Shoko Ieiri Couldn't Understand the Bonds Between Boys

Three or four days had passed since the three of them played games together, and their relationship seemed to have undergone some subtle changes.

Of course, playing a game together wouldn't make their bond progress by leaps and bounds, but their interactions had become a little more natural and familiar.

On the training grounds, Geto Suguru was practicing his cursed energy control. After watching and analyzing him previously, Yaga Masamichi had determined that his control still wasn't precise enough.

Although he could activate his technique, it still caused some unnecessary expenditure. Thus, their training for this period was focused specifically on that aspect.

Having just finished a round of control training, Toho Tetsu sat on a bench beside the training grounds, calming the fluctuations in his cursed energy as he watched the two whose relationship had clearly grown much closer.

"Hey, didn't your cursed energy control just slip?"

"Huh? No, it didn't."

"Give me a break. I clearly saw it fluctuate. You definitely lost control!"

"Could it be that you're blaming me for your own mistake? You lost control, and now you're saying it was me?"

"With the Six Eyes, you're actually saying I can't control cursed energy properly?"

"You... are you really that proud of cheating?"

"If you don't like it, bite me~"

The two practiced while bickering, their voices already carrying a faint sense of unspoken understanding. As for why Gojo Satoru was there, it was naturally because he was bored and had come along to train for fun.

As he listened, Toho's lips curved slightly, but he said nothing and simply drank his water in silence.

At the other end of the bench sat Shoko Ieiri. Perhaps because she had extensive experience using Reverse Cursed Technique, there was not much for her to train in when it came to cursed energy control.

Yaga did not have many requirements for her in that regard, so he allowed her to review or study other subjects during this time.

At the moment, she held a book related to medical knowledge.

Some people might wonder whether a doctor in the Jujutsu Society still needed to study the common knowledge and expertise of ordinary people.

The answer was yes, because the human body was broadly the same for Sorcerers and ordinary people.

If she possessed the proper understanding of human anatomy, she could greatly reduce the cursed energy and time she expended when treating others.

Therefore, even doctors in the Jujutsu Society generally needed to obtain medical licenses in the ordinary world, and she was currently working toward that goal.

However, the laughter and noise from the two in the distance still drew her gaze over unconsciously, a trace of confusion appearing in her expression.

She remembered that just a few days ago, those two had been at each other's throats, like fire and water. It seemed they would start fighting the instant they met, so why had their relationship suddenly become...

It wasn't as though they were especially close. They still argued and bickered, but they were already far better than before.

She closed her book and sighed softly.

"Male high school students really are complicated creatures... Does friendship really progress that fast?"

Her words sounded like a self-directed sigh, but also like a question born of curiosity for someone else. Naturally, they caught someone's attention.

"What's wrong?"

Toho asked curiously, turning his gaze toward her. Though it made her feel somewhat strange and awkward, she hesitated briefly before speaking again.

"Nothing. It's just that they seem to have... suddenly grown closer?"

Following her gaze, Toho looked at the two, who had already begun fooling around.

Gojo was repeatedly poking at Geto's palm with cursed energy gathered at his fingertips, seemingly trying to disrupt his cursed energy control.

Geto dodged with a dark expression, saying something that only made Gojo's attacks grow even more excessive.

Their overly energetic display made Toho clear his throat.

"Maybe it's because they fought that day?"

"Just like that...?"

Shoko did not understand.

When she was bored in her free time, she sometimes passed the time reading online novels and similar things. Those stories did indeed have plots where two people became closer after fighting each other or fighting alongside one another.

But she had always thought that was merely a convention of fiction. In reality, conflict between people only brought negative emotions and casualties.

Why would anyone grow closer after a fight? That simply did not make sense.

After a brief silence, Toho thought about what had happened afterward and sounded a little uncertain.

"Maybe it also had something to do with them playing games all night?"

"Games?"

"Yeah. After the duel ended that day, Geto came to ask me about hand-to-hand combat training. Then Gojo happened to come looking for me too, though he came to challenge me to a fighting game."

Remembering what had happened then, his expression became a little odd as well.

"But Gojo started mocking and provoking him after barely saying a few words. Then those two just kept playing until midnight before they left, and they even agreed to fight again next time."

If Shoko's expression had merely been confused before, it was now utterly speechless.

After remaining silent for several seconds, she remarked in a tone as though she had seen through everything.

"Male high school students really are idiots."

Toho truly had no grounds to refute that, because it reminded him of the youthful days when he had been an idiot himself.

He had not felt it at the time. Later, when he went to university, it had felt a little embarrassing. But after becoming an adult and entering the workforce, he instead felt reluctant to let it go, filled with memories.

Perhaps people were simply like that. At every stage of life, they might be unable to understand their former selves, only to realize in the future that those days had been rather good too.

Even Shoko, who was teasing him right now, would probably smile knowingly someday when she looked back on this time.

With that thought, he merely smiled softly. But Shoko, who had been watching his expression, froze slightly instead.

After all, her words had included him as well. She had just been about to explain that she had not meant it that way, but then she saw him simply smile with calm acceptance.

It made her feel that this classmate was even more mysterious and intriguing.

Unlike her own detached and calm attitude, formed from being accustomed to blood and death, this classmate seemed to have observed everything from a very different perspective from the very beginning.

But what had he experienced to act like this? What kind of person was he, and what was truly in his heart...?

As she thought, her gaze became slightly unfocused.

Then, the next second, Yaga Masamichi's shout made her turn her eyes back toward the center of the training grounds.

"Alright, training ends here for today. Your progress was pretty good, but you two still need to keep working hard. I'm not asking you to catch up to Gojo, but at least catch up to Ieiri."

Hearing herself used as the standard of comparison, Shoko turned her head away in resignation, while a hint of smugness appeared on Gojo's face.

But before he could say anything else, Yaga beckoned to the two of them, calling them over as well.

After reminding Shoko, the two walked together to the middle of the training grounds.

Seeing Yaga's expression suddenly turn serious and solemn, the other two who had finished training also put away their relaxed attitudes.

Once he saw that they had adjusted their expressions, he nodded and announced the most important matter of the day.

"To be frank, you should not yet be participating in actual combat missions at your current stage. But because each of you possesses rather unique qualities, the school has decided, after careful consideration, to let you formally begin taking on missions starting today."

"Huh?"

Shoko paused. Gojo and Geto exchanged glances, only to see a trace of excitement and renewed competitiveness in each other's eyes.

"We can start taking missions now, Yaga-sensei?"

Though Geto spoke first, there was no urgency in his voice, only curiosity and inquiry.

Compared to him, Gojo's words were much simpler and more direct.

"Look at our party composition. Me, the ranged mage immune to damage; Geto Suguru, the summoner with an army of cursed spirits; Toho Tetsu, the front-line warrior with exceptional hand-to-hand combat skills; and Ieiri, the priest who can heal others.

"I think it has to be at least a Grade 1 mission to match our status, right?"

Listening to that description lifted straight from a game, Yaga's brow twitched as though visible veins had popped out.

Only after giving Gojo a stern look that silenced him did he continue explaining.

"Although your team composition is indeed quite reasonable, and very strong as well, missions must be handled from low to high.

"However, Grade 3 and Grade 4 missions would indeed be a waste of time for you. The mission you'll be handling is Grade 2, and it may even be Grade 1."

After seeing Gojo and Geto exchange a glance, seemingly both expectant and excited after hearing this, he emphasized specially.

"But no incident involving cursed spirits is ever absolute. When handling this mission, treat it as the highest-grade incident you are capable of handling. You must not let your guard down."

"Don't forget, I have only one requirement for you: come back alive!"

Gojo did not take those deliberately grim words to heart at all, and even Geto did not think it was a major matter.

Only Toho and Shoko nodded at the same time. After noticing that their movements had coincided once again, they exchanged a knowing glance before looking away.

"Alright, you can move freely and prepare during the next few hours. The mission begins tonight. Someone will come pick you up then, so gather at the school entrance at seven sharp. Alright, dismissed."

After explaining everything, he turned and left, leaving only the group on the training grounds.

Gojo eagerly stretched his body, his expression filled with excitement and anticipation.

"Heh heh, tonight I'll show you what the strongest means. How can I display my greatness if I'm always training on the training grounds?"

Though he found that attitude somewhat arrogant, Geto was not overly nervous. He simply rubbed his chin.

"Even so, we can't be too careless when the time comes. We should stay somewhat alert."

Although he did not say it aloud, his expression clearly showed that he did not take this mission very seriously either.

After all, a Grade 2 mission generally meant only a Grade 2 cursed spirit. His own collection already contained several Grade 2 cursed spirits, including even a Grade 1 cursed spirit, so he had nothing to worry about.

Watching the two, Shoko sighed inwardly, then waved her hand and turned to leave to prepare her things.

After saying goodbye to the two, Toho also decided to go to the library and continue studying barrier techniques. Yet he had a feeling that... those two would probably pull something tonight. He just did not know whether it would be good or bad.