Chapter 6: First Impression

Walking discreetly, Shin made sure not to attract any attention, acting oblivious to the happenings at Jujutsu High.

"Excuse me, Ms. Smoker, do you—" Before Shin could finish his question, Ieiri pointed her finger at him. With a nonchalant tone, she responded, "Call me Ms. Shoko, or whatever you're comfortable with. Just keep it casual."

Shoko smiled as she continued leading Shin. After about 13 minutes of walking, they entered a room filled with wooden pillars, each with a lit candle. Shin joked, "Is this where I get beaten up by a curse puppet? Please go easy on me."

"Yaga Sensei! I found a new student for our school!" Looking upward, Shin saw a buff man, Masamichi Yaga, wearing sunglasses, surrounded by puppets. Shin pondered, "Something about this guy always bothers me—why does he wear sunglasses inside all the time?"

Eager to make a good first impression, Shin, studying the stern and serious man, introduced himself. "Morning, Principal Yaga. I'm Shin Zenin, and I was wondering if I could attend Jujutsu High."

Principal Yaga paused, sizing up Shin. "Is that so? You seem enthusiastic, despite knowing the harsh realities. Tell me, Shin Zenin, why do you want to join Jujutsu High? Was it at the behest of your clan's head?"

Swiftly denying that possibility, Shin responded, "No, I no longer want to be associated with them. I'm here of my own accord."

Hearing Shin's response, Principal Yaga's interest was piqued. "Another Zenin... what's going on with that clan? If you're not with them, then tell me why you want to join."

"I want to help people—those who can't see and can't defend against the dangers around them. I won't let fear hold me back. If you let me attend, I promise to become the best sorcerer." Shin was confident, drawing from his previous life experience with job interviews.

Principal Yaga glared at Shin. "That's a good answer. In the corporate world, it wouldn't cut it. But in our line of work, I've seen many like you—young, ambitious, and lively. But do you know what they all had in common, no matter what?"

Taken aback by the principal's response, Shin stuttered, "Um, no sir."

Principal Yaga continued, "They all died horribly, painfully, and full of regret. Not one died content, thinking they tried to make a difference. So, I'll ask you again, are you willing to forfeit your life for this hell?"

Shin, having experienced death once, knew what awaited on the other side. "Yes sir, I don't mind losing my life if it means my goals were achieved."

Principal Yaga grew agitated. "If your goals are met?! What if they weren't? Can you still believe your choice was right? If you had to exorcise a curse by killing your own friends, family, and partner, would you do it if it meant accomplishing your goal? What if you were in a situation where you must kill a child to kill a curse, can you do it?!"

Shin remained silent for a few seconds before responding, "Whatever it takes to get rid of curses."

Principal Yaga looked at Shin intently. "Your determination is undeniable, Shin Zenin. But remember this: the path of a sorcerer is one riddled with moral ambiguity and heart-wrenching choices. Sacrifices must be made, and sometimes they're not just of the flesh, but of the soul."

Shin listened carefully, understanding the weight of the words. "Yes sir."

The room's intensity changed, and Principal Yaga softened a bit. "You, in particular, will need to understand the value of life and the understanding of right not just because of duty, but because of belief and principles here at Jujutsu High. If you think you can't handle it, then you're free to go. I welcome you, Shin Zenin, to Jujutsu High. May your journey in this world remain strong and refined. Ms. Shoko, please show him to his room and facilities."

Ms. Shoko smiled cheerfully as she and Shin left the building. Once they were gone, Principal Yaga sat back down with his collection of puppets surrounding him. "So, we've got another Zenin and one without any Curse Energy. Not just that, but I think he's hiding something behind that mask. The new generation is quite a handful."

After Shin took note of all the facilities like the bathhouse, dining area, and training area, Shoko introduced him to his room last. As they entered the room, Shoko quickly patted Shin's back. "Congrats on making it in. I hope you'll enjoy your time here. See ya."

Now inside, Shin couldn't help but jump face-first onto the bed while smiling gleefully. "The space, bed, and privacy without worry feel good. Wait a minute, who are my classmates if I'm going to be attending starting tomorrow?"

While pondering, Shin sensed three individuals approaching, recognizing them by their distinct footsteps and presence. One repeated simple one-worded responses, one had heavier steps but did not sound like shoes, and one led the others with heavy steps as they passed his room. "I have a good idea who they are."

Peeking outside, Shin saw Maki Zenin, Panda, and Toge Inumaki. Judging from their disheveled clothes and fatigued looks, Shin believed the group had returned from their mission. As he watched them from behind, the group suddenly stopped in their tracks. "What's up, Maki? Got a stomach ache?"

Stretching her back, Maki said, "Someone's watching us, I can feel it."

Hearing those words, Shin swiftly shut his door without making any noise and locked it. Suddenly, he was taken aback when the door was knocked with aggressive force. "Hey! Who's in there? You better get out of here right now, squatter. This isn't the type of place you want to be as a temporary home. Now open! Now!"

Hearing and experiencing Maki's rage, Shin quickly exited the room through the windows out of fear. "No way in hell do I want to face her without Gojo nearby."

Running around, Shin decided to take a look at the school's weapon inventory that he had seen earlier during his tour of the school grounds. Checking if it was locked before entering, Shin was amazed by the quantity and variety of curse tools. As he looked through the melee, range, and cosmetic options, he took notice of three curse weapons and tools that interested him: the Armor Breaker, the Endless Fulfillment, and the Curse Incrullment.

The Armor Breaker was a staff that ignored the enemy's defense, no matter what it was. When imbued with the user's curse energy, it could completely bypass all levels of defenses. The Endless Fulfillment was a cup that, when containing any liquid, would continually spill five times the original amount it was filled with. When imbued with curse energy, this amount could be multiplied even higher. Curse Incrullment was a wooden bead bracelet that consumed the user's curse energy continuously while at the same time luring in curse spirits. When imbued with curse energy, it could attract stronger and farther curse spirits.

"I'm glad all these things have small written notes explaining their effects. I would've spent ages learning their usage. How does the school have so many, and who is the supplier?"

Satisfied with what he found, Shin exited and made his way to the dining building. Hungry and thirsty after the long day, Shin noticed that there weren't that many people working in the dining hall—or rather, the whole school. "How do things work here, with such a massive base? I imagine this place hosts many workers."

As he entered and grabbed a tray already filled with food, he sat down near an empty table and enjoyed his dinner: pickled radish, salted pork, rice, bamboo shoots, and some water. Shin liked his new home more as he savored dinner for the first time in a while.

As Shin ate, he sensed six individuals making their way towards him. Too happy to hide, Shin continued eating. Suddenly, he heard an angry female voice. "Hey, you! Who are you and what are you doing here?!"

Shin turned towards the source and noticed Maki pointing at him with an angry expression. His mouth was too full to reply, so he just stared. Annoyed, Maki was about to run toward Shin, but luckily, Panda managed to restrain her.

Panda continued restraining Maki until finally, she calmed down. "Who are you? Don't try and lie; it wouldn't be the smartest move."

Shin, now done eating as he drank his water, turned his attention back to Maki. "It's nice to meet you too. I'm Shin Zenin, a new student starting from this day forward."

By the time Shin finished his introductions, all six first and second years were now present. The students were the previous three and now Yuji, Nobara, and Megumi.

After the quick exchange of greetings and introductions, everyone sat down at one table and conversed. Yuji immediately started conversing with Shin.

With a warm smile, Yuji asked, "How are you adjusting to the school so far?"

Shin, also smiling, replied, "Not that bad. I'm still a bit surprised by the sheer size of the school."

"Right? When I first arrived, I was blown away. But hey, don't worry, you'll get used to it in no time. If you need any help or have questions, feel free to ask me."

"Will do."

"Now enough about me—meet the rest of our crew! This is Maki Zenin, Panda, Toge Inumaki, Nobara Kugisaki, and Megumi Fushiguro."

Shin greeted and conversed with all of the members before suddenly, a voice caught everyone's attention.

The voice coming from Yuji had an aura of malevolence and cunningness in its tone. "Well, well, a new face in the world of curses." Shin played along to avoid suspicion. "Who's speaking?"

"Just a little something stuck inside this bo-." Before he could finish his sentence, Yuji slapped the right side of his face where an eye and mouth were. But despite his attempt, another eye and mouth formed on the back of Yuji's hand.

Shin, not wanting to talk to Sukuna right now because of what he didn't do to help Yuji save a potential student, took his pair of chopsticks and shoved them into Sukuna's mouth, forcing Sukuna to stop and choke as the chopsticks were lodged into his throat.

Seeing this, everyone at the table was caught off guard.

Nobara was shocked. "Did he just...?"

Megum became too stunned to say anything.

Maki's eyes widened. "What the hell?!"

Panda dropped his food. "Huh-?"

Toge's face became concerned.

Yuji tried to intervene. "Stop! That's not going to help!"

Shin, not wanting to ruin his first impression, removed the chopsticks from Sukuna's mouth. Sukuna choked and muffled before finally regaining composure. "You got guts, kid. But a little advice, if you ever try that again, make sure you finish the job. Otherwise, you'll just make things worse for yourself."

Shin returned his attention back to eating his third serving of food, ignoring Sukuna's remark. As Shin ate, the group's mood shifted into a more cautious tone. "I don't blame them for being surprised. Ever since I came into this world, the idea of either poking his eye or forcefully silencing him was something I've always wanted to try."

As Shin finished up his third serving, he turned to Maki, who was still wide-eyed at Shin's actions. "Hey Maki, you specialize in hand-to-hand combat and weaponry, right?"

Maki blinked as she broke out of her trance of bewilderment and regained composure. "Yes, that's right. Those are my specialties, but how do you know that?"

Shin thought of a response quickly. "You're, uh, you're pretty built for someone who's a sorcerer..." Shin started sweating, hoping his answer was good enough to evade suspicion.

Maki seemed to believe that answer. "Anyway, why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if it's fine with you; could you train me to be proficient in that field? I don't have any Curse Energy, so this is my only solution."

The moment Shin let the last word out of his answer, the whole group went silent as they looked at Shin with pure astonishment.