On the way home from school.
Minoru’s gaze swept through the crowd and noticed the black-haired classmate—Fujimiya Amane.
At this moment, he was still just an inconspicuous background character.
But who would have thought that he was supposed to be the angel’s destined one?
As time passed, the sky grew darker.
According to the original plot, Mahiru, after being called unwanted by her mother, gave up on herself and went to the park alone, swinging on a swing in solitude.
While waiting for the plot to begin, Minoru wasn’t idle.
He bought an umbrella, a shoulder bag, some snacks, and splurged on a bullet train ticket to Sendai, adopting the mindset of a tourist.
Combining his research on the system throughout an entire class, Minoru had some theories about why some avatars were gray.
In the system panel, Itadori Yuji’s avatar was gray but Shiina Mahiru’s avatar was brightly colored.
This might mean that the Jujutsu Kaisen storyline hasn’t officially begun yet.
Various anime might develop based on their initial time nodes.
If the speculation is correct, then there is at least one day until Itadori Yuji swallows Sukuna’s finger.
For Minoru, this was undoubtedly the perfect time to intervene.
As long as he could successfully prevent Itadori Yuji from swallowing the finger, he might immediately gain some self-preservation abilities.
After making all preparations, Minoru went to the park to wait.
From the gloomy sky, rain finally began to fall slowly.
[Critical Node Triggered!
Target Approaching!]
Minoru immediately looked up.
He saw a figure, looking a little dejected, walk into the park.
She was wearing the Shiroyama High School uniform, her blonde hair reaching her waist, her eyes vacant, and her face unable to hide her disappointment.
It was none other than the perfect girl, Shiina Mahiru, known as the ‘Angel’.
But Minoru knew that this perfection was merely a strong facade.
Mahiru walked slowly, her head bowed.
Finally, she reached the swing, sat down, and swayed idly.
Raindrops wet her hair tips and clothes, yet she seemed utterly oblivious.
That silent sense of loss and vulnerability was evident.
Suddenly, a tear fell.
It slid down her cheek, silently blending into the cold rainwater.
‘It must be because of what her mother said.’
Recalling the plot from the original series, Minoru, holding an umbrella, understood.
But seeing this scene in person, a feeling of pity still welled up in his heart.
This sense of vulnerability was a hundred times more endearing than what Minoru had seen in the anime.
Just then, he caught sight of someone out of the corner of his eye.
A somewhat gloomy and ordinary-looking boy, wearing the same school uniform, appeared at the street corner.
It was Fujimiya Amane.
He saw Mahiru on the swing and paused slightly.
Holding an umbrella, a hesitant expression appeared on his face.
He seemed to be contemplating whether he should come over.
[Key Character Appears!
High-Value Plunder Node About to Occur!]
The system prompt flashed continuously, as if reminding Minoru not to miss the opportunity to intervene.
Minoru no longer hesitated and walked towards the lonely figure, holding his umbrella.!
In Shiina Mahiru’s ears, the sound of rain in the air suddenly diminished by more than half.
A large black umbrella appeared above her, shielding her from all the raindrops.
“Shiina-san, what are you doing?” Minoru asked, his voice calm and with just the right amount of concern.
But as soon as he spoke, he realized something was wrong.
His first words carried a strong Hokkaido accent.
It sounded like he was looking for trouble.
Shiina Mahiru raised her face in confusion.
Tiny raindrops still clung to her wet eyelashes.
A hand with distinct knuckles was the first thing that caught her eye.
‘The hand holding the umbrella…
its very beautiful.’
This was Mahiru’s first thought.
Looking up, she saw a face with a warm smile.
His eyes were bright, as if they could dispel the gloom of the rainy day.
“Shibata-kun?
Is there something you need?” A hint of surprise flashed in Shiina Mahiru’s eyes.
The next second, this surprise was covered by a faint sense of distance and wariness.
Minoru was a little surprised that Shiina Mahiru remembered his name.
But he still had to find a way to deal with her wariness.
“Nothing.”
Minoru paused slightly, his gaze sincere.
“I just saw it was raining and someone was alone in the park, so I was a little concerned, that’s all.”
Minoru remembered most of the original lines, so reproducing them wasn’t a problem.
Mahiru was slightly stunned, seemingly not expecting such a response.
She pursed her lips, her gaze shifting slightly, her tone carrying a habitual sense of distance, polite and proper.
“Thank you for your concern, but I’ll be fine by myself.”
“Mm.”
Minoru responded, but his gaze did not move, still looking at her sincerely.
“This rain won’t stop anytime soon.
If you keep getting drenched, you’ll definitely catch a cold.”
He offered her the umbrella handle and took half a step back.
“Here, you take this.”
Mahiru looked at the offered umbrella in surprise, then at Minoru’s rain-soaked shoulder.
“No need to return it.” Minoru added, as if speaking of a trivial matter.
Mahiru was silent for a moment.
She looked at Minoru’s soaked shoulder, broad and strong, and a strange sense of security was born in her heart.
“I…”
Her lips moved slightly, the refusal still hesitating on her tongue.
Raindrops fell from Mahiru’s slightly damp hair.
A very faint blush, however, quietly crept onto her earlobes.
Not just because of the rain, but also because of Minoru.
Although Minoru was only there to complete the Plunder mission, at such a close distance, his gaze inevitably fell on Mahiru.
Mahiru at this moment looked like a kitten drenched by the rain, yet pretending to be strong.
‘She’s really so cute.’
Minoru looked at Mahiru’s face up close, unable to help but feel emotional.
Minoru’s heart stirred and an idea flashed through his mind.
Maintaining the posture of offering the umbrella, he took a step forward very naturally.
He carefully controlled the distance, ensuring he wouldn’t bring any pressure or discomfort to Mahiru.
Minoru’s voice softened, suggesting in a reassuring tone, “If you don’t mind and if I’m going in the same direction, I could walk you part of the way?”
Minoru’s eyes were clear, and he believed his reason was perfectly chosen.
As if it were just a spur-of-the-moment idea, rather than intentional.
After all, before transmigration, he had never been in a relationship.
Although girls often approached him, compared to dating, he preferred to watch anime at home, cook food, and play games, which was relaxing and carefree.
“Recent news reports say there have been Ghouls appearing nearby, with several vicious incidents already occurring.
It’s unsettling to let a girl go home alone in such circumstances.” Minoru added, his tone filled with concern.
The word ‘Ghoul’ pierced through Shiina Mahiru’s wary exterior.
Her face paled slightly, and a hint of imperceptible fear flashed in her eyes.
No ordinary person in this world wouldn’t be afraid of such terrifying creatures that feed on humans.
“Mm…”
Shiina Mahiru said nothing, observing Minoru in front of her.
Minoru’s worry and concern were too genuine, and his reasons were so compelling that she found it difficult to refuse.
Was he approaching her because of her title as ‘Angel-sama’?
Or was it that he truly just saw her in the rain, and given the danger nearby, came to hold an umbrella for her?
Mahiru’s fingers curled slightly.
After a brief internal struggle, she finally nodded.
“Then I’ll trouble you, Shibata-kun.”
“No trouble at all.”
Minoru smiled, stepping back to give Mahiru ample space to stand up.
Then he cleverly formed a semi-protective stance and walked into the drizzling rain with Mahiru.
Beneath the umbrella, the two maintained a perfectly appropriate distance.
Minoru didn’t want his closeness to place too much burden on Mahiru.
Mahiru occasionally glanced at the boy holding the umbrella beside her from the corner of her eye.
He was tall and handsome, with broad shoulders that gave her a strange sense of security.
For some reason, a warm, unusual feeling spread through her heart.