After dinner, once the sisters Maki and Mai had left, the house was occupied only by Jinsuke and Yuki.
Leaning back on the sofa, Jinsuke turned on the TV and casually asked,
"So what brings you back this time?"
Generally speaking, Yuki wouldn't return without a good reason. After all, other countries offered better opportunities for finding a way to save the world. She was determined to figure out why other nations had so few jujutsu sorcerers and far fewer Cursed Spirits born compared to the jujutsu society here. The ratio of sorcerers in this country versus abroad was roughly 99:1, with domestic sorcerers making up 99% and foreign ones a mere 1%. The Curses born followed a similar proportion. If she could unravel the reason behind this, it might hold the key to solving the root cause of Curses.
Yuki kicked off her shoes and settled sideways on the sofa, batting her eyelashes.
"Of course, I came back to see if you've fallen into depravity."
She added playfully,
"And to catch up with you. Is that not allowed?"
Hearing this, Jinsuke remained expressionless.
"We're both adults, and you're pushing thirty. Let's skip the childish talk."
"Hmph..." Yuki immediately puffed out her cheeks and shot him a fierce glare.
"Couldn't you just play along?" she retorted.
Jinsuke said nothing. They weren't kids anymore.
"Fine, I'll be honest," Yuki said, sitting up and cross-legged on the sofa, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at the man beside her.
"I wanted to see you. And, I wanted to find out if anything has changed at Jujutsu High lately."
"What do you want to know? I'm a teacher at Jujutsu High now, so I can probably fill you in"
Jinsuke offered.
"Honestly, I never expected you to work for Jujutsu High" Yuki said with a pout. The thought of him working with them irritated her. Those guys had no real intention of changing the world. They were only interested in self-preservation and maintaining balance, with no regard for the bigger picture.
"It's a matter of mutual benefit," Jinsuke replied dismissively. "But what about you? Not only do you refuse missions, but you also led Geto down the path of a Curse User. Now he's completely consumed by his desire to 'save' the world by eliminating all non-sorcerers."
Upon hearing this, Yuki's expression remained calm.
"That was his own choice. Even without my influence, he would have eventually walked that path, perhaps even more. At most, I just prompted him to make the decision sooner."
She had been somewhat surprised when she learned that Geto had chosen that simplest, yet most difficult, path to salvation.
"He's young, after all," she thought, opting for the most straightforward route to saving the world. Without power surpassing that of a Special Grade sorcerer, that path was doomed to fail—unless he could win over Gojo, or perhaps herself. Unfortunately, she wasn't considering that path for now. As for Gojo, it was unlikely he would ever side with Geto.
"I recall you said some rather unhelpful things too, didn't you?" Yuki retorted, glaring at Jinsuke.
"If we're pointing fingers, you're an accomplice as well."
"Heh." Jinsuke chuckled dryly. If they were going to play the blame game, then Gojo couldn't escape responsibility either. In fact, the entire world was implicated. Was the fault not in any one person, but in the world itself?
"Get some rest early. It's late" Jinsuke said, turning off the TV and heading to his room. Fortunately, the house he had... acquired was spacious enough that he didn't have to worry about accommodating occasional guests.
Watching Jinsuke enter his room, Yuki fell into thought.
"Maybe... I should take this opportunity..."
Action speaks louder than contemplation. The events of the day had taught her that if she didn't seize certain things soon, they might very well end up belonging to someone else before long.
After about twenty minutes, the entire house grew quiet. Having finished her bath and changed into pajamas, Yuki stealthily slipped out of her room and tiptoed to Jinsuke's door.
She gently pressed the handle, only to find the door locked from the inside. Instantly, she was furious.
"What's the meaning of this? Is he really that wary of me? Or is he specifically trying to keep me out?"
Jinsuke, for his part, would have pleaded innocence. His reason was simple: tomorrow was Saturday, and unless something unexpected happened, the two girls, Maki and Mai, would arrive very early. And Mai, that little imp, would undoubtedly sneak into his room to pester him awake.
However, Yuki knew none of this. All she knew was that she was incensed.
"Trying to keep me out, huh? Well, I'm determined to have my way tonight. No one can stop me."
A wisp of cursed energy surged forth. Click. The door unlocked. A mere lock was no match for a prestigious Special Grade sorcerer like her.
She gently pushed the door open, slipped inside, and closed it behind her. A slight smile tugged at her lips.
"As expected of me!"
"What are you doing?" Jinsuke turned on the light, looking calmly at the sneaking Yuki. His expression was somewhat peculiar. Did she really think he wouldn't notice such a commotion?
"Ah!" Yuki jumped, startled by the sudden light. She instinctively covered her chest, which trembled impressively with the movement. "What are you doing? You scared me!"
"This is my room. You're asking me what I'm doing?" Jinsuke began to suspect this woman might have a few screws loose.
"Fine, I'll come clean. I did it on purpose. Isn't it obvious enough? Do I really need to spell it out?"
Since she'd been caught red-handed, Yuki dropped all pretense. She planted her hands on her hips, adopting a defiant stance. No matter what happened tonight, nothing was going to deter her. She had been eyeing this piece of meat for a long time, and she was determined to secure it firmly in her grasp, to devour it and make it hers, so she could finally rest easy.
"You..." Jinsuke's gaze was complex. He had always thought Yuki was just joking around with him. He never imagined she genuinely had designs on his body. And now she wasn't even bothering to hide it?
"We're not suitable."
"How are we not suitable? We haven't even tried! How would you know?"
Yuki pouted and thrust out her chest.
"Am I not pretty?"
"You are."
"Is my figure not good?"
"It is."
"Is my strength lacking?"
"It's not."
"I know! I'm poor, right? I'll work hard to earn money from now on, how about that? I'll let you live off me for the rest of your life!"
Yuki, realizing what she thought was the problem, quickly made her promise.
"It's none of those things." Jinsuke wasn't particularly concerned about money. Since he'd quit gambling, he didn't care much whether he had more or less, as long as it was enough to get by.
"Then what is the reason?" Yuki couldn't understand. Where exactly did she fall short in his eyes?
Jinsuke scratched his head and slightly turned his face away.
"Well... We know each other too well. I'd feel taking advantage."
"Huh?" Yuki was instantly dumbfounded. She had actually lost because of that? Was this the reason why childhood friends could never surpass the sudden appearance of a new love interest??
"I don't care! If you're embarrassed, then I'll make the move!" Yuki forcefully pounced on Jinsuke, pushing him down onto the bed. She reached out and turned off the light with a flick of cursed energy.
"With the lights off, we won't know each other so well," she cooed.
Jinsuke instinctively tried to push her away, but a soft, moist warmth already pressed against his lips. His hand, which had been poised to resist, ultimately settled onto her back.
This was the first time he had ever been so passive.
She really was an unreasonable woman...