The Difference Between People

After blowing himself up, Shiratori Gotsu's soul returned to his own Innate Domain for the second time.

"Yo, long time no see, System!"

Shiratori Gotsu flopped onto the sofa and waved a foot in greeting at the system standing nearby.

It had been a long time, and the little silver figure looked especially familiar and welcoming to Shiratori Gotsu.

Besides, for a long time to come, Shiratori Gotsu would probably be stuck in his Innate Domain.

He lay flat on his back on the sofa and looked up at the familiar ceiling as he said to the system:

"For the next four hundred-odd years, it'll be just the two of us playing house in this Innate Domain~"

The system didn't respond.

"Huh? Ignoring me?"

Shiratori Gotsu pursed his lips.

In less than half an hour, Shiratori Gotsu began to feel restless.

Bored!

That was what he felt most keenly at the moment.

After transmigrating to Jujutsu Kaisen, he had spent almost all his time surrounded by noise and bustle.

Back when he had lived an ordinary life alone, spending a few hundred years in this Innate Domain, which was no different from his old rented apartment, might not have been impossible.

But after experiencing that bustle and spending time in close company with others, being alone again was worse than death for Shiratori Gotsu.

Not to mention that there was hardly anything he could do.

He walked into the bathroom and stared for a long time at the toilet that had once solo-killed him.

Then he went into the bedroom and lay on the bed for quite a while.

Finally, he returned to the living room and flopped onto the sofa again.

"I wonder how Sukuna managed to sit around by himself for a thousand years..."

Shiratori Gotsu let out a long breath and traced circles on the sofa with his finger.

"System, keep me company and chat with me."

"Host, you're really bored, aren't you?" The system plopped down beside Shiratori Gotsu's head.

As he answered, Shiratori Gotsu reached out to push the big, lightning-bright silver butt away from his face.

But the system had no physical form, so his arm went straight into its butt cheek.

The scene became extremely bizarre.

"..."

After two seconds of silence, Shiratori Gotsu sat up and moved away from the system himself.

"I know what you're thinking."

The system showed no reaction to the bizarre incident that had just occurred and simply said in its thoroughly robotic voice:

"Actually, Host, you can go straight back to the System Space."

"Seriously?!"

Shiratori Gotsu sprang to his feet.

"Why would I lie to you?"

"Then what are we waiting for? Why didn't you tell me I could go back sooner?" Shiratori Gotsu looked excited.

"You didn't ask."

As soon as the system finished speaking, the scene before Shiratori Gotsu abruptly changed.

He was now back in the System Space, inside the detached two-story house with a courtyard that he had built with his own hands.

"Oh, this is perfect!"

Shiratori Gotsu rubbed his hands together like a fly.

There was a lot more he could do in the System Space.

Although he could still only entertain himself, the system could materialize whatever he wanted.

In other words, he could live comfortably in the System Space and do some little lightning tricks now and then to keep things fresh.

Thinking about it that way, a few hundred years didn't seem so hard to endure.

He walked onto the balcony, looked at the endless expanse of white around him, and rubbed his chin.

If everything stays white all the time and I have no sense of time, won't my sleep schedule get messed up...?

With that thought, Shiratori Gotsu spoke up at once:

"System, can you make a day-night cycle? One that's synchronized with normal time."

"Understood."

The system's voice sounded in his head, and the next second, the "skybox" finished rendering.

Shiratori Gotsu looked up and saw the sun hanging high directly overhead, which meant:

"Oh, is it already time to eat?"

He turned around at once and walked into the kitchen, humming the tune of "AIZO."

Meanwhile, Hajime Kashimo, who had been sitting alone in his own Innate Domain with nothing to do for nearly two hours, couldn't help letting out a piercing scream.

"Arghhh... I'm so bored!"

He irritably tousled his hair into a mess and shouted:

"Damn you, Shiratori! You never told me waiting for incarnation would be this boring!"

Unfortunately, Shiratori Gotsu, who was busy chowing down in the System Space, couldn't possibly hear his complaints.

A moment later, Hajime Kashimo stopped thinking and fell asleep.

After lunch, Shiratori Gotsu lay back leisurely on a beanbag chair.

But...

"I feel like something's missing..."

"Oh, right!"

Now that he had a day-night cycle, how could he go without electricity?

He slapped his forehead. "System, can you materialize electrical appliances and stuff too?"

"Yes," the system replied.

"!? So strong?!"

Shiratori Gotsu sat bolt upright. "System, how many more surprises are you keeping from this emperor?"

"You're the one who underestimated me on your own, aren't you?"

There was a hint of disdain and dissatisfaction in that thoroughly robotic voice.

Even so, the system continued to carry out its duty conscientiously. "So, Host, what would you like?"

"Ahem..."

Shiratori Gotsu cleared his throat, then began listing his order:

"Lights, air conditioning, a big color TV, a PS5, a phone, a fridge, a water heater, a microwave, an oven, and most important of all, a 5G network!"

System: "...Can't you say them one at a time?"

Shiratori Gotsu: "No."

System: "...Forget it. I'm used to it."

A little while later, Shiratori Gotsu was living like a young master in the System Space.

As for Hajime Kashimo... he was already fast asleep.

Sometimes, the difference between people was just that great.