Hearing that, Jin nodded.
It wasn’t flattery or agreement for agreement’s sake.
It was the natural reaction of someone thinking, ‘If that’s the case, then there’s no problem.’
“Then that’s all there is to it.
A Sukuna who can’t even beat Gojo-sensei…”
He paused and quietly raised his eyes toward Gojo in front of him.
“He’s just one of the goals I’ll surpass sooner or later.
There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Gojo looked at Jin, a faint gleam flashing through his brilliant blue eyes.
“That’s quite arrogant, Jin-kun.”
A genuinely pleased smile appeared on his face as he reached out and lightly patted Jin’s head twice.
“But I like it.”
Jin stepped backward and fixed the hair Gojo had flattened.
“Don’t pat my head.
I’m not a little kid!”
“Hahaha!
Saying that is proof you’re still a kid.”
Laughing proudly, Gojo strode over to Yuji Itadori.
He brought his long fingers together and lightly tapped Yuji’s forehead.
Yuji’s eyes rolled upward.
After lasting less than 0.25 seconds, he fell unconscious and began collapsing forward.
Gojo reached out with both hands and caught him before he hit the ground.
Then, as though suddenly remembering something, he turned toward Jin.
“Right, Jin.
How did that mission I gave you go?”
Jin yawned and boredly rubbed the sole of his shoe against the ground.
“I was busy until early morning last night.
Finished it ages ago.”
He raised his head toward Gojo, confusion in his voice.
“What, Nanami-san didn’t tell you?”
They had finished the mission around dawn.
Jin had actually been rather curious whether Nanami had gone and worked overtime afterward to write the mission report or something.
Gojo hoisted Yuji over one shoulder and waved a hand.
“I’ve been too busy.
I don’t have time to read long reports.”
Megumi looked toward Gojo, his tone carrying a cautious probe.
“Gojo-sensei, Itadori…
what will happen to him?”
Gojo raised his free hand and pointed toward Yuji in midair.
“If what Jin said is accurate, then he’s a vessel.”
He glanced sideways toward Megumi and calmly asked,
“You know what happens to a vessel, right?”
Megumi lowered his head and remained silent for a moment.
Then he raised it again, his expression serious.
“Even if he’s a vessel and jujutsu regulations say he should be executed…
I don’t want him to die.”
The corner of Gojo’s mouth rose slightly.
Instead of immediately answering Megumi, he turned toward Jin.
“What about you, Jin?”
Jin had just pulled a cigarette from the pack and placed it between his lips.
Hearing Gojo’s question, he paused, then answered indistinctly around the cigarette.
“I don’t know anything about jujutsu regulations.”
Megumi immediately shot Jin a meaningful look.
Jin glanced at him and shrugged as if he didn’t care.
“But if Megumi says that, then let him live.”
Megumi let out a long breath.
The worry hanging over him finally eased.
Gojo smiled and gave both students a thumbs-up.
“I see.
Since my adorable students agree, I’ll figure something out.”
With that, he raised his head and looked toward the distant school buildings, which were in ruins and still had scattered flames burning around them.
“Megumi, you—no…”
Gojo instinctively prepared to order Megumi to handle the miscellaneous cleanup work.
But after noticing how battered and miserable Megumi looked, he abruptly changed his mind.
“You’re injured.
Never mind.”
“Jin, call the assistant managers and tell them to come clean this up.”
Jin removed the unlit cigarette from his mouth and put it back into the pack.
He pulled out his phone and sighed softly, somehow feeling as though he had been burdened with work that wasn’t supposed to belong to him.
He dialed an assistant manager and turned on speakerphone.
“Moshi moshi, Ijichi-san.
Sugisawa Third High School in Miyagi Prefecture.
Bring more people.
Come quickly.”
The other end remained silent for two seconds.
That information was perhaps a little too concise.
“Is this Jin-kun…?
Understood.”
Without any intention of exchanging pleasantries, Jin tapped the screen and directly hung up.
He glanced toward Gojo carrying Yuji and spoke teasingly.
“By the way, Gojo-sensei, are you planning to carry this guy around until Ijichi-san gets here?”
Gojo tilted his head as though only now realizing there was a person on his shoulder.
He gave Jin a brilliantly cheerful smile that was somehow extremely punchable.
“Of course not.
I’m leaving first.”
As he spoke, he casually waved goodbye to Jin and Megumi like school had just ended for the day.
“You two can slowly wait for Ijichi.
Bye-bye.”
Before the words had finished, Gojo’s figure instantly became an afterimage and disappeared from sight along with Yuji on his shoulder.
Jin remained silent for a long time.
Then he suddenly understood what Megumi had to deal with every day.
As their teacher, shouldn’t Gojo have stayed with his students until the assistant managers arrived so everyone could return to Jujutsu High together?
Running away by himself—was that really appropriate?
Jin had rushed here immediately after waking up.
His mouth was dry, and just thinking about having to stay here for ages made him quietly shift two steps to the side.
“Megumi, I just remembered I might’ve forgotten to lock my door when I left.
I’ll head back first.”
Megumi expressionlessly watched Jin’s back, his face covered in dried blood.
“If you want to run, just say so.
I don’t care.”
He helplessly closed his eyes and couldn’t stop himself from commenting,
“What burglar would dare break into the Jujutsu High dorms to steal things?”
“Besides, you’ve only lived there for one day.
What do you even own that’s worth stealing?”
Jin gave an awkward laugh and pulled another packet of wet wipes from his pocket, handing it toward Megumi.
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding.
Here, clean yourself up.”
Megumi accepted the wet wipes, confusion appearing on his face.
“Why are you carrying so many packs of wet wipes around?”
He clearly remembered Jin had just given Yuji a pack too.
Jin crouched on the ground and looked toward the distant ruins.
“I bought them while passing by.
Felt like you might get hurt.”
Megumi fell silent.
He genuinely couldn’t understand Jin’s thought process.
The corner of his mouth twitched before he asked,
“Shouldn’t you have bought bandages or a tourniquet instead?”
Jin rubbed his hair and gave Megumi an irritated look.
“Geez, are you the Encyclopedia of a Hundred Thousand Whys?
Why so many questions?”
“Carrying all that stuff is troublesome.
Besides, I don’t know how to use it.”
“You weren’t going to die anyway.
We can just go back to Jujutsu High and have Shoko-san heal you.”
“Thanks.”
Megumi quietly thanked him and didn’t say anything more.
Something was better than nothing.
He silently pulled out a wet wipe and began cleaning the blood from his face.
Resting his chin on one hand, Jin looked at him with teasing amusement in his eyes.
“By the way, Megumi, what grade cursed spirit did you run into to end up like this?”
“You’re a Grade 2 sorcerer, right?
Did you encounter a Grade 1?”
Megumi’s hand paused slightly.
Then he pretended not to hear and continued wiping his face.
“No answer.
So it really was a Special Grade?”
Megumi’s lips trembled slightly.
He couldn’t exactly admit he’d almost been solo-killed by a Grade 2 cursed spirit, could he?
He turned his head away and quietly said,
“I don’t know.”