Akira was shocked.
Although he often did things that astonished Hayami all year round, this time it was the other way around—he was the one being shocked by his mother.
Even Masamichi Yaga was surprised: "Miss Hayami, you—"
"I'm also a graduate of Jujutsu High. Although it's been over twenty years, I still remember the knowledge a jujutsu sorcerer is supposed to know," Hayami responded calmly, occasionally glancing at Akira, seemingly pleased with his surprised expression.
Gojo Satoru let out a light chuckle.
These past few days, he had sent people to gather information about Akira and Hayami, but with so many people in Japan, it wasn't an easy task. However, this new information greatly narrowed down the search—there were only so many graduates of Jujutsu High.
Yaga thoughtfully adjusted his sunglasses. "Since you're a graduate of Jujutsu High, there's no problem. Miss Hayami, I entrust you with this."
"Mom—" Akira was about to say something, but Hayami, knowing what he was thinking, spoke first.
"My child has worked so hard. As a mother, I can't just sit around doing nothing. Drinking tea, gardening, and writing all day has gotten a bit dull. Don't worry, I'll be fine. This is Jujutsu High."
Akira thought about it and realized she had a point, so he didn't say anything further.
At worst, he could just train a few more Pokémon—he loved using numbers to his advantage.
Seeing no objection from Akira, Yaga instructed, "Gojo, take them to complete the paperwork and explain the security measures."
"Alright, Jujutsu High tour group, let's go!" Gojo raised his hand like a tour guide.
Unfortunately, his act was quickly broken by Yaga.
"And pick up some wood and nails on the way back to fix the floor."
"Huh? Why do I have to fix it? I didn't break it."
"Just do it, no complaints. Who's the principal here, you or me?"
"Fine~ what a hassle."
"I can't hear you."
"Yes, sir!"
Akira learned something new that day.
Being a jujutsu sorcerer was like running a battleship—volume and confidence were key.
Though the school was severely understaffed, Jujutsu High didn't cut any corners. In fact, it was quite grand.
Not only was it large, but the architecture itself was impressive—pagodas, shrines, blue walls, wooden fences, single and double-eaved roofs, all connected by corridors.
Since the world of jujutsu was unknown to ordinary people, Jujutsu High disguised itself as a professional religious school. They didn't do things halfway, especially since the Jujutsu Alliance had no shortage of funds.
After spending the entire morning touring the campus and repairing the floor, Gojo finally brought Akira to his class just before noon.
No introductions were necessary; the classmates were the same two people and one panda from before: Maki Zen'in, Toge Inumaki, and Panda.
Whether it was due to the recent dangerous situation or just their usual dedication, they were training hard even without a teacher present.
The meeting took place in the training grounds, not the classroom.
"Gather up," Gojo clapped his hands to get their attention.
The three students stopped what they were doing, their gazes shifting to Gojo—or rather, to the Pancham perched on top of his mop-like head.
"Mayonnaise," said Toge in his usual rice ball language, meaning, look.
"Panda, is that your little brother?" Maki Zenin teased with a grin.
"No, it's not a cursed corpse," Panda denied instinctively. Panda wasn't a real panda but a special cursed corpse created by Yaga, possessing emotions and wisdom—a true anomaly.
But no sooner had Panda spoken than Pancham leaped over, grabbing onto Panda's belly and refusing to let go, all the while making its usual "pan pan" sounds.
Panda sighed, "Alright, alright, we're all pandas here. I'm your big brother, okay?"
Satisfied, Pancham scurried back to Akira, expertly rummaging through his bag to pull out a bamboo stick, which it offered to Panda.
Panda looked helpless. "I don't eat bamboo…"
Cursed corpses weren't living creatures, so they didn't need to eat or relieve themselves.
"Pan pan!"
"I really don't… Akira, can you help explain it?"
Given Yaga's precedent, it wasn't surprising that Panda and Pancham could communicate well.
Akira spoke up, "Pan-chan, don't be naughty. Your brother won't play with you if you keep it up."
Pancham immediately calmed down, gnawing on the bamboo itself while standing behind Panda like a little underling following its big brother.
Remembering Panda's transformation state, Akira couldn't help but imagine his Pancham someday evolving into a Pangoro, fighting alongside Panda. It was a scene he was looking forward to.
"Akira, that uniform…"
Maki noticed that Akira had changed into the same deep blue jacket and pants that she wore.
"Let me officially introduce you. Starting today, Akira will be your classmate. Get along well with each other," Gojo finally performed his duties as a teacher.
Unfortunately, his students weren't impressed.
Maki smirked. "Wow, you actually showed up right before noon."
Panda added, "Normally, you'd have lunch first, then find a place to enjoy some afternoon tea and dessert before coming by to give an excuse like, 'I was on a business trip abroad' or 'I got lost on the path of life.'"
Toge chimed in with a simple "Salmon roe" (meaning "exactly").
"This time, it's not my fault. It's his." Gojo immediately shifted the blame to Akira. "He tore up half the floor in the principal's office, so I was stuck repairing it."
"Nice job," Maki gave Akira a thumbs-up.
"There's more. Jujutsu High has hired two new assistant instructors. One is me, mainly responsible for combat training. The other is my mother, who will be teaching theoretical knowledge."
"Got it. Hey, dumb teacher, you're fired. Go wherever you want," Maki waved him off dismissively.
"They're just assistants. I'm still the main teacher—Great Teacher Gojo!"
"I don't make it a habit to be late."
One sentence, just one sentence, was all it took to shatter Gojo's resistance.
His worst habit was being late, and everyone at Jujutsu High was sick of it.
"Pollock roe!" Toge cheered, meaning hooray.
"And—my experience is probably more suited to you. Gojo-sensei doesn't really know how to teach."
"Huh? I thought I was doing pretty well. Are you denying my entire teaching career?"
Gojo's mischief lay in his playful and unpredictable antics, but in other areas, his temperament was actually quite easygoing. Even when Akira criticized him, he didn't get upset.
"It's simple," Akira raised a hand and asked, "What do you think of the pinnacle of hand-to-hand combat techniques, Black Flash? Be honest."
Gojo answered, "Not much, really. It's easy to pull off, though I don't get many chances to use it."
"And what about the ultimate jujutsu techniques, Maximum and Domain Expansion?"
"Also not that difficult. The only tricky part is adding techniques to domains."
"That's exactly the point," Akira sighed, pointing at the three students, whose spirits had been crushed by Gojo's casual remarks. "What we struggle so hard to master, you do effortlessly. You were born with abilities most jujutsu sorcerers only dream of."
Gojo responded sincerely, "Wait, isn't it effortless for everyone?"
Akira: "..."
Even though I have my own cheat abilities, I can't stand this guy.
Decision made: the next challenge will be figuring out how to beat up Gojo Satoru!