A few days later, near a train station in Kyoto.
"This is far enough. We can take it from here." Dragging his suitcase, Mukuro turned back to say goodbye to his family.
"Toji-san, Onshin-san, thank you for seeing us off. It's about time for us to head in."
The tall blond boy beside him, with his neatly combed side-parted hair and composed demeanor, spoke politely.
Through several recommendations and his own growing reputation, Nanami had also been invited to Jujutsu High.
(Why not Kyoto? Because Tokyo made the offer first, and all of Mukuro's friends were there.)
"No need to thank us! Mukuro can be quite the handful, so please take care of him, Nanami-kun!"
Onshin smiled. She knew the boy well; he was Mukuro's close friend. Despite his young age, he was dependable, far more so than Mukuro or the lazy Toji. Knowing they'd be together reassured her.
"What are you talking about? I'm the one who should be taking care of him! I'm a reliable man, right, Nanami?" Mukuro threw an arm around his friend's shoulder, frowning in mock annoyance.
"Yes, yes, Fushiguro is very reliable." Nanami agreed, but the way his eyes darted aside clearly said otherwise.
Beep! Beep!
The sound of the station loudspeaker echoed through the air. The next train was about to arrive.
"Let's go."
"Safe travels."
As Toji spoke, the two boys turned away, waving goodbye.
* * *
"I heard there's some kind of entrance test?" Nanami asked on the train, watching the scenery rush by outside the window.
Even for students invited to enroll, there were still a few trials to go through. A formality, really.
"No problem. I'm the strongest, after all." Mukuro summoned a pair of sunglasses seemingly out of nowhere and put them on, completely unbothered.
"Speaking of 'the strongest'… I heard Geto and that other guy are known as the strongest duo at Tokyo Jujutsu High. They say they can even exorcise special grade curses."
Nanami didn't argue with Mukuro's arrogance. He just recalled the rumors. Those two had already become famous in the jujutsu world.
"Who knows," Mukuro replied with a faint grin, closing his eyes to nap.
* * *
Over two hours later.
"Tokyo's hotter than I expected," Nanami muttered as he stepped out of the station, feeling the difference in climate.
It was his first time this far from home, and everything around him felt new.
"Well, we did travel a few hundred kilometers." Mukuro, used to the trip, didn't think much of it.
"I'll be damned, you two really grew a lot in just two years."
A black car stopped in front of them. The back window rolled down to reveal a familiar face, Mei Mei, who had entered Jujutsu High two years before them.
She didn't look much different, maybe just a little more mature. But both Mukuro and Nanami were now over 180 cm tall, and the latter, in particular, now carried a solid build that made him look entirely different from the boy she used to know.
"Not really," Nanami said, unsure how else to respond as he quietly lifted their luggage into the trunk and took the passenger seat.
"I heard you've become a grade 1 sorcerer already. Not bad. How much money have you saved up?" Mukuro teased from the back seat as the car started moving.
"Eh?"
The female assistant manager driving the car couldn't help but glance back. A grade 1 sorcerer, the pinnacle that most could only dream of, and this boy just brushed it off like it was nothing.
"That's a secret. Don't even think about looking into my wallet. Every yen in there's hard-earned." The money-grubber Mei Mei refused to give a straight answer.
"Fine, fine." Mukuro laughed.
The three continued to chatted idly.
* * *
An hour later, the car arrived at Tokyo Jujutsu High.
"Long time no see, Mukuro. And you must be Nanami, right?"
Standing at the gate was Masamichi, who had been waiting for them. He looked the same as ever, calm and unshaken, though there was relief in his eyes.
These two were both considered rough gems of the jujutsu world. Them entering Jujutsu High at the right age was a gift in itself to the world.
"Yeah, it's been a while." Mukuro raised his hand casually, greeting him like an old friend.
"Mr. Yaga, I've heard of you. I'm Kento Nanami. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Nanami's polite introduction on the other hand immediately earned Masamichi's favor.
After years of teaching, finally, a normal student!
'There's hope for the next generation,' he thought.
"Let's go. Isn't there some kind of test or something?" Mukuro grabbed his luggage and started walking inside, as if he already owned the place.
"Wait. There's still one more first-year. He should be here any moment." Masamichi stopped him, glancing at his phone.
"Sorry! I'm late!"
A cheerful voice called out as another boy, about the same age as Mukuro and Nanami, ran in, guided by an assistant manager.
"I'm Yu Haibara! Nice to meet you all!"
Compared to Mukuro's laid-back air and Nanami's calmness, Haibara's energy was bright and unrestrained.
"Since everyone's here, follow me. I'll introduce you to the upperclassmen once we're done."
Watching Haibara already chatting comfortably with Mukuro and Nanami, Masamichi sighed softly and led the way toward the school.
"Normally, the principal would be handling your orientation and evaluation, but since he's about to retire, I'll be filling in. As for your entrance test, well, given your accomplishments and talent, we'll skip that part. Instead, let me just ask: why do you want to learn jujutsu?"
While they walked, Masamichi turned to them all, starting the interview right there on the path.
"To protect the weak, and my comrades," Nanami answered without hesitation.
He didn't see it as a noble calling; it was simply something that made sense to do with the abilities he had.
"For me? Hmm… I never really thought about it." Haibara scratched his head. "I just felt like it was the right thing to do, so I came!"
Masamichi frowned slightly at the simplicity of that answer but decided to let it slide. Then his eyes shifted to Mukuro. "How about you?"
"No particular reason. I'm here because it interests me. There's nowhere in the jujutsu world I can't go."
Still as arrogant as ever, but Masamichi didn't mind. Mukuro's abilities were strange, his potential immense. Even if their personalities clashed, he wouldn't let a talent like that slip away.
"Mei, take them from here."
Once they reached the main building, Masamichi handed the group off to her.
"Got it~" Mei Mei grinned and snapped her fingers. The two assistant managers behind her stepped forward carrying ribbons and paper Santa hats, placing them on the three boys' heads.
Each hat had a tag that read: First-Year Student.
"These were specially prepared by your senpai! You can't take them off until the welcome ceremony's over!" she declared, stopping Mukuro's hand as he tried to remove his hat.
Then she pushed open a classroom door and shoved the trio inside.
Pop!
A burst of confetti exploded overhead, colorful streamers fluttering down.
"Welcome to Tokyo Jujutsu High!"
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