Pleasure?
20: Is This…
Pleasure?
“Isn’t it fine?” ‘I thought he’d say that, but man, he’s taking this lightly.’ That night, back at his apartment, Mamoru was reporting what had happened that day to his older brother over the phone.
And this was the response he got in return.
“Teaching her a bit of Cursed Energy manipulation for self-defense isn’t something to get all worked up about.
Well, the old geezers who care so much about bloodlines and tradition might nag, but personally, it sounds fun, so it’s totally okay!.
Besides, how many stray Curse Users do those guys think are out there anyway?
Turning a blind eye won’t make the animal shelter come help you, you know?” “Brother, you’re probably the only person who can talk about Jujutsu sorcerers on the same level as dogs and cats.” His brother occasionally messed around with sorcerers he took a liking to, almost as if he were picking up stray dogs or cats.
Mamoru knew this all too well, having been taken away himself with a line like, “If you don’t need him, I’ll take him with me~,” back when he felt out of place in his own family home.
“Besides, isn’t it actually more dangerous for her to stick her nose into this with half-baked skills?” Even now, Mamoru wasn’t sure if choosing to teach Jujutsu to Kiryuin-san was the right move.
There were certainly merits to pulling her in.
More than half of his reason for agreeing was based on calculation.
She had the toughness not to succumb to fear even after being threatened with Cursed Energy.
Even if he didn’t teach her, it wasn’t hard to imagine that she would try to research Jujutsu on her own, so in that sense, it could be considered safer to keep her on a leash where he could see her.
However, those were merely judgments made with an emphasis on rationality.
When thinking about her future, Mamoru didn’t know whether this choice was truly correct.
To such a Mamoru, his brother answered with a serious tone, completely different from his usual playful manner.
“Mamoru, you’re overthinking it.
What that girl is saying isn’t entirely wrong, you know.
Whether you have power or not, when you get dragged into things, you get dragged in.
As for me, I actually respect her guts for trying to protect herself.” “Even if you say that…
I don’t have any experience teaching people, you know?
Plus, on that school’s grounds, we can’t even gain any proper combat experience.” The most efficient way for a Jujutsu sorcerer to grow is through actual combat experience.
Fighting against Curses is a battle against fear.
Without actually putting one’s life on the line, that experience cannot be cultivated.
“True~.
It depends on what level she’s aiming for, but if she has no intention of going all-in as a sorcerer, then for the time being, you should just teach her how to use Cursed Energy with a focus on running away.” “What if she tries to plunge headfirst into this world?” “In that case, let’s consider using the ‘Room’ to gain combat experience outside.” “…Is that okay?” Using the ‘Room’ meant teleporting outside via the space Mamoru had constructed.
However, the existence of the Room was information that had to be kept strictly secret, even among Mamoru’s innate techniques.
Currently, no one knew about its existence other than Mamoru himself and Satoru Gojo.
“Only if that girl is trustworthy, of course~.
She’s already deduced that you can contact the outside, hasn’t she?
In fact, the higher-ups know that you can teleport a certain distance anyway, so that part isn’t something you need to go out of your way to hide.” The Jujutsu High higher-ups didn’t fully grasp the entirety of Mamoru’s innate technique, but they at least knew he possessed teleportation capabilities.
Although they hadn’t figured out the specific distance or mechanism, they were at least aware that he could move across town borders.
As long as the teleportation was strictly limited within the country, it wasn’t something worth going crazy trying to hide.
“The important thing is the existence of the Room.
There won’t be any problem if you just blindfold her when passing through it.
Even if it’s seen by chance, an amateur wouldn’t understand how abnormal that space is.” “Aren’t you being a bit too sloppy about this?” “Well, it’s your innate technique, so I’ll leave decisions like this to you, Mamoru.
If she seems to have talent, introduce her to me sometime.” ‘I really don’t want to introduce them.’ From their conversation today, Kiryuin-san gave off an impression of being a free spirit, somewhat reminiscent of his brother.
Should he judge that they’d get along well as kindred spirits, or that they’d get along horribly because they’re the same type?
Either way, he didn’t feel like any decent chemical reaction would come out of it.
And then, Mamoru suddenly remembered something.
“Ah, speaking of introductions, what are we doing about meeting that new Jujutsu High first-year you mentioned before?
My schedule has freed up a bit over here.” “Ah, that?
Things got a bit hectic on my end, so I forgot about it.” “Hectic?” “Don’t worry about it.
Things have mostly settled down now.
Let’s see, you’re in the middle of your exam period right now, aren’t you, Mamoru?
You also have to figure out how to deal with that girl, so let’s match our schedules after your exams are over.” “I’d appreciate it if you did that, but…
are you plotting something?” Sensing a somewhat excited tone from his brother’s voice over the receiver, Mamoru knitted his brows.
“No, no, it’s nothing big.
Actually, a transfer student joined us a little while ago.
They’re quite an interesting kid, so I thought you’d be surprised when you meet them.” “A transfer student?
I haven’t heard anything about that.” “It’s a surprise, a surprise!
You’ll just have to wait until you meet them to see what kind of kid they are.
Alright then, that’s that.
I’ll contact you once the date is set.” And with a “Bye-bye~,” the call was unilaterally ended.
Staring at his phone, which was now making a beeping sound, Mamoru frowned slightly.
“…My brother’s surprises are always slightly off, aren’t they?” There are basically two types of surprises.
Surprises meant to entertain people, and surprises meant to entertain oneself by watching the other person’s shocked face.
The ones his brother set up were basically always the latter.
Sensing a somewhat ominous omen, Mamoru switched his train of thought, figuring there was no point in dwelling on it.
“I’ll reply to Senpai tomorrow, but I should probably make some preparations just in case.” Since it was already late at night, he decided to send the message tomorrow.
Tomorrow and the day after were Saturday and Sunday, so school was off.
He prepared with the possibility of meeting her in person to talk in mind.
Once his preparations were finished, he went straight to sleep for the night.
As dawn broke and morning came, Mamoru returned to his dorm room in the student dormitory and sent a chat message to Kiryuin-san via his terminal.
The time was just past 7:30 AM.
Considering that school was off, it wouldn’t be strange if she were still sleeping, but a reply came back instantly.
『I’ve obtained permission from the top for now.
I’d like to meet and discuss the details in person, so please let me know a convenient place and time.』 『Understood.
Anytime is fine for me.
If you’d like, you can even come to my room today?』 Although it was merely plain text, Mamoru could easily picture Kiryuin-san wearing a teasing smile.
However, Mamoru wasn’t someone who would be shaken by something of this level.
In the first place, locations where they could hold a secret talk within this school were limited.
Each other’s dorm rooms was one of the candidate locations Mamoru himself had in mind.
『Then let’s do that.
What time would be good?』 『Hmm, you really are no fun to tease.
Or perhaps you’re simply accustomed to visiting a woman’s room?』 『You’re the one who brought it up.
If you were joking, please give me another location quickly.
I dislike wasting time.』 『Have a little more leeway, will you?
Conversation is the lubricant of life.』 『…Hurry up.』 『Good grief, it can’t be helped.
My room is fine for the location.
It would stand out if you came to the second-year dormitory alone, after all.
Shall we meet up in front of the convenience store around 10:00?』 『Why am I the one being looked down upon with exasperation?』 『I think standing out applies whether it’s one person or two, but fine.』 『Moving on, we can discuss the details once we meet, but may I assume you’ll be teaching me starting today?』 『If that’s what you wish, I’ll do so.
I have time today and tomorrow, anyway.』 『Fufu, so in other words, I get your undivided attention?』 『I’ll be watching over you closely at the very beginning, but other than that, I’ll teach you the method, so please stick to self-training as a rule.
I won’t always have free time, after all.』 『I am well aware.』 『See you later then.』 If he dragged the conversation out any longer, it might lead to her bringing up another unnecessary topic.
Sensing a good stopping point, he somewhat forcefully cut the conversation short.
‘Even after being exposed to that much Cursed Energy yesterday, she’s surprisingly eager, huh.’ He had thought that leaving a night’s gap would allow her to cool off and feel some hesitation, but at least from her text messages, no such sign could be detected.
‘Or perhaps because she cooled down, her sense of danger was stimulated instead?’ There was a possibility that experiencing dense Cursed Energy for the first time made her realize the danger to her life, prompting her to steel her resolve.
If so, Mamoru’s action of threatening her to push her away had ended up having the complete opposite effect.
‘If she still hasn’t shaken off that playful attitude, I’d actually be impressed in a way.’ The remaining possibility was that she still took Jujutsu lightly, but if she could maintain such a carefree attitude after going through a near-death experience, it could almost be called a talent of its own.
At any rate, while chatting, the time had already passed 8:00 AM.
Mamoru quickly got dressed and began gathering the necessary luggage.
‘I don’t know how far we’ll get today, but I’ll just bring a few things.
I’ll be bored in the meantime, so I’ll bring a few study reference books too…’ Normally, if he needed something, he could just throw it into a space created with his innate technique, but Mamoru had no intention of revealing his technique to that extent.
“Guess I’ll head out soon.” While gathering his things, a suitable time had arrived, so he headed toward the meeting spot.
At the meeting spot, Kiryuin-san was already waiting in casual clothes.
It seemed she had been shopping, as a shopping bag was dangling from her hand.
“Hello, did I keep you waiting?” “No, I’ve just finished shopping myself.
And you’re ten minutes early.
Quite exemplary, isn’t it?” “Thanks for that…
What’s that?” Mamoru offered a casual reply while lowering his gaze to the shopping bag Kiryuin-san was holding.
She was holding two shopping bags.
From the looks of it, they seemed to contain bento boxes and drinks.
“Well, since we’ll be spanning across lunchtime, we’ll need lunch, won’t we?
I thought going out to eat again would be a hassle.
I don’t know if it’ll suit your taste, but there’s a portion for you as well.” “Hah, thank you very much.
I’m not a picky eater, so it’s fine, but…
how much was it, by the way?” Originally, Mamoru himself had intended to settle lunch with a convenience store bento, so this actually saved him the trouble.
To pay for his bento, Mamoru pulled his terminal out of his pocket while asking, but Kiryuin-san declined with a light smirk.
“Unnecessary.
I am, after all, the one being taught here.
Properly speaking, I should probably entertain you by dutifully cooking a home-made meal, but unfortunately, I am completely hopeless at cooking.” “Why do you sound so proud of that?” If a girl were bad at cooking, one would expect her to care at least a little, but no such sign could be felt from Kiryuin-san; rather, she stated it with refreshing confidence.
“It’s not as though I am particularly bad at it.
It’s simply that I never thought it necessary, so I never learned.
That’s hardly rare these days, is it?
There’s no reason to feel inferior about it.
How about you?” “Well, I think I can manage about as well as an average person.” After all, he had been living on his own for quite a long time.
To be honest, Mamoru himself wasn’t picky about taste when it came to food going into his own mouth, but he couldn’t serve poorly made food to his brother whenever he dropped in, so his cooking skills naturally improved while he was studying various recipes.
“More importantly, let’s go quickly.
Standing around talking here will make us stand out.” “Hmm, that’s true.
It would be a pity to waste precious time, after all.” Against Mamoru trying to wrap up the conversation quickly, Kiryuin-san unexpectedly nodded with ease.
Or perhaps she was impatient because she was eager to learn about Jujutsu?
“Well then, shall we go?
A home date, as they call it.” “It’s not.” Offering a light retort to Kiryuin-san, who was teasing him, the two of them turned their steps toward the dormitory room.
He thought that a boy and a girl from different school years walking together might draw some attention, but fortunately, the exam period seemed to work in their favor.
Few students were out walking, and after passing by a few people along the way, they arrived at the dormitory room without any significant issues.
“Pardon the intrusion.” “Welcome.
Make yourself at home.” Stepping into the room, the interior was neatly organized, just as he had pictured.
When one thinks of a girl’s room, pastel colors often come to mind, but Kiryuin-san’s room lacked decoration.
The furniture was coordinated in relatively chic shades, giving the interior a calm atmosphere.
“Now then, let’s pour a drink first.
Tea or coffee, do you have a preference?” “No, I’m fine.
I didn’t come here to play.
More importantly, let’s start right away.” Saying so, Mamoru erected a barrier to cover the entire room.
“Hmm, is this what you call a barrier?” “Yes.
I don’t think sound would leak to the next room anyway, but it’s for soundproofing just in case.” “I see.
In other words, if I were to be attacked right now, no help would come.” “Senpai, do you have a disease where you’ll die if you don’t tease people?” The pacing of her conversations, interjecting jokes in between, was also similar to his brother’s, and every time it happened, Mamoru felt thoroughly exhausted.
“Fufu, no, my apologies.
When an interesting person is right before my eyes, I simply want to see various reactions.
It’s a bit of a habit.
Please get used to it.” “No, you should exercise self-restraint.” Toward Kiryuin-san, who offered words of apology without feeling the slightest bit remorseful, Mamoru let out a sigh and set down the luggage in his hand.
“Enough already.
For now, Senpai, please learn to break this first.” As he spoke, Mamoru formed a hand seal and generated a small barrier at around the height of Kiryuin-san’s chest.
“I got permission to teach you about Jujutsu, but if you can’t manipulate Cursed Energy in the first place, we can’t even begin.
First, try breaking this barrier with a fist imbued with Cursed Energy.” Currently, Kiryuin-san could only see Cursed Spirits and couldn’t manipulate Cursed Energy yet.
At that rate, it was completely impossible for her to get involved with this side of the world.
Teaching her basic knowledge about the Jujutsu world would come after that.
“Manipulating Cursed Energy, huh.
Specifically, what should I do?” “Let’s see.
I mentioned before that Curses are born from negative emotions, but to be precise, it’s not that emotions themselves turn into Cursed Energy…” “Cursed Energy slumbers inside everyone’s body.
Negative emotions are merely a trigger for it to come out.
Anger, hatred, jealousy, sadness—anything is fine.
When you harbor strong emotions, you should naturally feel a power surging, a sort of fluctuation from deep inside your body.
After that, please concentrate your awareness on that sensation.” Since it was his first time teaching Jujutsu to someone, Mamoru spun his words while wondering if this explanation was good enough.
Fortunately, Kiryuin-san herself was smart, so she seemed to understand with this explanation.
“Hmm, let me try.” “Go ahead.
Ah, can I borrow a chair?” “Ah, feel free to sit wherever you like.” Obtaining Kiryuin-san’s permission, he sat down on a chair near the desk and pulled a reference book out of his bag.
‘Well, since it’s her first time and I have no baseline, I don’t know for sure, but if she can do it by today, that’d be on the fast side.’ Thinking that, the moment he opened the reference book, a dull thud echoed through the room.
“Ah, by the way, that barrier is normally quite hard, so while you can’t coat yourself in Cursed Energy, it’s going to hurt quite a bit.” The barrier Mamoru erected this time was designed so that if even a little Cursed Energy was applied, it would shatter like glass, but if not, it would feel like punching solid iron.
It didn’t look like she had punched it with all her strength, but she had apparently let her guard down due to its glass-like appearance, resulting in puting more power into it than expected.
In the very next instant after the dull sound echoed, Kiryuin-san was holding her punched right hand as if enduring pain.
“F-Fu…
I see.
I shall be careful.” Seeing Kiryuin-san’s voice slightly trembling while trying to maintain her composure, Mamoru felt a sensation of relief washing over his chest for some reason.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Q&A / Author’s Note: Q: Is Kiryuin-san still approaching Jujutsu with a playful mindset?
A: She is in a state of having accepted it while being aware of the danger.
Positive thinking: ‘It’s better to enjoy it than to learn it in a gloomy mood, right?’ Q: Does she like Mamoru-kun?
A: She thinks he’s a fun target to tease.
At the same time, she recognizes him as a dangerous person, but if he turns hostile, there’s nothing she can do about it, whereas having him as an ally would be reassuring, so her policy is to actively interact with him.
Q: Isn’t Mamoru-kun too dry/detached?
A: Because his brother’s image flashes in his mind regarding her personality traits.
Even without that, due to his profession, his emotional fluctuations are kept suppressed.
Even if a member of the opposite sex attacked him completely naked, he could fight without being flustered.
Also, I didn’t know specifically which month Okkotsu-kun entered school, so I brought up the topic while keeping that vague this time.
I personally guessed it was probably somewhere between late April and June.