71

Shiki's circumstances… while she wouldn't call them well-known, it's not as if any of it is a secret, either.

Nanami Shiki, now Gojo Shiki. A girl who was the only survivor of an unfortunate incident that had resulted in the deaths of both parents. The child had fallen into a coma for a year afterwards, then woke up again with cursed eyes. An unexpected, unprecedented phenomenon that had swiftly earned her the attention of the Gojo Clan, who had then acted immediately to draw her into their fold.

Oh, how fortunate this young girl was! How lucky. How blessed.

But Shiki knows very well how blessings and curses in the jujutsu world are merely two sides of the same coin.

"I'm familiar with the story," Tsukumo nods. "It's why I'm interested in how this came about, exactly. Sorcery clans, especially larger ones, tend to keep track of all of their members in some way –even those who marry outside the clan. It's so that they'll know if and when any 'happy surprises' with powerful cursed techniques pop up."

"It's standard practice," Shiki confirms in acknowledgment of the older sorcerer's words.

… This wasn't entirely just a power grab on the behalf of sorcery clans who were ever-hungry for new talents. Aside from amassing budding new talents, a young, unprotected sorcerer was also a prominent target for cursed spirits. It was well-known that cursed spirits would become agitated when they became aware of being observed by human eyes –perhaps as the result of some defensive instinct; those who were capable of seeing them were also those who held the potential to exorcise them– and this did not bode well for younger sorcerers.

Powerful enough to see cursed spirits, but not powerful enough to subdue them. A danger to those around them, as well, for cursed spirits rarely stopped at just the one victim.

There's a very good reason why sorcerers from purely civilian households were so rare, even apart from the fact that those with the capability of becoming sorcerers were an astonishingly small fraction of the human population. It was part of a Window's duties to keep an eye out for young potential sorcerers, but unfortunately there would always be those who slipped through the cracks.

In short, sorcery clans taking in young children with the potential for sorcery wasn't just a method of strengthening themselves, but also a protective measure of sorts for the individuals in question. Over the ages, sorcery clans had developed specific spells and methods for determining whether or not a child possessed such potential. A way of determining if there were children who needed to be removed from civilian families that were ill-equipped to support a budding sorcerer.

"Yes. It's standard practice for sorcery clans to be rather meticulous about their bloodlines. And you, a child with a Gojo father directly from the Gojo Clan?" Tsukumo points towards Shiki to emphasize her words, "They definitely would've checked whether or not you possessed a cursed technique when you were born. And then again, after you were a few years old, just to make sure that they didn't overlook anything the first time. Yet you were clearly overlooked anyways, considering that it took your cursed eyes activating before the Gojo Clan realized your potential for sorcery."

"Your point?"

"My point is," the older sorcerer stresses herself, "You were completely glossed over in the beginning. Is the Gojo Clan really that prone to error? Or did you truly not possess any aptitude for sorcery at the time? And if it's the latter, then… it still does not change the truth that you are here today, a Grade One sorcerer. How?"

… Shiki does not owe the woman any answers. But, even setting aside that fact–

"I don't know." It's not the response that Tsukumo wants to hear, Shiki is aware of that. But it's an honest reply. Although, "Araya claimed that I was always a sorcerer. So it's entirely possible that he interfered with whatever tests the Gojo Clan carried out. It would not have been hard for him to fool Gojo Ima, at least."

She doesn't remember ever encountering Araya Souren in her early childhood. But given what Ken-jichan had disclosed of him upon realizing that Araya Souren was the same monk whose temple Shiki's mother had visited for prayers and blessings…

If Araya considered Shiki to be his 'experiment,' then it would not have been surprising if it turned out that he'd taken measures to obscure her from the sights of the Gojo Clan. So as to prevent a preemptive discovery, until he deemed the time right. Shiki would not be surprised if it turned out that her adoption into the Gojo Clan after awakening cursed eyes was also something that had been engineered by Araya Souren in the background. The Gojo Clan, after all, historically had more experience in helping a sorcerer develop ocular jujutsu abilities.

… But none of this really explains how Shiki came into her abilities. The near-death encounter and subsequent coma was a trigger, not the underlying cause.

And it was this 'how,' the cause, that Tsukumo Yuki sought in her self-imposed quest.

"Ah." The single-syllable response from the woman sounds less disappointed than Shiki thought it would be. "That's… a little bit of a letdown, I'm not gonna lie, but still entirely within bounds of expectations. I guess if it were Araya, we might get some actual answers–"

"Araya is dead," Shiki states flatly.

"I know that! I'm aware that you killed him," Tsukumo flaps a hand impatiently, rolling her eyes. "Not that I'm blaming you for it, but obviously this means that it's a dead end on that front. You… genuinely didn't have cursed eyes until your 'accident' though, right?"

Shiki nods her head mutely in affirmation. Her fingers itch for her sword.

"Hmm." Tsukumo taps the side of her beverage, lost in thought. "… Sorcery abilities are largely innate. Suddenly manifesting new abilities that previously didn't exist… it's not something that just happens, y'know? Even if you've had a cursed technique since birth, if you also managed to get new cursed eyes from some sort of external stimulus later on, then that's…"

Silence falls between them while the older sorcerer grows distracted by her new theories explaining the emergence of Shiki's abilities. On her part, Shiki is content to let the woman think what she will. Tsukumo might consider the manifestation of cursed eyes to be something that indicates the possibility of developing sorcery traits and abilities where previously none existed, but–

But if Araya's words were to be believed, then Shiki wasn't exactly a blank slate to begin with. An empty slate, more like. And in this particular case, there was a marked difference between being 'blank' and being 'empty.'

Brown eyes suddenly snap up to focus on Shiki once more, "Let me study you."

Choki tenses. Shiki's expression does not change, but her hand finally closes over the hilt of a dagger hidden within her sleeve.

"No."

… She appears to be saying that a lot to Tsukumo, it seems.

Unsurprisingly, the woman is not deterred. "Aww, c'mon. Please? Don't you think it's for a good cause, at least?"

Shiki is not swayed by the halfhearted attempt made towards convincing her. "And what does that have to do with me?"

Tsukumo raises an eyebrow. "… Wow, you're not even going to pretend to be sympathetic, at least? Interested in permanently eradicating cursed spirits from the world, and all that? Aren't the administration's sorcerers supposed to be worried about cursed spirits overrunning the earth?"

"Should I be?" Shiki is fairly certain that Tsukumo is sharp enough to catch any lies from her –not that Shiki sees the point in lying to begin with, usually. There's no need for her to pretend to believe in a noble cause that she does not care overmuch for.

… Honestly, Shiki is currently more worried about Tsukumo deciding to make Shiki one of her research subjects by force. Not that the woman is likely to succeed in the attempt; Shiki has a few tricks up her sleeves –figuratively, and literally– and if Tsukumo wants to force her into compliance, then the Special Grade sorcerer is not likely to have an easy time of it.

Shiki isn't going down without a fight. But a fight in a populous city would result in a lot of collateral damage, Choki chief among them, which makes Shiki slightly hesitant. However, if Tsukumo insists on escalating the situation–

A fight with Shiki would also mean a fight to the death. She wonders if the older sorcerer realizes that.

"I guess not, then," Tsukumo laughs again. Amused and cheerful, and she raises both hands in a harmless, nonthreatening gesture. "You really don't care much for what other people think about you, huh?"

… So she does not intend to fight?

Shiki shrugs noncommittally. Tsukumo cocks her head.

"Hm. I can't imagine that the higher ups would be very happy about that." One hand comes up to prop under the woman's chin, elbow resting atop the table. "Y'know, what with wanting to be respected by their sorcerers and all. Pfft. Yeah, like that's ever going to happen!"

"… You do not seem like the type of person to care about what others think either," Shiki tells the other sorcerer. She does not sense any particular fluctuations in Tsukumo's cursed energy, nothing that appears to be indicative of an imminent violent altercation.

"Ah, you caught onto that?" Tsukumo grins. "Heh. Think it might be a Special Grade thing?"

'Special Grade thing?'

… Wait, is Tsukumo implying that Shiki is Special Grade?

"You disagree?" The woman arches an eyebrow. "Didn't take you for the type to downplay yourself."

"I'm stronger than most Grade Ones," Shiki states, acknowledging the facts for what they are. "But that doesn't mean I'm a Special Grade sorcerer."

She knows what Special Grade looks like. Shiki grew up with Satoru-niichan watching over her, after all. And while she has confidence in her own abilities, she also knows for a fact that she has yet to reach her cousin's level. So that's–

"Look, girl," Tsukumo appears faintly bemused, "If you're using Gojo Satoru as your benchmark for what 'Special Grade' is like, then you have some serious misunderstandings going on about the rank."

While it's admittedly true that Satoru-niichan is the first one that she thinks of when Special Grade is mentioned, Tsukumo's words are erroneous. Shiki's understanding of Special Grade isn't solely limited to using her cousin as an example.

"Geto Suguru is also Special Grade." And when she'd been younger, Geto-san had been a familiar figure in her memories, too. So, Shiki is quite certain that she knows what she's talking about in regards to the rank.

Special Grade describes an indisputable level of power. One that is leaps and bounds beyond what an average Grade One sorcerer is capable of even glimpsing in their lifetime. Unlike the other ranks, 'Special Grade' is not something that a sorcerer achieves through continuous promotions throughout the hierarchy. Rather, 'Special Grade' means anomaly. It describes a sorcerer with the strength to make the world tremble in their wake, who possesses the ability to bring an entire country to its knees.

To summarize: The potential for widespread, unstoppable destruction.

Satoru-niichan, with his Limitless and Six Eyes. Geto-san, with his Cursed Spirit Manipulation that theoretically allows him to command countless legions of cursed spirits that he has consumed… even though he himself doesn't hold a candle to Satoru-niichan in terms of individual, personal strength. As for Tsukumo…

… There is no documentation of Tsukumo Yuki's cursed technique. But in this respect, she is likely no different from her contemporaries.

Mass destruction.

Shiki, on the other hand, is simply very good at killing. Her abilities are deadly, but narrow and focused instead of widespread and calamitous that the way that 'Special Grade' is. True, she is one of the more capable sorcerers with the Grade One ranking. This does not, however, mean that she is Special Grade.

(Yet.)

"The interpretation of a Special Grade is rather murky to begin with, especially with the glaring lack of sorcerers who've qualified for it in the past," Tsukumo shakes her head. "So, based on the official definition nowadays, you'd be right that destructive potential is the measuring stick that's usually used to determine 'Special Grade.' But the rank itself was originally created to indicate a power that far outclasses Grade One. Overwhelming strength, the kind that forces everything around the sorcerer to bow to their will. Unstoppable, and inescapable."

Tsukumo's definition of what it means to be Special Grade is slightly different from what Shiki knows, then.

"Honestly," Tsukumo continues confidently, "I'm betting that the real reason why they're nitpicking and refusing to rank you as a Special Grade sorcerer is because of politics. Possibly misogynistic attitudes, too. God knows it took forever for them to get off their asses and declare me to be Special Grade."

Shiki still feels rather dubious on the topic of her being Special Grade. But, she can certainly see why the higher ups would be hesitant to name a second Special Grade sorcerer from the Gojo Clan.

Gojo Satoru was already the Strongest who stood atop the hierarchy of sorcerers. There really wasn't much more that needed to be said on that front. Of the Three Great Families, the Kamo Clan was positioned on a steady downhill slope into their decline, while the Gojo Clan stood in an overwhelmingly advantageous position. Bearing this in mind, then, it stands to reason that the Zenin Clan would be highly motivated to ensure that the Gojo Clan did not continue accruing even more power atop the existing imbalance.

If a fourth Special Grade sorcerer were to be named, Shiki thinks that the higher ups would prefer for the sorcerer in question to be someone like Geto-san.

… Not as in 'another homicidal curse user,' but they would most likely hope for a sorcerer from a civilian background. A Special Grade who was unattached to any sorcery clan, easy to control, and relatively effortless to mold to their needs. It would be useful to have another Special Grade who could be used as a counterweight to balance out the wildcards that were the three existing Special Grade sorcerers.

Bonus points, perhaps, if this hypothetical fourth Special Grade was a young student from a troubled background who was in desperate need of guidance. Desperation, despair, and a need for assistance would make them all the easier to manipulate.

But unfortunately for the higher ups, it's not as if Special Grade sorcerers are some commodity that's easily picked up just by going out and strolling around the streets. Sorcerers are rare enough already; sorcerers deserving of the Special Grade rank among their numbers are rarer still.

Shiki supposes that it's possible that the Gojo Clan has already nominated her for a promotion to Special Grade before without her knowing. Undoubtedly, the requests were denied, given her current Grade One status. And it makes sense that they would be.

"I'm looking forward to the day when the higher ups can't continue burying their wrinkled heads in the sand anymore," Tsukumo mock-whispers in a playful, conspiratorial manner. "Special Grade sorcerer Gojo Shiki has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

"… I'm not Special Grade," is all she ends up saying.

"If you say so," Tsukumo allows graciously, still smiling. "Now, unlike Araya, I don't make a habit of kidnapping unwilling test subjects to subject to inhumane experiments. But if you ever decide to change your mind–"

"No." Has Shiki not been clear enough about this? "Are we done here now?"

"Sheesh. Subtlety isn't your strong point, is it?" The older sorcerer sounds amused.

Not really. But it's not as if Shiki is trying to be subtle at the moment. This entire conversation with Tsukumo is not something that has been particularly interesting or enjoyable; the only things keeping Shiki here right now are basic courtesy and the fact that Tsukumo has provided assistance in Shiki's mission. Even though Shiki's mission only existed in the first place because of the woman's own oversight over her subordinates.

"I can see that you're losing patience –it's probably for the best that I don't keep you here any longer," Tsukumo laughs. "Are you in a rush to get back? Wait, no, let me guess. It's the jujutsu school's annual exchange event, right?"

Shiki doesn't bother answering as she rises to her feet. Tsukumo, unoffended, continues her musings aloud.

"It's not surprising that Tokyo's first years would be called in as substitutes. The event might be meant for second and third year students, but most of the Tokyo third years died in the mess during Obon this year. So of course the Tokyo team would need reinforcements…" The woman takes a loud slurp of her drink. "Okay, yeah, I guess that makes sense why you're in China. And probably also why we ran into each other like this. Maybe. You do know that you're not going to make it back on time, right?"

… There had been a sneaking suspicion of it in the back of Shiki's mind, but she didn't need to have it confirmed by Tsukumo like this.

Looking back on everything… the background maneuvering hadn't exactly been subtle. Most of the other Tokyo students have all been taking progressively fewer missions in the days leading up to the Kyoto exchange event. A deliberate change to their schedule, in order to allow the students to train together and coordinate a loose plan.

The annual exchange event lasted two days, and the first day always featured a team event, which called for students of the same school to be able to work together with each other. This generally was not a problem between students of the same year, but in this case the team event would be a collaborative effort between students of different years. Hence, additional training time set aside for students of different classes who were not quite as familiar with each other.

Kirara and Kinji have both been able to grow more familiar with Ichinose and Aikawa's fighting styles and preferred methodologies. Shiki, on the other hand, has been tasked with a full schedule of missions.

This, by itself, wasn't anything incriminating. Which was just the way that the higher ups liked to operate, in retrospect. And it was also worth taking into consideration that Shiki was a Grade One sorcerer. Grade One sorcerers were always in short supply and high demand for numerous missions across the country. Added atop the fact that Shiki has also been taking more missions than her classmates ever since she started the school year as a Tokyo student, there hadn't been any particular reason for her to think too much about her busy schedule.

The only unusual thing that had raised her attention was this international mission in China, for its distance. But then, if that was simply to prevent her from attending the exchange event, it seemed like… a very roundabout way of doing things.

Or perhaps that was the point?

… Was there a specific reason why there were people within the administration who did not want Shiki to attend the exchange event in Kyoto?

It's something to think about. But preferably not when there is still an unfamiliar Special Grade sorcerer smiling at her.

"There's a reason why I don't work with the backwards administration," Tsukumo drawls. "Seriously, it's not worth the effort. And all the circumventing and backstabbing too, ugh. Are you sure I can't interest you in working with me?"

"No." Neither of them are surprised by Shiki's constant, consistent refusals at this point. Shiki eyes the woman for a moment, satisfied when Tsukumo only shakes her head with a wry smile.

For all that the Special Grade clearly has no problem pushing past Shiki verbally, her saving grace is that her words only remain as that –words. She doesn't take action to push for Shiki to accede to her demands, which the girl can acknowledge even despite her other misgivings about Tsukumo Yuki.

It's also the only reason why Shiki has been patiently holding herself back from pulling out one of the knives in her sleeves this entire time.

"Maybe sometime in the future, then," the woman winks at her. "Oh, if you're going to swing by Kyoto whenever you manage to get back to Japan, say hi to Aoi-kun for me, will you?"

"… Who?"

"Todo Aoi. Big, tall, muscle-y Kyoto first year –you can't miss him." Tall describes quite a large number of sorcerers, but 'Kyoto first year' narrows things down a lot. There are only three Kyoto first years, after all, the same as the Tokyo school. Then it clicks in Shiki's mind that she's heard the name 'Todo Aoi' somewhere, if only because– "He's my student."

Todo Aoi, civilian background. Recommended to the jujutsu school by Tsukumo Yuki, Special Grade Sorcerer. Has received training directly from Tsukumo herself.

… Shiki hadn't thought much of it at the time. But after meeting Tsukumo in person now, and seeing firsthand the older sorcerer's attitude towards the administration, "Why is your student in one of the jujutsu schools?"

"Because even though I don't agree with the way that the higher ups do things, it's not like I have something against the school itself," Tsukumo shrugs. "Aoi-kun also deserves a chance to get to know kids his age and everything. He's my student, but he still needs time to grow on his own. It's not like I can take him gallivanting around the world with me now, can I?"

… Is that really all there is to her reasoning?

"I'm sure that he would rather receive a greeting from you in person instead," Shiki says eventually. She has no intention of involving herself with Tsukumo Yuki any more than necessary.

"Unfortunately, my schedule doesn't allow me to make any trips back to Japan for a while," the older sorcerer sighs, pouting slightly.

Shiki doesn't know if she agrees with Tsukumo's words. "Don't you set your own schedule?"

"Semantics! There's a mountain of tasks waiting for me, but alas I am only one woman dealing with it all." Tsukumo's voice is dramatic, teasing. Which makes it hard to ascertain if her words are serious or not, especially when she's also smiling cheerily at the same time. In a way, it's almost somewhat reminiscent of Satoru-niichan, although the overall demeanor and bearings of the two Special Grades are very different from each other.

… Tsukumo is nothing like Satoru-niichan, Shiki decides firmly.

With a courteous parting nod, she turns around and takes her leave.

"See you around, Gojo-chan! Keep my offer in mind, will ya?"

Shiki has no intention of submitting herself to Tsukumo as a research subject. The woman seems to be aware of this fact, and doesn't attempt to force Shiki –but it doesn't stop her from being annoying, clearly. Privately, Shiki wonders how genuine Tsukumo is, because surely she realizes that if she really wants to recruit Shiki to her cause, this isn't exactly the best way of going about doing so.

Or perhaps, Tsukumo has instinctively sensed that Shiki is not going anywhere with her. Shiki might not be loyal to the administration, but she isn't about to run off with renegade sorcerers or curse users on a whim because of it. She's loyal to her cousin.

Maybe someday, Satoru-niichan will finally decide that the higher ups have outlived their use, and proceed to slaughter them all–

But until that day comes, Shiki will simply be a responsible, dutiful sorcerer.

That's all there is to it.

.

.

"Is there something amiss?"

Choki no longer holds himself as stiffly as he'd been throughout the duration of Shiki's lengthy conversation with Tsukumo Yuki, and she'd seen him relax in the car ride back to the hotel they'd been staying in. However, when he'd stepped through the doors of the lobby, her assistant had received a notification for something on his phone that immediately placed a distinct frown on his face.

Presumably, this was not a sign of anything good. Was it related to Shiki's mission? Had there been some detail that both she and Tsukumo had missed?

"My apologies, ojou-sama," he responds. "It seems that… it seems that you've been requested for another urgent mission in China. Located in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province."

Shiki blinks. That's… inconvenient.

… But on the other hand, likely to be very convenient for certain other parties. "Do you think that it's a genuinely purposeful attempt to prevent me from going to Kyoto?"

Choki does not respond immediately. When he finally speaks again, his voice is reserved. "I would not presume to understand the thoughts behind the chain of decisions that have assigned such missions to you, ojou-sama. But…"

Shiki waits patiently.

"That's… not impossible. There are, after all, numerous reasons why this arrangement would be preferred by certain parties," the man finishes quietly.

Numerous reasons…

The most obvious of them would simply be the sensible rationale of not wanting a Grade One sorcerer to fight against students. Most students, by and large, entered the jujutsu schools as Grade Four sorcerers, and graduated as Grade Three to Grade Two sorcerers. Against a Grade One, there would be quite a significant gap to overcome even for a graduate –much less a current student of the school.

There were exceptions to this, of course. Satoru-niichan had been officially declared Special Grade from the moment that he'd stepped into the Tokyo school. From what Shiki vaguely recalls, he and Geto-san had dominated the exchange event as second year students.

Neither of them had been particularly engaged in it, though. Satoru-niichan had been bored more than anything else, and Geto-san… Geto-san's heart hadn't been in it, either.

(The exchange event had taken place in the recent weeks following Amanai Riko's death.)

Still, the two of them proceeded to win the entire thing effortlessly, absentmindedly. While it wasn't as if anyone had truly expected the Kyoto students to win against not one but two Special Grade sorcerers, Shiki can see how the Kyoto school would've considered this to be a humiliating experience. A severe blow to their students' confidence as sorcerers, even.

So perhaps they feared a similar experience repeating with Shiki this year, despite the fact that she currently still falls short of Satoru-niichan's level of strength. It's understandable why they would be wary, then, with this sort of past experience.

With Shiki being a prominent figure of the Gojo Clan… if she was outright forbidden from attending the exchange event, then it wouldn't have looked good for the Kyoto school at all. It was also possible that some of the Gojo elders with far too much free time on their hands would decide to take this as a profound insult to the Gojo Clan as well, which would just turn into a headache for everyone involved.

Thus, the not-so-discreet scheduling of urgent missions that just so happened to provide a perfectly valid, reasonable excuse for Shiki not being able to attend the event along with her fellow classmates.

It's the 'nicest' reasoning that Shiki can think of, if her mission schedule was truly deliberate on the school's part. The alternatives…

Possibly, various higher ups who had a vested interest in restricting the power and influence of the Gojo Clan, either out of fear or for their own gain. The exchange event was a public display of young talents in the jujutsu world, and representative of many things. Perhaps there were those who did not want the Gojo Clan to gain any more representation than they already had.

… Politics, ugh.

"Ojou-sama," Choki's voice is hesitant, then straightens out into something firm, steady. "Shall I decline the mission on your behalf?"

"No. Don't bother." Regardless of what games the higher ups are playing this time, Shiki doesn't care enough to spend any more time thinking over their motivations and goals.

So–

She doubts that they would make up a fake mission to waylay her. Which means that this is genuinely another dangerous incident in China that Shiki 'happens' to be conveniently close to. Between exorcising a cursed spirit and attending a school event, there's no doubt in Shiki's mind of which holds higher importance. Particularly since Zhang-san's words had revealed that there was currently a distinct gap in China's manpower, due to the sudden deaths of three well-respected, hardworking sorcerers. Quite a number of the auxiliary staff had also been taken out in this very same incident, exacerbating the tenuous situation.

The fact that there was another urgent mission is unlikely to be a lie.

Shiki will go along with it.

They can't keep her in China forever. She'll simply do her job as a sorcerer, and then very politely express her displeasure once she's back in Japan.

Shiki might not be particularly interested in the exchange event itself, but she had said that she would attend with her classmates. She hadn't been given any reason to believe otherwise, either… right up until the deluge of missions that ended with her standing in another country here, while the Kyoto exchange was about to begin.

While Shiki might not care about the school event, she doesn't like the idea that the higher ups can do as they please with background manipulations like this. It's… not something that she intends to encourage.

Satoru-niichan would definitely agree with her.

For now, though–

Shiki decides on her next actions. "… Choki, please inform Kiyohira-sensei of the situation. Also, do you think it's possible for one of Ken-jichan's missions to be swapped out for an assignment in Kyoto instead?"

It's all rather short-notice, and she will need to call Ken-jichan herself to explain things. But assuming that these arrangements are successful, then Nanami Kento showing up unexpectedly in Kyoto during the ongoing exchange event due to a sudden change in schedule and urgent mission… would do well to send a very clear message to the higher ups who had interfered unnecessarily in Shiki's mission schedule.

"I understand, ojou-sama," Choki's eyes widen for a moment upon realizing her intentions, then bows his head to her. Then, he starts speedily typing away on his cell phone.

Come to think of it, Shiki should probably text her classmates, right? Let them know that she's definitely not going to be able to join them for the exchange event, and to not include any plans involving her in their strategies. She's sure that they'll understand, even if none of them are likely to be very happy about it.

…

… Shiki definitely needs to bring more souvenirs back with her. Definitely.

.

.

…

.