The next day, Zoro was surrounded by Megumi and Tsumiki.
Sweat trickled down Zoro's forehead, covered by about ten blankets. As mentioned before, it was midsummer. Being wrapped in blankets in a season where even one blanket was too hot, it was natural for him to sweat.
But more than that.
"I'm really not sick anymore, Megumi."
"I—I don't believe you."
"You're a liar, brother," Megumi retorted, placing an ice pack on Zoro's head.
Megumi, still too young to know that injuries from poison and colds need different treatments, had tightly wrapped Zoro in blankets.
Lying down, Zoro lifted his head. Tsumiki was sitting on the edge of the blanket, preventing Zoro from getting up.
"Tsumiki, get down."
"No. If you go out, you'll get hurt again."
"Well…"
"You have nothing to say, right? Just stay still."
Zoro sighed. If he really tried, he could easily throw off the blankets and Tsumiki, but that might hurt Tsumiki.
…He had heard that his two younger siblings had cried themselves to exhaustion during the two days he was treated by Ieiri.
Zoro sent an SOS signal to Toji with his eyes, but Toji, having no intention of siding with Zoro on this issue, ignored him.
Choso looked enviously at Zoro, who was buried under the blankets. He was genuinely envious. His siblings were worried about their brother's health and covered him with blankets.
'If I got sick, my brothers would take care of me too! Why don't I ever get sick!'
The half-human, half-curse who was much stronger than most grade 1 sorcerers was having such selfish thoughts.
"You have a good relationship with your siblings."
"Does this look good to you?"
Being steamed to death under blankets by his siblings? When Zoro asked, Choso replied affirmatively.
"It means your siblings are deeply concerned about your health."
…Zoro had nothing to say to that because it was true. He just lay weakly inside the blankets. Well, he had endured the heat of Alabasta, so this was nothing.
Feeling the hands of his siblings patting the blankets, Zoro looked up at the ceiling. He had to become so strong that no one could hurt him. That way, he wouldn't end up like this.
"How's Jujutsu High?"
"It's not bad."
It wasn't bad, but it didn't feel welcoming either. As expected, being a hybrid of human and curse was something even sorcerers were wary of. Because Tengen had sent them, no one outright showed dislike, but no one actively tried to befriend them either.
The only people who showed no signs of avoiding the Death Paintings were Ieiri Shoko, Gojo Satoru, Zoro and Toji, Megumi, and Tsumiki.
Among them, Ieiri and Gojo were interested, while Zoro and Toji seemed indifferent to what they were. Megumi and Tsumiki were too young to understand their true nature in the first place.
"So, we're thinking of learning the knowledge and rules of the non-sorcerer society and living there."
"That's not a bad idea."
If they looked more like curses, it would be different, but their appearances, while unique in style, were those of adult human males. As long as they could create suitable identities, living among non-sorcerers who knew nothing about curses wouldn't be bad at all.
In reality, Choso was a strong individual, ranking above grade 1 sorcerers, making it a bit of a waste for him to become a non-sorcerer, but Zoro didn't care about that.
"Doing what you want is the best."
"…The happiness of my brothers is my wish."
"I'll support you."
Choso knew those words were sincere. Just as Choso was about to say more, Zoro's phone rang. He answered it.
"Who's this—"
[Zoro!!!!!]
A deafening shout came through. It was Amanai Riko's voice. Zoro briefly moved the phone away from his ear before speaking again.
"Riko."
[It looks like you've recovered! I'm so glad, really glad. I thought you were in trouble because of me…]
He heard sniffling from the other side of the line. Zoro, who hated hearing someone cry because of him, quickly said, "I'm fine."
"Are you still in the safe house?"
[…Sniff. Yes. But since Lord Tengen stripped me of my vessel status, I heard that I'll be able to leave soon once my safety is ensured. Do you know anything about this?]
"Oh, I talked with him a bit."
[Lord Tengen? With you?]
"Yeah."
[…So did Lord Tengen give up on assimilation because of you?]
"…Well, you could say that."
To be precise, it was more out of resignation, like, "What's the point of forcefully assimilating with the vessel and remaining human when the world's order has already been overturned?" But that overturned order was because of Zoro.
Amanai was silent for a moment, then spoke again in a wet voice.
[I am immensely grateful to you.]
"...."
[…And I'm sorry.]
"Don't apologize."
Zoro spoke indifferently but firmly.
"There's no one in this world who should apologize for wanting to live."
[....]
"There's no one who shouldn't be living in this world."
It's not something that requires anyone's permission.
"So live."
[…Okay!]
Amanai sniffled, then asked brightly.
[Hey, wouldn't you like to be friends with me?]
"What?"
[Friends! Isn't what we've done together what friends do? Eating together, playing together, sharing secrets, and wishing for each other's lives.]
She boldly offered the chance to be her friend, her voice confident and cheerful. Zoro laughed briefly.
"Alright then."
[Yay! No take-backs, okay?]
Next time we meet, let's go to the beach again. She said with a trembling voice. Zoro nodded.
"I promise."
[This time, I'll buy you a meal.]
"Do you have money? You're still a student and you've lost your vessel status, so you probably don't get any maintenance allowance either."
[How rude! I have money too!]
"Not just Kuroi's?"
[...Hmph! Just wait and see! I'll definitely treat you to a feast with my own money! Just you wait!]
Click. Amanai hung up. Zoro chuckled as he looked at the phone.
Good, she's still the same.
Riiiing. The phone rang again. Zoro answered immediately.
"What, are you now realizing you don't have enough money? Sorry, but no take-backs—"
[Zoro.]
It wasn't Amanai. It was Gojo. And his voice was serious.
Zoro's expression instantly turned sharp. He also felt curious. What could be so serious that Satoru was using this tone?
"Yeah?"
He threw off the blankets and sat up. Catching the falling Tsumiki in his arms.
"What's up?"
[You know the assistant director with that weird brain you and the gorilla killed? We couldn't figure out his identity, so Suguru and I have been looking into it.]
"And?"
[A body has shown up. …Or should I say a corpse? Anyway.]
You and the gorilla need to see it. Gojo's voice was unusually serious.
Zoro looked at Toji. Toji nodded, indicating he had heard.
Megumi looked back and forth between the two with a distressed face.
"Big brother, are you and Papa going again?"
"…Yeah, it seems like we have to."
Something felt ominous.
...
[Author's Note]
Vote with your power stones, it motivates me to keep posting chapters.
If you're interested, you can read 20 advance chapters on my Patréon.
patréon.com/fumiaki