Human or monster, everyone showed off-only Megumi got beaten up

After making Tsumiki cry, Aikawa Kaze had not intended to return to the Fushiguro Family's home.

However, Megumi Fushiguro had chased after him out of concern, and besides...

"If you don't come back, my sister will worry."

That was the absolute truth. The only flaw was that Megumi Fushiguro had been too embarrassed to admit that he would worry, too.

At that moment, Megumi Fushiguro looked calm, but his hand remained firmly wrapped around Aikawa Kaze.

He had more or less guessed what Kaze was upset about, which only made him more determined not to let go.

Normally, he was not someone who forced others to do things. If Aikawa Kaze had genuinely felt uncomfortable or resistant and did not want to visit the Fushiguro Family's home or grow closer to them, Megumi Fushiguro would not have insisted.

But his perceptiveness had told him that Aikawa Kaze did not dislike them. In fact, he seemed quite fond of the atmosphere in their home.

So if Aikawa Kaze intended to stop seeing them simply because he thought he had messed things up and wanted to run away, there was really no need for that.

Most importantly, Megumi Fushiguro still remembered that this was a kid who could not even wash dishes properly and knew nothing about such basic things as washing and hanging up laundry!

Growing up must have been incredibly hard for him, right? No wonder he was only a hundred and sixty centimeters tall.

Whenever Megumi Fushiguro thought of that, he could not help looking at Aikawa Kaze with a little more tenderness.

When Aikawa Kaze finished treating his injuries and tried to leave, Megumi Fushiguro gritted his teeth, averted his gaze, and lied against his conscience.

"My sister... if she doesn't see you come back, she might get so upset she cries."

She would not, actually.

Given Tsumiki's personality, she would probably feel disappointed and worried, while still remembering to gently "interrogate" Megumi Fushiguro and make him reflect on why he had failed to bring his little brother home.

But... a white lie is allowed, right?

The tips of Megumi Fushiguro's ears turned red. He rarely lied and was not good at concealing his emotions, even if all he wanted was an excuse to coax his little brother into coming "home" with him.

Aikawa Kaze did not know Tsumiki well. He knew nothing of her usual disposition, much less that her earlier tears had been an eruption of long-accumulated stress.

In his eyes, Tsumiki was probably the traditional anime heroine type: upright and kind, gentle and considerate, but somewhat fragile and prone to tears. Otherwise, why would she have cried after he pushed her just a little?

So Aikawa Kaze genuinely believed him.

He was not very good at dealing with people like that. He had only just "paid her back," and making her cry again would probably not be good.

Still...

"She won't cry if I go back, will she?"

If she would cry whether he returned or not, he might as well not go back at all.

"Are you sure she still wants to see me? She probably hates me already."

Aikawa Kaze was not a certain socially oblivious Giyu, confidently convinced that nobody disliked him. Surely making her cry had already landed him on her blacklist?

"Of course she won't! As for what happened earlier... it's a little complicated to explain, but it wasn't your fault."

Megumi Fushiguro sighed and explained earnestly.

"If anything, it was my fault."

"Huh?"

"Anyway, come on. Let's go home."

"..."

"What is it?"

"Seriously, Megumi, aren't you a little too easygoing?"

Aikawa Kaze's mouth twitched. Megumi Fushiguro really was far too soft.

He might look like a cold, aloof teenager, but in reality... beneath that thick sea-urchin shell, wasn't he just a soft, adorable little bundle?

No matter how he looked at it, he had been the one who made Tsumiki cry earlier, right? Why was Megumi Fushiguro so readily taking the blame?

Naturally, Aikawa Kaze did not know that Megumi Fushiguro had always been like this.

Besides, Tsumiki Fushiguro's stress stemmed from her excessive worry over Megumi Fushiguro entering Jujutsu Society, while she could do nothing to protect her little brother.

That was why Megumi Fushiguro had traced the source of his sister's suffering back to himself.

Just as, the moment he learned Aikawa Kaze was his "little brother," Megumi Fushiguro had decided to protect him, because he felt it was a responsibility he should shoulder.

Now, he felt that even more strongly.

Megumi Fushiguro thought of that blue-faced, fanged monster with four arms. If he had not been taken hostage, Kaze would not have had to pay a price to save him...

In any case, the ultimate goal had been achieved.

That day, Aikawa Kaze did return to the Fushiguro Family's home. After the terrifying ordeal with Ryomen Sukuna, he had expected a quiet, peaceful night of recuperation.

However, plans could not keep up with change.

After tossing and turning several times without being able to sleep, Megumi Fushiguro listened for sounds from the room next door. Once he confirmed that Kaze was still awake, he knocked on Aikawa Kaze's door again.

"Megumi? Why aren't you resting this late?"

Aikawa Kaze was curled up under his blanket, playing a game. Now that he had the Four-Dimensional Pocket, he had grown used to carrying all his belongings with him.

To his disappointment, the friend icons he had once seen lit up were now all gray, as though he had only imagined it.

"Your injuries haven't completely healed. Even if they aren't serious, you still need to get some proper rest."

After a moment's thought, fearing his words lacked persuasiveness, Aikawa Kaze pointed toward the room next door.

"If you don't listen, I'll tell Tsumiki."

Although they had tidied themselves up before returning, Tsumiki had still noticed something different about Megumi at a glance.

But the considerate girl had not pressed them for details, only urged them to hurry upstairs and rest.

"We still have one day off... want to spend it together?"

"Of course."

Aikawa Kaze nodded. Seeing Megumi Fushiguro's hesitant expression, he could not help smiling.

"You don't have to be so formal with me, do you? Is there something you need?"

"...I'd like to ask you to spar with me."

Although Megumi Fushiguro considered himself the older brother, he did not feel that asking Aikawa Kaze for guidance was embarrassing.

After the incident with Ryomen Sukuna, Megumi Fushiguro had realized that this little brother of his was probably far stronger than he was. With his own strength... he might actually be the one holding them back.

So this is what it means for the tables to turn, huh?

Megumi Fushiguro wanted to sigh. He had gotten a taste of Tsumiki's anxiety: watching someone he wanted to protect while being powerless to help, forced to accept the reality of his own weakness. It truly felt awful.

Although he could clearly sense that Aikawa Kaze had no intention of calling him his older brother, he was not going to keep drifting along like this.

"I want to get stronger. Much stronger!"

"...You're right. We could step up the training."

Aikawa Kaze nodded in agreement.

As people online so aptly put it, "Human or monster, everyone showed off-only Megumi got beaten up."

Megumi Fushiguro was actually a decent fighter, but perhaps because luck was never on his side, he always ended up getting badly beaten.

"In that case, want to go somewhere different for our walk tomorrow?"

"You mean..."

"Real combat has to be more useful than practice!" Aikawa Kaze waved his vibrating phone. "Mr. Geto just messaged me. He said he has plenty of free time lately and asked if I wanted to get some field experience. Want to come along?"

"Would it be all right to bring me, too?"

"It's fine, it's fine. Mr. Geto is very friendly toward young jujutsu sorcerers."

"Then, sorry for the trouble."

Megumi Fushiguro did not know how strong Suguru Geto was, but his presence suggested he was powerful, so Megumi naturally had no objections.

Still...

Geto? That's a pretty unusual surname. Why does it feel like I've heard it somewhere before?