Of course, the first two were because of Makoto, while Maki Zenin was because of her family name and her wish for equal address. None of that changed the overall atmosphere of Tokyo Jujutsu High.
Knowing she could not win against him in this area, Maki Zenin focused on one point. “You still haven’t answered me. What exactly did you do to Mai Zenin?”
“Oh? So now you don’t think I’m meddling anymore?” After knowing Maki Zenin for so long, Akira had learned one rule about dealing with someone this sharp: never indulge them, always answer back in kind.
“But that’s something you need to ask her yourself. It’s personal privacy, and I don’t want to casually talk about a sister’s problems to her sister.” Maki Zenin frowned. “So a younger sister can’t talk about her older sister’s problems?”
“That’s why I already talked to her about it. I can’t just point out what’s wrong and then break the rule myself. How would I teach anyone like that?”
Other people’s children do this, why can’t you? That was probably the sentence most kids in China hated the most.
When we were young, we didn’t know how to argue back, and some of us even foolishly believed the line that we would understand when we grew up. When we did grow up, we understood the hopes behind it, but not the method.
Before criticizing a child, did you ever look at yourself first? Other people’s kids are top exam scorers, so what are other people’s adults, Suguru Geto clones or miracle workers?
Before educating others, think about yourself. It wasn’t that double standards were impossible, differences were human, but when it came to the Domain Expansion of education, Akira believed in leading by example.
Maki Zenin fell completely silent. Whether sister or younger sister, neither had ever gained the upper hand with Akira.
“I got your sister’s number. Don’t worry, it’s for other matters,” Akira continued. “There are two people on the Kyoto side I care about, and I don’t mind being your messenger too. I’m curious how far you two sisters will go. It’ll definitely be more interesting than those so-called special grade ones.”
Maki Zenin still did not speak. Gardevoir looked at the stiff-faced, stubborn Maki Zenin, then at the seemingly gentle but equally unyielding Akira, and softly expressed her worry.
“It’s fine,” Akira said, gently rubbing her head. “Yeah,” Maki Zenin added, holding her hand.
Guided by shared psychic intent, the superpowered girl reached out and took both the Boy’s hand and the girl’s hand at the same time. Akira smiled at Maki Zenin, while Maki Zenin showed a helpless expression, as if everyone from the Ake Clan could leave her with no temper at all.
“Sha sha,” Gardevoir floated slowly into the air. Akira knew she wanted to take everyone out to have fun, so he nodded.
“If we’re going to play, let’s do it big,” he said. “Since coming to Kyoto, we’ve only been scouting terrain and preparing for the competition. We haven’t really looked around. But there are too many spots here, it’s hard to choose.”
While thinking, he saw two men in the distance, one tall and one shorter, waving at them. They were the two strongest from Tokyo Jujutsu High, Satoru Gojo and Yuta Okkotsu, and they also looked like they were heading out.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Where are you going?” Satoru Gojo answered, “To buy clothes. Yuta’s clothes can’t hold up anymore. He has a spare uniform, but there’s still an individual match tomorrow. Going naked is still not a good idea.”
Hearing this, Yuta Okkotsu lowered his head in embarrassment. “My control over Cursed Energy isn’t mature enough yet.”
As a basic fact, every object has a limit to how much Cursed Energy it can bear. Once that limit is exceeded, it breaks down.
For ordinary sorcerers, Cursed Energy mostly circulates inside the body and does not affect clothing. But Yuta Okkotsu simply had too much of it, and once he powered up, it leaked out unconsciously, wearing down his clothes over time.
“Perfect, let’s go together,” Akira said, an idea flashing in his mind. “Teacher, didn’t you say last time that you bought a chain clothing company just to make changing clothes easier?”
“Yeah, something like that,” Satoru Gojo replied casually. “Mostly for eye covers and Sunglasses. The other designs are pretty good too.”
“Is there a branch in Kyoto?” “Seems like it,” Satoru Gojo said while checking his phone. “Found it. It opened not long ago. I don’t usually pay attention to this stuff. Why?”
“I have a very interesting idea,” Akira said. “Let’s shoot an MV, either to promote the new store or use it as an enrollment ad for Tokyo Jujutsu High.”
“Alright, let’s do it.” Everyone else fell silent, watching one who dared to say it and one who dared to believe it.
“Men who visit Hailan Zhijia twice a year are wise. Each time there are new discoveries and new choices.”
With a rhythmic background track playing, four men lined up from tallest to shortest, each wearing a fresh set of summer casual clothes. Their feet tapped in perfect unison, and their fingers snapped one after another like a strange kind of counting. The steps were clean and their looks were decent, but paired with the stiff intro and overly simple music, the whole thing felt oddly cheap.
It was so off that it reminded people of a completely different chant, as if swapped by some unseen force, turning into a rambling slogan about Jiangnan Pige Chang going bankrupt and its awful boss running away with debts. The women watching nearby all felt uncomfortable in different ways.
Maki Zenin and Mai Zenin exchanged a look that said the same thing. “I should not be here.”
Momo Nishimiya sighed. “Why did I even come along?”
The cause of all this was simple. Akira and Satoru Gojo were both the type to act first and think later. Satoru Gojo contacted the newly invested chain mall Hailan Zhijia, while Akira started calling people to gather a team.
Yuta Okkotsu had no way to escape, and Toge Inumaki was dragged in as well. In Akira’s opinion, the four standouts of Tokyo Jujutsu High each had their own appeal. Satoru Gojo was the cool type, Akira the sunny one, Yuta Okkotsu the timid Boy, and Toge Inumaki small and cute.
Once dressed boldly enough, Akira felt he could take them to compete directly with Yidali Niulang Tuan. They had people and a location, so the next step was a professional team. Since Satoru Gojo had no local connections in Kyoto, Akira called the local expert, which was how Mai Zenin got dragged in.
That was the call Kasumi Miwa and Momo Nishimiya had seen earlier. Mai Zenin had not wanted to answer, but her reflexes were slower than her two friends, and the call connected. The moment she heard it was a shopping invite from Akira, she lost focus completely and started teasing her friend while thinking about tagging along.
Maki Zenin nearly lost it as well and grabbed Akira by the collar, shaking him hard. “What are you trying to do?”
“Exactly what it sounds like,” Akira said. “Who knows what those women are thinking?”
He was genuinely confused himself. He had only meant to ask Mai Zenin about logistics. He had no idea where the other two came from.
“If you are worried, just come along,” he added. “It is a group activity anyway. The MV needs female roles, and Satoru Gojo said yes. Clothes are free, he is paying.”
That was why Maki Zenin came too. It was not about saving money, but because her harsh training style destroyed clothes quickly, and repairs never lasted. Still, seeing the result made her question everything.
Just this. Really just this.
The twins from Zenin Clan could not follow the logic of those two at all. Momo Nishimiya felt closer to Panda’s reaction. They had come to enjoy a pairing, not to watch nonsense.
Was everyone from Tokyo Jujutsu High this strange?
As for Kasumi Miwa, she wanted to complain too, but with her idol Satoru Gojo present, and changing outfits four times in a row, she was fully satisfied as a fan. She kept taking photos without stopping, which only worsened the other girls’ moods.
