The cold morning air brushed against my face as all of us jogged through the outer path of Tokyo Jujutsu High. The rhythmic sound of shoes hitting dirt echoed through the training grounds while faint mist still lingered around the trees.
Since a fight is inevitable now, I was not in a situation of buffing Maki and Mai with every tool I could find to increase their strength, though Mai was in training because she was at Kyoto Jujutsu High, but her cursed tool was sent.
"Why are you so pumped up?" Maki asked me while we were jogging early in the morning.
"Didn't Naoya-san always behave like this?" Yuta, who also joined the morning job with Maki, Panda, Inmaki, and me, asked.
"You wish," Panda interrupted immediately. "He usually walks around looking like he's constipated and trying to find a toilet."
I nearly tripped mid-step.
"I am right here, you discount gorilla."
Panda placed a paw dramatically over his chest. "See? Violent denial. Classic constipation symptoms."
Even Inumaki nodded slightly and muttered, "Salmon."
"Not you too," I muttered in disbelief.
Maki snorted loudly before covering her mouth, though the amusement in her eyes was impossible to hide. "It's true, though. You always look like you're carrying the burden of the world on your shoulders."
"That's because I am carrying the burden of the world," I replied proudly. Not that I am, but it is good to lie time to time; after all, this type of lie doesn't leave anyone hurt.
"No," Maki deadpanned. "You just overthink literally everything."
That… was unfortunately true.
I clicked my tongue and crossed my arms while jogging. "You people don't understand. A man needs to maintain a mysterious aura."
"You mean looking depressed?" Panda asked.
"You are not mysterious," Maki said. "That's just sickness, and we call it 8th grade syndrome."
Yuta, who had finally stabilized his breathing a little, looked between all of us with visible confusion. "You all get along surprisingly well."
"We do, right?" Maki said with a light smile.
I pretend I didn't see that. It was my fault that my wish to be close to Maki and Mai diverged into a path I didn't foresee. Like in a normal sense, if you saw someone from your childhood, would you consider them anything more than a best friend? Well, they apparently did.
I would have put an end to it by giving them a pure rejection, but whenever I wanted to bring up that topic, I also automatically changed it. I didn't want to hurt them, it seems. I can imagine the tear and snort that would flow.
Huh, I am becoming a hypocrite. The thought made me pause, and a small laugh escaped my mouth. When was I not a hypocrite?
Panda pointed at us dramatically. "See? Married couple behavior."
Maki instantly kicked Panda in the shin hard enough to make him yelp. "I said don't start that nonsense again." But the smile indicates that her action was contrary to her emotion.
"Bonito flakes," Inumaki added while raising a thumb, clearly agreeing with Panda.
Yuta awkwardly scratched his cheek while trying to process the chaotic social dynamic he had somehow walked into. Compared to the horror movie his life had become after Rika appeared, this probably felt like some bizarre sitcom.
Still, despite the joking atmosphere, I could feel the tension hiding underneath everyone's behavior. Geto's upcoming attack weighed heavily on all of us. Even Panda, who constantly joked around, was quieter than usual whenever conversations drifted toward December 24th.
I glanced sideways toward Yuta. The poor guy still didn't fully understand the scale of the coming conflict. Technically, he was one of the core reasons this entire disaster was even happening. Geto wanted Rika. Or at least that was the motive in the original, but the current motive I didn't know since the canon changed.
"How's your training going?" I suddenly asked him.
Yuta looked startled from being addressed directly. "Ah—well… I'm trying my best."
"He's underselling himself," Maki said before I could respond. "He's improving stupidly fast. I am actually jealous of his talents." She added the second half of the sentence to herself, without anyone hearing it.
"That tends to happen when someone has infinite cursed energy cheating installed," I muttered.
Yuta laughed awkwardly. "I don't think it's that amazing…"
"Trust me," I said while looking ahead calmly. "You're amazing. It isn't easy to get a special grade status while you are still a noob. Given time you will be a force to reckon with."
Yuta went silent after hearing that. Compliments clearly weren't something he handled well.
The jogging continued for several more minutes before Panda suddenly leaned closer to me with narrowed eyes. "Still didn't answer the original question."
"Hm?"
"Why are you suddenly so motivated?"
The group unconsciously looked at me.
The reason for my happiness is simple: through this war, I can make Maki's and Mai's existence more prominent within the Zenin clan because of how the clan treats them with respect. After my intervention, they are treated as Zenin clan members now. What I need is to make clan elders notice Maki or Mai as a potential candidate for the next head.
Since they all hate me, there won't be any discussion on their thoughts on replacing me. Of course, they won't still consider Maki or Mai, given that they are women and without any high curse energy. And there is still my brother's present replacement if something were to happen to me.
Of course, my brother wouldn't become clan head. I would make sure of it; if they become heads, then Maki's and Mai's lives would be nothing more than breeding pigs and slaves. This war will give a path for me to make Maki or Mai the clan head.
"That's a secret," I said to them, who asked why I was happy.
A lot of things to achieve. At the end, I need to make sure they get their happy ending they deserve.
~~~
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