[15] : Childhood Friends...

- Thanks so much for the support! I'll be dropping lots of chapters this month :)

- If you can, drop a Power Stone and leave a quick review—I'd really appreciate it!

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- I've gone through Chapters 12, 13, and 14 for any mistakes—everything looks good now! :)

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Another night of "Deep yet shallow" communication passed, and soon it was morning again.

At around 7:20 A.M. as usual, Bokue and Kuroka sat together at the dining table in the living room.

Today's breakfast featured steak pasta with a fried egg on the side.

Despite being born into an ancient Onmyōji family from Kyoto—a household well-known across Japan—Bokue's eating habits were far more eclectic.

He preferred Western or Spanish-style cuisine over traditional Japanese food.

Asked why, he'd bluntly say, "Traditional washoku is too bland—just doesn't taste good."

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"Slurp... Why so early again?"

Still half-asleep, Kuroka sipped her tomato-sauced noodles with half-lidded eyes. Half her body leaned heavily on Bokue's shoulder.

Scratch that—she was asleep on her feet.

In fact, Bokue's original plan the night before had been simple: after their bath, he'd reheat dinner, eat, hook up the new TV and game console, play a bit, and then call it a night.

But the cat-eared girl had other ideas. Despite being tired from the bath "Activities," she stuck to him like glue, blocking his screen every time he tried to play.

One thing led to another, and he ended up carrying her off for a prolonged "siege" in the bedroom—gaming abandoned entirely.

They didn't stop until late into the night when both servers (and, well, bodies) crashed.

Add an extra bath after that, and by the time they finally crawled into bed, it was nearly 2 A.M.

Now it was 7 A.M. and he had to be up for class.

R.I.P. to any normal sleep schedule.

"No choice—it starts at eight," Bokue said, looking untroubled by the lack of sleep.

"Hmm... class at eight, yeah, sure..."

Kuroka narrowed her eyes and grumbled under her breath, lips stained with tomato sauce.

She'd complained often that Bokue's "high school routine" was pointless, but she also understood reality:

Eighty percent of their income came from a certain Rias Gremory.

Every job from her was lucrative, straightforward, and no one tried to haggle the fee or demand endless "edits." Essentially a dream client.

On top of that, Bokue sometimes took side gigs via the Jujutsu High-run forum, but most people there were just supernatural hobbyists who rarely posted serious job requests. Actual paying leads were even scarcer.

The main factor, though, was that Kuroka's little sister was now a Devil under Rias Gremory.

Granted, Rias didn't seem the type to boss her underlings around, but given how dangerous some of these tasks got, it was reassuring to have someone responsible watching over that knucklehead...

Then again, if Kuroka herself got involved—well, let's just say her dumb little sister wouldn't be thrilled to see her. At least not yet.

She paused, lost in thought, gaze drifting downward as she stared at her steak and pasta.

That's when Bokue spoke around a mouthful of noodles:

"You good? You look like you're about to fall asleep in your plate."

"Huh? No way," she snapped, flushing. Realizing she'd spaced out, she reflexively gave his shin a gentle kick beneath the table. "I was just thinking—your school's weekend break starts in a few days, right? Maybe we should go somewhere?"

"Oh, the weekend. Haven't decided yet."

Bokue swallowed and shook his head.

In Japan, if you're not gunning for a top university, high school isn't super high-pressure. Two full days off each weekend is plenty of time for a normal teen's social life.

But given the choice, Bokue would rather stay home. After all, there's food, AC, a TV, a game console, and no half-hour hunts for a public restroom.

"Nothing in mind yet..."

Kuroka tapped her lip, then a crafty light flickered in her eyes. "How about Kyoto? I've never been there, and it is your hometown. We could do a home visit—say hi to your parents."

"Nope. I'd rather do Hokkaido than Kyoto," Bokue replied flatly.

"Why not?"

"Picture your entire extended family—everyone from random aunts to second cousins you haven't seen in years—hovering around, pointing and whispering about you. Even worse, some folks our age who act exactly like nosy old relatives."

"Uh... can't really imagine that."

Kuroka tried for a second and immediately gave up. She had zero extended family, so it was foreign territory—catgirls couldn't conjure experiences they never had.

"Besides," Bokue added, "My mom messaged me a few days ago. She said she's heading to the 'Hero Village' for a while, so she won't be in Kyoto anyway."

He shrugged.

"And..."

His words cut off, as if something from the past tugged at him. He let out a faint "Ah."

Noticing, Kuroka scooted closer and eyed him suspiciously.

"What's with that pause? Thinking about another girl?"

"Well... I guess you could put it that way."

He resumed eating. "It's more about that Jujutsu Association stuff from yesterday. I'm guessing they'll want to talk again soon, so I might not have free time this weekend."

"Oh, sure, it's definitely not about longing for that Jujutsu senpai," she said with a sarcastic pout.

"Why would I be 'longing' for her? Anyway, the Association's spent who-knows-how-long sealing Sukuna's fingers. Meanwhile, I can just destroy them all, nice and tidy. Don't see how they'd ignore that. Maybe I can squeeze them for a tidy sum—live free with zero money worries... Huh, now that's an idea."

"Hmph..."

Kuroka looked unconvinced. "But if you just stay inside gaming whenever you're not on a job, you'll end up with no friends, you know?"

"Says who? I had plenty of friends when I was little."

Bokue finished the last of his pasta, stood, and took his empty plate to the kitchen sink. Then he headed toward the entryway to grab his shoes.

"Anyway, I'm off. See you tonight."

"Uh—tonight... see you?"

It all happened so quickly. By the time Kuroka realized, he'd already vanished out the door, bag slung over one shoulder.

What the heck is "I had lots of friends when I was a kid" supposed to mean?!

Isn't this where you're supposed to say "I don't need friends as long as I've got you?" He's making it sound like she wants him to run around with some big social circle!

Seriously—he's infuriating.

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Meanwhile, Bokue stepped out of the apartment building onto the sidewalk. As soon as his foot hit the pavement, a startled voice cried out behind him:

"Yah—!"

He felt a light bump against his shoulder.

Turning, he caught sight of a white headscarf fluttering to the ground like a butterfly—

—and a golden-haired girl wearing what appeared to be... a nun's habit, sprawled awkwardly on the pavement.

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Update Schedule: 21 Chapter/week.

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