Live and learn

Eikura Yohei watched his students emerge from the old house unharmed.

"Sir, Qianxing finished it off in an instant. Let's try a harder field exercise next time."

Yu Haibara sighed wistfully. Once again, he hadn't gotten a chance to kill the cursed spirit.

Nanami had taken care of the last one, too. His classmates were all so impressive!

Eikura Yohei's mouth fell slightly open in surprise.

The last cursed spirit had been Grade 3, so Kento Nanami dispatching it with a clean, decisive strike had been perfectly normal.

But for a newly enrolled first-year, surely a Grade 2 Cursed Spirit ought to put up enough of a fight to take a few more hits?

Because her father placed such a high priority on self-preservation, Miwa Chisei had begun learning jujutsu and martial arts at a very young age.

She had trained diligently. It had been so grueling that she often cried as a child, which meant it took a great deal to make her cry now that she was older.

Eikura Yohei cleared his throat and turned his attention to the woman afflicted by the curse.

"She's in pretty bad shape. Let's get her into the car to rest first. I'll contact the medical staff."

Miwa Chisei shook out her clothes. As the exorcised cursed spirit vanished, the blood splattered over her evaporated along with it.

Miwa Riona, meanwhile, moved up beside Miwa Chisei and spoke in a low voice.

"That's so unfair. A born genius, huh?"

Her tone was sour and resentful, but Miwa Chisei answered calmly.

"You've met Satoru Gojo, haven't you? He's the real born genius. Me-I'm a genius through hard work, at most."

Miwa Riona was momentarily speechless.

She had always thought Miwa Chisei's strength came from her naturally powerful cursed energy. Was that not the whole story?

"I don't understand. You clearly don't want to join Jujutsu Society, so why work so hard?"

Miwa Riona bit her lip with her pearly teeth. Her cherry-pink eyes darkened a little, brimming with resentment.

Miwa Chisei tucked her hands back into her sleeves. Her wooden sandals clicked twice as she turned to face Miwa Riona directly.

"Who said I didn't want to? I'm finding it pretty interesting now."

"You..."

Miwa Riona thought the girl before her was utterly shameless. She changed her mind faster than someone turning the pages of a book.

But why should Miwa Chisei owe Miwa Riona any consistency? This girl had targeted her for no apparent reason from the very beginning.

"Miwa Riona, let me remind you of something."

Miwa Chisei leaned close to her ear, a faint chill in her voice.

"If you have ambition, you need the strength to match it."

Miwa Riona burned with humiliation and anger. She wanted nothing more than to tear that indifferent face to shreds.

"Miwa Chisei, you!"

Her composure slipped as she shouted. Aside from Eikura Yohei, who was on the phone, both Kento Nanami and Yu Haibara turned to look.

"Ah, Riona, what's wrong? You look really worked up."

Yu Haibara approached with concern, but before he could see Miwa Riona's expression, Miwa Chisei answered for her.

"Haibara, Riona was about to say-Miwa Chisei, you're amazing!"

"Oh, so that's it."

Yu Haibara immediately looked relieved. With her back to the two boys, Miwa Riona's cheeks were scarlet as she glared viciously at Miwa Chisei.

Sensing a hint of hostility, Kento Nanami cast a fleeting glance at the two girls.

She's lying, isn't she? They were obviously arguing. Haibara really is gullible.

Miwa Chisei had had enough of dealing with people. She walked past Miwa Riona, leaving her to stew alone, and went over to the car to examine the unconscious woman.

She still couldn't use the Miwa family's "Judgment" or "Divination" to treat people, because cursed energy was actually a form of negative energy. Even the blessing she had given Yamato Kaho before had been an unknown quantity. Forcing herself to output positive energy had backfired, costing Miwa Chisei some of her lifespan.

She wasn't so selfless that she would spend her life saving people at every turn.

Learning how to combine the Miwa family's delayed-effect jujutsu with "Healing" would be Miwa Chisei's next focus.

Those who could use "Reverse Cursed Technique" could turn the negative energy of cursed energy into positive energy, thereby producing the ability to heal.

At present, the only person in Jujutsu Society who seemed capable of that was a second-year student named Shoko Ieiri, which was why she was treasured by Jujutsu Society.

That elusive upperclassman always seemed busy. Come to think of it, she was the one who had healed Chisei's injuries, too.

"Nanami, Haibara, do you know Ieiri, the second-year?"

Yu Haibara immediately came over in excitement.

"I know her, I know her! She's the only jujutsu sorcerer who can use Reverse Cursed Technique to heal."

Kento Nanami thought for a moment, then added,

"But aside from Reverse Jujutsu, she can't use any other jujutsu, so she has no offensive ability."

None of that was the point. What mattered was that Shoko Ieiri was in the same year as those two, which inevitably gave Chisei certain ideas.

"What's Ieiri's personality like?"

It was a somewhat rude question, but Miwa Chisei was genuinely curious.

"Ieiri is really kind and easy to talk to!"

Yu Haibara had met Shoko Ieiri in the infirmary yesterday. She had quickly healed Miwa Riona, but when she learned that Gojo was responsible, she had looked thoroughly done with life.

Yu Haibara wouldn't lie, so his answer put Miwa Chisei at ease.

I'll go ask her for advice when I have time. She wanted to know the principles behind "Reverse Cursed Technique," but surely that counted as a special skill. She wasn't sure whether Ieiri would be willing to tell her.

"Is there anything Ieiri particularly likes?"

Yu Haibara's eyes lit up. He leaned closer to Miwa Chisei and spoke cautiously.

"Cigarettes."

Miwa Chisei seemed very understanding when she heard that.

After all, jujutsu sorcerers were under a lot of pressure, especially someone whose abilities were unique in Jujutsu Society.

It wouldn't be polite to ask for advice empty-handed, so she would bring cigarettes next time.

Standing nearby, Miwa Riona looked suspicious. She couldn't quite follow Miwa Chisei's train of thought. Why had she suddenly become interested in the second-year Shoko Ieiri?

Perhaps that, too, reflected the difference in insight between the two Miwa girls.

Medical staff soon arrived to take the unconscious woman away. At noon, Eikura Yohei bought his students rice balls and drinks as a reward.

After they returned to Jujutsu High, the kindhearted Eikura Yohei announced that classes were ending early and dismissed them on the spot. Yu Haibara looked delighted.

Miwa Chisei had effectively started her weekend early, too.

After returning to her dorm, she carefully took a ten-thousand-yen note from her private stash, then went to try her luck at Jujutsu High's little shop.

Convenience stores outside wouldn't sell cigarettes to minors.

When Miwa Chisei asked the familiar elderly woman for "the most expensive women's cigarettes," the woman showed no surprise at all and handed them to her with a smile.

That's Jujutsu High for you. Aren't they afraid of being reported?

Just as Miwa Chisei was marveling at that, the shop's doorbell rang with a pleasant chime.

Someone's voice, however, was far less pleasant.

"Miwa Chisei, look at you. Starting smoking at such a young age?"

"You'll die young-right, Shoko?"

Shoko Ieiri chuckled, looking quite friendly.

"Shut up already, you scumbag."