A shadow taking shape

When she saw someone else arrive, Miwa Riona draped herself in that innocent, harmless sheepskin again. It was utterly sickening.

"Are you from Jujutsu High?" A gleam flashed through Miwa Riona's pink eyes. "Are you Young Master Satoru Gojo?"

Satoru Gojo gave the "sucker" a sympathetic look and offered a kindly warning.

"This one's a scammer who spouts all sorts of mystical nonsense."

Miwa Riona froze. What kind of conversation was this? Why couldn't she quite follow it?

All she could do was respond with an awkward smile.

An idea struck Miwa Chisei, and she introduced her with rare enthusiasm.

"This is Miwa Riona. She's a girl from the Miwa family too, and she really wants to attend Jujutsu High."

Satoru Gojo gave her a serious once-over, then grinned.

"You could at least come up with a better excuse. One look, and you can tell she's a fake."

Beside them, Miwa Riona nearly passed out from anger. She had heard of the Gojo Clan's Six Eyes. All she knew was that he was incredibly powerful and had a somewhat unpleasant personality.

Somewhat unpleasant? Was that any way to talk to someone? We'd only just met, so why was he attacking me like this?

"Don't mind him. He's just like that."

What infuriated her most was how "thoughtfully" Miwa Chisei explained it for her.

Miwa Riona felt utterly humiliated. The smile on her pretty face stiffened.

"I really am a child of the Miwa family. I suppose my eye color is a mutation."

After hearing that, Satoru Gojo rubbed his chin and leaned closer to look her up and down.

With him suddenly so close, Miwa Riona could almost smell the pleasant shampoo in his hair. It was like a fresh ocean breeze, soothing and refreshing.

His skin was fair and clear, with barely a pore in sight. Even with half his features hidden, the lovely curve of his pink lips was still strikingly handsome.

She felt her face grow warm. Then she heard his mocking words.

"No way. She's nothing like you and that cold, rotten temper of yours. She's a fake, right? She has to be."

It sounded like he was complimenting me, so why couldn't I feel happy about it?

Miwa Riona felt that today was her day of suffering, all thanks to Miwa Chisei.

Miwa Chisei remained perfectly calm. She simply sat down and watched the two of them.

"She's the real deal. You can take her back and call your job done. She looks about my age too, so she's just old enough to attend."

"You little brat, do you think Jujutsu High is an amusement park where anyone can come and go?"

"Amusement parks require tickets too, don't they?"

"Oh, right. You're too poor to afford a ticket, so you've obviously never been. Poor little brat."

"I'm close with my father, so he's taken me before. What about you?"

"I'm going to teach you a proper lesson in respecting your seniors today-"

Miwa Riona watched them trade barbs, their conversation straying further and further off course until they had forgotten her entirely.

But she managed to pick out a crucial piece of information from their exchange.

"Um..."

After a moment of struggle, she finally chose to force a smile and face Satoru Gojo.

"I'm Miwa Riona, and I'm currently being fostered by the Kamo Clan. Aren't I the child from the Miwa family who's supposed to enroll? What does this have to do with Miwa Chisei?"

Miwa Chisei nodded solemnly. So the Scourge of the Gojo Clan had found the wrong person. Wasn't the branch family practically begging to enroll?

He had disrupted several days of her peace for nothing.

"Huh?"

Satoru Gojo looked at the pink-haired girl before him, then pulled out his phone in obvious displeasure and opened an image of a document. It appeared to be a mission assignment from Jujutsu High.

It clearly read: Please invite Miwa Chisei to enroll at Jujutsu High.

Miwa Chisei turned to stone. What was this supposed to be?

Miwa Riona was dumbfounded too. That lord from the Kamo Clan hadn't said Miwa Chisei would be enrolling as well.

Satoru Gojo put his phone away with a quiet snort.

"I don't care whether you enroll or not. She's the one I'm looking for. Who the hell are you?"

The same blow landed twice. After everything she had endured today, Miwa Riona's young heart was sure to become incredibly resilient.

Meanwhile, Miwa Chisei pressed a hand to her forehead in distress.

So even with Miwa Riona volunteering to enroll, Jujutsu Society had sent someone specifically to demand that I enroll too. Who exactly had assigned this mission?

"So, Miwa Chisei, when are you enrolling?"

Satoru Gojo looked thoroughly annoyed, pressing her relentlessly.

Miwa Chisei looked up at Satoru Gojo and spoke in a conflicted tone.

"You knew it was me from the start, so why did you pretend not to know me when we first met?"

He had made her think no name had been specified, and that any child from the Miwa family would do.

Satoru Gojo looked baffled.

"I didn't know your name was Miwa Chisei."

Miwa Chisei was speechless. They had clearly introduced themselves when they met ten years ago.

"Fine, I forgot."

He said it with complete confidence, his expression practically daring her to do something about it.

Years later, Miwa Chisei asked Satoru Gojo whether he really hadn't remembered her name back then.

Satoru Gojo laughed heartily and pinched her soft, fair cheek, wearing a grin that begged for a punch.

"Of course I remembered. I was just teasing you. Watching the hope shatter in your eyes was so funny."

Miwa Chisei smiled too, wrapping her arms around Satoru Gojo and whispering sweetly into his ear.

"Go stay at Geto's place tonight. I want to go out and fool around."

Satoru Gojo: Huh? Did this damned woman have a death wish?

Miwa Riona returned to the Kamo Clan's old residence with a gloomy expression. The steward greeted her politely, then led her to a tea room.

A boy a few years older than her sat inside. His black hair was neatly groomed, and his dark blue forehead guard gave him an added air of nobility.

The corners of his eyes tilted slightly upward, making him look cold and brooding, with an air that did not suit someone his age.

But when Miwa Riona saw him, a smile appeared on her despondent face.

"Lord Tetsuya, I'm back."

Kamo Tetsuya was the child of the Kamo Clan head's lawful wife. Before the age of ten, he had been treated coldly for failing to inherit the clan's Cursed Technique. But after he turned ten, he suddenly awakened Blood Manipulation and was raised to become the next clan head.

At thirteen, in his capacity as the clan's legitimate son, he had sought out the forgotten Miwa branch family and offered his protection to Miwa Riona and her father, Miwa Yuto.

Later, Miwa Yuto expressed a desire to bring the Miwa family back into Jujutsu Society and received Kamo Tetsuya's secret support. Kamo Tetsuya proposed that the Miwa Main Family had to share that ambition for it to truly count as restoring the Miwa family.

However, the Miwa family's current head, Miwa Chisei's father, disagreed. He even urged Miwa Yuto to stay away from Jujutsu Society.

That was where the conflict and rift began.

Kamo Tetsuya smiled faintly and held out a hand to Miwa Riona.

"Come here."

She obediently sat beside Kamo Tetsuya, and he stroked her hair.

"You met the Main Branch's young lady? Does she have the Sun and Moon Charm?"

Miwa Riona nodded, then remembered something important.

"Lord Tetsuya, did you know that the Jujutsu Higher-Ups have ordered Miwa Chisei to attend Jujutsu High?"

At those words, a shadow flickered through Kamo Tetsuya's eyes.

Damn that Gojo Clan. They were ruining my plans again!