Because I'm afraid of dying

Fortunately, the ramen arrived at just the right moment, shutting Satoru Gojo's mouth before he could launch into another endless spiel.

The rich aroma of the tonkotsu ramen put Miwa Chisei in a wonderful mood, and she lost all interest in trading barbs with Satoru Gojo.

Satoru Gojo watched a relaxed delight fill the girl's eyes. The last time he had seen that look was at the sukiyaki restaurant.

She seemed uninterested in just about everything else, but food and money certainly caught her attention.

Satoru Gojo remembered Suguru Geto's advice: he couldn't keep being so forceful. He needed to win her over.

Then Satoru Gojo ordered a strawberry soda with a cheerful smile and pushed it in front of Miwa Chisei.

The girl looked suspicious.

"Hey, working part-time is pretty exhausting, right? The pay for missions at Jujutsu High would be pretty good for you. And room and board are free."

Well, aside from the endless overtime and risking your life on the job, it wasn't such a big deal.

The girl took a sip of the pork bone broth, her face glowing with happiness, but ignored him.

"If I'm in a good mood, I can treat you to a fancy meal. You know I'm something of an expert on sweets, right?"

Miwa Chisei's chopsticks paused. It was almost as though a delicious cake were talking to her.

"Satoru Gojo, why do you want me to go to Jujutsu High so badly? Because it's your assignment, and you need to do a good job?"

Miwa Chisei put down her chopsticks and tilted her head at him.

That question actually lightened Satoru Gojo's tone. "Yep, yep. And I'm also worried you'll die out there."

It wasn't a pleasant reason, yet Miwa Chisei strangely felt that the person before her had found his conscience.

"I'll take care of myself. Thank you for your concern."

"Who's concerned about you? I just happen to be bored."

Satoru Gojo answered with a grin, his voice thick with teasing.

Huh, did students at Jujutsu High really have this much free time?

"I don't like school." Miwa Chisei twirled some ramen around her chopsticks and pursed her lips to blow it cool. "I always feel out of place at school."

Then she opened her mouth and ate the noodles.

Satoru Gojo propped his cheek on his hand, considering something, and couldn't help laughing. "Everyone at Jujutsu High is out of place."

As the girl seemed to ponder that, Satoru Gojo's eyes darkened behind his sunglasses, and his tone grew heavier.

"Besides, you don't want to see another ordinary person like Yamato Kaho die because of you, do you?"

Miwa Chisei gripped her chopsticks so tightly that her knuckles paled.

"Miwa Chisei, your father's dying words don't have to dictate your life, do they? Or are you running away from something?"

The girl suddenly raised her head, fixing her red eyes on Satoru Gojo. For a moment, he thought he saw a trace of hurt in them.

Shit, what was that look?

"My father only had one child-me." Miwa Chisei took a deep breath. "I have to stay alive and carry on the Miwa family's bloodline. I can't let the family line end with me."

Satoru Gojo looked utterly bewildered. He couldn't make sense of the nonsense coming out of her mouth.

"It's easy to die in Jujutsu Society, isn't it? That's what I'm trying to avoid. Because I'm afraid of dying."

She was utterly frank, without even a hint of concealment on her face, stating her reason as though it were perfectly justified.

"Huh? You're afraid of dying?"

Satoru Gojo thought he had misheard.

Miwa Chisei nodded. "So I don't want to become a jujutsu sorcerer. I don't want to die young."

"I'm. Just. Afraid. Of. Dying."

The girl stated exactly what was on her mind, her expression blank, and for a moment Satoru Gojo had no way to counter her.

This was hopeless. He had never heard a jujutsu sorcerer say anything like that. Jujutsu sorcerers had an innate hot-blooded streak, and most believed in "giving everything for Jujutsu Society."

Although his own sense of duty wasn't that lofty, becoming a jujutsu sorcerer had seemed only natural from the moment he was born with the Six Eyes.

He truly didn't know what to make of her reasoning.

So Satoru Gojo curled his lip, his face full of disdain.

"You're so lame."

Miwa Chisei nodded in agreement.

"You can call me that. I'm still afraid of dying."

He couldn't get through to her. Satoru Gojo irritably ruffled his silver hair and slumped back in his chair, looking ready to give up.

"Screw it, I'm done. What the hell goes on in that head of yours, brat?"

Miwa Chisei ate the last mouthful of ramen and let out a contented sigh.

"Normal girl things. Finding a husband to marry into the family, staying home to take good care of the Miwa family's descendants, and passing down the Omamori. That way, at least the Miwa family won't be erased from history."

Normal? Normal, his ass! What underage girl shamelessly spouted nonsense about 'finding a husband to marry into the family'? Her father would come back from the dead out of sheer anger if he heard this!

"Miwa, let me take you to get your head checked. My classmate is really good."

His tone was unusually serious.

Miwa Chisei frowned. That was the second time she had heard that. Why did he keep trying to get her head checked? Clearly, he was the abnormal one. Why was he so fond of dragging a cute girl into that hellish world?

"Check, please!"

Miwa Chisei didn't answer him. She simply called over the young waiter to settle the bill, then stood and left the ramen shop.

Satoru Gojo didn't follow her this time, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Let it end here. There were a hundred reasons not to go to Jujutsu High, while the only reasons to go were decent pay and free room and board.

She wouldn't let what happened to Yamato Kaho happen again. She couldn't display too much cursed energy around ordinary people. Even if she meant to protect them, she might end up getting them killed.

Miwa Chisei stopped, unconsciously reaching up to touch her long silver hair.

This was pretty nice, too. She had worried that plucking out too much hair might leave her bald before her time. Now she didn't have to worry about that.

She steadied herself and headed toward her apartment.

The sky had taken on a faint orange tint, and the sun was beginning to set. Beautiful sunset light washed over one side of the clouds, a soothing, refreshing sight.

Miwa Chisei took her key out of her backpack and opened the apartment door with a click. Her gaze swept across the spotless entryway. The setting sun shone into the room through the balcony's floor-to-ceiling windows, its curve resembling a thread of fate laid out before her eyes.

She couldn't sense any cursed energy. Did the uninvited guest have none?

"Come out. Hiding in a girl's home isn't very nice, is it?"

Miwa Chisei's voice was calm. She didn't step into the entryway.

Then she heard a man chuckle. A tall, muscular figure moved into the entryway from a room hidden from view.

"So this is the Miwa family's perception. What a surprise."

The tall, black-haired, black-eyed man gave her an amused smile. He opened his mouth and spat out something round, which immediately swelled into a cursed spirit and coiled around his shoulders.

"How about I give you three seconds to run?"

At those words, Miwa Chisei slammed the door shut without a flicker of expression, turned, and ran like mad.

The smile on Toji Fushiguro's face froze.

Wasn't this girl a little too ridiculous?