"Oh? That was his request?"
With the morning classes concluded, Asou Akiya did not return to the dormitory. Instead, he went to find Yaga Masamichi, who seemed as though he had suffered greatly under the weight of feudal traditions. Yaga was currently fretting over the issue of school uniforms, and his resentment toward Zen'in Naoya appeared to have lessened somewhat.
"Judging from his attitude, he's completely serious. The brat thinks the uniforms are ugly," Yaga Masamichi said. "Here are more than a dozen uniform designs from previous generations of students. Take a look for me—tell me which one he might like. I'll have the school send a sample to the Zen'in family. I'm getting older; I can't keep up with you young people's sense of aesthetics anymore."
Asou Akiya offered reassurance. "Sensei, you're not old at all. You're in the prime of life—the golden age of a man."
A man at thirty is in full bloom. Even if… Well, regardless, Yaga Masamichi was still quite fashionable!
After flipping through the uniform designs from past generations, Asou Akiya set them down and met Yaga Masamichi's expectant gaze.
"Forgive me for speaking bluntly, but he might prefer a novel design—something entirely unique."
To Asou Akiya, these uniforms already felt outdated as well.
"After the young master of the Zen'in family toured the school, did he express any specific ideas?" Asou Akiya had long known that Zen'in Naoya was a fastidious person who rarely spoke kindly of anything. "For example, did he mention exactly what he found ugly about the uniforms?"
Yaga Masamichi recalled the scene. "He didn't say much. He stood outside the classroom and watched you for a while. His attention was mainly on Gojo Satoru, then on Getou Suguru. He hardly paid any attention to you or Ieiri Shoko."
Asou Akiya guided his line of thinking. "Sitting inside the classroom, we can't display the full silhouette of the uniforms. At the time, Gojo was lying face-down on his desk. Based on that posture, his jacket would have been stretched tight, and a bit of the white shirt at his waist would likely have been exposed. His legs were under the desk, and black trousers tend to create a slimming effect. The young master of the Zen'in family might dislike tailored, form-fitting styles…"
Yaga Masamichi suddenly understood. "He doesn't like clothing that fits too closely to the body. Then we should choose a looser style."
Asou Akiya continued, "And what about the way he looked at Getou?"
Yaga Masamichi replied, "It seemed… disdainful."
"Then that confirms it," Asou Akiya said. "Getou is a sorcerer from a non-hereditary background, and he has well-defined features. When members of the Three Great Clans encounter someone like Getou, their instinct is to recruit him—they would never deliberately push him toward becoming an enemy. So the young master must have been repelled by Getou's uniform, not merely favoring loose-fitting clothing in general. A uniform in Getou's style definitely won't do."
Yaga Masamichi felt as though he were cracking apart.
Form-fitting styles won't do. Loose styles won't do. What kind of fault-finding connoisseur is the Zen'in heir supposed to be?
Asou Akiya asked in puzzlement, "Shouldn't this issue be handed over to a professional designer?"
Yaga Masamichi said, "Ordinarily, students either choose a style themselves or design their own uniforms."
Asou Akiya understood at once. After idling away his days for so long, he had finally encountered someone who specialized in finding fault.
He spoke the very words Yaga Masamichi had been longing to hear: "Leave this matter to me. I'll give it a try and design a uniform he can accept. If I fail, I'll arrange for you to consult a professional fashion designer."
Yaga Masamichi had taught for many years and had encountered every imaginable variety of strange and troublesome student; he was a sorcerer who had weathered storms and seen the world. Yet this was the first time he had met a student willing to shoulder pressure on his behalf, a capable young man equipped with both strategy and tact.
If such a person were to become his adopted son, how much easier and more effortless his life would be. With the extra time, wouldn't it be delightful to make dolls in peace?
Wouldn't it also be pleasant to spend more time on the phone with his wife?
Yaga Masamichi silently reproached himself for entertaining such utilitarian thoughts.
After Asou Akiya took his leave, Yaga Masamichi lifted his teacup and allowed himself to savor a rare moment of leisure.
"Phew—"
Today, no one was fighting on the training grounds; all is calm and well.
When Asou Akiya returned to the dormitory, he was blocked at the corridor entrance by two DKs who were on the verge of starving.
"Akiya, you didn't cook. Let's go out and eat together."
"I'm starving to death—how can you be so heartless!"
Going out to eat on the very first day of school?
Asou Akiya felt that would not be a good habit to start. Once their palates grew accustomed to outside food, they would most likely want to go out frequently in the future, which would be detrimental to their safety.
"I'll cook. Can you hold out for another half hour?" Asou Akiya unlocked the dormitory door. Inside, everything was spotless. The kitchen utensils were complete, and white porcelain bowls and plates rested neatly on the drying rack, the number having increased from two sets to three.
Getou Suguru and Gojo Satoru squeezed in after him, childishly bumping shoulders against each other along the way.
Asou Akiya found an apron and tied it around his waist, then switched on the range hood and began preparing tonkatsu rice bowls.
Given the high caloric expenditure of the three of them, lunch had to be centered on meat, supplemented by vegetables, while also taking into account their differing tastes.
"Getou, take the chilled pork cutlets and the cabbage out of the refrigerator, and use toothpicks to pierce holes in the cutlets."
"Gojo, come help me rinse the rice."
Asou Akiya trusted Getou Suguru quite a bit, so he assigned the simpler task to Gojo Satoru.
Gojo Satoru studied the measuring cup in his hand and the inner pot of the rice cooker with unusual seriousness.
Asou Akiya instructed him, "Half a cup equals a small bowl of rice outside. One full cup equals a normal bowl for us."
Gojo Satoru scooped three cups of rice from the large rice container and poured them into the inner pot.
From behind him, Getou Suguru reminded him, "Satoru, I'm starving. I can eat two bowls of rice. I suggest you add one more cup for me."
Gojo Satoru added another cup for Getou Suguru. Then, remembering that he himself was also hungry, he added one more cup.
He turned and asked, "Akiya, do you want more as well?"
Asou Akiya smiled gently. "Sure. I'll have an extra bowl with you."
Having measured out six cups of rice in total, Gojo Satoru began rinsing it.
Asou Akiya spoke in a warm tone, "Fill it with water, drain it off, and repeat the process at least three times."
Gojo Satoru picked it up quickly and completed exactly what Akiya had described. Before placing the inner pot back into the rice cooker, he even took a moment to examine the internal structure of the appliance. Then he stepped away briefly, found a paper towel, and carefully wiped dry the outer wall of the pot where water had splashed.
In an even, matter-of-fact tone, Gojo Satoru said, "This way it won't interfere with the appliance's operation, right?"
Getou Suguru stared at him in disbelief. "You actually have common sense? When I taught you last time, how did you manage to cause so much chaos?"
Gojo Satoru turned his head and flashed Getou Suguru a wicked grin. "That's because you're a terrible teacher, Suguru."
[As if.]
[It was clearly the rebellious streak you developed after Getou made you eat noodles.]
Asou Akiya complained inwardly, arriving at a simple conclusion: Gojo only learns quickly when he actually wants to learn.
That, in truth, is how everyone works.
However, Gojo's case was more peculiar—he was officially recognized as someone capable of mastering anything, and precisely because of that, he often could not be bothered to learn at all.
Half an hour later, the three of them sat down together for lunch: tonkatsu rice bowls topped with seasonal vegetables.
As a Japanese person, Getou Suguru habitually pressed his palms together and reverently said, "Itadakimasu."
The other two had already started eating, completely devoid of ceremony.
Gojo Satoru simply felt that the rice bowl he had rinsed and prepared himself seemed slightly more fragrant than usual.
Getou Suguru: "…"
Getou Suguru: "Satoru, I understand that your family customs differ from mine—but Akiya, I cannot understand you!"
Asou Akiya replied perfunctorily, "I'm an orphan. When I'm hungry, I'm used to eating right away."
What Getou Suguru heard, however, was his own embellished interpretation:
[I'm an orphan. There were no parents cooking for me, so I learned to start eating as soon as I was hungry. Otherwise, I might not get to eat the meals provided by the children's welfare institution.]
In that instant, guilt washed over Getou Suguru, drawing repeated glances from Gojo Satoru, who had been eating with his head lowered.
"Suguru, you're talking way too much. Aren't you going to eat?"
"…."
Getou Suguru picked up his spoon and stuffed a mouthful of steaming rice and pork cutlet into his mouth.
He chewed the rice as fiercely as if it were Gojo Satoru himself.
After the meal—
Asou Akiya told Getou Suguru there was no need to help clean up. If he could just take Gojo Satoru outside and keep him from making trouble, that would already be something to be grateful for.
Getou Suguru led Gojo Satoru outside for a post-meal walk to aid digestion.
The woods surrounding the dormitory had thinned considerably and were no longer as dense as they had been the previous year. Getou Suguru selectively chose to forget Gojo Satoru's role in damaging the campus and said with a hint of nostalgia, "I hope there are fewer mosquitoes this year."
Gojo Satoru stretched lazily. "I don't really care."
Getou Suguru did not believe him. "Don't you get bitten all the time too?"
Gojo Satoru paused. Do I? During the day, he had his technique active; at night, there was the Curtain. If there was a brief gap between the two, he could simply kill the mosquitoes.
After his brain's blood sugar levels recovered, he suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, right! I hate mosquitoes the most!"
Getou Suguru looked at him skeptically. "Is it just me, or is your reaction time incredibly slow?"
Getou Suguru sighed.
"Satoru, I've realized something. Akiya might not have had a happy time at the children's welfare institution."
"?"
"Should we help him resolve that issue?"
"??"
"Why are you making that face?"
"I think you're overthinking it, Suguru—and you're not as clever as Akiya. Akiya already took the initiative to sever his ties with the welfare institution. Why should we interfere? It wouldn't be fun at all, Suguru."
Gojo Satoru was a restless person, but when it came to things that should not be done, he would not cross the line in the slightest.
He had seen through Getou Suguru's attempt to intrude upon Asou Akiya's privacy.
Getou Suguru let out a cold laugh. "I meant well."
If he could solve the problem and, at the same time, make Asou Akiya's expression twist in discomfort even once, that would be the most worthwhile outcome.
"It's useless. I already asked him," Gojo Satoru said, kicking a stone on the ground so that it rolled to Getou Suguru's feet. "I wanted to buy the children's welfare institution and give it to him, but he refused. He doesn't accept monetary gifts."
Getou Suguru kicked the stone back. "All you ever think about is spending money to make things easy, young master."
Gojo Satoru sneered. "Poor Suguru."
Getou Suguru remained unfazed, suddenly recalling the Tokyo apartment he had long since pushed to the back of his mind. "Thanks for the reminder. I've regained my motivation to take on assignments. The apartment will be my next home, so I need to put effort into its renovation and design."
Gojo Satoru leaned closer. "I want to decorate it in a fun style."
Getou Suguru refused outright. "You can think about your style, and I'll think about mine. I don't want my first apartment to turn into your aesthetic."
Gojo Satoru bristled. "Weren't you the one who said we'd knock down the wall and renovate it together?"
Getou Suguru immediately backtracked, digging at his ear. "I don't remember saying that."
That afternoon, three out of the four students were reading design-related books. Ieiri Shoko glanced suspiciously at her seatmate.
"Asou, what are you reading?"
"Fashion design."
"That? Are you designing new school uniforms for everyone?"
"No. I'm helping Yaga-sensei resolve a small concern."
Asou Akiya offered a brief explanation. Upon hearing it, Getou Suguru and Gojo Satoru lost interest and returned to their respective renovation design books.
On the paper before him, Asou Akiya sketched the outline of a school uniform in pencil.
The top was designed as a faux two-piece garment.
It featured a black, low-collared outer jacket. The gold spiral buttons were not placed off to one side of the chest, but aligned down the center in three vertical rows. Beneath it was paired a white standing-collar shirt that concealed the neck, drawing inspiration from the eccentric outfits Zen'in Naoya favored at the age of twenty-seven.
That's right—at least in Asou Akiya's opinion, that man's fashion sense was somewhat questionable as well.
Who wears a high-collared white shirt underneath a kimono, of all things?
…
That evening, even after returning to the dormitory, Asou Akiya was still contemplating the design of the uniform's lower half.
The upper garment embodied a modern style that was conservative, refined, and faintly ascetic.
The lower garment certainly could not be kimono-style trousers.
Asou Akiya attempted to sketch a pair of loose yet well-tailored long trousers, but found it difficult to harmonize them perfectly with the elements of the top.
From the perspective of clothing coordination, a wide top paired with a slimmer bottom would achieve the best balance. However, Zen'in Naoya considered that ugly. As the young master of a feudal clan, he was devoted to traditional kimono aesthetics and reluctant to wear black trousers that accentuated the lines of his legs.
Working late into the night by lamplight, Asou Akiya held his pen and pondered what kind of school uniform image would truly suit Zen'in Naoya.
He drew countless variations of trousers over the course of a single evening…
For once, he felt powerless.
He was, after all, not cut out to be a fashion designer.
After exhausting an untold number of brain cells and staying up so late that his eyes were bloodshot, Asou Akiya knocked on Gojo Satoru's dormitory door early the next morning.
"Gojo, Zen'in Naoya thinks your uniform is ugly. Do you have any comments?"
"…."
Gojo Satoru was first startled by the red veins in Akiya's eyes, and then immediately provoked by the blatant challenge in his tone.
That little rotten orange from the Zen'in family dared to criticize him?
"Did he actually say that himself?"
"No. But that was clearly what he meant. He wants Yaga-sensei to customize a better-looking uniform for him. I spent the entire night thinking about it and still couldn't come up with a design that meets his standards."
"Then tell him to get the hell out of Tokyo Jujutsu High."
"I need him to roll into Tokyo Jujutsu High—preferably face-first."
"…."
Gojo Satoru genuinely could not follow the logic. If Akiya wanted Zen'in Naoya to enroll, what was the point of telling him?
Seeing that Gojo Satoru's speechless expression was sincere rather than feigned ignorance, Asou Akiya said flatly, "It's nothing. I just needed to vent some negative emotions."
Normally, Gojo Satoru would bicker endlessly with Getou Suguru, yet he showed not the slightest hint of jealousy over the fact that Akiya had stayed up all night designing clothing for someone else.
Akiya realized that whenever a specific matter involved Getou Suguru, that was when Gojo Satoru became proactive in stirring up trouble and acting on impulse.
Gojo Satoru huffed, "But now I'm unhappy too!"
Asou Akiya suddenly smiled.
[What good does your unhappiness do? Endure it.]
[The world does not deceive me—smiles merely transfer from one person to another; they do not disappear.]
The next day, through the connections he had accumulated at the previous birthday banquet, Asou Akiya arranged to meet an available fashion designer.
Acting as the client, he tossed over the sketch of the upper garment.
"For the lower half: black, not form-fitting, loose and conservative, suitable for the image of a sixteen-year-old male high school student."
"Also, I need it expedited—but there will be no additional payment. If you dare to run off with the order, you'll regret it."
…
Several days later, at the Zen'in residence, Zen'in Naoya received multiple sample garments and nodded in satisfaction.
"This is more in line with the temperament of this young master."
He immediately dialed Yaga Masamichi's number.
"I'm very satisfied with the uniform," Zen'in Naoya said. "When does your school term begin? Send someone to pick me up when the time comes."
Yaga Masamichi replied, "The semester begins on April 1st. Please report before 9:00 a.m. We generally take the subway and then transfer to a bus to get to school."
Zen'in Naoya declared, "I demand treatment equal to Satoru-kun's!"
Yaga Masamichi answered evenly, "Last year, he arrived at Tokyo Jujutsu High on his own. I suggest you set out early and be mindful of traffic congestion."
Zen'in Naoya: "..."
His temper flared. "If you don't send someone, then I'm not going!"
At this stage, with the enrollment arrangements already this far along, Zen'in Naoya had effectively seized hold of Yaga Masamichi's desire to increase his "performance metrics."
Yaga Masamichi's expression darkened as he relented. "Fine! I'll make a detour to Kyoto to pick you up!"
With a sharp click, he hung up the phone.
You little brat—once you enroll, there will be plenty of upperclassmen ready to teach you how to behave!
—
Author's Note:
Quan Quan wrote 3,100 words in the car, and after returning home wrote for another hour, finally finishing this chapter.
The two-day trip to Jingdezhen has come to an end.
Travel reflection: One should never travel during the May Day holiday!!
Food reflection: None!
Accommodation reflection: Average!
Porcelain reflection: The scenic areas are expensive; the wholesale market on Guangzhou Road offers good quality at reasonable prices, and bargaining is possible!
Transportation reflection: Traffic jams everywhere! Impossible to hail a taxi! Unable to book a ride through any car-hailing apps! The most reliable mode of transportation turned out to be the bus, of all things!
Takeout reflection: I ordered delivery three times to the hotel, and every single time in the evening I waited more than two hours! I was starving to the point of collapse!