There's no shame in getting a head start

The days that followed were exactly as Aikawa Kaze had predicted: peaceful school life.

Yet Kaze felt that something was different.

It wasn't just that Satoru Gojo had grown much closer to him after their "mutual assistance." His classmates, especially Yuta Okkotsu and Maki Zenin, seemed to have developed some strange impressions of him.

Whenever he tried to ask why they were looking at him so strangely, though, they always changed the subject.

That day, he had just finished sparring with Maki and left the field, exhausted. He was about to join Panda and Toge Inumaki on the seats beside the athletic field to rest and watch Yuta Okkotsu fight Maki Zenin.

Although his physical condition had improved considerably, and his combat skills were advancing by leaps and bounds thanks to daytime training and nighttime lessons from two heroic spirits, building stamina still required sustained effort over time, not a brief crash course.

Right now, for instance, he had nearly exhausted all his strength, but he was still no match for Maki, whose Heavenly Restriction favored physical prowess and who had been training on her own since childhood.

Maki had only worked up a light sheen of sweat. She could even train with Yuta Okkotsu after finishing her match with him.

When Kaze reached the rest area and sat down, the two classmates who had been huddled close together, whispering in each other's ears, abruptly pulled apart and sat upright, staring straight ahead.

Kaze: ...

Why did he feel left out?

Still, it wasn't as though they were distancing themselves from him or ostracizing him. They got along quite well, and whether they were training, eating, or going shopping, they always invited him along.

It felt more like his friends had acquired little secrets of their own under circumstances he knew nothing about.

Maki and Yuta seemed to share some sort of understanding, while Panda and Toge Inumaki seemed to have a secret of their own.

Wait, no. Looking at it that way, wasn't he actually missing something?

Kaze felt a little discouraged.

He quite liked these friends of his, and he considered his intelligence and emotional awareness perfectly normal. Surely he hadn't done anything to make them dislike him.

They... didn't dislike him, did they?

After carefully reviewing everything he had said and done and confirming that he hadn't failed to read the room, Kaze could only reach the following conclusion.

Once every impossible explanation had been eliminated, whatever remained had to be the truth.

Perhaps they didn't dislike him. He simply didn't have a "best friend" with whom he'd clicked instantly and become inseparable.

Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto, or the future Yuji Itadori and Megumi Fushiguro, were examples of particularly compatible best friends. They naturally got along well with their other classmates too, but those relationships never quite reached "best friend" status.

By comparison, he and his classmates were fairly close "companions," but they hadn't reached that level of "best friends" found in a Jump manga.

He could accept that.

After all, his true mental age put more than a few generation gaps between him and his classmates. It made sense when he thought about it.

It was a little disappointing, but looking at it from the other side, Kaze himself saw them as more than good friends but not quite best friends. He had no right to complain.

They were companions who could trust one another and entrust their backs to each other. Their bond simply hadn't reached the point where they shared every interest and could talk about absolutely anything.

After all, their goals and worldviews didn't overlap all that much.

Having worked it out, Kaze considered it for a moment, then deliberately sat a little farther away.

"Kaze, why are you sitting so far away?"

Panda had watched Kaze approach them, only to veer off and sit farther away, and couldn't help finding it strange.

"Not joining us?"

"Hm? I just thought I might be interrupting your conversation."

Kaze blinked and answered honestly.

"Don't worry. From this distance, I won't hear anything unless I deliberately eavesdrop."

"..."

"..."

Panda and Toge Inumaki fell silent together. Remembering how they had reacted earlier, they inexplicably felt their consciences sting.

Why did it look as though they were deliberately excluding Kaze?!

Heaven knew, they were only...

"It's fine. I know you aren't deliberately leaving me out. You just have little secrets between friends that aren't convenient to share."

Noticing their embarrassment and discomfort, Kaze very considerately offered reassurance.

He genuinely meant it.

Kaze had long since grown out of the stage of whispering with friends and secretly gossiping. He was a mature adult now.

When he saw two youngsters huddled together whispering, he would merely think, Ah, youth! and get on with his life.

But Panda and Toge Inumaki, who had no idea what Kaze was really thinking, felt differently. Those words pierced both their hearts like a sharp sword.

Now we feel even guiltier!

Panda and Toge Inumaki exchanged a look, communicated something with their eyes, then nodded at each other.

Because Toge Inumaki was a cursed speech user, he could normally only communicate in "rice ball language" to avoid accidentally hurting anyone. In the end, Panda mustered his courage and stepped forward.

Panda glanced at the two locked in heated combat on the field, then at Kaze.

"Kaze, there's something we've been wanting to ask you guys... ask you for a long time."

Panda stammered awkwardly, looking embarrassed yet unmistakably eager for gossip.

"What is it? As long as it's something I can tell you, I won't hide it."

Kaze was open with the people he trusted.

Just as before, although he had pretended he was about to unleash his ultimate move to threaten those old conservatives, he had honestly told Satoru Gojo and his classmates afterward that he couldn't actually use it whenever he wanted.

After all, bluffing and intimidating the old conservatives was fine, but giving his teachers and classmates an inaccurate understanding of his abilities could put them in danger.

As the system had previously explained, only the first successful summoning allowed him one unconditional use of a heroic spirit's abilities at full power. After that, it depended on the circumstances.

After they discussed it, the King of Knights had readily agreed to lend Kaze his abilities whenever needed, provided the conditions of the Thirteen Restraints were met-especially the condition of "saving the world."

After all, the King of Knights and his Excalibur had come into being to save the world and slay invaders. As long as Kaze was fighting for the world, he could use those abilities unconditionally.

Conversely, if it was for his own private affairs, he couldn't borrow the King of Knights' abilities.

The previous summoning and attack had only gone smoothly because of Sukuna's Finger. As a humanoid calamity and an enemy of humanity, Sukuna had been judged a major threat to the world, allowing the Round Table Conference to proceed.

As for Red Archer...

Honestly, although Kaze had already placed the first heroic spirit to answer him and lend a helping hand in his darkest moment at number one in his heart, Red Archer's strength wasn't particularly outstanding across the entire Throne of Heroes.

Red Archer's noble phantasm was better suited to clearing out lesser enemies. Dealing with cursed spirits below special grade was easy, but special grade cursed spirits were another matter.

The first time, a certain cursed spirit had essentially brought about its own demise by absorbing power it couldn't bear. That overload was what allowed him to dispose of it so easily with Red Archer's Unlimited Blade Works.

However, he had only exorcised the cursed spirit. He hadn't inflicted any damage on Sukuna's Finger.

Red Archer's strength lay in his extensive combat experience and his unique Projection Magecraft.

Kaze was learning combat methods and projection from him. The "Excalibur" he had wielded while bluffing the old conservatives was actually just an illusion projected over the Jewel Sword itself.

To everyone else, however, it was perfectly normal for a jujutsu sorcerer's "cursed energy" to coat a "cursed tool."

The Heroic Spirit Summoning cursed technique had nothing to do with illusions either, so no one noticed anything except Satoru Gojo, whose Six Eyes had picked up on the truth.

Naturally, Gojo Sensei wouldn't expose his adorable student's little lie. Thus, the higher-ups remained deeply wary of the devastating weapon in Kaze's hands and dared not make any rash moves.

Red Archer didn't mind helping Kaze when he had time, but his situation was completely different from the King of Knights'.

To wield the Holy Sword, Kaze only needed an enemy that met the restraints' conditions and enough energy of his own.

But to make use of Red Archer's abilities, he needed the hard-earned experience of countless battlefields, mastery of various sword weapons, and knowledge and command of all kinds of noble phantasms.

In other words, if Kaze's own skill in those areas wasn't up to standard, he couldn't use those abilities effectively even if he borrowed some of them.

So, lately, most of Kaze's training in his mental space consisted of being beaten up by two heroic spirits, while his daytime training consisted of being beaten up by Maki and Satoru Gojo.

It had to be said that even with this doubly intensified training, Kaze could only just manage even odds against Yuta Okkotsu. The Pure Love Warrior truly was a genius among geniuses!

Kaze had to admit that he was an ordinary person making up for his shortcomings through hard work.

But the early bird got a head start! There was no shame in that.

As a well-behaved Chinese citizen from a peaceful era who had attended school properly and never picked fights or caused trouble, Kaze thought he was already doing pretty well.

Watching Yuta Okkotsu continue to get beaten up by Maki on the field, Kaze rubbed the spot where she had just left a bruise on him and felt thoroughly reassured.

Look! Even Yuta Okkotsu, supposedly second only to Satoru Gojo, is getting thrashed by Maki right now. So it's perfectly normal for her to beat me up too, isn't it?

However, watching Panda alternate between looking at Yuta and Maki and looking at him, Kaze suddenly understood something.

"Are you trying to ask about me, Yuta, and Maki?"

"Ohhh! So you know what we mean! Can you tell us? Can you?! Can you really tell us?"

Panda's eyes immediately lit up, and he blinked his adorable big eyes expectantly at Kaze. Even the normally aloof-looking Toge Inumaki turned his violet eyes toward him.

I didn't realize they cared so much. They really are spirited young guys, aren't they?

Understanding dawning on him, Kaze spoke directly.

"It's not a secret. Right now, Yuta and I have even odds without cursed energy, and our win rates against Maki are both zero. But if we teamed up against her... hm? What's with those expressions?"

Kaze, who had been seriously analyzing their chances of winning, looked in bewilderment at the pair who had suddenly turned into petrified, monochrome statues.

Did I just say something really discouraging? Surely not?

Panda shakily raised a paw, looking aggrieved.

"Aren't you supposed to tell us about how you and Yuta are competing for Maki?!"

As for combat strength and win rates...

They weren't blind. They had practically always trained together all this time. How could they not know?

They wanted gossip about the love triangle!

Kaze: "..."

Oh. I get it. High school boys!

No wonder they had been whispering behind his back.

Kaze's expression went blank for a moment. Once he understood what Panda meant, he was left speechless.

"You're reading too much into it."

"How could we be?! The atmosphere between you three has obviously been different since that elementary school mission!"

"No, I have absolutely no intention of taking things further with Maki."

"Really? Not even the slightest urge?"

Panda was disappointed. Panda was indignant. His fur seemed to bristle all over.

He's kind of cute. I want to hug him.

No Chinese person could resist a panda!

Ever since their first meeting, Kaze had wanted to get up close and personal with Panda, but they hadn't known each other well enough for him to put his hands on him.

They were much closer now, but he still didn't think their relationship had reached the point where he could hug and nuzzle him, so he had kept restraining himself.

Still, if they could now discuss something as private as romantic feelings, didn't that prove he'd built up enough affection?

With that thought, Kaze said with exceptional sincerity, "Rather than developing anything with Maki, I'd actually much rather get closer to you, Panda, and take things further."

"W-what?!"

"S-spicy cod roe!"

Panda and Toge Inumaki stared at Kaze in shock and involuntarily took a step back.

In their eyes, Kaze had just said something outrageously suggestive, yet his face remained perfectly open and puzzled.

"Is that not okay? Where I come from, pandas are national treasures. You can't just touch them, so I've never been able to fulfill my wish of hugging one."

After all, they were nationally protected animals. Even after their protection status was downgraded, they were still national treasures!

"Sorry... that was a very rude way to put it."

Belatedly realizing that his words were ambiguous and seemed to have caused a misunderstanding, Kaze apologized sheepishly.

He really just thought Panda was adorable and wanted to cuddle him, not deny his soul as a "person." Thinking about it that way, his earlier phrasing really hadn't been very good.

"I don't mean any disrespect, Panda. You're a very reliable classmate and companion. I didn't mean anything else. I just really love pandas..."

Will I ever get a chance to pet, nuzzle, and hug a panda in this lifetime?

As Kaze spoke, his thoughts couldn't help wandering off.

Panda must have been even cuter when he was little, right?

If I can't hug my classmate Panda, should I encourage the principal to make a "panda girl"? She could even pair up with Panda.

He wouldn't mind looking after cubs.

After hearing Kaze's last two statements and confirming that he simply liked pandas as animals, the other two breathed simultaneous sighs of relief.

Toge Inumaki and Panda: Y-you nearly scared us to death!

The two had genuinely thought Kaze had some unusual tastes. Hearing his regretful tone and his disappointment at being unable to cuddle something fluffy left them with complicated feelings.

"Ahem, of course pandas are the best!"

"Salmon, salmon!" (Exactly! That's right!)

Looking at the "innocent" Kaze, Toge Inumaki and Panda, whose imaginations had run wild, both felt a little guilty and tacitly chose to affirm his words.

Panda even offered his fleshy paw of his own accord.

"You can hug me all you like, Kaze!"

"Thank you!"

Kaze's eyes lit up, and his body honestly followed his heart as he happily flung himself onto Panda and nuzzled him.

A fluffy, soft panda!

The principal is the best!

He had no idea how Principal Yaga had achieved this effect with a cursed corpse, but it unquestionably fulfilled Kaze's wish to cuddle a national treasure.

Watching Kaze practically sprout little flowers of happiness as he cuddled an animal, Panda scratched his head sheepishly.

So Kaze really is a "baby" who hasn't awakened to romance yet! My thoughts were dirty before... ahem.

Still, even if Kaze hasn't figured it out, Yuta Okkotsu has a childhood sweetheart. Yuta definitely understands!

Automatically assigning Kaze to the unenlightened "baby group," Panda remembered Yuta mentioning that he liked girls with fuller figures and larger breasts, and couldn't help shouting.

"Maki! Yuta! Don't worry about Kaze! You two have a chance!"

"Huh? Why would we be worried about Kaze? And what the hell do you mean, 'have a chance'?!"

"???"

Utterly bewildered, Yuta Okkotsu was knocked down by Maki once again. This time, Panda's nonsensical interruption even caused her to hit a little harder.

Caught in this undeserved disaster, Yuta Okkotsu could only cast a pleading look at the friend who had been training alongside him lately. But Kaze was absorbed in cuddling Panda and never noticed his gaze.

Panda. Cute. Cuddles!

Toge Inumaki gave Panda an indescribable look. Does being nuzzled like that really feel good?

Panda declared that someone with good taste had finally come to Jujutsu High, and he was thrilled!

Before this, only Megumi, whom Gojo Sensei had brought over, had appreciated his fluffy charms. Everyone else had ignored the adorable Panda.

Was that normal? Obviously not!

Panda was clearly the best!

He would introduce Kaze to Megumi sometime. Megumi could summon fluffy creatures, and both he and Kaze loved little animals. They were sure to get along wonderfully, right?

"Oh~ You two seem to be getting along! How nice."

Satoru Gojo appeared on the Athletic Field. He glanced at Kaze, who was clinging to Panda and soaking up his cuteness, then nodded.

"There are two missions this time. One specifically requested Toge. Your ability is perfect for it, and Yuta will go with you to provide support."

"Salmon!" (Understood!)

"As for the other mission... Panda is better suited to it. Kaze will go with you."

"Got it!"

"Tch, then I'm the only one left, aren't I? I won't even have anyone to spar with. That's boring."

"Hmm~ Since you feel that way, Maki, how about helping your teacher with a little work?"

"You're not dumping your own mission on me, are you, you lousy teacher?"

"Of course not! I'm just taking my adorable student out for some fieldwork to give her more experience. Gojo Sensei is very hurt that you'd say that!"

"..."

"So, will you come exorcise cursed spirits with your teacher, Maki, or stay at school and gather dust?"

"Tch, fine, I get it. I'll go!"

"Mm-hmm, then let's go together~~"

Satoru Gojo was hardly surprised by Maki's choice. She was a kid who could never sit still.

He looked at Yuta Okkotsu, who still seemed a little afraid of Toge Inumaki, and Kaze, who was reluctantly parting from Panda, then rubbed his chin.

Hopefully, this mission will help Toge and Yuta get to know each other!

Next time, I'll pair Toge with Kaze, and Yuta with Panda.