Consciousness floated up slowly like a sunken ship from the icy dark depths of the sea.
The sense of smell recovered first: a familiar faint disinfectant smell mixed with a sweet, fruity candy scent wafted into the nostrils.
Then touch: a soft hospital bed beneath, a light blanket covering the body. Finally, heavy eyelids lifted with difficulty, blurry vision gradually focusing.
What came into view was the familiar ceiling of the infirmary. Outside the window was dusk, warm orange sunset light streaming through, casting long shadows on the floor and plating everything in the room with a soft warmth.
A slight, regular breathing sound came from beside the bed.
Mukyoku Nagi turned his head slightly and saw Ieiri Shoko dozing off with her head on the bed edge.
Sunset light outlined her soft profile. A few strands of brown hair fell on her forehead. Those eyes, usually carrying a hint of laziness and seeing through everything, were now peacefully closed. Long lashes cast small shadows under her eyes. One hand rested casually on the bed edge, very close to his. This quiet sleeping appearance was completely different from her usual image, carrying a rare softness and... vulnerability.
Nagi's gaze lingered on her face for a moment without speaking, just quietly watching. An odd sense of peace dispelled the slight confusion upon waking.
He tried to move his fingers slightly, and a strong sense of weakness and muscle soreness immediately hit him, making him draw a soft breath.
This tiny movement startled the lightly sleeping Shoko.
Her lashes trembled a few times. She opened her eyes in confusion, instinctively looking first at the bed.
When her gaze met Nagi's already open Vermilion Eyes—which still carried fatigue but clearly showed regained consciousness—she froze for a moment, then suddenly sat up straight as if fully awake.
"You're awake?"
Her voice was hoarse from just waking up, carrying a trace of undisguisable surprise and relief.
"How do you feel? Still uncomfortable anywhere?"
She almost instinctively reached out to check his forehead temperature, but halfway through, she seemed to feel the gesture too intimate. Somewhat embarrassed, her hand paused in mid-air before awkwardly withdrawing. She straightened her somewhat wrinkled white coat instead.
"Mm."
Nagi's voice was still somewhat hoarse. He tried to sit up but was forced back by a wave of dizziness.
"It's okay... just no strength."
"Nonsense. With your Cursed Energy and mental strength nearly squeezed dry, you'd be strange if you had any strength."
Shoko habitually used a slightly mocking tone to cover her earlier slip, but the concern in her eyes couldn't be hidden.
"Wait, I'll get you some water, then call Teacher Yaga... and those two idiots. They were worried sick and just got chased out not long ago."
She got up to pour water. Her back regained its usual briskness, but her slightly reddened ears betrayed something.
Nagi watched her busy back and the warm sunset outside, that odd sense of peace growing stronger.
He took the warm water she handed over and drank a few slow sips. His dry throat felt much better.
Shoko took out her phone and quickly sent a message.
Less than a minute later, the infirmary door was pushed open roughly.
"Yo! Our sleeping beauty finally deigns to wake up?"
Gojo Satoru's signature teasing voice rang out first. Hands in pockets, long legs striding in, sunglasses pushed up on his forehead. His azure eyes scanned Nagi up and down.
"Looks like no parts missing, just a face paler than my limited-edition Kikufuku stash."
Geto Suguru followed behind, face carrying a gentle smile, eyes full of relief.
"Good that you're awake. How do you feel, Nagi? You've been out almost a whole day."
He carefully examined Nagi's complexion and added, "Don't pull stunts like that again. The burden of that technique is too great."
Their gazes naturally shifted subtly between Nagi on the bed and Shoko standing nearby.
The corners of Gojo Satoru's mouth immediately hooked into an extremely punchable smirk. He elbowed Geto Suguru hard and said in a volume just right for everyone to hear: "Suguru, look look! Did we come at a bad time? Seems like we interrupted some precious 'attentive care without undressing' scene. My bad~"
Shoko's face flushed red instantly, spreading to her ears. She glared viciously at Gojo Satoru like a cat with its tail stepped on.
"Gojo Satoru! Itching for a beating? Want me to rinse your mouth with my latest disinfectant?!! I'm just fulfilling my duty as medical staff! Duty, got it!"
"Yes~ yes~ duty~"
Gojo Satoru deliberately dragged out the word, inflection twisting eighteen ways, his smile even brighter and more malicious. "Duty to fall asleep bedside, drooling? Truly touching Tokyo camaraderie~"
"Who drooled! You idiot glasses guy! Today I'll make you taste the power of medical tools!"
Shoko exploded completely, hopping mad, looking around as if really searching for something handy to throw.
Geto Suguru smiled and stepped forward, deftly blocking between them to mediate: "Alright alright, Satoru, say two less sentences. Shoko's been really busy these two days, guarding here the whole time." Though mediating verbally, the obvious amusement and teasing in his eyes clearly found teasing the rarely embarrassed Shoko quite fun.
Nagi watched this familiar noisy scene. He said nothing, but the originally slightly stern corners of his mouth seemed to soften with an imperceptible arc.
This commotion made him feel like he had truly returned to reality from that deathly silent Dark Domain.
After the joking, the atmosphere became slightly more serious.
"Getting to business."
Gojo Satoru pulled a chair over backward to sit, chin on the backrest, looking at Nagi. "That big guy you took down... oh no, 'stopped'... really gave Suguru a huge bargain."
Geto Suguru took over, face carrying a mix of satisfaction and slight helplessness.
"Yeah. That Dark Domain Lord had all movement stopped by your technique, but its Cursed Energy core and massive curses remained perfectly preserved, just in an extreme 'silent' state. It's practically tailor-made for my 'Cursed Spirit Manipulation.'" His tone was light, like discussing good luck. "Taming it took some effort, but compared to dealing with a fully active, resisting Special Grade Cursed Spirit, it was way easier. So—"
He looked at Nagi, smile becoming very sincere with clear gratitude:
"—thanks a lot this time, Nagi. You basically handed me a top-tier Special Grade Cursed Spirit for free. Such opportunities are rare. Although..."
His tone shifted, shrugging helplessly with a difficult swallowing expression. "...the post-tasting process, that epic flavor still unforgettable—like chewing ten rags fermented in a slop bucket at once. Lingering aftertaste."
Gojo Satoru laughed gloatingly beside him: "Hahaha! Suguru, the woes of happiness? But seriously,"
He looked at Nagi. "Your 'pause playback' is like a cheat code tailor-made for Suguru's menu! Next time we specifically hunt Special Grades, you pause them, Suguru picks them up. Path to riches!"
"Hey hey~" Geto Suguru was speechless.
Gojo Satoru continued: "Back to that broken Cursed Object. I used Gojo family resources to investigate."
His playful grin receded slightly, sharpness emerging. "Its origin, all clues point to the Kamo family. And not just this time—digging down the line, even the severe mission intel error last time that inexplicably brought the Slit-Mouthed Woman seems to have the Kamo family's shadow behind it, or rather, direct or indirect orders from that 'Kamo Head of the Clan.'"
This news made Nagi's brows furrow instantly.
Kamo family? Why one of the Big Three Families? He had no prior interaction with them.
"So, I went straight to 'visit.'"
Gojo Satoru's tone turned cold. "Prepared to ask that old fox clan head face-to-face why he keeps reaching for my friends."
He paused, gaze behind sunglasses mixing playfulness and seriousness: "But we hit a blank. Or rather, bumped into a bigger mystery."
"The current Kamo family head has been dead for a long time."
"Time of death, per our investigation, even before your enrollment at Jujutsu High. The body was disposed of in an extremely secretive way, nearly fooling everyone. The Kamo family seems to operate normally internally, but actually is being controlled from behind the scenes by some 'thing'... or rather, someone."
The air in the infirmary froze instantly.
Shock appeared on Shoko's face. Geto Suguru's expression became extremely grave.
Nagi's heart sank sharply. Kamo family head long dead? Then the one issuing orders through Kamo Kenji, watching him, repeatedly scheming probes... who was it?!
An icy chill crawled up his spine. He thought he was just accidentally caught in Jujutsu world strife, but now it seemed that long before he knew, he had already been targeted by eyes hidden in deeper shadows!
"Why?"
Nagi's voice carried a dryness and chill he himself hadn't noticed. Those Vermilion Eyes looked at Gojo Satoru, full of confusion and... anger at being manipulated.
"Before that, I had no contact with the Jujutsu world. I was just..."
He paused. "An ordinary person."
This feeling of being manipulated like a chess piece, not even knowing who the opponent was, made him extremely displeased. An icy anger quietly burned in his weakened body. The power left by his mother was to keep him safe, not drag him into this inexplicable conspiracy vortex!
"That's what we want to know too."
Geto Suguru said gravely. "That behind-the-scenes manipulator seems to have been watching you from very early on, approaching and probing through controlling the Kamo family. Purpose... completely unknown."
Gojo Satoru shrugged casually, but eyes sharp: "Clues end at the Kamo family. Opponent's hands are very clean, extremely familiar with the Kamo family to pull off this substitute peach for plum trick. Now we only know a rat hiding deep is targeting you, but why, what for, all unknown."
He paused, as if remembering something, adding:
"Oh right. That Kamo Kenji kid came to find us privately later. Pretty dejected state. He wanted us to pass his apology to you. Said he was completely kept in the dark, had no idea what that Cursed Object was, just strictly followed what he thought was the clan head's orders. Never imagined it would cause such catastrophic consequences, or that he was a discardable pawn from the start. He also said... thanks for not abandoning him in the domain, saving him. Though you were probably mainly self-preserving and incidentally pulled him along."
Gojo Satoru ended with a tease, slightly lightening the heavy atmosphere.
"He said this debt is on him. If you need help later, within his ability and position, he won't refuse."
Geto Suguru added, giving a relatively objective evaluation. "From his state and Cursed Energy reaction, doesn't seem fake. He's also a pitiful pawn used, nearly the first sacrifice in the behind-scenes plan."
Nagi listened silently.
He didn't care much about Kamo Kenji's apology and promise. All his thoughts were now occupied by that hidden "Kamo family head" who died early yet seemed omnipresent.
Why me?
Whose eyes were those watching him from the dark?
What was the purpose?
Countless questions, strong unease, and anger at invaded privacy and fate intertwined and surged wildly in his heart.
He originally just wanted to find a foothold in this strange world, learn and master power quietly, live undisturbed.
But now, a massive, dark, malice-filled mystery, like an all-encompassing giant net, had firmly enveloped him.
The sunset slowly sank below the horizon, the light in the infirmary dimming. After the noise, an even more oppressive silence and unknown remained.
Gojo Satoru stood, clapping. "Alright, since the person's fine, that's it for now. Mysteries will unravel. Anyway, I'm the strongest; sooner or later I'll drag that rat out."
He was always that confidently full, as if no difficulty mattered.
Geto Suguru also stood, saying mildly to Nagi: "Rest well, don't overthink. Recovering your body is most important. Any discoveries, we'll tell you first."
Shoko went to turn on the light. Warm lighting dispelled the dimness: "Alright, visiting hours over. Patient needs absolute quiet rest. You two noisy guys can leave gracefully now."
Gojo Satoru made a face, hooking Suguru's shoulder, muttering "nurse lady so fierce" while laughing away. The noise faded with their departure.
The room returned to quiet, only the faint sound of medical equipment (if any) and their light breathing.
But the atmosphere was completely different from when Nagi first woke. Warmth and peace were replaced by intangible heaviness and doubt.
Shoko walked to the bed, looking at Nagi—still pale, but those Vermilion Eyes gleaming with sharp, complex light under the lamp—and sighed softly: "Don't overthink. Since those two said they'd investigate, trust them. Personalities suck, but abilities are reliable."
She paused, voice softening. "For you now, nothing's more important than recovering quickly."
Nagi didn't answer, just staring at the ceiling. The Vermilion Eyes flickered with unclear light under the lamp.
The peaceful campus daily life seemed to be irreversibly accelerating away from him.
And a dark tide targeting him personally, source unknown but malice profound, had already raised its first surging wave, crashing at his unprepared feet.
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