They took a short break while sipping on drinks from a vending machine that Naoya had treated them to.
At first, Yuta had been worried about how things would go, but when he sat down and thought about it calmly, Rika had never manifested except during a 'crisis for Yuta.'
Looking back, those crises only occurred when Yuta thought, 'Someone help me.' Which meant...
"Rika-chan isn't just coming out on her own, is she?"
"The probability is high. Rika likely appears when you desire her manifestation, whether consciously or unconsciously. In other words, in this master-servant contract, you are the 'Master,' Yuta."
"If Satoru looks at it and says so, it must be true... So that means Yuta is like one of those old ladies you occasionally see at the riverbank being dragged along by a massive dog?"
"That's a confusing analogy, Panda. Well, then the solution is simple. Everything will be fixed once Yuta learns to be the man of the house."
"The... the man of the house? I wonder if I can do that."
"Salmon. Mackerel, dried fish. Amberjack, green beans."
"Inumaki-kun, did you just say Sada Masashi's The Groom's Declaration?"
"Bonito flakes. Broad beans."
"No, I'm sure it was just a mishearing, but it really sounded like he was aiming for that..."
"Yuta, Yuta, Toge is the type who loves to join in on a joke, so if you dig too deep into his little bits, there'll be no end to it."
"No, well, I saw him mimicking those transformation poses earlier, so I kind of get it, Panda-kun."
"Bonito flakes. Horse mackerel, small dried sardines, salted cod, pufferfish, seaweed in vinegar."
"Hey, don't start stripping, okay?"
"Hey Panda, isn't Yuta learning the 'topping language' pretty fast?"
"It's because Toge is speaking in a way that sounds like other words. He's probably trying to help Yuta relax in his own way."
"Bonito flakes. Char, pickled ginger."
"Ahaha, thank you, Inumaki-kun."
Yuta and the others chatted amicably. Joining their conversation was Mai Zen'in, who had been engaged in a 'woman's battle' with Rika just moments ago. Her mood seemed to have shifted; her dress was now a subdued palette of black and blue, and she had returned to her natural way of speaking now that she was out of combat mode.
"While Yuta-kun is aiming to be the master of the house, don't you think Rika-chan should be taught a few more things as well? As long as she can hold a conversation and possess thoughts, there should be room for her to grow. I wonder if she can hear me right now? Rika-chan, if you let your guard down, some thieving cat might seduce Yuta-kun away before you know it. As you can see, the jujutsu world is a place where polygamy is perfectly acceptable. There is no future for a woman who doesn't polish herself."
"Wait, if you provoke Rika-chan like that, she might get angry..."
"I'm not provoking her. I'm pointing out facts. I've been polishing myself since I was three years old to finally win the position of Naoya's first wife, and I'm still defending it now. Rika-chan, if you love him enough to possess him, you should work a little harder."
"Yuta, don't listen to her. Mai is a real piece of work who used cursed energy to enhance her bust size since she was four just because Naoya is a breast man. That's why our body types are different even though we're identical twins."
"What...?"
"Oh, how rude. It's pure love, isn't it?"
"It's more like a yandere obsession, if you ask me."
"Salmon, salmon."
The situation had turned into something Yuta couldn't quite categorize as good or bad—having a 'dangerous person whose obsession with her beloved exceeded even Rika's' giving lectures to his junior.
However, the pleasant break time came to an end when Gojo, who had wandered off for a moment, returned with three new faces.
---
"And so, for the second half, I've brought in some special instructors: Suguru Geto-san, Megumi Fushiguro-kun, and Yuji Itadori-kun! Let's have a round of applause!"
"Satoru, you haven't explained anything at all, have you? Hello, Okkotsu-kun. It's been a few days. Allow me to introduce myself again; I am Suguru Geto, a practical skills instructor here at Jujutsu High. It's a pleasure. I was called here because my Cursed Spirit Manipulation, Megumi's Ten Shadows Technique for summoning shikigami, and the fact that Yuji houses a special grade cursed object might serve as a good reference for you. Megumi and Yuji are still third-years in the affiliated middle school, but like Satoru, Naoya, myself, and you, they are Special Grade. I'm sure you'll get along. They're both good kids."
"Hey. I'm Megumi Fushiguro."
"Yo! I'm Yuji Itadori! Nice to meet ya!"
Seeing the arrival of Geto's group, who seemed quite sensible, Yuta succeeded on an 'Idea Roll' toward the truth: 'Wait, is Gojo-sensei the only one here who's a failure as a teacher?'
While his classmates projected a silent sense of unity that seemed to say, 'So you finally noticed,' Yuta returned the greeting. "Um, I'm Yuta Okkotsu. Nice to meet you."
The second half of the session began with each of them demonstrating their techniques for Yuta.
Suguru Geto used Cursed Spirit Manipulation to literally control cursed spirits. His demonstration, which involved making ghastly cursed spirits dance the Mayim Mayim, had quite an impact. A technique that controlled curses at will was certainly something that could be a reference for Yuta.
Next was Megumi Fushiguro's Ten Shadows Technique. It was a summoning art for 'shikigami,' which had a different feel than cursed spirits. As the shikigami appeared one after another in response to the hand signs Megumi formed, Yuta felt a connection to the relationship he had with Rika.
Finally, there was Yuji Itadori. In his case, he could use summoning techniques as well, but what was thought to be a reference this time was his very existence. His circumstance of being more cursed than Yuta by taking in nine Special Grade cursed objects should have been similar to Yuta's—and yet.
"Hmm...?"
"Oh, Yuta. What's wrong?"
"No, I just feel like it's somehow... different from Itadori-kun."
Yes, every time Yuji demonstrated the power of the various cursed objects, Yuta felt a certain sense of incongruity. The sensation he got from Yuji Itadori wasn't like himself, but rather...
"Isn't he more like Rika-chan, Yuji-kun?"
"Y-yes, exactly. Um, how did you know, Naoya-san?"
"Do you really want to hear? I don't think my hypothesis is a very pleasant story."
With that, the Special Grade Sorcerer, Naoya Zen'in, narrowed his sharp eyes and stared into Yuta's.
Yuta instinctively flinched at that piercing gaze, but after a moment of hesitation, he steeled his resolve. He looked back into Naoya's eyes and gave a simple reply. "Yes."
To him, Naoya delivered a single, unpleasant hypothesis that made the blood drain from Yuta's face.
"This is just a guess, okay? Maybe Rika-chan was the one who was cursed... and you were the one who did the cursing. I heard they've already looked into Rika Orimoto's background. At best, she only had third-rate sorcerers among her relatives. On that note, your background is still under investigation. You might be from some incredibly powerful family."
Hearing those words from Naoya was Yuta's last memory of that day.
He later learned that he had fainted from anemia brought on by mental stress, and it was the next morning when Yuta finally opened his eyes.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]