Arrival in Sendai

Kento Nanami walked with a steady pace, taking the lead.

Mashiro wrapped herself in his suit jacket, following silently half a step behind. The jacket was much too large for her, the hem hanging almost to her knees, but it did a good job of concealing the tears in her clothes and the injuries on her body.

The silence lasted for several blocks, until they stopped for a red light at an intersection, and Mashiro spoke first.

"Mr. Nanami."

"Hmm?"

"Help me get some identification." Her voice was calm as she spoke offhandedly, "An adult one, capable of passing daily use. Let the name be Kujo Mashiro, and deduct the cost from my next payout."

Nanami did not stop walking, only turning his head slightly so that his gaze behind his lenses lingered on her face for a single moment.

The green light turned on, and he stepped across the crosswalk, Mashiro breaking into a light jog to keep up.

"Reason." His tone held no discernible emotion.

"I'm going to Sendai. In my current state I can't buy tickets or stay at an inn, I can't do anything." Mashiro's reason was direct and pragmatic, "I need an identity that allows normal movement, something that can at least muddle through."

"This is document forgery." Nanami stated a fact.

"I know. So it's a transaction; I'll pay, and I'll bear all the risks." Mashiro raised her eyes to look at his coldly defined profile, "Once the documents are in hand, the source is cut off. Even if trouble arises in the future, it will only lead back to Kujo Mashiro."

She spoke so clearly and logically that it actually made Nanami fall silent for a few seconds.

"Why Sendai." He asked the question again, "Personal business? Related to the family?"

She couldn't very well say she was going to look for the protagonist, could she?

"...Both are possibilities, that's the answer." Mashiro secretly wiped away cold sweat and replied ambiguously.

Could it be about fighting over family assets? Since she wanted money more than her life, it might actually be possible.

Letting his mind wander, Nanami did not press further; a reliable adult's sense of boundaries stopped him right there.

Walking past another intersection, the lights of a bus stop could be seen in the distance. Nanami stopped in his tracks, turning to face Mashiro.

"A photo." He said.

Mashiro took out her phone, unlocked it, brought up the camera, and handed it to Nanami.

Then she took a few steps back on her heels, stood at the haloed edge of a streetlamp's light, and took off the battered baseball cap on her head.

Her silver hair cascaded down, stirred by the wind. She reached out from beneath the suit jacket to rearrange her hair, then lifted her face, her crimson eyes gazing calmly into the lens.

Nanami raised his phone, aimed it at her, and pressed the shutter.

With a click, Nanami looked at the photo on the screen; the lighting was somewhat dim, but her facial features were clear.

He handed the phone back, adjusted his glasses, and said, "Tomorrow morning, East Exit of Shibuya Station, Locker 107, passcode 1123."

"Inside there will be a driver's license and a simplified Resident Record. The license is a genuine blank document with your photo swapped in, but the Resident Record is a forgery, so you'll have to memorize the basic details."

"How much?"

"Three hundred thousand."

"Alright." Mashiro nodded, put away her phone, and put her cap back on again.

Nanami looked at her-this girl covered in injuries yet completely unconcerned, forging documents as casually as buying a bottle of water-and ultimately let out a soft sigh.

"Get in the car." He raised a hand to hail a passing empty taxi, pulling open the rear door.

Mashiro looked at the taxi, her fingers slowly stroking the back of her other hand, and said softly, "Thank you, this jacket..."

"Keep wearing it, return it next time we meet." Nanami cut her off, "I've prepared a room for you. Rest well, and set out tomorrow."

Mashiro paused, nodded, and bent to slide into the car.

Nanami closed the door and gave an address to the driver. The car window slowly rose, sealing off the inside from the outside.

Mashiro leaned against the backrest, tilting her head to watch Nanami's figure outside the window shrink rapidly until it disappeared around the street corner.

Thank you, reliable adult.

This was the first time Mashiro had felt warmth in this world. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep before she knew it.

The next morning, East Exit of Shibuya Station.

Mashiro retrieved a kraft paper envelope from Locker 107. She walked over to a corner and opened it; inside lay a laminated copy of a Resident Record and a driver's license.

The photo on the license was her, but her skin tone and contours had been slightly tweaked, making her look quite a bit more mature. The name was Kujo Mashiro, and the age was twenty.

Is this really Japan? Such fast administrative efficiency-truly living up to a reliable adult.

Complaining inwardly, she arrived at the station, strapped Murasame into its violin case and slung it over her back, using Cursed Energy to veil its exterior so at least security scans wouldn't detect it.

In front of the Shinkansen ticket counter, she handed over her driver's license and cash, "One ticket to Sendai."

The ticket agent checked the documents, glanced up at her, said nothing, and lowered his head to print the ticket.

A few minutes later, she walked toward the platform holding her ticket.

The train pulled into the station on schedule. She found her seat, stowed her luggage, and sat down.

The scenery outside the window began to accelerate. Mashiro gazed out, her fingers drawing circles on the table.

Sugisawa Third High School in Sendai, Yuji Itadori.

She recalled the plot of Jujutsu Kaisen; the original work hadn't specified the exact date, only that it happened this very month.

She had to get close and observe Itadori, or at least make sure she knew the night he ate the finger.

This was the first time since coming to this world that she was taking the initiative to approach plot characters like this.

Her mood was somewhat excited; though she didn't know what kind of impact her inclusion would have on the plot, following the original storyline as closely as possible should ensure things didn't deviate too wildly.

I want to see with my own eyes just how strong that King of Curses really is, Mashiro thought, her heartbeat gradually accelerating as a smile unconsciously spread across her face.

When the train arrived in Sendai, it was roughly noon.

Mashiro walked out of the station without stopping, opened her mobile map, and followed the navigation toward her destination.

After about half an hour, she stood outside the main gates of Miyagi Prefecture Sugisawa Third High School.

Faint sounds of commotion and cheering drifted from within the campus.

Is it lunch break?

Mashiro peered through the iron lattice gate, catching the outline of the teaching building; in the distance, a few students in athletic wear were running across the spacious sports field.

Instead of approaching, Mashiro walked along the streets bordering the perimeter of the school, observing as she went.

She needed to find a place to live near the school first, to make subsequent actions convenient.

Her gaze landed on the apartment buildings and small two- or three-story structures facing the street, evaluating angles, distance, and concealment.

When she rounded the southeast side of the school onto a relatively quiet one-way street, she came to a halt.

Before her stood a five-story apartment building with a very clean outer wall. On the fourth and fifth floors, there were west-facing windows and balconies.

She went upstairs to observe, and living here would provide a superb vantage point overlooking the entire school athletic field.

"Right here." Mashiro took out her phone and dialed the leasing company number posted in the stairwell, "Hello, I'd like to make an inquiry..."

Fifteen minutes later, a corporate worker of around thirty years old arrived. After checking the identification Mashiro provided, he led her upstairs to view the apartment.

The unit available for short-term rental was the corner room on the fourth floor, with a usable area of about twenty tatami mats.

The room was quite new, equipped with a simple kitchen and bathroom, alongside basic air conditioning, a refrigerator, and a washing machine. Most importantly, there was that large west-facing window-with a wide-open view where that section of Sugisawa Third High could be clearly seen from outside the window, right down to the figures of a few students practicing penalty shots.

"The view is great, it's just that it gets a bit noisy during specific time periods," the agent introduced, "The shortest lease is one month, with a monthly rent of eighty-five thousand yen, management fee included. One month's deposit. If you're sure, you can move in today."

Mashiro stood by the window, her gaze sweeping across the sports field and then shifting further toward the teaching building. At this distance, using Cursed Energy to enhance her vision would let her even see students having class inside the classrooms. The conditions of the room itself also exceeded her expectations, and with pre-existing furniture, it saved her from having to buy any.

"This room."

The rental procedures were swiftly completed at a nearby real estate agency branch.

Mashiro paid the rent and deposit, receiving the keys and move-in instructions.

Returning to the newly rented room, she double-locked the door, walked to the center of the room, set down her violin case and backpack, tidied away her few belongings, and sat on the balcony looking at the nearby school.

"Before long, a storm of blood and slaughter is going to break out here."

Mashiro sighed, drawing circles on her knee with her finger, deciding she should make some proper contact tomorrow.