujutsu High?"