Power and Responsibility

They had a wonderful time at the Comic Convention.

At the Comic Convention, they did not have to pretend to be good kids anymore, nor did they have to worry about others failing to understand them.

Here, they could meet friends with the same interests and go wild together over characters they loved.

After visiting the convention, they picked a café near the mall to rest.

Maid Latte.

"Welcome home, Master."

The moment they entered, a maid greeted them with a smile.

She looked like a high school student, dressed in a classic black-and-white Maid Outfit with cat ears and a tail.

She was probably a student working part-time.

"Oh, these ears move. How does that work?"

"Cat ears naturally move, you know. But never mind that for now—what would Master like to eat? Today's special recommendation is omurice."

"Then three portions. Let me see, one of this cake, and this, and this..."

"It's all sweets. Satoru, aren't you afraid of getting cavities?"

After seeing Satoru Gojo's long list of cakes and desserts, Suguru Geto began wondering how he had never gotten cavities.

"He has."

Eiji answered Suguru Geto's question.

"Wait, how did you know that?"

With his embarrassing past exposed, Satoru Gojo could no longer sit still.

"The Divine Child of the Gojo Family rolled around on the floor in pain from cavities, then secretly cried in his room because he couldn't eat little pastries. Boohoo, so pitiful."

"Hah? Who's spreading rumors about me?"

"Everyone is. It spread through The Three Great Families ages ago."

Toji Fushiguro had brought back the news. Back then, it had reached the Zenin Family as well.

Toji Fushiguro happened to overhear it when he went to the Zenin Family to choose Cursed Tools.

"Damn those bastards..."

Seeing Satoru Gojo gritting his teeth, Eiji felt that whoever had spread the rumor would definitely get a thorough beating if they appeared before Satoru Gojo.

"It does sound like something Satoru would do."

Suguru Geto, sitting beside them, laughed as well.

"Geto! Even you're doing this?"

Satoru Gojo felt betrayed by his Best Friend.

"Master, here is your Moe Omurice, and this is the Sakura Cream Mousse..."

"Misaki, this table wants to order."

"I'll be right there."

The maid named Misaki turned and answered the customers at the distant table.

"Please enjoy. If you need anything, you can call for me."

Misaki gave a slight bow before turning to take another table's order.

"She's pretty lively. What, did you fall for her?"

Satoru Gojo leaned close to Eiji and nudged his waist with an elbow.

"No. She just seemed a little familiar."

Eiji rolled his eyes at Satoru Gojo.

"Being interested in a girl is the first sign that you're falling for her."

Holding a coffee in one hand and propping up his cheek with the other, Suguru Geto wore an expression of eager amusement.

"Go cool off somewhere."

"Don't be shy."

"Eat your cake."

Eiji picked up a cream puff and stuffed it into Satoru Gojo's mouth.

"Oh, this tastes pretty good. It's just not sweet enough."

"The amount of sweetness you like would be lethal to ordinary people."

Eiji picked up a piece of tamagoyaki and put it into his mouth.

It was fluffy and tender, its rich eggy and milky flavors filling his mouth.

It really did taste good.

The omurice was delicious too. The egg was smooth and tender, and the cream mushroom sauce and ketchup made the flavors even richer. The rice had probably been seasoned beforehand, and it was wonderfully fragrant.

"Geto, what did you order?"

Satoru Gojo looked at the food in front of Suguru Geto.

"Let's see. Coffee, matcha cake, chocolate mousse... It doesn't seem sweet enough at all."

"Matcha and coffee both have a faint bitterness, right? It's good to eat more sweets once in a while."

"I like them."

Suguru Geto reached out and pushed Satoru Gojo's large face back.

"Ah, right."

Satoru Gojo seemed to remember something.

"Jujutsu High starts in a few months. Are you guys going?"

"Yeah, I'm going. Jujutsu High is a place dedicated to teaching Jujutsu Sorcerers. If I enroll, I'll be able to better understand jujutsu and Cursed Spirits, and use this power to protect more ordinary people."

Suguru Geto withdrew his hand.

"Yeah, yeah, we get it. We know you're a good little boy, Suguru Geto."

Satoru Gojo lazily leaned against the back of his chair and waved a hand impatiently at Suguru Geto.

"No."

Satoru Gojo's perfunctory attitude made Suguru Geto much more serious.

"Listen, Satoru. Jujutsu exists to protect Non-Sorcerers. A society where the weak can survive is how things should be."

"More lofty ideals? I hate lofty ideals."

Satoru Gojo's lips curled upward.

"Hm?"

"Power is just power. Only the weak add reasons and responsibilities to it."

Satoru Gojo exerted a little force, shifting from leaning against the chair back to placing both arms on the table, his chin resting on the backs of his hands.

His sunglasses slid down from the motion, revealing azure Six Eyes that seemed capable of seeing through everything.

"Don't move yourself with all those lofty ideals, Geto."

His beliefs had been dismissed so thoroughly that even though Suguru Geto and Satoru Gojo were Best Friends, Suguru Geto felt a little angry.

Suguru Geto narrowed his eyes, an angry expression appearing on his face.

That expression made his already small eyes disappear entirely.

"Alright, alright, this is a café. Are you two planning to fight here?"

Eiji stuffed the last two cream puffs into their mouths, acting as the peacemaker.

Suguru Geto took the cream puff, put it into his mouth, and looked thoroughly displeased.

Satoru Gojo, on the other hand, opened his mouth and accepted Eiji's feeding as though nothing had happened.

"Eiji, do you think what I said was right?"

"Swallow your food before you talk."

At that, Satoru Gojo directly swallowed what was still in his mouth.

"Eiji, do you think I'm right?"

"I agree with half of it."

"Ah? Which half?"

"Power is just power. How it is used is for you to decide."

"Eiji, even you..."

Suguru Geto frowned, his nearly invisible eyes widening slightly.

The objections of his two Best Friends caused this half-grown boy's mindset to shift.

"Geto."

Eiji interrupted Suguru Geto.

"I agree that the strong should protect the weak."

"Hah?"

One moment Eiji disagreed, the next he agreed. Suguru Geto's mind could not quite keep up.

"But you need to distinguish who you want to protect. Not all weak people are worth protecting. Some people disappearing would make the world a better place."

"And the definition of weakness is too broad. So broad that it will make you question whether protecting the 'weak' has any meaning at all. Sooner or later, you'll discover that the human heart is vast enough to contain the entire world, yet small enough to protect only those it wants to protect."

Eiji silently decided that he would keep a close eye on Suguru Geto and make sure he did not go down the wrong path again.

Some things could not be avoided, but with guidance in advance, the story could still reach another ending.

There were still three years. It was not too late.

"See, Geto?"

Satoru Gojo looked smug.

"You too, Satoru. Power without purpose will only bring chaos and destruction. Only by shouldering something can a person become truly strong."

"There it is. Eiji and his mouthful of lofty ideals."

Satoru Gojo spread his hands.

Satoru Gojo was someone who truly did whatever he pleased, heedless of worldly opinion. Only when Suguru Geto defected did he realize that even his power had limits, and only then did he begin to shoulder his responsibilities.

"Ah, right. Remember to undergo your Jujutsu Sorcerer Grade Assessment before enrollment."