"Huh? Why am I the only one?"
Itadori Yuji scratched his head, clearly confused.
Shion let out a light chuckle and spread his hands.
"Kugisaki is on leave, she went to pick up a friend. Megumi is busy trying to tame Mahoraga, and Satoru went to back him up. That leaves you for this mission."
Itadori frowned immediately.
"Seriously? You are just leaving me alone like that?"
"Stop whining. The target this time is a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, codename Yaksha Ghost."
"Spe... Special Grade?"
Itadori pointed at himself, eyes wide in disbelief.
Shion knocked lightly on his head.
"What are you panicking for? I am coming with you. You will not die with me around."
Itadori's lips twitched.
"Teacher Gojo, when you say I will not die, you mean I will not actually die, right?"
He had heard plenty from Maki-senpai, Panda, and Inumaki-senpai. Their teacher had a habit of stepping in only at the last moment.
Broken bones, near death injuries, holes through the body, all of that would be fixed later with Reverse Cursed Technique.
That did not make it hurt any less.
Soon enough, Itadori experienced it firsthand.
After exhausting every ounce of strength to exorcise the Yaksha Ghost, he was dragged out by Shion, barely conscious.
"Ow, ow, ow... It is broken! Teacher Gojo, my bones are broken!"
Crack.
Shion casually snapped Itadori's twisted leg back into place, making him grimace in pain.
After a long and painful recovery, Itadori lay flat on the ground, completely drained, eyes dull.
"Get up. I will treat you to a seafood feast."
That single sentence revived him instantly.
He jumped up and followed behind Shion, full of energy again.
"Seafood feast! Seafood feast!"
Since Itadori did not know the way, Shion deliberately took a long detour.
Itadori clutched his stomach.
"Teacher Gojo, why are we not there yet?"
Shion rubbed his chin.
"Almost there, it should be around here..."
Before he finished speaking, the sound of a scuffle came from a nearby alley.
"What is that?"
Itadori rushed in first.
Inside, four delinquents were beating a thin boy.
"Stop! What are you doing?"
Without hesitation, Itadori stepped forward.
One of the delinquents pointed a club at him.
"None of your business. Get lost, or we will beat you too."
Itadori clenched his fists.
In the past, he would have tried to talk things out or scare them off.
Now, he understood something simpler.
Some people only understood force.
Without a word, he punched one of them and sent him flying.
Even without using Cursed Energy, his strength was enough to knock the delinquent out cold.
"You bastard!"
Two more rushed in with clubs. Itadori dropped both with a single punch each.
Only one remained, a girl.
She stepped back, trembling.
"Do not come closer. I am a girl."
Itadori looked at her coldly.
"If you are doing something wrong, it does not matter."
Just as he was about to move, the boy being beaten grabbed his pant leg.
"Thank you... but please let them go."
"Huh?"
That moment of hesitation was enough.
The girl ran, and the others quickly dragged their unconscious friend away.
Itadori helped the boy up.
"Are you okay?"
"I am fine."
Itadori frowned.
"You call this fine? Come on, I will take you to the hospital."
As they stepped out of the alley, Shion stopped them.
"No need for that."
He placed a hand on the boy.
In an instant, all the injuries disappeared.
The boy stared at himself in disbelief.
Itadori panicked.
"Teacher, why are you using Jujutsu in front of a civilian?"
Shion pulled out a stack of yen and slapped it against Itadori's face.
"Stop talking. The seafood place is closed. Go buy ingredients at the supermarket ahead. We are making hot pot."
Itadori blinked, then nodded.
"Alright."
After he left, Shion turned to the boy.
The boy lowered his head nervously.
"What is your name?"
"Yoshino Junpei."
Shion studied him calmly.
"Why did you stop Itadori earlier? You hate them."
Junpei forced a weak smile.
"They are my classmates. I have already forgiven them."
"Liar."
Shion adjusted his sunglasses, his gaze sharp.
He brushed aside Junpei's bangs, revealing cigarette burn scars.
Junpei reacted instantly, slapping his hand away and stepping back.
Shion smirked slightly.
"With scars like that, you do not forgive anything."
"It is fear, right?"
Junpei trembled.
"You were afraid they would come after you again if they got hurt too badly."
"You chose to endure it."
Shion's voice turned colder.
"Junpei, you are weak."
Junpei's expression twisted as he shouted.
"Then what should I do? You do not know my life. What right do you have to judge me? Is it wrong to just want peace?"
Slap.
Junpei froze, holding his cheek.
Shion flicked his fingers.
"What you do is your business."
"I am just reminding you that you have choices."
"Or do you expect someone like me or Itadori to save you every day?"
"What is your life for?"
Junpei clenched his fists, his voice faltering.
"I..."
"I am back!"
Itadori returned with bags of ingredients, breaking the tension.
He looked between them.
"Teacher, what were you two doing?"
Shion shrugged.
"Nothing. Junpei just decided to invite us over for hot pot."
"Eh?" ×2
...
"Ma'am, that hairstyle is a bit risky."
Shion glanced at Nagi Yoshino's side ponytail.
She blinked.
"Is it?"
"Never mind. It just does not suit you."
She laughed softly.
"I thought it made me look more like a proper mother."
She glanced at Junpei and Itadori, who were already chatting like close friends.
"I have not been the best parent. This is the first time I have seen him this happy."
Shion picked up a slice of beef.
"They get along well."
"Yes."
Night fell.
Itadori waved as he left.
"Bye, Junpei. I will come visit again."
Junpei smiled.
"Next time, I will show you my favorite movie."
After they left, Junpei returned home.
His mother had already fallen asleep after drinking.
He helped her to bed, covered her with a blanket, then finished the housework before going to his room.
But he could not sleep.
Maybe he did not want the day to end.
Or maybe he feared what tomorrow would bring.
The next day, he returned to school.
Head lowered, eyes hidden.
No one noticed him.
No one spoke to him.
In class, the teacher's voice droned on.
Junpei stared out the window.
An injured bird perched on a tree branch, quietly tending to itself.
Boring.
Then everything changed.
During break, in the restroom.
Four students surrounded him.
"What do you want?"
Junpei asked quietly.
"What do we want?"
The girl sneered.
"You made us suffer yesterday. Today, we pay you back."
"It was not me."
They laughed.
"You are easy to bully."
"You think we will go after that pink-haired monster?"
Junpei's heart sank.
Of course.
Because he was weak.
A punch knocked him to the ground.
They kicked him repeatedly.
Pain spread through his body.
Shion's words echoed in his mind.
What is your life for?
Junpei, you are weak.
He smiled bitterly.
"So that is how it is."
Suddenly, he stood up and shoved one of them.
They froze.
Then anger took over.
"You are dead."
Junpei backed away, then grabbed a mop from a nearby sink.
He swung it.
They retreated instantly, disgusted.
Seeing fear in their eyes, Junpei paused.
"So you can be afraid too."
His expression hardened.
He charged forward.
Chaos followed.
By the end, the girl screamed, her face covered in dirty water.
Teachers rushed in.
They found Junpei laughing, fighting with the mop, something in him finally snapping free.
...
Principal's office.
The atmosphere was tense.
"You must be the parent," the principal said.
"This incident is serious."
The girl's parent shouted.
"Apologize. Your son attacked a girl."
Nagi Yoshino's face darkened.
"My son did nothing wrong."
"You allowed him to be bullied. You should explain yourselves."
"Nonsense!"
The argument escalated.
Then the door burst open.
Shion walked in and dropped a document on the desk.
"This school has been reported for bullying and violence. From the Ministry of Education. You are dismissed."
Police officers entered immediately and escorted the others out.
The principal stared blankly at the document before collapsing into his chair.
"Mr. Gojo?"
Nagi looked surprised.
Shion smiled casually.
"I work with the education department."
He placed a hand on Junpei's shoulder.
"Who taught you to fight like that?"
Junpei scratched his head awkwardly.
"The school is under investigation. Junpei, do you want to transfer? To my school. Itadori is there too."
"Can I?"
"Of course."
Junpei stared at him, then touched his forehead.
The scars were gone.
He looked out the window.
The injured bird had taken flight.