Becoming Sukuna

Several elementary school students came running back, tears streaming down their faces, and surrounded Hayama, who seemed like the most reliable person in their eyes.

Even Rumi, her face pale with fear, sought refuge beside Hachiman.

She didn't like Hayama, and Hachiman had been with Yukino's sister, so she instinctively felt he was more trustworthy.

"What happened?" Hayama asked, putting on a reassuring smile. "Don't panic, just tell me slowly."

"There's… there's a monster in the forest!"

"It was so scary!"

"A monster with four arms and four eyes! It almost ate us!"

"We barely escaped!"

The children's cries confused Hayama. "A four-eyed, four-armed monster? You're kidding, right?"

Hachiman, standing nearby, couldn't help but sweatdrop.

He knew who the "four-eyed monster" was, but the "four arms" part was unexpected. It had to be Sukuna, though.

Speaking of which, Sukuna-sama actually went to scare the kids…

"They're telling the truth!" Rumi cried, clinging to Hachiman's shirt.

"I know." Hachiman glanced down at her, then back at Hayama.

"It's true, that mons— Huh?"

Rumi, about to explain, was interrupted.

"You believe me?"

"Yes, but it wasn't a monster. It was our teacher in disguise."

Hachiman's explanation sounded weak even to him.

"...Lies!" Rumi frowned. "The costumes the other senpai were wearing were so cheap. There's no way there'd be such a realistic one!"

This kid... How unpleasant!

Hachiman felt a cold sweat trickle down his back.

"So, it was mostly makeup. That monster you saw, did it have black markings on its face, along with the four eyes?" he tried to bluff.

"H-how did you know?" Rumi's eyes widened.

"You'll see when our teacher comes back." Hachiman shrugged, then added to avoid inconsistencies with Hayama's group, "And he did it secretly. No one knows except me and Yukinoshita."

"Really?" Rumi looked at him skeptically.

Hayama was still trying to calm down the four terrified girls, though he didn't believe their story.

The bonfire had already started. The other kids were dancing around it to the cheerful music.

Rumi and Hachiman sat on the steps, watching. The four girls, although no longer hysterical, were still too shaken to join the fun.

"Hmm?"

Hachiman, scanning the area, noticed one of the girls who had been bullying Rumi glancing towards them repeatedly.

Her name was… Yuka, right?

Did something happen?

He was curious.

Soon, Sukuna and Yukino returned from the forest path. Hachiman pointed at Sukuna. "See? That's the 'monster' you saw."

Rumi, who had been exchanging glances with Yuka, turned to look.

Her eyes widened in horror, as if the four-eyed, four-armed demon had reappeared before her.

"Ah…!"

"Wait, wait!" Hachiman quickly covered her mouth before she could scream. Who knew what misunderstandings this would cause...

Though, knowing me, there will be misunderstandings regardless.

Hachiman silently berated himself. "Take a good look at Sukun-sensei."

Rumi calmed down slightly, her face warm from Hachiman's hand covering her mouth. She carefully studied Sukuna's appearance.

She suddenly realized that she had seen this handsome young man with Yukino's sister at the beginning of the camp. She hadn't realized he was a teacher.

And as for the monster at the shrine… due to the darkness, she hadn't seen its face clearly, but she remembered its imposing figure.

This Sukuna-sensei, although tall, didn't seem as large as the monster.

"...Is it really the same person?"

She tried to recall the monster's appearance, but all she could remember were those four glowing red eyes.

"Yo, what's wrong?"

Sukuna and Yukino approached. He looked down at Rumi, his eyes meeting hers.

His crimson eyes, like rubies, gradually overlapped with the four eyes in Rumi's memory.

"Gah!" Rumi gasped, pointing at Sukuna with a trembling finger. "I-it's you?!"

"Sorry, sorry, did I scare you?" Sukuna chuckled apologetically and patted her head.

His voice was surprisingly gentle, and the warmth of his hand brought a sense of comfort.

"Ah! It's the monster from the forest!"

Yuka, who had been watching Rumi, suddenly shrieked, pointing at Sukuna.

Unlike Rumi, who had only seen Sukuna from the front, the four girls, from the side, had clearly seen the monster's face in the moonlight. And that face was identical to Sukuna's.

"Wow, it's true! But there are no scary black markings."

"And no extra eyes."

"Or extra arms."

The four girls chattered excitedly, reaching a conclusion. "So, that monster was fake?!"

Children that age were quick to forget their fear. Now that they knew they were safe, their curiosity outweighed their fear, and they gathered around Sukuna.

"Onii-san, were you the four-eyed, four-armed monster in the forest?" Hitomi asked boldly.

"Yes, but I'm not your onii-san. I'm a teacher," Sukuna replied with a gentle smile, not bothering to act superior.

"Were the black markings and extra eyes makeup?"

"Yes, but I've already wiped it off."

"What about the extra arms?"

"Those were secret props. I hid them."

"You look so young! How old are you? Do you have a girlfriend?"

Emboldened by Sukuna's kindness, the girls' questions became increasingly personal.

Sukuna chuckled and flicked Komori's forehead lightly. "You little rascal, go play."

"Okay~!"

Their curiosity satisfied, they ran off to join the bonfire festivities.

But after a while, Yuka came back, looking hesitant and shy. She took Rumi's hand. "Rumi, come with us?"

"Eh? Me?" Rumi blinked in surprise.

"Yeah, yeah, let's go dance together!" Yuka pulled her along.

They returned to the other three girls. After a brief exchange, the four of them bowed to Rumi and apologized.

Rumi looked flustered, then nodded, a smile blooming on her face.

"Looks like they made up," Hachiman said, surprised. "Did something happen during the test of courage?"

"Sukuna-kun transformed into his second form and scared them when they were returning with the charm. Rumi froze in fear, and Yuka threw pebbles at Sukuna-kun to distract him and let Rumi escape," Yukino explained.

"That happened?"

Hachiman's eyes widened in disbelief. He had always believed that people would only show their ugliest side when faced with fear.

And he was even more surprised that an elementary school student would have the courage to throw pebbles at Sukuna, especially in his terrifying second form.

When I first met Sukuna-sama, I was paralyzed with fear just from his aura.

Am I even worse than an elementary school girl?

Hachiman's self-esteem plummeted.

But it was precisely because Sukuna had suppressed his aura in the forest that the girls only saw him as a scary monster, not an overwhelming, otherworldly being.

Otherwise, fainting would have been the least of their worries.

"Well, it all worked out in the end," Sukuna said with a smile, watching the children laughing and playing around the bonfire.

"Yes, considering someone almost scared a child to death," Yukino said pointedly. Sukuna laughed awkwardly. "Think before you act, Sukuna-kun."

"Yes, ma'am."

Yukino, rarely getting the upper hand in their verbal sparring, couldn't help but smile smugly.

As they were chatting, footsteps approached, accompanied by a cheerful voice. "Looks like they've made up."

They turned to see Hayato Hayama waving at them.

"As expected of Yukinoshita-san. It's great that you were able to help them reconcile," he said.

Perhaps because it was a happy occasion, Yukino didn't mind Hayama's intrusion.

She glanced at Rumi, who was now dancing with Yuka. "I didn't do anything. Tsurumi-san made the change herself."

"Is that so? But I still believe that without your help, she wouldn't have changed."

Hayama smiled sincerely, happy for Rumi.

"I wish I could be like you..." he murmured, his gaze fixed on the bonfire.

"Everyone has things they can't do. You don't need to dwell on the past anymore. It's meaningless. I've already moved on," Yukino said calmly.

"Look forward, Hayama-kun." That was her final advice to him.

Hayama left, his expression heavy.

"Speaking of which, Hayama has been acting differently in class," Hachiman suddenly said.

"Differently how?"

"I can't quite explain it. More genuine, I guess?" Hachiman tried to articulate his observations. "If the old Hayama wanted to unite everyone under a façade of peace, then the current Hayama seems to have given up on that."

"But he still subconsciously tries to maintain those superficial relationships, which makes him seem awkward and… repulsive."

He didn't hide his dislike for Hayama.

"Change isn't something you can achieve just by wanting it," Yukino said, gazing at the dancing flames.

The fire illuminated the laughing faces of the children, their cheerful voices mingling with the sounds of the summer night, carrying far into the distance.

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With the bonfire party over, the forest summer camp came to an end.

Having resolved Tsurumi Rumi's request, the Service Club's summer camp activities also concluded successfully.

The morning sun was gentle, casting warm rays of light through the trees, creating a mosaic of shadows on the ground.

The bus for the elementary school students arrived, waiting for its passengers.

"Alright, before we head back, let's thank the older brothers and sisters who worked so hard for us these past few days!" the camp leader announced through a loudspeaker.

"Thank you, onii-san, onee-san~!" The children chorused.

"I hope you all made wonderful memories at this summer camp," Hayama and the others said with smiles, waving goodbye.

After the children boarded the bus and left, Hayama and his group also departed in their van. Hiratsuka pulled up in her car, calling out, "Get your luggage and hop in!"

However, just as Hayama's van left, a red Aston Martin smoothly pulled up.

Hiratsuka, curious, peeked out the window. Seeing the familiar sports car, she was surprised.

The window rolled down, revealing Haruno's charming face. "Hello~ Sukuna-kun, happy to see me?"

That Haruno, ignoring her own sister and flirting with that boy instead!

Hiratsuka was shocked.

After all, Haruno was a hardcore siscon, to a somewhat disturbing degree.

Flirting with a guy instead of greeting her sister first?!

"Happy, happy."

Sukuna nodded perfunctorily and gestured for her to open the trunk so he could load their luggage.

"Why are you here, Onee-chan?" Yukino asked, frowning slightly.

"To take you home, of course." Haruno smiled. "You know how Mom is. Even with all my effort, I couldn't convince her to let you stay out for the entire summer break."

"And after that incident, she's even more worried about you living alone. It took a lot of effort to persuade her."

Knowing she couldn't avoid it any longer, Yukino sighed. "Sorry, I can't go back with you all. We'll have to part ways here."

"Hello to you too, Yukino's friends." Haruno finally acknowledged the others, waving.

"...Yukino, are you okay?" Yui noticed her troubled expression.

"Of course." Yukino quickly put on a smile. "Goodbye."

She walked towards the passenger seat, but found Sukuna already sitting there. After a silent stare, she opened the back door and got in.

The engine roared, and the car sped away.

Hiratsuka watched the Aston Martin leave with a hint of envy in her eyes, then called out to the others to get in her car....

"Even if you're taking me home, you didn't have to go out of your way to come to Chiba Village, did you?"

Yukino asked from the back seat, watching the two chatting happily in the front. There was a hint of displeasure in her voice, though it was unclear who it was directed at.

"Because I missed you, of course~" Haruno replied with a smile.

"But we just saw each other the night before last."

"So? Longing knows no time."

"Heh."

Yukino scoffed, not believing a word her sister said. Haruno was definitely up to something.

"How cold~" Haruno said innocently. "Don't you think so, Sukuna-kun?"

"Huh? What does that have to do with me?" Sukuna looked confused.

"Is Yukino always this cold to you?"

"She's alright."

"Wait, this has nothing to do with Sukuna-kun! Please don't drag unrelated people into this!"

Their simultaneous responses made Haruno burst into laughter.

Haruno was dressed simply today, in a loose white shirt and a light brown jacket. The shirt accentuated her curves.

Sukuna remained unfazed. "Focus on driving."

"Oh, right!" Haruno suddenly exclaimed, as if remembering something. "Let's take this opportunity to introduce Sukuna-kun to Mom!"

"?"

Yukino wondered if the wind from the other night had damaged her sister's brain.

"What are you planning, Onee-chan? Bringing Sukuna-kun home? As what? My live-in partner?" she asked, her voice sharp.

"Of course!" Haruno grinned mischievously.

"Onee-chan!"

"Just kidding."

Seeing her sister's genuine annoyance, Haruno quickly apologized. After all, Yukino wasn't the same meek little sister she could easily tease anymore.

At least physically, she was now the one who could be easily overpowered.

If she pushed Yukino too far, things could get ugly.

Haruno enjoyed watching others suffer, but she didn't want to be the one suffering.

Sukuna, listening to their banter, shook his head and sighed internally. Compared to Haruno, Yukino is still too naive. She doesn't even realize she's being played.

Her sister has her completely wrapped around her finger. If this keeps up, she'll probably reveal her underwear color .

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With the summer holidays in full swing, Hachiman had finally achieved a peaceful life free from curses, supernatural incidents, and Sukuna.

He had already finished his summer homework. All he had to do was complete his daily exercise routine, and then he could spend the rest of the day as he pleased.

"Onii-chan is playing video games on the sofa again! Honestly, the only productive thing you do is exercise in the morning!"

Hachiman looked up from his game console to see his sister standing before him.

"Being able to laze around is the whole point of summer vacation." He paused, then asked, "Are you going out?"

Komachi was dressed in a light yellow shirt and denim overalls, a shopping bag hanging from her arm.

"I'm going grocery shopping. We're out of food." She frowned at her good-for-nothing brother. "You should ask Ijichi-san if there are any curse extermination requests! Don't just stay home and freeload off your cute little sister!"

"But then again, I can't bear the thought of you getting hurt, so I guess I'll let you stay home and take care of you." She grinned playfully. "I'm such a good sister!"

"Yes, yes, I'm too weak to fight curses. I'll just stay home."

Hachiman said dismissively, returning to his game.

"Honestly, I can't imagine how you'll survive without me."

Komachi sighed dramatically and headed for the entrance.

"Don't go anywhere dangerous, like abandoned buildings or near cemeteries," Hachiman called out.

"I'm just going grocery shopping. Why would I go to those places?"

Komachi retorted while changing into her sandals.

"That's good."

A moment later, Hachiman finally processed her words.

Wait, am I going to be separated from Komachi in the future?!

But by the time he sat up in alarm, the door had already closed.

Unaware of the impact her casual words had on her brother, Komachi headed towards the nearest shopping district.

She strolled through the streets, thinking about what to make for dinner.

Most of the people out shopping at this hour were housewives. Girls Komachi's age were a rare sight.

Due to their parents' busy work schedules, the Hikigaya siblings were mostly responsible for taking care of themselves.

And most of the cooking fell on Komachi's shoulders.

She was a regular at this shopping district, and many shop owners recognized her.

"Oh! It's Komachi-chan! Want some spareribs today? Guaranteed fresh!"

The owner of a butcher shop greeted her enthusiastically.

"Spareribs, huh? Sounds good." Komachi smiled and walked over. "Same as usual?"

"Same as usual! 20% off for you!" The butcher grinned and expertly chopped off a section of ribs.

"Thank you, Ojisan!" Komachi paid and continued her shopping.

After buying enough ingredients for the next few days, she decided to stop by the department store for some snacks. She pulled out her phone and called Hachiman.

"Hello? What's up?"

"Onii-chan, I'm going to the department store. Do you want anything?"

"No… Just get me a can of MAX Coffee."

"Okay, I'll hang—"

Komachi suddenly blinked and stepped back, looking curiously down a narrow alley.

She saw a man with long black hair tied in a bun, wearing a Buddhist monk's robe, reaching out towards a curse.

A monk?

Suddenly, the curse was pulled towards the man, twisting and contorting before transforming into a small, glowing blue sphere in his hand.

A sorcerer from Jujutsu High?

So dedicated, working even during summer break... But then again, sorcerers probably don't get breaks, do they?

A full-time, high-risk job... That's scary. Jujutsu sorcerers are amazing.

"What's wrong?" Hachiman's voice came from the phone.

Of course, excluding my useless brother who just lazes around at home all day.

There's a huge difference between sorcerers.

"Nothing, I'll hang up now."

Komachi sighed and continued on her way.

Better not disturb him while he's working.

"Hmm?"

Suguru Geto turned around, sensing something. He saw a short-haired girl walking away while talking on the phone.

"Can she see them? But she doesn't seem to be a sorcerer or a student at Jujutsu High." Geto swallowed the curse he had just captured. "Just an ordinary person with spiritual vision?"

People bustled through the shopping district, but no one else seemed to notice what had happened in the alley. Geto had already disappeared.

...

Komachi returned home with the groceries and snacks.

Seeing Hachiman still sprawled on the sofa, playing games, she couldn't help but feel annoyed. Especially after seeing that sorcerer working hard to protect the city.

She changed her shoes and stormed over to Hachiman, snatching his game console and shoving the groceries and coffee into his arms.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Hachiman was bewildered.

"You're making dinner tonight!" Komachi declared.

"Eh? Why?"

"No buts!"

"Okay, okay."

Hachiman reluctantly went to the kitchen.

Meanwhile, on the rooftop of a nearby building, Geto observed the Hikigaya residence.

"Many curses have grown stronger recently, and ordinary people are suddenly awakening to cursed energy and techniques. It seems a remarkable presence has emerged in the jujutsu world."

The last time something like this happened was when Gojo Satoru was born.

"Could it be you?"

He smirked, a glint of curiosity in his eyes.

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