Chapter 81 Seventh Chapter Approximately
How did I end up here?
Wasn’t I in the Service Club?
This smell is so nice; someone must be cooking?
Holding in her bewilderments and hunger, Yui Yuigahama climbed out of bed and stepped out of her room.
Before her was a beautifully decorated apartment, with an open kitchen emitting阵阵香气. Curiously approaching, she saw Yukinoshita Yukino, wearing cozy clothes and an apron, preparing to serve a meal.
“Kojika!?”
The bouncy hair girl was startled, starting to doubt if she was dreaming, instinctively reaching out to pinch her cheek: “Ouch! It’s not a dream!”
Yukinoshita Yukino couldn’t help but laugh at her cute expression. She served the dishes, saying, “Let’s eat first, everything will be explained, just hope you won’t be too shocked.”
“Huh? What is there to explain?” Yui Yuigahama tilted her head, curiously asking, “Isn’t it just that I fell asleep in the Service Club, and you brought me home since you couldn’t wake me up?”
“…What did you say?”
Yukinoshita Yukino slowly widened her eyes, hardly believing her ears.
“Huh? Is it not what happened?” The girl said, clueless.
Has Yui Yuigahama… lost her memory?
Was it due to witnessing Ooka’s anomaly, the shock was so great that it triggered her brain’s protection mechanism causing selective amnesia?
Is it possible to continue hiding this? But is it really okay to keep hiding?
Yukinoshita Yukino got tangled in these thoughts.
“Kojika?” Looking at Yukinoshita Yukino whose gaze had drifted, Yui Yuigahama waved her hand in front of her face, “What are you thinking?”
“Did I cause trouble for you…?” A look of embarrassment flickered on the girl’s face.
“No,” Yukinoshita Yukino snapped out of thought, shaking her head and smiling at her, “I was just wondering if your family might worry since I didn’t inform them of where you were.”
“Oh!” Yui Yuigahama suddenly remembered, frantically searching for her phone, “Oh no, what time is it right now? It’s past eight!”
Under Yukinoshita Yukino’s reminder, she hurriedly grabbed her phone from her bag on the couch. Her screen already showed five missed calls from her mother.
She quickly returned the call; the phone rang only once before being answered: “Hello, Mom! Sorry I missed the call! I fell asleep in the club… Yes, I’m fine, Kojika took me home. Eh? Should I go home today…”
Yui Yuigahama looked carefully at Yukino, who nodded lightly, making her relieved as she happily responded: “Yeah, I think I won’t be going home today.”
“Hey, heh~” After her mother’s reminders, she hung up and smiled foolishly at Yukinoshita Yukino.
“Eat before it gets cold,” Yukinoshita Yukino helplessly commented, handing her a bowl of rice.
Why does this friend seem a bit naive, leaving one a little uneasy.
“Alright!” Yui Yuigahama sat down joyfully, eagerly picking up dishes to taste Yukinoshita Yukino’s food immediately.
Picking up a piece of crispy cod and chewing it vigorously, her expressions softened as if they were about to break apart: “Delicious! Your cooking is superb, Kojika. When will I be able to reach this level?”
The golden crispy coating of the fried cod was crunchy yet not hard, crackling under the teeth. The aroma of oil filled her mouth while juices burst forth, carrying the unique fresh taste and softness of fish, which was swallowed down by her tongue.
“This is cod, how was it prepared?” Yui Yuigahama asked, eating happily and speaking through mouthfuls of food.
“Yes, just normal frying. First, steam the pre-processed cod, then coat it in flour…”
As Yukino talked, she noticed Yui Yuigahama sitting across with a blank face, as if during a math class. Sighing, she gave a brief explanation: “Similar to tempura.”
“Oh, I see. Now I understand!” Yui Yuigahama exclaimed, diving back into her meal.
Are you truly understanding?
With a smile, Yukinoshita Yukino started eating small bites herself, while simultaneously communicating through a mental channel with Lin Qi.
Lin Qi, do you think I should tell Yui Yuigahama about the Jujutsu world?
Do what you want, just tell her if you wish. Lin Qi replied casually. By the way, stop asking me about trivial matters.
…
Yukinoshita Yukino suddenly fell silent.
Asking me about things?
A hint of doubt flashed in her mind, had she truly been seeking his opinion often?
The moment the doubt arose, her mind subconsciously sought answers, tracing back recent memories, yet ultimately she fell silent again.
It seems so.
Lately, she had indeed become overly dependent on Lin Qi. Regardless of the matter’s size, she would consult his opinion first and decide afterwards.
Is this truly appropriate?
An argumentative scene appeared in her mind, where two chibi versions of herself sat on either side of a stage, the Yukinoshita on the left was serious, while the one on the right had a gentle smile. A third normal-styled Yukinoshita presided over the judging stand, pressing the left button.
Then, the serious version of Yukinoshita Yukino began to speak, her voice cold and solemn.
“It’s certainly not good! Always relying on Lin Qi leads to increased dependency. In time, one won’t grow or make their own decisions without him, resulting in incompetence.”
“Logical and convincing,” remarked the judge Yukinoshita, wavering slightly as she pressed the button on the right, allowing the gentle version to speak.
“What’s wrong with it?”
The gentle Yukinoshita smiled, her voice warm like the first breath of spring in February, soothing like the clear spring melting in the woods.
“Lin Qi always gives accurate judgments. Isn’t it better to consult his opinions, to achieve better outcomes? If we only fear growth and stubbornly persist without considering his advice, wouldn’t it be worse when mistakes happen? Furthermore, why is leaning on Lin Qi bad? Isn’t that feeling of being safe truly delightful?”
“Stop deceiving yourself!”
Gentle Yukinoshita’s soft words pierced both the cool and judgmental Yukinoshitas, making them blush and unable to refute.
In this internal debate, the gentle Yukinoshita emerged victorious!
“Kojika? Kojika!”
“Ah? What’s wrong?” The pink-haired girl called out, pulling Yukinoshita Yukino’s consciousness back.
“Recently, Kojika seems to often lapse into a dazing state, almost indistinguishable from Komachi’s demeanor in class,” Yui Yuigahama voiced her concern.
“Is, is it?” Yukinoshita Yukino said with a reddish blush, “Just now I was thinking if the salty cod was too much?”
“Huh? I thought it was perfect?” Yui Yuigahama took another bite, “Maybe Kojika has a stronger taste?”
Indeed, I do, Lin Qi commented.
“Well, yeah, guess I like it…”
Yukinoshita Yukinohesitantly replied.
…
After school, becoming a Jujutsu Sorcerer:
放学，然后成为咒术师
