Seeing the dandelion-like smile on the girl's face, several staff members felt their hearts skip a beat.
The man in black coughed lightly and picked up the file containing Kyoto Jujutsu High's roster.
He had originally planned to skim through it. After all, there weren't any students from Kyoto Technical High that required special attention. A quick glance would suffice before handing it off to senior officials.
But when he read through the document from the Kyoto branch and saw: Mei Mei, Iori Utahime, Gojo Satoshi...
He paused mid-hand-off, his hand frozen in midair.
"...Gojo Satoshi?" He wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him.
He flipped through the list again and then saw the face that looked exactly like Gojo Satoru's.
He froze.
Seeing that Gojo Satoshi had chosen to join the Kyoto High camp, he was instantly alarmed. His eyelid twitched involuntarily.
What is this Gojo Satoshi planning now?
His scalp tingled.
"Tsukumo Yuki... Gojo... Gojo Satoshi?" he asked with a forehead full of sweat, looking at Yuki in disbelief.
With Gojo Satoshi's power, they had already forbidden him from representing Tokyo Jujutsu High in this year's Sister School Goodwill Event.
They had hoped that the jujutsu world could finally enjoy a brief moment of peace, but now, in the blink of an eye, Satoshi had stirred up trouble again.
"A Tokyo student representing Kyoto High and even getting the first spot on the roster? That's absurd..."
"Is there a rule that says it's not allowed?" Yuki asked, arms crossed.
"...No," the suited man said, several black lines forming on his forehead, "but still, Special Grade Yuki... we'll have to report this to our superiors first for approval..."
"Go ahead."
Yuki didn't expect this matter to go through easily.
The real trouble might just be starting.
She thought silently.
The man in black grabbed Satoshi's event application and hurried toward the senior administration office.
His scalp was tingling again.
Why did it feel like the world had never known peace ever since Gojo Satoshi appeared?
Though he couldn't figure out why Tokyo would allow something this outrageous, he was fairly certain that the General Directorate wouldn't approve it.
Just as the news about Satoshi reached the higher-ups, it was already spreading rapidly through the many spies embedded in the upper echelons of the jujutsu world.
...
The sun was bright today. Cursed Spirits disliked moving under such conditions.
So the workload at the Yorozuya was light.
Only Jogo was out on a mission.
As a Special Grade Cursed Spirit who controlled flames, he remained calm even in this kind of weather.
It wasn't immediately obvious, but after nine years, the Yorozuya building had begun to show some signs of aging.
Children's laughter echoed from inside, and the sound of men shouting carried through the air:
"Megumi, don't bully Yuta!"
"You can't eat that either!"
A while later, Yuto, Toji, and the others who had taken a break from their tasks were now lounging on the sofas, talking with their tired children.
Men's conversations varied, ranging from parenting to the current state of the jujutsu world.
Naturally, the Sister School Goodwill Event was also a hot topic.
They knew that today, confirmation about the event's final arrangements would arrive.
Yuto sat on the couch, holding his son Yuta in his arms without looking up. "In a kid-focused event like the Goodwill Competition, Tokyo High likely won't let Satoshi step in."
Toji held Megumi and responded calmly, "Who knows? With Satoshi's personality, staying idle isn't really his thing..."
Yuto suddenly had a thought and looked up. "Toji, by that logic, he might have something else in mind, huh?"
It wasn't an unreasonable guess.
Toji shook his head. "No idea. The format of the Goodwill Event has to be approved by both schools and the General Directorate. Even if Satoshi had some strange idea, I doubt they'd let him get away with it."
Yuto nodded thoughtfully. "True..."
Toji added, "I even heard the higher-ups at the General Directorate weren't planning to approve Satoshi's name on Tokyo's roster."
Yuto gave a helpless smile. "Seems like the mess he caused recently still has people on edge."
"Yeah, the Zenin and Kamo clans are both walking on eggshells."
Just as Toji finished speaking...
"Ding ding." A phone rang from the table nearby.
Toji paused slightly, picked up the phone, and glanced at the screen.
His brows furrowed.
Yuto noticed his expression and asked curiously, "Toji, what's wrong?"
If it could cause that kind of reaction from Toji, it wasn't something ordinary.
"It's from the Jujutsu Department. Probably something about the Goodwill Event..."
"News about the Satoshi?"
"Yeah. Apparently Satoshi plans to participate."
"Didn't the General Directorate forbid him from representing Tokyo High?"
"…So he applied to represent Kyoto."
"?!" Yuto froze. It took a moment to process what he'd just heard. "He's representing Kyoto High? But isn't he a student of Tokyo? What the hell is going on? What's he thinking?"
No one had an answer.
Toji frowned. "It's bizarre. I really can't figure out what Satoshi is up to."
"But I'm sure he wouldn't make a move like this without a reason. He must have his own reasons..."
Yuto couldn't help but laugh. "Joining Kyoto's side... That's just so like him."
Toji narrowed his eyes. "But I doubt the General Directorate will approve it. Getting into a cross-school event isn't so simple..."
Meanwhile, Satoshi was walking casually through a bustling street. Pedestrians passed him by, and the energy of the city buzzed around him.
The soft sound of a passing tram echoed in his ears, blending with the noise of people coming and going.
Soon, the Yorozuya building came into view. Satoshi murmured, "I wonder if Toji and the others are out on missions."
The General Directorate still needed time to review the application, and the final list wasn't confirmed yet. So Satoshi was relatively free for now.
Satoru and the others were undergoing secret training. Utahime's lineup hadn't been finalized either, so there was no rush to practice joint techniques.
So, Satoshi came to the Yorozuya to take a break.
He figured Toji and the others were probably racking their brains over the Goodwill Event.
Might as well explain his plan to his best friend while he had the time.
Before he knew it, Satoshi had already arrived at the Yorozuya.
There was a wooden sign reading "Open for Business" hanging on the slightly closed door, and there wasn't much activity going on inside.
(To be continued.)
***
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