Everyone waited for Hayashi's response, and he finally burst out laughing, pointing at Kong Yue and saying, "Kong Yue, Kong Yue, you must be hallucinating from blood loss! There was no domain. That special-grade curse didn't have a domain. Otherwise, how do you think I got out?"
Kong Yue froze at his words but quickly shook his head vigorously, like a rattle drum. "Impossible! I clearly saw it unfold its domain, dragging me into an ice-covered world. It felt completely real. There's no way that was a hallucination."
"What's with all the 'impossible, impossible'? You lost too much blood. When you were brought to the hospital, the doctors said it was a miracle you were still alive with all that blood loss. Just stop arguing with me and rest up," Hayashi shook his head as if he was telling a hard truth.
"That's true. Kong Yue, when you were brought in, you were definitely suffering from extreme blood loss. You were on the verge of death, so it's possible you hallucinated right before passing out," Yan Dao sided with Hayashi on this. He knew that severe blood loss could indeed cause hallucinations.
"Could it really be because of the blood loss? Did that special-grade curse really not have a domain?" Kong Yue started to feel uncertain, unable to distinguish between what was real and what was imagined.
"Exactly. I've been saying it was a hallucination all along. That special-grade curse was just fast and had good regenerative abilities. It couldn't have used any domain," Hayashi clapped his hands and turned to the two in their hospital beds. "You guys just focus on recovering. Rest up, stop overthinking things. We've earned the money, so no more surviving on instant noodles."
Even though Hayashi spoke confidently, Kong Yue still felt like he had seen that special-grade curse unleash a domain. But why couldn't he recall the details clearly? Could it really have been a hallucination? It had felt so real.
Zhang Yiyi, on the other hand, wasn't focused on whether or not the curse had used a domain. She was more concerned about how Hayashi had managed to exorcise the special-grade curse.
She had been injured and unconscious, and Kong Yue had also been knocked out. In the end, it was just Hayashi left, facing such a powerful special-grade curse alone.
What had happened during that time? How had Hayashi fought?
Under Zhang Yiyi's penetrating gaze, which seemed to see through his very soul, Hayashi quickly excused himself, claiming he was going to get something to eat, and hastily left the room.
"We were really lucky to have Hayashi with us this time. If it weren't for him, you two… sigh, let's not talk about it. Just focus on recovering," Yan Dao sighed, running his fingers through his green hair before turning to leave the hospital room.
Jie Zhiyong let out a sigh as well, just as he was about to speak, he heard Zhang Yiyi shout:
"Get out!"
"Alright, alright," Jie Zhiyong quickly scurried out, leaving only Kong Yue, who was still lost in thought, and the silent Zhang Yiyi.
"I'm not sure anymore whether the curse used a domain or not," Kong Yue mumbled, staring at the ceiling, "but Hayashi must have been holding back. He didn't show his true strength until we were on the verge of collapse. That guy… if he had acted sooner, I wouldn't be in so much pain right now."
"The curse's speed may have caught him off guard. If he had the ability to exorcise it without letting us get hurt, he wouldn't have let us get so close to death. I think we may have misunderstood him. People tend to tap into their full potential when they're in the most danger. Maybe he's that kind of person," Zhang Yiyi said thoughtfully.
Kong Yue nodded at her words, still pondering whether what he had experienced was real or a hallucination.
Two days later, both Zhang Yiyi and Kong Yue were discharged from the hospital. Although Kong Yue's injuries were more severe than Zhang Yiyi's, he had recovered enough to leave.
Yan Dao had already collected the payment from the bald-headed boss, concluding their cooperation on a relatively successful note.
During these two days, Hayashi had been avoiding Zhang Yiyi and Kong Yue, afraid they would start asking too many questions. He wasn't particularly good at lying—he might be able to say the words, but his face would likely give him away.
Once they returned to the Night Owl organization's base, Hayashi and Jie Zhiyong got to work cleaning up the mess in the room. The doctor had advised that they keep the environment clean to avoid secondary infections, so they thoroughly cleaned the place from top to bottom, exhausting themselves in the process.
To Hayashi's surprise, there was even a kitchen at the base, though it was so filthy it would require a massive cleaning effort to make it usable again.
"How long has this kitchen been out of use? It's practically growing bugs! I knew I'd been smelling something weird lately, but I thought it was just Yiyi's stinky feet," Hayashi joked without thinking.
Zhang Yiyi's ears weren't deaf. She heard him loud and clear and immediately shouted from the couch, "Hayashi, are you asking for a beating? Don't think I can't smack you just because I'm injured. My feet are fragrant, not stinky!"
"I can vouch for that. Yiyi's feet really aren't stinky. There's no smell at all," Jie Zhiyong chimed in as he bent down to organize some documents.
Hayashi walked out of the kitchen, looking at Jie Zhiyong curiously. "Wait, have you smelled her feet before?"
"I… no! Of course not! We work together every day. She's always barefoot, so if there were a smell, I'd have noticed by now. I don't need to sniff them," Jie Zhiyong stammered, embarrassed.
"Ah, I see," Hayashi nodded, amused. He had thought Jie Zhiyong had some kind of foot fetish.
"Jie Zhiyong, if you don't shut up, no one's going to mistake you for a mute!" Zhang Yiyi grumbled, feeling exasperated that the conversation had somehow shifted to her feet.
Yan Dao just chuckled without commenting. Finally, after a long time, they could relax a bit and not worry about basic necessities.
Kong Yue, meanwhile, sat back in a chair, playing on a handheld gaming console. His injuries had been the worst, so he should have been lying on the couch, but Zhang Yiyi had claimed that spot.
Women first, after all, and Kong Yue wasn't about to make a fuss over it. His injuries had healed enough that it didn't make much difference whether he sat in a chair or on the couch.
After finishing up in the kitchen, Hayashi was about to sit down and rest when he received a text message on his phone.
Not many people had his number—just the teachers and students from the Jujutsu High and a few members of the Night Owl organization—so he was curious about who had sent it.
When he checked his phone, he saw that the message was from Gojo Satoru.
Gojo Satoru: Where are you?
Hayashi thought for a moment before replying: In the outskirts. What's up, Gojo-sensei?
Gojo Satoru: Send me your location.
"Location?" Hayashi hesitated. He couldn't just send the location of the Night Owl base. While Gojo Satoru was a legitimate jujutsu sorcerer, the base's whereabouts couldn't be leaked to outsiders.
Although Hayashi figured the higher-ups could probably locate it easily if they wanted to, he still couldn't be the one to reveal its position.
So, he informed Yan Dao and left the base.
Using his flash step technique, Hayashi quickly arrived at a relatively lively street, though it was still part of the outskirts.
After sending his location to Gojo Satoru, Hayashi waited, unsure of what Gojo had in mind. Was he going to test Hayashi's progress?
Before long, Gojo Satoru suddenly appeared in front of him, holding a confused Yuji Itadori by the collar.
"Ah, Hayashi! Good to see you!" Yuji greeted enthusiastically.
"Gojo-sensei, you—"
"Talk later."
Gojo Satoru placed his other hand on Hayashi's shoulder, and the next moment, the world around them seemed to warp and spin. This sensation was different from flash step, and Hayashi wasn't sure what technique Gojo had used.
When Hayashi regained his bearings, they were standing on the surface of a circular lake. As Gojo released them, they gently landed on the water.
Hayashi's body jolted as he recognized the figure in front of him. Staring at them with wide eyes was Jogo, the volcano-headed curse spirit he had previously encountered.
This scene seemed oddly familiar, though Hayashi was certain he had never been here before.