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１７

【Harajuku, Tokyō Metropolitan Area】

The next day, Sayuri had asked Yuuji to come with her to Harajuku for some reason. It wasn't like he didn't want to, really.

But he still couldn't shake the feeling off of his mind. Her hands were like cold magnets... Even if the moment was brief, it remained imprinted onto his mind.

It felt like being forced into shackles, like being forced to stand frozen on the cement floor of the sidewalk or like standing on tar or quicksand.

He couldn't find it in himself to ask her anything as they walked, the silence becoming all the more familiar as time passed. Yuuji came to realize that Sayuri was the exact opposite of Gojō.. She wasn't the type to rant about things and start small talk, instead, she just remained silent unless she needed to speak.

"Why exactly did you want me to come here, sensei?" He finally found his voice. He couldn't help but feel a bit of relief at that. The silence was anything but bearable, if he was going to be honest.

At that, she finally tore her gaze away from the colorful stores around them. Her eyes met with his, curiousity laid out for him to see. Her gaze spoke more than words like always.

"I wanted to see how your body is putting up with your increased cursed energy output." She replies, straightforward. Again, like always.

"..oh." That's it.

He smiles awkwardly before tucking his hands into his pockets, looking the other way. He didn't know how to talk to her. Sayuri seemed like a polite person, but he didn't know much about her.

Though, the only things he knew were from his teacher, Gojō. Then again, that man had a habit of blowing things out of proportion.

"The Sister School Exchange Event is near." She says. "You want to succeed, right?"

He snaps out of his thoughts, glancing back to her. He nods, her words clearly piquing his interest.

"You'll need to hone your strengths." The woman states, folding her arms across her chest. "You're already learning the basics in Jujutsu and then there's your inhumane physical ability. We'll work on improving the former."

Nothing follows afterwards. The two continue to walk through the bustling streets of the district.

He looks upwards to the signs on the buildings. He hadn't really explored Harajuku in this manner, having only gotten a bit of the fun it showcased because of his teacher and Megumi (who begrudgingly went along with them).

Their silhouettes faded into a desolate alleyway. Moss was spread on the ground and the walls. Not much was to be seen aside from that, which made the boy wonder why she decided to take him here.

She stops in her tracks, her weight shifting from her left foot to her right foot as she turned to him. She blinks, seemingly curious.

Her lips parted before she finally spoke.

"Cursed energy accumulates more in dark places like these.." She explains. "Cursed energy is manifested from strong emotions.. The more cursed energy found in the place, the more likely there is a curse to be found."

Oh. He hums in response. He looks around the place, seeing nothing else. He was dumbfounded. He couldn't really sense much of anything.

He watches as she places her palm on a part of the wall, silently wondering what she was about to do.