By the time I woke up to my father's voice telling me we had almost arrived, the scenery had transformed into dense, verdant mountains.
"To think there's a school in a place like this..."
"Indeed. It is, first and foremost, a school for sorcerers; its existence must remain a secret. It was only natural to construct it somewhere far from the prying eyes of the masses."
"True. It must also make it far easier for Lord Tengen to maintain the barriers."
"Precisely."
I stared out the window in silence, watching the winding mountain pass blur by in a quiet atmosphere until my father spoke again.
"Make sure you find worthy companions. Anyone capable of enrolling at Jujutsu High has already had their potential vetted."
"Yes. I'm looking forward to it. I hope to make some new friends soon."
"Did I mention? Historically, the Zenin Clan Head is permitted to take concubines. I simply haven't bothered, but looking back through our annals, there were at least three or four heads who kept them."
"Pardon? Why are you bringing that up so suddenly...?"
"Kahahaha! I'm saying if you find a woman of high caliber, bring her into the Zenin fold. Not as an external associate, but as a permanent member of the family."
"Haha... well, I'm not sure if that will happen. But I'll keep it in mind."
"I've heard the head of the Gojo Clan is also enrolling as a freshman this year. It must have been a long time since you last saw him. He hasn't graced our estate with a visit in years, has he?"
"That's true. We used to spend quite a lot of time together, so I wondered if something had happened when he stopped coming. I suppose not."
"Enjoy your reunion. And try not to be too surprised."
"Surprised by what? It's just a face I haven't seen in a while."
Before I could even question my father's cryptic warning, the car came to a stop at the entrance of the college. I stepped out and opened the door for my father. As he emerged, we were met by a teacher wearing dark sunglasses standing before the gate.
"I trust you have been well, Lord Zenin."
"Ah, well enough. Watching the children grow is the only joy left at my age. This is the next head of the Zenin, Touya. Introduce yourself."
Following my father's prompt, I stepped forward and gave a polite bow.
"It is an honor to meet you, Sensei. I am Zenin Touya. I look forward to your guidance."
"Indeed. I am Masamichi Yaga, the instructor in charge of the first-year class. I expect much from you."
"Then I shall take my leave. Touya, mind your studies and your conduct. I'm heading back."
I offered a bow to my father's retreating back as he turned away without a shred of lingering attachment.
"Father, please travel safely. I'll write to you."
"Hmph. Don't do it too often. Reading letters is a tedious chore."
He didn't even look back, simply raising a hand in dismissal as he disappeared into the car. Once the vehicle had vanished from sight, I turned back to the teacher.
"Yaga-sensei, should we head to the classroom now?"
"Yes, I'll take you there. But first, a brief question."
"By all means, please ask."
"Why have you come to Jujutsu High?"
'Ah, so this is it. The classic question the original protagonist was asked upon his arrival.'
I paused for only a moment before offering my answer.
"To become strong enough to lead everyone in my family—and to use that strength to change the clan, and by extension, the entire jujutsu world."
"Change the Zenin Clan?"
"Yes. To be frank, the current jujutsu world—especially the Three Great Families—is stagnant and rotten. I wish to overturn that culture entirely."
"To achieve that, you would have to become the strongest sorcerer in the world. Still... I like your answer. You pass. You're a remarkably polite fellow, a rarity in this line of work. Truth be told, I decided you passed the moment I saw you."
"Haha... is that so? Thank you for the kind words."
"I mean it. You possess a sense of gratitude and self-restraint. Unlike that other brat... Ugh! God damn it! Just thinking about him makes my blood boil again."
I laughed awkwardly while a thought crossed my mind.
'That's obviously Satoru. I guess he's already here.'
"Hmph. Enough of that. I'll show you to the classroom. You can get an orientation on the facilities later."
"Understood, Sensei."
I followed Yaga-sensei into the school, taking in the surroundings until we reached the classroom door.
"Your classmates are inside. Go in and introduce yourself."
"Thank you for walking me here."
I bowed, and he nodded several times with a look of genuine approval before departing. Perhaps it was the anticipation of meeting peers my own age, but my hand hesitated on the door handle. Steeling my nerves, I slid the door open.
-------
Touya stepped inside a classroom that looked surprisingly ordinary. Two students were already seated, and at the sound of the door opening, both turned to face him. He met their gazes and spoke first.
"Hello. I'm Zenin Touya. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
The first to respond was a boy with an unusual, downward-sweeping fringe.
"So you're the final one. Nice to meet you. I'm Suguru Geto. I come from a non-sorcerer background."
'So this is Suguru Geto... This is the first time I've seen him in the flesh.'
Touya walked over to him and shook his hand.
'He's quite tall, our eye levels are nearly the same. Though I think I might have a slight edge on him.'
"Geto, then. Good to meet you. Feel free to use my given name."
After a brief introduction with Geto, Touya turned toward the girl with short hair who was staring at him blankly.
'Is she smoking? She's a high school student. Was she always like this?'
As Touya approached her, he completely forgot what he was going to say. He stood there, dazed by her presence.
'Wow... she's genuinely beautiful. Seeing her up close, she's exactly my type. I'm almost at a loss for words.'
Shoko Ieiri looked up at the boy frozen in front of her.
"Aren't you going to introduce yourself? You're so tall my neck is starting to hurt. Hurry it up, or why don't you just sit down?"
'She's definitely my style... and that aloofness is quite charming.'
Touya snapped out of his daze and took the seat next to her.
"As I said earlier, I'm Zenin Touya. Looking forward to working with you."
"Shoko Ieiri. Call me whatever you want. You're surprisingly polite for a 'Young Master' type, aren't you?"
Touya chuckled sheepishly.
"Haha... Well, I may be a Young Master by birth, but I've always disliked people with no manners."
"Hmm... is that so? Then the rumors must be wrong."
Touya blinked, confused. "Rumors? There are already rumors about me?"
"Yeah, I just heard one a few minutes ago. They said you're obscenely strong, but also a total lecher who can't help himself around women."
"Who on earth would spread such a ridiculous lie?"
"The guy who was here first. He's waiting for us outside somewhere."
"Satoru... That bastard. Just wait until I get my hands on him. I'm going to tickle him until he begs for mercy."
Seeing Touya wiggling his fingers as if preparing for an attack, Shoko burst into laughter.
"Pff... hahaha! Are you two close?"
Touya was momentarily stunned by her smile.
'God, she's gorgeous. I think I'm actually falling for her.'
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he replied.
"Yeah. Satoru and I have played together since we were very small. The Zenin and Gojo estates are close enough that we became friends. Or rivals. Something like that."
"Really? When was the last time you saw him?"
"Let's see... Maybe when we were nine or ten? After that, Satoru stopped visiting, so we naturally drifted apart. Back then, we used to do things that weren't very 'manly,' like playing house."
Shoko's eyes widened for a second before a mischievous smirk spread across her face.
"Manly? Pfft... Right. I suppose a 'man' wouldn't usually play house."
At that moment, Geto chimed in from the other side.
"Hey, Touya. You only said one thing to me before moving on to Shoko. Are we practicing gender discrimination already?"
Touya waved his hands frantically, laughing.
"No, it's not like that! Suguru, come over here and join us. We're going to be together for the next four years, we might as well be friends. And Shoko, please call me Touya. I much prefer it over being called 'Zenin'."
"Sure thing~ anyway, he should be back any moment—"
Suddenly, the door was kicked open with a thunderous bang, and Satoru appeared.
"The Great One has arrived! Sorry to keep you all—wait! Touya!"
"Satoru... wait, what?"
Touya looked toward the door, expecting the short-haired boy from his memories. Instead, he saw a tall girl with flowing white hair, striking features, and a feminine figure that left nothing to the imagination.
Before he could process the shock, Satoru lunged forward, throwing her arms around him. Touya, caught off guard, instinctively held her, feeling a soft, feminine warmth he had not anticipated.
'Wait... this isn't right...'
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