"By the way, is it really okay to expose your ability like that? If anyone decides to dig deeper, just the fact that I can freely enter and leave a curtain already looks suspicious. I can't exactly say I suddenly awakened at twenty-something, right?"
After sending off Naobito, Toji shut the door and sat on the bed, discussing the matter with Mukuro.
His younger brother had it easy; too young for anyone to press too hard. After all, 'Cursed Spirit Manipulation' wasn't a technique that required one's own cursed energy as a direct medium for power. Mukuro could easily claim that because of some special Heavenly Restriction, his cursed energy sometimes existed, sometimes didn't. That kind of excuse fit his situation perfectly.
But Toji was already over twenty. Could he really say the same thing? If the higher-ups in the jujutsu world started paying too much attention to him, it would bring a mountain of trouble.
"It's simple. My technique isn't what they think it is. It's not Cursed Spirit Manipulation. It's the ability to hide cursed energy and temporarily transfer a portion of my energy to someone else. As for the cursed spirit that appeared in front of the assistant manager, that was just a friend secretly helping me out. I wanted to put on a show, nothing more. The reason is that I thought my technique didn't look impressive enough, so I didn't want others to know about it."
Mukuro had already thought up the excuse days ago. He even called Suguru to make sure everything lined up.
Neither of them feared trouble, but they didn't like it either. As long as the story sounded reasonable, those old geezers in the jujutsu world wouldn't demand he demonstrate his technique on the spot. Forcing a sorcerer to reveal their technique against their will was no different from stripping someone naked in public.
(To clarify: this was the Kyoto Jujutsu High probing for answers, so just ignore the fact that Masamichi had once seen Mukuro use the Animal Path.)
"You really thought this through…" Toji froze for a second, then smirked.
"Don't worry. Our business counts as family matters. For a rotten clan like this, there's no chance it spreads outside." Mukuro didn't feel the slightest worry. At most, outsiders could only learn that the two of them had ever shown cursed energy in public before. He didn't care either way.
His body's limits still kept him from reaching his peak. But in this timeline, where Satoru hadn't yet fully grown into his power, if he truly decided to fight without holding back, Mukuro believed no one could stop him.
The only person who could be his opponent was the strongest himself.
* * *
Another week passed.
Under the recommendation of the old restaurant owner, the trio led by Mei Mei "supernatural phenomenon handlers," had become well known around Teitan Elementary.
In just two weeks, they had dealt with several minor cases caused by low-grade curses. Each of them earned tens of thousands of yen. For Mukuro, this pocket change meant nothing. But for the real elementary students, Mei Mei and Nanami, their wallets had never been so full.
"Tell me," Mei Mei said one afternoon, walking out of school with the boys, absentmindedly counting on her fingers, "how long do you think that cram school owner can keep holding out?"
"Who knows." Nanami didn't even bother with such pointless guessing. Mukuro just shrugged his shoulders.
"You two are boring… The answer is, not even a day longer!"
A crow flew overhead. Mei Mei narrowed her eyes, her playful voice cutting through the dullness of her two companions.
"Kids! Would you mind coming over there so we can talk a little more?"
Just as they stepped out the school gate, the woman from the cram school appeared, proving Mei Mei's prediction right on the mark.
She had timed it perfectly, arriving at Teitan Elementary just as classes ended, fearing that carelessness might cause her to miss these three "specialists."
"Talk? Why not?" Seeing her fish finally take the bait after two weeks, Mei Mei smiled brightly.
* * *
The trio followed the woman back to the cram school building, weaving through the halls.
Just like before, low-grade curses were everywhere, more than last time. Even the stairwell had some people crouching in corners. Simply stepping through the door sent a chill down ones spine.
Resentment created fatigue, fatigue bred more resentment. If things kept developing, the curses would eventually evolve into grade 3 or even grade 2. At that point, the jujutsu world would definitely send someone to clean up.
"I didn't get to know you well last time, and my tone was a little too harsh. How about we talk properly this time? Let's go with the same offer as before. How does one hundred thousand yen sound?"
In the office, three chairs had already been neatly arranged in front of her desk. After everyone sat, she opened with her proposal.
The situation inside the building was getting worse by the day. Students were starting to withdraw because of it. The woman was desperate. She even considered moving to a new location.
But property near the school was expensive, and the lease here wasn't over yet. Leaving now would only waste money. Out of options, she had to rely on the three who had recently gained a local reputation.
"No, no, no. We already told you. The second meeting doesn't come with the same price." Mei Mei lightly wagged her finger in refusal. Nanami stayed quiet, Mukuro did too.
"Come now, I didn't know how capable you three were before," the woman countered, growing anxious. "A hundred thousand yen isn't a small amount, little girl—"
"Flat rate," Mei Mei interrupted. "One hundred thousand each."
Nanami's eyes went wide. Even though he'd half expected it, he still couldn't help staring.
"You can't be serious!" The woman shot up from her seat, nearly losing composure. She even thought she misheard. These kids actually dared to demand such a price?
Three hundred thousand yen. That was equal to the tuition fees of more than a dozen students combined.
"A word of advice," Mei Mei said sweetly, pressing her finger against her lips in a mock shushing gesture. "If you keep haggling, the price will only go up. That's how we do things."
"If you argue more, she really will raise it again. Of course, you can also choose not to hire us." Nanami felt the demand was too high, but still gave a kind warning.
"...Fine. Three hundred thousand it is. When can you handle it?" Her fists clenched, but the woman knew she had no choice. Moving out would cost even more. She couldn't find anyone else to handle this mess. And time was running out.
"This is more like it. We'll deal with it whenever you're ready to pay. What do you think?" Mei Mei replied and turned to Mukuro.
After nearly half a month working together, their roles were clear. She found the jobs and handled the negotiations. But inside the team, Mukuro was the real leader. Nanami mostly went along for the ride.
Just like in the wider world, the strong naturally took charge.
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