In contrast to their hurried arrival, the car now moved smoothly along the road, a blanket of silence enveloping the sisters.
Haruno Yukinoshita, mindful of Sukuna's presence, was hesitant to speak.
Yukino Yukinoshita, on the other hand, was quietly contemplating how to explain everything that had happened to her sister.
It wasn't long before they arrived back at Haruno's apartment building.
"Let's get something to eat first. Your sister is hungry," Sukuna suddenly spoke up. After a pause, he added, "Find a place with big portions. Your sister has a good appetite."
Yukino's face flushed red, and she retorted, "You don't have to point that out!"
Seeing her sister's reaction, Haruno knew Sukuna was telling the truth and couldn't help but chuckle.
"Then let's go to the family restaurant nearby," Haruno said, looking at her sister's face, but her gaze was actually directed at Sukuna's eyes.
Having interacted with all sorts of people as a representative of her family, Haruno had become adept at reading people's expressions. However, without a face, it was difficult to discern anything from just a pair of eyes.
Nevertheless, she understood that this mysterious being, who had somehow appeared within her sister, was conveying goodwill.
Although her shattered worldview had yet to be pieced back together, she felt a sense of relief.
They arrived at the family restaurant. Under Haruno's watchful eye, Yukino, her face slightly flushed, ordered two large main courses.
"Th-this is because my body has become different from ordinary people due to parasite-kun's influence, so I need more energy now. This is perfectly normal!" she explained hurriedly.
"Eh? Isn't it because there are two people in one body that you need two portions?" Haruno tilted her head cutely, resting her chin on her crossed arms.
"No..." Yukino realized she had overreacted. Her blush deepened further. After composing herself, she calmly explained, "According to parasite-kun, or rather, Sukuna, our souls coexist in the same body."
"Oh, so souls really do exist. This world is truly amazing," Haruno said with a curious blink. "So, his name is Sukuna? Yukino, you seem to trust him a lot."
"It's not about trust," Yukino said with feigned seriousness. "It's just that I have no other choice."
Ah, there it is, Yukino's classic stubbornness.
Haruno's lips curled into a smile. Instead of poking holes in her sister's defenses, she changed the subject: "So, does that mean the collapse of our company's office building in the Chiba slums was also your doing?"
"It was parasite-kun's doing," Yukino replied instantly.
"How did he do that?" Haruno asked curiously.
"It's his innate technique." After using the slashing technique herself, Yukino finally understood just how absurdly powerful Sukuna's technique was.
There was no complicated concept behind it, just pure, unadulterated power, the embodiment of "might makes right." There was a certain beauty in its simplicity.
Their food arrived shortly after.
"I'll explain it to you when we get back."
Having gone through an intense battle earlier, Yukino was famished. She hadn't noticed it while her mind was occupied, but after Sukuna pointed it out, the hunger pangs became impossible to ignore.
Despite her refined upbringing, even with a growling stomach, she ate with grace and composure, though the food on her plate was disappearing at an alarming rate.
Watching Yukino's rosy lips, glistening slightly with oil, Haruno, currently brimming with curiosity about Sukuna, suddenly had an idea.
She picked up a piece of fried chicken and extended it towards her sister's face.
Just as Yukino thought her sister was initiating another one of their embarrassing feeding games, she realized the chopsticks holding the chicken weren't aimed at her mouth, but at her cheek.
A mouth materialized on her cheek and devoured the fried chicken in one bite.
"He can really eat it."
Haruno blinked in surprise, then, her playful spirit ignited, she started feeding Sukuna continuously. She barely ate any of the food herself, most of it ending up in Yukino's stomach.
They were seated in a relatively secluded corner of the family restaurant. It wasn't very crowded at this hour, so from an outsider's perspective, it would simply look like an older sister feeding her younger sister. Sukuna's mouth was completely invisible to others.
"Sister! Stop it!"
Yukino finally reached her limit. She frowned and leaned back, preventing her sister from feeding Sukuna any more. Due to Haruno's actions, she was quickly reaching her capacity, leaving almost half of the two main courses untouched.
She pushed the remaining food towards her sister: "You can have this."
"Can't Yukino eat anymore?" A good girl like Yukino wouldn't normally waste food. Haruno quickly figured out the reason. "Does the food Sukuna eats actually go into your stomach?"
Your sister is quite sharp.
Sukuna praised in her mind. Setting aside her somewhat distorted affection for her sister, he found Haruno to be a truly kind and beautiful person. He had thoroughly enjoyed his meal today.
Is this what it means to be a kept man?
"Hmph." Ignoring Sukuna's comment in her mind, Yukino gave her sister a half-hearted glare and picked up her orange juice to drink in silence.
Haruno didn't mind and happily finished the food Yukino couldn't.
After their satisfying meal, they returned to Haruno's apartment.
Yukino recounted everything that had happened since the day Sukuna suddenly awoke within her, leaving no detail out.
Curses, cursed spirits, jujutsu sorcerers...
Haruno's shattered worldview was slowly being reconstructed.
"Cursed spirits... Yukino, you have to fight those monsters?"
Haruno Yukinoshita's heart clenched as she listened to her sister describe the battles she had faced, imagining the danger Yukino had been in.
"Don't worry, sister. I'm strong enough now," Yukino said with a reassuring smile.
After all, she had single-handedly defeated a quasi-Grade 1 cursed spirit today. As a jujutsu sorcerer, she was more than capable of holding her own.
And she owed it all to Sukuna's guidance.
Bathed in the living room's warm light, Yukino's expression turned distant for a moment. She recalled the day she first met Sukuna and the alternative path he had offered—an ordinary life as a regular human.
What would her life be like now if she had chosen that path?
Perhaps she would still be spending her days alone in the Service Club, immersed in books.
Life is a one-way street to the grave. I'm glad I don't regret the choices I made back then.
Yukino thought to herself.
After revealing the truth to her sister, Yukino Yukinoshita felt a weight lift from her shoulders.
At the very least, she no longer needed to constantly be on guard against Haruno's probing. Her sister had also promised to help her conceal everything from their parents.
"Are you really not mad at me, Yukino?"
The two sisters were sitting on the sofa. Haruno Yukinoshita twirled a strand of hair around her finger, seemingly asking casually.
"Are you referring to secretly putting a listening device on me?" Yukino turned her head, but found that her sister, who usually loved staring into her eyes, was now looking away, her gaze fixed on the swirling strands of hair.
"Of course, I'm upset," she replied.
The fingers twirling the hair stopped. "Eh, is that so..."
"But I'm not upset with you, sister," Yukino said with a gentle smile.
"Eh, is that so?" Haruno's pupils constricted for a moment. She suddenly yawned, got up from the sofa, and stretched. "It's getting late. Time for a bath and sleep. Don't you have school tomorrow, Yukino? I'll drive you back early in the morning."
Haruno's attire was casual today, a white T-shirt under a thin red jacket. The T-shirt stretched taut over her ample bosom, outlining a gentle curve that jiggled playfully with her sudden movement.
"No need, I'll just have parasite-kun take me back," Yukino said with a straight face.
"Take you back how?"
"We'll jump back."
"Eh..."
Somehow, that sounded a lot less classy.
"I'll go draw a bath first. Want to join me for a bath, Yukino? It's been a while," Haruno offered with a smile.
"Are you serious?" Yukino was speechless. Knowing her situation, how could her sister say such a thing?
"Just kidding~" Haruno said, waving her hand dismissively. "I'll go bathe first then."
She grabbed a set of pajamas from her bedroom and disappeared into the bathroom.
After filling the bathtub with hot water, Haruno shed her clothes, revealing her flawless figure.
She turned on the shower, and the warm water cascaded down, drenching her hair. The rising steam filled the bathroom, blurring her vision.
She lathered herself with body wash and rinsed off. The bathtub was almost full by now.
Haruno dipped her delicate foot into the water, testing the temperature. Then, with a slight overflow of water, she sank into the bath.
Her wet skin gleamed under the bright light, her damp hair draped over her shoulders. A few strands clung to her cheeks, giving her a delicate, vulnerable air.
"Speaking of which, that boy from your club, what was his name again? Hikigaya? Is he a jujutsu sorcerer too?"
"Yes, he is."
"Then, does that mean I could become a jujutsu sorcerer too?"
"It depends on your fate. That dead-fish-eyed boy's case was an anomaly in the jujutsu world. If you're lucky, you might awaken too. But whether that's good luck or not is another matter."
"Is that so? That's a shame~"
The earlier conversation replayed in her mind, then vanished like bubbles. A faint shadow flickered in Haruno's downcast eyes.
Fate, huh? I guess I'm out of luck then. My luck has always been terrible...
Life is a one-way street to the grave, but there are still crossroads along the way. It's the choices we make at those crossroads that shape our different lives.
Yukino Yukinoshita's life had taken a completely new turn because of Sukuna's appearance.
Haruno Yukinoshita's life, however, was a straight, wide road, with no scenery along the way, only fences that blocked off all the crossroads, making them impassable.
This was the path Haruno had chosen. She wasn't complaining, but sometimes she couldn't help but feel that her life was both boring and superficial.
Do I really want to become a jujutsu sorcerer?
She couldn't say for sure.
Perhaps she just wanted to see a different landscape, experience a different life.
"I'm a little envious of you, Yukino..."
Her wistful murmur fell onto the water's surface, creating ripples that soon subsided, returning to stillness.
...
"I'm done. I've prepared the bath for you."
Haruno Yukinoshita, her expression as usual, emerged from the bathroom in a cute pink pajama set, drying her hair with a towel. "I'm done," she said to Yukino, who was looking at her phone.
"Okay." Yukino put down her phone, having finished chatting with Yui Yuigahama. She got up, preparing for her bath.
Then she realized she didn't have any change of clothes.
"I have clothes here," Haruno said, poking her head out from the bedroom.
"How could I possibly wear your clothes?" Yukino said, her face darkening as unpleasant images came to mind.
"No, no, they're your clothes. I brought them from home," Haruno's voice came from the bedroom, accompanied by the rustling of clothes as she rummaged through her drawers.
"?" A question mark slowly appeared above Yukino's head. Then, with Sukuna's prompting in her mind, she reacted, "Why do you have my clothes in your apartment?"
Don't tell me it's really for some impure purpose as parasite-kun said?
Like, to sniff them... or something!
"Just in case. I used to think, what if Yukino comes over to my place someday? So I kept them ready," Haruno said matter-of-factly.
Haruno emerged, holding a neatly folded set of pajamas and casual clothes. She handed them to her sister, amused by her suspicious expression. "What's with that look? There's a new towel in the bathroom."
Little did she know that, due to Sukuna's deliberate guidance, her image in her sister's mind had become somewhat distorted.
Taking the pajamas, Yukino walked into the bathroom, still lost in thought about her sister. Was it really appropriate for family members to do such creepy things?
When people are deeply engrossed in their thoughts, they often overlook other things, just like when someone is on the phone and you hand them something, they'll subconsciously take it.
Yukino, still pondering, undressed and placed her clothes in the laundry basket. Then, she turned on the shower and began washing herself, completely forgetting about a certain presence within her.
Her skin, as smooth and delicate as white jade, with a hint of pink, her alluring collarbone emphasizing her delicate frame... Water droplets traced lines down her beautiful curves. Looking closely, her chest wasn't entirely flat either; there were subtle curves.
Sukuna silently admired the perfection of the divine creation before him.
Wait, why am I thinking these weird things? Sukuna might have just been saying that randomly.
Hold on...
Yukino finally came to her senses.
A blush crept up her delicate skin, spreading from her slender neck to the tips of her ears.
Splash!
Water surged as she abruptly submerged herself in the bathtub, burying her entire body, including half her head, underwater. Her navy blue eyes filled with mortified tears.
Gurgle gurgle...
Bubbles rose to the surface of the water.
The next morning, a figure descended from the sky, landing on the rooftop of Sobu High's school building.
With a superhero landing that left cracks spider-webbing across the surface, the faculty would surely shed tears if they saw it.
Having returned to Chiba from Tokyo and changed into a fresh set of clothes at home, Yukino Yukinoshita, with Sukuna's help, successfully made it back to her classroom before being marked late.
School was still important, and she couldn't let her studies fall behind because of her jujutsu sorcerer duties. After all, Yukino had filled out "higher education" on her career path survey.
Speaking of which, both Mr. Ijichi and Mr. Gojo had invited her to enroll in Jujutsu High. She wondered if there was a path for higher education there, something like a jujutsu university.
Due to her part-time job as a jujutsu sorcerer, Yukino occasionally found herself distracted in class, like in this literature lesson, for instance.
Shizuka Hiratsuka, standing at the podium, naturally noticed Yukino's distant gaze, even though her eyes were fixed on the blackboard. However, since Yukino consistently maintained her position as the top student in her year, occasional lapses in attention were nothing to worry about.
Ever since Sukuna and Gojo Satoru formed their partnership, Yukino no longer had to actively go out and hunt cursed spirits with him. She could simply wait for Jujutsu High to send them assignments, although those assignments weren't exactly a daily occurrence.
The loyal Service Club welcomed its esteemed president.
Upon seeing Yukino Yukinoshita sitting quietly at her desk, engrossed in a book, Hachiman Hikigaya immediately shot her a resentful look.
Thanks to Yukino, he had experienced high-speed flight without any safety measures. Although, in terms of the overall experience, it was significantly better than being dragged around by Sukuna. At least with Gojo, there was no nausea or dizziness upon landing.
"Good afternoon," Hachiman greeted Yukino, then, seizing the opportunity before Yui Yuigahama arrived, he asked, "We don't have anything to do today, right?"
"Jujutsu High hasn't sent us any assignments for now," Yukino replied.
"That's good."
Hachiman felt relieved. After exhausting his cursed energy in yesterday's battle, he had collapsed onto his bed as soon as he got home and slept straight through until the next day, even forgetting to do his homework.
He had received quite the scolding from Ms. Hiratsuka because of that.
He took out his unfinished assignments from his bag and started working on them, slumped over his desk.
The assignment in question was about the school's upcoming career exploration event in two weeks, for which they had been given a survey form to fill out.
Hachiman was a master at writing this kind of thing. He uncapped his pen and started filling out the form with practiced ease.
Desired Occupation: Househusband.
Desired Workplace: Home.
Reasons:
As the ancients said, those who work have already lost. Labor is the act of exchanging risk for reward...
Within ten minutes, Hachiman finished filling out the survey. He flicked the paper with satisfaction. Surely, the understanding and caring Ms. Hiratsuka would fully appreciate his aspirations for his future career and approve his application.
Just then, the door to the Service Club room slid open. Yui Yuigahama entered, looking troubled as she glanced at her phone. She didn't even use her usual, unique greeting, indicating that she was facing a considerable problem.
However, the blond boy trailing behind her wasn't exactly a welcome sight for those present.
"Ugh, why is Hayato Hayama here?" Hachiman's expression was one of undisguised disgust. "Does a popular guy like him also have troubles that require others' help to solve?".
"Um... I heard that, you know." Hayato Hayama's smile faltered, feeling awkward upon entering and immediately being met with such blatant disapproval.
"Ah, my apologies for accidentally vocalizing my thoughts," Hachiman said, turning away without a hint of remorse in his tone.
That makes it even more awkward...
The sunny, golden-haired boy's smile almost slipped completely.
Tch, why is it this Hayama guy?
"Yuiigahama-san, what's wrong?" Yukino Yukinoshita simply ignored Hayama's presence and addressed Yui Yuigahama directly.
"Ah, it's this." Yuiigahama showed her phone to everyone. "A strange email is circulating in our class."
"Tobe is a delinquent from Inage Ward who picks fights with students from Nishi High at the arcade; Yamato is a shameless two-timer; Ooka brutally injured the ace player from our rival school..." Yukino read the email aloud. "This is a chain mail."
"That's why I came here." Hayama also took out his phone, showing that he had received the same email. "Ms. Hiratsuka said if we have any troubles, we should come here to discuss them."
Don't take the case!
The parasite in her head started clamoring again, but for certain personal reasons, Yukino decided to ignore him for now.
"The atmosphere in the classroom has become tense because of this email. And seeing people badmouthing their friends makes me angry," Hayama said, his brows furrowing in concern. But his expression quickly softened. "But, I'm not saying I want to find the culprit. I just want to find a way to resolve the issue and calm things down."
He gave a gentle smile and asked sincerely, "Can I ask for your help?"
From the way this Hayama guy is talking, even if he doesn't know who the culprit is, he probably knows the reason behind this incident. This guy clearly has ulterior motives. Kick him out!
Hearing Sukuna's words, Yukino became thoughtful. She turned a sharp, interrogative gaze towards Hayama: "Just to be sure, do you know who the culprit is?"
"Eh? Is this a joke?" He blinked, then chuckled and spread his hands. "If I knew who the culprit was, I wouldn't need to come here and ask for your help."
"Then, you know why this incident started, right?" Yukino pressed further.
"That..." Hesitation flickered across Hayama's face, but in the end, he shook his head, denying it. "No, I don't know."
"Is that so?" Yukino's gaze was flat as she took in his expression. Then, she turned away, fixing her eyes back on the book in her hands. "Then please leave, Hayama-kun."
"This way, please." Hachiman immediately stepped towards the door, holding it open with the air of a butler escorting a guest out.
"Eh? Why are you suddenly kicking me out?" This was the second time Hayama's composure had crumbled in a matter of minutes.
"In a criminal case, someone who withholds relevant information can basically be considered an accomplice. You might even be the culprit yourself," Yukino said bluntly.
Meanwhile, Hachiman had quietly moved behind Hayama, placing a hand on his shoulder. He had seemingly transformed from a butler into a police officer, ready to apprehend the suspect, Hayama, at Yukino's command.
After witnessing Yukino's abilities yesterday, Hachiman had resolved to become the loyal hound of the great Service Club president.
"I get it, I get it, I'll talk!" Hayama, sensing the dead-fish-eyed gaze on him and the pressure on his shoulder, quickly raised his hands in surrender.
"It might be because of the career exploration event... That's all I know, really!"
Seeing Yukino's scrutinizing gaze, he hurriedly explained.
"Ah, I understand. It's about the group assignments," Yui Yuigahama said in realization.
"What? There are group assignments!?" Hachiman's face paled. "I absolutely refuse to let my classmates come to my house!"
"What did you even write on the survey form..."
"Househusband."
"Are you an idiot..."
Yukino raised a hand, interrupting their conversation. She spoke slowly, "So, someone spread this chain mail slandering others to be in a group with Hayama-kun? The goal is to sow discord between them."
"The culprit could also be one of those three people," Hachiman added.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Hayama quickly stopped them from speculating further. "Why is this turning into such a big deal? Those three are my friends. I don't believe they would do something like this."
"Besides, they're the victims! How could they be the culprit?"
"Are you stupid?" Hachiman crossed his arms. "Disguising oneself as a victim is a common tactic for criminals."
"But if it were me, I would intentionally leave one person out, making them the scapegoat."
Yuiigahama gave him a disapproving look. "Hikki, you're so dark."
"Please call me a highly intelligent criminal," Hachiman retorted, a smug look on his face.
"In that case, everyone in your class who is close to Hayama is a suspect," Yukino said, resting her chin on her hand and closing her eyes. She appeared to be thinking, but in reality, her consciousness had entered Sukuna's innate domain.
"Parasite-kun, is there any way to find the culprit?" She looked towards the black-haired boy on the Buddhist altar.
"Torture," Sukuna said, picking his nose nonchalantly.
"Another method, please." Yukino gave him a disgusted look. "And please mind your appearance."
Ever since Sukuna had brought her into his domain with a flash of inspiration, Yukino had been able to see his true appearance.
Although he claimed to be a figure from a thousand years ago, his appearance was surprisingly youthful, looking to be around the same age as her.
He had sleek, short hair and a handsome face marked with mysterious black lines. His eyes were deep-set, his pupils a vibrant red, like polished red agate stones, clear and bright. He wore a white woman's kimono that complemented his well-proportioned figure.
Yukino had been stunned by Sukuna's beauty when she first saw him.
But such a handsome young man was now picking his nose without a care in the world, which was a bit of a waste.
"What does it matter if no one can see me anyway?"
Sukuna flicked his finger at Yukino, and she instinctively dodged, even though there was nothing there. After all, in this spirit form, he neither ate nor excreted, so how could he possibly have boogers?
He sat cross-legged, propping his face up with his hand, bored. "Finding the culprit directly is unlikely. I'm a jujutsu sorcerer, not a detective."
"But there is a method, though not a conventional one," Sukuna said. "Remember what I did when I first taught you and the dead-fish-eyed boy how to activate and control cursed energy?"
"How could I forget? You chopped off my entire right hand."
Recalling that scene, Yukino still found Sukuna's teaching methods unreasonable.
"That was just the means. What was the purpose?" Sukuna asked.
"To trigger our negative emotions, making it easier to sense the presence of cursed energy..." Yukino's voice trailed off, as if she were about to grasp a fleeting spark of inspiration but let it slip through her fingers.
"You're an idiot," Sukuna said, pointing at her.
A vein throbbed on Yukino's forehead, but she needed his help, so she had to swallow her pride. "Please enlighten me, parasite-kun."
"The key is negative emotions," Sukuna explained. "Even ordinary humans possess a very faint amount of cursed energy. If their emotions fluctuate significantly, it shouldn't be difficult to sense with careful attention."
"If you torture the suspect..."
"So, I should directly confront the three of them, pull them aside one by one, and through their emotional fluctuations, bypass the reasoning process and get the result directly," Yukino realized. "If the culprit is indeed one of them, they will surely panic when suspected, causing significant emotional fluctuations."
"Exactly. If someone shows their hand, then torture them..."
"I understand. Thank you for this."
Having received the true scriptures from Buddha Sukuna, Yukino hurriedly left his domain, her consciousness returning to reality.
"So, torture..."
Everyone watched as Yukino suddenly closed her eyes. Hayama and Yuiigahama thought she was deep in thought, but only Hachiman knew that she must have gone to consult the true master of the Service Club, Sukuna.
Even if Yukino suddenly started deducing with her eyes closed like a sleeping Kogoro Mori, he wouldn't be surprised at all.
And, as expected...
A moment later, Yukino opened her eyes and declared, "I know how to find the culprit."
"Eh? So fast!" Yuiigahama exclaimed with admiration. "As expected of Yukino!"
"So, what's the method?" Hayama asked.
"After school, call Tobe, Yamato, and Ooka over to see me one by one," Yukino said with a confident smile.
"The truth will reveal itself then.".