At Nagi's warm invitation, Satoru and Shin went to Junpei's home.
Nagi prepared a table full of dishes to host the two. Satoru ate happily without a care in the world, but Junpei lacked interest and didn't eat much.
Nagi naturally noticed Junpei's unusual behavior and asked with concern, "What's wrong, Junpei? Are you not feeling well?"
Junpei raised his head, looked at Nagi, and asked earnestly, "Mom, if... if I were to take on a very dangerous job in the future, would you support me?"
Nagi was clearly taken aback. In her understanding, jobs labeled as 'very dangerous' just had slightly higher mortality rates than ordinary professions, but she still asked, "Is it more dangerous than being a mercenary?"
Junpei was stumped by the question and turned to look at Shin, who had to take over the conversation. "If we only calculate the mortality rate, then mercenaries are more dangerous. After all, their mortality rate is over forty percent."
Nagi said, "Only calculating the mortality rate... that means getting injured is the norm, right? I want to know what this profession is."
At this moment, Satoru jumped in to explain about Jujutsu Sorcerers and Curses, and incidentally mentioned what happened at the movie theater today.
Afterward, the entire room fell into silence.
After a long while, Nagi sighed and said, "I will support you, Junpei. If that is what you want to do, then do it."
When she said this, Nagi still felt some reluctance in her heart. After all, what parent would be willing to let their child do such a dangerous job? It was just that she chose to hide her feelings and support her son.
Junpei's eyes were filled with tears. He looked earnestly at Satoru and said, "I am willing to become a Jujutsu Sorcerer. Before meeting you two, I believed that human nature was inherently evil. But Kagura, you made me feel that people are different from one another. I want to become someone like you."
Satoru and Shin both revealed genuine smiles.
Satoru glanced at the sky, it was evening, and he estimated that high school was already out. He couldn't take the Jujutsu High students to deal with that group of high schoolers now, so it would have to be delayed until tomorrow.
—
The next day, Junpei also put on the black Jujutsu High uniform.
All the first-year students and two of the second-year students, excluding Panda, gathered downstairs at Junpei's home.
The more hot-tempered Nobara and Maki grabbed Shin and asked, "Which school are those bullying bastards from? Do you have photos? I'll go and smash their skulls right now."
"Salmon."
Yuji rubbed his hands together, seemingly ready to act at any moment, and Megumi also became unusually serious, wanting to regain the feeling from his junior high days.
Junpei was stunned by everyone's enthusiasm.
Shin patted him on the shoulder and asked, "What's wrong? Do you feel that what we are doing to them is also bullying?"
"It's not that. I..."
"It's okay, Junpei. A Jujutsu Sorcerer must openly face their own desires. We are just correcting their characters, don't you want that?"
Junpei looked at the Jujutsu High group around him, who were willing to stand up for him despite only meeting for the first time, and then thought about how he had hypocritically wanted to stop them just now.
'Your heart is also dark, isn't it? Should you face your own desires?'
"Thank you everyone, truly thank you..."
—
The group soon arrived at the high school where Junpei used to study, though he had already suspended his schooling due to campus bullying.
Satoru gave the group one last talk. "Just like I said before, first, make them deeply realize their mistakes. Second, don't kill anyone. Finally, do not use Cursed Energy or Cursed Techniques. Everyone understand? Dismissed."
After looking at the photos of the bullies, the group waited at the school gate. Soon, the short-haired man named Ito Shota appeared before them, followed by two lackeys.
Likewise, they also saw Junpei at the school gate. Just as planned, they exchanged looks and walked toward Junpei with sinister grins.
"Yo, isn't this Yoshino? I heard you were absent for a while, so why are you back now? Did the three of us not leave a deep enough impression on you?"
Junpei instinctively wanted to leave, but Shin reached out and held him in place. "What a pity, Junpei. They didn't choose the right path."
Junpei watched blankly as the Jujutsu High group walked past him one by one, while he could only see their backs. He couldn't help but clench his fists and follow.
Shin, Yuji, and Megumi each grabbed one of them, forcibly wrapping their arms around their shoulders, and dragged them into an alleyway while surrounded by the others.
By the time Junpei arrived, the three of them—Ito Shota and his friends—had already taken two or three punches each and were slumped on the ground.
Everyone at Jujutsu High engaged in physical training. Even without using Cursed Energy, their raw physical fitness was excellent.
Especially with monsters like Maki and Yuji.
Ito Shota and the others initially thought about fighting back, but were knocked down by a few of Yuji's punches.
Megumi stepped on one of them and began a 'character education' session, seemingly recovering his old style.
"Why do evil people like you always come to affect the lives of kind people? Kind people should live happily. People like you..."
Nobara got impatient, pushed Megumi aside, and started scolding them, "You ******, I ****..."
In the end, Shin stopped Nobara, who was in the middle of her rant, and gave the spot to Junpei.
Junpei stood in front of the three, who were beaten black and blue and unconscious, in long silence.
"I just want to ask one thing: you should know how I felt back then now, right? I don't want to know your answer. After all, your answer isn't important. I just want to tell you to reform yourselves properly."
After saying this, the group left.
Ito Shota and his two friends struggled to stand up, their eyes full of resentment, and were preparing to leave while supporting each other, but the sound of sirens approaching interrupted their thoughts.
"Ito Shota, Nijishima Noboru, Ishizaka Mori, you are accused of campus bullying causing severe psychological trauma. Come with us."
(End of Chapter)
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