My Youth As A Sorcerer Sucks, Chapter 51.

Chapter 51: Afterwards.

—OoOoO—

“So, Yuuji-san, this is the best supermarket around here. There are a lot of discounts on the items sold here. Even if you don’t mind leftovers, you can find beef and chicken on sale at a low price before they restock them.”

Komachi gave a brief explanation to Itadori Yuuji. They were in front of a supermarket that seemed to be crowded with customers.

“And the best part is, it’s not too far from our home. It's only about a fifteen-minute walk,” the girl continued.

When those words were heard, Yuuji's body suddenly froze as if stung by something. His eyes widened, his mouth gaping. The boy quickly turned to Komachi, which made the girl tilt her head with an innocent expression.

“Our… home?” Yuuji muttered.

“Yes? Is something wrong?”

Komachi stared at the man intently with her eyebrows raised.

"Ah, no, nothing at all," Yuuji quickly clarified, "It's just that it surprised me a bit when you said 'our home’. Like, you know, I didn’t expect that at all.”

“Oh, I mean, we live in the same room, no? Even if it's only briefly, you're now part of the Hikigaya Family.”

Once again, Yuuji was stunned by the sincerity he received. Unconsciously, the boy clenched his fists tightly to hold back the warmth he felt in his chest.

“I’m grateful that you think of me that way, but Hachiman-paisen would kill me for sure if he heard about it,” the boy said.

“Oh, don't be silly. Onii-chan may seem like a scary, grouchy, moody, and petty boy, but he's not that bad."

“Uhm, I don’t know how to respond,” Yuuji replied speechlessly.

It had been a week since Itadori Yuuji moved into the Hikigaya Household. Many things happened, and he had new experiences during that short period. Although not many, he also met new people, whether from the Jujutsu Society or civilians, most of whom were introduced by Komachi. However, of all the things he had gone through, what made him feel so grateful was the freedom and warmth he felt.

Although Yuuji understood the situation very well, hiding in the basement all day and only coming out when there was work gradually drained his mental energy. Watching movies, eating, sleeping, and training, all of these repetitions caused fatigue even though his body wasn’t doing any physical activity. Moreover, it was made worse by his failure to save Yoshino Junpei. The failures that led him to the abyss of regret and boredom that hit him began to pile up, making him feel completely isolated from the outside world.

That was why, when he finally got back to breathing the outside air and receiving all the love and attention from the Hikagaya Family, Yuuji found himself like he had returned to a warm home. In fact, Yuuji, who initially thought that Hachiman was a cold guy, turned out to have his own way of showing concern.

'To be honest, I never expected that Hachiman-paisen wouldn’t object when Aunt Asuka suggested that I escort Komachi-san. But he kept quiet, only warning me to keep my distance from her.'

“So, Yuuji-san, do you want to go inside or move on to the next place?" Komachi asked, breaking the boy's reverie.

—OoOoO—

Walking about two hundred metres from the previous place, the two teenagers were in front of a relatively large building with two storeys. The activity shown by the people coming out of the place and demonstrated from the windows indicated that it was another supermarket.

“And this place is?”

Yuuji muttered with a questioning expression even though the shop's name and the type of service provided were written down.

“A supermarket. Isn’t that obvious, Yuuji-san?”

“Yes, it's as clear as day. However, that's what confuses me. I mean, why did you take me to another supermarket?”

Komachi turned to look at Yuuji with a proud face.

“The thing is, if the previous supermarket often gives discounts, especially when they’re having a clearance sale, this one rarely gives discounts, but once they do, you’ll get quality goods at a low price.”

Yuuji raised an eyebrow, looking in surprise at the girl beside him.

“Eh, is it really that important to pay attention to the prices in every supermarket?”

Komachi felt a twitch in her forehead when those ignorant words came out of the boy. She immediately glared at Yuuji with one cheek puffed out. Her hands were on her hips; her feet were tapping the ground quickly as if she was trying not to spray the boy with a thousand words.

Meanwhile, Yuuji unconsciously turned his face away nervously when he saw the girl's reaction.

“Err… Ko-Komachi-san?”

The youngest Hikigaya took a deep breath after hearing the person she was talking to call her name with a slight stutter.

“Listen to me, Yuuji-san. Looking for cheap items is the bare minimum in the art of survival. Do. You. Understand, hm?” Komachi said with emphasis on the last sentence.

Yuuji felt relieved when the girl’s emotion subsided, causing him to unconsciously scratch his non-itchy cheek using his index finger.

“Sorry, I don’t really understand that kind of thing. I’ve never done it, after all.”

Silence suddenly enveloped the two after Yuuji revealed his reasons. Komachi seemed to be taking his words in well, but a question arose as she tried to digest what Yuuji had just said. She wanted to say what was in her head, but hesitation prevented the words from leaving her throat. However, the overwhelming curiosity made her feel even more suffocated as she held herself back from expressing her curiosity.

"This might be inappropriate, but may I ask something?”

“Sure, go ahead,” Yuuji replied indifferently.

"I'm sorry, but didn't you live with your sick grandfather before? Didn't you ever look for places with big sales to save on expenses?"

Although she had never interacted with Yuuji before, Komachi was a girl who was quite quick in gathering information. Although not to the extent of his personal life, she knew general things about Yuuji, such as who he lived with before moving to Tokyo. Because of that, the girl was enthusiastic about showing the guy places to hunt for cheap items because she thought they were on the same wavelength.

“Ah, about that, somehow, my grandfather always had enough money for daily needs, including my pocket money. Even when he was hospitalised for more than a year, we never had a financial crisis. So, I never thought about things like looking for discounts or anything like that.”

In fact, Yuuji often had so much pocket money left over that he was at a loss as to how to spend it. It led to the ridiculous idea of ​​visiting a casino and playing pachinko. Remembering his past stupidity, his face suddenly turned red like a tomato.

“That aside, what about you, Komachi-san? I thought the Hikigaya Family was well off enough that you didn’t have to worry about money?” the boy asked, trying to change the subject.

Once again, Komachi was left speechless by her interlocutor. However, the girl tried to be understanding rather than replying carelessly. After all, the stereotype was understandable when coming from an outsider.

"We used to live hand to mouth, too, you know? Even though Gojo-san provided protection and assistance to our family, my mother always refused any financial assistance he gave. Meanwhile, Onii-chan only had a steady income last year since he officially became a sorcerer. Before that, we pretty much had to be smart about saving on our daily expenses."

Yuuji was at a loss for words to reply to Komachi's long explanation in surprise. His tongue felt numb after throwing out a question without thinking. Komachi's hurt expression, even momentarily, was enough to make Yuuji feel guilty. His brain, which he rarely used, was racing hard to find the right words of apology to convey to the girl. However, the hesitation and discomfort he felt prevented her from expressing what he was thinking.

“No need to be so tense, Yuuji-san,” Komachi said, understanding the situation, “Well, I overreacted a bit too, though. So, it’s not entirely your fault.”

"Ah, no, that's completely understandable. Besides, my words now sounded like I belittled your hard work during these difficult times."

With those words, Yuuji bowed his body to form a right angle to show his sincerity.

"It may be a little late, but I apologise for my ignorance!"

Komachi jumped at the sudden action the boy did. Her eyes darted left and right, seeing the reactions of the people who had stopped walking to stare at them. Although there was nothing wrong that was worth arguing about, embarrassment suddenly crept up and made her face feel hot.

“Err… Yuuji-san, could you please straighten up? It’s a bit uncomfortable when people are staring at us.”

Even though the request had been uttered, Yuuji didn’t immediately follow the words. He slightly raised his head to glance at the girl. However, what he saw was Komachi's red face with her broken smile.

'Cute,' the boy thought unconsciously.

Yuuji immediately shook his head slowly, removing the weird thoughts from his head. He straightened his body awkwardly and suddenly found looking the girl in the eye difficult.

“So, shall we go to the next place?” said the boy without looking at the person he was talking to.

—OoOoO—

It had been almost a full day since the morning for the two younglings. They had visited several places, complete with several trivia questions that Komachi explained. Even so, the bright sky indicated that the day wasn’t over. However, their little adventure seemed to be almost at its end.

“We ended up not buying anything from supermarkets and just buying some cakes instead. I'm beat.”

Yuuji complained weakly, his body sagging on the table. However, what he used to relax and laze around wasn’t the table at home.

Instead of going straight home after hours of wandering around the Makuhari area, Komachi and Yuuji took a break at a cake shop that had outdoor tables to enjoy their orders on the spot. However, the expressions on his face were dull and listless.

“What's wrong, Yuuji-san? Are you not used to walking around for long periods?" Komachi asked.

Unlike the boy, the girl looked more relaxed, with her mouth busy chewing a piece of strawberry cake.

Hearing this question, Yuuji shook his head, which was still on the table.

"No, it's not like that. If it's just walking around, I can do it until tomorrow morning without a break," replied the pink-haired boy.

Komachi raised an eyebrow curiously. However, she preferred to remain silent as she put another piece of cake into her mouth, waiting patiently for her interlocutor to continue explaining.

"You know the final exams start tomorrow, right? I haven't studied any material or prepared anything for tomorrow. How can I walk around peacefully when it's almost four in the afternoon, and tomorrow hell is waiting?”

Komachi listened to Yuuji's complaints attentively. Her ears were wide open, and her chin rested on her hand on the table. Her eyes stared straight at the boy, who seemed to have lost motivation.

“Didn’t you just graduate junior high, Yuuji-san? It was only several months ago, wasn’t it?”

“But I’m not that smart, Komachi-san. I’ve even forgotten what materials came up on the test.”

Komachi was quite surprised to hear that reply. She knew that not everyone had a brilliant brain, but she never thought that there’d be someone who forgot all the materials they had learned in junior high school, which was a level that should still be considered easy.

“You can borrow my notebook, you know. It’s pretty neat and should be easy to understand. So, if you read the stuff for tomorrow, it should make you remember all of them, right?” the girl suggested.

Yuuji looked up, lifting his body weakly to look at Komachi. However, she added other words because Komachi felt that Yuuji had been silent for too long.

“We can study together, you know? So, cheer up!”

The boy sighed in resignation. However, seeing the smile on the girl's face gave a little boost to his spirit.

“I’m very grateful for your kindness, Komachi-san,” he replied weakly.

Academics had never been Yuuji's strongest point. Even though it had been a week since he was in the same class as Komachi for the escort mission, he played around with Komachi and all her friends during that time. He never used his free time to study. However, if he learned, he’d forget a lot afterwards, it’d be better if he studied just one day before the exam so that, at least, he remembered some of them the next day. But, given he didn't prepare anything for tomorrow, he lacked confidence.

Everyone who saw his appearance and behaviour daily would understand that he wasn’t good at studying. Yuuji was even sure that Komachi wasn’t that innocent to not realise it. However, the words of encouragement the girl gave him caused the boy a little curiosity. Yuuji felt they were just sweet words, but he unknowingly expected more.

"Besides, what makes you think I can remember all the material on the test tomorrow?"

“Well, you know, there’s a clubmate of my brother. She’s a bit…”

Komachi's words hung in the air, struggling to finish them. The girl seemed to furrow her brows. Her brain worked to find the appropriate word to complete her sentence, but she couldn't find what she wanted. However, judging from Yuuji's expression, it seemed the boy understood what she meant.

“But the thing is, if she got into an elite school like Sobu High, doesn’t that mean anyone can pass any exam as long as they work hard?”

“Hmm, I guess so. Sorry for showing my lousy side.”

Yuuji straightened his back, adjusting his sitting position to be more proper. The boy then sliced ​​a Montblanc cake that was still intact. As soon as the lump of sugar touched his tongue, the cream melted smoothly, enveloping his mouth with a rich sweetness. His eyes narrowed slightly with a slow breath as if the small cake he enjoyed led him to nirvana.

“Holy shit. It’s really delicious.”

"I know, right? This place is Onii-chan’s favourite. This shop also has some parfaits. If you somehow make Onii-chan mad, you can give him something from this place, and everything will be fixed."

“What? Is that some kind of magic?”

“Hahaha, exactly,” Komachi replied with a laugh, “Onii-chan can be a bit of a pain in the ass sometimes.”

“O-oh. I, I don’t think he’s that bad,” Yuuji replied with his lips pursed.

The boy's face was nervous, suggesting he was a little scared of talking about the young special-grade sorcerer.

"Well, don't worry. Even so, I know he’s the best Onii-chan in the world," Komachi said while slowly waving her hand.

"Yeah, I know he's nice, just a bit tsundere. Anyway, he let me use his PC to play some games."

“What? Seriously?”

Yuuji nodded slowly as he chewed another piece of Montblanc into his mouth. Meanwhile, Komachi seemed silent, waiting for the boy to finish his little activity. Only after she swallowed the food in her mouth did Yuuji continue his words.

"Actually, it was more like he asked me to play Street Fighter in multiplayer. He said he's been into fighting games lately and is looking for a good sparring partner. But somehow, he gave me permission to play some games myself.”

Honestly, it surprised Komachi a bit. She never knew that the two had hung out together several times. However, it was understandable because even though her and her brother's rooms were on the second floor, an empty room was separating them, used as a storage room. So, the voices from his room barely reached her unless he screamed aloud. But that wasn’t what surprised her.

Hachiman was a typical person who was strict with the lines he set so that not just anyone could enter his private life. On top of that, the PC in his room could be said to embody his privacy. Not only games, but Komachi was even sure that her brother kept perverted things there. That was why she didn’t expect that stubborn Onii-chan to permit Yuuji to touch his computer.

“Well, Hachiman-paisen seemed to be having trouble raising his rank to Ultra Diamond. His points were around twenty-two thousand, so he asked me to accompany him in practising some move combos."

“Eh? Ultra Diamond? Points? Move combos? What’s that? I don’t get it at all,” Komachi replied, tilting her head.

“Ultra Diamond is a rank, like a ranking in a game. Hachiman-paisen said he wants to at least get to Master,” Yuuji explained enthusiastically, "And point is... the point you need to get the rank. While the move combos are like some special techniques."

Komachi raised an eyebrow, indicating she still didn't fully understand the discussion.

“I thought Onii-chan was good at gaming? I don't understand, but I’m sure Onii-chan, Yuta-san, and Toge-san have been in the top 500 in PUBG several times."

"Oh, yeah, I know that. His gameplay is amazing when he plays FPS," Yuuji said.

However, the guy seemed to be hanging his words in the air as if there were still things he wanted to add.

“But FPS and fighting games have very different mechanics. Aside from memorising all the combos, the most important thing in fighting games is the perfect execution of every frame data. Therefore, if you make the slightest mistake, your opponent will punish you. Moreover, with a narrow arena and no hiding place, whoever adapts faster will be the winner."

Some people might disagree if told that fighting games tend to be harder than FPS. The main factor was that even small mistakes couldn’t be tolerated in fighting games, unlike FPS, which had a large map, giving participants more variations of strategies that could be applied.

However, the level of difficulty remained subjective for each person.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying anymore,” Komachi said weakly.

Hearing that, Yuuji could only laugh awkwardly.

“Sorry, I got a little carried away. It was the first time I had a gaming buddy since I moved to Tokyo. Fushiguro is my best friend but doesn't know how to chill in front of a computer. That's why I was so excited that Hachiman-paisen was a gamer.”

Yuuji's initial impression of Hachiman wasn’t like that. Of course, he respected him, but initially, he thought his senior was boring. His training method to control the cursed energy modified the method Hachiman created. If Yuuji used movies as a trigger for his emotions, Hachiman used novels as a trigger and also trained his concentration.

Because the boy was a bookworm, Yuuji thought Hachiman was the same type as Fushiguro Megumi.

“Well, Onii-chan will do anything to make his lazy time more enjoyable, whether it’s playing games or reading books,” Komachi commented.

The girl put the last piece of strawberry cake into her mouth and chewed it slowly, enjoying every sensation of softness that spread to her brain.

“Seeing you and Onii-chan playing games made me want to try it, too," Komachi added with a deep sigh.

“Eh? Why?”

“It sucks because I can’t follow your conversations. It makes me feel left out.”

If Hachiman heard her complaints, he’d probably say, 'You're fake, insincere, you're pushing yourself too hard to follow the trend around you' or something similar. However, Komachi didn't care. It might seem that way, but Komachi didn't like being left in the dark.

"I don't think it's necessary, though. But we can work on it together, I guess!" Yuuji replied enthusiastically and gave a thumbs-up.

“Then, I’ll ensure you can pass all the subjects on the exam. And after that, please teach me some stuff about games. I’ll surprise Onii-chan and beat him.”

Komachi said those words with passion and determination. On one hand, the positive energy that the girl showed was undoubtedly great. Of course, Yuuji would encourage her. However, he felt that the enthusiasm was a bit too much because he understood how good Hachiman was at video games. A newbie couldn't beat him in any game, even a fighting game that wasn't his speciality.

“W-well, by the way, why did you ask me to go out? I’ve been curious, but I almost forgot to ask,” the guy said, trying to change the subject.

“Oh, about that….”

Komachi hung her words in the air. Before continuing, the girl leaned forward, approaching Yuuji, sitting across the table, with her hands covering the sides of her mouth.

“Don’t tell Onii-chan about this, okay? During the summer holiday, Hiratsuka-sensei plans to take us on a camping trip to cheer us on after everything that happened.”

Yuuji's eyes opened wide with excitement when he heard the answer.

“Will I be invited too?” the boy asked, pointing to himself.

However, his hopes were dashed away when he received a weak head shake from Komachi.

“I’m not sure, but probably not. That’s why I showed you places to buy some daily necessities in case the supplies at home run out while we’re away.”

“Eh? Why? Why? I thought I was already in your circle,” Yuuji whined.

“Well, because it’s an event with her students at school?”

Although Komachi had given her guess, Yuuji seemed dissatisfied with the answer. Seeing this, the girl looked for another alternative.

“I mean, Onii-chan, Haruno-san, Iroha-san, and Yumiko-san are each in different friend groups. It would be too random for Hiratsuka-sensei to invite them on an outing as it might raise suspicion.”

Hiratsuka had often gone out with Hachiman and Iroha, whether to train them or take the teenagers on missions. There was no worry because those two were used to living as sorcerers and knew how to keep their secrets. Haruno was also very good at lying, so there was no worry.

However, Yumiko hadn’t fully adapted to the world of jujutsu. She was still prone to panic attacks, and her circle of friends was also vast. If something suddenly happened to her, but there were no people close to her to just comfort her, no one knew what the girl would do. Or maybe the people closest to her would try to find out because they were purely worried that Yumiko would go alone, with people who weren’t too close to her, with her mental condition, which wasn’t yet stable.

Therefore, bringing all the related people was the best choice.

“So, I’ll be left alone? What about Aunt Asuka?”

“It’s summer holiday, and there’ll be many events in various places. As the head of the sales department, my mother will be very busy and may be out of town for several days like previous years.”

A sad face was clearly written on the boy's face. It was annoying when he started to enjoy his days with people, but he had to be left alone, even though it was only for a while. Moreover, parting with the people accompanying you felt heavy after being locked in the basement for quite a while.

Komachi, who saw the gloomy face, felt mixed feelings in her chest. However, there was nothing she could do to fix it.

—OoOoO—

Okinawa was an exotic place. As the southernmost region of Japan, the prefecture had a relatively even distribution of subtropical and tropical climates, making it an archipelago with a complete tourist package. The unique culture provided a different experience from mainland Japan. Its location, far from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis, was also perfect for anyone looking for peace, accompanied by the song of waves rolling onto the shore.

However, the further away from the centre of civilisation, the more suitable the place was for hiding.

The summer holidays hadn’t yet arrived, making the outer islands of Japan still quiet with almost no visitors. Only local residents who work nearby and a few people with special privileges have already enjoyed the natural beauty.

“We’ve been in Okinawa for almost two months. It’s hard to have fun since there aren’t many humans here. If it’s the beach view you’re after, can’t we use Dagon’s Domain?”

A light blue-haired man with his face full of stitches was seen lying on the beach sand without an umbrella to protect him from the scorching sun. Mahito, the name of the creature, was wearing a yellow boxer and was bare-chested while looking at the sky that wasn’t marred by a single cloud.

Standing next to the cursed spirit was a tall, black-haired man. His face looked so calm as if he had no burdens in life. The clothes he was wearing didn’t match the surrounding scenery at all. The black yukata and Buddhist robe with a gold checkered pattern stood out against the beach scenery in the background.

Even when Mahito kept on complaining, the black-haired man just responded casually. His eyes focused on the kite flying high in the sky, occasionally scanning the sky around him to see if there were other kites for him to compete with.

“How many times do I have to tell you? After the experiment on Miura Yumiko was successful, we are in a position where we can no longer move around as we please or troublesome people like Gojo Satoru, Hiratsuka Shizuka, and Hikigaya Hachiman will find us.”

“Oh, now you put that boy in the same category as those two?” Mahito commented.

His lazy eyes kept staring at the sky, more precisely at the guy’s kite floating aimlessly in the ocean of sky.

“I always did. I knew how troublesome he would be, just like Okkotsu Yuta and maybe Zen'in Maki if she managed to unleash her full potential. However, they still have a long way to go before they can be considered a major threat like Satoru and Shizuka.”

Mahito glanced at the man briefly before his attention was drawn back to the kite. He had no idea who Okkotsu Yuta was, even though the humans around him had often mentioned his name. However, he understood very well how troublesome this Hikigaya Hachiman was, even though they had only had one confrontation.

“You said you wanted to make someone from Sobu High your spy. Yet, you just lounge around here doing nothing?” asked the cursed spirit.

"Well, it's not the right time for me to move. Besides, do you know the right way to get someone to fall under your control, Mahito?"

“What?”

Instead of answering the question immediately, the black-haired man led his kite to the other side after seeing a worthy opponent to fight. However, after concentrating a little on his little activity, Geto finally opened his mouth.

“Just like how I made Mechamaru work for us. The most important thing in this case is exploiting someone’s sense of despair. With a little hope, you can make them do anything you want.”

Geto loosened his kite string, causing it to fly away. However, he pulled it back quickly at a particular moment so the kite could perform a high manoeuvre to slash another kite's string nearby.

“Besides, I wasn’t completely doing nothing, you know? I asked Hijikata to mess around a bit here and there. With his shikigami ability to change shape, I asked him to watch a few people who caught my attention."

“Oh…. Then, when can I get back into action?” Mahito asked nonchalantly, indicating that the creature was almost dying of boredom.

However, he added a few words to his speech before Geto answered.

"I'm not Dagon, who can soak in the sea all the time, nor Hanami, who is satisfied just by meditating in the forest. You know my nature, don't you?"

Mahito glanced at Geto sharply. However, the man looked relaxed as usual.

“I told you I would give you an interesting stage performance, didn’t I?”

"And that's what you always say, but you never even hint at a spoiler," Mahito replied in a sulky tone.

Geto chuckled at those words as if he were hiding something behind his laughter. His eyes continued to stare at the empty sky, without birds or clouds, only his kite still holding on high. Its taut string indicated an unshakable strength as if refusing to bow to the wind that tried to shake it. In the silence that hung in the sky, only the kite's shadow remained upright, becoming the sole ruler of the Okinawan sky.

“Summer holiday is about to start. Do you know what that means?” Geto asked.

Mahito rose from where he was lying, sitting still to stare at the waves rolling onto the beach's sand.

“I don't know, and I don't care.”

The black-haired man sighed softly when he heard the indifferent reply.

“It is a season where much love will bloom. The light that brings warmth will lead humanity to anchor their love. However, the brighter the light, the darker the shadow it creates.”

Geto paused his words for a moment. The man seemed not to bother to see Mahito's reaction and only focused on rolling his kite string after feeling satisfied playing.

"I can't give you too many spoilers because it wouldn't be interesting. However, right after the summer ends, you'll see how these people are willing to stab each other for the sake of love and compassion.”

—To Be Continued—

Author Note: A day late from scheduled update. Sorry, it should be yesterday. Last night was heavy raining and couldn’t go home at all. And the time I back, I went to shower and bed instead. Yeah, it was a busy day for me.

Nothing much in this chapter. Just an afterwards like usual. I just want to show you guys Yuuji’s relationship. And yeah, they will be the third couple in the story. However, the focus will be, still, on HachiHaru.

So, it is what it is. I hope you can enjoy the chapter. Stay safe and see you.