"Let's go pick up the next new student." Yaga Masamichi led the way at the front.
Nanami Kento walked beside Asou Akiya, carrying no suitcase, and asked whether there were any large shopping malls near the school.
Asou Akiya smiled. "There are. The school even has a dedicated bus route for it."
However, that was "nearby" only in the eyes of jujutsu sorcerers.
Under normal circumstances, the items at Tokyo Jujutsu High's small shop were enough for their daily needs.
Nanami Kento asked again, "What did you bring when you enrolled, senpai? Could you give me a reference?"
Asou Akiya shared his experience. "My situation was different from yours. I brought everything I could. If it's for your personal needs, I'd suggest you buy some change of clothes to wear under your uniform. We wear our uniforms far more often than casual clothes."
Nanami Kento took out his phone and made a note in his memo app. His style was rigorous, yet with a hint of going with the flow.
The three of them headed to another station entrance to pick up the next new student.
This time it was a bus stop.
According to their arrangement, they met a sunny-faced youth who stepped off the bus at eleven in the morning.
"Hey! Sorry to keep you all waiting! I'm Haibara Yu!"
Tokyo Jujutsu High's uniform was very distinctive. Black served as the base color, and the golden spiral buttons were specially custom-made from pure copper—one of the honors that jujutsu sorcerer students carried with them out in the world.
Tokyo Jujutsu High's uniform wore differently on the two new students.
Nanami Kento wore it with a sense of sophistication and professionalism.
Haibara Yu wore his uniform jacket open over a white T-shirt, radiating a vibrant, athletic energy.
Asou Akiya subconsciously smiled with more genuine warmth.
Between the two juniors, what he presented to Nanami Kento was the politeness and consideration of a senior. But compared to Nanami Kento, the junior he truly appreciated was Haibara Yu. The little sun of Tokyo Jujutsu High had arrived.
This world had no shortage of schemers like Asou Akiya or people who loathed labor like Nanami Kento.
—What it lacked was positive energy that actively strove upward.
Haibara Yu carried large bags and small packages, his luggage filled with his family's care and love, just like so many boarding students.
"Kouhai, is your luggage heavy? Let me take it." Asou Akiya offered to carry Haibara Yu's luggage. Haibara Yu refused repeatedly, too embarrassed to let a senior he'd just met do manual labor. But Asou Akiya said, "I'm your senpai. It's my duty to share some of the burden for my juniors. You can give me the lightest bag."
Haibara Yu wasn't good at refusing, but he was good at accepting kindness. He immediately broke into a brilliant smile. "Thank you, senpai!"
Asou Akiya picked up a bag of clothes for him.
Nanami Kento hesitated for a moment, then took the initiative to ask, "Excuse me, would you like me to help?"
Haibara Yu thanked him again. "You're a senior too, right? Thank you!"
Nanami Kento: "No, I'm your classmate."
Haibara Yu's gaze carried no pressure—bright without being blinding—and he spoke with straightforward candor. "That's wonderful. On my first day in Tokyo, I've already met a senior and a classmate. And this person here, is he my teacher?"
Yaga Masamichi hadn't been able to get a word in, but after Haibara Yu turned to look at him, he replied, "I am Yaga Masamichi, the person in charge of the first and second years, and also Asou Akiya's homeroom teacher. However, I am not the one who will be teaching your first-year classes."
The instructors at Tokyo Jujutsu High were assistant supervisors. Yaga Masamichi's willingness to personally take four students under his wing didn't mean he would continue doing so indefinitely. Word had already come down from the higher-ups that he would most likely be promoted to the position of principal.
Haibara Yu bowed. "Hello! The senior's homeroom teacher!"
Yaga Masamichi nodded with a stern face, maintaining the bearing of a homeroom teacher.
Asou Akiya: "Teacher Yaga is a super responsible teacher. If you run into any problems, you can go to him."
Asou Akiya spoke on Nanami Kento's behalf: "Nanami-kouhai, the first step to integrating into the school is getting to know your classmates. Introduce yourselves to each other, or be careful—Haibara-kouhai might mistake you for a foreigner."
Nanami Kento saw that Asou-senpai wasn't demanding he carry heavy items, and quietly let out a breath of relief.
There weren't many people at the station. He withdrew the hand he had been about to extend, feeling his mood become more natural, and said with unhurried composure, "I am Nanami Kento, fifteen years old, Japanese, with a Danish grandfather, which is why I have blond foreigner features. My technique is 'Ratio Technique.' The specific effects are temporarily classified. My student ID lists me as a grade three sorcerer."
Haibara Yu drew in a sharp breath. "So formal."
Haibara Yu hurriedly set down the heavy items in both hands and said formally, "I am Haibara Yu! I'm from a small rural town in Tokyo. I have two parents and a younger sister at home. I'm fifteen years old. There were few cursed spirits in the countryside, so I didn't know sorcerers existed before. I named my technique myself—it's called 'Hard Work Pays Off Every Day.' The effect is that the more physical stamina I consume, the more cursed energy I gain, with the upper limit being my total physical stamina. My student ID also lists me as a grade three sorcerer."
A cold sweat bead slid down Nanami Kento's forehead as he watched the other person's cursed energy surge upward like blazing flames.
This was...
Yaga Masamichi put a hand to his forehead. "This kid just publicly disclosed his technique."
Asou Akiya explained for the two of them: "Under normal circumstances, sorcerers do not publicly disclose the effects of their techniques. Once disclosed, a sorcerer's power receives a boost. You will receive detailed instruction after enrollment. From an ordinary person's perspective, this is a psychological suggestion that severs your retreat, forcing the sorcerer to go all-out to defeat their enemy."
Asou Akiya stopped Nanami Kento's impulse: "Don't easily reveal your trump cards, especially not out in public."
Asou Akiya: "Once we're back at school, everyone can disclose to each other."
Asou Akiya: "Because we are companions."
This single word "companions" suddenly gave Nanami Kento and Haibara Yu a heightened sense of belonging to Tokyo Jujutsu High.
Nanami Kento and Haibara Yu exchanged a glance. They were companions who could speak their techniques aloud to each other.
Yaga Masamichi: "I'm treating you all to a meal. It's an old tradition."
At noon, with Yaga Masamichi playing host, Asou Akiya chose the dining location: a yakiniku restaurant that served high-grade beef. The moment before Nanami Kento's brow could furrow, Asou Akiya told them, "The mad cow disease outbreak in Japan ended last year."
Haibara Yu grew excited. "Finally, we can eat beef to our hearts' content!"
Nanami Kento felt an immense sense of comfort. This senior had spoken the concern weighing on his mind before he even had to, covering every angle with thorough thoughtfulness.
"Asou-senpai, may I ask how many seniors and upperclassmen there are at the school?"
"You will see three seniors including myself, and three upperclasswomen. No one puts on airs when we interact. We don't distinguish between commoner backgrounds or clan backgrounds—at Tokyo Jujutsu High, all that matters is that thin little student ID."
Asou Akiya pulled out the student ID he had received at the end of last year and showed it off.
[Semi-Grade Two Sorcerer, Asou Akiya.]
After learning Black Flash, he could now face his juniors with his head held high.
Haibara Yu let out a "wow" and said, "Asou-senpai is amazing!"
Nanami Kento offered a polite compliment. "Truly impressive."
Yaga Masamichi smiled at Asou Akiya's self-reliance and strength, praising his own student. "Akiya is an exceptionally hardworking person."
Asou Akiya accepted it openly. "Thank you for the praise. For your sakes, I will work even harder going forward!"
Asou Akiya raised his cup of barley tea, served to cut through the richness of the meat. "Cheers."
The four of them enjoyed a grand feast of grilled meat.
In the afternoon, the new students entering Tokyo Jujutsu High for the first time were brimming with freshness and excitement. They had no complaints about the location—on the contrary, they thought a private religious academy hidden in the forests of Tokyo's outskirts was incredibly cool.
Asou Akiya used an ancient maxim to elevate his alma mater's prestige: "The great hermit hides in the city; the lesser hermit hides in the wild."
Nanami Kento was very satisfied, however... he asked, "Asou-senpai, where is the large shopping mall?"
Asou Akiya: "Teacher Yaga, let's register their cursed energy first, then go to the shops."
Thanks to Akiya's reminder, Yaga Masamichi finally didn't forget that the first thing for new students was to have their cursed energy recorded.
Afterward, through Asou Akiya's silver-tongued eloquence, Nanami Kento came to understand Tokyo Jujutsu High's shopping channels—a comprehensive small shop where, as long as one was willing to spend money, anything available on the market could be acquired.
Nanami Kento silently calculated his living expenses and expenditures, walking one step behind Haibara Yu.
Haibara Yu was full of confidence. "I can definitely support myself!"
Someone who had brought pots, pans, bowls, and basins to get through five years of dormitory life was just that self-assured.
Yaga Masamichi led the way to the entrance of the boys' dormitory.
Nanami Kento: "Do we need to change shoes?" There were steps at the dormitory entrance, with wooden flooring ahead.
Asou Akiya: "Not on your first visit. The place gets cleaned regularly. Not only do we not have tuition fees here at Jujutsu High, we also don't have utility bills or cleaning fees. The mission of jujutsu sorcerer students is to study hard and exorcise cursed spirits for society."
Asou Akiya: "As long as you don't spend recklessly and work hard on missions, saving several hundred thousand yen a year is no problem at all."
Haibara Yu's face was full of longing. "This school is too wonderful—you can even earn money!"
Nanami Kento was moved. Though he had long known tuition was waived, a school that actually paid you on top of that was almost too good to be true.
Asou Akiya said enticingly, "As for holidays, we're busiest in the summer. Correspondingly, our winter break is especially long. Last year it ran from December 1st all the way to February 10th this year."
Yaga Masamichi coughed, cutting Asou Akiya off. "Hurry up and go pick your dorm rooms."
Asou Akiya cast a resentful glance at his teacher.
Yaga Masamichi walked past, speaking with righteous conviction: "We must seek truth from facts and let the students experience the environment for themselves."
Nanami Kento and Haibara Yu were filled with respect.
Asou Akiya sent messages to the other two. Getou Suguru, who was out of town, sent back a reply.
[Tokyo Jujutsu High's Same-Year Quartet]
[Asou Akiya: Two juniors have arrived at the dorms.]
[Getou Suguru: I might not make it back. No, wait—for the sake of hearing "Getou-senpai," I'll do my best to rush back!]
[Ieiri Shoko: You're this busy and still have time to look at your phone?]
[Getou Suguru: Because I'm a summoner—I can play with my phone anytime.]
[Ieiri Shoko: ...]
[Asou Akiya: Suguru, you've finally remembered you're a ranged mage, not a melee fighter.]
[Gojo Satoru: Haha, I can already see the two juniors!]
[Getou Suguru: Don't scare the juniors, Akiya. Keep an eye on Satoru for me. First impressions are important.]
[Asou Akiya: OK.]
[Asou Akiya: Satoru, listen to me. Don't get worked up. Take off your sunglasses, then make your entrance at a slow pace. Go for a first-appearance knockout.]
[Gojo Satoru: That much trouble? I'll give it a shot.]
With the gentle and handsome Asou-senpai setting the bar so high, the two juniors' expectations had been indirectly raised.
When Gojo Satoru pushed open the dormitory door and suddenly appeared before Nanami Kento and Haibara Yu, Yaga Masamichi nearly stepped in front of the two new students to shield the fragile seedlings from Gojo Satoru's ravages. Asou Akiya tugged at Yaga Masamichi's sleeve, not letting the teacher who knew the full picture ruin the beautiful scene of Gojo Satoru's grand entrance.
Yes, a beautiful scene indeed.
A tall senior with snow-white hair and porcelain skin stepped out, his sunglasses removed and hanging from his collar, his face so perfect it made people hold their breath.
The overwhelming abundance of his cursed energy lent every step he took an air of pressure, as if he were a predator at the very top of the food chain. Yet his smile was pure, his Six Eyes holding within them the scenery of an entire sky, not a trace of malice to be found. Dreamlike and illusory, his dazzling exterior intertwined with the cool color of his pupils—truly worthy of the existence that, in the original Jujutsu Kaisen, detonated the entire anime fandom the moment his true face was first revealed.
"Yo, hello there. I'm your Gojo-senpai."
Beneath this visage of breathtaking beauty.
His arrogant manner of self-reference hardly seemed to matter anymore...
Asou Akiya stood by the wall, snapped a photo, and added with an inward smile: [Probably?]
Haibara Yu was immersed in Gojo-senpai's grand debut. Nanami Kento's sixth sense blared warning alarms, and he retreated to Asou Akiya's side.
Nanami Kento whispered, "Asou-senpai, he looks dangerous?"
Asou Akiya put away his phone. "Let me teach you your first lesson. First, sorcerers have excellent hearing. He can hear your voice."
A touch of genuine danger colored Gojo Satoru's smile. He didn't like people talking behind his back.
Asou Akiya: "Secondly, he is indeed your senior. His strength is exceptionally formidable, the type you absolutely cannot afford to offend. He's very much looking forward to you juniors adorably and obediently calling him 'Gojo-senpai.' It's not too late for you to call him that now—"
Haibara Yu said loudly, "Gojo-senpai, you're so cool!"
Gojo Satoru immediately flashed Haibara Yu a toothy grin, his neat, pearly white teeth lending his smile a refreshingly bright air.
"What's your name?"
"I'm Haibara Yu, Gojo-senpai!"
"That blond guy hiding behind Akiya, what's his name?"
"Nanami Kento, Gojo-senpai! He has Danish ancestry in his family, so he's blond! He's also very handsome!"
"Denmark..."
Gojo Satoru immediately thought of the bilingual edition of Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales that Asou Akiya had been reading.
Asou Akiya reminded him, "Nanami-kouhai, hurry up and greet him."
In Nanami Kento's field of vision, Gojo Satoru was coldly watching him, his smile a mere facade. Beneath that towering, prideful physique lay a palpable sense of power, his surging ice-blue cursed energy crowding around him like a prehistoric beast with snow-white fur.
Nanami Kento's muscles tensed. Asou Akiya gave him a gentle push forward.
"Gojo-senpai, you..."
His mind went blank.
Those with sharp senses often dared not face the Six Eyes head-on, while the thick-nerved Haibara Yu felt nothing terrifying about them at all.
Asou Akiya leaned in close to his junior's ear and coaxed gently, "Don't be shy. Think about it—aren't Satoru's eyes beautiful?"
Nanami Kento blurted out, "Is he wearing colored contacts?!"
Gojo Satoru: "???"
Asou Akiya: "???"
Yaga Masamichi fought to keep a straight face, turning his back to them to hide his trembling shoulders, and stuffed the keys into Asou Akiya's hands. "Akiya, I'll leave the dormitory arrangements to you all."
Asou Akiya looked at the large ring of keys in his hand, then at Gojo Satoru, who was about to explode with rage.
He was somewhat shocked—Teacher Yaga had actually chosen to slip away?
"Wait—"
He failed to stop Yaga Masamichi, who was leaving with a relaxed expression on his face. He had no choice but to turn back and intercept Gojo Satoru, who was determined to prove himself. One hand couldn't stop him at all. He was forced to wrap both arms around Gojo Satoru's waist, restraining his emotionally agitated classmate. The other's body arched and tensed, straining forward with all his might, both hands reaching out to claw at Nanami Kento, scaring the living daylights out of him. Yet Asou Akiya still succeeded in not letting Gojo Satoru get away.
"Satoru! He was complimenting your eyes for being so beautiful they don't look real!"
"I want to get up close and show him!"
"You're trying to gouge his eyes out—you calm down right now! The juniors are watching your behavior!"
"Akiya, I'm not wearing colored contacts! How dare he slander me!!!"
The clamor of arguing voices continued unabated behind him. Yaga Masamichi truly couldn't hold back his muffled laughter any longer. He picked up his pace, evacuating this land of trouble as if blown away by gale-force waves named "youth."
With Akiya around, he felt much more at ease. As long as Satoru didn't tear the building down, he couldn't be bothered to manage Satoru's personal affairs.
Let these new students properly experience the baptism of various seniors this time.
—This was what Tokyo Jujutsu High was all about.
_________________________________________
Author's Note:
Because Haibara Yu died young (at age sixteen), the original work never introduced his technique, so this story had to create one from scratch.
Quanquan considered that Haibara Yu's personality was an extremely positive, hardworking type, so rather than an auxiliary technique, a frontline combat type was chosen instead.