Talent and effort (2)

The position of clan head?

To others, it was a highly coveted position, but to Chinatsu and Satoru Gojo, it was nothing more than asking for trouble.

Chinatsu: What would I want to be clan head for? I can achieve financial freedom without it. Taking that position would just mean dealing with a mountain of problems.

Satoru Gojo: Come to think of it, I still haven't met our current clan head even once. He must really have a mountain of problems to deal with. I'm not interested, but it might be pretty fun if my sister became clan head.

The two had actually discussed who would become clan head in private, but their views on the position were essentially identical, so those conversations never went anywhere.

By now, the many members of the Gojo Clan had split into two factions based on whom they supported. Satoru Gojo had more supporters, since a male clan head was more widely accepted.

But all the squabbling between those factions was actually pointless. The final choice rested solely in Chinatsu and Satoru Gojo's hands.

Would we have to fight it out in the end? We've both trained in the same system. Neither of us can break through the other's moves...

Well, let's get stronger first. We can worry about the rest later.

Chinatsu and Satoru Gojo trained diligently in jujutsu, but mastering Blue wasn't something they could do in a short time. That was even truer of Red, the advanced skill that came after it.

In the original story, even in his second year at Jujutsu High, Satoru Gojo only knew two moves: Limitless Defense and Blue.

Yet even with just those two moves, Satoru Gojo had few rivals in Jujutsu Society at the time and had reached the level of a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer.

Besides their regular jujutsu training, Chinatsu and Satoru Gojo, as the hopes of the Gojo Clan, naturally couldn't neglect their cursed technique practice.

Although their training packed every day from morning to night, neither Chinatsu nor Satoru Gojo complained.

At present, neither of them could even use Blue. They were just two turtles in iron shells. Freedom was something they had to earn, not something others handed out. Once they fully developed into Special Grade Sorcerers, who would be able to stop them if they wanted to laze around and coast along?

Chinatsu and Satoru Gojo's diligence attracted the attention and praise of many adults in the Gojo Clan estate, but that appreciation was limited to the adults. There were plenty of children around their age living there too.

They were all family, yet Chinatsu and Satoru Gojo had become the very "other people's children" their parents always held up as examples. It wasn't hard to imagine how frustrating that was.

Neither of them had much to complain about when it came to training in jujutsu and cursed techniques alone. But as they grew older, they were also required to start learning basic subjects like math and English.

Of course, they wouldn't be going to school. They would have private tutors instead.

"Although you'll learn these subjects once you enter Jujutsu High, they won't teach you from the basics there, so private tutoring is necessary."

As the Elder spoke, he took two sheets from his sleeve and handed them to Chinatsu and Satoru Gojo. They were their respective schedules for the days ahead.

The moment she touched her schedule, Chinatsu felt a faint shudder deep in her soul. Training in jujutsu was one thing, but she genuinely dreaded studying subjects like math and English.

Fortunately, she had already gone through it all in her previous life. Although many years had passed, the little she still vaguely remembered should be enough for her to pass as a "child prodigy," right?

With that thought in mind, Chinatsu continued scanning the schedule in her hand, until she spotted the words "etiquette lessons."

"..."

Chinatsu fell silent. She tilted her head up slightly to look at the Elder before her. Although she didn't say a word, the emotions brimming in her eyes were more than enough to convey what she wanted to say.

The Elder certainly understood her meaning at once, but he kept that same "kindly" smile on his face.

Knowing she had no way to resist, Chinatsu drew a deep breath and let out a helpless sigh.

The schedule in Satoru Gojo's hands beside her actually included etiquette lessons too. The Elder wasn't singling Chinatsu out. The Gojo Clan was a major clan, after all, so learning a little etiquette was only natural.

But Satoru Gojo paid absolutely no attention to those etiquette lessons-or rather, he paid no attention to any of the lessons on his schedule.

As for whether Satoru Gojo would take his etiquette lessons seriously... one look at his flippant behavior during his Jujutsu High days in the original story made the answer obvious.

He attended, but clearly, he might as well not have.

The Elder was highly efficient. He proposed private tutoring one day, and the tutors arrived the next.

Chinatsu and Satoru Gojo studied separately. Leaving Satoru Gojo's side aside for now, Chinatsu's lessons went extremely smoothly.

As the tutor asked Chinatsu question after question, only for her to answer each one with ease, the tutor froze on the spot as though she had been struck by a petrification beam.

Seated in her chair, Chinatsu let out a long breath. The tutor had treated her as a child who hadn't even attended kindergarten, so the questions she asked at that level were far too easy for her.

Child prodigy~ I'll shamelessly claim that title for myself~

The corners of Chinatsu's mouth shifted into a pleased smile. Then she slumped across the desk like a boneless creature, thinking that since she had finished the day's learning goals so far ahead of schedule, surely she could spend the remaining time resting?

Perfect. I'm a little sleepy anyway.

Just as Chinatsu closed her eyes to take a short nap, the tutor suddenly broke free of her petrified state, her eyes shining.

She hurried over to Chinatsu and brought both hands down with a bang!!!, jolting the drowsy girl wide awake.

Chinatsu raised her head and looked at her excited tutor in bewilderment. The woman reached out with both hands and clasped Chinatsu's hands in hers.

"As expected of you, young miss! To tell you the truth, teaching math, English, and the like is only my sideline. My true specialty and passion is etiquette!

"With your extraordinary talent, young miss, we can skip the math and English lessons entirely. With all this time left, let's get started on etiquette right away! I'll pass on everything I've learned over my lifetime!"

The tutor's eyes shone brilliantly, and her entire body radiated determination. Chinatsu, meanwhile, smiled on the outside while inwardly wanting to cry but finding no tears.

I've really dug my own grave...