The spacious, brightly lit hospital room held only one bed, and Sakurada Niji lay in it.
As his awareness gradually returned, the faint smell of disinfectant filled his nose. Wrapped in bandages, Sakurada Niji slowly opened his eyes to a clean white ceiling. Feeling the weight in his right arm and the pain in his chest, he stayed still.
Looks like the police arrived just in time. I wonder how long it's been since I passed out.
He felt around the bedside with his left hand, found the call button, and pressed it. Soon, a jumble of footsteps came from outside the door.
Creak-
At the sound of the door opening, Sakurada Niji looked over and saw his mother, his father, and Yoshioka Ryozo following behind them.
Seeing her son awake, Sakurada Miyoko hurried over from the doorway. She touched his forehead and asked gently, "Sweetheart... does it hurt? Are you dizzy? Is there anywhere else that feels uncomfortable?"
Warmth filled Sakurada Niji's heart. He smiled at his mother and said, "Mom, it doesn't hurt at all. I'll be fine after a few days of rest!"
"It doesn't hurt, huh? So are you going to fight gangsters again?!" Sakurada Miyoko's tone turned stern, and she vigorously ruffled her son's hair.
Sakurada Yosuke stood beside Sakurada Niji's bed and earnestly told his injured son, "You must look after your own safety from now on. We should only help others when we can keep ourselves safe. Otherwise, we'll just end up with two injured people instead of one."
Then Sakurada Yosuke leaned down and stroked Sakurada Niji's head as well. "Your classmate has come to see you every day this past week. Now that you're awake, have a chat with him."
Yoshioka Ryozo emerged from behind Sakurada Yosuke with his head lowered. He looked guiltily at Sakurada Niji lying in the hospital bed, seemingly at a loss for words.
Sakurada Niji simply watched him with a faint smile, then said to his parents, "Dad, Mom, could you step outside for a moment? I have something to discuss with my classmate."
"All right, your mother and I will leave you to it. Take your time."
After a long silence, Yoshioka Ryozo made up his mind. He bowed to Sakurada Niji and said loudly, "Sakurada! I'm sorry! I should have listened to you! If I'd left sooner, you wouldn't have been hurt this badly!"
Sakurada Niji watched Yoshioka Ryozo remain bent in a bow after finishing his apology. He sighed, then said, "That monster was incredibly strong. By the time we saw it, it was already too late to escape."
"Besides, you were only heading home that late because you were celebrating my birthday. Of course I had to protect you."
"And things didn't end in tragedy, did they?" Sakurada Niji reassured Yoshioka Ryozo.
Seeing that Yoshioka Ryozo still hadn't straightened up, Sakurada Niji couldn't help saying, "Now you know there are things in this world that science can't explain. Anyone could run into a monster like that one."
"We just happened to encounter it. And because I encountered it, I was able to destroy it. A lot of people were saved because of that. You made exactly the right decision back then."
"Besides, if you'd simply turned around and left, I'd be a corpse right now."
"How about giving this 'hero' a smile?" Sakurada Niji smiled at Yoshioka Ryozo.
Yoshioka Ryozo finally raised his head and gave Sakurada Niji a smile full of admiration and pride.
Sakurada Niji asked, "When you reported it to the police, how did they handle it? Did they call some special organization?"
He wanted to know how the police dealt with incidents like this. Logically, they should know at least something about cursed spirits. Perhaps he could get the Jujutsu Association's contact information from them.
Yoshioka Ryozo thought for a moment, then said, "After the police heard what I said, they asked me again. Once they confirmed I hadn't misspoken, they went into an office inside. They came out about five or six minutes later and told me they needed me to show them the way."
"I waited outside the police station for a bit, and a black sedan pulled up in front of me. The police told me to get in and give the driver directions."
"Once I got in, I saw that the driver was wearing a black suit. Sitting beside me in the back was a middle-aged man who looked about thirty, with slightly dark skin and short-cropped black hair. On the way, he asked whether I'd seen the monster. I said no, and he didn't say anything else."
"When we reached the scene, the driver got out, pointed a finger at the sky, and recited some kind of incantation. Then the middle-aged man went in alone. A little later, the driver took a phone call, told me you were safe, and drove me home."
Could that have been Masamichi Yaga? From that description, he's the only character I remember from the original story who looks anything like the man Yoshioka described.
After learning what had happened, Sakurada Niji told Yoshioka Ryozo, "Thanks, Yoshioka. I don't have any more questions. I'm recovering well, and I'll be discharged after some rest. It's getting late, so you should head home."
"All right, Sakurada. I won't disturb you any longer. Once you've recovered, I'll come with our classmates to pick you up when you're discharged."
Seeing that Sakurada Niji was in good spirits, Yoshioka Ryozo stopped worrying about him. He turned to leave, only to hear Sakurada Niji speak behind him.
"Yoshioka, make sure you avoid secluded places from now on. Don't stay out too late or take part in things like exploring abandoned places. Try to stay positive, too. All of those things can help keep you away from danger." Sakurada Niji knew danger was everywhere, but for now, all he could do was tell his classmate how to avoid it as much as possible.
Yoshioka Ryozo turned back and looked earnestly at Sakurada Niji.
"I understand, Sakurada. Please make sure you don't push yourself too hard either!"
"Yeah, I know," Sakurada Niji replied.
After watching Yoshioka Ryozo leave, Sakurada Niji closed his eyes and said nothing more. He only opened them again when he heard the door opening.
Looking at the middle-aged man before him, who matched Yoshioka Ryozo's description almost exactly, Sakurada Niji knew his guess had been right. He simply hadn't expected the man to come directly to him.
"Hello, young man. This is our second meeting. My name is Masamichi Yaga, and I'm a teacher at Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu High School. I'd like to ask you a few questions. May I?"
Looking at Masamichi Yaga, who still appeared quite young,
Sakurada Niji replied, "Of course, sir."
"Then I'll begin. At the place where you collapsed, did you fight a monster and destroy it?"
Without hesitation, Sakurada Niji answered, "Yes. I've been able to see these monsters since I was little. They all look different. I studied them for a while and discovered how to draw energy from my own negative emotions. Then I tried using that energy to kill them."
Pausing briefly to take a breath, Sakurada Niji continued:
"But this monster was stronger than all the others, and it was also extremely intelligent. Only when it was about to eat me did I discover the proper way to use that energy, and I used it to kill the monster."
At the scene, Masamichi Yaga had already deduced that this boy had killed the Grade 2 cursed spirit. Still, hearing the boy say it himself surprised him a little.
Most jujutsu sorcerers who emerged by chance spent their childhoods shunned and feared by those around them. Few learned to use their powers before being discovered by a jujutsu sorcerer or curse user.
This boy has real talent. Still, I'll have to see what sort of character he has, what his cursed technique is, and whether it's suited to combat.
Masamichi Yaga continued, "What do you think of these monsters, and of your own abilities?"
Sakurada Niji immediately voiced his honest thoughts. "Without question, those monsters are utterly evil. They have no positive value whatsoever. All they do is cause humans suffering and torture them to death."
"As for my own power, honestly, I used to be able to do little more than extract energy and crudely reinforce my body with it. It wasn't until I fought that monster that I understood my true power. Compared to how I used to be, the difference is like night and day..."
Sakurada Niji paused, then continued.
"I think this power of mine is wonderful. I'm incredibly grateful to have it. I believe humans must have a way to fight back against monsters. Otherwise, how are we any different from livestock penned up for slaughter?!"
After hearing Sakurada Niji's words, Masamichi Yaga's face softened into a slight smile.
This boy is very mature mentally. He neither fears cursed spirits nor resents his own power. He already meets the basic requirements for becoming a jujutsu sorcerer.
"If someone taught you how to use this ability more effectively, what would you do with it?"
Sakurada Niji's smile faded. He looked earnestly at the man before him and said, "Do you even need to ask? Destroy monsters and protect my fellow humans."
Seeing the sincerity in the boy's eyes, Masamichi Yaga couldn't help feeling heartened.
"One final question. When you were fighting that monster, at the moment you were close to death, did you regret stepping forward?"
Sakurada Niji carefully thought back. With a hint of relief on his face, he told Masamichi Yaga:
"Honestly, my first thought was that I'd let my parents down. Then I thought about how I couldn't bear to leave my classmates and friends. Finally, I felt anger toward the monster and frustration with myself... but the one thing... I never felt was regret!"
Masamichi Yaga's stern expression relaxed, and he extended an invitation to Sakurada Niji with a calm look.
"Then, Sakurada Niji, would you be willing to enroll at Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu High School, learn how to use your own cursed energy and cursed technique, learn the skills needed to exorcise cursed spirits, and accept assignments to exorcise them?"
Thinking of how he would soon meet the characters from the original story, systematically improve his abilities, and learn about his cursed technique, Sakurada Niji felt excitement surge within him.
He answered:
"Nothing would make me happier!"
Masamichi Yaga smiled and held out his hand to Sakurada Niji. "Welcome to Tokyo Jujutsu High."