A day out

Shinjuku's streets bustled beneath the afternoon sun, thronged with people.

The four of them passed through several relatively quiet alleys before finally stopping outside an elegantly decorated dessert shop.

The shop was small, with white exterior walls and a dark brown wooden sign bearing the words "Sweet Moment" in ornate lettering.

The spotless display window showcased all kinds of pastries: cream pancakes piled with strawberries, caramel-topped puddings, chocolate cakes decorated with gold leaf...

Each one looked like a work of art, gleaming enticingly beneath the warm yellow lights.

"Bonito flakes." Inumaki pointed at the sign, meaning, "This is the place."

They pushed the door open, and the wind chimes above it rang brightly.

A rich, sweet aroma filled the shop-cream, chocolate, coffee, and fresh fruit mingled into a relaxing scent.

Warm yellow light spilled from the ceiling lamps onto dark wooden tables and soft seats, creating a cozy atmosphere.

There were few customers. At this hour, most were young women or couples, scattered among the window seats, talking quietly or looking at their phones.

"Welcome!" The employee behind the counter was a young woman with a ponytail and a sweet smile.

But she visibly froze when she saw the four of them walk in-their group was certainly a little unusual.

She soon recovered her professional smile. "How many?"

Okkotsu stepped forward and answered gently, "Four. Do you have any tables available?"

"Yes. This way, please."

The employee led them to a table toward the back.

It was a good spot, near a corner and relatively quiet, with a view of the street through the window.

Maki picked up the menu from the table, glanced at the prices, and raised an eyebrow. "Not cheap, huh?"

Inumaki had already raised a hand to get the employee's attention and pulled his collar down a little. "Salmon roe, spicy cod roe."

The employee said, "...Huh?"

Okkotsu hurried to translate. "He'd like the strawberry cream pancakes and Mont Blanc set, please."

"Oh, of course!" She noted it on her order pad. "And for everyone else?"

Maki ordered Black Forest cake and a latte, while Okkotsu ordered cheesecake and black tea. After a moment's hesitation, Madara chose the signature chestnut cake and an Americano.

"Coffee with chestnut cake?" Maki glanced at him. "Weird combination."

"Cuts the richness," Madara answered simply.

The atmosphere relaxed as they waited for their desserts.

For once, Maki wasn't sitting ramrod straight. Instead, she leaned back in her chair, gazing absently at the pedestrians outside.

Okkotsu took out his phone and answered a few messages, probably mission confirmations or greetings from an Assistant Supervisor.

Inumaki quietly observed the other customers, occasionally lowering his collar to sip some water.

Madara watched the people passing outside.

Ordinary people.

Office workers hurrying along in suits, students with schoolbags laughing and fooling around, housewives pushing strollers, tourists taking photos with their cameras raised.

They knew nothing of Cursed Spirits or Jujutsu Sorcerers.

They didn't know that while they enjoyed the spring sunshine and delicious desserts, some people were fighting monsters for their lives in dark corners, some were in hospitals having wounds treated that couldn't be explained to ordinary people, and some... would never return.

But it was precisely that ignorance that allowed this world to function normally.

A Jujutsu Sorcerer's job was to protect that everyday life-even if the vast majority of people would never know they existed.

"Here are your orders."

The employee's voice interrupted Madara's thoughts.

She wheeled over a small cart and placed the four desserts and their drinks on the table one by one.

The strawberry cream pancakes were piled high, with thick layers of cream and custard between three pancakes, fresh strawberry slices covering the top, and a drizzle of strawberry sauce.

The Mont Blanc was elegantly shaped, its chestnut cream piped into fine strands like a little brown mountain dusted with powdered sugar at the peak.

Chocolate shavings covered the Black Forest cake, and layers of liqueur-soaked cherries were visible along its side.

The cheesecake's surface was smooth as a mirror, its edges baked to just the right caramel hue.

Madara's chestnut cake was coated in a thin layer of icing, with fine chestnut puree and sponge cake visible when it was cut open.

The drinks followed-a simple heart decorated the latte, the black tea had a rich aroma, and steam rose from the Americano.

Inumaki's eyes lit up.

Though only the upper half of his face was visible, the way his eyes curved betrayed his mood.

He picked up his fork, carefully cut off a piece of pancake, and brought it to his mouth with some strawberries and cream, then narrowed his eyes in satisfaction.

"Salmon!" ("Delicious!")

Maki tasted her Black Forest cake, the flavors of chocolate and cherry liqueur mingling in her mouth. She nodded. "It really is good. Much better than the desserts elsewhere."

Okkotsu ate his cheesecake in small bites. Madara cut into his chestnut cake with his fork, the icing cracking crisply as the fragrance of chestnuts and the rich sweetness of cream melted together in his mouth.

The coffee's bitterness balanced the sweetness perfectly, making for an unexpectedly harmonious combination.

None of the four spoke. They simply enjoyed their desserts in silence.

Sunlight streamed through the window onto the table, casting warm patches of light on the pristine white tablecloth.

It was a rare moment of relaxation.

"Where next?" Maki finished her last bite of cake and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Panda's list is still pretty long."

Okkotsu took the crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Madara.

Madara took it and glanced over it.

"Next is Panda House in Harajuku, for a plush toy. Then Explosive Curry in Shibuya for curry bread, then Akihabara..."

"Akihabara?" Maki raised an eyebrow. "What does he want a panda-ear headband for? Isn't he already a panda?"

Madara shrugged. "Who knows? A personal interest? Maybe he wants to collect all kinds of panda merchandise."

"Weird interest," Maki commented, though there was no real disdain in her tone.

After splitting the bill four ways, they left the dessert shop and headed for Harajuku.

Harajuku's streets were younger and trendier than Shinjuku's.

Fashionably dressed young people were everywhere, street music drifted out of the shops, and the air smelled of crepes and takoyaki.

Panda House was a small shop specializing in panda merchandise, with everything from plush toys to stationery and clothing.

The storefront was painted black and white, and a giant stuffed panda stood at the entrance.

Madara pushed the door open, then froze.

"Whoa..." He stared at the panda merchandise filling the shop, hanging from the ceiling down to the floor, lining the shelves and walls, even behind the register. Pandas were everywhere.

"It's all pandas."

Maki followed him inside and glanced around. "That's why it's called Panda House."

Okkotsu picked up a fluffy stuffed panda and squeezed its paws. "This panda plush is so cute! Maybe I'll buy one too? I could put it in my dorm room."

Madara looked around before finally choosing a black T-shirt printed with a large cartoon panda head. The panda on the chest was making a funny face, with a small line beneath it reading, "Panda is watching you." (Panda was watching you.)

He imagined Panda wearing the T-shirt and couldn't help laughing.

Inumaki chose a pair of panda-themed chopsticks, each with a tiny panda head on its black-and-white shaft.

At checkout, the cashier, a young woman wearing a panda-ear headband, smiled happily at all their panda merchandise. "You really like pandas!"

Madara glanced at "Panda plush toy (the biggest one!)" on the list and pointed at the enormous stuffed panda in the corner, almost as tall as a person. "We'll take that one."

The cashier's eyes lit up. "Of course! I'll wrap it for you!"

And so, when they left Panda House, Okkotsu was carrying a huge cardboard box containing the giant stuffed panda.

Maki carried the bag with the T-shirt and chopsticks, while Madara and Inumaki held the other small purchases.

"Panda's going to be over the moon," Maki said, looking at the box that almost blocked Okkotsu's view.

Their next stop was Shibuya.

Shibuya Crossing, one of the busiest intersections in the world.

When the lights turned green, thousands of people surged across the road from every direction at once, like a silent tide.

As Madara waited at the crossing, he looked at the giant screen on the building opposite, the surging crowds, and this city that was both familiar and strange, feeling somewhat reflective.

He knew what would happen here in the future.

The place where Satoru Gojo would be sealed was in a nearby subway station.

The spot where Kento Nanami would die in battle wasn't far away either.

And there were all those who would die in the Shibuya Incident-Jujutsu Sorcerers, ordinary people, and innocent people forced into the disaster.

But for now, everything here was still peaceful.

People hurried on their way, went on dates, and went about their lives, knowing nothing of the approaching disaster.

"Madara?" Okkotsu's voice brought him back to his senses. "The light's green."

Madara nodded and followed the crowd across the intersection.

They wandered around Shibuya and found the bakery called Explosive Curry.

The shop was tiny, but the line was long. Its sign read, "Limited to 500 a day."

The four of them queued for twenty minutes before finally buying ten curry buns-piping hot, with crisp crusts and rich curry filling inside. They really did live up to their reputation.

After buying the bread, Madara deliberately took a detour to look at several places-the locations that would become battlefields in the "plot."

For now, they were merely ordinary streets, ordinary subway entrances, and ordinary commercial buildings.

But Madara silently committed their locations to memory.

He would stop those things from happening.

He absolutely would.

Afterward, the four arrived in Akihabara.

The moment they left the station, Madara was overwhelmed by the sight-dazzling electronic billboards, pedestrians dressed as anime characters, huge anime character standees, and game sound effects and theme songs pouring from every shop.

"This place... really is something," Madara said.

Maki was already frowning. "Too many people. And it's so noisy."

Inumaki tugged at his collar, seemingly uncomfortable with the noisy surroundings too.

"The panda-ear headband Panda wanted..." Okkotsu looked at the list. "They should sell it in one of those Cute Things Shops or somewhere like that."

After searching for a while, they finally found a panda-ear headband in a shop filled with cosplay props and anime merchandise.

The fluffy black ears had pink centers and springs that made them bob as the wearer walked.

Madara imagined Maki wearing the headband, then imagined Panda wearing it, and thought it would probably suit the latter better-after all, Panda was already black and white.

Besides the headband, they picked up a few other things: Okkotsu bought a keychain, Maki chose a practical-looking folding knife, Inumaki bought socks printed with rice balls, and Madara selected a simple black phone case.

"Let's get out of here," Maki said, growing impatient as she watched the crowd around them swell. "I can't stand places like this."

Madara wholeheartedly agreed.

It wasn't that he hated Akihabara. Its atmosphere was simply too... intense.

For someone accustomed to the quiet surroundings of Jujutsu High, this level of stimulation was a bit much.

So the four quickly paid and left, heading for their last stop of the day-

The amusement park.

After several train transfers, they finally reached their destination as the sky began to turn yellow.

It was an amusement park in Tokyo's suburbs, not the largest, but fully equipped.

An enormous Ferris wheel turned slowly in the sunset, roller coaster tracks wound through the sky like a giant dragon, and carousel music sounded faintly in the distance.

Standing at the entrance, Madara watched the colorful lights and listened to the children's laughter, suddenly feeling a sense of unreality.

It was his first visit to an amusement park since coming to this world.

No, to be precise, it was his first visit to an amusement park "as far back as he could remember."

As a character, as a Jujutsu Sorcerer, as a pawn thrown into this world by a deity-all those identities were far removed from an "amusement park."

But today, he was simply an ordinary sixteen-year-old boy, out having fun with his companions.

"What are you spacing out for?" Maki had already bought the tickets and handed him one. "Let's go."

The four had their tickets checked and entered.

The amusement park was lively, mostly filled with families and young couples.

"What should we go on first?" Okkotsu asked, studying the guide map.

Inumaki pointed at the towering roller coaster in the distance. "Salmon roe!"

Maki nodded. "Sure. It's been ages since I rode a roller coaster."

Madara looked at the winding track and its near-vertical drop, his throat bobbing.

"I..." He opened his mouth. "I'll come too."

So they queued, boarded, and fastened their safety belts.

The roller coaster climbed slowly, its gears clacking.

Higher and higher it went. The people below shrank to tiny dots, and the lights of the entire park spread out beneath them.

Madara's palms began to sweat.

He suddenly realized something-was he a little afraid of heights?

The roller coaster reached its highest point and paused for a second.

The world seemed to stand still.

Then-

It plunged.

"Aaaaaaah-!!!"

Madara's screams were drowned out by the wind and the other riders' shrieks.

The weightless sensation of free fall left his mind blank.

His stomach churned, his heart felt ready to leap out of his chest, and everything spun before his eyes.

"No, no, no! Too high! Too high! Too high!!"

Beside him, Okkotsu was screaming too, though his screams were mostly excitement.

Hearing Madara, he turned his head in surprise. "You're afraid of heights, Madara?"

Sitting in front, Maki glanced back at Madara's pale face and couldn't help laughing. "Hahaha! It's not often we get to see you looking this mortified."

The roller coaster climbed again, then plunged into a full 360-degree loop.

Madara closed his eyes, but the sensations of weightlessness and spinning remained intense.

He felt as though he was going to fly out, going to fall, going to-

"I'm going to die! I'm going to die!! This is going to kill me!! Susanoo!!"

"Calm down, Madara!" Okkotsu hurriedly grabbed his arm, afraid he might actually summon Susanoo in full view of everyone.

Fortunately, Okkotsu's reassurance worked. Madara forced down the urge to use his cursed technique and simply gripped the safety bar, his knuckles white.

When the roller coaster finally rolled slowly back into the station and the safety belts were released, Madara practically crawled out.

His legs were too weak to hold him steady, and only bracing himself against the railing kept him from falling.

Maki hopped out, looking completely at ease. "Why ride a roller coaster if you're afraid of heights?"

Madara leaned against the railing, his face pale and his breathing rapid. "I just wanted to try it once... I'm never riding one again. Absolutely not."

Inumaki came over and offered him a bottle of water. "Mayonnaise..." ("Here's some water.")

Madara took the water and drank a large mouthful before he felt somewhat recovered. "Thank you, Inumaki."

Looking at the state he was in, Maki couldn't help laughing again. "Panda really missed a good show by not coming. If he'd seen you like this, he'd be laughing about it for a year."

"Give me a break," Madara said weakly.

Okkotsu got off too and patted Madara on the back with a smile. "It's okay, it's okay. Everyone's like this their first time on a roller coaster. Want to ride the carousel to settle down?"

"The carousel works," Madara agreed immediately.

So they rode the carousel, went through the haunted house, played a shooting game, and finally rode the bumper cars.

As the night deepened, the amusement park's lights shone even more brilliantly.

The Ferris wheel cabin slowly rose, bringing all of Tokyo's nightscape into view.

They sat in the same cabin, watching the city lights flow beneath them like a river of stars.

"It's beautiful," Okkotsu said softly.

Maki leaned against the glass without speaking, but her gaze was gentle.

Inumaki took out his phone and snapped a picture of the nightscape.

Looking out the window, Madara suddenly remembered a saying-had he read it somewhere, or was it from Madara Uchiha's memories?

The darker the place, the more its light needs protecting.

He hadn't really understood those words before.

But now, sitting in the Ferris wheel, looking at this peaceful nightscape and the smiling companions beside him, he suddenly understood.

A jujutsu sorcerer's job was to protect these ordinary yet precious everyday moments.

Even if no one knew, even if the price was steep.

"Madara?" Okkotsu noticed his silence. "What's wrong?"

Madara shook his head and smiled. "Nothing. I just feel... I had a really good time today."

Maki glanced at him. "Obviously. Why else would we come out?"

Inumaki nodded. "Salmon."

The Ferris wheel slowly descended, and their day was nearing its end.

It was almost ten at night when they returned to Jujutsu High.

The campus was quiet, with only the streetlights casting a warm glow into the night.

Panda stood waiting for them outside the dormitory building. Seeing them return, he immediately waved his paws and ran over. "Well? Well? Did you get my souvenirs?"

Okkotsu handed him the enormous cardboard box. "Of course. The stuffed panda you wanted-the biggest size."

Panda's eyes lit up. He eagerly tore open the box and took out a stuffed panda almost as tall as he was.

He rubbed his furry face against the plush toy. "This is great! It's exactly what I wanted!"

Maki tossed him the bag containing the T-shirt and headband. "These too. What a weird interest."

Panda opened the bag and grew even happier when he saw the panda T-shirt and panda-ear headband. "Perfect! I'll wear them tomorrow!"

Watching Panda's excitement, Madara couldn't help asking, "But why buy so many panda-related things? You're already a panda, aren't you?"

Hugging the plush toy, Panda declared with complete conviction, "To inspire your love of pandas, of course! Well? After all that, you've come to appreciate the charm of pandas more, right?"

The four of them fell silent for two seconds.

Madara: "Uh..."

Maki: "Not really?"

Okkotsu: "No, not really."

Inumaki: "Pollock roe, pollock roe." ("Not at all.")

Panda hugged the plush toy and put on an exaggerated display of heartbreak. "How could you! I was so excited waiting for you to come back, and you still don't understand what's so great about pandas!"

Maki rolled her eyes and walked past him. "I'm tired. I'm going back to bed."

Okkotsu followed her with a smile. "Good night, Panda, Madara, Inumaki."

Inumaki waved and headed back to the dormitory too.

Madara brought up the rear. Watching Panda happily bounce toward his room with the plush toy, ear headband, and T-shirt in his arms, he couldn't help smiling.

"See you tomorrow," he said.

"Yeah! See you tomorrow!" Panda waved without looking back.

Madara returned to his room and closed the door.

The moonlight outside was lovely.

He put the things he had bought that day on the table, then walked to the window and looked at the moon in the night sky.

Today was a good day.

A really good day.

So I have to protect this everyday life.

"Good night."