Night, At Ryuu's House
Mai Sakurajima lay on her bed, eyes closed, focusing on the flow of cursed energy within her.
Following Ryuu's afternoon guidance, she slowly attempted to control it. She was making some progress—until a slight fluctuation caused her energy to spiral out of control again.
"Ahhh!"
Frustrated, Mai groaned into her pillow, rolling around on the bed in frustration. Then she suddenly froze.
Realizing what she had just done, she immediately jumped up, tiptoed to the door, and peeked outside. The bedroom across from hers remained closed.
She sighed in relief. That was close.
She had almost forgotten she was staying at Ryuu's house. If he had seen her flustered and acting childish just now, she wouldn't have been able to show her face for days. As someone who used to be an actress, she still cared a lot about maintaining a composed and mature image.
Closing the door, she flopped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.
Her mind replayed everything that had happened that day.
Jujutsu sorcerers, cursed energy, joining Ryuu's "family," his harem, holding hands, first kiss…
Her thoughts spiraled, her heart racing. Just yesterday, she had been alone, lost, and forgotten by the world. Now, she was living under the same roof as Ryuu, sharing meals, training together… almost like they were a couple.
Mai groaned and pulled the blanket over her head.
This guy is such a bastard!
Not only had he casually held her hand, but he had also stolen her first kiss!
And yet… she couldn't bring herself to be angry at him.
Did she like him? She wasn't sure. She had no prior romantic experience. All she knew was that being near Ryuu made her feel safe, and after everything he had done for her, she wanted to be around him.
Mai turned onto her side, hugging her pillow.
Forget it. Thinking too much is useless.
She was already part of his family. What was there to even think about? Besides… he had already taken advantage of her, so she might as well return the favor.
Tomorrow, she would definitely make him help her with cursed energy again.
***
The Next Morning
Just as Ryuu was about to leave for school, Mai suddenly blocked his way.
Ryuu had expected this. What he hadn't expected was that she would act this soon.
Blushing, Mai hesitated before finally speaking.
Ryuu chuckled and took a step closer. Even though they had already done this once, last time had been… unexpected. This time, both of them knew exactly what was going to happen.
Mai closed her eyes and relaxed as Ryuu transferred cursed energy into her once again.
She wasn't sure how long had passed. At first, it felt comfortable, but soon, she found herself short of breath. Instinctively, she pushed him away, breaking free from his grasp.
"The cursed energy should last longer this time," she muttered, touching the corner of her lips, her face burning.
"Three hours, maybe," Ryuu replied nonchalantly.
Mai's face darkened.
"Only three?! Are you underpaying me?!"
She had almost passed out just now!
Ryuu smirked. "That's still longer than yesterday. If anyone's at fault, it's you for not holding on."
Mai's eyes widened. Not believing him, she immediately checked her phone.
Realizing he was right, her embarrassment skyrocketed. Without another word, she spun around and bolted up the stairs.
"Next time, if you want it to last longer, you'll have to endure it," Ryuu called after her.
From the second floor, an enraged yet flustered voice shouted back.
"SHUT UP, YOU PERVERT!"
Ryuu just chuckled, stretching lazily before preparing to warp to school.
Then—
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a crow perched on a nearby telephone pole. It was staring directly at him.
His expression sharpened. Raising his hand like a gun, he condensed a small burst of cursed energy at his fingertips.
A split-second later, he fired.
The crow exploded instantly.
BOOM.
Its remains scattered in the air, and at the same time, Ryuu sensed the location of the curse user controlling it.
Without hesitation, he disappeared.
***
Elsewhere, Several Kilometers Away
Mei Mei felt an uncomfortable twitch in her right eye. Her crow had been obliterated in seconds.
She clicked her tongue.
"…He's even more aggressive than Gojo Satoru."
Honestly, Mei Mei hadn't wanted to meet this monster. If it weren't for the fact that Jujutsu High was paying her an exorbitant amount for this mission, she would have refused immediately.
Before she could even finish that thought—
The space beside her distorted violently. A vortex of twisted air formed, and Ryuu materialized right in front of her.
"Well, that was fast," he said casually. "I was wondering how long it would take for Jujutsu High to finally send someone. Turns out, they acted pretty quickly."
He crossed his arms, tilting his head slightly.
"But what I like even more… is that they sent you."
Mei Mei exhaled slowly, adjusting her posture. She had been nervous before this encounter. But now that she was face-to-face with Ryuu, she realized something.
He wasn't exerting any overwhelming pressure.
It was exactly as Gojo Satoru had described.
This guy had never been fighting seriously in Shinjuku.
It was all just… for fun.
The realization was unsettling. However, in this moment, Ryuu felt strangely approachable.
"So," she said smoothly, flipping her long hair back. "Just like you said before… Would you like to buy me that cup of tea now?"
Ryuu smirked.
"I'd love to. But not this time."
His eyes sharpened.
"If you're here on business, you should be the one treating me."
Mei Mei chuckled. "I should've known."
She stretched her arms lazily before resting her hand on her hip.
"Money always comes first for me. You can count the number of people I treat to a meal on one hand."
She smiled playfully.
"But, Ryuu-kun… you're the first person who's made me this much money."
###
T/N
Found the old stack that was buried. Also, kind of found the source too... Well, if you wanna read ahead of everyone, just head up to P@treon / Kryzt since I'll be moving the stuff there.