Disapproving looks ×2

The next day, by the time Aikawa Kaze woke up, the thoughtful, caring Tsumiki Fushiguro had already made breakfast and was urging them to eat while it was hot.

"This is amazing, Tsumiki. It's delicious. Thank you!"

Aikawa Kaze felt a little touched and nostalgic.

He hadn't enjoyed waking up to breakfast someone else had prepared since he was little, back when his parents were still around.

"It doesn't just taste great, it's rolled beautifully too... You're so good with your hands, Tsumiki!"

Aikawa Kaze picked up a piece of rolled omelet and popped it into his mouth. It was one of his favorite dishes. The tutorial videos made it look easy, and the ingredients were readily available, so he'd even tried making it himself.

Then he'd experienced what it meant for his brain to understand something while his hands didn't.

It was seriously hard to make!

"I... My sister's always been good at this."

Megumi Fushiguro nodded, pressing his palms together. He seemed about to say something, but changed the subject to praise his sister instead, then glanced at her as she cleared away the dishes.

"Didn't you say you were going out with your friends today? Leave those. I'll wash them!"

"There's no rush. We still have some time before we're meeting."

Tsumiki finished breakfast before the two boys. After diligently washing her own dishes, she went to retrieve the clothes from the machine that had just beeped and hung them out in the yard.

Aikawa Kaze had finished breakfast too. He naturally washed his own dishes, then walked over to Tsumiki.

"Let me help too! Sorry for all the trouble yesterday."

The fresh clothes he'd changed into during his overnight stay belonged to Megumi Fushiguro, but he couldn't just leave his dirty clothes lying around. In the end, his clothes had naturally gone into the washing machine with Megumi Fushiguro's laundry.

"No need to be so polite, Kaze-chan. Make yourself at home," Tsumiki Fushiguro said with a gentle smile. "You don't have to feel awkward."

"If you put it that way, shouldn't I help all the more?"

Aikawa Kaze casually picked up a piece of clothing and hung it on the drying rack.

"After all, at home, you're supposed to do your own chores."

"Then sorry for the trouble!"

Tsumiki Fushiguro smiled helplessly and stopped refusing.

She was already used to it. As the older sister, she wanted to take better care of her two "little brothers," but there was nothing she could do. Both boys seemed to be the sort who insisted on managing alone and disliked relying on others!

"Huh? Were these already dried? Do they still need to be hung out?"

Only after hanging up the clothes did Aikawa Kaze realize they felt different.

What he'd thought was a washing machine was actually a dryer. All these clothes were already dry. If Aikawa Kaze had been handling them himself, he would definitely have stuffed them straight into the closet.

Megumi Fushiguro, who had also finished breakfast, walked over just then. Hearing Aikawa Kaze's question, he couldn't help sighing inwardly.

Looks like this little brother isn't very good at taking care of himself!

Whether it was his use of the dryer or the bowl he'd just washed without properly cleaning the grease out of the groove underneath, this kid clearly wasn't the type who could look after himself!

Megumi Fushiguro, an expert at housework, earnestly explained things to the little brother he considered lacking in common sense.

"It's better to let Mr. Sun sanitize your clothes first."

"..."

Mr... Sun?

Aikawa Kaze had been wondering why they were doing the same work twice, but his expression turned slightly peculiar at that.

It was clearly a childish way of putting it, but coming from this completely serious boy with black sea-urchin hair...

Ah, somehow Megumi was really adorable like this!

As for the "common sense" he was explaining, Aikawa Kaze obediently nodded without taking it to heart.

People disagreed on plenty of things anyway. On a topic like whether clothes needed sunning after being put through a dryer, a quick online search would turn up plenty of people supporting it, and just as many saying it was unnecessary.

Aikawa Kaze had always been too lazy to hang out laundry, and he trusted the dryer's UV sanitizing function, so he belonged to the no-sunning camp.

But he also knew plenty of people firmly believed that sunlight was essential for perfect disinfection, so he said nothing more and simply helped hang out the clothes.

What a shame he hadn't recorded Megumi saying "Mr. Sun" just now. That would have made great material.

Ahem, he absolutely hadn't been influenced by Gojo Sensei!

He'd simply felt a little inspired after browsing the man's extensive collection yesterday.

Unlike a certain obnoxious teacher, he wasn't collecting other people's embarrassing moments. He simply wanted to record the beautiful moments of youth.

As Aikawa Kaze's thoughts wandered, Megumi Fushiguro shook his head helplessly.

At that moment, Megumi Fushiguro found himself strangely understanding how his sister Tsumiki felt.

Aikawa Kaze's obedient but dismissive expression, with absolutely no intention of changing, looked exactly like his own when he brushed off his sister!

Megumi Fushiguro saw a vision of his past self.

Once, after he'd dealt with the school bullies through physical means, his displeased sister had come to lecture him. He'd appeared obedient, silently admitting his mistake, while inwardly rebelling and refusing to agree.

Sigh, Mr. Gojo was right. Even if his little brother was already a first-year student at Jujutsu High, he was still only thirteen, the age of a second-year middle schooler-in other words, peak adolescent rebellion!

Megumi Fushiguro's gaze toward Aikawa Kaze grew a little more parental. Little did he know that after hearing that adorable "Mr. Sun," Aikawa Kaze was looking at him with an equally parental gaze.

Tsumiki Fushiguro had no idea what the two were imagining, but seeing both boys look so tenderly at each other that it almost gave her goosebumps, she felt quite pleased.

It was wonderful that Kaze-chan had come!

They seemed to get along well. Hopefully Megumi would become a little more outgoing!

"Megumi-chan, you're taking Kaze-chan to the nearby park, right? Be careful on your way!"

"You're the one who needs to be careful, Sis! Don't go anywhere weird."

"...Yes, I know."

Tsumiki Fushiguro paused suspiciously, then acted as though nothing had happened.

Megumi Fushiguro was hanging up towels with his back to Tsumiki and didn't notice, but Aikawa Kaze, who was facing her, frowned slightly. He'd caught the flash of guilt across her face.

Given the current point in time, Aikawa Kaze, who had already been on his guard, immediately realized something was wrong.

"Tsumiki, where are you going today?"

Worried his question had sounded too abrupt, Aikawa Kaze quickly added another sentence.

"I don't know this area very well, so I wanted to hear where you're going for ideas."

"Well..." Tsumiki Fushiguro looked a little troubled, but she couldn't lie, so she could only say quietly, "We're actually going to Yasohachi Bridge."

"Isn't that a famous haunted spot?" Megumi Fushiguro frowned disapprovingly. "You should avoid places like that whenever possible... Are your friends insisting on going?"

Megumi Fushiguro gave Tsumiki a disapproving look. They both knew cursed spirits existed, so naturally they took precautions in their everyday lives.

Normally, Tsumiki Fushiguro would never have been interested in a place like that.

"I can't help it. They're determined to go. I thought... Didn't you tell me that famous haunted places like that have people assigned to clear them out regularly?"

Tsumiki Fushiguro smiled sheepishly. She really couldn't stop worrying about her oblivious classmates charging straight in.

"The people who've explored there haven't encountered any danger. At most, they lost consciousness and woke up in the forest the next day."

"That's already dangerous! Besides, we have no idea when those people go there to clear it out!"

Megumi Fushiguro's expression darkened.

Yes, particularly famous haunted locations regularly spawned cursed spirits because they were part of frightening urban legends. People patrolled them from time to time, so there generally wasn't much danger.

But who knew whether a cursed spirit had spawned by the time someone visited, or whether it had been exorcised?

Most importantly, if Aikawa Kaze hadn't asked that extra question, Megumi Fushiguro would probably have trusted his mature, sensible sister.

He'd never imagined Tsumiki would head straight into danger despite knowing the risks, without even discussing it with him! It was far too reckless!

Aikawa Kaze also gave her a helpless look.

This girl looked so gentle and kind, but who knew she was this reckless? She knew people had experienced abnormal things there, and she wasn't particularly capable herself, yet she still planned to go?

"But, but... I tried to talk them out of it, and they wouldn't listen. I'm really worried about them."

Tsumiki Fushiguro knew she wasn't handling this very well and gave an awkward smile.

"Whatever happens, I know more than they do, so if we really encounter something, I'll be better able to react. Besides... several groups have already gone there, and nothing's happened to them..."

"..."

Disapproving looks ×2

Megumi Fushiguro and Aikawa Kaze fell silent at the same time. Kindness and concern for others weren't bad things, but... shouldn't she consider what she could actually handle?!

"Sigh..."

"Ah..."

The two sighed almost simultaneously. When they realized it, they exchanged a glance and felt a sense of mutual understanding.

One look confirmed it: they shared the same worldview.

Megumi Fushiguro and Aikawa Kaze were both willing to save people, and they had something in common: they would only save people they personally approved of.

Compared to saving a few unfamiliar people who refused to listen and insisted on courting death, they naturally cared more about Tsumiki's safety.

"This probably isn't the best thing to say, but my super Instinct tells me-well, super Instinct is one of the King of Knights' skills, and I've developed a little bit of that foresight too."

Although Aikawa Kaze hadn't actually acquired King Arthur's Instinct, that didn't stop him from using it as an excuse.

"Tsumiki, you might encounter danger even if you don't go, but if you do go, you definitely will... Do you understand what I mean?"

"Tsumiki's going to be in danger?" Megumi Fushiguro instantly bristled, his gaze sharp. "Is your Instinct accurate? Can you tell what's causing it?"

"Actually, this ability only works sometimes-what I mean is, I occasionally get a sudden feeling about something, but so far, it's been one hundred percent accurate."

"Then you're not going!"

Megumi Fushiguro made his decision without hesitation. He trusted Aikawa Kaze's judgment.

Or rather, even if there was only a one percent chance, he would absolutely refuse to let his sister take that risk.

Even though Aikawa Kaze said she might encounter danger if she didn't go, a chance of danger was better than a guaranteed disaster, wasn't it?

As someone who knew the basics of Jujutsu Society, Tsumiki didn't suspect Aikawa Kaze of lying, but she was still deeply hesitant.

"But... leaving aside the fact that we already agreed to meet, if I don't go and they go by themselves, won't they be in even greater danger?"

"..."

My dear girl, I think you're the one who'll be in greater danger if you go!

Aikawa Kaze looked at Tsumiki as though he wanted to say something, but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to speak.

Otherwise, he was afraid he would blurt out, "You don't have the ability to reduce the danger anyway. Going would just make you easy prey."

That would be too hurtful. It wouldn't be right.

Nobody was perfect, after all!

Aikawa Kaze sighed deeply, but Megumi Fushiguro remained adamant.

"Anyway, you can't go! If you're worried, I can go check it out for you."

"That's too dangerous too. I'd be worried!"

"It's much safer than you going! At least I can deal with-"

Exasperated by his stubborn sister, Megumi Fushiguro knew she still hadn't given up on going. He opened his mouth to say that she wouldn't be any help even if she went, but stopped halfway through.

Clearly, he'd realized he'd said the wrong thing.

But although the boy, who was still going through his own rebellious phase, stopped himself from saying more, he firmly believed he was right. He pressed his lips together stubbornly and stared at Tsumiki without yielding.

Tsumiki bit her lip too, looking just as unwilling to give up as she stared stubbornly back at Megumi Fushiguro.

They hadn't started arguing, but the atmosphere was tense.

Only then did Aikawa Kaze realize that the current Megumi Fushiguro wasn't quite as... composed as he was after the story began. He still seemed to be in his teenage rebellious phase!

Of course, Tsumiki's personality was a little too "kind" as well. It was a virtue, but one that could easily get her hurt.

There was no helping it. At times like this, the dependable head of the family had to step in.

Aikawa Kaze stepped between them and raised a hand.

"Ahem, all right, all right. You're both just worried about each other, so stop fighting! At a time like this, we should find a solution-like notifying Jujutsu Society and having them send someone to check first?"

"That's impossible. With how inefficient Jujutsu Society is, they definitely can't send someone to investigate right away," Megumi Fushiguro said, shaking his head. "Besides, places like that already have regular patrol schedules. They'd never approve a request like this."

"Then ask Satoru Gojo!"

Aikawa Kaze hadn't been counting on Jujutsu Society anyway. As early as yesterday, he'd already thought of asking Satoru Gojo to keep an eye on Tsumiki.

"He's the Strongest. He can definitely solve any problem!"

"But... Mr. Gojo left for a mission in India last night."

Megumi Fushiguro clearly knew where Satoru Gojo had gone, and his face was full of puzzlement.

"I don't know why either. Usually he hates missions, but this time he volunteered for one overseas. Given the terrible communications over there, we probably won't be able to reach him for a while."

"Huh? India?"

Aikawa Kaze was baffled. Why would Satoru Gojo have anything to do with that place?

Had he suddenly felt like eating curry and specifically requested a mission in India?

That sort of impulsive behavior wasn't impossible, but Satoru Gojo didn't like strongly flavored food such as curry!

"Who knows? Maybe he suddenly decided he wanted to swim in the Ganges!" Megumi Fushiguro said offhandedly. "Or maybe he suddenly wanted to soak up some Buddhist teachings?"

"..." Why not say he went looking for a reclusive mage so he could ascend to a higher plane?

Aikawa Kaze was speechless. He was just about to chalk this coincidence up to the original storyline's fate-Satoru Gojo wasn't around when Tsumiki fell victim, so perhaps an overseas mission had been arranged to get him out of the way?

Hmm, wait. Speaking of that...

Aikawa Kaze suddenly remembered that yesterday, when Satoru Gojo had asked what it would take to get him to say "Dad" again, he'd said there was no chance unless he found a Holy Relic belonging to Karna.

So had that guy really run off to India because of what he'd said?!

Aikawa Kaze was stunned. It suddenly dawned on him that this might be the truth.

Had he just shot himself in the foot?!