A man and a woman sat together in a dimly lit room.
Their eyes met—close enough to hear each other's breath.
Neither made the first move, yet their faces gradually inched closer.
With the moonlight filtering through the window behind them, their silhouettes overlapped, and then—
Bang!
The sharp sound of a balloon popping echoed through the room.
"Yep. Another failure."
Mamoru muttered flatly, glancing at the screen where a romantic movie scene had just reached its climax.
Kiryuin flinched at the noise, the popped balloon at her feet a testament to her lapse in focus.
The end credits rolled across the screen, but Kiryuin ignored them, frowning in frustration.
They weren't watching the film for fun.
This was training—an exercise in maintaining cursed energy under emotional distraction.
Earlier that morning, they had completed the basics of cursed energy refinement.
Though Mamoru had expected her to struggle, Kiryuin surprised him. By concentrating with care, she managed to break the barrier within an hour.
After lunch, they moved on to this new training method.
The setup was deceptively simple: a protective talisman attached to a balloon.
The balloon would remain intact as long as cursed energy flowed through it.
The moment concentration faltered—the balloon burst.
"You lose focus during kissing scenes, huh? Guess you've got a lot on your mind, senpai."
Kiryuin scoffed, brushing her hair behind one ear.
"No, Gojo. I just got bored. The scene was too cliché."
She sounded serious, but Mamoru could tell she was trying to maintain her pride.
"I'm not teasing. Still, a failure's a failure. Let's go again."
He inflated another balloon, fixed a talisman to it, and handed it to her.
Kiryuin took it with a half-suspicious look.
"...Did you come up with this weird training yourself? Feels like something from a punishment game on a variety show."
"Watching movies is part of my brother's training regimen. The balloon twist is my own invention.
If you show up at school with bruises, it gets attention. This way's safer."
Kiryuin frowned slightly at his ominous tone.
"...What was I supposed to be doing instead?"
"You'd be punched by a tiny bear wearing boxing gloves."
Mamoru kept that thought to himself and reached for another DVD instead.
"Don't worry about it. Pain helps you learn faster, sure—but there's no need to rush... You don't need suddenly changing your life genre from school life to battle shounen manga. We're fine at this pace. So? Want to pick the next movie?"
"Hang on. My eyes are getting tired. Let's take a break. Tea or coffee?"
"Same as you, senpai."
"Figured."
Kiryuin stood up and headed to the kitchen while Mamoru replaced the DVD with another from the stack on the table.
She returned shortly after, tray in hand—two cups of tea and a plate of sweets.
"But seriously… never thought I'd be watching movies in my room with a boy"
She handed him a cup and sat beside him.
There was no teasing in her tone—just something nostalgic, maybe even bittersweet.
Mamoru glanced sideways.
"That's a bit surprising. You're beautiful, senpai. I thought you'd have had a boyfriend by now."
Kiryuin smirked.
"Oh? What a flattering thing to say. But oddly enough, I've never been popular with boys.
Seems you're the only one with good taste."
(Maybe the others just have better instincts)
Mamoru kept the thought to himself.
No matter how beautiful a flower is, once people know it's covered in thorns, they usually don't reach out to touch it.
"…If you toned it down a bit, I think you'd have more admirers."
"Unfortunately, I've got no interest in men who can't handle me as I am. What about you? You seem cozy with Sakayanagi at school."
"Arisu-san? She's just a friend. No special feelings either way"
"For a high schooler, you sure sound tired of romance. Or… are you gay?"
"No... And I'm not broken either, if that's what you're about to ask."
Mamoru shot her a deadpan look before she could follow up.
"Hm… Then the only reason left is that you're avoiding dragging someone into the sorcerer world, right?"
"…More or less. My family's… complicated. I can't involve outsiders."
"Now that I think about it, you mentioned your older brother before. Is your whole family made up of Jujutsu sorcerers?"
"Yeah. It's a well-known bloodline in our world or our side. Old and troublesome."
"…You don't sound proud."
"There's nothing to be proud of. The longer the legacy, the heavier the chains."
Mamoru took a sip of tea.
"My brother is the current head, so I have some freedom. But..."
"If the partner isn't from a suitable family, your parents wouldn't approve?"
"Not exactly. Sure, they'd probably disapprove, but that's not the point."
Kiryuin narrowed her eyes.
"Then what is?"
"…Blood isn't something you can cut off easily—especially in our world.
She stayed quiet, clearly listening.
"You asked me yesterday if my technique was passed down. Techniques passed through bloodlines do exist. We call them inherited techniques."
Kiryuin nodded slowly.
"So it's not guaranteed to be passed on unless it's hereditary."
"Right. Sometimes it skips siblings. Sometimes it skips generations. And people who inherit such techniques often become the heads of their families."
He looked directly at her.
"Know what that means?"
"…Power struggles. If the heir doesn't have it, but a cousin does, things get messy. Maybe even dangerous."
"Exactly. Succession disputes, assassinations—nothing new. That's how valuable cursed bloodlines are. My brother had a billion-yen bounty on his head when he was a kid."
"…That's… on another level."
Kiryuin sounded genuinely stunned by the absurd number.
"Well, his situation's unique."
Even just imagining his brother casually walking around town with that bounty made Mamoru smile a little.
Kiryuin raised a brow at the change in his expression.
"…So you can smile like that."
"Huh? Was I making a weird face?"
"No. But when you talk about your brother, you look... younger. It's kind of charming. I respect that."
Mamoru scratched his cheek, mildly embarrassed.
"He may be a goofball, but in terms of strength, he's the strongest sorcerer of our generation."
"Wow. Coming from you, that actually carries weight. Though… 'strongest' is a big word. Are you sure not just exaggerating your own brother?"
"You won't get it until you see for yourself. But anyway, he's not relevant to what I'm saying."
He took another sip of tea and continued.
"Bloodlines like mine aren't just valued—they're burdens. Even if I fell in love and started a family, I'd be dragging them into something heavy."
"Because being a sorcerer brings danger?"
"Exactly. And I'm not the type to ask someone I love to follow me into hell. So it's easier to accept I'll probably stay single forever."
Kiryuin stared at him silently for a moment.
Then, without a word, she placed her cup down and raised her right hand.
"…Gojo. Hold out your hand."
Mamoru blinked.
"What's with the sudden order?"
But he complied, raising his left hand in response.
Kiryuin gently placed her hand on his—and squeezed.
"Hmm, your hands are big. And pretty hard."
(…Wha-?!)
I was briefly caught off guard. She'd switched from calling me "kimi" to "anata." I noticed it—but decided it wasn't worth commenting on.
[Fyi : Cmiiw... Kimi is a formal way to call other, while anata is more close or intimate level to call a person or other]
"Ha, that's just what a guy's hands are like."
"Don't be so modest. Normal guys don't have hands like these."
"They feel like a warrior's."
"Um, Thanks...?"
"How about mine?"
"Eh?"
Mamoru looked at her blankly, completely missing the point.
"Try holding my hand. What do you think?"
At first, he thought she was teasing again—but her expression was unusually serious.
After a small pause, Mamoru reached out and took her hand honestly.
"Smaller than I expected."
Even though he logically knew men and women have different finger sizes, actually feeling the difference was striking.
"That's all?"
Mamoru wasn't easily rattled, but that didn't mean he wasn't embarrassed.
When prompted, he hesitated, then finally said what was on his mind.
"...I think they're beautiful hands."
"Naturally. I take care of them."
She accepted the compliment without modesty, holding her head high with pride. Mamoru looked at her as if she were something strange.
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
"Do you enjoy holding my hand?"
"Well… it's not bad."
"That's the point."
"No, seriously, I still don't get it."
Thinking she was just messing with him again, Mamoru tried to pull away—but Kiryuin's grip was firm.
She looked him straight in the eye, expression suddenly serious again.
"You don't expect anything from others, do you?"
"...What?"
"You live as if you're separate from the world around you. Deep down, you see people as beneath you."
"That's not— Hey, that's a bit unfair."
"Can you say with certainty that it's wrong?
Helping others without expecting anything back—sounds noble, right? But are you sure you're not just acting from a place of superiority?"
Mamoru fell silent.
He had helped people without expecting anything. He never saw a need to ask for anything in return. He always doing it naturally. It's also the same when he was giving up his seat to old granny
"I'm not blaming you."
"You're exceptional—so you view the world from a different perspective. But no matter how pretty you dress it up—mercy, protection, salvation—they're all charity from above to below."
"Then what are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying… be a little more selfish."
"Huh?"
"Have you ever wanted something from someone? Or wished someone did something just for you?"
"That's… a normal thing, isn't it?"
But when Mamoru thought about it… he realized something.
He couldn't recall ever having such a desire—not genuinely.
Maybe on the surface. A favor here and there. But nothing deeply selfish.
"You can do things we can't. But that doesn't mean we're useless."
"Even if I can't change your world, I can at least offer this—"
She tightened her grip slightly.
"A little warmth. A hand to hold."
"That's not really your responsibility. How I live is my own business, Kiryuin-senpai." Something inside is cracking for him as sorcerer, or as person. But, he don't know what it is
"Maybe. But that doesn't mean I have to ignore it. I'm your senior. Your disciple. But I'm also just… a person. And I live alone. I'll probably die alone too. It hurts a little, you know? Watching someone live like a machine."
"That might be true. But I'm not dissatisfied with it."
He wasn't trying to sound proud.
It was just the truth and genuine—he didn't need more than what he already had.
"You don't have to change your whole lifestyle.
Just—like I said—try being a little selfish.
People have more to offer than you think."
"Being selfish, huh..."
Mamoru tried to think of anything he truly wanted from others.
Nothing came to mind.
"Well then. Start with the basics. Drop the honorifics. Call me by name."
"What? Why?"
Mamoru frowned. The sudden shift threw him off.
"You're too formal. You're casual with Sakayanagi, aren't you? Besides, it's weird for a disciple to treat their 'master' so respectfully."
"You're not the type to demand formalities anyway."
"Exactly. So loosen up a little."
She let out a pleased sigh, clearly enjoying his discomfort.
(This is embarassing)
"Fine. I'll call you by name from now on"
"You may. And I'll call you Mamoru."
"...Is that okay for a disciple?"
"I'm also your senior, remember? Ranks cancel out."
"That's cheating, very convenient logic..."
He narrowed his eyes.
"...And how long are you going to keep holding my hand?"
She didn't answer. Instead—
"Let's go watch a movie."
"Huh? Why?"
She could practice cursed energy manipulation with one hand. Mamoru, meanwhile, was still awkwardly flipping through reference books.
"If I don't stop you, you'll just keep studying.
And I already gave you the past exam questions, remember?"
"I don't plan to use them. There could be material not covered on those, so I wanted to review while I can."
"You're not using them?"
Now it was Kiryuin's turn to look surprised.
"Why not?"
"You already asked the teachers about me, right? If I get perfect scores in that situation, it'll be obvious I had help."
"Even if they adjust the scores?"
"It's better to just take the test normally from the beginning."
Kiryuin gave him a dry laugh.
"Oh? I see... You're worried about me? How sweet. But don't worry—without evidence, the teachers can't do anything."
"Still. It's just a test of my own ability."
"Stubborn. All my effort, wasted."
"Wasn't that exam packet yours?"
"I got it through a friend."
She smirked.
"Don't worry, I didn't threaten anyone for it."
(That sounds like a lie...)
Mamoru looked at her suspiciously.
Whether it was intimidation or bribery, he couldn't imagine she got them peacefully.
"Well, thanks anyway. I won't use them, but I'll put them to good use."
"Oh? How so?"
"Just… a little confirmation."
Mamoru debated whether to say more—but decided he could trust her.
And so, he began to explain.
(And throughout the entire conversation…
Kiryuin never once let go of his hand—not even during the movie.)