Chapter 119: The Return to Daily Life
From the start of the investigation to successfully resolving the Special Grade Cursed Spirit, Mahito, only three days elapsed but felt like much longer.
During this incident, Rin Qi discovered a method to kill Ryomen Sukuna anytime and anywhere.
Lin Qi could always maintain his audacious attitude because even if he died inside Yuuji Itadori’s body, his remaining sixteen souls were still housed within his other sixteen fingers; he would not truly be dead.
However, now was different.
With just five thousand points, Rin Qi could exchange for Wu Wei Transformation, thus allowing him at any time to enter Sukuna’s spiritual domain through Yuuji Itadori and slay his soul, without fear that the battle would involve others or threaten Yuuji’s life.
He could even perform exorcisms in phases with zero risks and high returns, very humane, much to the annoyance of Ryomen Sukuna.
Although Yukinoshita Yukino took a week’s leave directly from Shizuka Hiratsuka, she planned on returning to school for the remaining four days of vacation. With things temporarily calmed down, Rin Qi also returned to his normal leisurely life.
“Good morning, Lin Qi-kun.”
Yukinoshita Yukino emerged from her room in her school uniform, spotting Rin Qi lying on the balcony’s rattan chair enjoying the sun. She greeted him.
“Didn’t start drinking early today.”
Seeming to have fixed his spot on the balcony every morning, she would see him here either drinking or simply soaking up the sun.
“Morning,” Rin Qi lazily replied, the rattan chair swaying softly with his movements. “What’s for breakfast?”
“Rice, grilled fish, and miso soup.” Snow sounds came from the kitchen.
He smacked his lips and shouted inside, “I want buns.”
“No.”
“They will be.”
Rin Qi told her not to rush with making breakfast and to first prepare his lunch box. Then he took out his phone, opened a map, and searched for the nearest Chinese breakfast shop nearby.
Two minutes later, Rin Qi returned to the balcony carrying soup dumplings and two cups of soy milk.
“Come to eat,” he invited.
“But I still need to make my own lunch box,” Yukinoshita Yukino complained, showing him the kitchen utensils as if threatening him.
Quickly, Rin Qi stuffed two soup dumplings into his mouth, stood up, and headed to the side of Yukinoshita Yukino: “Come on.”
“Can you cook?” The girl looked at him with doubt.
“Not really,” Rin Qi sincerely replied.
“But you’ve watched me cook countless times, so just follow it step by step.”
With confidence brimming in his voice, a black-haired youth believed his learning ability would quickly enable him to cook.
Yukinoshita Yukino pondered and decided to give him space.
After removing her apron, the girl instinctively wanted to tie one onto Rin Qi, only realizing later that her action seemed inappropriate. Yet, since her hands had already moved, she ended up blushing slightly and helped him put it on.
“Alright, let’s go eat,” Rin Qi waved her out of the kitchen.
“Well then, I’ll look forward to your cooking, Lin Qi-kun,” Yukinoshita Yukino raised an eyebrow and left the kitchen.
Back at the dining table, Yukinoshita Yukino grabbed a bamboo chopstick and was about to gently bite into a soup dumpling when she was promptly stopped by the newly busy black-haired youth. His words made the dumpling pause by her slightly parted lips.
“Soup dumplings aren’t eaten like that,” he warned in time.
“I’ve tried them early and they’re delicious. You should eat them one at a time, biting right through the thin bun skin; the soup inside combined with pork will explode flavorfully on your tongue. Biting them in small mouthfuls might splatter broth all over you,” he advised.
“Oh.”
The girl responded somewhat呆萌ly, opening her mouth wider to let the whole dumpling fall in.
In Yukinoshita Yukino’s recipes, breakfasts rarely included oily food. The bursting soup and fresh pork in her mouth made her chew to find the fragrance spreading more and more. For her, experiencing this sensation was quite novel.
Even her lips got sticky with a bit of oil, sparkling slightly, resembling jelly, making her want to take a lick.
She ate Rin Qi’s purchased breakfast, occasionally glancing up at the bustling black-haired youth in the open kitchen.
When she finished eating, Rin Qi prepared her lunch box and neatly packed it away to prevent Yukinoshita Yukino from checking ahead.
It seems she would only get to taste Rin Qi’s cooking during lunch break.
If it tasted terrible…
Yukinoshita Yukino wondered worriedly.
But by noon, she realized she had overwondered.
The morning’s classes passed swiftly. Despite recently frequent vacations, having less time to attend to her schooling, as someone usually topping her grade level, understanding the teachers’ lectures wasn’t difficult for her.
After all, she had studied ahead.
Her grades may drop, but rankings remained intact.
Taking her keys from Shizuka Hiratsuka’s office, Yukinoshita Yukino approached the service club’s door. Opening it, she noticed she wasn’t the first to arrive.
A black-haired youth sat in a chair, one hand supporting his cheek and the other holding a magazine. A gentle breeze wafted in from the window, brushing through his layered short hair. Here, visible was his sharply defined jawline, sculpted by sunlight outlining his features. Long, thick lashes shielded partially opened eyes with red pupils that seemed to glow.
Yukinoshita Yukino halted, only recovering after quite some time.
“How are you here?” She displayed a surprised expression.
“Bored.” Rin Qi sat in the client’s seat, casually flipping through a magazine. “Just won a bit playing horse racing, so I dropped by to see you.”
Her face showed incomprehension slightly, but she didn’t dwell on his routine. She took her lunch box to her own seat facing Rin Qi.
“Regardless, good afternoon, Lin Qi-kun.”
Opening her box, she suddenly paused.
Every aspect of the food — dishes, plating, and portions — matched hers identically.
If she hadn’t seen him make it in the morning, she would have thought it was hers.
So what you meant by replicating was really copying?
Tasting the food, Yukinoshita Yukino’s faint hope vanished. This was unmistakably her own food, except for the hand that made it being Rin Qi’s.
Her emotions twisted.
…
After school, go back home and become a jujutsu sorcerer.
…
