Megumi deactivated her technique, and that eerie feeling of being ignored instantly vanished. She looked a bit tired, but her eyes held a hint of novelty.
"It seems... that's how it is. I can make it so people around me don't notice me very easily."
Only then did Eriri react, patting her chest in lingering fear. "You scared me to death. I thought you had suddenly vanished. This technique is way too broken."
Utaha looked at Megumi with mixed emotions.
Megumi, this girl who was usually the most unremarkable and easily ignored, had actually awakened such a special Innate Technique that neither she nor Eriri had yet.
Satoru looked at the three girls with their various expressions, a curve hooking the corner of his lips.
Whether bringing them into this dangerous world was a blessing or a curse remained to be seen. But without a doubt, their peaceful school life was about to be shattered.
And the future of the Jujutsu World, with the addition of these "unexpected factors," had become even more unpredictable.
"Alright, girls, welcome to Jujutsu High." Satoru opened the car door, sunlight spilling onto his white hair.
"For the days to come, please look after me. I hope you can live until the day you graduate."
...
The interior of Jujutsu High was even more ancient and solemn than imagined.
After passing through layers of barriers and long corridors, Satoru led them to a heavy wooden door. He knocked twice casually and pushed it open.
The room was filled with a faint scent of wood chips and cotton-linen fibers, which felt out of place with the solemnity of the rest of the building.
A burly man wearing sunglasses with an expression so serious it could stop a crying child in their tracks sat on a cushion. His massive palms held a tiny needle as he focused on sewing a soft, cute white seal plushie.
This highly contrasting scene left all three girls stunned for a moment.
"Oh my, is the principal making a new child again?" Satoru greeted him with a grin, his tone familiar.
Utaha subconsciously whispered a critique, "What an unexpected sight. A man who looks so fierce is actually making such cute plushies."
Her gaze fell on several finished plushies beside the man—bears and rabbits, all crafted vividly.
Megumi observed quietly, her gaze lingering on the nearly finished seal plushie for a moment before she said plainly, "The plushies are quite cute. I wonder if they're for sale."
Eriri tilted her head, her fingers unconsciously gesturing. "Is that a seal? It's so round... I feel like hugging it tight or poking it would be a great way to relieve stress."
She seemed to already be brainstorming how to represent such a texture in her drawings.
The man behind the workbench, Yaga Masamichi, put down his needlework and looked up. His gaze behind the sunglasses swept over the three before finally landing on Satoru with a hint of helplessness.
"Satoru, you're late again?" His voice was deep and authoritative, but without real anger.
"It's fine. You were making plushies anyway." Satoru waved it off.
"These three are the ones I mentioned to you: Kasumigaoka Utaha, Sawamura Spencer Eriri, and Kato Megumi. Girls, this is the Principal of Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College, Yaga Masamichi."
The three immediately dropped their casual expressions, bowed in unison, and introduced themselves politely. Facing such a high-ranking figure in the Jujutsu World, they all showed a certain degree of tension and restraint.
Yaga Masamichi nodded in return. His massive frame leaned back, and he crossed his hands on the table, the needle he had just been sewing with now pinned to his chest pocket.
"No need for formalities. Satoru has already given me a general overview of your situation."
His gaze swept over the three once more, lingering on Utaha for a moment before he slowly spoke, asking a core question, "So, after experiencing those events, why do you still want to enter Jujutsu High? What is the motive behind wanting to learn the ability to exorcise curses?"
The room fell silent, leaving only the faint sound of the wind outside the window.
Megumi was the first to answer, her voice as steady as ever, devoid of any exaggerated emotion. "Principal Yaga, I don't have any grand ideals of becoming a Jujutsu Sorcerer to save others or perform dangerous missions. My thoughts are simple: I just want to protect myself. Since I've already seen that world and know the dangers exist, learning the ability to protect myself is a natural choice. I don't want to meet an unfortunate end one day because of my ignorance and powerlessness."
Eriri followed immediately, her voice deeper than usual, carrying a faint, imperceptible tremble and determination. "My good friend... he died at the hands of a curse. He died... for no clear reason. Before that, I had no idea such things existed in this world. I cannot accept the possibility of being killed so inexplicably. I don't want to be like before, only able to fear and flee passively, not even knowing why I'm dying. Learning jujutsu will at least allow me to see where the danger comes from and give me the ability to resist, rather than becoming the next victim in total confusion."
Her hands clenched into small fists, and her twin-tails seemed to sway slightly from her agitation.
Yaga Masamichi listened quietly. His sunglasses obscured his eyes, but one could feel him seriously considering every word.
He nodded, his gaze finally turning to Utaha, his question becoming even sharper. "Then, what about you? Sukuna's... host."
He chose a somewhat cold term.
"Given your currently 'harmonious' relationship with Sukuna, he himself is a powerful protective umbrella. With him inside you, most Cursed Spirits probably wouldn't dare approach you. Why would you still risk entering Jujutsu High to study? What is your purpose?"
This question went straight to the heart of the matter and touched the most complex part of Utaha's heart. She felt Sukuna's consciousness within her also seem to pique with interest, wanting to hear how she would answer.
Utaha took a deep breath and raised her wine-red eyes to meet Yaga's oppressive gaze. Her tone was no longer lazy or sharp-tongued as usual, but became exceptionally clear and serious.
"Principal Yaga, you're right. Sukuna-san can indeed provide protection now. But this protection is unstable and comes at a price."
She paused as if organizing her words. "Sukuna-san... he will leave one day, whether he finds a new vessel or chooses another path after regaining his full strength. I cannot rely forever on a power that doesn't belong to me."
Her voice rose slightly, carrying a thirst for the unknown and a hint of stubbornness. "More importantly, this world is dangerous, I've seen that. But I've also seen its true side—a bizarre and mysterious world hidden beneath the everyday. I'm interested in this real world. Curses, Cursed Energy, Cursed Techniques... these are no longer settings in a novel, but a reality that truly exists. Since I've already stepped one foot in, I don't want to shrink back and pretend I know nothing."
She clenched her hands slightly and continued, "I might not become a traditional Jujutsu Sorcerer who makes exorcising curses their lifelong mission. But learning this knowledge and understanding the rules of this world is, for me, a satisfaction of curiosity and an attempt to take control of my own fate."
"I don't want the reason for my misfortune one day to be simply because I was 'unlucky,' 'encountered something strange,' or even more absurdly... 'died in a bizarre way.' I want to at least understand what I'm facing, so even if I can't ultimately resist, I won't die in ignorance."
Her answer was both honest and complex, a mix of curiosity, self-preservation, a clear-eyed understanding of her relationship with Sukuna, and a pursuit of control over her destiny.
Yaga Masamichi listened in silence, his gaze behind the sunglasses lingering on Utaha for a long time.
For a moment, the only sound in the room was the slight friction of the plushie's cotton stuffing.