There was no denying that Gojo Satoru's analysis was spot on. But Hayashi found it strange that despite hiding his cursed energy so well, it was still discovered.
Maybe it was because of that Black Flash kick, leaving behind a unique aura.
"Gojo Satoru-san, your analysis is very sharp. The truth is, I have a unique inherited technique, but I can't use it freely because it would attract curses. So, I have to be extra cautious. You understand, right?" Hayashi's explanation was vague, but at least it revealed a little information to Gojo.
Gojo stood there facing Hayashi, his eyes hidden behind the black blindfold seemingly able to see through everything. No one could guess what he was thinking at that moment.
"Hahaha, don't worry about it. No need to be so tense. By the way, your noodles were delicious." Gojo suddenly patted Hayashi's shoulder, took a piece of paper from his pocket, and placed it on the table. Then he walked to the door and said, "Meet me at this place in a week."
Hayashi watched as Gojo left. Surprisingly, he didn't press Hayashi with more questions and just left as simply as that.
Hayashi picked up the paper on the table. Written on it was a location in Tokyo, which seemed to be the meeting point.
"I didn't expect it to be this easy to get into Jujutsu High? It was way simpler than I thought." Hayashi had assumed he would miss the chance to join Jujutsu High, but to his surprise, things turned out this way.
With a week left, Hayashi decided he wouldn't go back to school. It was better if everyone thought he was dead—it saved him the trouble of explaining anything.
Sasaki and Iguchi were fine, so they would definitely go to school tomorrow. That meant Hayashi didn't have to show up and could let them think he had died.
Otherwise, if he went back to school, Sasaki, Iguchi, Yamano Momoe, and a few other female classmates would definitely ask questions. That would be far too troublesome.
With a week to spare, Hayashi decided to check out the largest company in the area—the one rumored to have frequent paranormal incidents. If he could encounter a curse, Hayashi would be more than happy to exorcise it.
Today had been fruitful: not only did he obtain one of Sukuna's fingernails, but he also received Gojo Satoru's invitation to Jujutsu High. It was a double blessing, and soon he would embark on his true jujutsu sorcery journey.
...
At Sugisawa High School #3.
As usual, the students arrived for classes, but the building where the club activities took place had been cordoned off by the police.
It was easy for the students to see the damaged parts of the school, but no one knew what had happened.
Curses existed in the real world, but most people were unaware of them, as such events weren't common and were generally seen as rare occurrences.
The school would come up with an explanation for the students, helping them move past the strange situation. After all, their academics were the priority.
In this incident, rumors had already started spreading about a first-year student who had died in an accident—Hayashi, the recently transferred student, who had left a deep impression on his classmates.
Sasaki and Iguchi, however, had become noticeably more withdrawn after the incident, often distracted in class. They kept thinking of the tall figure standing in front of them, shielding them and telling them to escape.
"If Hayashi hadn't been there, I'd probably be dead right now. In fact, the one who should've died was me. I was the one who dragged him into this," Sasaki constantly berated herself.
She didn't even notice the bell ringing until Iguchi tapped her shoulder to bring her back to reality.
"Don't blame yourself too much." Iguchi tried to comfort Sasaki, but even he didn't know what to say since he, too, was feeling guilty.
The school chalked the event up to a paranormal incident. Any unexplained situation was categorized that way when there were no conclusive answers.
Unless relevant experts were called in, which wouldn't happen now that the event was over, and it had been made clear that nothing like this would happen at Sugisawa High School #3 again.
The school quickly moved on, hiring some workers to repair the damage in the building, and the matter was considered settled.
Yamano Momoe stared at the empty seat next to her, the one where Hayashi used to sit. Now, it remained unoccupied.
No one dared to sit there, fearing they might catch something ominous, so Yamano Momoe ended up sitting alone.
She reached out to touch the chair, hoping to feel some trace of Hayashi's presence, but there was nothing. It was just a psychological comfort.
Hayashi had no idea people were thinking about him like this. Right now, it was nearing sunset, and it was about time for the office workers to head home.
Hayashi stood in front of a towering building—the headquarters of a massive corporation that had been notorious for paranormal activity.
He had come to investigate the curse responsible for affecting this place and to exorcise it.
The incidents at this company were well-known to the nearby residents, but no one outside the area paid much attention.
After asking around casually, Hayashi quickly gathered the information he wanted.
This was indeed a large, publicly traded company called Heisei International Group. It had a vast workforce, with every department constantly bustling.
But at some point, a series of paranormal events began to occur here. Several employees had died in the company.
The autopsies, however, concluded that the deaths were due to overwork, specifically, death from exhaustion.
To everyone else, this explanation seemed perfectly reasonable. Nowadays, it wasn't uncommon for young people to die from overworking, especially those who lived a lifestyle of partying and indulging in beer and barbeque.
It was no different for those who had dedicated themselves to their jobs, with their lives ending at their desks.
To outsiders, it wasn't seen as anything paranormal. After all, overworking and exhausting oneself could lead to death, much like how being killed would result in death.
But the number of deaths at Heisei International due to overwork was unusually high. Almost three to four people died every month, which was a significant number, even for a company with thousands of employees.
Hayashi observed the building for a while. As he suspected, even though it was already half an hour past quitting time, only a few people had left the building, and most of the employees were still inside, working overtime.
Why was that?
To uncover the truth, Hayashi would have to enter the building.
The moment Hayashi stepped into the company's building, he felt a strange, oppressive sensation in his chest.
It seemed like anyone who entered this place would feel uncomfortable.
Even though he wasn't an employee here, he could walk around freely, and the company's president openly welcomed it. The president always liked to boast about how hardworking his employees were, as if it were a point of pride.
In business circles, other company owners envied him for having so many employees who worked tirelessly to make money.
That kind of work ethic was admirable, but to Hayashi, the people working overtime in this building seemed extremely unhealthy.