Chapter 31

Shoko Ieiri walked past the lounge, yawning.

Her gaze, which had drifted off nonchalantly, suddenly froze. She turned around and made her way over with a light, nimble step.

Sprawled across a table in the lounge was a brooding Takizawa Sei.

He had collapsed entirely, his side pressed against the table, his arms dangling limply toward the floor. Seeing Ieiri approach, he let out a feeble, "Shoko~~"

"What's wrong with you?" Ieiri brushed his hair aside to check his forehead, noting that the wound used to test his healing abilities had completely vanished. "You've been listless since the crack of dawn. Where's Gojo? Did he leave for a mission? I can't believe he didn't take you with him."

At the mention of Satoru Gojo’s name, Takizawa tremblingly brought his hands together above his head to form a heart shape, then snapped it in two. "Heart... stabbing pain."

Ieiri: "..."

She felt an urge to roll her eyes just like she did in her youth. Hah, the immature brats were at it again.

Suguru Geto, carrying two bowls of noodles from the kitchen, showed a flicker of emotion before saying with a faint smile, "Oh? Shoko."

"Huh, when did you get here?"

"Satoru let me in yesterday."

"You could at least have the self-awareness of a defected curse user."

"Are you mocking me? That hurts my feelings." Geto placed the steaming noodles in front of Takizawa, noticing he looked even more dejected than before, his mood swinging like a roller coaster. "Sei, what's the matter?"

Takizawa bolted upright, pursing his lips at Ieiri, tears welling up in his eyes. "Shoko, do you want me to rest in peace?"

"Hmm?"

The blue-eyed young man looked as aggrieved as if he had suffered a grave injustice. "Do you want me to be exorcised?" He pointed at Geto, accusing him, "Those two are secretly cursing me, plotting to exorcise me together!"

"Ah..." Ieiri’s gaze wandered, pointedly avoiding Takizawa. "I was aware of it."

Takizawa wore a heartbroken expression. "Even you knew. You kept it from me too."

"I don't think they're doing anything wrong," Ieiri said, smoothing out Takizawa’s unruly hair. "But, I’m just a qualified physician; the execution of the technique has nothing to do with me. So my decision was much easier—I simply cast a vote in favor as a form of escapism, thinking... that when I woke up from my sleep, the sweet dream of being reunited with you would end."

Their reactions placed a heavy burden on Takizawa regarding his own identity, along with a subtle, gnawing sense of self-loathing.

Takizawa vaguely knew that his strange transformation... likely had something to do with the Transmigration Bureau. Every time a tool-person was dropped into a world, they were assigned a reasonable identity. How was this any different from being an illegal stowaway?

Takizawa ate his noodles in a gloom, then his eyes widened slightly. "Delicious! Mmm, it's that familiar taste... I've missed it so much..."

It instantly transported him back to that stifling summer. Takizawa had been dragged around by Gojo and introduced to his few peers. As an attendant to the Six Eyes, in this so-called "equal" society, he held a status that some perceived as lowly and jarring. The label of master and servant was forcibly glued to him, yet there were always those who chose not to see it.

"Where did Satoru go? Aren't I supposed to never leave his sight? If he’s not at the academy, I’m going to turn into a cursed spirit and eat all of you!"

His threats were entirely childish. The other two people present only saw the vivid, ruffled expression on Takizawa’s face.

Geto answered his question earnestly. "Satoru was called away urgently last night. He said he detected the presence of at least a special-grade cursed womb at a reservoir where people had drowned; three passersby had already perished there."

"Hmm... and I fell victim to your secret technique last night," Takizawa said, his face crinkling. "It’s even more chilling now."

Was there not even a funeral ceremony—?!

"Because no one is monitoring you at the academy, and Satoru usually goes on missions alone, this serves as a lookout right under the noses of the higher-ups," Geto said, his lips curling with implication. "That’s why I was able to sneak in."

Takizawa rested his chin in his hand. "Ah, right. Because at the academy, even Principal Yaga isn't wary of me." He raised an eyebrow. "But that makes me even sadder. Isn't Satoru the clingy ghost who would stick to me for any excuse? Now that I’m such a massive anomaly, he should keep me by his side to feel at ease!"

Ieiri and Geto exchanged a look, both seeing the same thought in each other's eyes: *That’s right, it’s that again—the familiar separation phase.*

Ieiri covered her ears.

"Covering your ears? Why are you covering your ears, Shoko—am I bothering you? Have you guys, who want me to rest in peace, reached the point where you don't even want to hear my voice—?"

***

Takizawa made a fuss for a while before becoming unusually silent.

He leaned on his friends' company to vent his internal frustration and anxiety. Students snuck over to see him; after the recent attack on the academy by outsiders, they had all been on edge for the past few days.

"Nervous? Worried about your own weakness? Why not go run a few dozen laps on the field?"

"Teacher Takizawa, you're the worst!"

Takizawa was shocked. "Am I not your favorite teacher anymore?!"

The children ran off, giggling.

Takizawa feigned anger and chased them for a bit, but gave up halfway, taking the opportunity to head toward the residence that Gojo had demolished earlier.

The building was cordoned off and under repair. Takizawa ducked under the caution tape and stepped inside. He stood at the entrance of the ruined room for a long time, wondering if his being attacked had accelerated Satoru's desire for him to leave.

Thinking about it carefully, Gojo always seemed to be forcing a sense of calm in front of him.

What kind of unbearable sight did the Six Eyes see that made him so convinced that Takizawa was a lingering vengeful spirit?

Or perhaps... how certain was Satoru that he had cursed him?

Curses carry negative emotions... Does Satoru hate me?

The companion-type tool-person, who was diligently completing his mission, fell into a brief state of confusion and disorientation. The secret technique hadn't shown him all of Gojo’s memories—likely because it was, after all, a technique controlled by the Six Eyes, with a precision in cursed energy output that was maddening.

Takizawa recalled Gojo gripping his hands tightly, eyes wide, telling him he couldn't leave.

My behavior feels like betrayal.

Takizawa realized.

Since he was young, he had promised the Six-Eyed divine child time and again that he would never leave, which had instilled in Gojo a deep sense of identification and trust. The divine child firmly believed they were the same kind of people, that they understood each other, shared the same dreams, and held an inseparable future.

"Tch."

Takizawa, realizing this in hindsight, scratched his hair.

Satoru Gojo had truly grown to an incredible extent; he could even hide his emotions so well. Takizawa felt dejected by this sense of change—an adaptation he couldn't participate in due to his overly long absence. It was the first time since his return that he felt a sense of discomfort, but he had always been good at regulating his emotions. He swiped two markers and a whiteboard from the administrative office and returned to his extra-large luxury dormitory to begin his artistic creation.

In short, drawing stick figures.

Takizawa sorted through his memories.

After the technique, he remembered more things. Every time he thought about Gojo wanting to send him away, he flared with anger. In a fit of catharsis, he drew countless stick figures in sunglasses, black bandages, and shuttlecocks. By the end, he added more and more details: round hats, black ties, curly little ponytails. He even added facial expressions and actions, such as stepping on enemies or showing off his power to intimidate the masses—

*Plop.*

Takizawa stabbed a knife into the stick figure's belly.

Takizawa: "..."

The next second, he drew a slightly taller stick figure, one foot stomping toward the one that had been stabbed, claws bared as if protecting a cub.

"Heh..."

Takizawa couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"What does this mean?"

The voice that suddenly emerged from behind caused Takizawa, immersed in his memories, to jump. He turned his head to see a young man in a suit, whose gaze was fixed on the giant whiteboard, as if he had been watching for quite some time.

This person walked without a sound, his breathing barely audible.

"Just a boring drawing, what could it mean?"

"Is this you?" The man pointed to the stick figure that had been stabbed, then moved his fingertip to the one that was baring its teeth and kicking. "Is this Mr. Gojo?"

Takizawa: "...Interpret it however you like."

The young man offered a gentle smile. "My name is Rinya Esu. Nice to meet you. You look completely different from what I expected."

Takizawa shook his hand casually. "From the Jujutsu Headquarters?"

"It seems you know." Rinya Esu’s expression flickered. "I’m just here to investigate. Although I had read your file beforehand and knew you were... somewhat different from the general concept, seeing you in person still feels shocking, beyond my comprehension. You look like such a humble and gentle young man... and quite handsome, too."

Rinya Esu gave off a harmless and approachable vibe. At the very least, Takizawa didn't feel any malice toward him, even though the man was clearly there with an agenda.

"Here to investigate me?" he asked in a casual tone.

"Yes. Although Mr. Gojo has strongly vouched for your identity and taken you under his responsibility."

"Why didn't you come to me in the first place?" Takizawa set down the marker and poured a glass of water, his posture relaxed. "Tea?"

The man's gaze swept quickly and subtly over the row of tea bags. "Thank you, black tea is fine."

Takizawa tore open the tea bag.

He said, "You haven't answered my question."

"It’s just that Mr. Gojo hoped we wouldn't disturb you. He said he would keep an eye on you—whether that phrasing is quite appropriate or not, that was the general gist. But the psychic who infiltrated the academy a few days ago, that curse user who brought the Heavenly Restriction back into the world, has made us very concerned. Why exactly did he assassinate you, and how did you manage to escape... In short, after various considerations, we overturned our previous decision to leave you entirely to Mr. Gojo and wanted to investigate personally."

Takizawa drank his lemon water in one gulp. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"Yes."

Takizawa rolled his eyes at Rinya Esu’s back. "No."

"Eh?"

"Don't let the fact that you're being polite to me now fool you; if I go there, I'll just be tied up." Takizawa was all too familiar with the ways of the higher-ups. He shooed Daifuku, who was crouching at his feet, toward the doghouse and said calmly, "I am Satoru’s person now. Your transfer orders have nothing to do with me."

This statement gave Rinya Esu an eerie feeling.

How could he say something like that so flatly?

"Mr. Takizawa, this is a decision by the higher-ups. Even if you refuse, it will only make things difficult for us..."

Takizawa sat down next to his weapon and flashed a wicked smile. "Want to take me away? Aren't you afraid I'll eat you on the way?"