Although Hayashi was not yet of age, the restaurant still let him work. Given his height, anyone from the outside would assume he was an adult.
Hayashi found his age to be a bit of a headache. Being his age meant he couldn't get a full-time job, only part-time gigs, or it would become problematic.
After working at this Chinese restaurant for a week, Hayashi finally understood what it meant to be exhausted. The first few days were manageable, but after the customers tasted his cooking, they came back more frequently, bringing along relatives and friends to try it as well.
The boss was overjoyed, laughing with satisfaction every day. But for Hayashi, it made him the most overworked person in the place, working from dawn until night. By the time he got back to the dorm provided by the boss, he would wash up quickly and fall right asleep. It was a truly packed day.
A week later, Hayashi decided to quit. It wasn't making him money; it was making the boss money while he worked himself to the bone.
However, the boss wasn't willing to let Hayashi leave. Having found such a skilled chef, how could he just let him go?
Hayashi understood the boss's feelings. Initially, the boss had been generous, paying more than other restaurants. But now, he only offered a bit more to get Hayashi to stay, and Hayashi wasn't having it.
As time went on, Hayashi noticed the boss's demeanor and expression change. If this continued, things would end badly.
It turned out that the boss wasn't even Chinese. He had gone to China to learn culinary skills, but unfortunately, he hadn't grasped the essence of Chinese cuisine. After returning to Japan, his restaurant had remained mediocre, barely breaking even.
When Hayashi appeared, the boss realized what true culinary mastery looked like. Not only did he want Hayashi to stay and cook, but he also wanted Hayashi to teach him.
From the boss's perspective, someone Hayashi's age, who wasn't attending school, probably didn't have much money or support. His plan was to keep Hayashi bound to the restaurant, earning money for him.
But unfortunately for the boss, his calculations didn't take into account Hayashi's feelings. Hayashi packed his things and disappeared in a flash.
"Boss, that kid ran off. He's gone!" A few burly men rushed into the restaurant just as it was about to close.
The boss's expression changed. "That's impossible! You three couldn't keep an eye on a kid? He still had part of his pay here. How could he have escaped?"
"He definitely ran off. We're baffled too—how did he get away from the fourth floor?" One of the men scratched his head, puzzled.
"Now we're in trouble. Hurry up and search the area. I was too eager… should have been more patient," the boss said regretfully. "How did I let this cash cow slip away?"
The men split up to search the area, but by then, Hayashi had already left and started working at another restaurant.
Over the next half-month, Hayashi worked at various restaurants, hopping from place to place. He finally made his way to central Tokyo. He planned to work a few more days before returning since he had been away for quite a while.
He recalled that the upperclassmen had come to this area for something important—some kind of inter-school exchange event. But since Nobara hadn't contacted him, he wondered if something had gone wrong.
This time, Hayashi didn't work as a head chef. After encountering so much trouble in the previous jobs, he decided it wasn't suitable. Instead, he worked as a regular server. It was a part-time gig, so he could leave whenever he wanted.
One day, after delivering food to a customer, Hayashi turned around and suddenly felt a jolt. He had spotted someone truly dangerous.
"Excuse me, are you dining alone?" The waitress at the entrance smiled, speaking to a long-haired man with earrings and stitch-like scars across his forehead.
"Yes," the man replied with a slight smile as he walked in.
Hayashi's mind raced. "This guy's not alone at all—there are four people."
"Why am I running into these kinds of people here?" Hayashi quickly slipped into the kitchen, knowing that none of these individuals were to be messed with. He had to get out of there. It wasn't the right time to interact with them.
The long-haired man took a seat, but three cursed spirits sat beside him—though ordinary people couldn't see them. All they could see was the man sitting alone.
As the four sat and began to chat, Hayashi was in the kitchen, figuring out how to escape.
Although he could use Time Flash, it required releasing cursed energy, which would definitely alert those four.
For safety's sake, it was better to leave through the front door. With that in mind, Hayashi prepared to leave.
"So, what you're saying is that your boss wants to overturn the current balance between humans and curses, right?" the long-haired man, Suguru Geto, said calmly to the cursed spirits across from him.
"More or less, but it's not quite that simple. Humans are full of lies, their emotions and actions always hiding something. But negative emotions—hatred, killing intent—that's the undeniable truth. We, born from those feelings, are the real, pure humans. The fakes should disappear!" said a cursed spirit named Jogo, with a volcano-like structure on his head. As he spoke, red sparks and heat erupted from it.
Geto glanced at the volcano on Jogo's head and closed his eyes with a smile. "Yet it's you who are being exterminated."
"That's why I'm asking you—how can we defeat the jujutsu sorcerers?" Jogo's main concern was this question.
Geto opened one eye and looked at Jogo, raising two fingers as he calmly said, "Before starting the war, there are two conditions you must meet to win."
"What two conditions?" Jogo immediately asked.
"First, take down the man known as the strongest sorcerer—Gojo Satoru. Second, recruit Sukuna and Itadori Yuji to your side."
"Wait a minute, isn't that brat Itadori Yuji already dead?" Jogo scratched his head. They had heard about that news long ago.
"Who knows?" Geto smiled mysteriously.
Jogo thought for a moment before changing the topic. "What about Gojo Satoru? Even if we work together, we can't kill him?"
Geto answered without hesitation, "He'll escape. Worse, he'll likely wipe you all out. Rather than kill him, I suggest you seal him."
"Seal him? With what?" Jogo asked, frowning.
"The special-grade cursed object, Prison Realm."
"Prison Realm!" Jogo's expression shifted, and the volcano atop his head spewed even more heat. It seemed he had heard something terrifying.
"Hayashi, what are you up to?" The mustached restaurant manager noticed Hayashi acting suspiciously, clearly not focused on his job. "Table five hasn't ordered yet, and there's only one person there. Go see what's going on."
"Me?" Hayashi was about to leave when the manager approached him. Table five? That was Suguru Geto's table!
"Is there a problem? If you don't go, I'll send someone else," the manager said, eyeing another server. "You, come here."