Chapter 1: Let Me Study Your Body!
Jujutsu Kaisen World.
United States.
On a scorching beach, the air was filled with the vibrant energy of youth. Countless graceful figures played by the waves, laughter and splashes blending into the summer atmosphere.
A man lay back lazily on a beach chair, upper body bare, sunglasses reflecting the sunlight as he savored the unique flavor of summer.
"Yeah… places like this are always the most convenient."
Zen'in Shinsuke was scouting out his next target.
Women without looks were out. Women without money were out. When it came to freeloading, he only chose the best.
With his towering 190+ cm height, sculpted physique, and sharp, handsome face, his chances of success were nearly guaranteed every time.
"Excellent temperament, refined appearance… and that pricey bracelet on her wrist? No way she's short on cash."
His eyes locked onto a tall blonde beauty who practically screamed "wealthy." Shinsuke was about to get up and strike up a conversation—enough to cover his living expenses for the next few days—when someone suddenly stepped into his line of sight.
A striking figure. Long hair flicked to the side. A confident, sultry pose. Pale fingers raised in a playful V-sign next to a pair of bright, sparkling eyes.
"What kind of women do you like?" the blonde girl asked with a teasing smile.
She wore a snug black T-shirt up top, denim jeans hugging her frame below, exuding a breezy, confident aura.
Shinsuke slowly removed his sunglasses, his expression caught between annoyance and resignation.
"I have to ask—are you sure you didn't install a tracker on me?"
He knew this woman all too well. They'd met years ago.
Tsukumo Yuki. A Special Grade Sorcerer. She never accepted missions from the higher-ups in the Jujutsu world, preferring instead to roam the globe on her own whims.
Thinking about it… they'd known each other for four, maybe five years by now.
"Do I look like the kind of woman who plants trackers on people?"
Yuki didn't wait for an answer. She grabbed the iced juice sitting next to him, took a massive sip, and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Ahhh—finally alive again! Damn, this heat is brutal."
Shinsuke didn't even react. He was used to her antics by now—too used to them.
"So tell me, how did you find me? I've only been in this city a couple of days. Don't you dare say it's just coincidence again."
Part of the reason he never stayed long in one city was to shake her off. Every few months, he'd relocate to a different city—or even a different country.
And yet… she always found him. Like some stubborn curse plastered to his back. Which is why he half-seriously suspected she had planted a tracker on him.
Yuki batted her lashes, mischief glinting in her eyes. "Coincidence? No, no, no… this is fate."
"Don't you think we're destined to keep running into each other?"
She pressed her hands together, bowed deeply, and said with mock solemnity:
"So please, let me study you properly again! I beg you!"
"This time, I'll definitely uncover the secret of your body!"
Her eyes sparkled with obsession as they roamed over his scar-marked torso, as though she were gazing at some priceless treasure.
"…Hah."
Shinsuke sat up, interest flickering in his gaze.
Of course he knew why Tsukumo Yuki was so obsessed with him.
The reason was simple—Heavenly Restriction.
It had been over twenty years since he arrived in the Jujutsu Kaisen world.
When he first discovered he had been born into the prestigious Zen'in Clan, one of the Big Three families of the jujutsu world, he had been quite pleased. After all, it meant he was from a noble lineage—and the elder brother of the infamous "Heavenly Tyrant," Zen'in Toji.
With an identity like that, he figured his future was secure.
With the Zen'in Clan's resources backing him, it shouldn't have been difficult to reach at least Grade 1 Sorcerer, maybe even higher.
But fate always finds a way to ruin expectations.
Perhaps as compensation for his transmigration, the heavens had placed a one-sided curse upon him at birth. His body carried not a single trace of cursed energy.
Of course, he knew the power of Heavenly Restriction. Though robbed of cursed energy, in return he gained extraordinary physical ability, immense resistance to jujutsu, and heightened perception.
He couldn't exorcise curses the way sorcerers did. But in terms of sheer combat ability, he far outclassed the majority of them. With the right cursed tools in hand, even taking down weaker Special Grade curses wasn't beyond him.
So no—he wasn't too bothered by the lack of cursed energy itself.
The problem was… the Zen'in Clan.
They valued cursed techniques and cursed energy above all else. He knew they wouldn't welcome him. What he hadn't expected was just how viciously they would treat him.
After experiencing firsthand the malice Toji had endured as a child, he finally understood why his younger brother had grown into a Sorcerer Killer.
As for why he was now drifting abroad like Yuki Tsukumo, never staying in one country too long… well, that was a more complicated story.
---
"Money."
Shinsuke stretched out a hand toward Tsukumo Yuki, expression utterly casual.
"If you want to study my body, fine—but pay up. I'm short on cash right now."
Yuki's smile instantly collapsed. She slumped like a balloon leaking air.
"…I don't have any."
"Seriously? Is money all you ever think about?"
She puffed her cheeks, straightening her proud figure as if to emphasize herself. "Don't I have at least some appeal to you?"
She couldn't understand why this man always talked about money. Did he not realize she was practically broke? Among all the Special Grade sorcerers in the world, she was likely the poorest one.
Sure, she could make plenty of money if she wanted—her rank alone guaranteed that.
But she couldn't stand the old geezers at the top of the Jujutsu world, nor their warped ideals. So she refused to accept their missions, no matter how much they paid.
That was why even her clothes were just the standard uniforms issued by Jujutsu High—modified into her own style to look personal.
Aside from her finances though, what did she lack? She had the looks, the strength, the energy of youth, and that perfect mix of bold and alluring. Where else could he find a woman like her?
"No money? Then get lost. Don't interfere with me freeloading off rich girls."
Shinsuke instantly lost interest. Without money, how was he supposed to live his life of "eating soft rice"?
What, she expected to get his body for free? As if the world worked like that.
"Come onnn, we've known each other for years! Just this once—can't you waive the fee?"
Seeing her charm fail, Yuki quickly switched tactics. She clasped his hand with teary puppy-dog eyes, shaking it pleadingly.
"No."
His rejection was merciless. Shinsuke, the embodiment of sigma male energy, was completely immune to her pouts and tricks. His eyes only held cold, unshakable conviction.
"Fine! Put it on my tab then! You'll get paid eventually!"
Yuki was desperate. If it weren't for the dream she was chasing, she'd never humiliate herself like this. This insufferable man—one day, she'd make him cough up every cent he'd ever bled from her!
"That, I can accept. But the price doubles."
"You—!"
"What? Even loans come with interest. You think I'd let a tab slide for free?"
His reasoning was delivered with absolute confidence, as if it were the most natural law of the universe.
Yuki's face turned crimson with outrage. Never in her life had she met someone so shameless!
"…Fine! I agree!" she bit out through clenched teeth.
So what? She'd just take on a few missions. She was a Special Grade sorcerer—there was no way money, of all things, could stop her.
"Good. Then follow me."
Satisfied at last, Shinsuke broke into a smile.
To Yuki, however, that smile was anything but charming. It was sly, devious, dripping with the smugness of a man who thought he'd won.