"That's everything regarding what Shoko and I experienced today."
After leaving the Yan Family, and selectively omitting Aoki Chiyo along with some other unimportant details, Genji gave a rough summary of what Shoko and he had been through today.
"You still haven't explained where those Kikufuku came from, have you?"
Satoru Gojo pursed his lips, expressing his dissatisfaction with Genji vague description while eating the Kikufuku.
"Can't the food stop you from complaining?" Genji ignored Satoru Gojo's grumbling.
"I just received notification from Yaga; the individual matches will be held in three days."
Genji said, looking at the group.
"Then why are we still going back to Kyoto Jujutsu High?" Upon hearing Genji words, Satoru Gojo suddenly spoke up.
"We might as well just head back to my villa; we can find some fun there tonight."
"That's feasible."
The group looked at each other, then changed their route and headed towards the Gojo Family villa.
...
"Now, let's discuss the details of the individual matches."
Inside the principal's office at Kyoto Jujutsu High, Gakuganji looked at Masamichi Yaga and Tsukumo Yuki before him and spoke.
"According to past practice, the individual matches can simply be held as one-on-one arena battles. However, since there are more students from Kyoto this year, it's relatively unfair to the students from the Tokyo School. What are your thoughts?"
As he spoke, Gakuganji felt his old face burning. Although he appeared to be concerned about fairness for the Tokyo School students, anyone who knew the actual situation understood that what he just said was complete nonsense.
Gakuganji knew that if it were really a one-on-one arena format using the previous years' king-of-the-hill rules for the individual matches, his side would likely be swept clean. As long as Tokyo sent out Satoru Gojo, they would be practically invincible.
Fortunately, Masamichi Yaga was not the type to get in people's faces like Satoru Gojo. Seeing Masamichi Yaga genuinely considering how to conduct the matches, Gakuganji secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"If you ask me, there's no need to change any rules; can't we just stick to the original ones? Isn't Principal Gakuganji the one who loves keeping things as they are?"
Just then, Special Grade Tsukumo's voice, filled with sarcasm, rang out. It didn't take much thought to know who she was mocking, but since Tsukumo Yuki hadn't explicitly named him, Gakuganji couldn't easily lose his temper.
"Special Grade Tsukumo, you joke. The purpose of the exchange event is to showcase the strength and training results of the students from both schools. If the competition rules themselves are unfair, then what's the point of proceeding?"
Gakuganji responded to Tsukumo Yuki's provocation with a grim expression. Since Tsukumo Yuki hadn't openly provoked him, he couldn't lash out, resulting in his face being as dark as the bottom of a pot.
"Tch~"
After getting her fill of annoying Gakuganji, Tsukumo Yuki stopped speaking and focused on modifying the competition rules. In fact, she had originally intended to suggest changing the rules anyway—after all, a one-sided match was destined to be boring—but she just couldn't stand Gakuganji's attitude.
And so, the three people in the office began their discussion on how to modify the rules for the individual matches.
...
"Genji? What are you doing out here by yourself?"
At midnight, on the balcony of the Gojo Family villa, while Genji was sitting alone on a lounge chair looking at the night view in the distance, Shoko walked up.
"Nothing, just letting my mind wander."
Seeing that the expression on Genji face was somewhat heavy and that he didn't seem to intend to talk to her, Shoko thought for a moment, then ignored the other lounge chair and sat directly on Genji lap, using her hands to forcefully turn Genji head so he was facing her directly.
"Shoko, you..."
Before Genji could finish his sentence, he was forcibly interrupted by Shoko.
"If you don't make it clear to me today what you're so troubled about, don't think about leaving, and I won't move either."
Looking at Shoko's determined attitude, Genji gave a bitter smile.
"Shoko, you wouldn't have been like this before."
"That's true, but people change, don't they?"
Indeed, Shoko knew that if it were her past self facing this situation, although she would be worried and want to do something, she would never have been this forceful.
However, the previous illusion had shown her the possibility of a lonely future, and the time Genji had nearly died at the hands of The Gun Cursed Spirit had left her terrified, making her wonder if she had been firmer at the time and talked to Genji properly, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out that way.
"Alright."
In the end, Genji compromised.
"Actually, it's nothing, I was just thinking about my conversation with Maekage Ken today."
"What about your conversation?" When Shoko had just arrived near Genji and the others, their conversation had already ended, so she hadn't heard what they talked about.
"The conversation itself was fine, but he asked me a question at the time: 'If I were in his position, what would I do?' And I gave a rather arrogant answer."
"What answer?"
Shoko asked curiously.
"I said I would tell those old geezers to get lost."
"Pfft."
Shoko laughed.
"That really sounds like something you would do."
"Yeah, that's something I would do. But the reason I had that reaction is because of the education I received growing up and the influence of my parents, friends, and teachers in shaping my personality. So, what if the education and influences I received had been different?"
Genji paused.
"It's not that I regret my answer or anything—I don't care what that guy thinks—it's just that I'm struck by how any single decision in life can potentially change one's future."
There were some things Genji didn't say out loud. He couldn't help but think about the illusion he had briefly been lost in during that mission. If he hadn't awakened his Cursed Technique and Cursed Energy, and if his family hadn't encountered a curse, would his life have been as wonderful as it was in the illusion? For someone who was an orphan in his previous life, the existence of his family was a precious and important thing that hadn't come easily.
"No matter what is said, it's all just speculation, isn't it?"
Shoko said to Genji.
"No matter how you speculate, you are sitting here right now, with me sitting on you—that is the reality."
"Yeah, especially the reality where I'm pinned under you right now."
Amused by Shoko's words, Genji mood lightened a bit. Just then, Genji realized that the position he and Shoko were in couldn't be called anything less than incredibly suggestive.
At this moment, rather than saying Shoko was sitting on Genji lap, it was more like they were pressed against each other. Since Genji was lying on the lounge chair, Shoko was straddling his waist, her hands braced on either side of his head, while the distance between them kept shrinking.
Just as their figures were about to merge, the door behind them was suddenly kicked open with great force, and a drunk white-haired person walked in.
"Genji, Shoko, what are you two doing here? You aren't getting up to something illicit, are you?"
Looking at the drunk white-haired person before him, besides the embarrassment of being caught in that moment, Genji felt even more anger toward this white-haired person.
"Satoru! If no one ever taught you to knock before entering a room, then let me teach you!"
Saying this, Genji jumped up and charged at Satoru Gojo, and they immediately began to wrestle. Iori Utahime, who was also drunk and following closely behind Satoru Gojo, took the opportunity to pounce as well, landing a few punches on Satoru Gojo.
"This is also a part of the unchangeable reality, isn't it?"
Watching this scene, Shoko laughed so hard she couldn't straighten her back, while Suguru Geto and Mei Mei, who had arrived a step later and were not drunk—or rather, held their liquor much better—came over to try and separate the two.
And just like that, three days passed amidst the group's bickering and roughhousing, and the day of the individual matches arrived.